THE BEST MONDAY | TMK #27

Today, on TMK:

A Superbowl rematch, Brazil-Argentina, and Euro 2024 qualifying matches that actually matter. On a MONDAY.

Headlines

Catch Up

• 🏈 NFL Week 11

• ⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers

• 🏀 NBA: 9 Games

• 🎾 ATP Finals: Djokovic - Sinner

The Main Events

• 🏈 Superbowl Rematch: Eagles - Chiefs

• ⚽ WC 2026 Qualifiers: Brazil - Argentina

• ⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers: Italy - Ukraine

• 🏀 NBA

Extra Time:

• ❓ Sports Trivia

• 🗣️ Quote of the Day

• ⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

• 🧮 Stat of the Day

• 📽️ Video of the Day

Serbia Qualifies for Euro 2024

• Serbia’s draw combined with Montenegro’s loss was enough to secure second place in Group G, and with it a spot in the Euro 2024.

Djokovic Wins ATP Masters

• The Joker took his revenge on Sinner and dominated a quick 6-3, 6-3 match to take home the trophy.

Mbappe Youngest To Score 300th Goal

• His hat trick against Gibraltar made him the youngest player to ever score 300 for club and country combined.

Barcelona’s Gavi Injures ACL, Out For Season

• Gavi is a mainstay of Barca’s and Spain’s midfield. At 19 he is one of the most promising young footballers. He’ll hopefully come back stronger.

🏈 NFL Week 11

The Close Games

Cleveland Browns 13-10 Pittsburgh Steelers

We knew this game wasn’t going to be pretty - and indeed, it wasn’t. Steelers QB Kenny Pickett and Browns QB Dorian Thompson Robinson threw a combined ZERO touchdowns. The longest pass of the afternoon was an 18-yard grab for Browns TE Njoku.

Mind you, both teams came into this game 6-3, and are in prime position to make the NFL playoffs. Neither team looks like a real threat to go and win the Superbowl.

Detroit Lions 31-26 Chicago Bears

Chicago led by 12 points and QB Justin Fields was dancing on the sidelines with 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Jared Goff threw 3 bad interceptions.

Luckily for the Lions, they came alive when it mattered. With 4 minutes left, the Lions drove 75 yards in as many seconds, forced a quick 3 and out from the Bears, got the ball back, and drove another 73 yards in two minutes to score the go-ahead touchdown. This was a terrible game for the Lions, and yet they escaped with the victory and are 8-2 on the season.

Denver Broncos 21-20 Minnesota Vikings

The Broncos are the turnaround story of the season. Their season looked over after a 1-5 start, but following this victory over the Vikings, they’ve won 4 straight and somehow clawed their way back into playoff contention.

Russell Wilson converted a 4th down attempt with 2:27 left on the clock to keep the Broncos’ last drive alive and connected with Courtland Sutton on a 15-yard grab to take the lead of the game with a minute left.

Green Bay Packers 23-20 Los Angeles Chargers

This game could’ve gone either way and had a total of 7 lead changes throughout, but the main story is numerous drops by Chargers’ receivers who really should have put this game away. Justin Herbert was his usual self zapping passes around, but he really needs his teammates to catch them.

Jordan Love had his best day as the Packers’ QB, throwing for 322 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win. He completed passes to 10 different players and looked comfortable in a late fourth-quarter drive to take the lead of the game for good.

Los Angeles Rams 17-16 Seattle Seahawks

The Rams have four wins this season; two of them came against the 6-4 playoff-contending Seahawks. The NFC West has rules of its own, and the Rams are the Seahawks’ kryptonite.

The Seahawks started the game well and led 13-0 before allowing the Rams a touchdown 9 seconds before halftime. The Seahawks then proceeded to have a horrific second half, with one field goal scored, 4 punts, an interception that led to a go-ahead Rams field goal with 1:31 left to play, and to top it all off - a missed 55-yard field goal as time expired.

Did What They Had To

The rest of the playoff contenders got the job in Week 11.

Miami Dolphins 20-13 Las Vegas Raiders

Tyreek Hill keeps doing Cheetah things with 146 yards and 1 TD. He is still on track to break 2000 receiving yards this season.

Dallas Cowboys 33-10 Carolina Panthers

Dallas’ defense contributed to the point-scoring with DaRon Blend’s 4th pick-six of the season, tying the NFL record for most pick-sixes in a season.

Jacksonville Jaguars 34-14 Tennessee Titans

Calvin Ridley is BACK. After a lengthy suspension, the WR caught 7 passes for 103 yards and 2 TDs. QB Trevor Lawrence added 2 rushing TDs to dominate the Titans.

Houston Texans 21-16 Arizona Cardinals

CJ Stroud threw 3 interceptions but did enough by leading the Texans to 21 first-half points, and the Texans’ defense managed to limit Kyler Murray to secure the victory.

San Francisco 49ers 27-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Brock Purdy had a perfect passer rating, throwing for 333 yards and 3 TDs in a win over the average Bucs. Brandon Aiyuk caught 5 passes for 156 yards and a TD.

Buffalo Bills 32-6 New York Jets

Josh Allen looked a lot more like his old self, throwing for 3 TDs (and an interception) in a blowout win over the Jets. The Jets’ offensive line looked terrible once again, allowing 6 sacks, and QB Wilson was benched halfway through the game.

The Game No One Cares About

New York Giants 31-19 Washington Commanders

The terrible Giants beat the even terribler Commanders. Terribler isn’t even a word, but I can’t think of a better real word to describe the Commanders.

⚽ Euro 2024 Qualifiers

Group A

Spain 3-1 Georgia

Scotland 3-3 Norway

Spain labored to a win against Georgia and lost Gavi to a season-ending injury. It’s a victory that has “LOSS” written all over it. Norway managed to score 3 goals without Haaland, but they still won’t make the Euro.

Group F

Belgium 5-0 Azerbaijan

Sweden 2-0 Estonia

Lukaku scored 4 goals in what amounted to a training match for Belgium, while Sweden is slowly regaining confidence and honor after its humiliation at the hands of Azerbaijan.

Group G

Serbia 2-2 Bulgaria

Hungary 3-1 Montenegro

The only group with a Euro spot at stake saw Serbia qualify thanks to Hungary’s win. Hungary are continuing their run of good form and could be a dark horse this summer.

Group J

Portugal 2-0 Iceland

Bosnia Herzegovina 1-2 Slovakia

Lichtenstein 0-1 Luxembourg

Portugal finished the qualifiers with a perfect 10 wins from 10 games. Slovakia showed that it deserves the second spot with an away win, and Luxembourg’s valiant efforts will see them make the Nations League playoffs.

🎾 Djokovic Wins ATP Masters

Djokovic is Tennis’ ultimate final boss.

Novak Djokovic triumphed at the ATP Finals, securing his seventh ATP Masters title by defeating Jannik Sinner with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory. Their second encounter was a stark contrast to their previous battle, where Sinner clinched a hard-fought win. Djokovic's ability to elevate his game to an unmatched level proved decisive against Sinner's efforts.

Djokovic's seven ATP Finals titles surpass Roger Federer's record, positioning Djokovic close to the elite centenary mark with 98 titles.

Throughout this season, Djokovic has demonstrated a relentless pursuit of major tournament victories. His triumphs at the Australian Open, French Open, US Open, and now the ATP Finals underscore his dominance, tallying an impressive seven titles and a remarkable 55-6 win-loss record this year.

Despite Sinner's commendable performance, Djokovic showcased an exceptional display. His impeccable serving, firing seven aces in the initial set, restricted Sinner's opportunities to break. Djokovic's offensive prowess was also noteworthy, asserting control with powerful forehands that limited Sinner's options.

🏀 NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers 121-109 Denver Nuggets

Did the Cavs figure out how to stop Jokic?

Cleveland dominated, built a massive 26-point lead, and outrebounded Denver 47-33. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were instrumental in containing Jokic and getting him into foul trouble. Jokic played only 28 minutes and managed 18 points and 10 rebounds, his lowest-scoring game of the season. Without Murray as a second option, the Nuggets are very vulnerable when Jokic isn’t on the floor.

With Mitchell out, Darius Garland led the Cavs with 26 points, while rookie Craig Porter Jr. shined with a career-high 21 points. The Cavs showcased excellent teamwork and defensive prowess, particularly from their bigs against Jokic.

The Cavs are now 7-6 this season, while the Nuggets fall to 9-4 and have lost their last 4 away games.

Utah Jazz 137-140 Phoenix Suns

This game did not only deliver TWO overtime periods, but it also gave us a dramatic last-second shot from Markkanen that was blocked by Durant to seal the win for the Suns. The Utah Jazz, led by Markannen’s 38 points and 17 rebounds, truly gave the Suns everything they could handle.

The Suns needed all of their offensive firepower and were led by Durant’s 39 points, which included 8 points in the second overtime period. Devin Booker added 26, and Eric Gordon 20.

The Suns have righted the ship since Booker returned from injury, and are now 7-6 this season. The Jazz fall to 4-9.

Los Angeles Lakers 105-104 Houston Rockets

LEBRON JAMES.

The King lit up the court, seizing the spotlight with a season-high 37 points, including the pivotal go-ahead free throw in the final seconds. At 38 years of age. Unbelievable.

Anthony Davis contributed 27 points and 10 rebounds, but fouled out near the end, while Austin Reaves added 17 points off the bench. Brooks led the Rockets with a stellar 24 points, including six threes, alongside Sengun's commendable 23 points.

Quick Notes

• Embiid led the 76ers with a 32-12-9 line in a dominant 121-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

• Seven players scored in double digits for the Raptors, including Siakam with 23 points in a 142-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

• The Orlando Magic led by as much as 38 in a 128-116 win over the Pacers, led by Paolo Banchero’s 24 points.

• Sabonis (32 points) and Fox (30 points) outdueled Doncic (25 points) and Irving (23 points) on their way to a 129-113 victory in Dallas.

• The Celtics had an off game by their standards but secured a 102-100 W over the Grizzlies, behind Porzingis’ 26 points.

• The Thunder took care of business on offense and defense in a dominant 134-91 win over the Trailblazers. The Thunders played 15 players and SGA was the game’s top scorer with 28.

🏈 Superbowl Rematch: Eagles vs Chiefs

If you can make time to watch one regular season game this year, make it this one.

The anticipation is sky-high for the Eagles-Chiefs clash on Monday night, revisiting the Super Bowl matchup that saw Kansas City victorious. Revenge is on the cards as Philadelphia aims to settle the score, led by Jalen Hurts against the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes. The sibling rivalry between the Kelces adds another layer, and you can add a dash of Taylor Swift drama if you’re into that kind of stuff.

However, amidst the many narratives and storylines, the game bears significant playoff implications. Both teams, refreshed after their bye week, are vying for the top seed in their conferences, eyeing that pivotal bye week in the postseason.

The Eagles have the league’s best record at 8-1, and the league’s best-named play in the “tush-push”. The Chiefs are looking to keep their hold on the AFC at 7-2, and have the Ravens hot on their heels.

Both the Eagles and Chiefs are solid on offense; Patrick Mahomes has the league’s 2nd highest QB rating, and the Eagles are scoring 27 points a game, one of the highest marks in the league. The Chiefs could have the advantage on defense and have won multiple games this year when the Chiefs’ offense wasn’t its usual self.

After last week’s slate of unwatchable primetime games, we’re in for a treat with this one.

⚽ World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Brazil - Argentina

Can you call yourself a football fan if you don’t get excited about Brazil playing Argentina? No, you can’t. This is a potential World Cup Final in any edition and some of the most flamboyant football on earth.

Amazingly, both teams have lost their recent game: Brazil to Colombia, and Argentina to Uruguay. Brazil has even lost two in a row, which very rarely happens. To top it all off, Brazil has never lost a WC qualifying match at home. A loss would send the Brazilians into crisis mode, and you can bet Messi and Co. will do everything they can to make their South American rivals suffer.

Paraguay - Colombia

Colombia is coming off a historic 2-1 win against Brazil at home and now sits in third place in the qualifying group. They will be looking to make this a perfect 2 out of 2 against a weak Paraguayan side who held the ball only 28% of the time in a scoreless draw against Chile.

Ecuador - Chile

Both teams’ previous games ended in a scoreless draw with very little attacking chances. Both teams are tied with 5 points after 5 games and are likely to fight for the last qualifying spot or the intercontinental playoff spot. This game may not be very enjoyable to watch, but it is a crucial match for both teams.

Uruguay - Bolivia

Uruguay is on fire, having beaten Argentina 2-0 in Argentina in the previous matchday, and Brazil in the one before. They’re now in clear 2nd place in the qualifying group and have scored 10 goals in 5 matches - the most of any team. Bolivia, while coming off a victory against Peru, has conceded 11 goals, making it the worst defense in qualifying. Uruguay’s potent offense should enjoy this game.

Peru - Venezuela

Despite a scoreless draw last time, Venezuela is playing some of its best football in recent years. It cannot afford to drop points to Peru, a team that hasn’t scored a single goal in 5 matches. This is the kind of match big teams know how to win, but that can trip up smaller teams. We will find out which group the new Venezuela belongs to.

🏀 NBA

San Antonio Spurs - Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have finally won a game, and they’ll get a chance to make it two in a row against a Spurs team that hasn’t quite figured out how to play good basketball consistently. Wemby is scoring a respectable 19 points per game but will need a little more time to truly become a dominant force day in and day out.

Detroit Pistons - Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have a perfect bounce-back game against a Pistons team that is arguably the worst in the NBA. Jamal Murray who has been injured is traveling with the team and might see some action during the Nuggets’ road trip. Jokic is very unlikely to be held to 18 points in this one, but the Pistons will try to replicate the Cavs’ success and get him into foul trouble early on.

Minnesota Timberwolves - New York Knicks

The Timberwolves boast one of the best records in the league and face off against a Knicks team that has playoff aspirations. The Timberwolves’ size, together with the rise of Anthony Edwards, has made them a tough team to stop. The Knicks’ Julius Randle and Jaylen Brunson will have their hands full in this one.

Other Games

Golden State Warriors - Houston Rockets

Charlotte Hornets - Boston Celtics

Washington Wizards - Milwaukee Bucks

Chicago Bulls - Miami Heat

New Orleans Pelicans - Sacramento Kings

❓Sports Trivia

Djokovic won his 7th ATP Masters title by defeating Sinner in the Final. He now has 98 titles. Who are the only two players in history to have over 100 single titles?

🗣️ Quote Of The Day

“300 goals? It’s unbelievable. Some players never score 300 even in training”

French legend Thierry Henry weighs in on Kylian Mbappe’s accomplishment. Mbappe himself said that he doesn’t care much and just wants to win.

⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

Tank Dell’s Leaping TD Grab

Tank Dell is one of this year’s revelations and makes one of the best rookie QB-WR duos in history with CJ Stroud.

🧮 Stat Of The Day

The last time the Lions were 8-2, JFK was president

The Detroit Lions are a historically bad franchise. It’s been a long, long, long while since they presented a decent brand of football. They haven’t been this good since 1962.

📽️ Video of the Day

Lakers Fan Tries Half Court Shot, Gets Injured

“Anthony, are you ready?”

“This is what I do”

Uhhh no. It’s not.

Click HERE to watch on Youtube.

Wrap Up

Mondays are usually quiet, but not today! The international break is providing us with entertainment and good games that are worth watching. Not to mention the NFL with THE matchup of the year. It’s going to be a good one. See you tomorrow.

❗Trivia answer: Jimmy Connors (1972-1996) has 109 titles, Roger Federer (1998-2022) has 103 titles.