Event of the Day: New Orleans Saints versus Washington Redskins
Our event of the day is the NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans come into the game 3-1 and atop the NFC South. They dominated the ailing New York Giants 33-18 in their last outing. Meanwhile, the Redskins are first in the NFC East with a 2-1 record, having had a bye week in week 4. The Saints offence is looking reinvigorated and hungry for success. However, they face a Redskins’ defence that is enjoying a breakout year and is ranked number one in the NFL in terms of points allowed per game. It is sure to be an exciting night in the Big Easy. In 2017, the Redskins were nothing special. They went 7-9, missing the playoffs for the third straight season. In the offseason, they parted ways with veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who had led the offense since 2014. In his place they put Alex Smith, who they acquired in a trade with Kansas City. They also signed veteran running back Adrian Peterson, a player who is still a force in the run game. He cut his teeth with the Vikings but is generally thought to have tapered off in recent seasons due to injury and personal conduct issues. Their 2018 draft class was largely comprised of defensive players. These changes made the start of the 2018 season a refreshing change for the Redskins. Smith has found new life in a Redskins’ uniform. In three games, Adrian Peterson has run for 236 yards, just under half of what he recorded all season in 2017.
Meanwhile, the Saints, who reached the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs last year, made few changes in the offseason. However in their impressive 3-1 start to the season, they have continued to look the offensive force that they were last year. Drew Brees continues to set NFL records and Alvin Kamara has looked unstoppable at times in the run game. Both teams will be mostly at strength for the Monday night game. Notably, the Saints have lost wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and the Redskins will be without guard Shawn Lauvao and safety Troy Apke. It should be a great match up for Monday Night Football.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the MLB, where the Cleveland Indians host the Houston Astros in Game 3 of their American League Division Series at Progressive Field. The Astros hold a 2-0 lead in the series and are a game away from securing a place in the American League Championship Series. Dallas Keuchel starts for the Astros while Mike Clevinger will start on the mound for the Indians. Clevinger may be the man to save the Indians’ playoff hopes, having a posted a 1.94 ERA across his last 10 starts. The Indians have struggled to produce against the dominant Houston pitching core, scoring only 3 runs across the first two games of the series, compared with the Astros’ 10 runs. All eyes will be on Cleveland to see if they can hinder an Astros team determined to make it to back to back World Series. Elsewhere, the 2018 Youth Olympics continue in Buenos Aires. In WTA Tennis, the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open begins and on the ATP Tour, the Shanghai Masters continues.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by NFL