Author: Michael

In our weekly Air Yards Breakdown, we’ll take a look at who led the NFL in this category and also go one step further. Air yards can be further split into “prayer yards.” Prayer yards are just what they sound like⁠—air yards on passes that are deemed uncatchable. In other words, targets that the receiver doesn’t have a prayer of catching. Prayer yards lead to a player’s boom-bust potential.
Sources for all data can be found at the end of the article.
On to Week 8:

Week 7 Air Yards Leaderboard
Stefon Diggs Jalin Hyatt Travis Kelce pic.twitter.

The newsmaker of the year in college football has undoubtedly been Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who has led the Buffaloes to a 4–3 start while marshaling his celebrity to draw enormous television audiences.
However, little has been written about the program Sanders left behind—Jackson State. The Tigers have gotten off to a decent 5–3 start, and trail Florida A&M by two games in the race for the SWAC’s East Division title.
The new boss in Mississippi’s capital, T.C.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The Bulls already hate each, and their coach is trying to spin it like a good thing
The Chicago Bulls were striving for mediocrity as they entered the 2023-2024 season. Chicago’s front office was encouraged enough by last season’s 40-42 campaign and close loss to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament that it decided to double-down on its core once again. The Bulls signed two role players in free agency (Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig) to modest contracts, but the majority of the team stayed the same.

Here’s who we’re picking in Week 8.
It was an absolutely brutal week for picks in Week 7 of the NFL. There were so many upsets around the league that even the most savvy picker struggled. I don’t think anyone could have seen the Patriots beating the Bills or the Vikings upsetting San Francisco in a straight moneyline pick, and that’s before we get to the Giants getting over the hump against the Commanders.
Week 8 should be a little more straightforward, but there are some really interesting games for the future.

The Michigan sign stealing scandal is getting more explosive with each passing day, and the latest development indicates the Wolverines might have been sharing information.
Jim Harbaugh’s program is currently engulfed by accusations it was running an incredibly complex and detailed sign stealing operation that centers around currently-suspended staffer Connor Stalions.
Stalions is accused of being the pointman in an operation that filmed sidelines of upcoming opponents and potential opponents ahead of games.

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson admitted Thursday he doesn’t know how long his shoulder injury is going to linger with him this season.

Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley said he didn’t anticipate the club making any changes to its qualifying criteria for the 2024 Masters.

With LIV Golf having its bid to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points rejected earlier this month, the question of how LIV players would be able to qualify for major championships quickly came to the forefront.
Some LIV players have shared ideas that major championships should create special exemptions or qualifying criteria in order to have an opportunity to play in golf’s four biggest tournaments.

Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
Slumbers commented about potential invitations to LIV golfers for future Open Championships, leaving room for rumors to grow.
Rumors surfaced last weekend that LIV Golf and the R&A were in discussion for potential exemptions for LIV golfers to play in The Open. Amid that news, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers commented on those rumors ahead of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne on Thursday.
That left many media outlets to conclude Slumbers shut down those reports.

With quarterback Quinn Ewers out due to injury, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian announced Thursday who will start under center for Saturday’s home game against BYU.
Sarkisian declared redshirt freshman Maalik Murphy will take the reins as QB1 for the first time in his career when the No. 7 Longhorns (6–1) take the field against the Cougars (5–2). The announcement comes days after Sarkisian fueled speculation by telling reporters that both Murphy and acclaimed freshman Arch Manning would see “a ton of reps” with the first-team offense in practice this week.