Baker Mayfield's thumb injury turns out to be the good news/bad news scenario Rick Stroud feared: no torn ligaments, no broken bones, but a minimum three-week absence that wipes out Green Bay, Dallas, and Pittsburgh. That hands the offense to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels, whose only real NFL snaps have come against players no longer on rosters. Rick shares Todd Bowles' old blitz-every-down philosophy against rookie quarterbacks and previews exactly what Green Bay's defense (and a stadium full of Packers fans) is about to do to a first-time starter, while making the case that Daniels' calm demeanor, strong arm, and accuracy give him a real shot to at least not lose the game outright. They also note the Bucs haven't had a backup quarterback start a game since 2018 — a remarkable run now over — and flag that Jalen McMillan is now out 6-8 weeks with a knee injury, thinning an already M.I.A. receiving corps even further. A Bruce Arians radio appearance imagining what he'd have done coaching Baker provides some comic relief, along with speculation (only half-joking) about Mike Tomlin as a future Bucs coaching target.
On the brighter side, MLB's wild-card round tips off with the Yankees and Red Sox squaring off in a series the Rays will watch closely — whoever survives comes to Tampa Bay for the ALDS. Rick and Steve make the case that the Rays, as the AL's best regular-season team, should be favored against anyone left standing, and note a fun crowded slate on Saturday: the Lightning's home opener, the Rays' first playoff game, and Rick's daughter at her high school homecoming, all on the same night. They close with the Lightning's season opening in New York on Thursday and a rundown of their final regular-season roster moves.
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