Wednesday was Cy Young day for baseball Atlanta Falcons T-Shirt , the second-to-last day of awards before we can really get the offseason going. The American League was the more exciting race, and Blake Snell ended up winning, but the National League is getting most of the publicity. Jacob deGrom unsurprisingly ran away with that one, receiving all but one first-place vote. Everyone expected this to happen, but the takes are still coming because the takes can never stop. The most common takeaway from this win: The win stat is officially dead. This is true, but it’s true in the same way that Elvis is officially dead. Wins or no wins, deGrom winning this award is not something that only would have happened in this new baseball environment of 2018. The Mets ace almost certainly would have taken this home last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that, and you get the point. This wasn’t just a good year in which he didn’t happen to win many games. This was a downright bananas, silly season in which his team seemingly conspired against him to keep his win total down. Honestly, the only thing as impressive as deGrom’s work on the mound was his teammates’ work at the plate and in the field to prevent him from racking up W’s. But again, these kinds of seasons get rewarded, and have for years. deGrom only won ten games Atlanta Falcons Hats , but it was eight years ago now that Felix Hernandez won the American League Cy Young with only 13 wins. This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon. Now, are there still people who emphasize wins more than they should? Yes, of course. And is it still possible to get unlucky and draw s Cy Young voting pool that disproportionately features voters like that? I suppose, though it’s very unlikely. There are people pointing to Blake Snell’s victory as evidence that wins do matter (hello, John Smoltz), but obviously Snell did a lot more than just win games. The majority of people recognize that, though the minority can still be vocal enough to make the group seem larger than it is. The win has been dead for a long time. deGrom’s 2018 should be celebrated for its greatness every chance we get, but it wasn’t the season that killed the win.Manny Machado hasn’t exactly been swimming in positive press lately, but there are still teams that can and should sign him.Folks, this is important.The Mariners are mired in controversy right now with a former trainer accusing the organization of systemic racism throughout the front office. There’s no good way for this end.Pace of play is still the talk of the league, and perhaps they may look at the usage of relievers to speed things up.Marlins fans get a lot of grief for their lack of attendance in Miami, but what are the real reasons for the low turnout? Back to Machado, consider Dellin Betances among those who believe he would be a good addition for the Yankees. Going out on a limb, there!We had a trade on Wednesday that included a lot of depth pieces and low-level prospects. The mid-November hot stove is out of control.All Alex Cora did in his first season as a major-league manager was win 108 games and roll to a World Series title. Understandably, the Red Sox were impressed and gave their manager a new contract.It’s the end of an era in Minnesota with Joe Mauer retiring Atlanta Falcons Hoodie , and now they have to figure out what they’re going to do at first base.Bryce Harper’s play on the field gives plenty of reasons for teams to want to sign him, but they aren’t the only points of value for the superstar.There’s not a lot of positivity in Kansas City at the moment, but they can be excited about a possible star in Adalberto Mondesi.A Closer Look: Five Falcons flashes in a thrilling victory It’s that time of year again. The film review sessions are back, although it returns with a twist. Instead of focusing on a certain player or situation, I’ll be centering each review on some of the biggest high-points following each game. The Falcons have one of the most talented rosters in the league. It seems only fitting to highlight the entire roster. I’ll be breaking down five memorable plays after each GIF review on my personal Twitter page. Here are some of the most impressive and meaningful moments from Sunday’s victory.Second Quarter: 2nd & 10 at CAR 36By gaining more experience in a bigger role, Takkarist McKinley has learned how to channel his ultra-aggressive style. The former first round pick is known for his sheer explosiveness and power coming off the edge. Combine those traits with a relentless motor and it’s easy to figure out why he is always active. What McKinley continues to show in his arsenal is a knack for being more disciplined, and that’s benefitting his game. Watch him stay properly positioned in anticipating Cam Newton possibly turning left and taking off. He has watched Newton burn defensive linemen repeatedly in the past. Instead of gambling, McKinley keeps a strong base before turning upfield. One common critique on numerous pre-draft scouting report was McKinley’s lack of bend around the edge. Improving in that area has been a point of emphasis for his development into becoming a productive edge rusher. Greg Van Roten is unable to adjust and keep McKinley from pouncing on Newton. That ultimately leads to a well-deserved effort sack.Second Quarter: 2nd & 6 at ATL 19It was clear that Steve Sarkisian needed to get Calvin Ridley more involved against Carolina. Following a complete dud in the season opener, he needed to integrate his new weapon into the fray. Ridley’s blistering speed and change of direction ability makes him a nightmare in the open field. The first round pick has a keen eye for finding space with the ball in his hands. It’s a major reason why he handles kickoff-returning duties.After scoring his first career touchdown on the previous drive, Ridley started feeling more comfortable against Carolina’s heavy zone scheme. Matt Ryan was going to look towards his direction at some point in their two-minute offense. Picking up chunk yards in quick succession was necessary for them to get into field goal range. Sarkisian dials up a great play to scheme Ridley open underneath, as Austin Hooper is running a corner route alongside of him. There is no defender in sight of Ridley with Mike Adams caught in no man’s land. A quick 22-yard gain sets the tone for the Falcons on a scoring drive that put them ahead right before halftime.3rd quarter: 1st & 10 at CAR 38One of the biggest highlights coming out Sunday’s win was the emergence of Ito Smith. Devonta Freeman’s absence opened up an opportunity for him. The diminutive back didn’t look back in an extremely impressive performance. Besides his terrific lateral agility and overall second effort, Smith’s exceptional footwork was on full display. Carolina’s front seven had problems bringing him down during the entire game. Smith knows how to use his small frame by staying low to the ground. That helps him run through traffic and pick up extra yards in highlight-reel fashion. Not many running backs are capable of making Luke Kuechly miss. Smith got the better of the best linebacker in the league not only here, but on another run near the goal line as well. The Falcons have another potential playmaker coming out of their backfield. Credit to The Falcoholic’s own Eric Robinson, who had a good feeling about him back in May.3rd quarter: 1st & 10 at ATL 10It’s hard to recall a previous game where the Falcons had great success on the ground against Carolina. Ron Rivera’s defense is known as one of the stingiest units in the league. A front seven featuring the likes of Kuechly, Kawann Short Cheap Customized Atlanta Falcons Jerseys , Mario Addison, and Dontari Poe will normally shut down most running games. That wasn’t the case on Sunday, as the Falcons averaged over five yards per carry. They created gaping holes on a variety of stretches and tosses.On this play, Tevin Coleman immediately recognizes the cutback lane and accelerates into the open field. Wes Schweitzer and Alex Mack do an outstanding job on their combination block taking out Kyle Love. With Jake Matthews and Brandon Fusco handling their responsibilities, it gives Coleman more than enough space to pick up 18 yards. This run represents how good the Falcons were up front on Sunday. For them to play so well, while undergoing a lineup change in replacing the injured Andy Levitre, makes it even more impressive.3rd quarter: 1st & 10 at ATL 40The Falcons didn’t need Julio Jones to have his standard monstrous performance against Carolina. After targeting him a whopping 19 times, Ryan and Sarkisian knew that the offense couldn’t thrive by targeting him at will. A more measured approach was necessary in getting the best out of the offense. It also required Ryan to get back in sync with him, as their timing looked off at times against Philadelphia.This was a beautiful completion showing one of the league’s top quarterback-wide receiver pairings are back on track. Jones runs a simple over route across the middle. With James Bradberry covering him closely, Ryan’s ball placement needs to be on point. The former MVP puts it right where only Jones can catch it and leads him to a first down. These are the type of confidence-boosting plays a quarterback needs following such a disastrous performance. Although things aren’t quite right between them going downfield, they seem to be clicking again after not getting any reps in during preseason.