Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images The Braves were in action as well on Tuesday. The MLB Playoffs officially started on Tuesday, and of significance for the Braves, the Phillies moved one step closer to the NLDS. Zach Wheeler was fantastic in a 4-1 win over the Marlins, and the Phillies could close out their series on Wednesday. For the Braves, all eyes were on Max Fried earlier in the day in simulated action. Fried was able to complete five innings of work and it seems he should be in line to start Game 2 of the NLDS. AJ Smith Shawver also did well in opposition of Fried, perhaps making a case for himself to be on the NLDS roster. Shawn Coleman covers this and more in the latest edition of the Daily Hammer. Please check out the podcast via Apple Podcasts (where we strongly encourage you to leave a five-star review and rating), Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Google Podcasts, or you can find us at our MegaPhone page for all the latest.

Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images It’s a battle of 2-2 teams heading in opposite directions, with the surging Texans visiting the flagging Falcons. The Falcons have now dropped two games in a row, and their passing game looks dysfunctional. That’s led to ample questions about whether the team might bench Desmodn Ridder (they’re not doing that yet) and whether Arthur Smith’s offense can recover (to be determined) no matter who is under center, hardly the questions you want for a team that is supposed to contend in 2023. The Texans, meanwhile, are getting going. After dropping back-to-back games against the Ravens and Colts, Houston is getting going, with rookie coach DeMeco Ryans pushing the right buttons and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud looking like an excellent pick. We’ll find out whether they can keep that good stuff rolling against a thus far stingy Falcons defense, and whether Houston’s defense is up to the task of keeping Bijan Robinson in check. This is a game the Falcons have to win if they want to keep the hounds at bay and avoid falling behind a bit in a muddy NFC South, because an ugly loss with Desmond Ridder looking terrible will force the question of a quarterback change again and put the Falcons under .500, where they’ve been far too often over the past five-plus seasons. The Texans are coasting into a year with zero expectations, but moving to 3-2 in a similarly mediocre AFC South would be absolutely huge for a team that has been struggling to stay competitive since the Deshaun Watson fiasco unfolded. God willing, it’ll be a competitive game. All of our coverage for the week will be right here in this StoryStream!

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images Ankou makes his triumphant return. Atlanta’s starting to make a habit of snatching players off of other teams’ practice squads. Last week it was tackle Storm Norton joining up from New Orleans, and this week it’s defensive lineman Eli Ankou being signed away from the Bills practice squad. If Ankou’s name sounds a bit familiar, it’s because he was with the Falcons during the spring and summer of 2021 in two different stints. A durable run defender, flashed a bit in his rookie season in Jacksonville and has been traveling around the league since, spending most of each of the past three years with Buffalo. Bills practice squad DT Eli Ankou is going to be signed by the Atlanta Falcons to their 53-man roster, his agent @PVH_Ascend tells me.— Sal Capaccio (@SalSports) October 3, 2023 The Falcons, who vow to always look around at other rosters and see what’s available, likely are importing Ankou to take a roster spot currently belonging to either Albert Huggins or Joe Gaziano. The latter has barely played and the former began the year as a rotational defensive lineman, but had that role taken away the past two weeks as the Falcons elevated Timothy Horne, who provided typically solid work. I had wondered if we might see the team promote Horne at the expense of Huggins or Gaziano, but it looks like at least for now, Ankou is the player who will be added and possibly active Sunday against the Texans. Houston’s so-so ground game is not a huge test for this surging Falcons run defense, but the hope will be that Ankou can still help out this week and down the line in that regard, and it’s nice to see him back. Don’t be surprised if the Falcons continue to make a habit of poaching players off other teams’ practice squads to shuffle the back end of the roster, especially with some unproven options lurking there. Give Ankou a warm welcome to Atlanta, and we’ll see what the corresponding move is soon enough.

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