5 Biggest Stories in Vegas Sports Sept 14 - 20

1. Josh Jacobs nabs three touchdowns in win over Panthers

The Las Vegas Raiders knocked off the Carolina Panthers in week one of the regular season and Josh Jacobs s three touchdowns played a huge role in that victory. Of course, he was backed up by Derek Carr, who went 22-30 for 239 yards and 1 touchdown of his own, but Jacobs came up clutch when the Raiders needed a score at the goal line.

While Jacobs only managed 3.7 yards per game and had a longest run of 14 yards, his ability to score in the red zone is something that the Raiders should be focusing on. Not only could it be what relieves pressure from Derek Carr when it comes to red zone efficiency, but it also gives them a secret weapon when the game is on the line.

2. Las Vegas Golden Knights knocked out of playoffs

It s no secret that all good things must come to an end and unfortunately for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, that happened at the hands of the Dallas Stars in the semifinals.  The Golden Knights would end up notching one-win against the Dallas stars in the second game of the series, but repeatedly lost in super close games.

Interestingly enough, the Golden Knights losing wasn t the only big news to come out of the organization however as  Marc Andre Fleury has only a few days to add his name to the no-trade list, which opens up the possibility of him leaving the organization. If true, it would be a sad departure from the team, especially with him and Lehner being a sort of dream team, but who knows what will happen.

3. Kyle and Kurt Busch not locked into next round of playoffs

Believe it or not, the first round of the NASCAR playoffs is almost in the books and both Busch brothers are not a lock to move on. In fact, between Kurt Busch only being seven points to the good and Kyle Busch only 18 points, it s going to come down to Saturday s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Interestingly enough, this might just be the best place to get their playoff hopes back on track.

For example, when NASCAR came to Bristol earlier in the year, Kyle Busch finished 4th and Kurt Busch finished seventh.  With that being said, however, if one of the other drivers behind Kurt Busch manages to get in on points and another driver behind him wins, that would be enough to knock at least one of the Busch brothers out of the playoffs.

Kyle Busch on the other hand is going to have to pull off a top 15 finish and he should be locked in tho the next round of the playoffs. Where Busch ultimately goes from there and if he is able to defend his championship remains to be seen but it s going to be intense to watch.

4. Las Vegas Aces to play Connecticut Sun in playoffs

The Las Vegas Aces locked up a playoff berth a long time ago, but who exactly their opponent would be wasn t known until the rest of the season shook out. Fortunately for the Aces, their first-round matchup will be against The Connecticut Suns, who the Aces beat twice this season by double digits. This is probably their best-case scenario for a first round, and they should easily beat them in five games.

In fact, between A ja Wilson, Angel McCoughtry, and Dearica Hamby, this series should be an offensive blowout that tunes the Aces up for what is to come. It might even be their final test to prove that they are playoff-worthy and that their round one departure from last year s matchup against the Mystics was just a fluke.

5. Las Vegas Raiders to play Saints in Monday Night Football matchup

Earlier we talked about the Las Vegas Raiders beating the Carolina Panthers by the skin of their teeth, but Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints might just be their biggest test of the season. Not only is that evident by how Drew Brees outplayed Tom Brady in week one, but also by how disorganized the Raider defense is.

If nothing else, this is going to end in one of two scenarios. Either the Raiders somehow squeak out a win in a close game against the Saints, or Drew Brees completely decimates the Raider defense, and the Saints win in a blowout. In the end, however, going 1-1 in two games isn't bad for the Raiders and there's still time to get back on track, but this is going to be embarrassing if it s a blowout.