One week after the MLB Trade Deadline, one key contender will show off its new-look lineup on national TV.

The National League is still chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Milwaukee Brewers will begin the week with the best record in baseball, but Los Angeles won the deadline by adding two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who are in action on FS1 against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, did their part to try to keep up. Philly has rearranged its lineup and defensive alignment to accommodate second baseman Luis Arraez, who has slotted in as the Phillies’ cleanup hitter so far.

Will it make a difference, though? Our MLB writers break down some of the biggest questions in the NL, as well as those surrounding the teams facing off in St. Louis on Monday night.

1. What’s your biggest takeaway one week after the Trade Deadline?

Deesha Thosar: Even all these days later, with Tarik Skubal’s first start as a Dodger done and dusted, it remains incredible that the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner was traded to the reigning back-to-back champions. FanGraphs increased Los Angeles’ chance of winning the World Series by 6% after the deal was completed. 

It was an unprecedented move that changed the landscape leading up to the stretch run – as well as the ongoing labor battle between the league and the players’ union.

Amid all the fury and objection to the Dodgers firing up the Death Star, they’ve gone 3-7 in their last 10 games. Los Angeles finally won on Sunday, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Edwin Diaz looks lost. The pitching is actually a problem. The offense has been sliding over the last month. 

And yet, we still expect them to win the NL pennant, right? It’s just that now, the Skubal trade looks more like a necessity than it did a week ago. 

Rowan Kavner: Good for Boston for pushing the chips in, despite the risk involved. It’s certainly possible (and perhaps even likely, given the prospects that switched hands) that we look back at the trade that saw catcher Adley Rutschman go from Baltimore to Boston a few years from now and wonder how in the world Baltimore managed to get that kind of return. But if Rutschman ends up being the difference in the Red Sox winning a World Series championship this year, isn’t that worth it?

There’s something to be said about a front office demonstrating to its players how much it believes in a team at the deadline. The trade for Rutschman — who just started his rehab assignment by reaching base three times on Saturday — is evidence of that and should help the Red Sox continue building on their momentum.

Adley Rutschman was a surprise addition on deadline day for the Red Sox. (Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) –>

2. What team is best-equipped to beat the Dodgers?

Thosar: In the NL, I’ll go with the Phillies. If we’re talking about the World Series matchup, I’ll go with the Yankees. My reasoning for both of these picks comes down to pitching. 

Philly has Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo as a formidable top three in its starting rotation. New York already has Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried going strong, and Carlos Rodon is working his way back to the rotation. These are October-ready staffs that other contenders, including the Dodgers, who don’t know when Shohei Ohtani will pitch again, should be envious of, and they’re all arms that can beat anybody.

Kavner: The Phillies (despite how they’re playing lately) and Cubs (who just swept the Dodgers in Chicago) stand out most to me as the biggest threat to the Dodgers’ three-peat, if either can get the Dodgers in a short series when the depth of L.A.’s rotation won’t be as big of a factor and more randomness can come into play.

If I had to choose one, I guess I’d lean toward Philadelphia based on what we saw last October. That NLDS was a lot closer than the Dodgers’ 3-1 series victory might have indicated. Having starting pitchers Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo available in a short series gives them a chance against anybody, and the addition of Luis Arraez adds an important element to an offense that has struggled to reach base consistently. 

Zack Wheeler headlines a formidable Phillies rotation. (Jeff Dean/Getty Images) –>

The problem, of course, is that the Phillies would likely have to get through a wild-card round, meaning they wouldn’t be able to set their rotation up in an ideal fashion, and the drop-off is steep after their top three arms. But if the Phillies could steal a game in which Sánchez, Wheeler or Luzardo aren’t pitching, they’d at least give themselves a chance at an upset. But they have to get into the playoffs first.

I think the Cubs — with an MVP contender in center fielder PeteCrow-Armstrong plus lineup depth behind him, excellent defense and now pitching reinforcements at the deadline — will have a better shot at knocking off the Dodgers than the Brewers. 

As we saw in last year’s NLCS, Milwaukee lacked the star power to contend on the biggest stage against L.A. And even with Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski reaching an entirely different level this year, I don’t see that changing for a team that ranks last in MLB in home runs despite its continued regular season dominance.

3. The Phillies went out of their way to accommodate Luis Arraez at the trade deadline. Did they do enough to establish themselves as a legitimate threat to Los Angeles?

Thosar: The Phillies are definitely a threat to the Dodgers on paper now, but they have to actually show it. 

I like the impact Arraez already has had on the Phillies clubhouse. He’s bringing a new competitive energy that seemed to be missing from a run-it-back Phillies roster that looked stale at times. 

But the defensive re-alignments are concerning in a short playoff series, where we’ve seen the Dodgers use it to their advantage. Los Angeles exploited the Yankees’ issues with poor fundamentals in the 2024 Fall Classic, and there’s reason to believe the Dodgers will again wait for a team with brutal defensive metrics, like the Phillies, to step on their own feet.

Kavner: If they get into October, they will be among the Dodgers’ biggest threats. Obviously, they have to play better baseball down the stretch for that to happen. They entered Sunday in one of the final wild-card spots, just a game ahead of the Padres, with an offense that ranks 28th in OBP and 23rd in OPS, plus a bullpen that ranks 24th in ERA. Their deadline additions should help in both facets.

Arraez is already providing the offensive boost that made him such an attractive piece that the Phillies were willing to rearrange their entire defense to accommodate his addition. And yet, their play lately has been … rather inauspicious. The depth of their lineup is still suspect even after the Arraez trade; they didn’t add a depth starter; and deadline bullpen additions Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian, who is already hurt, have gotten off to shaky starts.

Still, I think the acquisitions will be beneficial moves. Kyle Schwarber’s August power outage hasn’t helped matters, but Sunday was a step in the right direction.

4. Are the Cardinals close to competing in the NL Central as early as 2027?

Thosar: Realistically, it looks more like 2027 will be a bridge year for the Cardinals, with their true contention window lining up for 2028. We could see St. Louis become highly competitive by late 2027, particularly if they give their younger prospects some runway down the stretch. 

The rest of the NL Central is just too far ahead of the Cardinals this year and next to suggest they can truly capture the division title. That gap can always be closed by health, which plays a huge factor in any division race, and impending offseason moves. But I don’t see the Cardinals getting truly aggressive until 2028.

Kavner: Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has done a terrific job rebuilding the farm system, but the Brewers aren’t going anywhere. And while the Cubs have a ton of impending free agents, their nucleus of Crow-Armstrong, shortstop Dansby Swanson, third baseman Alex Bregman, second baseman Nico Hoerner and first baseman Michael Busch remains strong. 

So, I’m not counting on the Cardinals to contend for the NL Central next year unless they make some significant pitching additions in free agency. But they could absolutely be a wild-card team next season, and they’re making the right strides toward contending in the near future. We’ll have to see how some of the arms on the farm continue to develop.

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Portland International Raceway (Portland, Ore.) — Alex Palou knew the race on Sunday was pivotal in his quest for a fourth consecutive INDYCAR title and fifth overall.

He certainly wouldn’t lose the title at Portland, but he for sure could squash the hopes of many.

The Chip Ganassi driver did just that.

Palou led 60 of the final 80 laps. The 20 he didn’t lead were the result of various pit strategies — to increase his points lead from 83 points over David Malukas to 110 over Kyle Kirkwood (fifth) and 118 over Malukas (12th). 

Five races remain in the 2026 season.

“It would take an immense amount of misfortune by them to not close out the championship and actually fight for it at the end and that’s just to fight for it,” Kirkwood told me after the race. “They’re doing everything right. … They’re doing a hell of a job, but they’re making our lives hell.

“We’re just going to keep doing what we can do.”

Here are my takeaways:

1. Palou Punishing Opponents

Alex Palou’s win at Portland all but ensures he will win his fifth INDYCAR title.

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With two new tracks in the next two weeks at Markham (Ontario, Canada) and Washington, D.C., Palou knew the race Sunday was pivotal.

A win is worth 10 more points than a second-place finish.

So Palou leaves Portland feeling really good.

“I’m more comfortable than when we came here,” Palou said in his post-race news conference. “This was one of those weekends where we wanted to do good.

“We want to do good every single weekend. But we don’t know what’s going to happen at Markham. New track for everyone, new track for me. We don’t know what’s going to happen at D.C. There’s still a lot of points to play. It was important to maximize.”

2. Kirkwood Happy With Fifth

Kyle Kirkwood feels generally good about his fifth-place finish at Portland.

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Kirkwood might have lost much sight of Palou in the championship battle. But overall, the Andretti Global driver was happy with fifth — considering he had finished 20th a year ago at Portland.

“I’m going to take that,” Kirkwood told me. “I’m not happy to see Palou win. I don’t think anybody is except for himself and his crew. … But I’m happy with fifth.

“We finished 20th here and that was on merit with no issues. Today, we had issues. We had a tire going down, we had to pit earlier than what we wanted to. We had a couple of little hiccups in pit lane and we still salvaged a fifth.”

3. Power’s Pit-Road Miscue

Will Power’s huge miscue impacted his day.

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Will Power didn’t hear his team call him to pit, so he pitted a lap later than the team wanted for his final pit stop. On that last lap before pitting, he lost a little bit of time trying to pass the lapped car of Sting Ray Robb.

“I just didn’t hear [the team instructions] clear enough,” Power said in his post-race news conference. “Normally the strategists will repeat it multiple times. I never heard it again.

“Heard in [Turn] 10. I was waiting, waiting [to hear again]. Was that a call or not? I think I missed a pit call there. … [And then] I absolutely got held up massively.”

Both Power and second-place Felix Rosenqvist bemoaned the way the lapped cars race, although they indicated it wasn’t what allowed Palou to win.

4. VeeKay Finishes Fourth Again

Rinus VeeKay’s good pace wasn’t enough to get him on the podium.

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Rinus VeeKay finished fourth for the third time in the last five races. He made the Fast Six in qualifying, just as he did at Mid-Ohio, the most recent road-course race before Portland.

The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver is showing that the speed in qualifying is translating into the race.

“INDYCAR has become a track-position series, especially with the hybrid” VeeKay told me and other reporters after the race. “It was especially tough with Kyle Kirkwood on [soft tires] there at the start of the race, really breathing down my neck.

“I had really good pace, but it wasn’t enough to move much further forward.”

4 ½. What’s Next: Markham

With recent years of building construction in the area by the Toronto Exposition Center for the World Cup, INDYCAR ended up moving its Toronto race to the suburb of Markham.

The new home for INDYCAR in Ontario is a 2.19-mile, 12-turn street course. The track should be nice compared to other street courses as the city has repaved the streets of the circuit.

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The start of every college football season brings plenty of uncertainty. However, ahead of the 2026 college football season, there’s one thing I’m certain about: who should be considered the No. 1 team in the nation. 

As this college football offseason has provided us with plenty of drama, there’s one Big Ten team that’s built an elite roster across the board. Which team is it?

Let’s take a deep dive into my preseason top 25. 

25.

How often do you see a team that went 1-11 start out in a preseason top 25? Welcome to the new modern age of college football, which I think is better than how the sport used to be. 

There was so much turnover at Oklahoma State this offseason. Eric Morris comes in as head coach after leading North Texas to the No. 1 scoring offense in the country a year ago. Morris has worked with a who’s who of quality offensive players in college football — Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward, among others. You know he’s going to get the best out of his quarterback, and he did a year ago with Drew Mestemaker.

And guess what? Mestemaker followed him to Oklahoma State, and I love this for the Cowboys. This is a completely different team. They have 55 transfers come in, with 17 of them arriving from North Texas. 

24.

I’m a big fan of the Cats and Brent Brennan, now entering his third year as Arizona’s head coach. But first-team All-Big 12 quarterback Noah Fafita returning is huge. He’s got great experience as he enters his fourth season as a starter.

The big question for me with Arizona, though, is that it has to replace three All-Big 12 players in the secondary. Arizona has some tough road games in conference as well, playing at BYU, Texas Tech and Kansas State. 

23.

Listen, I think Tennessee can go either way here. It has a good roster. Josh Heupel has four straight top-15 recruiting classes, and his offenses can produce. 

The big question for me is the inexperience at quarterback, particularly in that system. Can you step in and produce right away? Whoever does start will have zero career starts in college football. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon are competing for the job. Luckily, the Vols have talent at running back and wide receiver between All-SEC DeSean Bishop and Braylon Staley. But the quarterback has to make post-snap decisions down the field with that deep choice system. 

They’ve got a lot of these big games at home, and historically, they’ve won a lot of their big games at home. Three of their four toughest games are at home, as they host Texas, Alabama and LSU. This is a team that might make some noise in the SEC. 

Joel Klatt’s Favorite Over/Under Win Total Bets for the 2026 Season

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22.

It doesn’t matter what Iowa brings back. It doesn’t matter if the Hawkeyes don’t have a quarterback. They still have head coach Kirk Ferentz and defensive coordinator Sean Parker. It’s not a quarterback-centric program. They’re going to continue to do the same things: play fundamentally sound football, be physical, stop the run and run the ball well.

Iowa does have to replace some of the guys who helped it win the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s best offensive line a year ago. A lot of this season will come down to whether Iowa can develop its offensive line quickly enough. If it does, then Iowa will have something here — and I trust the infrastructure. 

21.

I don’t feel great about this ranking, to be honest with you. But Willie Fritz won 10 games in his second season as Houston’s head coach, and it has its quarterback back, Conner Weigman, after a good first year with the program. There were some good transfer portal adds for Houston on the offensive side of the ball, too. 

The one thing that I’m worried about is Houston’s record in close games last year. It went 6-1 in one-score games in 2025, and teams typically regress to the mean after such a year. Maybe with an experienced quarterback, though, Houston will be able to turn those one-score victories in multiple-score wins? 

20.

It was a messy start to the offseason, but maybe all is well in Washington? Demond Williams is back at quarterback — remember the whole dilemma with him this offseason? That’s my biggest question with the Huskies, honestly. Williams is a heck of a player, averaging 332 total yards in the Huskies’ nine wins last year.

Head coach Jedd Fisch’s teams get better every single year, going 9-4 in Year 2. They had a solid recruiting class, but the Huskies still have to replace running back Jonah Coleman and wide receiver Denzel Boston. Dezmen Roebuck could help potentially fill in the void left by Boston following his strong freshman year. 

Demond Williams saga comes to a close as he returns to Washington

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19.

I like Louisville and head coach Jeff Brohm a lot. The Cardinals have won nine games in three straight seasons. We’ll see how Ohio State transfer Lincoln Kienholz does at quarterback, but he’s got a strong running back returning in Isaac Brown, who is an absolute star. The Cardinals also have a top-15 portal class to help fill in some gaps to compete in a conference that I don’t think is overly difficult.

Louisville has a game early in the season against SMU that I think is pivotal in the ACC title race. Miami’s the best team in the ACC, but that game might determine who the Hurricanes could face in the conference title game. 

18.

That Louisville-SMU game in Week 3 is why I have these two teams ranked back-to-back. 

SMU has been really successful under Rhett Lashlee, and the Mustangs have a really experienced quarterback in Kevin Jennings. If he doesn’t turn the ball over, he’s a really dynamic quarterback. Jennings has helped SMU reach the playoff in his career and led the Mustangs to an upset over Miami last season. 

17.

I toyed around with placing Penn State higher in my rankings because it hit the schedule lottery. But the turnover in Happy Valley this offseason was really impressive.

Matt Campbell is a hell of a football coach, and he brought, well, everybody with him at Iowa State over to Penn State. The most important person Campbell brought over was Rocco Becht, the most experienced quarterback in college football. He’s made 39 career starts, and he’ll continue to work with Taylor Mouser, who was the offensive coordinator at Iowa State. Becht will also be handing the ball off to running back Carson Hansen, who was second-team All-Big 12 a year ago. 

Penn State in Joel Klatt’s preseason top 25 Joel Klatt Show

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Penn State also made a great defensive coordinator hire in D’Anton Lynn, and it won the schedule lottery. It has a tough game at Michigan and it hosts USC, but it avoids Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. This could be a big year for Penn State. 

16.

This is the start of the next tier in my top 25. Honestly, you could rank these next six teams in any order.  

I love Ole Miss’ backfield. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is fantastic. His leadership was really tremendous during the College Football Playoff, when Lane Kiffin bailed on them. The Rebels also brought in the No. 2 transfer portal class, so there’ll be some talent around Chambliss.

Still, Kiffin was a force of nature, especially on the offensive side during his Ole Miss tenure. Can the Rebels replicate that? Pete Golding did a wonderful job as their head coach during the CFP, but they’ve got a tough schedule ahead of them this year. They’ve got to open the season against Louisville. They host LSU in Week 3. They face Florida, Oklahoma and Texas on the road, while they host Georgia later in the year. 

So, with replacing Kiffin and the tough schedule, Ole Miss is at the bottom of this tier. 

15.

Bama fans, you know what to do. You think I hate Alabama, but I don’t. 

This is viewing this team through regular lenses and not Crimson lenses. I don’t love the trajectory of this program right now, even though they made the playoff a year ago. They got blown out by Georgia and Indiana. Indiana, particularly, put a physical beatdown on Alabama in that Rose Bowl. 

Here’s what I’m concerned about for Bama: It’s going to have a brand new quarterback and I don’t know where the run game is to help whoever the starting quarterback will be. That was the issue for Alabama last season, as it couldn’t support an elite quarterback in Ty Simpson with a run game. 

USC & Alabama in Joel Klatt’s stock watch for 2026

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What do I like about Alabama? I love their roster. Kalen DeBoer has recruited really well at Alabama. I love the defense, and the secondary should be one of the best in the country. But Alabama also lost a bunch of defensive linemen in the portal, raising my concerns about the Tide’s play along the line of scrimmage. The offensive line is also a huge question mark. 

14.

Keeping head coach Kalani Sitake was a huge win for BYU after it proved it could handle just about everyone in the Big 12, outside of Texas Tech. The Cougars are also returning their quarterback, Bear Bachmaier, and running back LJ Martin, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. That’s big for a BYU program that’s looking to level up. 

BYU did lose defensive coordinator Jay Hill to Michigan, but it should still be good on that side of the ball. I’m a big fan of Sitake and this BYU team. 

13.

Mike Elko has done a great job as Texas A&M’s head coach, and I’m optimistic about the Aggies because of him.

I think quarterback Marcel Reed can improve. Reed’s next step is being more consistent and not turning the ball over against top competition. We saw him go through some lulls and play great in the same game at times, but the last we saw of Reed was in the CFP loss to Miami. I think he can improve, and he’ll have wide receiver Mario Craver back, which is good. 

The one thing Texas A&M’s defense will have to get better at is stopping the run. What were the Aggies defensively against the run when you take away their sack yardage? 127th. Can Texas A&M get a road win at either LSU or Alabama? If it does, there’s a good chance the Aggies enter November at 7-1.

12.

This is Lincoln Riley’s best team at USC. The Trojans are a real team at the line of scrimmage. This is no longer smoke and mirrors and wondering if Caleb Williams can carry the team back when he was their quarterback. 

I’m not concerned about who the quarterback will be in Riley’s offense, as they almost always prove to be a Heisman contender. Jayden Maiava is back behind center, and he’ll have two impressive running backs alongside him (Waymond Jordan, King Miller).

The defensive line at USC looks legit. It had the No. 1 recruiting class in the country as well, which could be great for USC’s depth. 

So, why isn’t USC in the top 10? Its schedule is brutal. It comes down to this: If you think USC has to go 10-2, then it likely has to split the games at home against Ohio State and Oregon. If not, then you have to think that this could be the first 9-3 team to make the CFP if it’s able to win at Penn State or Washington. Eventually, a 9-3 team is going to get into the playoff. Will it be USC? It could be. 

11.

Yes, I know Texas Tech lost quarterback Brendan Sorsby after his gambling saga. But this is still a very talented Red Raiders’ roster and Texas Tech is clearly the best team in the Big 12. Quarterback Will Hammond is good and got some experience last season, too. He’s returning from an ACL injury, but from what I’ve heard, Hammond’s expected to be ready to play early in the season. 

Can Texas Tech replace Romello Height and David Bailey along the edge and Jacob Rodriguez at linebacker? The Red Raiders got some really good players because of their willingness to spend. You might not have heard of them, but linebacker Austin Romaine had over 160 tackles at Kansas State the last two years. They got a pair of edge rushers that you might not have heard of (Trey White, San Diego State; Adam Trick, Miami of Ohio) who had a combined 15 sacks last season. 

The schedule sets up for them to go either 11-1 or 12-0. Will they be able to level up against the elite teams? That’s the big question for them. 

10.

I probably have Michigan ranked higher than most, and I think the Wolverines are the second-biggest wild card in college football this season. 

But for a long time I said “death, taxes and Utah football.” Well, I should really say: “death, taxes and Kyle Whittingham.” I believe in Whittingham’s structure and fundamental traits to make Michigan a great football team. Whittingham’s blueprint for success also matches the blueprint Michigan used to win the national title in 2023. Whittingham also brought talented coaches with him, including former Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck and Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding.  

Michigan in Joel Klatt’s preseason top 25 Joel Klatt Show

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Michigan was a young team last year, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. The Wolverines had six freshmen playing for them on offense in big moments late in the year, including quarterback Bryce Underwood. Can Underwood develop? He has to improve his total touchdown-to-interception ratio (17-11). But Beck has a track record of getting the most out of athletic quarterbacks, helping Devon Dampier become one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the nation.

9.

John Mateer is healthy, and when Mateer is healthy, he’s one of the better players in the country. The problem with Oklahoma last year was that it couldn’t run the football, and when you can’t run the football, you can’t protect your quarterback. Mateer can’t do everything, as he physically broke down after carrying Oklahoma’s offense in the opening weeks of the season.

This is a team that plays great defense under Brent Venables. That was one of the best defenses in college football, but the offense was woefully short of that standard due to the Sooners’ inability to run the football. If I’m an OU fan, I’m wondering if we can finally marry an elite defensive unit with an offense that can be at least OK. 

8.

This is the biggest wild card in the country. LSU could climb into the top three. It could also fall out of the top 25. I think the Lane Kiffin experience will work, but who knows? LSU brought in the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country, but it also had the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country last year and it couldn’t play its way offensively out of a wet paper bag. 

Kiffin should fix the offense, though. He averages over 500 yards of offense just falling out of bed. That’s what he does. He brought in Sam Leavitt, a heck of a quarterback out of Arizona State. Kiffin also had a history of rebuilding through the portal at Ole Miss, and it worked out for him there. 

How much pressure is on Lane Kiffin in his first year at LSU? Joel Klatt Show

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Who knows what Kiffin is going to say or do; he’s an absolute loose cannon. He left a playoff team before the playoff. But if LSU fixes the offense, the Tigers should be good. Those matchups against Clemson, Ole Miss and Texas A&M early in the year could determine how Year 1 goes for Kiffin, though.  

7.

You could honestly talk me into any order between No. 2 and No. 7. We are splitting hairs here, so I don’t want to hear it. 

Texas has things it needs to fix, and we can’t assume that everything will be fixed until we see it. The biggest area the Longhorns needed to fix was the offensive line and running the football. Going back to his time at Washington, Steve Sarkisian’s best teams are effective at running the football. 

Texas went into those areas, spent and upgraded in the transfer portal. It got players like Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, along with running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown. Arch Manning had a tough start to the year last year. However, if you think he’s bad and is Texas’ problem, you don’t know ball. Manning was a top-three quarterback in the back half of last year, and the people around him were falling short of expectations. 

The entire question for me about Texas is not about Manning, and if your question is about Manning, you don’t know what you’re looking at. 

6.

Georgia’s still the class of the SEC. The roster is great. Kirby Smart is a great coach. You can’t kill Georgia, either, because quarterback Gunnar Stockton is a gamer who is tough as nails and absolutely tough as nails. He’s an elite fourth-quarter quarterback. 

If Stockton had some better options to throw to in the passing game, maybe the Bulldogs would have made their way into the top five. The defense should be elite again. 

But here’s the problem: Georgia hasn’t played at the same level as the teams in the top five. Can Georgia score at the level that some of the top teams in the nation can? I’m not sure. 

5.

Candidly, this might be too low. 

Curt Cignetti was the best head coach in the country last year, and he kept his coordinators. I know the Hoosiers lost a lot and don’t have Fernando Mendoza. However, Josh Hoover is the best of the three quarterbacks Cignetti has had at Indiana based on what they were at their previous school. Hoover is probably going to work. He’s going to have two best friends he can rely on: a running game and a defense, as Cignetti put it. 

And while Hoover has struggled with interceptions, I trust that Cignetti can coach his quarterbacks. Indiana’s QBs had the lowest interception percentage in the country during the first two years under Cignetti and OC Mike Shanahan. This should be a run-first team with a great offensive line and talent at wide receiver after landing Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh.

 I’m going to trust Cignetti. The schedule’s a bit tougher than it has been during Cignetti’s time there, but Indiana is an elite program. 

4.

Last year was a breakthrough for Miami, getting all the way to the national championship game. Mario Cristobal has recruited at a high level and built great offensive and defensive lines.

The Canes will have to replace a good bit of talent in the trenches from this past season. But remember when Alabama and Georgia got the benefit of the doubt when they lost five-star players, particularly in the trenches? Cristobal and Miami have earned that benefit of the doubt as they have five former five-star players on the defensive line. 

Former Duke quarterback Darian Mensah, wide receiver Malachi Toney and running back Mark Fletcher are a talented group to complement that. Miami still has to clean up some of the blunders it had in close losses last year, but it’s heading in the right direction. 

3.

This team is coming into this season about the opposite of what it was a year ago. Ohio State will have one of the best offenses in the country, with quarterback Julian Sayin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (the best player in college football) and several other starters on that unit returning. 

So, the question is if the Buckeyes can replace the defensive stars that were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. They have to replace eight starters on that side of the ball as they were the No. 1 defense in the nation. 

Ohio State in Joel Klatt’s preseason top 25 Joel Klatt Show

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But as I mentioned with Miami, don’t we have to give Ohio State the benefit of the doubt that it can replace those stars? Ryan Day has done it plenty of times before during his tenure as Ohio State’s head coach, recruiting at a high level consistently. 

This is an elite program that will be ranked in the top four for the foreseeable future. 

2.

I love Notre Dame, and this team is angry. Notre Dame has 15 returning starters, and I love that. That’s the MO for success in college football these days.  

Marcus Freeman has elevated this program during his time as head coach. He’s recruited at an elite level, and this team is fantastic everywhere — except for maybe running back, where the Fighting Irish lost two first-round picks. They bring back quarterback CJ Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore, who were in the top three of my top 10 players in college football list last week. 

Wide receiver Jaden Greathouse is back after missing a bunch of games last season and their offensive line could be the best in the nation. So, whoever replaces Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price will do so behind a monstrous front. That defense is going to be absolutely sick. 

1.

Oregon is the clear frontrunner, and I don’t know why there isn’t more of a consensus that the Ducks aren’t the No. 1 team in the nation. 

Every team in the country has a question on their roster, except for Oregon. The only question is if Oregon can eventually get over the hump. But let’s be real, this team has only lost three games over the last two years — all to that season’s eventual national champion. We don’t think the Ducks aren’t right there?

You’ve got an experienced and elite quarterback with great talent around Dante Moore. Running backs? They’re back. Offensive line? Strong. Wideouts? Great. Tight end? Probably the best in the country. Defense? Elite, with probably the best defensive line in the country. Several players along the defensive line should be in the NFL.  

Oregon in Joel Klatt’s preseason top 25 Joel Klatt Show

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Dan Lanning has built a roster that’s the best roster in college football. There’s no starting 22 that rivals Oregon’s. The only question we have about Oregon is whether it performs in the biggest games at the end. I think Oregon will get better from last year’s CFP loss to Indiana. 

Dan, I know you asked me not to do this, but your team is the best in the nation. 

Honorable mentions: UCLA, Utah, Missouri, Clemson, Cal, Boise State 

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It’s almost impossible to accurately wager on the NFL preseason, considering fans have no idea which players will take the field.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try.

Here are the lines for every preseason Week 1 matchup at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 10. 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

THURSDAY, AUG. 13

Packers @ Steelers

Spread: Steelers -1.5
Moneyline: Steelers -130, Packers +110
O/U: 36.5

Lions @ Bengals

Spread: Bengals -7
Moneyline: Bengals -285, Lions +230
O/U: 37.5

Colts @ Patriots

Spread: Patriots -1.5
Moneyline: Patriots -125, Colts +105
O/U: 38.5

Chargers @ Texans

Spread: Texans -1.5
Moneyline: Texans -142, Chargers +120
O/U: 37.5

Cardinals @ Raiders

Spread: Raiders -2.5
Moneyline: Raiders -135, Cardinals +114
O/U: 40.5

Titans @ 49ers

Spread: Titans -3
Moneyline: Titans -148, 49ers +124 
O/U: 37.5

FRIDAY, AUG. 14

Dolphins @ Commanders 

Spread: Dolphins -3
Moneyline: Dolphins -162, Commanders +136
O/U: 36.5

Buccaneers @ Jets

Spread: Jets -1.5
Moneyline: Jets -122, Buccaneers +102
O/U: 35.5

Broncos @ Falcons

Spread: Broncos -5.5
Moneyline: Broncos -238, Falcons +195
O/U: 38.5

SATURDAY, AUG. 15

Panthers @ Bills

Spread: Panthers -1.5
Moneyline: Panthers -142, Bills +120
O/U: 38.5

Vikings @ Giants 

Spread: Vikings -3
Moneyline: Vikings -162, Giants +136
O/U: 39.5

Browns @ Bears

Spread: Bears -1.5
Moneyline: Bears -118, Browns -102
O/U: 38.5

Jaguars @ Saints

Spread: Saints -1.5
Moneyline: Saints -142, Jaguars +120
O/U: 38.5

Rams @ Chiefs

Spread: Chiefs -1.5
Moneyline: Chiefs -135, Rams +114
O/U: 38.5

Eagles @ Ravens

Spread: Eagles -2.5
Moneyline: Eagles -142, Ravens +120
O/U: 36.5

Cowboys @ Seahawks

Spread: Seahawks -2.5
Moneyline: Seahawks -148, Cowboys +124
O/U: 37.5

Source

The Braves avoided being swept, thanks to a strong arm and a timely bat. A pair of Schwarbombs, a five-hit game and some great defense by a rookie. Sunday’s MLB action provided all that and much more.

Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

Acuña’s Arm, Harris’ Bat Sink Yankees

This weekend brought us a matchup between heavyweights, with the Yankees — seven games up for the top AL wild-card — facing off against the Braves, the NL East leaders and holders of the second-best record in the National League. Atlanta lost the first two games of the series to New York, but on Sunday, the Braves avoided a series sweep with a win in extras.

This play would be notable regardless of the final score, but with the Braves winning this in extras, it became that much more important. Right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. didn’t throw a runner out here, but that’s the point — simply being Ronald Acuña Jr. kept anyone from even attempting to score.

In the next inning, first baseman Matt Olson — playing in his 900th game in a row — put Atlanta up 1-0 with his 34th homer of the season.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, New York scored when center fielder Trent Grisham sent a Didier Fuentes fastball 392 feet to right center, tying the game up — that failure to even attempt to score earlier made itself felt here, because neither of the teams scored again before extras.

Olson started the 10th inning on second, and center fielder Michael Harris II worked a six-pitch at-bat against reliever Nick Blackburn before connecting on a low-and-inside, 96 mph sinker — he turned it into a ground ball single to right, and the game-winner.

Not the greatest weekend overall for the Braves, but Atlanta notched its 71st win and avoided being swept. That’s something, as is winning a game where Cam Schlittler gave up one run over seven innings with 11 strikeouts — this would have been a very excusable one to lose.

Brewers Walk Off Twins In Extras

Jacob Misiorowski… this guy just keeps getting it done. Here, he pitched six innings with nine strikeouts and three runs allowed facing the Twins, against a single walk, and made it to 200 strikeouts before anyone else in 2026. It’s also the second-fastest anyone ever reached 200 Ks, as Braves’ starter Spencer Strider got to 200 in 123 ⅓ innings in 2023, compared to Miz’s 129 ⅓ frames. 

Misiorowski had help, though. With the game tied 3-3 in the sixth, rookie Luis Lara made an excellent catch at the wall to rob a homer, keeping things even.

Lara certainly didn’t seem like he’s just 5-foot-7 on that leap. The game ended up going to extras, still 3-3, and there, Lara made another huge catch — this one didn’t rob a homer, but it was still at the wall and there was a runner on second ready to score if given the opportunity, and he wasn’t given it.

In the bottom of the 10th, Brice Turang was the runner on second to start the inning. While catcher William Contreras whiffed for the first out, first baseman Jake Bauers singled in Turang, and the play at the plate, after review, favored Milwaukee. Ballgame.

The W put the Brewers a season-high 30 games over .500, the best mark in MLB to go with the top run differential and most wins. 

This was a rough result for Minnesota, as its position isn’t nearly as strong. The Twins are now 58-61, 1.5 back of a wild-card spot and four games back in the AL Central. That doesn’t seem all that far back in either case, but things would be even closer if Minnesota had managed to pull off this W, with all but one team in front of them in the wild-card race losing on Sunday as well.

Phillies Walk Off Blue Jays In Extras

Sensing a theme? The Phillies lost the first two games of the weekend series against the Blue Jays, which made life difficult for Philadelphia since it now finds itself just a game up on the Padres in the wild-card race without the cushion it once had. Philly was able to salvage things a bit and avoid a sweep on Sunday, though, thanks to Kyle Schwarber hitting his first home run since July 18… and then his second dinger since then, too. 

The DH now has an MLB-leading 35 homers after a day that also saw him walk three times and drive in four runs. This was only enough to have the game tied and sent to extras, however: there, center fielder Derek Hill — who entered as a pinch-hitter earlier in the game — hit the walk-off single to center to send everyone home.

Toronto still won the series, of course, and now sits 3.5 back for an AL wild-card spot, but with eight teams in front of them.

D-Backs Take Series From Dodgers

On Saturday, the Dodgers finally won their first game of August, snapping a seven-game losing streak. Sunday was a chance to win the series against the Diamondbacks and string together consecutive wins for the first time since July 30, but it was not to be. Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez went seven innings with nine strikeouts and just two walks and runs allowed against Los Angeles, which was much better than Justin Wrobleski’s third-consecutive rough start: five runs, seven runs and now four (three earned) in just 3 ⅓ innings. 

That makes 15 earned runs in his last 13 ⅔ frames. The Dodgers’ bullpen held Arizona scoreless the rest of the way, but the damage was done. DH Ketel Marte hit a two-run homer to start things off against Wrobleski, then in the second left fielder Ryan Waldschmidt hit a sac bunt for the eventual game-winner, and catcher Gabriel Moreno doubled in the fourth run of the game.

With the dub, Arizona kept pace with the Phillies and remained tied for the two wild-card spots behind the Cubs: the D-backs are 7.5 behind the Dodgers, which is as close as they have been for some time, but still a less likely dream than a wild-card at this stage.

Padres Bash 4 Homers

The Astros scored two runs in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead over the Padres, but that was all Houston would manage. Not just for runs, but for hits: the Astros managed a single followed by a two-run homer from newcomer Daulton Varsho, and then didn’t manage another knock for the rest of the game.

San Diego, though? San Diego mashed. The Padres responded with not just seven unanswered runs, but each of them coming via the long ball. Center fielder Jackson Merrill drove in the first run of the game for the Friars with a dinger in the bottom of the second…

…then right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed his 11th homer of the season, a 421-foot three-run blast to put San Diego up 4-2.

Designated hitter Gavin Sheets then added on with a solo shot in the sixth to make it 5-2…

…and brand new Padre, Austin Hays, hit his first homer with the team and second of the year on a liner to left in the eighth to extend the lead to 7-2.

Hays had entered the game off the bench, after he was released by the White Sox earlier in the week and subsequently signed by the Padres to be a right-handed bat off the bench. He delivered in his first opportunity in the role.

Houston is still in good shape — grading on the curve of the AL West, anyway — as the Astros are in first in the division and also the only team above .500 within it. Of course, Houston is just 60-59 and half-a-game up on the Rangers, so it’s not like it has a commanding lead. Its competition includes a Mariners team that has lost four in a row, though, and a Rangers team that has topped out at three games over .500 this season, though. So, there’s that.

White Sox Win Key Series Vs. Guardians

It’s been a real rough few weeks for the Guardians. Cleveland lost five in a row between July 22 and 26, and has gone just 4-8 since snapping that skid. With the White Sox not exactly thriving at the same time, this was a huge missed opportunity for the Guardians. Despite Chicago posting its own four-game losing streak in this stretch, Cleveland went from a game back to four behind in the span of a few weeks, and is now 58-61.

The Guardians went up 2-0 in the first, but the White Sox tied it up with a pair of RBI doubles, one each in the second and third, from first baseman Munetaka Murakami and left fielder Randal Grichuk. Then, DH Colson Montgomery put things out of reach for Cleveland with a three-run shot after Vargas’ double.

Third baseman José Ramírez would drive in his second run of the day late to cut the lead to two, but that’s as close as Cleveland would get. Which is bad news for multiple reasons…

What A Throw!

…one of them being what the Tigers were up to over the weekend while the Guardians were losing the series to the White Sox. Detroit won its own series against the Giants, with a 3-1 win in extra innings. And what helped even get to the point where that could happen? This throw from right fielder Zack McKinstry to keep a run from scoring.

Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee drove in the game winning run in extras on a liner to right, leading to what would be a 3-1 win, and it also put the Tigers ahead of the Twins in the AL Central. Detroit is now 23-11 since June 29, tied for the second-best record in MLB in that stretch, and once again “why did Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize get traded at the deadline?” comes to mind.

Cardinals Reach .500 With A Great Catch

An eighth-inning shot to give the Cardinals the lead over the Rockies, by second baseman J.J. Wetherholt…

…and very exciting chaser, courtesy left fielder Evan Perreira, who had entered the game as a defensive replacement at the start of the ninth.

St. Louis is now 59-59, 3.5 back of a wild-card and coming up on a series against the Phillies.

Bo Bichette’s 5-Hit Game

This was a real big day for Bo Bichette, as the third baseman got on base six times in a dominant 11-1 win over the Pirates. Bichette logged five hits: a single in the top of the first, another single in the top of the third, a double in the top of the fourth, another double in the seventh and finally, a single in the ninth.

Bichette hasn’t fully recovered his season line by any means, but he’s up to .263/.307/.378 for the year after thanks to a .317/.347/.463 mark since June 3, a 57-game stretch. That’s possible good news for next season, as the Mets try to move past a 2026 that has them 19.5 back in the NL East and 11 behind in a wild-card race most of the rest of the senior circuit seems to be in.

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The Washington Commanders will be without their best offensive lineman for the foreseeable future.

Coach Dan Quinn confirmed Monday that left tackle Laremy Tunsil needs surgery on his left triceps and will be sidelined indefinitely. Quinn said the team won’t know how long Tunsil’s absence will last until after the procedure is done.

“It’s always tough to talk about a player missing time, and especially a great player like LT,” Quinn said. “He is an absolutely fantastic teammate, and he’ll be missed. We certainly can’t wait to get him back.”

Tunsil was injured Saturday during an individual drill against pass rusher Odafe Oweh. Tunsil immediately took a knee after the play and was quickly ushered into the facility following a chat with the training staff.

Coleman started just five games in 2025, but will see action as the starting left tackle with Tunsil out. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

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Losing Tunsil is a significant blow for the Commanders after the franchise made him the highest-paid tackle in the NFL in March. Tunsil, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, is one of the sport’s best pass protectors and a force in the run game.

“He is really on the top of his game right now,” Quinn said. “Both in the run and pass, this is an equally strong player, and so it’s a big deal.”

With Tunsil out, the Commanders pivoted to Brandon Coleman to fill the void. It’s a natural transition for Coleman, who started 12 games at left tackle as a rookie for Washington in 2024 and played well. He made three starts at left tackle last year.

“He’s played a lot of winning football at left tackle here, and we know that he’s ready for it,” Quinn said. “He’s put in an excellent offseason, and the team is very confident in him.”

It has been just one practice, but Coleman said returning to left tackle has been a smooth transition — “like riding a bike.” He’s excited to return to his natural position, where he feels he can showcase his athleticism and footwork.

“My feet are good,” Coleman said. “Being able to dance with those guys, I’m able to keep up. Now that I’m getting my hands under control in terms of knowing where to punch, knowing what I want to do, that stuff just helps me out even more.”

Coincidentally, Coleman — along with right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. — traveled to Alabama this summer to work out with Tunsil. Spending nearly a month training together, Coleman said the experience completely changed his training habits.

“He basically revamped my whole approach to how I treat camp and the season,” Coleman said. “There’s a lot of stuff that I took from him, from his nutritionist to his strength guy, working with a chef, just taking care of my body a lot better. My prep for practice is a lot different. Seeing how a guy like that prepares every day, how he treats his body, what he does in his off time and how he recovers, that’s the price of stuff that you can’t (get) anywhere.”

Commanders Related Stories

Shifting Coleman to tackle allows the Commanders to maintain continuity along the rest of the offensive line. Coleman and Chris Paul entered training camp in competition for the starting left guard spot. Now, they’re working alongside each other.

“We played together last year a little bit,” Coleman said. “We trained together last year. Close, always talking, always joking around. (He is) arguably one of the strongest humans I’ve ever met. It definitely helps you out, especially having that chemistry beforehand.”

The plan is to for the Commanders to give Coleman an extended look in Tunsil’s old spot, with veteran Andrew Wylie staying in his backup swing tackle role. Quinn consulted with general manager Adam Peters and said they don’t expect to explore help in free agency right now.

Washington hopes that Tunsil can return at some point this season. His teammates expect him to do everything he can in rehab to make that happen.

“It’s tough to see a guy who put all that work in go down like that,” tackle Trent Scott said. “But he’s a stud. I’m pretty sure he’s going to attack rehab and he’ll probably be back sooner (than later).”

In the interim, Coleman will do his best to fill Tunsil’s void — something Coleman knows himself is nearly impossible to replicate.

“There’s only one Laremy Tunsil in my opinion,” Coleman said. “The best tackle in the league.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Source

We’re only two weeks into the start of NFL training camp, but we’re starting to get a glimpse at the potential impact new additions might make on certain teams in 2026. 

That includes the Philadelphia Eagles, who are navigating an almost entirely new wide receiver room after trading A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots this offseason. How is quarterback Jalen Hurts acclimating to his new targets? 

Elsewhere, there’s a new head coach who is already making a strong impact on his team’s new culture, and another NFC East team made a much-needed move at wide receiver.

Here are our takeaways from Week 2 of training camp. 

1.

Ralph Vacchiano: Trading an elite receiver like A.J. Brown for future draft picks was always a big risk for this year’s Eagles, and they planned to lean hard on veteran DeVonta Smith and rookie first-rounder Makai Lemon to pick up all the slack.

So it was quite a problem this past week when both Smith and Lemon missed multiple training camp practices in Philadelphia with hamstring injuries. They still have depth there with veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown, but they were clearly missing something dynamic with Smith and Lemon on the sidelines.

That was really evident on Tuesday morning when they seemed to be working hard on deep passes — passes that quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled to complete without his top two targets. He was out of sync with both Brown and Wicks on the deep routes, overthrowing each of them and getting picked off several times.

It’s early in camp and no cause for alarm, but it’s hard to overstate how much they need Smith, in particular. He’s put up No. 1 WR-type numbers each of the past four seasons and his presence is the reason why general manager Howie Roseman felt comfortable trading Brown. Lemon was a bonus, but a necessary one. They loved Lemon’s explosiveness out of the slot so much they traded up in the first round to get him.

Both players will be huge components of the scheme new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is running that will feature a lot more play-action passes and over-the-middle routes. And with more than a month to go before Opening Day, it’s a good bet that both players will be more than fine then.

But it’s worth noting that hamstring injuries do tend to linger and even small strains can sometimes turn into season-long issues. That’s especially true with rookie receivers. So their status is worth watching, now that everyone has been reminded how important they both are to the Eagles as they try to carry on without Brown.

2.

Henry McKenna: The hype around Caleb Williams is significant. And perhaps it’s even justified.

In my time in Lake Forest (Illinois), I saw the Chicago Bears quarterback generate countless big plays in team drills and 1-on-1s. But I also witnessed no shortage of operational errors and pre-snap miscues from the quarterback and the Bears offense. Apparently, the mistakes were not limited to Thursday’s practice. Bears coach Ben Johnson was upset about how Tuesday’s practice went, too.

“These padded practices are so valuable, and that’s why I get upset when the offense is — they’re sabotaging practice a little bit, because our defensive players need these reps as much as anybody else,” Johnson said during a press conference. 

That was Johnson’s second instance where he brought up the team’s shortcomings as a non-sequitur. No one asked him about it. In fact, he first referenced his upset when he was asked about Williams’ presence on the cover of “Madden NFL 27” and the general optimism surrounding the team this offseason.

“We tell them the truth in the meetings,” Johnson said, explaining how he cuts out the noise. “When it’s good, we let them know that it’s good. When it’s not good enough. We let them know. Two days ago, practice was not good enough as a whole team, and certainly not as an offense. When you have false starts, delay games, drop passes, center-quarterback exchange, it’s really not a good practice. You can’t evaluate the defense either. 

“So we have a long way to go. Appreciate all the flowery comments there, but they understand that we’re just getting started here in camp, and hard work is really what we’re doing every single day.”

Earlier this offseason, Johnson said he and Williams will focus on improving all things post-snap — given that they spent most of last season focusing on the important elements of pre-snap operation. But it seems maybe they’re moving backward, given how many penalties and problems popped up last week.

This isn’t a reason to panic. But it is a reality check. The Bears are building a strong foundation. But they’re still building from the ground level.

3.

Greg Auman: The wild run of lucrative new contracts for the NFL’s top running backs — with Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson, Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs and Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor all getting more than $20 million a year — has shifted the position market value so quickly that deals that have not even started yet are looking woefully low.

Last August, James Cook signed a four-year deal with the Bills, paying him $46 million over four years. It was added to his rookie contract to start with the 2026 season, and tied him for the sixth-highest contract for a running back at the time.

Cook led the NFL in rushing in 2025 with 1,621 yards and made his third straight Pro Bowl. But before his new deal even begins, Cook has dropped to 13th in average salary at his position.

How long before he can ask for a new one? Teams are normally hesitant to tear up a deal with more than two years left on it, so that would mean after the 2027 season. Cook’s deal has limited incentives, so no matter how well he plays, he won’t earn more than an extra $2 million.

Cook’s deal has less than two years fully guaranteed, and it’s a reminder why players are choosing shorter deals — Gibbs and Robinson went with three years in new money after their rookie contract and fifth-year options are done. For Cook, the third and fourth years aren’t guaranteed, so he could be cut if he underperforms, and he’s capped his value by locking himself in at a dated and much lower salary.

He isn’t the only one feeling the financial wrath of signing too soon in the latest running back extension cycle. Miami extended De’Von Achane in May with a four-year deal averaging $16 million a year, but that doesn’t start until 2027 and has barely more than one year fully guaranteed. He’d have to play three years before he’d have two years left on his deal.

The Bills did well to lock up much of their young nucleus to long-term deals as soon as they could, and that allows them to extend their playoff window longer than if they gambled and waited. For players like Cook, it means feeling undervalued, though, before a new deal has even begun.

4.

Vacchiano: It wasn’t much of a mystery to the Commanders that they had a glaring need at wide receiver. The mystery was only why they didn’t sign one in free agency or select one until the third round of the draft.

But they took a big step towards fixing that issue last week when they signed veteran receiver Stefon Diggs to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million. Diggs is 32, but he showed last season that he’s still capable of being a No. 1 receiver. He had 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns while playing only about half of the offensive snaps for the New England Patriots. That was also his first year back after recovering from a torn ACL.

Even if he just comes close to matching those numbers in 2026, he’ll be a boon to a team that puts few good weapons around electric quarterback Jayden Daniels. Their best option was the ever-reliable Terry McLaurin, but he’s going to be 31 in September and coming off an injury-plagued season. Beyond him, all they had at receiver was the disappointing duo of Luke McCaffrey and Treylon Burks, and third-round pick Antonio Williams.

Now, at least, they have a potential 1-2 punch — at least if McLaurin and Diggs can manage to stay healthy at their age. It’s a big “if,” of course, but adding Diggs to the mix was a necessary move for general manager Adam Peters, given the lack of other options available. Washington tried in the free-agent market, targeting Alec Pierce before he re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts and making a push for Romeo Doubs before he signed with New England, but they failed to land any help for their offense.

Diggs will more than make up for that big miss if he’s anything close to what he was last year.

5.

Ben Arthur: The Titans’ Jeffery Simmons, arguably the best defensive tackle in football, is a fiery player. He’s a big-time trash talker who backs it up with superstar-caliber play. 

He crossed a line at Tuesday’s training camp practice, though. 

After an early play in team drills, he scuffled with center Austin Schlottman and threw a punch at right tackle JC Latham. Assistant defensive line coach Tanzel Smart needed to grab and tackle Simmons to separate him from the O-line.

Simmons didn’t practice with his teammates for the rest of the day. He was banished to individual work on a side field with a strength coach. 

“Our policy is if you throw a punch, you’re ejected in the game. Same thing with practice,” Saleh explained. “But rather than going to the locker room, [Simmons] went to the other fields. He still got his work in. So the projected reps and the work that he would have got in, he got in off to the side.”

The Titans hired Robert Saleh to be their head coach over the offseason after an impressive year as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. (Photo by Camden Hall/Getty Images)

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Saleh’s decision to kick Simmons out of practice is significant. When the All-Pro defensive tackle got in a similar skirmish in training camp under previous coach Brian Callahan, it went unpunished (at least publicly).

In a small way, Saleh has shown that he has an uncompromising standard that even Simmons — the Titans’ best player — must adhere to. That goes a long way toward establishing a culture of accountability that Tennessee will need to turn around its franchise, which has won just six games over the past two seasons combined. 

Saleh’s decision is one that can gain the respect of players, too. 

It’s fair to wonder if respect for last season’s coaching staff waned. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. alluded to it last week, saying Saleh’s staff is professional and organized.

“We’re always going to toe the line of violence, we’re always going to toe the line of being aggressive and call it instigating if you want, it’s just the nature of who we are going to be,” Saleh said. “But we’ve got to be disciplined enough to make sure that we always find our way back to the huddle without giving the other team freebies.” 

If it means kicking the team’s best player out of practice to enforce that point, so be it. 

6.

Eric D. Williams: Omarion Hampton didn’t get to show his first-round potential for a good portion of his rookie year, missing seven games due to a severe left high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 5. And while he ran for 545 yards on a respectable 4.4 yards per carry, Hampton was pretty ineffective in the Los Angeles Chargers’ playoff loss to the New England Patriots, putting up minus-1 rushing yards due to a Week 17 ankle injury. 

Now fully healthy and entering his second season, Hampton should be a key piece of L.A.’s running game with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who had a lot of success with speedy back De’Von Achane while with the Miami Dolphins.

Omarion Hampton was productive when he was on the field during his rookie season, but he missed nearly half the season due to ankle injuries. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images)

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McDaniel said that you could argue that Hampton has had the most growth of any player from offseason work through the first days of training camp.

“This guy is completely obsessed and focused,” McDaniel said. “His [running] tracks and the urgency to which we’re trying to get him to start the play at the beginning of the play has been phenomenal. He came back from the spring, and with the five weeks he had off, you could tell he was really focused on that.

“And in and around contact, something we’ve been working on with ball carriers is how they approach tacklers. And for him and his skill set, nobody wants to tackle that guy. That is a massive human moving very fast. So, the less we can get him to stop his feet and do what we call ‘slash,’ which is pick edges of defenders and shoulder punch them, the better.”

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There’s a lot of corn between Minneapolis and Detroit. And a lot of good football.

I’ve been happily racking up miles on my rental car to traverse five states and watch each of the NFC North teams. The division is the deepest in the NFL, with a real shot of producing a Super Bowl team. It’s not hyperbolic to say that any one of the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings could chase a title. 

So here’s what I learned along the way — with a few thoughts on other happenings around the league. This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines.

1.

EAGAN, Minn. — Vikings quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy dropped back next to each other — feet apart — and ripped passes downfield at the exact same moment. There’s something unique and aesthetically pleasing about two quarterbacks competing for one spot. 

Their warm-ups are like watching INDYCAR teammates trying to pass each other — careful and synchronized but not always cordial. 

The Vikings are doing everything they can not to pick a favorite, in what they say and in what they do. But fair is never fair. Not really.

Even if head coach Kevin O’Connell and passing game coordinator/QB coach Josh McCown aren’t picking favorites, Murray is the betting favorite to win the job. He’s the better and more experienced player. And it’s hard to imagine O’Connell picking McCarthy after the young QB face-planted in his first NFL action last year. 

Veteran Kyler Murray (1) has the edge in the QB competition with J.J. McCarthy (9) at Vikings camp. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

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The practice I saw last Monday didn’t exactly make the case for McCarthy.

The QBs were evenly matched all practice until the 2-minute drive, which concluded the session. The simulation set up the offense with 75 seconds remaining in the second quarter, with the Vikings down 13-10. The drive started from Minnesota’s 25-yard line. It stands to reason that the Vikings wanted to score, but not at the cost of a turnover.

Since 2022, the Vikings are 20-2 when winning the turnover battle, per FOX Sports Research. They rank fifth among all teams in that span.

Chew on that stat as you read what comes next.

Murray’s drive was ugly — with a throwaway and another pass that went to no one, an apparent miscommunication with his receiver (or a miscue by the QB). The end result would’ve been a punt to the opposing offense with less than a minute left on the clock.

On McCarthy’s drive, he nearly threw an interception on his first pass, only to toss the ball to cornerback Byron Murphy on the drive’s third play. It was a turnover — and a mistake likely worth between three and seven points.

That play felt emblematic of what’s to come with this QB competition. It’s only nominally close. For those watching intently, the winner is already obvious. It’s going to be Murray. And when he wins, it’s going to be exciting to see the way this offense shapes itself to him.

“Kyler is a unique athlete,” McCown told me last week. “It’s just making sure that we’re buttoned up on where we’re supposed to be when [he] gets outside the pocket and giving him opportunities to maximize his skill set when he does move around. 

“But obviously, it starts with being in the pocket and playing within rhythm and within our scheme, too. So you balance those things accordingly, but also want to give way to a guy who does have a unique skill set.”

The beauty of this offense is that it’s like an expensive golf club. If the golfer (Murray or McCarthy) can let the club do the work, then that’ll be enough. Receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are all very good players.

“Every throw you make, we want you to believe in that throw and feel great about it and trust your eyes and all that. But at the same time, don’t feel like you have to put your Superman cape on and win this specific down for us with one throw,” McCown told me. “You’re not going to win one game with one throw.”

It’ll be a mindset shift for Murray, who had to carry the offense, year after year, with the Arizona Cardinals. But if he can cut out the hero ball (and the untimely turnovers) and let the skill players do the work for the offense, the Vikings will make the playoffs.

So far, so good.

“I think mentally, he’s definitely ahead of where I thought,” O’Connell told reporters this weekend.

And just because Murray has always been the likely winner, that doesn’t mean the QB competition was a sham. It’s almost inevitable that both Murray and McCarthy play for the Vikings in 2026. The Cardinals essentially benched Murray last year, so that’s always possible in Minnesota. But more likely, it’ll be an injury, considering Murray has missed at least three games in four of the past five seasons. McCarthy will likely have to play, and when he does, these training camp reps will serve the Vikings well.

“He is showing that improvement, and everybody’s arc is different,” McCown said of McCarthy, who missed his rookie year of 2024 with a knee injury. “We’ll continue to develop him into the player we think he can be.”

If the Vikings do, in fact, make the playoffs (whether by playing multiple quarterbacks or just one), then O’Connell should retain his crown as the NFL’s Top QB Guru. If the Vikings and their QBs struggle, well, we can cross that bridge if we get there.

2.

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It’s not exactly a gilded age for running backs. But it’s safe to say they matter again, both schematically and financially. Just ask Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who signed a three-year extension worth $67.5 million, with a record $22.5 million average for a running back.

As is the nature of a market-setting deal, Gibbs’ contract will echo across the NFL’s financial landscape. Just like Bijan Robinson’s recent deal, which was a three-year, $66.5 million extension with the Atlanta Falcons, Gibbs’ contract advances the market — meaning more money for running backs at every level, particularly at the top. 

That’s, no doubt, why Gibbs’ phone was blowing up with texts from superstars across the NFL. Gibbs said that Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, David Montgomery and De’Von Achane reached out to “show love.”

“We’re all in this together,” Gibbs said.

Looking at the fine details of Gibbs’ deal, the good news is that $51.5 million is guaranteed. It’s just that he won’t see $22.3 million until 2029 (in salary) and the remaining $21.3 million until 2030. I’m not saying it’s a bad deal by any means, but it’s backloaded — which makes it more team-friendly than the numbers originally revealed. 

It’s a big step in the right direction, however, that 1) two running backs (Gibbs and Robinson) successfully conducted hold-ins and 2) Gibbs was able to cash in about $16 million in new money in 2026 and Robinson will get $18.7 million this season.

It’s worth noting that, while at Lions camp, I saw how badly the Lions need Gibbs’ explosiveness. There simply wasn’t the same level of offensive threat without Gibbs leading the run game (especially after David Montgomery was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason). All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was a superstar, as usual, and speedster Jameson Williams popped for big plays. But the offense, as a whole, didn’t look consistent. At times, it looked lost. That’s because Detroit’s identity starts with the run game, which is to say that it starts with Gibbs.

He used that leverage. And his value was very real.

“This process was extremely stressful, because I just wanted to play ball,” Gibbs said on Friday after practice, during which he was limited, still ramping up to full participation. “I missed being out there with my teammates and coaches. It’s just fun being out there right now with my pads and stuff on. It just feels a lot better.”

Jahmyr Gibbs is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro in his three seasons with the Lions. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

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I was one of many who didn’t like the Cardinals drafting running back Jeremiyah Love at the top of Round 1. I still don’t love it. The problem is that a rookie’s contract (even a top-five pick) can provide teams with rare value at a premium position like QB, edge, left tackle, receiver or even cornerback. A top-five rookie running back, however, isn’t going to be a bargain. After all these deals, Love now ranks 10th among running backs in average annual value. That’s better.

And when adding up Love’s high draft selection and salary alongside extensions for Achane, Gibbs and Robinson this offseason, it’s clear: Running backs matter again. Money talks. Teams care about RBs again.

3.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers star edge Micah Parsons said he’s still sometimes using crutches following his late December surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus. He’s not yet in the change-of-direction phase of his rehab. He’s just working through plyometric exercises.

But he was clear: Don’t worry for him.

Worry about him.

“I think when you come out of these situations, you’re either going to be better or you’re worse. And for me, I’ve done everything I possibly can to be better,” Parsons said at Lambeau Field last Tuesday. “People are worried about the knee. They should be worried about how I’m going to play when I get back. The anger, the frustration — the things that I’m going to have to let out because of how long it’s been since I played. 

“I think that’s what people should really worry about: How great is Micah going to be when he gets back? Not about when I get back because that’s the short term. It’s about how great I’m going to be, how I can help my teammates, and how far we’re going to go into a playoff run.”

The Packers traded for Parsons ahead of the 2025 season. It was one of the biggest trades for a defender in NFL history. And it preceded the biggest contract for a non-quarterback — ever.

He played 14 games and logged 12.5 sacks before suffering the injury, which can take years for a full recovery, even if players tend to return to the field after nine months. 

But Parsons didn’t sound like Eeyore. Not in the slightest.

“I feel like a much better player in the sense of how I feel. I feel more stable. I feel stronger. You know, I probably was blind to a lot of things that I probably should have been working on that I got a chance to correct and get stronger during this process,” Parsons said.

He seems to have taken on a new attention to detail around his body, his strength-building, his stretching and his recovery. He said he’s focused on the process — not upon the timetable for his return. He wouldn’t give an exact week of the NFL season when he wanted to play. That said, there is one game that everyone (except for those in Dallas) would like to see Parsons on the field. And that’s for Packers-Cowboys in Week 6 on Oct. 18.

“I think it’s very realistic,” Parsons said. “Me and the staff, we’ve got to put the work in. We’ve got to get to the point where I’m feeling great, and we say, ‘Micah, you’ll be in a really good phase.’ Is it possible? Yes.”

4.

Normally, the Hall of Fame Game doesn’t move me. It’s not a big deal when a quarterback converts a clutch third down — not when it’s the first preseason matchup.

But Cardinals third-round pick Carson Beck did something impressive with what is normally a throwaway opportunity. This throw exemplified a sharp performance from Beck. And it revealed the QB competition that is quietly brewing in Arizona.

And there wasn’t really supposed to be a QB competition. When the Cardinals drafted Beck in Round 3, it wasn’t a pick that screamed: This guy’s our starter! And to that point, Jacoby Brissett decided to hold out, knowing that he should be QB1. He managed to get a reworked, one-year deal worth $15.5 million. But unintentionally, Brissett also seems to have opened the door to lose his starting job. It’s oh-so early in training camp (and preseason), but Beck lit up his first preseason performance. (And now he’s going viral for no-look passes at padded practice?!)

Now is when everyone says: Oh, but the Panthers only played vanilla defenses! Oh, but the backups were in! Oh, but Carson Beck is just the reincarnation of Kenny Pickett!

That might all be true. But Beck only did what he could, playing a sensational game that no doubt left the Cardinals wanting to see more. 

If he can keep this up — and his game looks polished as they throw him into higher-difficulty situations — then he could earn the starting job. We were already likely to see him this season. Now I’m wondering if we’ll see him in Week 1.

5.

If there’s one thing I’ve observed about Bears coach Ben Johnson, it’s that he takes things personally. He doesn’t suppress his emotions. He works with them.

Take, for example, the widespread conversation about how the Bears might regress. In a sit-down with him earlier this offseason, he needled me for bringing up the historical trend of teams regressing after playing as many close victories as the Bears did in 2025. Johnson later went out of his way to bring that topic up at a press conference: “We’re the No. 1 candidate for regression.”

In terms of his boiling emotions, Johnson has also clearly enjoyed provoking a WWE-level rivalry with the Packers.

So maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, when I asked Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for his best story about Ben Johnson, Detroit’s former offensive coordinator, he shared this.

“It’s always funny watching Ben on game days,” St. Brown told me. “He got super amped up when he was here, especially when he was calling plays. He would talk s— to the opposing defensive coordinators, but he’s so far away they can’t hear him. But we can see him on the sideline talking s—.”

No matter whose sideline he’s on, Ben Johnson, who was an assistant for the Lions from 2019 to 2024, is all business. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

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That’s the love of the game right there. Just a coach, talking smack to an opponent that can’t even hear him.

“He’s a competitor, man. He loves winning, and I think we see similarities in each other. I think that’s why we got along so well,” St. Brown told me. “When he first got the OC job, I went up to his office a few times. … We’ve had some deep conversations. We both felt like we could be better. He’s kind of like me — he wants to be the best every time. He’s a perfectionist.”

Every single current and former player will attest to Johnson’s character and coaching.

“I love Ben, man. That’s my dog,” St. Brown said.

That makes the story, and the NFC North rivalry, all the more enjoyable.

NFL Related Stories

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Is this a good time to provide a reminder that last July the Dodgers lost seven games in a row, 10 out of 12 and finished the month 10-14? 

Well, they’re floundering again and don’t exactly look like the infallible force everyone expected after acquiring the best player available at the deadline. 

They’re 1-6 since supposedly breaking the game by trading for Tarik Skuba. Meanwhile, the Tigers are 5-2 in their first seven games without Skubal and Casey Mize. Small sample size, of course, but the Dodgers haven’t been playing well for a while. They’ve lost eight of their last nine games and 17 of their last 28, and for the first time in a long time no longer occupy the top spot on the power rankings. 

(Photo by George Gaza/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Of course, that can change quickly. But it serves as a good reminder that even the teams who appeared to be winners at the deadline (Dodgers, Pirates) still have to play the games. Meanwhile, some of the biggest deadline losers (Brewers, Braves, Diamondbacks, Tigers) keep winning. 

As we wait to see how the players in new places pan out over the season’s last couple months, this week’s power rankings include one reason to watch every team in the second half. 

The Angels aren’t likely to reap many of the rewards of their deadline sell-off until the years to come, but they can at least get a look at new catcher Moisés Ballesteros, who should have an everyday job in Anaheim. 

We’ve already seen a number of first-round selections from the exceptional 2024 draft class make their MLB debuts. Charlie Condon, the third overall pick from that draft, is an exception, but he has 22 homers at Triple-A and could be a late-season call-up. Meanwhile, the Rockies continue to enjoy terrific debut seasons of TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg. 

This has been a horrendous year in Sacramento. You know what could provide some excitement? Calling up one of the top prospects in baseball. Leo De Vries is still at Double-A, and the A’s might not want to start the clock for the 19-year-old shortstop in this lost season, but he would give the fans a reason to watch. 

Marcelo Mayer appears close to starting a rehab assignment. Maybe the former Red Sox top prospect can realize his potential after a change of scenery.  

Jac Caglianone is an oasis in a Kansas City desert, and his strides in year two are providing more optimism for the Royals’ future if they can be a healthier team in 2027. 

Sal Stewart could make the NL Rookie of the Year race interesting. I wish I had more for you, Cincinnati fans. 

(Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

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Rookies Carson Benge, AJ Ewing and Nolan McLean have been a (very small) silver lining in an otherwise miserable (horrible, awful, dreadful) season in Queens. Maybe they work their way into the Rookie of the Year conversation. 

Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson were supposed to lead the Orioles into the promised land. Now, Rutschman is gone and Henderson is inexplicably enduring the worst year of his five-year career. Henderson obviously remains a vital cog to the future success of this franchise, and it’s worth watching if he can start to turn a corner before season’s end. 

Can the addition of Taylor Ward spark a sputtering offense? … Not yet, at least. The Mariners scored four runs total over their last four games and have lost five of their last six series to fall even further behind in both the AL West and wild-card races. This might be the start of the annual big Julio Rodriguez month, though. 

Will the bullpen additions catalyze a playoff push in Minnesota? The Twins decided not to buy at the deadline, and while that decision is not looking great yet, they remain firmly in the wild-card race. More sparks could be ahead. They just called up prospect Kaelen Culpepper, and their other top prospect, outfielder Walker Jenkins, could also play a role by season’s end. 

(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

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We are nearing mid-August, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still doesn’t have a home run at the Rogers Centre. It is almost unfathomable. Can he get on a roll at some point in the second half? If he does, the last-place Blue Jays — who threaded the needle at the deadline by trading away Kevin Gausman, Daulton Varsho and Jeff Hoffman but also adding Jose Soriano, Spencer Arrighetti and Jameson Taillon — still have a chance to contend. 

Well, this isn’t the direction they’re supposed to be going. The Pirates patched up their bullpen at the deadline and then promptly dropped series in Milwaukee and Queens to fall 5.5 games back in the division. The offense is hurting with Ryan O’Hearn, Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin out, but Pittsburgh also needs Paul Skenes to get right. He has an ERA over 6.00 over his last eight starts. Will he look like an ace again in time to save the Pirates’ season? 

The Marlins didn’t do anything to help their 2026 cause at the deadline (unless you love some Victor Vodnik), but could their decision to keep Sandy Alcantara help them stun the baseball world and sneak into a playoff spot? They’re only three games out of a playoff spot. 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 07: Angel Genao #17 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on August 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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The Guardians have now dropped 13 of their last 17 games. Even after the additions of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe, there’s a lot riding on their rookies to lift the offense. The latest call-up is top prospect Angel Genao. What kind of impact can he make alongside the current crop of standout rookies on the team? 

Which of the pitchers acquired by the Nationals at the deadline could be helpful pieces for the next contending Washington team? Jake Bird, Will Dion and Yovanny Cruz are already assisting a bullpen that needed…a ton of help. Hopefully, Connelly Early’s forearm tightness isn’t too serious and he can contribute before season’s end. In the meantime, enjoy CJ Abrams, who stayed put despite rumors at the deadline. 

Dautlon Varsho went deep for his first home run as an Astro on Sunday. What kind of difference can he make to an Astros outfield that ranks among the league’s least productive groups offensively this season? 

(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

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They were 45-45, 50-50, 55-55, and are now 59-59. I have little doubt this team will finish the season 81-81, but could a healthier Corey Seager in the second half put them on the right side of .500? If he can turn it on down the stretch, that could be the difference in winning the division. 

One Cardinals player already had a memorable moment this year when Jordan Walker left the crowd at Citizens Bank Park stunned by winning the Home Run Derby. By season’s end, another Cardinals player could be in the national spotlight as JJ Wetherholt tries to hold off the competition for Rookie of the Year.  

How does the team respond to the losses of Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize? So far, so good. They just wrapped up a 7-2 West Coast road trip, are inching closer to .500 and a playoff spot, and somehow have the best run differential in the American League. 

How different will this pitching staff look after call-ups and additions? The White Sox rank 13th in ERA, but they added veteran Luis Castillo hoping to stabilize the rotation, and now top pitching prospects Hagen Smith and Tanner McDougal have arrived to help. They’ll need Castillo to find another gear down the stretch. 

(Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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What kind of impact will Luis Arráez make? This might be the most fascinating team to watch the rest of the way, considering how much Arráez is needed offensively (the Phillies are a bottom-five team in on-base percentage and a bottom-10 team in OPS) and also how his introduction to the Philadelphia lineup has forced a bevy of defensive changes, including Bryce Harper moving back to the outfield. 

The bats are hot — the Padres have the highest batting average in baseball since the break — and while the San Diego debuts for Casey Mize and Robbie Ray didn’t go to plan, those acquisitions provide reason to believe this Padres team might now have just enough starting pitching to sneak into a playoff spot. 

How many injured D-backs pitchers return over the next two months? Michael Soroka, Corbin Burnes, Zac Gallen, Justin Martinez and Ryne Nelson are all among the prominent D-backs pitchers on the injured list whose return could be the difference in making the postseason. 

When do Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton return? And how much can deadline additions Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos boost the offense until that time comes? There’s a world in which the Yankees’ offense is back at full strength in time for the postseason, but it’s worth watching not only when their injured stars get back but also if those players can find their rhythm ahead of October. 

What kind of impact does Adley Rutschman have the rest of the way once healthy? Even with all the winning the Red Sox are doing, their catchers rank 24th in wRC+. Another boost from Rutschman could be the difference between a promising season and a championship one. 

(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

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The Dodgers are playing poorly. Their offense is in a funk. Edwin Díaz is flailing. Maybe these are reasons for Dodgers fans to worry. History tells us they should not. Also, you might have heard they acquired a guy named Tarik Skubal. He’ll make his first home start at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, and he’ll be followed by Blake Snell one day later. The rotation is becoming more whole, and they will probably zoom back up the rankings in short order. 

(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

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Can Pete Crow-Armstrong challenge Shohei Ohtani for MVP? Both players put on a heck of a show this week in Chicago, with the Cubs’ center fielder getting the last laugh in a series sweep capped off by two PCA homers in the finale. If he keeps this offensive pace up, he’ll make a strong case for MLB’s top individual honor. 

(Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Whatever happens over the final couple months, this has been a tremendous bounceback season for Atlanta. But while Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Martin Perez continue to be effective and new addition Tyler Mahle looked great in his Braves debut, questions linger about the team’s October arms after a disappointing deadline failed to bring in another impact starter. Will one of their injured starters get back in time to contribute down the stretch and beyond, or can the group in place inspire the confidence that they have enough arms to make a deep run? 

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

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Can the Rays hold off both the Yankees and red-hot Red Sox? The new acquisitions should help. Beyond just Freddy Peralta and Liam Hicks, the addition of reliever Tyler Wells might be one of the most underrated moves of the deadline, and the Rays’ pitching has been exceptional lately. Even after Boston’s surge, the Rays lead the Yankees by 5.5 games and the Red Sox by seven games as they track toward their first division title since 2021. 

(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

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Which starters step up behind Jacob Misiorowski? The Brewers ace leads all qualified MLB starters in ERA, strikeouts, WHIP and opponents’ batting average and looks like the clear Cy Young Award winner right now, but there has been some deserved heat on this team for not adding more star power behind him. Kyle Harrison’s first start back from the IL was encouraging, and maybe Dustin May develops into a clear October starter over the next two months, but there’s some sorting out to do down the stretch about the playoff pecking order. 
 

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NASCAR didn’t get to see its new end-of-stage policy in action last weekend at Iowa Speedway.

Stages ending naturally is a good thing.

But NASCAR is now prepared to be flexible when it comes to the length of the stages.

Responding to feedback from fans and criticism that caution periods are too long, NASCAR decided that, if a caution comes out with 10 laps or fewer left in the stage, the stage would end at the time of caution.

That would eliminate either running extra laps under caution until the stage ends or running caution laps, then coming back to green for a lap (or two) dash to the stage finish and then throwing the caution again.

NASCAR is revamping its caution strategy.

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“It stems from what happened in Indy, where we’ve seen all too often [that] the caution comes out before the stage break, we run a number of caution laps, trying to get back green. Stage break comes and we’re back to caution. Long periods of caution laps, not enough green-flag racing,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said in a video to fans.

“No more back-to-back cautions, no more elongated caution laps. More green-flag racing, more action for you, the fans.”

The stage breaks are designed to bunch up the field and give the broadcaster four guaranteed times when they can run full-screen commercials under yellow. 

So at the end of the stage, laps are run under yellow for commercials, the pits are then open and then a couple more laps are run. 

Those final few laps allow for more commercials, as well as for NASCAR to get the lineup in order so drivers can choose their lane on the restart.

The choose rule added a lap to every caution on ovals when it was implemented several years ago. NASCAR potentially could move the choose area to the backstretch on ovals (like it does on road courses where it is often near the end of the lap) in hopes of potentially eliminating another full caution lap.

Obviously, the balance of having the stage breaks and getting back to racing can be frustrating.

Kyle Larson likes the new direction NASCAR is taking with cautions.

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“It sucks for all of us when you get a caution with five to go to the end of the stage and they’re going to try to do a one-lap shootout and then it takes 15 minutes [for the stage break]. Like just roll on with it,” two-time Cup champion Kyle Larson told The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck and others at Iowa Speedway.

“This is a step in the right direction.” 

Another former Cup champion, Ryan Blaney, also liked the new rule.

“That’s no fun for anybody,” Blaney said about the extra laps under caution when the stage break comes right after another caution during a news conference. “That’s no fun for anybody watching. That’s not fun for us either. … That’s progress on that side and trying to limit the time of caution, time of yellow and things like that.”

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar thinks it could impact strategy.

“Ultimately, [it will] just make the race not predictable and hopefully, it just allows for mistakes on the box,” Hocevar said at a news conference at Iowa.

Could NASCAR’s new caution rule impact strategy? Carson Hocevar believes it will.

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“I feel like mistakes from either the box or the car tend to kind of always make the racing better.  It’s good. I think it’s an improvement. It’s less caution laps, which is good.”

Ryan Preece said he’s all for it but did see some irony in the decision.

 “It seems like a lot of fans are talking about more green-flag racing, and we put stage breaks in to break the races up because everybody was talking about the long green-flag runs,” Preece said during an Iowa news conference. “Me, personally, this will never happen, but I wish there were no stages and we’d race.”

If the caution does impact the length of a stage, the length of the ensuing stage would change as far as distance and will still end at the original designated lap. 

For instance, if the stages are designed to end on Lap 50 and Lap 100 and the race ends on Lap 200 and the caution comes out on Lap 45, the second stage would still end at Lap 100 (and not Lap 95) and would end up being 55 laps in length.

O’Donnell credited fans for being vocal about wanting change.

“You helped push this,” O’Donnell said. “Your passion for the sport has helped us make changes more quickly.”

In The News

Iowa Speedway will undergo a repave in the offseason.

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— Haas Factory Team added Dean Thompson to its O’Reilly Series roster as part of a multiyear deal. HFT will increase to three cars for O’Reilly with the drivers of the other two cars to be announced. The organization’s current drivers are Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer. Thompson has spent the last couple of years at Sam Hunt Racing.

— Joe Gibbs Racing announced that William Sawalich has signed a contract extension to continue driving in the O’Reilly Series for the organization.

— Iowa Speedway will repave its entire seventh-eighths-mile racing oval during the offseason.

Clinching Drivers

No drivers in Cup clinched a spot in the Chase at Iowa, but Sammy Smith did clinch a spot in the O’Reilly Series postseason.

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They Said It

“Without sounding salty, I don’t think I would have won the race anyway, but I think it’s kind of time for us as a series to grow up and not have the lapped car situation. I think it makes us all look stupid.”

— Felix Rosenqvist on INDYCAR not ordering lapped cars to move over for the leaders

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