I played offensive line for eight seasons in the NFL, and before that I spent my Saturdays in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, blocking for guys who ended up on lists like this one. So when I watch college football now, I watch for the stuff that signaled to me in the huddle whether a guy was for real.

I’m picking the 10 players who impressed me most during the previous weekend. Not just the gaudiest stat lines, but the performances that hold up when you turn the tape on. Some weeks, that’ll be an edge rusher wreaking havoc. Other weeks, it’ll be a lineman you’ve never heard of who didn’t lose a rep all afternoon. I have a soft spot for those guys. 

This week featured some household names along with some under-the-radar gems. Let’s take a look.

Jadan Baugh’s first month of the season has been fantastic and Saturday was no exception. He helped his Gators beat a top five Ole Miss squad with 142 yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns. That many rushing attempts is an impressive workload against a SEC defense. Baugh’s Heisman odds continue to improve. 

Raiola entered the game for the Ducks after Dante Moore was knocked out with a concussion. Raiola was 19 of 25 for 289 yards and two touchdowns. The Nebraska transfer looked calm and collected in the pocket, and it was a huge boost for the Ducks who needed a boost after Moore left the game.

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Finney is a remarkable talent for the Ducks. He was a freshman All-American at corner last season and he’s been moved inside to play nickel this season. He was only targeted three times against USC and only a single pass was completed against him. He also added four tackles. Finney is just an outstanding defensive piece for Oregon

Jeremiah is the best player in the sport and he showed it again on Saturday vs. Illinois. He had a remarkable 12 receptions for 217 yards with four touchdowns, tying the Ohio State singe-game record for touchdown catches. Nothing more to add. Amazing talent. 

After a shaky Week 1 against Tulsa, we’ve seen Mestemaker turn into the quarterback people hoped he’d be. He beat Oregon and went on the road to dominate West Virginia. Mestemaker was 20 of 27 for 389 yards with three touchdowns. 

Austin Romaine led the Red Raiders in tackles (eight) and touchdowns (two). He had back-to-back pick sixes for the Red Raiders as they took care of business against Sam Houston State. One touchdown for a defender is something to celebrate. But two of them? Outstanding.

Georgia’s defense embarrassed Oklahoma’s offense this weekend and Wilson was a big reason. He had 11 tackles with eight solo, plus 1 sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. Wilson is an absolute beast.

Whoa… what a performance by Simmons against Tennessee.. He had five sacks, 10 pressures and eight defensive stops. Just a remarkable performance from a guy who will play on Sundays. 

Indiana lost Turbo Richard in the second quarter, so Bebbe Jr. took over as the number one back. The Hooisers ran game was sort of stuck in the mud until he broke off some long runs. He ended with 203 yards on 24 carries and one touchdown. 

Splat! Heard was an absolute monster against South Alabama, grading out as the highest offensive tackle in Week 4, according to Pro Football Focus (87.5). Check out the play below. 

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Three months ago, MLB on FOX analyst A.J. Pierzynski visited Pope Leo XIV and presented the pontiff with the final out ball from Game 1 of the 2005 Fall Classic. 

Pierzynski, who was the catcher for that World Series-winning White Sox team, did not need to make much of an introduction. The pope, who grew up a White Sox fan, already knew who he was. 

Now, Pope Leo and the White Sox faithful will get to watch their favorite team in the postseason for the first team in five years after the South Siders secured the final wild-card spot. 

Ahead of the playoffs, I caught up with Pierzynski to talk about the White Sox, playoff baseball in Chicago, the teams who could surprise this October, the advice he’d give to 20-year-old Padres catcher Ethan Salas, and, yes, that pope visit. 

(Note: Questions and answers may be edited for clarity or brevity.) 

You debuted as a 21-year-old with the Twins, but it wasn’t until your age-25 season that you played in the postseason. Padres catcher Ethan Salas is about to become the youngest catcher ever to play in a postseason game. I’m curious what advice you would give to the 20-year-old? 

Pierzynski: Just enjoy the moment. Be excited to be there because you never know how many chances you’re going to get in the postseason. I remember in 2002 I made the playoffs with the Twins, and I was like, ‘Oh, man, we’re going to make the playoffs every year.’ Because we made it in 2002, 2003. Then 2004 we missed, 2005 we won the World Series, and I was like, ‘Oh, man, this playoff thing is easy.’ Then it seemed like we went forever without making it. 

Ethan Salas, age 20, is already helping the Padres. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

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So, if anything, listen to guys like Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, guys who have been there, been through the battles, and just enjoy it. The one thing you never get to do as a player is enjoy the moment because you’re in the moment. Even winning a World Series 20-plus years ago, looking back, I just wish I would’ve gotten to enjoy it a little bit more, meaning step back and look around and say, ‘Man, this is pretty awesome, we’re about to win the World Series.’ When you’re in it, you’re so in it and you’re so focused on the task at hand that you don’t really get that second to just look around and say, ‘Wow, this is pretty amazing.’

You were there in 2008 when the White Sox and Cubs both made the playoffs. Can you describe what the city of Chicago is like when both of those teams are relevant and playing well?

Pierzynski: There’s nothing like it, honestly. I played for the Red Sox, played Red Sox-Yankees. I played for the Giants, saw Dodgers-Giants. I played for the Cardinals, Cardinals-Cubs. I never was in the Subway Series, but I can tell you right now the crosstown between the Cubs and the White Sox, for me, was the most fun and most electric rivalry, if that’s what you want to call it, that I was ever a part of for so many reasons. But mostly just because when both teams are good, the city is just absolutely electric.

Munetaka Murakami has been a breakout star in Chicago. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images)

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 Those six games we used to play every year were my favorite six games not in the postseason. Every year you look, as soon as the schedule comes out, when do we play the Cubs? When do we go to Wrigley? When guys would come up or were new to the team, I would say, ‘All right, just wait until we get to go to Wrigley, you’ll see something you’ve never seen before.’ They were like, “Ah, what are you talking about?’ Then they go to Wrigley for the first time as a visitor on the White Sox and they’re like, ‘OK, that is absolutely amazing.’ Or when the Cubs would come to, whatever it’s called now, Rate Field, just because of the way the fans were into it. 

Pete Crow-Armstrong has also had a breakout year star in Chicago. (Getty)

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When both teams were really trying and were really good, the atmosphere would change. It wasn’t as good when one team was good but the other team wasn’t good. But when both teams were good, especially before the Cubs won their World Series in 2016, it was crazy. The White Sox fans would rub it in their face, ‘We got our World Series before you guys did.’ That would lead to fisticuffs in the stands and arguments in the stands, and it was just one of those atmospheres you could never replicate.

There’s a lifelong bond, I’m sure, that happens when you win a World Series with a group of guys. Do you stay in touch with your old White Sox teammates? 

Pierzynski: You definitely keep tabs with most of them. You can’t keep tabs with everybody. That’d be almost impossible. But we always have a special bond. We just had our 20-year reunion last year. You definitely always have something with them that nobody can take away. 

The reunion of the 2005 World Series champions. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

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I think that’s the biggest thing that people don’t understand. When you play baseball, and people find out you play baseball, long after you retire, the first question you get is always, ‘Did you win a World Series?’ ‘Oh, you played Major League Baseball, do you have a ring?’ To be able to say yes to that, is like, as the kids would say, one of the greatest flexes, right? ‘Yeah, I got one of those, no big deal.’ Then the next question is, ‘Do you have your ring?’ I’m like, ‘No, I never wear it,’ because I don’t. Then obviously the next questions are. ‘Did you make an All-Star team? Who’s the toughest pitcher you had to hit off of?’ 

A.J. Pierzynski celebrating the 2005 World Series title with his family. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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But it is always, ‘Did you win a World Series?’ So, you have that bond forever. Nobody can ever take it away from you. And then when you see those guys, even after not seeing someone for a long time or speaking to someone for a long time, you always have a special bond. You always have stories you can go back to. You always have something to talk about. There’s something that doesn’t go away.

What do you think needs to happen for these White Sox to make a surprise run through October? 

Pierzynski: They need some pitching to step up, obviously. Whether it’s Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay, whoever their other starters are going to be, they need their starters to give them more innings than what they’ve given them. Now, one thing about the White Sox is they don’t let their starters go very deep. I think their starters threw the least amount of innings in Major League Baseball this year, which is normally not a very good strategy for a deep run into the postseason. 

The White Sox will lean on Sean Burke during the playoffs. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

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In the regular season, and I’ve talked about this a million times, when you have relievers that constantly come into games, you do this in the regular season and say, ‘OK, so and so’s tired, we can option them down and bring up another guy to take his spot.’ When you get to the postseason, you can’t do that because of the rule change to where you can’t option someone if a guy gets hurt or whatever. He has to miss a series. So, guys get worn down even with the off days, and you need either starters going to the bullpen to make up for those reliever innings if you’re going to try to run it that way or starters to step up and give you six innings or at least into the sixth inning. Because every out you save with your starter is one less out you have to get with your bullpen. 

It’s a fine line you have to walk, but I swear by this: The team that has the best starting pitching wins almost every time, throughout long series and throughout the postseason, because they save outs for their bullpen.

Along those lines, do you look at the Dodgers as the clear favorites to three-peat? And if so, what team in the NL do you think is best equipped to try to stop that from happening?

Pierzynski: I always think that the Dodgers are the best team until someone beats them. They’re in the postseason again, they have their pitching. You want to go into a seven-game series and get Yamamoto twice, Skubal twice, possibly Snell or Glasnow twice? That doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun as a hitter to have to go in and battle against that. But that being said, they’re vulnerable. 

The Dodgers remain the favorite to win it all, again. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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They obviously didn’t win as many games as the Brewers did. I think there’s multiple teams in the National League that are definitely equipped. Whether it’s Milwaukee, for sure, because if you get Miz, Henderson, Harrison pitching well, the way Pat Murphy, I don’t know if ‘motivates’ that team is the right word, but the way he understands his team dynamic and gets them to play like a team is like no other team in baseball. And I honestly just believe Milwaukee could do it. 

I think Philly, you get Bryce Harper, Schwarber hot, Turner hot, with Sanchez and Nola and Wheeler and if Luzardo can pitch, that’s another great one. The National League is so much tougher. Even the Braves, you get Sale and Mahle pitching well with their back end of the bullpen, Iglesias the way he’s pitched and that bullpen, and you get RIley and Acuna and that whole crew hot, the National League is so equipped. Even the Cubs could do it. Throw the Padres in there, because the Padres aren’t scared.

But again, until somebody beats the Dodgers, man, I just don’t know who’s going to do it. Someone has to step up and do it. It’s been so long since someone’s been able to do it that I think there’s a little bit of doubt, even in players’ minds.

What’s a surprise team you think people should be talking more about this postseason that might be flying a bit under the radar? 

Pierzynski: The Brewers are the team that stands out to me. This should be the year where the Brewers have a great chance to do a lot of damage. I think people are talking about them, but they also look at them and say, ‘Oh, it’s the same old Brewers.’ ‘That’s cute they won 100 games, but, ah, they’re the Brewers, they’re not going to win in the postseason.’ But honestly, I think they’re a team that could win the whole thing. 

Jacob Misiorowski is the NL’s likely Cy Young winner. (Getty)

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There’s a lot of reasons why — the way they play defense, the way they hit with runners in scoring position, the way they play the game is just the right way. When you talk to other teams and say you’ve got to play the Brewers, the way they talk about it is how much more prep you have to put into it because the way they play is so different than any other team — the way they bunt, the way they steal bases, the way they run the bases, the way they pitch, the way Murph handles the bullpen, it’s just different than any other team. 

The only other team that kind of compares to that is the Rays. So, the two I think people don’t talk about — again, because they’re the Rays and the Brewers — are the Rays and the Brewers. 

Despite where they were the last few years, you were pretty adamant it would’ve been a failure if the White Sox had failed to reach the postseason after leading the division for much of the second half. Now that they’re in, are they playing with house money?

Pierzynski: No. No. I understand why fans think that, but expectations change. I’m sorry. 

The way the White Sox can swing the bat, if they get Murakami hot, Colson Montgomery hot, they get some of these guys hot, they have a chance to absolutely do damage in the postseason. Is it a success? Yeah, it’s a success because they weren’t going to lose 100 games again. And it’s a success because the fans are behind them again and the fans believe in them and they’re fun to watch. But as far as being satisfied? Heck no. You’re in the postseason. The goal is to win the World Series. 

Once you get in, you’re like, ‘Well, why can’t we win the World Series?’ I guarantee you even the Cincinnati Reds last year who had to play the Dodgers and everyone’s like, ‘Oh, how’d this team even get into the postseason?’ They didn’t go into that series thinking, ‘We got no chance.’ They went into it saying if Hunter Greene pitches really well and [Nick] Lodolo, and Elly [De La Cruz] gets hot, we got a chance to knock the Dodgers off. You have to look at it like that. 

So, yeah, is it great the White Sox are in? One hundred percent, compared to where they were. But do you just look at it and say it was successful because they didn’t lose 100 games and they made the postseason? Yeah, but it’d be cool to keep the success going and build and actually have a chance to win a ring. At the end of the day, the goal is to win the ring.

You mentioned how people ask you about the World Series. I have to imagine this year everyone is asking you about the pope. That experience with your family had to be incredible. So, is it more wild that the pope is going to be watching this White Sox run or that he knows who you are? 

Pierzynski: Oh, that the pope knows who I am. I mean, are you kidding? Remember I mentioned a flex earlier, a cool flex. When you walk up to the Pope and you say, ‘Hey, I’m A.J. Pierzynski,’ and he goes, ‘You don’t have to introduce yourself; I already know who you are, and I’ve been waiting to talk to you all day,’ you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty incredible,’ right? 

Just the fact you get to go up there, meet someone, talk to them, and he couldn’t be more gracious, humble, everything you would expect someone like the pope to be. He exceeded all expectations. And then for him to say, ‘Oh yeah, I’m paying attention to the White Sox,’ they’ve got to have a little divine intervention in their corner, don’t they?

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Well-executed football was in short supply across the NFL in Week 3. But, as always, the slate provided plenty of drama.

The Bills rallied from a double-digit hole to avoid an upset against the Chargers; the Ravens and Cowboys gave football fans in Brazil quite the show; and the Broncos, with some help from the refs, knocked off the Rams with late defensive heroics.

All three games turned on pivotal fourth-quarter plays, from Justin Herbert’s poorly timed interception to Lamar Jackson’s last-second pass to Zay Flowers and Talanoa Hufanga’s pick-six.

As always, we’ll dive into the strategies, the matchups, and everything else that created those memorable moments – along with what those moments mean for the future.

Tom Brady just has a way with words, I guess. A week after sending the internet into a frenzy by calling a Dak Prescott throw a “piss missile,” he used a more PG descriptor for Justin Herbert’s fourth-quarter interception in Sunday’s loss to the Bills. 

“There’s a safety in the middle of the field,” Brady said. “Poor awareness, poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub.” 

It’s never good when the greatest quarterback of all time is comparing your throws to Italian sandwiches. This was a new low for Herbert in a season full of them. 

So what, exactly, did Herbert see before serving up that meatball sub to C.J. Gardner-Johnson? Here’s the all-22 angle of the interception, which took points off the board for the Chargers and set up Buffalo’s go-ahead drive. 

Herbert wasn’t asked about the play after the game, so we’ll have to do some guesswork. Herbert’s eyes go to Gardner-Johnson, and he sees the Bills safety turn his hips toward the sideline. It looks like Gardner-Johnson is bailing to the deep half, and Buffalo is rotating into a Cover 2 look. 

In theory, Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s post route would be open against Cover 2, which leaves the deep middle of the field vacated. But as soon as Herbert’s eyes left Gardner-Johnson, he changed direction and worked back to the middle of the field, taking away that route.  

It’s unclear whether the Bills were actually playing Cover 2; either way, Gardner-Johnson made a heady play baiting the throw. And, either way, Herbert has to do a better job holding the safety with his eyes, since there’s no deeper route to the right to pull Johnson out of the middle. 

Herbert (wrongly) assumes the deep middle is wide open and tosses up a meatball sub that Gardner-Johnson devours for a momentum-swinging play. 

The takeaway: The Chargers’ deep passing game is a mess. Herbert is 1-for-12 with three interceptions on deep pass attempts this season. There have been some drops, and receivers are struggling to separate, but Herbert has also served up a few sandwiches. L

os Angeles has had no issues moving the ball, but the lack of explosives and the repeated blunders in enemy territory have prevented the offense from taking off like everyone expected before the season. This play was a good microcosm of the issues. The play design doesn’t stretch the safeties to open up the deep middle; the Chargers are relying on a receiver who was just signed off the street; and Herbert makes a disastrous decision while trying to do too much. 

Seven seconds. 

That’s all Lamar Jackson needed to get the Ravens from their own 35-yard line into range for Tyler Loop’s game-winning kick. Here’s how he did it. 

As easy as Jackson makes it look, that’s a remarkable throw. Per Next Gen Stats, the pass traveled 36.4 yards in 1.6 seconds. Based on my back-of-the-napkin math, that works out to a 46-MPH throw. 

As much as I’d like to heap praise on Jackson for the game-winning effort, the Cowboys’ defense really botched this one. Some have blamed deep safety Alijah Clark for the coverage bust, but he’s actually doing his job by retreating downfield. The blame falls squarely on two Cowboys defenders who were nowhere near Zay Flowers when he caught the ball.

The first culprit is safety Marquise Bell, who’s playing the “robber” role for Dallas. The robber’s job is to help with in-breaking routes over the middle, which Bell does—he just picks the wrong route to help on. Bell latches onto Mark Andrews, who’s running a crossing route that’s about 15 yards short of field goal range. 

With only seven seconds on the clock, Andrews didn’t pose much of a threat, and Bell didn’t need to jump his route. That put our second culprit, Caleb Downs, in a tough spot. Once Bell takes Andrews, Downs becomes the new robber. 

Downs needs more depth to get into deeper passing windows. Instead, he parks himself around midfield and is in no position to help on the routes behind him. 

Reddy Steward, the cornerback responsible for Flowers, expects help inside and plays with outside leverage. Could he have been tighter to Flowers? Absolutely, but his teammates left him out to dry. 

The takeaway: The coverage was poorly executed on the field, but this epic failure ultimately falls on first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Man coverage, with just one deep safety, is a bold call in that scenario. And if the young Cowboys secondary lacks the situational awareness to take up a deeper position, Parker should have gone with a more conservative call, like a soft zone.

Over three weeks, this Dallas defense has played like a poorly coached unit. Parker was brought in to clean up last year’s mess and help out the offense. That hasn’t happened and the 2026 Cowboys look an awful lot like the 2025 version of the team.

Let’s stay on the subject of coaches not putting their players in a good spot to succeed. Only in Denver, Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga found a way to make a play for his team despite his defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, putting him in a precarious situation. Hufanga’s game-changing pick-6 of Matthew Stafford came on a play where he was left to fend for himself in a two-on-one situation.

The Broncos sent an all-out blitz on third-and-6 and disguised it by lining up a safety in the deep middle. 

With only Hufanga lined up over the two receivers to Stafford’s right, the Rams quarterback assumed one of the potential blitzers on the line of scrimmage would have to drop into coverage. 

That didn’t happen. Denver sent the house and asked Jones to come out of the deep middle to cover one of those receivers man-to-man. Stafford recognized it instantly and targeted Kyren Williams’ quick out route. Quick outs are typically a good answer against the blitz, with defenders often playing with inside leverage to guard against quick slants and in-breakers. 

So, this was a bit of an I-know-you-know situation. Hufanga knew Stafford would be looking for the quick out against the blitz and fell off his original assignment to jump that route. 

Hufanga made a similar play to seal the win. With the Rams needing a touchdown and only seconds on the clock, the Broncos sent another blitz, leaving the secondary in man-to-man coverage across the board. Knowing Stafford would likely target Davante Adams, Hufanga left his man and made a break on the ball to pick it off and end the game. 

“Your [thought] is, ‘best player on the field, they’re trying to get him the ball,” Hufanga said after the game. “So I kind of left my coverage and just went over there and made a play.” 

The takeaway: After a rough start to the season, this Broncos defense is rounding into championship form. Zach Allen was the hero in the Week 2 win over the Jaguars. This week, it was Hufanga, who also had a key third-down sack in the fourth quarter. Joseph has an ideal collection of plays to run his chaotic brand of defense. When this unit is at its best, even the league’s most experienced quarterbacks can struggle to figure out what they’re seeing.

Next week’s matchup against the 49ers and the league’s hottest quarterback, Brock Purdy, will be a real test. The Broncos defense looks up to the challenge. 

Three And Out

1. NFL teams should be running more lateral plays like the one the 49ers used to score an 82-yard touchdown on Sunday. 

That play inspired me to look into how effective those plays are, and the results are stunning. I excluded desperation plays in the dying moments of a game or half and focused on lateral plays called in more typical situations. I found 25 of them dating back to 2021. Those plays have averaged 18.9 yards and resulted in 15 first downs. Almost all of them have come in second- or third-and-extra-long situations.  

Ben Johnson has been the tactic’s biggest advocate. The Lions ran the play five times over his three seasons as offensive coordinator, and he used it once last year in Chicago. Kyle Shanahan had used it once before Sunday’s game. In last year’s loss to the Jaguars, Christian McCaffrey picked up a first down on second-and-16 after receiving a lateral from Ricky Pearsall. 

Maybe Sunday’s big play will convince Shanahan to lean into the strategy a bit more. After all, Purdy is now averaging 56 yards per attempt on those plays. 

2. The Jets lost in Detroit on a sack-fumble by Geno Smith, but the veteran quarterback was hardly to blame. New York’s protection broke down, giving Lions safety Chuck Clark a clear path to Smith. 

So who was to blame? It looks like left guard Jordan Meredith caused the bust. The Jets are sliding three linemen to the left, with running back Braelon Allen working away from the slide. 

With six in protection, the Jets should have enough to pick up Detroit’s pressure. Instead, Meideth gets hung up on the defensive tackle and pins center Josh Myers inside. Myers and Allen both end up on Jack Campbell, leaving Clark unblocked. 

3. As FOX Sports’ Joe Davis observed during Washington’s upset of Seattle on Sunday, Marcus Mariota looked like Peyton Manning orchestrating the Commanders’ offense at the line of scrimmage. Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald noticed it too, and credited Mariota’s pre-snap checks for making the difference. 

Mariota’s most important change came on the final drive. With the Commanders facing a third-and-9 and holding onto a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Seattle’s defense lined up in a blitz look with seven defenders on the line of scrimmage. 

Mariota had seen this look before. Earlier in the game, Seattle aligned the same way on second-and-long, and Mariota checked into a run that went for a 48-yard touchdown, but an illegal formation penalty negated it.  

Mariota made the same check on the key third-down play. This time, Washington lined up correctly, and Rachad White ran for 19 yards to pick up a key first down. 

A few plays later, Mariota iced the game with a zone-read keeper. 

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The biggest disappointments in the NFL so far this season? That’s easy: Patriots quarterback and 2025 MVP runner-up Drake Maye and the 1-2 Packers.

What about the biggest surprise? The 3-0 Raiders, even with No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza yet to take a snap. Meanwhile, pressure is already mounting on 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward just three games into his second season with the Titans.

All these teams are represented in my best and worst superlatives coming out of Week 3. In this edition, I focus on individual plays, offenses and overall team performance. Let’s dive in.

Best Play This Week: The ‘Trio In Rio’

Remember last season when kicker Tyler Loop missed the field goal in Baltimore’s regular-season finale against Pittsburgh that would’ve sent the Ravens to the playoffs? Afterward, remember how then-Ravens coach John Harbaugh consoled Loop on the way to the locker room?

That’s part of what makes his 56-yard, game-winning field goal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the kick that lifted the Ravens past the Dallas Cowboys 34-31 as time expired — so awesome. In his first chance at a walk-off field goal since that Week 18 miss last season, Loop rose to the occasion.

And he’s been delivering since the season began. A brief competition with veteran Jake Moody after Loop went 3-of-8 on field goals in the preseason ended when he went 2-for-2 in the Ravens’ 41-23 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, hitting from 57 and 45 yards. Baltimore released Moody from its practice squad after that performance.

A sixth-round pick last year, Loop is 5-for-6 on field goals so far this season, showing that he can be a reliable scorer for a Ravens team expected to contend.

Worst Play This Week: Cam Ward’s Game-Sealing INT

It was all set up for Cam Ward to have his moment. 

The Titans were knocking on the end zone at the Giants’ 7-yard line, trailing by five points with 24 seconds left. Ward’s second career game-winning drive was at his fingertips … but it slipped through when he made a very bad decision. The second-year Titans quarterback rolled to his left and fired a pass intended for wide receiver Elic Ayomanor at the back of the end zone, failing to see Giants safety Jevon Holland lurking around the goal line. 

It was an easy pick for Holland, sealing the game for New York. 

It wasn’t a do-or-die situation for Tennessee. Ward could’ve thrown the ball away if he had any doubts about the window he was seeing. It was a first-down play, after all. He had space to run, too. Even if Ward couldn’t get out of bounds, the Titans had two timeouts to stop the clock. So time wasn’t an issue either. 

It was just a terrible decision all the way around by Ward, who had flushed a shaky performance through three quarters with a terrific final period up until the interception. 

Now, the clock must be ticking on last year’s No. 1 overall pick. 

And not the clock for a benching, to be clear — another Titans season appears to be headed nowhere, so to sit Ward in favor of veteran backup Mitch Trubisky and miss out on reps doesn’t make sense. But at the current trajectory, the franchise could be having the quarterback conversation this offseason — whether to bring in veteran competition or to draft a QB to compete with Ward in 2027. 

We’re 20 games into the Ward era in Tennessee. He’s 3-17 in those games. Ward has had a lot of dysfunction around him for much of that time, and he’s flashed at times in spite of that dysfunction, but his development has been headed in the wrong direction to this point in Year 2. 

The Titans have invested heavily at the wide receiver position with No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate and free-agent acquisition Wan’Dale Robinson. The pass protection has been fine — Ward has been sacked just five times through three games and has faced a 34.3% pressure rate, 12th-lowest amongst qualified quarterbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. So the onus is on Ward to start playing better. We’re running out of excuses to make for last year’s No. 1 overall pick. 

Best Offense This Week: Atlanta Falcons

Turns out that the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was the solution to the Falcons’ problems. 

After missing Atlanta’s first two games as he worked his way back from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, Penix returned for Thursday Night Football against the Packers, leading an electrifying Atlanta offense that netted 500 yards before his back-to-back kneel downs to end the game. 

Superstar running back Bijan Robinson had 29 carries for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Standout wide receiver Drake London caught nine passes for 194 yards. Robinson and London became the first teammate duo in league history to finish with 150-plus rushing yards and 150-plus receiving yards in the same game three times, according to Next Gen Stats. So the Falcons’ biggest stars led the way in what was a thorough whooping for Atlanta, which recorded 242 yards rushing and had a 37:05 time of possession. 

All of a sudden, the Falcons become an intriguing team. It remains to be seen whether Penix can stay healthy and replicate his Week 3 success (72.0% completion rate for 256 yards and a touchdown with an interception). But with competent play at the quarterback position, Atlanta is a legit NFC playoff contender given its talent at the offensive skill positions and on the offensive line.  

Worst Offense This Week: New England Patriots

Right now, it’s difficult to believe that the Patriots were in the Super Bowl just seven months ago. 

Their offense continued to sputter Sunday, when they were blown out 35-6 by the Jaguars. New England reached Jacksonville territory seven times but failed to score a touchdown on any of those possessions, its most drives in plus territory without a TD since Week 8 of 2023, per NGS. 

The play of quarterback Drake Maye is the biggest concern. Against the Jags, he completed just 56.0% of his throws for 199 yards with no touchdowns and three total turnovers (two interceptions, one lost fumble), giving him a league-high seven giveaways. His throw to a tightly-covered Efton Chism III in the end zone just before halftime that was picked off by Travis Hunter was a shockingly bad decision — awfully similar to his game-sealing interception in New England’s season opener in Seattle. 

The Patriots need to figure out what’s wrong with their young quarterback and fix it fast, because things could get even spookier for New England. Its offensive line, which was an Achilles’ heel in the Super Bowl run last season, is already becoming problematic again. The Patriots were down to their third-string right guard against the Jaguars because starter Mike Onwenu (broken ankle) is on IR and backup Greg Van Roten didn’t finish the game because of a thigh injury. 

Best Overall Team This Week: Las Vegas Raiders

How about those Raiders? They improved to 3-0 with their 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. And it was truly a complete victory — the Raiders scored four touchdowns and forced four turnovers, all of which came in the fourth quarter. It marked their first 30-plus point performance since Week 15 of 2023, and the four takeaways in the final period were more than what the team had in the fourth quarter of the entire 2025 season (3). 

No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback eventually, but Las Vegas has no reason to move off the Kirk Cousins wave right now. The veteran QB has thrown three touchdown passes in each of the first three games of the season. 

He’s leading a team that has far exceeded expectations under first-year coach Klint Kubiak. And Las Vegas just got one of its best players back in star tight end Brock Bowers, who had a team-high 10 catches for 116 yards in his season debut Sunday. 

We knew that the AFC West would be tough, with the talented Broncos and the return of Chiefs star QB Patrick Mahomes, but didn’t anticipate the Raiders being part of the equation. Now, here we are.   

Worst Overall Team This Week: Green Bay Packers

No NFL team is inspiring less confidence right now than the 1-2 Packers, relative to the expectations for Matt LaFleur’s squad this season. 

The Packers were completely overwhelmed in their 35-14 loss to the Falcons. Green Bay’s run game produced 17 net yards, while quarterback Jordan Love completed just 52.8% of his passes and was pressured 23 times. Defensively, the Packers gave up 242 rushing yards and pressured Penix just five times on 25 dropbacks. 

As lead running back Josh Jacobs sits on the commissioner’s exempt list, Green Bay is averaging an alarmingly-low 48.7 rushing yards per game through three weeks, by far the NFL’s worst. Its offensive line is in shambles. The defense has no identity without Micah Parsons.  

Parsons is eligible to return from his ACL rehab in Week 5, but nothing changes in Green Bay’s outlook until the offensive line play improves. And that’s difficult to imagine right now, considering right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele — the team’s best lineman — suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 and Green Bay’s struggles at the guard position. The team signed veteran Laken Tomlinson off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad and free agent Mekhi Becton in recent days for reinforcements.

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With Caleb Williams out, the Chicago Bears needed Case Keenum to provide a steady presence in their Monday matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Keenum delivered, and then some. 

Keenum, who entered the season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback and hadn’t started a game since 2023, played nearly flawless football. He completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns to go with a rushing score, leading the Bears to a decisive 27-7 victory. 

Here are my takeaways from the Monday night matchup that Chicago fans will forever know as the Case Keenum Game: 

1.

Monday night brought a new challenge for Ben Johnson’s reputation as a top offensive mind: Can he pull off a big win with a backup quarterback?

Taking the field without Caleb Williams for the first time, Johnson’s answer, a 38-year-old Case Keenum in his first NFL snaps since 2023, was a resounding yes.

Chicago’s defense helped out with three takeaways, but Keenum earned the win himself, throwing for touchdown passes to Luther Burden and Kalif Raymond against an Eagles team that came into the game 2-0.

The Bears had already seen highs and lows offensively, scoring 59 points in an opening win over Carolina before a three-point showing in a rainy slog of a loss to Minnesota. 

For Keenum, the journeyman now has a cool piece of NFL history, joining Ryan Fitzpatrick as the only quarterbacks to start and win games with seven different NFL teams. For Keenum, that covers the Texans, the Rams (in both St. Louis and Los Angeles), the Vikings, the Broncos, the Commanders, the Browns and now the Bears.

For the Bears and Johnson, they continue to keep pace in a talented NFC North, behind the surprising 3-0 Vikings and even at 2-1 with the Lions. Chicago stays home to face the Jets on Sunday before a biggest test at Green Bay in Week 5.

2.

With the Eagles’ loss, they fell into a tie with the New York Giants at 2-1 atop the NFC East, on a day that New York traded a fifth-round pick to acquire quarterback J.J. McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings.

The Washington Commanders got their first win Sunday, upsetting the Seattle Seahawks, and the Dallas Cowboys are 1-2 with the highest-scoring offense (and defense) in the division.

Philadelphia’s offensive woes continued on Monday, though. The Eagles mustered only seven points against a Bears defense that gave up 37 two weeks ago to Carolina. Jalen Hurts threw for just 153 yards on 25 attempts, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 82 but couldn’t get into the end zone for a third game in a row.

What’s more, the Eagles’ next two games are at home against the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars – neither an easy opponent – while the Giants host the Cardinals and go to the Commanders, so it’s reasonable to think the Giants could be alone atop the NFC East entering Week 6.

The Giants and Eagles play in Philadelphia in Week 9 and then close the regular season against each other at MetLife in Week 18, with plenty of division games for Washington and Dallas to get involved as well.

3.   That Last Yard Is The Hardest

The first half had two and nearly three drives that got to the 1-yard line but did not result in any points.

First, the Bears thought they had a Colston Loveland touchdown, but after review, he was ruled down inside the 1-yard line. D’Andre Swift was dropped for a 2-yard loss, Case Keenum threw an incomplete pass and the Bears went for it on fourth-and-goal, with Keenum’s pass broken up by Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

The drive that followed was even tougher, with the Eagles also driving to the 1-yard line. Jalen Hurts was hit hard as he went out of bounds and was pulled for the game to check for a concussion. While he was out, Saquon Barkley ran to the 1-yard line, and again, the drive stalled. Barkley was dropped for a 1-yard loss, and on third-and-goal from the 2, backup Andy Dalton was intercepted in the end zone by rookie safety Dillon Thieneman.

The Eagles nearly did it again just before halftime. With no timeouts and 11 seconds left, Hurts threw a pass to DeVonta Smith, but he was stopped at the 1. With the final seconds ticking off, the Eagles quickly lined up and got the snap off in the final second, with Hurts diving in for a touchdown. Had he attempted to spike the ball to stop the clock, it didn’t look like he’d have done it in time.

And just like the Eagles, the Bears avenged their previous 1-yard line shortcoming when Keenum scored a 1-yard QB sneak that extended the Bears’ lead to 27-7. 

How rare is it for an NFL team to drive 90-plus yards and not score? There were 81 drives of 90 yards and longer last year, and only five of them failed to yield points: 74 touchdowns, two field goals, three interceptions, one fumble and one turnover on downs. It’s worth noting that two of those came against Chicago: one field goal and a Dak Prescott interception for Dallas.

Before Monday, the Eagles’ last 11 drives of 90-plus yards had all resulted in touchdowns. 
 

 

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Did National Tight Ends Day come early this year? 

It certainly felt like it if you were glued to NFL action all day on Sunday. In fact, tight ends accounted for 20 of the touchdowns scored across the 13 games on Sunday, which was the most touchdowns scored by tight ends across the league on a single day in NFL history. 

Unfortunately, for all the tight ends that scored over the weekend, only one of them can make our All-Star Team for Week 3. As we pick our top standouts from each position and the top team offensive line performance over the weekend, here are our Week 3 All-Stars.

For all the talk of the 49ers’ injured receivers, Brock Purdy has been amazing to open the season. He has nine touchdown passes against one interception for a league-best 133.1 passer rating, 17 points higher than anyone else. He threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns without a pick as the 49ers held off the Cardinals to improve to 3-0. Mike Evans is injured now, so there’s even less talent to throw to. 

It wasn’t a huge week for quarterbacks, though. Marcus Mariota (three touchdown passes, no picks) was perhaps the next best option, filling in for Jayden Daniels and leading the Washington Commanders to an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks. 

These were seemingly the top two picks in every fantasy football draft, and this week was a reminder why. Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson had huge games with 25-plus touches each. 

Gibbs rushed 20 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns while catching seven passes for 65 and another score in the Detroit Lions’ victory over the New York Jets. That came after Robinson had a huge Thursday game, rushing for 194 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns to help the Atlanta Falcons stun the Green Bay Packers on the road. 

Kenneth Walker III nearly landed on this list for a third straight week, rushing for two touchdowns in the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Miami Dolphins. Derrick Henry also rushed for two touchdowns this weekend, helping the Baltimore Ravens beat the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil as he nearly earned his second weekly All-Star nod of the season.

Not a ton of obvious challengers here, just like there was at quarterback. Jaxon Smith-Njigba actually lost, so his 10 catches for 128 yards and two scores might be vulnerable, but the biggest yardage games were zero-TD types. It marks the third straight game that Smith-Njigba has logged at least 120 receiving yards, too. 

And it’s wild to have two Falcons on this team, but Drake London put up 194 receiving yards in Thursday’s rout of the Packers, clicking with Michael Penix Jr. in the third-year quarterback’s first start of the season. So, even without a score, London gets the nod over the Cincinnati Bengals standout Tee Higgins (six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers).

As we mentioned earlier, it was a monster day for tight ends across the league, with a record 20 touchdowns caught at the position. The Las Vegas Raiders-New Orleans Saints game had six tight end touchdowns! 

But we’ll give the nod to George Kittle, who had six catches for 82 and two scores. It was tempting to look at Cleveland Browns second-year standout Harold Fannin (51 yards, two touchdowns in a win over the Carolina Panthers) or the healthy return of Raiders star Brock Bowers, who had 10 for 116 and a score as Las Vegas improved to 3-0. It was a proud week for tight ends everywhere, though. 

Let’s just say we gave real consideration here to going 12 personnel and doubling up on tight ends instead of receivers.

OL: Jacksonville Jaguars

There were actually quite a few zero-sack showings from offensive lines this week, as we could have easily gone to the Ravens, 49ers, Chiefs or Falcons that way. 

For sheer dominance, we’ll go with the Jacksonville Jaguars and their starting five (left to right) of Anton Harrison, Emmanuel Pregnon, Robert Hainsey, Ezra Cleveland and Cole Van Lanen, in controlling the line in a 35-6 rout of the New England Patriots. The Jaguars rushed for 137 yards on 30 carries and Trevor Lawrence had only one sack in 30 dropbacks. Jacksonville has the second-best point differential in the league at plus-46 behind only San Francisco, and its line has been a solid part of that.

Greg Rousseau continues to put up big numbers every week, with two more sacks to give him a league-leading six on the season. He also had four tackles for loss and three QB hits in the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers, so he leads the position here. 

There were also lots of compelling games from defensive linemen and edge rushers in losing efforts. Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Houston Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young all had multi-sack days, with Anderson leading that group with 2.5 sacks. 

But we’ll go with Mason Graham, who now has four sacks in three games after totaling 0.5 sacks as a rookie. He had two sacks in the Browns’ win over the Carolina Panthers. That defense is a surprising part of Cleveland’s 2-1 start, showing they can create pressure without Myles Garrett.

The Raiders continue to validate their success with each win, and Nakobe Dean was all over their win on Sunday. He had 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble, with that fumble serving as the game-sealing play in their win over the Saints. 

You could make a case for 49ers star Fred Warner piling up 17 tackles in San Francisco’s win, but 12 of them came on gains of 5 yards or more. Also considered: Vikings lineback Eric Wilson, who had 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a key part of Minnesota’s six-sack day.

Talanoa Hufanga is the runaway winner here. He had the game-sealing interception in the end zone after a pick-six in the final five minutes to put the Denver Broncos ahead. To do that against the Los Angeles Rams and Matthew Stafford is no easy task, and if the Broncos are able to get back atop the AFC West, this is the kind of comeback win that will be remembered, with Hufanga at the center of that wild finish.

Minnesota won with its defense in Tampa on Sunday, but Price’s 86-yard touchdown on a punt return gave the Vikings a 10-0 early lead and helped put the Bucs in an early hole. Special teams had been a strong suit for the Bucs in their first two games, but Price’s score was ultimately the difference in a hard-fought, six-point final margin of victory.

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There are five undefeated teams left in the NFL, but only three are good enough to be in the top 10. One barely made it into the top 20, showing how much they still need to prove.

So no, winning isn’t everything, especially this early in the season, and especially considering the number of upsets there were in Week 3. 

Here’s a look at where my NFL Power Rankings stand heading into Week 4.

*Super Bowl odds courtesy of DraftKings

Record: 0-3

Previous ranking: 32

Super Bowl odds: +100000
Next game: @ Vikings (4:05 p.m. ET)

They hung with the Kansas City Chiefs until the final three minutes on Sunday, and they should hang a banner and print up some hats and T-shirts for that, because that’s probably as good as it’s going to get. They were already in deep trouble offensively, and now they’ve lost RB De’Von Achane for the season with a knee injury. That hurts even more because he would’ve been their biggest trading chip, too. 

Now, a lost season has turned completely hopeless. Seriously, who could the Dolphins possibly beat? Their schedule isn’t terrible, and it’s still nearly impossible to find a win.

Stat To Know: Miami has now started 0-3 in consecutive seasons (2025-2026) for the first time since 1968-1969.

Record: 0-3

Previous ranking: 30 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +50000
Next game: @ Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

At some point, Cam Ward and the offense are going to show some improvement, right? If not, the Robert Saleh era in Nashville will be a short one. Ward was terrible for most of three quarters in a rain-soaked game against the Giants. But even when he got things going, he still ruined it with an awful throw (and decision) for a game-ending interception. They fought the Giants and the Eagles hard, mostly thanks to their defense. 

But Ward still hasn’t looked like the No. 1 overall pick of last year’s draft. In fact, he’s really been the third-best QB of that generally weak class. Good luck turning that impression around with the Ravens and the Texans up next.

Stat To Know: After their loss to the Giants, the Titans have started 0-3 in three consecutive seasons. 

Given Cam Ward’s continued struggles, will the Titans be looking to draft a QB early in the draft again next year? (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

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Record: 0-3

Previous ranking: 24 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +10000
Next game: vs. Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

They are an absolute mess, and Baker Mayfield is now hurt. But honestly, he wasn’t playing well before his thumb injury. He’s got two TD passes in three games, and he looks unbelievably out of sync with No. 1 target Emeka Egbuka. The numbers say Todd Bowles’ defense is good, but they’re really propped up by back-to-back games against the QB-challenged Browns and Vikings. At this point, he has to be the odds-on favorite to be the first coach fired this season. And maybe soon if he can’t find wins against the Packers, Cowboys or Steelers in the next three weeks.

Stat To Know: After their loss to the Vikings, the Buccaneers are now 2-10 and in their last 12 games dating back to last season. 

Record: 0-3

Previous ranking: 25 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +6500
Next game: @ Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET)

They’re probably too talented to be ranked this low. Then again, this has been the most consistently overrated team in the NFL for about a decade now, so maybe this is just about right. The reality is they’re 0-3 and facing a brutal schedule that could leave them 0-9. They played the Bills close, and that’s nice. But next up is Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, the Rams, Houston, Baltimore. 

Maybe it’s time for Justin Herbert to elevate his team a little? It would also help if his offensive line would protect him and if WR Quentin Johnston would just hold on to the ball.

Stat To Know: The Chargers have now scored fewer than 20 points in six straight games dating back to last season (regular season and playoffs). This is their longest such streak since 1998.

Danny brings out MEATBALL SUB for Herbert-Chargers, Cowboys’ issues, Rams will NOT win NFC | FTF

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Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 28

Super Bowl odds: +20000
Next game: @ Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Geno Smith has been unexpectedly good. He threw for 321 yards and three TDs in a loss to Detroit on Sunday. He also has yet to throw an interception this year. And the Jets’ defense has been good, for the most part. Even giving up 31 points and 381 yards to the powerful Lions is about average. Don’t get me wrong, the Jets still won’t win many games, but they’re a heck of a lot more watchable. 

If the Jets can get through a trip to Chicago on Sunday, they’ve got a very winnable stretch — vs. Cleveland, at New England, vs. Miami, vs. Las Vegas — coming up.

Stat To Know: Kenyon Sadiq’s 105 receiving yards is the most in a game by a Jets rookie tight end since Dustin Keller had 107 yards on Nov 9, 2008.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 27

Super Bowl odds: +30000
Next game: @ Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

They really do have some impressive, young, offensive weapons. Head coach Mike LaFleur probably can do a lot this season with RB Jeremiyah Love, WR Michael Wilson and TE Trey McBride. Maybe he’ll eventually get something out of WR Marvin Harrison Jr., too. And QB Jacoby Brissett sure will throw a lot of passes for a lot of yards. But that might just mean they’re going to lose a lot of high-scoring games. 

Arizona will have a shot to beat the broken-down Giants this week. But this team lives in the NFC West, so it’s going to take a lot of lumps.

Stat To Know: Jacoby Brissett’s 38 completions against the 49ers marked the third-most in a single game in Cardinals franchise history.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 20 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +5500
Next game: @ Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

This is for all the Packers fans who screamed at me for having them too low when I ranked them … 16th. Was the embarrassing loss at home to the Falcons on Thursday night enough to convince you I’m right about this team? They are a fluky, overtime win against the Jets away from being ranked in the 30s. Turns out, they can’t run at all without the suspended Josh Jacobs. Given the passing trio of QB Jordan Love-WR Matthew Golden-WR Christian Watson, they should be way better than this. 

The Packers better prove it in Tampa this week, though. Otherwise, look out below!

Stat To Know: The Packers allowed 35 points on Thursday, their most in a home opener since 1971. This is also the first time since 2012 that the Packers have lost their home opener, ending a 13 year streak that was tied for the longest such winning streak in NFL history.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 31 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +12000
Next game: @ Saints (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

What in the name of Bijan Robinson was that last Thursday night? This team was a contender for the 32nd spot in this ranking — maybe even the favorite. Then Robinson and WR Drake London just went off versus the Packers. Could it be that all they were missing was the competent play of QB Michael Penix Jr.? 

Maybe head coach Kevin Stefanski can turn this sinking ship around now that he has the right guy at the helm. I need to see it again, though. And I’m not sure whether that will happen because the road ahead is rough, with the Saints, Ravens, Bears and 49ers coming up in October.

Stat To Know: This was the third game in which Bijan Robinson had 150+ rushing yards and Drake London had 150+ receiving yards, the most by any pair of teammates in NFL history.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 29 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +8000
Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET in London)

Marcus Mariota pulled off a big and impressive upset against the defending champs (albeit with the help of some errant throws by Seattle QB Sam Darnold). And that was huge for this battered team, knowing that starting QB Jayden Daniels’ return may only be a couple of weeks away. The Commanders didn’t get much of a running game — and now RB Rachaad White is hurt — and Dan Quinn’s defense offered little resistance until two late interceptions. So there are still issues to be fixed. 

Mariota’s mission is to keep them afloat until Daniels is back. The Colts and Giants are up next, so he’s got a shot.

Stat To Know: The Commanders snapped a six-game home losing streak in their win over the Seahawks. 

Gronk & Julian Edelman React to the Seahawks’ Stunning Loss to the Commanders

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Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 26 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +20000
Next game: vs. Steelers (Thursday night, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Two in a row for the Browns? They are so giddy in Cleveland that their fans are suddenly even cheering for Deshaun Watson. He’s still not doing a lot with his array of young weapons (such as WRs Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion and TE Harold Fannin), and their success has been more about their Jared Verse-led defense. 

But hey, they’re out of the cellar, so deal with it. It’ll make for a fun rivalry game against the Steelers on Thursday night.

Stat To Know: With their win over the Panthers, the Browns are now 4-1 in their last five games dating back to last season.

Record: 0-3

Previous ranking: 18 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +3500
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Their defense is too good for this team to be 0-3. But their offense is comically bad, which is why they keep falling. C.J. Stroud hasn’t been a force since he was a rookie, and he has definitely been bad enough to drag them down. Their running duo of David Montgomery and Woody Marks is as bad as it gets, too, probably thanks to a shaky offensive line. 

Here’s the good news: The Texans were 0-3 last year and still made the playoffs and even won a playoff game, and they’re also about to enter the softest part of an already soft schedule. But here’s the bad news: It’s not last year anymore.

Stat To Know: The Texans have fallen to 0-3 in back-to-back seasons. The only teams to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start since 2000 are the 2025 Texans and the 2018 Texans. Can they do it again?

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 19 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +15000
Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

They beat the Titans in an ugly, wet game, and they’re 2-1, so I get that their fans will be outraged (what else is new?) that they both dropped and are ranked this low. Maybe that’s unfair, and maybe they’ll be OK with games against the Cardinals and Commanders coming up. They certainly could emerge 4-1. But Jameis Winston’s play on Sunday exposed a quarterback problem that won’t go away anytime soon with Jaxson Dart out for the season. And now their best defender, edge rusher Brian Burns, is out for the season. 

It’ll take some wizardry from John Harbaugh to keep this team afloat. It’s not impossible, but it won’t be easy either.

Stat To Know: Sunday marked the Giants’ first win in their last seven games without Jaxson Dart at quarterback.

Record: 3-0

Previous ranking: 22 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +9000
Next game: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Yes, this is ridiculously low for a 3-0 team. I get it. But they had a very soft opening, and their schedule is about to get rock hard over the next eight weeks. Besides, do you really believe Kirk Cousins can keep this up? Nine TDs and three interceptions hasn’t been a standard ratio for him in a while. And the Raiders still haven’t really gotten RB Ashton Jeanty going. 

Las Vegas’ bigger issue, though? They’ll get the Chiefs, Bills, Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos over the next eight games. So enjoy this record now, while you still can. It’s hard to see the Raiders pushing much higher.

Stat To Know: Before Sunday, the last time the Raiders scored 30+ points in a regular-season game was on Dec. 14, 2023. It snapped a 39-game streak without reaching 30 points.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 23 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +7000
Next game: @ Commanders (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET in London)

They showed the Houston Texans what a good defense really looks like — which is incredible considering how bad the Colts defense was the first two games. I mean, they went from giving up more than 500 yards per game to giving up only 223 in Week 3. The Texans’ offense isn’t good, but still, that’s an impressive turnaround. If the Colts can get defensive efforts like that, they have more than enough on offense with QB Daniel Jones and RB Jonathan Taylor to make a run at the playoffs. 

Good news for the Colts: They won’t face a really good offensive team again until they travel to Jacksonville in November.

Stat To Know: The Colts snapped a five-game losing streak vs. the Texans on Sunday. 

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 17 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +2800
Next game: @ Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

If Jerry Jones’ old man money is really going to be “dangerous,” he better do something with it soon, because his expensive defense is blowing yet another season. Two sacks, no interceptions … and has anyone seen Jones’ prize DTs Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark? Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb can’t do it all for this team. And all it would’ve taken was just a little defense to prevent the Cowboys’ heartbreaking, last-second loss to the Ravens in Rio on Sunday. 

The Cowboys have the Texans, Bucs and Packers next — three teams with offensive issues. It’s really now or never for the Dallas D.

Stat To Know: CeeDee Lamb notched his 29th career 100-yard receiving game, ranking second in Cowboys franchise history behind only Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. 

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 11 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +2400
Next game: @ Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Remember when everyone thought Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye were going to start another New England dynasty? Yeah, those were fun times … eight months ago. Since then, Maye has gone from near-MVP to turnover machine. And still, it’s hard to say who’s dragging the defending AFC champs down more: him or head coach Mike Vrabel. They can’t run, their defense was a sieve this past weekend against Jacksonville, Maye is a mess … and the defending AFC champs could be finished if they lose in Buffalo this weekend.

Stat To Know: Drake Maye is the first quarterback since 2007 with only one passing touchdown and at least six interceptions through his first three games of a season.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 16

Super Bowl odds: +10000
Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Losing in Cleveland isn’t the embarrassment it used to be, but it still hurts that the Panthers only got in the end zone once. And that’s why the Panthers are languishing in the middle of these rankings. Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards, and with weapons like RB Chuba Hubbard and WRs Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan, they are capable of fireworks. But they couldn’t get McMillan going on Sunday and couldn’t find another way to win. 

Expect more offensive fireworks when they face the Lions on Sunday night. Carolina just needs to figure out how to stop Detroit, too.

Stat To Know: Bryce Young has reached 939 passing yards through three games, the second-most passing yards through the first 3 games of a season in Panthers history. 

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 15

Super Bowl odds: +8000
Next game: vs. Falcons (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

They are so close to being a 3-0 team, and yet they are 1-2 and really so far away. Their latest … um … fumble came against the Raiders when their last four possessions ended with three fumbles and an interception. That spoiled what was previously a brilliant game by QB Tyler Shough. 

With Shough, WR Chris Olave, and head coach Kellen Moore’s offensive mind, New Orleans will always score points (though the hamstring injury to RB Travis Etienne hurts). The Saints belong in the top 15. To stay here, they have to stop their stretches of playing stupid.

Stat To Know: Juwan Johnson (2 TDs) and Noah Fant (2 TDs) became only the third pair of tight end teammates in NFL history to each catch 2+ touchdown passes in the same game.

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 21 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +5000
Next game: @ Browns (Thursday night, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Aaron Rodgers going throw-for-throw with Joe Burrow at his age, and after his ugly start to the season, wasn’t on anybody’s Bingo card. He even dusted off DK Metcalf, his forgotten No. 1 receiver, and RB Jaylen Warren had a big game with Rico Dowdle out. Beating the Bengals was huge, surprising (at least to me), and deserving of a big jump, even if none of this is exactly how head coach Mike McCarthy drew it up. 

It was the first sign of life from the Steelers’ stagnant offense. There are no defensive juggernauts in the next five weeks before their bye week, so they’ve got a chance to go on a run if they can keep the scoring up.

Stat To Know: Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reached 100 regular-season wins together, becoming the seventh starting quarterback–head coach duo to hit that mark. They’re the only duo to do it across two teams.

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 14 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +1900
Next game: @ Panthers (Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

There aren’t many more dynamic offenses in the NFL, and few teams can boast a dynamic duo like RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Amon-Ra St-Brown. This team is a juggernaut, averaging more than 31 points per game. But man, does their defense stink. And it shouldn’t, not with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (3.5 sacks), yet it still does. 

You know who the Lions remind me of? Last year’s Cowboys. The offense is unstoppable, but it’s the trainwreck defense that’s keeping them out of the top 10. 

Stat To Know: This is the first time in Lions franchise history that they have scored 30+ points in each of their first three games of a season.

Record: 3-0

Previous ranking: 13 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +2400
Next game: vs. Dolphins (4:05 p.m. ET)

Please move quickly and calmly to your seats as you hop on the bandwagon of this surprisingly 3-0 team. It’s surprising because while QB Kyler Murray is back, he’s still not very good. But Brian Flores’ defense is phenomenal, and Kevin O’Connell is still one of the elite head coaches in the league. If the latter can get anything more out of Murray, this team will be really dangerous. They could also get rolling with the Dolphins and Saints up next. 

Keep an eye on the ankle injury to WR Justin Jefferson. He’s one player the Vikings need, especially for Murray to have the bounce-back season O’Connell hopes he will.

Stat To Know: After Sunday’s win over the Bucs, the Vikings have now won eight straight games dating back to 2025. 

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 9 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +1700
Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

The Eagles didn’t look right through their first two games — getting narrow wins over the Commanders and Titans — and that haunted them as they stepped up in competition in Chicago. Jalen Hurts didn’t do much through the air or on the ground. Saquon Barkley seemed to stop running after the first quarter. And the Eagles’ defense just makes way too many mistakes. 

The loss might not matter in what looks like a really weak NFC East, but Philly got the Rams and Jaguars the next two weeks, and defeats in those games could send the Eagles spiraling.

Stat To Know: Monday was the Eagles’ first loss in the month of September since Sept. 29, 2024, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 12 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +2200
Next game: @ Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

It feels like Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars haven’t come close to their best game yet. Liam Coen’s offense hasn’t been anything special. Lawrence had his second straight game with less than 200 yards passing. RB Bhayshul Tuten still hasn’t topped 75 rushing yards in a game. And yet Jacksonville still won two of its three games by two-plus touchdowns. Go figure. 

Maybe it’s because those wins were against Cleveland and New England. I want to believe. I really do. But we will probably learn a lot more about this offense in Cincinnati next week.

Stat To Know: Jacksonville is 10-1 in its last 11 regular-season games, the best record in the NFL over that span.

Record: 1-2

Previous ranking: 5 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +670
Next game: @ Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

I still love everything about this Rams team, but I’m starting to think their brutal schedule might be a little too much for them in the long run. They looked worn down against the Broncos, especially late in the game. They still are a top-10 team and might be even better once star defensive end Myles Garrett and WR Puka Nacua return. 

In Week 3, the Rams should’ve done better on a night when Matthew Stafford threw for nearly 400 yards. Too many late mistakes (including some by Stafford) killed them. That could be a problem against their next two opponents — the Eagles and Bills — too.

Stat To Know: Matthew Stafford became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 20,000 yards with two franchises. But he also set a less welcome record: the most pick-sixes thrown in NFL history.

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 9 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +900
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

They pulled out a wild win on a bad field in Rio versus the Cowboys, despite another shaky effort from Jesse Minter’s defense. The Ravens probably belong in the top 10, though, as long as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry stay healthy, because that remains one of the most lethal 1-2 punches in the league. 

This Ravens defense has a shot to get on track with a relatively soft stretch of games against Tennessee, Atlanta and Cleveland up next. That’s Baltimore’s chance to make an early run.

Stat To Know: The Ravens are now 16-1 (.941) in road regular-season games against non-conference (NFC) opponents since the start of the 2019 season, the best mark in the NFL over that span.

Gronk & Julian Edelman React to Ravens’ Thrilling Win Over Cowboys

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Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 4 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +1700
Next game: vs. Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

What happened to the Bengals defense from the first two games? They made Aaron Rodgers suddenly look young again. The way Joe Burrow is clicking with both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it should be hard for anyone to hang with the Cincinnati offense, let alone a 42-year-old QB. 

Maybe it was just one bad week. Clearly, that’s what I’m counting on by keeping them ranked this high. But it was enough to keep them out of the top five heading into what could be a high-octane showdown against the Jags.

Stat To Know: Joe Burrow recorded his 14th career game with 3+ passing TDs and 0 INTs, passing Boomer Esiason (13) for the third-most in Bengals history.

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 10 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +2400
Next game: vs. Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

They made it look surprisingly easy against the Eagles on Monday night, even with third-stringer Case Keenum at QB, and they didn’t even need to lean on their powerful 1-2 RB punch of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. It was a reminder of what an elite mind head coach Ben Johnson is, even when he doesn’t have everything working. 

Chicago still needs a healthy Caleb Williams to be a real Super Bowl contender. But even without him, not many teams are better. And with the Jets, Packers, Falcons and Patriots up next, the Bears might not be challenged again until Williams is back anyway.

Stat To Know: Case Keenum is just the sixth quarterback in NFL history to record at least 240 passing yards, two-plus passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a single game at age 38 or older. 

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 2 ↓

Super Bowl odds: +1000
Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

They got QB Sam Darnold back, and he mostly lit the Commanders up. But his two interceptions were the entire difference in the game. I’ll assume that’s an anomaly for the defending champs, though. Mike Macdonald’s defense mostly throttled the Commanders, and it has looked championship-caliber through the first three weeks. Expect the tandem of Darnold and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to get back on track against the Chargers in Week 4.

Stat To Know: Jaxon Smith-Njigba joined Jerry Rice (1989) as the only players with at least 120 receiving yards and a touchdown in each of their first three games of a season. Smith-Njigba also joined Marvin Harrison Sr. (1999) as the only players with at least 400 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns through three games.

Record: 3-0

Previous ranking: 8 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +1050
Next game: @ Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET)

Everyone was finally convinced they were back to their old, dynastic selves, and then they go and let a terrible Dolphins team hang around for an awfully long time. But they are 3-0 and not every game can be perfect, I guess. They’re on the rise, though. They have a whole new dimension with RB Kenneth Walker III, and they still have the ever-dangerous Patrick Mahomes and an array of weapons. 

Kansas City also has a pretty soft schedule. With the Raiders up next, they’re looking at 4-0 heading into their bye. So I have a feeling this isn’t the last stop on their climb up the charts.

Stat To Know: With the Chiefs win on Sunday, Patrick Mahomes passed Tom Brady for the third-most wins by a player in his first 10 seasons since 1950. 

Record: 2-1

Previous ranking: 6 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +2000
Next game: @ 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

They had a second half for the ages against the Rams, maybe with a little help from the officials. If they could just get QB Bo Nix and their offense going a little sooner, they’d be a scary team. But they certainly have the defense to play against anyone, and Sean Payton may be the best coach in the NFL when his team is playing from behind. They’ve already come from behind twice to win this year. 

And yes, I know they were blitzed by the Chiefs in Week 1, and they are still ranked ahead of them. These are power rankings, not standings. Thanks for your continued concern.

Stat To Know: Since the start of 2025, Bo Nix now has seven fourth-quarter comebacks and nine game-winning drives, which is the most in the NFL in that span. 

Cowboys ‘blew it’ vs. the Ravens, Was it more of a Rams collapse or a Broncos comeback? | FTF

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Record: 3-0

Previous ranking: 3 ↑

Super Bowl odds: +900
Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Their defense had an alarmingly soft stretch in the second half on Sunday, but their Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey-led attack is clicking on all cylinders. And when that happens, this team looks like the best team in the NFC. Losing WR Mike Evans to a rib injury could hurt, but Deebo Samuel should be able to step into a bigger role. And they have a whole mess of injuries on defense, including a big one to DE Nick Bosa. 

Nobody has been better in recent years at getting production out of his backups than head coach Kyle Shanahan, though. He’ll have to work that old magic quickly, though, with the Broncos and Seahawks coming up next.

Stat To Know: The 49ers have now started 3-0 for the third time in the past four seasons. 

Record: 3-0

Previous ranking: 1

Super Bowl odds: +670
Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

They had a ridiculous five turnovers on Sunday, not to mention 10 penalties, and Josh Allen was far from his best. But the Bills hung around and their MVP-caliber QB was still clutch when it mattered. That’s what Allen does better than anyone in the league, and as long as he’s healthy, they’re going to be a hard team for anyone to beat. 

No, their defense isn’t great, but the tandem of Allen and RB James Cook is built to bludgeon and outscore opponents, so they’re fine in high-scoring games. And now, next week against the Patriots, they can turn the AFC East race into a runaway. The big test of their power comes in two weeks in L.A. against the Rams.

Stat To Know: The Bills won despite a minus-four turnover margin, their first victory with a margin that poor since beating the Colts in 1997. Jim Harbaugh started at quarterback for Indianapolis in that game.

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United States coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed sadness at an apparent failure of “sporting justice” in his response to reports that Manchester City has been found guilty of almost all of the 115 charges leveled against the club for alleged financial breaches.

The alleged rule-breaking by City took place between 2009-18, during which period Pochettino was manager of Tottenham and turned the London team into a challenger for titles in English soccer despite operating on a relatively small budget.

The Premier League has yet to officially confirm the verdict that, according to several media outlets, has been passed down by an independent commission following a long-running case.

Mauricio Pochettino was Tottenham’s manager from 2014 through 2019, while the alleged Manchester City violations occurred between 2009 and 2018.  (Photo by Ian KINGTON / AFP via Getty Images)

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“If it’s true that the 114 rules were broken, then we lived through a period of deception,” said Pochettino, speaking Monday — a day before the U.S. men’s team plays Chile in a friendly match.

“So, whatever the punishment ends up being … I don’t know. It’s impossible to go back. I think a lot of damage has been done.”

Earlier this month, Pochettino called for Chelsea to be stripped of the 2016-17 Premier League title for a total of 74 breaches of Football Association regulations covering agents, working with intermediaries and third-party investment in players. Chelsea’s punishment, on appeal, was a fine of 10 million pounds ($13.4 million) and a suspended two-window transfer ban.

Chelsea won the 2016-17 Premier League by a seven-point margin over Tottenham, which finished third in the 2017-18 season when City was champion. During this time, Tottenham was working under a far tighter budget than its title rivals in England yet still reached the Champions League final in 2019.

Pochettino, who was at Spurs from 2014-19, said that “ultimately a lot of clubs followed the rules and others didn’t.”

“What’s going to happen — a financial penalty? Points deductions? I don’t know,” he said. “It’s very difficult, honestly.

Soccer Related Stories

“It’s sad. It’s deeply sad. Because, in the end, we’ve entered into a situation where what was celebrated wasn’t really what we thought it was. What seemed so good maybe wasn’t so good. And what didn’t seem good maybe actually was good, but it couldn’t be seen as good because the other ‘good’ was achieved by breaking the rules. So, ultimately, we’ve lived through a period where sporting justice didn’t exist.”

City has always denied wrongdoing and its chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, continued to protest the club’s innocence on Saturday, a day after reports said a verdict had been reached.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The Senate passed a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports, an attempt to end “chaos” in an industry that has been upended by skyrocketing athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers between schools.

The overwhelming 77-22 vote to pass the legislation is the strongest effort yet by Congress to set national regulations governing payments to college athletes for their name, image and likeness and how often they can transfer. It would give the NCAA new authority over those rules and limited antitrust protections to enforce them.

The bill is the product of years of Senate negotiations that intensified after a 2025 lawsuit settlement uprooted the college sports landscape by allowing colleges to pay their players. The legislation, which would still have to pass the House, would codify the settlement into law but also establish new guardrails around the system in an attempt to rein in the runaway costs for colleges.

“It would be nice if college sports could somehow magically fix itself, but this is a matter of law, federal law, and only Congress can fix it,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who negotiated the bill with the top Democrat on the panel, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) speaks to reporters as he walks to the Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol Building on September 17, 2026 in Washington, DC, prior to voting on the “Protect College Sports Act.” (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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President Donald Trump praised the bill in a social media post after the late night passage. “This is a really big deal,” he said. “It will not only save college sports, it will save the colleges themselves.”

The bill’s backers — more than 70 senators from both parties — say it aims to curtail constant litigation and uncertainty across college sports for athletes, schools and fans. It would also give hundreds of thousands of athletes new health and labor protections.

But critics say the bill doesn’t do enough to protect athletes or curtail the enormous sums of money flowing to coaches, colleges and conferences.

“This is a bill that essentially ensconces a system of exploitation, and it doesn’t fix the broader problems,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat who has worked with labor and civil rights groups to rally opposition to the bill.

The bill’s future is still unclear. It could face an uphill battle in the House, which failed repeatedly over the last year to get a different version to the floor and is in recess until after the November elections.

Lawmakers will have to start over in the next Congress if the bill doesn’t pass both chambers by the end of the year.

Bill addresses skyrocketing spending, unlimited transfers

College sports have been reeling in the wake of the 2025 court settlement allowing colleges to directly pay players for their name, image and likeness. The fallout has reshaped the industry and led to football roster payrolls that can exceed $40 million.

The bill would codify the court settlement, including a revenue cap that allows schools to share up to $21.5 million in revenue with their players. The legislation would more than double that amount for some schools, allowing up to an additional $27.5 million in payments through a retention fund — a change that helped win the support of the two largest conferences, the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

To help schools raise more revenue, the bill would give schools and conferences the option of pooling their TV media rights.

The legislation also aims to stabilize the NCAA transfer portal that has led to players constantly switching teams. It would restrict player transfers to one “free” move over five years without sitting out a year, with some exceptions, and also would restrict players to five years of total eligibility.

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The proposed eligibility limit comes amid backlash to schools that have increasingly pushed boundaries, including LSU’s now-canceled plans to place players on the roster who had participated in NFL training camps.

“That was probably like a big lamp for some people who saw it and said, ‘Oh my God, this is so out of control,’” Cantwell said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

The bill also would restrict coaches from leaving their schools during the season, force schools that want to switch conferences to spend three years as an independent and prevent conferences from growing larger than 20 programs — an effort to prevent so-called “superleagues” from taking over sports. A last-minute amendment proposed by Florida Sen. Ashley Moody raised that cap from 19 in the original legislation.

The vote was delayed several hours on Monday as senators negotiated Moody’s amendment and others that were eventually adopted, including a provision to make it easier for athletes to sue over sexual assault and a requirement to disclose foreign financing.

The Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., that would have put limits on ticket prices for fans and two by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., that would have capped coaches’ salaries at $5 million a year and increased compensation for athletes who have catastrophic injuries.

Critics say it wouldn’t do enough to help athletes

The legislation includes new protections for athletes, including caps on agent fees and guarantees for health insurance and scholarships. It would also require schools to maintain a minimum number of sports and roster spots — an effort to ensure that women’s and Olympic sports are not cut in favor of football, basketball and other sports that generate more revenue.

Still, some Democrats say it wouldn’t do enough to limit the big money in college sports.

The legislation “places a cap on the students’ cut of the revenues, but there are no caps on coaches’ salaries or on the size of donations to athletic programs,” Murphy said last week.

College Football Related Stories

Groups like the NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus and AFL-CIO have also opposed the bill, in part, because it leaves unresolved whether athletes should be considered employees with the ability to collectively bargain.

All four Black Democrats in the Senate — Booker, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland — have opposed the bill.

Booker, who played football at Stanford in the late 1980s on a scholarship, noted the “outsized role” that Black athletes play in college sports. He said it wasn’t until college athletes were able to begin to win cases in court that the power started to shift, “and now the NCAA is coming here to the United States Senate, asking for sweeping powers” to exempt antitrust laws.

“We know who this bill is protecting,” Booker said.

House passage is uncertain

Despite strong bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill faces a murky path in the House.

House lawmakers won’t return to Washington until mid-November, after the elections. And it’s unclear what will be on Republican leaders’ agenda in the chaotic last few weeks of the session.

Pressure from Trump could help push the bill to passage. But some House Republicans have insisted on language explicitly stating that athletes are not employees, which the Senate bill does not have — a key concession to Cantwell to win enough Democratic support.

After the bill’s passage, Cruz said it is his hope “that we see in the House the same thing we saw in the Senate: a big bipartisan vote.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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A recent (polarizing) World Series winner takes on the team no one thought had a chance to be here.

Let’s check out the odds for Astros-White Sox at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Sept. 30, as well as what to know.

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AL Wild Card: Astros vs. White Sox

  Series Winner

White Sox: -245 (bet $10 to win $14.08 total)
Astros: +195 (bet $10 to win $29.50 total)

  Game 1 — CHW 6, HOU 3

Spread: Astros -1.5 (CHW covers)
Moneyline: Astros -123, White Sox +102 (CHW wins)
O/U: 8 (Over hits)

  Game 2 (Sept. 30)

Spread: Astros -1.5
Moneyline: Astros -147, White Sox +122
O/U: 7.5

Here’s what to know about the Astros-White Sox odds:

Season Series: Houston won five of the seven regular-season matchups against Chicago, including three of the last four. 

Game 1: Would you believe that, prior to this season, Chicago had at least 100 losses in each of the last three seasons? It had 102 last year, a modern-era record 121 in 2024, and 101 in 2023. It’s for that reason that absolutely no one came into this season thinking they had a chance to make the playoffs. But here they are, and they have a 1-0 lead on Houston in the wild-card round, after winning Game 1, 6-3. Chicago took a 3-0 lead in the first two innings behind a sacrifice fly from Munetaka Murakami and a 2-run single from Sam Antonacci. It essentially cruised from there, bolstered by a solo home run from Colson Montgomery in the top of the fourth. Game 2 is Wednesday in Houston. Sean Burke (CHW) will face Hunter Brown (HOU).

The White Sox last made the playoffs in 2021, and last won a playoff series in 2005, the same year they last won the World Series. As for the Astros, they finished 81-81 in the regular season, but it was still good enough to win the AL West. The Astros are the only team in the postseason that had a negative run differential in the regular season, having been outscored by 32 runs.

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