THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — When Zac Taylor was hired by Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in 2017 to be assistant wide receivers coach, part of the new gig brought him back to his earlier coaching days.
Taylor was tasked with taking McVay’s play script, typically a printed-out Word document, and using the program Pro Quick Draw to draw out the plays McVay wanted added to the game book.
Taylor, now the coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, did the same task when he was a graduate assistant at Texas A&M.
“To go back and do it again for the Rams — trust me — was humbling for both [Rams offensive coordinator] Liam [Coen] and I,” Taylor said. “We’ve been coordinators at other levels, and so then to go back and kind of do some of the stuff we did as a much younger graduate assistant can be humbling at first, but it’s such a great opportunity to kind of reset ourselves.”
The job can make for long days of meticulously drawing in Visio — starting with the formation, drawing the routes and making sure everything is at the right angle — but leads to more time than a typical assistant would otherwise get from an NFL playcaller.
Drawing plays — and the conversations that come with it — often also unlocks the key to the intricacies of an offense, and in the case of those who have drawn plays for McVay, it has led to such a high-level knowledge of the offense that it has resulted in a quick rise through the NFL coaching ranks for those assistants.
Since McVay was hired in Los Angeles, the coaches who have drawn plays for him include Taylor, Coen, passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Chris O’Hara, and now Rams coaches Zak Kromer and K.J. Black.
McVay drew plays while he was an assistant coach in Washington for Kyle Shanahan, whose San Francisco 49ers host the Rams on Monday Night Football at Levi’s Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+/ABC). When Shanahan left Washington to be the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, McVay was named offensive coordinator. And it was Shane Waldron, now the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, who drew plays for McVay.
And those coaches have had success. McVay, Shanahan and Taylor, the onetime play-drawers, have combined for four Super Bowl appearances since the 2018 season since becoming head coaches, with McVay winning Super Bowl LVI this past February over Taylor. Only one of the past four Super Bowls — Super Bowl LV — has not included a coach from this coaching tree.
“It’s given me a chance to pick Sean [McVay]’s brain about, all right, what is he thinking?” Kromer said. “Why is he calling these pass plays? Because I always knew what they were, but I didn’t know why we were calling them. So now as a drawer, I’m like, all right, ‘Hey, we’re drawing this play. Why? What are we trying to attack on the defense? What part are we trying to attack?’
“It’s just a way for me to grow. And it’s been an awesome experience.”
IN 2017, TAYLOR’S typical in-season Tuesdays included waiting for a text from McVay indicating the list of plays was ready for him.
Taylor was lucky. Coen said there were times when he was drawing the plays from 2018-20 when he didn’t get the list from McVay until 7 a.m. Wednesday, two hours before the meeting when they would be installed.
Coen’s setup for drawing the pictures was a standing desk — “almost like I’m playing an arcade game” — and silence. McVay is the opposite when he’s working, Coen said, always playing “some rap or R&B.” Shanahan once said he turned on some Lil Wayne while drawing plays for Jon Gruden with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While drawing on the computer, Coen had his printed list propped up on one side, with the list on the big screen as well, just in case McVay was changing it while Coen was drawing. A key to getting through the list comfortably, Coen said, was having a good mouse — not too big, because you’ve got to have a little movement — and mouse pad — something “with a little support under the wrist, because man, your wrist can get pretty tight and sore.”
And if any of the coaches had any questions while they were drawing, they knew they could go down the hall for some help.
“‘Hey, I’ve never heard of this, Sean,” Taylor said he’d ask McVay. “You walk in his office. ‘What do you mean by this?’ He’ll draw it up on the board, explain. He might show you some clips of why you want it in, which helps you to draw.”
Drawing the plays helps you learn the offense quickly, Taylor said, because you know what everyone is supposed to do on every play. And that helped the future head coach in practice. When a new play was installed and a player had a question, “You’re the guy that’s got the answer, maybe quicker than some of the other guys because you physically drew it.”
“And so it gives you some respect [from] the players, gives you some ownership in the offense and it’s a great way to come up in the system,” Taylor said.
After leaving Tampa to go to the Houston Texans, Shanahan said he realized how much he had learned about an NFL offense drawing plays for Gruden.
“I literally felt like I drew every single play imaginable,” Shanahan said. “And Jon would obsess about stuff. I mean it was always, ‘Hey, did you see that new play this team did? Hey, I want you to do all these.’ And so I was just constantly drawing.
“And then I remember getting my job where I go to Houston to be a receiver coach, and I realized how many more ideas I have because I’ve been drawing stuff for the whole NFL for Jon. So I got an idea of all these different types of plays, where they’ve kind of been doing something in a closed tight area for 15 years.”
ONE OF THE keys to doing this job efficiently, Taylor said, is making sure you’re working off templates. Not only does that save you from spending more time than needed redrawing the same formation and routes, but it also gives the pictures consistency.
And because of this, some of the templates used for plays for the 2022 Rams go back many teams and many coaches ago. Each file is saved with the name of the initial owner of the drawings.
Taylor said he thinks the templates originate with the Texans, when Mike McDaniel, now the head coach of the 3-1 Miami Dolphins, was an offensive assistant from 2006 to ’08. The drawings went from the Texans to Texas A&M because then-Texans offensive coordinator Mike Sherman took them with him to College Station. That’s where Taylor started drawing plays off those templates.
“So when you see the origin of who drew these plays, it’s going to be Mike McDaniel, it’s going to be Shane Waldron, [Green Bay Packers coach] Matt LaFleur. It’s [New York Jets offensive coordinator] Mike LaFleur,” Taylor said. “The names at the bottom of these documents are funny to look back on how long they’ve been in this world.”
“So I’m sure I’d see a picture of the 49ers. I don’t know anything about the playbook and I would think that I drew that picture because I took Mike McDaniel’s picture at Texas A&M and worked off of that.”
Looking back at the coaches who have sat in the quality control offices in Washington, Waldron said, “shows you how influential both Kyle Shanahan and Sean have been in terms of the people that have started out underneath them and learned from them and been able to grow and bond from those roles.
“There’s been a long line of different guys in those positions that have put their own flavor on the drawings or all the little quirkiness to how you’re saving them or where those files live. And we’re all still football coaches, so you’re a lot of times just kind of learning on the run with figuring out all the exact computer stuff and how to save it and how to do it. So you get a good chuckle when guys are around each other, knowing that they’ve been through it and had to do those drawings.”
THE END RESULT of Tuesday night’s — or often Wednesday morning’s — work is a sheet with a four-box layout of plays that are printed out for the quarterbacks and then presented on the big screen in the meeting room with the offensive skill players as they’re installing the pass game. The coaches talk through the plays and then might have a clip of film to show after the players have seen the drawing.
Sometimes Coen was so “under the gun” to get those plays done, he said, he’d be finishing them as the meeting was starting, meaning McVay was seeing the plays for the first time as he was presenting them.
And when there are mistakes?
“Oh, it’s the most horrifying feeling in the world,” Coen said.
Coen said depending on what mood McVay is in, he’d either kindly point out the mistake to the team, saying, “and you guys know this is not really how we want to do this,” or “you guys know that this should be the Z and that should be X.”
“Or if he’s not in a great mood or just a little agitated that you messed it up, he will call you out a little bit,” Coen said. “But typically, Sean’s always been great at not calling you out. I’ve heard other people in other worlds have not been great about it, but it’s the worst feeling.”
Coen cringes a little as he starts telling the story about his worst mistake while drawing plays. It was 2019, the week of the Rams’ NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints. Coen was “under the gun,” he said. He drew a whole package of plays, and while the actual plays were correct, the formation, “the way the variation that we wanted, was completely wrong.”
“So, [McVay] had to then scrap the pictures,” Coen said. “I’m going on the whiteboard, you know, old-school going on the whiteboard and drawing every single play that we installed that day.
” … Well, that day it all got thrown to crap and he had to go freehand and that was the NFC championship week. And I was not in a great place.”
Now that Waldron is the coach at the front of the meeting room installing the plays, he said he’s realized, “the guy that’s drawing the plays can never be 100% right.
“You stress out over it and you think about it,” Waldron said. “And then you’re looking up and your pictures are up there on the screen and Sean [McVay] would always give you kind of a — and he was great with it, he was — but he’d always give you the, ‘You can’t screw that up. I’m just kidding, but not really’ kind of thing. So, I know the stress of that.
“You spend all night making those pictures as perfect as you can, and then one little spelling error or one little thing when it’s up on that big board and everyone’s seeing it, you can’t avoid it.”
But for all the inevitable mistakes a coach would make while drawing plays, it’s McVay’s reaction that has stayed with Taylor.
“You are around a lot of different people who think a lot of different ways and some, man, if that drawing is wrong, it’s the end of the world. For Sean, it’s not,” Taylor said. “That’s not going to be the difference in winning or losing because a route was drawn incorrectly.
“Gives you some insight into how Sean thinks. He doesn’t stress about the things that aren’t worth stressing about. He doesn’t make a mountain out of a molehill, and that was appreciated, I know, early on working for him.”
MAYBE THAT REACTION is because McVay knows how stressful the play-drawing could be. But according to Shanahan, the young coach was so good at it that Shanahan didn’t want him to stop.
“Sean [McVay] was on it, like he’s always been on everything,” Shanahan said. “He was great. He finished everything fast, was always very detailed.”
McVay was given his release from drawing plays for the Washington offense when the team’s tight ends coach at the time, Jon Embree, was hired as the head coach at Colorado.
“At the end of that year, for the last three games, we made [McVay] the tight end coach,” Shanahan said. “So, then I had to bring Mike McDaniel in to be the picture drawer. So, everyone’s done it. It’s kind of a whole line of these guys, and that’s why we’ve all been close.”
McVay says drawing plays for Shanahan is one of the reasons they have such a good relationship now.
“You become a product of your atmosphere and environment that you’ve been placed in,” McVay said. “And that was kind of what I knew when I was in that role. And if you take advantage of it, you get access to the coordinator in a way that a lot of other guys necessarily don’t.
“You’re seeing all these guys that are head coaches or in offensive coordinator roles now because it gives you a vantage point and a perspective that you wouldn’t have. And I think it’s a really good platform to be able to learn the pass game, but then get access to people that are in those leadership roles that maybe you wouldn’t otherwise.”
It’s a relationship McVay has carried with the coaches who drew plays for him. Coen, who started drawing plays for McVay when he replaced Taylor as the Rams’ assistant wide receivers coach, was hired away from Los Angeles in 2021 to be Kentucky’s offensive coordinator and playcaller.
But after one season, Coen returned to the Rams as offensive coordinator in part, he said, because of the relationship he’d built with McVay — one that grew while Coen was responsible for drawing plays.
“You get really close with the guy,” Coen said. “And naturally dialogue happens where we start to bounce things off of each other. And philosophically we were always very similar. The way we saw the game.
“It’s kind of one of those things where you gain a little bit of his trust, and you start to see the way he ticks.”
MIAMI — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets as he continues to progress through concussion protocol, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday.
There’s no “definite timeline” for Tagovailoa’s return after he left the Dolphins’ 27-15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. Teddy Bridgewater will start Sunday in his place.
Tagovailoa was taken to a local hospital after his head hit the turf late in the second half of Thursday’s game in Cincinnati. He was diagnosed with a concussion but was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and allowed to fly home with the team early Friday morning. McDaniel said Tagovailoa’s scans came back “clean” — including the MRI he underwent in Miami — but it’s still too early to start thinking about his return to the field.
“Right now he is in the building. He’s had a couple good days, but he’s just trying to go through with the proper procedure and protocol so that he’s feeling 100 percent,” McDaniel said. “I know he’s gonna be diligent with it. And if there’s obviously any things that are giving him issues in terms of light and those things, then we will shut that down.”
Tagovailoa was evaluated for a concussion after a similar situation during the Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. He hit the back of his head on the ground and stumbled while trying to return to the huddle after the play. He was immediately taken to the locker room with a head injury, the team announced at the time.
He passed the locker room evaluation, however, and returned to finish the game after halftime with both Tagovailoa and the Dolphins clarifying that his stumble was caused by a back injury he suffered earlier in the game. The NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said Tagovailoa was tested daily leading up to Thursday’s game, and McDaniel said his quarterback was cleared of any head injury by an independent neurologist.
The NFL Players Association initiated its right to request a review of the NFL’s concussion protocol following his quick return to the game and terminated the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who initially evaluated Tagovailoa during the Bills game. The NFL and NFLPA also committed to altering the concussion protocol based on what both parties learned during the review. McDaniel said he supports the changes to the protocol and reiterated his confidence in how Tagovailoa’s injury was handled throughout the week.
McDaniel said he was not directly involved in Tagovailoa’s evaluation process and that beyond making sure his players’ best interests are kept in mind, he does not generally interject into matters that are outside his area of expertise.
“I’m very much involved in terms of that, that they’re answering and giving me information. I don’t think I should be involved in determining concussion symptoms outside of the obvious,” he said. “One thing that we operate within this organization is they know first and foremost that the players’ health and safety is above all else. The coaches know that’s how we address things and the players know that as well. So mandating, and making sure, and being that extra voice of reason that says, ‘Hey, we’re not trying to ever push through something with unintended consequences being pushed to the player’ — I’ll always stay involved in that way from an enforcer standpoint.
“But in terms of me interjecting into an opinion that we have people schooled in and years and years of expertise in, I think that would be a little irresponsible if I tried to kick the door in and say my piece as a layman who’s not an expert.”
Behind Bridgewater, the Dolphins have 2022 seventh-round draft pick Skylar Thompson and they signed Reid Sinnett, who spent the 2021 season with the Dolphins, to their practice squad Monday afternoon.
A former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater had also spent time with the Jets, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos before signing with Miami this offseason. He’s won both games he played against the Jets in his career, completing 38 of 52 passes for 544 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
McDaniel expressed confidence in Bridgewater as the team’s starter for however long this stint might last.
“We’re very, very confident in Teddy Bridgewater. It’s one of the reasons you decide to go that direction in an offseason and prioritize your backup quarterback is for these moments,” McDaniel said. “We went out and signed him, and it’s been one of the better things that could have happened to us for the team’s dynamic — for his contribution in how Tua is playing and his ability to play, as well as his part in the development of Skylar.
“So he’s had a big role. Everyone’s super confident in him. He’s done it before; it’s a different deal coming off the bench than starting. Teddy knows that and he’ll be fully prepared and ready to go. I don’t think the team will bat an eye when we lace ’em up on Sunday.”
Jaylen Williams debuted as the No. 33 player in the 2025 class due to his incredible physical gifts and upside as a player. While his offer list was impressive for a recruit who was only beginning his second year of high school football, we knew it would only be a matter of time before a number of additional schools entered the mix for his talents. Iowa was the latest team to do so when they extended Williams offer No. 6 during a weekend visit to Iowa City.
Following his visit to Iowa, Williams sat down with Rivals to discuss his game day visit experience and his thoughts on receiving a highly coveted offer from the Hawkeyes.
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos standout running back Javonte Williams is out for the year after tearing his right ACL in Denver’s 32-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, a person with knowledge of the medical results told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Monday ahead of coach Nathaniel Hackett’s weekly news conference, where he was expected to provide an update on Williams’ injury.
Williams got hurt on the first play of the third quarter Sunday when he took the handoff from Russell Wilson and was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. He didn’t put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the field after staying down for an extended time.
Williams went for an MRI on Monday after returning to Denver.
He earned the starting job this season after sharing backfield duties with Melvin Gordon his rookie year in 2021.
Williams had 202 yards on 47 rushes and 76 yards on 16 carries this season.
Last year, Williams rushed for 903 yards and four TDs and caught 43 passes for 316 yards and three TDs, making him one of the top running backs in the league coming into his second NFL season.
Williams’ backups faired poorly Sunday when the Broncos (2-2) lost for the fifth consecutive time to the Raiders. Gordon had a fumble on his first carry that was returned for a long touchdown and Mike Boone had two critical drops and failed to pick up the blitz on a sack.
The Broncos’ ability to explore the trade market for a running back is hampered by a lack of 2023 draft picks following the trade for Wilson this spring.
The Broncos’ best bet with their next game coming up Thursday night at home against Indianapolis (1-2-1) would be to promote Devine Ozigbo from their practice squad.
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More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL
Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams has a torn ACL and LCL and will miss the rest of the season, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Williams was taken to the locker room on a cart after he suffered the injury to his right knee in Sunday’s 32-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Williams, who entered the game as the Broncos’ leader in carries and rushing yards, stayed down on the field after a 1-yard loss on the first play of the second half.
Mike Boone replaced Williams in the Broncos’ lineup right after Williams went down. Melvin Gordon III had split time with Williams over the first three games of the season, but Gordon fumbled in the second quarter and the Raiders’ Amik Robertson returned it 68 yards for a touchdown.
It was Gordon’s fourth fumble of the season — the Broncos have lost two of them. Gordon did get some carries on the Broncos’ next possession.
Information from ESPN’s Jeff Legwold was used in this report.
Grade One winner My Drogo suffered a tendon injury which limited him to just two runs last season for trainer Dan Skelton; star in pre-training with Polly Gundry before making a return to Skelton yard; Shan Blue set to return to Charlie Hall Chase this month
Catherine Parenteau was pretty much born with a tennis racket in her hands. Beginning at age 4, the Canadian was a natural, working her way up the circuit until she eventually achieved a top-five ranking in the country. Recruited by the University of Arkansas to play Division I tennis, she finished out her collegiate career playing at Michigan State University.
It was during her final year at Michigan State, however, that Parenteau discovered a new sport, one that captured her heart and interest: pickleball.
Today, the 27-year-old is the No. 2 singles and No. 4 doubles player on the professional circuit.
While pickleball enjoys a reputation as your grandmother’s favorite game, to see Parenteau on the court is to know that the sport has a hard-core, athletic side to its personality, too. And as younger, faster, more skilled athletes enter the game, the level of play is only rising.
There are an estimated 4.8 million people playing pickleball in the United States today, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s annual report on single sport. Of those, the fastest growing segment is players under the age of 24, and there are hundreds of tournaments around the country throughout the year. In 2019, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) formed and became the first organization to offer a professional tour.
Pickleball is changing
Parenteau was at first a bit reluctant to try pickleball back in 2016 when her Michigan State tennis coach, Simone Jardim, herself a professional pickleball player, suggested she give it a go. “I thought it sounded silly, and it took me three weeks before I picked up a paddle,” Parenteau said.
Much to Parenteau’s surprise, she loved it. “I joined a club and began playing three to four times a week,” she said. “I entered my first big event — the US Open Pickleball tournament — in 2017.”
Pickleball tournaments are open to both amateurs and pros, unique from its more exclusive tennis cousin. While Parenteau’s star was rising in the tournaments, Ken Hermann came along and founded the PPA.
“We’re the official pro tour of USA Pickleball and offer sanctioned events,” he says. “We wanted this to be successful, and after getting shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, we’ve had steady growth.”
In 2022, that equated to 32 events for pros, offering singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
“We’re in a unique phase right now,” Hermann said. “We’re not yet at the stage where the pro tour breaks away on its own, but I don’t think we’re that many years off from that.”
Prize money is not yet enough that a pro pickleball player can make a living off their winnings. The PPA Championship, which starts Oct. 6, has a payout of $3,000 to singles champions and $10,000 to doubles. But there are plenty of sponsors jumping in the game now to close that gap. Parenteau, for instance, counts among her sponsors Skechers shoes, Jigsaw Health electrolyte solution, Charge Electric Bikes, Takeya pickleball accessories and Paddletek paddles.
“At first it was hard financially to travel to tournaments,” she said. “But with my sponsors and the PPA expanding, I’m able to now travel and afford a team that helps me stay on top of my game.”
That team includes a coach and a nutritionist, now. Parenteau is on the court four to five times a week, and conditions five times a week off the court to stay in top form.
“You need a huge amount of athleticism to compete at this level,” Hermann said. “We’ve got a lot of young women in the top 1,000 of the WTA now entering the sport.”
These up-and-comers are making the more experienced players take notice.
“The young players hit the ball very hard, and it’s tough for me to play against them, even at 27,” Parenteau said. “Every year, there is new talent coming into the game and the more that enter the sport, the better it gets.”
As the popularity of pickleball continues to soar — it has been the nation’s fastest-growing sport the past two years running — it will continue to attract more sponsors, participants and fans to follow the pro circuit. That’s what New Belgium beer is counting on, as it vies to become the “beer of pickleball.”
“We like that it’s an inclusive, quirky sport that you can make as competitive as you want,” said Joanna Laubscher, the brand’s community marketing manager. “The talent at the pro level is insane and as more people start to follow it, they will see that legit athletes are at the top of the game.”
While pickleball has yet to become an official NCAA sport, it is rapidly evolving into a competitive club sport at the college level.
“The beauty of pickleball is that it’s easy to learn and pick up,” USA Pickleball Association CEO Stu Upson said. “But to take it to the pro level, you must be dedicated. You can’t just go out on the weekend and play and expect to compete as a pro — which is good for the sport.”
High school seasons are about halfway done or more so this is a good time to take a look at some things happening across the country. Today, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney gives five thoughts on the 2023 quarterbacks:
Arch Manning now has more passing yards than his uncle Eli and more passing touchdowns than his other uncle Peyton at New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman so the discussion about him only getting his ranking because of his last name is almost nonsensical at this point.
The No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class is also putting up numbers in his senior season (I’ll admit, his junior year stats were not phenomenal) without much help. His top target, fellow Texas commit TE Will Randle is injured, so Manning is making a lot of this happen himself.
On Friday night, Manning threw for 356 yards and seven touchdowns in a 52-22 win and from his sharp throwing motion to his underrated athleticism and his decision-making, not to mention his pedigree, I’m more than comfortable now with having Manning as the top-ranked prospect in the class.
No ranking is guaranteed but who has stepped up to take No. 1 from Manning?
That talk started after the Elite 11 where the Oklahoma commit looked outstanding especially early in the week as the ball just looked different coming off his hand and he threw it with such pop. Many of the top quarterbacks were there and Arnold was among the best.
Now this season he has his Denton (Texas) Guyer team undefeated and he has more than 1,200 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and one interception so far. Stats aren’t the end-all, be-all of recruiting rankings but Arnold has looked sharp, he’s made some high-level throws and
*****
THREE-STARS MOVING UP
Kenny Minchey
A long way to go in the rankings process for the 2023 quarterbacks but there are definitely some guys who are on the radar – based off seeing them more this summer and then following them early this season – for a bump in the rankings.
Pitt commit Kenny Minchey, Oklahoma State pledge Zane Flores, Texas Tech commit Jake Strong, Penn State pledge Jaxon Smolik and Ole Miss commit Marcel Reed have caught my eye the most. There will be movers both up and down but the never-say-die attitude of Flores is especially something to watch and Minchey is someone who could have arguably moved to four-star after his showing at the Elite 11 this summer but is making a case early this season as well.
*****
BATTLE AT TOP OF DUAL-THREAT
Pierce Clarkson (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)
If you ask me right now, I see this being a two-headed battle between Louisville commit Pierce Clarkson and Kansas State pledge Avery Johnson. Both are having terrific starts to their senior seasons and in some ways, the two couldn’t be different.
Clarkson plays at arguably the best high school program in the country at Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco and in arguably the toughest high school football field in the country. Johnson is a high-level athlete from Maize, Kan., who is certainly not in the limelight of Southern California but still plays with flash, has legit athleticism (you see some of those basketball dunks?) and could end up being No. 1 among the dual-threat group.
Others can emerge as well – Missouri commit Gabarri Johnson is having a great season so that could be one – but this feels like a Clarkson vs. Johnson battle to the end.
*****
WILL TEXAS A&M GET ONE?
Texas A&M has done a tremendous amount of work to land a quarterback in the 2023 class with nothing to show for it – yet.
Four-star Eli Holstein was committed but backed off that pledge and has since committed to Alabama. Over the summer, the Aggies made serious runs at Dante Moore, Jaden Rashada and especially Austin Novosad but the A&M legacy decided to stick with his Baylor commitment.
But maybe the most interesting storyline here is that the Aggies got five-star USC commit Malachi Nelson to visit this summer and while that chatter has died down during the season there are some who still believe there is significant interest there for numerous reasons.
We will see. It’s clear the Aggies have wanted a quarterback in this class. What’s unclear is whether a high school prospect will flip or if A&M will go to the portal.
MALANG, Indonesia — An Indonesian police chief and nine elite officers were removed from their posts Monday and 18 others were being investigated for responsibility in the firing of tear gas inside a soccer stadium that set off a stampede, killing at least 125 people, officials said.
Distraught family members were struggling to comprehend the loss of their loved ones, including 17 children, at the match in East Java’s Malang city that was attended only by hometown Arema FC fans. The organizer had banned supporters of the visiting team, Persebaya Surabaya, because of Indonesia’s history of violent soccer rivalries.
The disaster Saturday night was among the deadliest ever at a sporting event.
Arema players and officials laid wreaths Monday in front of the stadium.
“We came here as a team asking forgiveness from the families impacted by this tragedy, those who lost their loves ones or the ones still being treated in the hospital,” head coach Javier Roca said.
On Monday night, about a thousand soccer fans dressed in black shirts held a candlelight vigil at a soccer stadium in Jakarta’s satellite city of Bekasi to pray for the victims of the disaster.
Witnesses said some of the 42,000 Arema fans ran onto the pitch in anger on Saturday after the team was defeated 3-2, its first loss at home against Persebaya in 23 years. Some threw bottles and other objects at players and soccer officials. At least five police vehicles were toppled and set ablaze outside the stadium.
But most of the deaths occurred when riot police, trying to stop the violence, fired tear gas, including in the stands, triggering a disastrous stampede of fans making a panicked, chaotic run for the exits. Most of the 125 people who died were trampled or suffocated. The victims included two police officers.
At least 17 children were among the dead and seven were being treated in hospitals, the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection said. Police said 323 people were injured in the crush, with some still in critical condition.
National Police spokesperson Dedy Prasetyo said Malang police chief Ferli Hidayat had been removed along with nine members of an elite police mobile brigade and face possible dismissal in a police ethics trial.
He said 18 officers responsible for firing the tear gas, ranging from middle- to high-ranking, were being investigated.
Police are questioning witnesses and analyzing video from 32 security cameras inside and outside the stadium and nine cellphones owned by the victims as part of an investigation that will also identify suspected vandals, he said.
The parents and other relatives of Faiqotul Hikmah, 22, wailed Monday when an ambulance arrived at their home with her body wrapped in white cloth and a black blanket. She died while fleeing to exit 12 at Kanjuruhan Stadium.
A dozen friends had traveled with her to see the match, but Hikmah was one of only four who were able to enter the stadium because tickets were sold out, her friend, Abdul Mukid, said Monday. He later bought a ticket from a broker after hearing of the chaos inside the stadium in order to search for Hikman.
“I have to find her, save her,” Mukid recalled thinking.
Mukid found Hikmah’s body laid at a building in the stadium compound, with broken ribs and bluish bruises on her face. He learned that a second friend had also died from other friends who called him while he was in an ambulance taking Hikmah’s body to a hospital.
“I can’t put into words how much my sorrow is to lose my sister,” said Nur Laila, Hikmah’s older sibling. “She was just a big Arema fan who wanted to watch her favorite team play. She shouldn’t die just for that,” she said, wiping away tears.
President Joko Widodo ordered the premier soccer league suspended until safety is reevaluated and security tightened. Indonesia’s soccer association also banned Arema from hosting soccer matches for the rest of the season.
Arema FC President Gilang Widya Pramana expressed his sadness and deepest apologies to the victims and the Indonesian people, and said he is ready to take full responsibility for the tragedy at his team’s stadium.
He said the management, coach and players were in shock and speechless.
“I am ready to provide assistance, even though it will not be able to return the victims’ lives,” Pramana said at a news conference Monday at Arema’s headquarters in Malang.
“This incident was beyond prediction, beyond reason … in a match watched only by our fans, not a single rival supporter,” he said, sobbing. “How can that match kill more than 100 people?”
He said Arema FC is ready to accept any sanctions from Indonesia’s Soccer Association and the government, and “hopefully, it will be a very valuable lesson.”
Security Minister Mohammad Mahfud said he will lead an inquiry that will examine law violations in the disaster and provide recommendations to the president to improve soccer safety. The investigation is to be completed in three weeks.
Mahfud instructed the national police and military chiefs to punish those who committed crimes and actions that triggered the stampede.
“The government urged the national police to evaluate their security procedures,” Mahfud said at a news conference.
Rights group Amnesty International urged Indonesia to investigate the use of tear gas and ensure that those found responsible are tried in open court. While FIFA has no control over domestic games, it has advised against the use of tear gas at soccer stadiums.
Despite Indonesia’s lack of international prominence in the sport, hooliganism is rife in the soccer-obsessed country where fanaticism often ends in violence. Data from Indonesia’s soccer watchdog, Save Our Soccer, showed 78 people have died in game-related incidents over the past 28 years.
Saturday’s game was among the world’s worst crowd disasters in sports, including a 1996 World Cup qualifier between Guatemala and Costa Rica in Guatemala City in which over 80 died and over 100 more were injured. In April 2001, more than 40 people were crushed to death during a soccer match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at Texas A&M’s struggles, whether Iowa and Wisconsin need to make changes and five coaches who are hot or not midway through the season:
I’m not here to slam Jimbo Fisher more. That has happened plenty over the last few days after Mississippi State smoked Texas A&M in Starkville.
But I am here to point out some numbers that are completely hard to believe considering Texas A&M has been the “sleeping giant” for so many years now I lost count. Jimbo Fisher was supposed to be the savior and he has the same record after 53 games as Kevin Sumlin, who was supposed to be the hero before Fisher came to College Station.
Quarterback Max Johnson is dead last among starting quarterbacks in the SEC in passing yards. Fisher used to be seen as some kind of quarterback whisperer and then he just turned into the quarterback yeller where Kellen Mond, frustrating as he was especially overthrowing receivers, seemed gun shy to make any play as to not get the sideline wrath.
On Saturday afternoon, Johnson looked unsure of making a play – any play – all day long. The offense looked out of sorts like it has all season, in a loss to Appalachian State, in a close win over Miami, in a lucky win over Arkansas where a field goal clanked the wrong way or the Razorbacks would have won that one, too.
Now Texas A&M travels to No. 1 Alabama for a Saturday night showdown, or should I see beatdown. The Crimson Tide opened as 16-point favorites and the Vegas sharps couldn’t hold in their laughter, betting it up to 24 at some shops by Sunday afternoon.
You think Nick Saban is going to relent for one solitary second against Jimbo after Saban mouthed off about NIL deals last signing day and Fisher basically called Saban a cheater who no one wants to work for?
The thing is: I still think Texas A&M could be a really good football team. I’ve seen all those five-stars and four-stars especially on defense and they’re freak shows. Evan Stewart, Chris Marshall and Devon Achane are superior playmakers.
But Fisher either has to give up play-calling or get out of his own head and stop over-complicating the situation. He fumbles with a play sheet and 52 papers and it’s just a rumpled mess. I know I’m oversimplifying things but a lot of today’s play-calling is getting your dynamic playmakers the ball in space and then letting them work. Find a weak defensive back and pick on him all day. Instead, Johnson dances in the pocket, looking around, hurrying, stepping up, stepping back, throwing off his back foot and receivers aren’t getting open. It’s ugly.
It’s ridiculous to call for Fisher’s firing or putting him on the hot seat or anything like that – mainly because he has an obscene $95 million buyout – but no one can argue he’s done a great job on the field so far in College Station.
All the five-stars are still young and developing and in some time they should be elite. But Fisher is learning SEC ball is a different world than playing in the ACC and without Jameis Winston back at quarterback, it isn’t so easy to win here.
There is an axiom in business that you either adapt or die and when I was watching the Michigan–Iowa game Saturday afternoon I couldn’t stop thinking about that saying.
The Wolverines used to look something like Iowa – establish the run, then run more and be more physical and commanding that way. It was the way of Michigan football and it worked until it didn’t and then coach Jim Harbaugh bit the bullet and added more wrinkles so he could win.
Alabama was similar a decade or so ago under coach Nick Saban, who wanted to run the ball and complained about spread offenses being unsafe and questioned whether the sport should go in the inevitable direction it was going. But instead of getting left behind, Saban changed and now the Crimson Tide average more than 48 points per game.
Iowa hasn’t scored 48 points since the Maryland game last season – and the Hawkeyes have scored 41 total points in their last two games combined.
Here are some stats to consider: Iowa is not only dead-last in the Big Ten in points per game at 16.4 but the Hawkeyes are also last in rushing offense at 88.2 yards per outing and passing offense at 154 yards per game. So it’s not like Iowa is grinding down defenses with the run like years past and controlling the clock to win games. The Hawkeyes aren’t running it well this year, either.
Spencer Petras, who broke some of Jared Goff’s records at Kentfield (Calif.) Marin Catholic is second-to-last in the Big Ten behind only Rutgers’ Evan Simon in passing offense. Leshon Williams is the No. 17 running back in the conference in rushing and Kaleb Jackson is No. 22. No receiver is among the top 25 in the Big Ten.
I know Kirk Ferentz knows how to coach football. I’m not stupid. But adapt or die is the truth and it bleeds down into recruiting where skill players are hesitant to come play in Iowa City because they know they’re not going to showcase their abilities much.
I don’t expect Iowa to become Mississippi State. But being more imaginative and letting skill players use their skills needs to happen there more.
The hot seat has been in full effect this season with early-season firings around the country. This list is the opposite. Here is a look at five coaches who have been hot early on and who hope the momentum continues as the season goes on:
Dino Babers, Syracuse: Babers entered this year on the hot seat with five losing seasons and one 10-win campaign under his belt so time might have been running out on him. But now Syracuse is 5-0 with wins over Louisville, Purdue and Virginia among others so far. It’s about to get really real though with tests against NC State, Notre Dame, Clemson and others coming up.
Mike Elko, Duke: Former Duke coach David Cutcliffe went 3-9 and 2-9 in his final two seasons and Elko already has the Blue Devils at 4-1 in his first five games. The Blue Devils have beaten Northwestern and Virginia so far this season and according to average star ranking of the starters, Duke has a pretty solid group. Duke is favored by a field goal at Georgia Tech this weekend.
Lance Leipold, Kansas: What else can be said other than Leipold is performing a miracle at Kansas? The Jayhawks are 5-0 and the last time they won five games was Mark Mangino’s last year in 2009 when the team finished 5-7. Kansas had won five games in the previous three seasons – combined. Now the Jayhawks are ranked No. 19 (one spot ahead of Kansas State) and just beat Iowa State. Watch out for a hot TCU team coming to Lawrence on Saturday though.
Chip Kelly, UCLA: The offensive-minded Kelly has his Bruins offense humming as they’ve scored 40 or more points in four of five wins this season including in a 40-32 victory against Washington this past weekend that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. After a slow start to Kelly’s tenure in Westwood, and some perceived hot-seat pressure, UCLA went 8-4 last year and are undefeated heading into a big matchup against Utah.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: The Rebels are ranked ninth nationally, are coming off a hard-fought win over a tough Kentucky team to stay undefeated and what’s different about this Ole Miss team is that it has a legitimately good defense now. If everything falls the right way, there is a good argument that Ole Miss could be undefeated heading into a Nov. 12 showdown against Alabama. The SEC schedule is brutal but Ole Miss is now the one throwing some of the biggest punches.
(from left to right) Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Mick Schumacher and Nyck de Vries
Pierre Gasly’s expected move from AlphaTauri to Alpine looks set to trigger a final frenzy of activity in Formula 1’s driver market, with the remaining 2023 seats made all the more appealing for the established, and emerging, stars in the running.
As a competitive market continues to take shape deep into the 2022 season, we’ve rounded up the runners and riders for each of the seats as we edge closer to a full confirmed grid…
F1 contracts: Who’s driving where in 2023?
Red Bull
Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc
Carlos Sainz
Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
George Russell
Alpine
Esteban Ocon
TBC
McLaren
Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri
Alfa Romeo
Valtteri Bottas
Zhou Guanyu
Haas
Kevin Magnussen
TBC
Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso
Lance Stroll
AlphaTauri
Pierre Gasly (future in doubt)
Yuki Tsunoda
Williams
Alex Albon
TBC
Alpine
The favourite: Pierre Gasly (Extreme) outsiders: Jack Doohan, Antonio Giovinazzi, Mick Schumacher, Daniel Ricciardo, Nyck de Vries
After being shocked by Fernando Alonso and snubbed by Oscar Piastri, Alpine said they had a shortlist of “14 drivers” for what is the best available seat in 2023. But in truth, their eyes have always been fixed on Pierre Gasly.
Gasly makes sense for a lot of reasons. He’s French, still young (26) but with five seasons, and a race win, under his belt, and would likely hit the ground running to form a very handy line-up with Esteban Ocon.
The one problem is, he is contracted to Red Bull and is a key part of their sister team AlphaTauri.
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Highlights of the Singapore Grand Prix from the Marina Bay Street Circuit
Highlights of the Singapore Grand Prix from the Marina Bay Street Circuit
Red Bull are open to parting ways with Gasly – for a fee – but would want an adequate replacement first (which we will come on to in the next section).
The word from the paddock in Singapore was that a deal is all but confirmed, and is expected to be announced sooner rather than later.
In the event of a last-minute hitch, Alpine do have some alternatives.
Perhaps nervous of another driver market sucker punch by missing out on Gasly, they tested three drivers in a 2021 Alpine car last week at the Hungaroring, Nyck de Vries, Jack Doohan and Antonio Giovinazzi.
Jack Doohan could provide a back-up option for Alpine if Gasly’s expected move was to fall through
De Vries is one of the hot commodities of this year’s driver market, while Giovinazzi would more likely stay within the Ferrari family to get back into F1, but it would not be a surprise if Doohan is very high up on Alpine’s list.
Alpine have been keen to promote from their driver academy for some time (with Piastri always the favourite), but Australian driver Doohan is currently fourth in his first full season in Formula 2 and is highly rated internally.
Daniel Ricciardo and Mick Schumacher are even more extreme outsiders for this seat.
Ricciardo has not been really mentioned by Alpine since early August, with Renault bosses thought to be uneasy about bringing back the 33-year-old, while Schumacher probably has not done enough at Haas to earn a promotion up the grid.
AlphaTauri (if Gasly leaves)
The favourite: Nyck de Vries
AlphaTauri would ideally want Gasly, who only signed a new contract for 2023 in June, to stay. But with Gasly unlikely to get a step up back to Red Bull anytime soon – he did not impress the team in his brief spell in 2019 and Sergio Perez is locked in for multiple years – the senior team may try and get compensation for the Frenchman while they can.
This has always been dependent on finding a replacement, and with no junior drivers making their case to be F1’s next star to come through the Red Bull programme, they have been looking further afield.
Nyck de Vries (right) celebrates with Williams boss Jost Capito after the Italian GP
IndyCar star Colton Herta was their number one target, although – despite winning seven races in the top US single-seater championship – he does not have enough superlicense points.
That collapse appeared to point towards Gasly staying put, but a new front-runner has emerged… that man De Vries.
De Vries, while never having raced in F1, would fit Red Bull and AlphaTauri’s desire for a proven driver to come in for Gasly, and the Dutchman has admitted he has held talks with the team’s transfer advisor Helmut Marko.
He seems to be their only fallback right now; if he does not sign, it is likely Gasly stays.
Haas
The favourites: Mick Schumacher, Nico Hulkenberg, Outsiders:, Antonio Giovinazzi, Robert Schwartzman, Daniel Ricciardo
Haas are the wildcard in this driver market and it has been hard to predict which direction they are heading in.
What does seem certain is that the US team are seriously considering moving on from Schumacher for 2023, with the German driver having been out-performed by Kevin Magnussen this season. Schumacher is also set to leave the Ferrari driver programme, and his links to the Scuderia were one of the reasons he joined Haas in the first place.
Nico Hulkenberg has emerged as a contender to join Haas
Giovinazzi, the Ferrari reserve and man who was in truth unlucky to lose his Alfa Romeo seat this year, has been heavily linked with the team, as has another former F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg, who has served as a reserve with Aston Martin this season.
More of a like-for-like replacement for Schumacher would be fellow Ferrari driver programme product Robert Schwartzman, who has served as a reserve driver for the Italian team this season. Schwartzman, who holds dual Israeli and Russian nationality, is said to have impressed Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto and, at the age of 23, would provide another forward-looking option for Haas.
Ricciardo, who has also been linked with the seat, would be the headline signing Haas have been waiting for since their F1 debut six years ago, and would be a big hit Stateside. However, it remains to be seen whether they would have the budget or pedigree to attract Ricciardo, who has made it clear he is open to a test-driver role with a stronger outfit in 2023 if the right drive does not present itself.
During the Singapore GP, chatter suggested it is Hulkenberg who has emerged as the most likely driver to replace Schumacher, with the pair now in a shoot-out for the position
Williams
The favourite: Logan Sargeant Outsiders: Nyck de Vries, Mick Schumacher, Antonio Giovinazzi
Nicholas Latifi’s impending exit leaves an opening at Williams, whose movements could depend on how the dominoes fall in the driver market.
Given his pedigree, and more importantly, how well he performed in Alex Albon’s absence in Italy, De Vries would surely be Williams’ preferred choice, but they appear set to miss out on him to AlphaTauri.
Other than De Vries, Logan Sargeant is the name that has cropped up most in links with Williams.
Williams may give junior driver Logan Sargeant a chance
American driver Sargeant is a Williams junior and is third in the F2 standings. He is well thought of at Williams, who have American owners, and will make his practice debut for the team at the United States GP next month.
Schumacher could be a driver of interest should he leave Haas – he has done enough in his two years in F1 to prove he belongs – while Giovinazzi fits that bill of a solid driver alongside Albon, too.
The reality is the 2023 grid is still incredibly difficult to predict, even at this late stage of the season. There are, however, expected to be significant developments in the coming weeks.
PITTSBURGH — Quarterback Zach Wilson‘s season debut included a historic touchdown catch, a two-quarter slump that nearly doomed the New York Jets and the biggest fourth-quarter comeback of his young career.
“That was an ugly win, but that was some of the most fun I’ve had playing football,” Wilson said Sunday after a 24-20 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.
It was a wild game.
The Jets led by 10 points in the first quarter and trailed by 10 in the fourth, but Wilson rallied them with 81- and 65-yard touchdown drives on their final two possessions to pull out their second come-from-behind win on the road. Wilson returned to the huddle after a preseason knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 16. With only three days of full practice, he was predictably rusty (18-for-36, 252 yards, two interceptions), but he made several clutch throws in the fourth quarter. Sunday’s game was the first time since 1988 that the Jets led by 10 points, trailed by 10 and won the game, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.
Wilson was nearly flawless in the fourth, completing 10 of 12 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown — a 5-yard slant to wide receiver Corey Davis with 7:31 remaining.
“The young man doesn’t flinch,” coach Robert Saleh said.
Wilson, drafted second overall in 2021, demonstrated toughness and resilience in the final minutes. He completed his last seven passes, including 5-for-5 for 57 yards on the final drive. The Jets took over on Michael Carter II‘s interception with 3:34 to play and marched to Breece Hall‘s 2-yard touchdown run with 16 seconds left.
Wilson said he didn’t think about his surgically repaired knee during the game. He was under heavy duress by a makeshift line. He was sacked only once, but he was hit six times and pressured 14 times, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
“I thought this was probably the most comfortable I’ve ever felt from a pregame standpoint coming into a game,” said Wilson, who went 3-10 as a starter during a difficult rookie year.
Wilson proved he could catch a pass. In the second quarter, he scored on the Jets’ version of the “Philly Special,” a razzle-dazzle play in which he handed it to wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who pitched it to receiver Braxton Berrios, who threw a 2-yard pass to a wide open Wilson.
He became the first quarterback in Jets history to score a touchdown reception and the first to catch a pass since Geno Smith in 2013. Wilson celebrated with a “Griddy” dance in the end zone.
“Pretty cool,” he said of his touchdown, joking, “I’ve got the best hands on the team.”
The Jets seemed in control with a 10-0 lead, but Wilson threw two interceptions (one off the hands of tight end Tyler Conklin) as the Jets squandered opportunities to put the game away. Wilsons said “there was frustration, but it was the right frustration.” The defense made four interceptions, including two by safety Lamarcus Joyner, to keep the Jets in the game. That gave Wilson two big possessions at the end.
“He never shut down. He never turns it off. You can tell he just believes in himself. He might not have played a perfect game, but it was his first game back and everything,” Hall said of Wilson.
Wilson, showing no ill effects from his knee surgery, escaped a handful of sacks with his mobility. He said he was “in a good spot” with his knee, crediting the training staff for getting him ready. He was on the run because his offensive line suffered another key injury, as rookie right tackle Max Mitchell (knee) was carted off in the second quarter — the fourth Jets tackle to get injured since training camp.
The day began with a surprise move, right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker starting at left tackle. By halftime, only two of the five Week 1 starters were in their original positions — center Connor McGovern and left guard Laken Tomlinson. Led by Wilson, the Jets (2-2) overcame plenty of adversity.
“I thought he played a good game for his first game back,” Saleh said.
The Steelers (1-3) found it hard to swallow. Said safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, “It’s very frustrating. It’s frustrating losing to people that you know that you’re better than, more talented than.”
The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Juve, AC Milan, Barca eye Man Utd’s Dalot
Part of the appeal will be that the Portugal international — who has started every game this season for United — has entered the final year of his contract, meaning there is the possibility that he could leave Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer.
However, the Red Devils have the option to extend Dalot’s contract by another year, with it previously being reported by various outlets that United are likely to take up that option.
Nevertheless, AC Milan are hoping that they will be able to permanently bring in the 23-year-old after he spent the 2020-21 season on loan with the Rossoneri.
Juventus are another club looking at him, states the report, with Dalot likely being seen as a replacement for Juan Cuadrado, whose own contract expires in the summer and is deemed unlikely to be renewed.
Finally, Barcelona are also interested in Dalot, although the situation of United States full-back Sergino Dest— on loan at AC Milan — could also play into the thinking of the Blaugrana.
LIVE BLOG
12.28 BST: Chelsea have been linked with a move for AC Milan forward Rafael Leao and, with two clubs facing each other in the Champions League on Wednesday, the story is back.
Corriere della Sera reports that the Serie A side “received several informal offers” to sign the Leao over the summer, with Chelsea one of them.
The 23-year-old Portugal international has been in superb form and the report claims that Milan won’t accept less than €100m, even with his contract expiring in 2024.
11.44 BST: Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has a host of top clubs interested in signing him, reports Il Bianconero.
Vlahovic, 22, only joined Juve for €70m in January 2022 and has scored 14 goals in 30 games for the club since.
Premier League clubs Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in his services, while Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also in the market for a No. 9 after the exit of Robert Lewandowski.
11.00 BST: Can Steven Gerrard get Aston Villa back on track?
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Steve Nicol reacts to Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw against Leeds United in the Premier League.
09.47 BST: Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli snubbed interest from Manchester United during the summer, claims Sportmediaset.
Locatelli, 24, helped Italy to Euro 2020 success and had been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal after impressing over recent years.
However, United reportedly made a move and the midfielder turned down the chance to move to Old Trafford as he wanted to prove himself at Juve.
09.24 BST: Valencia coach Gennaro Gattuso is confident that captain Jose Luis Gaya will remain at the club beyond next summer.
Gaya, 27, who becomes a free agent in June 2023, has been offered a new five-year contract.
“I think that Jose, our captain, is happy and I look forward to his renewal because the club has made a great effort,” Gattuso said. “We have spoken and I think he is going to sign the renewal. I hope he does because in the proposal the club has made a great effort according to his value.”
The Spain international gained promotion to Valencia’s first team in 2014.
08.53 BST: Former Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez is among the candidates Sevilla are considering should Julen Lopetegui be dismissed, says Mundo Deportivo.
Sevilla have won one and lost five of their nine games this season and Lopetegui is under fire heading into Wednesday’s Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund.
Benitez, 62, has been out of a job since being sacked by Everton in January. The former Valencia and Real Madrid boss has not coached in LaLiga since his departure from Madrid in 2016.
Ex-Valencia coaches Jose Bordalas and Javi Gracia are also reportedly in the running while Jorge Sampaoli, who guided Sevilla in the 2016-17 campaign, is also being considered.
08.25 BST:The Athletic reports that RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku has signed a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea to move next summer.
Nkunku, 24, has been tracked by the top clubs in Europe — including Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. And sources told ESPN last week that the France international underwent private medical tests Frankfurt, with a Chelsea orthopaedist present, ahead of a proposed transfer next year.
The Athletic report claims that Chelsea will pay a transfer fee in excess of Nkunku’s €60m release clause in order to land their man ahead of rivals.
08.00 BST: Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench during the side’s 6-3 defeat to Manchester City out of “respect” for the striker, he said.
Ronaldo was an unused substitute at the Etihad Stadium despite United finding themselves 4-0 down at half-time.
Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial, Fred, Casemiro and Luke Shaw all came off the bench ahead of Ronaldo, with Ten Hag insisting afterward the 37-year-old did not deserve to be subjected to humiliation at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s champions.
“I wouldn’t bring him in out of respect for Cristiano, for his big career,” Ten Hag said. “The other thing was the advantage that I could bring on Anthony Martial. He needs the minutes, but I don’t want to point it out like that.”
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Steve Nicol debates whether Wolves could target a “big name” manager to replace Bruno Lage.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– Romelu Lukaku is already looking towards the summer and has decided that he doesn’t want to go back to Chelsea when his loan deal with Internazionale comes to an end, as reported by Calciomercato. The Belgium international left Stamford Bridge in the offseason and will aim to find a way of persuading Todd Boehly and the club’s executives to let him leave again. The hope is that another loan spell could be an option considering the amount of money Chelsea spent to sign him.
– Fabrizio Romano has reported that discussions between RB Leipzig and Chelsea are taking place about a fee and payment terms over striker Christopher Nkunku‘s transfer. Chelsea aim to trigger the Frenchman’s €60m clause in 2023.
– AC Milan and Juventus are looking at Spezia‘s Jakub Kiwior and Eintracht Frankfurt‘s Evan N’Dicka, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The former has impressed for his club as well as the Poland national team and has a contract that runs until 2025, while the latter’s current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2023, meaning he would be available as a free agent.
– Lazio signed Luis Maximiano from Granada in the summer, but Calciomercato has suggested that he could already leave in the summer after failing to impress Maurizio Sarri. The 23-year-old was sent off six minutes into his debut against Bologna on the opening day and has not played since.
MALANG, Indonesia — Dicky Kurniawan felt the sharp sting in his eyes as Indonesian police fired tear gas into the stadium.
From his seat near an exit, he said he watched the melee unfold Saturday night as angry fans poured into the field to demand answers after host Arema FC of East Java’s Malang city lost to Persebaya Surabaya, its first defeat ever on its home turf. The mob threw bottles and other objects, and the violence spread outside the stadium, where police cars were overturned and torched.
Kurniawan, 22, was shocked when police fired tear gas at spectators in the stands. As the stinging gas spread through the stadium, Kurniawan grabbed his girlfriend and — like everyone else — dashed to the exits.
The mass rush led to a stampede that killed nearly three dozen people almost instantly. The death toll reached 125 and hundreds more were injured in one of the world’s deadliest tragedies at a sporting event. More than 40,000 spectators were at the match, all Arema fans because the organizer had banned Persebaya Surabaya supporters due to Indonesia’s history of violent soccer rivalries.
“The chaos was on the field, but they fired the tear gas into the stadium stands,” Kurniawan said as he described the tragedy from his hospital bed. He received bruises on his face but said he was fortunate to survive.
“Now I am done watching soccer in the stadium,” Kurniawan said.
In the bed next to Kurniawan, teenager Farel Panji also had a lucky escape.
Panji, 16, had just left his seat to go to the exit when the tear gas came. As people ran past him to get to the exit, Panji said he got pushed down by the crowd and collapsed.
“I fainted for a while. When I woke up, I was still in the stadium seating area,” Panji said. He got home safely and was taken to the hospital the next day. Wearing an Arema jersey, Panji said Saturday’s incident did not stop him from loving the club.
Malang’s Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, one of several used to treat victims, was filled Sunday with grieving relatives waiting to identify bodies in the morgue or for information about their loves ones.
Police say 323 people were injured in the crush, with some still in critical condition. At least 17 children were among the dead and seven other children are being treated at hospitals, according to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.
Arema’s Chilean coach, Javier Roca, led the players and other officials in paying respect to the dead in a ceremony Monday.
Wearing black shirts, the team gathered at the statue of a lion head outside Kanjuruhan Stadium. Dozens of Arema supporters also attended, and started to cry when the players poured rose petals around the statue and prayed together.
“We came here as a team, asking forgiveness from the families impacted by this tragedy, those who lost their loves ones or the ones who are still being treated in the hospital,” Roca said.
He said soccer violence must stop.
“We feel like we got a punishment,” he said. “One match result is not worth paying with the lives of people, let alone more than 100 people.”
The mind-boggling projections speak volumes: Erling Haaland would finish the Premier League season on 67 goals if he maintains his current strike-rate and game time – and would extend that to 71 if he played every minute.
If Haaland sustains those metrics and reaches finals in all club competitions, the 22-year-old would register 95 goals this term – or 102 if he was never substituted.
Those figures are based on his average goal-rate across all competitions since the Premier League started, but Haaland could arguably score even more if he played against lower-tier sides in the domestic cups.
Haaland issued a chilling warning to defenders around the country in an interview with Gary Neville before the Manchester derby, saying: “If I time my runs perfectly, I know no one will stop me.”
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Ahead of the Manchester derby, Erling Haaland told Gary Neville he was ‘ready’ to face Manchester United
Indeed, while the Norway international has praised Pep Guardiola’s mystic ability to predict how games play out, Haaland’s statement rang true on Sunday with three perfectly-timed runs and finishes – with Neville labelling the 6ft 4in striker “unplayable” after his third-successive league hat-trick at the Etihad.
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Neville describes Haaland as ‘something special’ after witnessing his hat-trick performance in the Manchester derby
So how does Haaland score his goals and how can opponents stop him?
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Highlights from Manchester City’s win over Manchester United in the Premier League
Hitman Haaland
The towering frontman has netted 14 goals from just eight Premier League games, and has also been substituted early in half of those to miss 55 minutes – netting hat-tricks during wins over Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
Those numbers produce a staggering league ratio of 1.89 goals per 90 minutes – more potent than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season to have played in excess of 144 minutes.
The chart below plots goals and expected-goal returns for all Premier League players this season and presents the scale of the striker’s early form – soaring clear in both categories.
Several forwards from opposition teams are in consistent form, most notably Harry Kane – but Haaland is doubling, and humbling, the England striker’s figures.
Some critics might claim any established forward would convert bags of goals in Pep Guardiola’s side, based on the sheer quantity of clear-cut chances they create.
However, the Norwegian has also nearly doubled his xG returns, netting six goals more than the 7.63 expected from chances presented to him – another league-topping ratio.
Additionally, Haaland has fired a league-high 20 shots on target, which means his current goal haul equates to one goal from every 1.4 shots on target – underlining the clinical finishing to date.
Key to stopping Haaland?
The shot map below highlights City’s new No 9 has converted eight of his haul from poaching opportunities inside the six-yard box, with another four coming from between the six- and 18-yard lines – while all goals were fired from the central third of the opposition box.
In terms of shot placement, Haaland has an almost perfect conversion rate when firing to the left side of the goal – netting eight of nine shots on target – and scores with around half of his attempts in the centre of the goal and to the right.
Haaland appears to be genuinely unstoppable when in full flow. His acrobatic and aerial ability, coupled with physical height, power and speed, is defying all attempts to nullify his powers – despite opponents being aware of his primary threat down the left-of-centre channel.
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Phil Foden and Haaland decide on who claims the match ball!
All-round game
Haaland had registered his only league assist this term in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth with his first touch of the game, but teed up two Phil Foden goals in the rout against Manchester United to take his tally to three this term.
However, he averages far fewer touches, dribbles and final-third passes than other forwards – a deficiency City and most clubs would gladly trade for his prolific strike-rate.
Haaland clocked merely eight touches against the Cherries and currently averages at 13.6 touches per goal – which equates to scoring a goal in seven per cent of his overall actions on the ball.
He tracked back less frequently after the Newcastle game, registering merely seven touches in his own half against Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Villa combined – but dropped deeper frequently against United at the weekend.
In terms of passing, Haaland tends to drift and combine with team-mates across the width of the penalty box, with a slightly higher concentration of exchanges down left-of-centre areas – while creating his most potent chances from central areas just outside the box.
However, his pass for Foden’s second goal on Sunday was of a similar ilk to team-mate Kevin De Bruyne – bending a perfect pass behind the defensive line for the England forward to smash home and make it 4-0 before the break.
Have City changed to accommodate Haaland?
Unlike Haaland’s explosive start at the Etihad, City have traditionally started seasons slowly and this season is no exception after dropping points at Newcastle and Villa Park but there are signs Guardiola’s side have tweaked their style slightly.
The graphic below shows how Haaland averages in a similar position to the false nine last term, although this is based on his limited touches, and suggests De Bruyne is pushing slightly higher this term, while almost all other outfield players have retreated – albeit marginally.
Image: Erling Haaland shaded in light blue
In terms of raw attacking numbers, City have taken their goals-per-game ratio to new heights – currently averaging at 3.6 per game, nearly one goal more than last campaign.
However, expected goals are down – which emphasises how Haaland’s prolific form has propped up dips in creating clear-cut opportunities.
Interestingly, City are also firing fewer crosses and through-balls per game this season – two metrics many might expect to increase, to accommodate and serve Haaland.
The striker’s current goal-rate sets him on course to finish the season on 71 league goals – if he were to play every minute of normal time. Unlikely… but, the Norwegian is clearly set to break more records – but there is a growing sense he will rewrite the record scales entirely.
To start with, you’ve got to give credit to Manchester City, their football and their outstanding players, their outstanding manager and their striker. Sometimes, you see everything right – the physical attributes, the technical attributes, the attitude. And then you get genuine world-class.
Manchester United had a player on the bench in Cristiano Ronaldo who has been world-class for 10-15 years. But we’re seeing the next generation of world-class player. That’s what we’ve seen here.
I know Phil Foden also scored a hat-trick, he’s a local boy and he should be incredibly proud. He’s a brilliant English player but Erling Haaland is something completely different.
We’re in the presence of something really special and I think we know that with the numbers he’s hit at the start of this season. He makes very difficult things look very easy.
He’s unplayable. That’s the takeaway from the game. Obviously, well done to Manchester City and we’ve seen some fantastic players at this club with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Sergio Aguero – many great players. But this player has the ability to be something that peaks everything.
I didn’t expect him to be anything other than what he was when I met him in midweek. He’s confident but humble. He was relaxed. There were no problems with him… he was an hour late! But I enjoyed speaking with him for half an hour.
And Packers coach Matt LaFleur hopes he doesn’t make what he called “the worst decision of the day” again when it comes to an ill-advised replay challenge.
“This way of winning, I don’t think, is sustainable because it puts too much pressure on our defense,” Rodgers said. “And obviously, I’ve got to play better and will play better.”
While fully appreciating that he is fortunate for his team to be 3-1 heading into next Sunday’s game against the New York Giants in London, Rodgers did not shy away from the reality of what could have been.
“You can’t be 2-2 losing to a third-string quarterback and not playing great in all three phases, so we had to have this one,” Rodgers said. “That doesn’t take anything away from the joy of winning, but this was one we had to have.”
The Packers trailed 10-7 at halftime in part because of Rodgers, who:
Had the lowest passer rating (11.2) of any half in any of the 210 games he has started.
Threw just the fourth pick-six of his career when rookie cornerback Jack Jones jumped an out route the quarterback intended for Allen Lazard, in which Rodgers said he “missed the throw so badly [Jones] overran it. That would’ve been nice. If I had thrown the ball where I was supposed to, he probably picks it in stride.”
Was so off target on a short throw to Romeo Doubs that the rookie wide receiver couldn’t secure it easily enough before he fumbled. “That was not a good throw,” Rodgers said. “Nice catch by him. Almost wish he dropped it.”
Rodgers got next to nothing down the field in the first half. He completed just 1 of 5 passes with 10 or more air yards in the first two quarters. It was a 24-yarder to Lazard (who had six catches for 116 yards for the first 100-yard receiving day by a Packers player this season). In the second half, Rodgers went 7-for-9 on such throws for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
“I settled in and usually don’t have two terrible halves,” Rodgers said. “So I kind of returned to the form I expect from myself, and we started moving the football.”
It helped that Rodgers finally started to stretch the field. He averaged a season-high 9.0 air yards per attempt on Sunday after averaging a league-low 5.2 air yards in the first three weeks, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
It also helped that the Packers rushed for 199 yards (including 110 by Aaron Jones on 16 carries).
But mistakes still made it necessary to go to overtime.
One was by LaFleur, who challenged what he thought was a 40-yard touchdown catch by Doubs with 2 minutes, 2 seconds left in regulation. Doubs clearly did not secure the catch, and LaFleur even said his eye-in-the-sky coach, Connor Lewis, told him as much. Yet LaFleur threw the red flag anyway. Losing the challenge cost him a timeout that might have helped the Packers win in regulation, but instead, they got the ball back with only four seconds left.
“I’m not too proud of that moment,” LaFleur said. “That was an emotional decision, and I think it’s a great learning lesson that you can never make those emotional decisions in the heat of battle. You know better. You’ve got to survive the ground. Connor Lewis was in my ear, he’s up in the box and he’s in my ear, and he said, ‘I don’t think so.’ And he said that we shouldn’t challenge it. Just made an emotional decision, and it was almost like throwing a Hail Mary. That could have came back and bit us in the butt.”
And then there’s the Packers’ defense, which was highly touted before the season. The defense nearly let a third-string quarterback beat it, and it has struggled against the run (the Patriots averaged 5.1 yards per attempt) so far.
While the way they’ve won might not be sustainable, that doesn’t mean the Packers can’t keep winning.
“I think winning is sustainable, for sure,” Rodgers said. “I think we’re going to have to play a little bit better against starting quarterbacks and if our defense isn’t playing as well as they can.”
Cincinnati wasn’t even the American Athletic Conference leader in sacks before Saturday. With one big night against Tulsa, the Bearcats begin this week at the top of the national chart.
Cincinnati tied a conference record with 11 sacks against the Golden Hurricane, matching the most in a Bowl Subdivision game in three seasons.
Jabari Taylor had a team-high 2.5 sacks and 10 players were credited with at least a half-sack. The Bearcats finished with 15 tackles for loss.
The last team with 11 sacks was Buffalo, which did it against Akron last season. No has had more since Miami (Ohio) had 12 against Akron in 2019.
The Bearcats’ season total of 23 sacks leads the nation, and their 92 since 2020 rank fifth, according to Sportradar.
THE 200 CLUB
Four players had 200-yard rushing games to raise the season total to 10.
Marquez Cooper of Kent State carried a national season-high 40 times for 240 yards against Ohio. Syracuse’s Sean Tucker had 23 carries for 232 yards against Wagner.
Northern Illinois’ Harrison Waylee ran 30 times for 230 yards against Ball State, the most allowed by the Cardinals since 2008.
Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs had 18 runs for 206 yards against Arkansas.
3X PICKS
Utah cornerback Clark Phillips intercepted three passes against Oregon State, most in a Bowl Subdivision game this season, and returned one 38 yards for a touchdown.
Phillips now has seven interceptions in his career and a pick-six three seasons in a row. He did it against Washington State in 2020 and again in 2021.
Utah’s previous three-interception game was by Robert Johnson at Colorado State in 2009. The Utes hadn’t had a player do it in a home game since 1970.
DANTE’S ON FIRE
Kent State’s Dante Cephas set the national season high for receiving yards with his 246 against Ohio. His 13 catches are tied for second most in an FBS game.
Cephas, averaging a Mid-American Conference-leading 100.2 yards receiving per game, broke the school single-game record set by Eugene Baker in 1997.
Cephas did most of his work in the second half, when he caught 11 balls for 230 yards.
PERFECT DAY
Syracuse’s Garrett Shrader was 17 for 17 in a 59-0 win over Wagner to become the first quarterback since at least 2000 to finish a game with a completion rate of 100% on so many attempts, according to Sportradar.
Of the 17 passes, 11 went for more than 10 yards, with his longest going for 32. He had 238 yards passing when he left after three quarters.
Shrader entered the game against the Orange’s winless opponent from the Championship Subdivision having hit 66.4% of his passes to rank 45th nationally. He enters this week 12th at 70.9%.
LONGEST FIELD GOAL
Missouri’s Harrison Mevis kicked the longest field goal of the season in the FBS when he connected from 56 yards against Georgia.
Mevis’ five field goals against the Bulldogs tied the school record, and he became the first Tigers kicker with at least four of 40 yards or longer in the same game.
Mevis also kicked a 52-yarder in the 26-22 loss and is 3 for 4 for the season from 50 or longer.
———
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PITTSBURGH — A spectator at Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets died following a fall on an escalator at Acrisure Stadium.
The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety said police and emergency service personnel were alerted after a male spectator fell around 4:45 p.m., shortly after the end of New York’s 24-20 victory over the Steelers.
Paramedics administered care on site before the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He died shortly thereafter. The man’s identity has not been released.
“We are aware of an unfortunate incident that occurred inside Acrisure Stadium today,” the Steelers said in a statement. “We are working with local authorities and helping their investigation into the matter. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to the guest’s family.”
Emma Paton returns ahead of the World Grand Prix Darts to make her predictions for the iconic double-in, double-out tournament; who is she picking to win this year’s event in Leicester? And will Michael van Gerwen vs Gary Anderson be her must-watch first-round tie?
Last Updated: 02/10/22 3:31pm
It’s prediction time for Emma Paton with the World Grand Prix on her mind
Our very own Emma Paton is back for her latest predictions ahead of this year’s World Grand Prix Darts at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Find out who Emma is backing to win the unique event, which is best known for its double-in, double-out format.
The 25th staging of the prestigious tournament will feature seven sessions of action from October 3-9 – live on Sky Sports!
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Enjoy the best moments from the World Grand Prix, from the first nine-darter, Andy Callaby beating Phil Taylor and MVG’s first TV title win
Enjoy the best moments from the World Grand Prix, from the first nine-darter, Andy Callaby beating Phil Taylor and MVG’s first TV title win
Tournament favourite?
Well this isn’t a huge surprise, he is the bookies’ favourite too, but I’ve gone for…
…Gerwyn Price!
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Gerwyn Price hit two nine-dart finishes in one night in the Premier League in Belfast…
Gerwyn Price hit two nine-dart finishes in one night in the Premier League in Belfast…
‘The Iceman’ knows what it takes to win, he won this event two years ago, and then followed that up with a runner-up finish last year, ultimately losing out to fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton.
He’s coming into form nicely having, by his own admission, struggled with the schedule earlier on in the year. The world No 1 arrives in Leicester off the back of winning The World Series of Darts Finals, plus he missed last weekend’s event in Belgium so should be feeling fresh!
Compared to the other members of the ‘Big Three’ including Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen, I think his section of the draw is slightly more favourable.
He faces a debutant in Martin Schindler in the first round, and he knows what to expect there after their first-round tie in Blackpool!
A tricky last-16 tie looms with either Masters champion Joe Cullen or Australia’s No 1 Damon Heta but I expect him to get past either of those, with Rob Cross the highest seed in his quarter.
Michael Smith and James Wade are in his half – we all know how dangerous Wade can be in this event having won it twice, but in five of his last seven appearances he’s not made it past the opening round – so I’m backing Price to at least reach the final.
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Price raised the roof with a nine-darter during his semi-final against Danny Noppert at the World Matchplay
Price raised the roof with a nine-darter during his semi-final against Danny Noppert at the World Matchplay
One to watch?
…Danny Noppert!
Will Danny Noppert be the one to watch in Leicester?
Now this might sound counter-intuitive because he’s in the same half as Price!! But I think he can certainly make it out of his quarter.
He did just that last year, in the end losing to Clayton in the semis and he could find himself with a similar scenario this time around with a different Welshman ending his chances.
He looks more and more confident every time I see him on the stage and certainly since winning the UK Open earlier this year. He has such a calmness and steel about him, I’m a big fan of the way he goes about his business.
We don’t seem to talk him up too much ahead of majors, despite him picking one up this year! He’s still flying under the radar with the bookies too at 25/1 but ‘The Freeze’ is one to keep your eye on!
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Danny Noppert showcased some serious darthousery with a no-look 180 before taking out 86 on the bullseye at the World Matchplay
Danny Noppert showcased some serious darthousery with a no-look 180 before taking out 86 on the bullseye at the World Matchplay
Double-in, double-out…
…adds to the excitement!! Well it does for us anyway!
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Watch every nine-darter hit at the World Grand Prix…
Watch every nine-darter hit at the World Grand Prix…
For the players, the first round is a nerve shredder! The fact we start with best of three sets as well adds to the drama. There’s no room for a slow start, last year showed exactly that with the likes of Peter Wright and MVG falling at the first hurdle.
There’s drama of the other kind too – we’ve seen players in the past step up on the stage and forget it’s double-in and go straight for the treble 20!
The fact we only see this format once a year adds a sprinkling of something special, it’s unique, and a great leveller for the players.
Must-watch first-round tie?
…Jonny Clayton vs Dirk van Duijvenbode!
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Clayton struck with five ton-plus finishes as he dominated Price to lift his maiden World Grand Prix title
Clayton struck with five ton-plus finishes as he dominated Price to lift his maiden World Grand Prix title
Is there any other answer?!
To be fair there are some cracking opening ties but this is the standout for me.
They’ve met a couple of times recently – at the World Series Finals which went the Dutchman’s way, and then what a belter at the Belgian Darts Open over the weekend, both players averaged 105 but it was ‘The Ferret’ who came out on top then.
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Jonny Clayton triumphed at the World Grand Prix after thrashing Gerwyn Price 5-1
Jonny Clayton triumphed at the World Grand Prix after thrashing Gerwyn Price 5-1
Clayton is the defending champion of course and is coming into form. He finished the Premier League top of the table but has admitted defeat to Joe Cullen in the play-offs knocked his confidence which took some time to recover from but he’s certainly getting back to his best.
Van Duijvenbode might not have won this event, but he came close a couple of years ago getting to the final and he’s getting closer to winning something on the big stage.
Oh it should be good, shouldn’t it?
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Live World Grand Prix Darts
October 3, 2022, 7:00pm
Live on
2022 World Grand Prix Schedule of Play Monday October 3 (1900 BST) 8x First Round matches Callan Rydz vs Krzysztof Ratajski Brendan Dolan vs Stephen Bunting Chris Dobey vs Luke Humphries Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Dave Chisnall (7) Jonny Clayton vs Dirk van Duijvenbode (2) Peter Wright vs Kim Huybrechts (3) Michael van Gerwen vs Gary Anderson (6) Jose de Sousa vs Adrian Lewis
Live World Grand Prix Darts
October 4, 2022, 7:00pm
Live on
Tuesday October 4 (1900 BST) 8x First Round matches Madars Razma vs Ryan Searle Ross Smith vs Andrew Gilding Danny Noppert vs Gabriel Clemens Joe Cullen vs Damon Heta (8) Rob Cross vs Daryl Gurney (5) James Wade vs Martin Lukeman (1) Gerwyn Price vs Martin Schindler (4) Michael Smith vs Nathan Aspinall
Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. You can watch the 25th staging of the World Grand Prix ‘Double-in, Double-out’ set format on Sky Sports from October 3-9 in Leicester.
Sunday’s action kicked off early (9:30 a.m. ET) as the Minnesota Vikings took on the New Orleans Saints in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The game came down to the final seconds, when Wil Lutz‘s 61-yard field goal attempt hit off the upright and the crossbar but fell short.
The Las Vegas Raiders finally got in the win column in the later afternoon window, defeating the Denver Broncos to give coach Josh McDaniels his first victory in silver and black. The Green Bay Packers moved to 3-1 with a last-second, overtime win versus a gutty New England Patriots team playing with a third-string rookie quarterback.
Our NFL Nation reporters react with the biggest takeaways and lingering questions coming out of this week’s matchups and look ahead to what’s next. Let’s get to it.
What to know: The Chiefs can flourish offensively in the absence of wide receiver Tyreek Hill. They just have a different area of strength. It’s no longer necessarily the wide receivers, but it’s their tight ends and running backs now. All five of their touchdowns were scored by tight ends or backs, including three touchdown passes by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has nine passing TDs this season to backs or tight ends, four more than any other quarterback.
Is there reason to worry about the defense after Week 4 performance? There isn’t. The Chiefs played complementary football, allowing just two plays of more than 20 yards. They made the Bucs go on long, time-consuming drives to get their points. The Chiefs made the game’s biggest play on defense on L’Jarius Sneed‘s sack and strip of Tom Brady in the second quarter, a play that gave Mahomes and the offense good field position to score the touchdown that gave them a 28-10 lead. — Adam Teicher
Next game: vs. Raiders (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
What to know: The Bucs’ offensive struggles were magnified against one of the league’s most potent offenses, and the defense’s inability to stop it. They started off in a 21-3 hole in the second quarter, and then 38-17 in the third. Turnovers didn’t help. The Chiefs scored 14 points off two fumbles in the first half — the first from rookie Rachaad White on the opening kickoff and the second on sack of quarterback Tom Brady. They started to find their rhythm with two touchdowns from receiver Mike Evans, who returned from after a one-game suspension. But it wasn’t enough.
Is a 2-2 start a bad omen for the Bucs? No. Let’s put things into perspective. The Bucs are 2-2 through the first four games of the regular season against teams that finished a combined 46-22 last year. This is the seventh time that Brady is 2-2 (2003, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018) with four of those seasons (2003, 2014, 2017, 2018) culminating in a trip to the Super Bowl. This was supposed to be the hardest part of the Bucs’ schedule, though. Their remaining opponents are a combined 18-24 — and they play division rivals Carolina (1-3) and Atlanta (2-2) twice. — Jenna Laine
Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Packers
What to know: Don’t give Aaron Rodgers more than one chance to win it in overtime. As ugly as the end of regulation and the first drive of overtime were, Rodgers wasn’t going to come up empty on a second possession in overtime. And he trusted his wide receivers to do it. Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb caught passes for first downs, and rookie Romeo Doubs added a couple of big catches to set up Mason Crosby‘s 31-yard game-winning field goal. It saved Rodgers and the Packers the indignity of losing to third-string rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe. Regardless of how difficult it looked, the Packers now have a legitimate chance to turn 3-1 into 6-1 heading to Buffalo in Week 8 given that they have the Giants, Jets and Commanders up next.
Is Rodgers still the Packers’ best player?Rashan Gary is making an argument against that. With two sacks on Sunday against the Patriots, he has five through four games. Gary became the first Packers player to record a sack in each of the first four games of a season since Cullen Jenkins in 2010. Previously, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila did it in 2001, when he had nine sacks in the first four games. Gary’s second sack on Sunday was a strip sack in which he also recovered the fumble, and he later set up Jarran Reed for a sack by forcing Zappe to step up in the pocket. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 9:30am p.m. ET)
Patriots
What to know: Valiant effort. The Patriots had no business being in the game against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers — as they were down to their third-string quarterback after two series in a challenging road environment — but played with great heart and effort. There are no moral victories in the NFL, but it’s hard to knock the Patriots for taking Green Bay deep into overtime before falling.
Did Bailey Zappe just play himself into the top backup QB spot? The fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky proved the moment wasn’t too big for him, coming on for veteran Brian Hoyer on the third offensive series of the game after Hoyer was knocked out of the game with a head injury. Zappe finished 10-of-15 passing for 99 yards and one touchdown, showing poise in a tough spot. He was sacked three times, losing a fumble on one. Clearly, the Patriots had to scale down their offense with Zappe, but he was poised and did enough to keep the team in the contest. — Mike Reiss
Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Raiders
What to know: Raiders coach Josh McDaniels can exhale. Finally. Having lost 15 of his past 20 games as a head coach, dating to his terrible tenure with the Denver Broncos in 2009 and 2010, McDaniels got his first win with the Raiders in Game 4. Yeah, against the team that fired him more than a decade ago. Irony, right? Sure, it’s one win, but at 1-3 and with another key AFC West battle up next in Kansas City, at least McDaniels and the Raiders can relax and stop worrying about getting that first W.
Do the Raiders have the rest of the AFC West right where they want them? Could be. Sure, Las Vegas is 1-3, but the Raiders just handled the Broncos, Kansas City looks vulnerable (the Chiefs play the Buccaneers Sunday night) and the Chargers, while they had a big win at woeful Houston, are a walking “M*A*S*H” unit. The Raiders go to Kansas City for a Monday night matchup next then enjoy a bye before the schedule lightens up considerably. It’s a long season, and the Raiders finally have some positive momentum. — Paul Gutierrez
Next game: at Chiefs (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Broncos
What to know: The Broncos’ offense broke through the atmospheric barrier that was 16 points with three Russell Wilson touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). But even with the comeback attempt on Sunday, they won’t really be back in the playoff conversation until they can do some damage in AFC West away games. The Raiders’ win over the Broncos is just another in a growing pile of losses to the Raiders and Chiefs that have contributed mightily to the Broncos being little more than parsley on the division’s plate.
OK, what’s the plan in the run game now after Javonte Williams‘ injury? So much of what an already-struggling Broncos offense does is dependent on running the ball, especially in the play-action passing game that coach Nathaniel Hackett wants to be a part of some big-play pop. Williams was taken to the locker room on a cart early in the third quarter with a right knee injury. And while Williams will receive additional tests, including an MRI on Monday, he couldn’t put any weight on the leg when he was helped to the sideline and had a towel on his head as he was driven to the locker room. Melvin Gordon III has fumbled four times in four games — the Broncos have lost two of those, including one the Raiders returned 68 yards for a touchdown on Sunday — and Mike Boone has been the Broncos’ change-of-pace option, not the hammer Williams can be. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: vs. Colts (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Cardinals
What to know: When the Cardinals’ offense finds its rhythm and tempo, it’s tough to beat. Kyler Murray is as dynamic of a player as there is in the NFL. Zach Ertz can do nearly anything Arizona needs. Marquise Brown is the perfect marriage of great hands and speed. But the problem this season is it takes too long for the Cardinals to find that rhythm and tempo — and even when they do, they’re too inconsistent. This was yet another week of a slow start and a fast finish. Fortunately for Arizona, the Panthers weren’t good enough to take advantage of it.
How much longer can the Cardinals survive their slow starts? Obviously, it all comes down to their opponent, but they know they can’t continue to make a habit of it. Teams like the Eagles, who come to Arizona next week, might not let the Cardinals come back. But teams such as the Seahawks and Saints might not be able to put them away. If this is the identity of this team, the Cardinals — players, coaches and fans — are in for a season of a lot of gray hairs. — Josh Weinfuss
Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Panthers
What to know: The defense continues to be good enough to win, but Baker Mayfield isn’t. It’s not all on him, but most of what happened on Sunday was on Mayfield. He had five passes batted down at the line, raising his NFL lead to 11. He had two interceptions and a lost fumble, the 10th time since he entered the league in 2018 he has had three or more turnovers in a game. No quarterback has more. Opponents know Mayfield is not good against pressure, and they continue to bring it at the highest blitz rate in the league, about 35%. Mayfield isn’t responding the way good quarterbacks do, which is why the Panthers are 1-3.
Should the Panthers consider turning to Sam Darnold? Darnold (ankle) is set to come off injured reserve this week, and while there’s a reason he lost the starting job to Mayfield in training camp, the Panthers have to at least consider getting Darnold ready to play next week against the 49ers if Mayfield struggles early. This is no longer a small sample for Mayfield. He entered the day ranked 32nd in the NFL in total QBR (18.9), and he did nothing to improve that in Week 4 with a three-turnover performance. Darnold at times last season showed potential with a healthy Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is healthy, and the defense is playing at a top-10 level, so maybe Darnold’s game management would give Carolina a chance. — David Newton
Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Eagles
What to know: The Eagles can win ugly, too. With quarterback Jalen Hurts not at his best (16-for-25, 204 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) and the weather conditions poor at Lincoln Financial Field, the defense and ground game took over. Corner James Bradberry turned the tide, intercepting Trevor Lawrence late in the third quarter with the Jags threatening down six points. The defense generated five takeaways in all, while Philadelphia’s rushing attack racked up over 200 yards and four touchdowns on a Jacksonville defense that was holding teams to a league-low 55 rushing yards per game coming in. The Eagles have proved they can win shootouts and slop-fests alike through four weeks.
Will the mounting injuries hold them back? Cornerback Darius Slay (forearm), tackle Jordan Mailata (shoulder), guard Isaac Seumalo (ankle) and linebackers Patrick Johnson (head injury) and Kyron Johnson (head) all left the game for the Eagles, who were already without corner Avonte Maddox (ankle) and running back Boston Scott (rib). Philadelphia has largely enjoyed good health to this point, but there are multiple injuries to monitor heading into next week’s game at the Cardinals. — Tim McManus
Next game: at Cardinals (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Jaguars
What to know: The Jaguars are an improved team under coach Doug Pederson, but they’re not good enough to overcome being careless with the football. They turned the ball over five times Sunday after committing just one turnover over their first three games. Those five takeaways resulted in 22 points for Philadelphia. That can’t happen, especially on the road against a quality opponent.
How quickly will Trevor Lawrence rebound? The reigning AFC Offensive Player of the Week had his worst game of the season, losing four fumbles and tossing an interception. While growing pains are still expected for the 22-year-old signal-caller, the Jags need him to play like the top-end talent he is more consistently to reach their ceiling this year. — Tim McManus
Next game: vs. Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Titans
What to know: The Titans felt Derrick Henry was close to getting on track entering Week 4 against the Colts, and it turned out they were right. Henry gained 99 yards in the first half and scored his longest touchdown of the season in the first quarter when he scooted 19 yards on the second drive of the game. It was the fifth time in the past seven games that Henry rushed for 100 or more yards against the Colts. The Colts had allowed a league-best 2.6 yards per carry before Henry gashed them for 114 yards on 22 carries (5.2 average).
What is up with the second-half collapses? The Titans have been outscored 64-7 in the second half this season, including 7-0 on Sunday. The momentum shifted back to the Titans’ favor on Indianapolis’ last drive, when Denico Autry got a sack to force a 51-yard field goal attempt that Chase McLaughlin missed. But the fact remains: Tennessee’s offense has to find a way to produce in the second half. The Titans came out flat on their first series of the third quarter and had to punt after three plays. The Colts scored on the very next drive, bringing life to the crowd at Lucas Oil Field. Although they’re now 2-2, the Titans have to start putting teams away when the opportunity arises. — Turron Davenport
Next game: at Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Colts
What to know: The Colts fell to 0-2-1 in the AFC South after their third division game in four weeks, and already it looks as though they might be facing a steep climb to win their first division crown since 2014. The Colts have lost games to the Jaguars and Titans and tied the Texans. Now, they face Jacksonville and Tennessee again within the next three weeks. The Colts’ lack of consistency on either offense or defense was apparent in this game, particularly for an offense that committed three costly turnovers.
Is the Colts’ running game broken?Jonathan Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing leader, was bottled up again in what is becoming a concerning trend for Indianapolis. Taylor finished with 42 yards on 20 carries (2.1 yards per attempt) as he was consistently hit in the backfield because of a porous offensive line. The Colts’ offense was built around its productive running game, but if Taylor can’t get going, a disproportionate amount of the burden will fall on the passing game. — Stephen Holder
Next game: at Broncos (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Falcons
What to know: The Falcons were 7-2 in one-possession games last year. One-score games are not the easiest way to live in the NFL, but with a team in transition, the Falcons are .500 with a two-game winning streak in such games in 2022. It’s still a young team, but after wins over the Seahawks and Browns with a similar style — balanced rushing and passing with aggressive defense when it matters — perhaps Atlanta’s young team is figuring things out.
Is the Atlanta Falcons‘ run game for real?Cordarrelle Patterson entered Sunday questionable with a knee injury. By the end of the game, the only question was how complete the run game is with or without him. Patterson’s backups were effective on Sunday. Rookie Tyler Allgeier ran for 84 yards. Practice squad call-up Caleb Huntley ran for 56 and converted cornerback Avery Williams had a 21-yard carry. They all offer a different type of rusher and combined for the Falcons’ second 200-yard rushing game in four contests. — Michael Rothstein
Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Browns
What to know: Blown coverages doomed the Browns in a Week 2 loss to the New York Jets. A key fourth-quarter miscue in coverage doomed Cleveland again Sunday. With three minutes to play, the game tied and the Falcons at their own 9, Olamide Zaccheaus dashed wide open across the middle of the field for a 42-yard gain. And a face-mask penalty on Denzel Ward put Atlanta in range for the game-winning field goal.
Can the Browns’ defense get healthy up front? With the Browns missing almost their entire defensive line, including Myles Garrett, Atlanta ran the ball at will in the fourth quarter. Garrett and pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney should be back soon. But at 2-2 and facing one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league, Cleveland’s season already could be teetering. — Jake Trotter
Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
What to know: The Cowboys’ defense is legitimate. For the first time since 1973, the defense has not allowed 20 points in any of their first four games. The Cowboys have allowed one touchdown in each of their games. On Sunday, they sacked Carson Wentz twice, intercepted him twice and harassed him all game long. So good was the Dallas defense that even when Washington started a drive on the Cowboys’ 30 in the fourth quarter, it got a stop with a Trevon Diggs’ pass deflection in the end zone on a fourth-down play. Playing without Dak Prescott the past three games, the defense knew it needed to carry the day. It did … again.
Why hurry up Dak Prescott’s return? This has nothing to do with Cooper Rush becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to win his first four starts and everything to do with science. Prescott had surgery on his right thumb on Sept. 12. He has not thrown more than a couple of flips here and there after getting a stitch removed on Sept. 26 (yes, a single stitch.) Will a couple of practices be enough for him to play next week versus the Los Angeles Rams? By winning these three games, the Cowboys have bought themselves time with Prescott’s return. — Todd Archer
Next game: at Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Commanders
What to know: Washington isn’t just off to a bad start — it’s a bad team. That’s not where the Commanders should be in coach Ron Rivera’s third season. Sunday, there were too many penalties (11 for 136 yards; including two that wiped out interceptions) and a failure to win enough one-on-one matchups. Corner William Jackson III committed three penalties; one wiped out a pick, two others combined for 65 yards. Yes, it’s still early and Washington can recover. But the Commanders haven’t yet shown that they can be a consistent team, and that’s a huge concern. The problems run deep.
What has happened to the passing attack? After scoring 28 points in Week 1 — with quarterback Carson Wentz throwing four touchdown passes — the Washington offense, and passing game in particular, has been mostly bad. It averaged 3.6 yards per pass Sunday. The Commanders still have talent at receiver, but Wentz and his protection have not helped. Washington’s line loses too many individual pass-rush matchups; Wentz gets sped up too often by the rush, and too often it leads to inaccuracy. It’s a bad combination. — John Keim
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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CeeDee Lamb runs a nice route into space and walks into the end zone for the Cowboys.
Bills
What to know: The Bills ended their seven-game streak stretching back to 2020 of losing one-score games thanks to a bounce-back second half on the road. After going down 17 points to the Ravens in the second quarter, quarterback Josh Allen led Buffalo on a quick scoring drive at the end of the first half and then scored on three of four possessions in the second half. The defense also played a significant role, holding the Ravens scoreless in the second half. The effort was led by safety Jordan Poyer‘s two interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Can the Bills find a way to run the football consistently? Coming into the game, the Bills were worst in the league at run block win rate (62.2%) and struggled to get the running game going outside of Allen. That streak only continued against the Ravens, as Allen had a team-high 70 rushing yards, and it played a significant role in the team’s early offensive struggles. The Bills went into halftime with 34 rushing yards and finished with a combined 55 yards from their running backs on the ground. — Alaina Getzenberg
Next game: vs. Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Ravens
What to know: For the second time this season, Baltimore lost at home after leading by 17 or more points. The Ravens held a 20-3 lead late in the second quarter before watching Buffalo score 20 straight points. Baltimore became the first team in eight years to lose multiple games at home when leading by 17 or more points. In Week 2, Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes against the Ravens’ defense in the fourth quarter. This time, Lamar Jackson and the offense disappeared in the second half and couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone in the red zone. The Ravens are 2-2 and host a Bengals team that will have 10 days’ rest.
Why didn’t the Ravens kick the field goal? The Ravens went for the touchdown on fourth down from the Buffalo 2-yard line instead of kicking the go-ahead field goal. Jackson was pressured and threw an interception in the end zone, keeping the game tied at 20 with four minutes remaining. The Bills then marched down the field to kick the winning, 21-yard field goal as time expired. Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters had to be pulled away from yelling at coach John Harbaugh before the winning kick, throwing his helmet down on the sideline. This has been a frustrating start for Baltimore. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Bengals (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Chargers
What to know: A week after an embarrassing loss to the Jaguars, the Chargers corrected course, albeit in less-than-convincing fashion against the Texans. Equally important as the win, the Bolts appeared to escape NRG Stadium without suffering any further significant injuries. The offensive line — behind rookie left tackle Jamaree Salyer making his first career start — provided solid protection for Justin Herbert as the franchise quarterback plays through fractured rib cartilage.
Who are the Chargers? Nearly one-quarter through the season — and after several significant injuries that included losing left tackle Rashawn Slater for the season, placing edge rusher Joey Bosa on injured reserve indefinitely and playing three games without wide receiver Keenan Allen because of a hamstring injury — it remains unclear whether a Super Bowl-caliber roster on paper will materialize on the field. — Lindsey Thiry
Next game: at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Texans
What to know: The Texans trailed 27-7 at halftime, but quarterback Davis Mills ignited a comeback to bring Houston within three with eight minutes remaining. Mills and the offense started slowly, as he threw for 76 yards with an interception. But in the second half, the second-year quarterback had 170 yards and two touchdowns (and another interception). His most impressive play was when he uncorked a 58-yard bomb to wideout Nico Collins in the early moments of the fourth quarter. Mills capped that drive with an 18-yard strike to Brandin Cooks. Mills has been up and down but continues to tease promise.
Defense in a funk? After starting the first two weeks holding their opponents to 16 points per game, the Texans have allowed 57 points over the past two. They allowed 34 points and 420 yards Sunday as quarterback Justin Herbert threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns on 27-of-39 passing (69.2%). They rarely pressured Herbert, as he was sacked only once. Coming in, the Texans’ strong point was their pass defense — as they were second in allowed quarterback completion percentage (55%) and fourth in sacks (10) — but they couldn’t bail them out this time. — DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Jets
What to know: QB Zach Wilson overcame three quarters of rust in his 2022 debut and delivered the biggest comeback win of his career. He showed guts and poise, qualities he often didn’t show as a rookie. He made big throw after big throw, rallying the Jets to 81- and 65-yard touchdown drives to erase a 10-point deficit. He could’ve folded after two interceptions, but he made plays behind a makeshift offensive line and showed nice accuracy on downfield throws. This is what the Jets envisioned when they drafted him second overall in 2021. His surgically repaired knee was no factor; he actually showed terrific mobility. A brilliant day. — Rich Cimini
Can the Jets overcome all of their offensive line injuries? It will be a minor miracle if they can. Rookie RT Max Mitchell (knee) was the latest go down, as he was carted off in the second quarter. With Mekhi Becton, Duane Brown and George Fant already on injured reserve, the Jets are down to their fifth- and sixth-string tackles. The line was so messed up that RG Alijah Vera-Tucker started the game at left tackle — a surprise move. Brown is due to come off IR this week, but he may need a week or two to get ready. It’s a bad situation, one that is bound to impact Wilson’s progress. — Rich Cimini
Next game: vs. Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Steelers
What to know: The Kenny Pickett era has begun — or has it? The rookie QB from Pitt came off the bench to provide a temporary spark for the Steelers in the third quarter, as he ran for two touchdowns and ignited a moribund offense. He threw only three incompletions — and they were all interceptions, the second-to-last one setting up the Jets’ game-winning TD. So there was some good from Pickett, but a lot of rough edges. Clearly, he ignited the offense and the crowd, but the turnovers were massive. — Rich Cimini
Pickett or Mitch Trubisky? Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has a decision to make, one that will chart the course for the season. One factor to consider: The next four games are tough, as the Steelers face the Bills, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Eagles. At 1-3, the Steelers can’t afford too many more losses. Tomlin has to weigh Trubisky’s experience and their upcoming opponents versus Pickett’s upside. — Rich Cimini
Next game: at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Breece Hall barely gets into the end zone before losing the game for the game-wining TD.
Giants
What to know: The Giants are 3-1. Who could have predicted that? But they were again not overly impressive against the Bears on Sunday and still have questions to answer. Aside from running back Saquon Barkley (146 rushing yards) and scheming to use quarterback Daniel Jones’ legs, the Giants don’t have much offensively. Their wide receivers combined for three receptions and 25 yards. Kenny Golladay was catchless before leaving late with a knee injury. The real tests for the Giants come in the next two weeks: They face Green Bay in London in Week 5 and then host Baltimore.
Who will start at quarterback next week in London against the Packers? Jones hurt his left ankle on a third-quarter sack, but was forced back into the game when backup Tyrod Taylor was evaluated for a concussion after a fourth-quarter run. Jones was clearly compromised and did not attempt to throw a pass for the remainder of the contest. After hurting the ankle, he tried to run sprints on the sideline, but the medical team determined he should be removed from the game. Both Jones and Taylor could be in doubt for next week. Davis Webb, the No. 3 quarterback, is currently on the practice squad and was not active Sunday. It’s going to be a situation to watch this week. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bears
What to know:Michael Badgley was added to the Bears’ roster only 24 hours before he was counted on to deliver all of Chicago’s points on Sunday, going 4-for-4 on field goals in place of kicker Cairo Santos, who was ruled out for personal reasons. The kicking game was the most consistent phase in the Bears’ loss on a day when the offense showed no ability to score touchdowns and blew three opportunities when it reached the red zone. Justin Fields’ connection with receiver Darnell Mooney (four catches, 94 yards) was the best it has looked all season, and there were moments when the second-year quarterback looked more comfortable throwing the ball. But Fields still took five sacks and completed just 11 of 20 passes. Those 11 passes were the most he has completed in a game all season.
How can the Bears get their second-half defense to show up sooner? Jones (two rushing TDs) and Barkley (146 rushing yards) ripped Chicago in half. The Bears followed up their abysmal performance against the run in Green Bay two weeks ago by allowing 262 rushing yards to the Giants. Chicago bit too many times on play-action but figured out some ways to adjust at halftime. The Bears still have not allowed a touchdown in the second half of games, and two of safety Eddie Jackson’s three interceptions have also come after the half. Can they learn how to play this way from the start against Minnesota next Sunday? — Courtney Cronin
Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seahawks
What to know:Geno Smith is playing like an above-average starting quarterback — and the Seahawks have needed every bit of that, considering how badly their defense is struggling. Both trends continued Sunday. Smith threw for two touchdown passes and ran for another. He entered the day leading the NFL in completion percentage by a wide margin and connected on 23 of 30 attempts for 320 yards in what has become a typically efficient outing. With Rashaad Penny and the run game coming alive in a big way, the Seahawks hung 555 yards of total offense — the fifth most in franchise history — on the Lions. But instead of winning in a runaway, they needed a second long Penny TD run and a recovered onside kick to close it out thanks to a defense that is still allowing way too many big plays.
Can the Seahawks turn their defense around again? They did it the past two years, recovering from brutal starts on that side of the ball. They’re going to have to do it again if they want to make anything of this season. They’ll need to do it without safety Jamal Adams, who’s out with a quad tendon injury. And they need to do it in a hurry because Smith — or any other NFL quarterback — can’t be counted on to carry this much of the load every week. Sunday’s game was supposed to represent a break for the Seahawks’ defense, with the Lions missing three offensive playmakers in D’Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark. Instead, it was arguably their worst outing of the season with more missed tackles, blown coverages, costly penalties and losses in one-on-one matchups. — Brady Henderson
Next game: at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Lions
What to know: Although the Lions have fallen to 1-3 after another one-score loss, running back Jamaal Williams has proved to be a reliable option. Without his backfield mate D’Andre Swift (ankle/shoulder), Williams scored two rushing touchdowns again — including a 51-yard score — en route to 108 yards on 19 carries. He set a team record, becoming the first Lions player with six rushing touchdowns through the first four weeks of a season, and credits the early production to his daily routine of taking care of his body.
Should T.J. Hockenson continue to be more involved when the starters return? Through Week 3, Hockenson had just 82 receiving yards and a touchdown. Against Seattle, without wide receivers DJ Chark (ankle) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), Hockenson had a season-high eight catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns along with a 2-point conversion. With so much talent on offense, quarterback Jared Goff has targeted other options more often but should consider getting Hockenson more involved moving forward through creative playcalls from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. — Eric Woodyard
Next game: at Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Vikings
What to know: The Vikings are 3-1 even though their offense and defense, overhauled in the transition to new coach Kevin O’Connell, are very much works in progress. Sunday’s game in London was won by their special teams — place-kicker Greg Joseph kicked five field goals, including what proved to be the game winner from 47 yards out — and was sealed only when Saints place-kicker Will Lutz hit the upright and crossbar from 61 yards away. Meanwhile, the offense has been disjointed and has struggled to get snaps off before the play clock. And the defense has given up huge chunks of yards at inopportune times.
Is quarterback Kirk Cousins going to be able to sharpen up in this offense? Cousins had a decent line Sunday, completing 25 of 38 passes for 273 yards, and made the key pass in the game to set up the game-winning field goal. But he missed receiver Justin Jefferson open twice in the end zone and has looked uncomfortable in the pocket in this new scheme. — Kevin Seifert
Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Saints
What to know: Even a quarterback change couldn’t save the Saints, as their problems followed them to London. The Saints struggled on special teams coverage and fumbled a punt, and quarterback Andy Dalton had a strip sack at the end of the first half, giving the Vikings a short field in a close game. The Saints have some persistent issues that have followed them throughout the season and prevented them from winning.
What do the Saints do at quarterback going forward? Dalton certainly didn’t come in and fix the Saints’ problems, especially considering the outcome was ultimately the same for the past three games. He did get the offense moving enough to consider what the Saints might do while Jameis Winston heals from his back issue that he’s dealt with for the past month. If Winston is healthy enough to play next week, do the Saints play Winston when he’s not 100 percent or try to move on with Dalton going forward? — Katherine Terrell
Next game: vs. Seahawks (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Thursday
Bengals
What to know: Cincinnati’s biggest strength currently is its defense. The Bengals were outgained by Miami but were bolstered by two interceptions from safety Vonn Bell. Cincinnati is allowing the second-fewest touchdowns per drive. The unit that carried the Bengals through the 2021 postseason is good enough to do it again in this season.
Chase had four catches for 81 yards, but teams are defending Chase to not let him rack up big games against them. Miami constantly rolled a safety to Chase’s side of the field and forced Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow to find other receiving targets. That’s why Tee Higgins had a massive performance — seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Dolphins
What to know: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken to the hospital after a scary hit rendered him concussed. It was the second straight game that Tagovailoa’s head hit the ground hard and sparked an NFL Players Association-initiated investigation into whether proper protocols were followed — as well as an amendment to the protocols themselves. The Dolphins’ defense played well, all things considered, but it was difficult for anyone to focus on anything else after watching Tagovailoa leave the field on a stretcher. There is no timetable for his return, per head coach Mike McDaniel, which from a football perspective, hangs a dark cloud over what had otherwise been an exciting start to the season.
Can this team stay hot with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback?
We saw the good and the bad from Bridgewater in his two quarters of work Thursday. He hit Tyreek Hill on a pass that traveled 64.1 air yards, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but he also threw a back-breaking interception on what could have been the Dolphins’ go-ahead drive. He’s a veteran who has been in situations like these before and won’t panic when the lights come on. Miami has an easy schedule over its next seven games, playing just two playoff teams from a season ago. And with a defense that’s playing better than the stats suggest, Bridgewater can theoretically keep the Dolphins in the playoff hunt while they exercise patience with Tagovailoa. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
