Category: Sports

PITTSBURGH — Former Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson threw out the first pitch Friday to his son, Jacob, who plays the same position for the Athletics as they revisited a similar scene from 19 years ago.

In 2006, 4-year-old Jacob Wilson threw out the first pitch to Jack before a Pirates game.

Jack Wilson played 12 seasons in the major leagues, including 2001 to 2009 in Pittsburgh. His best season was in 2004 when he batted .308 with 59 RBIs and a league-leading 12 triples.

Jacob Wilson entered Friday’s game hitting .320 with 13 home runs and 59 RBIs. This season, he became the first fan-elected rookie shortstop for the All-Star Game.

Jack Wilson, wearing a Pirates jersey, clapped and pumped his right fist in the eighth inning when Jacob Wilson chased down a hard grounder between short and third base and then made a jump throw to toss out the batter. The Athletics won 4-3.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow underwent successful surgery Friday to repair a turf toe injury on his left foot, according to coach Zac Taylor.

While Taylor did not offer an official timeline, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Burrow is expected to miss a minimum of three months.

“There’s no reason to give a timeline,” Taylor said after Friday’s practice. “We don’t have a timeline. Now he’s just in recovery and we’ll go from there.”

Burrow had the procedure at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, according to a team source.

Starting with Sunday’s game at the Minnesota Vikings (1-1), Jake Browning will be the team’s starting quarterback with Burrow out. Browning started seven games in 2023 when Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

In other injury news, the Bengals could be without top cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt against the Vikings and All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Taylor-Britt is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury, after he was hurt in Wednesday’s practice and did not participate Thursday. On Friday morning, he was in uniform for stretching but did not participate in any position drills during the period of practice open to the media.

Taylor said he wasn’t ready to rule Taylor-Britt out with 48 hours remaining until kickoff.

Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II, who also had a hamstring injury this week, is expected to be available. He is the projected starter on the outside if Taylor-Britt is sidelined.

Cincinnati is looking for its first 3-0 start to the season since 2015.

SAN FRANCISCO — The teen charged with shooting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall during an alleged attempted robbery last year will be tried as a juvenile, a judge ruled Friday.

The suspect was a 17-year-old high school senior at the time of the August 2024 shooting. He is now 18 and would have faced much steeper penalties if found guilty of attempted murder, assault and attempted robbery in adult criminal court rather than the juvenile system, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.

Pearsall was alone and walking to his car after shopping at luxury stores in the city’s Union Square when the suspect saw the NFL player was wearing a Rolex watch and other expensive jewelry and tried to rob him at gunpoint, San Francisco police said.

A struggle ensued, and gunfire from the suspect’s firearm struck both Pearsall and the teenager, who was shot in the arm, authorities. The teen was arrested about a block away from where he allegedly confronted Pearsall.

The district attorney’s office sought to transfer the case to adult court, noting that Pearsall could have died.

The suspect’s attorney said the teen had experienced abuse and trauma at home and while in the foster care system.

San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Bob Dunlap said his client has been a model prisoner while in juvenile detention. He formed a book club, graduated from high school and enrolled in community college, Dunlap said.

Friday’s ruling came after a weeklong hearing to determine how the teen would be tried.

The Week 3 NFL schedule for the 2025 season brings some intriguing matchups.

There are two battles between undefeated teams, with the Rams visiting the Eagles and the Cardinals facing the 49ers. Injuries have affected a few top QBs. The Bengals’ Joe Burrow (toe), the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy (ankle) and the Jets’ Justin Fields (concussion) are ruled out, and the 49ers’ Brock Purdy (toe, shoulder) and the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels (knee) are listed as questionable. With that, their notable backups are looking to make their mark. On Sunday night, the Chiefs look to dig themselves out of their first 0-2 start with Patrick Mahomes against the Giants.

We have you covered with everything you need to know. Our NFL Nation reporters take you inside the locker room with the best thing they heard this week, and ESPN Research provides a key stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest. Plus, analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for each matchup, and fantasy analyst Eric Moody shares fantasy football intel. We also have Football Power Index (FPI) matchup quality ratings (out of 100) and game projections, and three analysts — Pamela Maldonado, Moody and Walder — give us final score picks for every game.

Let’s get into the full Week 3 slate, which culminates with a “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Lions and Ravens on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted.)

Jump to a matchup:
LAR-PHI | GB-CLE | LV-WSH
CIN-MIN | HOU-JAX | PIT-NE
NYJ-TB | IND-TEN | ATL-CAR
DEN-LAC | NO-SEA | ARI-SF
DAL-CHI | KC-NYG | DET-BAL

Thursday: BUF 31, MIA 21

1 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 77.7/100
ESPN BET: PHI -3.5 (44.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Rams: The Eagles are the first team since 2010 to start a season 2-0 without a passing touchdown. Through two games, the Rams’ defense has allowed only one total touchdown. But despite the lack of passing touchdowns for QB Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, Rams coach Sean McVay called Hurts “a winner.” “He can beat you with his arm, legs or his mind,” McVay said. — Sarah Barshop

What we’re hearing on the Eagles: The Rams had a very difficult time against RB Saquon Barkley in their two matchups last season, as he racked up a whopping 460 yards on the ground against them in the regular season and in the playoffs. Even on the eight occasions they went with an eight-plus man box in the divisional matchup, Barkley had 92 yards and a touchdown, per NFL Next Gen Stats. “We do see opportunity when they load the box like that,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “It’s not a cockiness thing, it’s just based on the scheme that we have and also the guys up front, knowing that if we can get to these calls and execute them, huge gains.” — Tim McManus

Stat to know: Hurts has rushed for a touchdown in five straight games, including playoffs, which is tied for the longest streak of his career (five straight games from 2024 Weeks 7-11). — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Barkley will record at least 25 rushing attempts. Not only are the Eagles a run-heavy team with a minus-9% pass rate over expectation (per NFL Next Gen Stats), but the Rams encourage runs against their defense. Teams facing the Rams have recorded a minus-11% pass rate over expectation, the third lowest of any defense. — Walder

Injuries: Rams | Eagles

Fantasy nugget: Rams QB Matthew Stafford has shown excellent rapport with WRs Puka Nacua and Davante Adams so far this season. And he has completed 15 passes that traveled 15 or more yards downfield. Facing an Eagles defensive front that’s ranked sixth with a 33.6% run stop win rate, the Rams would be wise to attack Philadelphia through the air. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Rams are 6-0 ATS (against the spread) in their past six road games. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Rams 24, Eagles 20
Moody’s pick: Eagles 23, Rams 20
Walder’s pick: Eagles 28, Rams 24
FPI prediction: PHI, 57.1% (by an average of 3 points)

Matchup must-reads: How Nacua and Adams fit together in McVay’s offense … The Eagles offense is still figuring things out

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1 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 54.9/100
ESPN BET: GB -7.5 (41.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Packers: Green Bay hasn’t gotten its running game going yet, and now it faces the No. 1 rushing defense in the league. The Browns have allowed only 92 rushing yards in their first two games. While RB Josh Jacobs has rushing touchdowns in each of the first two games (and has scored in a franchise record 10 straight dating to 2024), he averages only 3.6 yards per carry. “Obviously we all know what Josh did last year, so I think [for] teams, that’s kind of the game plan coming into it,” QB Jordan Love said. — Rob Demovsky

What we’re hearing on the Browns: This week, the Browns have said that they are “hyperaware” of Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons, who can rush from all over the defensive front. But limiting Parsons’ impact also means finding an effective run game that keeps Cleveland out of obvious passing situations. After playing 20 snaps and recording a game-high 61 rushing yards in his debut, rookie RB Quinshon Judkins is expected to get a greater workload in his second game. “He has the ability to kind of be a game breaker,” QB Joe Flacco said. — Daniel Oyefusi

Stat to know: On snaps that Parsons has played this season, the average opponent QBR is 14. When he’s off the field, the QBR jumps to 60. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Packers DT Karl Brooks will record a sack. Brooks typically lines up opposite the offense’s right side, and Browns G Wyatt Teller has the worst pass block win rate among guards (81.1%) in the league. Plus, having Parsons rushing the passer tends to generate sack opportunities for those around him. — Walder

Injuries: Packers | Browns

Fantasy nugget: Running back Jerome Ford led the Browns in snaps and targets in Week 2, but Judkins handled 10 rushing attempts despite missing all of camp and preseason. As mentioned, his early usage suggests he could lead the Browns’ backfield in touches in Week 3. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Browns are 7-15 ATS as underdogs over the past three seasons. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Packers 35, Browns 10
Moody’s pick: Packers 27, Browns 13
Walder’s pick: Packers 26, Browns 6
FPI prediction: GB, 71% (by an average of 8.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: What Packers’ Watson extension means for ACL return … Packers rookie WR Golden not fazed by slow start … Browns not mulling QB change despite Flacco’s struggles … Why Judkins could be a ‘game breaker’ for struggling Browns’ offense

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1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup rating: 49.8/100
ESPN BET: MIN -2.5 (41.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Bengals: This could be the week the Bengals finally get their run game rolling, as they have the league’s worst rushing attack through two games. The Vikings are 26th in the league with 5.2 yards allowed per carry. If Cincinnati can be effective on the ground, that could help QB Jake Browning in his first start of the season. “[It] needs to be better,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “No question. There are certainly things that we will investigate that we think can help that.” — Ben Baby

What we’re hearing on the Vikings: The Vikings have run a league-low 95 offensive plays this season, a fact coach Kevin O’Connell has repeatedly bemoaned as he has tried to find ways to use an array of talented skill players. One of the key reasons has been a 30.4% conversion rate on third down, the fourth lowest in the NFL. They might find more daylight against a Bengals defense that has been on the field for 151 plays this season, fourth most in the league. Cincinnati has also allowed the NFL’s third-highest third-down conversion rate (51.7%). — Kevin Seifert

Stat to know: Browning has a 71.5% career completion rate as a starter, which is the third-highest mark by any signal-caller in his first seven starts since QB starts were first tracked in 1950 (minimum 200 attempts), behind Jayden Daniels (75.6%) and Chad Pennington (73.7%). — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Browning and Carson Wentz will each record a 60 QBR or higher. In both cases, the drop-off might not be as steep as expected. For Browning, it’s because of his track record (career 62 QBR and plus-3% completion percentage over expectation). For Wentz, it’s because of O’Connell, who gets the most out of his quarterbacks. (Remember Joshua Dobbs‘ run in Minnesota in 2023?) — Walder

Injuries: Bengals | Vikings

Fantasy nugget: Vikings RB Jordan Mason is set to handle most of the backfield work since Aaron Jones Sr. is sidelined by a hamstring injury. Mason is averaging 4.1 yards per carry behind an offensive line that ranks ninth in run block win rate (73.6%). The matchup is favorable, too, as the Bengals have given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: Wentz is 27-38 ATS as a starter since 2018 (his third season). He is 3-6 ATS since 2022. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Vikings 21, Bengals 17
Moody’s pick: Bengals 31, Vikings 27
Walder’s pick: Bengals 27, Vikings 20
FPI prediction: MIN, 55.6% (by an average of 2.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bengals sign QBs Clifford, White to practice squad … What does McCarthy’s injury mean for Vikings and his growth? … Bengals don’t blame OL for latest Burrow injury … Source: Vikings place Jones on injured reserve

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1 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 49.7/100
ESPN BET: WSH -3.5 (44.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Raiders: Defensive tackle Jonah Laulu has been a pleasant surprise. Laulu, a 2024 seventh-rounder, has already totaled three sacks and four pressures through two games. Last season, he had only one sack in 17 games (seven starts). “He’s just blossomed,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He had enough plays on film coming off of last year that caught my eye. … He’s done a nice job. He’s been very active, been really consistent with his play.” — Ryan McFadden

What we’re hearing on the Commanders: Washington allowed Green Bay TE Tucker Kraft to catch six passes for 124 yards in Week 2 — and now it must face arguably the top player at that position in Brock Bowers. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said eye discipline was a key issue versus the Packers; too often, the Commanders lost sight of Kraft because of late motion or play-actions that fooled them. Washington will have to handle that much better versus Bowers, who lines up all over the field. “He’s a dynamic young tight end,” Whitt said. “You have to treat him like a receiver.” — John Keim

Stat to know: The Raiders’ defense has allowed 3.2 yards per rush this season — fourth fewest in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Commanders are averaging 5.3 yards per rush — third most. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Raiders QB Geno Smith will connect on multiple 30-plus air yard passes. Through two weeks, the Raiders have fun vertical routes 35% of the time — the second-highest rate in the league. And Smith has never been shy about taking some chances with his arm. — Walder

Injuries: Raiders | Commanders

Fantasy nugget: Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt appears to be the front-runner for the most touches in Washington’s backfield after Austin Ekeler tore his right Achilles in Week 2. The preseason standout has averaged 7.1 yards per carry on 14 attempts, and he’s firmly on the flex radar. The Commanders could lean on the run heavily since QB Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Raiders have covered six straight games on short rest. The Commanders are 11-29-1 ATS on short rest since 2013. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Commanders 28, Raiders 20
Moody’s pick: Commanders 37, Raiders 31
Walder’s pick: Raiders 34, Commanders 31
FPI prediction: WSH, 60.6% (by an average of 4.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Tom Brady did not violate rules in MNF game, NFL says … Commanders’ Daniels has knee injury, status iffy

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1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup rating: 48.1/100
ESPN BET: JAX -1.5 (44.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Texans: Texans QB C.J. Stroud said “we’re really close” to turning the season around after starting 0-2, pinpointing that Houston was “one or two plays away” from being 2-0. While that’s true, the offense has to score more than the 14 points per game it’s averaging. Watch to see how effective the offense is this week, because falling to 0-3 for the first time since 2020 could create a hole the Texans can’t get out of. — DJ Bien-Aime

What we’re hearing on the Jaguars: There isn’t a high level of concern about WR Brian Thomas Jr.’s slow start (five catches for 60 yards), but the Jaguars admit they have to get him going. Coach Liam Coen said he had a productive conversation with Thomas this week, and he has support from QB Trevor Lawrence, too. “Obviously we would’ve loved to start off hot these first two games and have our connection be ripping and me finding him everywhere and him having a great year and all those things,” Lawrence said. “But we’re in Week [3] everybody, so I think we can all just take a deep breath, give B.T. a little space. He’s going to be just fine.” — Michael DiRocco

Stat to know: Among 51 instances of a QB making at least five starts against a division opponent since 2021, Lawrence’s 39 Total QBR against the Texans (in eight starts) is the second lowest by any signal-caller versus a single division opponent (behind Zach Wilson‘s 20 vs. the Patriots). — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter will run more routes than WR Dyami Brown. This hasn’t been true in a game yet, but it would be a pretty awful sign for Hunter if he can’t surpass Brown on the depth chart quickly, considering the latter’s very unremarkable career to date. Brown has probably been a little better than expected (1.9 yards per route run, though his two drops sting), but Hunter should become the No. 2 guy in Jacksonville very soon. — Walder

Injuries: Texans | Jaguars

Fantasy nugget: The Texans’ defensive front might lead the league with a 56.8% pass rush win rate, but Houston ranks 24th with a 27.5% run stop win rate. That could push the Jaguars to lean on RBs Travis Etienne Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten. Jacksonville leads the league with 169.5 rushing yards per game behind an offensive line that ranks fifth with a 75.7% run block win rate. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: Unders are 13-6 in Texans games since the start of last season, the highest under rate in the NFL. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Jaguars 27, Texans 20
Moody’s pick: Texans 20, Jaguars 14
Walder’s pick: Jaguars 24, Texans 20
FPI prediction: JAX, 52.9% (by an average of 1.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Texans WR Kirk (hamstring) to play against Jaguars … Jaguars WR Thomas Jr. hopes to shake rough start … Jaguars release veteran safety Savage

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1 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 43.1/100
ESPN BET: TB -6.5 (43.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Jets: The Jets have an enormous amount of confidence in veteran QB Tyrod Taylor, whom guard John Simpson described as “super swaggy.” Taylor, who replaces Justin Fields (concussion), has four touchdown passes and zero interceptions in three Jets appearances since 2024 — all mop-up duty. This will be his first start in 624 days (2023, Week 18). Taylor can be more effective from the pocket than Fields, but New York loses a lot without the threat of Fields’ running abilities. — Rich Cimini

What we’re hearing on the Buccaneers: The Bucs have now lost DT Calijah Kancey (pectoral) and G Cody Mauch (knee) for the season, while LT Tristan Wirfs is recovering from knee surgery and RT Luke Goedeke is expected to miss time with a foot injury. They’ve had to take the phrase “next man up” to a whole new level. G/C Ben Bredeson said of QB Baker Mayfield keeping the Bucs in games: “I think his leadership is incredible. There’s no one I’d rather follow in a two-minute drill. He goes in there with the utmost confidence and on fourth-and-10 is able to get out of something like that, scramble, get us a first down, pop up, lead the troops right down the field.” — Jenna Laine

Stat to know: WR Garrett Wilson has a 37% target share on the Jets offense this season. Only two players have had a target share that high in a full season: Brandon Marshall (Bears) in 2012 and Steve Smith Sr. (Panthers) in 2005. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Bucs LB SirVocea Dennis will lead the NFL in tackles this week. Among linebackers with at least 80 snaps played this season, Dennis ranks second in run stop win rate (53%) and is tied for eighth in tackle rate versus the run. There should be plenty of tackle opportunities against the run-heavy Jets. — Walder

Injuries: Jets | Buccaneers

Fantasy nugget: Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka has had at least six targets and 13 fantasy points in both games this season. He reached 23.6 points in Week 1, but there’s a development in Week 2 that should excite fantasy managers. Egbuka played more snaps than Mike Evans and ran a similar number of routes. The Bucs are making an effort to use Egbuka both out wide and in the slot during two- or three-receiver sets. So the rookie is effectively a 1B to Evans’ 1A. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Jets are 19-39-1 ATS as road underdogs over the past decade (since 2016). Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Buccaneers 24, Jets 20
Moody’s pick: Buccaneers 34, Jets 19
Walder’s pick: Jets 20, Buccaneers 17
FPI prediction: TB, 70.1% (by an average of 8.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jets ‘have confidence’ in Taylor as starter vs. Bucs … Source: Buccaneers starting RG Mauch (knee) out for season … Sources: Bucs’ Kancey tore pec, to miss rest of season

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1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup rating: 41.4/100
ESPN BET: PIT -1.5 (44.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Steelers: Improving in the run game is an emphasis for the Steelers — on both sides of the ball. Through two games, the offense ranks 30th in yards per game (62.5) and yards per carry (3.0), while the defense is 28th in rushing yards per game allowed (149.5) and 22nd in yards per carry allowed (4.4). “We were getting knocked around a little bit last year,” said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin when asked if the run defense’s issues are similar to last year’s. “This year, we are not getting knocked around.” — Brooke Pryor

What we’re hearing on the Patriots: Starting CB Christian Gonzalez, who missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, was a limited participant in the first two practices of the week and thus has a chance to make his 2025 debut. If he does, a matchup against WR DK Metcalf (who experienced success against him in 2024) would loom large. “He’s a great receiver. He can change the game in a lot of ways — stretch the field, doing screens, doing a lot of things with him,” Gonzalez said. “I learned a lot from him last year and 1758323227 we’re focused on this year.” — Mike Reiss

Stat to know: The Steelers have allowed 31.5 points per game through the first two games of 2025, tied with 2018 for the most allowed through the opening two games under coach Mike Tomlin. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Patriots CB Carlton Davis III will record an interception. He has a strong 0.6 yards per coverage snap so far this season (average for an outside corner is 1.1). And if Gonzalez returns to action, he would push even more targets Davis’ way. — Walder

Injuries: Steelers | Patriots

Fantasy nugget: Patriots QB Drake Maye finished with 26.3 fantasy points in Week 2, showcasing his dual-threat ability and spreading the ball efficiently. He is well-positioned for success against a Steelers defense that has already allowed strong games to the Jets’ Justin Fields (29.5) and the Seahawks’ Sam Darnold (15.8). Like Fields, Maye should be able to exploit Pittsburgh on the ground. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Steelers are 0-2 ATS for the first time since 2019. They have not started 0-3 ATS since 2013. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Steelers 27, Patriots 24
Moody’s pick: Patriots 23, Steelers 17
Walder’s pick: Steelers 22, Patriots 19
FPI prediction: PIT, 49.8% (by an average of 0.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: What we’re hearing entering Week 3: Latest on Rodgers … Steelers searching for the key to unlock their run game: ‘You’re looking to be efficient, explosive’ … Patriots’ Maye showed clear improvement at Miami … Steelers sign ex-Patriots LB Bentley to practice squad

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1 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup rating: 30.9/100
ESPN BET: IND -4.5 (43.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Colts: The Colts might be 2-0, but they ranked 30th in defensive pressures (12) and 25th in sacks (3.0). This game might provide an opportunity to get the pass rush going. Tennessee has allowed a league-high 11 sacks and yielded 29 pressures (tied for sixth). The Colts are hoping to get defensive end Laiatu Latu, their 2024 first-round pick, back after he missed last Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. — Stephen Holder

What we’re hearing on the Titans: RB Jonathan Taylor rushed for 218 yards the last time he saw the Titans, so they will need to be better this time around. A huge part of that will depend on DT T’Vondre Sweat‘s status, as he is dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out last week. With Sweat in the lineup, the Titans’ run defense held opponents to 4.2 yards per carry (which would have been eighth fewest), but without him, those numbers bumped to 5.3 yards per carry (worst in the NFL). — Turron Davenport

Stat to know: Indianapolis is the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with zero punts through the first two games of the season. No team has gone three straight games without a punt since at least 1940. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Titans RB Tony Pollard will score his first touchdown of the season. Through two weeks, no running back is playing a higher percentage of their team’s offensive snaps than Pollard (89%). If the Titans have a scoring opportunity, there’s a good chance it will be with Pollard getting the ball. — Walder

Injuries: Colts | Titans

Fantasy nugget: Colts QB Daniel Jones scored 29.4 fantasy points in Week 1, then followed it up with 22.8 against a tough Broncos defense. His career renaissance could continue with a favorable matchup against a Titans defense that allowed Rams QB Matthew Stafford to finish with 298 passing yards and two touchdowns last week. Tennessee’s defensive front ranks 23rd in pass rush win rate (32.7%), so Jones should have plenty of time to throw. He’s a high-end QB2 this week. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Titans are 0-3 ATS as road favorites since the start of last season. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Colts 33, Titans 13
Moody’s pick: Colts 24, Titans 13
Walder’s pick: Titans 20, Colts 16
FPI prediction: IND, 66% (by an average of 6.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jones-led offense spearheads Colts’ 2-0 start … Titans won’t cut Ward loose until run game improves … QB Ward, WR Ayomanor forming special bond for Titans

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1 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 29.9/100
ESPN BET: ATL -5.5 (44.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Falcons: The Falcons had a goal to be the top offense in the league this season, but their defense has actually carried them thus far (outside of the terrific play of RB Bijan Robinson). Atlanta is 29th in the league in success rate in the red zone (26.1%), and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson acknowledged that “it’s definitely something we’ve gotta get fixed.” QB Michael Penix Jr. said he’s looking forward to the pass and run game clicking at the same time to “see how electric we can be.” — Marc Raimondi

What we’re hearing on the Panthers: QB Bryce Young had arguably the best performance of his career in the 2024 season finale against the Falcons, throwing for 252 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for two more. The key was that Atlanta never seriously pressured him, but things are different this week. Young is facing an Atlanta defense that found its groove last week with six sacks in a win over Minnesota. — David Newton

Stat to know: Young threw for career highs in completions (35), attempts (55) and passing yards (328) in Week 2. Young has never passed for 300-plus yards in consecutive games. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Robinson will record at least 50 rushing yards after contact. Not only is Robinson elusive, but the Panthers are allowing 2.5 yards after contact per carry, third most in the NFL. — Walder

Injuries: Falcons | Panthers

Fantasy nugget: The Falcons’ defense could be a smart pickup since it just put on a master class, forcing four turnovers and allowing just six points to Minnesota. Atlanta ranks eighth in run stop win rate (33.3%), which could force Young to throw more. Young has already been sacked four times and thrown three interceptions this season. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Panthers have covered five straight games as home underdogs. They are 8-2 ATS. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Falcons 21, Panthers 14
Moody’s pick: Falcons 24, Panthers 17
Walder’s pick: Falcons 23, Panthers 21
FPI prediction: ATL, 56.4% (by an average of 2.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: Falcons’ Morris: Robinson definitely NFL’s best player … Hunt, Corbett injuries make Panthers’ failed comeback sting more … Falcons rookie defenders deliver big impact … Panthers to place Hunt, Corbett on IR

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4:05 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup rating: 70.6/100
ESPN BET: LAC -2.5 (45.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Broncos: It will bear watching how effective the Broncos are in their attempts to make Chargers QB Justin Herbert uncomfortable in the pocket. After a six-sack performance against Titans rookie Cam Ward, the Broncos sent five or more rushers on 58% of Daniel Jones’ dropbacks last Sunday in Indianapolis. Denver sacked him only once and Jones finished with 316 passing yards. Herbert has faced the fifth-highest blitz rate in the league so far (37%), but he has a 72% completion rate with five touchdowns and zero interceptions behind plenty of heavy formations. The Broncos have to find a way to unsettle him. — Jeff Legwold

What we’re hearing on the Chargers: The Chargers swept Denver in two matchups last season, but this time they will have to be without edge rusher Khalil Mack, their team leader in QB pressures (five, tied with Tuli Tuipulotu). He was placed on injured reserve with an elbow injury after the win on Monday night but is not expected to be out for the season. “He’s like the Wolverine,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Toughest thing I’ve ever seen.” — Kris Rhim

Stat to know: According to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats, Broncos QB Bo Nix‘s three interceptions this season have been versus zone coverage, tied with the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa for the most. The Chargers have played zone coverage on 66% of opponent dropbacks, the sixth-highest mark this season. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Herbert will throw at least 37 pass attempts — yes, even against Pat Surtain II and the Broncos. The Chargers have the highest pass rate over expectation (plus-12%) so far this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Walder

Injuries: Broncos | Chargers

Fantasy nugget: Herbert is spreading targets among Ladd McConkey (14), Quentin Johnston (14) and Keenan Allen (16) — all three are running a similar number of routes. Though that spread of wealth is not ideal for fantasy, each receiver remains a good start in most leagues. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Broncos are 5-1 ATS in their past six games following a loss. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Chargers 16, Broncos 10
Moody’s pick: Chargers 27, Broncos 23
Walder’s pick: Chargers 30, Broncos 20
FPI prediction: LAC, 56% (by an average of 2.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Broncos need more defensive stability, better run stopping … How Chargers’ WR corps went from Achilles heel to a strength

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4:05 p.m. ET | CBS | Matchup rating: 31.7/100
ESPN BET: SEA -7.5 (41.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Saints: Saints QB Spencer Rattler is coming off the best game of his career, in which he threw three touchdown passes. However, Rattler is still searching for his first win and is 0-8 as a starter. This will be his fourth career road start, and he said the theme this week is “be poised in the noise,” with the team acknowledging that playing in Seattle will be a challenge. To prepare, coach Kellen Moore had officials at practice again and said he planned to have speakers simulate the noise from the stadium. The Saints will also travel to Seattle early to practice there Friday. — Katherine Terrell

What we’re hearing on the Seahawks: The Seahawks are home favorites, but they don’t need any reminders about the dangers of a letdown game. Last October, they lost 29-20 to a Giants team that also came to Lumen Field as 7.5-point underdogs. “I think that ‘Any given Sunday’ quote is something that’s just so real and believable in this league,” veteran DT Leonard Williams said. “Literally any week, any team can win. So you never want to overlook a team.” — Brady Henderson

Stat to know: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is seeking to become the first player in franchise history with three straight games of 100-plus receiving yards to begin a season. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: The Seahawks will sack Rattler six or more times in a win. Through two games, Seattle’s pass rush has been a bright spot, ranking third in pass rush win rate (49.1%). — Walder

Injuries: Saints | Seahawks

Fantasy nugget: Saints TE Juwan Johnson has stockpiled 20 targets this season, scoring at least 15 fantasy points in both games. He has played 97.8% of the Saints’ offensive snaps and run 74 routes, the most of any tight end in the league. This season, no defense has given up more fantasy points to tight ends than the Seahawks. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Saints are 1-5 ATS in their past six road games. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Seahawks 34, Saints 10
Moody’s pick: Seahawks 31, Saints 20
Walder’s pick: Seahawks 27, Saints 13
FPI prediction: SEA, 65.5% (by an average of 5.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Where does Saints QB Shough land in our backup QB rankings? … QB Darnold showed what Seahawks offense can do … Saints look for positives despite first 0-2 start since 2017

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4:25 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 60.6/100
ESPN BET: SF -2.5 (44.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Cardinals: Though the Cardinals are off to a 2-0 start for the third time in the past six seasons, second-year WR Marvin Harrison Jr. isn’t off to the start he was hoping for. Through two games, he has seven catches on 11 targets for 98 yards and a touchdown. Harrison isn’t happy he’s not having more of an impact on the offense — and he’s not the only one. Coach Jonathan Gannon said Arizona needs more production from Harrison. “It’s always frustrating when you may not get the impact that you kind of want in the game, especially when you put in so much work,” Harrison said. — Josh Weinfuss

What we’re hearing on the 49ers: Corralling Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has always been a battle for the 49ers. Murray is 4-4 in his eight starts against San Francisco, and his ability to make plays with his legs has been an issue in most of those games. “The ability to make the off-schedule plays, that’s always kind of given us fits,” LB Fred Warner said. “We’re going to try to do our best to try to contain him, but at the end of the day, he’s going to make his plays. We’ve got to just limit the damage.” Murray has averaged 52.8 rushing yards per game against the Niners in his career, his second-highest mark against any team he has played more than twice. — Nick Wagoner

Stat to know: The Cardinals are 2-0 this season despite being outgained by at least 25 yards in each game. The 2020 Seahawks are the only team this century to start a season 3-0 while being outgained by at least 25 yards in each game. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: 49ers WR Kendrick Bourne will record six or more receptions. Bourne played 49% of San Francisco’s offensive snaps in his first game back with the team last week. I have to imagine that number will steadily rise. — Walder

Injuries: Cardinals | 49ers

Fantasy nugget: Niners QB Mac Jones is in a good spot this week, especially for managers in desperate need of a streamer because of injuries. Arizona has allowed the seventh-most passing yards per game (255.5) this season. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Cardinals have covered five straight games as underdogs. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: 49ers 27, Cardinals 22
Moody’s pick: 49ers 24, Cardinals 21
Walder’s pick: Cardinals 27, 49ers 19
FPI prediction: ARI, 51.5% (by an average of 0.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Cardinals place CB Williams on IR with knee injury … Saleh’s 49ers defense instrumental in 2-0 start … 2-0 Cards know they must clean up ‘sloppy’ ball

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4:25 p.m. ET | Fox | Matchup rating: 46.9/100
ESPN BET: DAL -1.5 (50.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott‘s start to the season has been impressive. It’s not just the raw numbers — 549 yards, which would be more without five drops — either. He is also completing 75% of his passes on third down and 64% of his passes when pressured. “I think he’s playing how we would expect him to play. We have a high standard for Dak and the way he’s supposed to perform,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “I think there’s a confidence about him right now, which is great.” — Todd Archer

What we’re hearing on the Bears: Former Bears coach Matt Eberflus is returning to Soldier Field as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. There’s probably no other coach who knows as much about QB Caleb Williams‘ tendencies and ways to attack them than Eberflus, but Williams views this chess match the way he would with any other defensive coordinator. Coach Ben Johnson, on the other hand, picked the brains of people inside Halas Hall to get information on Eberflus’ schematic tendencies and how he approached Johnson’s offenses in Detroit. “I feel like we know what he knows, and we’ll be just fine there,” Johnson said. — Courtney Cronin

Stat to know: Prescott is seeking his 18th game (and second straight) with 350 passing yards and two touchdown throws. If he achieves this feat, Prescott would pass Tom Brady for second most in the NFL since 2016 (behind Patrick Mahomes‘ 21). — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: The Bears will score 30-plus points. Here’s a number that stands out to me: Chicago ranks fifth in expected completed air yards per attempt (5.9). That’s a mouthful, I know. But that number indicates the play designs are working. Against Dallas, I could see it coming together for some offensive fireworks. — Walder

Injuries: Cowboys | Bears

Fantasy nugget: Williams finished with just 17 fantasy points against Detroit, but he connected with seven different receivers throughout the afternoon. He showed excellent chemistry with WR Rome Odunze, who finished with 31.8 fantasy points on seven receptions. Now, Williams faces a Cowboys defense that gave up 30.2 fantasy points to the Giants’ Russell Wilson last week. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: The Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their past five games as underdogs. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Bears 27, Cowboys 24
Moody’s pick: Cowboys 38, Bears 28
Walder’s pick: Bears 34, Cowboys 24
FPI prediction: DAL, 53.3% (by an average of 1.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Cowboys think Smith can be ‘one of the greats’ … Defense not producing as Bears search for first win … Johnson: Bears’ practice habits not ‘championship-caliber’ … Cowboys DC Eberflus not seeking revenge against Bears

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8:20 p.m. ET | NBC | Matchup rating: 54.2/100
ESPN BET: KC -6.5 (45.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Chiefs: One key factor for the Chiefs’ defense will be taking the ball away, as they haven’t done that all season. “Turnovers affect the game,” DT Chris Jones said. “It can completely change the game. As a defense, we have to find ways to create more turnovers and give the ball back to [QB Patrick Mahomes] and coach [Andy] Reid. If we give the ball back to them, points will be generated.” Since the Chiefs’ offense has struggled, a pivotal highlight from the defense could be what sparks Mahomes and the offense to score enough points for the first victory of the season. — Nate Taylor

What we’re hearing on the Giants: Just because the Chiefs are 0-2 doesn’t mean the Giants look at them any differently than a Super Bowl contender. DL Dexter Lawrence II chuckled at the idea that they have slipped, noting Kansas City still has most of its core players and the “best of the best” in Mahomes. The Chiefs are still among the league’s best teams despite their record, according to Lawrence. “That just don’t disappear,” he said. — Jordan Raanan

Stat to know: With a passing and rushing touchdown in both games, Mahomes is looking to become the third quarterback in NFL history to record a TD run and pass in the first three games of a season. He’d join Jack Kemp (1965) and Kyler Murray (2020). — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: The Chiefs will record positive EPA (expected points added) per designed carry. That would be a huge step for them, considering they are averaging minus-0.1 EPA per carry. But the Giants’ defense ranks second worst in EPA allowed per designed carry (0.17), so that could quell the ills of the Kansas City ground attack. — Walder

Injuries: Chiefs | Giants

Fantasy nugget: In Week 2, the Giants’ Russell Wilson became just the sixth QB to throw for 400 yards with three different teams. Wide receiver Malik Nabers‘ 238 receiving yards through two games were the most by a Giants player since 1984. Nabers is a must-start this week, while Wilson is a viable streamer. But don’t sleep on WR Wan’Dale Robinson, who finished with 10 targets and 28.2 points in Week 2. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: Wilson is 18-8 ATS in his career as an underdog of at least four points. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Chiefs 20, Giants 10
Moody’s pick: Chiefs 27, Giants 20
Walder’s pick: Chiefs 23, Giants 20
FPI prediction: KC, 65.2% (by an average of 6.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Worthy practices in full, hopes to play vs. Giants … Giants QB2 Dart following in Mahomes’ rookie footsteps

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Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN | Matchup rating: 90.1/100
ESPN BET: BAL -4.5 (53.5 O/U)

What we’re hearing on the Lions: Although it was two seasons ago, the Lions haven’t forgotten about their last meeting in Baltimore — an embarrassing 38-6 loss in 2023. “You don’t forget those because we didn’t even give ourselves a chance,” coach Dan Campbell said. Coming off a dominant win, Detroit is preparing to match that physical nature against the Ravens, but feels more prepared this time around. “The physicality of this game is gonna be high. We know that,” said receivers coach Scottie Montgomery. “And that’s what we have to accept, and we have to do a lot better than we did last time.” — Eric Woodyard

What we’re hearing on the Ravens: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson doesn’t like to talk about his remarkable record against the NFC because it could jinx it. Jackson is 24-2 against the conference, which is the best mark by any starting quarterback in interconference games since the AFC and NFC were created in 1970. He is 2-0 against the Lions, totaling five touchdowns and one interception. His dominance over the NFC shows that it’s difficult to beat Jackson and his unpredictable playing style when you don’t face him regularly. — Jamison Hensley

Stat to know: Over the first two games of the season, Jackson and Lions QB Jared Goff are tied for the most passing TDs in the NFL, at six each. — ESPN Research

Bold prediction: Lions CB Terrion Arnold will allow at least 80 yards and a touchdown to WRs Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, combined. Arnold has allowed 3.2 yards per coverage snap as the nearest defender — highest in the league among outside corners with at least 50 coverage snaps — per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Walder

Injuries: Lions | Ravens

Fantasy nugget: Flowers has a 42.6% team target share this season. The only other receiver with a share over 40% is the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Flowers recorded nine or more targets and 15-plus fantasy points in both games this season. He’ll be busy again, as this matchup has one of the highest totals on the slate. See Week 3 rankings. — Moody

Betting nugget: This is the third game this season with an over/under that’s higher than 50 points (Ravens-Bills: 51.5, Jaguars-Bengals: 50.5). The previous two both went over the total. Read more. — ESPN Research

Maldonado’s pick: Ravens 30, Lions 23
Moody’s pick: Ravens 31, Lions 28
Walder’s pick: Ravens 34, Lions 20
FPI prediction: BAL, 57.3% (by an average of 2.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Lions extend win streak after losses to 11, turn eyes toward Baltimore … Is it too early to consider Jackson on an MVP arc?

Lottie Woad made a disappointing start as she carded a two-over 73 in the first round at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

The 21-year-old Englishwoman had an up-and-down round after starting on the 10th hole at Pinnacle Country Club, carding three birdies and five bogeys, including three successive dropped shots from the 12th and back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth.

There was better news for Ireland’s Leona Maguire, who shot a seven-under-par 64 to put herself firmly in contention.

Maguire did not drop a shot in her round and a run of five birdies in seven holes saw her charge into contention at the top of the field, a stroke behind early joint-leaders Minami Katsu and Sarah Schmelzel.

Jodi Ewart Shadoff carded a three-under 68 but was left to rue a bogey at the par-four 16th which was the only blemish on an otherwise good round.

A double-bogey seven at the 14th was expensive for Caley McGinty, for whom two birdies elsewhere on her card ensured she signed for an even-par round and joint 103rd.

World No 2 Nelly Korda shot a two-under-par 69.

The 54-hole Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is live on Sky Sports Golf on Friday 19 September, from 9pm. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW

How can I watch the Ryder Cup?

Sky Sports will continue to be the home of the Ryder Cup, with all three days of the 2025 exclusively live.

There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, with round-the-clock coverage then live from 9am from Friday September 26. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed starting right tackle Luke Goedeke on injured reserve because of a foot injury, the team announced Thursday.

Starting right guard Cody Mauch also went on IR with a knee injury and will undergo surgery Friday, the Bucs said. Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Mauch will miss the rest of the season. Tampa Bay already was without starting All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is working his way back from offseason knee surgery.

Goedeke, who came out after 12 plays in Monday night’s game at the Houston Texans, was in the Bucs’ locker room Thursday on a mobility scooter. He is expected to return later in the season, with his injured reserve designation requiring a minimum of four games missed.

To account for the losses, the Bucs signed offensive lineman Dan Feeney off the Buffalo Bills‘ practice squad and promoted offensive lineman Luke Haggard from their practice squad. They also signed offensive lineman Sua Opeta to their practice squad.

Feeney has played in 120 career games with 65 starts. He has been used primarily as an interior offensive lineman with 42 starts at guard, having spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers (2017-20), New York Jets (2021-22), Chicago Bears (2023) and Minnesota Vikings (2024).

Haggard has spent the past two seasons on the Bucs’ practice squad. Before that, he started every game at left tackle in 2021 and 2022 at Indiana University.

Opeta, who had lined up at right guard and left guard, was among the Bucs’ training camp cuts after recovering from a torn ACL last season. Before the Bucs, he spent four seasons (2020-23) with the Philadelphia Eagles, making 10 starts in 38 games.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic is of interest to Manchester United, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, while United midfielder Casemiro is on the radar of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

– Chelsea’s Maresca on Sterling, Disasi: My dad’s life harder
– Barcelona’s salary cap drops by €112m, dwarfed by Real Madrid
– Sources: Messi, Inter Miami near multi-year extension
– Sources: Barcelona’s Putellas turns down €1m PSG move

TRENDING RUMORS

– Manchester United, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona are keeping tabs on Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. A replacement for 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski is a priority for Barca manager Hansi Flick, as forward is out of contract next summer. As such, the club could turn to Vlahovic, who has scored four goals in his last four outings for Juve. United are still looking to bolster their forward line, despite the €85m signing of Benjamin Sesko, and Atletico are also monitoring the situation in the event that either Julián Álvarez or Alexander Sørloth leave the club.

– Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is on the radar of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al Nassr, says Mundo Deportivo. Casemiro, 33, has a contract which expires in the summer and United are keen to raise funds to bring in new players, though they are only looking to recoup around half of the €70m they spent to sign him from Real Madrid in 2022.

– Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa could return to Serie A in Italy in the summer, says TEAMtalk. Chiesa, 27, arrived from Juventus for €12m in 2024 but has struggled with injuries and made only 14 appearances last season, where he scored two goals and managed two assists. This season, he has one goal in four Premier League matches, but Liverpool boss Arne Slot isn’t convinced about his future and is open to offers.

– Chelsea are looking to find out-of-favor winger Raheem Sterling a new club in January after recent interest from Bayern Munich and Napoli, reports Sky Sports News. The England international has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge by Blues boss Enzo Maresca, so much so that the PFA have contacted Chelsea about the treatment of him and teammate Axel Disasi. Defender Disasi is also expected to depart in January, having previously been wanted by the likes of West Ham United, Sunderland and Bournemouth.

– Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is prepared to let striker Gabriel Jesus leave in January, reports Football Insider. The Brazil international is expected to be out of action until December with a cruciate ligament injury – something which scuppered a possible transfer this summer. However, following the €63.5m arrival of Viktor Gyökeres at the Emirates, Arsenal are now open to offers to sign Jesus should they materialize in the new year.

EXPERT TAKE

OTHER RUMORS

– Al Hilal are prepared to spend €100m to try and sign Real Madrid forward Vinicíus Júnior. (Ekrem Konur)

– Manchester United are targeting a move for Al Hilal midfielder Rúben Neves for as little as £17m in January, as the Portugal international is reportedly keen on a return to Europe (CaughtOffisde)

– Claims that former Manchester United defender Phil Jones, who is a free agent, is about to join Wrexham have been shut down after he was spotted at a recent match. (Daily Mirror)

– Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher, 25, is of interest to Tottenham and a number of other Premier League clubs. (TBR)

– Barcelona are scouting Dinamo Zagreb’s 16-year-old Portuguese forward Cardoso Varela, who is under contract until 2028. (Ekrem Konur)

– AC Milan are ready to turn their attention towards signing Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki if a new contract for Mike Maignan can’t be agreed. (QS)

– Hertha BSC’s 17-year-old left-back Yunus Unal is attracting interest from Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, and Werder Bremen. (Bild)

– Vítor Pereira is set to sign a new three-year contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers. (Sky Sports News)

– Tigres playmaker Juan Brunetta is back on the radar of several Italian clubs, including Bologna, Udinese and Fiorentina. (Ekrem Konur)

– Former Roma and Juventus striker Mirko Vučinić is ready to become the new manager of Montenegro (Nicolo Schira)

– West Ham United have identified Gary O’Neil as a potential successor to Graham Potter. (Independent)

– Former Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and ex-Burnley boss Sean Dyche are also under consideration. (Guardian)

Team Europe have created a winning formula for home editions of the Ryder Cup, with Luke Donald’s task now to build on that template and deliver a historic victory on American soil.

Europe head to New York as reigning champions after their impressive 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome, their seventh consecutive home victory, although they have won just four previous away editions of the biennial contest.

Their last three defeats in the United States have been by an average of seven points, including the 10-point drubbing at Whistling Straits four years ago, with the exception being the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ and a final-day comeback in 2012.

Donald was a player in Europe’s last two away victories, having featured as a rookie in 2004 before playing at Medinah in 2012, with the Englishman now looking to become the first golfer since Tony Jacklin to captain Europe to back-to-back Ryder Cup victories.

“We’re drawing inspiration from those away wins for this one,” Donald said in the latest ‘Countdown to the 2025 Ryder Cup’ documentary.

“I think it’s really important to understand that it [winning away] has been done. Yeah, it’s difficult, but we’ve done it a lot more than the US.”

Can Europe build on past away glory?

Donald is the first European player to retain the captaincy since Bernard Gallacher held the role for three consecutive editions in the 1990s, with two of the four previous European away successes coming via a returning captain.

Jacklin – a four-time Ryder Cup captain – was the first to achieve it, following a 1985 win on home soil with an unlikely 15-13 victory over a Jack Nicklaus-led American team two years later.

“It’s very hard not to realise that they’re shouting louder for the home crowd than they are for you!” Jacklin said. “That’s where you need a captain that’s been through the mill. We need to be armoured mentally and you’ve got to turn that into determination.

“The only advice I could really give Luke was to be everybody’s best friend. It’s an amazing week for a captain and you’ve got this incredible one-on-one relationship with every player.

“He is aware of how intense it is for everybody, most of all him! You can’t work hard enough as a captain to nurture that friendship, because these guys are going out into the big unknown. As good as they may be, there’s no hiding place in a Ryder Cup – you are totally exposed!”

Jacklin retained the trophy with a draw in the 1989 contest before Gallacher captained Europe for the next three editions, losing the 1991 and 1993 Ryder Cups before leading them to victory at Oak Hill in 1995.

The 1991 edition referred to as the ‘War on the Shore’ due to the intense rivalry and contentious arguments between the two teams, while the following contest remains the last time the United States have won the Ryder Cup on European soil.

“I didn’t particularly want to be a captain for a third time,” Gallacher admitted about the 1995 contest, won 14.5-13.5 by Europe. “It was certainly job done – I was never going to do it again. It all fell into place the way it didn’t for me in the previous two.”

Could Europe replicate Langer’s big win?

An inexperienced European side threatened a shock victory at the ‘Battle of Brookline’ in 1999, when Mark James’ side failed to convert a 10-6 lead on the final day, but won the next three Ryder Cups – including a record-breaking away win in 2004.

“I think communication is the key [as captain],” said Bernhard Langer, who led Europe to an 18.5-9.5 victory that year. “You have to tell every player how good they are, how great they are, how valued they are and install confidence.

“The pressure can be overwhelming, but you’ve got to try and enjoy it, embrace it and say ‘this is what I’ve worked on for two years. I’m here, I’m going to enjoy this and not let the pressure take over’.”

Donald, who was a 21-year-old rookie in that victory, said: “He [Langer] just seemed very with it, seemed to have a plan for everything and didn’t leave a stone unturned.”

Colin Montgomerie, who secured the winning point that year, added: “He [Langer] had plan A, B, C, D ready but we didn’t need B, C or D – we stuck to plan A because it was working! That was probably the best victory – by a record margin by a young team, away from home – of all.”

A true golfing miracle in Medinah

Europe thrashed the USA by the same margin in Ireland two years’ later but were beaten at Valhalla in 2008, only to follow regaining the trophy in 2010 by completing a miraculous comeback in the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Jose Maria Olazabal’s side were 10-4 down in the Saturday fourballs before winning the last two matches, then claimed 8.5 points on the final day to deliver the biggest singles comeback in European history.

“The Miracle at Medinah was a miracle – I still don’t know, to this day how we won that Ryder Cup,” said Paul McGinley, vice-captain that week, the 2014 captain and the strategic advisor to Donald for this year’s contest. “It was just incredible how one thing led to another.”

An emotional Olazabal paid tribute to European legend and good friend Seve Ballesteros after that win, the first Ryder Cup since the five-time major champion’s death, with the legacy of both Spaniards being taken into future European teams.

Olazabal, who served as a vice-captain in 2023 and will again this month, said: “He [Donald] knows what it takes to win a Ryder Cup, even away from home.

“Being the captain away from home is going to be very, very difficult – especially in New York. Luke’s not afraid of the challenge.”

Donald targeting New York victory

Every Ryder Cup since has been won by the home team, with Team Europe beaten by a six-point margin in 2016 and thrashed 19-9 in 2021 before Donald regained the trophy in the 2023 edition.

Europe have retained 11 of their 12-man line-up and four of the five vice-captains from the 2023 contest, with Rasmus Hojgaard replacing twin brother Nicolai in the playing roster and Alex Noren joining the backroom staff in place of Nicolas Colsaerts.

“I’m not saying we’re going to win at Bethpage, because it’s going to be incredibly difficult, but I will say we will probably be the best prepared away team that we’ve ever had,” McGinley added about Donald’s team.

“It’s a question now of can we deliver? Can we deliver under that hostile environment and can our players deliver to the high levels required to get to 14.5 points? The performance of your top players is key.”

The United States will head into the 2025 contest as slight favourites due to home advantage and having 12 players inside the world’s top 25, although Donald hopes Europe’s preparation can help them to victory.

Donald said: “If they [his players] are playing well and they’re matching very similar to the US, but you create a little bit of a better culture for them to succeed in and a better environment, that’s when we might have the edge.”

When is the Ryder Cup live on Sky Sports?

There will be extended live coverage from every day of Ryder Cup week, starting on Monday September 22, where Team Europe look to regain the trophy with a historic away win in the United States.

Round-the-clock coverage of the opening day’s play will begin with live build-up from 9am on Friday September 26, ahead of full coverage from midday. Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.

Did you know the NFL playoffs actually start in September? Though they’ll be playing out the rest of the 2025 season regardless of what happens in Week 3, 10 teams are essentially playing to keep their hopes of advancing to the real postseason and winning Super Bowl LX alive this weekend.

History tells us that starting 0-2 is a damper on your chances of making it to the playoffs, but beginning the season 0-3 is closer to a death knell. Since 2002 — if we treat the seventh-best team in each conference as a playoff qualifier before the NFL moved to the 14-team postseason format in 2020 — 13.3% of teams that started 0-2 overcame their slow starts and made the postseason. Three squads — the Broncos, Rams and Ravens — did so a year ago.

Dropping to 0-3? Good luck. Since 2002, just three of the 96 teams that opened the season with three straight losses have (or would have) advanced. Two of them are Mike Tomlin-coached Steelers teams that would have snuck into the playoffs as No. 7 seeds in 2013 and 2019. The other is the 2018 Texans, who rolled off a nine-game winning streak after their ugly stretch in September.

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That’s a 3.1% success rate. And though the addition of a 17th game in 2021 gives these teams extra runway to overcome their starts, the reality is that 0-3 usually tells us what we need to know. If you can’t win one of those first three games, you probably don’t have the talent to win nine or 10 of the ensuing 14, either.

So, with 10 teams sitting at 0-2 and fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive this weekend, let’s break down where they stand and their chances of fixing things in the weeks to come. I’ll begin with the team I think has the best chance of righting the ship and getting back into the playoff picture, which probably shouldn’t be a surprise. (I included chances to make the playoffs via ESPN’s Football Power Index.)

Jump to an 0-2 team:
CAR | CHI | CLE | HOU | KC
MIA | NO | NYG | NYJ | TEN

Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 51.8%

Well, you probably figured they would be No. 1. We could obviously talk about the Chiefs and their 0-2 start for an entire column, but there are nine other teams to hit before we finish up, so I’m going to give you the express version.

Though most of the conversation has revolved around a disappointing offense, the Chiefs look even more disjointed on defense right now. Through two games, they rank 23rd in EPA per play allowed and 26th in QBR. Steve Spagnuolo is blitzing at the third-highest rate in the league, but his pressures are getting home at only the 23rd-highest rate. Blitzes that don’t generate pressure are obviously a disaster; they turn the average quarterback into Josh Allen in terms of QBR.

The Chiefs are down safety Justin Reid from last year’s secondary, and free agent addition Kristian Fulton was limited to 15 snaps against the Chargers before leaving the loss to the Eagles after just two snaps with an ankle injury. The spine of the defense has been tilting at windmills with the Chiefs allowing a whopping 11.5 yards per play-action dropback. Only the Bills have been worse, but they have faced just five play-action attempts in 2025 (Kansas City has seen 15).

Offensively, the most realistic way to describe the Chiefs’ problems is a complete and utter lack of anything to hang their hat on. Good offenses have something to fall back on as their core strength. The Ravens can run the ball, so everything builds off that. The Bills have a superhero at quarterback, and that influences how teams play them in coverage. The early Patrick Mahomes teams had the fastest wideout in the league on one side (Tyreek Hill) and a physical force with a sixth sense for finding space on the other (Travis Kelce), forcing defenses to make a compromising decision between man and zone coverages.

Here are the major issues that need to be fixed:

The designed run game is a mess. The Chiefs are 24th in EPA per attempt on designed runs; Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco have a league-average success rate, but there’s virtually no juice or explosiveness coming from that part of the offense. The Chiefs’ longest carry on 28 attempts has gone for 11 yards. A rushing game that’s either average or subpar isn’t going to move the needle or scare opposing defenses.

There aren’t many explosive plays in the passing game, either. Mahomes is attempting more deep passes than he has in recent years, but he has gone 3-of-8 for 136 yards on those throws. Some of those attempts have been 50-50 balls, but Mahomes badly missed an open Tyquan Thornton on a double move for what should have been a 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Eagles.

The Chiefs were tied with the Patriots at the bottom of the deep completion rankings over the past two seasons, hitting on just 29 deep pass attempts. Mahomes’ 53.1 QBR on those throws was 31st in the league. We know Mahomes has the physical ability to make those passes, but he has been one of the league’s least impactful deep throwers since the start of 2023. That wasn’t a problem when the Chiefs were wildly successful underneath, but that also hasn’t been the case in 2025.

They’re not breaking the league on third down. Without the big plays downfield, the Chiefs have survived in recent years by tormenting defenses on third down. Between 2022 and 2024, the Chiefs converted nearly 47% of third downs, trailing only the Bills for the best rate in the NFL. They were the ninth-best offense by EPA per play on first and second down before leading the league there on third down.

This year, Kansas City is 26th in third-down conversion percentage (34.6%). That’s obviously a small sample — we’re talking about only 26 third-down tries — but it’s an indicator of just how dependent the Chiefs have been on those conversions to sustain their offense. If you’re not hitting big plays on the ground or in the air, and you’re not getting short fields from a defense that hasn’t forced any turnovers, you need to matriculate your way down the field and repeatedly pick up third downs to score. The Chiefs need to be among the best third-down offenses in the league for this style to work. They aren’t right now.

They’re not creating mismatches with their personnel groupings. One of the other ways the Chiefs thrived after trading away Hill was leaning into more 12 and 13 personnel, surrounding Kelce with Noah Gray and other tight ends. Those groupings force some teams to play their base defenses (with four defensive backs on the field) or try to defend bigger, more physical players with cornerbacks and safeties. Both of those have been wins for the Chiefs, who loved seeing Kelce matched up against a slow linebacker or an undersized cornerback for the past decade.

There might not be much juice left to squeeze from that particular solution, especially with Kelce turning 36 in a few weeks. The Chiefs have posted a 35% success rate in 12 or 13 personnel this season, down from 50% a season ago. Again, we’re talking about a small sample of 40 plays, but the Chiefs have been significantly more effective working out of 11 personnel (48% success rate) even without Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder injury) for the majority of the season.

When the Chiefs don’t have any of those things going, there’s one element that sustains them on offense: Mahomes’ scrambles. That was apparent in the first half against the Eagles, when it seemed as if the entire offense was built on him jumping at the first sign of an open running lane. In Week 2, Mahomes scrambled for 66 yards, his second-highest total as a pro, with 60 of those yards coming before halftime.

Mahomes’ single-game record is 69 yards in that fateful 42-36 playoff win over the Bills; leaning more heavily on his legs has typically been a postseason tactic for the Chiefs. It’s not going to be a sustainable way to run this offense, but it might push defenses into playing more zone and less man against an underwhelming group of receivers. If Mahomes takes a hit while scrambling and has to leave the game or miss time, there will be no way back for this offense.

As it stands? The Chiefs aren’t hopeless, but they have to find something to build the offense around. Do they go under center and lean into more gap runs as opposed to the RPOs and shotgun rushing attack they’ve used with Mahomes? Can they use the threat of his scrambles to lean into their zone beaters? Will Mahomes start hitting enough deep throws to get safeties to sit in a different area code again? Or will we get four more weeks of this before Rice and Worthy are both presumably back and the Chiefs return to their 2024 offensive game plan?

The Chiefs have a tough schedule coming up with games against the Ravens, Lions, Commanders and Bills before their Week 10 bye. They’re not going to win many of those playing the way they have through two weeks. But I would still take them making the playoffs.

As for the Super Bowl? Well, three teams have begun 0-2 and won a Lombardi Trophy, although they changed significantly after their slow starts. The 1991 Cowboys were without Emmitt Smith, who held out for the first two games of the season before returning in Week 3. The 2001 Patriots gave Tom Brady his first career start in Week 3. And the 2007 Giants were an embarrassment on defense, allowing 80 points through the first two weeks and 17 more in the first half of Week 3 before launching a comeback victory over Washington and looking much more capable the rest of the way.

Do the Chiefs have that in them? I think so, but this isn’t a great team enduring some bad luck. It’s an average, maybe below-average, team that has faced two clearly better opponents. The Chiefs have to be somebody else to become themselves again.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 24.3%

Texans fans will undoubtedly find it frustrating that their team is 0-2. In addition to the understandable preseason expectations after winning the AFC South and wild-card games in back-to-back seasons, the Texans were only a couple of plays away from starting 2-0. Running back Dare Ogunbowale fumbled in the red zone on a potential winning touchdown drive in Week 1, handing the ball to the Rams, who won 14-9. On Monday night, they just needed an unblocked Henry To’oTo’o to sack or even slow down Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield on a fourth-and-10. Mayfield escaped, scrambled for a first down, and drove the Bucs downfield for a touchdown and a one-point win.

It’s one thing to lose two close games to a pair of last season’s playoff teams. It’s another to play the way the Texans have in doing so. After devoting every resource this offseason to fixing their most obvious weaknesses, they look as if absolutely nothing has changed. Even with a new offensive coordinator and new players, the Texans still can’t sort out pressure and protect quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Nick Caserio rebuilt the line over the offseason, moving out Laremy Tunsil, Kenyon Green and Shaq Mason while importing an entire line’s worth of potential new starters: tackles Cam Robinson, Trent Brown and Aireontae Ersery, guards Laken Tomlinson and Ed Ingram, and center Jake Andrews. With the Texans holding on to several of their own younger linemen, there was suddenly meaningful competition at every spot up front in camp.

But the early returns on those moves aren’t promising. Brown was sent to the practice squad. Andrews injured his ankle in the opener and sat out the Bucs game. Robinson, signed to a one-year deal for $12 million, was benched after the Week 1 loss and didn’t play an offensive snap in Week 2. Tomlinson looked physically overwhelmed and was literally thrown to the ground by Greg Gaines before a sack Monday night. He wasn’t the only one, as Ogunbowale was run over by Bucs safety Tykee Smith on a slot blitz for another sack. It’s hard to play quarterback when your blockers are on the ground.

Ersery has done his best, but it’s hard to imagine that the best practices for any second-round rookie would be starting at right tackle in Week 1 before suddenly moving to left tackle in Week 2. He has given up one sack and three quick pressures in two games, which is reasonable enough. But Tytus Howard wasn’t able to consistently handle Haason Reddick at right tackle, leaving the Texans with no reliable lineman around whom to build their pass protection.

There also are still structural issues. As Geoff Schwartz noted after Week 1, the Rams were able to overload the Texans and sack Stroud on a play in which he didn’t change the protection after he saw the Rams’ front. That was a problem that also popped up for the Texans on a key fourth down against the Chiefs in last season’s playoffs. Stroud either needs to be able to change that protection or have an answer to get the ball out quickly if he ends up being hot to one side, making the free rusher his responsibility.

The Bucs used some of Todd Bowles’ classic tricks to create structural pressure on Stroud. A late stem from the Buccaneers created an awkward block for Harrison Bryant, and Stroud was forced from the pocket by a slot pressure. Bowles created a sack with what’s colloquially known as a “coffee house” stunt, where a defender feigns as if he’s dropping back into coverage for a step or two, convincing linemen he isn’t part of the protection call, before then jumping back into the rush. It created arguably the easiest sack of Lavonte David‘s career.

One of the ways to keep out of those exotic pressures, and prevent teams from pinning their ears back to go after Stroud, is running the football. But after the Texans struggled to do that in 2024, they haven’t been much better in 2025. Nick Chubb did hit a 25-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Texans a brief lead, but his previous 11 carries had gone for a total of 18 yards.

Through two weeks, only 29% of Houston’s designed runs on first and second down have been successful in terms of keeping the offense on schedule, which ranks 31st in the league, ahead of only the Cardinals. (If you’re a Cardinals fan wondering why the offense hasn’t lived up to expectations through two weeks, here’s your answer.) As a result, the Texans are again forcing Stroud to live in second-and-long and third-and-long. On 16 of the Texans’ 18 drives this season, Stroud has faced either a second or third down with nine or more yards to go. More than 48% of their second- and third-down snaps have come with 9-plus yards to the first, a figure topped only by the Bears.

The other concern for the Texans has to be that the AFC South suddenly looks more menacing than last year, when Houston went 5-1 in its division. The Colts are 2-0. The Jags were a fourth-down stop away from joining them. I’m certainly not counting out the Texans — they still have star defenders and Stroud. Maybe the offensive line jells in the weeks to come and the Texans find some sort of a running game.

Last season, though, the Texans were a league-average team that won 10 games because they faced a below-average schedule and went 6-3 in one-score games. That formula wasn’t going to be sustainable in 2025. And right now, while they’re probably unlucky to start 0-2, the Texans sure look a lot like the frustrating team we saw last season.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 6.3%

Well, it was fun for a quarter or two. The Ben Johnson era came in with a bang Monday night in Week 1, as the Bears marched down the field for an opening-drive touchdown. Despite holding a win expectancy north of 91% as they entered the fourth quarter, though, the Bears blew their lead to the Vikings before they were unmercifully stomped by the Lions in Week 2. What felt like the dawning of a new era quickly faded into the same old Bears.

Of course, the Johnson hire was simultaneously about improving the team and fixing frustrating 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, who had burned through one coach and two coordinators in his first year with the organization. The goal for every team is to win as often as possible, but from a fan perspective, a successful debut season for Johnson was going to be more about getting Williams right than Chicago’s win-loss record at the end of the season.

So how is Williams doing? Two things can be true. On one hand, Williams isn’t “fixed” or a finished product like the one the Bears saw on the opening drive of the season. He has a 26.6% off-target rate this season, nearly double the league average (14.2%). Williams has the third-highest expected completion percentage (70.1%, per NFL Next Gen Stats) yet is completing only 61.5% of his throws; the only quarterback underproducing his expected completion percentage by a higher margin this season is Patrick Mahomes.

Williams has still been prone to the occasional bout of hero ball, particularly when the Bears have trailed and he has been under pressure. Some of the throws he produces in those moments are not compatible with surviving as an NFL quarterback, even if they don’t always lead to interceptions. Williams’ second-and-32 interception against the Lions was probably the right time to throw up a prayer, but it would be nice if that pass had been at least within catchable range of a Bears wideout.

Simultaneously, this is a much better quarterback than the one we saw raging against the light last year. Williams has a 57.5 QBR, up more than 14 points from where he finished the 2024 season. Some of that is a product of his solid work as a scrambler, but even if we leave that out of the equation, Williams’ QBR on passes and sacks is still up 10 points.

Johnson said after the Lions game that he saw week-to-week growth from Williams as a passer, and I’m inclined to agree. Williams is very clearly growing more comfortable working through his progressions within the pocket and getting to the right place with the football on a more consistent basis. He played with more anticipation and made accurate throws to help create several explosive plays, most notably on a well-thrown double move to Rome Odunze for 37 yards. Ted Nguyen of The Athletic noted that Williams broke out of play structure only four times during the game, a step in the right direction for a QB who lived out of structure to his detriment in 2024.

Though Williams isn’t good enough right now to single-handedly drag this team into games on a weekly basis, he’s not the problem with the Bears’ offense. What’s worrying is that the issues are more pervasive. All Johnson had to do Sunday was look across the field at a Lions team that gashed the Bears on the ground. One week earlier, the same offense had been completely inept running the football against the Packers, which shut down Jared Goff and the passing attack as a result.

Chicago’s run game has been virtually nonexistent through two weeks. D’Andre Swift & Co. are last in the league in EPA per designed run and 30th in success rate, ahead of only the Texans and Cardinals. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Swift isn’t a great fit for Johnson’s run game; remember that the Lions traded away Swift during Johnson’s time with the team and had much more success running the football with Jamaal Williams, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Swift has also been overwhelmed in pass protection. He’s a change-of-pace back being forced to serve as the lead back because the Bears paid him as such before the 2024 season, when he signed before Derrick Henry yet received the same average salary.

The Bears didn’t make any meaningful additions to their backfield this offseason, so seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai has been the primary backup to Swift. Don’t be shocked if the Bears go get someone who’s a more effective runner between the tackles and a sturdier pass blocker before the trade deadline. This offense isn’t going to thrive unless the run game is working.

The offense as a whole is still figuring things out. As Yahoo’s Matt Harmon noted, it takes time for motion-heavy offenses in new places to get settled without pre-snap penalties. The Bears are tied for the league lead with six false starts. The much-ballyhooed new interior offensive line is still jelling together, and when Johnson has had to keep things simple, teams have been able to exploit its weaknesses, like when the Vikings got a free rusher up the A-gap on Williams on the play when DJ Moore was hit hard downfield (a spectacular throw, for what it’s worth). The Bears aren’t some finished product on offense, but they’re better than public perception suggests right now.

I can’t say the same about the defense, which has looked awful for the past five quarters. Even with their pick-six of J.J. McCarthy and a great three quarters to start the season against the Vikings, Dennis Allen’s unit ranks 31st in EPA per play, ahead of only the Dolphins. At times against the Lions, the Bears looked like a junior varsity squad playing bigger, faster, virtually uncatchable varsity players.

The problems start in the secondary, where the Bears haven’t had slot corner Kyler Gordon all season. Top corner Jaylon Johnson sat out the opener because of a groin injury and then, per Johnson, sustained a new groin issue against the Lions. He’s out indefinitely, leaving the Bears down to Tyrique Stevenson, Nick McCloud and Nahshon Wright at cornerback. Stevenson and Wright both allowed perfect 158.3 passer ratings as the nearest defender in coverage against the Lions, and McCloud was a relative shutdown corner with his 132.9 mark. In an ideal world for Allen, Stevenson would be the third-best cornerback on the team and the guy who gets the most help of the bunch. In this version of the Bears’ defense, he’s nominally their best CB on paper.

It’s a vicious cycle. Because the secondary is in a shambles, Allen can’t play much man coverage, which was a goal for this defense heading into the season. And without any faith in the cornerbacks, the Bears can’t send extra rushers, with Chicago running the NFL’s fourth-lowest blitz rate. And because they can’t blitz, the Bears don’t get any pressure, with their 20.8% pressure rate good for 28th in the league. And if you don’t get pressure, life’s going to be much tougher on your defensive backs.

The fairest thing to say for the Bears as a whole is that they’re still very much figuring things out. The same is true for Johnson, whose game management in his debut was sorely lacking. He threw the challenge flag for a fumble that was never going to be overturned. Then, with the Bears trying to get the kickoff back to the Vikings before the two-minute warning, he didn’t instruct Cairo Santos to kick the ball out of bounds or even just a yard or two forward to immediately create a landing zone violation. Instead, he trusted Santos to boot the ball all the way through the end zone, which failed.

This is a work in progress, and it’s closer to the beginning of that process than the end.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 5.1%

It seems as if the Dolphins have been through a season’s worth of conflicts in two weeks. Visibly disgruntled wide receiver? Players-only meeting? Blowout loss? Blown fourth-quarter lead against a division rival at home? The Dolphins have done it all. The most popular conversation surrounding Miami is whether wide receiver Tyreek Hill or coach Mike McDaniel will be the first to leave town.

I’m not sure getting rid of either makes sense, at least not right now. Hill is clearly frustrated, and the organization essentially choosing to forget when he asked out of the lineup and requested a trade at the end of last season couldn’t have done wonders for locker room morale. But this offense isn’t going to get better without Hill in the lineup. And although McDaniel is unlikely to return for another season at this rate, given owner Stephen Ross’ history of firing coaches, the Dolphins are almost surely going to be looking outside the building for their next hire — which they’d obviously do only in the offseason.

Do the Dolphins have any hope of turning things around? Week 2 suggests so. The offense was completely inept in the Week 1 loss to the Colts, but one week later, it scored 20 points on eight drives against the Patriots. Hill had a 109-yard game, including his first 40-plus-yard catch in over a year. The Dolphins came within a De’Von Achane footstep of scoring a touchdown to take the lead with 1:15 to go. It wasn’t exactly the 70-point stomping of the Broncos in 2023, but it was a major step in the right direction after a truly awful week.

That game against the Broncos might actually be another reason to be patient. Denver allowed 70 points after giving up 35 to a Sam Howell-led Commanders offense one week earlier. The Broncos looked like a historically bad defense in the making. What happened? They got better. Vance Joseph’s defense was 12th in EPA per play over the remainder of 2023 and then led the league by the same metric the following season. I’m not saying that sort of turnaround is necessarily in the cards for the Dolphins, but one disaster game and one mediocre one shouldn’t be enough to insist upon a cleanout.

The problem for the Dolphins, at least on offense, is that it’s tough to see how they can unlock a new level of play. We saw the best version of this offense in 2022 and 2023, when Miami had a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle in Terron Armstead and a solid guard in Robert Hunt. Armstead retired; Hunt left for the Panthers; and the Dolphins haven’t invested heavily in replacements. Patrick Paul and Jonah Savaiinaea are still working things out on the left side, while right tackle Austin Jackson just went on injured reserve. Tua Tagovailoa‘s blind side is being protected by former Bears reserve Larry Borom.

The 2023 Dolphins hit another level by dominating on the ground, something that hasn’t recurred since then. Miami is 31st in EPA per play on designed runs since the start of 2024, and although it was excellent on them in the opener against the Colts, the early deficit took the run game out of the picture. McDaniel has essentially turned Achane into an every-down back, which gets Miami’s most talented runner the ball — but it also puts a lot of wear and tear on the 5-foot-9 191-pounder. McDaniel is widely regarded as one of the most creative and revered run scheme builders in the NFL, so this appears to be more of a talent issue up front than a schematic concern.

Even if the offense gets going, though, the defense looks bad on paper and hasn’t played out much better in practice. The hope was always that a deep front four, led by Chop Robinson, Zach Sieler, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, would be able to cover for the secondary — which looks like GM Chris Grier simply forgot about the concept of defensive backs. When the Dolphins fleshed out their biggest weak spot by signing Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas in training camp and then playing them for meaningful snaps right out of the gate, it spoke to just how much of a mess cornerback was (and still is) for the Dolphins.

Unfortunately for coordinator Anthony Weaver, the pass rush hasn’t taken over games yet. The Dolphins rank 29th in pressure rate this season, ahead of only the 49ers, Panthers and Colts. They’ve done that with the NFL’s fourth-highest blitz rate, which seems incomprehensible and illogical given how limited they are at cornerback. It would be one thing if those blitzes were working, but Miami is 27th in opponent QBR when sending extra rushers this season.

After the Dolphins’ ugly Week 1 loss, I said it was too early to rule them out, considering how easy their schedule would be over the coming weeks. Well, one of those winnable games was at home against the Patriots, and the Dolphins just lost that one. Traveling to western New York in September is a lot different from playing there in December or January, but the Dolphins now need to beat the Bills to save their season. If they lose to Buffalo — and follow that up with a loss to the Jets or the Panthers over the two ensuing games — the wheels might come off entirely. Some might say they already have.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 3.7%

I wrote at length about Sunday’s dramatic loss to the Cowboys in my Monday column, so I won’t dwell on what we saw from Big Blue in Week 2. When I picked them before the season as one of the teams most likely to improve in 2025, I focused on a few factors that seemed likely to drive a more competent version of the Giants. Let’s check in on how those are faring through two weeks:

Better performance in the red zone. Last season’s Giants averaged just 3.8 points per red zone trip, becoming the only team in 2024 and just the third over the past five seasons to average fewer than four points per red zone possession. The 2020 and 2023 Jets were the only other teams to come up short of that four-point barrier. Does the turf suddenly go uphill at the 20-yard line in East Rutherford?

History tells us that teams that struggle that much in the red zone almost always get better inside the 20 the following year. Through two weeks, the Giants are proving to be the impetus for including “almost” in that prior sentence, averaging a league-low 2.7 points per red zone trip. They’ve notched just one touchdown on seven trips inside the 20, including a downright embarrassing sequence against the Commanders in Week 1 where the Giants failed to score on seven straight plays. Coach Brian Daboll simply shut down and decided to kick what could be the angriest field goal of the 2025 season.

There isn’t just one problem. The Giants aren’t a good conventional run team, so they rely heavily on bootlegs and quarterback movement to try to misdirect defenses. Those haven’t yielded open receivers. Malik Nabers is their best individual playmaker and the player most likely to win one-on-one in tight quarters, but while he was targeted three times inside the 20 in Week 1, the only completion came on a screen where none of the blockers arrived on time. Daboll is fluent in the quarterback run game from his time working with Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Daniel Jones, but he’s not going to run power with Russell Wilson.

Could Jaxson Dart be the solution? He could help, although the one time he got to keep the ball Sunday produced a 3-yard loss on a failed zone read. Taking a longer view, this should get better with time and a larger sample. But I think it’s fair to wonder whether Daboll and coordinator Mike Kafka have any schematic answers. The Saquon Barkley-led 2022 offense was good for the seventh-best red zone touchdown rate, but the Giants fell to 31st there in 2023. Barkley is not coming through the door in North Jersey in Giants colors anytime soon, so New York will need to find something or someone it can lean on inside the 20.

A healthier year from left tackle Andrew Thomas. Outside of perhaps Nabers, there isn’t a more essential player on this roster than Thomas. The Giants are deep enough on the defensive line that they could lose one of their standouts and get by, but Thomas is arguably the only above-average pass protector on a unit that has been a perennial disappointment. As I wrote before the season, the Giants had the league’s 21st-best offense with Thomas on the field during Daboll’s past three years in New York; they had the 32nd offense when he was on the sideline or inactive.

The Giants were hoping for a healthy season from Thomas after he missed most of 2024 with a Lisfranc injury, but he didn’t play during the preseason and hasn’t been able to suit up yet for the regular season. With Evan Neal a healthy scratch, the Giants first turned to James Hudson III, who struggled against the Commanders before melting down against the Cowboys. He committed four penalties in a four-play span before being benched.

Third-stringer Marcus Mbow didn’t actively set the offense back, but Giants left tackles have allowed 12 pressures this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. In an ideal world, the Giants could rely on Thomas as an anchor and give right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor more help. Instead, they have needed to help out their left tackles, and Eluemunor allowed six pressures in the loss to the Cowboys, four of which were what Next Gen Stats defines as quick pressures (when a player loses almost immediately after the snap).

Great defensive line play. The Giants posted the best sack rate of the 21st century through eight games in 2024, and though they faded in the second half, the arrival of Abdul Carter added another potentially elite player to their front four. If the Giants were going to control games, it was going to be through that defensive line winning up front.

Through two games, the line hasn’t dominated. The Giants are posting a 19.4% pressure rate when they don’t blitz, which ranks 26th in the league. They’re running the third-best sack-to-pressure rate in those situations, which hints at the finishing talent they have up front, but the Giants were 10th in pressure rate without blitzing through eight games a year ago.

They’ve also been abysmal against the run, ranking dead last in EPA per play against designed runs. Losing linebacker Micah McFadden in the opener (foot) and replacement Darius Muasau in the third quarter against the Cowboys (concussion) hasn’t helped, but this Dexter Lawrence-led front is supposed to physically overwhelm opposing offensive lines. So far, it hasn’t been able to stop the run whatsoever.

The Giants came within a 64-yard field goal of beating the Cowboys, which would have been a pleasant victory, but there’s nothing in their formula or underlying play right now suggesting they’re about to go on a run. That might change once Dart gets into the lineup, but until they start winning the line of scrimmage and get through a difficult slate of early-season opponents, I’m not sure the identity of the quarterback matters much.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 7.3%

Well, the good vibes around the Jets’ offense lasted exactly one week. Justin Fields posted the worst QBR of his career (1.1), going 3-of-11 for 27 yards with an interception before leaving Sunday’s game against the Bills with a concussion. The Jets ran the ball reasonably well for the second consecutive week, but they went 0-for-11 on third down, matching what they did against these same Bills from November 2023.

Though a few of those third downs were third-and-forever spots, the Jets were sloppier in Week 2 than they were against the Steelers in the opener. Fields (and Tyrod Taylor, who came in late to replace the injured starter) weren’t throwing with anticipation. Running back Breece Hall, who was very effective making defenders miss in Week 1, couldn’t pick up 3 yards on a throw to the flat. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson slipped after a catch and couldn’t grab extra yardage. The Jets missed contributions from players such as receiver Josh Reynolds, who was out with a hamstring injury.

This isn’t an offense built to play from behind. Fields hasn’t been a consistently effective dropback passer, and trailing takes the run game and the threat of play-action away from Tanner Engstrand’s offense. Wilson is the only reliable receiver in the offense. If the Jets go down double digits in the first half, as they did when the Bills scored 20 points, they will struggle to catch up. If they can stay close or take the lead, as they did against the Steelers, it will keep the playbook open for 60 minutes. That’s going to be a prerequisite for the Jets throughout the season.

Fields is already out for the Bucs game in Week 3, and when he will return is uncertain. And there’s obviously a conflict here. He has never finished a full season as a pro, missing time in each of his three years with the Bears because of injuries before spending much of 2024 on the bench in Pittsburgh. So the Jets need to protect Fields in their game plan. But the best version of their offense should include Fields on designed runs between the tackles, which invariably means a heavy hit rate. And then as a dropback passer, Fields has an astronomical 11.8% sack rate as a pro quarterback. Some of those sacks are extended plays where Fields is scrambling and can’t escape a defender, but he has taken too many hits in the pocket over the years.

Some of the wrinkles the Jets tried in the first two weeks didn’t help. On the play where Fields reportedly suffered his concussion, the Jets got to the line and tried to quick-snap to catch the Bills off guard, leaving them in a simple protection look without any time to redeclare or reset the line. As a result, rookie tight end Mason Taylor was left one-on-one against edge rusher Joey Bosa, who easily won the mismatch and strip-sacked Fields. Those quick snaps worked for the Ravens in Week 1 against Buffalo, but Lamar Jackson is simply a much more dynamic and effective quarterback than Fields.

The more concerning thing might be that the Jets’ defense hasn’t bounced back from last season’s post-Robert Saleh firing swoon. It’s one thing for Josh Allen and the Bills to score 30, but the Steelers getting to 34 might end up being Pittsburgh’s highest-scoring game of the year. The Jets are 28th in EPA per play on defense through two games.

Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady did a good job of getting the Jets into uncomfortable positions. The Bills picked on third-year linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball, who has been playing the first regular snaps of his career when the Jets are in their base defense. Allen’s biggest pass of the game was a 32-yard crosser to Joshua Palmer, who lined up in the slot against Sauce Gardner, where the star cornerback is typically less comfortable.

Aaron Glenn unsurprisingly leaned more heavily into man coverage after majoring in it during his time as the Lions’ defensive coordinator. The Jets played man 50.6% of the time last season, but that went up to 61.8% in the opener before Glenn pared it back to 46.7% last week. The latter move was more about Allen than any sort of philosophy shift; the Bills’ QB torches man coverage with his arm and legs and led Buffalo to 48 points on the Lions a year ago. Gardner will do just fine in man, but it remains to be seen whether free agent signing Brandon Stephens — who got a curiously significant contract after a disappointing year with the Ravens — can do the same. He has allowed a 144.0 passer rating and two touchdowns through two games.

Nobody in the AFC East plays a particularly difficult schedule, and the Jets have games against the Dolphins, Cowboys, Panthers and Browns coming up. The Jets outplayed the Steelers and probably deserved to win that game. If they can keep Fields in the lineup and don’t fall too far behind, they’re going to be a frustrating out. Until the defense finds its way, though, the Jets won’t be able to get out to many early leads.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 5.5%

At least it’s less depressing than it was this time last year! After Week 2 in 2024, the Panthers were benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton, a sign that the organization had given up on its 2023 No. 1 pick after a little more than one season. The Panthers told everyone who would listen that they weren’t actually moving on from their QB of the future, and to their credit, Young came back later in the season and looked like a much better passer. And heading into 2025, there was a renewed optimism surrounding Young, who looked a lot more like the guy the Panthers were hoping to add when they traded a massive haul to the Bears to acquire him.

Well, two games into 2025, some of that optimism has already evaporated. Young ranks 29th in QBR; his 36.3 mark is about halfway between where Young stood at this time a year ago (7.2) and how he played during the second half of 2024 after his return from the bench (62.7). Young doesn’t look overmatched in the way we saw during that brutal 2024 start, but he simply hasn’t been good enough. He’s averaging just 5.4 yards per attempt without completing even 60% of his passes through two games.

The worst part has been turnovers. Young has thrown three picks through two games, all of which have been on ill-advised decisions. A fourth, maybe the worst interception thrown by any quarterback in a game all season, was a pick-six against the Jaguars in Week 1 that was mercifully called back because of a penalty. An offense that’s not efficient, turning the ball over and not generating many big plays isn’t very appealing.

And while Young hasn’t often had much help at receiver, Tetairoa McMillan looks as if he’s going to be very good. He made a really nice subtle catch in Week 2 on what ended up being a 40-yard catch-and-run from Young, taking in a pass that was a little low without stopping his stride and running through the Cardinals’ secondary for extra yardage. He has averaged just over 2 yards per route run through two games. Xavier Legette, on the other hand, has 8 yards on 75 routes, for a smooth 0.1 yards per route run. Only five wide receivers who ran 50 routes in their team’s first two games since 2007 have gotten off to a worse start.

The line has been an issue. Yosh Nijman filled in at left tackle in the opener and gave up a league-high six quick quarterback pressures, most of which came at the hands of Josh Hines-Allen. Ikem Ekwonu was back from his appendectomy for Week 2, but he gave up four quick pressures in his first appearance of the season. (We’ve seen offensive linemen struggle to regain their form quickly after appendectomies, with Peter Skoronski‘s rookie season as an example.)

Even worse, the Panthers lost two of their starting linemen, with Pro Bowl guard Robert Hunt going down because of a biceps injury that is likely to end his season, while center Austin Corbett hit injured reserve because of an MCL injury and is out indefinitely. In addition to fielding two backups in the middle of the line for the next couple of months, it’s worth noting that Ekwonu’s 2024 improvement came after the Panthers added a very good guard next door. I would be worried about the potential for regression there without Hunt in the lineup. This is a real problem for Young and the offense.

The Panthers also lost a key lineman early in 2024, but that was on the defensive side, where Derrick Brown went down in the opener and sat out the rest of the season. With Brown returning to the lineup and the addition of Tershawn Wharton in free agency, the hope was that a Panthers defense that was dire against the run might noticeably improve.

Not off to a great start. With Wharton limited to 18 snaps in the opener and sitting out Week 2 because of a hamstring injury, the Panthers have given up 188 rushing yards on designed runs through two games, ahead of only the Bills, who faced Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. They’re 17th by EPA per designed rush attempt after a solid day against the Cardinals, but Ejiro Evero’s defense almost singlehandedly revived Travis Etienne Jr.’s fantasy stock. Etienne went for 143 yards on 16 carries in Week 1, including a 71-yard run on split zone where new addition Tre’von Moehrig got caught up in flotsam and free safety Nick Scott couldn’t make a tackle as the last line of defense.

It’s just too easy to find a weak spot for this team on both sides of the football. Run the ball, and you’ll eventually get a missed tackle from someone like Scott or Christian Rozeboom. Don’t want to throw at Jaycee Horn? You can target the safeties or throw at Chau Smith-Wade. The Jags controlled the line by overwhelming Nijman, and if defenses are able to stop McMillan, I’m not sure anybody else in the passing game is going to be able to consistently win for Young against tight coverage.

It seems telling that FPI is willing to give the Panthers only a 5.5% shot of landing a playoff berth in the NFC South, where nobody has looked great in several years, let alone through two games of the 2025 season. This is Year 3 with Young and Evero, and it’s Year 2 with coach Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan. We should be seeing signs of growth. But I’m not sure there have been many on the film or in the data through two games.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 3.6%

Titans fans hoping Cam Ward would be the latest top draft pick to propel a moribund team from the bottom of the standings into an immediate playoff berth are probably accepting that this isn’t the 2023 Texans or 2024 Commanders. Through two weeks, Ward is last in the NFL in QBR (19.8). He’s averaging 2.8 yards per dropback; of the 625 qualifying quarterbacks who started the first two games of their teams’ seasons going back through the 2007 season, Ward ranks 624th by that metric. Only Blaine Gabbert‘s 2013 season (1.9 yards per dropback, somehow) was worse.

Ranking 624th out of 625 is unquestionably not great, but I don’t think he has actually been anywhere near that bad. There’s no questioning his arm talent, and while there have been a few scattershot throws, you can pretty easily see why the Titans had no qualms about making him the first pick in this year’s draft. Ward is a fun improviser and shows nice touch on throws to the sideline, including the would-be completion to Elic Ayomanor that Brian Callahan neglected to challenge against the Broncos in Week 1, seemingly out of some confusion regarding the league’s catch rules.

Ward is averaging nearly 9 air yards per throw, so while his completion percentage (50.8%) is terrible, it’s at least partially mitigated by how often he is throwing downfield. He’s 5-of-24 on throws of 10 or more yards downfield, which obviously has to get better in the coming weeks if the Titans want to score more than one touchdown per game.

The big problem for Ward and the offense has been taking sacks. Every young quarterback seemingly needs to learn that running directly backward to escape pressure doesn’t work in the NFL unless you’re Lamar Jackson. Ward found that out in the fourth quarter against the Broncos, taking three sacks for double-digit yardage losses in the final 15 minutes alone. He didn’t take another one of those in the subsequent loss to the Rams, which is a positive sign.

With that being said, even on the plays in which Ward isn’t tunneling backward toward his end zone, pass protection has been a major problem. Playing the Broncos and Rams to start the season hasn’t helped, but the offensive line was supposed to be the backbone that propelled the offense forward in 2025. The Titans were moving JC Latham from left tackle to his natural position at right tackle. They spent big on Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, added veteran guard Kevin Zeitler on the interior and welcomed back Lloyd Cushenberry III from a torn Achilles. With legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan in his second season with the team, the Titans were supposed to be much better up front in 2025.

It hasn’t gone well so far. Moore, who gave up the most sacks in the NFL last season per the NFL Next Gen Stats, hasn’t looked any better in Tennessee than he did in Pittsburgh. He has given up three sacks and 12 pressures through two games, seven of which are of the quick pressure variety, which ties him for the most in the league. Latham gave up a sack and two pressures in the opener and then went down because of a hip injury; he was replaced by Olisaemeka Udoh in Week 1 and John Ojukwu in Week 2 against the Rams. Between the three of them, they’ve given up four sacks and 10 pressures in Ward’s first two games.

If you don’t trust your tackles, you can’t lean into play-action, which makes every quarterback’s life easier. Tennessee can try protecting with six or seven and helping the tackles out with chips, but that’s keeping receivers from getting into their routes and forces more attention on a group of receivers that might already be the least imposing in the NFL without the help. The Titans used a first-round pick on Latham and spent more than $20 million per year to sign Moore in free agency under the idea that they wouldn’t need to be worried about their tackles for years to come. The early returns aren’t promising.

I’ve been more enthused by the Titans’ defense, which has looked solid through three quarters in consecutive games before gassing out in the fourth. The Titans are 14th in EPA per play on defense through three quarters before falling to 28th in the final stanza, where the Broncos and Rams scored 20 of their 53 combined points.

Even with limited snaps for L’Jarius Sneed and a missing game from T’Vondre Sweat, the Titans have looked more cohesive in 2025. Jeffery Simmons has been the difference-maker the Titans need, leading the team with seven pressures, two of which produced turnovers. The new linebacker duo of Cody Barton and Cedric Gray has played well in coverage, with Barton producing a really impressive pick of Matthew Stafford last week, dropping all the way from the line of scrimmage into the flat to hand the Titans a short field.

And the special teams, which was disastrously bad in 2023 and 2024, has made big plays. The Titans lead the league in special teams DVOA after ranking last in the same category a year ago. They recovered a muffed fumble by Marvin Mims Jr. in Week 1 that gave them a short field and set up what could have been a tying score, only for the offense to go backward. Chimere Dike earned them three points just before halftime that game when he returned a kickoff for 71 yards with six seconds left in the second quarter. Joey Slye is 8-for-8 on field goal attempts, including three from 50-plus yards. Good special teams will keep the Titans in games and could swing a close one or two later in the season.

All of those things help, but the focus in 2025 will obviously be on Ward and what he does in his first year under center. Callahan has to find ways to make his life easier and put less of a load on his young QB’s shoulders, especially in obvious passing situations. The Titans will face easier defenses in the weeks to come, though the Colts do lead the league in QBR after two weeks and the Texans and their brutally devastating set of edge rushers follow. There’s certainly something compelling here with Ward, but 2025 might be more about figuring out how to harness his talent than challenging for a postseason berth.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 5.1%

There are depressing bad teams and fun bad teams. The Saints, through two weeks, fall firmly into the latter category. Quarterback Spencer Rattler throwing the ball around 40 times per week? The Emory and Henry formation? Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley running out a defense with the highest sim pressure and creeper rate in the league? Linebacker Demario Davis thumping opposing run games the way he did in his mid-20s? The Saints have been an entertaining watch through two weeks.

A lot of these teams could make the case that they’re a play or two away from being 2-0. The Saints might be a play or two away from being a play or two away from being 2-0. Trailing 20-13 against the Cardinals in Week 1, Rattler hit tight end Juwan Johnson up the seam for what appeared to be a tying touchdown, only for the ball to come out on his way down. Last week against San Francisco, Rattler threw a pass behind wide receiver Chris Olave for what should have been a touchdown on the opening drive, which ended in a missed field goal attempt. The Saints extended two 49ers TD drives with third-down penalties, then failed to move the ball on two fourth-quarter drives while trailing by five points. It would be wrong to say the Saints came close to winning, but they were close to being close. And they did fun things while coming up just short.

Coach Kellen Moore has the Saints playing at the fastest pace of any team by a considerable margin. Through two weeks, Rattler has thrown 80 passes and the Saints have two (Olave and Johnson) of the league’s 12 players with 20-plus targets. Leaning into tempo makes Rattler’s life easier in terms of seeing fewer exotic defensive looks and tiring out opposing pass rushes. He has been sacked on only 4.6% of his dropbacks this season, which is above league average. He also has not thrown an interception, though that’s not going to stick as long as Rattler is throwing into tight windows at one of the highest rates in the NFL.

Moore’s playcalling was weirdly polarized in the 49ers game. Before the final two drives of the game, when the Saints were essentially in their two-minute drill, 21 of the Saints’ 26 first-down snaps were runs. The Saints leaned heavily into the pass on second downs, with 18 of 25 snaps producing pass dropbacks. There’s nothing wrong with running on first down and throwing on second down, and some of those snaps are going to be RPOs in which Rattler is going to make a decision based on the defensive look. But it’s another quirky thing about what has been a unique offense.

Does all of that add up to a good offense? Not yet. Rattler is averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, which is 31st in the league. The Saints have done a good job limiting negative plays, but when we strip the interceptions and sacks out for everyone, just about everybody else is getting more out of their positive plays than the Saints. Rattler is 27th in EPA per snap excluding sacks and turnovers, right alongside the Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy.

Realistically, the Saints have too many weak spots where they’re either relying on unproven young players or journeymen who wouldn’t be playing on better teams. Up front, Kelvin Banks Jr. (left tackle), Taliese Fuaga (right tackle) and Dillon Radunz (left guard) gave up 10 quick pressures against the 49ers. Banks was one-on-one on nearly 90% of his dropbacks. That’s a lot to ask of a rookie in his second NFL game, even a first-round pick.

Another of the problems: The Saints can’t generate yards after the catch. By the NFL Next Gen Stats receiving model, just 32% of Saints catches have produced successful YAC versus expectation, the worst mark of any team in the NFL. The Saints are also one of just three teams that haven’t had a single play produce at least 20 yards after the catch this season. Some of that’s a product of their scheme, but the receiving model attempts to account for where players catch the ball and the speed of the players around them to estimate what a receiver “should” gain after making the catch. It’s tough to imagine that a team with guys like Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Alvin Kamara won’t do more in open space in the weeks to come.

Staley’s defense, meanwhile, is letting its freak flag fly. According to Next Gen Stats, the Saints are having defenders drop off the line of scrimmage a league-high 51.7% of the time; they’ve also paced the NFL in creepers and sim pressures (12.4%). It’s a necessary reality for a team that doesn’t have the talent to win by simply rushing its front four. Those pressure looks help the Saints define protections and create potential one-on-ones, but they also ask a lot of Staley’s linebackers (admittedly the best part of his defense). The play that decided Sunday’s loss started with six Saints at the line of scrimmage before Davis and Pete Werner dropped into coverage, only for Mac Jones to whiz a crosser past Werner’s ear to Jauan Jennings for a 42-yard touchdown.

The secondary ranks 25th in EPA per play when the pass rush doesn’t get home. New Orleans has dealt with frustrating penalties from Kool-Aid McKinstry, who has had a rough start to the season, and Isaac Yiadom, who wasn’t able to contain Cardinals’ running back Trey Benson on a 52-yard run in the opener. As the Saints deal with more injuries throughout the season, they could be further exposed to replacement-level talent on the back half of their roster.

This isn’t going to be an easy season (or few seasons to come) in New Orleans. It would be a surprise if the Saints pulled out road victories over the Seahawks or Bills in the next two weeks. I don’t think anyone outside of Louisiana is expecting the Saints to start contending, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be entertaining along the way.

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Chances of advancing to the postseason, via ESPN’s FPI: 5.4%

The path to an unexpected playoff berth for the Browns was always going to come through their defense, as it did in 2023 when Cleveland started five different quarterbacks and still made the postseason. Doing that without linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., both of whom are out for the 2025 season, wasn’t going to be easy.

Through their first six quarters of football, it looked like Jim Schwartz’s unit was doing its best to relive 2023. After limiting the Bengals to 17 points in the opener, the Browns held the Ravens to 10 points in the first half Sunday. One week after Baltimore lit up Buffalo in a wild shootout, it picked up just four first downs and 81 net yards on seven possessions in that first half against Cleveland.

Then the bottom fell out. The Ravens racked up 24 points on offense in the second half and added a touchdown on a scoop-and-score. Starting two of their four second-half drives on Cleveland’s 5- and 36-yard lines obviously helped, but when Joe Flacco is your quarterback, you have to expect to hand the opposing team some short fields with turnovers.

There are positives here, naturally built around Myles Garrett, who looks every bit as terrifying as we’ve come to expect on the edge. It’s fellow edge rusher Isaiah McGuire, though, who ranks third in pass rush win rate (33.3%) behind Nik Bonitto and Isaiah McGuire. Rookie Mason Graham has flashed on the interior, helping to create a near-safety against Joe Burrow in the opener. The defensive line isn’t a problem. It’s the cornerback position that is holding the Browns’ defense back.

Without Emerson and with Denzel Ward limited to 38% of the defensive snaps because of cramps last week, the Browns couldn’t cover up the weakest spots in their lineup. Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes past Cameron Mitchell in the second half and leveraged his zone responsibilities for a fourth. In 2023, there was no obvious corner for opposing teams to attack.

On offense, well, the expectations weren’t high, and they’re being met. Flacco’s stunning run at the end of 2023 earned him another opportunity for the Browns this season, but he isn’t playing at that level. Through two weeks, his 36.7 QBR ranks 28th in the NFL. The Browns have been fine when they’ve protected Flacco, but under pressure he sure looks like a guy who has played more than 13,000 NFL snaps. On those plays, Flacco threw two picks against the Bengals and then went 6-of-18 for 24 yards under duress against the Ravens.

One thing that has worked, though, is rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Alongside David Njoku, Fannin has 12 catches for 111 yards and five first downs. It’s one thing to scheme up catches for a tight end, but Fannin has been able to run away from cornerbacks with his speed. He maxed out at 19 mph against the Ravens, a top speed only five other tight ends have topped on a single snap this season (per NFL Next Gen Stats).

The Browns have been a significantly more reliable offense leaning into those tight ends. They’ve run a 46% success rate in 12 personnel, a figure that drops to 34% when they replace one of those tight ends with a third wide receiver. Teams often post higher success rates in 12 personnel because of the situations in which they’re more likely to employ multiple tight end sets and trade that off by being more explosive in 11 personnel — but the Browns are averaging more yards per play in 12 personnel, too.

There are bright spots, but things might get uglier for Cleveland. The Browns’ next four games are against the Packers, Lions, Vikings and Steelers. They get three games against the AFC East afterward, but it would take an upset over what looks like the league’s best team Sunday afternoon to realistically keep their slim postseason hopes alive.

You could say that Saturday brings the first act of the 2025 college football season to a close.

Next week, we’ll get a couple of mammoth helmet games — Oregon at Penn State, Alabama at Georgia — and conference play will be fully underway. We’ll head into October talking a lot about playoff implications and the hierarchy among the sport’s top teams.

First, however, we have to tie up some loose ends. We get another week to figure out which of a large group of hyped-but-struggling quarterbacks — Texas’ Arch Manning, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Florida’s DJ Lagway, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier — will steer out of a current skid. We get a huge Illinois-Indiana game (just an amazing combination of words there). We get a matchup of two of the Big 12’s best and meanest teams to date (Texas Tech at Utah). We get former Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold and Auburn heading to Norman in a battle of SEC unbeatens. And we get another massive week in the Group of 5, with American Conference unbeatens Memphis and Tulane getting shots at SEC upsets and ambitious teams such as UNLV, North Texas and Boise State facing big road tests.

At the start of the college football season, 11 teams had at least a 2% chance of winning the national title, per the Allstate Playoff Predictor. Three weeks in, there are 13. Nothing has been even slightly decided through three weeks, and the door for chaos could open even further this weekend. Before we get to the second act of 2025, here’s everything you need to follow in a loaded Week 4.

All times Eastern.

Jump to a section:
Scuffling QBs | Indiana-Illinois
Big 12 headliner | SEC eliminators?
G5’s big weekend | Week 4 playlist
Small-school showcase

Which disappointing quarterback can rally?

Despite some chaotic undertones, the season has gone approximately as we thought it might. Among the top nine teams in the preseason SP+ rankings, six are still there, and the three others (Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan) haven’t exactly plummeted. Some teams have disappointed early on, but few seasons are completely lost.

For a quartet of quarterbacks, however, we’re approaching now-or-never territory: Either start looking like you were supposed to look or chalk up 2025 as a spectacular disappointment.

Florida at No. 4 Miami (7:30 p.m., ABC)

If DJ Lagway threw only three interceptions against LSU, the Gators might have scored an upset. That’s a positive, right? He instead threw five in a 20-10 loss, but the Florida defense still gave the Gators a chance. It has allowed only 38 points in three games.

The offense has scored only 26 in two FBS games. Opponents aren’t afraid of the run game, receivers aren’t getting open, and Lagway is developing some pretty extreme tendencies in passing to specific areas of the field (as evidenced by all the green “completion” dots along the right sideline on this chart):

Four of Lagway’s six 2025 interceptions have come on third-and-long, and a fifth came in a last-ditch drive against LSU. He’s trying desperately to make something happen, and it’s bringing out some terrible tendencies.

Miami quarterback Carson Beck has been good, and he has gotten the help Lagway hasn’t, from his offensive line and his receivers. But the Florida defense could make this one interesting if Lagway can take what he’s given by a Miami defense that ranks 83rd in yards allowed per dropback.

Current line: Miami -7.5 | SP+ projection: Miami by 10.6 | FPI projection: Miami by 7.2

Syracuse at Clemson (noon, ESPN)

Like Lagway, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has performed far worse than expected and has gotten little help from his castmates. Syracuse has a history of overachieving against Clemson, but the Orange have the worst-rated FBS defense remaining on the Tigers’ schedule. If Clemson’s offense, currently 96th in points per drive, doesn’t get going now, when might that happen?

The Orange blitz a good amount, and blitzing has hurt Clemson because of a banged-up offensive line and a less-than-scary run game. Klubnik is getting hit a lot and throwing lots of passes short of the sticks. The timing of the offense is off, and the Tigers can’t afford to suffer another conference loss before they start to figure things out. The return of veteran receiver Antonio Williams, listed as probable for Saturday, can’t hurt.

Current line: Clemson -16.5 | SP+ projection: Clemson by 9.2 | FPI projection: Clemson by 9.6

Southeastern Louisiana at No. 3 LSU (7:45 p.m., SECN)

With all proper respect to Southeastern Louisiana — the Lions are seventh in FCS SP+ with a loss to only Louisiana Tech — I’m guessing that LSU remains unbeaten Saturday. Now’s a good time to start repairing an LSU offense that ranks just 112th in points per drive.

Garrett Nussmeier has the most tenable place on this list; his team is unbeaten, and he’s 37th in Total QBR — not what was expected but far higher than anyone else here. His main issue is that he’s playing it safe. The LSU run game might be even worse than it was last year, the offensive line is committing too many penalties, and Nussmeier is throwing mostly quick passes to keep the train moving. His 65% completion rate is solid, but his average yards per completion has fallen from 12.0 (pretty low) to 10.0 (terribly low).

LSU’s line should hold up against SELA — if it doesn’t, yikes — so it will be interesting to see if Nussmeier starts looking further downfield. Now’s the time to build some better habits.

SP+ projection: LSU by 33.0 | FPI projection: LSU by 34.9

Sam Houston at No. 8 Texas (8 p.m., ESPN+)

Going by projections, Texas has the easiest game on this list. But Arch Manning might also be the most broken QB. After showing potential progress in Week 2, Manning completed just 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards, a touchdown and an interception against UTEP. The Miners mostly rushed only four defenders and forced Manning to work through progressions; he took forever to throw and was frequently inaccurate.

Manning is 124th out of 136 QBs with a 55.3% completion rate, and he’s 133rd in average time to throw (3.28 seconds). Meanwhile, his 14 dropbacks against man coverage have netted 13 total yards. His running backs are hurt, his line isn’t great, his receivers aren’t getting open enough and he’s throwing inaccurate passes. If the Texas offense doesn’t get right against a dreadful Sam Houston defense, it might not happen.

Current line: Texas -39.5 (down from -41.5 on Sunday) | SP+ projection: Texas by 40.0 | FPI projection: Texas by 37.7

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Shades of 1950 in Bloomington

No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana (7:30 p.m., NBC)

On Oct. 28, 1950, “Goodnight Irene,” performed by The Weavers, was dominating the airwaves. “All About Eve,” starring Bette Davis and featuring a young Marilyn Monroe, was in theaters. SMU was No. 1 in the country, Bear Bryant’s Kentucky was No. 4 and live college football wasn’t found on national television.

It was a long time ago, is what I’m saying. And it was the last time Illinois and Indiana met as ranked foes. In that game, the No. 12 Fighting Illini rode spectacular line play to a 20-0 win over the No. 19 Hoosiers. History hasn’t been kind to either program since. But that has shifted of late.

Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers and Bret Bielema’s Illini are a combined 27-5 since the start of 2024, and though neither has played an opponent ranked higher than 65th in SP+, both are in the top 15 in points and points allowed per drive this season. They’re treating iffy opposition like excellent teams are supposed to.

Both teams dominate in the Little Things department — red zone, field position, turnovers — and both boast efficient offenses with dominant receivers: Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. has 299 yards and four TDs, while Illinois’ Hank Beatty has caught 19 of 20 passes for 289 yards and a TD. Each defense has allowed a few big plays, but they’re both still giving up 4.6 or fewer yards per play.

We know that blue bloods get the best TV ratings, but these two teams have earned this prime-time slot. The computers and sportsbooks lean toward Indiana — and frankly, it’s odd that Illinois is ranked 10 spots higher in the polls — but it would be a surprise if this one didn’t go down to the wire.

Current line: Indiana -6.5 (up from -4.5) | SP+ projection: Indiana by 3.9 | FPI projection: Indiana by 3.1

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A Big 12 headliner in Salt Lake City

No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah (noon, Fox)

If you take preseason projections out of the equation — a terrible idea if you want predictive accuracy, but an intriguing way to look at performance to date — Texas Tech would be first in SP+ and Utah would be eighth. The Red Raiders have overwhelmed three bad opponents by an average score of 58-12, and the Utes lead the Big 12 in early overachievement, topping SP+ projections by an average of 13.7 points per game. On Saturday, one of these teams will score a huge early Big 12 win.

Tech’s defense gives up quite a few big plays, while Utah’s offense, as is customary, doesn’t make many. The Utes rank first in rushing success rate, but so does Tech’s defense. Defensive tackles A. J. Holmes Jr. and Skyler Gill-Howard have eaten up interior run blockers, but the Utah line is one of the most proven in the country, and quarterback Devon Dampier and RBs NaQuari Rogers and Wayshawn Parker keep Utah on schedule.

Even with huge leads in each game, Texas Tech has passed more than 35 times per game at a fast tempo. The Red Raiders are third in yards per dropback, and Behren Morton is completing 70% of his passes at 16.2 yards per completion. Receiver Coy Eakin‘s early numbers (245 yards at 20.4 per catch) are scary.

As you’d expect, however, Utah’s pass defense looks good, too: eighth in completion rate, ninth in interception rate, 24th in yards per dropback. The Utes have given up a few more third-and-long conversions than expected, and if that remains an issue, Tech might never give up the ball. Regardless, there are strength-versus-strength matchups everywhere. This game will be awfully fun.

Current line: Utah -3.5 | SP+ projection: Utah by 1.9 | FPI projection: Utah by 3.8

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SEC elimination(ish) day

As with Indiana-Illinois in the Big Ten, the SEC has a couple of huge games among teams that aren’t necessarily conference title contenders — though, we don’t know for sure yet — but are jockeying for 10-2 records and potential CFP bids.

No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma (3:30 p.m., ABC)

Oklahoma’s ridiculously back-loaded schedule — six of its final seven opponents rank 17th or higher in SP+ — meant that the Sooners would need a fast start. So far, so good. They’re 3-0 with a win over Michigan despite an offense that remains a work in progress. Quarterback John Mateer might be the current Heisman betting favorite, but the run game averages just 4.3 yards per carry (not including sacks), and the Sooners have fumbled five times with lots of passes broken up. Their five turnovers (104th nationally) haven’t come from bad luck.

Still, Mateer is creating big plays with his arm, and four Sooner pass catchers are on pace for 50-plus receptions. Plus, the OU defense doesn’t need a ton of help — the Sooners rank fourth in points allowed per drive and third in yards allowed per play.

They’re also sixth in rushing success rate allowed, and that might be the most important number against Auburn. The Tigers are running the ball a ton, with the combo of running back Jeremiah Cobb and quarterback Jackson Arnold carrying a heavy load. They’re avoiding must-pass situations — which doomed Arnold as OU’s QB in 2024 — but they’ll likely face some Saturday afternoon, and we’ll learn if Arnold has improved a little or a lot from last year’s disastrous campaign.

Current line: OU -6.5 | SP+ projection: OU by 7.4 | FPI projection: OU by 3.8

South Carolina at No. 23 Missouri (7 p.m., ESPN)

Missouri is one of just 16 teams to overachieve against SP+ projections in all three games, and the Tigers are up to 11th in SP+ because of it. The offense looks great because of a trio of transfers: quarterback Beau Pribula (on pace for 3,100 passing yards), running back Ahmad Hardy (1,800 rushing yards), and receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (1,000 receiving yards).

South Carolina has the first top-50 defense (per SP+) the Tigers have faced, though the Gamecocks got worked over by Vanderbilt’s efficient attack last week in a jarring 31-7 loss. They don’t give up many big plays, but they rank 73rd in success rate. Mizzou’s offense ranks 12th.

The South Carolina offense saw plenty of offseason hype, but it has been an absolute dud, scoring just five touchdowns in three games and ranking 123rd in points per drive. Receivers Nyck Harbor and Donovan Murph are averaging 21.6 yards per catch, but at only four catches per game. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers has become even more sack-prone — I probably should have put him on the disappointing QBs list above — and this week, he has had to work through concussion protocol while preparing to face a Mizzou defense that grades out as well as or better than Vandy’s.

Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks are projected favorites in only two more games this season. Either they get back on track immediately or 2025 veers into “Lost Season” territory.

Current line: Mizzou -10.5 (down from -12.5) | SP+ projection: Mizzou by 13.7 | FPI projection: Mizzou by 9.5

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Another huge weekend for the Group of 5

The race for the Group of 5’s guaranteed playoff spot could see some twists this week, with two major hopefuls (Memphis and Tulane) getting shots at SEC upsets, and three others — UNLV, North Texas and Boise State — all facing tricky road trips.

Arkansas at Memphis (noon, ABC)

Memphis has looked awesome early and gets AAC opponents South Florida, Tulane and Navy at home. SP+ gives the Tigers a 36% chance of finishing 11-1 or better. Quarterback Brendon Lewis and running back Sutton Smith (in for the injured Greg Desrosiers Jr.) lead an efficient offense, and the defense has crushed bad offenses (including a Troy offense that lost its starting QB early on).

Arkansas’ offense, however, is as explosive as ever, thanks to quarterback Taylen Green, running back Mike Washington Jr. and receiver O’Mega Blake. The Razorbacks could be a permanent track-meet team thanks to a shaky defense, but Arkansas is capable of regularly winning those track meets, too.

Current line: Arkansas -7.5 | SP+ projection: Memphis by 0.5 | FPI projection: Arkansas by 2.4

Tulane at No. 13 Ole Miss (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

It’s hard to figure out how good Tulane actually is. The Green Wave made runs of 27-0 against South Alabama and 24-3 against Duke but let both opponents back into the game. Jake Retzlaff is 11th in Total QBR, but the run game moves backward a lot. The defense is a turnover machine, but it’s inefficient otherwise. Against whichever Ole Miss QB holds the reins — the injured Austin Simmons or backup Trinidad Chambliss, who destroyed Arkansas — the Green Wave will need far more stops than they’ve been making. Ole Miss’ run defense has been damningly bad, but the Rebels probably have too much firepower for Tulane to snag a third power-conference victory.

Current line: Ole Miss -13.5 | SP+ projection: Ole Miss by 17.5 | FPI projection: Ole Miss by 13.8

UNLV at Miami (Ohio) (noon, ESPNU)

After a rough start against Idaho State in Week 0, Dan Mullen’s UNLV has begun to look the part, and SP+ gives the Rebels a 14% chance of getting to 11-1 or better. Anthony Colandrea is fifth among G5 quarterbacks in Total QBR, both RB Jai’Den Thomas and WR Jaden Bradley are on pace for 1,000-yard seasons, and the defense has at least stabilized a bit.

Miami was outscored 62-17 by Wisconsin and Rutgers, but the RedHawks gave up almost no big plays, and with explosive quarterback Dequan Finn and receivers Keith Reynolds and Kam Perry on offense, they could make UNLV’s long road trip awkward.

Current line: UNLV -2.5 | SP+ projection: UNLV by 8.4 | FPI projection: UNLV by 3.3

North Texas at Army (noon, CBSSN)

In two home games, quarterback Drew Mestemaker and North Texas have overachieved against SP+ projections by a combined 77.6 points. In their lone road game, the Mean Green nearly lost to No. 122 Western Michigan. They’ll need to play far better in West Point against an Army team that sure looked like Army again in Week 2’s upset of Kansas State. Quarterback Cale Hellums rushed for 124 yards and led five drives of double-digit plays in Manhattan, Kansas, and if Hellums remains steady moving forward, Army will be a giant pain for any AAC team with CFP aspirations. Like North Texas.

Current line: North Texas -2.5 (flipped from Army -2.5) | SP+ projection: Army by 2.2 | FPI projection: UNT by 0.2

Boise State at Air Force (7 p.m., CBSSN)

Boise State’s season-opening faceplant at USF, combined with an upcoming trip to Notre Dame, removed all margin for error. The Broncos will likely have to sweep Mountain West play to have any hope of a CFP bid. Of course, they’re projected favorites in every MWC game, and they still have massive talent with running back Sire Gaines, defensive tackle David Latu, edge rusher Jayden Virgin-Morgan and safety Ty Benefield.

Air Force has been a pain for BSU plenty of times, and the Falcons still dominate the ball. But the defense got torched by Utah State last week. Not an encouraging sign.

Current line: BSU -10.5 | SP+ projection: BSU by 10.6 | FPI projection: BSU by 11.2

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Week 4 chaos superfecta

We’re once again using this space to will chaos into existence, looking at four carefully curated games with pretty big point spreads and mashing them together into a much more upset-friendly number. Our winning streak ended last week when Miami, Ole Miss (barely), Alabama and Auburn all won. But we’re still 2-for-3 on the young year, and now it’s time to move to 3-for-4!

Sticking with this week’s “Anatomy of a mid-major upset” theme, SP+ says there’s only a 38% chance that Washington (88% win probability against Washington State), Cal (80% against San Diego State), Colorado (75% against Wyoming) and BYU (72% against East Carolina) all win. Let’s take down a power-conference team!

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Week 4 playlist

Here are some more games you should follow if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend, from both information and entertainment perspectives.

Friday evening

Iowa at Rutgers (8 p.m., Fox). In theory, few matchups scream “ROCK FIGHT!!” like Iowa-Rutgers, but Rutgers is ninth in points per possession and 83rd in points allowed per possession. Iowa has little big-play potential, but the Hawkeyes have moved the ball well against mortal defenses. So, maybe this one isn’t destined to finish 7-6 or 5-3 or something.

Current line: Iowa -2.5 | SP+ projection: Rutgers by 0.2 | FPI projection: Rutgers by 1.6

Tulsa at Oklahoma State (7:30 p.m., ESPN). At the moment, this is the last game in which OSU is a projected favorite. Either the Cowboys use this as a spectacular get-right game after their 66-point humiliation at Oregon in Week 2 — or there’s (more) pain on the horizon in Stillwater.

Current line: OSU -12.5 | SP+ projection: OSU by 9.8 | FPI projection: OSU by 11.0

Early Saturday

SMU at TCU (noon, ESPN2). The Battle for the Iron Skillet! Few teams have underachieved against SP+ projections more than SMU through three games; maybe a rivalry game will wake up the Mustangs. If not, TCU’s big-play offense could have a lot of fun against an SMU defense that has given up loads of chunk plays.

Current line: TCU -6.5 | SP+ projection: TCU by 7.4 | FPI projection: TCU by 4.7

UAB at No. 15 Tennessee (12:45 p.m., SECN). Trent Dilfer’s third UAB team has been the same “solid offense, no defense” squad as his past two. If Tennessee is still reeling from last week’s heartbreaker against Georgia, the Blazers might land a punch or two, but not 60 minutes’ worth.

Current line: Vols -38.5 | SP+ projection: Vols by 37.0 | FPI projection: Vols by 36.4

Maryland at Wisconsin (noon, NBC). Per SP+, Wisconsin has only a 26% chance of reaching bowl eligibility this season, thanks to a schedule that already featured one top opponent and has five more to go. Lose to Maryland, and those odds fall to basically nil. At least it sounds like injured quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. — formerly a Terrapin — could be ready to go.

Current line: Wisconsin -9.5 (up from -7.5) | SP+ projection: Wisconsin by 0.4 | FPI projection: Wisconsin by 5.1

Saturday afternoon

No. 21 Michigan at Nebraska (3:30 p.m., CBS). Two years ago, Nebraska was on the wrong end of a 45-7 blowout loss to Michigan at home. Now, on paper, the Huskers have basically a 50-50 shot at taking down the Wolverines and scoring their biggest win since, what, 2015 (39-38 over No. 7 Michigan State)?

Current line: Michigan -1.5 | SP+ projection: Nebraska by 1.1 | FPI projection: Nebraska by 0.1

Purdue at No. 24 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., NBC). Well, Notre Dame, it’s time to start scoring some style points. After losses to Miami and Texas A&M, the Irish will have to win out to have serious hope of a CFP shot, and they might have only one more genuine marquee win opportunity — USC in Week 8, and that’s only if the Trojans maintain their current form. So, it’s time to wreck some opponents. (Purdue might have something to say about that. Especially if the Irish defense doesn’t start defending.)

Current line: ND -26.5 | SP+ projection: ND by 20.4 | FPI projection: ND by 20.3

NC State at Duke (4 p.m., ESPN2). Duke has allowed 18 gains of 20-plus yards (tied for 122nd nationally). NC State has given up eight of 30-plus (tied for 114th). With State’s Hollywood Smothers and Wesley Grimes and Duke’s Nate Sheppard and Cooper Barkate, this could be a great game to be an explosive skill corps guy.

Current line: Duke -3.5 | SP+ projection: NC State by 1.2 | FPI projection: NC State by 0.1

North Carolina at UCF (3:30 p.m., Fox). I have no idea about either of these teams. Bill Belichick’s UNC has collected itself since its embarrassing Week 1 loss to TCU, and UCF has been good enough in Scott Frost’s first two games back in town. But anything from a 35-point UNC win to a 35-point UCF win wouldn’t surprise me.

Current line: UCF -7.5 | SP+ projection: UCF by 7.0 | FPI projection: UCF by 11.2

Temple at No. 18 Georgia Tech (4:30 p.m., The CW). Temple can make some big plays and could make things messy if Georgia Tech lets its guard down after last week’s big win over Clemson. The Yellow Jackets haven’t given us any reason to think that’s possible, though. (By the way, they’re projected favorites in their next eight games.)

Current line: Tech -23.5 | SP+ projection: Tech by 21.6 | FPI projection: Tech by 18.9

Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon (3 p.m., BTN). Three weeks into the season, Oregon has risen from seventh to second in SP+ while OSU has fallen from 75th to 107th. We will need to conjure a lot of Weird Rivalry Magic to make this one interesting.

Current line: Oregon -34.5 | SP+ projection: Oregon by 40.1 | FPI projection: Oregon by 36.3

Saturday evening

Arizona State at Baylor (7:30 p.m., Fox). Arizona State finally checked into the 2025 season, putting away a spirited Texas State team with relative ease last week. Now, the close-game festival that is Big 12 Play begins against a Baylor team that might have transformed its season with Week 2’s wild comeback win over SMU.

Current line: Baylor -2.5 | SP+ projection: Baylor by 3.8 | FPI projection: Baylor by 0.8

West Virginia at Kansas (6 p.m., FS1). Kansas got a week to recover after a blown lead and a rivalry loss to Missouri; WVU is riding the crest of a big comeback and a rivalry win over Pitt. Who’s ready to move past the emotion and start the rest of their season? I’m pretty sure Kansas is still good, and WVU’s offense might have finally begun its season late against Pitt.

Current line: Kansas -13.5 | SP+ projection: Kansas by 7.1 | FPI projection: Kansas by 9.7

BYU at East Carolina (7:30 p.m., ESPN2). ECU has overachieved against SP+ projections by nearly three touchdowns per game. The Pirates could be good. And they get to give BYU’s freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier his first big road test. But the Pirates will have to score on BYU’s defense, which is first in points per drive and yards per play.

Current line: BYU -6.5 | SP+ projection: BYU by 9.5 | FPI projection: BYU by 6.0

Washington at Washington State (7:30 p.m., CBS). Washington State was impressive in its 36-13 runaway win over San Diego State in Week 2. Then, the Cougs went to North Texas and got absolutely blasted 59-10. Week 2 Wazzu and a torrid Martin Stadium would make this awfully tricky for Washington. Week 3 Wazzu … would not.

Current line: UW -20.5 | SP+ projection: UW by 18.6 | FPI projection: UW by 21.0

Southern Miss at Louisiana Tech (7:30 p.m., ESPN+). From 2021 through 2024, each of these proud old mid-major programs went 14-35 with an SP+ ranking of about 112.5. Now, both are 2-1 with at least a 60% chance of bowl eligibility. Can Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton engineer enough points on a Tech defense allowing 12.3 points per game?

Current line: Tech -3.5 | SP+ projection: Tech by 7.8 | FPI projection: Tech by 3.7

Late Saturday

Michigan State at No. 25 USC (11 p.m., Fox). A kickoff at 11 p.m. ET for a team based in Eastern Time? Cool. Makes perfect sense. Anyway, USC is averaging 55 points per game and 9.6 yards per play, and Michigan State has topped 40 points for two straight games. I don’t think the Spartans have the defense to make this a game for 60 minutes, but this could have Pac-12 After Dark vibes for a while.

Current line: USC -17.5 (up from -14.5) | SP+ projection: USC by 17.7 | FPI projection: USC by 24.2

California at San Diego State (10:30 p.m., CBSSN). Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and Cal are 3-0 and projected favorites in the next six games. But they’re 94th in third-down conversion rate, and SDSU’s defense ranks seventh. If the Aztecs can score a bit (not a given), they could make this one tricky.

Current line: Cal -12.5 | SP+ projection: Cal by 13.2 | FPI projection: Cal by 10.9

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Smaller-school showcase

Let’s once again save a shout-out for the glorious lower levels of the sport. Here are three games you should track.

Division III: No. 16 Wisconsin-Whitewater at No. 6 Mary Hardin-Baylor (noon, local streaming). These programs lorded over Division III for nearly 15 years before getting surpassed by North Central. Both are still talented and dangerous, and they’re meeting for the seventh straight season (not including 2020). UWW has produced a 200-yard rusher in each of its first two games, but a third straight, against the Crusaders’ defense, would be a surprise.

SP+ projection: Whitewater by 1.2

Division III: No. 3 Johns Hopkins at No. 4 Susquehanna (1 p.m., FloFootball). The second D-III game on the list is even bigger: JHU backed up its top-five standing with a 27-13 win over No. 20 John Carroll last week and boasts the second-best defense in D-III, per SP+. Susquehanna, meanwhile, ranks fifth on offense. It might be North Central vs. The Field in D-III, but either of these teams could make a deep playoff run.

SP+ projection: Susquehanna by 0.3

FCS: No. 23 New Hampshire at Dartmouth (1 p.m., ESPN+). An incredibly interesting Ivy League season finally opens Saturday: The league champ will participate in the FCS playoffs for the first time, and at first glance, it looks like we have a three-team race among Harvard, Yale and a Dartmouth team that gets an immediate shot at a résumé win of sorts. UNH nearly beat Ball State last week — it was actually a bit of an upset that the Wildcats didn’t — and boasts one of the stingier defenses the Big Green attack will see all season.

SP+ projection: Dartmouth by 1.7

(One game you shouldn’t track? Rio Grande at Ferris State. That’s the second-worst team in NAIA, per SP+ — pronounced “Ry-Oh Grand” and located in the same Ohio town as the first Bob Evans restaurant — facing the class of Division II. SP+ projects Ferris State as a tidy 97.2-point favorite. The final score will be whatever the Bulldogs want it to be. If morbid curiosity gets the best of you, it kicks off at 3 p.m. on FloFootball.)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Miami Dolphins take no pride in a loss, no matter how close the game is.

The Dolphins were 12½-point underdogs entering Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills but hung with the five-time reigning AFC East champions for three-and-a-half quarters before a pair of critical mistakes cost them in a 31-21 loss.

“No moral victories, that’s for sure,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said after the game. “There’s definitely some things that we can take away that are good and up to par with our standard of how we operate within our offense. … Never good to lose, regardless of how a certain individual may have felt they performed. This is a team sport. We win together, we lose together.”

The Dolphins fell to 0-3 this season and have lost seven straight games against Buffalo. The loss comes after a week of speculation regarding coach Mike McDaniel’s job security, but for most of the game, Miami did not play like a team whose coach is on his way out.

After a 52-yard opening kick return from Dee Eskridge, the Dolphins scored on their opening drive for the first time this season but allowed 14 straight points to Buffalo immediately after. The Bills appeared ready to stretch their lead even further midway through the second quarter, but Matt Prater missed a 39-yard field goal and the Dolphins tied the score with a 16-play drive just before halftime.

Miami tied the score again with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and forced a punt on the Bills’ ensuing drive; defensive tackle Zach Sieler was flagged for roughing the punter, however, paving the way for the Bills’ game-winning touchdown.

“I’ve got to be better,” Sieler said after the game. “I can’t be making stupid errors like that.”

Tagovailoa threw an interception on the following drive to effectively seal the game.

The Dolphins’ quarterback said there was no added emphasis this week to prove anything to outside critics, but that the team wanted to “get this thing right for each other.”

He said there were some positives to take away from the game; Miami converted 10-of-15 third-down attempts and set a new season high with 130 rushing yards.

But McDaniel said that a loss is a loss, and he didn’t feel any pride seeing his team compete in a game it ultimately lost.

“I’m never proud of a loss. We came here to win,” he said. “I refuse to take moral victories as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.”

Dolphins fans flew a banner over Hard Rock Stadium before last week’s loss to the New England Patriots calling for the team to fire McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier. McDaniel said he didn’t believe the gesture was “personal” and that he wasn’t spending time worrying about his job security.

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who caught his first touchdown of the season Thursday, said the Dolphins “did something a lot of people didn’t expect us to do” by playing a close game in Buffalo. He said he believes the team is “moving in the right direction.”

He also spoke to his coach’s fiery demeanor after the game and praised him for his leadership and playcalling.

“I love Coach McDaniel. I love him to death, man,” Hill said. “Obviously, he gave me a chance to come to Miami and play, and I don’t take that for granted. To see how he coached and to see how he led me today, it was a beautiful thing to see. So can’t wait until next week.”

This marks the Dolphins’ first 0-3 start to a season since 2019, when they finished 5-11. Of the 117 NFL teams since 2000 to start a season 0-3, only the Houston Texans in 2018 made the playoffs.

Miami isn’t focused on history as it prepares for its Week 4 game against the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football” on Sept. 29, but Hill said the Dolphins aren’t ready to quit on this season.

“It’s all about how do you want to be remembered?” he said. “Do you want to be the 0-3 team that just was like, ‘Hey, we just going to throw in the towel and just say hey, it’s over with,’ or are we going to be remembered as the team that started off 0-3 and found a way to turn it around going into the fourth game?

“We got great captains, great leadership who do a great job of setting the standard every day at practice and also in the locker room. So we got a beautiful thing going right now.”

Who will score a touchdown this week? Whether you intend to make an anytime TD bet, are setting a DFS lineup or simply enjoy peering into a crystal ball, we have a prediction for you.

Every week, Mike Clay generates fantasy football projections for every game on the slate, and that includes the probability that a player will take the ball into the end zone. Here are his top 25 predicted scorers for Week 3, along with the implied odds*, as well as the Anytime Touchdown money line offered by ESPN BET at time of publication. For the latest odds on these and all other player props, go to ESPN BET.

*Implied odds converts the probability of an outcome projected by Mike Clay into a money line. Look for implied odds that are higher than the money line offered. For example if the implied odds are -150 and the money line is -110, then Clay’s projection system indicates an advantage for the bettor. If the implied odds are +110 but the line offered is -110, the projection system sees a disadvantage to be avoided.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills are hosting the Miami Dolphins in a NFL Week 3 matchup Thursday night.

Our two team reporters — Alaina Getzenberg and Marcel Louis-Jacques — are at Highmark Stadium, and they’re keeping you updated on all the biggest plays and highlights.

Bills-Dolphins highlights

As a service to fans who have a general interest in WWE but might not have watched a match in months, we’re happy to provide this FAQ as a guide to Wrestlepalooza, scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. ESPN’s first Premium Live Event with WWE, Wrestlepalooza, is streaming exclusively in the U.S. for fans with a subscription to the ESPN Unlimited plan — either directly or through a traditional pay TV package — on the ESPN App.

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What is a Wrestlepalooza?

Back in 1995, the late, great Extreme Championship Wrestling had an idea: What if there was an event that took its name from Lollapalooza, but instead of a music festival featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers, it was a wrestling show that featured The Public Enemy and The Gangstas, in a tag team stretcher match?

WWE, which acquired ECW and its trademarks in 2003, wanted to kick off its new ESPN rights deal with a special Premium Live Event (PLE) that needed a memorable name. So WWE dipped into its deep bag of wrestling intellectual properties and decided on Wrestlepalooza. (Apologies to those who were hoping for “Barbed Wire, Hoodies & Chokeslams,” another ECW pay-per-view classic.)

Despite its roots, there aren’t a lot of extreme wrestling matches on this weekend’s Wrestlepalooza. Just extremely interesting ones, such as John Cena continuing his retirement tour against the formidable Brock Lesnar.

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What has the John Cena retirement tour been like?

Here’s a summary of why “the last time is now” for Cena: Cena announced at Money in the Bank in July 2024 that he will retire as an in-ring performer at the end of 2025. His goal was gold: Cena was tied with Ric Flair for the most WWE world championships (16), and now the clock was ticking on breaking that record.

He was eliminated by Jey Uso in the 2025 Royal Rumble in February, costing him a title shot, but won the subsequent Elimination Chamber match in March to earn a match against undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.

Here’s where things get a little weird. The Rock had finally come back to WWE to ask Rhodes to hand over his “soul.” He appeared at the end of Elimination Chamber with his henchman, rapper Travis Scott (told you it got weird), to collect said soul from Rhodes, who was in the ring with Cena. Rhodes, being rather fond of his soul, declined The Rock’s offer. But in his desperation to break the record, Cena turned heel again after two decades as a babyface and joined an attack on Rhodes with The Rock and Scott. Thanks to interference from Scott, Cena beat Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania. Scott and The Rock wouldn’t play a role during Cena’s title reign.

The angle gave us one of the most shocking heel turns in wrestling history … and a slew of moments where Cena tried on an ill-fitting heel persona, cutting promos about his disdain for the fans that he had consistently praised during the rest of his retirement tour.

Luckily, Cena and WWE pumped the brakes on this persona in August on the SmackDown before SummerSlam, telling fans he realized that his reputation had been “flushed down the toilet” in pursuit of “shocking TV.”

“The people that were supposed to be on my team? They left. And they left me alone, trying to pretend that I’m something I’m not,” Cena said.

Cena entered SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to cheers, but Rhodes left with the championship. And that’s where Brock Lesnar reentered the picture. Fans were stunned when his music hit during Cena’s farewell to SummerSlam. But Cena probably wasn’t all that shocked when Lesnar delivered an F-5 to him, given their history.

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Why does Brock Lesnar want to fight John Cena again?

There are a few ways to answer that question.

The first answer is that Lesnar, who hadn’t been seen in WWE since 2023, just likes to beat people up. He attacked Cena and Sami Zayn during their U.S. title match on SmackDown recently. He attacked R-Truth (a.k.a. “Ron Cena”) when he touted up Cena. He’s the Beast Incarnate. It’s his nature.

Now what did @RonKillings do to deserve that? 😡 pic.twitter.com/ypDWVs1T40

— WWE (@WWE) September 13, 2025

According to WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque on the SummerSlam postgame show, Lesnar was on Cena’s “wish list” of opponents who would help him write “the last chapter of his book.”

Lesnar and Cena have wrestled only six times in one-on-one matches, with Lesnar holding a 4-2 advantage. The last match was at Night of Champions in 2014, which Cena won via disqualification against then-world-champion Lesnar. Saturday’s match will kick off Wrestlepalooza, as announced Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Their legacies are intertwined: They got their starts in the developmental Ohio Valley Wrestling scene, rising up to WWE superstar and champion status. Lesnar isn’t as essential to the Cena story as, say, Randy Orton was, but he’s a significant plot thread to tie up before Cena says goodbye.

But the ultimate factor might be the Cena face turn. Our wrestling heroes need the odds stacked against them. They need seemingly insurmountable opponents to stare down in the ring.

Cena admitted on Raw this week that he’s “afraid” of Lesnar. But he said that “The Last Real Champion” will “take the fight to the Beast” in a “final showdown between two generational titans.”

Man, that guy can hype a match, can’t he?

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What about WWE champion Cody Rhodes?

Cody is facing Drew McIntyre for the undisputed WWE championship. These two had a feud just over a year ago that culminated in a street fight on SmackDown.

After Rhodes captured the title at SummerSlam, McIntyre attacked him on SmackDown with a Claymore Kick through the side of the announcers’ table, which was inventive. McIntyre would later argue that Rhodes attacked him first that night — a claim with a modicum of validity — even though McIntyre’s escalation of violence could hardly be called self-defense.

McIntyre fancied that kick through the table so much that he was going to deliver one to Orton a few weeks later on SmackDown when Rhodes returned from injury for the save and to challenge McIntyre to a title match at Wrestlepalooza.

The announcers might want to sit in the skybox for this one, as there is zero chance their ringside table isn’t going to be obliterated into sawdust.

As Rhodes has noted, McIntyre is one of only four wrestlers — along with Cena, Lesnar and Roman Reigns — to have defeated him in a singles match since he returned to WWE in 2022.

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Since you mentioned Roman Reigns, does Wrestlepalooza have any Bloodline action?

Why, yes! For the first time on a PLE since 2023, Jey and Jimmy Uso are wrestling as a tag team as the Usos compete against Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker, who are members of world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins’ faction, The Vision.

Reigns had been feuding with this Paul Heyman-backed group, suffering an attack that led to a singles match against Reed earlier this month at Clash in Paris. After Reigns was victorious, Reed and Breakker left him so beaten up that he’ll be out several weeks while starring as Akuma in the new “Street Fighter” reboot … I mean, rehabbing that injury.

On the next Raw, Reed and Breakker were beating on LA Knight when Jimmy Uso made an ill-advised save. Jey Uso rushed the ring to save his brother, furthering the feud that has led to this tag match against The Vision.

Important sidebar here: Knight and Jey Uso have a building beef that started with some miscommunication during a brawl with The Vision that left Jey getting flattened by Reed. Jey responded by delivering a spear to Knight, leaving Jimmy dumbfounded. After the two shook hands and seemingly made up a week later, Knight gave him the ol’ Stone Cold “kick-boom-stunner” combo and claimed the score was now even.

Something tells me this animosity might just carry over to Wrestlepalooza. Who will win the immortal struggle of “YEET!” vs. “YEAH!”?

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Is there a women’s title match on the card?

Yes, and it’s for a championship that’s currently vacant for a rather joyous reason: Reigning world champion Naomi announced that she and husband Jimmy Uso are expecting a child.

She relinquished the title on Aug. 18 and told the women’s division they had nine months before she returns to reclaim it. No word if her newborn will be worked into subsequent angles, with Naomi choking out opponents with a Baby Bjorn.

The new holder of that title will be determined at Wrestlepalooza between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer, who both have a claim to the championship. Sky was scheduled to challenge for the championship before Naomi announced her pregnancy. Vaquer won a 20-woman Battle Royal at WWE Evolution in July to earn a title shot.

Keep in mind, Sky dropped the title to Naomi in a triple-threat match at Evolution that also featured Rhea Ripley. Those three ran it back at SummerSlam, where Sky again couldn’t win back her title. Vaquer, meanwhile, is chasing her first WWE championship after reigning as NXT women’s champion earlier this year.

Exciting times in the women’s division. And that’s not even mentioning the former champion who dressed like a ninja and attacked CM Punk. Or AJ Lee, who’s wrestling at Wrestlepalooza in her first match since 2015.

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AJ Lee is back in WWE?!

In the words of Kurt Angle: Oh, it’s true. It’s damn true.

For about five years, the sight of AJ Lee skipping out from the back with a mischievous grin meant something eventful was about to go down. She was an essential part of the “Divas Revolution” just over a decade ago, not only as one of the longest-reigning titleholders but as the opposing force to the “Total Divas” reality television era. Please recall Lee calling out the Bella Twins and others as “ungrateful, stiff, plastic mannequins” during a “pipe bomb” promo that no doubt endeared her to her husband and pipe-bomb originator CM Punk, whom she married in 2014.

Ever since Punk returned to WWE in November 2023, there’s been speculation that Lee might also make her long-awaited wrestling comeback. Becky Lynch finally gave her a reason.

At Clash in Paris, Punk faced Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win Punk’s title at SummerSlam. Punk had Rollins hoisted up for a final GTS when a mysterious assailant emerged and decided it was clobberin’ time with Punk’s lower extremities. Off came the black mask to reveal Lynch, marking the first time she aligned herself in the ring with Rollins since he gave her a wedding ring in 2021.

Lynch explained in a face-off with Punk that she and Rollins run WWE and that Punk doesn’t fit “the vision,” punctuating it with a slap to Punk’s head. During that promo, fans started an “AJ Lee!” chant, to which Lynch venomously snapped back, “She doesn’t work here!”

Cut to SmackDown in Chicago a few days later. The fans are still chanting “AJ Lee!” Lynch is telling them to “shut up.” Punk informs her that he’d never put his hands on a lady, but “thankfully, I’ve got someone who will.”

And then out skipped AJ Lee.

The mixed tag team match between these four stars could be the showstopper and main event at Wrestlepalooza. Punk and Rollins hate each other. Lynch and Lee are icons from different generations of the women’s division — and now AJ has a receipt from Becky slapping her husband.

It’s got nastiness and drama and, let’s not forget, a former women’s champion competing in her first match since March 2015. One prediction we’re comfortable making about Wrestlepalooza: There will be a “you still got it!” chant during this match.