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NFL Thursday Night Football Preview

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With a home matchup Thursday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and their “Dark Side” defense looming, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix made an admission: “I just have to remind myself not to play hero ball.”

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“We want to be aggressive, and then you see stats and see, well, this team is causing the most turnovers in the league,” Nix said. “And then it’s like, well, OK, I can’t put my team in a position where I’m turning the football over and putting our defense in a bad spot and giving them a short field.”

“Just play the play and if the play’s there, hit it,” Nix continued. “And if it’s not there, check it down, throw it away, punt.”

It’s an approach the Seahawks (3-2) might want to adapt as well, especially after Sunday’s 32-29 loss to visiting San Francisco in which they committed four turnovers. Three of them led to 49ers touchdowns in the first half, with the longest drive being 18 yards.

“There needs to be a sense of urgency to get better and have ball security,” said Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who was 18-for-29 for 195 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. “For me personally, I’m going to try to be as decisive as I can be and go through my reads and trust what I see, trust my feet, all those things. But (we) can’t have turnovers, got to protect the football in this league. And if you don’t, you’ll pay.”

In the Seahawks’ other defeat this season, 33-31 on Sept. 27 at Washington, they committed three turnovers that led to 21 Commanders points.

“It’s not like we are getting blown out …” said Brian Fleury, the Seahawks’ first-year offensive coordinator. “They made some plays when we didn’t and we’re just going to keep focusing on our process, make sure that we’re getting better each week and let the outcomes take care of themselves.”

The Broncos (3-2) defeated the host Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown against his former team.

Nix was 16-of-27 passing for 123 yards and a score. He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. Wil Lutz kicked a pair of field goals as the Broncos rallied from a 17-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win despite amassing just 224 yards of total offense.

“I heard long ago, I don’t know where it came from, it may have been from my parents, but if you stop enjoying the wins, you need to just go on and do something else because it’s not going to be fun for you anymore,” Nix said. “In a way, I’ve felt that a little bit.

“We’re sitting here at 3-2 and we’re having a good start to our season. There’s things we want to clean up. There’s things we want to fix. We’re leaving some things out there on the field, but we’re finding ways to win like we did last year. I feel strongly that we’re going to continue to do that, so the most important thing is winning, obviously.”

Broncos coach Sean Payton said there will be chances to “find plays that are clean” for Nix against the Seahawks, who rank first in the league in total defense (251.2 yards per game), passing defense (150.8 yards per game) and takeaways (11).

Both teams are relatively healthy. The Broncos had just safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle) and cornerback Pat Surtain II (ankle) listed as not participating in practice on Tuesday, which was an estimation as the team held a walk-through. For the Seahawks, linebackers Drake Thomas (ankle) and Chazz Surratt (calf) did not participate, per the estimation. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (ankle) was listed as limited for a second consecutive day. Guard Beau Stephens (shoulder) was upgraded from limited to a full participant.

–Field Level Media

ACC Football: Pitt Faces Test at BC

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CHESTNUT HILL – The undefeated run is over, but Pitt’s Atlantic Coast Conference journey continues with a Saturday test at Boston College.

The Panthers (5-1, 2-1) trek north to Chestnut Hill, Mass., in search of their sixth straight ACC road win dating back to last season after suffering a 21-17 defeat at home against North Carolina last week.

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Fifth-year quarterback Holden Geriner will continue to start after sophomore Mason Heintschel tore his ACL at Virginia Tech two weeks ago. Heintschel and the Panthers racked up 503 yards in a 48-7 win over Boston College on Oct. 4, 2025.

Against North Carolina, Geriner completed 71% of his passes with no turnovers in the first half for 99 yards. But he threw two interceptions following intermission in finishing 27 of 44 for a career-high 219 yards. Pitt also turned the ball over on downs in three straight drives at the end of the game and lost despite forcing two turnovers and allowing only 20 rushing yards.

“(Starting Geriner is) still the plan moving forward,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “You get too much rotation, then you’ve got problems. We got a ton of confidence in Holden. … I didn’t quite see what I wanted to see in the second half, but that’s football.”

Boston College (2-3, 0-2) had a bye week after letting a slight first-half lead slip in its 25-16 loss at then-No. 21 SMU on Oct. 3.

The recent time off helped the Eagles get healthier after 53 players had the flu the week of the trip to Dallas, while Notre Dame transfer Bodie Kahoun, a linebacker, has returned to the depth chart for the first time since leaving the Week 2 game against Rutgers.

“I think he probably has a good chance to play,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said of Kahoun.

The Eagles stayed in it against SMU thanks to Mason McKenzie passing for 208 yards in his first two-touchdown effort of the season, but five sacks helped neutralize his dual-threat ability (80.7 rushing yards per game). He finished with 74 yards on 21 carries, including a 40-yarder.

Before his injury, Kahoun quickly emerged on a Boston College defense that has eight takeaways and ranks second in the ACC with 164.6 passing yards allowed per game.

Pitt, meanwhile, averages 459.8 total yards per game and has thrown for 17 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Tune In: To the “Spalking” Heads

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Spalk, a cloud-based commentary and technology platform scaling multilingual commentary for teams, leagues and broadcast partners, announced its largest North American sports expansion, adding more non-English global partnerships with the NFL and the NBA as the fall progresses. The NBA expansion will include the first-ever remote broadcasts in seven languages for NBA on Prime, while the NFL expansion now includes live commentary in five additional languages never offered before.

“We have come a long way from launching the business in a New Zealand dorm room in 2015, and there is no better proof of concept than what we are now doing with a growing number of North American leagues, particularly the NFL and the NBA,” said Ben Reynolds Co-founder and CEO at Spalk. “The best way to reach consumers and make them fans on a global level is to give them the excitement of the live event in their own language, and we have refined the technology so that delivery, consistency and professionalism of talent is at a premium. By employing the largest group of multilingual talent literally everywhere in the world, we can assure that the leagues, our growing list of broadcast partners and most importantly the fans, are literally being heard and enjoying real-time multilingual broadcasts every day, with more to come.”

This coming season, Spalk will provide NBA broadcasts in Greek, Portuguese, Turkish, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and Korean using their qualifying list of talent. For NBA on Prime, coverage will cover Friday doubleheaders with 28 different commentators on one night across the two games. Twice this season there will be a triple header broadcast. That will have 42 commentators in one day across three games. For the NFL, Spalk is now delivering broadcasts in French, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian, a clear reflection of the global growth of the league.

Through the agreements, Spalk will provide its proprietary cloud-based streaming and AI-powered production technology to support enhanced live game coverage, multilingual commentary capabilities, and deeper fan interaction across digital platforms as well as remote real-time commentary in languages that the properties were not able to offer before. This month, Spalk will have over 5,500 announcers on their roster in 52 languages, the latest of which is Mongolian, which will be heard covering the Japanese basketball championships (in English and Spanish as well).

The 2026-27 season is the first European Football Season where Spalk is being used to produce multilingual coverage across all of the top five leagues in Europe (EPL, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga & Ligue 1), which includes production in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian for various rights holders around the world. Recent highlights include producing commentary in 22 languages of coverage on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2026 being the first year Spalk has localized coverage for marquee properties like the Tour de France, the NBA and F1.

Broadcasters using Spalk’s Virtual Commentary Studio report savings of up to 85% compared with on-site production, which has helped make localized, multilingual coverage affordable for both the biggest leagues and niche sports. In turn, they are able to better commercialize their broadcast coverage and build fanbases around the world.

Patriots Roll on Vegas, 45-17

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FOXBOROUGH – New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a TD to help the Patriots defeat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 Sunday in Massachusetts.

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Rhamondre Stevenson added a 5-yard touchdown run for New England, which outgained Las Vegas 536-306. DeMario Douglas had two TD catches for the Patriots.

The Raiders (3-2) received a touchdown catch from tight end Brock Bowers (eight receptions, 110 yards) and a TD run from running back Dylan Laube.

Maye tossed two touchdown passes in the first half, when New England (3-2) built a 21-7 lead.

The Patriots struck first on a 35-yard pass from Maye to Douglas with 11:23 left in the first quarter, but Las Vegas tied the game 7-7 on a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to Bowers with 8:19 to go in the period. Stevenson’s touchdown run gave New England a 14-7 lead with 1:30 left in the first.

Maye’s second touchdown pass was an 11-yard completion to tight end Hunter Henry with 24 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Patriots extended their lead to 28-7 on a 34-yard scoring pass from Maye to Kyle Williams with 12:58 left in the third quarter.

Las Vegas’ Matt Gay made a 46-yard field goal with 8:30 left in the third to make it 28-10, but Maye responded with a 3-yard scoring run to push the lead to 35-10 with 3:10 remaining in the period. Andy Borregales’ 28-yard field goal 48 seconds into the fourth quarter extended the margin to 38-10.

Laube scored his first NFL touchdown on a 2-yard run with 10:49 to play to trim New England’s lead to 38-17. The Patriots answered with an 8-yard scoring pass from Maye to Douglas with 6:06 on the clock.

New England lost two key offensive players to injuries in the first half. Running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) and left tackle Will Campbell (knee) both went down in the second quarter. Neither returned to the game.

–Field Level Media

 

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 11

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The seasons, they are a’changing. Frost has already set in on the Mums. The firewood has been ordered and it better be delivered real soon because we’re going to need it within a week or two. College and Pro football are hitting stride, the NHL is underway and college ice hockey has begun.

Soon? It’ll be the NBA regular season (October 20) and the start of college basketball.

Ten games into the college and NBA seasons, there’ll be time for an educated, in-depth look-see at the contenders and pretenders, but now it’s time to focus on uncertainty.

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Uncertainty – as in – St. John’s has two players in the midst of different lawsuits against the NCAA. At the moment, St. John’s is relying on the various legal avenues, including lawsuits and injunctions, to secure playing time for athletes impacted by recent changes to NCAA participation rules. These two rulings will be critical for determining the Storm’s starting rotation and overall depth heading into the winter.

For Johnnie’s recruit Babacar Sane, he is in total limbo and currently abiding by a four-game green light to play while his case moves forward in teh legal system. His eligibility remains a focal point of the team’s Top 20 legitimacy as he pursues a permanent ruling regarding his prior involvement with the G League Ignite.

For Keyshawn Hall, his status is a bit more up in the air. He is actively contesting his status in court, arguing for fifth-year eligibility under the newly implemented “5-in-5” age-based model. St. John’s efforts to secure injunctive relief for Hall have shifted to New York after his previous attempts to gain eligibility through the Ohio court system were effectively blocked. By filing the lawsuit in Queens, where St. John’s is located, his representatives are attempting to bypass the hurdles encountered in his previous jurisdiction and secure a favorable ruling before the team’s season opener against Monmouth University on November 2nd. The hearing is scheduled for October 13.

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Those two upcoming legal hearings for the players will dictate the final makeup of the roster, which Pitino hopes will be fully available to compete in a highly competitive conference.

In mid-summer, St. John’s took two significant off-season hits.

The loss of transfer portal bonanza Donnie Freeman dealt a significant blow to all of St. John’s expectations shortly before the team was scheduled to report for offseason workouts. After transferring from Syracuse with high marks, the talented forward suffered a non-contact ruptured Achilles tendon during an individual training session in July. Freeman was expected to start for coach Rick Pitino.

The other, one of the international roster additions, was caught in an unexpected US State Department shift as 6-foot-6 Djordije Jovanovic was unable to complete his planned move to the United States. Despite an initial agreement that would have brought the player to Queens, he was ultimately blocked by logistical hurdles regarding his travel documentation. The visa-related travel issues made it impossible for him to join the team in time for the season, leading both parties to agree that he should stay with his club in Podgori (Montenegro).

Jovanovic previously obtained US clearance when he played 44 games for the (minor league) G-League Ontario Clippers (California) between 2022-24.

While St. John’s will channel the movement and nurse the recuperation of three of those players, it seems Jovanovic is out. That’s a serious set-back as he was a key contributor for Montenegro during the 2023 FIBA U-20 European Championship, where he served as a primary offensive option for his junior national team squad.

Meanwhile, the University of Connecticut (co-winners of the 2026 BIG EAST) are stacked and ranked No. 10 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big East.

Keep an eye out for Tuesday’s count proceedings and potential ruling.

BLUE RIBBON MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 for ‘26-27: Here’s a look at the preseason prognostications for the PRESEASON TOP 25 – (Blue Ribbon is a MUST PURCHASE – LINK IS HERE.

1. Florida

2. Duke

3. Illinois

4. Michigan State

5. Arizona

6. Tennessee

7. Texas

8. Houston

9. Arkansas

10. Connecticut

11. Vanderbilt

12. Michigan

13. Miami

14. Missouri

15. Virginia

16. Kansas

17. Iowa State

18. Louisville

19. Kentucky

20. St. John’s

21. Alabama

22. USC

23. Gonzaga

24. Ohio State

25. North Carolina

Artists’ rendition of future-world Carnesseca Court (St. John’s file).

 

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: LOUIE, LOUIE: They’ll need the ghost of Richard Berry (1935-1997) to honor the great Coach Lou Carnesseca in song if St. John’s can eventually build an on-campus arena (see top of the column) that would house a handful of men’s games that aren’t played at The Mecca – Madison Square Garden, but would create a tremendous facility for women’s basketball and other indoor sports. It’s been years-and-years of talk about building a modern facility at Union Turpike & Utopia Parkway, and the likes of legends Mel Davis and Billy Schaeffer spent even longer trying to raise the money to get a suitable building funded and built. But, recently, St. John’s Athletic Director Ed Kull posted this dream of an artists’ rendition. (Note the retired number of “23” – as Bill Wennington must’ve been on their mind.

A SERIOUS – RIP FOR … DITKA! – Guessing LT and Tom Brady deserve mention, but for my money, there are no better three football players EVER than Sayers, Butkis and Ditka (changed TE position/great coach. Ditka = five Pro Bowls, Super Bowl wins as head coach (‘85 Bears, plus as a player and assistant coach for Dallas Cowboys) and Pro Football Hall of Fame, first ever inductee as a Tight End.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The College Football Playoff (CFP’s) communications arm issued the following update regarding discussions with ESPN on a potential playoff expansion to 24 teams:

“While Friday, October 9 marked the end of the exclusive 30-day negotiating period with ESPN, we continue to have ongoing discussions with ESPN regarding media rights connected to potential playoff expansion to 24 teams. The dialogue throughout the window has been constructive, and we will carry these conversations forward with ESPN as we determine the path ahead. Given the confidential nature of these discussions, there isn’t more to share at this time. We will provide additional updates when appropriate.”

QUESTION 68? The Athletic reported, “Out of 68 schools in the Power Four conferences, Boston College was estimated to be spending the least on its football roster.” According to the Boston Globe, “The Eagles haven’t finished above .500 in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 2009. Last year, they were 2-10 overall. But after that dismal season, the athletic department pledged to spend more to compete for talent — across all sports, not just football. BC officials, disputing the figures cited in the report by The Athletic, say they’ve lived up to that promise.”

THE WNBA FINALS matchup is set between Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries. Atlanta advanced to the league’s Finals for the first time since 2013, completing a 3-0 sweep of New York behind 22 points from Angel Reese in an 85-83 Game 3 win. The Valkyries became the first expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals within its first two seasons, completing a three-game sweep of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday night. The Valkyries will face the Dream in the best-of-seven series that begins Saturday, Oct. 17 at Golden State (SF). Atlanta reached the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2013, but got swept each time. The series can go until Oct. 31 if it were to need seven games to decide a champion.

TIME HAS COME TODAY: Look who graces the current issue of TIME Magazine. While fantasy sports players might opt to draft Denver’s Nicola Jokic or San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick, NBA GMs are more likely to favor the all-around game of the incredible Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder.

“I think I’m the best player in the NBA,” he says. “I think the production that I have night in and night out is best-player-in-the-NBA production. I think the efficiency that I do it at is best-player-in-the-NBA efficiency. I think everybody picks up a basketball or a soccer ball or a football or a tennis ball to win the game, the match, whatever it is. And I’ve done my fair share of winning in these past couple years,” says the pull quotes of the cover story in TIME. You can read the full story at Shai in Time.

WHAT DO YOU PREDICT? – The NFL is urging the Supreme Court to rule on the regulation of prediction markets after the league accounted for $1.8 billion in trading volume on the first Sunday of this season alone, arguing that states are better positioned to oversee sports-related contracts “given the current landscape.”

The NFL filed a brief in support of New Jersey’s request for a high court decision on the governing authority for prediction markets, which provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the result of future events, according to Associated Press and multiple gaming media sites.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has maintained it has exclusive jurisdiction, while states have argued that the array of typically yes-or-no questions is akin to gambling and falls under their purview.

“Absent the clarity that only this Court can provide, (prediction market) operators will continue exploiting the gap between state and federal regulation, endangering consumers and the integrity of sports events across the country,” lawyers for the NFL wrote in their brief to the Court.

“Any delay from the Court will result in increasing consumer harm and risk to game integrity,” the NFL continued in its brief.

Kalshi spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana said its top priority is market integrity, and she pointed to its partnerships with the NHL, Major League Baseball and other sports organizations as evidence.

“Contrary to the NFL’s statements, the CFTC is actively policing sports-related markets, which are now listed on nearly every U.S. commodities exchange,” Diana said.

THIS JEST IN: Disgraced former CBS Sports NFL commentator and Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo will not have a pro golf gig to fill the time lost after being dismissed by the suits at CBS. The recently departed Romo was disqualified from the final round of a Korn Ferry pre-qualifier tournament, held October 2, coincidentally the same day he parted ways with CBS over his July operating while intoxicated (OWI) arrest.

Romo, who was attempting to make the cut for the Korn Ferry Tour, was accused of signing his score card with the wrong scores on two holes, per Golf.com.

Romo reportedly signed for a 4 on 16 and a 4 on 17 on his own scorecard. Problem was, his marker, Brandon Rice, had Romo marked down for a 4 on 16 and a 5 on 17. And when another pro reviewed Romo’s score, that pro believed Romo actually shot a 5 and a 5.

When contacted, Romo reportedly took responsibility for the error. Since he signed for a lower score than he should have received, Romo was automatically disqualified from the event.

Fore!

Remember, there’s always flag football.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: According to the Associated Press, Andrew Bailey knew enough about the U.S. Open, this past summer, that late Friday afternoon was an ideal time to sneak away from his duties in the merchandise pavilion and watch golf. He was outside the ropes at Shinnecock Hills (Long Island) this year to see 17-year-old Miles Russell grind to make the cut.

And then it was back to work in a 34,000-square-foot tent where his company, premium golf apparel brand Holderness & Bourne, sets up shop each year.

Bailey will be back at the U.S. Open next year at Pebble Beach in a far different capacity — hitting shots, not selling shirts.

“I’ve been trying to process it all,” Bailey said Monday evening, four days removed from winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur by playing bogey-free over the final 17 holes in a 5-and-4 victory. His first USGA title gets him into the Masters and U.S. Open.

Bailey tied for 38th in Q-school PGA Tour Canada in April 2015 to earn conditional status but never played on the PGA Tour. Three months later, he fell 20 feet while rock climbing at Whipps Ledges in Ohio, causing a compound fracture of his wrist that required two plates and 11 screws.

Proposed MLB Changes for 2027

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NEW YORK – (Major League Baseball proposed changes to both the regular season and playoffs to the MLB Players Association on Thursday.

MLB offered a revised regular-season schedule of 154 games, down from 162, that provides a standard off-day every week, beginning in the 2029 campaign. The altered slate — which was used almost exclusively between 1904-60 — would then allow for the AL and NL Division Series to expand from best-of-five to best-of-seven sets, thereby adding as many as eight more postseason games.

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The expanded playoffs would allow for more off-days, thereby reducing weekday daytime postseason games.

Also, the proposal allows for higher-seeded clubs in the wild-card and division series to be able to select their opponents, beginning in the 2027 season. The No. 3 seed in each league would choose its foe among the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds for its wild-card series, while the No. 1 seed in each league would select its opponent in the next round.

“Returning to a 154-game schedule would allow us to introduce a weekly off-day, which is good for player health, while also creating a new national broadcast window to showcase our most exciting teams and players,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said. “A shorter regular season unlocks making October even better for our fans — with fewer weekday afternoon games, a longer division series and more opportunities to see the game’s best pitchers on the biggest stage. And allowing the top seeds to select their opponents in the first two rounds would create compelling storylines, intensify existing rivalries and create new ones.

The scheduled off-day would be every Monday with the exception of a few games that would be shown in an exclusive national broadcast window. Per MLB, the teams that play on Monday would then have an off-day on Thursday.

“The league made multiple scheduling proposals today,” MLBPA said in a statement. “We are reviewing these materials, including the proposed changes to the playoff format. Players will weigh in on these proposals and we will respond at the bargaining table.

“Unfortunately, the league once again made clear that all of its proposals are contingent on players’ agreement to a salary cap, a system that guts player rights and compensation, as well as its other anti-player proposals.”

–Field Level Media

SMU Outlasts BC in the Rain

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DALLAS – (Wire Service Report) – No. 21 SMU carried a three-point lead into halftime and nearly pitched a second-half shutout in a 25-16 win over visiting Boston College in Atlantic Coast Conference action on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Texas.

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Kevin Jennings threw touchdowns to Randy Pittman Jr. and Derrick McFall after intermission, finishing 20-for-30 passing for 160 yards.

The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) were outgained 322-218 in total, managing only 160 yards through the air after averaging 393 through their first four games.

SMU sacked Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie five times and held the Eagles (2-3, 0-2) scoreless over seven straight possessions from the first quarter until a touchdown with 2:07 left in regulation. That streak included a fumble and two turnovers on downs.

McKenzie also threw for two scores and 208 yards on a 20-of-31 day.

SMU forced a key takeaway after Boston College drove into opposing territory over the first 6:51 after halftime. Aakil Washington’s fumble recovery and 34-yard return following a McKenzie sack set up the Mustangs in the red zone.

Three plays later, Jennings hit a wide-open Pittman for a 14-yard touchdown. A second botched extra point followed.

Boston College’s stout defense and three SMU penalties forced a 4th-and-50 on the ensuing series, but the Eagles could not take advantage after tight end Cameron Kossmann dropped a would-be touchdown on fourth-and-1 and the 7-yard line.

Another infraction helped the Mustangs put the game away on McFall’s 20-yard touchdown reception from Jennings with 4:37 left in regulation. McFall was stuffed on a 2-point conversion.

The Eagles broke the string of seven straight scoreless possessions on McKenzie’s 6-yard touchdown toss to Danny Edgehille with 2:07 left.

SMU put together an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive to start the game, with Kendrick Raphael diving into the end zone for a 2-yard score. A bad snap on the point-after attempt kept the score at 6-0.

The ensuing series saw Boston College recover two fumbles in a span of four plays to score its first points when Luca Lombardo drilled a career-long field goal of 52 yards with 5:43 left in the opening quarter.

After Lombardo’s boot, the Eagles’ defense forced a quick 3-and-out and turned around to take a 10-6 lead with 1:41 to go in the quarter. The seven-play drive saw McKenzie connect with Jaedn Skeete and Javarius Green for chunk plays before a perfect ball to Evan Dickens, who came out of the backfield to catch the ball through two defenders and score a 43-yard touchdown.

The Mustangs carried the lead into halftime after finishing a 15-play, 83-yard drive — aided by a pair of penalties, including one on fourth-and-8 — with 10:05 left in the second quarter. Following the flag, Jennings faked the handoff and rushed to the right for a 4-yard score.

–Field Level Media

“It Comes Down to Reality”

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“Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But the Sox are taking a Greyhound
Up the Hudson River Line
They’re in a New York state of mind,” – Apologies to Billy Joel

BRONX – (Wire Service Report) – New York’s Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer during a six-run sixth inning and finished with four RBIs as the Yankees pulled away for a 9-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and a two-game sweep of an American League wild-card series.

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The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the wild-card round for the second straight year and were significantly more prolific at the plate than last year, when they needed three games to advance.

Despite the absence of Aaron Judge, who has a strained right calf, New York scored 18 runs and totaled 26 hits in the series to advance to the AL Division Series against the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays. The best-of-five ALDS begins Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“That was very satisfying to play that well in these two games,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the win. “ … Just really pleased with how we played. Obviously, we’re really going to enjoy that and excited to get our shot at a really good Tampa club.”

Bellinger capped New York’s big inning by hitting a 1-0 changeup from Garrett Whitlock into the right-center-field seats after the Red Sox opted to intentionally walk Ben Rice. The blast pushed New York’s lead to 8-1.

“That was a cool moment. I feel like I was able to enjoy that one,” Bellinger said. “Just a home game in Yankee Stadium, it’s a really fun atmosphere, it’s fun to play (here) and hopefully we get many, many more this month.”

In the fifth, Bellinger chopped an RBI single against left-hander Erik Miller over second baseman Nick Sogard’s head to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

New York’s Max Fried (1-0) followed Cam Schlittler’s dominance in the series opener by allowing one run on three hits in six innings on Wednesday. Fried struck out six and walked one.

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“Being able to celebrate with your teammates after a playoff series win, it doesn’t get old,” Fried said. “This is what we start practicing in February for. This is where we want to be. So just about playing our game, having fun and hopefully we’ve got a couple more of these that we can do.”

Luis Garcia Jr. also homered for the Yankees, connecting against Sonny Gray’s 1-2 sweeper while leading off the fourth to open the scoring.

The Yankees sent 10 to the plate against Garrett Crochet and Whitlock in their big inning, getting things started with rookie Spencer Jones hustling around the bases.

Jones started things by reaching on a wild-pitch strikeout when he beat catcher Adley Rutschman’s throw by a step on a call that was overturned on replay after the Yankees challenged. Jones then stole second, advanced to third on Rutschman’s throwing error and scored on George Lombard Jr.’s single.

After singles by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham loaded the bases, Whitlock replaced Crochet. Austin Wells lifted a sacrifice fly, and Ryan McMahon followed with a soft RBI groundout for a 5-1 lead.

“They swung the bats extremely well. You’ve got to give them credit. It was frustrating,” Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said. “ … Both nights it kind of started to accumulate late in the game.”

Willson Contreras homered off Fried in the sixth, and Nick Sogard homered off Will Warren in the seventh for Boston’s only runs of the season.

Wells added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Gray (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. Crochet made his first appearance since April 25, having recovered from a shoulder ailment, and was charged with four runs without recording an out.

The Red Sox finished with seven hits in the series and experienced a disappointing end to a season where they overcame firing their manager in April and having a 32-46 record in late June. Boston vaulted into playoff contention with a 32-5 surge that included a 15-game winning streak but struggled at the plate in the final month.

–Field Level Media

NFL Previews: Sunday Night

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Detroit Lions (2-1) at Carolina Panthers (1-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Lions -3.5. Total 50.5.
Series rewind: The home team has won four in a row in this series and the Panthers are 8-4 all-time against Detroit.

Headliners are set for a reunion of sorts when the Lions head to Charlotte. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs — who totaled three touchdowns and 164 yards from scrimmage in last Sunday’s 31-24 home victory against the New York Jets – and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young were college teammates at Alabama. They’ve been integral parts of powerful offenses early this season. Lions QB Jared Goff has completed 70.6% of his passes for 802 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions this season. The Lions have scored exactly 31 points in each of their three games and present a challenge for the Panthers, who are coming off a 21-18 loss at Cleveland. Carolina has adjustments to make with starting CBs Jaycee Horn (quad) and Mike Jackson (groin) going on injured reserve. Those spots could be replenished with Corey Thornton and Robert Rochell from the practice squad. Rookie cornerback Will Lee III is expected to be called upon for extensive duty as his role continues to grow.

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Atlanta Falcons (1-2) at New Orleans Saints (1-2)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Saints -2.5. Total 47.5.
Series rewind: The Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 in the 2025 regular-season finale to reclaim the edge in the all-time series (regular season only), 57-56.

On the verge of being left for dead after flopping in the first two games, the Falcons found life by plugging in QB Michael Penix Jr. at Green Bay last week. In primetime for the second consecutive week, Atlanta’s offense revolves around All-Pro RB Bijan Robinson, who helped get Penix comfortable in his first game since ACL surgery last November. Robinson’s third career 200-yard game (194 rushing, 19 receiving) included two touchdowns at Green Bay. He averages 127.3 total yards per game against the Saints, who are allowing 128.7 yards per game on the ground. New Orleans lost to the Raiders last week and has a breakout quarterback in Tyler Shough, the NFL leader in completions (91) who is also second in the league in passing yards (917). Shough and WR Chris Olave are thriving. Olave is tied for the NFL lead with 27 receptions. The extra attention has opened the middle of the field with TEs Noah Fant and Juwan Johnson each catching two TD passes last week.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Late 4pm Game Previews

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Wire Service Previews) – Here are the four game previews for Sunday’s (October 4) late afternoon NFL games:

Miami Dolphins (0-3) at Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Vikings -10.5. Total 38.5.
Series rewind: Kirk Cousins outdueled Teddy Bridgewater to lead the Vikings past the Dolphins, 24-16, in the most recent meeting (October 2022), despite being outgained 458-234 in total yards. Miami has won the past two meetings and leads the all-time series 7-6.

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The Dolphins are playing with losing margins, averaging 12 points per game while giving up 28.7. Revving up the offense became more complicated last week when RB De’Von Achane (ACL) was lost for the season. Minus Miami’s top playmaker, QB Malik Willis is fighting uphill while trying to solve the NFL’s most aggressive defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Flores and the Vikings hunt with a blitz-heavy scheme to force the ball out of the quarterback’s hand early. They have 14 sacks and four interceptions this season. The Dolphins are turning to Ollie Gordon II as the primary ballcarrier while starting a pair of rookies at wide receiver: Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell. The Vikings might have to shake things up on the offensive depth chart with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (ankle) hurting.

Denver Broncos (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: 49ers -2.5. Total 47.5
Series rewind: This is the first meeting since 2022. The series is tied 8-8 including the playoffs, highlighted by the 49ers’ 55-10 romp against the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.

One of two unbeaten NFC teams remaining (with Minnesota), the 49ers lead the league in point differential (plus-48) and rank second in scoring (32.7 points per game) behind the fast start of quarterback Brock Purdy (league-leading 133.1 passer rating). San Francisco is just the fourth team since 1990 to allow zero sacks in each of its first three games. Four-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner recorded a career-high 17 tackles in last week’s win against Arizona. Denver rallied from a 16-0 deficit to stun the Rams, 30-26, last Sunday night. Bo Nix fueled the rally with two third-quarter touchdown passes and the game-winning TD run with 47 seconds left. Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga — who played for the 49ers from 2021-24 — made NFL history with a sack and two interceptions in a single quarter. His fourth-quarter heroics against Los Angeles included a 66-yard pick-six. Five 49ers starters missed practice to start the week, including WR Mike Evans (ribs), DE Nick Bosa (knee, calf) and LB Dre Greenlaw (quad).

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Fan Duel: Chiefs -4.5. Total: 47.5
Series rewind: The teams split two meetings last season. The Las Vegas victory in the second matchup when Patrick Mahomes was sidelined with his knee injury was just the Raiders’ third win in the past 17 matchups with the Chiefs.

Both teams are undefeated and fighting for first place in the AFC West? Sounds like a flashback to the Raiders’ long-ago better days in Oakland. The Raiders haven’t started 4-0 since 2002 — a season in which they reached the Super Bowl before losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Las Vegas hasn’t allowed a single point in the fourth quarter during the surprise start that has seen Kirk Cousins throw nine touchdown passes in 92 attempts. New Raiders coach Klint Kubiak quickly has changed the atmosphere around the team. On the other side of the ball, linebacker Nakobe Dean has been a stellar free-agent pickup and leads the squad with 27 tackles, 3.5 stops for losses and three sacks. Cornerback Hezekiah Masses has three interceptions entering a matchup in which Las Vegas wishes to slow Mahomes. Saying the two-time NFL MVP regularly carves up the Raiders is putting it nicely – he has thrown 36 touchdowns against five interceptions while winning 13 of his 15 starts. Mahomes is doing well this season on his surgically repaired knee as he has passed for 812 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Kansas City is tied for seventh in scoring at 29.3 points (the Raiders are also part of that tie) and ranks second in total offense at 416.3 yards per game as running back Kenneth Walker III has pumped life into the running game with a league-leading 360 yards. Walker has two rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. Linebacker Nick Bolton leads the defense with 28 tackles but one problem is that Kansas City has just four sacks and seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones doesn’t yet have one.Buy Game Tickets

Los Angeles Chargers (0-3) at Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Fan Duel: Seahawks -7. Total: 43.5
Series rewind: This is the first meeting since 2022 when the Seahawks recorded a 37-23 road victory. The Chargers have won three of the past five matchups after Seattle prevailed in the previous five.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba picked up where he left off after being the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season. Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 405 receiving yards and six touchdown catches and is tied for the league lead with 27 receptions. He has posted outings of 122, 155 and 128 receiving yards and fared well with backup Drew Lock as well as starter Sam Darnold. The latter was back from a Week 1 glute injury and threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 33-31 loss against the host Washington Commanders. Darnold also threw two interceptions as the Super Bowl champions saw their winning streak end at 12 games dating back to last November. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams is pacing the defensive with three sacks. The winless Chargers are nearing desperation mode and will fully be there with another loss. Of course, the 1994 team in San Diego reached the Super Bowl after opening with four straight losses when it was led by no-nonsense coach Bobby ‘Boss’ Ross and all-everything linebacker Junior Seau. But 32 years later, coach Jim Harbaugh brought in former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel to run the offense and the unit isn’t clicking and has a high of just 16 points. The Chargers rank 29th in scoring offense at 14.7 points per game and 20th in total offense at 308.7 yards per game. Quarterback Justin Herbert’s completion percentage is 59.1% — his career rate is 66.3 – and he has thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes (three). Ladd McConkey’s 12 catches lead the team.

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NFL Preview: London Game

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Indianapolis Colts (1-2) vs. Washington Commanders (1-2) in London
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Colts -3.5. Total 47.5
Series rewind: Indianapolis has a 21-11 record against Washington all-time. This is the first game between the teams since the Commanders beat the Colts 17-16 in 2022.

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With four combined wins since Nov. 10, 2025 – Washington has three of them — a trip across the pond comes with a chance for one of these teams to post back-to-back wins. The Commanders’ strength on defense is stopping the run. Washington gives up only 82 rushing yards per game. Jonathan Taylor embraced the European vacation last season with a career-high 286 total yards (244 rushing, 42 receiving) and three touchdowns against the Falcons. A focus on slowing down Taylor has been good for business for Tyler Warren. He’s third in the league among tight ends with 18 catches and set a career high with nine last week. The Commanders brought quarterback Jayden Daniels along for the trip after he missed last week’s game, a Marcus Mariota-engineered victory over the Seahawks. Daniels (elbow) was injured Week 2 at Dallas and won’t play for at least another week.

NFL Previews: 1pm Games

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ORCHARD PARK – (Wire Service Previews) – Week Four in the NFL begins the very important stretch of the schedule where the contenders separate themselves from the draftniks. There’s no better example than the New England at Buffalo game where – if the Patriots lose – will plummet them into a (1-3) hole a month into the 2026 season.

New England Patriots (1-2) at Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -6.5, Total 48.5
Series rewind: The AFC East rivals have split the season series during each of the past three campaigns, with all six of those meetings decided by seven or fewer points.

The Bills have a chance to start 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time 1991-92. Josh Allen is just the fourth player in NFL history — and first quarterback — with six or more rushing touchdowns in at least nine consecutive seasons, joining Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson and Jim Brown. Bills running back James Cook has two career 100-yard games against the Patriots, going for 107 yards and two TDs at New England in Week 15 last season. Buffalo linebacker Greg Rousseau is just the third player since 1982 with multiple sacks in each of the season’s first three games, along with Mark Gastineau (1984) and Kevin Greene (1998). Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has thrown six interceptions and only one touchdown pass for an offense that ranks next to last in scoring at 12.0 points per game. New England has scored only one TD on six trips to the red zone. Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez is looking for his third straight game against Buffalo with at least five tackles and a pass breakup.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bengals -2.5, Total 51.5
Series rewind: The Bengals have won the last four games against the Jaguars to level the all-time series at 13 apiece. That includes their costly 31-27 win in Week 2 last season, when Joe Burrow sustained a turf toe injury that sidelined him for nine games.

Cincinnati and Jacksonville enter this week’s game off decidedly different results. The Bengals took their first loss after a costly Burrow fumble doomed them in a 30-27 setback to division rival Pittsburgh, while the Jaguars dominated the New England Patriots 35-6 to send a statement to the rest of the AFC. The Bengals enter this game with a depleted secondary as Ja’Sir Taylor and Jalen Davis are on injured reserve while Jordan Battle, Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger have all not practiced fully this week. That could be a problem against a Jacksonville offense helmed by Trevor Lawrence, who has thrown for seven touchdowns and two interceptions through three games. The Jaguars’ ground game also has been a strength, though, 10th in the league in rushing yards per game while rushing for 95-plus yards in every game so far this season. Cincinnati’s passing game also has been on point, with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combining for 429 yards and four touchdown catches early this season.

Green Bay Packers (1-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -3.5, Total 38.5
Series rewind: Green Bay leads the all-time series 34-24-1 but Tampa Bay has won three of the last four, including 31-26 in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 24, 2021.

Both the Packers and Buccaneers could badly lose in this game. The Packers, quickly buried in what again appears to be a very strong NFC North, were handily beaten 35-14 at home by the Atlanta Falcons. Green Bay’s ground game has not remotely helped quarterback Jordan Love, with the team’s 146 total rushing yards standing as its fewest through three games since 1933. The defense also isn’t helping, giving up 30.3 points per game — tied for third most in the NFL. To make matters worse, Love is completing just 52.4% of his passes. But Green Bay at least can enjoy having its starting quarterback available Sunday, with Tampa Bay unable to say the same after Baker Mayfield sustained a dislocated thumb late in last week’s loss to Minnesota. He’ll miss at least three weeks, leaving undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to lead the offense after he beat out Jake Browning for the backup job. Daniels accounted for 90 total touchdowns (67 passing, 23 rushing) across 49 career games at Kansas, and now becomes the first un-drafted rookie to start a game in the first four weeks of the season since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.

Tennessee Titans (0-3) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -11.5, Total 42.5
Series rewind: The Ravens have won the last two games in the series to take a 14-13 lead. These teams have faced off twice in the playoffs this decade, with Baltimore winning a 2021 wild-card matchup while Tennessee came out on top in a 2020 AFC Divisional Round game.

Derrick Henry faces the team that drafted him for the first time on Sunday. The former second-round pick ran for 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns over his first eight seasons in the league with Tennessee. He’s already up to 301 rushing yards (fifth in the NFL) and six rushing touchdowns (tied for the league lead this season) through three games this season for the Ravens. He could be in for another big day against a Tennessee defense which is allowing 126.3 yards per game. Luckily for Baltimore, quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to full practice on Thursday after he was limited with a back injury. Even though the Titans have surrounded last year’s No. 1 overall pick with a new coaching staff and wide receivers Calvin Ridley, Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson, Cam Ward’s 80.9 passer rating ranks 29th among 39 quarterbacks who have started at least one game this season, and his 168.0 passing yards per game rank 31st. Tennessee, still seeking its first win of the Robert Saleh era, has been close the last two weeks, losing 24-20 to the Eagles and 12-7 last week at the Giants.

Los Angeles Rams (1-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -3, Total 43.5
Series rewind: Including the postseason, the Eagles have swept the last four meetings with the Rams. That includes a 33-26 victory in Philadelphia in Week 3 last season.

The Eagles are the only NFL team that hasn’t scored a point in the first quarter or recorded a takeaway. When these teams met last September, Jalen Hurts outdueled eventual MVP Matthew Stafford. Hurts threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth while Stafford was held under 200 yards with two TDs and an interception. The Rams have outgained the Eagles by more than 300 yards through three games but only have six more points to show for it thanks to a mediocre performance in the red zone. Los Angeles should get a boost from the return of wideout Puka Nacua, a full participant in Thursday’s practice after missing two games with a hip injury. Davante Adams is just 9 yards away from 13,000 for his career and has six TDs in five career games vs. Philly. They will be facing an Eagles defense that began this week without top linebacker Zack Baun (concussion protocol). No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith also missed Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury.

New York Jets (1-2) at Chicago Bears (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bears -3.5. Total 42.5.
Series rewind: The Bears beat the Jets 31-10 in their last meeting in November 2022. Chicago has won five of the past six in the series.

Maybe it’s time to believe Bears coach Ben Johnson when he asserts it doesn’t matter which of his quarterbacks start a game, trusting the collective offense to perform regardless of No. 1 QB Caleb Williams’ status. Williams (hamstring) won’t play for a second consecutive game but the Bears did just fine in demolishing the Eagles behind Case Keenum, the 38-year-old No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart. Tyson Bagent (concussion) was sidelined last week and could be in the picture Sunday. But Keenum passed for 247 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 27-7 victory over the Eagles after Bagent spent much of the previous week in concussion protocol. Taking care of the ball has kept the Jets in every game this season. Finishing has been another story. Geno Smith will be wary in this matchup after the Bears had three takeaways in a return to the aggressive, opportunistic style that helped the unit lead the NFL in that category last season. The Jets are coming in following back-to-back losses by a combined 10 points against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Revving up the running game remains an area of emphasis for the Jets. Breece Hall is week-to-week with a quad injury he suffered in last Sunday’s 31-24 loss at Detroit. He has rushed for just 61 yards on 29 carries after gaining 102 yards on 22 attempts in the season opener. Enter Braelon Allen, who figures to see an accelerated workload in the backfield. Smith  sports a 75.5% completion rate. He was 31-of-37 passing for 321 yards with touchdown passes to Garrett Wilson, rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq and tight end Jeremy Ruckert against the Lions. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) likely will face the Bears, providing a boost to a secondary bracing for a challenge.

Arizona Cardinals (1-2) at New York Giants (2-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Cardinals -2.5. Total 43.5.
Series rewind: The Cardinals have a four-game winning streak at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won the last meeting, 31-28, in Glendale, Ariz., in the 2023 season.

Jameis Winston remains the quarterback for a second consecutive week, despite the Giants trading with for J.J. McCarthy on Monday. McCarthy, acquired to provide insurance with starter Jaxson Dart out for the season with a knee injury that required surgery, will be the primary backup. The Giants came away with a 12-7 win over Tennessee despite failing to put the ball in the end zone last week. Winston is 25-of-49 for 229 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in two games this season. The Cardinals showed some resilience in keeping it close in a 36-30 loss at San Francisco last Sunday, a week after being dominated at home by the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Arizona’s offense has lacked the big plays, a few having been negated by penalties, but has been fairly efficient in moving the ball.

 

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