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If Manchester United want to know what a well-structured performance looks like, they should rewatch Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 victory at Old Trafford. Against a lifeless press and non-existent cover on the transition, Spurs ripped Erik ten Hag’s side to shreds.

The rotations in Ange Postecoglou’s midfield proved too much for United’s organisation without the ball, while a focus on attacking the wide areas cut through United repeatedly.

In possession, the rotations between Tottenham’s midfielders and full-backs stretched United’s 4-4-2…

… and created gaps in the midfield line that were exploited by the dropping Dominic Solanke or the other central players.

Here, Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro’s switch creates a gap between Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo as they exchange their markers, and Solanke drops to offer Cristian Romero a passing option through that space.

As Romero plays the pass to Solanke, Kulusevski starts moving forward…

… to offer a progressive option to his striker, with Brennan Johnson pinning United’s left-back, Diogo Dalot.

Solanke flicks the ball towards Johnson…

… and Kulusevski’s third-man run is found by the right-winger. Tottenham’s attack down the right side attracts Manuel Ugarte, which means that James Maddison is free on the other side because United’s right-back, Noussair Mazraoui, has Timo Werner (out of shot) to worry about.

As a result, Kulusevski switches the play to Maddison, with Ugarte dragged to the other side.

In another example, Kulusevski and Solanke are initially marked by Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez. The Tottenham centre-forward drops to offer himself as a passing option…

… and Kulusevski dashes forward, forcing Martinez and Mainoo to switch markers as Destiny Udogie is occupying Ugarte.

Again, the moment Tottenham progress the ball is when they switch their positions, so they can catch out United while exchanging their markers. However, Solanke returns the ball to Romero because there is no passing option.

As Romero plays the ball wide to Porro, Solanke attacks the space behind Mainoo. Meanwhile, Kulusevski drags Martinez deeper and Ugarte has to mark Udogie…

… which means United can’t cover the space behind Mainoo when Porro’s pass finds Solanke. The centre-forward then plays the ball to Johnson down the right wing…

… and by the time Ugarte moves across to support, the Wales forward plays it back to Rodrigo Bentancur, who finds Maddison in space.

Maddison then switches the ball to the other side, before combining with Kulusevski to nearly double Tottenham’s lead.

Tottenham’s movement in the central zones kept stretching United’s out-of-possession structure. Here, Mainoo and Ugarte are initially marking Kulusevski and Maddison…

… but when Spurs move the ball towards their right side, the Uruguay midfielder moves across to cover for Mainoo. Ugarte’s shift means Alejandro Garnacho cannot commit to closing down Micky van de Ven because of the narrow positioning of Maddison and Udogie (out of shot).

Romero plays the ball back to Guglielmo Vicario…

… and when the goalkeeper passes it to Van de Ven, Garnacho is late to the press.

With Ugarte moving up to mark Maddison and Mazraoui pinned by Werner down the left wing, Van de Ven comfortably finds Udogie in space.

The dominoes then fall with the right side of United’s defence late to press Udogie and Werner, which allows them to combine down the left wing, before the left-back finds Kulusevski in front of the penalty area and Johnson hits the post.

Furthermore, Tottenham’s full-backs and Bentancur positioned themselves smartly to defend the transition in case United won the ball back.

Here, Udogie finds Werner down the left wing after Tottenham play through United’s block, and Bentancur moves towards that side to cover.

Bentancur’s positioning offers a safety net for Tottenham’s left side. When Werner’s cutback doesn’t find Udogie’s run inside the penalty area and United start their attacking transition…

… Van de Ven and Romero can aggressively defend the central space and the right side because Bentancur is tracking Garnacho’s movement.

In another example, Porro and Bentancur drop deeper while Tottenham are still attacking in the aftermath of a set piece.

When the attack fails and United are looking to strike on the counter-attack, Postecoglou’s side are in a position to defend three different lanes with Bentancur’s positioning enabling Udogie to defend the central space.

Tottenham’s ability to defend United’s transitions also allowed them to create their own in the other direction. Due to United’s gung-ho approach when counter-attacking, they are always vulnerable when it is reversed.

In this example, Udogie’s narrow positioning allows him to recover when United win the ball in midfield and attack the vacated space.

Van de Ven moves across to defend Udogie’s position and the left-back complements that by dropping into the central space…

… which allows him to intercept Garnacho’s pass toward Joshua Zirkzee and reverse the transition.

Tottenham’s transition in the other direction finds Kulusevski, who puts Werner through on goal…

… but Werner shoots straight at Andre Onana.

In the build-up to Tottenham’s first goal, Udogie is in position to track Garnacho in case the ball is lost.

When United win the ball back and start the attacking transition…

… the left-back is in position to defend against Garnacho while Van de Ven and Romero are defending the other spaces. Fernandes tries to find Garnacho’s run…

… but Udogie’s presence forces the right-winger to play it backwards towards Rashford. Meanwhile, Bentancur is dropping to support the defence…

… which allows Van de Ven to sprint and beat Rashford to the ball — in case Van de Ven is late, Bentancur is already dropping to cover for him.

Tottenham reverse the transition in the other direction and Van de Ven surges through an unorganised United defence, before finding Johnson towards the far post…

… and the Wales forward scores into an empty net.

“We knew that the main threat that Manchester United have is on the transition — they are pretty lethal with the front guys they have got,” said Postecoglou after the game.

“We wanted to make sure we kind of locked them in today and that was the full-backs, and particularly Maddison and Kulusevski to be really disciplined in their football.”

(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)

On the ball, Tottenham’s rotations in midfield allowed them to play through United’s block, while their positioning protected them on the defensive transition, from which they could counter in the other direction.

A well-constructed plan and perfect execution from Tottenham — something that can’t be said of Ten Hag’s side in the last year.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy is no braggart.

But following Sunday’s 30-13 win over the New England Patriots, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback did state that his 10-yard split coming out of college was faster than Deebo Samuel’s and Christian McCaffrey’s.

“I think,” he stressed. “You guys will have to fact-check me. I think I have just enough (speed) to get out of the pocket and make a play and pick up five, seven yards here or there. I’m not Lamar Jackson by any means.”

A more accurate statement might be that his time was comparable to his teammates. Purdy’s 10-yard split of 1.55 seconds in 2022 was actually a few fractions of a second slower than Samuel’s (1.48) and McCaffrey’s (1.52) when they were entering the draft.

Still, everyone understands his point, especially his recent opponents.

For the second straight game, Purdy resorted to his legs when the passing game was sputtering. He gained 7 yards on the 49ers’ first third down of the opening possession. He picked up another 5 — and a first down — on the second on a drive that stretched 15 plays and ended with a Jake Moody 22-yard field goal. There were also a few nifty throws in which Purdy looked like Fran Tarkenton in ducking out of trouble, scrambling toward the sideline and completing improbable passes before getting hit. He finished 15 of 27 for 288 yards.

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49ers sack Jacoby Brissett six times in 30-13 win over Patriots: Takeaways

It was far from a perfect game for Purdy. San Francisco had a chance to put the Patriots away for good early in the fourth quarter when Purdy’s pass, intended for Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone, instead was intercepted by safety Jabrill Peppers. Kyle Shanahan said afterward he thought Purdy should have thrown the pass earlier while Purdy said he initially didn’t see Peppers.

“It’s something that I’ve got to move on in my progressions and not be greedy,” he said. “I think I hitched to him two or three times, which just isn’t good as a quarterback. You go through your progressions based off of your hitches and you read with your feet and on that one I got greedy.”

After four games, the passing game isn’t as smooth and automatic as it was at the beginning of last season when the 49ers jumped out to a 5-0 start. For one, teams are focused on taking away Purdy’s bread-and-butter throws, including the intermediate and deep crossing routes to Aiyuk that were so reliable last season.

Last week, for example, the Los Angeles Rams sometimes dropped eight players into coverage and rushed only three, leading to one play on which Purdy held the ball for more than 12 seconds. Purdy noted that on another play they dropped nine and rushed just two.

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On Sunday, he said the Patriots’ safeties did a good job of anticipating the 49ers’ favorite routes and taking them away. But as the game went on, Purdy and the passing attack started taking advantage of those adjustments. When New England’s safeties kept stepping forward to clog up the middle, he started going deep. His three longest throws:

• A 53-yarder over the top to Deebo Samuel Sr. in the third quarter. Samuel, who lined up as a tailback to start the game, had three catches for 58 yards after missing last week’s outing with a calf injury.

Deebo’s got us movin’ 55yds down the field.

📺 #NEvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/u3vZTNGkcJ

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 29, 2024

• A 45-yard strike to Jauan Jennings early in the fourth quarter. Jennings led the team in receiving yards for the second straight week, finishing with three catches for 88 yards.

JJ’s down there somewhere

📺 #NEvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/aqUyQBiGov

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 29, 2024

• A 38-yard pass to Aiyuk on Purdy’s first throw of the game. Aiyuk finished with modest receiving numbers — two catches for 48 yards — for the fourth straight game, but his second reception, a diving, fingertip grab on third down, was the sort of high-degree-of-difficulty snag he wasn’t making earlier in the season.

Even one of Purdy’s shorter throws, a 12-yard touchdown to George Kittle in the second quarter, traveled a long way through the air.

That’s our TE @gkittle46

📺 #NEvsSF on FOX
NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4nCVJ pic.twitter.com/2KnvF7QeFz

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 29, 2024

Kittle said the play called for him to run an out and up and that it’s supposed to be run from farther back, say around the 40-yard line. He thought that particular play was “a little aggressive” that close to the goal line.

“I wasn’t really confident in the play call,” he admitted afterward. “Because that was something we’d called originally from way farther out. And when we called it from the (12-yard line) I had to double-check with Brock to make sure we called the right play. And I was like, ‘All right, man, just throw it.’”

Purdy did and put the ball where only Kittle could catch it, and the 6-foot-4 tight end hauled in the pass among a trio of sub-6-foot Patriots defensive backs.

That touchdown put the 49ers ahead 20-0, and they led by at least two scores the rest of the way,

Still, it was a muddy victory against a Patriots team devoid of offensive talent and battered by injuries. The 49ers suffered a number of injuries of their own — including to defensive starters Fred Warner (ankle) and Jordan Elliott (knee) — and had another costly special teams bungle, a kick-return fumble in the third quarter by Isaac Guerendo that led to New England’s only touchdown.

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The 49ers also continued to struggle in the red zone. They had six trips inside the Patriots 25-yard line on Sunday but only two touchdowns, Kittle’s and a 4-yard run by Jordan Mason in the third quarter. Otherwise, they settled for three Moody field goals and threw one interception. Last season, they led the league in red zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns 67 percent of the time.

“We need to clean that up, especially when we’re playing very dominant teams that have really good offenses,” said Kittle, who seemed to acknowledge the Patriots were a decidedly forgiving opponent before catching himself. “Not to say the Patriots don’t, but our defense was playing very good against them.”

(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

The Chiefs got another tight win but lost Rashee Rice, the NFC East-leading Commanders got their second road win in six days, and things are getting very interesting in the NFC South, as the Bucs bounced back in a big way against Philly and the Falcons stole a close one against New Orleans.

Can he kick it?

YES KOO CAN

FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/eMlvhWUiLq

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 29, 2024

Meanwhile, in Indianapolis it was just like the old days, with Joe Flacco going against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Athletic NFL writers Mike Jones, Ted Nguyen and Saad Yousuf share their thoughts on all of these storylines and more.

The Commanders just picked up road wins in Cincinnati and Arizona in a six-day span. Considering what’s going on with the rest of the division, should Washington fans be dreaming about an NFC East title?

Jones: The division is definitely wide open. We’re only a quarter of the way into the season, but if you’re the Commanders you have to feel good about the steady rise exhibited by Jayden Daniels (completing more than 80 percent of his passes with four rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns) and the explosiveness of the offense. The improvement that the defense displayed against Arizona is also reason for optimism. The Cowboys have yet to display the type of consistency that you would expect from a contender, and the Eagles have been a rollercoaster while dealing with injuries. The Giants are unreliable. The Commanders’ second half of the season will feature five divisional matchups in nine games, and that stretch could wind up telling the truth about this young team. But for now, the long-suffering fan base should enjoy the early signs of hope that their star quarterback and supporting cast are providing each week.

Nguyen: They are certainly ahead of schedule and Jayden Daniels is legitimately having one of the best rookie seasons we’ve seen from a QB so far, one year after C.J. Stroud did something similar. Still, there’s a lot of football left to be played and that Washington defense is still very bad. They gave up 181 yards on the ground to Arizona but didn’t allow the Cardinals to get in rhythm. Two things can be true: Daniels is amazing and this offense is very good, and they’ve played two of the worst defenses (Bengals and Cardinals) in the league. They’ll have to prove they can be productive against some of the better defenses in the league, but with how rapidly Daniels is improving, I wouldn’t doubt them. I just want to see it.

Yousuf: What Daniels has done these past two weeks, in particular, has been mesmerizing. He showed the poise of a veteran in the clutch in Cincinnati on Monday night and followed it by blowing the doors off of the Cardinals this week; the chemistry between him and Kliff Kingsbury has been impressive. Daniels’ play alone is enough to get Commanders fans excited, but the state of the rest of the division compounds that optimism. Dating back to last season, the Eagles look like an utter mess. The Cowboys have been blown out twice at home and are dealing with injuries to arguably their two best defensive players (Micah Parsons has a sprained ankle and DeMarcus Lawrence could be heading to injured reserve). Dallas also has a brutal seven-game stretch looming, including games against the Lions, 49ers and Texans, capped off by a trip up north to play the Commanders. The Giants continue to be a non-factor in the NFC East race.

Travis Kelce got going, but Rashee Rice had to be carted off with a knee injury in L.A. Is there enough offense for the Chiefs to pull away from opponents — or does that even matter?

Yousuf: It does matter, and the Chiefs should explore options to add some help at the skill positions. But they aren’t in a dire situation — at least not yet — despite how much they’ve lost at the wide receiver position. They still have the best quarterback in the game and an elite, offensive-minded head coach. Xavier Worthy has been solid but the Chiefs will need him to accelerate his development, and they probably can’t afford a lull from Kelce. But the Kansas City defense held reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to 20 points in the opener, and held Joe Burrow and the Bengals to 25 points in Week 2. The last two weeks, they have only given up 17 and 10 points, to the Falcons and Chargers, respectively. If the defense can hold it together, Patrick Mahomes can do enough to survive, especially in close games down the stretch, as he did on Sunday.

Jones: It definitely matters because Kansas City isn’t going to have the luxury of facing an injury-riddled, short-handed operation like the Chargers every week. The Chiefs managed to put the Chargers away despite scoring only 17 points, but going forward, they’ll need players to step up to compensate for the loss of Rice. Worthy appears capable of assuming a bigger role — we’ve seen the rookie wideout’s speed on display both as a route-runner and a ball carrier. And the production of Kelce becomes even more crucial now, as does support from the defense. I still think the Chiefs remain in the Super Bowl hunt. Andy Reid has such a creative football mind, and Mahomes is so gifted that together they’ll figure out how to keep this train chugging along.

Nguyen: When your wide receiver depth is as bad as the Chiefs’, it absolutely matters. They already lost Marquise Brown for the year and running back Isiah Pacheco will be out for the foreseeable future. Kelce has struggled with all the extra attention on him — someone else will have to step up. Kareem Hunt played well on Sunday for just recently being signed, but he can’t be a main piece for your offense. Rice looked like he was making major strides and they were trusting him to run routes and find space like Kelce usually does. Without him, Worthy will have to grow up quickly. Unfortunately, he won’t gain a lot of muscle this season so Reid will have to scheme up ways to get him free releases, and Worthy will have to do a lot of studying to gain Reid and Mahomes’ trust.

True or false: The Colts are more of a threat to win the AFC South this season with Joe Flacco than with Anthony Richardson.

Jones: Anthony Richardson is still developing. Yes, he has great physical gifts, but because he only played four games last year, he’s still very much a rookie. Flacco has seen and done it all, and he does bring a veteran presence and poise that can help a team win games. While Richarson, who leads the NFL with six interceptions, is the future, Flacco does give the Colts the best chance to win right now. But that doesn’t mean he should take over. We have to see what’s going on with Richardson’s health, and the Colts will have a difficult decision to make. The only way Richardson is going to grow is by playing and learning from mistakes. Do you want to hamper that development by benching him to go with Flacco when in reality, this team isn’t built to overtake any of the elite AFC teams?

Nguyen: For now, Flacco does give them an advantage. If Richardson is hurt and can’t run as much, it limits what the offense could do. Flacco is better than quite a few starters in the league right now. (He would be the best quarterback in Sunday’s Browns-Raiders game.) Still, if Richardson is healthy, there’s no question he should be the starter in my mind. He needs these repetitions with so little experience overall as a starter. Richardson made a couple of ridiculous throws in his short time in this game before he was hurt, giving you a glimpse of what he can become as a passer. A lot of his accuracy issues come down to his footwork, which he needs to work on in live action.

Yousuf: There are a few caveats to work through with this question. It is true that Joe Flacco gives the Colts a better chance at the AFC South crown than a limited Anthony Richardson. However, if Richardson is healthy, his unique physical abilities are a match for the cerebral edge Flacco possesses. With all of that being said, neither quarterback gives the Colts a significant enough edge to where they become favorites in the division, especially with the Texans sneaking out another win on Sunday and likely to keep improving as the season progresses. Above all, winning the division isn’t the end goal. If the Colts are going to make a run at being contenders in the AFC at some point, it will be due to Richardson developing, and that can only happen with game reps.

How do you size up the NFC South after four weeks — who’s the favorite?

Nguyen: The NFC South is so close. Each of the top three teams all do certain things at a high level but all have some concerning weaknesses. Each have above-average quarterback play but none has an elite one. Baker Mayfield is playing at the highest level but he’s still susceptible to holding onto the ball and the untimely creating a negative play — he has the second-highest sack rate in the league among quarterbacks with 100 attempts. Derek Carr started the season hot but we’re seeing some of the old bad habits starting to show up (example: throwing short of the sticks on money downs). Kirk Cousins has stretches of strong play but his inability to move is a hindrance. I’ll give Mayfield and the Buccaneers the edge because of their consistency. Tampa has an aggressive defense that is challenging for opposing quarterbacks to deal with and though the offense is streaky, they can score in bunches with their robust passing game.

Yousuf: On paper it’s a three-team race to the top, but I’m a little hesitant to put the Saints in that group alongside the Buccaneers and Falcons. New Orleans is 2-2 but one win was against the Carolina Panthers, who may be the worst team in the NFL, and the other was against the Dallas Cowboys, which was impressive (especially for the way they dominated that game), but the Cowboys look like a middling team themselves through four weeks. For the Saints to lose to the Eagles, who just got walloped by the Bucs and look lost since the second half of last season, doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. In actuality, it feels like a two-team race the Bucs and Falcons, with the Bucs getting the edge because they have the best quarterback play in the division.

Jones: It’s an intriguing division — well, for three of the teams, anyway. The Buccaneers are the best team of the bunch. Tampa boasts a well-rounded offense led by a very comfortable Baker Mayfield (347 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the win over Philadelphia), and a defense capable of making game-changing plays (two takeaways and six sacks against the Eagles). The Falcons and Saints have potential, but are still working out some kinks and have yet to fully achieve the level of consistency necessary to truly contend. But it’s going to be interesting to see how the season progresses for each of them. The Falcons, who bounced back from last week’s loss to Kansas City, are probably the division’s second-best team right now as their win over the Saints would suggest. But the margin is very narrow between these two.

Is there anything short of a coaching change that can get the Jaguars back on track after yet another loss?

Yousuf: Aside from their blowout loss to the Bills last Monday night, the Jaguars lost their other three games by three, five and four points, including a heartbreaking last-minute loss to the Texans on Sunday. When the issue is with the head coach, you typically start to see lopsided results and a lack of buy-in from the team. That isn’t the case with the Jaguars right now, so I don’t know how much moving on from Doug Pederson mid-season would help — not to mention there isn’t a great option to take over on the staff. The biggest question for the Jaguars is how they can get Trevor Lawrence on track to live up to his potential (and now, his contract). It’s troubling that working with Pederson hasn’t brought the best out of Lawrence.

Nguyen: I’m not sure if the Jaguars can get back on track. Maybe they can get a little boost with a new voice, but firing Pederson isn’t going to solve their inconsistent offense. Also, playing in a competitive game after a blowout against a contender shows the team hasn’t quit on Pederson. Is there anyone on staff you want to take over at this point? I’m also not sure who is calling plays for the Jaguars, but the last time that their offense looked good, Pederson was unquestionably the main play caller. Going back to that model might be the only way Pederson saves his job.

Jones: I’m not so sure that a coaching change would spark a turnaround for the Jaguars. The underachieving ways of this team and of quarterback Trevor Lawrence (18-for-33 for 169 yards, two touchdowns Sunday) certainly are perplexing. But I’m not convinced that Pederson is the problem. He’s a good coach, but there’s definitely a disconnect somewhere. I do wonder if Pederson needs to make a change at offensive coordinator, or at the very least take back play-calling duties from Press Taylor. But that will not fix a defense that ranks among the worst in the league. The Jaguars certainly should be better than 0-4. I just don’t think there’s a quick fix here.

(Top photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams.

“You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”

When Nick Saban retired, many wondered whether Alabama would take a step back. It had to, right? The greatest coach in the history of the sport was gone. Surely the days of the Alabama dynasty had finally ended. Georgia had emerged as the new Alabama.

But like Thanos, Bama may be inevitable. After a 41-34 win against Georgia, the Tide have returned to the No. 1 spot in the Athletic 134 rankings.

It’s Alabama’s first time atop these rankings since the 2022 preseason. That year, Georgia took over one week in after plastering Oregon, and the Tide haven’t been back to No. 1 since then.

But it turns out when you let head coach Kalen DeBoer scheme up some stuff for elite-level talent, he can do a lot. Jalen Milroe looks like the best quarterback in the country. After the wild swings of the Game of the Year, I don’t exactly know how to feel about both teams. Alabama had a 28-0 lead and also blew a 28-0 lead. Georgia overcame that deficit on the road. But in the end, it’s the best win of the season for any team, so Alabama moves up from No. 7 to No. 1.

Georgia falls to No. 3, and not solely because of this result. The Week 1 blowout of Clemson looks better with each week. The Bulldogs’ schedule doesn’t get easier, however, with a trip to No. 2 Texas just a few weeks away.

GO DEEPER

If Alabama is No. 1, how far should Georgia fall? Behind the AP Top 25 ballot

Here is the latest edition of The Athletic 134.

1-10

I’m aware the SEC has the top four spots here. I don’t expect that to be the case by the end of the season. But so far, Alabama beat Georgia, Texas beat Michigan, Georgia beat Clemson and Tennessee beat NC State and Oklahoma. So that’s how it is right now. Ohio State’s big games are coming up, and the Buckeyes will move up if they win.

Miami slips to No. 8 after needing an overturned Hail Mary to beat Virginia Tech, and Penn State beat a ranked Illinois team to move up to No. 7. I don’t think the ceiling is very high for Michigan after it held on to beat Minnesota, but the Wolverines’ win against USC last week means they’re going to stay around here until something changes.

GO DEEPER

Stewart Mandel’s 12-team Playoff projections after Week 5

11-25

BYU jumps up to No. 12 after beating Baylor, but its earlier win against SMU continues to look better after the Mustangs moved to 4-1 with a 42-16 beatdown of Florida State. (Last weekend’s K-State win looks better, too). Clemson is up to No. 13 and still rolling since Week 1 after a 40-14 win against Stanford.

Utah drops from No. 9 to No. 17 after a 23-10 loss to Arizona. It’s really hard to place the Utes because we don’t know when (or if) injured quarterback Cam Rising will come back. Notre Dame inches up to No. 18 after beating Louisville. The loss to Northern Illinois continues to look worse, but the wins against Louisville and Texas A&M help. Indiana continues to roll, up to No. 19 after a 42-28 win against Maryland.

Ole Miss drops from No. 5 to No. 20 after a 20-17 loss to Kentucky. The Rebels just don’t have any good wins to offset the loss and make a case for a higher ranking. They’ve beaten Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern. Oklahoma is back into the top 25 after a comeback win at Auburn. Undefeated UNLV is back in after beating Fresno State 59-14, and Boise State enters the top 25 after beating Washington State 45-24.

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Vannini: Alabama-Georgia didn’t have stakes because of the CFP? Think again

26-50

Texas A&M’s win against Arkansas moves the Aggies up to No. 29. Navy’s 41-18 win at UAB slides the Midshipmen up to No. 31. Rutgers moves up to No. 32 after beating Washington on Friday night, and Arizona is up to No. 33 after the win against Utah. It’s Arizona’s 31-7 loss to Kansas State a few weeks back that keeps the Wildcats from being higher for now.

Oklahoma State tumbles from No. 20 to No. 37 after a 42-20 loss to K-State. The Cowboys are 0-2 in Big 12 play and needed a late comeback to beat Arkansas. Kentucky’s win against Ole Miss moves the Wildcats up to No. 39, but Week 2’s blowout loss to South Carolina keeps the Wildcats behind the Gamecocks for now.

Colorado jumps from No. 67 to No. 44 after a 48-21 win at UCF, easily the most impressive performance of the Deion Sanders era.

GO DEEPER

Mandel’s Final Thoughts: Don’t blink! Bama-Georgia just another NIL-era classic

51-75

No. 55 NIU is now 0-2 since its Notre Dame upset, but the Huskies stayed close in a 24-17 loss to NC State, which moves up to No. 54. Virginia Tech actually ticks up two spots to No. 56 after its overturned Hail Mary loss to Miami, given the nature of that finish. Army is 4-0 and up to No. 62 after its third consecutive win against an Owls team (FAU, Rice, Temple).

Sam Houston jumps from No. 91 to No. 68 after a 40-39 win against Texas State to move to 4-1. Since an 0-8 start as an FBS program last year, the Bearkats are 7-2 in their last nine games.

76-100

Kansas drops to No. 80 after falling to 1-4. The Jayhawks entered the weekend with three consecutive one-score losses, but their latest setback was a 38-27 loss to TCU. Florida State tumbles again down to No. 81 after a blowout loss at SMU.

Louisiana moves up to No. 84 after beating Wake Forest, which drops to No. 88. UConn makes a big jump up to No. 86 after a dominant 47-3 win against Buffalo. The Huskies are definitely trending up over the last three weeks. Georgia State drops out of the top 50 to No. 85 after losing to Georgia Southern, dampening the value of the win against Vanderbilt. USF may be beat up after a tough nonconference schedule, dropping to No. 87 after a 45-10 loss to Tulane.

East Carolina beat UTSA 30-20 to move up to No. 92. Purdue and Mississippi State kept it close with Nebraska and Texas, respectively, in the first half, but they remain the lowest-ranked Power 4 teams at No. 98 and No. 99. Purdue fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell on Sunday.

GO DEEPER

College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Alabama rising, Notre Dame back in bracket

101-134

ULM is up to No. 101, now 3-1 after beating Troy. That’s already an improvement on last season’s 2-10 record for first-year coach Bryant Vincent. Bowling Green competed well with Penn State and Texas A&M but drops to No. 105 after losing to previously winless Old Dominion. Wyoming also got its first win of the season, over Air Force, to move up to No. 119, while Air Force drops to No. 120 with Navy coming up next.

San Diego State falls to No. 112 after a last-second field goal loss to Central Michigan. Charlotte beat Rice in a wild finish to move to 2-3 and get up to No. 124.

We’re down to just three winless teams, and they make up the bottom three. They also each have losses to FCS programs, after Kennesaw State lost 24-13 to UT Martin. Kent State remains at No. 134. The Golden Flashes played Eastern Michigan close in the box score, but four turnovers led to a 52-33 loss.

The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

On the evening of June 3, 2019, roughly 50 people gathered in the backyard of a single-family home in Valley Grande, Ala. The sun was still high on a 92-degree day that showed no signs of cooling down as the group stood around the pool, munching on chips, dip and pizza.

Kerry and Allen Henderson had been hesitant about attending the party. Hosted by a friend, it was a watch party for Major League Baseball’s annual draft, and their 17-year-old son, Gunnar, was among those hoping to be selected. They were anxious, and wondered if they should have just watched at home. But the host, Terry Waters, had thrown batting practice to Gunnar for MLB scouts who came to their small neighboring town, Selma, which has roughly 16,000 people. Waters and many others in the area felt invested in the outcome of the draft.

Gunnar was a consensus first-round pick, a powerful 6-foot-3, 195-pound shortstop at John T. Morgan Academy, who had been named Alabama’s top high school basketball player. Mock drafts had him going between picks 14 and 25. Pick No. 25 was “the floor,” per The Athletic’s draft expert Keith Law.

The party was in full swing as the first 10 picks flashed on a big flat screen showing the MLB Network’s live broadcast. Then people began to pay closer attention. The Phillies, who told Henderson they would take him at No. 14 if college shortstop Bryson Stott wasn’t available, got their top choice. Three picks later, the Nationals, who had hosted a private workout for Henderson, went with pitcher Jackson Rutledge. The Dodgers used pick No. 25 on Tulane third baseman Kody Hoese.

The names kept ticking off. The group kept waiting. The Yankees had always preferred another high school shortstop, Anthony Volpe, and took him – the eighth shortstop drafted – at No. 30. A faction of Houston’s scouting department wanted Henderson, but the Astros ultimately selected Cal catcher Korey Lee with pick No. 32.

Every team but Boston, which didn’t have a first-round pick that year, passed on Henderson. The Pirates passed on him twice, as did the Dodgers. Arizona and Tampa Bay passed on him three times each. The athleticism was enticing, as were Henderson’s raw tools, but he wasn’t a sure bet. He hadn’t fared that well on the recent summer circuit. The Astros weren’t sure he could make enough contact and stick at shortstop, and the Dodgers had concerns about his swing and lack of domination against the weaker competition Henderson faced in Selma. Team after team didn’t want to take the risk.

When the Texas Rangers took Baylor third baseman David Wendzel with pick No. 41, the broadcast of the draft ended — only the first round and nine compensatory/competitive balance picks were televised — and the TV was switched to another channel.

A pall fell over the party. Kerry fought back tears. Allen felt sick. Eventually, Gunnar and his parents tried to lighten the mood, reminding everyone of the fallback plan.

“We’re going to Auburn!” the trio announced. The group cheered.

Henderson, still just 23, has amassed more than 9 WAR in a dominant follow-up to his Rookie of the Year 2023 season. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Gunnar Henderson never made it to Auburn.

The 23-year-old is one of the top five players in Major League Baseball, by FanGraphs WAR. He’s the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, an All-Star and the face of the Baltimore Orioles, a team widely regarded as being in the early phases of a potential dynasty. The O’s will begin the wild-card round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, and their shortstop — coming off one of the best single seasons in Orioles history — will take center stage.

Henderson was drafted with the first pick in the second round and is one of the bigger scouting misses in recent memory. Most of the prospects drafted before Henderson are still in the minors, or struggling to prove they belong in the big leagues. Only No. 2 pick Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals has been as impactful a hitter.

“Every city we go to, you talk to other coaches who are like ‘How did this guy last that long?” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

Henderson’s rise highlights the imperfect nature of the draft, as teams repeatedly talked themselves out of a talented but risky high school player. It’s also a developmental success story, as the plan Baltimore crafted for Henderson, including an unorthodox approach during the pandemic, set him up to arrive and produce in the majors earlier than expected.

In 2018, when Mike Elias was the Astros’ scouting director, he began scrutinizing the following year’s draft class, circling Henderson’s name as his preferred choice with Houston’s late first-round pick. But that November, Elias was hired as Baltimore’s general manager. The rebuilding Orioles had the No. 1 pick and would take Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman.

On Baltimore’s internal draft board, Henderson, who was also well liked by the incumbent scouting group, was somewhere between Nos. 14 and 16. But because the Orioles wouldn’t pick again until No. 42, landing him seemed like a pipe dream. So much so that Kerry told her youngest son, Cade, to change out of the pajama pants featuring his favorite team — the Orioles — before he could go to the draft party.

As the draft picks got to the low 30s, and with Henderson’s name still out there, Elias — who had scouted Henderson more than two dozen times — called Henderson’s then-agent, Larry Reynolds, to ask: Would Henderson sign if they paid him over slot value? Reynolds wasn’t sure. The family had been pretty clear it was the first round or Auburn. They patched in Allen, who was still lingering at the Waters’ home. After the Auburn announcement, Kerry had gone to try to eat something. Gunnar was out back playing cornhole. There wasn’t time to gather them and relay the message, let alone make a life-altering decision.

A few minutes later, Gunnar and Kerry found out the Orioles had selected him in the second round on a ticker scrolling across the bottom of the TV.

No one slept that night. Kerry was up crying, tossing and turning and praying. She never cared which team took Gunnar or how much money he got. Instead she had hoped and prayed for a “clear path.” For her and Allen, being a first-round pick felt like a clear enough path for their son to bypass college. But now what?

The next morning, taking a walk through the neighborhood to think, Kerry received a call from Astros scout Travis Coleman, who had coached Gunnar in travel ball. “Baltimore doesn’t have a shortstop. There’s a clear path for him there,” Coleman said.

Elias called later that day, telling the Hendersons how excited he was that the Orioles had drafted Gunnar. He also mentioned that the Orioles didn’t have long-term infielders and that the organization was rebuilding around its young players. Baltimore, Elias said, was where Gunnar was supposed to be. “There’s a clear path here,” Elias said.

There it was again. Two people using the exact phrase Kerry had used herself to describe what she wanted for her son, that sealed it. Henderson agreed to sign with the Orioles for $2.3 million, $500,000 above slot value, forgoing Auburn.

Within baseball, the COVID-19 pandemic has widely been considered a lost developmental year. The 2020 minor league season was canceled, with most players left to train on their own or not at all. The only setup allowed for Major League teams was an “alternate site” with a maximum of 30 players, which for most teams consisted of big leaguers and Triple-A players who could serve as roster depth for the big-league squad, covering injuries and underperformance.

Baltimore, fresh off a 54-108 season, sent Rutschman and Henderson to their alternate site, even though both were years away from being on a big-league roster. The thinking was simple: These were formative years, and they had just paid both guys big bonuses. What else were they going to do?

“It’s like you have a kid, and you have a choice of either he doesn’t go to school or you skip six grades,” Elias said. “We decided to skip six grades.”

Rutschman, an older, more polished college athlete who had gone through three levels his first pro season, held his own right away. Henderson, who had only 29 rookie ball games under his belt, struggled mightily. In his first at-bat, he faced Eric Hanhold, a journeyman reliever almost eight years his senior. He struck out on three pitches.

“He saw right away that Adley was having some success and he wasn’t good enough. And it drove him crazy,” said Orioles hitting coach Ryan Fuller.

Henderson had always been a tireless worker. When his parents came to visit him in rookie ball, he and Allen snuck onto a high school field after a bad game so Gunnar could swing out some of his frustration. There was no screen to shield Allen, so he held an old chain link fence in front of him with one hand and pitched with the other.

At the alternate site, Henderson “came to us right away and said, ‘I stink, let’s get to work,’” Fuller said. The focal point early on was the barrel entry on Henderson’s bat. It was too steep and he would pull his hands into the zone off plane. Even in rookie ball, Henderson had seen how exposed the natural loft in his swing left him to rising fastballs. So, for weeks, he worked in the batting cage trying to connect with little foam balls — “hoppy heaters” — that would rise as they approached the plate.

Each day, Henderson would get to the field around 10:30 a.m. and work in the cage. Then he’d take ground balls and roughly 5-10 live at-bats, totally overmatched against guys who had been in Triple A or the big leagues.

“Every single day he would take his beating,” said Matt Blood, then director of player development, “and he would go back to the cage and they would just train, train, train.”

There was nowhere to go but the hotel and the field, yet Henderson was in heaven. “It was probably one of the most fun times I’ve had playing,” he said. “It was all about development, and I took it seriously.”

There was no worrying about slash lines, or wins and losses. There were no distractions. “It was unlimited reps, and maybe we weren’t the smartest at the time, but we had young, motivated players wanting to hit,” Fuller said. “When we had downtime, we would go to the cage. And it wasn’t feel-good swings, it was always something really challenging. It was almost experimental at that point. But these guys knew that we were building for something bigger.”

Roughly three weeks in, Henderson started holding his own during the simulated games. A swing change that might have taken months or even a year under normal circumstances evolved much faster thanks to thousands of reps at the alternate site. Henderson was flattening out his swing to create a better path to the ball. The Orioles kept internal stats at the alternate site, and while Henderson’s batting average never recovered from the early shellacking, his OPS started creeping up, approaching the respectable .700s when it was through.

“This young dude is competing against these guys that he really had no business competing against,” Blood said. “And by the end of it, we’re all looking at each other like, if he keeps this rate of practice and development up, we might have an animal on our hands.”

Gunnar Henderson homered in his major-league debut. (Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

That fall, Henderson played in the Orioles instructional league. In 2021 Henderson started putting up what Elias calls “freakish exit velocity numbers,” and flew through three levels to end at Double A. By the following June, he was promoted to Triple A. There, Henderson slugged .504 with a .374 batting average on balls in play. He was promoted to the big-leagues on Aug. 31. Henderson’s first hit was a home run where he swung so hard — 107.1 mph off his bat — that his helmet fell off.

In spring training 2023, Henderson texted his now-fiancée, Katherine Lee Bishop, who is in her final year of pharmacy school at Auburn, his goal was to win AL Rookie of the Year. Before each season, he texts Bishop his big goal for the year, and then they don’t talk about it again.

In that 2023 rookie season, Henderson started slowly. Then on June 8, he hit a go-ahead, two-run, eighth-inning homer down the left-field line in Milwaukee that helped get his mojo back. Every night, he was showcasing the rapid improvements he’d made at the plate and a glove that could hold its own at shortstop. He did win Rookie of the Year, the first Oriole in 34 years to do so, and he did it in unanimous fashion.

This year, Henderson slashed .282/.366/.531 in 158 games. He had 92 RBI, 118 runs scored (sixth-most in baseball) and was voted Most Valuable Oriole for the second season in a row.  Still, after some games, Henderson bemoans to Bishop that he didn’t barrel up a ball all night. It doesn’t matter if he went 3-for-4 with multiple RBIs. In Triple A, Henderson would go from a full sprint to a full-stop down the first baseline so quickly that his manager Buck Britton had to look away, he was so worried about the young star blowing out a hamstring. It was Henderson’s way of blowing off steam.

“I wish he wouldn’t be so hard on himself sometimes,” Hyde said. “He literally doesn’t think he should ever get out … He will come back (to the dugout) and there’s sort of a bewilderment, like, how did that just happen?”

On a young Baltimore team, Henderson’s intensity is mixed with youthful exuberance.

For the All-Star game, Henderson had a Scooby Doo bat made and, when coming off the field, grabbed the ESPN mic to yell the cartoon dog’s signature line, “Ruh Roh Raggy!” Henderson also lists much-maligned Star Wars character Jar-Jar Binks as another top impression and is a surprisingly confident singer, thinking nothing of cranking up the radio and serenading Bishop on their first date.

“We have a couple of karaoke days on the (Orioles) bus,” said Henderson, who used Motley Crue’s “Kickstart my Heart” as his walkup song in the minors and then switch to Gwen Stefani’s “Sweep Escape” — an idea from his older brother, Jackson — to get the fans more involved. Henderson has an old country song he plays in the batting cages on Sundays, but teammates “never wanted me to sing it in there,” he said. He usually respects that.

Henderson’s manners are impeccable, if not jarring in a big league clubhouse. He  peppers every sentence with “sir” or “ma’am”, something coaches have had to tell him to stop doing. It occasionally still slips into an in-game conversation with Hyde. “We are past that now,” Fuller says, laughing. “No more ‘sir.’”

It’s a reminder of the way he was raised. When Henderson went pro, he promised his parents he’d get a college degree. Kerry and Allen have the notepad he scrawled it in for safekeeping. Henderson has completed enough online credits through Wallace Community College Selma, where Kerry works, to be a sophomore.  He’s working toward a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a goal that’s on hold now as he deals with more pressing matters.

Baltimore, whose last World Series win was in 1983, was swept out of the AL Division Series by the Rangers last year, ending a magical 101-win season. It was a setback chalked up, in part, to the team’s youth. The O’s, many national pundits believe, are just at the beginning of what could be a long run of success. This year, the expectations are much higher.

And while the Orioles have relied on key trades (like pitcher Corbin Burnes) and feel-good stories (Ryan O’Hearn and starter Albert Suárez), the roster is built around a young position-player core that includes Henderson, Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg.

All of those guys were picked higher in their respective draft classes than Henderson, who virtually any other team could have had. Instead, he’s in Baltimore, where his face is plastered on posters and where he has already passed a guy named Cal Ripken, Jr. for most home runs (37) by a shortstop in team history.

The awkwardness of that draft party five years ago feels light years away from an already-impressive career still in its infancy.

“The Orioles weren’t on my radar,” Henderson said, “but it worked out.”

(Top image: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

(Editor’s note: This is excerpted from Mike Sando’s Pick Six of Sept. 30, 2024.)

Let’s count the ways Jayden Daniels is transforming the Washington Commanders and the NFC East race.

The Commanders moved atop the NFC East at 3-1 with a 42-14 domination at Arizona. Their Daniels-quarterbacked offense is setting the bar higher than anyone could have realistically expected. As in, prime Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers high.

Washington has scored on 68 percent of its drives, the highest rate through four games for any team since at least 2000, per TruMedia. You might recognize the teams right behind the Commanders on that list. Not even Brady’s 2007 New England Patriots scored this frequently to start their historic unbeaten regular season.

The Commanders’ offense has produced at least 8.0 EPA in each game this season. Washington played 387 regular-season games from 2000 to 2023 without hitting that mark in more than two successive games within a season.

The four-game streak is the second-longest in the league since 2000 for any team with a rookie starting quarterback. Russell Wilson’s 2012 Seattle Seahawks strung together five such games. Washington can tie that record at home against Cleveland in Week 5.

The table above lays out the longest such streaks with rookie quarterbacks since 2000. Almost all of the other streaks unfolded later in the season, after quarterbacks had some experience.

Before the season, five NFL execs combined to predict Washington would finish 14th in the NFC this season. One of the execs had the Commanders finishing sixth and winning the NFC East. Why?

“I put them as high upside for a few reasons,” the exec said Sunday night. “One, I was down on the Giants. Two, I was down on Dallas. Three, I was a toss-up on Philly. Four, we are talking about the Heisman winner coming in and possibly being electric, paired with the offensive coordinator (Kliff Kingsbury) who is more prepared than anyone in the league, right now, to handle that player. It’s a perfect marriage.”

One of the execs ranking Washington lower heading into the season called the NFC East a “crapshoot” now. He gave Washington the edge, followed by Philadelphia, Dallas and the Giants. He noted that Daniels is a “difference maker” who is hard to defend, and said Dan Quinn, the new coach, is instilling belief in Washington. But he also cautioned that it remains early, and Daniels still must prove he can hold up physically after sometimes taking big hits in college.

Daniels is completing 82 percent of his passes, best in league history through four games among players with at least 75 attempts, per Fox. Brady was at 79.2 percent in 2007. Daniels has completed 71 percent (20 of 28) of passes traveling at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. That leads the league comfortably this season (Brock Purdy is second at 66 percent).

GO DEEPER

Jayden Daniels, budding Commanders optimism and the psyche of a healing fan base

What happens when defenses get a better read on the Commanders’ tendencies?

“The great teams have a next pitch,” the exec said. “It will be interesting to see what it looks like as it goes.”

The schedule could help even out things. Washington faces Cleveland, Baltimore, Chicago and Pittsburgh over the next six weeks. Those teams are collectively allowing 18.5 points per game to opposing offenses.

The Commanders won’t face the Eagles or Cowboys, who are both 2-2, until Week 11, with four of their final seven games against those two opponents.

(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

NEW YORK — The final basket of Breanna Stewart’s 34-point clinic on Sunday to open the WNBA semifinals was never going to be blocked. Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson tried — elevating as high as she could as the seconds ticked down on both the shot and game clock — but the New York Liberty star skied over Wilson’s outstretched arms.

With just over a minute remaining in New York’s eventual 87-77 victory, Stewart elevated for a runner. A step in front of the free-throw line, she leaped, flicked the basketball with her right hand and watched it carom off the backboard and drop into the hoop.

Stewart ran back down the floor emphatically nodding her head after her basket served as a delightful dagger enjoyed by the sellout Barclays Center crowd of more than 14,000 fans.

New York puts the dagger in Game 1 😤

Stewie floater.
Jonquel MONSTER block.#WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/TuFCI6x75T

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 29, 2024

What happened next wasn’t surprising either. Stewart deflected a layup by Aces guard Kelsey Plum.

Stewart’s arms were everywhere on Sunday — during that late-game sequence, on numerous New York offensive possessions in which she knocked down nearly unguardable mid-range jumpers, on defensive switches and when her arms got into passing lanes. “Sometimes the ball might be out of reach, but (I’m) still able to make a play,” Stewart said.

Plum might have scored 24 points to lead Las Vegas, but she was only focused on the loss. “That’s the only thing that I really see,” she said.

Sunday’s result was largely because of another L-word: Length.

That New York’s length was impactful wasn’t exactly a surprise. Heading into the series, both teams recognized the other as familiar foes. New York swept its three regular-season meetings against Las Vegas, and, of course, there was history between them last year. The Liberty won the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup over the Aces, and later, more importantly, the Aces defeated the Liberty for the 2023 WNBA championship.

Las Vegas knows what to expect against New York. Nevertheless, before Saturday’s practice, Aces coach Becky Hammon reminded players who they were going up against.

“It looks like an NBA roster,” she said of New York’s length. “It really puts into perspective how big they are and how mobile they are.”

She put the wingspan of each of New York’s starters on a board. Liberty wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s wingspan of 6-foot-3 and 3/4 inches is nearly four inches longer than her 6-foot height. Rookie wing Leonie Fiebich stands 6-4 with a wingspan to match. Center Jonquel Jones, who is 6-6, has a nearly 6-10 wingspan.

Then there is Stewart, the two-time WNBA MVP.

She issued a correction to the Liberty’s media guide, which lists her at 6-10 3/4. “I thought my wingspan was 7-1,” she said, extending her arms in a postgame interview. “We’re going to have to confirm with the New York Liberty to re-measure that.”

The size and mobility played immediate dividends for the Liberty. They constantly switched on defense and scrambled when necessary to close out on open Aces. New York disrupted Las Vegas’ pick-and-roll actions. And when the Aces tried to drive baseline? “It was not good things happening,” Hammon said, adding that New York cut off corner opportunities, too.

Stewart’s wingspan made a difference on offense as well. She scored 20 points in the first half and passed Lisa Leslie for the longest streak of double-digit performances (35) in WNBA postseason history. “She had too many mismatches,” Hammon said. “We were switching guards onto her and (Jones) in the first half, and we’re not supposed to do that. They destroyed us in there. Both the bigs.”

Jones finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds. And though Fiebich added only 6 points, she was plus-19 in 35 minutes, leading New York in plus/minus for the third consecutive playoff game. Fiebich is still new to the Liberty’s starting lineup. Before New York’s first-round series last week against the Atlanta Dream, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello started her and moved Courtney Vandersloot to the bench. Brondello said she wanted two playmakers on the floor at all times. But the move had other benefits: Because of Fiebich’s size, strength and length, New York can switch almost any screen defensively. (Sunday’s starters had a plus-85.2 defensive rating in the regular season.)

Fiebich opened the series against the Aces guarding Plum. Afterward, the 24-year-old German rookie wasn’t pleased with her performance. “I’m such a perfectionist on defense that I didn’t really feel like it was great defense,” Fiebich said.

Still, Fiebich repeatedly disrupted other Aces when scrambling around the floor. Most notably, Aces guard Chelsea Gray was hounded by Fiebich at the end of the third quarter and was unable to get a shot off.

Afterward, Vandersloot thought back to one of her earliest memories of Fiebich, seeing her switch onto a center in an early-season contest. “It’s not really a mismatch,” Vandersloot said she thought to herself. “What a luxury that is to have her be able to guard the smallest girl on the floor and then switch out onto somebody without having to get into rotations.”

Of course, the greatest luxury of all for New York is Stewart, who laughed afterward about how hard it is to find long sleeves that fit.

There is an old adage in basketball: You can’t teach height. At this point in the playoffs, you can’t teach length either. Instead, Hammon and her staff will be tasked with trying to counteract New York defenders’ arms. A possible solution?

“You gotta spread them out,” Hammon said. “You gotta get to space. You have to space, and the ball has to move. If the ball doesn’t move, and we grab it and we analyze, their length becomes an issue again because everybody recovers back to their own.”

In theory, Las Vegas knew what was coming on Sunday as well. Aces guard Jackie Young said she knew that New York’s length would affect shots and passing lanes. Gray said it forces players into higher release points on their shots. “That poses a challenge at both ends,” Gray said.

And it did. Gray scored only 4 points on 2-of-7 shooting.

Game 2 is Tuesday evening in New York. Hammon called it “do-or-die.” But at least for one afternoon, the two-time defending champion Aces couldn’t stop what they knew was coming.

New York fans inside Barclays Center waved their arms (and white towels) in delight as the final seconds ticked off the clock. Liberty arms were all over the imprint of Game 1. “They punched us in the nose,” Hammon said. “No doubt about it.”

(Photo of Breanna Stewart: Evan Yu / NBAE via Getty Images)

MONTREAL — Deep into the dark of Saturday night, with scoreboard lights illuminating the 18th green, the two-time major winner stared at him with disbelief. Xander Schauffele has seen it up close more than anybody. He’s seen it in three continents over five cups. Still, his eyes bulged as the two embraced, tilting his head back in bewilderment, as if to ask: Who is this guy?

If you asked his four-ball teammate Sam Burns, he’d say, “The guy is an absolute just assassin.”

Captain Jim Furyk said he’s the player anyone would want to hit a big putt.

And in that moment Saturday night, as the birdie putt fell to win the most emotional match of the week, Schauffele remained amazed at what Patrick Cantlay can do with everything on the line.

“It’s probably the most fired up I’ve been maybe in my career,” Schauffele said.

The U.S. won the Presidents Cup on Sunday. Again. In what was at one point a hotly contested, back-and-forth team match play event, Cantlay’s clutch play pulled the Americans well ahead before they ran away in Sunday singles for an 18 1/2–11 1/2 win, the largest away victory in Presidents Cup history. They won because they’re better, more star-studded and possibly better managed. It was all quite simple.

But something else became abundantly clear this weekend, which we now can hold as gospel from here on out.

Patrick Cantlay — the polarizing, confounding, seemingly emotionless 32-year-old known as “Patty Ice” — has become one of the all-time team golf legends. He is a true crunch-time killer, a stoic, business-minded savage who has the rare, renowned ability to go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world and steal their hopes and dreams in the final moments. He’s sparked hat-waving mobs in Italy before caddie-player scuffles broke out after his 43-foot birdie putt. He’s gone undefeated at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. Even as a team cup rookie at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, he took down Joaquin Niemann in Sunday singles to be the official point that put the U.S. ahead. And after a 4-1 week in Montreal where he shared the total points lead, Cantlay can boast a 15-6-1 record in five team cups.

PATTY ICE. CLUTCH!! 🇺🇸🥶

Patrick Cantlay sinks it for birdie to seal a 1UP win and the 11th U.S. point!

📺 NBC and Peacock | #PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/4CDvRcoQ9W

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 28, 2024

His contemporaries talk about him with a chuckle because he really is just different. He’s articulate and thoughtful but also robotic and dry. He’s taken on a larger role in PGA Tour politics — with some saying he’s a primary voice steering the player advisory board — and is criticized for his slow play on the course. He is more infamous than popular yet beloved at the same time. And as an individual player 11 months out of the year, he’s compiled a somewhat disappointing resume as a perennial top-10 player without any major success.

With each level the legend of Cantlay in these moments grows, the questions only become more and more valid about why Cantlay the individual isn’t a multi-time major winner. Or why he’s hardly been in the mix at all.

That frustrating element shouldn’t negate what we’re watching. What we’re watching just makes us want even more.

Cantlay was not the main character this week in Montreal. But he’s the story right now because of the ways he silenced the main characters. That’s the real superpower Cantlay has. There was a 24-hour stretch early in the week when some wondered whether Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im were the most dominant team at the event, because the duo dominated Cantlay and Schauffele in Friday foursomes by a 7 and 6 margin to tie the biggest Presidents Cup blowout ever. But those close to Cantlay say he constantly wants to face the best, so captain Jim Furyk sent him out there again Saturday morning to face Matsuyama and Im in four-ball.

And Im was playing like a superstar down the stretch in a tight match. It was incredible to watch. Yet every time Im thought he would win a hole, Cantlay wouldn’t give him an inch.

When Im birdied 12, Cantlay chipped in for eagle. When Im put it to 6 feet for birdie on 14, Cantlay put it to 3 feet. When Im hit it to 6 feet again for birdie on 15, Cantlay made a 23-foot birdie of his own. And when Im hit a perfect shot to 5 feet on 16, Cantlay made a 17-foot birdie to seal the win. Im went from a hero of the day to an afterthought, because Cantlay snatched his soul.

Then came the Kims, Tom and Si Woo. They were the actual main characters of Montreal. They were dominant and boisterous and rubbed the Americans the wrong way. They celebrated with violent fist pumps and shouted to rile up the crowd. And they were winning. Until they matched up with Cantlay and Schauffele in afternoon foursomes.

Cantlay hit brutally challenging saves from impossible situations in the rough. He played the Kims’ own game, making them putt short putts instead of giving it to them. And in the clutch, in the near pitch black with the match on the line in a tight Presidents Cup, Cantlay made the 17-foot birdie putt to win.

Patrick Cantlay, left, and Xander Schauffele closed out their match Saturday night in thrilling fashion. (Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

“I think it’s pretty fitting, it being all dark and all,” Schauffele said. “I could barely see him out there. Reading the putt with him was pretty entertaining, using some light from the board. He’s just — I can tell you one thing, I’m never going to play him in the dark or at night. I’ll just wait for the morning.”

Cantlay has been one of the three or four most consistent golfers in the world over these six seasons, racking up 76 top-20s. But in major championships, he has not contended. He went three years without a top 10. He’s improved recently with six top-15s in his last 10 majors, but even amid those he never really felt like he was in the mix to win it.

GO DEEPER

What to know from the United States’ Presidents Cup win

So what is the disconnect?

It’s all speculation, but there’s something about Cantlay when it’s him vs. another person. Speaking before the Presidents Cup this week, he gave a rare insight into that difference, saying:

“My favorite thing about these weeks is the competitive nature of it and what it brings out in me. I don’t notice it until I’m out there doing it. The moments that match play creates and playing for a team and playing for the United States makes — it just brings out the best in me.”

He doesn’t even notice it until it happens.

“I just notice that I’m fired up way more than usual,” he continued, “and I think it’s because playing on a team makes you care more about the outcome.”

But it’s what he said next that is so interesting. Cantlay — fairly or not — is known as something as a corporate individual. He fights for more money for players on the board. He used to be sponsored by Goldman Sachs and now has the private equity firm Apollo on his cap. Much of the pandemonium in Rome stemmed from a report of Cantlay refusing to wear a Ryder Cup hat because he wanted to be paid (something Cantlay and Team USA denied). And as a professional golfer, his greatest strength is this unexciting reliability that racks up top finishes and plenty of money but doesn’t necessarily result in prestige.

In team events, though, people depend on you.

“I think having that team pulling for you and knowing that the other guys are watching and they have an interest in the match that you’re playing just elevates the pressure when you’re out there,” Cantlay said. “And so knowing that Xander or Collin (Morikawa) or Scottie (Scheffler) are watching the match and they’re all there and they’re living and dying with every shot, every putt, that just adds to the excitement, and I love it.”

Patrick Cantlay, left, seems to feed off of being a part of a team. (Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)

Maybe it’s something about that weight. Maybe it’s about it being so absolute. Professional golf is not win or lose. It’s win, or win a little less, or win a little less than that. Seventh place might still win you $500,000. It’s frustrating, but it’s also an incredible week. Some players are wired in a way that seventh place boils their blood. Others are built to view the world in aggregates and big pictures and understand it’s a good week. Cantlay tends to fall into the latter.

“It doesn’t feel as heavy,” Cantlay said of “losing” in a tour event. “Don’t get me wrong: winning and losing always feels great or feels horrible, but when you have a team and it could mean the difference between the team winning and the team losing, I think it’s heightened a little bit.”

Cantlay is 32. His golf is still good. Even in a relatively down year, he stands No. 11 in the world on DataGolf. But windows don’t last forever. Some can thrive into their 40s. Some start fading in their mid-30s. Of course, Cantlay wants to win majors and prove he’s one of the best of his era, which he is. But it’s not inconceivable that he never wins a major championship.

What will not change, though, is what Cantlay already is. He is a killer. He is a force. He is a 15-6-1 match-play golfer who can humble the cockiest, fiercest players in the game. When the stage gets tougher for everyone else, he feels most comfortable. Enjoy it, even if the rest remains so confusing.

(Top photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — No matter the opponent, no matter the place on the schedule, no matter who is in uniform for the opponent, many of the Kansas City Chiefs remind themselves, as they did Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, of their burden, as cliched as it sounds.

“We’re going to get the best from everybody.”

Coach Andy Reid said it in not so many words. So did quarterback Patrick Mahomes, linebacker Drue Tranquill and even running back Samaje Perine, who joined the Chiefs a month ago, after the Chiefs’ 17-10 victory, their fourth one-score win in as many weeks to begin the season.

“I just remember as a player with the Chargers that you were juiced up to play the Chiefs,” said Tranquill, who spent four seasons with the Chargers. “Any time the Chiefs came to town or we went to Arrowhead (Stadium), it was like, ‘This is a big freaking game!’ You felt it, something a little more.”

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The Chargers embodied such a team Sunday at SoFi Stadium, even without some of their best players, including edge rusher Joey Bosa (hip), left tackle Rashawn Slater (pectoral), safety Derwin James Jr. (one-game suspension) and rookie right tackle Joe Alt (knee). Plus, quarterback Justin Herbert, who played through a high ankle sprain, struggled with his mobility when he had a clean pocket.

Yet the Chargers (2-2) played as well as they could’ve hoped in the first quarter. They built a 10-point lead by capitalizing on two giveaways from the Chiefs, a fumble by rookie fullback Carson Steele and an overthrown pass by Mahomes that was intercepted.

Chargers intercept Mahomes and almost fumble it away!

📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/2An4So367O

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024

Even worse than the scoreboard at the time was how Mahomes’ turnover ended. While cornerback Kristian Fulton was returning the ball near the Chiefs’ sideline, he was being chased by Rashee Rice, Kansas City’s leading receiver. Rice’s right leg was bent backward when he ran into Mahomes, who was using his right shoulder in an attempt to tackle Fulton.

Within minutes, Rice was carted to the locker room, his hands and a towel covering his face.

“Rashee made a really good play,” Mahomes said. “I was trying to tackle the guy and obviously rolled up on him. If I just don’t turn the ball over, that never happens. I know Rashee and how tough he is. Him being down like that, I knew it wasn’t good. All we can do is pray that the X-rays and MRIs are better than what it looked.”

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Rice will undergo an MRI of his knee on Monday morning. According to a team source, the Chiefs fear that Rice tore his ACL, an injury that would end his season. Entering Sunday’s game, Rice led the Chiefs with 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Reid said. “I’m sure it’s not as good of news as we want. The guys all hung together and they feel terrible for Rashee because he’s having a fantastic year.”

Rashee Rice appears inconsolable as he is carted away pic.twitter.com/KD8rgo28Oz

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 29, 2024

Midway through the second quarter, Mahomes found himself in a huddle with a group of skill-position players he couldn’t have anticipated just six weeks ago — tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, running backs Kareem Hunt and Perine, and a receiver corps of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore and rookie Xavier Worthy.

This was not the offense the Chiefs projected to be before the season began. But the Chiefs were without veteran receiver Marquise Brown (left shoulder), running back Isiah Pacheco (right fibula) and Rice.

It will make it that much tougher for the Chiefs to survive every team’s best shot. But now others have the opportunity to step up like Worthy did just before halftime Sunday.

GO DEEPER

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Mahomes and Worthy were given plenty of time from the offensive line to connect on the longest connection of the season, a 54-yard touchdown.

“On the sideline, I told Pat, probably around the first quarter, ‘If we get this play call, I’m going to stutter a little bit (in the middle of my fly route),’” Worthy said. “It worked. It worked out just like that, which is crazy.”

Xavier Worthy doing his thing.

📺: #KCvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/s1k5ygK0ET

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2024

The Chargers’ secondary gave Worthy a cushion of 8 yards before the play started. Worthy, who ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in a record 4.21 seconds, still sprinted past two defenders, Fulton and safety Alohi Gilman, before catching the ball in the end zone. The ball traveled 62.2 yards in the air, Mahomes’ longest completion by air distance of his eight-year career, and Worthy reached a top speed of 21.46 mph, the third-fastest by a ball carrier in the league this season, according to Next Gen Stats.

“When it happens and it works in a game, it’s just a lot of fun,” right tackle Jawaan Taylor said of the touchdown. “Momentum definitely changed.”

While the Chiefs offense needed time to adjust after Rice’s injury, the defense, led by pass rusher Chris Jones, began attacking the Chargers’ offensive line to disrupt Herbert. The Chargers had four possessions in the second quarter. They punted four times.

“Early on, we’re trying to figure out what they’re trying to do,” Tranquill said. “They did a lot of motions, they were able to get yardage on screen plays and they had a good game plan. As the game gets going, Spags (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) is one of the best at feeling when he can call his shots, and we knew they were a little beat up on the O-line and there might be some communication and chemistry issues. We were able to take advantage of that.”

After halftime, the Chargers’ best shot to regain the lead came early in the fourth quarter.

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But Spagnuolo and his players were able to manufacture another clutch stop deep inside the red zone. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh decided to keep the offense on the field for a fourth-and-1 play from the Chiefs’ 3-yard line. Jones beat backup right guard Sam Mustipher to generate immediate pressure on Herbert, who threw an incompletion, the ball nowhere close to a pass catcher in the end zone.

“It’s not just one play that’s significant enough to affect the whole game, but I think there’s four or five plays that affected (this) game,” Jones said. “I watch enough film where I can understand tendencies and then you’ve got to understand what the teams like to do in certain situations and formations.”

Jones dominated the line of scrimmage in the second half. He finished with a season-high two sacks and three quarterback hits.

The Chargers also never moved the ball past midfield again. Jones sacked Herbert on the Chargers’ last offensive snap on a third-and-11 play with less than four minutes left.

“In my opinion, he’s the most dominant one-on-one pass rusher in the NFL,” Tranquill said of Jones. “He can rush inside and outside and we’re trying every week to figure out how we can get him a one-on-one because his win rate is so high. When you get him a one-on-one, the quarterback is not going to have a lot of time.”

THE CEO STRIKES AGAIN 💪 @StoneColdJones pic.twitter.com/mDry7Ro1m2

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 29, 2024

Through four games, the Chiefs still have one of the league’s best defenses, even after trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans in the offseason. The Chiefs have held their four opponents — the Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens — to 26 points or fewer for an average of 18 points per game.

“It’s a testament to our coaches and (general manager Brett) Veach bringing in the right guys and Spags,” Jones said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit for the work he puts in and the investment he makes in the players and to make sure they’re at their best and what he’s able to pull out of us.”

On one drive in the fourth quarter, Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs offense managed to do what was necessary to exit SoFi Stadium with another win. Mahomes’ performance was disjointed, but he engineered a game-winning touchdown drive in just five plays. The biggest highlight was Mahomes’ 29-yard pass in the middle of the field to Gray. The play featured Kelce and rookie tight end Jared Wiley blocking for Mahomes.

Perine made the game-winning score on a 2-yard run into the end zone.

“It’s nothing different than the first three weeks,” Perine said. “We’ve been doing this every week. I guess we know how to win.”

(Photo of Chris Jones and Justin Herbert: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)