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BERLIN — “Vamoooooos,” a roar, and the ball skied in celebration.

Carlos Alcaraz did what he normally does when he wins a tennis match — except this time he was dressed all in blue, playing on a black court, and about to be mobbed by Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Daniil Medvedev, men whose dreams of Grand Slam titles he has spent most of his career dashing.

In dismantling U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz, 6-2, 7-5, Alcaraz clinched the 2024 Laver Cup for Team Europe, securing a 13-11 victory over Team World here in the German capital.

Not 36 hours earlier, he used a press conference at the same event to express fears about there being too much tennis, having suffered a shock defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round of the U.S. Open, in what was the Spaniard’s 50th singles match of 2024, in late August.

“Probably, they are going to kill us in some way,” he said.

“Sometimes, you don’t want to go to a tournament,” he added.

“Sometimes, I don’t feel motivated at all. As I’ve said many, many times, I play my best tennis when I smile and enjoy it on court. That’s the best option,” he continued.

Carlos Alcaraz won eight of Team Europe’s 13 points. (Gerald Matzka / Getty Images for Laver Cup)

In Berlin, he was feeling himself, evidently liberated by the atmosphere, the support of being part of a team — and freedom from the stresses of tennis that truly counts for something, whether it’s a major title, an Olympic medal, or the ranking points that move players up and down the sport.

But the Laver Cup has designs on being more than this, aiming to emulate the history and prestige of golf’s Ryder Cup, whose 90-year history far outstrips that of an event founded in 2017, and thus far is best known for being the stage on which co-founder Roger Federer orchestrated his exit from the sport he defined.

The event wants prestige, but players love its freedom. Seven years after its inception, the Laver Cup finds itself at an inflection point.

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When the Laver Cup arrives in San Francisco next September for its 2025 edition, the two team captains — John McEnroe (World) and Bjorn Borg (Europe) — will have been replaced by Andre Agassi and Yannick Noah. Rafael Nadal is expected to have followed the competition’s co-founder Federer into retirement. An event initially so defined by star power will have to search for new shine.

Its founders are bullish about the competition’s place in tennis. Tony Godsick is Federer’s long-term agent and fellow co-founder of Team8, the sports and entertainment company that oversaw the foundation of the event.

“We’ll never get rid of that gap,” Godsick says of organisers’ designs on matching the Ryder Cup, as he takes The Athletic on a tour of Berlin’s Uber Arena. “We invest in the brand for the players, for the sponsors, for the fans, for the media.”

Godsick also offered his own opinion on its place in the tennis calendar at a press conference on Friday: “There could be too many other tennis events, per se, but this one is working. We have sold-out crowds. Every player loves to play. We have the biggest captains, the best sponsors. Everything is working.

“So the question is: Is there too much Laver Cup? No. I think there is not enough Laver Cup, probably.”

Everything about the competition is bombastic, which at times can jar a little. At one point at the launch event on Thursday night, guests were told the Laver Cup is “one of the most popular sporting events in the world”. Borg, winner of 11 Grand Slam titles, describes it as “the best event”.

Bjorn Borg will relinquish his captaincy of Team Europe to Yannick Noah. (Clive Brunskill / Getty Images for Laver Cup)

In its courtship of stars and pitting of a selection of the world’s top players against each other, it largely pulls off its dance between a glitzy tennis pageant and a serious competition tied to the most important competitions in the sport.

The black court and vibrant red and blue team colours help give it a distinct feel, and the luxury sponsors and slick, high-end production values are very much in line with co-founder Federer’s image. He was in Berlin for the event and his presence and aura can be felt everywhere — but the competition can no longer rely on it for the actual playing of tennis.

Players who are normally rivals get to hang out properly and actually get to know each other a bit better away from the pressure of tour life. They clearly enjoy the atmosphere a lot, learning from each other and their distinguished team captains, and are well looked after. Players are encouraged to bring their families along and Federer insists that everything is done to ensure their needs are met. Stringers, physios, hotels — everything has to be delivered to his exacting standards. The players are given appearance fees, and members of the winning team receive $250,000 (£187,000) each.

This helps with getting the top three players from both geographical groups, who are directly invited (the tournament then works down the list if players ranked higher say no) with three more team members selected as “captain’s picks”. In this year’s case, six of the world’s top 10 and nine of the world’s top 20 made the trip. One of those was debutant Alcaraz, who McEnroe points to as inheriting the star power of Federer and Nadal (the latter was down to play, before pulling out with injury).

The system thereby creates singles matchups that could be pulled from the latter stages of Grand Slam tournaments — Medvedev against Frances Tiafoe, Alcaraz against Ben Shelton, Zverev against Fritz — with none of the pressure such meetings carry.

Not that the event sees it that way.

Frances Tiafoe claimed victory over Daniil Medvedev in a match tiebreak. (Francisco Macia / Quality Sport Images via Getty Images)

“We do not hear that there is less pressure,” said chief executive Steve Zacks earlier this week. “It’s a different kind of pressure. But they take it very seriously. And they feel like they’ve got people supporting them.”

“The peer pressure, having great players on each team, having the legends of the game as your coaches … You’re going to try hard, period,” Godsick told reporters.

The players competing in the Laver Cup definitely care. Of course they do — they are professional athletes and competitive beasts; put them all together in a game of minigolf and they’d take it extremely seriously. But the event’s lack of accumulated pressure from the rest of the tennis calendar feels germane in the context of Alcaraz’s comments.

Perhaps being not quite so serious is no bad thing.

The players involved say that the change in atmosphere is marked.

“The players talk in a more friendly way,” said Team Europe’s Casper Ruud in an interview with The Athletic. “Here, you can actually get to know your competitors. Daniil (Medvedev) is a father and we can talk about his family, his daughter, how it is to be a father. Sometimes I forget that athletes we’re just normal people as well.”

Rivals become team-mates, spending proper time with their colleagues rather than rolling on to yet another tournament as a sole trader in search of ranking points.

That extends to the on-court format, with the other players sitting courtside for matches and able to offer advice between points and energy during them. It’s fascinating seeing their interactions in a sport that so often isolates them (and in the social media age, makes for compelling content).

Dimitrov was especially active on Team Europe, even offering tips on where to serve on certain points. His suggestion to Medvedev for the first point of the super tiebreak against Tiafoe paid off, with the Russian listening and winning the point. After that match, he and Medvedev stayed on court, talking tactics. After one high-octane point against Tabilo, Dimitrov high-fived his teammates, the big screen caught a glimpse of Federer smiling, and the whole place went wild. Alcaraz and Tiafoe enjoyed working the crowd even more than usual.

It’s hard to imagine that freedom under the pressure of a Grand Slam match — or even something on a par with the Ryder Cup.

For Fritz, fresh from his first U.S. Open final, it was a relief not to go straight back into the grind of tour-level competition.

“It would be easy to have almost an emotional comedown — especially as an American,” he said. “You don’t get that here. You’ve got the team to pump you up.”

His compatriot and team-mate Shelton, who has spoken in the past about his love of the college tennis environment in the United States that formed him as a player, sees the event as a welcome throwback.

Ben Shelton is particularly fond of the on-court energy for its ties to the college tennis atmosphere in which he developed. (Francisco Macia / Quality Sport Images via Getty Images)

“I think a lot of the banter and the things that we enjoy in the locker room and cheering for our teammates on the court are similar to college,” he said. “I think that you always play better when you’re playing for something bigger than yourself.”

At this summer’s Olympics in Paris, Alcaraz and women’s world No 1 Iga Swiatek, did not feel this way. Both broke down in tears after defeats — Swiatek in the semifinals against Zheng Qinwen and Alcaraz in the gold medal match against Novak Djokovic — and referred to the pressure of playing for something bigger than themselves, meaning their country.

How much that pressure would grow if the Laver Cup were to gain more of the sporting prestige it wants is another tricky dance to negotiate.

The Davis Cup — the men’s team tennis event that currently has the most prestige — is in a complicated place of its own, with changes to its format and location lessening the appeal. The women’s equivalent, the Billie Jean King Cup, also loses top players because of its proximity to the season-ending WTA Finals. Tsitsipas said he appreciates the consistency of the Laver Cup in this regard — the money likely helps, too.

These advantages don’t convince everyone — the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, has never played in the annual event, and Djokovic has appeared just twice.

The Laver Cup’s future will rest on how it negotiates its desire to be prestigious while maintaining the difference and freedom that the players on whose star power it relies clearly relish.

At the pre-event press conference, the players enjoyed having a laugh with one another, teasing the 21-year-old Alcaraz about how green he is and Dimitrov’s recent striptease with Djokovic in a charity match. For Team World, Tiafoe was particularly in his element.

“It suits me a lot, suits my personality. Get to relax a bit. It definitely helps,” he said in an interview ahead of the event.

Fritz and Zverev were asked at the pre-tournament press conference if they were, as the senior players, the de facto team leaders. Both instantly demurred and said the team captains were in charge — in part it seemed because they were quite enjoying a week where it wasn’t them having to make decisions.

The fans enjoy it too. With the 17,000-capacity Uber Arena either sold out or close to for the five sessions, it was the highest-grossing event at the venue since it opened in 2008. The fan area outside was always busy and the dedicated practice court was packed whenever the bigger names, such as Alcaraz, used it.

The jumbo tennis balls that have become a feature of crowds were out in force for the players. (Ronny Hartmann / AFP via Getty Images)

The challenge, as the Davis Cup has found out, is ensuring that, as well as those attending, the event appeals to a sizeable proportion of the wider tennis, and broader sporting, public.

The event is looking at bringing in younger players, and Godsick mentioned the possibility of an NCAA Laver Cup, which would pit the best European college players against their best counterparts from the rest of the world. Everywhere, including Saudi Arabia, is in consideration for hosting future editions, but there are no immediate plans to create a joint men’s and women’s event, with the feeling that the Hopman Cup has cornered that part of the market for now.

Even though the Laver Cup is starting to make memories — Nadal and Federer holding hands during the latter’s farewell in 2022, the pair coming back onto the court with Zverev and giving him a sweary pep talk in 2019, Kyle Edmund absolutely losing his mind in the dressing room a year earlier and chest-bumping everyone in sight — there is no shortcut to history and prestige.

Kyle Edmund going wild in laver cup locker room. pic.twitter.com/P3YmGKnhG2

— Tennis Reaction vids (@DominicMEME) March 10, 2024

Only through time, doing it year-in and year-out, will the Laver Cup be able to acquire the status it clearly wants, even if the tournament’s current calling card is freedom from the sameness and existential angst of the tennis tours.

The next seven years will be interesting.

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Kelsea Pietersen)

TORONTO – The Boston Red Sox kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 in the first of a three-game road series.

Red Sox starter Tanner Houck pitched five shutout innings and allowed just one hit to improve to 9-10 on the season. The Red Sox improved to 79-78.

Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt struggled by allowing three runs, two of which were earned, along with a season-high seven walks to drop to 11-14 on the season.

After striking out Jarren Duran to start the game, Bassitt walked three of the next five batters over the first two innings.

The Red Sox opened the scoring in the second inning, as second baseman Vaughn Grissom scored catcher Connor Wong from third on a sacrifice fly. It was Grissom’s fourth RBI of the season and his first since being called back up to the Red Sox from triple-A Worcester on Sept. 20.

The Red Sox doubled their lead in the third inning courtesy of an RBI single by outfielder Wilyer Abreu. The run gave Abreu 58 RBIs on the season and continued a strong campaign for the 25-year-old, who entered the game leading all American League rookies in slugging percentage, doubles and extra-base hits.

Third baseman Nick Sogard led off the fourth inning with a hard-hit double and then advanced to third after Bassitt was charged with a balk. Centre-fielder Ceddanne Rafaela would then give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead on a swinging bunt to bring Sogard home, giving the 24-year-old utility-man his 71st RBI of the season and a league-leading 57 as the ninth hitter in a team’s lineup.

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Bassitt was replaced by right-hander Zach Pop after an Abreu single in the top of the fifth inning pushed runners to first and third with only one out. It marked the second consecutive game in which Bassitt finished with under five innings pitched and allowed three or more walks. Pop would then walk Wong to load the bases for Sogard, who would then hit into a double-play to end the inning and give the Blue Jays life as Houck took a perfect game into the bottom of the fifth.

Addison Barger wound up ending Houck’s perfect-game bid two batters later with a walk, followed up shortly after by shortstop Ernie Clement earning Toronto’s first hit of the game with a single into left field. Boston’s lead remained safe on the next play, however, as centre-fielder Jonatan Clase flew out to left field to end the inning.

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Right-hander Tommy Nance took over for Pop to begin the next frame, entering the game with a 3.60 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 20 appearances. Despite allowing a triple from Duran, Nance pitched a scoreless sixth, punctuated by striking out Trevor Story to exit the frame unscathed.

Right-hander Greg Weissert took over for Houck in the sixth and continued Boston’s strong night on the mound, getting left-fielder Nathan Lukes to ground into a double-play in the next at-bat before star first-baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ultimately ended the inning with a groundout of his own.

Left-hander Brendon Little took over from Nance to begin the seventh and keep the Red Sox off the bases entirely with a hitless frame.

Left-hander Zach Penrod came on in relief of Houck in the bottom of the seventh inning, allowing a single to catcher Alejandro Kirk before being replaced by Luis Guerrero, a right-hander, out of the bullpen. Two pitches into his first at-bat, Guerrero got Clement to pop out to second base to end the inning.

The Blue Jays then sent right-hander Dillon Tate out to face the Red Sox in the eighth. Tate walked Wong to begin the frame and then watched as the Red Sox catcher stole second a few pitches later. Shortly after, Tate would walk Sogard to give Blue Jays pitchers a combined 10 walks on the evening. A double-play by Grissom would give Blue Jays fans brief hope, only for an RBI single by Rafaela to extend Boston’s lead to four.

Erik Swanson took over on the mound for Toronto in the eight inning and pitched a scoreless frame, giving way to the Blue Jays’ one final attempt at a comeback.

Lukes began the rally with a leadoff single off of Chris Martin, who entered the contest with just two walks in 41 and 1/3 innings pitched. Any hopes of a miracle were dashed shortly thereafter, however, as Martin would shut the door and seal the victory for the visiting team.

The Blue Jays dropped to a season-high 11 games below .500 at 73-84. They will get a chance at redemption on Tuesday night in the second game of the series.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2024.

&copy 2024 The Canadian Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Kyle Shanahan could probably sense the possibility coming. Perhaps that’s why he was so adamant about breaking the Los Angeles Rams’ spirit.

For most of Shanahan’s tenure in the Bay, the San Francisco 49ers have owned his buddy Sean McVay’s club. SoFi Stadium on Sunday was, again, a sea of red. The hosts were winless and coming off an embarrassing loss. Shanahan sensed the vulnerability. He knew his team couldn’t afford to give them life.

Shanahan was right.

The 49ers had a 14-point lead in the first quarter. They were in position to stomp out the Rams. Coming off a tough loss at Minnesota, and with a grocery list of injuries, the 49ers could’ve used the blowout they were on the cusp of obtaining.

But they didn’t do it. They didn’t kill off Los Angeles. They made enough mistakes, missed enough plays, to keep the Rams close. The 49ers led 24-14 early in the fourth quarter.

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Their loss at Minnesota last week was much more understandable. They always struggle on the road against the Vikings, who are now 3-0. But Sunday in Los Angeles was jarring.

The 49ers gave this game away with their uncharacteristic futility across the board. Porous defense. Unclutch offense. Unreliable special teams. And a coaching staff that couldn’t stop the momentum from steamrolling the 49ers.

“I thought we had every chance to win that game,” Shanahan said. “Also thought we had a number of times in the game where we had opportunities to run away with it, especially early in the game and having a 14-point lead.”

This loss has been brewing, in reality. The 49ers have, for some months, been shoveling this hole they’re now in. Because losses like this are a collective failure and the result of a team yet to catch its flow.

Three games into the season, the 49ers are a team that looks great in spurts but yet to put together a substantial consistent stretch. Even when they were owning the New York Jets in Week 1, they weren’t in a groove — which was understandable in Week 1.

The 49ers’ success is traditionally based on synchronicity. How the coverage feeds off the pass rush, and the linebackers wreak havoc in between. How the offense is built on timing routes, a delicate choreography balanced by a physical run game. For all of their star power, the 49ers’ dominance is a product of their interdependent rhythm. A metronome of violence and grace, timing and misdirection, precision and explosion.

But the 49ers aren’t close to clicking. Far from it.

“I think this loss comes from being too complacent,” said cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. “We should’ve put them away. … This has got a lot to do with finishing.”

And the current discombobulation is a natural result of their last eight months — from an absolute gut-wrenching loss in the Super Bowl, to an offseason dominated by contentious contract holdouts, to significant changes in key positions, followed by injuries to their best players.

Yeah, from the macro view, this was coming.

If anything’s been proven in the Shanahan era, it’s this: If the machine that is 49ers football gets disrupted, San Francisco becomes a run-of-the-mill team, prone to the whims and chances of the NFL’s parity. Unlike some teams, such as Kansas City, whose success is largely predicated on a couple of strengths outweighing whatever weaknesses, the 49ers rely on a more universal strength. They wear down opponents with depth and a barrage of great players spread throughout the roster.

It’s proven to be a reliable formula, only bested by Patrick Mahomes. That’s why they still feel good about their chances to find the sync that makes them special.

Hear from Kyle Shanahan and players following #SFvsLAR. https://t.co/HIrKjY8dHD

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) September 22, 2024

If Sunday’s embarrassing loss was a smelling salt for the 49ers, then it was a productive defeat.

“We have to feel the loss, for sure,” Nick Bosa said. “Can’t just move on and act like it’s fine. Feel the loss and just start stacking week by week.

“Definitely a rough start, but there’s a ton of football to be played. We’ve been through some tough stretches before. We just have to stay together. We have the guys to do it.”

Brock Purdy tried his best to will the 49ers to victory.

The remaining critique of Purdy is the wealth of the 49ers’ roster. He’s reputed by his critics as more beneficiary than creator of his team’s success. But with the 49ers’ offense missing its three best playmakers — Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle — this game would require Purdy to carry a sizeable load.

He did his part. He was 22-for-30 passing, 292 yards, three touchdowns. He was a playmaking cyclone out there, scrambling for first downs and keeping plays alive with his feet.

“Even though I’m focused on the defense,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said, “I’m still on that sideline watching the offense and seeing him fight for every single bit out there and put on the performance he did. That’s exactly why he’s the guy leading us at that position.”

And Jauan Jennings was his favorite target, looking like Randy Moss. Jennings caught 11 of his 12 targets for 175 yards receiving and three touchdowns. It was a career performance for someone who is usually the No. 3 receiver.

“He’s a dawg,” Purdy said. “Absolutely love that guy.”

But the offense stalled every time it had a chance to put away the Rams. Six of Purdy’s eight incompletions were drops, robbing him of a massive day. The 49ers managed 3 points in the fourth quarter after building a 14-0 lead early.

The defense, handed a two-touchdown advantage, was gashed for seven plays of 15 yards or more, including a pass interference penalty in the final minute that set up the Rams’ game-winning field goal. The number of ball carriers operating in space highlighted how bewildered the 49ers were.

And special teams? The coverage unit allowed a 38-yard punt return to start the Rams’ game-winning drive. Jake Moody missed a 55-yard field goal inside of three minutes left that might’ve put the game away. And Shanahan believes the game turned on a second-quarter Rams fake punt that worked even though the 49ers were expecting a fake punt.

“That fake punt,” Shanahan said, “it was just the momentum of the game. We gave them a lot of hope to get back in it.”

The 49ers started 1-2 just two years ago. In 2022, they also opened the season with two road losses and a home win. They were 3-4 seven games into the season. It was worrisome enough they traded for McCaffrey. The 49ers then won 12 straight games. By the time the NFC Championship Game came, they were the best team in the conference. But Purdy was injured at Philadelphia, and that was that.

It became the impetus for the Super Bowl run the following season. They were hungry to get back. They started 5-0 and, despite an injury-driven three-game losing streak, made it to the Super Bowl.

If the third time is the charm, it only stands to reason they’ve got to overcome a lull. On their third journey to the Super Bowl, and what it takes to get back on the grindstone and find their flow, this was perhaps inevitable.

“Obviously, it’s early in the season,” Purdy said. “But still, every game matters. We’re just going to take it one day at a time and not freak out about anything, but at the same time zone in on the stuff we need to get better at. And actually get better.

They couldn’t rob the Rams of hope. The trick now is to get it together fast enough so they don’t lose their own.

(Photo of Rams coach Sean McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

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

Much of the talk going into Tennessee’s trip to Oklahoma was about Volunteers coach Josh Heupel’s return to his alma mater, Heupel was right when, through teary eyes, he told his players that Saturday’s 25-15 win against the Sooners was about them and their future. Right now, Tennessee’s future looks like an SEC contender.

After a road win that wasn’t as close as the final score, Tennessee moves up to No. 3 in this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

Through four games, the Vols have shown they can win in different ways, and that should bode well in SEC play. Saturday’s win was an ugly one, and that’s not a bad thing. Two years ago, the Tennessee team that finished No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings could put up 40 or 50 points on almost everyone, but it ranked 31st in yards per rush on offense and 48th in yards per play allowed on defense. This Tennessee team can run the ball and play better defense.

Yes, Oklahoma’s offense has struggled, but Tennessee played a game in which it knew it could hold on to a lead, run the ball and play defense to run out the clock, and that’s what happened. The Vols passed the ball 21 times and ran it 49 times (excluding sacks) while missing two offensive tackles. The Sooners averaged 1.1 yards per carry and turned it over three times.

Tennessee is playing complete ball right now, and after one of the best wins of the weekend, the Vols move up in the rankings.

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We’ve reached the point where most teams are one-third of the way through their season. Head-to-head results aren’t weighted as heavily for teams that aren’t on the same tier (goodbye, Northern Illinois), but some lopsided results this weekend resulted in some final few big jumps.

Here is the Week 5 edition of The Athletic 134.

1-10

Other than Tennessee’s rise, the only change here is that Missouri moves out of the top 10 and Utah moves up to No. 9 after the Utes’ 22-19 win at Oklahoma State that was 22-3 at one point in the fourth quarter. I don’t think the ceiling of this Utah team is high without quarterback Cam Rising, but the defense is as nasty as it’s ever been, and the Utes are the Big 12 favorite.

Georgia’s trip to Alabama this Saturday will shake up next week’s rankings.

To acknowledge Ohio State, my preseason No. 1 has now dropped down to No. 4 simply because of the schedule. The three teams above the Buckeyes have played much better opponents. Games against Iowa and Oregon to open October will be Ohio State’s first chance to start climbing back up.

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11-25

I can’t tell whether Missouri is not as good as we expected or just playing with its food too much. Beating Vanderbilt in overtime after playing Boston College unexpectedly close were not performances indicative of a top-10 team. The Tigers are testing my patience and will continue to drop with play like that, even though their schedule is very favorable for an SEC team.

Michigan jumps back up to No. 11 after a comeback win to beat USC at home. Like Utah, I don’t think the Wolverines’ ceiling is high — the offense went nowhere once USC adjusted — but they are also better in the trenches than almost everyone they’ll play. BYU makes a big jump up to No. 16 after a 38-9 beatdown of Kansas State, a previous top-15 team. The final margin wasn’t indicative of the box score numbers in K-State’s favor, but BYU’s defense looks solid, and its earlier win at SMU looks better after Saturday’s results.

Illinois climbs up to No. 18 after a win at Nebraska. The Illini are grabbing takeaways and playing efficiently on offense. This team plays really hard and could be another Bret Bielema overachieving classic. Louisville finally played someone of note, moving up to No. 23 after a 31-19 win against Georgia Tech. Indiana also moves into the top 25 at No. 24 not because the Hoosiers demolished Charlotte but because they’ve demolished everyone so far. The next game against Maryland will tell us whether this is for real.

Welcome to the top 25, Washington State. The Cougars are 4-0 after stopping a two-point attempt to beat San Jose State in overtime, and their earlier win against Texas Tech looks better this week. They can only reach the CFP as an at-large team this year and next, meaning they’ll have to be ranked around the top 10.

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26-50

If Oklahoma wasn’t “Oklahoma,” the Sooners wouldn’t be ranked in the top 25. They haven’t been good all season outside of their opening blowout of Temple, and they drop to No. 26 here facing major questions on offense with the benching of quarterback Jackson Arnold. Iowa still can’t pass the ball, but its new offense is opening lanes for explosive running back Kaleb Johnson. The Hawkeyes slide up to No. 28 after beating Minnesota. Texas Tech jumps up to No. 35 after beating previously unbeaten Arizona State. It’s possible neither of these teams are as good as their ranking, but for now, they’ll sit here.

SMU’s 66-42 win against TCU sees the Mustangs come up to No. 36; their earlier loss to BYU doesn’t look as bad after what BYU did to Kansas State. Navy makes the biggest jump of the week, from No. 105 to No. 37, after beating Memphis. The 3-0 Midshipmen have scored their most points through three games since 1918 and might end up being one of the better teams in the AAC. Northern Illinois tumbles to No. 38 after blowing an 11-point lead and losing to Buffalo in overtime.

Arkansas’ 24-14 win against Auburn moves the Razorbacks up to No. 41, while Cal’s loss to Florida State sees the Golden Bears drop to No. 42. James Madison had not played well this year, but a stunning 70-50 win at North Carolina vaults the Dukes up to No. 44.

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51-75

North Carolina had been playing well before Saturday, but that JMU loss drops the Tar Heels to No. 55. Virginia Tech tumbles to No. 58 after a late loss to Rutgers. The larger problem is that two losses to Rutgers and Vanderbilt now leave Virginia Tech without many chances for notable wins. NC State also drops to No. 59 after a 59-35 loss to Clemson, the Wolfpack’s second beating of the season at the hands of an AP Top 25 team.

Toledo is another Group of 5 darling that drops, this time after a dramatic loss at Western Kentucky. TCU falls to No. 69 after losing to SMU, while Stanford jumps up to No. 70 after beating Syracuse on a last-second field goal. TCU’s head-to-head win against Stanford explains their relative positioning. Wisconsin dropped to No. 71 without playing, but that’s simply because other teams (like Stanford) got good wins while Wisconsin was idle. Army is 3-0 and looking quite solid thus far. Service academies back on the rise, perhaps? Cincinnati is up to 3-1 and No. 73 after a 34-0 win against Houston, and the Bearcats may be rounding into form. If not for that blown fourth quarter against Pitt…

Kansas is down to No. 74 after another one-score loss, this time to West Virginia, and Florida State is up to No. 75 after beating Cal, becoming the final Power 4 team to get a victory.

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76-100

No. 77 San Jose State lost to Washington State, but the Spartans are looking quite good under first-year coach Ken Niumatalolo so far. Virginia leapfrogs Coastal Carolina to No. 79 after beating the Chanticleers. South Florida drops to No. 78 after a 50-15 loss to Miami. The Bulls’ nonconference schedule has been rough.

Bowling Green moves up to No. 86 after a one-score loss to Texas A&M, which came after a one-score loss to Penn State. This feels like a team that could do a lot of damage in the MAC. Same with Buffalo, which is 3-1 and No. 87 after beating Northern Illinois. Sam Houston is 3-1 and up to No. 91 after taking care of business against New Mexico State and could make noise in Conference USA.

South Alabama is the toughest team to rank this week. The Jaguars have losses to Ohio and North Texas but beat Appalachian State 48-14 on the road. They were missing quarterback Gio Lopez against Ohio, so maybe they’ve just figured things out after an 0-2 start? Or maybe App State is in big trouble the rest of the year. This is a South Alabama team we need to see more of to get a better read.

Mississippi State is the lowest-ranked Power 4 team at No. 98, and quarterback Blake Shapen is out for the year after suffering a shoulder injury in the 45-28 loss to Florida. Annnnnd next up on the schedule are Texas and Georgia. I’m so sorry, Bulldogs.

GO DEEPER

College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Utah back in, USC hangs on in bracket

101-134

Shoutout to No. 108 Troy and No. 125 Temple for their first wins of the season. I thought Temple could be an 0-12 candidate, but the Owls beat Utah State 45-29. Is UConn turning a corner? The Huskies played Duke close last week and whipped FAU 48-14 on Saturday, moving up to No. 113.

FIU, meanwhile, lost to FCS Monmouth at Pitbull Stadium and falls to No. 115. Tulsa beat Louisiana Tech in overtime to move up to No. 118. Wyoming is tumbling fast, now down to No. 130 after a 44-17 loss to North Texas. The Cowboys, a perennial bowl team under Craig Bohl, have three blowout losses to FBS teams and a loss to FBS Idaho in Jay Sawvel’s first season.

Kent State remains at the bottom after getting outgained 718-67 in total yards against Penn State. That is the largest gap I can ever remember seeing, off the top of my head.

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: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)

Double the football, double the fun?

That seems to be the NFL’s approach to a few Monday nights this year. There are four weeks featuring a “Monday Night Football” doubleheader this regular season, continuing the scheduling quirk that has become the norm since 2022.

Why are there multiple Mondays with two games this season?

It’s the result of an 11-year media rights agreement the NFL finalized in March 2021. The deal, which included previously existing broadcast partners plus Amazon Prime Video, granted more content to Disney by increasing the number of games on ESPN and ABC from 17 to 23.

There was a MNF doubleheader in Week 2 of the 2022 season and four multi-game “Monday Night Football” weeks in 2023 (including the Christmas Day slate in Week 16 that carried three games).

Who’s playing?

The overlapping Monday night games begin tonight with the Jacksonville Jaguars taking on the Buffalo Bills at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Washington Commanders facing the Cincinnati Bengals at 8:15 p.m. ET.

In Week 4, the Tennessee Titans play the Miami Dolphins at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the Seattle Seahawks kick off against the Detroit Lions at 8:15 p.m. ET. These games fall on Sept. 30.

Week 7 brings a pair of late Monday games to the Oct. 21 slate. The Baltimore Ravens travel to Tampa Bay for an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff against the Buccaneers, and the Los Angeles Chargers–Arizona Cardinals game follows at 9 p.m. ET.

The second half of the regular season includes only one Monday night that’s double booked. To wrap up Week 15, the Chicago Bears play the Minnesota Vikings at 8 p.m. ET while the Las Vegas Raiders host the Atlanta Falcons at 8:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 16.

How will the simultaneous broadcasts work?

For most of the overlapping MNF games, one matchup will air on ABC and ESPN+ while the other will be broadcast on ESPN. The Chargers-Cardinals game that caps Week 7 will stream exclusively on ESPN+.

(Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

Stay informed on all the biggest stories in Formula 1. Sign up here to receive the Prime Tire newsletter in your inbox every Monday and Friday. 

SINGAPORE — Max Verstappen has always made clear that he won’t be on the grid forever, no matter how much he loves racing and winning in Formula One.

As the youngest-ever starter and race winner in the sport’s history and one of its most prolific victors, a long career a la Fernando Alonso or Kimi Raikkonen would surely put Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher’s championship and win tallies well within Verstappen’s grasp.

He’s never cared for records. Nor has he cared for the all-encompassing nature of F1 at times with an ever-growing calendar. As Verstappen made clear at Zandvoort in August, where he made his 200th F1 start, he is closer to the end of his F1 career than the start — even at 26.

The thought of what post-F1 life may look like, even with one of the most lucrative contracts in F1 that runs through to 2028, is very present in Verstappen’s world outlook.

The events of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend may have only accelerated that thinking for Verstappen. On the track, it was his best race in nearly a month. Second place was a great result, considering how bleak the outlook was at one stage of the weekend and that it was a comprehensive defeat to title rival Lando Norris,

But off the track, it was the FIA’s response to Verstappen’s language that sparked rightful frustration from the three-time world champion.

His use of one word (“f—ed”) in Thursday’s press conference while talking about his car — an inanimate object without feelings — caused the FIA to leap into action and deem it “misconduct.” It was a move that seemed borne out of making an example of Verstappen, who is required to complete community service for F1’s governing body.

Verstappen responded with a protest in the FIA press conference after qualifying on Saturday, deliberately giving brief answers because he feared he might get fined or have another day added to his sanction. He gladly spoke to journalists outside of the room, slamming the decision as “ridiculous.”

GO DEEPER

Max Verstappen calls swearing sanction ‘ridiculous’ after FIA press conference protest

The protest softened ever so slightly on Sunday. His answers were longer, if still brief. When The Athletic asked Verstappen if he’d still rather speak outside of the press conference, he replied: “It’s been a long day. Yeah.”

By then, Red Bull had already scheduled Verstappen to have a separate media briefing in the team’s hospitality unit straight after the press conference. There, the Dutchman’s demeanor changed, returning to his usual effusive and (importantly) opinionated self.

“For me personally, there is absolutely no desire to then give long answers when you get treated like that,” Verstappen said. He knew he’d met the requirements of attending the press conference and giving answers, as brief as they may have been. Even the FIA would have conceded it was a clever tactic.

The ruling itself still angered Verstappen. He posted about it in the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association WhatsApp group with all the other F1 drivers and said, “Everyone was almost laughing, you know, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ Basically. So, yes, it is very, very silly.”

Verstappen has hinted before that his retirement could come sooner rather than later. (Clive Rose/Getty Images)

But Verstappen also considered the bigger picture. If F1 continues to follow this path, where drivers can not be their authentic selves, it will naturally impact how much longer he wants to stay on the grid.

“For sure, these kinds of things definitely decide my future as well,” Verstappen said. “You know when you can’t be yourself, or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things. I think now I’m at the stage of my career that you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.”

Verstappen knows what it’s like to win races and championships. And he wants to enjoy his time racing. “But if you have to deal with all these kinds of silly things, for me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure,” Verstappen said.

He also criticized the sanction given to Carlos Sainz for crossing the track on foot under a red flag to return to the pit lane after his qualifying crash on Saturday. “I mean, what are we talking about? It’s a red flag,” Verstappen said. “Cars are coming in. I think it’s quite safe, and he knows what he’s doing. We’re not stupid. These kinds of things, like when I saw it getting noted, I was like, ‘my god…’”

It saps away Verstappen’s love for F1. No, swearing isn’t necessary. But everyone in the paddock is a grown-up, and for many people, English is not their first language. Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff also pointed out that a press conference is not intended to be widely broadcast, given its purpose is primarily for the media. To come down so hard on the world champion as a result of one careless word there seemed harsh.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner felt the FIA could have handled it better and “would have avoided any awkwardness” as a result. “We’ve seen members of the royal family telling photographers to take a f—ing photo,” Horner said, referring to Prince Phillip’s filmed comment in 2015. Horner used the word in a media session, not the FIA press conference, putting it outside the governing body’s jurisdiction.

The hubbub has led to any swearing in the paddock this weekend becoming a source of humor. Horner referred to race winner Lando Norris as being a “lucky bastard” for his wall glances during the race and joked he hoped he didn’t get sanctioned for that. When a journalist used a curse word when framing a question to Verstappen, the world champion pulled a shocked face and joked that they should be careful.

Verstappen was unsure how the matter would be resolved. He said he didn’t mind holding separate media sessions aside from the press conference and that any conversation needed to include the FIA and its president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as well as Formula One Management.

But should the existing approach remain steadfast and not be open to flexibility, then it could play a part in costing the grid not only one of its greatest talents but also one of its most honest characters. At a time when F1 is continuing to grow and wants to hype up its drivers as gladiators, it seems like a backward step.

“If you can’t really be yourself to the fullest, then it’s better not to speak,” Verstappen said.

“That’s what no one wants because then you become a robot, and it is not how you should be going about it in the sport.

“It is going the wrong way to create that (authenticity).”

GO DEEPER

F1 drivers weigh in on FIA push to limit radio swearing: ‘What are we? Five-year-olds?’

Top photo: SIPA USA

It was a meeting of the Premier League’s two best teams, a battle of tactical masters, a clash of technical brilliance and pure drama.

Manchester City versus Arsenal just five games into the season lived up to its billing in many of the conventional ways and served up a memorable ending.

Yet it also proved that no heavyweight contest cannot be enhanced by a bit of s***housing (or, to be more precise, a whole lot of s***housing).

There was plenty of time for it. The match lasted 109 minutes and 17 seconds, which surpassed the previous day’s 109-minute, eight-second epic between Aston Villa and Wolves as the longest game of the season so far.

And despite some valiant timewasting efforts (more of that later), the ball was in play for 63 minutes and 28 seconds overall — the fifth-longest total in a game so far this season — and 58.1 per cent of the available time, which compared favourably to the 56.8 per cent average for the season so far.

But with City having almost 88 per cent of possession in the second half, Arsenal’s 10 men had to employ every trick they knew to withstand the barrage.

So forget for a moment the nuances of formations and the analysis of sublime skill. Here is a breakdown of the dark arts.

“Set the tone early, lads.” “Yeah, maybe not quite like that.”

It took just three seconds from kick-off for Arsenal’s Kai Havertz to barge Rodri to the ground as City shifted the ball back to goalkeeper Ederson and Rodri tried to block Havertz’s route towards the City goal.

Medics were on the field and straight away there were players in the ear of referee Michael Oliver, who was probably already wondering why he’d agreed to miss a Sunday afternoon on the couch for this.

VAR checked this incident and, while it could have merited a foul on the pitch, it did not merit an intervention — which would only happen in the event of a red card incident.

“Our striker’s bigger than yours.” Havertz is hardly a slight figure, but you would not want to get in the way of Erling Haaland in full flight.

Well, William Saliba did on four minutes as, to use the old-school vernacular, the Norwegian “left a bit on” the Frenchman. The result, predictably, was Saliba being flattened, although he dusted himself down admirably quickly.

Like Havertz on Rodri, this was also checked by VAR.

Just when a game of football was threatening to break out, the games of shoving returned in the 16th minute when ‘take one’ of a Manchester City corner was aborted after Thomas Partey followed Havertz’s lead by clattering Rodri off the ball, this time with a knee to the upper part of the Spaniard’s leg.

It all happened while City’s Manuel Akanji and Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber engaged in a spot of Greco-Roman wrestling a few yards away. A rare moment of double-dark-arts — and one with serious consequences, as Rodri was forced off with an injury.

Six minutes later, it was Oliver’s effort to put a lid on things that raised the temperature to a new level.

After calling captains Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka together for a chat about controlling their team-mates, Oliver allowed Arsenal to take a quick free kick while Walker was still regaining his bearings. Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was cleared as far as Riccardo Calafiori and the Italian bent a shot into the top corner.

Needless to say, Walker was not happy. Neither was City manager Pep Guardiola, as his seat in the home dugout would confirm.

If Walker could claim the award for the afternoon’s most aggrieved man, he could add the one for the most hapless proponent of the dark arts.

His weird poking of Arsenal defender Gabriel as they awaited the delivery of a corner in first-half stoppage time might have been quite funny had the Brazilian defender not drifted easily away from the England man to leap and head home his side’s second goal at the far post.

Got him, got him, got him…

… yeah, lost him.

Not to be outdone, Leandro Trossard seemed to be out to prove he could be bad at s***housing too. Even deeper into first-half stoppage time, he was penalised for a foul but continued by booting the ball away. He would claim the whistle came too late to stop himself from acting on instinct.

Oliver disagreed and out came a yellow card. It was Trossard’s second of the half and a red immediately followed.

#MCIARS 45+7′

The referee issued a second yellow card to Leandro Trossard for delaying the restart.

— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) September 22, 2024

There was a period of dark-arts calm at the start of the second half as Arsenal’s 10 men held on for grim life in the face of waves of City pressure, but 19 minutes after the restart, the war of tricks resumed as Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya went down requiring treatment.

It is possible the Spaniard was in genuine pain, but the ensuing stoppage allowed visiting manager Mikel Arteta time to conduct an impromptu team talk.

To add to the madness, Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked for unsporting behaviour — he ran down the touchline and behind the goal. At the time, he was a substitute, having not played in the Premier League before — thereby collecting his first yellow before his first appearance. Lewis-Skelly made his Premier League debut later in the game.

And the delay was in keeping with the general approach of Arsenal, who took 42.7 seconds on average to restart the game after being awarded either a corner, goal kick, free kick or throw-in, the second highest of any team in any game this season.

By the 83rd minute, Arsenal were trying whatever they could to eat away precious seconds with Declan Rice booked for delaying a restart before, two minutes later, Martinelli went down in the centre of the pitch. He had limped on with cramp in less pivotal parts of the field.

And just to prove that anything Martinelli could do, Timber could do better, Arsenal then sent medics running on to the field to treat the Dutchman, despite goalkeeper Raya’s kick-for-touch failing to make it off the field, leaving Oliver having to bring play to a halt as City attempted to start an attack.

Timber was helped to his feet after initially going down in front of goal.

He limped away signalling to the sidelines for a substitute.

Having seen Timber fall again, a medic prepared to enter the field once Raya had hooked the ball out.

And, when Raya failed to find touch, the medic ran on anyway.

Martinelli was eventually replaced by countryman Gabriel Jesus, who proceeded to get involved in some skulduggery almost immediately by picking up a booking for blocking a corner from a yard while lying on the floor.

And then, in the aftermath of John Stones’ dramatic City equaliser eight minutes into stoppage time, City apparently could not resist the urge to turn the tables of chicanery. Guardiola and one of his coaches were booked for breaching regulations on behaviour in the technical area.

Haaland recovered the ball from the net and pinged it off the head of an unsuspecting Gabriel as the Arsenal defender hid his face in his shirt.

Just to ensure Gabriel was really angry, Haaland recreated Havertz’s earlier barge on Rodri when the game restarted. Both of Haaland’s incidents would have been checked by the VAR.

And Haaland continued the theatre after the final whistle in a seemingly needless and yet oddly entertaining clash with Arteta in which the Arsenal boss seemed as baffled as viewers to be told repeatedly to “stay humble”, which all went to show that there is no contest between two heavyweight teams that cannot be enhanced by a bit of random aggro.

“Stay humble” Haaland is wild for saying this to Arteta 😳 pic.twitter.com/XkU4oCg3Sr

— Football Hub (@FootbalIhub) September 23, 2024

(Top photo: Getty Images)

Nearly three years ago, with a conference title on the line, Baylor’s defense turned into a brick wall.

In the final minute of the 2021 Big 12 Championship Game, Oklahoma State had four tries to get 2 yards and a go-ahead touchdown. The Bears allowed just 1 3/4, and Baylor won the Big 12 crown in coach Dave Aranda’s second season.

On Saturday night at Colorado, Baylor needed another game-sealing stop in the final minute, with lower stakes (the teams’ Big 12 opener) and much more wiggle room: 45 yards to defend and only two seconds for the Buffaloes to cover them. But in a scene reminiscent of the one Kordell Stewart and Michael Westbrook produced 30 years ago, Shedeur Sanders and LaJohntay Wester connected on a miracle Hail Mary to send the game to overtime, where the Buffaloes eventually won 38-31.

Those two endings, 33 months apart, encapsulate how far Baylor has fallen from its peak under Aranda, who’s now 25-27 with the program.

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“The end-of-regulation play is something I’ve never seen,” Aranda told reporters.

That might just be in-the-moment postgame hyperbole, but the Bears executed their defensive plan so poorly that it was reasonable to believe Aranda had never seen a game-winning Hail Mary.

Quarterback Sawyer Robertson and the Baylor Bears are 2-2 after their loss Saturday at Colorado. (Christopher Hanewinckel / Imagn Images)

Once the highest-paid assistant in college football revered for his defensive genius, Aranda entered the season squarely on the hot seat in Year 5 of his first head coaching job, and the Bears’ crushing loss to Colorado feels like a potential turning point. Can he recover?

Since the 2021 season, when Baylor went 12-2 with that Big 12 title and a Sugar Bowl victory, the program is 11-18. The offensive and defensive staffs have turned over, which has been a theme of Aranda’s tenure.

After the program appeared to hit rock bottom with a 3-9 finish last year, Aranda vowed to make more changes, going heavier into the transfer portal, leaning harder into name, image and likeness compensation and installing himself as the defensive play caller for the first time since serving as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2019.

The first three weeks of the season offered promise. The Bears looked more talented and played with an edge that seemed to be missing last year, and Aranda’s transition to become more hands-on with the defense worked well.

GO DEEPER

Baylor is betting on Dave Aranda: Can he reward them with a revival?

Even against Colorado, there were encouraging signs. There were eight sacks of Sanders and many more pressures, several of which came from Texas Tech transfer Steve Linton. There were great offensive plays from quarterback Sawyer Robertson and receivers Monaray Baldwin and Hal Presley. There was a general look of competence throughout the team that didn’t often exist a year ago.

But how Baylor lost Saturday was embarrassing. The Bears gave up a 24-10 lead, and they squandered multiple opportunities to put the game away in regulation.

After back-to-back sacks of Sanders led to a punt on fourth-and-31, Baylor — leading 31-24 with 3:58 left — took over at the Colorado 26 with a chance to take a two-score lead. The Bears ran the ball three times and settled for a 46-yard Isaiah Hankins field goal attempt that sailed wide right with 2:16 left.

On Colorado’s final fourth-quarter drive, Baylor had the Buffaloes backed up, facing a second-and-24 at their own 31 with 55 seconds left. Yet the Bears gave up all those yards on the next three plays, keeping the Buffs alive.

And before Wester’s score-tying catch, Colorado flirted with a game-winner on the previous play, as receiver Will Sheppard dropped a pass from Sanders at the 2 after getting behind Baylor cornerback Caden Jenkins.

On Baylor’s final defensive play of regulation, which Aranda said is called “Victory Cigar,” the Bears pressured Sanders and flushed him from the pocket to his left before he launched the bomb to Wester. Aranda detailed a missed assignment on the pressure, which he said was “inexcusable” considering Baylor called timeout to set up the defense before the play.

“I take full responsibility for that,” he said. “I have to be able to coach that better.”

Baylor fans everywhere nodded in agreement. It might be the Bears’ most painful loss since Sept. 11, 1999. That night, Baylor led UNLV 24-21 and possessed the ball with 20 seconds left and the Rebels out of timeouts. Instead of taking a knee, the Bears ran the ball and fumbled; UNLV returned it for a 100-yard touchdown and a 27-24 win.

This Baylor team, instead of returning home 3-1 with positive momentum, must now recover from the emotional gut punch, with a smaller margin for error in this ultra-competitive conference.

GO DEEPER

Colorado forces OT with Hail Mary, beats Baylor in dramatic finish

If Saturday’s loss spawns a losing streak, it will be the third consecutive year of frustration for the Baylor faithful. The upcoming schedule is not forgiving. This weekend Baylor hosts No. 22 BYU, which just dominated Kansas State. Then comes consecutive road games at No. 18 Iowa State and Texas Tech before returning home for No. 20 Oklahoma State to close out October.

If the Bears can’t quickly pick themselves up, Aranda’s seat could be on fire heading into November. Although Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades hasn’t publicly dictated a certain number of wins for Aranda to survive the season, making a bowl is a baseline expectation. That was made a lot harder by squandering Saturday’s game at Folsom Field.

The season is not over, by any means. Baylor (2-2) is just a third of the way through the schedule, and if the Bears can rebound quickly and snag a win over the Cougars, it would go a long way toward moving past Saturday’s nightmare finish. This year’s Big 12 is sure to be unwieldy, with three of the top four teams in the league’s preseason poll having lost their conference openers.

But urgency in flipping the script is paramount. The Big 12 championship season in 2021 is the outlier of the Aranda era. Baylor had losing records in the other three years and is now 13-25 overall combined in every year except 2021. The last time Baylor had consecutive winning seasons was the final two years of the Matt Rhule era (2018 and 2019).

Baylor leadership wants Aranda to succeed. He’s well liked around the building because he comes across as thoughtful and genuine. He’s not the fire-breathing caricature that is often the football coach stereotype. In college coaching, being a nice guy can buy you extra time, and it certainly helped earn Aranda this year, despite declining results.

Whether he gets another depends on how Baylor responds to its latest debacle. The decision won’t be made one way or another because of Saturday’s result. But the way the Bears lost will certainly stick out if there’s any ambiguity about the future when Rhoades weighs the decision at season’s end.

After Saturday’s loss, Aranda said the Bears would try to get their heart back in their body and called the loss “a big wake-up call.”

“I know we’ll respond,” he said. “I know this team. And I know we’ll come out stronger because of this.”

If they’re going to hoist another trophy of any kind under Aranda, they better.

(Top photo: Andrew Wevers / Getty Images)

A week ago, Andy Dalton was a 36-year-old backup quarterback for the worst team in football tasked with mentoring last year’s top pick while Bryce Young slogged through a disastrous start to his second season.

Dalton had bounced between five teams in five years. He had 163 NFL starts to his name. He seriously doubted if he’d see a 164th.

Then came Monday morning, and everything changed. Panthers coach Dave Canales pulled Dalton aside. Young was heading to the bench, Canales told him, and he was heading into the huddle.

“It’s a tough situation,” Dalton said a few days later, admitting he’d grown close to Young over the last year and a half. “I’ve been on both sides of it, and it’s hard on everybody.”

Then, on Sunday, Dalton did what no quarterback in the league has done all year: throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game. He flung it all over the field, and the Panthers suddenly looked reborn. The result was a 36-22 rout of the Raiders in Las Vegas.

“They’re not all going to go like this,” Dalton said after the win, “but when they do, you’ve got to enjoy that.”

GO DEEPER

NFL Week 3 takeaways: Do Cowboys have a fundamental flaw? Are Vikings a Super Bowl contender?

Indeed. Elsewhere in the NFL, the Saints came back to earth after a scorching two-game start, and the Eagles’ one-two punch of Saquon Barkley (156 total yards and two touchdowns) and Dallas Goedert (10 catches for 170 yards) pulled Philadelphia out of its first-half funk and to a 15-12 victory in New Orleans. Still, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni rightly cautioned, “this is not sustainable.”

In Cleveland, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones found out just how special a talent Malik Nabers is, and Nabers’ two touchdowns helped New York earn its first win of the season. The Broncos pulled off an upset in Tampa, routing the Bucs 26-7. The Lions took care of the Cardinals, 20-13.

In Los Angeles, the Rams scored the game’s final 13 points to stun the 49ers, 27-24. Suddenly, San Francisco’s Week 1 rout of the Jets feels like ancient history: Kyle Shanahan’s bruised team — the 49ers were without Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle on Sunday — has dropped two straight and are 1-2 on the season.

After an easy win over the Dolphins, first-year coach Mike Macdonald remains unbeaten in Seattle. Dating back to 2000, he’s now the fifth head coach under the age of 40 to win his first three games, joining Mike McDaniel (2022), Matt LeFleur (2019), Josh McDaniels (2009) and Mike Tomlin (2007). In addition to the Seahawks, four more teams remain undefeated: the Vikings, Steelers, Chiefs and Bills. Buffalo (2-0) hosts the Jaguars on Monday night.

The Titans are the league’s only 0-3 team, while the Jaguars and Bengals — Cincinnati hosts Washington Monday night — are also still searching for their first wins at 0-2.

Here’s what we learned in Week 3 of the NFL season:

What happened to the Dallas defense?

All seemed right with America’s Team after the first Sunday of the season. After signing star wideout CeeDee Lamb to a deal late in the preseason, the Cowboys locked up franchise quarterback Dak Prescott on a four-year extension that morning, then celebrated with a 33-17 thrashing of the Browns. One of the most consistent regular-season teams of the last few years once again resembled NFC contenders.

They’ve looked nothing of the sort ever since.

Dallas’ defense has been humiliated in consecutive weeks, allowing 888 total yards and 72 points in a pair of home losses to the Saints and Ravens. The final score Sunday — a 28-25 Baltimore win — is a bit misleading, because this one was never all that close. The Ravens led 28-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, giving Prescott no real shot at a late-game rally.

The Cowboys gave up 190 rushing yards to the Saints last week, then backed up that lousy performance with an even worse one, allowing 274 to the Ravens. Dating back to last year’s playoff loss, that makes three straight embarrassing performances for that unit at home.

“You can’t in any way sugarcoat the fact that we got beat,” owner Jerry Jones told reporters after the loss. “And there were parts of the way we got beat that were really areas we’ve got to get a lot better in.”

Star pass rusher Micah Parson was heated during the game, and he wasn’t the only one.

“We’ve got the guys to do it, so that ain’t the problem,” said defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. “It’s just all about (expletive) doing it. We’ll get it done.”

New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has his work cut out for him. This unit is underperforming at a stunning rate so far. Four of the Cowboys’ next five games are on the road. Maybe that’s not a bad thing.

Chiefs pull out another close one

Kansas City escaped in Week 1 after the toe of Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely was ruled out of bounds on the last play of the game. They beat the Bengals in Week 2 after a pass interference on 4th-and-16 on their final drive gave them new life. They moved to 3-0 Sunday in Atlanta after linebacker Nick Bolton stuffed a Bijan Robinson run on 4th-and-game.

Three wins, all decided in the closing seconds.

This one, a 22-17 victory over the Falcons, wasn’t pretty, but very little of last season was pretty for a team that ultimately repeated as Super Bowl champions. The refs missed a potential pass interference with 4:12 left when Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins targeted tight end Kyle Pitts for a touchdown that would have put the Falcons in front. The play was broken up by Chiefs safety Bryan Cook, who arrived too early and never turned his head. But no flags fell, and the Falcons failed to convert on fourth down.

The Chiefs registered 10 hits on Falcons QB Kirk Cousins in Sunday night’s victory in Atlanta. (Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

Atlanta got another chance with 2:26 left, but Robinson was stopped well short of the sticks on 4th-and-1 from the Kansas City 13-yard-line. Bolton sniffed out the run and made the play, tackling Robinson for a 3-yard loss.

The Chiefs exhaled. Three wins by a combined 13 points.

Entering the season, Justin Fields’ stock was low. Some would argue very low. All the Bears could net for him in a trade last spring with Pittsburgh was a conditional sixth-rounder — this for a player who went 11th in the draft just three years ago. Then, at the end of training camp, the Steelers tapped Russell Wilson over Fields as their starting quarterback.

A month later, Wilson — still fighting a nagging calf injury — hasn’t taken a snap in the regular season. And he might’ve already lost his starting job.

Fields’ career revival is officially underway in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers are 3-0 after a 20-10 win over the Chargers on Sunday. Make no mistake: this team is driven by one of the best defenses in the league. After trailing 10-7 at halftime, Pittsburgh shut out Jim Harbaugh’s squad the rest of the way, piling up five sacks and allowing minus-5 yards across the game’s final 30 minutes. Dominant stuff.

“There’s a nakedness in this business,” coach Mike Tomlin said of his team’s second-half response, referring to the Chargers’ success running the football early this season. “When you got a challenge like that walking into your venue, you better fight.”

His team did. The Chargers finished with 168 total yards and just 61 on the ground.

And Fields — who’s looking more comfortable and confident with each passing week — played his best game of the season, finishing with just seven incompletions on his way to 245 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. (On the other side, Chargers QB Justin Herbert aggravated his ankle injury and left the game in the second half; he was later seen in a walking boot.)

In a crowded AFC North race, the Steelers have established themselves as contenders, perhaps even the favorite. And at this rate, Fields might not let Wilson ever see the field.

O’Connell, LaFleur keep Vikings, Packers rolling

Staying on the topic of career revivals, Sam Darnold added another chapter to his own story Sunday, carving up the previously unbeaten Texans in a 34-7 beatdown. How exactly is Darnold — on his fourth team in four years — doing this? And where did this Vikings team come from?

“It’s different than anything I’ve ever been a part of,” running back Aaron Jones said. “I can’t put my finger on what it is that’s different, because I’ve been a part of good teams. But this is a special team.”

For starters, it’s more than just the quarterback. Brian Flores’ defense is allowing just 10 points a game, and that includes easy victories over two of the most dangerous offenses in the league in San Francisco and Houston. The Vikings are the third team since 1990 with at least five sacks in each of their first three games, joining the 2001 Saints and 2000 Bucs.

Jones, in his first year in Minnesota after seven seasons with the Packers, has given the run game new life. And Kevin O’Connell has done a masterful job scheming to Darnold’s strengths.

Beyond O’Connell, who’s in the early running for Coach of the Year honors, another NFC North coach is quietly shining in the month of September. Most figured the Packers’ season would crumble after Jordan Love’s knee injury in Week 1. Instead, Matt LaFleur’s team is 2-0 since. And while the Colts and Titans don’t exactly look like playoff teams, nobody in this league is going to apologize for winning games with a backup QB.

LaFleur has done an excellent job tweaking his offense with Malik Willis under center, especially considering Willis has been in Green Bay for less than a month. First-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley deserves plenty of kudos, as well. Sunday’s 30-14 victory in Tennessee — where Titans QB Will Levis added to his league-leading total of eight turnovers — sets up a juicy one next week at Lambeau Field, where the 2-1 Packers will host the 3-0 Vikings. Love could return for that one.

About that Bears offense

No matter the talent, it’s rare when a rookie quarterback shines early in his career — C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert and Andrew Luck being a few notable exceptions. Caleb Williams was supposed to walk into Chicago with about as good of a supporting cast as any No. 1 pick could hope for: a stout defense, playmakers all over the offense, a franchise and a city fully behind him, desperate for him to succeed.

Still, growing pains were going to happen. It’s the nature of this league and the quarterback position. And let’s remember: Williams is only three starts into what figures to be a long career.

But was it supposed to look this bad?

As a passer, Williams has been wildly inaccurate, and the Bears’ offense has been downright unwatchable for long stretches. A big reason is a wretched offensive line that’s been manhandled two weeks in a row — Williams has been sacked 14 times already. Collectively, the unit as a whole has been terrible: Chicago has just two passing touchdowns on 34 drives this season, and Williams is missing far too many throws, especially when his receivers earn separation down the field.

So far, the Bears’ offense has managed six field goals and three touchdowns in three games.

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Williams did an admirable job Sunday of keeping the Bears in the game late — they eventually lost to the Colts 21-16 — and he finished with 363 passing yards and two second-half touchdowns, both career highs.

“The offensive identity … I think it is brewing,” Williams said. “I think it is a lot closer than it was the week before, or weeks before.”

But coach Matt Eberflus, who’s built one of the stingiest defenses in the league, might soon come under fire if things don’t change, and change quickly. The only reason the Bears aren’t 0-3 is because their defense won them a sloppy opener in Tennessee. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron hasn’t found a way to get Williams comfortable, and that might be what’s most concerning. They had an entire training camp and preseason to iron things out. And yet there are so many miscommunications, misreads and missed throws. (It’s worth noting the Colts’ Anthony Richardson, making his seventh career start, wasn’t any better.)

Again, Williams is a rookie, not a month into his career. Things change fast in this league. But, so far, it’s hard to find anything promising about this Bears’ offense.

(Photo of Derrick Henry: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)

The Minnesota Vikings look like the best team in the NFL’s best division, unless Sam Darnold’s MRI says otherwise. There’s a sentence no one saw coming.

We aren’t crowning anybody after Week 3. Former Vikings coach Dennis Green (RIP) would not allow it. But the first three weeks of this season have been a revelation for the NFC North.

The Pick Six column leads by appreciating elite coaching in Minnesota and Green Bay, while counting the reasons why the Chicago Bears have struggled to join the conversation. We aren’t overlooking the Detroit Lions, who still might be the best team in the end. But there’s a lot to sort through here. The full Pick Six menu:

• The NFL’s most interesting division
• David Tepper, Andy Dalton and Carolina
• What you need to know about Dallas D
• Takeaways from wild Rams–49ers battle
• Rodgers ends Jets’ 24-game drought
• 2-minute drill: Nabers and company

1. Week 4 delivers Vikings-Packers at Lambeau Field. Bud Grant and Vince Lombardi will be looking down approvingly.

Before we run through the North team by team, here’s how a former head coach and general manager size up the division, which has seen the Vikings start 3-0 with Darnold and a dominant defense, while the Packers have won two straight with backup quarterback Malik Willis filling in for Jordan Love.

Head coach: “Right now, it is Minnesota first, then Detroit/Green Bay, then Chicago. You know why I put Minnesota at the top? The defense.”

GM: “I would rank them by the head-coaching jobs. I think Kevin O’Connell has done the best job. Matt LaFleur is second. He has done great with Malik Willis, who I don’t think can play. Dan Campbell, pretty good win at Arizona, where I thought they might lose. I think Chicago is in trouble. That coach (Matt Eberflus) is embattled. I don’t blame the quarterback (Caleb Williams) at all. He is running for his life, just like he was at USC last year.”

• Vikings: This time last season, the Vikings were coming off a loss in which the opposing quarterback, Justin Herbert, completed 40 of 47 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns. That doesn’t seem possible, the way this Brian Flores-coordinated defense is playing now.

This is the Vikings’ best three-game start on defense since at least 2000 for points allowed (10.0 per game), expected points added (44.7) and success rate (66 percent), per TruMedia. Defensive statistics can be a function of the opponent, but the Vikings have held heavyweights San Francisco and Houston (which Minnesota beat 34-7 on Sunday) to their lowest regular-season point totals since the start of last season.

“They overload, but it ends up being a four-man rush, and they roll up on the receivers on the outside,” an offensive coach said. “They don’t let the quarterback have quick throws. They will bring (pressure) enough to get your attention. Your tendency is to want to get rid of the ball fast. You have to have your protections structured so you can hold the ball a little longer and get the ball down the field, but it’s tough.”

The defensive dominance has allowed Darnold to play stress free, attempting only two passes all season when trailing. But that is not all. Darnold leads the league with eight touchdown passes after tossing four Sunday. He ranks first in percentage of passes gaining more than 15 yards among QBs with three starts. And he wasn’t even assured of the starting job entering the season.

GO DEEPER

What are the chances Sam Darnold’s Vikings resurgence is real? Sando’s Pick Six

“They get the ball upfield as well as anyone, they do it by design and they make good use of their personnel to make explosive plays,” the coach said. “The combination of what Minnesota is doing defensively and what they are doing in the passing game … s—, they’re for real.”

Darnold also started 3-0 with Carolina in 2021, when he had 21 explosive pass completions, seven more than he’s had this season. That season unraveled, with Darnold tossing six touchdown passes with 12 interceptions the rest of the way. So, there’s still much to prove.

His tone in this clip really concerns me ☹️

Praying for no swelling tonight and good eval’s tomorrow 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3swEwiY5Nu

— cdott (@jjmccaurathy) September 23, 2024

And if Darnold’s knee injury is serious, the Vikings presumably would be in the market to acquire a replacement.

“If something happens there, I think they are f—-d,” an exec said. “You can’t win with Nick Mullens. Kevin O’Connell proved last year he can do better than expected with some of those guys, but when you are down to quarterback three, you are in trouble.”

GO DEEPER

Sam Darnold’s performance — and health scare — cements role in Vikings’ stellar start

• Packers: Green Bay acquired Willis less than one month ago. With him in the lineup the past two weeks, the Packers rank first in rushing yards (449), rushes gaining 12-plus yards (12) and percentage of pass plays gaining more than 15 yards (26 percent). They have led on the scoreboard for a league-high 90 percent of plays, never trailing.

Knowing Green Bay beat the Will Levis-led Tennessee Titans and the Anthony Richardson-led Indianapolis Colts provides context without diminishing the accomplishment by too much.

“Everybody expected them to do what Miami did today, just bottom out,” a veteran coach said, referencing the Dolphins’ 24-3 defeat at Seattle without Tua Tagovailoa. “They adjusted to the quarterback and ran the hell out of the ball. You gotta give them credit for what they are doing. Can you sustain that long term? They don’t have to!”

Love could return from his knee injury for the Minnesota game this week.

“I’ll give LaFleur and his offensive staff a lot of credit,” the coach said. “That is the biggest test, when you have to adjust on the fly. You’ve planned it a certain way, and then all of a sudden, you have a whole different set of circumstances.”

• Lions: One potential concern for the Lions, as voiced by an exec before the season, held that opponents would be better prepared for Detroit’s offense after studying it more closely.

If that becomes the case, Detroit should fare worse on offense in rematches. That proved true against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 2 rematch of their playoff meeting, but it wasn’t the case against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, another rematch from the playoffs.

Week 4 could be interesting with Seattle coming to Ford Field. The Seahawks’ new coach, Mike Macdonald, was Baltimore’s defensive coordinator last season, when the Ravens handed the Lions their worst loss of the season, 38-6. The Seahawks are 3-0 and leading the league in defensive EPA per play after handling three limited offenses to start the season (Denver, New England, Miami without Tagovailoa). If the Seahawks shut down the Lions’ offense, that will be something.

The Lions ground out a 20-13 road victory over Arizona on Sunday without scoring in the second half, losing tight end Sam LaPorta to a sprained ankle. They rank first in offensive success rate for the season, but 20th in EPA per play and 14th in offensive points per game. They have finished their past two games with negative EPA on offense, a first for them in consecutive weeks since early in the 2022 season.

It’s early to have much of a feel. Detroit remains the team to beat in the division.

• Bears: What a strange mix of timelines and expectations.

Williams and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron are new to the team. Just starting out.

Eberflus is 37 games into his tenure, with only 11 victories to show for it. He needs to win right now.

The Bears did not exactly resist leaning into expectations after using the first pick in the draft on Williams and surrounding him with what some called the best supporting cast for a top-five pick in league history.

“The media gets excited, the personnel people get excited and people expect that guy to come in and just tear it up,” a former head coach said. “They did a good job putting people around him. I do not think the offensive line is very good.”

And that is the No. 1 issue, but in a division featuring LaFleur, O’Connell and the Lions’ Ben Johnson at the offensive play-calling controls, the Bears are the obvious outlier.

“The Bears’ problems, in my opinion, start with the offensive line and the construction of it,” an evaluator said. “Then it’s Waldron, especially when you look at the other coordinators in the division. He is clearly fourth. The head coach is fourth. Right now, the quarterback is surviving on his own.”

GO DEEPER

As Bears flounder on offense, it’s fair to ask: Is Caleb Williams’ development in good hands?

2. Andy Dalton showed out. Here’s why I’m not buying the idea that Panthers owner David Tepper forced a quarterback change in Carolina.

Andy Dalton passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-22 road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders showed emphatically why the Panthers benched Bryce Young after their 0-2 start.

People really thought Carolina acted prematurely when they sent Young to the sideline?

Team owner David Tepper has earned his reputation by driving ill-fated decision after ill-fated decision. But I’m not buying the widely circulated assumption that he — and not head coach Dave Canales — drove the decision to bench Young. It doesn’t make sense for the two most important reasons:

• Young’s tape through two games was so bad that it should have taken intervention from ownership to keep him in the lineup. An opposing coach who has studied the Panthers called Young’s play “depressing for the franchise” while echoing anonymous player comments suggesting Young has not improved.

• Tepper drove the decision to select Young, amid rumblings that then-coach Frank Reich preferred C.J. Stroud. Why would Young’s top advocate, Tepper, lead the charge to bench his hand-picked QB? Tepper’s history suggests he would be more inclined to ask tough questions of the coaches and team builders.

“I think this was the football guys saying, ‘What else can we do? At least we can run an offense with Andy Dalton,’” an exec from another team said.

Assuming the decision was indeed Canales’, he clearly made the right one.

GO DEEPER

In delivering Panthers’ stunning win over Raiders, Andy Dalton validated Dave Canales’ decision

3. The Cowboys’ defense is in trouble. Dan Quinn got out at just the right time. Here’s the challenge facing new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Take a look below at the Cowboys’ five worst statistical performances on defense since 2021, a span of 54 regular-season games.

Two of the three worst games were recent. Very recent. As in, the last two weeks.

The Ravens’ 274-yard rushing performance in their 28-25 victory at Dallas on Sunday followed New Orleans’ 190-yard rushing game versus Dallas in the Saints’ 44-19 victory last week.

Hiring Zimmer seemed like a strong move because he has a long track record of fielding strong defenses. But with Dallas losing depth up front in the offseason, and with Zimmer’s scheme and personality differing so completely from those of Quinn, there was risk, too.

“Here is the problem for Zimmer,” an opposing coach said. “Everything was positive all the time with Quinn. Now, it feels like everything is negative. He is coming into a place that has been so successful on defense that the last coordinator got a head-coaching job. The new guy comes in and tries to change things, and the players sometimes say, ‘Wait a minute, we won 12 games last year.’ This can become a tailspin.”

Zimmer’s old-school, sometimes combative approach can, at its best, create a unity that gets more from a group than the sum of its parts. Is that going to work for this team?

“If I were Dallas, I’d be worried,” an evaluator from another team said. “I don’t know how they stop anybody. They lost their best run defenders. They have a bunch of front-seven players that can’t get off blocks and get knocked back.”

4. One of the most remarkable Rams victories during the Sean McVay era came at the 49ers’ expense. Here’s where my mind went.

The injury-depleted 49ers were 6.5-point road favorites against the even-more-injury-depleted Rams, who had lost nine of the previous 11 meetings (including the meaningless 2023 regular-season finale) between the teams.

“McVay has no chance without his whole offensive line, without Puka Nacua, without Cooper Kupp,” an exec from another team said shortly before kickoff.

Down 24-14 with 11:57 remaining, the Rams scored on their final three drives, helped by a 38-yard punt return in the final minute to set up the winning field goal.

“I saw a team respond after a really humbling week last week.” pic.twitter.com/XuQ1XioUpw

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 23, 2024

The Rams need to keep buying time so they can get healthy.

What about the 49ers?

Their defense faltered badly against the Rams, as did their special teams.

I went into the season wondering if 2024 would be when their star players on offense failed to stay on the field enough for the team to keep its elite edge. That’s still a concern, but if the defense and special teams also falter, we’ll have every chance to determine whether quarterback Brock Purdy can carry more of the burden.

Purdy carried plenty of it Sunday but couldn’t quite overcome the collapse around him. He connected 11 times for 175 yards and three touchdowns with receiver Jauan Jennings, whose 276 yards for the season are 11 more than his total in 13 games a year ago.

It’ll be interesting to see how much Purdy’s supporting cast plays this season.

San Francisco’s big four skill players — tight end George Kittle, running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Brandon Aiyuk and receiver Deebo Samuel — combined to start 61 games (of a possible 64) last season before the team rested some starters in Week 18. They’ve already missed more starts this season (five).

McCaffrey, sidelined by a calf injury, has yet to play this season. Kittle missed a start to a hamstring injury Sunday. Samuel missed Sunday with a calf strain and could miss additional time.

Perhaps McCaffrey’s absence early in the season will leave him fresher for a stretch run. But with the 49ers making so many playoff runs in recent years, and with their offensive players exposed to increased punishment through their physical play style, there’s the potential for cumulative fatigue.

Over the last three seasons, counting playoffs, Aiyuk leads all NFL receivers with 42 starts (Samuel ranks 19th with 35). McCaffrey leads all running backs with 38 starts (teammate Kyle Juszczyk ranks third with 37). Kittle’s 39 starts rank second among tight ends.

5. Led by Aaron Rodgers, the Jets ended a 24-game streak of futility

Aaron Rodgers looked and sounded more like his former self in the New York Jets’ 24-3 domination of the New England Patriots on Thursday night. More on that momentarily.

First, we must note that the Jets over the past two weeks snapped a 24-game streak of offensive futility. That’s how many consecutive games the team had gone without producing positive EPA on offense even once, until barely getting into the positive against Tennessee in Week 2, and then adding a huge exclamation point against the Patriots.

Rodgers cannot possibly appreciate just how bad the team has been on offense, or for how long. It shouldn’t matter to him, either. But for those who have seen this team’s offense struggle like almost no other, the chart below offers some perspective. It lays out the 24-game streak, bookended by better performances, including the last two with Rodgers in the lineup.
Since 2000, only the 2017-19 Arizona Cardinals have put together a longer streak of negative EPA games in the regular season, according to TruMedia.

Beyond the numbers, which included Rodgers producing more pass EPA (17.9) than he had in all but five of his 134 starts over the past decade, this game showcased some of the flair that has long distinguished his game.

There were fall-away passes delivered with unset feet. There was the flipped throwing wrist befitting an NBA sharpshooter. There was even the familiar Rodgers eye roll and pursed lips when the play-call arrived late, leading to a timeout. Afterward, Rodgers delivered a statement that seemed laughable coming from a Jets quarterback, but not from Rodgers.

“If the expectation is winning, then we are going to celebrate it, but we should expect to win,” Rodgers said. “The next step is expecting to dominate.”

How about beating teams better than the Titans and Patriots? The Jets have Denver, Minnesota and Buffalo next on their schedule.

6. Two-minute drill: Nabers and the first-round rookies

Malik Nabers’ numbers Sunday — eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns — do not adequately capture his contributions to the New York Giants’ 21-15 victory at Cleveland.

Snatching the ball from the Browns’ Martin Emerson Jr.? No problem.

This Nabers catch 😲

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/dlgfJSdBbr

— New York Giants (@Giants) September 22, 2024

Laying out in the end zone for a touchdown? Easy.

YOU ALREADY KNOW!

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/Vg7lXDfYqp

— New York Giants (@Giants) September 22, 2024

While rookie quarterbacks have struggled, seven first-round rookie pass catchers are flourishing. Led by Nabers, and with Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. (Nabers’ teammate at LSU) not playing until Monday night, wide receivers and tight ends from the 2024 first round have combined for more than 1,100 yards receiving. That’s the most for a rookie first-round class in a season’s first three weeks since at least 2000, per TruMedia.

• Raiders coach Antonio Pierce suggesting some of his players made “business decisions” and that the team would do the same in response was … interesting.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce after Sunday’s loss.

“I think as the game went on — I don’t think it was the team — I think there was definitely some individuals that made business decisions. And we’ll make business decisions going forward, as well.”pic.twitter.com/CPTinIi49J

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 23, 2024

Even if Pierce is correct and some players avoided contact out of self-preservation, the Panthers jumped on the Raiders from the beginning, long before any business decisions would have been made. Were the Raiders ready to play?

• Two more disaster plays for Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis — one a pick six, the other a sack fumble — did not anger coach Brian Callahan as much as previous game-changing miscues angered him. That was because the Titans’ 30-14 home loss to Green Bay was about much more than their second-year quarterback. The Packers dominated across the board.

Still, the negative swing plays are adding up through three weeks. Levis has had a hand in five plays losing at least 4.0 EPA — outcomes so bad that they account for about 1.2 percent of offensive plays across the league over the past five seasons, per TruMedia.

The table below stacks these plays chronologically. It also shows how much EPA was lost, a total of 31.23 in games Tennessee lost by a combined 30 points. That includes 12.5 EPA lost in a seven-point defeat to Chicago, 4.6 in a seven-point setback to the Jets and 14.2 in the 16-point loss to the Packers.

• The Denver Broncos had to enjoy seeing rookie quarterback Bo Nix play a turnover-free game for the first time in three starts, while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes and rushing effectively, including for a touchdown. The 26-7 victory at Tampa Bay was among the upsets Sunday.

Coach Sean Payton picked up his 18th victory since Drew Brees’ retirement. This victory, like most of the previous 17, fit a pattern: outsized contributions on defense/special teams, to help offset less productive play from the offense.

The EPA breakdown for the Broncos fell this way: +0.2 on offense, +17.4 on defense and +1.4 on special teams. It adds up to a 19-point victory, with the defense and special teams combining for 18.8 of the differential.

•The Athletic’s Austin Mock has his latest playoff projections for all 32 teams. The four 3-0 teams’ postseason make rates: 95 percent for Kansas City, 71 percent for Seattle, 69 percent for Pittsburgh and 65 percent for Minnesota. The 49ers are at only 59 percent. That seems low.

(Photo of Kevin O’Connell, right, and Justin Jefferson: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)

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