<rss xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0">
    	<channel>
		<title>Latest Sports News from FOX Sports</title>
		<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories</link>
		<description>Breaking sports news, articles, and stories from FOX Sports.</description>
		<image>
			<title>Latest Sports News from FOX Sports</title>
			<url>https://b.fssta.com/uploads/application/fscom/fox-sports-logo-black.png</url>
			<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories</link>
		</image>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:43:20 -0400</pubDate>
		<copyright>Copyright 2026 FOX Sports</copyright>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<atom:link href="https://api.foxsports.com/v2/content/optimized-rss?partnerKey=MB0Wehpmuj2lUhuRhQaafhBjAJqaPU244mlTDK1i&amp;aggregateId=7f83e8ca-6701-5ea0-96ee-072636b67336" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>
		<atom:link rel="hub" href="https://foxsports.superfeedr.com"/>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[Freddie Freeman Lauds Justin Verlander In Interview After Dodgers' Game 3 Win]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/freddie-freeman-praises-justin-verlander-postgame-interview-after-dodgers-game-3-win</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/freddie-freeman-praises-justin-verlander-postgame-interview-after-dodgers-game-3-win</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Freddie Freeman was caught off-guard by being interviewed by Justin Verlander and in turn praised the future Hall-of-Famer.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 23:46:08 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/mlb-16x9-4.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/mlb-16x9-4.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[After the Dodgers' win over the Braves on Tuesday night, a wholesome moment between two future Hall-of-Famers on a night full of stars stole the show. Justin Verlander joined MLB on FOX's coverage of the National League Division Series on Tuesday night, assembling the most accomplished group of analysts ever. There were 50 All-Star appearances on set between Verlander, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter and Dontrelle Willis. Game 3 of the Dodgers' series against the Braves saw reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto start opposite 10-time All-Star Chris Sale. After Dodgers legend Kike Hernández hit a two-run homer to give L.A. the lead in the third inning, Freddie Freeman hit a solo shot off Sale two batters later. Yamamoto struck out 10 over seven innings of one-run ball to seal the win. After the game, Freeman joined the crew of stars and was surprised when it was Verlander's turn to ask a question. "Hold on, ‘J,’" Freeman said, before reflecting on Verlander's memorable exit during the final start of his career back on Sept. 27. "Congratulations, that was so awesome to watch in that final start. Congratulations on the Hall-of-Fame career. Miss you and congrats." Freeman was referring to the final start of Verlander's career, which saw him throw five innings of two-run ball. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 American League MVP got the win over the Orioles. It was the moment after the start that will remain in fans' minds forever. As manager A.J. Hinch emerged from the dugout to take Verlander, whom he coached in Houston and Detroit, the right-hander's daughter beat him to the mound. Nine days later, Verlander was in the star-studded studio talking about the MLB postseason. Verlander asked Freeman about facing Sale back in early September, when the Dodgers first baseman notched a base hit against the Braves' southpaw ace. Verlander's question: "Does that give you more confidence going into the game that that happened six weeks ago?" "I mean, just like you, he's going to be in the Hall of Fame," Freeman said. "He's one of the best pitchers in this game. You're just really just trying to hope he makes a mistake, and you're on time for it. Really, it's an extremely hard at-bat for a lefty. "Like I always say, against him, you got to be prepared to die. That's the mindset. If you pull off of him, you got no chance, and he's throwing behind you. So, if he hits you in the ear, you got to be OK with it. So, that's kind of my mentality, and, you know, I was thankfully able to get a good swing on the ball." Before the game, Verlander reflected on his decision to retire, noting that it was clear to him early in the season that it was time. "It was pretty easy," Verlander said. "I made my first start of the season and my leg started hurting. I’ve said my entire career, man, I love this game. I love giving it everything I got. I’m going to play until the wheels fall off. The arm held out great, but the leg gave out on me." Over his 21 seasons in MLB, Verlander built a Hall of Fame resume that includes two World Series titles in addition to his personal accolades. Those honors aren't what he's most proud of, though. "I'm most proud of the volume," said Verlander, who started 557 games in his career, throwing 3,576 2/3 innings while striking out 3,560 batters. "I really pride myself on taking the ball and just being out there for as many pitches as the game would allow. When I look back, I always said that if I’m out there for every start, the numbers fall where they may, but [at least] I’m doing my job."]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[L.A. Is One Win Away: 4 Takeaways As Dodgers Take 2-1 Lead Over Braves In NLDS]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/l-a-one-win-away-4-takeaways-dodgers-take-2-1-lead-over-braves-nlds</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/l-a-one-win-away-4-takeaways-dodgers-take-2-1-lead-over-braves-nlds</guid>
				<category>mlb</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Here are four takeaways from the Dodgers’ 3-1 Game 3 win over the Braves.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 21:40:11 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/dodgers1.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/dodgers1.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[The Dodgers’ lineup has been home run or bust to start the postseason. On Tuesday night in Atlanta, the formula worked as homers from Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman provided all the offense necessary for the Dodgers to move one win away from advancing to the National League Championship Series. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, it doesn’t take much. Here are my four takeaways from the Dodgers’ 3-1 Game 3 win: Hernández has been a slightly below league-average hitter over his 13-year regular-season career. But in the postseason, he is basically Aaron Judge. Judge, who hasn’t played this postseason due to injury, has an .822 OPS and 17 home runs for his playoff career. Hernández, after going deep off Chris Sale with a two-run shot to start the scoring Tuesday, also has 17 homers along with an .832 career postseason OPS. Hernández, it’s worth noting, has played in far more playoff games than Judge. In fact, no player in Dodgers history has played in more. Tuesday was his 94th with the franchise. This is what he built his reputation by doing, taking his game up a notch in October. Hernández has discussed in the past his use of visualization, a practice he began after a couple of years of postseason failure at the beginning of his career. Starting in the 2017 playoffs, every night before he went to sleep before a playoff game, Hernández envisioned every scenario he could think of happening on the baseball field and then imagined himself succeeding in that moment. More often than not, he would, starting with his three home runs in Game 5 of the 2017 National League Championship Series. Since then, he has turned himself into an October legend. For his regular season career, Hernández has homered roughly once every 28 at-bats. In the postseason, it is once every 17 at-bats. Among players with at least 100 career home runs (regular season and postseason), Hernández is the only player in MLB history to have at least 10% of his career home runs come in the playoffs. Two years ago, Hernández didn’t start any of the first three games of the Dodgers’ series in the NLDS as his team went down 2-1 to the Padres. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remedied that decision in Game 4, choosing to go with the players he trusted with the season on the line. Hernández was inserted into the starting lineup for the elimination games 4 and 5. The Dodgers won both, and he started every game the rest of that playoff run. He wasn’t in the starting lineup for Games 1 and 2 of this year’s NLDS — there are fewer ways this year for Roberts to work him in, given the roster construction — but Hernández again delivered with his opportunity. Hernández’s 17th career postseason home run matched teammate Freddie Freeman for the 17th most in MLB history. Or, at least it did for a couple of minutes. Two batters after Hernández went deep off Chris Sale in the fourth inning, Freeman did the same, moving the first baseman into an eight-way tie for 10th all-time with his 18th career playoff home run. It was Freeman’s second home run this series after he went deep just once in the season’s second half. He was limited to one extra-base hit in all of September, clearly limited by a knee issue that sapped his power and got his swing out of sync. Any concern about his health seems to be gone now that the calendar has flipped to October, where Freeman, much like Hernández, has developed a penchant for finding another gear. Freeman has reached base in 25 consecutive postseason games with the Dodgers dating back to Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. That year, he persevered through an ankle injury to hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. It was his first of four home runs in the series. This year, he is 4-for-11 with two home runs to start the playoffs. He was feet away from another home run. In the third inning Tuesday, Freeman launched a ball 101.3 mph off the bat the other way that was robbed by left fielder Mauricio Dubón with a leap at the wall. He hit three balls more than 100 mph off the bat in Game 3 and also helped defensively, capping the win with a sensational pick at first base on a throw from Mookie Betts to end the game. Much of the discussion entering Tuesday centered on the Braves’ decision to save ace Chris Sale for Game 3, rather than using him in Game 2, after the veteran lefty threw 21 pitches in relief to finish the wild-card series on Oct. 1. The choice to use Sale in that spot, for that long, to conclude the series win against the Phillies was a risky gambit, considering the potential tax it might have on his arm moving forward. But the decision appeared to work out swimmingly when the Braves stole Game 2 in Los Angeles, sending the series back to Atlanta tied at one game apiece with their ace on the mound. The only problem? The guy taking the ball for the opponent is the reigning World Series MVP. It was Yoshinobu Yamamoto who stole the show in the Game 3 matchup of aces, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out a postseason career-high 10 batters. That feat is notable, considering last postseason Yamamoto became the first pitcher since Curt Schilling in 2001 to pitch back-to-back complete games in the playoffs. He would later etch his place further in postseason lore, throwing six innings of one-run ball in Game 6 of the World Series before returning one night later and throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief. In case he needed any extra motivation on Tuesday, he had never beaten the Braves before, despite allowing just one earned run over 16 1/3 innings in three previous starts against them. That changed in Game 3. The Dodgers entered October uncertain who would close their games. The most obvious choice was Tanner Scott, who led the club with 25 saves this year in a bounce-back season. But, ideally, Roberts would prefer to use Scott for a string of tough lefties. After allowing two runs in the ninth inning of Game 1, Scott followed Yamamoto in the eighth inning in Game 3. The ninth inning belonged to Edwin Díaz. This was what the Dodgers envisioned when they gave Díaz three years and $69 million this offseason, before a disastrous 2026 season marred by injury and underperformance. Díaz posted a career-worst 8.68 ERA and missed time due to an elbow issue that required surgery and a neck issue that put him back on the injured list in August. But he returned late in September looking more like the pitcher the Dodgers expected to get, throwing five scoreless outings to finish the season while striking out nine. His velocity and stuff ticked up, too. After striking out two in a scoreless sixth inning in Game 1, Díaz got the call in the ninth in Game 3 and bounced back from a leadoff Ozzie Albies double to throw a scoreless frame. The Dodgers may have found their ninth-inning answer in the guy they hoped it would be all along. 4 ½. What’s Next? Tyler Mahle has given the Braves all they could have possibly asked for after acquiring him at the deadline from San Francisco. Now, he’ll be tasked with trying to save their season against Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow in Wednesday’s Game 4. Worth watching: Braves manager Walt Weiss said postgame that Ronald Acuña Jr. jammed his knee in Game 2, which is why he served as the DH in Game 3. Acuña is just 3-for-21 to start the postseason.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[Falcons Relished Chance To Silence Saints, 'Show The World' How Good They Can Be]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/falcons-relished-chance-silence-saints-show-world-how-good-can</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/falcons-relished-chance-silence-saints-show-world-how-good-can</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Our weekly look back on the league starts with Atlanta going into New Orleans and spoiling a long-awaited celebration.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:34:25 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/16x9wild-10.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/16x9wild-10.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[Superdome (New Orleans) — True rivalry knows no exceptions. This was to be a special night here, a prime-time celebration of the 20th anniversary of the New Orleans Saints' 2006 "Domecoming" and their first game back after a year away from home due to the devastating damage of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints brought back the same national anthem singer they had in that first game back 20 years ago, and as she sang, when the video boards showed Drew Brees, the crowd cheered as loud as you can imagine in the middle of a live national anthem. But this was also a Saints-Falcons game. On a day that was officially National Be Nice Day, Atlanta sought an opportunity to silence the home crowd, and Bijan Robinson made good on that on the game's third play, breaking loose for a 59-yard touchdown on the way to a 45-24 rout of the Saints. "We've been talking about that ... the offense, we've got to do the best job we can to silence them early," Robinson said after the game. "To make that pin drop happen in the first quarter ... after that third play, it was pretty special. We went back to the sideline and said, 'That's what we talked about,' made sure we executed the right way so the crowd doesn't become an issue for us." They didn't let up, and it was 24-7 by halftime, and a Saints team that has fought back from early deficits this season never got back in the game. "That's the definition of starting fast," safety Jessie Bates told me. "Those guys came out and were the most physical team on the field. They set the tone for us, and it was easy for our defense to go out there and keep the momentum going for our team. We knew this was a rivalry game, knew what it was about. Obviously, it's heartfelt for what this means to them, but we've got to take care of business. "We want to show the world who we can be." With quarterback injuries, the Falcons had opened the year 0-2, but with the healthy return of Michael Penix Jr., they have dominated in two straight night road games, first in a 35-14 win over the Packers last Thursday, then a more resounding win Monday night. By the end, it was the most points Atlanta had scored in more than a decade, and matched the second-most it had ever scored against the Saints in 114 meetings. "Once you're in that position, you've got to, as we say, keep your foot on the neck," guard Matthew Bergeron told me. The outcome was lopsided enough that Saints fans were leaving in droves as the fourth quarter started, so the ones still around when the game ended were mostly wearing Falcons red. When I asked Falcons wide receiver Drake London about the final score, he said he didn't mind at all. And when I asked London what comes to mind when he thinks of the Superdome, he recalled the 2023 season finale, when the Saints were up 41-17 and backup quarterback Jameis Winston opted not to take a knee, but hand off to Jamaal Williams for another touchdown with 1:10 left. "I just didn't forget about Jameis Winston and how he was supposed to take a knee when we were here and they wanted to drive it in," London told me. "If we can run the score up, then why not?" The Falcons catch a break not having to face Lamar Jackson as they host the Ravens on Sunday night, and a win there would keep them with the Carolina Panthers as the teams to beat. The Panthers have the head-to-head tiebreaker from their Week 2 rout, and the Falcons can't erase that until the two teams play again in Week 18. The Saints are only one game back in the NFC South race, but they play host to arguably the league's top defense in the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Not only will the Saints have the challenge of trying to score on the elite unit, but their defense will have to keep Minnesota in check. New Orleans is giving up 32 points per game, the most in the NFL, so it won't be easy for the Saints to overcome that and avoid a 1-4 start. A lot went wrong for New Orleans on Monday night, but few things will turn a loud home crowd against you like a less-than-bold call. The Saints were down 17 in the third quarter and had a fourth-and-3 at the Falcons' 8-yard line, but Saints coach Kellen Moore took the lesser option, choosing a field goal and a 24-10 deficit. The crowd booed, and the Saints defense immediately gave up a 74-yard touchdown drive, keeping the Saints at a safe distance the rest of the way. "Long drive, we had a little bit of a missed opportunity on third down," Moore said after the game. "It got it to at least a 14-point game, get the points and then, if we could make a stop there, then we could go. We'd obviously have to be really aggressive the rest of the way out. I know it felt like getting some points there got us back to a two-score game. ... Unfortunately, they went back and scored." The Saints have a top-five red zone offense this season and have been perfect in goal-to-go situations, and going for it was a chance to bring an electric crowd back into the game. Instead, it turned fans who were already disappointed into anger against their own team. What was the best highlight-reel game-winning catch by a player you probably didn't know? That has to be Efton Chism, the second-year New England Patriots receiver who made a wild one-handed touchdown grab on a throw from Drake Maye to give his team the lead with 1:50 left in their win over the Buffalo Bills. Aaron Best, his coach at Eastern Washington, has come to expect ridiculous catches like that from Chism, who caught 120 passes in 2024 for EWU before making the Patriots' roster as an undrafted rookie. "It's crazy to think everybody gets to witness what we already knew," Best told me. "You almost assume and expect those higher-level catches. His highlight reel is different from everybody else's highlight reel." Chism's hardly the first EWU alum to make a splash as an NFL receiver. Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne have done that already, with Chism only furthering the Eagles' legacy. Best said that Chism is what they call an EKG, as in an "Eastern kind of guy," as 10 current players and coaches texted him about Chism's catch before he actually got to see it. It might be the catch of the year in the NFL four weeks in, but Best said Chism has made impossible catches before, just not while playing for a returning Super Bowl team. "We're playing at Southeastern Louisiana a couple years ago, the throw is high and damn near uncatchable for 99.9% of the wide receiver clientele," he said. "He elevates, gets undercut, one-handed catch, comes down with it and moves the sticks. We probably didn't even gasp. Probably said, 'That's Ef. What's the first-down call?' Anybody else, we'd be like 'Hell, yeah.' He still needs a standing ovation for those kinds of catches." Bills defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson took a shot at Chism in postgame, saying he was an "elevated" practice squad player who made a play, but "probably won’t hear from him again. Respectfully. I say that with a lot of confidence." However, Chism has been on the Patriots' active roster all season long. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had his player's back, referencing that Gardner-Johnson has played for "eight teams in four years" in an interview with WEEI in Boston. With veteran receiver Mack Hollins dealing with a calf injury and A.J. Brown still on injured reserve, Chism should have a chance for more impact plays moving forward. And if you want to look ahead, the Patriots host the Bills and Gardner-Johnson on Dec. 6. The downside of a 17-game season is that the math is harder in projecting what a player is on pace for. We can't say "quarter pole" anymore, and be reminded that the quarter pole indicates a quarter is remaining. But four games in, you can get a feel for whether any running backs or receivers have a shot at 2,000 yards. Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III is already at 537 yards, the best four-game total in 23 years, putting him on pace for an NFL-record 2,282 yards. Walker already has two runs of 60-plus yards, and Jonathan Taylor led the NFL with three of those in all of last season. Robinson is also on track for over 2,000 yards after Monday's performance (2,100). There's never been a 2,000-yard receiving season, though someone always seems to jump out to a promising start. Dallas Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb and Seattle Seahawks star Jaxson Smith-Njigba are on pace for 2,117 and 2,044 yards, respectively. Saints standout Chris Olave joined the list on Monday night as he's now on pace for 2,087 yards. But Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua had more yards after four games in 2025 and 2023 before trailing off in both seasons. It should be noted, though, that Nacua missed time last season following his hot four-game start.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[As Lionel Messi's Argentina Career Ends, How It Started Is Worth Remembering]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messis-glittering-argentina-career-ends-how-started-worth-remembering</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/lionel-messis-glittering-argentina-career-ends-how-started-worth-remembering</guid>
				<category>soccer</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[There will never be another player like him. I hope you enjoyed his greatness and reliving his legacy.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:34:12 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/16x9messi-lastgame.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/16x9messi-lastgame.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[The first time I ever watched Lionel Messi play soccer couldn’t have been more anticlimactic. Though the player now generally accepted as the greatest in the history of the planet’s most popular sport had already made his first team debut for Barcelona by this time, the setting was far from the bright lights at the then 90,000-seat Camp Nou, Europe’s largest stadium. Messi was 18, the second-youngest member of Argentina’s under-20 national team, when he and his teammates met the United States on June 11, 2005, in both countries' first match of what was then called the FIFA World Youth Championship. Arke Stadion in the small Dutch city of Enschede was barely a third full. The kid who’d become the GOAT was on the bench when Chad Barrett — who’d go on to win one senior cap for the Americans — scored the eventual winner late in six minutes before halftime. Messi, still mostly unknown except to soccer dorks like me, didn’t do much when he entered in the second half of the game, which I watched on a 13-inch television in my cubicle at ESPN The Magazine’s midtown Manhattan office. Of course, Messi started the rest of the way, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer and MVP as Argentina claimed the title. A year later, I saw Messi live for the first time; he scored for Barça in a 4-1 friendly win over the New York Red Bulls. As he shyly answered questions in Spanish post-game, floppy brown hair hanging over his eyes, I was struck by how tiny he was. This is the guy who some Argentines were already calling Diego Maradona’s heir apparent? "He’s the closest one yet," Bob Bradley told me when I asked about the comparison a year after that. Bradley, who had just been named coach of the U.S. men’s national team, is as serious as they come. But he couldn't help light up at the mere mention of Messi, who his squad would face in the opening match of the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela. I used the quote in a short blurb about Messi, writing that the youngster was well on his way to eventually eclipsing Barcelona teammate Ronaldinho as the best player in the world. Over the almost two decades since, he’s vastly exceeded that prediction and most others, too. MESSI'S LEGACY WAS cemented during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but it's easy to forget now what the mood was like inside Lusail Stadium with less than 30 minutes remaining against Mexico in the Albiceleste’s second group stage match that November outside of Doha. Billed as Messi’s last chance to win the ultimate prize in sports — he’d said he’d retire after the tourney, win or lose — Argentina was in danger of being eliminated with one first round match to go. Then Messi popped up out of nowhere and stroked the ball past El Tri keeper Guillermo Ochoa, his first of eight goals — including two in the final win over France — on the way to his country’s only World Cup title since Maradona’s in 1986. With that golden trophy in hand, Messi promptly changed his mind about hanging up his boots. I was at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in 2024 when he hoisted the Copa América for the second time in three years. In July, I watched him break down in tears on the field as Spain beat Argentina in extra time to wrest the World Cup away from the 39-year-old. La Roja were worthy champs, yet a wave of sadness engulfed me as I realized that this was probably the last time anyone would ever see Messi wearing that famous baby-blue and white striped No. 10 shirt. Messi was still his side’s best player that day. Now, with Messi having played his send-off match with Argentina (and scoring one last goal from the penalty spot), I’m filled with gratitude for having been able to cover his career almost from start to finish. Most soccer lovers have never watched him play in person. I don’t take for granted that I’ve seen him so many times I’ve lost count. l've been there for the downs — the shootout loss to the Netherlands in São Paulo in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, another to Chile in the Copa final in New Jersey in 2016, after which an emotional Messi vowed never to play for his country again before changing his mind for the first time — as well as the once seemingly unreadable heights of 2022 and ’24. It’s still surreal to see Messi in MLS and probably will be until he walks away for good, hopefully not before his current contract with Inter Miami expires in 2028.  Watching Lionel Messi play soccer — whether it's on a screen or in the stands or a press box — is a privilege that never gets old. There will never be another player like him. Enjoy it as long as you can.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[Arch Manning vs. John Mateer: Inside The Red River Rivalry QB Battle]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/arch-manning-john-mateer-texas-oklahoma-red-river-rivalry</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/arch-manning-john-mateer-texas-oklahoma-red-river-rivalry</guid>
				<category>college-football</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Arch Manning vs. John Mateer sets up a fascinating Red River Rivalry QB matchup, with surprising similarities between the two quarterbacks. FOX Sports' Brady Quinn breaks down the matchup.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:25:47 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/in-the-pocket-16x9-v1.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/in-the-pocket-16x9-v1.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[There’s nothing like a college football rivalry game. Legacies are made, bragging rights are claimed and memories are created. The experience for all involved is unique, and it’s one of the reasons college football is the greatest sport on the planet. This week’s Red River Rivalry is no different. No. 1 Texas will take on an Oklahoma team still searching for answers on offense, setting the stage for a fascinating quarterback matchup. On one side is Texas QB Arch Manning, an early-season Heisman contender, carrying the weight of the Manning name and leading the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. On the other side is John Mateer, a signal-caller trying to find his footing and help get Oklahoma’s season back on track. But here’s the interesting part: Take a closer look at the numbers between Manning and Mateer, and maybe they aren’t so far apart? I'm going to dive into this matchup between quarterbacks and explain what Oklahoma can do to get Mateer back on track, as well as how Manning can better utilize a red zone cheat code he has on his side. Red River Rivalry: Manning vs. Mateer Manning is the field general leading an undefeated Texas team, and whether you believe quarterback wins should count as a "stat" or not, an unbeaten record tends to give a QB the benefit of the doubt. But here’s where the comparison gets interesting: Mateer has statistically played better in Oklahoma’s biggest games at Michigan and Georgia than Manning has in Texas’ marquee matchups against Ohio State and Tennessee this season. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though. Manning’s numbers have been hurt by some costly drops from his receivers. Texas has had seven passes dropped this season, nearly twice as many as Oklahoma, and a couple of those misses have had a significant impact. Junior wide receiver Ryan Wingo leads Texas with three drops and should have had an easy touchdown against Ohio State after getting wide open down the field. In that same game, transfer wide receiver Cam Coleman also found himself wide open, only for what should have been a spectacular diving catch to somehow turn into a circus interception for the Buckeyes. When a quarterback puts the ball in the right spot and his guys make the play, it builds trust and rhythm. Those two plays alone could have dramatically changed not only the game itself, but perhaps the way we’re talking about Manning’s season through five weeks. While Manning has been impacted by costly drops from his pass-catchers, Mateer has struggled to anticipate throws and find a consistent rhythm with his wide receivers. In fact, on Mateer’s longest touchdown pass of the season — a 53-yard strike to senior wideout Isaiah Sategna III in Oklahoma’s 14-6 win over New Mexico — the quarterback admitted he didn’t even realize Sategna was wide open until he heard the crowd react to how wide open he was. Yes, statistically, Manning and Mateer appear to be relatively close. But how they’ve gotten there tells a much different story — and it’s a story Oklahoma will have to hope it has figured out over the course of the bye week if the Sooners want to take home the "Golden Hat." What’s most concerning is that this is Year 4 for Mateer in Ben Arbuckle’s offense. At this point, Mateer should be able to run this offense blindfolded. The fact that he’s struggling to play from the pocket and anticipate throws is an issue, but it’s not all on Mateer. Bottom line: Arbuckle has to devise a better plan to help his wide receivers create separation. According to PFF, Oklahoma has the fewest targets with separation in the SEC, and that shows up on film. Incorporate more bunches, stacks and pre-snap shifts and motion to help create leverage for the intended targets. Give Mateer a pre-snap coverage indicator by displacing a running back or tight end outside the formation. That simple adjustment forces the defense to show its hand: Is it playing man or zone? Getting that answer in the passing game is half the battle. If it’s man, you typically have the matchup you’re looking for or a concept designed to create an opening for a receiver. If it’s zone, you know the progression you’re reading and which routes should be available based on the leverage of the defenders. Those coverage indicators can make a quarterback more confident and decisive after the snap. And for Mateer, that might be exactly what Oklahoma needs. Manning’s biggest advantage in the red zone might be the size of Coleman on the outside. Coleman’s 6-foot-3 frame has made him a big-time red-zone target for Manning this season, with three of his four receiving touchdowns coming inside the 20-yard line. It’s easy to see why. Coleman has tremendous length and the ability to stop, adjust and high-point the football at a moment’s notice. For a quarterback, that’s a huge advantage because you don’t necessarily have to be perfect with your ball placement. You just have to give your guy a chance. I had the pleasure of playing with two big-bodied wide receivers at Notre Dame in Maurice Stovall and Jeff Samardzija. The goal was simple: Once you got into the red zone, find a way to isolate one of them and give him a catchable ball so he could use his size and adjust to it. It didn’t always have to be pretty, but it did have to be catchable. Their size advantage typically led to one of three outcomes: a touchdown, defensive pass interference or, at worst, an incompletion. That’s the predicament a player like Coleman creates for a defense. Do you bracket him and try to eliminate him? Or do you leave him one-on-one, knowing you also have to account for the run game and the possibility of Manning pulling the ball down and running? Pick your poison. One matchup I’ll be watching closely is Oklahoma cornerback Eli Bowen against Coleman. Bowen is listed at 5-foot-9, giving Coleman a significant size advantage on the perimeter. Don’t be surprised if Texas looks for that matchup when it gets into the red zone this weekend. One Name To Know … If you listen closely, you can hear the whispers about a QB playing down in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky is best known for its horse racing, bourbon and college basketball. But there’s a new signal-caller turning heads. Kenny Minchey began his collegiate career at Notre Dame, where patience became a prerequisite. He redshirted, then watched two transfer quarterbacks leapfrog him and become QB1. His chance to compete for the starting job finally came ahead of the 2025 season, when he battled CJ Carr for the position. Minchey ultimately lost that competition and settled into a backup role, finishing the season with 26 pass attempts, completing 20 of them, before deciding it was time to find his next opportunity. The transfer portal window opened Jan. 4, and Minchey immediately committed to Nebraska, only to flip his commitment 24 hours later following a phone call with new Kentucky head coach Will Stein. Former Kentucky starting quarterback Cutter Boley had entered the transfer portal, creating a clear path for Minchey to become QB1. Stein and Minchey haven’t looked back since. The Wildcats are 4-1, with big road wins over Texas A&amp;M and South Carolina, including a dramatic overtime finish against the Gamecocks. Minchey has quickly established himself as one of the SEC’s top quarterbacks, throwing for 11 touchdowns with just one interception this season. Kentucky received the most AP votes of any team outside this week’s Top 25, but voters still appear hesitant to fully buy in. That hesitation is understandable after the Wildcats’ second-half collapse in a blowout loss to Alabama in Week 2. A win over LSU this weekend could change that narrative entirely and those whispers will turn to shouts if Minchey keeps playing well. What I'm Watching … A BIG ONE in the BIG TEN! And I'll be there as Big Noon Kickoff heads to Lincoln this weekend for the Big Ten showdown. Nebraska is searching for its first win over a ranked opponent in 30 games, while Indiana is defending its national title after beating six ranked opponents during its perfect 16-0 season last year. Neither team has faced a particularly challenging schedule, but both are 5-0 and led by transfer quarterbacks who have been perfect fits for their respective systems. Josh Hoover, the former TCU signal-caller, arrived in Bloomington with more experience and production than just about any quarterback in college football. That experience has shown up in his quick decision-making and timing. Hoover has erased concerns about turnovers, throwing 15 touchdowns with zero interceptions. I think Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan have done it again. Meanwhile, Nebraska wanted an experienced quarterback with more dual-threat ability after parting ways with former five-star Dylan Raiola. Anthony Colandrea has been exactly that. After stops at Virginia and UNLV, Colandrea settled in at Nebraska, throwing for more than 1,100 yards while ranking second among Big Ten quarterbacks in rushing. He possesses the dual threat ability that gives opposing defenses fits. A win would give Nebraska coach Matt Rhule the statement victory he’s been searching for in Lincoln.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[Top-10 CFB Showstoppers From Week 5: Who Can Stop Jeremiah Smith?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/top-10-cfb-showstoppers-from-week-5</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/college-football/top-10-cfb-showstoppers-from-week-5</guid>
				<category>college-football</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Geoff Schwartz breaks down his 10 stars from Week 5 of the college football season.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:31:04 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/16x9-3.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/16x9-3.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[I played offensive line for eight seasons in the NFL, and before that I spent my Saturdays in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, blocking for guys who ended up on lists like this one. So when I watch college football now, I watch for the stuff that signaled to me in the huddle whether a guy was for real. I'm picking the 10 players who impressed me most during the previous weekend. Not just the gaudiest stat lines, but the performances that hold up when you turn the tape on. Some weeks, that'll be an edge rusher wreaking havoc. Other weeks, it'll be a lineman you've never heard of who didn't lose a rep all afternoon. I have a soft spot for those guys. Let's take a look at this week's group. I try really hard to not include the same guys every week. But how could I ignore what Jeremiah Smith did this weekend? With his 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores against Iowa, he became Ohio State's all-time leader in receptions (207), receiving yards (3,381) and receiving touchdowns (37). He is truly not from this planet. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Another stud who makes my list again, Austin Simmons helped his Tigers win their first game against a top 10 team since Eli Drinkwitz became their head coach in 2020. Simmons was an efficient 23 of 30 for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Missouri had an offensive perfomance that ranked in the 93rd percentile in expected points added, and that was on the arm of Simmons. John Curry led his Red Raider defense in tackles in a dominating performance by his group on Saturday. Colorado scored only seven points on their first drive of the game. Texas Tech forced four interceptions including a unique pick-six by Curry. It was a zero-yard touchdown after Curry jumped to intercept an Issac Wilson pass in his own end zone. Heck of an athletic play. Flora had a monster game for Iowa State, with the Cyclones scoring 17 fourth quarter points to beat West Virginia. The redshirt sophomore had 22 carries for 212 yards and three rushing touchdowns. He also completed two passes, both for touchdowns. That’s five touchdowns out of the six Iowa State scored on Saturday. He joined Vince Young as the only players in Big 12 history with two passing touchdowns, two rushing scores and 200 rushing yards in the same game. An absolutely incredible performance. The Miami pass rusher had 2.5 sacks for the Hurricanes in their 41-13 blowout win against Clemson on the road. The Missouri transfer was tied for third in the SEC last season with nine sacks, and has been a pressure machine for Miami this year. Xavier had three sacks and two forced fumbles in Georgia State’s win over Old Dominion. He’s now up to seven sacks this season, which has helped Georgia State sit with the third most sacks this season (19). Esqillion ranks third in all of FBS with his seven sacks, trailing only Collin Simmons and Princewill Umanmielen. All Bear Bachmeier does is win. He was only 11 of 24 with 62 yards passing in BYU's win vs. TCU, but he also added 66 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Since 2000, he has the fourth-best record of all Big 12 quarterbacks against unranked opponents at 14-0. He trails only Heisman runner-up Vince Young (21-0), and two Heisman winners— Jason White (21-0) and Eric Crouch (17-0). Daniels has quietly been prolific for the Seminoles, already reaching 1,111 passing yards and 278 rush yards this season along with 15 total touchdowns. On Saturday, he went for a whopping five rushing touchdowns against Virginia, becoming just the second ACC quarterback to reach that mark in a game since 2000 (TaQuon Marshall in 2017). He led Florida State to a dominant 38-7 victory against Virginia as 1.5-point underdogs. For offensive run game enthusiasts like myself, the Northwestern rushing attack on Friday night against Penn State was electric. Offensive play-caller Chip Kelly has implemented some single wing and veer concepts into the Northwestern playbook and they dominated the Nittany Lions. Komolafe had 25 carries for 188 yards while Himon had 10 carries for a whooping 162 rushing yards. It was unbelievably fun to watch. Harvard had one final play on Saturday vs. Colgate— a 44-yard Hail Mary attempt to win the game. Quarterback Charlie Smith launched the ball to his 6’6 tight end standing a few yards from the end zone. Pelletier caught the ball amongst a group of Colgate defenders who tried to wrestle him to the ground. Before that happened, he pitched the ball to Bailey who ran to the pylon to win the game for the Crimson!]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[NFL Fallout Week 4: Rams Remind Why They're The Scariest Team In The NFL]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-fallout-week-4-rams-remind-why-theyre-scariest-team-nfl</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-fallout-week-4-rams-remind-why-theyre-scariest-team-nfl</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Did the Rams save their season? Are the 49ers the best team in the NFL? Here are Ralph Vacchiano's top takeaways from Week 4.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2026 22:45:40 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/16x9justin-1.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/16x9justin-1.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD (Philadelphia) — The Los Angeles Rams’ dream season was on the verge of becoming a full-fledged nightmare. For three-plus quarters on Sunday, they looked much like they had for most of the first three games: an overrated mess. But then they reminded everyone why the world was so high on them in the first place. When they’re clicking on all cylinders, they (still) are capable of being the best team in the league. That’s what separates these Rams from the NFL’s last supposed "Dream Team" — the overrated Eagles of 2011 that went 8-8. These Rams are capable of greatness, as they demonstrated by scoring two touchdowns in the final four minutes of a 24-20 road win against the overrated Eagles of 2026. The Rams' comeback was quite a departure from the first 50-plus minutes, in which they appeared old, feeble and tired. It was as if the jet lag from their poorly planned trip to Australia in Week 1 never wore off. But great teams know when it matters most, and that's when the Rams suddenly woke up. With the game on the line and their season perched on the brink, they played like the Super Bowl-bound juggernaut they were supposed to be. "That says that they’re mentally tough," a giddy Sean McVay said of his team. "And I think that will serve us well. Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. They found a way. It was really cool to see." The emergence of the real Rams couldn’t have come at a better time. In a division with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the powerful San Francisco 49ers, there would’ve been no coming back from a 1-3 start. Only the 2001 Patriots have opened a season 1-3 and won the Super Bowl, and the Rams were two yards away from falling into that hole. Stops on third- and fourth-and-goal with less than eight minutes remaining gave Matthew Stafford and Co. an inch. They responded by taking a mile — driving 98 yards for a touchdown and then, after the defense forced a three-and-out, executing a second 10-play drive for the go-ahead score. The defense then sacked Jalen Hurts twice to force a turnover on downs and seal the 10-point comeback. That's championship mettle. The three huge defensive stops were even more impressive when considering star pass-rushers Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald were sidelined. Stafford, who looked every bit of his 38 years as he struggled through a two-interception day, overthrowing and misfiring to most of his receivers, went 12 for 15 for 140 yards on the final two drives. The final eight flawless minutes served as a reminder of what the Rams are capable of, and of why the hype surrounding them always had a stronger base than their "Dream Team" predecessor in Philadelphia. The 2011 Eagles were built on a foundation of good (but not great) free-agent additions and a high-risk, high-reward QB in Michael Vick. These Rams are backed by the reigning MVP and were a play away from reaching last season's Super Bowl, where they would have been heavy favorites against the Patriots. And that was before they traded for Garrett, lured Donald out of retirement and added stellar cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. In other words, the Rams were on the cusp of greatness a year ago, and there’s still no reason to think they won’t be great again. Their wild comeback on Sunday proved they still have the talent to make a Super Bowl run. And maybe that was the wake-up call they needed to come out of their slumber and remind even themselves that they're still good enough to achieve all of their dreams. "If you don’t have belief, then what are you doing?" Stafford said. "That’s what you put in all the work for. … Not every game is going to go exactly how you want it. Sometimes you’re going to have to find ways to win football games. "That’s what we did today." The Eagles were about to shut the door on the Rams (and perhaps their 2026 title chances) when Nick Sirianni found a way to prop it open. Then the Eagles left the door open to the NFC East as well. After blowing a game they absolutely should have won, the Eagles are tied with the Dallas Cowboys and one game behind the New York Giants, in a division they’ve basically owned for the better part of the past three seasons. That’s not all on Sirianni, but his decisions are certainly fodder for his critics — particularly choosing to go for it twice on fourth-and-2 in the second half against the Rams. The first time was from the Eagles’ own 38, though the failed Tush Push didn’t ultimately hurt the Eagles. The second one was from the Rams' 2-yard line when a field goal would’ve put Philly up by two touchdowns with less than eight minutes remaining. That was a killer. Sirianni inexplicably ignored that his team was already 0 for 10 on third downs Sunday and was missing receiver DeVonta Smith, running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Dallas Goedert and two offensive linemen. Simply put, he overplayed his analytical hand. "I’m very well aware of how important that decision was as the head coach," Sirianni said. "That’s on me." Indeed it was, even if there was some logic in leaving the Rams in "a true backed-up scenario" once his offense failed. He never imagined the Rams would drive 98 yards the other way, nor did he think his Eagles couldn’t pick up the two yards they needed for a 17-point lead. But sometimes a head coach has to know his team better than he knows the math. And Sirianni’s team has struggled offensively all season long. And that goes back to another Sirianni decision: turning his offense over to 34-year-old, first-time coordinator in Sean Mannion, who's in just his third season as an NFL assistant. There’s still plenty of time for Mannion to piece this dysfunctional and battered Eagles offense together. But at the moment, he looks like Sirianni’s third swing and miss at the position in the past four years. And if you don’t think that puts Sirianni on the hot seat, you are underestimating the pressure of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. This is an organization that expects to be playing in the Super Bowl. There’s no excuse for giving away games like this, much less a division this weak. The San Francisco 49ers play in a division with the defending Super Bowl champions and the superteam many expect to win Super Bowl LXI. Yet four games into the season, they’re looking down in the standings at both the Seahawks and the Rams. In fact, the 4-0 49ers are looking down at everyone. They’re the best team in the league. They showed that pretty clearly Sunday with a convincing 24-14 victory against the Denver Broncos — who remain one of the best teams in the AFC. And the Niners did it by showing off their remarkable versatility. They got 218 yards and two touchdowns from QB Brock Purdy, 140 rushing yards from a combination of five ballcarriers and nine catches for 146 yards from TE George Kittle and WR Mike Evans. No team in the NFL has as many ways to win as San Francisco, which can beat you in the air and on the ground or with its stout defense. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Kyle Shanahan’s club went 12-5 last season despite being battered by injuries. While this year's Niners are notably banged up on the defensive line and at receiver, they boast the league's best point differential. Should they ever get healthy, which can never be assumed with the 49ers, they may prove impossible to beat. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen showed last year that he’s a brilliant offensive strategist, capable of turning his Trevor Lawrence-led team into a contender. It's time the Jaguars get credit for their top-notch defense, too. That unit, led by defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile since 2025, got the best of the high-octane Cincinnati Bengals in a 22-17 Jacksonville win on Sunday. Yes, the Jags gave up a lot of yards to Joe Burrow — 428 passing yards in all. But he had to throw 54 times to hit that total and was picked off twice, including once at the Jacksonville 10-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Jags also stuffed the Bengals’ running game so much that they simply stopped trying, running just 15 times for 23 yards. It was the third time this season a Jaguars opponent failed to score 20 points. In fact, they’ve given up just 53 points total this season — the second-fewest in the league. That’s why the 44-year-old Campanile is soon going to appear on a lot of head coach hot lists. More importantly, it’s why the Jaguars need to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender. For three games, Drake Maye looked like the worst quarterback in football. We all should’ve known he wasn’t that bad. The 24-year-old was still far from his 2025, near-MVP self, but he was finally at least good Sunday as the Patriots knocked off the Bills in Buffalo. Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while running eight times for 54 yards. And that included going 4 for 7 for 68 yards on the game-winning drive, including a 23-yard touchdown. That flash of his talent is exactly what the Patriots needed, and why it’s still too early to concede the AFC East race to the Bills. Maye showed last year that he was capable of carrying a flawed Patriots team a long way — all the way to the Super Bowl, in fact. His ability didn’t just mysteriously vanish. He’s clearly capable of doing it again. It’ll be harder this season, against a much tougher schedule. And it’ll be hard for a few more weeks until top receiver A.J. Brown returns. But this could be the performance that finally gives Maye his confidence back and lets him settle into a groove he was clearly missing. If so, we can't count the Patriots out just yet. In NFL Fallout, Ralph Vacchiano breaks down the impact of the biggest events every Sunday.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[QB Stock Market Week 5: Don't Overthink Brock Purdy's Proficiency]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/qb-stock-market-week-5-brock-purdy-doesnt-have-mvp-moment-doesnt-need-one</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/qb-stock-market-week-5-brock-purdy-doesnt-have-mvp-moment-doesnt-need-one</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Brock Purdy has been the best quarterback in football. Jalen Hurts will have better days. Will Cam Ward? Here are Henry McKenna's latest QB rankings.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:17:02 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/16x9-qb-stockmar.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/16x9-qb-stockmar.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[Around the NFL, there’s still hesitation around Brock Purdy’s remarkable season. I don’t care. I think he’s QB1. There’s more hesitation around Jalen Hurts than ever. I get it. I still think he and the Philadelphia Eagles will be fine. There’s profound hesitation around Cam Ward. That … is complicated. We’ll get into it. Welcome back to the QB Stock Market. These aren’t your typical QB rankings. I’m focused on monitoring the fluctuations of starters' performances throughout the season. No one — not even Purdy — is safe at the top. No one — not even Athan Kaliakmanis — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. One question holds the most importance: What have you done for your team lately? Previous: Offseason | Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 The beauty of Cam Ward has never been more in the eye of the beholder. After 21 appearances, Ward has 3,895 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has completed 60.4% of his passes and his yards per attempt sit at a paltry 5.9. The Titans are 3-18 in his starts. But this year, his completion percentage is up. His yards per attempt are up. His sacks are down. His QB rating and QBR are up. We’re seeing itty bitty signs of process. It’s just difficult to take some of those signs seriously because Tennessee spends so much time playing from behind. On tape, there is plenty of the unevenness from his rookie year, where Ward makes a hard play look easy — and then makes an easy play look hard. It provides ammunition for anyone who thinks Ward’s development is on track — and for anyone who thinks he’s already a bust. His press conferences are suddenly a lightning rod for discussion. His nonchalance in the pocket might get (mis)interpreted as a lack of urgency. There will always be haters. But this isn’t that — not exactly. There is ample, legitimate ground to criticize Ward’s game. At the same time, with the situation being what it is for a recent No. 1 overall pick on a bad team, the Titans shouldn't give up on Ward so soon. They drafted him as a project, and that’s what they got. This experiment needs to extend through 2027, and even though Bryce Young is a very different QB, his turnaround in Carolina is one that Tennessee should try to emulate. Meanwhile, it’s up to Ward to root out criticism-worthy moments, so that the beauty of his game is unequivocal. Let’s start with third down, shall we? It showed the worst sides of the Eagles' offense this past Sunday versus the Rams. Jalen Hurts was 1 of 7 for five yards with a 39.6 passer rating. He saw a 90% blitz rate, which had him rolling right out of the pocket on practically every dropback. That’s how he had 4.02 seconds to throw. But he couldn’t make anything happen with that time, because the Rams were plastered to Philly’s wideouts — and Hurts’ arm isn’t strong enough for him to turn and throw across his body to the far side of the field, where the Rams (apparently wisely) left Hurts’ guys wide open. Hurts appeared to be in a constant state of panic. It was a constant swinging pendulum, where Hurts missed chances. Look at his third-and-14 in the second quarter where Makai Lemon was wide open. And then there were critical playcalls that felt just plain wrong. Look at the third-and-4 where the Eagles made 35-year-old Zach Ertz the primary target. They expect the old man (who missed all of training camp and is playing in just his second game this year) to win a one-on-one with the game on the line. I don’t like it! Not one bit! Hurts finished 12 of 27 for 93 yards with two passing touchdowns and 19 pressures. It’s actually a small miracle he took only four sacks. But he had no answer for the Rams’ blitz, which had him playing scared for the entire second half. He seemingly couldn’t bring himself to throw the ball downfield — let alone toward the middle of the field. Here’s the kicker, though: I think the Eagles will figure this out. Saquon Barkley will get healthy. So will DeVonta Smith. Lemon is an ascending player. And Jameis Winston is QB1 for the NFC East’s current leader. I’d bet Philly still makes the playoffs. Leave it to Deshaun Watson to ruin the Browns’ quarterback situation. He has done it for the past five years. And in what is almost definitely his final year, he appears to be doing it again. The Browns are 3-1. And Watson is playing fine — just well enough for them to not bench him. But not good enough for them to seriously consider extending him. Given all his injuries and poor performance, they should have moved on from him long ago but have allowed his contract to dictate their decision-making. In the coming offseason, they will be free of him. It’s just that — because Watson has assumed the role as facilitator — the Browns could actually make the playoffs this year. And if they do that, they might have a hard time getting the quarterback they’d like in this year’s draft.Watson is (mostly) a pocket quarterback who can operate coach Todd Monken’s offense, which highlights the team’s redeemable cast of young pass-catchers, from rookie receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion to second-year tight end Harold Fannin. I actually think Watson spends too much time trying to get the ball to Boston, sticking with him for too long and hesitating on throws downfield (which, against the Steelers, ruined the progression a few times — and once resulted in an interception). But it’s a small problem. The big one is that Watson can’t be the Browns’ long-term plan. And it’s starting to feel like he’s putting Cleveland in a situation where it might have to seek a veteran for 2027 — rather than targeting a top QB prospect in the upcoming class. This has been a time-machine season for Cousins, whose comfort in Klint Kubiak’s system has the 38-year-old QB playing some of the best football of his career again. And Cousins has done it without the help of a run game and without the help of a star receiver. (I know: Brock Bowers, of course, doesn’t hurt.) The biggest issue for Cousins is that he’s a quarterback who has and will always need playmakers to do the majority of the work for him. He’s back to being one of the NFL’s best point guards. But that’s really all he’s ever been — and it’s all he can be. The Raiders can be a good regular-season team with him at QB1. But you put Vegas and Cousins up against a team with superior talent, particularly at quarterback, and the Raiders are going to struggle to make plays when they matter most. Their final drive versus the Chiefs, which ended in a Cousins interception, showed their shortcomings at receiver. The whole game demonstrated their ongoing issues trying to run the ball (2.8 yards per carry). And though the Raiders experimented more with rookie Mike Washington because of Ashton Jeanty’s struggles, Washington was worse than Jeanty. But the bottom line is Cousins is a middle-class QB. Bowers is making life better for Cousins. Kubiak is, too. But … maybe you know where I’m going … I look forward to seeing what this team looks like next year. Francisco Mendoza should be ready. Maybe they can get him a playmaker at wide receiver. And that should unlock this offense in ways Cousins can’t. The Jaguars are a really good defense. Unfortunately for Joe Burrow, he was the latest test case to prove that. His two interceptions in Week 4 came on the heels of Drake Maye’s full-blown meltdown versus Jacksonville in Week 3 (with three interceptions). The Jags pressured Burrow 20 times on 54 dropbacks (34.5%). They blitzed on only 19% of passing plays, per Next Gen Stats. That pressure clearly affected Burrow, who threw both of his interceptions on pressure plays. Against pressure, his completion percentage was 52.9%. And without it, it jumped to 81.1%. That’s a massive split that basically explains how Jacksonville won the game. There’s one thing that’s lost in those numbers, however. It’s Ja’Marr Chase’s injury. He isn’t so much a blitz-beating receiver, but it helps to have a primary option open quickly when the rush is coming. Here’s an example from the first half on third down. Despite pressure from a blitzing Foyesade Oluokun, Burrow dropped the ball into a pinpoint spot for Chase to catch and run for a big gain. So you can see, this wasn’t a disaster of a game from Burrow. He completed 8.1% of his passes over expected. He did that while getting the ball out of his hands in 2.64 seconds in Week 4. And on the season, he’s ninth in expected points added per dropback (.07). The problem is that — even with all this context — I think this game might decide the No. 1 seed in the AFC. And if it does, Burrow will watch this film and feel like he should’ve been better. He probably couldn’t have thrown it more (with 54 attempts), but he could’ve done more with those throws, and — in particular — he could've avoided those INTs. Because … man, what was he thinking? What was he seeing? On both picks, he threw two balls right to the defense. Drake Maye outplayed Josh Allen on Sunday. We all saw it. But that isn’t to say Allen played poorly. It was more a testament to Maye’s impressive turnaround. But in this Allen-Maye competition, there was just that one throw that separated things. You probably know the one. It was Allen's interception with a minute left in the game. There are layers of complexity that actually compound the badness. There was a sliver of hope for the play (thought I’d argue situationally, he should have held on no matter what). Allen pulled his arm back to throw, but pressure arrived and hit him. But he’s Josh Allen. So he didn’t go down right away. And again, he’s Josh Allen, so he thinks that his nuclear-grade arm can fit the ball into any window. Of course, this one had already closed. And the time it took between when the Patriots lineman hit him and the time he actually released the football was enough for safety Craig Woodson to make up ground and run under the ball for an interception. So, in real time, the decision was bad. But intended target Joshua Palmer made the decision even worse. Palmer has delivered some big plays in the clutch this year. But he was brutal in this game, with four targets and one catch for four yards. There was another target that didn’t appear in the stat sheet — a deep ball that he dropped (and which wouldn’t have counted because of a holding call from Bills tackle Dion Dawkins). Point is, there were plenty of receivers on the Bills team where you might understand why Allen wanted to force the ball. Keon Coleman, for example, was having a hell of a game. But Palmer? Yuck. No thanks. Against a really good Patriots defense, Allen was 23 for 33 with 253 yards and a touchdown … with the interception. He added a touchdown on the ground. But this game fell under the category of what C.J. Stroud did against the Bills just a few weeks ago. It’s just hard to give a quarterback credit for a game where his final drive faltered because of him. I think it has gotten to the point where we’re overthinking Brock Purdy. He is playing extremely well. Against the Broncos, Purdy had a clean game, finishing 19 of 30 for 218 yards, two touchdowns, no turnovers and no sacks. He also scrambled effectively, even if his 10 carries for 29 yards wouldn’t blow anyone away. This is the way to attack the Broncos defense. Look at what Patrick Mahomes did. It’s about patience, efficiency and dink-and-dunking. There has been some chatter about Purdy starting 10 of 20. He missed an early pass to Jacob Cowing, who ran a different route than what Purdy was expecting. Purdy missed on passes to George Kittle and Brandin Cooks — with the 49ers immediately appealing for DPI calls that never came. But most notably, he missed on a cross-body pass to Mike Evans in the first half, leaving the ball low and behind the 6-foot-5 wideout in the end zone. It was a missed opportunity, but you can at least see why Purdy missed. The end zone angle showed Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga creeping toward Evans for a potential interception. That’s why Purdy put the ball behind Evans. And then there was the depth of target on his game-winning touchdown to George Kittle: minus-1 yard. Kittle then took that screen pass to the house. I get it. The biggest play of the game was a routine pass that anyone could make. And to that point, Purdy’s season lacks an MVP moment. He lacks the put-the-team-on-your-back plays that often whips votes for an MVP award, particularly at a moment in time where Allen, Jackson and Mahomes are so much fun to watch. Purdy didn’t deliver an MVP moment against the Broncos in Week 4. But … he absolutely delivered with good passes downfield to Evans and Kyle Juszczyk. He had a moment of creativity out of structure on his touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. He continually moved the sticks despite the Niners' running game still being just OK. More importantly, he's maximized a receiving corps led by a banged up Evans and missing three wideouts who were supposed to be ahead of Samuel coming into the season (Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk and De'Zhaun Stribling). I can’t promise that Purdy will win the MVP. He probably won’t. But given how he played an elite defense and how he’s by far the best QB in the NFL against the blitz, I believe that he’ll finish the season in the conversation as one of the league's best quarterbacks — and as a Super Bowl contender. Again, let’s not overthink what’s abundantly clear.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Do 49ers Or Chiefs Hold Claim As NFL's Best Team?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-power-rankings-week-5</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-power-rankings-week-5</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[We have a shake up at the top of our power rankings, while a team moved up six spots. despite a loss this week.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:14:30 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/pr.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/pr.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[There are three teams still unbeaten in the NFL, followed by eight one-loss clubs. But which one is really the best through four weeks of the season? I’ve heard your complaints. I’ve read your comments. And four weeks into the season, I’m ready to admit: You were right. Not about everything. Or even most things. But my loyal readers were right about enough that this week’s Power Rankings contain a bit of a course correction. Not only is there another new No. 1 (what else is new?), but I have rethought my previous positions on teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Carolina Panthers and even the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cleveland Browns. I tragically underrated them all. That said, I still think I’m right about the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are bad. And the Vikings still have a lot of work to do to convince me they’re for real. So here are my revised and renewed Power Rankings as we head into Week 5. *Super Bowl odds courtesy of DraftKings Super Bowl odds: +50000Next game: vs. Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) QB Cam Ward was a little cranky when he was forced to wait a few minutes to start his postgame press conference Sunday, and who could blame him? I mean, he hasn’t been good and the team around him is terrible, and who would want to talk about that? The Titans have a potential star in rookie WR Carnell Tate, yet they still can’t do anything right on offense. Stat To Know: The Titans have started 0-4 in consecutive seasons for the second time in franchise history. The other was from 1983-84. Super Bowl odds: +100000Next game: vs. Bengals (1:00 p.m. ET) Yes, they’re movin’ on up! But don’t get comfy up this high. They still stink. And they’re probably still the worst team in football. But they deserve a reward for pushing an undefeated (though likely overrated) Vikings team to the limit. They only lost by five points (though it would’ve been 12 if Minnesota TE T.J. Hockenson hadn’t slid at the 1 to let the clock run down with two minutes remaining). RB Ollie Gordon did a nice job replacing the injured DeVon Achane (100 yards on 9 carries, albeit 53 on one). But QB Malik Willis is still as bad as many of us thought he’d be. Stat To Know: Miami has the NFL's worst point differential (-55) while scoring a league-low 46 points (11.5 PPG). Super Bowl odds: +15000Next game: @ Cowboys (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET) I didn’t expect a lot out of QB Jalon Daniels, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, so in that sense he didn’t disappoint. Even when Baker Mayfield was healthy, this Bucs team has been a train wreck on offense. And don’t be fooled by their lofty spot in the defensive rankings either, because most of the teams they’ve faced (Cleveland, Minnesota, Green Bay) aren’t capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Tampa Bay is getting nothing from RB Bucky Irving, and even less from WRs Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. Todd Bowles’ seat is on fire. Stat To Know: The Buccaneers are 0-4 for the first time since 2013. Super Bowl odds: +30000Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They slipped another spot because, my goodness, they were awful on Sunday. The Bears are a Super Bowl contender, but the Jets were outgained 492-157 by a team starting its backup QB. I know the Jets were missing RB Breece Hall, but QB Geno Smith was just 8 of 15 for 119 yards. This was a big step back for a team that has been surprisingly competitive this season. It looked like the "same old Jets." Stat To Know: Sunday was the Jets first defensive interception in 637 days. The Jets last regular-season interception prior to today came on January 5, 2025 (Week 18 of the 2024 season vs. the Dolphins), as they went the entire 2025 regular season without recording an interception. Super Bowl odds: +10000Next game: vs. Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET) Justin Herbert started the game against the Seahawks 4 for 11 for 34 yards and an interception, which is why the Chargers found themselves in a 27-6 hole. He rebounded after that, a little, but it wasn’t nearly enough. There isn’t a lot to like about this Chargers team, but they can run the ball a little bit and their defense has been good the past three weeks. But at this point, even Jim Harbaugh has to know that any wins will come despite his quarterback, not because of him. Stat To Know: The Chargers have now lost seven straight games dating back to Week 16 of 2025. Super Bowl odds: +30000Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) There are so many things to like about this team, but none of them are at the QB position. Jacoby Brissett literally threw a win away on Sunday when the Giants defense picked him off three times — including just outside the end zone on the last play of the game. The Cardinals have no other options, but they have too many good weapons — WR Michael Wilson, TE Trey McBride, WR Marvin Harrison Jr., RB Jeremiyah Love — to trust them to such a bad quarterback. Should they get a legitimate one from the 2027 draft, this will be a team on the rise. Stat To Know: The Cardinals have forced seven turnovers through their first four games of the season, the fifth most in the NFL. Super Bowl odds: +4500Next game: @ Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) The DeMeco Ryans-C.J. Stroud era in Houston has been wildly successful. So what’s gone wrong in 2026? The defense, mostly. It has just three takeaways this season — a stark drop from when the Texans had 29 last year (third in the NFL). Considering they get good pressure (14 sacks, including 4.5 from DE Will Anderson), that’s a ridiculously low number. Stat To Know: The last time the Texans started a season 0-4 was in 2020. Super Bowl odds: +6500Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Is it time to start talking about head coach Matt LaFleur’s job security yet? The Packers barely hung on to beat a decimated Bucs team that is playing worse football than almost any team in the league, and that came two weeks after they needed overtime and an Aaron Glenn brain freeze to squeak by the Jets. Green Bay should be a lot better than this, even with Micah Parsons’ return still a few weeks away. Stat To Know: With their win today, the Packers have started 2-2 or better through four games for the 20th consecutive season, the longest streak in NFL history. Super Bowl odds: +9000Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m ET) Jayden Daniels’ return can’t come soon enough after the Commanders were stuck relying on third-string QB Athan Kaliakmanis for most of Sunday morning in London. The Greek Rifle had a moment or two, but not enough to convince anyone he can help the Commanders win. If Daniels does return Sunday against the Giants, there might be time to salvage this season. If not, it’s time to start preparing for the draft, and maybe a coaching search, too. Stat To Know: The Commanders have allowed 122 points through four weeks, tied for the second most in the entire NFL. Super Bowl odds: +9000Next game: vs. Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They had a real shot to win each of their first three games before getting blown out by the Falcons on Monday night, and there are two big reasons why they’re in a bit of trouble. One is the injury to RB Travis Etienne, because it’s pretty clear Alvin Kamara can’t lead their rushing attack anymore. The other is that their rushing defense is terrible. The Falcons ripped through them for more than 200 yards and they’ve given up almost 600 rushing yards in four games. It’s a pretty good bet the Vikings, Giants and Steelers are going to try to take advantage of both those things over the next three weeks before the Saints’ bye. Stat To Know: The Saints have five lost fumbles this season, the most in the NFL through four weeks. Super Bowl odds: +10000Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Aaron Rodgers’ last ride is certainly turning into a wild one. His deep throws wobble more than their place in these rankings and his mobility is completely shot. But as he showed in the second half of Week 4 against the Browns, he can still be stellar. The problem is, the Steelers need him to be consistent, because neither the Jaylen Warren-led running game nor the T.J. Watt-led defense are very good. Stat To Know: Thursday night was the first time the Steelers allowed 2+ rush TD since Week 1 of 2025. Super Bowl odds: +8000Next game: vs. Ravens (Sunday, 8:20 p.m ET) In their two games with Michael Penix Jr. at QB, the Falcons look like an entirely different team. They suddenly have a potent, explosive offense, which they should have with a talent like Bijan Robinson at RB and an elite WR like Drake London. They’ve basically doubled their offensive output from the first two weeks when Cooper Rush was filling in at QB. Their schedule is about to get rough with the Ravens, Bears and 49ers up next, but at least all three games are in Atlanta. Most importantly, Penix has brought Kevin Stefanski’s team to life and given them a fighting chance. Stat To Know: The Falcons have scored 80 points over the last two weeks, which ranks first in the NFL in that span. Atlanta also rushed for five touchdowns on Monday night against New Orleans, tying their franchise record for most rushing TDs in a game. Super Bowl odds: +15000Next game: @ Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) I know. No respect! They’re 3-1, and this will make Giants fans angrier at me than all of Las Vegas was last week. But I’m just not going to overreact to them winning back-to-back games against the Titans and the Cardinals, two of the worst teams in the NFL. And they barely hung on to beat both of them. I am somewhat impressed with the resiliency of their Brian Burns-less defense, but I am already nauseous from a couple of trips on Jameis Winston’s wild ride. Stat To Know: The Giants are alone atop the NFC East for the first time since 2015. Super Bowl odds: +18000Next game: @ Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They’ve got a brash rookie coach in Todd Monken intent on showing the NFL it made a mistake by waiting until he was 60 to give him a shot. They are loaded with talented young players, especially on offense where TE Harold Fannin, WR Denzel Boston and RB Quinshon Judkins will soon be stars. Unfortunately, they play like rookies at times (14 penalties against the Steelers). That’s why they’re still low in these rankings. But consider the Browns upwardly mobile. And no one can argue with 3-1. Stat To Know: The Browns are now 8-0 on Thursdays since 2018. That is the longest active Thursday winning streak in the NFL (no other team longer than three). It is also now tied for the third-longest Thursday winning streak in NFL history. Super Bowl odds: +6500Next game: @ Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) QB Daniel Jones has turned into a turnover machine (seven so far this season) and the Colts are thin at WR with Alec Pierce out, which makes you wonder why Shane Steichen won’t lean more on RB Jonathan Taylor. When he does, the Colts’ offense looks good. And they are an overtime FG away from being 3-1 this season. So they’re a playoff contender, but how much longer can they thrive if Jones keeps making big mistakes? Stat To Know: The Colts have allowed 1,105 passing yards to opposing QBs, which is the third-most in the NFL to begin the season. Super Bowl odds: +2700Next game: vs. Buccaneers (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET) Dak Prescott (335 yards, 1 TD) and WR CeeDee Lamb (17-189-1) put on a heck of a show Sunday against a once-proud Houston defense. It was a reminder that that dynamic duo is really capable of carrying the Cowboys to great heights. However, the defense, even with new CB Joey Porter Jr. in the starting lineup, gave up nearly 400 yards to the offensively challenged Texans. What does it all mean? That the 2026 Cowboys might end up looking a lot like the 2025 Cowboys. Stat To Know: With the win over the Texans today, Dak Prescott earned his 85th regular-season win as a starting quarterback, tying Hall of Famer Roger Staubach (85) for the second-most regular-season QB wins in Cowboys franchise history, trailing only Troy Aikman (94). Super Bowl odds: +2400Next game: @ Cardinals (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) The Lions never had a great defensive outfit in the Dan Campbell era, but they were at least decent for a while. Now? Despite 15 sacks — second in the NFL — they’re giving up an NFL-worst 31.8 points per game. You know who they are? They are the Dallas Cowboys. They play like they have to win games 38-35. Even mediocre defensive play would make this team a Super Bowl contender. Stat To Know: The Lions defense is allowing 31.8 points per game through the first four games of the season. If that number holds, that would be the third-worst defense in NFL history trailing only the 2020 Lions and 2008 Lions. Super Bowl odds: +2500Next game: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) I was impressed with what they did in Buffalo on Sunday, especially with how QB Drake Maye rebounded from a putrid start to the season. He wasn’t perfect, and he’s still a bit of a turnover machine (nine on the season after two more on Sunday), but he played pretty well overall. It remains clear that the Pats need Maye to carry them if they’re going to contend again. On Sunday, for the first time this season, he showed that maybe he can. Stat To Know: The Patriots are tied for the most turnovers in the NFL this season with 10. Super Bowl odds: +7400Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Hello, Raiders fans! You happy yet? Probably not. But you’ve got to give me this much: This is an enormous, unprecedented jump in the rankings for a team coming off a loss. Despite a 30-27 defeat to the Chiefs, they showed (me) that their 3-0 start was real. They KC in the fourth quarter, their defense did a number on Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins was mostly fantastic. Really, if it weren’t for a fourth-quarter fumbled kickoff return, they probably win. Klint Kubiak gets my early vote for NFL Coach of the Year. Stat To Know: The Raiders lead the entire NFL with nine takeaways through Week 4. Super Bowl odds: +2400Next game: vs. Jaguars (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET) Those alarms you hear in South Philly today are for the Eagles, because they should be very worried by the way they are playing right now. Once again, Jalen Hurts and the offense look out of sync. And while the defense — the secondary in particular — did a great job against the Rams for most of their Week 4 showdown, they absolutely collapsed in the final seven minutes. And now they are banged up, with injuries to WR DeVonta Smith, RB Saquon Barkley, LB Zach Baun, OL Landon Dickerson and quite a few more. Stat To Know: The Eagles went 0-12 on third down against the Rams. It is the most third-down attempts without a conversion by any team since the 2020 season. Super Bowl odds: +8000Next game: BYE Bryce Young has just been outstanding this season, throwing nine touchdown passes and just two interceptions while averaging a league-best 317 passing yards per game. I’m not quite sure what to make of the Panthers’ defense, though. They were great against the Falcons and Browns, but gave up 1,004 yards combined to the Bears and the Lions. But in the worst division in football, they should start to pull away from the pack very soon. Stat To Know: Tetairoa McMillan is the only player in Panthers franchise history to ever record 14+ receptions, 190+ receiving yards, and 2+ touchdowns in a single game. Super Bowl odds: +1900Next game: @. Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) I still think their defense is a lot better than expected. They did a nice job against an explosive Jaguars team on Sunday. But what exactly happened to the offense? Where is the explosiveness? Even before WR Ja’Marr Chase’s concussion kept him out of the second half this past Sunday, they weren’t what they used to be. They are averaging just 24.3 points per game, and with QB Joe Burrow, Chase and RB Chase Brown, I was sure they were capable of almost a touchdown more than that. Stat To Know: The Bengals rushed for 23 yards against the Jaguars on Sunday. Cinci had not rushed for that few yards in a regular season game since 2012. Super Bowl odds: +2200Next game: @ Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) Congratulations, Vikings fans. You wore me down. Your team is in the top 10. But I am putting Minnesota here grudgingly and with a nod to defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who might be the only reason the club is ranked this high. I am completely unimpressed with how the Vikings squeaked by the Dolphins at home, just like I am unimpressed with the play of QB Kyler Murray and the rest of this sputtering offense. It’s averaging 15.7 points over the past three games and was held to five field goals against what might be the worst team in the NFL. Stat To Know: The Vikings have recorded at least four sacks in seven straight games, tied for the second-longest streak since team sacks became official in 1963. Super Bowl odds: +850Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET) They won and still dropped a spot because they barely held on against a pretty terrible Titans team. Also, they’re in a bit of danger with QB Lamar Jackson’s ankle injury looming over their entire season. He may not be the same even after he heals, given how his legs are such a big part of his game. Their Derrick Henry-led running game and defense are good, but not good enough to sustain things if Jackson isn’t available or isn’t at least close to his MVP-caliber self. Stat To Know: Jesse Minter's 3-1 start is the best record through four regular-season games by any head coach in Baltimore Ravens franchise history. Super Bowl odds: +2000Next game: @ Chargers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET) It’s almost unfair to judge them because they’re being held to a higher standard than everyone else. Their first four games have been against the Chiefs, the Jaguars, the Rams and the 49ers — four league powers with a combined record of 13-3. And with the exception of Week 1 in Kansas City, the Broncos have held their own. But their offense is still erratic and they still don’t get much of a running game out of J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey. At some point, to be the best you’ve got to beat the best. Maybe they just can’t. Stat To Know: The Broncos have a -20 point differential through the first four games of the season. Super Bowl odds: +650Next game: vs. Bills (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET) If you ignore the first 52 and a half minutes this past Sunday in Philly, the Rams looked great. Actually, even without Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald, their defense was terrific all game long. It just took more than two hours for Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay’s offense to get moving in the right direction. Once it did, L.A. reminded everyone why it’s still a serious Super Bowl contender. Stat To Know: According to Next Gen Stats, the Rams win probability was as low as 3.2% with just over eight minutes left in regulation in their 24-20 comeback win over the Eagles. Super Bowl odds: +1500Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET) You asked for this too, and so you got it. The Jaguars are in the top 10. Maybe they should have been all along. And maybe they are here to stay given what defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is doing. They have a little "bend but don’t break" to them, but it’s working. No one has scored more than 20 points against the Jags this season. They’ve got a league-best six picks, plus two fumble recoveries. Their plus-6 turnover ratio is also the best in the league. Stat To Know: With their win over the Bengals, the Jaguars are now 11-1 over their last 12 regular season games, the best record in the NFL in that span. Super Bowl odds: +750Next game: @ Rams (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET) What a tremendous disappointment Sunday was. They were at home, with a chance to turn the AFC East race into a rout against the Patriots. Instead, the loss just exposed their Achilles’ heel. With QB Josh Allen and RB James Cook, Joe Brady’s team can move the ball and score almost anytime, against anyone. But they’ll probably have to, because their defense isn’t proving to be very good. Stat To Know: Josh Allen is now the all-time leader in scrimmage touchdowns in Bills franchise history with 88, passing Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas who both had 87 in their careers. Super Bowl odds: +1800Next game: @ Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET) They outgained the Jets 492 yards to 157 (232-59 on the ground), but replacement QB Tyson Bagent had trouble getting the Bears in the end zone. Clearly, they’re not the same team without QB Caleb Williams, so this lofty place in the rankings presumes he’ll be back relatively soon. If not, they’re still going to be pretty good. But Williams is what will give them the extra dimension to really make a Super Bowl run. Stat To Know: The Bears have four games with 230+ rush yards since 2025, the most in the NFL in that span. No other team has more than two such games. Super Bowl odds: +950Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) Yes, I know, I resisted making the defending champs the No. 1 team heading into 2026, and I probably still have them too low to keep everyone in the Pacific Northwest happy. I’ve been slow to recognize their greatness in part because they’ve played basically no one (their four opponents have a combined record of 4-12). But Mike Macdonald’s club still has an amazing defense and the offense has scored at least 30 points in each of the past three weeks. Stat To Know: Sunday was the Seahawks' ninth straight home win (including playoffs), extending the NFL's longest active home win streak. Super Bowl odds: +900Next game: BYE Their dismantling of the Broncos in Week 1 was a signal to the world that they were back, and they haven’t really stopped rolling since. Patrick Mahomes is looking like his old MVP self, at least as a passer, and it’s impossible to overstate what the addition of RB Kenneth Walker III, the NFL’s leading rusher, has done to their offense. They could use a little more of a pass rush to balance things out, but I trust Steve Spagnuolo to find that during this bye week. Stat To Know: Through their first 151 career starts (regular season and playoffs combined), Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady now have identical 116-35 overall records. Super Bowl odds: +850Next game: @ Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET) They have now beaten the Rams and the Broncos — two teams some thought might meet in the Super Bowl — on their way to a dominant 4-0 start. They have proven they can beat teams with Brock Purdy’s arm, Christian McCaffrey’s legs and Raheem Morris’ defense. There shouldn’t even really be a debate at this point: They are the best team in the NFL. Stat To Know: The 49ers are off to a 4-0 start. They have reached the NFC Conference Championship Game in all four previous seasons with a 4-0 start.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[The Chiefs Are Back In Dynasty Mode; Why Is Everything So Hard For The Rams?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/chiefs-dynasty-mode-why-everything-so-hard-rams-49ers-brock-purdy</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/chiefs-dynasty-mode-why-everything-so-hard-rams-49ers-brock-purdy</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[The Chiefs are back in the title hunt, Brock Purdy passes his first MVP test and the Rams continue to make life way too hard for Sean McVay.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:10:45 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/artboard-12-5.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/artboard-12-5.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[Drake Maye upstaged Josh Allen. Tetairoa McMillan upstaged Amon-Ra St. Brown. And the Jacksonville Jaguars upstaged the Cincinnati Bengals. That’s just the beginning as we try to digest Week 4. It wasn’t the Sunday that we expected. But it was the best NFL Sunday yet in 2026, with 10 games finishing with a one-score differential. It was chaotic in the best way. Welcome to Sound Smart, where I take you beyond what’s obvious. Let’s go below the surface. Let’s spin it forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines. If I do my job, you’ll be fluent in the NFL's Week 4 action. Watching Kenneth Walker III explode for the Kansas City Chiefs feels a bit like watching LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006, when he rushed for 28 touchdowns (and caught three more). I know Walker’s touchdown total isn’t likely to flirt with what Tomlinson posted. But their levels of dominance feel comparable, with Walker running for 177 yards and two touchdowns — now up to six total on the season — in the team’s 30-27 win over the formerly undefeated Raiders. This must exceed what the Chiefs imagined for Walker, whom the team signed to a three-year, $43.05 million contract as a free agent after he won Super Bowl MVP with the Seahawks. This is the beginning of something new for Kansas City. Something super. Walker is one of a handful of newcomers who have opened up a new Super Bowl window for superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. If not for this impressive offseason, it would be another rebuilding year for K.C. But the Chiefs are realistically thinking about a title again. Their rebuilding year was last year. They've jumped right back into dynasty mode. Rookies Mansoor Delane and R Mason Thomas have looked like real contributors and, at times, stars for the Chiefs in these early games. Edge rusher Thomas managed eight pressures against the Raiders, a game-high and a season-high for the rookie. Cornerback Delane actually had an outlier game, allowing 83 yards and a touchdown. But on the season, he has allowed just 10 catches on 18 targets for 107 yards and this week’s TD. He has also been a willing and capable run defender, earning his snaps on just about every down. So, yeah, he’s doing just fine. But Delane was selected sixth overall. He was supposed to be solid. Thomas went in Round 2. He was supposed to make some big plays. What about tackle Kahlil Benson? Ever heard of him? He’s an undrafted rookie who has started multiple games on Mahomes’ blindside. And if you haven’t heard of him, it's because Benson has been awesome, allowing just two pressures in Week 4. You don’t hear about him because he’s doing such a good job. Between Walker and the rookie class — the Chiefs have studs to build around for the long haul. And that shouldn't take anything away from the veteran additions. Defensive tackle (and fullback) Khyiris Tonga, safety Alohi Gilman and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed — all of whom joined K.C. in free agency — have allowed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to do what he does best: dial up elaborate blitzes. Those can be tricky for newcomers — even though Sneed originally played for the Chiefs before spending two years with the Titans — but you don’t see the personnel holding Spags back in the slightest. Nor do you see the Chiefs holding back Mahomes. He seemed to carry the weight of the world or — at the very least — his offense in recent years. Now, he’s playing with a breezy, carefree attitude. The ball pops out of his hand. He's running with energy that makes you forget he just got back from an ACL injury. There’s magic in his game again. And you don’t hear any criticisms about Andy Reid’s play designs or calls. That’s gone, too. It’s not because the Chiefs ran it back. It’s because they welcomed change. The new guys have meshed perfectly. And so the Chiefs’ dynasty rolls on. If the Rams are playing, then you’re going to see a close-up shot of Sean McVay imploring his team to get in the game. It has happened basically every week. It has become a 2026 staple. And it certainly wasn’t one I expected. McVay pulled his offense aside in Australia against the 49ers and begged the players to get it together. Then again in Denver, in the second half, when the Rams let the win slip through their fingers. And then again in Philadelphia — right before the Rams finally won a tight game against a good team. It took two touchdowns in the final four minutes to edge the Eagles 24-20. McVay was asked what he said to the offense in Week 4 — when he pulled them aside. "I don’t remember exactly. It was more just what was on my heart. Just: ‘Guys, we’re capable. You’ve gotta believe. And you’ve gotta just string good plays together. Our defense is doing everything that they can to keep us in this game.’ And I believed in that group," McVay told reporters after the game. I guess this is the first time he’s gotten through to his squad. The question is why this "Super Team" has gotten itself into so much trouble this year. Why has its coach had to implore the Rams players to believe in themselves? Now, the obvious answer is that they’re overhyped, overly confident and overly complacent. I’ll buy that. The other obvious explanation is injuries. Edge Myles Garrett (knee) has missed three games. Aaron Donald (back) missed this week. Receiver Puka Nacua (hip/groin) missed time before returning this week. Outside of quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Davante Adams, those are the superstars who were supposed to make this team super. McVay chose optimism for what was a deeply improbable win. "[The comeback] says that they’re mentally tough. I think that’ll really serve us well," he said. "I’m really proud to just be a part of this group — and what they represent." He added: "I’m proud that we came to life when we had to — and it’s because our defense gave us a chance to." In theory, the Rams will get healthier — or, at the very least, they’ll see their stars progressively get healthier. And maybe McVay’s optimism is founded. Maybe he sees something developing that I’m missing. But I see Stafford struggling as much as he has since maybe 2022. I see the Rams lack consistency from quarter to quarter. They should be more dominant than this. They shouldn’t need their coach to pull them aside every game. They should play four quarters of good football. They should be a Super Team. Brock Purdy opened the season as the league’s most dominant quarterback, both in counting stats and in advanced stats — from touchdowns to interceptions to expected points added to completion percentage over expected. All that, however, came with an asterisk. *But the 49ers hadn't played anyone good. Well, for all the haters, this performance checks off the unchecked box: Handle a good defense. The Niners beat the Denver Broncos 24-14 on Sunday. There was a minute there when it didn’t look pretty for Purdy. He started 10-of-20, with the cold streak extending into the beginning of the third quarter. But he followed it with a concluding run of 9-of-10. By game’s end, he was 19-of-30 for 218 yards and two touchdowns — stats boosted in large part due to a huge screen play from George Kittle, who took it to the house for a 56-yard touchdown. Maybe it wasn’t a huge game. But it was an extremely clean game from Purdy — spotless, in fact. He had zero turnovers and took zero sacks. In fact, he hasn't been sacked yet this season. He was much better against the Broncos' blitzes (10-of-12, 124 yards, 2 TDs) than when they sent four or fewer (9-of-18, 94 yards). The game didn’t call for him to be the hero. He read the situation. He managed the situation. And the 49ers stayed undefeated, taking down a Broncos team that has quality wins against the Rams and Jaguars. These sorts of gritty wins are a crucial part of the MVP hunt. Be a part of the win. Don’t get in the way of the team. Don’t turn a win into a loss. And, from my vantage point, it was exactly the type of game that Purdy needed to stay on pace with the big dogs in the MVP race. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson should all be in the mix this year. Eventually, Purdy will need a marquee performance. But if it’s meant to be, that’ll come. Because he’s in the NFC West. He’ll see the Rams again, and he’ll see the Seahawks twice. There will be no shortage of adversity. This was his first big test. He passed — not with flying colors — but he did enough. And he knows as well as anyone that this is just his first test. He’ll get plenty more. It was a dizzying finish, with points upon points. Yards upon yards. In the Cowboys’ 34-30 win over the Texans, every play was competitive — all the way to C.J. Stroud’s final incompletion in the end zone on the game’s final play. But the Cowboys don’t have to make it this hard. CeeDee Lamb shouldn’t have had to log 17 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown with 40 seconds left. Running back Javonte Williams shouldn’t have had to score three touchdowns. And that’s because this defense isn’t good enough to sustain the Cowboys. Which is exasperating, because … how long have we been saying that? Of course, the Dallas defense did improve from last week — in a sense. It didn’t blow the game. Last week, in a string of game-management mistakes, the Cowboys let Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and receiver Zay Flowers complete an improbable play that put Baltimore in field-goal position. The Ravens took the lead as time expired. It was a 34-31 Baltimore win, but it felt more like the Cowboys lost it. So, yeah, the Cowboys didn’t let their late lead slip away again. But I’m not really sure that counts for much. Not in my book, at least. The Texans are 0-4, and while they’re a little better than their record shows, they’re not much better. Stroud is playing his way out of a contract extension. DeMeco Ryans is testing his job security. Things are spiraling in Houston. The Cowboys just need to learn how to put teams away. They’ll remain an unserious team until their defense … starts playing defense. What do you see when you watch that throw? I see a quarterback who’s confident beyond what’s reasonable. For Drake Maye, that’s a good thing. This isn’t your average 23-yard touchdown. Obviously, it’s an incredible throw — and an incredible catch. It was the go-ahead touchdown in the Patriots’ 29-26 win over the Bills in Buffalo. But also, that’s receiver Efton Chism III, who entered training camp as — maybe — the Patriots’ WR7. He had five career catches going into this game. The throw flipped the game, changing the Patriots’ probability of winning from 27.4% to 60.2%, per Next Gen Stats. The pass had a 29.7% chance of completion. Perhaps most importantly, the throw came from Maye, who I pegged as having confidence problems. I wasn’t the only one. Coach Mike Vrabel implied the same thing. "I can’t manufacture confidence. I can’t just say, ‘Hey, be confident,’" Vrabel told reporters last week. "You have to practice. You have to hit those plays in practice, and you have to feel good about it." Over the first three weeks, Maye had one touchdown and six interceptions. He was taking too many unnecessary risks. His deep ball lacked the confidence that we saw in 2025. And every pass looked overly difficult — and overthought — particularly the final interception in New England’s blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Maye had confidence issues. And sometimes, that’s more complicated than fixing footwork and/or a throwing motion. Sometimes, that’s easier. Much easier. Because, heck, maybe the Patriots and Maye just fixed those issues with a win on the road. They’re 2-2 and the sky is no longer falling in New England.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[NFL Best And Worst: From CeeDee Lamb’s Sizzle To The Eagles' Offensive Fizzle]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/ceedee-lamb-cowboys-sizzle-eagles-outlook-bleak-travis-hunter</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/ceedee-lamb-cowboys-sizzle-eagles-outlook-bleak-travis-hunter</guid>
				<category>nfl</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Our Best and Worst from Week 4 also includes a play that went viral but didn't count and a trick play that never should have happened.]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 23:22:11 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/16x9-6.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/16x9-6.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb showed us his best. Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter showed us what he's capable of, even if what he did didn't actually count. Sean McVay showed us why he’s a phenomenal coach — in a different way than we’re used to. The Eagles’ offense showed us … well, not much of anything. Those are some of the things that jumped out to me in Week 4. For my Best and Worst superlatives this week, I touch on those teams and topics as I focus on individual plays, coaching performances and offenses across the league. Let’s break it down: In full transparency, this play by Travis Hunter was negated by a roughing-the-passer penalty, but it was too jaw-dropping to pass up. After picking off a Joe Burrow throw intended for Tee Higgins late in the first quarter, Hunter hit Higgins with a nasty juke move that left the Bengals receiver tackling the air and falling to the ground near the sideline. Hunter then looked back at Higgins before taking off for 30 yards. For the 3-1 Jaguars, Hunter’s production to this point hasn’t justified how much it cost to grab him in 2025. Jacksonville sent a package to the Cleveland Browns that included two first-round picks and a second-rounder for the right to select Hunter No. 2 overall. The former Colorado two-way star missed 10 games as a rookie, and this year he’s been a non-factor offensively — in four games, he has one catch on one target for eight yards. But he is starting to flash defensively. He has an interception and four pass breakups entering Week 5, and he recorded a career-high 58 coverage snaps against the Bengals. He was targeted seven times, registered two passes defensed and allowed four catches for 30 yards, according to Next Gen Stats. Just 11 games into Hunter’s career, we can’t render a verdict on the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner. But he’s started to show why many league observers wanted him to focus on defense/cornerback coming out of college. And maybe that’s the position where he converts flash into star production. "I don’t give two F’s about value, and neither does he," Jaguars coach Liam Coen said last week of the Hunter discourse. "We care about winning, and that’s it." With the Chargers trailing 27-6 at the 5:05 mark of the third quarter, with a fresh set of downs at the Seahawks’ 9-yard line, offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel called a pass play targeting … Justin Herbert. The Chargers quarterback flipped a pass in the backfield to wide receiver Tre’ Harris, who launched a throw from the opposite hash to Herbert, who ran a fade route. The pass was broken up by Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori near the pylon. It was a baffling play call on a number of levels. It had been the deepest the Chargers had been in Seahawks’ territory at that point in the game. You're trailing by three scores in the second half, trying to get back into the game. Your season has been a disaster to this point. Why are you getting cute? And why are you making your franchise quarterback vulnerable like that against an elite defense? I get the desire to give your offense a spark. You want to catch the other team off guard, too. But doing that kind of play at that point in the game, in that situation, and exposing your quarterback in that way considering how the season has gone, was incredibly foolish and irresponsible. Herbert was fine after taking a tumble on the play, there were no yards lost (or a turnover) and the Chargers actually scored a touchdown on the next play. They made it a game down the stretch before eventually falling 30-23. But in many ways, that trick play encapsulated what the Chargers have been so far this season: a disappointing team that has no idea what its doing under McDaniel, who was expected to take L.A.’s offense to new heights. One of the greatest offensive minds in NFL history, Sean McVay reminded the league that he’s also a phenomenal leader in the Rams’ 24-20 comeback victory over the Eagles. With Los Angeles down 20-10 late in the third quarter after a fourth straight scoreless drive, McVay did something unusual: He huddled up the entire offense on the sideline and delivered a passionate message. McVay had the full attention of the surrounding circle, including stars Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Whatever McVay said worked. In the fourth quarter, the Rams forced a turnover on downs at their own 2-yard line and finished the game on a 14-0 run to get the massive win. It was L.A.’s most improbable comeback victory in the McVay era, according to Next Gen Stats. The team's win probably was as low as 3.2% with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter. I’d argue that this win saved the Rams’ season. They’re in the NFL’s best division and a loss to the Eagles would’ve dropped them to 1-3, with matchups against the Bills (Super Bowl contender), Cardinals (division rival) and the 3-1 Raiders looming in the coming weeks. With a win, the Rams have momentum entering the stretch at .500. With their loss to the Packers, the Bucs are 0-4 for the first time since 2013. Tampa will be without Baker Mayfield for multiple weeks due to a dislocated right throwing thumb — undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is the team’s quarterback for the foreseeable future. But head coach Bowles’ shortcomings have played a significant role in the Bucs’ predicament as well. All four of Tampa’s losses have been by one score, which shows a failure on the margins. Dating back to last season, the Bucs have just one win over their past nine games. Against Green Bay, they gave up runs of 27 and 31 yards to a team that had been averaging just 48.7 rushing yards per game entering Week 4. Tampa also didn’t sack quarterback Jordan Love, who’s been the second-most pressured quarterback in the league through Sunday’s games, according to next Gen Stats. The inability to exploit a Packers offensive line that had been a disaster through three weeks is a big indictment of Bowles, a defensive-minded coach. The last time the Bucs started 0-4, they fired their head coach at the end of the season (Greg Schiano, 2013). But it’s not that simple with Bowles, who signed a multi-year extension in June 2025. Tampa may have missed the playoffs last season, but it finished in second place in the NFC South and won the division each of the three years prior (albeit never winning more than 10 games). Bowles hasn’t been great, but he also hasn’t been bad enough to fire. And in a division that seems to be very winnable every year, he may be protected. The Cowboys were dominant offensively, pouring 34 points on the reeling Texans. They did it through the air and on the ground, highlighted by CeeDee Lamb, who had the best performance by a wide receiver so far this season and arguably the best game of his career. The Pro Bowler caught a career-high 17 passes on 21 targets (also a career-high) for 189 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 40 seconds left. He became the fourth player in league history to have at least 17 receptions, 180 receiving yards and a touchdown in a game, according to Next Gen Stats. That highlighted a game in which Dallas had a season-high 324 passing yards. Running back Javonte Williams also had a career-high three rushing touchdowns, all of which came in the second half. This is a performance from the Cowboys that shouldn’t surprise anyone. They’re capable of this offensively every week, considering the talent across the board. The question is if they can get strong, consistent play from their defense to be a truly complete team. And the hope is that the acquisition of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from Pittsburgh last week brings them closer to that goal. He logged 24 defensive snaps in his Dallas debut. The Eagles in 2025 had a nightmare season on offense, and it’s somehow becoming even worse this year. Philadelphia went scoreless in the second half of its loss to the Rams, who finished the game on a 14-0 run. And it could’ve been a lot worse for the Eagles if they hadn’t taken advantage of short fields on two separate occasions to create touchdowns. Philly went 0-for-12 on third down, the most third-down attempts in a game without a conversion by any team since the 2020 season, according to NFL on FOX research. The Eagles also had just 172 net yards, their fewest in a game in 12 years (Week 14 of 2014; 139 yards). Quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled mightily, completing just 12 of 27 throws for an abysmal 93 yards and two touchdowns with a 78.2 passer rating. His 44.4% completion rate marked a career-low for games in which he played 100% of the offensive snaps. The Eagles’ offensive prospects are bleak moving forward because it’s not just one problem. It’s scheme, personnel and health. The offensive line, which has been an anchor for the team for years, is a liability right now. Philly played last week played without their top receiver (DeVonta Smith), right tackle (Lane Johnson) and tight end (Dallas Goedert), then lost star running back Saquon Barkley early in the game with a hamstring injury. None of that helps Hurts, who’s pacing for career-lows in completion rate, passing success rate and yards per attempt as a full-time starter.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
					<item>
				<title>
					<![CDATA[NASCAR Contender Rankings: Will Anyone In The Chase Catch Kyle Larson?]]>
				</title>
				<link>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-contender-rankings-will-anyone-chase-catch-kyle-larson</link>
				<guid>https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/nascar-contender-rankings-will-anyone-chase-catch-kyle-larson</guid>
				<category>nascar</category>
				<description>
				    <![CDATA[Kyle Larson widened his lead in The Chase with a second-place finish at Las Vegas. Is anyone going to be able to catch him in the title hunt?]]>
				</description>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:38:46 -0400</pubDate>
								<media:content url="https://statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/power-rankings-16x9-nascar-25.jpg" expression="full" type="image/jpg" width="1167" height="656">
										<media:thumbnail url="https://a57.foxsports.com/statics.foxsports.com/www.foxsports.com/content/uploads/2026/10/128/72/power-rankings-16x9-nascar-25.jpg" width="128" height="72"/>
														</media:content>
												<content:encoded>
				    <![CDATA[Kyle Larson potentially could have put a huge gap between himself and the rest of the Chase field with a win, but Chase Briscoe was able to hold him off Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The defending Cup champion certainly remains, though, the definitive Chase favorite halfway through the 10-race postseason. Here are my championship contender rankings going into the Charlotte oval race this weekend. On the verge (in alphabetical order): On The Verge (Alphabetical Order): Chris Buescher (RFK Racing No. 17 Ford, -196 points behind leader): Buescher still seeks his first top 10 of The Chase after a 13th at Las Vegas. William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet, -160): Byron’s sixth at Vegas was his fourth consecutive top 10 but it’s too little, too late for him. Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet, -163): Elliott was seventh at Vegas and still seeks his first top five of The Chase. Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet, -158): Hocevar was 12th with two stage points at Vegas, which was not enough to start a comeback. Ryan Preece (RFK Racing No. 60 Ford, -200): Preece was 28th at Vegas and will look to just get some momentum for 2027. Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet, -195): Suárez finished 14th for the third consecutive week and still seeks his first Chase top 10. Charlotte could be the place; he won the 600 in May. Contender Rankings Cindric gained 12 points on Larson, thanks to a strong opening stage and a fourth-place finish at Vegas as he has posted back-to-back top 10s on the 1.5-mile tracks. He’s ninth in the standings and that should make him smile. But Cindric’s best finish on the Charlotte oval is 20th. An early speeding penalty ruined the day for Gibbs as he finished 17th at Vegas and lost 16 points to Larson. He has no top fives in his four Next Gen starts on the Charlotte oval. Wallace finished in the top 10 in each stage and placed eighth at Vegas to gain three points on Larson. But he was challenging for the lead late in the race and the fact he was dicing it up front shows progress. He has four top 10s in the five Chase races. Wallace has just one top five in his career on the Charlotte oval. Reddick rebounded from an early battery issue — and three consecutive finishes outside the top 10 — to finish third at Vegas. He also gained five points on Larson. He has finished in the top five in three of the last four Next Gen races at Charlotte. Reddick was on the pole and placed fourth in the 600 in May. Logano lost four points to Larson with his 10th-place finish at Vegas. That 20th-place finish last week at Kansas hurts. Logano’s best Next Gen finish at Charlotte was his eighth in the 600 in May. Blaney gained 11 points on Larson, thanks to finishing in the top five in both stages and fifth in the race. He has three top fives in The Chase, but two finishes outside the top 30 are going to keep him from winning the title. He won the 600 in 2023, but that is his only top five in the Next Gen car on the Charlotte oval. Bell fought a power steering issue for much of the Vegas race, and he lost five points to Larson, thanks to his 23rd-place finish. It pretty much is his second mulligan of The Chase, and he is going to need a great five races to overcome it. Bell has three top-five finishes in the five Next Gen races at Charlotte — including the win in the 600 in 2024 and a second in May. Briscoe, with the Vegas win and sweeping the stages, gained 43 points on Larson. But can he do that again in the final five races to have a reasonable shot at the title? It’s possible but overcoming the 32nd and 27th earlier in The Chase is going to be a challenge. Briscoe has two top fives in the five Next Gen races at Charlotte. He crashed in May to finish 34th. Hamlin lost 14 points to Larson. He had a frustrating Vegas race where he spun and lost several spots. He also had his fuel pressure cut off under caution, costing him more as he tried to rally. However, he’s still just a couple of wins away from wiping out Larson’s lead. Hamlin has three top fives — including a win in 2022 — in the five Next Gen races at Charlotte. He was third in May. Larson finished second at Vegas, and his average finish of 2.0 in The Chase is mega. Yet he still doesn’t have a comfortable lead in the standings with five races remaining. Larson has only one top five in Next Gen races on the Charlotte oval which was his fifth in the race in May.]]>
			    </content:encoded>
							</item>
			</channel>
</rss>
