Aaron Donald Expects To Play In Rams' In Home Opener vs. Giants On Monday

The smile on Aaron Donald's face said it all, well before he verbalized his expectation that he will play for the Los Angeles Rams in their home opener against the New York Giants on Monday night. "That is the plan," Donald said Friday. "I think that's all of our plan. We can have a conversation, we'll figure it out, but I'm feeling really good." A three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Pro defensive lineman, Donald had been out of football for two seasons before rejoining the Rams (0-1) last month. However, he was around the organization enough that it never really felt to him like a prolonged absence. The only uncertainty was how long it would take him to feel physically ready to step back on the field in an NFL game. After skipping the trip to Melbourne, Australia for the season opener, instead remaining in Southern California to continue his preparations, another week of practice seems to have given Donald the answer he wanted. "Feel a lot better now that I got more practices under my belt instead of one, so kind of getting in a groove of things, understanding everything a lot better," Donald said. "I've been playing a lot more free, a lot more loose, and looking more like myself to me." Defensive tackle Kobie Turner called Donald's likely return an extra jolt of enthusiasm for a team looking to shake off a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. "I mean, AD is AD," Turner said. "So, excited for him to have the opportunity to go and put it on display on Monday, and excited to be out there with him." Donald's presence would give the defense a great pass rusher to help offset the loss of Myles Garrett for at least four games because of knee surgery. It was the seismic trade for Garrett in June that got Donald thinking about rejoining the Rams, but the 35-year-old will have to wait a little longer to play alongside Garrett. "He won't be gone forever, so let him rest up, get healthy, and he'll be back soon," Donald said. "So, hold it down while he's gone, and then when he's back, we'll get rolling." Donald doesn't feel any pressure to make up for Garrett's absence because of teammates such as Turner, Braden Fiske and outside linebacker Byron Young. But not having Garrett could open up Donald to the frequent double or triple teams from opposing blocking schemes he faced while amassing 111 sacks in 154 career games. The Giants (1-0) came into this week believing Donald would be available. "Expect him to play like Aaron Donald, which is a game-wrecking type player inside," New York coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. "Penetrating, active movement player who can wreck the game, really any particular play in a lot of different ways, run and pass." Donald is also likely to be on a significantly reduced snap count compared to 2023 when he was used 81% of the time. He expects that to work in his favor, particularly since it should have him being prioritized in obvious situations to go after the quarterback. "I'm gonna go out there, play hard," Donald said. "When I need a break, tap out, let the next guy go out there and eat, and I'll be right back. ... So, whatever that role is, I'm ready for it." The Rams will welcome whatever Donald can give them as they are already facing mounting adversity. Star wide receiver Puka Nacua did not practice because of a hip injury, and his backup, Jordan Whittington, was not available due to a quadriceps injury. Nacua missed practice time leading up to the regular season because of soreness in the psoas muscle that runs from the back through the pelvis to the legs. He sustained the injury during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 11. Reporting by The Associated Press.

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2026 NFL, College Football Odds: Best Bets For LSU-Ole Miss, Eagles-Titans

After the Bears and Panthers combined to score 96 points last Sunday, you can imagine how popular these Bears "Overs" will be. Go figure — I saw a Friday morning post from BetMGM’s John Ewing saying 87% of bettors have "Over" in Bears-Vikings. Eight-y-seven-per-cent. With that, naturally, every bone in my body wants to go "Under." We know you’re here for informed wagers and I assure you I vet everything through multiple handicappers, oddsmakers and betting buddies who know what they’re doing. Those that do well in this racket know the how, what and why, and that’s always my goal. Also, this will never be the place for a million picks or five-team parlays. These will always be the wagers I love the most and ones that I’m betting with my own money. Let’s go to work. (2026 Record: 3-5-1, -2.5 units) We talked about the Ohio situation earlier this week. I’m being told QB1 Nick Poulos, currently listed as questionable, is not going to play. There’s also the matter of QB Matt Vezza being banged up, too. This line got smashed from South Alabama -4.5 to -7 on Tuesday and, naturally, some of the +7 was knocked back. I envision Poulos being ruled out tomorrow and that line getting back to -7 or higher. Find a 6.5 and hit it. This Red Raiders team feels panicky. It obviously isn't as strong on defense as it was last season, and now, head coach Joey McGuire is tinkering with more and more Thomas Castellanos at quarterback. That doesn’t exactly give me a ton of confidence in starter Will Hammond. Former bookmaker Ed Salmons told me he bet Houston +8.5 on the open and there’s plenty of sharp support throughout the week on the Cougars. I liked Ole Miss as a home dog before the whole charade with LSU’s injury report. In case you missed it, the Tigers surprisingly listed starting quarterback Sam Leavitt as "doubtful" on Wednesday night. Ole Miss was instantly bet from +3 to as low as +1, then it got shoved right back to 3. Now Leavitt is "questionable," yet most people expect him to play. I still love this Ole Miss offense catching points and think the Rebels defense is good enough to slow LSU down. I also wouldn’t rule out Lane Kiffin going for two to win the game late. I know, I know — the Titans stink. But the Philadelphia offense left a lot to be desired last Sunday afternoon. The Eagles only had 10 first downs against Washington. Ten. This game has all the ingredients to make an absolute rock fight and I think Robert Salah can scheme up a solid plan to negate what Jalen Hurts does well. You’ll hate my guts if Philly goes up 14-0 in the first quarter, but I’m plugging my nose and taking the seven here. If I heard the conversation at the water cooler correctly this past week, the Chiefs are good enough to make a playoff run and the Colts are missing the playoffs. Overreact much? Sure, Patrick Mahomes looked solid in his first game back from his torn ACL and LCL, but 168 of his 184 passing yards came after the catch. That’s an absurd stat. The Colts got blasted by Baltimore, but if they can get Jonathan Taylor going early, they should hang around on Sunday night.

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Commanders vs. Cowboys: 5 Things To Know About This Historic NFC East Rivalry

Cowboys. Commanders. For the better part of NFL history, they've been fierce rivals, no matter where they play or what they're called. From the Cowboys' induction into the sport in 1960 to the heyday of both franchises in the 1970s, '80s and '90s to the present day, these two teams have clashed on and off the field, generating hate between each other and their fan bases. The latest episode of this rivalry comes on Sunday afternoon, as the Cowboys host the Commanders at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX. Here are five things to know about the historic NFC East rivalry: This rivalry didn't begin on grass or turf. It began in a courtroom. In 1958, every franchise in the then-12-team NFL voted in favor of expansion except for one: Washington. Then-owner George Preston Marshall vehemently argued against expansion. At the time, Washington was the southernmost team in the sport and viewed the southeastern portion of the country as a greater target audience. What could pose a threat to this? An NFL team in Texas. After a potential sale of the Washington franchise to Clint Murchison Jr. fell through, the Texas oilman continued to try and buy an NFL team, and he chose subterfuge. With Marshall being his biggest obstacle to getting a franchise in Texas (NFL owners had to unanimously approve expansion), Murchison bought the rights to Washington's rallying cry song from band director Barnee Breeskin, who had a rocky relationship with Marshall at the time. After getting the rights, Murchison pledged to give them to Marshall only if he voted for expansion and therefore, a team in Dallas. Marshall obliged, and the Cowboys were born in 1960. Fascinating, isn't it? Curious why somebody may hate the Cowboys? George Allen, Washington's head coach from 1971-77, had many reasons. It took a minute, but once Dallas head coach Tom Landry got his then-transcendent 4-3 defense — which ended up producing Hall of Famers like Bob Lilly, Randy White and Chuck Howley — and a dazzling offensive core in place, the Cowboys were a force to be reckoned with. And they hammered Washington in the process. After a relatively even start to the all-time series in the early-to-mid-1960s, Dallas swept the season series with Washington from 1968-70 and won eight of 10 games against its rival going through the 1972 regular season. To make matters worse for Washington, Dallas defeated the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI, winning a title in the Super Bowl era before the team whose owner tried to deny the Cowboys entry into the league. Now, there was a blip on the radar for Dallas, which was a precious moment for Washington. In the season following the Cowboys' Super Bowl VI triumph (1972), Washington blasted Dallas in the NFC Championship Game 26-3 to advance to Super Bowl VII. Granted, Miami went on to beat Washington to complete the only perfect season in NFL history (17-0). As for the NFC Championship Game, Washington out-gained Dallas in total yards 316-169, with Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach completing just nine passes. Meanwhile, Washington quarterback Billy Kilmer and Hall of Famer Charley Taylor hooked up for two touchdown passes, with the former completing 14 of 18 passes and posting a 148.6 passer rating. The two teams split the season series against each other from 1973-76. During Allen's tenure from 1971-77, Washington went 7-8 against Dallas. And the head coach seethed. Time and time again, Allen was seen pushing his players to be the aggressor against the Cowboys, as evidenced by the brutal hits they'd lay on each other. Moreover, another reason this game was a "blip on the radar" is that the Cowboys won the Super Bowl again in the 1977 season, with Staubach and star playmakers Tony Dorsett and Drew Pearson, among others, etching their names in NFL history. Washington didn't make the postseason that year. In 1981, Washington hired San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs as its new head coach, and the franchise commenced its golden era — and ended its bitter rival's in the process. After an 8-8 debut year with Gibbs, Washington won its first Super Bowl in 1982, going 8-1 in a season that was truncated due to an NFL lockout. While beating the Dolphins in the Super Bowl — exacting revenge for their 1973 season defeat — and John Riggins' MVP performance are surely on the shortlist of treasured moments in franchise history, Washington handling Dallas in the NFC Championship Game may have been just as sweet for the fan base. After losing six consecutive games to Dallas, Washington beat the Cowboys at RFK Stadium to advance to the Super Bowl, intercepting quarterback Gary Hogeboom twice with Riggins rushing for 140 yards and two touchdowns. The following year, Washington won an NFL-best 14 regular-season games but was blown out by the Los Angeles Raiders in the Super Bowl 38-9. Four years later (1987), though, in another strike-impacted season, Washington won the Super Bowl. And in a Monday Night Football game that year on the road, Washington beat the Cowboys with the majority of its roster being replacement players. Dallas, meanwhile, had roughly half of its regulars on the roster. And in 1991, Washington was on top of the football world again, with its third Super Bowl title, marking the most for a team in the NFC East at the time. Washington won its three Super Bowls with as many quarterbacks (Joe Theismann in 1982, Doug Williams in 1987 and Mark Rypien in 1991) and had a balanced defense featuring star cornerback Darrell Green, who played for Washington from 1983-2002 and is the franchise leader with 54 interceptions. Meanwhile, in Dallas, Landry was fired after the 1988 season by new team owner Jerry Jones in the wake of missing the playoffs in four of the previous five seasons. The Cowboys hired Miami Hurricanes head coach and national champion Jimmy Johnson as their new coach and went 1-15 in their first season under him (1989). Still, the two teams went 12-12 against each other with Gibbs in his initial stint as Washington's head coach from 1981-92 (he returned for a second stint from 2004-07). But, more often than not, it was Washington playing deep into January and Dallas watching. Being a Cowboys fan in the 1980s and the opening seconds of the 1990s was rough. Why's that? Well, arguably the Cowboys' two biggest rivals, Washington (1982, 1987 and 1991) and the New York Giants (1986 and 1990), won half of the Super Bowls in the sport from 1982-91. But then the Cowboys came of age. In Johnson's fourth season as head coach (1992), the likes of NFL all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith, star wide receiver Michael Irvin, tight end Jay Novacek and quarterback Troy Aikman sparked one of the NFL's preeminent offenses, leading Dallas to its first Super Bowl win in 15 years with a 52-17 shellacking of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. And the Cowboys ran it back by beating the Bills in the Super Bowl again the following year, 30-13. Then, Dallas had to weather the storm of Johnson and the Cowboys parting ways after the 1993 season, with former Oklahoma Sooners head coach and national champion Barry Switzer taking the reins. After losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1994 NFC Championship Game, Dallas got back on the pedestal in 1995, winning its third Super Bowl in four years and tying San Francisco for the most Super Bowls in league history at the time with five. Throughout the Cowboys' run, Washington always met the moment, as the two teams were .500 against each other from 1992-97. At the same time, Washington failed to make the playoffs from 1993-98. The team actually hired former Dallas offensive coordinator Norv Turner as its head coach for the 1994 season, but the Turner era only produced one playoff appearance and just two winnings seasons from 1994 to 2000. The history of the NFL can't be told without this rivalry. The way the Cowboys finessed their way to get Washington to let them into the league, the furious matchups, the two teams ending a golden run for the other and the animosity through it all. This rivalry has it all. Would you rather dominate the all-time series in the win column against a team you despise or struggle in the regular season against a team you despise but beat them in the postseason? That's the dichotomy regarding the question of who has been the "winner" of this rivalry. As alluded to earlier, Washington has gotten the best of Dallas in January, winning the two times the teams have squared off in the playoffs, with both years resulting in an appearance in the Super Bowl for Washington. Plus, Washington beat Dallas in a win-or-go-home Week 17 game in 2012 that decided who won the NFC East and whose season was over, with Alfred Morris rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns and Washington intercepting Cowboys QB Tony Romo three times. At the same time, the Cowboys are 81-49-2 in the all-time series. Dallas won 10 consecutive games against Washington from 1997-2002 and 14 of 15 stretching to 2005, while also winning 11 of 14 games against Washington from 2013-19 and having won eight of the past 10 matchups. And just for good measure, Dallas is 8-2 against Washington in Thanksgiving Day games. That's damning! These teams are each in their own respective title droughts. In 2024, Washington won a playoff game for the first time in 19 years and reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 33 years, but it has been 25 years since the Lombardi Trophy was hoisted in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Dallas hasn't reached the NFC Championship Game since winning its last championship (1995). The Commanders and Cowboys are more alike than different — but they couldn't hate each other more.

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Can The Bears Actually Break The NFL Scoring Record? This Weekend Will Be Very Telling

Ben Johnson may look like a generic coach model Madden uses when it can’t secure the real guy’s likeness rights, but the Bears head coach has become one of the most interesting characters in just over a year. There's a lot to like about the 40-year-old. He calls a high-octane offense, delivers viral locker-room speeches weekly, and already has multiple catchphrases going. On top of all that, Johnson says things in press conferences you don’t often hear from other coaches. Like when he told reporters that he’d like to set the league’s scoring record this season. "I want more than [the Super Bowl]," he said in August. "I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored, and I want to surpass them." As Johnson later said, every offense aims to be the best and score a bunch of points, but other coaches don’t name-check the team record holders or have the record point totals committed to memory. The single-season record is 37.6 points per game, by the way. And Chicago is way ahead of that pace after dropping 59 points in a season-opening win over the Panthers. Now that we’ve seen this offense in action, Johnson’s goal doesn’t seem so far-fetched. If the Bears can keep it up against a Vikings defense coached by Brian Flores, we can put that 2013 Denver team on official notice. To break the scoring record, Chicago will have to be adaptable, and no defense forces an offense to adapt quite like Minnesota’s. Flores is known for running an aggressive, blitzing defense that shape-shifts every week to attack a specific opponent. You know pressure is coming, but you don’t know when or where. "That scheme is one of a kind," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said this week at his weekly press conference. "It’s a game-plan defense. [Flores] is gonna game plan all the way up to the tee – from first snap to last snap … coach called it ‘mental warfare’ when you go up against him." We’re still days away from the game, and you can already see the effect that mental warfare is having on Johnson. When asked how to avoid overthinking things against Flores, the Bears coach laughed and said, "I’m already down that path." Johnson seems to be a serial overthinker, which is partly why he’s such a good coach – and maybe the perfect coach if your goal is to score the most points in history. While he’s great at drawing up cool plays, it’s his understanding of situational football that makes him an exceptional play-caller. Johnson understands more than most that it’s not just about what plays you’re calling; it’s about when you’re calling them. Johnson reminds me of a great baseball hitter who works into favorable counts and then goes into attack mode. Second-and-short situations are his version of a 3-1 count in baseball. He knows he’s got a few more pitches to work with (third and fourth down), so he uses this one to swing for the fences. Last season, the Bears had the league’s highest pass rate in second-and-short situations and produced the most explosive plays, per Next Gen Stats. Chicago’s explosive play rate jumped to a ridiculous 25% on second-and-short, so you can see why Johnson seems obsessed with getting in that down and distance. He has a reputation for aggressive play-calling, but he knows how to pick his spots. The Bears have a lot of ways to get to those spots, as Flores noted this week. "I mean any type of offense that’s out there – whether it’s ground and pound, run-and-shoot, RPO, or 4-by-1 – he’s got it. So, what are we getting week-to-week? It’s hard to know, so a lot of the game is [about] adjustments." Johnson’s adaptability is another key to Chicago’s offensive success. It’s why concerns about Williams’ schematic fit were always laughable. Some assumed Johnson wanted – or needed – his quarterback to operate like Jared Goff, who Johnson worked with in Detroit, for it to work. There was a thought that if Williams intended to play backyard football, Johnson would look for a new quarterback. Some even wondered if backup Tyson Bagent was a better option to start after Williams got off to a slow start in 2025. That all seems silly now, and not just because of how well Williams is playing. Johnson seems to be encouraging his quarterback to lean into that backyard style more often. Williams abandoned the pocket even more quickly in his sophomore season. Then, in the 2026 opener against the Panthers, he scrambled on nearly a fifth of his dropbacks and scored twice. Johnson realizes those scrambles are another source of big plays and is trying to weaponize them for the Bears offense. Johnson told the Chicago Sun-Times that he did an offseason study of the 120 dropbacks in 2025 when Williams vacated the pocket. He found that only 40% produced positive results and shared that information with his quarterback. But that 40% included a lot of big plays, so Johnson’s message wasn’t, Hey, you need to stop doing this. It was, We need to do this even better. As a coach, you’re dedicated to teaching the playbook, [but] we don’t want to fully shut that [ability] off," Johnson said in August. "We see opportunity there. It’s not that we want to take those 120 plays down; I want to see that 40% go up." Johnson said the Bears would spend time coaching their receivers on how to approach scramble-drill situations, and it showed up on tape in Week 1. Here’s a snapshot from one of the scramble touchdowns. Look at those receivers blocking downfield! Rome Odunze is smothering his guy. Luther Burden III is screening his. Kalif Raymond is doing anything he can to get in front of the linebacker trying to close in on Williams. That effort can turn a solid scramble into a touchdown. Williams broke the pocket 13 times against the Panthers. Those plays generated 12.5 expected points added, leading the league by a full eight points, and a success rate of 61%, far higher than the 40% mark from last year, according to Johnson’s calculations. "[On the scrambles], we had a lot more production than maybe we would’ve had in the past," Johnson said after the win in Carolina. "Hopefully, we can bring this dynamic with us each and every week. He and I went over the tape, [and] there's a couple of times where we don't have the best call on for the defensive coverage, and our quarterback is able to make this thing right for us … we think it's really, really dangerous for our offense." Against the Bears, you have to defend two plays: the play call, designed by one of the league’s brightest offensive minds, and then the second play created by one of its most dynamic quarterbacks. Then there’s also the matter of slowing down running back DeAndre Swift, Odunze and Burden at receiver and tight end Colston Loveland. There is a lot to plan for when facing this Bears offense. "Anything that could potentially give a defense problems, they do," Flores said this week. "And I think this being year two [in the system], they understand exactly what they’re trying to get done, so there’s better execution – at least through one game" That’s important to remember. It’s only been one game, and this league has a way of humbling teams quickly. Remember the 2023 Dolphins that hung 70 on the Broncos? That offense was averaging over 43 points per game and was on pace to shatter Denver’s scoring record. A week later, Miami was embarrassed by the Bills and never reached that high again. These Bears seem more well-rounded than that Miami offense that was supposed to revolutionize the game. Chicago has a coach who knows how to adapt to different situations, a quarterback who can follow the script or ad-lib his own lines, a road-grating offensive line, and a skill group that has fully bought into the coach’s vision. This year's Bears team is seemingly built for anything a defense can throw at it throughout the season. With the Vikings coming to Chicago, the Bears are facing a defense designed to test that theory.

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NFL Says Harris, Wright Ineligible In 2026 After Attempt To Play For LSU

Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright are ineligible to join any NFL teams this season after they attempted to return to college and play for LSU, the league said in a memo sent to each NFL team. Harris was a defensive tackle and Wright played tight end for Mississippi during its run to a College Football Playoff semifinal last season. Both had tryouts in the NFL this summer after going undrafted, with Wright first joining the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in April before being cut in August, when he had a brief stay with the Cleveland Browns, and Harris signed with the New Orleans Saints before being placed on the non-football injury list in July, prior to being waived in August. They then tried joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU and sued for the right to regain their college eligibility, after a Louisiana judge granted 33 athletes – 16 of them football players – a temporary restraining order to seek a fifth year of eligibility. After the Southeastern Conference passed a rule barring pros from heading back to college to play and a Louisiana court put that restriction on hold, LSU left both players off its roster as it opened its season. Beforehand, the SEC had threatened to vote on removing LSU from the conference, but in the end no punishments were handed out since the Tigers complied with the ban. The NFL’s letter noted both Harris and Wright "were eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, returned to college and participated with their college football team after the opening of NFL training camp, and therefore, they are ineligible to visit, try out with or be signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 season." The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which was dated Wednesday. Harris and Wright were the only players mentioned in the letter. The NFL acknowledged this list didn’t include all 2026 draft-eligible players who returned to college and said teams should contact the league’s player personnel department with any questions about a player’s eligibility. The letter also noted it is each team’s responsibility to verify a player’s eligibility. Discipline for eligibility violations can include fines and/or the loss of draft picks. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Who Is Drew Lock? 5 Things To Know About Seahawks QB Starting For Sam Darnold

Lock it in! The Seattle Seahawks are putting 29-year-old quarterback Drew Lock under center for their Week 2 road matchup against the NFC West-rival Arizona Cardinals (Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX), as starter Sam Darnold nurses a glute injury that he sustained in their Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. Here are five things to know about Lock: Drew Lock balled out for the Missouri Tigers. Serving as the Tigers' starting quarterback from 2016-18 — and being part of the program from 2015-18 — Lock averaged 3,620.3 passing yards, 31.7 passing touchdowns, 10.3 interceptions and a 148.7 passer rating per season over that span, while completing 58.4% of his passes. Most notably, Lock led the SEC with 3,964 passing yards, 44 passing touchdowns and a 165.7 passer rating in 2017. Granted, he also led the conference with 13 interceptions. Missouri appeared in a bowl game with Lock in both 2017 and 2018. Lock is second in Missouri history with 12,193 passing yards and 99 passing touchdowns. In between Peyton Manning's final season (2015) and Russell Wilson's first season with the franchise (2022) — we'll revisit this shortly — 11 different players started at quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Lock was one of those 11 players. Denver selected Lock with the No. 42 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, with him starting a combined 21 games from 2019-21. Lock was the team's primary quarterback in 2020, throwing for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions across 13 starts, while posting a 75.4 passer rating and completing 57.3% of his passes. He also rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns. So, why did Denver's 2019 second-round pick only play three seasons for the team? Lock was part of one of the biggest trades in NFL history. In March 2022, the Broncos traded Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two-second round picks and a fifth-rounder to the Seahawks for star quarterback and then-nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick. The New York Giants entered their Week 17 home tilt against the Indianapolis Colts with the worst record in the NFL and two losses away from having the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Not on Lock's watch. After spending the bulk of the 2024 season as the team's backup to Daniel Jones, Lock made five starts after New York released Jones following a 2-8 start, with Lock's fourth start being arguably the best of his career and one of the best in Giants' history. In what was a 45-33 win for the Giants, Lock threw for 309 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions, while posting a career-high 155.3 passer rating – it was the third-highest passer rating in a game in Giants' history – completing 73.9% of his passes (17 of 23) and rushing for a score. The Giants went on to pick third in the 2025 NFL Draft. That said, one could argue it worked out for New York, which selected Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick and traded up to select Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 pick. Dart and the Giants opened the 2026 season with a win at home over the Dallas Cowboys, with the second-year quarterback throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns, posting a 134.2 passer rating and completing 79.3% of his passes (23 of 29) in the victory. Of course, Lock landing in Seattle in 2022 and later playing one season for the Giants makes his presence with the Seahawks in 2026 his second act with the franchise. Act 1 got off to a bumpy start for Lock, who lost a quarterback battle to Geno Smith in 2022, with Smith going on to be the team's starting quarterback from 2022-24. With that said, Lock made two starts for the Seahawks in 2023, highlighted by hitting wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a go-ahead and eventual game-winning 29-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of a Week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. As for the present, Lock played all but the opening series in Seattle's Week 1 win over New England, throwing for 187 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while posting a 113.3 passer rating and completing 72.7% of his passes (16 of 22). Last year, Lock appeared in five regular-season games and one playoff game for the Seahawks, but he never made a start. Sunday will mark Lock's 29th NFL start.

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Sammy’s Sportsbook Whispers: Is Chicago No Longer Your Average Bears?

Are the Chicago Bears that good? Full disclosure, I had a bet on Carolina +3 last Sunday, and if you would’ve told me the Panthers would average 7.7 yards per play and score 37 points, odds were good they would have covered or won the game outright. Problem is, Chicago scored 59. FOX Sports posted its weekly power ratings on Monday morning and the Bears were on line three, behind only the Seahawks and Broncos. I’ve never been one to overreact and third seems insanely high. 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. "Third-best offense maybe," one professional bettor told me. "You can’t be the third-best team with that defense. Not after that performance against a below-average offense. Chicago’s head coach and quarterback have elite potential, but the secondary is an issue and there wasn’t much of a pass rush. "The Bears' defense made Bryce Young look great." What say you, Las Vegas? "I have them eighth with room for growth," retired bookmaker Ed Salmons told me. "Rams, Ravens, Bills, Eagles, Niners, Patriots, Lions, Bears." "The Bears looked every bit the part offensively against Carolina," Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel added. "Caleb Williams showed why he entered the season as one of the league’s brightest stars. "Market reaction has leaned more toward the Bears being legitimately improved. Their lookahead line moved two points in their favor week over week and bettors also showed support for Carolina against Atlanta. "My lean is that the Bears are a good football team, but they’ll obviously need to sustain this level of play over several weeks before we can confidently make that distinction." Don’t look now, but Williams has the third-shortest NFL MVP odds at multiple sportsbooks. Those 15 and 16-to-1 preseason prices are long gone. To college football, there are some serious injury rumblings at Ohio. QB1 Nick Poulos and QB2 Matt Vezza are both banged up, and RB1 Duncan Brune left Saturday’s game with an injury, too. Sources say Poulos is doubtful for Saturday’s game against South Alabama and Vezza is questionable. South Alabama was -4.5 everywhere on Monday and the board is now painted -7. Clearly, some people expect the Bobcats to be shorthanded. "I moved from -5 to -6 when I first heard," South Point sportsbook director Chris Andrews told me. "You want to get ahead of those injuries [because] these guys don’t wait for news to break, they just bet." If both quarterbacks are eventually ruled out, this line will undoubtedly spring north of a touchdown. And having worked in this racket long enough, I know vultures on the other side will be waiting to take 8 or 8.5 with Ohio. A 27-20 final would be no bueno for the house. I got a ton of flack on social media — shocker — when I said Ohio State is still my highest-rated team in the country. I mean, the Buckeyes took a 23-3 lead into the fourth quarter on the road. That’s impressive. And yes, they would still be favored over Texas on a neutral field. That’s how it works. "I think Ohio State and Georgia are the two best teams in the country," Salmons opined. "Notre Dame is right there with Georgia, too." Salmons gave us Ohio State +2 last week, a wire-to-wire winner. What about this week? "I bet Houston +8.5 against Texas Tech." Lastly, what the hell is going with Oregon? This was a Ducks team several sharp people predicted would win the national championship. It beat Boise State by seven as a 25.5-point favorite, then lost at Oklahoma State as a 24.5-point favorite. From the Las Vegas numbers perspective, Oregon is one of the most underachieving teams in the country. That said, I might bet the Ducks to make the College Football Playoff at +160. That number was -300 or higher before the season and I don’t remember the last time the public didn’t love them. We are nearing that reality. "It hasn’t been great," professional bettor Slice said. "I dropped them three points after the loss to Oklahoma State. I still want to see one more bad game before I get nuts. And I’m not sure that’s going to happen with [Dan] Lanning. "I’ll be looking to bet ‘em at a cheap price against USC."

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