Top Moments From FOX NFL Veterans Day: Gronk's Stunt, Army-Navy Rivalry On Display

From inspiring stories to friendly competition between the academies, FOX NFL Sunday's Veterans Day show didn't disappoint. The broadcast headed to both Army (West Point, New York) and Navy (Annapolis, Maryland) for the first time ever. Here are the top moments from this year's two-hour show: The King of Veterans Day stunts took on a brand-new adventure at Army. Rob Gronkowski slid headfirst down a slide into the combat wave pool for the Survivor Gate 4 challenge, which all cadets must pass. Before Gronk completed the challenge, which was done in full combat boots and pants, Gronk pulled a brick from the bottom of the pool, with a message to the Cadets that said, "Combat uniform all next week." That meant the cadets would be able to opt out of their more formal dress uniform for the whole week, which they were unsurprisingly excited about. Just before Gronk slid headfirst into a pool in full combat gear, he went back to his roots and put the football pads back on, but this time it was an Army uniform. What was thought to be a mystery person dressed head-to-toe in the Army’s brand-new green uniform was revealed to be Gronk when he took off his helmet in front of the cadets. While analysts like Julian Edelman, Gronk and Charles Woodson have had their fair share of football snaps, it was time to give Army the field. Setting up for a quick drive, Edelman, Gronk and Woodson joined a group of Cadets for a touchdown that resulted in a Gronk spike. As if the rivalry on the football field wasn’t enough, the cadets and midshipmen brought the rivalry to Sunday’s show. One representative from each academy went head-to-head in a rope-climbing race from both on-site locations. In the end, Army earned the bragging rights in a tight race. Ahead of Sunday's games, FOX Sports’ Tom Rinaldi highlighted cadet Taylor Flowers and her inspirational journey to West Point. After multiple rejections, Flowers finally got her chance on her third application and has since become an inspiring cadet sergeant in her third year at West Point.

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Jordan Love Makes MVP Statement: 3 Takeaways From The Packers' Win Over the Patriots

The Green Bay Packers ruined a day of celebration for the New England Patriots. With legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski returning to Gillette Stadium to be inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame and Tom Brady making his return to Foxborough as a broadcaster, the Patriots lost to the Green Bay Packers 45-27. It's the most points New England has ever allowed at Gillette Stadium. With the win, the Packers have now won five of their last six games, improving to 6-3 on the year. The Patriots dropped to 5-4 this season. Here are my takeaways: New England has one of the better defenses in the league, but the Patriots provided little resistance for Green Bay’s gunslinger quarterback Jordan Love. The Utah State product executed as if playing against the air in a casual, dress-rehearsal practice for a game, finishing 23-of-29 (79.3%) for 372 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions. Love also had a 13-yard touchdown run. Love was sacked three times, posting a 149.4 passer rating. They didn’t blitz much, but when the Patriots did, Love made them pay. According to Next Gen Stats, Love finished 10-of-10 with 146 yards and a score. Love entered Week 9 leading the NFL with 2,246 yards. The last time a Green Bay quarterback led the league in passing was Hall of Famer Brett Favre in 1998. Love could be on his way to earning a league MVP trophy like Favre. Love’s favorite target was Matthew Golden. The second-year pro out of Texas had six receptions for 126 yards and an interception – in the first quarter (!) – helping the Packers jump out to an early 17-0 lead. According to FOX Sports Research, it’s the second-most receiving yards in the first quarter in franchise history since 1991, only trailing Antonio Freeman, who had 129 yards in the first quarter in 1998. It’s also the most receiving yards in the first quarter this season and the most since Marvin Harrison Jr. had 130 in 2024. Entering Sunday’s game, Golden had the seventh-most receiving yards (619) in the NFL and led the league with 22 deep targets. Golden finished with 10 catches for 164 yards. Christian Watson also had a big day for the Packers, finishing with seven receptions for 171 yards and a score. Maye was under duress most of the afternoon from a Green Bay pass rush that's still missing its best pass rusher, with Micah Parsons working his way back from a knee injury. Entering this weekend’s game, Maye had been 16 times and thrown eight interceptions. The Packers sacked Maye four times and forced three more interceptions. The Packers finished with a 52% pressure rate against Maye, blitzing nearly 46% of the time, per Next Gen Stats. The Patriots had won four of their last five contests entering Sunday’s game. However, New England started the season 1-2 and Maye was responsible for six interceptions during that stretch, including a three-interception performance in a season-opening loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. With their top two playmakers from the team’s Super Bowl no longer on the roster in Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte, the trade for A.J. Brown was expected to fill the void for New England. However, the former Philadelphia Eagles struggled to stay on the field, and when healthy, to contribute. Maye has had to rely on role players like receivers Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism III. To make matters worse, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t figured out how to consistently run the football. The Patriots finished with just 73 rushing yards against Green Bay’s stout defensive front and abandoned the running game altogether in the second half because Maye was chasing points. 3 ½ What's Next? The Packers face another tough test, this one at home. Green Bay is set to host the leaders of the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings, at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The Packers are currently in last place in the NFC North and sit 1-2 in the division despite their 6-3 record. Meanwhile, New England will look to rebound on the road against another talented team in the NFC North as they face the Detroit Lions in Munich. The Patriots own a 3-2 record in international games.

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Tom Brady's Former Babysitter Is The Mom Of Which Packers Player?

What are the odds that Tom Brady’s return to Foxborough also connected him back to his childhood? When calling the Green Bay Packers-New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium, Brady shared a wholesome story about Packers safety Evan Williams and his family. When Brady was growing up in San Mateo, California, his childhood babysitter turned out to be Dani Williams, the mother of the Packers' safety. And when Williams intercepted Drake Maye in the first half of Sunday's game, it allowed Brady to share the full-circle moment on air. "You want to hear a story which we learned? She babysat you when you were five years old!" Kevin Burkhardt shared during the call of Sunday's game. "I don’t get shocked very often, but I was shocked," Brady told Burkhardt in the booth. "Evan Williams grew up in the Bay Area, and his mom babysat me when I was five. I told her, ‘I hope I was good.’" Brady was born and raised in Northern California and attended Junípero Serra High School, where he initially got his football start. Williams attended Serra’s rival high school, St. Francis. Before high school, Dani Williams babysat Brady when he was just five years old. Evan Williams has been a key part of the Packers' defense this season. He's recorded 71 total tackles, two interceptions, and one sack entering Sunday's game. And he also sits second in the NFL in solo tackles with 44.

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A Homecoming At NC State: Philip Rivers Reportedly Agrees To Become Wolfpack's Head Coach

Philip Rivers is going back to school, and he's returning to a place where he became a college legend. The former NFL star quarterback has agreed to a deal to become NC State's next head coach, The Athletic and On3 reported Sunday. Rivers, who played 17 seasons in the NFL, is an NC State legend. The program retired his jersey number (17) in 2013, 10 years after he completed his four-year tenure as the Wolfpack's starting quarterback. He threw for 13,484 yards with 95 touchdowns and 34 interceptions, finishing seventh in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior. While Rivers has never coached at the college level, he has coaching experience. He's coached at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama since his first NFL retirement in 2021. He resumed coaching at St. Michael Catholic University after his unretirement last year to briefly join the Indianapolis Colts. Rivers replaces longtime NC State head coach Dave Doeren, who was fired in late October in the midst of his 14th season. At the time of his firing, Doeren was the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the FBS and leaves as the winningest coach in program history with a 95-70 record. Rivers wasn't the only former NFL quarterback who was a candidate for the job. Russell Willson, who also played at NC State, interviewed for the job earlier in November. NC State's decision to bring back Rivers also comes as his son, Gunner Rivers, is set to join the program. Gunner Rivers, a four-star quarterback, is part of the Wolfpack's 2027 recruiting class, committing to join the program last year.

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NFL DFS Week 9: Best Picks, Lineup Advice and Value Plays

Welcome back to our Daily Fantasy Football picks. On FanDuel, you’ll have $60,000 to fill out your lineup, with each player assigned a salary based on factors such as recent performance, matchup and expected production. The goal is to find the right mix of stars and value plays while staying under the cap. Here are our favorite DFS plays for Week 9’s main Sunday slate. 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. Quarterback The Cowboys have been a massive disappointment so far, but not because of Dak Prescott. Prescott has been great, throwing for the fifth most passing yards and the ninth most touchdowns. He gets a great matchup this week against a Colts' defense that allows the fifth-highest passer rating (102.6), third-most yards per completion (12.84) and sixth-most yards per attempt (7.87) in the NFL. Indianapolis has just two interceptions, tied for the second-fewest, while allowing 14 passing touchdowns in eight games and eight completions of 40-plus yards, tied for the second-most in the league. Running Back We are going to stack this Cowboys-Colts matchup, as it has the highest Over/Under total on the main slate. Jonathan Taylor is coming off just 23 rushing yards against the Jaguars’ top-ranked rushing defense, but this is an entirely different matchup. The Cowboys rank last in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 152.8 yards per game, and second-worst in yards per carry allowed (5.03). They have also allowed 10 rushing touchdowns, tied for the fourth-most in the league. Just last week against the Cardinals, Dallas gave up 202 rushing yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, an average of 7.48 yards per attempt. Tyler Allgeier led the way with 147 yards and a score on just 11 carries. To balance out Prescott and Taylor’s high salaries, we can go to Devin Singletary at $5,200. With Tyrone Tracy on injured reserve and Cam Skattebo doubtful, Singletary could be the main guy in the Giants’ backfield. Even if Skattebo plays, Singletary should still get a solid workload. He is coming off 41 rushing yards, including a game-winning 30-yard touchdown against the Texans, and gets another favorable matchup against an Eagles run defense that ranks 28th in the NFL. Wide Receiver We're going to stack Prescott with CeeDee Lamb in this dream matchup against the Colts. Lamb leads the NFL with 92 targets (11.5 per game), ranks third in receptions (60) and receiving yards (709), and is tied for second in receiving touchdowns (6). The Colts have allowed eight completions of 40-plus yards, tied for the second-most in the NFL, and give up 13.91 yards per catch to opposing wide receivers. At a low price, we like KC Concepcion this week. Concepcion ranks second among NFL rookies in receptions (33) and yards after the catch (182), and third in targets (49). He gets a matchup against a Saints secondary that allows the 10th-most net passing yards per game (233.3) and the ninth-highest completion percentage (66.1%). Opposing wide receivers are averaging 143.6 receiving yards per game and 13.58 yards per reception against the Saints this season. Tight End It's worth paying up for George Kittle this week at $6,700. He is coming off an eight-catch, 88-yard game, and the 49ers continue to be without key offensive pieces. Las Vegas has allowed eight touchdowns to opposing tight ends this season, tied for the second-most in the NFL, and 55 receptions, the second-most. Tight ends have caught 79.7% of their 69 targets against the Raiders. This could be a smash spot. Defense We're punting defense once again, and we love the Panthers at $3,500. Prior to last week, Denver's offense had struggled throughout the year, especially on the road. The Broncos rank 30th in total offense (273.0 yards per game) and 22nd in scoring (21.5 points per game). Bet on Carolina to force some turnovers and keep Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense in check.

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‘Let’s Fiesta’: Top Moments From Rob Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame Speech

When somebody says "Gronk," everybody pictures the same thing: a 6-foot-6 tight end emphatically spiking a football in the end zone. New England Patriots legend and FOX NFL Studio Analyst Rob Gronkowski was put into the Patriots' Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon, receiving a red jacket to commemorate the honor. "I fell to the Patriots for a reason. I came to the Patriots for a cause. It's where I belong," Gronkowski said when giving his Patriots Hall of Fame speech outside Gillette Stadium Saturday. "It's where I was meant to be. It's where I needed to serve my time to the game of professional football. Everything, and I mean everything, fit like a glove perfectly after that." Gronkowski, whom the Patriots selected with the No. 42 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of Arizona, spent nine seasons in New England (2010-18) in a stint that warrants consideration to be on the franchise's all-time Mount Rushmore of players. "During the predraft process, the visit with them [the Patriots] was probably one of the worst visits of all time," Gronkowski said. "I was tired from flying all over the place. I fell asleep in the Head of Football Operations' room … I literally laid my head down on the table and took a nap. Coach [Bill Belichick], I guess, just didn't understand at the time that's called recovery, buddy. After that situation, a couple of coaches then drew up a play on the board, erased it and asked me about the routes. I had no clue. I was tired and hungover, which they still don't know.x "Just told on myself. So, basically, I said, 'Just throw me the ball. I'll catch it, and watch what I do.' They secretly loved it. They took me. They knew they needed a little edge to get back to the Super Bowl. Crazy how it all worked out." A four-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler, Gronkowski is first in Patriots' history with 79 receiving touchdowns, second with 7,861 passing yards and fifth with 521 receptions. Meanwhile, he led the NFL with 17 receiving touchdowns in 2011, logged 1,000-plus receiving yards in four seasons and was the 2014 NFL Comeback Player of the Year after suffering a torn ACL in the 2013 season. The superstar tight end won three Super Bowls with the Patriots (2014, 2016 and 2018); he was active for two of them, as Gronkowski missed the 2016 postseason due to a back injury. Gronkowski reeled in a combined 81 receptions for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns across 16 playoff games for the Patriots. One might say there's a degree of "resiliency" to Gronkowski's career. "I am a Patriot for life. Now, let's fiesta," Gronkowski concluded before spiking a football on stage. Gronkowski would come out of retirement to play with Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2020-21, with Tampa Bay winning the Super Bowl in 2020. Speaking of Brady, the NFL's all-time passing leader will call his first-ever Patriots game since becoming FOX's Lead NFL Analyst in 2024, as New England hosts the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX).

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2026 NFL, CFB Odds: Best Bets For Texas-Missouri, Rams-Commanders

Last weekend’s picks went 3–2, and I’ll take that all day. We have to talk about being a part of sports betting history, though. One of my losses was UConn +1.5 and the Huskies fell to an Air Force team that didn’t complete a single pass. Not one. It wasn’t funny last Saturday, but it’s hilarious in hindsight. 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. 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. (2026 Record: 22-19-2, +1.1 units) This line absolutely stinks. Texas just pounded Mississippi State 31-3 and Vegas sportsbooks still opened the Horns at -3? A deeper dive tells the story of how Texas’ offensive line is not getting the job done in the running game. Only 60 yards on 32 carries will not cut it against better competition. Austin Simmons is playing really good quarterback for Mizzou right now and the Tigers are very live to win outright. This line stinks, too. UCLA is a perfect 8-0 against the spread this year and yet Circa Sports opened the Bruins -6. It’s just under the ever-important key number of "7," and it looks oh, so easy to walk down that red carpet and lay it with UCLA. Stylistically, these two teams are very similar, and the total tells us there won’t be a ton of touchdowns. As long as the Golden Gophers protect the rock, they’ll be able to hang around. After beating the big, bad Kansas City Chiefs with a goal-line stand, the Broncos now have to fly across the country to face a middling Panthers team. And wise guys were quick to gobble up the +3s on Carolina. Funny how that works, isn’t it? I’ve never been a fan of these cross-country spots and I would rather drink the stuff under the sink than lay a short road number with Bo Nix. Thanks, but no thanks. The Rams continue to be overhyped and overvalued in the betting market. They have not made you money this year at the window and this number is currently inside that dangerous territory where a 10-point lead can become a 3-point lead in the final minutes. Washington continues to battle for 60 minutes and Jayden Daniels continues to protect that precious football. Don’t be surprised if this one is close late.

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