Tom Brady's NFL Power Rankings: 49ers, Bills Or Chiefs At No. 1? Raiders Top 5?

A few teams we've grown accustomed to playing well in recent years have opened the 2026 NFL season 3-0. And then there are a pair of surprises that have also gotten off to an undefeated start, including the Las Vegas Raiders. What should we make of the Raiders' 3-0 start? Well, in the most recent edition of Tom Brady's power rankings, the seven-time Super Bowl champ wasn't afraid to put the team he's a minority owner of in his top 10. In fact, he went as far as placing them in the top five, claiming that there was "no hometown bias." We'll see if the Raiders can continue their hot streak in Week 4, when they host one of the four other undefeated teams: the Kansas City Chiefs. As the Chiefs are out to a 3-0 start, were they able to move into the No. 1 spot in Brady's power rankings following the Seattle Seahawks' Week 3 loss? Here's Brady's full top 10. Brady's thoughts: Tyler Loop, a walk-off 56-yarder in Rio? The trio in Rio? That's what Jim Nantz said — I loved that. Another incredible performance by Lamar Jackson. Week in and week out, he's unstoppable. I think they've got to sustain some of those drives in the second half to put these teams away. I think you've got to play to win and do what you need to do to continue to put points on the board until midway through the fourth quarter, when the clock becomes an issue. I think momentum swings are so huge in the NFL. If you take your foot off the gas for just a little bit and the other team gains a little momentum and the snowball starts going downhill, you may not be able to stop the other team. Brady's thoughts: Huge win against the Broncos, and having already played one of the NFL's toughest schedules, give this team a lot of credit. Bo Nix gets it done once again in the fourth quarter — insane the way he plays down the stretch — and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and this defense, I give them a lot of credit for keeping them in the game, too. They did it last year and they're doing it in the early part of this year, too. One thing Nix can do to elevate his game as a passer is this: having your feet planted in the right place to get to your first and second read, and then knowing when the play is over and not trying to make every play a hero-type play. Find the open guy, cut it loose. If it's not there, move onto the next play. No negative plays, keep your team on track. Brady's thoughts: Jared Goff has eight touchdowns and no picks. They're squeaking by in some tough wins. They show a lot of toughness in Detroit, that's what that city is made of. I love Jahmyr Gibbs, and I love Saquon Barkley and I love Bijan Robinson. I saw James Cook the other day in person, and he's pretty ridiculous, too. The NFL's stacked right now at the halfback position. Brady's thoughts: Incredible, back-to-back games holding teams in single digits? How about Dennis Allen and that defense? And a veteran quarterback who hasn't started in like, a million days? Case Keenum said it in the locker room after the game: It's not his first f---ing rodeo. It's still early in the season, and Keenum got a lot of training camp reps. So, it's not quite like it would be in December, where he's basically been sitting on the sideline the whole time. But I give him a lot of credit; it's still hard to do. He hasn't started in a long time, and he came in and delivered for his team. Brady's thoughts: Someone finally beat the best. The Seahawks drop from No. 1, but outgained the Commanders by almost 200 yards. The run game vanished, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba can only do so much. The Seahawks have got to find a way to get back on track. I always liken JSN's shoulder plane to Greg Maddux's pitching exhibition: When the ball comes out of his hand, everything looks the same and it's all late movement. It's a lot like what JSN does. Shoulders are low, arms are driving and he's such a smooth route runner. His start and stop is so difficult to know He's always got them on their heels. Brady's thoughts: No hometown bias here. Listen, undefeated gets you in the top five. That's just the way my power rankings work. You can only be who you play, and when you're undefeated, you're better than the teams that have lost games. That's just the way it works for me. The Raiders had four takeaways against the Saints. How about their fourth-quarter performance on defense? Taking the ball away, knocking it off, interceptions, fumble returns — they did it all. That's how you secure a win on the road in the NFL. I think the culture is always about your teammates. I always think it's about "We" over "Me." And I think if you go out there and you play for your teammates every single game, you try not to let your teammates down. I love the culture that's being built in Las Vegas right now. Brady's thoughts: No one would've guessed this, certainly not with the injuries at quarterback. But the Vikings had six sacks, 12 QB hits, a punt return touchdown and winning in all phases of the game against the Buccaneers. I'm excited to see how Kyler Murray grows in this Kevin O'Connell offense. I would say that probably for most quarterbacks, it takes half a season to get acclimated to a new offense. Possibly a season or two, depending on how complicated the offense is and how familiar the quarterback is with some of those things that are being done. Football is football. Concepts are concepts. But it's really about the verbiage, the vernacular, and how things really just come out of your mouth over the course of the game. These are all different languages from these teams and everybody coaches their offenses a little differently, but I'm really impressed with what the Vikings are doing right now. Brady's thoughts: That was a lot of ugly football. I mean, look, there were a lot of crazy plays happening. It was really fun to call, and I love seeing the Bills play and I love seeing the Chargers play. But the Bills, they had five turnovers. Five turnovers, and a win! That shows the talent the Bills team has. They're not going to be able to get away with that later in the season, though. Brady's thoughts: Winning by 14 while losing the time of possession by nine minutes against the Dolphins. What? That rarely ever happens. But Miami, that's a tough place to play; believe me, I know. In September, regardless of record, when it's hot, it feels so good to go in there and get a win. I think what serves every team well is when you have continuity. When you have continuity at head coach, quarterback, GM and defensive coordinator, so many of the culture drivers that the Chiefs have, they're on their stuff. They can solve problems quickly. There's so much variation on offense. And because K9 (Kenneth Walker) is doing so much for them, the passing game doesn't need to be what it was five or six years ago. They can win a balanced game. They can win defensively. That's a tough team to beat. Brady's thoughts: They were pretty much unheralded all offseason because everyone was talking about Seattle and the Rams. But it's the 49ers at No. 1. Why? They're undefeated. We know that. But they have the best point differential in the league. Brock Purdy's playing as well as anybody; anybody. He should be considered in the Tier 1 QB discussions. At least he is in my eyes. It sure looks like Purdy is an elite quarterback now. He's playing within the system, throwing the ball accurately, no negative plays, getting his team in and out of the right plays — I love the way he's managing every single game.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/p3zCqP7

Herd Hierarchy: Are The Raiders Legit? Seahawks Fall, While Bills & 49ers Rise

The Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are both 3-0, but are they actually two of the NFL's elite teams or just the last ones standing after a chaotic Week 3? Colin Cowherd revealed his latest Herd Hierarchy, featuring a new team at No. 1 and three fresh additions to the top 10 after another big week in the NFL. Beyond the new arrivals, several former mainstays completely played their way out of the rankings. Here are Cowherd's Week 3 Herd Hierarchy rankings: Cowherd’s thoughts: I think the Raiders look like a really, really well-coached team with one great edge rusher. Kirk Cousins, the only quarterback in the league with three touchdown passes each game. Brock Bowers, they're putting him all over the field. He's a nightmare. The defense leads the NFL in takeaways. We've said it before. You put a Ben Johnson, a Klint Kubiak, a smart offensive guy, you can turn things around quicker. I think the Raiders look like a very, very well-coached team. They're about one more draft away from being like a high-end team, but I like what I see. I think they're legit. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Lions are weird. Worst scoring defense in the league, yet they're second in sacks to the Vikings. But this is about Jahmyr Gibbs. This is about Jared Goff. Only team to score 30 plus points in every game, but they're going to have to win by track meets. So I think their floor is incredibly high. I don't know if their ceiling is as high as I thought going into the season. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Rams should have beaten the Broncos. 16-0 at the half and outgained them by 225 yards. Some really bad penalties. Listen, here's the reality about the Rams though. If you count the playoffs, they're 4-5 in their last nine [games], and they're not a very good road team. Again, physicality. Puka [Nacua’s] not there, a physical player. Myles Garrett not there, physical player. Aaron Donald's good, but he's not what he used to be. There is a component about physicality and toughness that wins on the road. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Bears, number one, number five scoring offense, number three total offense, but the number one rushing team. That's what I love about Ben Johnson. Everybody thinks, ‘oh, it's Caleb [Williams] running around.’ They run the football against physical defensive fronts, and Caleb's going to be back in three to four weeks. But they've held opponents, and this is coaching, under 10 points back-to-back weeks. I thought last night was one of the greatest coaching mismatches I have ever seen. Cowherd’s thoughts: They may just be a great regular season team, but the Jags 10-1 in their last 11 regular season games. If they get on you, they'll put a foot on you. They'll blow you out if you're not prepared and ready to go. So I think Liam Coen is the best coach nobody talks about in this league. They have the number one scoring defense. You can't run at them for several yards. Trevor Lawrence, seven touchdown passes. I think he's playing the best. Again, if this team was in a New York market or a Chicago market or Philadelphia, we talk about them every week. The Jags are well coached. Trevor Lawrence has time. You can't run on them. They're good at home. I have them at six. Cowherd’s thoughts: The Broncos are a one-half offense. The good news: it's the second half. But Bo Nix's 11th game-winning drive. Unfortunately, they shouldn't be trailing this often late in games, they spent the third least amount of time leading in the league this year—nine minutes. Only the Titans and Dolphins have led less, so they're doing what I predicted they couldn't do. I said you can't do what they did last year: trail 15 times and win 14. Now they're doing it, but here come the 49ers, here come the Seahawks, here come the Chiefs, and I don't think you can do it against those three teams. Cowherd’s thoughts: Oh, Mahomes has a run game. Do you know what he is on play action this year? Because you have to be honest against the run game. He is 22-of-24 in play action, 158.3 passer rating. It's amazing when you give a quarterback a run game. Travis Kelsey looks 26, and Mahomes now has to bite on the play action. You didn't for four years. I think it's totally changed their offense, their defense, and they've always drafted defense well. They move off corners. They always find a corner. I have them at four. Cowherd's Thoughts: The little disturbing problem for the Seahawks. It's not the loss, but they're not running the football. Why are they such a great road team? What travels? Toughness, coaching, and run games. They're not running the ball. They were number one graded run team last year, number one rated. This year they're 28th. Kenneth Walker's not there. [Zach] Charbonnet hasn't been healthy. It's a real thing. The reason they are so good on the road is they kill the crowd. They run the ball. Not this year, and that is something to keep your eye on. Cowherd's Thoughts: Well, they start every year and it feels like three and zero, but I'm going to give them credit. Brock Purdy plays like an MVP. Trent Williams is back. He'll play. Mike Evans will play against Denver. So they’re injured. [Nick] Bosa will be back soon. Mike Evans. Listen, this is a franchise. You cross your fingers on health, but it's one of the smartest, most functional offenses: [Christian] McCaffrey, Trent, [George] Kittle, Brock, Shanahan. It is a handful. Will it be a handful at Thanksgiving when half the guys are banged up? Cowherd's Thoughts: When you can win with 10 penalties and five turnovers, that has a ‘Seahawk vibe’ from last year. I'll make it Buffalo [at No. 1], averaging 34 points a game. The offense is humming. They're punting on 15% of their drives. I just think they feel like it's the most complimentary Bills roster yet. [Dalton] Kincaid, slot receiver D.J. Moore, James Cook. They drafted a defensive tackle out of Kentucky in the fourth round. The guy's a beast, so they take some heat. Their GM does. That guy was a steal, so this is finally a complimentary roster in Buffalo. At least the most complimentary they've been.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/cnSPbFD

QB Notebook: What's Driving Brock Purdy's Hot Start; Waiving White Flag On Cam Ward

Welcome to the Quarterback Notebook, where I’ll cover the past week in NFL quarterbacking — from the most interesting passers, plays and storylines to some other stuff that caught my eye while watching film this week. This week, we’ll look at the driving factor in Brock Purdy’s hot streak, officially give up on Cam Ward and pedal some Kyler Murray optimism. Let’s talk quarterbacks. It feels like 2023 again. The 49ers are tearing through NFL defenses with no signs of slowing down, and Brock Purdy is lapping the field in passing efficiency metrics. After filleting the Cardinals' defense in a 36-30 win this past weekend, he’s back in the MVP conversation thanks to stats like this. All of Purdy's numbers are outstanding, but this one might be the most impressive: We’re nearly a month into the season, and Purdy hasn’t been sacked. He’s the only starting quarterback who can make that claim. And as the analytics nerds will tell you, sacks are a quarterback stat, so Purdy deserves a lot of the credit for keeping himself clean … just not all of it. Purdy's offensive line deserves some credit. He's been pressured on a league-low 22% of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. He’s faced only nine quick pressures, tying Kirk Cousins for the fewest in the NFL. For context, Jordan Love faced nine against Atlanta in the second half alone. Purdy is known for getting the ball out quickly, but his average time-to-throw is 2.91 seconds, a top-five figure. His hurry probability chart shows how staggering Purdy’s pass protection has been the last two weeks. The red line represents Purdy’s pressure rate the deeper he gets into a dropback; the grey line is the league average. Over the last two weeks, Purdy’s hurry probability three seconds into a dropback is just 15.8%. The league average is 33.2%, which means other quarterbacks are twice as likely to be pressured three seconds into a dropback. Purdy is essentially playing 7-on-7 out there. He’s playing in an environment that quarterbacks rarely get to enjoy. He’s still playing well, but that’s important context for his unreal statistical production. While the pass protection has been nothing short of amazing, Purdy has done his part to mitigate pressure. He’s handled the few quick pressures he’s faced with aplomb. If you take out the two screen passes, Purdy has completed four passes when facing quick pressure, and the plays are genuinely impressive. He made a jump throw from a fully collapsed pocket against the Rams. Against the Dolphins, he spun out of an unblocked pressure, flipped his hips, and found Mike Evans along the sideline for another completion. On this one, he steps up into space and hits DeMarcus Robinson on a crosser. The fourth completion was a bit lucky — Purdy overthrows the intended target, but Evans saves the day — but he did well to avoid a sack. The "zero sack" stat is the result of a perfect football storm. You have an offensive line playing at a high level, a play-caller who can de-fang a pass rush with pre-snap motion and play-action fakes, and a slippery quarterback with a knack for getting off a pass right before the pressure gets home. This offense hasn’t been tested by a top pass rush yet. The Rams were playing a hobbled Myles Garrett, the Dolphins defense is a zombie unit, and the Cardinals just aren’t very good. But with the Broncos coming up on Sunday, it’s a good bet that Purdy and the offensive line will be under fire this weekend. How will they handle it? The answer could set Purdy up for a legitimate MVP campaign – or it could derail his campaign before it really gets off the ground. I tried to hold out as long as possible, but Cam Ward’s stinker in a 12-7 loss to the Giants showed me enough. As much as I admire Ward’s ambitious approach to the position, the evidence that he’s a bad quarterback is too overwhelming. I’m even willing to look past the ugly numbers, like his 3-17 record after 20 games. Tennessee hasn’t put him in a position to succeed, and I don’t believe the Robert Saleh/Brian Daboll brain trust has done much to change that. But quarterback evaluation is mostly pattern recognition, and the patterns are easy to read with Ward: he does a lot of things we see bad quarterbacks do — throwing inaccurately, running into sacks, turning the ball over, etc. — and very few of the things we often see good quarterbacks do. Here’s the play against the Giants that finally forced me to throw in the towel. And it’s not the one you’re thinking. Sure, the game-ending interception was atrocious, but it wasn’t a bad decision. Just a bad throw. On this play, he makes two terrible decisions and follows them up with an exceptionally bad throw. The Titans are running a run-pass option (RPO). With two cornerbacks in tight man-to-man coverage and a safety creeping over the top, this should be a handoff, as there is no numbers advantage outside. Ward takes the pass option, and here’s what he sees out on the perimeter. The Titans are trying to pick the slot corner to free up Wendale Robinson, but the defender navigates the traffic while sticking tight to the receiver. Any discerning quarterback would throw the ball into the dirt or toss it into the stands. Ward throws it up field and directly into the hands of the defensive back. We often hear about quarterbacks throwing their receiver open. Ward throws the defender open here. From the pre-snap decision, to the post-snap decision, to the throw itself, everything is bad here. And while it would be unfair to hold one play against a quarterback, this reflects a much larger sample of bad process. At this point, the sample is too big to overlook. Kyler Murray’s first full game as the Vikings quarterback was a bit of a dud. He completed 15 of his 29 attempts for 168 yards and was sacked three times. That added up to a QBR of just 25.4, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the 18th-best quarterback of the week, so the more advanced metrics didn’t rate his performance highly, either. Those numbers lack some key context, though. It was Murray’s first full game in nearly a year, and he’s attempted just eight passes in a live game over that span, including preseason games. Murray struggled in all the ways you’d expect a quarterback needing to knock off some rust would struggle. He hesitated to make quick throws underneath, had some miscommunications with receivers, and holstered some deep throws we’ve seen him make throughout his career. Murray’s stat line wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t marred by ugly decisions. His lone interception came off a pass that was tipped and ricocheted off another player. PFF didn’t charge him with a single "turnover-worthy play." The bright spots aren’t limited to bad play avoidance. Murray put a couple of throws on tape that will remind you he was once a first-overall pick. He connected with Jordan Addison on a big corner route after a play-action fake from under center. Before Justin Jefferson left the game early in the third quarter, Murray found him on a deep in-breaker off play-action. Murray linked up with Addison again on his lone touchdown pass, after changing the play at the line of scrimmage and manipulating the safety who could have helped out on the deep throw. Those two plays have to make Kevin O’Connell excited about what this passing game could evolve into as Murray continues to knock off the rust and acclimate himself to the Vikings offense. Murray doesn’t throw to the middle of the field with the confidence and ability Sam Darnold did in this offense two years ago, but he can match Darnold throw-for-throw outside the numbers and is a more efficient processor when running quick-game concepts. The 2024 Darnold-led unit finished just outside the top-10 in efficiency. With Murray in the lineup, this year’s offense has a similar ceiling. A quick aside before we move on: O’Connell couldn't have foreseen Murray suffering a concussion in the first half of the opener, but it’s partly his fault his quarterback is so behind schedule. From putting on the shambolic camp competition with J.J. McCarthy to the lack of preseason reps for Murray, the Vikings coach could have done a lot more to get his quarterback ready for the season. Jalen Hurts could have played Monday night’s game with his left eye closed, and not much would have changed. But I’m less concerned with the lack of targets to the left side of the field and more worried about the complete dearth of targets to the middle of the field. That’s been the knock on Hurts throughout his career. He rarely throws to the middle of the field. The new offense was supposed to change that, but Hurts ranks near the bottom of the league in middle-of-the-field target rate. The Eagles aren’t calling play-action from under center, either. This Philadelphia passing game is starting to resemble the ones we’ve seen in past years. Here’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d be writing this season: Geno Smith is playing like a top-10 quarterback. That has little to do with Smith himself. He’s a talented thrower with good pocket movement. I just didn’t believe the Jets could provide an offensive environment that would bring the best out of him. Through three weeks, they have, and Smith is playing his best ball since the Seattle days. Since I did some light hating on Purdy, it’s only right that I credit him for this ridiculous effort that should have earned a completion. I blame Shanahan, who should have challenged the play on principle alone. This honor really belongs to Cam Ward and the throw I broke down above. But Andy Dalton gets an honorable mention for getting picked off on his only attempt of the night in Philadelphia’s loss to Chicago. How does a 38-year-old veteran get fooled by a rookie safety? Dillon Thieneman didn’t have to do too much on the play. He just slowly shuffled over in front of the receiver, and Dalton tossed him a freebie.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/7ABcwdu

Upon Further Review: Welcome To The Tight End Renaissance, Which Has Been In The Making

Look in the end zone of an NFL game this weekend, and there was a decent chance a tight end was celebrating. There were 20 touchdowns caught by tight ends Sunday, the most on any single day in NFL history. The Las Vegas Raiders' win over the New Orleans Saints was a gluttony of TE TDs, with four tight ends combining for six total touchdown catches. "I think it's amazing," Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, who caught two touchdowns on Sunday, told me. "I think it's a true dedication to what guys have done in the offseason. It is a mental drain that you're blocking some of the best edge rushers in the game, corners, safeties, linebackers, but then you're asked to go out there and run around and catch a ball. Sometimes, you can get into the end zone." The Saints ultimately lost when Raiders tight end Brock Bowers caught a touchdown with 6:22 left, as teammate Michael Mayer had earlier in the day. And Johnson wasn't the only Saints tight end with multiple scores on Sunday, either. Noah Fant also had two touchdown grabs in New Orleans' loss. The NFL is enjoying a Tight End Renaissance, and the numbers may surprise you. In 2024, tight ends totaled 178 touchdowns across the league, accounting for 22% of all passing touchdowns. Last year, that number grew to 231 touchdowns — a 30% increase — and accounted for 28% of all passing touchdowns. It's a small sample, but three weeks into the 2026 season, NFL tight ends are on pace for 289 touchdowns — that's 62% more than two years ago, and a 32% share of all TD passes. The rise of 12 personnel — with two tight ends and two receivers — got headlines last year, with offenses liking a look that didn't easily point to an obvious run or pass, setting up mismatches downfield. Offenses used 12 personnel in nearly a quarter of their snaps in 2024 (22.1%) and again in 2025 (22.1%), per FOX Sports Research. "You have teams who made a big jump, like the Rams paved the way for a lot of ways to know the opportunities of what it can be," Johnson told me. "You have teams with a West Coast offense like [Raiders head coach Klint] Kubiak, [San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle] Shanahan, guys in Seattle who are running a majority of 12 personnel. The way they operate with tight ends — it's encouraged a lot of coordinators to do the same. We've piggybacked off that, and it's been really good to show that." The ascending value of tight ends was evident in this year's draft, when nine were taken in the first three rounds — up from just three in 2024. You're seeing it in lucrative contracts as well — the Raiders gave Mayer, their No. 2 tight end, a three-year, $45 million extension this summer, making him the league's sixth-highest-paid tight end. The NFL already has four tight ends with three touchdowns in three weeks, showing promise of bigger season-long production. George Kittle is among that group, logging two touchdown grabs on Sunday as he continues his miraculous rehab from an Achilles tear. Johnson, Fant and Dallas Cowboys standout Jake Ferguson are the others with three touchdown grabs already this year. However, only twice in the last decade has a tight end gotten 12 touchdowns or more in a season (Eric Ebron in 2018; Travis Kelce in 2022), but this could get back to the Rob Gronkowski/Jimmy Graham/Vernon Davis heyday of 2009-15, when there were 10 such seasons. Tight ends led the league in touchdown catches three times in a span of five years during that stretch, which may never happen again. The Saints had as many tight end touchdowns Sunday as they did in all of 2025, but Johnson said he doesn't keep track of how tight ends across the league are doing, though he has someone else on the lookout for him. "To be very honest, I had no idea," Johnson said. "The person who tells me about any of this stuff is my wife [Chanen]. She'll update me: 'He did this. He did that.' The more that I've played football, she's fallen in love with watching football, and it's something we can bond over. At the end of the day, these guys are my friends, too, so I'm confident that a lot of these guys will do well. We have a lot of great, explosive, elusive tight ends in this game, so whenever they do something positive, it's not a shock to me." As much as we make a point of the importance of keeping your starting quarterback healthy, the first three weeks of the NFL season haven't exactly illustrated that yet. Six teams have had to start quarterbacks other than their Week 1 starter, and those teams are 6-0 in those games, including Case Keenum's big win Monday night for the Bears. Those six (Keenum, Atlanta's Michael Penix, Minnesota's Carson Wentz, the Giants' Jameis Winston, Seattle's Drew Lock and Washington's Marcus Mariota) have thrown for 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The same teams that are 6-0 with a second quarterback are a combined 5-7 with their Week 1 starters, with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions from those quarterbacks. The Vikings' aggressive defense is a huge part of why they're 3-0 to start the season, with defensive coordinator Brian Flores blitzing much more than any other defense in the league. They've blitzed on 68.4% of their opponents' dropbacks, which is over 20% higher than the team in second (New England Patriots, 45.2%), per Sharp Football Analytics. With all of that blitzing, the Vikings have a league-best 14 sacks, rank second in scoring defense and first in third-down and red-zone defense. What's underappreciated is how much opponents are resorting to penalties to avoid even more sacks. Through three games, the Vikings have the best penalty differential in the league — opponents have 13 more penalties for 102 more penalty yards than Minnesota does. They've forced opponents into four false starts and eight holding penalties. Tampa Bay struggled to contain Minnesota's defense on Sunday, going 0-for-9 on third downs. The Buccaneers' average third-down distance was 14 yards for first downs. Penalties pushed them into a first-and-27 and, separately, a third-and-29 and third-and-36, so that league-leading sack total could actually be much higher. How strange is it that the first two rookie quarterbacks to take snaps this season were both ... undrafted? First, Atlanta's Jack Strand played as a function of the Falcons' injury issues, and now the Buccaneers will turn to Jalon Daniels with Baker Mayfield injured. Fernando Mendoza, the Raiders' No. 1 overall pick, has yet to take a snap with Kirk Cousins guiding Las Vegas to a surprising 3-0 start. Undrafted rookie quarterbacks generally have a rough time — over the last two years, they've combined for a 1-5 record as starters, two touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The best recent examples were the Giants' Tommy DeVito and the Bears' Tyson Bagent in 2023, who went a combined 5-5 with 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions. When was the last time that the first two rookie quarterbacks to play were undrafted? That looks like 2000, when Doug Johnson played for the Falcons and Clint Stoerner for the Cowboys in the first four weeks. Throw in the draft picks from that year, and those rookies went on to win seven Super Bowls.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/Q3qfRTz

The Plays That Stood Out In Week 3, From A 'Meatball Sub' To Lamar Jackson's Game-Winner

Well-executed football was in short supply across the NFL in Week 3. But, as always, the slate provided plenty of drama. The Bills rallied from a double-digit hole to avoid an upset against the Chargers; the Ravens and Cowboys gave football fans in Brazil quite the show; and the Broncos, with some help from the refs, knocked off the Rams with late defensive heroics. All three games turned on pivotal fourth-quarter plays, from Justin Herbert's poorly timed interception to Lamar Jackson's last-second pass to Zay Flowers and Talanoa Hufanga's pick-six. As always, we’ll dive into the strategies, the matchups, and everything else that created those memorable moments – along with what those moments mean for the future. Tom Brady just has a way with words, I guess. A week after sending the internet into a frenzy by calling a Dak Prescott throw a "piss missile," he used a more PG descriptor for Justin Herbert’s fourth-quarter interception in Sunday’s loss to the Bills. "There’s a safety in the middle of the field," Brady said. "Poor awareness, poor decision. Throws him a meatball sub." It’s never good when the greatest quarterback of all time is comparing your throws to Italian sandwiches. This was a new low for Herbert in a season full of them. So what, exactly, did Herbert see before serving up that meatball sub to C.J. Gardner-Johnson? Here’s the all-22 angle of the interception, which took points off the board for the Chargers and set up Buffalo’s go-ahead drive. Herbert wasn’t asked about the play after the game, so we’ll have to do some guesswork. Herbert’s eyes go to Gardner-Johnson, and he sees the Bills safety turn his hips toward the sideline. It looks like Gardner-Johnson is bailing to the deep half, and Buffalo is rotating into a Cover 2 look. In theory, Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s post route would be open against Cover 2, which leaves the deep middle of the field vacated. But as soon as Herbert’s eyes left Gardner-Johnson, he changed direction and worked back to the middle of the field, taking away that route. It’s unclear whether the Bills were actually playing Cover 2; either way, Gardner-Johnson made a heady play baiting the throw. And, either way, Herbert has to do a better job holding the safety with his eyes, since there's no deeper route to the right to pull Johnson out of the middle. Herbert (wrongly) assumes the deep middle is wide open and tosses up a meatball sub that Gardner-Johnson devours for a momentum-swinging play. The takeaway: The Chargers' deep passing game is a mess. Herbert is 1-for-12 with three interceptions on deep pass attempts this season. There have been some drops, and receivers are struggling to separate, but Herbert has also served up a few sandwiches. L os Angeles has had no issues moving the ball, but the lack of explosives and the repeated blunders in enemy territory have prevented the offense from taking off like everyone expected before the season. This play was a good microcosm of the issues. The play design doesn’t stretch the safeties to open up the deep middle; the Chargers are relying on a receiver who was just signed off the street; and Herbert makes a disastrous decision while trying to do too much. Seven seconds. That’s all Lamar Jackson needed to get the Ravens from their own 35-yard line into range for Tyler Loop’s game-winning kick. Here's how he did it. As easy as Jackson makes it look, that’s a remarkable throw. Per Next Gen Stats, the pass traveled 36.4 yards in 1.6 seconds. Based on my back-of-the-napkin math, that works out to a 46-MPH throw. As much as I’d like to heap praise on Jackson for the game-winning effort, the Cowboys' defense really botched this one. Some have blamed deep safety Alijah Clark for the coverage bust, but he’s actually doing his job by retreating downfield. The blame falls squarely on two Cowboys defenders who were nowhere near Zay Flowers when he caught the ball. The first culprit is safety Marquise Bell, who’s playing the "robber" role for Dallas. The robber’s job is to help with in-breaking routes over the middle, which Bell does—he just picks the wrong route to help on. Bell latches onto Mark Andrews, who’s running a crossing route that’s about 15 yards short of field goal range. With only seven seconds on the clock, Andrews didn't pose much of a threat, and Bell didn't need to jump his route. That put our second culprit, Caleb Downs, in a tough spot. Once Bell takes Andrews, Downs becomes the new robber. Downs needs more depth to get into deeper passing windows. Instead, he parks himself around midfield and is in no position to help on the routes behind him. Reddy Steward, the cornerback responsible for Flowers, expects help inside and plays with outside leverage. Could he have been tighter to Flowers? Absolutely, but his teammates left him out to dry. The takeaway: The coverage was poorly executed on the field, but this epic failure ultimately falls on first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Man coverage, with just one deep safety, is a bold call in that scenario. And if the young Cowboys secondary lacks the situational awareness to take up a deeper position, Parker should have gone with a more conservative call, like a soft zone. Over three weeks, this Dallas defense has played like a poorly coached unit. Parker was brought in to clean up last year's mess and help out the offense. That hasn't happened and the 2026 Cowboys look an awful lot like the 2025 version of the team. Let’s stay on the subject of coaches not putting their players in a good spot to succeed. Only in Denver, Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga found a way to make a play for his team despite his defensive coordinator, Vance Joseph, putting him in a precarious situation. Hufanga’s game-changing pick-6 of Matthew Stafford came on a play where he was left to fend for himself in a two-on-one situation. The Broncos sent an all-out blitz on third-and-6 and disguised it by lining up a safety in the deep middle. With only Hufanga lined up over the two receivers to Stafford’s right, the Rams quarterback assumed one of the potential blitzers on the line of scrimmage would have to drop into coverage. That didn’t happen. Denver sent the house and asked Jones to come out of the deep middle to cover one of those receivers man-to-man. Stafford recognized it instantly and targeted Kyren Williams’ quick out route. Quick outs are typically a good answer against the blitz, with defenders often playing with inside leverage to guard against quick slants and in-breakers. So, this was a bit of an I-know-you-know situation. Hufanga knew Stafford would be looking for the quick out against the blitz and fell off his original assignment to jump that route. Hufanga made a similar play to seal the win. With the Rams needing a touchdown and only seconds on the clock, the Broncos sent another blitz, leaving the secondary in man-to-man coverage across the board. Knowing Stafford would likely target Davante Adams, Hufanga left his man and made a break on the ball to pick it off and end the game. "Your [thought] is, ‘best player on the field, they’re trying to get him the ball," Hufanga said after the game. "So I kind of left my coverage and just went over there and made a play." The takeaway: After a rough start to the season, this Broncos defense is rounding into championship form. Zach Allen was the hero in the Week 2 win over the Jaguars. This week, it was Hufanga, who also had a key third-down sack in the fourth quarter. Joseph has an ideal collection of plays to run his chaotic brand of defense. When this unit is at its best, even the league's most experienced quarterbacks can struggle to figure out what they’re seeing. Next week’s matchup against the 49ers and the league’s hottest quarterback, Brock Purdy, will be a real test. The Broncos defense looks up to the challenge. 1. NFL teams should be running more lateral plays like the one the 49ers used to score an 82-yard touchdown on Sunday. That play inspired me to look into how effective those plays are, and the results are stunning. I excluded desperation plays in the dying moments of a game or half and focused on lateral plays called in more typical situations. I found 25 of them dating back to 2021. Those plays have averaged 18.9 yards and resulted in 15 first downs. Almost all of them have come in second- or third-and-extra-long situations. Ben Johnson has been the tactic's biggest advocate. The Lions ran the play five times over his three seasons as offensive coordinator, and he used it once last year in Chicago. Kyle Shanahan had used it once before Sunday’s game. In last year’s loss to the Jaguars, Christian McCaffrey picked up a first down on second-and-16 after receiving a lateral from Ricky Pearsall. Maybe Sunday’s big play will convince Shanahan to lean into the strategy a bit more. After all, Purdy is now averaging 56 yards per attempt on those plays. 2. The Jets lost in Detroit on a sack-fumble by Geno Smith, but the veteran quarterback was hardly to blame. New York's protection broke down, giving Lions safety Chuck Clark a clear path to Smith. So who was to blame? It looks like left guard Jordan Meredith caused the bust. The Jets are sliding three linemen to the left, with running back Braelon Allen working away from the slide. With six in protection, the Jets should have enough to pick up Detroit’s pressure. Instead, Meideth gets hung up on the defensive tackle and pins center Josh Myers inside. Myers and Allen both end up on Jack Campbell, leaving Clark unblocked. 3. As FOX Sports’ Joe Davis observed during Washington’s upset of Seattle on Sunday, Marcus Mariota looked like Peyton Manning orchestrating the Commanders' offense at the line of scrimmage. Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald noticed it too, and credited Mariota’s pre-snap checks for making the difference. Mariota's most important change came on the final drive. With the Commanders facing a third-and-9 and holding onto a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Seattle’s defense lined up in a blitz look with seven defenders on the line of scrimmage. Mariota had seen this look before. Earlier in the game, Seattle aligned the same way on second-and-long, and Mariota checked into a run that went for a 48-yard touchdown, but an illegal formation penalty negated it. Mariota made the same check on the key third-down play. This time, Washington lined up correctly, and Rachad White ran for 19 yards to pick up a key first down. A few plays later, Mariota iced the game with a zone-read keeper.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/FnRgeAw

Monday Morning NFL Top 10 Rankings: Undefeated Teams Shoot Up The Rankings

There are six undefeated NFL teams. Most of them aren't major surprises, but no one saw one of them coming. The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles (who play on Monday night against the Bears) and San Francisco 49ers aren’t surprises. The Minnesota Vikings are talented but had some major question marks entering the season. Their 3-0 start is nowhere near as surprising as that of the Las Vegas Raiders. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been impressive through three games, and he powered a win over the Saints on Sunday. Below are my top-10 rankings ahead of Eagles-Bears, which will close Week 3. The Ravens’ improbable international win spotlighted the warts and blemishes on a team with enough talent to make a Super Bowl run. The defense’s inability to deliver in the clutch was overshadowed by QB Lamar Jackson’s late-game heroics, but the unit must close out games in the fourth quarter against elite squads. Although the two-time MVP is built for those moments, the defense should be able to come through in the fourth quarter, with a star-studded unit loaded with playmakers. After rallying back against the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders must be viewed as playoff contenders under Klint Kubiak. The offensive wizard has revived quarterback Kirk Cousins with his magical play calls and schematic sorcery. With tight end Brock Bowers returning to the lineup and giving the Silver and Black an explosive weapon in the passing game, the Raiders have enough firepower to topple the league’s middleweights on the way to a 10-win season that earns them a ticket to the postseason dance. Trevor Lawrence & Co. continue to dazzle in front of the home folks, with a 35-6 drubbing of the Super Bowl runner-up Patriots. The MVP finalist efficiently picked apart New England's soft coverage, with a series of "dimes" to Parker Washington, Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers. The trio’s chemistry and connection with Lawrence is one reason the Jaguars have scored at least 34 points in their past six home games. Bo Nix’s penchant for clutch, fourth-quarter performances gives the Broncos a chance to beat any opponent. The third-year QB's 11 game-winning drives and nine fourth-quarter comebacks showcase his ability to perform with the game on the line. With the Broncos knocking off the preseason Super Bowl champs in a late-game shootout, the haters and skeptics are forced to give the Broncos’ QB1 his props as a premier closer. After dropping a game to a winless Commanders squad playing a backup quarterback, the Seahawks tumble down the charts after the stinker even after the return of Sam Darnold. The turnovers, mental errors and faulty execution that cost the Seahawks in Week 3 are the only things that could derail their title run. The Eagles have two wins by a margin of just six total points and need to take care of the Bears, who will be without injured QB Caleb Williams on Monday. But with veteran QB Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley leading the way, Philly is a gritty squad that looks well-positioned to make another title run and silence the haters. Brock Purdy is quietly creeping into MVP consideration. His stellar Week 3 performance against the Cardinals — he completed 15 of 27 passes for 297 yards with four scores — pushed his passer rating to a jaw-dropping 125.6, which puts him near the top of the charts. As the fifth-year pro settles into his role as a pass-first point guard for a veteran-laden squad, the 49ers’ offense is becoming a well-oiled machine. San Francisco's diverse passing game complements a punishing rushing attack, with running back Christian McCaffrey installed as the feature playmaker. The 2026 Vikings are gritty and never pretty, but their unblemished record speaks volumes about their toughness and resilience. Brian Flores’ defense pummels opponents into submission with a barrage of blitzes and simulated pressures that leave quarterbacks dazed and bewildered. Although Kevin O’Connell will need QB Kyler Murray and the offense to help knock off the heavyweights down the road, the Vikings’ suffocating defense can win games without a ton of points on the board. Don’t look now, but Patrick Mahomes & Co. are back in business as title contenders. The three-time Super Bowl MVP continues to carve up opponents with surgical precision despite posting pedestrian numbers as a passer. As Mahomes rounds back into form with a dominant running back by his side in Kenneth Walker III, the Chiefs suddenly look like the formidable squad that the league feared throughout the 2020s. After showing the league that they’re not a one-man show on the way to earning their third win, the Bills deserve the top spot on my list. James Cook flashed "take-over-the-game" skills, rumbling for 154 yards on 24 carries against the Chargers. The Pro Bowler proved to the football world that he can put the offense on his back, even if it was just for one game. With the Bills’ offense featuring a franchise quarterback in Josh Allen and a game-changing back, the rest of the league must prepare for a balanced squad that can win by leaning on its running game or aerial attack.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/SYqlr4o

Big Bets Report: Rams-Broncos Cost Bettor $300k; Another Turns $2 Into $10k

Per usual, on a huge NFL and college football weekend, big bets were flying around at sportsbooks across the country. And when $300,000 lands on the Rams-Broncos Under 44.5, well, that’s rightly going to get some attention. But how about a more relatable bet size to all of us average Joes and Janes? And something that actually won? Like a $2 wager that became 10 grand. More on that winner, the major Under wager that went begging, a prescient Sunday night in-game bettor and more, as we recap the weekend that was in football betting. 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. Running backs and wide receivers are always popular in First Touchdown Scorer markets. Sometimes quarterbacks, too, particularly if the Bills’ Josh Allen is involved. But nondescript tight ends? Not so much. So it’s hard to say what led a Caesars Sports customer to put all of two bucks on this tight-end trio Sunday: Sadiq (Jets), Fannin (Browns) and Johnson (Saints) were long-ish shots to score the first TD in their respective games. Key those players together in a three-leg parlay, and you get massive odds of +503900, or in easier-to-digest terms, 5039/1. All three were the first to hit paydirt, vs. the Lions, Panthers and Raiders, respectively. So the bettor’s $2 turned into a hefty $10,078 windfall. As alluded to above, a DraftKings Sports customer ponied up a whopping $300,000 on Rams-Broncos Under 44.5 in the Sunday night game. It was 16-0 Rams at halftime, but Denver then put up two TDs before the third quarter ended, and got two-point conversions on each to tie the game at 16. Still, with five minutes left in the game and L.A. up 19-16, the Under prospect was quite alive. But 21 points went up in those final five minutes, beginning with a Talanoa Hufanga pick-six for Denver. The Broncos won 30-26, and that Under major wager became a six-figure donation to the house. In-game betting continues to grow in popularity, offering options one couldn’t even think of just a few years ago. For example: How will the Broncos’ seventh drive end? At FanDuel Sports, a bettor tossed a nominal $10 on tight end Nate Adkins to cap that drive with a touchdown, at odds of +12500 (125/1). Adkins delivered on an 8-yard TD catch late in the third quarter. That turned 10 bucks into $1,250 profit (total payout $1,260). And at Fanatics Sportsbook, before the Rams-Broncos kickoff, a high-roller put $5,000 on Adkins Anytime Touchdown. The odds were +1800, but the customer utilized a profit-boost promotion to hike the number to +2250. So when Adkins hauled in the TD pass, the bettor pocketed $112,500 profit (total payout $117,500). In Thursday night’s Falcons-Packers tilt, a Kalshi customer did something almost no one else was doing: putting faith in Atlanta. The trader served up $101,500 on the Packers to not win, at a price of 29%, which correlates to odds of +245. That actually gave the customer two outs: Green Bay losing outright, or the Packers and Falcons playing to a tie after overtime. The trader didn’t have to sweat out that second option. Atlanta stunningly hammered Green Bay 35-14, and the trader profited $248,500 (total payout $350,000). Also at Kalshi, a trader put $85,000 on Texas to beat Tennessee by five or more points. The Longhorns led 20-10 in the waning minutes, but a Vols touchdown with 1:22 remaining accounted for the final score: Texas 20, Tennessee 17. So that’s high five figures in the loss column. And in the risk-a-lot-to-win-a-little department, a Kalshi customer put up a whopping $303,603 that Sam Houston State — a massive underdog — would not beat Texas Tech. The price on that trade was 98%, which equates to -4900, ostensibly a slam-dunk favorite. No surprise, the Bearkats got drilled 49-14. The trader profited a relatively nominal $6,196 (total payout $309,799). Sometimes, it’s about putting 10 bucks on a single straight bet, backing a long shot or semi-long shot, and getting a solid return on investment. For example, at DraftKings, Vikings wideout/kick returner Myles Price was a hefty +11000 (110/1) to score the first TD of Sunday’s game vs. the Buccaneers. But midway through the first quarter, Price broke off an 86-yard punt return to put Minnesota up 10-0. If you’d thrown a tenner on that, then you’d have an extra $1,100 in your bankroll today. If you got frisky and put $100 on Price First TD Score, then you’d have $11,000. How about taking Rams tight end Tyler Higbee to score the first TD on Sunday night? At Caesars Sports, Higbee was +3000 to do so. With five minutes left in the first quarter, Higbee delivered on a 5-yard scoring catch. Ten bucks on that turned into a tidy $300 profit. Or perhaps you made an in-game moneyline wager or two on teams that trailed big. At Fanatics, the Broncos were +1500 in-game, early in the third quarter, while trailing 16-0. As noted above, Denver came back in a wild second half to win 30-26. A $10 bet returned $150 profit. Also at Fanatics, Wisconsin was +2500 while trailing No. 13 Penn State 17-0 in the second quarter. Shockingly, on the road, the Badgers came all the way back to pull off a 24-20 upset. Ten dollars on that unlikelihood turned into $250. That $300,000 Rams-Broncos Under was the largest reported sports bet of the week. Arguably the sweat of the week came on the Northwestern vs. Indiana game. The Hoosiers were 20.5-point home favorites. A Caesars Sports customer decided to take the supposedly safe route, betting $25,000 on Indiana moneyline -2500. All the Hoosier had to do was win, regardless of margin. Indiana didn’t exactly light it up in the first half, but still led 12-0. By the fourth quarter, though, it got much more interesting, as Northwestern pulled within 22-20 on a TD with 5:10 remaining. The Hoosiers held on for a 29-23 victory. And for all that sweat, the bettor profited a total of $1,000 (total payout $26,000). Other notable wagers on college football Week 4 odds: More major wagers on NFL Week 3 odds: It’s always worth reminding that these high-rolling bettors have the ability to absorb big losses. You and me? Probably not so much. Keep your bet size and expectations reasonable. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/gdokFmT

NFL Fallout Week 3: The Patriots Are Battling More Than A Super Bowl Hangover

No one was comparing Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady just yet — not even after the New England Patriots HC-QB duo went to the Super Bowl in their first year together. But Pats fans were feeling pretty good about their future. The franchise seemed set for a sustained run of success. It turns out that last year, when Vrabel was the Coach of the Year and Maye was nearly the league MVP, were the good old days — already gone, and maybe soon to be forgotten. Because as good as last year was, that’s how bad this year has been. And the way Maye and the 1-2 Patriots are going, their Super Bowl hangover might linger through the fall. Yes, it's almost time to write off the 2026 Patriots, who suffered a humiliating 35-6 loss in Jacksonville on Sunday. Maye, in particular, has been awful this season. He was just 14 of 25 for 199 yards and two interceptions against the Jaguars. Those are basically his season averages through three games, as he's passed for less than 600 yards and thrown just one touchdown pass with six interceptions. That puts him among the worst quarterbacks in football, one year after he was easily one of the best. And he’s not alone in his ineptitude. Vrabel appears to have no answers for a team with no running game, no pass rush, no consistency, no spark. Maybe the world should have seen this coming. When Vrabel should’ve been focused on the NFL draft and laying the groundwork for another Super Bowl run, he was embroiled in personal scandal with NFL insider Dianna Russini this offseason, which included a marriage counseling retreat. That was a bad way to prepare for a season in which his Pats were already facing a big jump in strength of schedule. Still, they should have been good enough to at least not embarrass themselves in the face of stiffer competition. But what they really couldn’t have seen coming was Maye's regression. The third-year pro looks lost at times on the field. He’s made some incredibly bad decisions. Both his interceptions against the Jaguars were to well-covered receivers who didn't have much of a chance to make the catch. That included one in the end zone where Maye threw on the run, off his back foot and right into the defender’s hands. A year ago, when Maye threw 31 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions, he made few decisions like these. He played with poise and remained accurate, even when his offensive line had him under duress. But through three games this year, he’s just been alarmingly ineffective. And he’s getting no help from an anemic rushing attack. On Sunday, New England's defense couldn't get off the field on third downs and was worn down by its own offense repeatedly putting it back on the field. That all falls on Vrabel and his coaching staff. They’d surely argue that his distraction-filled offseason had nothing to do with the Pats' current problems, but with each stumble, that gets harder to believe. Coming out of the Super Bowl, albeit a lopsided loss to the Seahawks, I believed they were just getting started on a long run of contention. It feels premature to suggest their title window could already be closing, but it might be too late for them to reverse course in 2026. Their Waterloo may come this Sunday in Buffalo — a last chance to stop the Bills from turning the AFC East race into a rout. Because after that, even while playing in a division with the Dolphins and the Jets, the Patriots’ schedule is too unforgiving to assume they'll fix their myriad issues on the field enough to even be in the wild-card hunt. And that’s shocking, really, because a mere eight months ago there were legitimate reasons to believe that New England was perhaps building another dynasty. The calendar still says September, and the Pats already look like last year's AFC title was a fluke. After three straight years of seemingly knocking on the door of Super Bowl contention, that door has now slammed shut in the face of the Houston Texans. And soon they’re going to have to grapple with a very difficult problem concerning their quarterback: C.J. Stroud isn't good enough to lead them to a title. Right now, this era in Texans football is going to be remembered as a waste. Never mind that they had three trips to the playoffs and three playoff wins in the past three seasons. The bigger picture is they had the best defense in football last season, and maybe the best in the league since DeMeco Ryans became the coach in 2023. And somehow it just wasn’t enough. Stroud, who was sensational as a rookie in 2023, has been average, at best, ever since. On Sunday, he became a game manager against a Colts defense that had given up a ridiculous 1,029 yards through its first two games. He was just 16 for 27 for 167 yards and a touchdown in the Texans' 19-17 loss. He’s thrown just three touchdown passes this season. The Texans started 0-3 last year, too, but their defense was good enough to drag them to the playoffs. This year’s defense is still good, but hasn’t quite shown the same level of dominance. That means that to pull out of this tailspin, the Texans will need to see the dynamic version of Stroud that has been missing the past two-plus years. Absent that, they’ll head into the offseason wondering if they made a mistake even picking up his fifth-year option, which will pay him $25.9 million in 2027. Given his talent and potential, it was probably worth the relatively low price. But it’s going to be hard to argue Stroud is worth a lucrative, long-term commitment when contract talks resume after the season. It wouldn't surprise me if the front office was already studying what might be a loaded quarterback draft class. The quarterback situation in Minnesota is bordering on miserable. Kyler Murray, in his first game back from a concussion Sunday, looked like a shell of his former self. Carson Wentz was barely serviceable, not even reaching 300 total yards in Murray’s near-two-game absence. And J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in 2024, can’t get on the field. So, how are the Vikings 3-0? It’s a combination of some impressive defensive play (and scheming by Vikings DC Brian Flores) and O’Connell coaxing just enough offense out of his underwhelming unit. On Sunday, they beat the reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-16 despite just 168 passing yards from Murray, 78 team rushing yards, and just two catches from top receiver Justin Jefferson before he left with an ankle injury. Minnesota pulled off another improbable win by generating six sacks and constant pressure, plus a pair of interceptions inside the final 100 seconds to officially end the game. Such success is probably unsustainable if the Vikings can’t get more out of their offense. But the way Flores’ defense is playing, they might not need much. If O’Connell can turn Murray into anything close to what he was in Arizona, maybe work some of the magic he conjured up with Sam Darnold two years ago, this becomes a dangerous team. Right now, the Vikings are probably a notch below the three contenders in the NFC West, and maybe even the Philadelphia Eagles. But don’t count out O’Connell, who might be the early front-runner for NFL Coach of the Year and has gotten the most out of middling QBs in the past. The Cleveland Browns were supposed to be one of the worst teams in football, especially after trading away All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. And Deshaun Watson was universally considered a well-deserved disaster waiting to happen at quarterback. But it turns out, maybe Todd Monken wasn’t completely delusional with the confidence he showed heading into his first NFL head coaching job. Because after their 21-18 win over the Panthers on Sunday, the Browns are 2-1, and it would be foolish to dismiss them as a punchline anymore. They still have issues, particularly at quarterback. Watson wasn’t good at all for the first three quarters against Carolina (10 of 21, 67 yards), before he engineered the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter and won it with his third touchdown pass. But the embattled QB is surrounded by a host of young talent (RB Quinshon Jenkins, TE Harold Fanin, WR Denzel Boston, DL Jared Verse, LB Carson Schwesinger and more) and a coach who has put them in the right places to succeed against back-to-back NFC South teams. Maybe it won’t last. And maybe at some point this season Cleveland will be better off giving Shedeur Sanders another look. But don’t dismiss these wins as a fluke. And don’t pretend like there was anyone outside of Monken’s office who thought the Browns were capable of a 2-1 start. Fernando Mendoza figured to be one of the most exciting rookies to watch this season, once the Las Vegas Raiders drafted him in April with the No. 1 overall pick. Now it’s not clear if we’ll even get a chance to watch him this season at all. The way Kirk Cousins is playing for the Raiders right now, the wait for Mendoza could be an unexpectedly long one. The 38-year-old Cousins has given the undermanned Raiders exactly what they need: relatively solid and stable play at the most important position. Cousins has thrown nine touchdown passes and just three interceptions. He threw 10 all of last year (in eight starts) and led the NFL in interceptions in 2024. Stunningly, he's been the anchor to Las Vegas' 3-0 start. Now, the Raiders' schedule has been suspect — they’ve beaten the 0-3 Dolphins, the 0-3 Dolphins and now the 1-2 Saints. But two of those wins came as road underdogs. Over the next eight weeks, they'll play Kansas City, Buffalo, the Rams, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver, so maybe the bubble is about to burst. But Cousins' presence has at least given the Raiders a chance to get better, and maybe to even stay on the fringe of the playoff chase for a little while. As long as he’s doing that, there’s no rush for coach Klint Kubiak to turn things over to Mendoza. The kid can learn plenty by standing on the sidelines, watching the veteran lead the team, adopt good habits and build a strong culture. That’ll make it easier for Mendoza when he does finally play. In other words, there’s no reason to rush the rookie. The Raiders’ future can wait. In NFL Fallout, Ralph Vacchiano breaks down the impact of the biggest events every Sunday.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/rEWZ0Kg

Ravens' Tyler Loop Hits Ronaldo's ‘Siu’ After Walk-Off FG To Beat Cowboys In Brazil

One of soccer's most iconic celebrations showed up at the Maracanã on Sunday, courtesy of an NFL kicker. Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop made a 56-yard field goal as time expired Sunday to beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-31, then celebrated with Cristiano Ronaldo's "Siu" as the crowd at Maracanã Stadium repeated it back to him. The "Siu" is Ronaldo's trademark goal celebration, in which he jumps, spins in the air and lands with his feet wide and his arms at his sides while shouting "Siuuu," a stretched-out version of the Spanish word for "yes." Loop said teammate Ryan Eckley had suggested a soccer-style knee slide after a big kick. He went with the "Siu" instead. With about three minutes left, Loop said, teammate Nick Moore told him, "We're gonna do something epic to win this game." "Our number was called, and Nick (Moore) and Ryan and the guys up front, they all did their job, so I can do mine," Loop said. "I'm so proud of this team." Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey made a 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 31 with seven seconds left. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson then completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers and called a timeout with one second remaining, which set up Loop's kick. The game was the NFL's third in Brazil and its first in Rio de Janeiro, and the announced crowd was 72,792. It was the first American football game played at Maracanã. The kick came after a miss in last season's finale. Loop missed a 44-yard field goal that would have sent the Ravens to the playoffs, and Baltimore lost 26-24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He said the team responded to difficulty this season. "One thing we talked about was being on one accord," Loop said. "There was adversity, and then we went and responded, and we delivered, and it was awesome." He said the bond with teammates is what he values most about the sport. "That's the most special thing about this sport, the fellowship and the togetherness that you can build with those guys," Loop said. "It's a blast to see all this come through a lot of adversity between last season and now."

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/6OBfpa4

2026 NFL Odds Week 4: Lines, Spreads, Results For All 16 Games

All that remains in Week 3 is a Monday Night Football matchup between the Eagles and Bears, before Week 4 kicks off with a Thursday tilt between the Steelers and Browns. Here are the lines for every Week 4 matchup at bet365 Sportsbook as of Sept. 27. 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. Spread: Steelers -2.5Moneyline: Steelers -150, Browns +125O/U: 38.5 Spread: Colts -3.5Moneyline: Colts -200, Commanders +165O/U: 47.5 Spread: Giants -2.5Moneyline: Giants -135, Cardinals +115O/U: 43.5 Spread: Texans -1.5Moneyline: Texans -130, Cowboys +110O/U: 46.5 Spread: TBDMoneyline: TBDO/U: TBD Spread: Bengals -2.5Moneyline: Bengals -140, Jaguars +120O/U: 49.5 Spread: Rams -2.5Moneyline: Rams -150, Eagles +125O/U: 45.5 Spread: Bills -6.5Moneyline: Bills -310, Patriots +250O/U: 48.5 Spread: Bears -2.5Moneyline: Bears -160, Jets +135O/U: 42.5 Spread: Ravens -11.5Moneyline: Ravens -750, Titans +525O/U: 43.5 Spread: Vikings -10.5Moneyline: Vikings -700, Dolphins +500O/U: 42.5 Spread: 49ers -2.5Moneyline: 49ers -160, Broncos +135O/U: 45.5 Spread: Chiefs -5.5Moneyline: Chiefs -250, Raiders +205O/U: 45.5 Spread: Seahakws -6.5Moneyline: Seahawks -310, Chargers +250O/U: 44.5 Spread: Lions -2.5Moneyline: Lions -155, Panthers +130O/U: 46.5 Spread: Saints -2.5Moneyline: Saints -155, Falcons +130O/U: 46.5

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/nCNsZak

The Two-Way Impact: How Backup QBs Alter Offensive And Defensive Game Plans

No longer just clipboard holders, high-priced backup quarterbacks are now viewed as essential season insurance policies. It’s not just about having a backup plan, but it’s the sheer volume of starting quarterbacks going down. Just two weeks into this season, six teams have already been forced to turn to backups due to injury. Replacing a starting quarterback isn't just an offensive issue. It completely changes how the defense plays. On "FOX NFL Kickoff," analysts Charles Woodson and Julian Edelman broke down how a quarterback change forces both sides of the ball to adjust. Woodson focused on the predatory mindset of a defense facing an unproven passer. "From a defensive standpoint, you’re licking your chops because you’re thinking to yourself that this guy doesn’t have the time on task that the regular guy does," Woodson said. "He doesn’t work with the ones. As a defense, you’re throwing the entire kitchen sink at the backup because you think you can get him rattled." However, Woodson pointed out that the message on the backup's team is completely different. He revealed what players and coaches should be telling their QB2. "You tell him, ‘Hey man, we got your back,’" Woodson said. "'Don’t turn the ball over, we’ll be fine.' That’s the situation today with Seattle and Washington. For the past couple of weeks, [the Seahawks] had Drew Lock. He came in and held it down." Edelman, on the other hand, pointed to the surge of energy a backup can bring to an offense, focusing on how having the right player under center can motivate an entire locker room. He pointed to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as a prime example. "Penix comes back from injury and what happens? The Atlanta Falcons look like a completely different football team," Edelman said. "I mean we were talking about Atlanta potentially losing to a college football team before Week 3. It looked really bad." The return of Penix not only shows the impact of a difference-making quarterback, but Edelman thinks his return is bigger than we think. He went so far as to say the Falcons could now win the NFC South. That's how much a quarterback means to his team. "The NFL is so week-to-week," Edelman said. "It’s so unbelievable. We were writing these guys off for dead and now they could potentially win the [NFC] South because the run game travels and that offensive line travels. It’s going to be really interesting."

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/D1msjY5

Will Hill's Parlay Of The Week: Ravens In Brazil, Unders In College Football Slate

It’s the weekend and everybody loves to bet a little to win a lot. Every Friday I’ll pick my five favorite bets and try to turn a little coffee money into a nice juicy ribeye. Let’s take a look at the parlay for this week, which comes out to +1198 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Wagering 10 bucks on this would land you $129.80. 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. Oklahoma has an upper echelon defense that may be able to keep this game against Georgia somewhat competitive, but can Oklahoma cook up anything on offense? Their trip to Michigan two weeks ago generated just 10 points and under 300 yards of offense. I think they struggle to crack double digits here on the road in a hostile environment. Iowa visits Michigan this week in what should be a low-scoring, field position type of game. If Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood can avoid turnovers, Iowa will have a hard time generating big plays against a stout Wolverine defense that has won games 17-10 and 13-12 already this season. Expect a similar rock-fight here. USC head coach Lincoln Riley does something unconventional. When USC wins the coin toss, USC often chooses to take the ball first, while most coaches defer. It’s likely here that USC starts with the ball, and that is very valuable when betting on only the first quarter. You have to use an alternate line on this one, but with a five-leg parlay, the payout will still be really juicy if we can get it in the win column. Heavy wind and rain are expected in the northeast this weekend, and I think both teams will be conservative on offense in the early portion of this game. The Ravens travel to Brazil to take on the Cowboys this Sunday. For all of the talk prior to the season around how the Cowboys would be improved defensively, we have yet to see the results to prove it. Dallas has given up nearly 400 yards of offense and almost six yards per play in each of its first two games. I like the Ravens to win a shootout.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/yFxuhnP

2026 NFL, College Football Odds: Best Bets For Ole Miss-Florida, Chargers-Bills

If Ohio’s third-string quarterback didn’t take the Bobcats down the field for a touchdown in the final minute against South Alabama, we would’ve gone a perfect 5-0 last week. Them’s the breaks sometimes. 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: 7-6-1, +0.4 units) Talk about a tough spot for Clemson. The Tigers travel all the way across the country on a short week to face a feisty Cal squad with a very talented quarterback. Sophomore Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (JKS for short) is an electric playmaker with a rocket arm and I think he’ll have a big day against the Clemson secondary. Give me the points. This one won’t be a beauty pageant. I might not even watch it. You’ve got two strong defensive lines and two really conservative head coaches. Don’t be surprised when one of these guys punts from the opponent’s 40 or kicks a field goal on 4th and 2. Also, Iowa always does a good job limiting mobile quarterbacks and I don’t expect that to change. As retired Vegas bookmaker Ed Salmons told me earlier this week, "the line is telling you who’s going to cover this game." It is interesting how the public didn’t want to bet Ole Miss last week at home, but now people are lining up to bet on them in The Swamp. This Gators defense is much improved and I know Jon Sumrall wasn’t happy with the team’s 16 penalties last week. Rather than lay three, I’m drinking juice on the moneyline. This is Penn State’s first real test of the season. No offense to Marshall, Temple and Buffalo, but Wisconsin provides the toughest test in the trenches and the Badgers might have found something at quarterback with Old Dominion QB Colton Joseph. Wise guys historically love fading Matt Campbell as a double-digit favorite and those 10 points look extra enticing considering the total is only 44. A 7-0 Wisconsin start would be lovely. You’ll probably hate this one, but I’m all over the Chargers here. After being a trendy offseason dark horse pick for the sixth straight year, Los Angeles lost its first two games as a touchdown favorite. And it’s been ugly. So there’s very little appetite to bet the Bolts. As somebody who hasn’t been burned yet, this underrated underdog role is perfect. Jim Harbaugh will empty the playbook and I think desperation works in our favor. Speaking of teams that are 0-2 SU and against the spread (ATS), meet the Buccaneers. Fresh off a loss to the lowly Cleveland Browns, the Bucs are now home underdogs against Minnesota. And naturally, the Vikings are super popular after beating the Bears last Sunday. I probably trust Baker Mayfield more than I should in this spot, but the Buccaneers have plenty of talent on the outside to circumvent all the blitzes Brian Flores will dial up.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/hgCKrJ3

Justin Herbert Isn't Fully To Blame For Chargers' Woes, But He Can Learn From Josh Allen

I made the grave mistake of defending Justin Herbert on social media this week and sparked another unbearable debate on the Chargers quarterback. I probably should have known that nothing I would say would change the minds of those who think he’s overrated. The back-and-forth between the two sides has become repetitive. Herbert backers will point to his film and expansive skill set, while his detractors will keep asking why all that talent hasn’t produced more wins and better stats, with neither side willing to cede any ground. With the Chargers at 0-2 and staring down an unforgiving gauntlet of contenders that starts with Sunday’s game against the Bills, their season is pretty much chalked. So, Herbert will likely go another season without notching that elusive playoff win, and the football world will keep debating whether he’s worth all the hype. I’m firmly on the pro-Herbert side of the debate, but I’m willing to admit there are holes in his game that have contributed to L.A.’s disappointing start. With Herbert facing off against Bills star Josh Allen this weekend, the contrast between their games will put his biggest weakness on full display. The Bills quarterback is a daring playmaker whose cavalier approach is highly effective and sometimes reckless. But no matter how many mistakes Allen makes, he keeps Buffalo’s offense at the top of the NFL’s efficiency charts and in title contention. Herbert’s style of play may lead to fewer mistakes, but it hasn't led to more consistency for his offense or more success for his team. Herbert can be a bit robotic, following the script his offensive coordinator lays out, even when the situation calls for a little improvisation. It’s not that Herbert is bad when playing out of structure; he just doesn’t do it nearly enough for a guy of his ability. He’s 6-foot-6 and can outrun defensive linemen and most linebackers. He doesn’t lose any arm strength on the run and doesn’t need much time or space to get a throw off. Take this play from last year’s win over the Broncos. Herbert shrugs off 285-pound defensive lineman Zach Allen, escapes the pocket, and quickly flips his hips to get a throw off with edge rusher Nik Bonitto right in his lap. Oh, and it’s a perfectly placed, 30-yard dot that beats tight coverage. That’s a play that only two other quarterbacks in this league can make: Allen and Patrick Mahomes. We just don’t see him make those plays nearly as often as those two. It’s not like Herbert is trying and failing to make them, though. And that’s why it can be frustrating to watch Herbert dutifully go through his progression, hoping one of his receivers will pop open (they usually don’t), and his protection will hold up (it usually doesn’t). So, while he can be a victim of his circumstances — and his mediocre statistical production is a product of his offensive environment — Herbert is choosing to play on hard mode more than he needs to. Herbert taps into the play-making mindset when he’s forced to. That throw against the Broncos is a good example. Here’s another from last Sunday’s loss to the Raiders. The play call is a dud that leaves Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby unblocked, with Herbert’s play-fake putting him directly in the path of the all-World pass rusher. Herbert coolly side-steps to create space and hits tight end Oronde Gadsden II for a touchdown. If I could make one change to Herbert’s game, I'd rewire his brain so he'd play more like Allen and approach every dropback as if there’s an unblocked defender in his face – it wouldn’t require much imagination behind that offensive line – and to play every drive like the Chargers are down 10 in crunch time. It would lead to more mistakes, sure, but like Allen, Herbert is talented enough that the good would easily outweigh the bad. With the Chargers in complete disarray, the need for Herbert to break out of his shell is stronger than ever. More than anything, he should be more aggressive in hunting play-making opportunities earlier in games before it’s too late. In each of the first two weeks, Herbert played well when the game was still hanging in the balance. Per Next Gen Stats, he’s averaging 8.3 yards per attempt and 0.12 (expected points added) EPA per dropback when L.A.’s win probability is greater than 25%. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the fifth-best quarterback in the league outside the fourth quarter this season. Things have fallen apart in garbage time, though. When the Chargers have a win probability under 25%, Herbert's yards-per-attempt average drops to 5.0 and his EPA average plummets to -0.66. Those 17 dropbacks haven’t really affected the results of those games, but they have done significant damage to his stat line and how his performance over two weeks has been perceived. That’s why it’s difficult for Herbert truthers like me to fully blame him for the 0-2 start. He’s played well outside of garbage time. But over the last two weeks, it's become clear he needs to play even better – like the superstar quarterbacks in Kansas City and Buffalo – to overcome a crappy offensive environment and keep the game from reaching garbage time in the first place. I’ll concede that point to the anti-Herbert crowd. But if they’re holding him to Mahomes and Allen standards, they might think more highly of Herbert than I do.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/2eMRrdQ

#AskTom: Tom Brady Embarrassed By Piss Missile Quote; Who Should NFL Should Fear?

Tom Brady went viral for a call he made in the Dallas Cowboys' victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 2, but he wasn't proud of the moment. In the most recent edition of #AskTom, Brady shared some regret over the "piss missile" remark he made about one of Dak Prescott's completions while calling the game for FOX. "I’m actually kind of embarrassed," Brady said. "There’s a lot of grandmas at home that probably aren’t very happy with my mouth on FOX. I’m going to fix that. Sorry, I apologize." Brady called Prescott's 35-yard completion to CeeDee Lamb in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 37-20 win, as Dallas' quarterback made a well-placed throw along the sideline in tight coverage. But as Brady expressed regret at that remark, he also explained how passes like the one Prescott made are piss missiles. On top of that, Brady said which stadium enjoys broadcasting from the most and which team other teams in the league should be fearful of this season. Here's more of what Brady said in this week's #AskTom. Tom, I have to ask a piss missile question. Did your form change when you knew you had to dial one up or is it as simple as just throw it harder? Brady: That’s a great question. Look, when I was trying to throw piss missiles, I had to get all the things that mattered for throwing that thing hard and doing the right thing. The first thing is ground-force production — transfer from my lower half into a really good hitch into my throw. The second thing was torquing my body, rotating my shoulder to the target while keeping my hips closed. And three, keep a really relaxed arm so it ends up being a whip. When all three of those things align, a piss missile is what’s coming your way. I fully expect you to bleep out those piss missiles, OK? You can’t say that, because that swear job is getting way too full in my house. My kids are getting way too happy with me filling up that jar. I wanna see that next week, the Tom Brady swear jar. It has to be overflowing at this point. Brady: Too many. I’m actually kind of embarrassed. There’s a lot of grandmas at home that probably aren’t very happy with my mouth on FOX. I’m going to fix that. Sorry, I apologize. Tough week for QB injuries. Hopefully they’re not out for long. How do you keep your confidence in that position when you get back on the field? Brady: When you have the rhythm of the season, you go through training camp and you have the first game of the season, and then, all of a sudden, you get nicked up and you get injured, that’s not the place where you want to be. It’s hard to help the team from the training room. You’ve got to continue to stress the urgency, mentally. It’s one thing to not be on the field physically, but you’ve got to stay up to date with everything that’s happening in the meeting rooms. You can’t miss a beat from a mental perspective. You’ve got to take part in all the walkthroughs and be out there for practice because when you get back, all the teams you’re playing are just making improvements every single week and you’re kind of staying the status quo. So, to me, the great ones really still engage mentally. They’re working through their rehab process to get back to game speed so that when they do go back, it feels like they haven’t missed a beat. But there’s always going to be a little bit of rust, even if it’s only three or four plays as you go through the rehabilitation from an injury. What’s your favorite stadium to broadcast in? Brady: Such a great question, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d get picky about a stadium environment in a broadcast booth. But you get really spoiled when you go to some of these really fancy new indoor stadiums and everything is climate-controlled and I pick the suit I want to wear, I can get a little soft. Some of these outdoor stadiums, I used to never mind the cold. I never minded the snow or the rain or the wind. As a broadcaster, give me a dome team and a nice, controlled environment. One of my favorite places to go is actually Dallas to cover the Cowboys. They play well at home, I’ve got Jerry’s World to pull into and I've got Jerry-tron in front of me. It’s actually the most amazing — I think a lot of people just watch the game on the television screen. I sometimes even wonder if Jerry [Jones] looks at that screen like a lot of football fans and goes, "You know what, should we go a little bit bigger next year?" That’s what I would do. Tom, I do worry now that the Jets, Bills and maybe the Packers are going to be turning up the AC in the winter when they have you in the booth after they’ve heard this. Brady: Don’t think that the electricity bill is going to go down when I’m in the booth. I’m telling you to jack that thing up to Florida weather. I’ve got iguana blood now, so anything less than about 65 degrees, I’m freezing. I know, it’s kind of embarrassing to say, but sorry, I’m a Floridian now. Is there a unit that’s doing something new this year that’s really impressed you offensively or defensively? Brady: I think one thing that’s not only impressed me, but should honestly scare the rest of the NFL is the Chiefs’ running game. That’s kind of been an afterthought, even in all of their championship seasons. It wasn’t really a running team. It was a lot of passing the football. A lot of passing to [Travis] Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. Now, when you add this running game and you’ve got Kenneth Walker running the way he has, [opposing defenses] have got to come down and try to tackle him. As soon as they do that, that exposes a lot of 1-on-1 opportunities for [Patrick] Mahomes and you know he’s going to find those. So, I think this offense being able to run the ball becomes exponentially more explosive, and that should scare a lot of teams in the NFL.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/SmQblx2

Cody White Surprised In Raiders' Win vs. Chargers, But It Wasn't A Shock To Him

By the time Cody White caught his second touchdown pass Sunday, they knew who he was. The Las Vegas Raiders receiver, a 27-year-old practice squad call-up with more tackles than catches in his first six years in the NFL, was the surprise star of their 26-14 upset over the Chargers in Week 2. When he made a diving catch in the end zone for his first score Sunday, CBS' TV broadcast put up a graphic showing receiver Corey Rucker, a teammate who is on injured reserve. "I saw the CBS [graphic], saw that fantasy football didn't have me, the Madden [snub]. I don't think anybody was ready for me to go for two touchdowns like I did," White told me over the phone. CBS had a smiling headshot of White ready when he got open and uncovered in the end zone for a second touchdown, and friends who had trouble finding him in fantasy football a week ago can now see him as a potential waiver-wire add like anyone else. And for a player who'd scored just once in the NFL before Sunday, he came prepared with a pair of celebrations as well. "I've been in the league for seven years, so I know how hard it is to get to the end zone, so I want to go in there and have some fun," White said. "I think I found the first one on TikTok, and then the second one is just the Ronaldo and I pulled my lightsaber out like it was Star Wars." The Raiders might be the biggest surprise of the NFL's first two weeks, first beating the lowly Miami Dolphins but then going to Los Angeles and beating a Chargers team most saw as a likely playoff team. White might be as unlikely a success story as his team is, too. He was cut by the Seattle Seahawks on cutdown day in August after earning a Super Bowl ring last season. He landed on the Raiders' practice squad under head coach Klint Kubiak, who had him as Seattle's offensive coordinator last year. "From what I've seen, all the guys are buying into what Klint is selling, and the culture we're trying to build here," White said. White, long and lanky at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, showed enough in two weeks of practice that he was elevated to play in the Raiders' opener against Miami, and he had three tackles on special teams, one a touchdown-saving stop on a 79-yard kickoff return that earned him a game ball from coaches. He reverted to the practice squad after the game, but had been told early enough in the week that he would be elevated again that he was able to make sure his parents could fly in and attend the game, along with his brother Jordan, who lives in Los Angeles. White played only seven offensive snaps — his bread-and-butter is still on special teams, where he has more career tackles (15) than catches (11) —but still managed to catch touchdowns on two of them. The Raiders can elevate him one more time from their practice squad, but after that, they'll have to move to add him to the 53-man roster if they want to play him again. "He’s just the same guy that I knew last year," Kubiak said after the game. "I’m really proud of him. ... When his number’s called, he’s making the plays and obviously makes us have to make decisions." His three years at Michigan State — including leading the Spartans with 66 catches, 966 yards and six touchdowns in 2019 — were also the last three for Mark Dantonio, who has enjoyed following White's career in his retirement. "He's hung in there, and when he's given an opportunity, the guy makes plays," Dantonio told me. "Very smart player, good-natured, good teammate. Tall, big, makes the tough catch and will battle you for the ball. That catch radius, long arms. He was a great player for us, and it's no surprise that he's still in the NFL, and hopefully this verifies that for him." White's father, Sheldon, played six years in the NFL as a cornerback and has worked the last 30 years in NFL and college personnel offices, the last four with the Steelers. So Cody understands the business of the NFL, and his path to the end zone Sunday wasn't an easy one. White went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2020, and when he reported to his first training camp with the Chiefs, he took his physical, picked up his helmet and was promptly told to turn in his playbook as he was being cut. He signed with the Giants and was cut within a week, signed with the Broncos and was cut within two weeks, all in the same preseason. Then he spent a year on the Steelers' practice squad, all of 2021 on Pittsburgh's active roster, and just five games in three years before he found a role with Seattle in 2025, even scoring a 60-yard touchdown. He went on injured reserve in late December last year, but was part of a Super Bowl championship team. "Just that resilience, the never-give-up mentality," White said. "Being on four teams my rookie year, now I'm in Year 7 and still able to contribute and make plays on Sundays, to help my team get wins. I love the game of football, and my mom and my dad taught me growing up to never give up, that if you start something, you have to finish it. Here we are now."

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/kb6JCom

2026 NFL Week 3 Picks: Best Bets For Every Game — Will's Wagers

Quarterback injuries were unfortunately the theme of NFL Week 2. Hopefully this week's theme is that our NFL Week 3 best bets cash in. Here's where I'm putting my money. 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. The Packers have had a bad habit of blowing late, double-digit leads, but last week they flipped the script. Down 17-7 in the fourth quarter, the Packers rallied to beat the Jets 20-17 in overtime and now host the reeling Falcons, who have yet to run a play from inside the red zone this year. I think the Packers win by a touchdown. The Chargers are being left for dead after a brutal 0-2 start and a vicious schedule that lies ahead. But the summer line was Bills by 1.5, now it’s up to 7.5. A downgrade for the Chargers is warranted, but a 6-point adjustment seems aggressive. The Chargers are desperate and getting 7.5. I think they’ll bounce back with their backs against the wall and at least keep this game close. Maybe it will never happen. Maybe the Jets will never intercept another pass again. But if they do, I will be there holding a bet slip on it! All of 2025, the Jets failed to record an interception, and now through two games in 2026, they are without one once again. However, head coach Aaron Glenn knows opposing quarterback Jared Goff very well from Glenn’s time as the Lions' defensive coordinator and I think they can finally end the streak and force Goff into a miscue. Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes has heard for a couple of years now about how his skills may be declining and he doesn’t throw the ball down the field as well or as often as he once did. In Week 2, Mahomes answered some of those questions, throwing for 382 yards in a win over the Colts. I look for him to continue to put up big numbers this week against a helpless Dolphins defense. The 2–1 Cleveland Browns? I’m not sure who wins what is a very difficult game to figure out. But the Browns are home getting 2.5 points and have shown the roster is perhaps better than perception — despite the obvious concerns at quarterback. This feels like a typical Steelers game that they ugly up, keep close and either win or lose by a field goal to cover the 3.5-point spread. But I can’t do it. The Steelers looked alarmingly inept last week, losing 20-3 in New England and now face a Bengals squad that looks to be much improved defensively. It appears that the defending champs are still very good at football. The Cardinals were a trendy upset pick last week and tied with the Seahawks 7-7 before the Seahawks scored the final 24 points to win 31-7. With the Commanders forced to turn to back-up QB Marcus Mariota, I expect the Seahawks defense to dominate. These are two teams with high expectations after winning their respective divisions last year. The loser here will be facing some early anxiety that comes with a 1-2 start. While the Patriots haven’t been overly impressive thus far, I’ll take them getting 3 points in what figures to be a very close game between two squads that are evenly matched. This will be a battle of former first overall picks but 10 years apart, as Jameis Winston and Cam Ward are the quarterbacks for this one. I’ll go Over the 39.5. The Giants defense looked shaky Monday night against the Rams, and Winston is notorious for being ultra aggressive and creating big plays to the good and the bad. These are two 0-2 teams both in desperate need of a victory. The Colts lost to the Ravens and Chiefs, which are two respectable losses. But I’ll go with the much superior defense here and back the Texans. The Cardinals were the surprise team of Week 1, but Week 2 showed why expectations for them were quite modest heading into the season. I expect the 49ers to light up the scoreboard and quarterback Brock Purdy to continue his strong play. Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers with quarterback Kyler Murray making his return, look for Justin Jefferson to have a big day against the Buccaneers’ secondary. That unit struggled against a much less prolific passing game last week in a loss to the Browns. The Raiders look to start 3-0, but even with their surprising play early on, I think the Saints at home are the bet here, laying just a field goal. For all the talk that the Cowboys would be improved defensively, it hasn’t shown up on the field just yet. In a battle between two elite quarterbacks, I expect plenty of points, which we’ve all come to expect from Cowboys’ games. This was very nearly the Super Bowl matchup last year, but neither team made it and now they meet up several months later. I like Rams’ running back Blake Corum Over 48.5 rushing yards. Corum is averaging 67 yards per game through two weeks, and his backfield competition, Kyren Williams, lost a fumble last week. Corum should continue to see plenty of opportunities. It looks like veteran quarterback Case Keenum may be getting the nod for the Bears on Monday night. The third-stringer is the next man up after injuries to Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. I think both teams will rely heavily on the run game in this one, and I look for a low-scoring start early on.

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/KXUPgtE

2027 NFL Draft No. 1 Pick Odds: Manning Favored; Chambliss Skyrockets

For the fourth consecutive year, eighth time in nine years and 10th time in 12 years, a quarterback went No. 1 in the NFL Draft — Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders. Will a team make it five years in a row in 2027? Let's check out the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sept. 23. 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. Arch Manning: +145 (bet $10 to win $24.50 total)CJ Carr: +420 (bet $10 to win $52 total)Trinidad Chambliss: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)Dante Moore: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)Jeremiah Smith: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)Darian Mensah: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)Drew Mestemaker: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 total)LaNorris Sellers: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total)Jayden Maiava: +3300 (bet $10 to win $340 total) Here's what to know about the oddsboard: Man(ning) of the Hour: Archie Manning went second in the 1971 NFL Draft. His son, Peyton, went first in the 1998 NFL Draft. Then his other son, Eli, went first in the 2004 NFL Draft. Will his grandson, Arch, be the next Manning to hear his name called at the top of the draft? The early odds say yes. Arch served as a collegiate starter for the first time last season, leading the charge at Texas. He completed 61.4% of his passes, for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. However, as the season went on, Arch began to find his rhythm. He threw five interceptions in the Longhorns' first five games, but threw just two in their final eight contests. He also threw 15 TDs in those final eight games, in which Texas went 7-1. In Texas' bowl game win over Michigan, he threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Through three games this season, Manning has 661 passing yards, seven touchdowns and is completing 61.5% of his passes. Most importantly, he has a win over Ohio State under his belt, with the Longhorns pulling off a huge comeback victory in Week 2. Manning faces another big test Saturday when he travels to Tennessee to face the Vols. Chambliss Surges After Win Over Kiffin: Sixth-year senior Trinidad Chambliss has skyrocketed from +4000 to +650 in the No. 1 pick odds after leading Ole Miss to a 32-24 win over his former coach, Lane Kiffin, and LSU. Through three games in 2026, Chambliss has completed 70% of his passes for 924 yards and seven touchdowns. He has added two rushing scores and shown off his mobility with several highlight-reel scrambles. Nicknamed "Winnidad," Chambliss is 14-2 as Ole Miss’ starter over the last two years. Could he play his way into the No. 1 pick next spring? A Wideout At No. 1?: Could Jeremiah Smith be the first pick in the draft? He’s tied for fourth on the oddsboard and has made a strong case as the best player in college football. Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s Week 1 win over Ball State, then added eight catches for 164 yards and a score in the Buckeyes’ Week 2 loss to Texas. In Week 3, he became Ohio State’s all-time leader in receiving yards. Can a receiver with that résumé climb all the way to No. 1?

from Latest NFL News & Videos from FOX Sports https://ift.tt/NevURsf