Month: May 2026

The truth of the NFL schedule is this: It’s not who you play, it’s when you play them. A team that looks tough on paper now might be a shell of itself when injuries hit in October. Maybe even sooner. That said, strength of schedule is at least a guide to the challenges each team will face. And it’s the last piece of the puzzle for ranking the teams from best to worst before training camp begins. So, now that the full 2026 schedule is out, here are my final Power Rankings of the offseason. Super Bowl odds: +40000 They have a real chance to start 0-13 against a brutal schedule before they get to their bye week. After that, they will have the chance to rack up some wins against the Jets, Saints and Raiders, but by that point they’ll have to ask themselves, “Why?” Super Bowl odds: +30000 If they tanked for the top pick, would anyone know? Their last six games, and nine of their last 11, are against teams projected to win nine or more games. After opening against the Raiders, the slate gets ugly fast. Super Bowl odds: +15000 It’s hard to find a soft spot in this schedule for the Raiders to put top pick Fernando Mendoza in. Maybe Week 8 against the Jets or Week 12 against the Browns, but those are the only weak games after September for a while. Super Bowl odds: +20000 The Jets’ schedule is relatively easy. They just have to survive Robert Saleh’s revenge quest in the opener and three straight games against the NFC North to get to the easier part that starts in Week 5. Super Bowl odds: +15000 They have the NFL’s easiest schedule based on last year’s record and travel fewer miles than all but one team. In theory, they have plenty of time to find their way — if they can find a quarterback. Super Bowl odds: +12000 After Robert Saleh (likely) exacts his revenge on the Jets in Week 1, things get at a lot tougher. On paper, the Titans’ schedule is easy. In reality, it’s a lot harder than it looks. Super Bowl odds: +8000 Once they get past Detroit and Baltimore in the opening weeks, they have a real chance to build on last year with one of the NFL’s easiest schedules based on expected wins. They also are set up for a strong finish with no games against 2025 playoff teams in the last four weeks. Super Bowl odds: +5000 Seven of their last nine games are against teams projected to win 9-11 games. Aaron Rodgers’ 42-year-old body should be aching pretty good by then. Super Bowl odds: +6500 Surviving their first eight games may not be possible. They only play three of those on the road, but they’re at Philly and Dallas to open the season and then off to San Francisco in Week 6. They also play the Seahawks and Rams. They don’t really have a break until they get to Arizona in Week 12. Super Bowl odds: +6500 The only real problem with their schedule is they open against the Ravens, Chiefs and Texans. That’s three tough tests for either a backup quarterback or a still-healing Daniel Jones. It gets a lot easier after that, though. Super Bowl odds: +5000 The first half of their schedule is easy compared to what awaits them in the second half. Their last nine games include trips to Chicago, Detroit and Baltimore and home games against the Chargers and Rams. Super Bowl odds: +2500 They have the third-toughest schedule when measured by expected wins for their opponent, and they travel more than all but three NFL teams (27,980 miles). Add in five prime-time games and they have an exhausting road. Super Bowl odds: +12000 Their road slate is easy, but their home schedule is ugly. Their first six home games are against the Panthers, Ravens, Bears, 49ers, Chiefs and Lions, and that doesn’t count the “home” game against the Bengals in Madrid. Wow. Super Bowl odds: +7000 The NFL teed up the first six games for John Harbaugh, with only a road trip to the Rams looking impossible. They better build up a nice cushion, though, because life gets tough after their Week 8 bye. Super Bowl odds: +8000 The good news is nobody travels fewer than the 8,740 miles the Panthers will travel this season. The bad news is they play the third-hardest schedule, based on projected wins, along the way. Super Bowl odds: +5000 If they can hang on in the division, they’re set up for a fantastic finish. Three of their last four games are at home. One is against the Commanders. And their only road trip in that stretch is to New York to play the Jets. Super Bowl odds: +1600 The opening will feel easy to them against the Cardinals and Raiders. But the next eight weeks are as ugly as it gets, starting with a four-game stretch that includes trips to Buffalo, Seattle and Kansas City, with a home game against the Broncos in between. Ouch. Super Bowl odds: +1800 They have the NFL’s easiest schedule based on projected wins, but the NFL found a way to make it difficult. They get to open the Bills’ new stadium in Week 2. Then three of their last four games are against division opponents on the road. Super Bowl odds: +1600 Their schedule is filled with soft spots, so they shouldn’t have an extended losing streak at any point. And down the stretch, most of their tough games (Bills, Texans and Lions) are at home. Super Bowl odds: +1700 Here’s a fun fact: The 49ers will set an NFL record this season by traveling more than 38,000 miles, including trips to Melbourne, Australia and Mexico City. They’ll cross 58 time zones. Surviving that might be impossible. Super Bowl odds: +1500 The good news is the schedule is backloaded, so they might survive the first five weeks if Patrick Mahomes is rusty. The bad news is it’s backloaded, so things won’t be easy when Mahomes might be back to form. Super Bowl odds: +2200 Joe Burrow is back. They strengthened their awful defense. And on top of that, they get one of the NFL’s easiest schedules. They play just two 2025 playoff teams over the last 14 weeks. Super Bowl odds: +1800 The good news for the NFL’s best defense is they don’t play a lot of offensive powerhouses on the road. Most of their toughest tests (Bengals, Cowboys, Bills) come at home, and early. Super Bowl odds: +2500 They drew the NFL’s toughest schedule, though it’s a touch easier if you base it on expected wins in 2026 instead of the 2025 record. They also have seven prime-time or stand-alone games, so the whole world will be watching. Super Bowl odds: +3000 They have one home game in the first six weeks (against the Patriots) and two international games. If they can survive that, though, they’ll have a pretty smooth ride the rest of the way. Super Bowl odds: +1600 They have basically the same brutal schedule as the Bills, only more home games toward the end. So why did they drop behind them? Because the Patriots aren’t used to a slate like that. And their coach has been a bit … um … distracted. Super Bowl odds: +1000 It’s bad enough that their schedule includes the AFC West and NFC North, but they have to play at New England, Green Bay and Denver in December. The bright side is they will be very battle-tested for the playoffs. Super Bowl odds: +950 I was told ranking them this high was controversial. Then I saw their schedule, and I’m not sure I’ve ranked them high enough. They won’t be tested until Week 7 at home against the Bengals. Super Bowl odds: +1600 Take out three games against NFC West teams and their schedule is soft as butter. Also, they get their two toughest games at home (Rams, Seahawks), and by the time they travel to San Francisco, the frequent-traveling 49ers should be exhausted. Super Bowl odds: +950 They have basically the same tough schedule as the Rams, only with about 12,000 fewer air miles. But honestly, the battle between these two NFC West rivals will be decided by what happens when they play those two games over the final three weeks. Super Bowl odds: +800 My colleague, Eric Williams, doesn’t share my rosy view of the Rams. I remain bullish, but I got squeamish when I looked at their schedule. They’ll travel 34,847 miles this season, which can’t be good for Matthew Stafford’s 38-year-old back. And facing the Seahawks twice in the final three games caps a brutal final two months. Super Bowl odds: +2000 Their first six games are just terrible. But assuming they survive that, there is a real soft middle of the schedule that could put them on a real run from Weeks 7 to 15. That should be enough for the class of the AFC, and a team that is motivated by the knowledge they should’ve been in the Super Bowl last year.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The MLB weekend slate brings some intriguing regional rivalries, including the first Subway Series of the season. While the Yankees are hopping onto the 7 Train to face the Mets, the Cubs are taking the Red Line down to visit their Windy City counterparts, the White Sox. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will endure some freeway traffic to take on the Angels. Let’s take a look at some of the notable MLB teams in action this weekend: 1. The Yankees top the AL in HR, RBI and OPS. Cam Schlitter feels like a Cy Young candidate. What’s their weakness? Kavner: This looks like the team to beat in the American League, but the bullpen and the bottom of the lineup have some weak spots, and now there’s suddenly a lot more pressure on Gerrit Cole to return looking like himself after Max Fried left his start with elbow soreness. Opponents are hitting .260 against David Bednar, Fernando Cruz is missing a ton of bats but also walking too many hitters — a primary reason for his 1.44 WHIP — and Camilo Doval, Jake Bird and Paul Blackburn all have ERAs well over 4.00. They should be able to grab another leverage arm at the trade deadline. The other issue is what happens when a pitcher gets past the Ben Rice-Aaron Judge-Cody Bellinger portion of the lineup. While every team would like more offensive depth, the Yankees’ No. 6-9 hitters rank 25th in batting average, 22nd in on-base percentage and 19th in OPS. Those numbers are too low for a team with championship aspirations. They need to find a way to get Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells going. 2. What’s a fix the Mets can make to at least climb up the NL East standings? Thosar: The Mets finally looked like they’re capable of making a run that fans will get behind after sweeping the Tigers at a re-energized Citi Field this week. Much of that energy came from the surprising promotion of top prospect A.J. Ewing, who hasn’t experienced a loss since coming up to the big leagues. The 21-year-old outfielder is enjoying a fast start, batting .333 with four walks, three RBI, three runs scored, one stolen base and four strikeouts in three red-hot games. His confidence while grinding out at-bats has been contagious. The front office making the desperate but necessary decision to promote Ewing was the first real fix this club needed to try and climb back up the NL East standings. Any and all conversations about the Mets resembling a playoff contender begin with their underperforming offense. Some of their bad outcomes are self-inflicted, like expecting center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and infielder Jorge Polanco to stay healthy. But others are downright perplexing, like third baseman Bo Bichette forgetting how to hit, and the young core in Brett Bay, Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez unable to find consistency in what is now their fifth season in the major leagues. Bichette went from boasting a 129 OPS+ last year to recording a 62 OPS+ in over 40 games this year. If Bichette can get back on track, Francisco Lindor can return from his calf injury soon, and the young Mets can do their part, the Mets can attempt to crawl out of their hole. 3. Speaking of the NL East, the Braves feel like they could run away with the division. What’s been behind Atlanta’s hot start? Thosar: The Braves have the best pitching staff in the National League, which is a supreme success given that the rotation looked out of commission before the season even began. First it was Spencer Schwellenbach who went down with injury. Then it was Hurston Waldrep, Joey Wentz, and eventually Spencer Strider. The Braves are running away with the division despite all of that, rocking the second-best rotation ERA (3.04) and third-best bullpen ERA (3.10) in MLB. Beyond the continued excellence from future walk-in Hall of Famer Chris Sale, nobody expected right-hander Bryce Elder to be this terrific. The Braves starter owns a 1.81 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, outperforming his 3.09 FIP and suggesting he’s run into some good luck. In reality, the pitching staff didn’t even need to be this dominant given how dangerous the offense has been. First baseman Matt Olson is leading the lineup’s ascendency with an NL-leading 184 OPS+ and 2.4 fWAR. The 32-year-old’s 14 home runs are tied for the fourth-most in the majors. Right behind him is catcher Drake Baldwin, who’s following up his 2025 NL Rookie of the Year award with a standout sophomore season. Baldwin’s 37 runs scored lead MLB, and his 155 OPS+ trails only the A’s Shea Langeliers’ 173 OPS+ among all big-league catchers. Those two bats in particular have helped Atlanta possess the best offense in baseball. The Braves lead MLB in average (.271), slugging (.252), OPS (.786), runs scored (237), and RBI (232). Their combination of high contact and elite power is menacing, and it all looks sustainable for this battle-tested team. 4. The White Sox are hanging tough in the AL Central. Should the South Siders be thinking about the postseason? Kavner: The fact that we’re talking about this at all a year after they won 60 games and two years after the worst season in modern baseball history is an incredible achievement in itself. The surprise signing of Munetaka Murakami has provided a real jolt — they’re 22-21 entering their three-game series against their Northside neighbors and would currently hold the second wild-card spot in the uninspiring American League — and their success to this point goes beyond the powerful and polarizing NPB sensation. The Miguel Vargas offensive breakout is finally upon us, Colson Montgomery now has 32 homers in 113 career games, and Davis Martin has a 1.62 ERA through eight starts. They’ve also gotten to this point without standout catcher Kyle Teel, who should be returning soon. If they find a way to sneak into the playoffs, that’s an unbelievable success. But they’re not going to mortgage their future to make it happen, and this isn’t a team built to make a deep run in 2026. This year is still about development for their intriguing young talents, and I can’t imagine the White Sox will sacrifice them for “win-now” moves. It will, however, be interesting to see what, if anything, they do with Murakami. If they’re unable or unwilling to extend him, they have to at least listen to offers from contenders while his value is this high. 5. Blake Snell’s return gives the Dodgers a boost, but are they facing some tough decisions? Kavner: They will, and really those roster decisions already began earlier this week when Mookie Betts was activated and they optioned Alex Freeland. On the pitching side, an even tougher call looms when Tyler Glasnow is ready to return, even with their six-man rotation. Most likely, one of Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan or Roki Sasaki will have to move to the bullpen, get optioned to Triple-A or be placed on the injured list. Based on performance thus far, the most obvious decision would be sending Sasaki either to the minors or back to the bullpen, but the Dodgers don’t sound inclined to do either. They’ve been adamant that they believe the best thing for his development is to have him continue making starts in the majors. He has performed better lately, but it’s hard to make a case that he’s more deserving of a rotation spot than Wrobleski, who had a 0.56 ERA through his first five starts, or Sheehan, who has a 3.38 ERA over his last five starts. Still, it seems most likely that the odd man out will be either Wrobleski, who proved last October that his stuff can play up in a relief role, or Sheehan, who has had trouble holding his velocity through starts. They’ll “kick the can down the road” on that decision, as they like to put it, as long as possible.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win. It certainly is in the eye of the beholder. So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer. We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX). 10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022) After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner. 9. Foyt survives chaos (1967) How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win. 8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012) This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag. 7. A 0.16-second winning margin (1982) Gordon Johncock held onto the lead as Rick Mears tried to duck to the inside as they crossed the start-finish line with one lap to go. And then he did it again coming to the checkered flag, winning by just 0.16 seconds. It was Johncock’s second Indy 500 win and certainly the most nail-biting — his first came in a rain-shortened race nine years earlier.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports