Bob Dunn talks about breaking out of AI echo chambers to gain new insights
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Anthony Bourdain was a culinary adventurer, enjoying various worldly cuisines, including nose-to-tail eating, which included cuts most Americans don’t dare try.
Mashed – Fast Food, Celebrity Chefs, Grocery, Reviews
Voters are perfectly fine supporting candidates who aren’t white men.
But they do show small preferences for candidates who are younger and Christian, according to new results from The POLITICO Poll. And voters were most likely to penalize transgender candidates in hypothetical matchups, though Democrats were more likely to support them than GOP voters were.
The results cast a new light on a simmering, yearslong public conversation within both parties about what it means to be electable and whether putting forward candidates of varying backgrounds is too politically risky in a close election environment. It’s a debate that defined the last open Democratic presidential primary in 2020 and is poised to play a role in 2028 too.
Democrats have largely focused their debates on whether voters would accept a person of color or a woman, particularly after President Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2024 — while losing to Joe Biden in 2020. But the poll results suggest the characteristics voters care most about are different, shaped by frustrations over aging politicians and both new and old culture wars.
“The American people, I believe, think about identity way less than the average political consultant does,” said Mike Nellis, a longtime Democratic digital strategist who advised Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. “Obviously there are factors in society that make it harder for women and people of color to get elected, but there are plenty of incredibly talented people out there who are capable of getting over the hump on that.”
To test whether demographic characteristics make a candidate more or less electable, POLITICO’s polling partner, Public First, showed thousands of respondents a series of head-to-head matchups. In each case, respondents were given basic information about the candidate’s demographics, such as their race, age and gender; their career, with titles such as doctor, attorney general or CEO; and a single-sentence description of their political alignment, either as a progressive or moderate Democratic, independent, or moderate or MAGA Republican.
Respondents then picked which candidate they would prefer, and the results overwhelmingly showed voters cared the most about a candidate’s political ideology. But respondents also revealed more subtle patterns in their preferences.
Voters across both parties were more likely to reject older candidates in favor of younger ones. Republicans in particular favored candidates who were described as Christian or regular churchgoers, even when controlling for the candidates’ politics. GOP respondents picked candidates described as regularly attending a church just under 9% more often than candidates who did not have any faith.
That means that even though Republican respondents usually picked the GOP candidate in head-to-head matchups, for example, they were more likely to cross over and support an independent or Democratic candidate when that candidate was described as Christian.
The results on sexual orientation were more complicated: When candidates were described as “gay,” they were picked about 10% less often across all voters. But when the candidate descriptions describe the candidate as a man married to his husband — without a label for sexual orientation — respondents did not pick them less often in a statistically significant manner.
Voters were less likely to pick transgender candidates, with Democratic voters about 5% less likely while GOP voters were 17% less likely, all else held equal.
The age results were a strong signal that voters want a new generation of candidates after the last presidential cycle was driven by concerns about Biden’s age, fueling a slew of intergenerational primary contests this year and leading major Democratic voices to publicly call for a younger candidate for 2028. Trump is now 80, and Republicans have faced their own conversations about aging politicians, as Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faced serious health challenges earlier this year.
Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run For Something, which recruits candidates under the age of 40, said when the group started its work nearly a decade ago, younger people were often seen as “risky bets” electorally.
“Now I think people are starting to see that that is not true. Voters will judge people one by one,” Litman said. “They’re also really hungry for change and really hungry for someone who didn’t get us into this mess.”
The poll found candidates over the age of 70 were nearly 10% less likely to be picked than candidates under the age of 50, with Democrats slightly more likely than Republicans to disfavor a candidate due to age.
Notably, The POLITICO Poll didn’t find differences based on a candidate’s race or gender overall, outside of gender identity. That has long been a topic of debate among Democrats thinking about winning the presidency.
When Harris replaced Biden on the top of Democrats’ ticket in 2024, few questioned that she would choose a white man as her running mate. Since her loss, some Democrats have argued that a white male candidate might be the best path forward for the party in 2028.
Harris also wrote in her memoir about the campaign that she thought picking former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as her running mate would have been “too risky” because he is gay, and that he otherwise would have been her ideal partner.
But Buttigieg, who is contemplating running for president in 2028, recently argued that the country is ready for a gay president, saying he wouldn’t have launched a bid in 2020 otherwise.
“What’s on people’s minds isn’t about you, your identity as a candidate,” he told NBC News last weekend. “It’s about them. It’s about their lives.”
Politics
If Week 1 is a liar, Week 2 provided some truth serum for NFL teams — and some probably didn’t like the results. The Green Bay Packers ended a six-game losing streak, but needed overtime to defeat the New York Jets. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks still cruised with starting quarterback Sam Darnold, upping their franchise-best and league-leading winning streak to 12 games by making quick work of the Arizona Cardinals. But the major storylines this week were the injuries to the top two picks from the 2024 draft class. Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Jayden Daniels (elbow) suffered injuries severe enough that they needed to be carted off the field in their respective teams’ losses. How the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears move forward without their franchise quarterbacks for an extended period might define the rest of the 2026 NFL season. Now, let’s overreact to Sunday’s Week 2 action. After a disappointing road loss against the New York Giants in Week 1, Dallas rebounded at home with a convincing victory over Washington. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense finally looked as good as advertised. Prescott threw for 279 yards and four scores. His favorite target was CeeDee Lamb, who finished with 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns. And after looking disjointed against the Giants, the Dallas defense led by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker held Washington’s offense to 207 passing yards and two touchdowns. So, are the Cowboys really back? Conclusion: Overreaction Washington lost standout quarterback Jayden Daniels and had to finish the game with Marcus Mariota, making the Commanders less dangerous on offense. And even with that in consideration, the Commanders still finished with 182 yards on the ground, which followed a 165-yard ground performance from the Giants in Week 1. While the Cowboys improved to 1-1, we need to see more from them defensively against Lamar Jackson and the high-flying Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 to truly consider them a playoff contender. Considered a Super Bowl contender and facing another beatable team at home, the Bolts once again looked like they hadn’t practiced in another humbling loss, this one to the Las Vegas Raiders by an identical 26-14. Second-year running back Omarion Hampton ran for 94 yards but fumbled twice, losing one. The Chargers had a whopping six fumbles in the game. The pairing of Justin Herbert and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has yet to produce the results many expected entering the season. Herbert finished Sunday’s game with 192 passing yards, a touchdown pass and two interceptions. He was sacked three times, posting a 59.5 passer rating. And defensively, the Chargers appear to be missing departed defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. “We’re going to have to fight our way out of this,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Over the next six games, the Chargers face five playoff teams from last season and the Kansas City Chiefs. Extend that stretch to nine games, and that slate includes the Ravens and New England Patriots. That arduous trek starts with road games at Buffalo and at Seattle. Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the league, leading the Chargers to back-to-back 11-6 seasons in his first two years in Los Angeles. But his coaching acumen will be tested over the next month. The Kansas City Chiefs have put last year’s 6-11 season in the rearview mirror, as they’re one of four teams in the AFC with a 2-0 record following their overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts. The others include the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs have done it by playing complementary football, too. In the win over the Colts, Patrick Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns as he and tight end Travis Kelce rekindled the connection that made them the AFC’s king for years. Running back Kenneth Walker III had his second straight 100-yard rushing performance and Kansas City’s defense got enough stops to seal the victory after a strong outing in a win against the Denver Broncos last week. Conclusion: Overreaction Josh Allen has been the best player in the NFL and the Bills have been the best team through two weeks of the NFL season. The Bills are second in the AFC in scoring and defeated teams with more pedigree, getting a win against the Houston Texans on the road in Week 1 before taking down the Detroit Lions on Thursday. The Chiefs and Bills meet on Thanksgiving Day in Week 12, so we’ll get a more accurate barometer on where these two teams stand later this year. But, for now, the Bills pass the eye test as the more complete team. With a double-digit victory over one of the best defenses in the league in the Houston Texans, the Cincinnati Bengals have started the year 2-0 for a second straight season. That’s not insignificant, considering the Bengals have traditionally started out slowly under head coach Zac Taylor. With Joe Burrow, J’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals always had an offense that could lead them to a deep playoff run. But with offseason additions in defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonahan Allen, plus edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook in free agency, the Bengals are stout defensively. That was apparent on Sunday, when they allowed just six points as Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw the ball 55 times. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Through two games, the Bengals have allowed 33 total points after giving up 29 points a game last season. However, if you account for the pick-six Burrow threw in their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, the Bengals’ defense has allowed just 13 points per game. Burrow said before the season started that this is the year for the Bengals to make the Super Bowl happen. Maybe he spoke it into existence. In Seattle’s comeback victory over the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch, Smith-Njigba made the game-changing play: a short pass from Drew Lock that he turned into a 45-yard touchdown. Smith-Njigba finished with 122 receiving yards in Week 1, and he was back this week on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, scoring on an 82-yard catch-and-run on a deep ball from Lock for the first touchdown of the game. That catch was the longest of his career and served as the start of a strong day for the star wide receiver. Smith-Njigba finished with nine receptions for 155 yards and three scores, putting the Seahawks tied atop the NFC West at 2-0 with the San Francisco 49ers. Conclusion: Not an overreaction On a day where Ja’Marr Chase shined with two touchdowns (including a highlight toe-tapping grab), Smith-Njigba outdid him. He had over twice as many yards as the Bengals’ star and one more touchdown — and he’s doing it with a backup quarterback. The Seahawks do not have a definitive timeline for Same Darnold’s return from a glute injury, but with Smith-Njigba putting Seattle’s offense on his back, Seattle can take a cautious approach to his return. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in receiving yards (277) and is tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns (4). Yes, Sunday’s Vikings-Bears game was played in a steady downpour at Soldier Field. Still, the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flroes made one of the best offenses in the league, led by Caleb Williams, look pedestrian, holding them to three points after Chicago rang up 59 points against the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota made Williams uncomfortable most of the game and bottled up Chicago’s potent running game led by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, holding that duo to 92 rushing yards combined on 3.5 yards per carry. Conclusion: Not an overreaction The Vikings are the only team at 2-0 in the NFC North division. Even with backup Carson Wentz starting in place of Kyler Murray at quarterback, the Vikings dominated so much defensively that Wentz didn’t have to take any risks on offense. Flores once again proved he’s the best coordinator in the league and deserving of an opportunity to serve as a head coach again.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
The NFL season doesn’t end after Week 2, but if your favorite team is off to an 0-2 start, it might feel like it’s over. Historically speaking, you have a reason to feel that way, too. In the last 10 years, only 12 of the 84 teams that have lost their first two games have gone on to make the postseason that year (14.3%). That percentage was better last year, when three of the 10 teams that started the year 0-2 reached the playoffs. However, recent history says it’s likely that just one of the eight teams that are winless through Sunday’s games will end up in the playoff field. There are a few surprises in that group of eight teams as well. The Los Angeles Chargers were upset for the second straight weekend on Sunday, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders. Teams that were expected to make the postseason, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans, are also out to 0-2 starts, complicating their paths to the playoffs. And this all before the potential inclusion of the Los Angeles Rams, who could join this list if they lose to the New York Giants on Monday night. So, which 0-2 teams need to start panicking and getting their season on track? We put those eight teams on the panic meter. Not just 0-2, but 0-2 with losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders by identical 26-14 scores? That’s two teams that picked in the top three of this past year’s draft and had minimal expectations entering this season. The Kansas City Chiefs look like they’re back. The Denver Broncos bounced back from a rough opener. And the Raiders are surprisingly 2-0, firmly placing the Chargers in last place in the AFC West. The last time the Chargers opened 0-2 and made the playoffs was 2008. This was a team with a ton of offseason buzz, having added Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, but the more significant coordinator change might be losing Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens. And the Chargers’ schedule doesn’t get any easier anytime soon. Their next two games? At the Bills and at the Seahawks, where they’ll do really well to avoid being 0-4 when they host the Broncos in Week 5. Then, they play at the Chiefs and have games against the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens following their Week 7 bye.PANIC LEVEL: High A close loss against the Cincinnati Bengals to open the year was discouraging, but not nearly the way losing at home as an eight-point favorite to the Cleveland Browns was Sunday. Baker Mayfield lost three fumbles in the opener, then had an interception early Sunday, and the offense has struggled to get top receivers Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin involved. Todd Bowles’ MO as head coach has been great starts, then a midseason swoon. But can they get out of this one quickly with matchups against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys in a span of 12 days starting Sunday? Many fans wanted Bowles out after last season, so he started the year on thin ice.PANIC LEVEL: High Yes, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys to open the year 0-2 in the NFC East isn’t good. But what’s worse was seeing Jayden Daniels clearly dislocate his elbow on Sunday, making the road ahead a lot tougher for Washington. The Commanders went 2-6 with Marcus Mariota starting last year, and there’s more of the same ahead, so it’s a question of whether head coach Dan Quinn can survive another year of noncompetitive games with the asterisk of a quarterback injury. If there was a chance of them getting back to the heyday of 2024, that seems very unlikely with Daniels injured and a big hole to dig out of if/when he’s back healthy.PANIC LEVEL: High This can’t be shocking, given that the Falcons have played without their top two quarterbacks. But a 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers was particularly damning. Cooper Rush had three turnovers before getting benched for undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who went on to throw a pick-six on his first career pass. Can the Falcons get Michael Penix Jr. back this week? Perhaps, but they’re at Green Bay in prime time on Thursday night, so that doesn’t solve all the problems. They’re also without their top two edge rushers, so creating pressure is a challenge. They can’t be minus-5 in turnover margin as they were in Sunday’s loss.PANIC LEVEL: HIGH Houston opened 0-3 last year and still somehow went 12-5, so if it’s possible to be good at this kind of unnecessary comeback, the Texans certainly are. Losing to the Buffalo Bills on a touchdown with two minutes left is one thing, but getting held to six points by the (checks notes) Bengals defense is a bit more concerning. C.J. Stroud had 55 passes in Sunday’s loss, and having an elite defense isn’t as great when the offense is struggling to move the ball with any consistency. They face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, and Indy gave up 41 points to Baltimore in Week 1 and 33 points to Kansas City (27 before overtime) in Week 2, so that could be a get-right game.PANIC LEVEL: MEDIUM Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs was really close to being a road win at Arrowhead, and the Colts are in a division where three teams are 0-2. So, there’s ample time to make up for a disappointing first two games. Injuries to cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius “Mooney” Ward could be problematic, and facing another 0-2 team in the Texans in Week 3 will raise the panic level for one of those teams. But a win against the Texans could serve a quick turning point for the Colts. Their three opponents after that are the Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Titans. So, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we looked at the AFC South standings in a month and saw the Colts sitting at 3-3 or 4-2. Everything’s still in play for them, and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss on Sunday certainly helps things, too. PANIC LEVEL: Medium The Titans were so close to knocking off the Eagles, losing on a touchdown with nine seconds left. So yes, they’re 0-2, but they’re probably closer to 1-1 than most Tennessee fans would expect to be. Losing 23-10 to the New York Jets doesn’t sting as much when they took the Packers to overtime. Get rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate more involved in the pass game, get more takeaways from the defense and head coach Robert Saleh’s first season can be a step in the right direction. The next two games are on the road, facing the Giants and Ravens. But if you took the Eagles to the wire, there’s nothing to say you don’t have a chance in the next two as well.PANIC LEVEL: Medium What were you really expecting? If they lost to the Raiders, they weren’t going to beat the San Francisco 49ers, lingering jet lag or not. This is a long year for Miami and head coach Jeff Hafley, and wins will be hard to come by. The Chiefs come to town in Week 3, and it shouldn’t look much different from this week. Focus on making progress, finding what you can build around, including the high draft pick likely ahead with their record. Can Malik Willis show enough to convince the Dolphins they should take Jeremiah Smith and not another quarterback?PANIC LEVEL: LowLatest Sports News from FOX Sports
Miley is remembering a tender moment with her godmother, who wasn’t afraid to give her some advice after watching her cry during a performance. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Week 2 might not have featured the same scoring fireworks as Week 1, but it still delivered plenty of historic performances. Dak Prescott etched his name into the Dallas Cowboys record books, while Christian McCaffrey joined another exclusive list. Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued to establish themselves among the NFL’s most dominant receivers. But not every milestone was worth celebrating. One rookie quarterback joined an unfortunate group with his first career pass, while the Bears followed their Week 1 explosion with a historic scoring drop-off. From record-breaking performances to some very unfortunate history, Week 2 had a little bit of everything. Here are the numbers that put it all into perspective: 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.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
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We have tragic news to report about a beloved Hollywood family.
Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and entrepreneur Rande Gerber, has died at the age of 27.
Presley died on Sunday at a rehab facility, according to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner obtained by TMZ.
An autopsy has not yet been completed, and an official cause of death has not been announced.
Presley’s family is now asking for privacy as they mourn the loss.
“The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” a representative for Cindy, Rande, and Presley’s sister, Kaia Gerber, told TMZ.
Presley was the only son of Cindy and Rande and the older brother of Kaia, who has followed in their mother’s footsteps as a model while also establishing herself as an actress.
Born in Beverly Hills in 1999, Presley began modeling as a teenager. He walked in runway shows and appeared in campaigns before stepping away from the spotlight at various points in his life.
In recent years, Presley was increasingly open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
During a 2023 appearance on the Studio 22 podcast, he spoke candidly about depression and said he hoped sharing his experiences could help other people.
“Having struggled with mental health, depressionk and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that’s all I need to do,” Presley said.
Presley later began sharing “Mental Health Mondays” videos on Instagram, where he discussed recovery, healthy habits, and his own experiences.
His openness also became part of the Gerber family’s story. In August, Kaia spoke about her brother’s long-running struggle with addiction and how it affected the family dynamic.
“When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone,” Kaia told Vogue.
She also described Presley as someone who was willing to be unusually open about his struggles.
“My brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” Kaia said. “There’s only so much you can hide from the world.”
Presley’s death comes just months after he was photographed with his family at an event celebrating Kaia in Los Angeles.
Our condolences go out to all of Presley’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.
Presley Gerber Cause of Death: Cindy Crawford’s Son Passes Away at 27 was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
The Kansas City Chiefs did it again. Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs on two field-goal drives in overtime, which were good enough to get to 2-0 with a win over the Indianapolis Colts. It improves the Chiefs’ recent streak of overtime wins. Here are my takeaways from Sunday night: It’s hard to find many situational stats where Kansas City doesn’t look good, but they’re a really good team once a game gets to overtime. When they pulled out an overtime win over the Colts on Sunday night, it was their sixth win in their last six overtime games. Their last overtime loss was to the Bengals in the 2021 AFC Championship Game. Even with that, they’re now 9-1 in overtime games since the start of the 2019 season. Of course, a big part of that is Mahomes – in overtime entering Sunday’s game, his career overtime numbers were 30-for-41 for 377 yards, completing 73% of his passes for a 109.5 passer rating. He’s actually only thrown one touchdown pass, but he consistently leads his team to victory. Converting a third-and-12 as he did with a pass to Tyquan Thornton was another case of Mahomes delivering when the Chiefs need him most. It’s almost like last season, when the Chiefs missed the playoffs and Mahomes looked mortal, was a palate cleanser to allow fans to enjoy the three-time Super Bowl champion being extremely good again. Sunday night was Mahomes getting back to his old self – three touchdowns and no interceptions, with one score each to tight end Travis Kelce and wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals. It’s the 30th time in Mahomes’ career he’s had at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He actually had four such games last year, and he registered two-thirds of his touchdown passes for the season in those games. The dynastic aspect of the Chiefs going to five Super Bowls in seven years and winning three of them put Mahomes at a level of consistently great that has fans almost rooting against him as a default. We might not be able to seriously sell them as underdogs for very long, but it’s reset things enough that fans can enjoy Mahomes in a way they couldn’t for a while. Wide receiver Alec Pierce was carted off with an ankle injury. The Colts just don’t have the receiver depth to keep up without Pierce, with Josh Downs helping out but little else from the position Sunday night. Keenan Allen had no catches on his first four targets. Then, both starting corners were sidelined: ex-Chiefs star Mooney Ward and Sauce Gardner. It’s hard to build enough depth to handle multiple injuries at a position like corner in one game. Give the Colts credit for keeping this game close, though. They kept it close with the Chiefs despite playing cornerback Kapena Gushiken, an undrafted rookie from Ole Miss who the Colts claimed off waivers from the Eagles less than three weeks ago. Having that kind of player ready to play for exactly this kind of scenario. 3 ½. What’s Next? The real setup in the Chiefs’ upcoming schedule is them facing the Seahawks and Broncos – both of last year’s Super Bowl teams – on the road in back-to-back games in Weeks 6-7. Before they get there, Kansas City should have three very winnable games – at the Dolphins, at the Raiders and at home against the 0-2 Chargers. Kansas City could have a lot of momentum built up by the time they take on the defending Super Bowl teams two weeks in a row. The Colts, meanwhile, have a pair of 0-2 teams on deck with a home game against the Texans and a trip to face the Commanders in Week 4, with quarterback Jayden Daniels’ status up in the air after suffering an elbow injury on Sunday.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
For years, Justin Herbert has been widely considered a prototype for an NFL quarterback. Scouts, coaches, executives and many in the media have gushed over his arm and legs, marveled at his mechanics and drooled over his potential. Heading into every year following his splendid rookie season, the NFL has been bracing for his inevitable breakthrough. It’s time we all admit that we were just wrong. After six NFL seasons, plus two ugly games this year, we should all accept Herbert for what he is: a good quarterback but not one destined for greatness. Herbert is no longer being held back by a poor situation. In 2026, he’s holding back the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s true that his offensive line is terrible at times and his receivers drop way too many passes. But the best quarterbacks find ways to elevate their teams. And it’s clear that Herbert doesn’t do that, at all. His shortcomings were on full display Sunday, as the Chargers fell to 0-2 with a 26-14 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Herbert was just 15 of 27 for 192 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions. He was outplayed by Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins, just like he was outplayed by Arizona quarterback Jacoby Brissett one week ago. Was it entirely Herbert’s fault that the Chargers lost to two teams that were supposed to be awful to start the season? Of course not. But that’s not the standard of a franchise quarterback. And it’s certainly not the standard for a quarterback Jim Harbaugh recently said “will be known as the greatest, best ever to play the position of quarterback” when his career ends. The truth is, Herbert is not even on the fringe of the fringe of that conversation. And even with his record pace to 25,000 career passing yards, he doesn’t seem destined to pass Dan Fouts or Philip Rivers on the list of the greatest Chargers quarterbacks of all time. Now, Herbert does put up numbers. There’s no denying that. But he’s been expected to transcend the numbers, especially when Harbaugh hired Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator this season. McDaniel was the guy who was finally going to get the greatness out of Herbert. It’s why the Chargers were considered a dark-horse Super Bowl contender. It’s crazy now to think that just two weeks ago their title odds were equal to the Eagles’ and better than those of the Broncos, Patriots, Bengals and 49ers.While the season is still young, the 28-year-old Herbert is not. Moreover, the McDaniel addition hasn’t helped at all. And the only logical conclusion is that Herbert is simply missing what makes quarterbacks great. Ernie Accorsi, the former New York Giants general manager who passed away on Saturday, once described the bar like this: “Can they take their team down the field with the championship on the line and into the end zone?” In other words, how do quarterbacks perform in the biggest moments? Well, Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs for his career, and he performed pretty poorly in each of those three games. But it’s more than just the results. It’s about making his team better than the sum of its parts, even in the regular season. It’s about making his teammates better than they are. Herbert couldn’t even do that against the Cardinals or the Raiders, two clubs universally predicted to finish last in their respective divisions. His supporters might point out that Chargers tight end David Njoku deflected a pass into Herbert’s first interception on Sunday. But the truth is the pass was underthrown and behind Njoku, who was a few yards behind the defense and would’ve had an easy big gain if the ball had been thrown in front of him. Herbert’s second interception, late in the fourth quarter, was an ill-advised, forced throw into traffic to the wrong side of Derius Davis’ hands. Herbert’s lone touchdown pass, to be fair, was outstanding. He evaded pressure, stepped up and sidearmed a dart to tight end Oronde Gadsden, giving the Chargers a short-lived, third quarter lead. But that’s Herbert. For every good play, there’s at least one bad play. One step forward, one step back. And more often than not, the step back comes at a terrible time. Which brings up one more Accorsi-ism: He said the definition of leadership was “watching Johnny Unitas step off the bus.” His point was that the old Baltimore Colts knew they had a shot every game just because Unitas was their quarterback, because of his presence. They were that confident that he’d find a way to pull a game out. There’s just no way the Chargers can say that about Herbert. He’s good yet frustratingly overrated. He’s a white-knuckler, not a man that inspires confidence in the big spots. And that’s a huge problem for the 0-2 Bolts. Their upcoming schedule is brutal — at Buffalo, at Seattle, versus Denver, at Kansas City, at the L.A. Rams, versus Houston and at Baltimore. The Chargers need a great quarterback to avoid bottoming out. But that’s just not who Herbert is. He’s never going to be among the best doing it, much less the best to ever do it. He is, instead, the most overrated. Everything about this season for the Washington Commanders was riding on the health of QB Jayden Daniels. They were sure that their 5-12 disaster a year ago was mostly because he missed 10 games with injuries. They believed that with him healthy again, they could really be a contender again. Then Daniels was carted off the field on Sunday with a dislocated left elbow and a towel over his head. And that moment might mark the figurative end of the Commanders’ season — and Dan Quinn’s coaching tenure in D.C. And yes, it’s that serious, because it’s hard to see how the 0-2 Commanders can recover if Daniels is sidelined for an extended period of time. He looked great against the Cowboys on Sunday before his first-half injury, throwing for 96 yards and running for 69 more. The Commanders were in the game prior to that point. Then they fell apart and lost, 37-20. The extent of Daniels’ injury isn’t known, but as cruel as it may be, it’s hard to see Quinn surviving another season without his biggest star and best weapon. The Commanders don’t have the defense or running game to push through Daniels’ absence. It would take a brilliant coaching job by Quinn to even reach the heights of .500. And that might not be enough to keep him on the job for a fourth year, not after he shook up his coaching staff and took over the defensive playcalling as a way to get the Commanders back on track. Maybe it would be unfair to make Quinn pay for two seasons lost to devastating Daniels injuries. But it sure seems likely that if the Commanders miss the playoffs again for any reason, owner Josh Harris and GM Adam Peters will opt to go into 2027 with a new coach and a fresh start. It felt like all of Chicago went silent when QB Caleb Williams went down on Sunday afternoon. It had to cross everyone’s mind that a special season might have just slipped away for the Bears. The good news after the game — a wretched 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings — was that Williams had only suffered a hamstring injury and was walking without much of a limp. But even Bears coach Ben Johnson admitted that hamstring injuries can be “pretty damaging.” And it’s possible the damage is already done. That’s because even though the extent of Williams’ hamstring injury wasn’t immediately known, hamstring injuries tend to linger. And that’s especially problematic for players who make their living with their legs. Just ask Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, who was never the same last year after pulling his hamstring in Week 4 — an injury from which the Ravens never recovered, either. A fully healthy Williams really is the key to everything in Chicago. He’s grown so much in his first two seasons and looked primed to be an MVP contender this year, now with a stronger grasp of Johnson’s offense. Yes, he was struggling on Sunday in the rain against a tough Vikings defense. But even in that game, he showed how good he is at making something out of nothing and keeping defenses off balance. His presence alone is a huge part of what makes the Bears’ powerful running game go, too. Tyson Bagent might be a fine backup, but he’s just not nearly the QB Williams is. Few are. And unfortunately, it’s possible Williams won’t be himself again this season. That would be a shame, because there was a chance for this to be a super season in Chicago, if you catch my drift. This will get lost in the headlines about Williams, but don’t dismiss the brilliant job Brian Flores’ Vikings defense did against the Bears — and the miracle they’ve pulled off so far this season. A week ago, the Bears put up 59 points and 552 yards. Flores’ defense held that unit to 297 yards and three points. Williams was out there for all but the final seven-and-a-half minutes Sunday, and the Vikings had him throttled. Flores’ defensive masterpiece comes on the heels of a brilliant fourth quarter against Green Bay, in which the Vikings forced two turnovers and twice stopped the Packers on fourth down in the red zone to spark a wild comeback victory. The Vikings are now 2-0 despite some bad quarterback play from Carson Wentz, who took over for injured starter Kyler Murray, and it’s all because of Flores’ defense. Maybe one club out there team will remember that in the coming offseason, and look beyond the fact that he’s suing the NFL for racially discriminatory hiring practices, and offer him a head coaching job. He certainly deserves it. He’s the best defensive coordinator in football right now, and he was a better head coach than you probably remember in Miami, where he guided a rebuilding franchise to a 24-25 record and two winning seasons in three years. He deserves a second chance, regardless of whether that lawsuit is settled. There were signs last season, and they are even more obvious now: These aren’t the same old Philadelphia Eagles. They’re not going to wear teams down with a best-in-the-league offensive line anymore, and they’re not going to beat teams into submission with a punishing, clutch defense. So if they’re going to win as much as they’re used to winning, it’s going to be on the shoulders of quarterback Jalen Hurts. That was really clear on Sunday in Tennessee when Hurts nearly cost the Eagles the game by throwing two terrible interceptions, but then bailed them out with a brilliant final drive. Down 20-17 with 1:56 to go, Hurts drove the Eagles 65 yards for a touchdown, completing 6 of 8 passes for 61 yards and a 3-yard scoring pass to Darius Cooper along the way. That included two brilliant throws to — and catches by — DeVonta Smith, proving they can be a heck of a duo even without A.J. Brown. Afterward, his teammates were clear that Hurts was the main reason the Eagles escaped with a win. “That motherf—er balled out today,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “Jalen really got in his bag today.” In NFL Fallout, Ralph Vacchiano breaks down the impact of the biggest events every Sunday.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports