Author: alaskaadmin

Out on the Rams already? What about the Packers? How far can the Giants go with John Harbaugh? Does Jalen Hurts look like an MVP? No doubt your NFL group chats are buzzing with strong opinions after Week 1. I’m here to separate the facts from the fiction. Every week, we’ll ask fans on our NFL on FOX social media accounts for their best takes after the past weekend of action. I’ll pick a handful of them, provide analysis and render a verdict. Alright, let’s dive into the Week 1 takes: Coming out hot with the takes in Week 1! I like it. Look, the Rams were flat in their season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford wasn’t sharp. Neither was head coach Sean McVay (what was that goal-line quarterback sneak with Stafford?). Seven points marked the lowest total for the Rams in a game with Stafford as the starting quarterback (2021-present). The hyped defense was a massive let-down too, allowing 174 rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry and a 58% conversion rate on third down (7-of-12). The Niners scored 17 points in the final 27 minutes. And if it couldn’t get any worse, reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett — who was held without a tackle for the first time since Week 11 of the 2024 season — underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week and will miss at least four games on injured reserve. But with all that said, I don’t think the Rams have reason to panic. They have the same starting offense as last year, when they led the league in points and total yardage. Garrett will return eventually. Aaron Donald hasn’t suited up yet. The Rams’ loss in Australia was more of an indictment on their preparation for a single game — arriving in Melbourne the day before the game never made much sense — than their title chances. This is still arguably the NFL’s best team, even if they were overhyped entering the season and Garrett’s absence in the short term hurts. Fact or Fiction: Fiction The Giants got a tremendous boost from the Cowboys’ putrid defensive showing in Week 1, but there’s a lot to like in New York. The first thing that jumps out to me is that the Giants can own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, a trademark of winning teams. They had 165 rushing yards and four drives of 10-plus plays against the Cowboys, including three straight to end the game. That’s what imposing your will looks like. Then defensively, edge rushers Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux generated consistent pressure on Dallas QB Dak Prescott, even if it didn’t result in any sacks. Guard Francis Mauigoa and linebacker Arvell Reese, the Giants’ 2026 first-round picks, had strong debuts. John Harbaugh & Co. prioritized building a physical football team this offseason, and it’s looking like that will pay off. Then there’s quarterback Jaxson Dart, who looks poised for a breakout Year 2. So much of the conversation around him as a rookie was his inability to properly protect himself, and on Sunday night, we saw a player who made smart decisions as a runner, getting down or out of bounds to avoid big hits. As a passer, he was decisive and precise, completing 79.3% of his passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. So the Giants appear to be in great shape, and stack up well with the NFC East. The Cowboys have some serious work to do defensively before they can be the team they were hyped to be in the offseason. The Eagles won their opener over the Commanders but have concerns on the offensive line and are breaking in a first-time offensive playercaller (more on that below).  The Commanders also have a first-time offensive coordinator. Even with a new coach, the Giants seem to have the fewest questions of any team in their division. Fact or Fiction: Fact The Packers have very real reasons to be concerned. In its season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay blew yet another large lead under coach Matt LaFleur. Including their wild-card playoff defeat to the Bears last season, the Packers have lost five games since the start of 2025 that they led in the second half by at least two possessions. And the 2026 outlook is bleak on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The offensive line was dysfunctional in Week 1, allowing quarterback Jordan Love to be pressured on a career-high 50.0% of his dropbacks. The Vikings presented a unique challenge because of how much they blitz under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, but other defenses will undoubtedly draw from what worked with Minnesota. There was nothing to like in the Packers’ run game, either. The team had just 66 rushing yards on 3.1 yards per carry. Defensively, we knew Green Bay would be short-handed with Micah Parsons (ACL) out to start the year, but Vikings backup quarterback Carson Wentz was way too comfortable in place of Kyler Murray, who suffered an early concussion. Wentz had three touchdown passes and a two-point conversion to lead Minnesota, which scored 29 unanswered points to win 39-22. I think the Packers will be fine on defense when Parsons returns, expected to be around mid-October. But Green Bay’s offensive issues may not be fixable, even after just one week. LaFleur’s game management late in games continues to be problematic, and Green Bay appears to have a below-average offensive line in both pass protection and run blocking. Fact or Fiction: Fact There was a lot to like from Hurts in the Eagles’ Week 1 victory over the Commanders. In many ways, Philadelphia didn’t seem to miss star receiver A.J. Brown, who was traded to the Patriots in the offseason. Hurts had three completions of at least 30 yards, including a 64-yarder to Dontayvion Wicks. The Super Bowl LIX MVP went 6-of-9 on downfield throws (10-plus air yards) for 176 yards and three touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats. His completion rate left much to be desired (56.0%), but he was effective as both a passer and as a runner. It was a great season debut for Hurts with a new, first-time playcaller in Sean Mannion. The offensive line is worth keeping an eye on moving forward, though. Legendary OL coach Jeff Stoutland parted ways with the team after last season, and three-time Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson was placed on injured reserve. Offensive line issues were one of Philly’s biggest problems last season, and the stage is set for hiccups early in 2026. That could put a lot of pressure on Hurts. Also, there are so many other quarterbacks around the league who I think are better positioned to flourish this season. The Bears’ Caleb Williams is in his second year with offensive-minded head coach Ben Johnson. Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence is in his second year with offensive-minded head coach Liam Coen. And 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen is in lock step with new Bills head coach Joe Brady, who has been Buffalo’s offensive playcaller since midway through 2023. Those QBs and others will make it difficult for Hurts to have staying power in the MVP conversation, even if Mannion’s offense turns out to be a great fit for him. Fact or Fiction: Fiction​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Week 3 features yet another chapter in the Lane Kiffin saga, as LSU’s new head coach returns to the field he left behind at Ole Miss. Florida State is in a panic, and right as Alabama plays host. The underrated Mississippi State takes on South Carolina in a potential shootout. The 2026 college football season rolls on with these big matchups and more, and Joel Klatt picked winners on the Thursday edition of “The Joel Klatt Show”. Here are all of Klatt’s picks for these key Week 3 games. Klatt’s thoughts: “Kiffin is going back, and this is going to be bonkers and wild, the atmosphere is going to be crazy. Here’s the thing: nobody knows Ole Miss better than Lane Kiffin. I actually believe in my heart of hearts right now that LSU has a massive advantage in this. He knows Pete Golding. He knows the structures that Pete’s going to struggle with on the defensive side. He knows Chambliss better than the Ole Miss coaching staff knows Chambliss. He knows where all the skeletons are buried in the game plans. And when he has that, nobody builds better game plans to take advantage of those types of scenarios. No one does it better than Lane Kiffin. “I think that they (LSU) can (win). Schematically, on the field (and) game plan wise, LSU has a giant advantage in this game, and no one is going to talk about it that way… You don’t think that he’s going to have something that is specifically designed for a Pete Golding defense in the first five plays?… I think the defense is exceptional for LSU.” Klatt’s pick: “I got 28-20, Lane goes back to Ole Miss and gets a win with LSU.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Jeff Brohm is outstanding at home in big games. We’ve seen [Louisville] knock off big opponents. He’s even done it against big opponents… this is a monster, monster game. I think the winner of this game ultimately plays Miami for the ACC championship. Two great quarterbacks… these two guys are one and two in the country right now in total offense per game… I love this one. “I think Louisville learned a lot about themselves in that Ole Miss game… I also think SMU is incredibly talented. The game against Florida State was way closer than it should have been. It was all turnovers. That’s the only thing that scares me about SMU… I think they’re better and more talented than Louisville… If [QB Kevin] Jennings stays clean, SMU wins the game outright.” Klatt’s pick: “I think SMU wins the game outright, 31-27.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Ranked matchup in the Big 12, Houston goes to Texas Tech. Houston is No. 22 in the country, Texas Tech is No. 13 in the country… Joey McGuire is an excellent coach. One thing I know about Joey McGuire is he’s going to look at the first two games with this Tech team and realize they were unconvincing and they can coach them hard this week. “Meanwhile, for Houston, Willie Fritz has done an excellent job. I like their quarterback, Conner Weigman. Makhi Hughes is a huge add to their run game… Amare Thomas is one of the best receivers in the Big 12. Texas Tech is a team that, on paper, is one of the most talented teams in the country.” Klatt’s pick: “I like Tech to cover… I think they win it, 34-23.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Florida State is in a panic right now. Does not look good… Their athletic department is massively in debt, they just fired their athletic director… you look at the rest of their schedule… and it’s like, I don’t see how Mike Norvell gets past the Miami game. I really don’t. “Meanwhile, for Alabama, I feel like something clicked for Alabama last weekend against Kentucky… if you step back and actually look back at the game, what did you notice about this Bama team? Their defense is dominant, and then something else happened in that second half: Ryan Grubb stuck to the run game. Kalen DeBoer ran the football. They buried Kentucky in the second half. “FSU struggles to throw it. They’re not going to be able to run the football against that defense.” Klatt’s pick: “Bama wins this one 38-10, I think that one’s an easy one for me.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Couple of new coaches. Guys who are trying to rebuild their programs… Jon Sumrall did a really nice job of keeping and retaining some of the talent that Florida had, namely running back Jadan Baugh, so clearly they’ve got some buy-in there… Meanwhile Alex Golesh on the other side is trying to have a similar rebuild with Auburn. He brought in his quarterback, Byron Brown, from South Florida. Auburn played Baylor in Week 1, that was a really good game. “But here’s what scares me about Auburn: their offensive line in that game against Baylor did not protect very well, and Brown was sacked five times. So do we think that Florida is going to have a better front seven than Baylor? And my answer would be yes.” Klatt’s pick: Florida wins this one 20-17, I’m going to go with Jon Sumrall and Florida. Klatt’s thoughts: “This is a great quarterback matchup, first of all. You’ve got LaNorris Sellers for South Carolina – he could be a star, I think, he’s got that talent. But then you’ve got the real breakout star, he’s a guy I’m so excited about, Kamario Taylor. He’s huge, he’s 230 lbs., he’s over 6’3”, he’s got a cannon for an arm. They just hammered Minnesota on the road. “Mississippi State might be better than we all realized – in fact, they are better than we all realized – and they’re certainly better than the AP voters realize. They should be a ranked team at this point… Now South Carolina played Kent State and an FCS team, so we don’t really know what they are yet. I expect and kind of want a shootout in this game.” Klatt’s pick: It’s tough to win on the road, back-to-back, but I’ve got Mississippi State winning outright on the road, 34-30.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports