The Atlanta Falcons go as Bijan Robinson goes. Robinson rumbled for 194 rushing yards in Atlanta’s first win of the season, a 35-14 triumph over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in a primetime showing in Week 3. Robinson was buoyed by the return of Michael Penix Jr., who posted 256 passing yards and a touchdown, creating balance in Atlanta’s offense. But it’s Robinson who is the straw that stirs the drink and is the engine of Atlanta’s offense. Since 2023, Robinson tops the league with 6,115 scrimmage yards. He also leads the league this season with 467 scrimmage yards, showing out when the rest of the Falcons’ offense looked lackluster in the first two weeks of the year. Robinson’s explosiveness and ability to run through trash stand out. He’s averaging 5.3 yards per carry and, according to Next Gen Stats, 4.9 yards after contact per carry — second among running backs with at least 25 carries this season. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski should know how to take advantage of Robinson’s unique skill set. The Cleveland Browns’ offense Stefanski oversaw as head coach finished in the top 12 in rushing in four of his six years at the helm, with Nick Chubb shining out of the backfield. But Robinson could reach heights that Chubb didn’t, if he hasn’t already. Currently, Robinson is fourth in Offensive Player of the Year odds at DraftKings Sportsbook (+1200) behind Kenneth Walker III, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jahmyr Gibbs. Robinson will need more performances like the one against the Packers to stay in the running with some of the top playmakers in the league. Let’s take a closer look at my picks for the top three of all the major awards heading into Week 4. Offensive Player Of The Year The skinny: The Kansas City Chiefs are getting the best version of Kenneth Walker through three games, who has 442 scrimmage yards and four scores. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, has started that year by recording at least 120 receiving yards in each of the Seattle Seahawks’ first three games as he looks to become the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons in over two decades. Jahmyr Gibbs also deserves a mention here, as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has done a nice job of creating innovative ways to get the dynamic runner in space. Gibbs has forced 29 missed tackles this season. Defensive Player Of The Year The skinny: Greg Rousseau leads the NFL in sacks (6) and tackles for loss (8). He also has three forced fumbles, which is tied with Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean for the league lead. Will Anderson and T.J. Watt are among the league’s top pass rushers again, at least to start the season. Anderson has four sacks (2.5 came in the Houston Texans’ Week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts) and T.J. Watt has 3.5 sacks. Dallas Turner also deserves a mention. He leads the league in quarterback pressures (25) and has 3.5 sacks on the year, greatly benefiting from defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-happy scheme. Coach Of The Year The skinny: Few NFL observers expected first-year head coaches in Klint Kubiak and Todd Monken to have their teams atop the division at this point of the season, and both have done it with veteran quarterbacks considered past their prime. Kirk Cousins is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns with nine, and Deshaun Watson has stayed healthy and is playing efficient football in Cleveland for the first time since the trade. Kevin O’Connell, meanwhile, has yet to get Kyler Murray on track. But the Minnesota Vikings are the only undefeated team in the NFC North, and their start is too strong to ignore. Offensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Kenyon Sadiq has been a revelation for the Jets. The athletic tight end out of Oregon had his first 100-yard receiving effort as a pro, posting seven catches for 105 receiving yards and a score in a close loss to Detroit. Denzel Boston continues to show explosive playmaking ability. The Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver leads all rookies in receiving yards (195), logging long touchdown grabs in each of the first two weeks of the season. But Jeremiyah Love leads all rookies in scrimmage yards (204) after a solid performance against San Francisco in Week 3, putting up 109 total yards. Defensive Rookie Of The Year The skinny: Hezekiah Moses leads all rookies in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (4). And he has been one of the reasons the Raiders’ ball-hawking defense is tops in the NFL in takeaways (9). Genesis Smith moved into the top three on the strength of a two-interception effort against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Miami Dolphins linebacker Jacob Rodriguez also deserves some credit, totaling six combined tackles — including three tackles for loss — and an interception in a tough loss to Kansas City. David Bailey should get a mention as well, leading all rookies in sacks with two, giving the New York Jets some solid pass-rushing ability. MVP The skinny: Patrick Mahomes continues to impress less than a year after tearing his ACL. He helped the Chiefs improve to 3-0 with a 246-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 24-10 win over the Dolphins, and he’s now top five in passing yards (812) and passing touchdowns (7). All Jared Goff does is put up impressive numbers. The Lions’ quarterback is second in the league in passer rating (116.1), with eight touchdown passes and no interceptions. But Brock Purdy’s numbers largely stand alone to start the season. He hasn’t been sacked in three games and is the only quarterback with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of at least 100 in each of the first three weeks of the season. Purdy also leads the league in passer rating (133.1) and is tied with Cousins for the league lead in touchdown passes with nine.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks about Alaska natural gas at an event Wednesday in the White House. President Donald Trump, seated, announced what he said was a deal with the Republic of Korea to invest in the Alaska liquefied natural gas project. Korean officials, however, said the government has not committed to invest in the project but only to continue to examine it. Behind Trump and Sullivan are U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. (Screenshot from White House video)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he had secured a deal with the Republic of Korea to spend $54 billion on a long-desired Alaska natural gas pipeline project, part of a $200 billion package of investments that include a major power plant in Texas and several nuclear power plants.
South Korea’s trade minister quickly shot down that claim, saying the government is simply reviewing the Alaska project and will proceed with investment “only if its commercial viability is established,” the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper reported.
Trump spoke in glowing terms of an Alaska liquefied natural gas project as a sure accomplishment — even though half a century of efforts by state and federal officials and the energy industry have failed to make the project a reality, and even though Korean officials have disputed his claim that they are committed to investing in it.
“This alone will be one of the largest energy projects in American history and a gigantic win for the people of Alaska,” Trump said at the event, held in the White House’s Oval Office. “It will create up to 12,000 construction jobs immediately and 1,000 operational jobs. It’ll also save Alaska households up to $1,500, maybe even as much as $2,200 a year in energy costs. It’s amazing.”
The Alaska LNG investment is part of a “colossal package of investments” stemming from his trade and tariff policies that make “a major step toward securing our critical energy supply chain, ensuring American energy dominance, and making our partnership with South Korea and the entire Pacific region stronger than ever before,” Trump said.
South Korea’s industry, trade and resources minister quickly shot down Trump’s claim about securing $54 billion for the Alaska project. Minister Kim Jung-kwan said the Korean government is simply reviewing the Alaska project and will proceed with investment “only if its commercial viability is established,” the Korea JoongAng Daily newspaper reported.
Trump made the announcement while flanked by a crowd of men that included three cabinet members, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Sen. Dan Sulivan, R-Alaska, and U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska. Also in the group was Brendan Duval, chief executive of the Glenfarne Group, the investment company leading the current proposal for a natural gas project in Alaska.
The current proposal is to ship gas from the North Slope through a yet-to-be-built 807-mile pipeline from the North Slope to tidewater at Southcentral Alaska’s Cook Inlet, where it would be liquefied and put on tankers for shipment to Asian markets.
Alaska’s North Slope holds vast amounts of natural gas along with its oil resources. But geographic distance and costs have kept that natural gas stranded from markets, despite numerous schemes proposed over the years to build different types of pipeline systems to ship the product to either Asia or to the Lower 48.
The natural gas pipeline has been a perennial issue in Alaska elections, including this year’s U.S. Senate race, which is hotly contested. The energy investments Trump announced also affect Texas, another state where there is a competitive Senate race.
Trump and others who spoke at the ceremony spent much of their time praising Sullivan, whom he called “a great senator who is totally responsible for this pipeline,” and urging that he be reelected.
Sullivan is facing a stiff challenge from former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who led in votes in the primary election. But Trump spent much of his time at Wednesday’s Oval Office event talking about retired Petersburg teacher Dan S. Sullivan, the third U.S. Senate candidate on the Alaska ballot whose candidacy has been challenged by state election officials.
“That Dan Sullivan is a disgraceful fraud,” Trump said.
“It’s so corrupt. The Democrats are corrupt. . . When they put up a man with his exact name, they picked him out of a hat. They said, ‘Anybody named Dan Sullivan in Alaska?”
Trump has said he is planning to come to Alaska to campaign for the senator and against the Petersburg candidate.
Sullivan, in turn, praised Trump and also described the natural gas pipeline projects as if it is a sure thing.
“Mr. President, I would say this is the most important project in our state by far,” he said. “This is the project that is going to keep our kids and grandkids in Alaska, with a great, bright future. This is the project that our state has been working on to try to get done for almost a half century.”
Positive reaction, and also skepticism
Peltola, whom Trump did not mention but who finished 8.1 percentage points ahead of Sen. Sullivan in Alaska’s Aug. 18 open primary, issued a statement saying she welcomes Korean investment in the gas project.
She cited “bipartisan work” she did in the state legislature and Congress and said she will continue to do that work if elected to the Senate. “Today’s announcement is great news for Alaska, and I appreciate President Trump’s work to unleash Alaska energy. I look forward to continuing this bipartisan work with the President as Alaska’s next United States Senator,” she said in the statement.
Also issuing a positive statement was former State Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democrat running for governor.
“Alaska should welcome foreign investment that helps responsibly develop our resources, creates good-paying jobs, and builds new markets for Alaska’s natural gas,” Kreiss-Tomkins said in the statement, in which he describes himself as “an enthusiastic champion” of the gas project. “I’m thrilled to see President Trump’s support, and interest from South Korea, for moving this project forward,” he said.
However, the statements made by Trump, Sullivan and others on Wednesday differ vastly from the position articulated by the Republic of Korea government, according to news reports in that nation.
A map shows various Alaska natural gas pipeline routes proposed as of 2011. (Map from the Congressional Research Service publication, “The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline: Background, Status, and Issues for Congress,” by Paul W. Parfomak, Specialist in Energy and Infrastructure Policy, June 9, 2011)
The Korean government is not committing to spending any money on Alaska LNG, a project it considers to be a matter for further consultation, according to Korean publications. The actual commitment to Alaska LNG, as described in a memorandum of understanding, is to ‘explore the possibility of investment’ in the project, “while stopping short of making any binding financial commitment,” according to Korean reports.
Additionally, a law in Korea enacted earlier this year limits government investment in the U.S. to $20 billion a year.
One Alaska lawmaker pointed to the information from Korea as a reason to be skeptical about Trump’s announcement.
State Sen. Scott Kawasaki, D-Fairbanks, noted that Korea’s president had not backed Trump’s account.
Rather, Trump’s announcement seemed like one in a series of “boisterous” statements about things that people want, with details not provided, Kawasaki said.
“I think that, again, this is another bold pronouncement from a president who’s been known for making bold pronouncements but not following through,” he said.
It reminded him of Trump’s promise to build a wall at the Mexico border and make the Mexican government pay for it, Kawasaki said. “That never happened,” he said.
And he cautioned Alaskans against raising their expectations based on Trump’s announcement.
“I don’t want to tell the public and my voters that are just struggling, you know, trying to make ends meet that, ‘Don’t worry, the pipeline’s coming tomorrow; don’t worry, your gas problems are going to be solved overnight,’ because that’s just not going to happen,” he said.
Trump, in addition to making claims that are at odds with the Korean government’s public positions, made other questionable statements.
“For five decades, politicians have talked about the Alaska pipeline. I’ve been hearing about it from the time I’m a little boy: ‘The Alaska pipeline is going to be built someday.’ I was always fascinated by it,” he said.
It was unclear whether he was talking about the existing Trans Alaska Pipeline System, which has been shipping North Slope crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez since 1977, or the proposed gasline project. Discussions about either pipeline began after oil was discovered at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, when Trump, who is now 80, was 21.
Trump also claimed that he won the presidential vote in Alaska by 22 percentage points. His margin of victory in Alaska in 2024 was 13.1 percentage points.
Long history of international efforts
Wednesday’s announcement about Korean investment comes as part of a decades-long history of highly touted international agreements aimed at developing North Slope natural gas.
Those date back to 1977, when the U.S. and Canada struck a deal to develop an overland system that was to deliver natural gas to the Lower 48.
Other agreements were promoted in the 1980s and 1990s. At the time Yukon Pacific Corp., which ultimately held federal and state permits to build an LNG export project, was actively negotiating with would-be Asian partners and buyers. During the time, Yukon Pacific announced agreements with potential partners in Korea and Taiwan.
There were bold pronouncements about exports made during that era that were similar to those made in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
“ALASKA GAS IS POISED FOR EXPORT TO ASIANS,” said a headline in the Jan. 11, 1988, issue of the Journal of Commerce. The story referred to efforts by President Ronald Reagan and Japanese Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita to try to secure that Asian country as a partner in the Alaska LNG project.
Other international negotiations and agreements followed.
In 2008, for example, the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, also known as Sinopec,submitted a formal proposal to the administration of Gov. Sarah Palin to build an LNG project with a pipeline running along the existing oil pipeline’s route from the North Slope to the port of Valdez.
Nine years later, the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation — which became the main sponsor of the project — and the state announced a “Joint Development Agreement” with Sinopec and other would-be partners from China. Along with Sinopec, parties to the agreement were CIC Capital Corporation and the Bank of China. It was “the most significant step forward for Alaska LNG,” AGDC said at the time.
The signing of that agreement was witnessed by Trump in his first administration during a trip to China, according to AGDC’s account.
In February of 2025, Trump announced a “joint venture” with Japan on Alaska LNG in terms similar to those he used on Wednesday to describe what he said was a commitment for Korean investment.
At the time, Sullivan praised Trump in terms similar to those he used on Wednesday.
“With his leadership, we will get the Alaska LNG Project built, which will create thousands of good-paying jobs, reinvigorate our American steel industry, significantly reduce our trade deficit in Asia, and deliver clean-burning Alaska gas for Americans, our military, and our allies in the Asia-Pacific, like Japan,” Sullivan said in a statement then.
Haines Hot Shots would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation for their generous support this year. Their contribution has helped our coaches and volunteers continue providing youth in our community with valuable gun safety education in an engaging and meaningful way.
Through this program, our athletes have had opportunities to build their skills, learn responsibility and safety, contribute to our community, meet new people, and represent Haines in competitions.…
Dylan Raiola was texting Dan Lanning all week. He heard one thing about USC in a press conference and spotted something else while watching film, and wanted his head coach to know. Raiola, Oregon’s backup quarterback, was unlikely to take a snap against the Trojans last Saturday. But he wanted to be helpful and proactive, just in case. The best backups, whether they’re quarterbacks or play another position, often say they prepare as if they’re going to start. They study and stay ready even without first-team reps. We don’t always see that effort pay off. But in Raiola’s case, it did. The Nebraska transfer was thrust into Saturday’s game against USC early in the second quarter after Oregon starter Dante Moore took a frightening hit to the head. Moore, a Heisman Trophy candidate and projected first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, had led the Ducks to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. After receiving medical attention for several minutes, Moore was taken off the field on a stretcher before leaving in an ambulance. It was later announced that he had suffered a concussion, but did not have any additional injuries. On Wednesday, Lanning said that Moore is “healthy and doing well.” Moore and Raiola are close friends and have developed something of a mentor-mentee relationship. So while Raiola was shaken up after seeing his teammate go down, there wasn’t much time to dwell on it. He had to lock in and take over. “Every guy had faith in him,” Lanning told reporters after the Ducks’ 41-27 win at the LA Coliseum. “He was ready for his moment.” Raiola’s story is well-known by now. Originally from Buford, Georgia, he was a five-star prospect in the 2024 class who initially committed to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs before flipping to play for Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers. Raiola started 22 games at Nebraska until he broke his leg last November, ironically against USC. He transferred to Oregon in the offseason, and shortly after, Moore announced he would be returning for his senior year. This kind of situation is unusual in the transfer portal and NIL era, when players often change schools in search of more playing time or better monetary opportunities. Coming off a major injury, Raiola knew he could learn from Moore, who had gone through a similar transition after transferring from UCLA to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel. “They want each other to be the best QB they can both possibly be,” said former Oregon Hall of Fame running back Kenjon Barner, who remains closely connected to the program. “I don’t think there’s another QB room in the country that has what this room has in two starters. When you go back to Dillon Gabriel and Dante, it was the same type of situation. The way their relationship is, [Gabriel] laid the foundation; Dante stood on that foundation.” Raiola had barely seen the field this season, earning his first meaningful snaps when he completed 11-of-11 passing attempts in garbage time of Oregon’s 84-0 rout of Portland State in Week 3. He certainly wasn’t expecting his next opportunity to come against USC. “It’s complicated,” Raiola said following the win over the Trojans. “You don’t ever want to see someone be hurt, especially how much [Moore] means to me, how much he teaches me, how much he means to the team.” It was an emotional few moments after Moore was carted off the field. Lanning said everybody wanted to “go get in a street fight,” but the Ducks remained composed and chose to honor their teammate by winning the game. Raiola leaned on the preparation he’d done earlier in the week, while offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer adjusted the game plan to better suit his backup’s skill set. On Raiola’s second play of the game, he found wide receiver Evan Stewart for a 3-yard touchdown pass to give Oregon a 10-7 lead. There were only a few times Saturday night when Raiola made a decision and Lanning thought, “OK, that’s not where we wanted the ball to go.” For the most part, Lanning was impressed by Raiola’s ability to execute the offense, get rid of the ball when necessary and avoid taking sacks. He finished the night 19-of-25 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns. “Dylan has never stopped seeing himself as the guy,” Barner said. “To step into that spot with so much pressure speaks volumes about the professional that Dylan Raiola is. When you watch that kid play, he doesn’t allow anything to affect him. He remains the same player every week – calm, cool, collected, completely in control of the offense.” That kind of poise and confidence is a reflection of the growth Raiola has made since first arriving in Eugene. “I’m very proud of Dylan,” Lanning said. “That moment happens in sports a lot of times when guys aren’t ready and that becomes the story. And regardless of how Dylan would have performed, like, I love that guy. He works so hard – so incredibly hard – to put himself in that position to be successful. He came in and he operated, man, and we’ve seen that go other ways before. “To know he put in the work, the prep, was ready in his moment, and then didn’t come in and try to force it, he just played the game, man,” Lanning added. “I can’t say enough great things about Dylan and how he operates. That’s why he came here.” On Monday, Matt Rhule, who coached Raiola for two seasons at Nebraska, was asked about his former quarterback during his weekly press conference. “There’s no doubt that Dylan is an elite quarterback,” Rhule told reporters. After rallying to beat Boise State in its season opener and falling to Oklahoma State the following week, Oregon has rebounded to put itself in position to make another CFP run. The Ducks are now 4-1 and ranked No. 15 in the country. They’re idle this week before diving into the heart of their conference schedule – Oregon hosts No. 23 UCLA on Oct. 10 and visits No. 5 Ohio State on Nov. 7. There’s no timetable yet for Moore’s return. But if Raiola is needed again, he’s shown he’s ready. “I never knew when my moment was going to happen or what to expect,” Raiola said. “The ultimate goal is to win, no matter how it happens, no matter, sadly, whoever goes down. The game of football doesn’t feel sorry for us. We’ve got to step up and keep fighting and those guys in that locker room did just that. Coming in on the road and doing what we did is not normal.”Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
The landlords and landladies of this town should be ashamed of themselves. Rent has skyrocketed in the last year, rising alongside the cost of groceries, utilities, and gas.
Why it has skyrocketed can only be boiled down to greed, as the two biggest landlords in town do little to nothing to actually maintain their apartments, houses, and businesses.
When I first moved to town five years ago, finding a one-bedroom apartment at between $600 and…
On behalf of The Salvation Army in Haines, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Lucy Harrell Memorial Fund for its generous donation and continued support of our mission.
Because of gifts like this, we are able to continue providing emergency assistance to individuals and families not only in Haines, but throughout the entire Chilkat Valley.
These resources help us meet critical needs and ensure that help is available when our neighbors…
Dear Senator Sullivan, I recently received your letter in response to my call expressing my deep concerns about the war with Iran. The five-page single-spaced missive was dense and extremely hard to read.
While your letter provides an exhaustive description of the conflict and your role in managing its impacts on Alaskans, it says nothing about the morality of our country’s actions or about what you are doing to bring this war to a conclusion…
A Simple Meal is just that — a basic meal of homemade soup and bread. We offer two soups every Monday night, and one is always vegetarian. It is a community effort involving local churches and community members.
Our goal is simply to build community through a shared meal while hopefully helping others at the same time.
The Simple Meal team thanks everyone who has supported our meals by volunteering, donating, or simply being present…
Support our seniors and vote “No” on Tom Morphet’s Initiative 2. He is promoting new spending while also pushing to reduce the senior and disabled-veteran property tax exemption.
Newcomer Beau Bradley offers no new ideas, just the same talking points. During his CVN interview, Bradley referenced Haines’ demographics in a way that suggests he feels there are too many elders in our community.
If he had lived here long enough to know our names, perhaps…
Around Haines, people keep repeating the same talking points about childcare, but they don’t understand the issue. In the summer, when more people are working, demand increases. I currently have nine children, infant to age 3 on my waiting list. In the winter, when fewer people are working, I operate below capacity and have space available.
There is also a lot of talk about Haines receiving a $1 million childcare grant. But that grant cannot…
