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Josh Allen took over this game in the first quarter, and even with the Lions scoring a respectable amount of points, it was clear the Buffalo Bills QB would never let Detroit back in the game. If the Lions scored, Allen would respond with one of his own. Just for good measure. Just to show who was in control. I didn’t expect a blowout, with both these teams looking like playoff candidates — and perhaps division winners. But that’s what we got, with the Bills humbling the Lions, 41-31, on Thursday night. Here are my takeaways: We keep asking: Is it their year? There’s reason to believe, now more than ever. This could be their year to make a Super Bowl run. And it’s about what’s new. Josh Allen is the best player on the planet, but there were times when former Bills coach Sean McDermott seemed to be holding back the organization, whether it was with his conservative (and errant) game management or his sometimes unimaginative defense. So coach Joe Brady’s promotion (from offensive coordinator last year) seems to be marking a truly new era. His offense has been incredible, pulling off a great win in Houston last week and absolutely racking up huge numbers this week. But it wasn’t really the offense that was the big story this week. It was the defense, where coordinator Jim Leonhard has the unit humming — immediately. It’s hard sometimes for a defensive coordinator to come in and change a scheme on the players, who might’ve fit better in the previous scheme. That wasn’t the case here. The returners have been great. And the newcomers — edge Bradley Chubb, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and cornerback Dee Alford — have plugged holes from last year. This is a tough game to go around heaping praise on Detroit. The Lions just didn’t have it on this particular night. Maybe it’s because they’re still a young roster, ranking as the 11th-youngest in the NFL. Maybe it’s that the offensive line needs a little time to mesh after replacing two of their starters. Maybe it’s that the secondary needs to mesh after also replacing two of their starters. But most likely, it’s all of that. That’s a lot of work for coach Dan Campbell, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. But I still like this core, with huge talents at premium positions: quarterback Jared Goff, receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, tight end Sam LaPorta, left tackle Penei Sewell and edge Aidan Hutchinson. That’s an incredible amount of talent. It’s an issue that those guys didn’t show up in the ways they should have. But don’t count them out. They’ll fix this. (And maybe they’ll pick up the phone and give the Steelers a ring about cornerback Joey Porter Jr.) Josh Allen just scored five total touchdowns to add to the four total he scored last week. And if the season were to end at the end of this week, he’d almost definitely be the MVP. But we have plenty of football left to play. It’s going to get more interesting every week. In Week 1, Lamar Jackson had two total touchdowns, 324 passing yards and 40 rushing yards in the Baltimore Ravens’ blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts. And Caleb Williams looks dangerous — like a legitimate third contender. He scored four total touchdowns as part of the Bears’ 59 points scored last week in their victory over the Panthers. It’s hard to count out Matthew Stafford, even with a dud in Week 1. It’s hard to count out Joe Burrow, with a solid start — and a very favorable schedule. Heck, it’s foolish to completely discount Patrick Mahomes. This is going to be fun, folks. Buckle up. The Bills will host the Chargers in Week 3, and you have to think L.A. will be quaking heading into (new) Highmark Stadium. There’s nothing this offense can’t do, particularly after seeing Allen spreading the ball around to his deep crop of pass-catchers in Dalton Kincaid, Joshua Palmer, Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and basically whoever else steps on the field. It’s never a good thing to lose DJ Moore to an injury, but this performance has to make them feel like they’ll be just fine if he misses time. We certainly know James Cook will produce. The Chargers might feel better about themselves if they can pull off a win over the Raiders on Sunday. But all those good vibes are gonna get negative real fast after taking a look at this box score — let alone the film. The Lions host the Jets next week, and I’m not sure it’s as easy as beating up on Gang Green. I don’t want to pump them up too much for a win over the lowly Titans. But I’ll admit, quarterback Geno Smith looked poised last week. And yes, the Jets had weapons. They even looked like they had a half-decent offensive line. But the biggest issue is that Jets coach Aaron Glenn is a Lions defector. When a coordinator leaves for a coaching gig, he often causes problems in a matchup against his former team. So Glenn could give Campbell and Goff a real headache. I suspect the Lions will win. But not easily.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Ben Johnson may look like a generic coach model Madden uses when it can’t secure the real guy’s likeness rights, but the Bears head coach has become one of the most interesting characters in just over a year. There’s a lot to like about the 40-year-old. He calls a high-octane offense, delivers viral locker-room speeches weekly, and already has multiple catchphrases going. On top of all that, Johnson says things in press conferences you don’t often hear from other coaches. Like when he told reporters that he’d like to set the league’s scoring record this season. “I want more than [the Super Bowl],” he said in August. “I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored, and I want to surpass them.” As Johnson later said, every offense aims to be the best and score a bunch of points, but other coaches don’t name-check the team record holders or have the record point totals committed to memory. The single-season record is 37.6 points per game, by the way. And Chicago is way ahead of that pace after dropping 59 points in a season-opening win over the Panthers. Now that we’ve seen this offense in action, Johnson’s goal doesn’t seem so far-fetched. If the Bears can keep it up against a Vikings defense coached by Brian Flores, we can put that 2013 Denver team on official notice. To break the scoring record, Chicago will have to be adaptable, and no defense forces an offense to adapt quite like Minnesota’s. Flores is known for running an aggressive, blitzing defense that shape-shifts every week to attack a specific opponent. You know pressure is coming, but you don’t know when or where. “That scheme is one of a kind,” Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said this week at his weekly press conference. “It’s a game-plan defense. [Flores] is gonna game plan all the way up to the tee – from first snap to last snap … coach called it ‘mental warfare’ when you go up against him.” We’re still days away from the game, and you can already see the effect that mental warfare is having on Johnson. When asked how to avoid overthinking things against Flores, the Bears coach laughed and said, “I’m already down that path.” Johnson seems to be a serial overthinker, which is partly why he’s such a good coach – and maybe the perfect coach if your goal is to score the most points in history. While he’s great at drawing up cool plays, it’s his understanding of situational football that makes him an exceptional play-caller. Johnson understands more than most that it’s not just about what plays you’re calling; it’s about when you’re calling them. Johnson reminds me of a great baseball hitter who works into favorable counts and then goes into attack mode. Second-and-short situations are his version of a 3-1 count in baseball. He knows he’s got a few more pitches to work with (third and fourth down), so he uses this one to swing for the fences. Last season, the Bears had the league’s highest pass rate in second-and-short situations and produced the most explosive plays, per Next Gen Stats. Chicago’s explosive play rate jumped to a ridiculous 25% on second-and-short, so you can see why Johnson seems obsessed with getting in that down and distance. He has a reputation for aggressive play-calling, but he knows how to pick his spots. The Bears have a lot of ways to get to those spots, as Flores noted this week. “I mean any type of offense that’s out there – whether it’s ground and pound, run-and-shoot, RPO, or 4-by-1 – he’s got it. So, what are we getting week-to-week? It’s hard to know, so a lot of the game is [about] adjustments.” Johnson’s adaptability is another key to Chicago’s offensive success. It’s why concerns about Williams’ schematic fit were always laughable. Some assumed Johnson wanted – or needed – his quarterback to operate like Jared Goff, who Johnson worked with in Detroit, for it to work. There was a thought that if Williams intended to play backyard football, Johnson would look for a new quarterback. Some even wondered if backup Tyson Bagent was a better option to start after Williams got off to a slow start in 2025. That all seems silly now, and not just because of how well Williams is playing. Johnson seems to be encouraging his quarterback to lean into that backyard style more often. Williams abandoned the pocket even more quickly in his sophomore season. Then, in the 2026 opener against the Panthers, he scrambled on nearly a fifth of his dropbacks and scored twice. Johnson realizes those scrambles are another source of big plays and is trying to weaponize them for the Bears offense. Johnson told the Chicago Sun-Times that he did an offseason study of the 120 dropbacks in 2025 when Williams vacated the pocket. He found that only 40% produced positive results and shared that information with his quarterback. But that 40% included a lot of big plays, so Johnson’s message wasn’t, Hey, you need to stop doing this. It was, We need to do this even better. As a coach, you’re dedicated to teaching the playbook, [but] we don’t want to fully shut that [ability] off,” Johnson said in August. “We see opportunity there. It’s not that we want to take those 120 plays down; I want to see that 40% go up.” Johnson said the Bears would spend time coaching their receivers on how to approach scramble-drill situations, and it showed up on tape in Week 1. Here’s a snapshot from one of the scramble touchdowns. Look at those receivers blocking downfield! Rome Odunze is smothering his guy. Luther Burden III is screening his. Kalif Raymond is doing anything he can to get in front of the linebacker trying to close in on Williams. That effort can turn a solid scramble into a touchdown. Williams broke the pocket 13 times against the Panthers. Those plays generated 12.5 expected points added, leading the league by a full eight points, and a success rate of 61%, far higher than the 40% mark from last year, according to Johnson’s calculations. “[On the scrambles], we had a lot more production than maybe we would’ve had in the past,” Johnson said after the win in Carolina. “Hopefully, we can bring this dynamic with us each and every week. He and I went over the tape, [and] there’s a couple of times where we don’t have the best call on for the defensive coverage, and our quarterback is able to make this thing right for us … we think it’s really, really dangerous for our offense.” Against the Bears, you have to defend two plays: the play call, designed by one of the league’s brightest offensive minds, and then the second play created by one of its most dynamic quarterbacks. Then there’s also the matter of slowing down running back DeAndre Swift, Odunze and Burden at receiver and tight end Colston Loveland. There is a lot to plan for when facing this Bears offense. “Anything that could potentially give a defense problems, they do,” Flores said this week. “And I think this being year two [in the system], they understand exactly what they’re trying to get done, so there’s better execution – at least through one game” That’s important to remember. It’s only been one game, and this league has a way of humbling teams quickly. Remember the 2023 Dolphins that hung 70 on the Broncos? That offense was averaging over 43 points per game and was on pace to shatter Denver’s scoring record. A week later, Miami was embarrassed by the Bills and never reached that high again. These Bears seem more well-rounded than that Miami offense that was supposed to revolutionize the game. Chicago has a coach who knows how to adapt to different situations, a quarterback who can follow the script or ad-lib his own lines, a road-grating offensive line, and a skill group that has fully bought into the coach’s vision. This year’s Bears team is seemingly built for anything a defense can throw at it throughout the season. With the Vikings coming to Chicago, the Bears are facing a defense designed to test that theory.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Some of this weekend’s best games include a few top-25 matchups. Will favorite Texas Tech put away Houston in a huge Friday night game on FOX? Will LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt be healthy enough to play against Ole Miss? Here are the five best games fans and bettors should watch this weekend with odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Spread: Texas Tech -7.5Moneyline: Texas Tech -305; Houston +245O/U: 53.5 What To Know: While the Red Raiders are 2-0 straight up (SU), they’re 0-2 against the spread (ATS). Now, TTU hosts Houston on Friday night on FOX. Like Texas Tech, the Cougars are undefeated, but they’re 1-1 ATS. Both squads already have a win against Oregon State on their résumés. Texas Tech defeated the Beavers 35-24; Houston beat them 33-20. Spread: Ohio State -52.5Moneyline: N/AO/U: 59.5 What To Know: It looked like Ohio State would get past Texas in Week 2, but the favored Longhorns rallied with an impressive comeback that sent the Buckeyes home with a blemish. But even with that loss, FOX Sports betting analyst Sammy P still has Ohio State as his highest-rated team in the country. Now, the Buckeyes get a chance to prove exactly that in Week 3 against a Kent State team that lost its first game 57-0 to South Carolina but won its second against Wofford 36-15. Spread: Louisville -1.5 Moneyline: Louisville -120; SMU +100O/U: 59.5 What To Know: Louisville dropped its first game of the season with a loss to Ole Miss. But the Cardinals put up an incredible fight, losing a close 41-38 battle. SMU hasn’t dropped a game yet, but the Mustangs have faced weaker teams in Florida State and UC Davis. SMU is 1-0-1 ATS and Louisville is 2-0 in that spot. When it comes to quarterback play, Louisville QB Lincoln Kienholz has 639 passing yards on the season; SMU’s Kevin Jennings has 767. Spread: Notre Dame -29.5Moneyline: Notre Dame -4500; Michigan State +1700O/U: 52.5 What To Know: Notre Dame’s two wins so far have come against Wisconsin and Rice. In the Fighting Irish’s game against Wisconsin, however, the Badgers kept it close for the first half, with ND leading 13-10. But the Irish dominated the second half and ultimately got the 41-13 win. Week 2 was a cakewalk for Notre Dame, as it rolled Rice 52-0. Michigan State, though, is also undefeated. Sparty got two straight-up Ws against Toledo and Eastern Michigan. And bettors eyeing the 29.5-point spread might want to consider that Michigan State is 1-0-1 ATS so far this season. Spread: LSU -3Moneyline: LSU -155; Ole Miss +130O/U: 58.5 What To Know: FOX Sports betting analyst Patrick Everson chatted with a bookmaker who explained that bettors love LSU and that he’s expecting a lot of action on the Tigers in this huge matchup. And of course, one of the biggest storylines revolves around Lane Kiffin facing his old team for the first time since his unceremonious departure from Oxford. Another storyline bettors might want to consider is LSU QB Sam Leavitt’s health and availability. Both teams have perfect records coming into this weekend. LSU rolled over Clemson and Louisiana Tech; Ole Miss got wins over Louisville and Charlotte.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Chris Petersen didn’t mince words when asked what it was like the first time he took his new team back to play his old one. “It was the worst,” Petersen told me. In 2015, Petersen’s second season at Washington, the Huskies traveled to Boise State to square off against the program he had spent more than a decade building into a national powerhouse. The trip to the blue turf came in the opening week of the season, and the Broncos denied their ex-coach a victory, beating the Huskies, 16-13. “We had recruited probably 90% of those players over there,” said Petersen. “This was pre-transfer [portal] and so we didn’t bring one kid with us. I’m looking at that sideline and knowing these are all the guys that we left there and that was one of the hardest things that you ever had to do. “The other thing was, I had such an affinity for that place. It was really, really hard. Like, one of my least favorite games to have to ever compete in.” On Saturday, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin will experience some semblance of that when he leads the No. 7-ranked Tigers into Oxford to battle No. 8 Ole Miss, where he spent six seasons guiding the Rebels to unprecedented heights. Kiffin famously spurned his former team late last season, leaving for LSU just before Ole Miss made its College Football Playoff debut — a decision that infuriated Rebels fans and players alike. College football rivalries are part of what make this sport so great, one of the things that sets it apart from others. This matchup, though not a traditional rivalry, figures to be every bit as heated and contentious given the circumstances. It will stir up plenty of emotions. Pundits have likened it to bringing your new love back to meet your old flame. “The good thing for Lane is he’s getting this thing over fast — it’s not next year, it’s not later this season, he’s getting it done now,” Petersen told me, noting he had to wait a year and a half to face Boise State, while Kiffin will go to Oxford less than 10 months after his messy exit. “He’s going to have to go out on the field late and get off the field right away,” Petersen added with a chuckle. “Though, you know, kind of knowing Lane, he’ll probably be out there talking to fans and stirring it up.” While the conditions surrounding Kiffin’s return are certainly unusual, he is hardly the first coach to find himself in this position. Nick Saban clashed with LSU multiple times as Alabama’s head coach, while Steve Spurrier took South Carolina back to Gainesville to play Florida. Sonny Dykes went to SMU with TCU, and Dan Mullen met his old program when Florida traveled to Mississippi State. Those are just a handful of examples. It’s an awkward situation, but one that is bound to happen from time to time in sports. Saban, who coached at LSU from 2000-04 and won a national championship there, talked about his highly-anticipated return to Baton Rouge in 2008 during SEC media days this past summer. He said it was “one of the most difficult homecomings in the history of ball” and tried to prepare his players accordingly. “I always walk on the field two hours before the game and there’s usually nobody in the stadium,” Saban told the SEC Network. “The student section is already full and they are chanting some bad things at Nick Saban. “But the one thing that I think people underestimate is, when your players are with you and they understand the challenge, they look at it as a challenge. And sometimes the home team thinks this is going to be an advantage for us, and it really isn’t. We won that game in overtime [27-21] because of the great competitive disposition our team took into that game.” Kiffin, though, is something of a veteran when it comes to this particular predicament. He’s already been in this position a couple of times in his career. In 2014, Kiffin returned to Tennessee — where he coached for one season in 2009 before leaving for USC — as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. It was a hostile environment, with Volunteers fans still harboring resentment toward Kiffin years after his abrupt departure. On the first play of the game, former Crimson Tide wide receiver Amari Cooper caught an 80-yard touchdown pass, and Kiffin ran down the sideline celebrating as Alabama went on to win, 34-20. Years later, when Kiffin brought the Rebels to Neyland Stadium in 2021, the bad blood was still there. After Ole Miss beat Tennessee 31-26, fans chucked golf balls and other objects at him. During his news conference on Monday, Kiffin was asked what he and his Tigers might face Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. He knows the pregame chatter will center around him, and he doesn’t mind carrying that burden. “I told the players today, ‘Man, you don’t have anything to worry about as far as attention on you all week and everything,’” Kiffin said. ‘”There’s going to be so much attention, hatred, everything on me. You just get to go play.’ “The pressure is on them. We won seven games last year, they won 13. They return two Heisman candidates. How often does that happen in the same backfield? We had that [at USC] with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush … The pressure is not on you.” Even so, emotions will be running high. Petersen remembers the bizarre experience of landing at the airport, staying at the opposing team’s hotel and then pulling up to the stadium where he was greeted by a sea of Boise State fans dressed in blue and orange. Kiffin could very well encounter a similar sense of déjà vu, especially if he stops at any of his favorite haunts or takes a yoga class at his old studio. “It was a really different feeling because they’re all against you now, and it was never like that before,” Petersen said. “It was like, man, this is surreal.” Not to mention, Kiffin will be facing some former players, including star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy, both of whom he hoped would follow him to Baton Rouge. Kiffin brought only four players with him from Ole Miss to LSU, including starting defensive end Princewill Umanmielen and linebacker TJ Dottery, along with 12 members of his coaching staff. “I think that’s going to be really hard on him because there are a lot of kids there that I’m sure he still cares about,” Petersen said of Kiffin. “There’s probably still coaches on the staff. The administration was great to him when he was there, and so he made a choice, and now he’s gotta walk right back into the hornet’s nest. “He’s just going to have to focus on this game, his team playing well, get in and out, and try to minimize the emotion and the drama as much as you can. But in some ways, Lane seems like he thrives on a lot of drama and chaos. So this may help him and his team compete better.” What can also help? Something Petersen’s team didn’t do. “The thing that will make this the most tolerable,” Petersen said, “is if your team goes out and plays well and wins the game.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There’s a youth movement afoot within the United States men’s soccer team. On Thursday, coach Mauricio Pochettino named a 28-player roster for the Stars and Stripes’ first matches since reaching the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup – home exhibitions later this month and early next against Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. It’s stocked with almost as many new faces as World Cup veterans, although star attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic will sit out this window. But the list includes 13 members of the squad that won its group and a knockout match against Bosnia and Herzegovina before being eliminated by Belgium. There are familiar names like Tyler Adams and Chris Richards plus five World Cup goalscorers: Sebastian Berhalter, Alex Freeman, Gio Reyna, Malik Tillman and Auston Trusty. However, the list also features 12 youngsters who will be participating in their first senior international camp when it begins next week at U.S. Soccer’s training center outside Atlanta. “I think it’s a good mix of experience and fresh and new energy,” said Pochettino, who spoke to reporters following Thursday’s announcement. Among those are seven teenagers: 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan; 17-year-olds Mathis Albert and Adri Mehmeti; Julian Hall, Peyton Miller and Neil Pierre (all 18) and Justin Ellis (19). “He’s only 16, he’s a kid,” Pochettino said of Sullivan, who nonetheless has five goals and six assists in his last seven MLS games for the Philadelphia Union. “But I think the most important [thing] is that we have the opportunity now, because he deserves to join us in the national team.” Here are my takeaways from the roster, plus additional insight from Pochettino. The absence of several World Cup starters who are either just returning from a long layoff (Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun) or currently injured (Weston McKennie), plus the fact that the U.S. under-20 and -23 teams won’t reconvene until November, opened the door for Pochettino to look at some of the brightest talents in the entire player pool. The other youngsters are here on merit, too. Pierre, a towering 6-foot-7 center back who is Sullivan’s teammate in Philly, has also been playing and scoring regularly during the second half of the MLS season. Hall, Mehmeti and Miller have all been starters for their MLS clubs all season, and in Miller’s case even longer. And while Albert has been an unused sub in all four of Dortmund’s Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League matches to start the 2026-27 campaign, he did go 90 minutes in a German Cup match in early September and is considered a blue-chip prospect. There were also several 20-year-olds invited: winger Cole Campbell, keeper Diego Kochen and fullback Frankie Westfield. This camp also marks the return of AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah, who started all four games for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (where, at 19, he marked England star Jude Bellingham out of the Americans’ scoreless group stage tie against the Three Lions) but didn’t even make the 2026 squad. Still just 23, Musah — whose last cap came almost two years ago — could once again occupy a major role in central midfield this cycle. “Yunus is like everyone – the doors are open for everyone,” Pochettino said of Musah, who fell out of favor with the Argentine after skipping the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup along with Rossoneri teammate Pulisic.  “Now it’s a new start. It’s a new cycle. It’s not [about] what happened one year or one year-and-a-half ago.” In this first camp of the 2030 World Cup cycle, Pochettino has the luxury of experimenting perhaps more than he will at any other point over the next four years. With FIFA combining the historically separate September and October international windows for the first time, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain manager will get a long look at the next generation in both training sessions and games. That’s an exceedingly rare opportunity for an international coach. “It’s a great opportunity to bring in new players with potential, with the possibility to spend more time training, more time together,” he said. Still, Poch also wants to win these games — especially next month’s cross-border derbies against Les Rouges and El Tri, two teams he’s never beaten in three tries as U.S. coach. And he has to win starting in November, when the U.S. will meet an opponent to be determined in the quarterfinals of the 2026-27 Concacaf Nations League. Assuming the Americans advance from home-and-home series, they’ll play the Nations League finals in March, then the Gold Cup in June, with qualifying matches for the 2030 World Cup set to kick off next fall. That means most of the kids will return to youth national teams, especially the Steve Cherundolo-coached U-23s that will produce at least 15 members of the Olympic team for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Pochettino said that Cherundolo would be at this camp, to which he summoned a dozen Olympic age-eligible players. “A gold medal,” Pochettino added. “Is the objective of the federation.” Pulisic wasn’t the only longtime U.S. player left out. Matt Turner and Tim Weah, both starters at the 2022 World Cup who served as depth options this summer, were also omitted despite seeing regular playing time for the Revs and Marseille, respectively. So was 38-year-old Tim Ream, the U.S. captain last summer, and Premier League starter Brenden Aaronson. Pulisic is 27. Weah is 26. Both will be back. But their longtime role as team leaders this cycle is up for debate, with Adams, Ricahards, Freeman and others potentially taking on more responsibility during Pochettino’s second go-round with the American squad. “It’s a very important period for us also to observe if senior players are good role models,” Pochettino said. “They need to know that the young playear are going to see everything: the way that you move, walk, talk, behave, and on the field and off.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Can Ole Miss spoil Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford? Will Houston prove it is a legitimate Big 12 contender against defending conference champion Texas Tech? And which teams will make an early statement in SEC play? The college football season rolls into Week 3 with a loaded slate headlined by LSU-Ole Miss. Kiffin returns to a hostile environment for one of the most anticipated games on the college football calendar. Elsewhere, Houston and Texas Tech meet Friday night on FOX, Kansas and Arizona State battle in London for “Big Noon Kickoff,” and SMU faces Louisville in a huge ACC showdown with major conference implications. So before Week 3 kicks off, we’re breaking down our straight-up picks and the matchups to watch closely throughout the weekend. Let’s dive into the action. When: Friday, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)Where: Galaxy Stadium, Lubbock, TexasLine: Texas Tech -7.5 RJ Young: HoustonThe Cougars are an experienced roster with a formidable rushing attack, putting up at least 225 rushing yards in each of their first two games. If running back Makhi Hughes can gash the Tech defense, Houston has a chance to pull off a remarkable upset, even as a top-25 team. Laken Litman: Texas TechIn what will be one of the better regular season matchups, the Red Raiders get their biggest conference win as they won’t have to play BYU or Utah until potentially meeting in the Big 12 championship game. Michael Cohen: Texas TechThere’s definitely some sneaky upset potential in this one, given how solid Houston has looked to start the season. But the fans in Lubbock have created an elite home environment during this NIL-fueled resurgence, and that should be the difference. Ben Portnoy: HoustonTexas Tech lost as many top-end defensive players as any team in the country between last year and this year. It’s shown up in spots so far this year, and I think it’s the difference on Saturday and Houston scores a big-time win. When: Saturday, noon ET (FOX)Where: Wembley Stadium, London, EnglandLine: Arizona State -5.5 Young: Arizona StateThe Sun Devils the clear advantage at quarterback with a consistent and precise Cutter Boley. Litman: Arizona State Quarterback Cutter Boley — who leads the Big 12 with 641 passing yards and eight touchdowns through two games — helps the Sun Devils bounce back from their loss to Texas A&M with a conference win over Kansas in London. Cohen: Arizona StateIt’s fair to wonder about a potential letdown for the Jayhawks following last week’s incredibly emotional rivalry game against Missouri. Arizona State bounces back from the loss to Texas A&M to take this one at home. Portnoy: Arizona StateArizona State gave Texas A&M a serious scare, and quarterback Cutter Boley has looked like a natural fit in Kenny Dillingham’s scheme. I like the Sun Devils in this one. When: Saturday, noon ET (ABC)Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, ArkansasLine: Georgia -24.5 Young: Georgia Even if the Arkansas defense plays lights out, the offense still has to score. The Dawgs have allowed just three offensive touchdowns in their first two games. Litman: GeorgiaThe Bulldogs get another dominant win before facing Oklahoma next week, and quarterback Gunner Stockton continues to make noise in the Heisman Trophy race (he has 436 passing yards and eight touchdowns through two games). Cohen: GeorgiaThe Bulldogs have come flying out of the gates this season by scoring 133 points in their first two games combined. But they’re also fifth in the country in total defense. That’s far too much balance for Arkansas to handle. Portnoy: Georgia Nothing hard here. Arkansas looked terrible a week ago at Utah. Georgia is still an SEC frontrunner. Dawgs by a lot. When: Saturday, noon ET (ESPN)Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South CarolinaLine: Clemson -3.5 Young: North CarolinaClemson hasn’t demonstrated it can score with any consistency against teams in its weight class, and Carolina has allowed just one offensive touchdown all year. Litman: North CarolinaBill Belichick gets off to a 3-0 start in his second year in Chapel Hill while Clemson continues its slide after naming true freshman Tait Reynolds its new starting quarterback. Cohen: North CarolinaThis might be one of the few times all season when North Carolina will face an opponent that is under just as much scrutiny as the Tar Heels. Things feel really, really messy at Clemson right now. The Tar Heels score an upset. Portnoy: North CarolinaLoser leaves town game for Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick? Somehow, UNC suddenly has the better vibes at the moment. The Tar Heels win this one as the chatter in the Upstate gets louder. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)Where: Kyle Field, College Station, TexasLine: Texas A&M -16.5 Young: Texas A&M The Aggies not only have more ways they can beat UK, but also a better roster. It can survive some miscues and still get a win against a Kentucky team that looks like upsetting someone — just not A&M. Litman: Texas A&M The Aggies’ defense controls the game and makes a statement as their former defensive coordinator, Jay Bateman, returns to College Station with Kentucky. Cohen: Texas A&MEven though Texas A&M has been somewhat pedestrian this season, the Aggies still have the seventh-most talented roster in the country based on the 247Sports Team Talent Composite. Eventually, talent wins out. They’ll take care of Kentucky. Portnoy: KentuckyI’m still a bit shocked to see how many people have A&M ranked as highly as they do now and during the preseason. Kentucky couldn’t keep pace with Alabama, but I like the Wildcats to score an upset here. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC)Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AlabamaLine: Alabama -19.5 Young: AlabamaMike Norvell’s seat was hot before the season started. Now, he faces a Tide team without the athletic director who hired him to have his back should things go terribly wrong in Tuscaloosa. Litman: AlabamaKeelon Russell improves after throwing two picks in Week 2’s win over Kentucky and Florida State misses its chance to get a statement non-conference win. Cohen: AlabamaIt wouldn’t be too surprising if Florida State went belly up early in this one. Not only is the seat beneath head coach Mike Norvell scorching hot, but the school also just fired its athletics director. Alabama could make this one ugly. Portnoy: AlabamaAlabama scored a nice win last week, rolling Kentucky in the second half. Florida State, meanwhile, fired its AD as heads are starting to roll in Tallahassee. Tide win huge. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)Where: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville, KentuckyLine: Louisville -1.5 Young: LouisvilleIt’s not just that I liked how the Cardinals performed in their loss to Ole Miss; I also didn’t like how the Mustangs looked in their win over Florida State. Litman: SMUIn a game with CFP implications, the Mustangs stake their claim as the second-best team in the ACC behind Miami as quarterback Kevin Jennings continues to roll. Cohen: LouisvilleJeff Brohm is a darn-good football coach. He’s already transformed raw, athletic quarterback prospect Lincoln Kienholz into a legitimate player — something that never happened when Kienholz was at Ohio State — and the ceiling for this team feels quite high. Portnoy: LouisvilleI really liked what I saw from Louisville Week 1 against Ole Miss. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz continues to look more comfortable in Jeff Brohm’s offense, and I think he’s the difference here. When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)Where: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UtahLine: Utah -27.5 Young: UtahMorgan Scalley’s first two games have gone so well that I am already looking forward to this game to see more of backup quarterback Byrd Ficklin. Add to this Utah State’s loss to FCS Idaho State earlier this year. Litman: UtahThe No. 6 scoring offense piles up points against an in-state rival and first-year head coach Morgan Scalley improves to 3-0 ahead of Big 12 competition beginning next week. Cohen: UtahKyle Whittingham might be gone, but Utah remains an incredibly solid program. It demolished Arkansas last week and should do the same to Utah State on Saturday. Portnoy: UtahUtah annihilated a bad Arkansas team last week, while Utah State arguably should’ve beaten Washington a week ago. I’ll take Utah, but this game could get spicy if the Aggies hang around late. When: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, AlabamaLine: Florida -2.5 Young: FloridaQuarterback Aaron Philo might actually be elite. It helps to have Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown on your team, but I have been wildly impressed by his decision-making and accuracy this season. Litman: AuburnByrum Brown continues to shine as Alex Golesh’s offensive revamp gets underway in SEC play. Cohen: AuburnThe Tigers have struggled on defense this season and enter the weekend ranked 77th nationally on that side of the ball, but stopping the run hasn’t been the problem. Auburn’s rush defense, which ranks 23rd, bows up and handles Jadan Baugh to score the small upset. Portnoy: FloridaPlain and simple, Florida has the better quarterback in this one. Jadan Baugh draws the headlines, but Aaron Philo has been uber-efficient against a soft opening slate. Jon Sumerall gets his first SEC win. When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MississippiLine: LSU -3 Young: LSUForget about Lane. Blake Baker’s defense is the best in the country and has everything it needs to upset and frustrate Heisman candidate Trinidad Chambliss. Litman: LSULane Kiffin gets the W in his highly anticipated return to Oxford. While most of the headlines surrounding LSU have been about off-field drama, the Tigers have a talented team that will contend for a CFP spot. Cohen: LSUThe Rebels are at home. The Rebels have the better quarterback. But they don’t have Lane Kiffin. And in a moment like this — when all eyes are on him in a critical moment — the sport’s greatest villain finds a way to get it done. Portnoy: LSUThe only thing I’m certain of in this one is that the kegs in the Grove are going to have their work cut out for them pregame. I’m still skeptical of Ole Miss’ defense long term, even after LSU and quarterback Sam Leavitt looked a bit shaky last week. Lane Kiffin wins the Revenge Bowl in Oxford.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

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

Caleb Downs started creeping toward the line of scrimmage, watching Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart survey the coverage. From the slot, the Cowboys rookie took off like a rocket at the snap, unaccounted for by New York’s protection. Downs blasted Dart at full speed from his blind side, causing a fumble which, fortunately for the Giants, was caught in the air by left guard Jon Runyan Jr. Dallas’ defense struggled mightily in the team’s 28-20 season-opening loss Sunday to the Giants, and Downs wasn’t blameless in the lapses. But that sack, the first of his NFL career, was a taste of the playmaking the Cowboys expect from the No. 11 overall pick as a foundational piece in their revamped defense. Coming out of Ohio State, Downs was touted as a generational safety prospect. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called him a “quarterback-of-the-defense nickel.” Dallas vice president of player personnel Will McClay said, “He’s a multiplier. He’s going to make other people better.” As Downs prepares for the Cowboys’ home opener against the Washington Commanders on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX), his track record shows that he’ll attack those expectations with intentionality. Chris Rudnick remembers when Downs was late to a workout session this offseason. There were factors he “couldn’t control,” but he still showed up 20 to 30 minutes after the set start time. So, in Downs’ mind, that needed to be addressed. “For him, [in his] early 20s, to come in and own up to a mistake even though it wasn’t his fault, to be apologetic and to look us in the eyes and say, ‘Hey, I’m sorry for wasting your time?'” Rudnick, a strength trainer for Atlanta-based Adapt, told me. “I could probably count on one hand how many times I’ve actually gotten apologies for people being late, whether it was their fault or not their fault. “When Caleb says he’s going to be here, he is going to be here,” Rudnick continued. “Caleb is not someone who likes to be late.” That kind of accountability is a given for Downs, according to those who’ve worked with him at Adapt. He doesn’t need to be motivated. He attacks every rep and drill. He always asks questions. In group sessions, he finishes his sets and intently watches everyone else’s reps until it’s his turn again. “It’s like every workout is the most important workout. He’s not phoning anything in, and I think that’s palpable,” Rudnick told me. “I think what differentiates him maybe from some other athletes, especially athletes at that level, is … Caleb will keep asking questions. “He is someone who is willing to have a back and forth and is looking for a back and forth because he doesn’t want to just settle for doing it OK. He wants to do it very, very well. And if he doesn’t feel like he is demonstrating something at the level that he should be, there’s going to be dialogue.” It’s the same story on the field. In Cowboys training camp, Downs was regularly tasked with covering CeeDee Lamb, one of football’s best wide receivers. Downs had constant conversations with the perennial Pro Bowler about what he was seeing from him and techniques he was using, information he could use against opposing pass-catchers in games. “He’s very willing. He’s very curious,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker said during training camp. “He has that natural spirit about him.” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer saw the leadership all over Downs’ Ohio State film. When he spoke to his defensive teammates, he didn’t ask for anyone else’s opinion. “He’s making that call,” Schottenheimer explained in the spring, “and it’s what you’re doing.” Downs has to earn that kind of respect in the Dallas defense. But he’s on his way. His habits tell you so. In group workouts this offseason, before he’d even taken an NFL snap, he always jumped to the front for drills. Didn’t matter if established pros were there. College players who lifted with Downs got quieter when he was up at the bar. Bigger skill players watched the weight he moved with his 206-pound frame, then were more inclined to add weight to their own sets. Downs paid close attention to their reps, offering tips as needed. “He’s not necessarily trying to be the loudest guy out there,” Adapt trainer JT Alphabet told me. “But guys naturally follow his lead because of how he works.” Added Rudnick: “He just comes in with this air of almost like a veteran mindset.” It shows up in how Downs sees the game, too. It’s how, as a true freshman in 2023, he led Alabama in tackles. As a teenager, he mastered Nick Saban’s defense — then did the same with Matt Patricia’s scheme at Ohio State, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American. “I feel like my mind really puts me above a lot of people in terms of how I process the game and play with instincts,” Downs said at the NFL Combine. “I feel like that’s what makes me special.” He has a high football IQ and processes information “very quickly,” according to Rudnick. Downs’ aptitude is why the Cowboys trust him to learn two positions as a rookie, nickel and safety. He played 61 of Dallas’ 69 defensive snaps in his regular-season debut (88%) — 34 in the slot, 18 in the box and nine at free safety, according to Pro Football Focus. After the game, Downs told CBS Sports: “I think I can play the run game really well. Play the pass game, whatever it is, whether it’s man or dropping zones. I’m an extra corner or extra linebacker. Whatever you need.” Including the nickel-blitz sack fumble, Downs had seven tackles against the Giants. “I think Caleb played really, really well,” Schottenheimer said. “Jaxson Dart never saw him on the blitz. He gets a free run and the ball goes spiraling through the air, and the 320-pound guard [Runyan] catches it and rumbles for five yards. That’s kind of how the night went for us. But I think that’s one of the positives of what we did on defense: We attacked the ball. We had four forced fumbles. “Caleb is a guy that can move around, but we like him down near the line of scrimmage.” Downs underwent a baptism by fire in his first NFL training camp. In addition to facing teammates Lamb and George Pickens, he matched up with star receivers Puka Nacua and Chris Olave in joint practices against the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, respectively. He embraced all of it. That’s where his confidence comes from. The reps against some of the league’s best receivers show him where he needs to be. “Mike Tyson says success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success,” Downs said in August. “I feel like those two work together, and when you win at things and do good at things, it allows you to feel more confident. When you succeed, it continues to grow from there.” The Cowboys don’t see Downs as a rookie. They see him as a culture-changer. “He’s a guy that we’re expecting to play a lot,” veteran Cowboys safety Malik Hooker said in August. “And not only play a lot, but to be a difference-maker in our defense.” Downs’ intent is not to make individual highlights in bad team performances. It’s to be a cornerstone who plays an integral role in sustained success.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

As teams around the NFL begin to shift into gear for Week 2, Wednesday brought a fresh round of injury updates. The Seattle Seahawks got some relieving news under center, while the San Francisco 49ers’ receiver room deals with another injury, and two more starting quarterbacks landed on the injury report heading into Week 2. Sam Darnold avoided a long-term absence despite being ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, while 49ers rookie wideout De’Zhaun Stribling is now facing roughly 10 weeks on the shelf after ankle surgery. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow is dealing with back tightness but sounds intent on playing through it, and Kyler Murray took a step forward in his return from concussion protocol with a limited practice. Here’s the latest from around the NFL on Wednesday. Sam Darnold appears to have avoided a major, long-term setback after exiting Wednesday night’s season opener with a glute injury. Head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters the quarterback has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, but importantly, he will not be placed on injured reserve. With IR off the table, the expectation is that Darnold could be back under center within a game or two once he’s medically cleared. In the meantime, backup Drew Lock will take the reins, and he’s already shown he can hold things together — Lock led a second-half comeback against the Patriots on Wednesday, completing 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Given Lock’s steady showing in relief, Seattle’s offense shouldn’t miss much of a beat under Macdonald in the short term. Still, all eyes now turn to Darnold’s recovery timeline and how quickly the Seahawks can get their starter back on the field. The San Francisco 49ers officially placed rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling on injured reserve Wednesday. Stribling underwent ankle surgery and is expected to miss at least two months as he recovers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday that Stribling opted for surgery, adding that the team expects him to miss roughly 10 weeks. Losing Stribling adds to the mounting injury list in the 49ers receiver room, which lost Ricky Pearsall to a season-ending knee injury in training camp. The offense will need to rely on the veteran trio of Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle moving forward. Stribling initially injured his ankle late in the first quarter of the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Though he briefly returned to action, his night ended on the very next drive when he went down in the second quarter and had to be carted off the field. He may have gone statless in Week 1, but Stribling’s impressive training camp proved he belongs in this offense. If the 49ers can navigate a brutal NFC West race without him, his return late in the year could give them a major dynamic boost in time for a playoff run. Joe Burrow will show up on this week’s injury report, but he isn’t sounding any alarms about his availability for Sunday’s game against the Texans. The Bengals quarterback was limited during the open portion of Wednesday’s practice and told reporters afterward that he’s dealing with back tightness, adding that he isn’t sure which play from last Sunday’s win over Tampa Bay caused it. Burrow noted he didn’t feel any pain until after the game had ended, and while he wasn’t certain whether he’d be able to practice for the rest of the week, he cleared the air on his playing status, calling it “ridiculous” to suggest he’d sit out. The Bengals travel to face the Houston Texans on Sunday, Sept. 20. After an emotional Week 1 comeback win, the Minnesota Vikings head to Chicago to take on the Bears. However, who will line up under center remains a major question mark as quarterback Kyler Murray remains in concussion protocol. On Wednesday afternoon, head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters that Murray would practice in a limited capacity. The Vikings plan to rely on the league and medical staff before clearing Murray. Murray did not return to the game after taking a scary hit from a Green Bay Packers defender while sliding. As he remains in concussion protocol, the expectation is that Carson Wentz will step in to start in Chicago if Murray isn’t cleared. Wentz delivered a strong performance off the bench, leading a fourth-quarter comeback to seal a 39-22 victory. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Justin Jefferson for two of those scores.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports