Category: Sports Fox

There’s no better time to overreact than after Week 1 of the NFL season. Week 1 brought plenty of surprises around the league, giving us plenty of material to judge and make grand statements. Are the Los Angeles Rams not as good as we thought? Will the New England Patriots take a step back? We asked people around the league which overreactions they think are a figment, and which ones are legitimate. There was an overwhelming consensus that one overreaction is just that, while another might have some truth behind it. Here’s what we learned from our conversations around the league. Ralph Vacchiano: It’s hard to find two bigger flops in Week 1 than the teams that share a stadium in Los Angeles. Both embarrassingly lost their openers. One will probably be fine. The other … maybe not so much. “I won’t overreact to the Rams at all,” one NFL scout told me. “They’re still loaded, so I can chalk that up to the weird circumstances of a game in Australia. But the Chargers … that’s a team that looks like it has problems.” “I really thought [Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel] would be the guy who would finally turn Justin Herbert into the star we all think he could be,” another scout told me. “But maybe we’re just wrong about Herbert. Or about McDaniel. But they were a no-show on offense against what I don’t think is a very good Cardinals team.” The Chargers, considered by some to be a playoff contender, gained just 268 yards and turned the ball over twice in their 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in L.A. That included just 81 rushing yards, and Herbert was 17 of 27 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception. “How many years are we going to look at Herbert and yell about his potential, only to watch him be average or worse?” the first scout told me. “Maybe this is just who he is. And maybe this is who the Chargers are, too.” As for the Rams, they were equally bad offensively in a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, gaining just 290 yards. And now they’ll be without Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, for a month, too. “The Rams will be fine,” the second scout told me. “Honestly, I’d feel bad for the Giants (the Rams’ next opponent). They’re going to be angry. Sean McVay is going to be determined to get this fix fast. That combination could be deadly.” Vacchiano: The 49ers may have made a statement with their convincing Week 1 win, but it apparently wasn’t much of a statement about the team they beat. In fact, it was hard to find anyone around the NFL who was worried about the Rams after they lost to San Francisco 27-7 in Melbourne, Australia last Wednesday night. “Not at all,” one NFL executive told me. “I didn’t necessarily believe in all that ‘Dream Team’ stuff, but they were one of the NFL’s best teams last season and they’re even better now. One game in Week 1 doesn’t change that. “You’ll see. That’ll look like an anomaly in a few weeks. They’ll be fine.” “I don’t know what the right answer is on the travel, but arriving on a 15-hour flight the day before the game clearly was a mistake. They played like they were jet-lagged,” an NFC assistant coach told me. “It’s not an excuse that they’ll use, but it might be a real one. That had to be a hard game to prepare for, so I wouldn’t read anything into it.” The Rams still have last year’s MVP in quarterback Matthew Stafford and weapons like receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. They still have a defense that’ll soon be anchored by the unretired Aaron Donald, and in a few weeks, Myles Garrett will be back too. That’s why an NFL scout told me via text: “Ignore the opener. They’re still loaded. Chalk it up to [playing in] Australia. Besides, we all know strange things always happen in Week 1.” Eric D. Williams: It’s only one game. That was the sentiment from league sources I spoke with about the Los Angeles Rams. The heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl at the start of the year, Sean McVay’s Rams stubbed their toe with a poor performance in Australia, a painful 27-7 setback to the team’s NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the poor performance in Australia, league sources I spoke to expect the Rams to rebound with extra time to prepare for Week 2 home contest on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. “Yessir,” a league exec responded when I asked if the Rams would perform better in Week 2. “They underestimated the impact of travelling so far,” another league source told me. “Bad game. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. There’s a lot of football left for them to sort things out.” Added another NFL talent evaluator: “Week 1 is a liar. Last year’s Super Bowl teams both lost at home in Week 1. The Patriots lost to the Raiders.” The NFL talent evaluator went on to say Week 1 is the hardest to prepare for because there’s no film of your upcoming opponent to break down and evaluate in preparation for the game. “As a quarterback, I really felt uncomfortable in Week 1 games because you really have no idea how to study the opponent,” the talent evaluator told me. “Everything is probably a Trojan horse. Teams show their hands of who they really want to be schematically after the first regular season game. Speaking of quarterbacks, another longtime NFL scout I spoke with pointed to better play needed from reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. “Travel and neither side of the ball played to expectations,” the scout told me. “And the QB was just a guy.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

I played offensive line for eight seasons in the NFL, and before that I spent my Saturdays in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, blocking for guys who ended up on lists like this one. So when I watch college football now, I watch for the stuff that signaled to me in the huddle whether a guy was for real. I’m picking the 10 players who impressed me most during the previous weekend. Not just the gaudiest stat lines, but the performances that hold up when you turn the tape on. Some weeks, that’ll be a quarterback carving up a defense. Other weeks, it’ll be a lineman you’ve never heard of who didn’t lose a rep all afternoon. I have a soft spot for those guys. Week 1 gave us plenty. Let’s get into it. In Missouri’s 38-21 win over Kansas, Simmons completed 19-of-29 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Tigers to a huge road win over their rival. Each mark was the second-highest of his career. It was also his first career start with at least 20 pass attempts and no interceptions. Underwood still isn’t a complete passer, but as an athlete, he’s hard to beat at this position. He carried the ball 18 times for nearly 100 yards and had a back-breaking touchdown run to help Michigan upset Oklahoma. Mestemaker had a Power Four coming out party against Oregon this past weekend. His 317 yards and two touchdowns helped propel his Cowboys squad in their upset over the Ducks. Mestemaker made high-level NFL throws with pressure in his face all game and then finished his excellent performance with an incredible touchdown run, where he was flipped and hit hard as he tumbled into the end zone for a score. Jackson had two monster plays for the Ducks defense. He showed off his 4.3 speed to catch Mestemaker on a 75-yard run. His ability to knock him out of bounds saved four points for the Ducks as the Cowboys couldn’t finish with a touchdown. Jackson later went nearly 100 yards for an interception return after catching a tipped pass. The freshman receiver had an amazing performance against Texas Tech on Saturday in the Beavers near upset of the Red Raiders. He finished with eight catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns with a long of 75 yards. He’s got nearly 400 yards in two games this season. Keep an eye on this budding star in Corvallis. Taylor is quickly becoming a household name after the first two weeks of the season. After 354 yards in the opener, he started his first road game at Minnesota. He completed 16-of-22 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 86 rushing yards. His highlight video from Saturday shows Taylor throwing fastballs all over the field. He’s been extremely impressive so far. The Oregon transfer has started fast this season for the Bears. In the Bears win over Syracuse, he had five tackles, three pass breakups and three interceptions, including a pick-six and the game-clinching play. He’s been all over the field for the Bears and appears to be a slam dunk addition for Tosh Lupoi. Johnson is a beast for the Gophers and a fun watch each week. PFF graded him as the best offensive lineman in the game on Saturday, and it shows on the film. He’s an effortless mover who’s able to latch onto defenders and take them for a ride. THICC-SIX alert! In Idaho State’s 59-17 thrashing over San Diego, the 6-foot-1, 319-pound defensive tackle caught a tipped pass and took it back 28 yards for the score. You know I love my big-man scores! It was a nightmare Saturday night for the Buckeyes, who suffered the largest blown lead by an AP No. 1 team ever and the biggest by Ohio State since at least 2003. But Smith still delivered another massive performance, finishing with eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. He now has five career games with at least 150 receiving yards, the most in the FBS since 2024. His 30 receiving touchdowns over that span are also seven more than any other player, with Elijah Sarratt ranking second with 23.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is just another man. He isn’t any better than that. He showed us a side of who he is — in a brief moment, looking comfortable, being in control. He was surrounded by men who, presumably, want Manning to like them, and many showed us who they are, too: humored by the depiction of violence against women. Not more than 48 hours after Manning led the Longhorns to the largest comeback win against an Associated Press No. 1-ranked team in 30 years, he sat for standard media availability. And then he joked about an AI video featuring violence against women, laughed at his own remarks and got a room full of men to laugh at it too. “I’ve seen a few AI edits of stuff, but that’s about it,” Manning said, responding to a question about seeing any Texas-Ohio State clips on social media. “I saw an AI edit of Sark’s interview,” he continued, igniting howls from his audience as he laughed alongside them. “Have you all seen that one? That’s a good one. Of him slapping Holly Rowe? That’s hilarious.” Saturday night after Texas’ comeback win, Rowe, an ESPN sideline reporter, tried to perform her duty and one of the most difficult tasks in the sport: get the immediate postgame interview. Amid pandemonium on the field at Darrell K. Royal Stadium, Rowe managed to duck, dart and dodge through the masses to get next to Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian. As Rowe began to ask her question, Sarkisian dismissed her — and the national TV audience watching this exchange unfold. Many folks, myself included, were appalled at how Sarkisian chose to represent himself, his program and the University of Texas in that moment. He failed not only to show the proper respect for the title he holds, but also the decency to allow Rowe to do her job. But most people probably forgot about that moment by Sunday morning. Preparation for Week 3 of the college football season began for every team as soon as they’d finished their last game. That’s true of Texas, which enters its next game against UTSA as both my No. 1 team and the AP’s. That game should be the focus for Manning and the Longhorns. But it’s not because Manning chose to mention — and then laugh about — an AI video depicting violence against women. Well, one woman in particular. At first, I thought the video of Arch Manning — widely considered one of the most polite and aw-shucks players in the country — was AI created, too. Then I realized I was wrong. He laughed. Some men in the room laughed. I didn’t. I was appalled. I was ashamed. I was angry. Angry that the natural follow-up question — “What’s so funny about an AI video of his head coach slapping a woman?” — was either not asked or never left that room. With all due respect — which could be none — where are the male colleagues defending Rowe? Inaction and silence is cowardly at best, dehumanizing and encouraging of violence at worst. “People who are amused by a woman being harmed and humiliated — real or fake — not only show a severe lack of empathy; they reinforce a culture that endorses cruelty and violence against women,” Tracey Lyall, the CEO of Domestic Violence Intervention Services in Oklahoma, where I live, told me. Manning is 22 years old — four years past the minimum age to vote and to join the U.S. military. He’s a full adult. He’s also capable of issuing an apology, an explanation and, most importantly, suffering consequences that follow. There should be consequences. There should be apologies. There should be explanations. I don’t have faith that any meaningful consequences will find Manning, even after he issued this statement on Instagram Tuesday afternoon: “In my press conference yesterday, I made an insensitive comment about an AI video. There is nothing funny about it. It’s easy to say I didn’t mean it, but I know my words and actions were hurtful to a lot of people. I do not take that lightly and am deeply sorry for that. I specifically want to apologize to Holly Rowe for what she has personally had to deal with because of my comments. I have a ton of respect for her and appreciate her showing me grace in this moment. I need to do better and will be more thoughtful going forward.” So he says. So men say. We say a lot. Being accountable for our egregious actions, though? Not so much. And there are no assurances beyond his word that Manning will show the basic respect we require. He’s lost the benefit of the doubt, and he might never earn it back. Not long after Manning published his apology, Rowe publicly accepted it. “Thank you Arch,” she wrote on social media. “I appreciate our conversation about this — which will remain private. Apology accepted. We move forward with respect and kindness for one another.” Online, reaction has been mostly met with the kind of toxic joke-making I’ve become all too familiar with. I reposted the now-viral video with a question: “y’all laughed at that?” Most of the responses are predictably despicable and frustrating. There should be zero tolerance for violence against women. There should be zero tolerance even for the suggestion of violence against women as a joke. Domestic violence is a scourge we, mostly men, are uninterested in addressing, even though globally one in three women experiences partner or sexual violence in their lifetime, and more than 316 million women have experienced partner or sexual violence in 2025 alone, according to the World Health Organization. Additionally, several studies over the years reveal a correlation between sports events and domestic violence in North America. In college sports, the examples of violence against women, whether on an individual or systemic level, are endless — in part because so many instances are not reported. And when jokes like this are so callous and commonplace, you can’t blame victims for their silence. But make no mistake: Believing it’s OK to make a joke about physically assaulting women is how men learn to believe it’s OK to hurt women. The jokes are dehumanizing, belittling. They make it that much more painful for a victim of violence to come forward. “The laughs from those in the press conference, and from everyone who shared the video, underscore how much work remains,” Lyall continued. “An apology is nice, but we must actively dismantle this culture that finds violence against women entertaining, and hold ourselves, our sports institutions and our communities to a standard where physical abuse is never tolerated, never minimized and never a joke.” I am painfully aware much of the public does not agree with me. I am painfully aware of what standing up to a nasty joke might cost. I am also painfully aware of what still might happen if I don’t. Standing against violence is the bare minimum for men who want to help make a safe world for women, not because they are women, but because they are human. You’d never let your friend, your family, your teammate be ridiculed, maligned or harmed. You’d fight back on their behalf. I will too. Look, I don’t know Rowe. She doesn’t know me. But we work in a field, on a field, in a job that is as tough as it is fun. Few folks care what we think of Arch Manning laughing about a fake video of his coach assaulting her, and more will make fun of us for caring at all. But they care about Manning. Just not enough to hold him accountable. Manning is an elite quarterback on the best team in college football. He has a chance to be one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen if he can lead Texas to its first national championship in 21 years. Had he taken that horrible AI edit and used it as an opportunity to condemn violence against women, the good he could’ve done — and perhaps still can do — is an order of magnitude. On Monday, he was just another man.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Week 2 of the college football season was nothing but thrilling. Oregon and Oklahoma faced massive upsets, Texas claimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings and Bob Chesney and UCLA are continuing to prove their offseason hype in the regular season. Notably, Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor defeated its first Big Ten opponent on the road for the first time since 1980. But after two weeks, where do some teams sit in terms of their outlook on the rest of the year? On “The Joel Klatt Show,” FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt broke down teams that fall into three categories: Time to panic, stay calm and get excited. Time To Panic Klatt’s thoughts: “If not for those two defensive scores, that is a route. A route! The film was alarming for Oregon. On both sides of the ball. I think it’s time to panic. It’s not just the result, now they’re dealing with some injury issues… Injuries are always going to happen, there’s no doubt, but you don’t want them to happen when you’re trying to right the ship. “I was on a deep dive in both last year’s film from Oregon, and this year against Boise State, and what did I find? Oregon has run-pass tells in their offense, and this is a devastating deal… but the film was also alarming on the defensive side.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Oklahoma doesn’t have an offensive line and they cannot run the football. And in order to move the ball, John Mateer has to be Superman, or they’ve got to create explosive plays. And they couldn’t do either of those things against Michigan last week. Can you really rely on splash explosive plays the entire season? I don’t think you can, it’s ultimately what their Achilles heel was a year ago.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Washington barely snuck out a win against Utah State, 16-14 last week. The offense has not clicked, and that’s where Jed Fish’s experience and expertise lies. And yeah they’re 2-0, but I’m sitting here looking at their schedule and I’m like, ‘Oh I don’t know about this.’ “The offense has been hit by a ton of injuries right now. They lost their top two running backs. They lost wide receiver Christian Moss to a leg injury. Starting wide receiver Rashid Williams, he’s week to week… they’re banged up right now.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Does ‘panic’ encapsulate Florida State? I don’t think it does. Fired their athletic director on Monday – by the way that was the same guy who gave Mike Norvell his extension, so handwriting is on the wall there. The athletic department finished the 2025 fiscal year with $437 million of debt. Yikes. “The debt thing is a big deal, because if you fire Mike Norvell in the middle of the year you’re going to owe him $50 million… it would be roughly $800,000 a month until 2031… I bring all of that up because this roster is limited, reportedly it’s in the bottom half of the ACC as far as funding goes. They’re 3-14 in their last 17 ACC games. And look at their next four games against Power 4 opponents – this is like panic, panic, panic: at Alabama this weekend in Tuscaloosa; Virginia, which is a good team, they’re ranked; Louisville, which is a very good team, almost beat Ole Miss; and at Miami, who we think is one of the best teams in the country.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Time to panic. They were 8-0 last year at one point behind Haynes King. Now all of a sudden, they’ve lost six of their last seven. Their only win was a fourth quarter comeback against Boston College. I don’t love that. I don’t love the trajectory that’s going on at Georgia Tech. I just don’t. It’s time to panic there.” Stay Calm Klatt’s thoughts: “I think it would be easy to get excited based on the way that Colorado ran the ball against Georgia Tech, the way that they threw the ball last week against, granted, FCS Weber State, but this looks different. This looks a lot more real than any of the versions of Colorado. You see their nine-win team with Travis Hunter, Heisman trophy winner and Shedeur Sanders at quarterback – they largely just had elite, upper-level skill position players, and then got by everywhere else. This looks a lot more fundamentally sound. “They changed their philosophy over the offseason. They went from trying to go after splash recruiting and roster building to production over potential roster building, and it shows. They’re a lot tougher on the line of scrimmage, their defense can actually play up front, they’re committed to the run – they do it with a tight end and a fullback at times, which I really love that physical aspect of the run game.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Let’s all relax about Ohio State. Would they have liked to win that game? Obviously. Were they in position to win that game? Yes… Let’s just take a bit of a chill pill, can we? I mean this is a team that was dominating Texas in their building for three quarters, basically. Are they going to be ok? Yes, they are going to be ok. Mainly, the one they’ve got to get fixed is the fact that their defense was exposed late to volume. That’s what happened… What killed Ohio State was the fact that their defense was on the field for the entire fourth quarter and part of the third. So what’s the fix? Well. you’ve got to figure out the red zone. They’re going to have to find a run game in the red zone, and find ways to execute better in the red zone.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Cautiously optimistic about BYU. I think that they are very good, but what we don’t know is can they level up? We’ve seen this before. I know Bear Bachmeier is a grinder and he’s a good player. I know LJ Martin is a good player. I know you’re going to play solid defense. I know all these things – I know you’re going to beat teams that are at your level or below. “I don’t know what to make of BYU at that level until they play Notre Dame, until they play a Texas Tech.” Klatt’s thoughts: “I’m going to stay calm. Let’s let Keelon Russell get good at quarterback. I wanted to get excited about them, and not because of Russell and not even because their defense was dominant against Kentucky… this other element showed up in the second half against Kentucky…they stayed committed to the run game…and they ran for over 150 yards. Now that’s a blueprint, a blueprint that allows you to keep the pressure off of your young quarterback. He’s going to continue to get better. “I’m cautiously optimistic about Alabama… I think they’ve got real high potential, a high ceiling if they can run it, bring their quarterback along, and allow him to be explosive both in the pass game and in the run game down the stretch. Klatt’s thoughts: “The freshman are really good, I love what they’ve got going out there. At wide receiver, Trent Mosley is a star, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is very good. Their tight end, Mark Bowman, he’s excellent. Luke Wafle, their defensive end, is one of the better freshmen defensive ends that I’ve seen in a long time – he creates havoc in the backfield. And this is looking like what Lincoln Riley told us about over the course of the offseason. “But I’m going to be cautious with this one, and the reason is I still want to see it from a defensive perspective against better competition. I still need to see them play well, get after the quarterback and more specifically stop the run in a big matchup-style game.” Get Excited Klatt’s thoughts: “I’m excited about UCLA. Now, this doesn’t mean I think they’re going to the playoff. This means that, if I’m a UCLA fan, I am thrilled with how this season has started. You’ve got an experienced quarterback in Nico Iamaleava…Wayne Knight has been tremendous… (Bob) Chesney knows what he’s doing. He brought that entire staff, he brought all that core of players, this is a team that I think is going to knock somebody off in the Big Ten that we don’t expect them to knock off in the Big Ten. That’s a real team.” Klatt’s thoughts: “I am absolutely thrilled and excited about Miami. I think they’re better than they were a year ago. Here’s the thing that I’m going to hang my hat on: Darian Mensah looks like an upgrade at quarterback from Carson Beck. He looks dynamic, and that’s scary because they’re still dominating at the offensive line level. “They’re still dominating at the defensive line. That’s the DNA of their program, they’ve recruited very well… the one thing that gets me the most excited: Malachi Toney. Malachi Toney is an absolute cheat code. He is phenomenal, you can get him the ball anywhere and he can dominate a game.” Klatt’s thoughts: “Yeah it was sloppy for Texas, but I’m excited about Texas. If I’m a Longhorn fan today, I am fired up. Why? Because the ceiling has now been lifted off of my program. [Coach Steve] Sarkisian said it himself in the postgame presser: ‘Now we know we can.’ That was the most important comment, from any coach, across America on Saturday. “What’s more dangerous than a talented team? A talented team that believes. And now Texas believes. It wasn’t pretty. In fact, they’re watching the film thinking to themselves, ‘We should have won that by more.’ … I’m excited about those backs. Woo! Those backs can run, man.” Klatt’s thoughts: “You could tell me, ‘No, no, no, Joel, you need to stay calm.’ I’m not going to stay calm, I’m going to get excited about Michigan. And here’s the reason why: they won Kyle Whittingham’s way. His DNA was all over that field. He won the tug of war. “New coaches have to go in and win the culture of that locker room. And to win the locker room over, you’ve got to be more steadfast than the locker room. And that’s what that win did for them against Oklahoma. They did it with man coverage – that’s Kyle Whittingham. They did it with great pass rush. That’s Kyle Whittingham. And they did it running the quarterback, being rugged on offense. That’s. Kyle. Whittingham.” Klatt’s thoughts: “I am excited about Mississippi State, and I think you should be too. They’re quietly out there. They went up there and hammered Minnesota, and that’s not a bad Minnesota team… That’s a really good win for Jeff Lebby and Mississippi State. I love their quarterback, Kamario Taylor. He’s the new star on the block. This kid can throw it, he’s athletic. He’s big, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. He’s mobile, he’s got an absolute cannon. This kid executes this system really well. “They will beat someone that raises your eyebrows in the SEC this year. I’m excited about Mississippi State this year. I really like them. Defense is playing well. In particular, last week didn’t allow an offensive touchdown against Minnesota.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Jerseys line the walls of attorney Tom Mars’ South Florida office, affixed to wooden paneling above a marble countertop. As the unofficial legal representative for anyone intent on challenging the NCAA, Mars has made a living navigating the dramatic shifts in the college sports ecosystem over the last two decades. That brings its share of memorabilia and cherished tokens of appreciation from clients he holds dear — even if, Mars concedes, he isn’t the world’s most devout college football fan. Ex-Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields’ jersey is part of the collection. Former Michigan and Ole Miss signal-caller Shea Patterson’s uniform was also previously in the gallery before it was relocated to Mars’ son’s place in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The most recent addition? A powder blue top signed by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. “College football as an industry is better off because Trinidad Chambliss is playing this season,” Mars told me during a recent phone conversation. “Everybody wants to believe his story isn’t over yet.” College sports are in a constant state of flux as rapid professionalization and commercialization have fundamentally reshaped the enterprise. The collision between an era of amateurism and unfettered capitalism has seen more issues resolved in courtrooms than anywhere else. Chambliss’ offseason eligibility case was a microcosm of this evolution — a clash between establishment and school over rules and regulations of a recently past era. The NCAA deemed he was not eligible to return to college football, arguing he had used up his allotted four years, first at Division II Ferris State in Michigan and then Ole Miss. The school contended he should receive a medical redshirt for a year he missed while battling respiratory issues during his days at Ferris State. The fight landed in a Mississippi courtroom in February, with a circus-like fanfare normally reserved for the Neoshoba County Fair or Saturdays at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Those involved admit they never quite experienced a hearing like it in their lengthy legal careers. Then again, the Rebels’ College Football Playoff hopes weren’t predicated on those hundreds of previous legal proceedings. “I always had confidence in me being back here, me being the quarterback at Ole Miss,” Chambliss said during SEC Media Days in July. “My case was valid. It was the truth, all that. So, my confidence never went down or up. It was always pretty high.” But before a packed courtroom celebrated Chambliss’ initial legal victory, before the broader world knew quite what the Rebels had in their quarterback and before Ole Miss’ head coach darted under the cover of night to Baton Rouge, the efforts to bring Chambliss were already well underway. “This is Lane Kiffin,” read a December 17 text message flashing across Mars’ iPhone. “Please call me.” ‘Ole Miss Was Always Home’ Mars isn’t one to respond to messages blindly. Sure, his number has been passed around media and college football circles. But a random text from a coach like Kiffin? That was less believable. Checking his voicemail, Mars received a call on top of the text, but the AI transcript misspelled Kiffin’s name as “Kiffen.” Surely it wasn’t real? He called back anyway. “I got out of representing players in eligibility cases like five years ago, and I haven’t done it since,” Mars told Kiffin. “But I’ll be glad to look at it, and if it has merit, and if the family and Trinidad want me to help them, I’ll see what I can do.” That December discussion spelled out what would turn into months of work; that Chambliss had battled illness during his time at Ferris State; that he might be eligible for another year and that the school was willing to support him in his endeavors. “After the third game, there were conversations internally about ‘Hey, there’s a real possibility given his medical history that he could get another year,’” Walker Jones, executive director of Ole Miss’ Grove Collective, told me. “We didn’t publicize that, but we were talking about it internally and the process had kind of started during the back half of the season.” Mars later enlisted the help of local attorneys. A friend of a friend connected him with William Liston — general counsel for the Grove Collective — and Mississippi-based attorney Trey Byars, a pair who formed the backbone of Chambliss’ legal team. Mars passed along a case file to Liston in early January detailing Chambliss’ bouts with respiratory issues during his days at Ferris State. Liston took a first glance at the paperwork as he boarded a plane from Memphis to Phoenix for Ole Miss’ Fiesta Bowl matchup against Miami. “What do you think?” Liston’s young son asked as the plane touched down. “This is a winner,” he said. That legal proceedings were in the works, however, didn’t ease the complex timing. Rumblings around the college football world suggested Chambliss would follow Kiffin to LSU — which Mars vehemently denied — or turn professional. “Did he entertain going to LSU? Maybe,” Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter told me. “But I think, in his mind, Ole Miss was always home.” At the time of his February hearing, the quarterback had been training for the NFL draft in California. His eligibility limbo, though, put Chambliss weeks behind other prospects, given the uncertainty over whether he could actually return to school. “We really struggled for a little while there,” Byars said. “We were like, ‘Can we even really bring him back for this hearing? He is so far behind on training out there.’” Another thought crossed Byars’ mind: “What if we lose?” ‘Wasn’t Going To Be Denied’ There’s an old tale about Pittsboro, Mississippi, the tiny village north of nowhere and east of everything else. Tucked between the towns of Bruce and Calhoun City, a feud between the two municipalities — which still enjoy a healthy high school football rivalry on either side of the Skuna River — meant neither could agree on where to house the legal seat of Calhoun County. They found a middle ground. “Those two towns can’t stand each other,” Byars recounted. “So they just split the difference and stuck the courthouse there [in Pittsboro].” The two-story tower on the northeast corner of the courthouse is the highest structure within a country mile outside of a 120-foot, 47,000-ton cross down the road on Highway 9 that can be seen from its steps. The one-stoplight street splitting the center of town includes a handful of forgotten storefronts and the only two restaurants around — a run-down Mexican joint and Taneli’s, which triples as a lunch counter, tanning salon and live music venue. The courthouse sits opposite these establishments, its parking lot flanked by a decrepit dwelling overflowing with random knickknacks ranging from an old pink dog cage to plastic paint buckets and an aged grocery store cooler. It’s here that Chambliss’ college football future would be decided. “He wasn’t going to be denied in that courtroom,” longtime Mississippi newspaperman Rick Cleveland, who covered the hearing, told me. There are only around 150 people who call Pittsboro home. The crowd gathered at the Calhoun County courthouse that February day was almost twice that. Mars, Byars and Liston had already planned to have Chambliss escorted into the courtroom via a back entrance, while his legal team would enter through the front door. That plan changed when Byars’ powder blue GMC Sierra crawled into the parking lot, and he saw the crowd that awaited. The lawyers decided to follow Chambliss through the back door entry as well. Inside, the jury box next to the defense table was filled with reporters. The benches behind the bar billowed with curious onlookers, legal representatives and even former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, an Ole Miss graduate who’d been intrigued by the NCAA’s ongoing fight for control. “You had a pretty good-sized crowd of supporters, probably mostly for Trinidad,” Musgrove told me. “I don’t think the NCAA had any supporters there, or at least cheerleaders.” Chad Logan, the pastor at First Baptist Church in Calhoun City and brother of a local sports media pundit, opened the proceedings with a prayer over Chambliss and that his eligibility might be restored. “We know you are the God who has extended to us eternal salvation,” Logan said, per Mississippi Today. “… You extended King Hezekiah’s life for 15 years. So since you specialize in extensions, we are asking for one more extension here today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” Cleveland leaned over the bench between breaks to ask an NCAA lawyer about the opening sermon. “If God is against us, we’re in trouble,” they chided. The deliberations lasted eight hours as Chambliss and his mother, Cheryl, explained the finer details of respiratory problems that forced him to miss his entire second season at Ferris State. Chambliss, who did not dress or play a snap during the campaign in question, told the court Ferris State head coach Tony Annese suggested he would receive a medical redshirt for the missed year. Ole Miss assistant coach Joe Judge discussed the potential opportunities Chambliss might miss by not gaining another year of eligibility. The NCAA, meanwhile, argued the quarterback’s medical records showed he forwent surgery that would’ve effectively allowed him to play that season, instead managing the issues with medication. “Looking back on it, I wish that waiver process had gone a different way,” Carter told me. “We feel like it should’ve gone a different way, but obviously happy with the outcome and happy that Trinidad’s back with us this year.” Back in Oxford, the Ole Miss football staff buzzed about the Manning Center. A video feed of the trial played inside the building, allowing coaches and administrators to keep tabs on the happenings just over the county line. Chambliss was eventually granted his injunction by Judge Robert Whitwell around 4:15 p.m., but not before NCAA lawyers departed the courthouse in an effort to make it to Knoxville, Tennessee, for another hearing. Whitwell threatened to hold the departing lawyers in contempt of court for their actions. The judge closed the proceedings by reading each word of his 30-plus-page decision, a tear or two trickling down the Ole Miss law school grad’s face as he delivered his findings. “The center of the college football universe was a small town in Mississippi featuring a deli/tanning salon across the street from the courthouse, a Mexican restaurant, a judge shedding tears and the plaintiff signing autographs,” joked Michael Katz, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal’s Ole Miss beat reporter. “Does it get any more 2026 college football than that?” ‘Embracing Every Moment’ Chambliss looked into the camera, arms hanging at his sides, fresh sweat from the evening’s last-second win over Louisville still glistening on his face, and grinned. “Going into this game, I’m super blessed to put the Ole Miss football jersey on again and to represent Rebel nation and ‘Hotty Toddy,’” he said last week during a “SportsCenter” hit with ESPN’s Nicole Briscoe. “I’ve been taking it day by day, embracing every moment and really every bit of it.” That Chambliss is back is about more than legal proceedings or a team of lawyers that, in their mind, exploited outdated NCAA regulations around eligibility. The ex-Division II signal-caller is believed to be among the country’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Jones declined to share exact specifics, though offseason reports suggest Chambliss is being paid in the neighborhood of $4.5 million. That kind of cash is its own wrinkle in college football’s new world order and how quarterbacks, in particular, weigh their draft options. Opendorse, a leading NIL data provider, issued its annual report this summer that suggested Power Four quarterbacks being paid $1.5 million annually are in the 90th percentile of earners. On3 reported in August that high-profile passers like Dante Moore (Oregon), Darian Mensah (Miami), Josh Hoover (Indiana) and Demond Williams Jr. (Washington) were each making around $4 million or more this season. Those figures easily rival first-year pay scales of first-round NFL rookies, creating more incentive for players who aren’t surefire early picks to consider sticking in college football an additional year. “The real issue is not can $7 million convince [a player] to stay, but, ‘How does he value himself? Do you value yourself as a first-round pick? Do you value yourself as second or third? Do you value yourself as a starter in the NFL?’” Cliff Stein, a longtime Chicago Bears front office staffer-turned-college sports consultant, told me. “… You’re not competing against money. You’re competing against the clock that has started to run. “You’re one year removed from where you can make big money [on a second contract]. You’re one year older. You’re [on a] one-year risk of injury and decline in performance. So if you value yourself now, at the end of this year as a first-round pick, you don’t know if that will change.” Chambliss himself is an intriguing NFL prospect. His height (6-foot) and lack of experience in a pro-style offense have him behind a number of the bigger names in this year’s loaded quarterback class, but his consistency has intrigued many. FOX Sports NFL draft analyst Rob Rang slotted Chambliss as the No. 9 quarterback in the 2027 class, just behind USC’s Jayden Maiava, former Cincinnati signal-caller Brendan Sorsby and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler pegged Chambliss as a likely Day 2 pick last year. This season? The evaluation is more complicated, though he could easily climb with another dynamic campaign. “Chambliss was viewed as a likely middle-round prospect by the NFL scouts I spoke to prior to his decision,” Rang told me. “His production suggests he should go higher, but there was some skepticism as to how well he’d be able to acclimate to an NFL offense and his size is also concerning to some. “It was not lost on the NFL that Chambliss entered last season as a backup and that it was his only season at the Power Four level.” Back home in Florida last week, Mars reflected on working with Chambliss and the memories of that day in the Pittsboro courtroom. Shortly after the hearing, a box arrived at the house, addressed from Oxford. Inside was the jersey that now hangs in his office. Mars has since added another layer to his support for the Rebels quarterback, who will face his former coach when LSU comes to town on Saturday for one of the most anticipated Ole Miss football games in school history. “I think I’m the only person in South Florida flying a Trinidad & Tobago flag on my boat,” Mars quipped over text. If Chambliss leads the Rebels to victory on Saturday over Kiffin’s Tigers, flags won’t suffice. A statue in The Square might be more appropriate.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With Week 1 officially over and Week 2 around the corner, Tuesday saw a mix of injury updates across the NFL as teams digested their season openers. Kansas City Chiefs rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane appears to have avoided a long-term injury after making a big play against the Denver Broncos, while Baltimore Ravens wideout Ja’Kobi Lane could be facing a month-long absence. In Chicago, Ben Johnson explained why his Bears continued to score in the fourth quarter during a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, rather than taking their foot off the gas late. Here’s the latest from around the NFL. The Bears put up their highest-scoring Week 1 performance in franchise history Sunday, routing the Panthers 59-37, and head coach Ben Johnson made clear Monday that easing off wasn’t an option. Even with Chicago up 45-31 after a third-quarter touchdown run from Kyle Monangai, the offense tacked on two more scores in the fourth. “Anytime you’re still within a couple of scores there in the fourth quarter, the game is still on, and so we needed that,” Ben Johnson said via transcript from the team. “I forget what time it was that we took the field for that last drive, and it was, ‘Guys, we want to finish the game with the ball’, and then ended up getting one to pop through, and [D’Andre Swift] ended up scoring there at the end.” Johnson also noted how frequently Carolina’s offense had rallied from behind a season ago, adding that history stuck with the Bears’ coaching staff when preparing for the Panthers. “It’s a credit to Carolina more than anything. We went into the game with a lot of respect for how well they could play in the fourth quarter. They had a number of games a year ago where the quarterback and the offense found a way to come back and win from behind; that was just something that was on our mind going into the game. We knew we couldn’t let off the gas.” The Bears’ offense will get an early test in their home opener against NFC North division rival, the Minnesota Vikings, on Sunday. Baltimore’s receiving corps just got thinner. Rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane is expected to undergo surgery for a fractured wrist as soon as Wednesday, a procedure that could sideline him for close to a month, according to a CBS Sports report. The Ravens have reportedly not ruled out an injured reserve designation. Lane’s absence compounds an already banged-up receiver room after Zay Flowers went down with a hamstring injury, pushing Rashod Bateman, Chris Moore and Elijah Sarratt up the depth chart. “Zay’s probably a little bit more like in the day-to-day range. You know, feel pretty good about where that’s at. We’ll see how the week goes,” Minter said about Flowers before adding he expected Lane to be out, “maybe a little bit longer,” Monday. The 21-year-old third-round pick out of USC was expected to be a red-zone weapon alongside Flowers after a standout college career, but his NFL debut was cut short in Week 1 against the Colts. Lane arrived in Baltimore with plenty of hype after a three-season run at USC that produced 99 catches, 1,363 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he’d lined up as the No. 2  behind Flowers before the injury. A month-long absence could see Lane return for Baltimore’s game against the Falcons in October, after matchups with the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. There’s encouraging news on the injury front for one of Kansas City’s top rookies. Cornerback Mansoor Delane is believed to have suffered only a short-term shoulder injury during Monday night’s win over Denver, according to NFL Network, with X-rays and CT scans reportedly coming back clean. Delane was still set to undergo an MRI. The No. 6 overall pick appeared to have aggravated a shoulder issue that dated back to the offseason program and training camp. He made an instant impact anyway, hauling in his first career interception on his third career snap to end Denver’s opening possession, but he landed awkwardly on the shoulder during the play and didn’t return. With the early word pointing to a short-term issue rather than a long-term absence, the Chiefs will be hopeful their top corner can be back in the mix quickly as the secondary settles into the regular season. The Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night in Week 2.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) — The Kansas City Chiefs had already gone 3-for-3 in short-yardage situations Monday night. But when they needed a yard on a fourth-and-1 early in the second half at their 40-yard line, they went to the sideline for not just two extra offensive linemen, but new nose tackle Khyiris Tonga as well. Chiefs coach Andy Reid didn’t hesitate, calling for his jumbo package and adding 950-plus pounds of blocking from the sideline as they held a 14-7 lead over the Denver Broncos. They needed a yard from running back Kenneth Walker III, and on a night where he exceeded all expectations in his Kansas City debut, he gave them 60, running to the end zone for the signature moment in a resounding, welcome-back 31-10 victory. “The moment he got the edge, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it in practice. I saw it all last year in the playoffs. Once he gets the edge, he’s gone,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of his new teammate, signed from the Seattle Seahawks after earning Super Bowl MVP honors. “That’s what I’m talking about, be able to run physical like that but still be able to bounce it whenever it’s necessary and get going.” Walker finished with 173 rushing yards, not only a career high but the most yards a Chiefs player has rushed for in the Mahomes era, since Jamaal Charles went for 226 in a 2012 game. Kansas City made it clear from the start they wanted to assert their offense on the ground, giving Walker seven carries on the opening drive to introduce him to the home fans and the rest of the NFL. “I knew they were going to crash in, so when they crashed in, I just bounced it out,” Walker said. “I was one-on-one with the corner, I outran him and it was off to the races from there. “[The big role] means a lot. It means they trust me. It’s good to feel that way. When we first came out, we got the fourth down and we still ran the ball – they trust the run game and trust what we can do, we just want to keep stacking on that.” One of those bonus linemen on the 60-yard touchdown was Josh Ezeudu, acquired from the Giants at the end of preseason for a 2028 seventh-round pick, and he’s quickly learned how much his new team values owning the line of scrimmage. “I’ve only been here about three weeks now, but something that’s emphasized here is being physical,” Ezeudu told me. “We’re going to run that motherf—ing ball. I’m sorry, but it’s something we take pride in.” The headline Monday night was Mahomes’ triumphant return after missing the end of last season with a knee injury, but the news was the Chiefs’ run game and what it could do to cement their return to the NFL’s top tier of playoff contenders. Tonga was signed away from the New England Patriots, where he enjoyed cameos on offense last season, playing 18 offensive plays as an imposing fullback. One of them was a fourth-and-1 in the AFC Championship Game against those same Broncos, helping Drake Maye move the chains. “I’m just there whenever they call my number. I’m ready whenever,” Tonga told me. “I enjoy it. I’m just glad I’m on the field any time they have success.” Backup tackle Jaylon Moore, also part of the jumbo package, said those plays are where the Chiefs can establish their identity with toughness and physicality, and even if it only yields a single yard, it’s always in high-leverage situations. “We can assert ourselves and get a yard when we need it,” Moore told me. “It’s cool. We’re adding a thousand, a million, I don’t even know how many pounds that is.” Even with just a regular line blocking for him, Walker was a real spark for the Chiefs against Denver. Locked in a 7-7 stalemate just before halftime and facing a third-and-10, Mahomes connected with Walker for an 11-yard conversion, and Walker followed with a 28-yard run to set up the go-ahead touchdown. Could he be a difference maker for the Chiefs? They haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Mahomes’ rookie year in 2017, and they haven’t had a back go over 100 yards in any of their last 16 playoff games, dating back to their Super Bowl victory in the 2019 season. Mahomes has seen the newfound offensive balance as a potential missing piece since Walker arrived. “I told you all, literally, like first press conference. Y’all were asking, what’s the difference with our offense? And I said, K9 (Walker),” he said. “Like, it’s just that simple. It’s the way he’s able to run the ball, catch the ball … it’s just a special ability to run the ball tough between the tackles and then when he does bounce it, he has the speed to go all the way and so we’ll utilize him.” Walker, in just one game with the Chiefs, can also appreciate being able to run the ball against a defense that wants to stop him but must also account for the threat of a former MVP like Mahomes. He finished the game with 191 yards of total offense; the Broncos finished with 176 as a team. “Definitely. They have to key in on Pat,” Walker said. “He’s the best quarterback in the league, so you can’t just get on the run game or he’ll throw the ball over your head. And he can run. He’s just a threat either way, so he makes the run game a lot easier.” As NFL dads go, Jeremiah Trotter Sr. might be as proud as they come. Trotter was in the car on the way to Philadelphia to see his son Jeremiah Jr. make his season debut with the Eagles on Sunday when he was watching his younger son Josiah’s NFL debut on his iPad, which was punctuated by an interception returned for a touchdown for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Cincinnati Bengals. “If I tried to explain it, I couldn’t put into words how proud I am of them boys,” Trotter, himself an NFL linebacker who made four Pro Bowls in 11 seasons from 1998-2009, told me. “I’ve been there throughout the whole process, all the work and sacrifices they’ve made, and to see them doing what they love to do, to get to this level, a lot of things have to fall into place. They’re carrying on a legacy and it makes me super-proud when they make a play and drop the axe, showing homage to me. That’s the utmost respect and it means the world to me.” Josiah Trotter became the first player in NFL history to get both a pick-six and a sack in his NFL debut, adding a game-high 10 tackles and two tackles for loss. Jeremiah, a third-year linebacker who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles as a rookie, had two tackles on special teams in the Eagles’ win Sunday. Their dad can now pick a game every weekend to cheer for his sons in person. When the Eagles are home, it’s a half-hour drive from their home in New Jersey. But this coming week, the eldest Trotter will fly to Tampa to see Josiah’s home debut with the Bucs, where Jeremiah Sr. played a single season in 2007. “I see how serious he takes the game, how professional he is, doing things the right way,” his father told me. “You don’t skip any steps, and you’re not going to find anybody that works harder than him. I’m proud to know that all those conversations stuck with him.” Much like Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and his father Antoine Sr., the Trotters talk constantly. “Every day, all day,” Trotter Sr. told me, saying his conversations with his sons take place before practice, between meetings, and constantly talking about football and playing linebacker at the highest level. Josiah’s position coach, Mike Caldwell, played linebacker with Jeremiah Sr. for their first four years together in Philadelphia, and Dad is also glad his son has a veteran next to him in Alex Anzalone, remembering both his days with a mentor and as one as well. “I’ve been the young guy and I’ve been the old guy,” Trotter Sr. told me. “It means a lot to Josiah, too.” Early in his days in Philadelphia, he remembers William Thomas telling him if he got a certain look and faked like he was dropping to the left, Drew Bledsoe would throw the ball directly to him, and sure enough, “by George, he threw the thing right to me.” For now, the only question for father is which son he’s able to go see each week — in theory, Josiah and Jeremiah Jr. could meet up in the playoffs, and the Bucs and Eagles are scheduled to play in Philadelphia in 2027. You’ve heard by now about Week 1 outliers, like the Las Vegas Raiders beating the New England Patriots and J.J. McCarthy outdueling Caleb Williams in Chicago last year. In each of the last four years, at least one team making the conference championship game lost in Week 1, including the 2022 San Francisco 49ers (13-4) losing to the Bears (3-14). It’s certainly true, but Week 2 games are early enough to also produce strange outcomes. Last year, four teams that would go on to win division titles — including the Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars — lost to non-playoff teams in Week 2, more than any other week in the 2025 season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Week 1 gave us explosive offenses and a huge movement in the league rankings. Colin Cowherd dropped a whole new “Herd Hierarchy” on Tuesday’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” featuring a seismic shift in his top 10 teams entering Week 2. The Houston Texans and Denver Broncos weren’t the only ones left out of Cowherd’s top 10. The Los Angeles Rams also plummeted outside the rankings after a loss to the 49ers, followed by the news of Myles Garrett heading to injured reserve. Cowherd still believes in the Rams, but without Garrett on the field, he simply can’t keep them in his top 10 as there are too many question marks. Given how unpredictable Week 1 turned out, plenty of teams still have time to work their way onto the list. But for now, here are Cowherd’s top 10 teams heading into Week 2. Cowherd’s Thoughts:  “The Eagles are maddening. Five three and outs… seriously? But it is the best roster in the NFL and Jalen Hurts leads the NFL in completions, touchdowns and pass attempts over 25-plus yards. I think they’re better without A.J. Brown. They’ll spread the ball around. I can’t keep [out] the best roster in football that I picked to win a division with one ugly outing.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “I have the Bengals as the second-most-improved team. I have them as a playoff team. I think Chase Brown is the best running back in the NFL. Nobody talks about his last six games. A touchdown and a half. They went and bought a defense and you could tell, much bigger, much faster and much more physical. Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, Cashius Howell. The defense is different and every time Joe Burrow gets you know a little help, he’s a playoff quarterback.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “I don’t care what any of you say. The Giants are talented. They have a culture issue, not a talent issue. Abdul Carter and Brian Burns on the edge. Tell me a better edge rushing tandem than those guys. [Malik] Nabers, Jaxson Dart, [Cam] Skattebo, Arvell Reese. How about Francis Mauigoa, the offensive lineman? 36 pass blocking snaps, didn’t allow a hit. Talent is not the issue. They could use another corner. It was a coaching, culture, and health issue. Jaxson Dart, Skattebo, Reese, Burns, Abdul Carter, Andrew Thomas. Dudes are not the problem. I had them as the most improved team.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “Kansas City. Listen, maybe they’re low, but what I watched last night was something called a run game. You got to go back to Priest Holmes and Jamaal Charles. Like, wow. I mean, I like Kenneth Walker when he’s healthy. I thought it was really smart. They didn’t have [Patrick] Mahomes throw the ball down the field much. I thought it was a really smart, intentional game plan. Now, how much of it is like Bo Nix may not be the guy, and how much is the defense? We don’t know that. But it was Andy Reid off a bye, or Andy Reid in September is just no fun to play, but you got to admit, and many of you don’t want to… that was impressive.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “Listen, [Kyle] Shanahan’s 12-7 against [Sean] McVay, but again, it’s not that they won. We know they’re talented. We just don’t know if they’re going to last. I compared them to “Game of Thrones”. Great early, good in the middle and a lot of your favorite characters won’t be around at the end. I don’t know how healthy they’ll be, but their starters: Deebo [Samuel] and Mike Evans had 12 catches. They knocked the Rams on their keister for three and a half hours. There was nothing not to like. In Week 6, they could be out five starters, but today, Herd Hierarchy week one, I’ve got them at six.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “I mean, I’m sorry, folks. What do you want me to say? The last 10 regular season games, they’re beating the you know what on everybody. I mean, I know Cleveland’s bad, but it’s not just Liam Cohen and Trevor Lawrence. Go look at their defense. They have six games allowing 10 or fewer points since the start of last season. They’re doing it on both sides. We don’t talk about them. We don’t want to talk about them. But it was that last year when they went to Denver and blew out the Broncos. It was like, yeah, I think they’re good. If they were in New York, if they were in Dallas, would we struggle looking at this team and saying they’re five? No, of course. They’re good. We got to own it.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “The first team with six rushing touchdowns in a season opener since the 1922 Canton Bulldogs. Here’s the thing: first it was Bill Walsh, then it was Andy Reid for 20 years, then it was Shanahan and McVay. We have found our next great offensive coach. Ben Johnson is different. I said I went to one practice and it was like whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa. What am I watching? Rome Odunze now is healthy, folks. To drop 59 points is one thing. No defensive touchdowns. Colston Loveland didn’t have a catch. Now I don’t know if they can generate the kind of pass rush that can put great quarterbacks in discomfort. I don’t know if they can do that, but I said it last year. Caleb [Williams] is different. Ben Johnson’s different. This is different. This could be a Reid-Mahomes thing we’re talking about. It’s not just good. I’ve seen good. DeMeco Ryans, C.J. Stroud. Oh, I like those two working together. Now, this is not good. It’s special.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “Outgained the Colts by 255 yards. Daniel Jones looked like they didn’t want to get hit. I think everybody – Chris Ballard, Shane Steichen – everybody’s under pressure. It was impressive. I’ve fallen in love with Baltimore a lot in week one, two and three when Lamar’s healthy. But Jesse Minter, go look at the Chargers’ defense. He left. Go look at the Ravens’ performance. He arrived. I put them at three.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “I [would] put them at one, but Sam Darnold’s not healthy. Seattle’s the only team in the league that can have 10 penalties, multiple turnovers, not play well and beat good teams. They did it last year against the Rams and the Texans. They didn’t play particularly well: 10 penalties, new offensive coordinator, out of sorts and they beat the Patriots and really shut them down totally in the fourth quarter. So I think between coach and general manager and depth of roster and speed, they’re not a top team with Drew Lock. “But Drew Lock’s now been around. Now he gets first team snaps for the last eight to nine games because they played on Wednesday. So I think they drop to a number two or three team. If Sam plays, I put them at one.” Cowherd’s Thoughts: “I have Buffalo in the Super Bowl. So again, like the Bengals and the Giants, I have Buffalo in the Super Bowl. Offensive coach, a greater sensibility, feel, touch and nuance with their star quarterback, told you D.J. Moore would fit. They drafted a lot of defensive guys in the last couple of years. Let’s see if they can play. But two touchdown drives of 96-plus yards. I thought they were the best team I saw, considering the opposition. Nobody does that to the Texans’ defense. Nobody does that to DeMeco Ryans. I mean, be honest… nobody does that. Josh Allen and the Bills did.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Let’s kick things off with a few things I didn’t see coming. New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is the NFL’s passing leader. Jordan Love threw for 387 yards (second-most) behind a bottom-10 offensive line — and still lost. Jacoby Brissett looked like Jared Goff. Drake Maye threw three interceptions, including one that sealed the Pats’ loss to the Seahawks. But Jaxson Dart took no unnecessary hits — and took care of himself and the ball — en route to the Giants’ decisive win over the Cowboys. Caleb Williams looked like he could soon be the best QB on the planet. Trevor Lawrence also looked like he could soon be the best QB on the planet! And last but not least, Patrick Mahomes got the ball out in 2.27 seconds on Monday night — fastest in the NFL among QBs taking five-plus dropbacks. He’s still the fastest gun in the (AFC) West. He wasn’t brilliant, but he remains great, overcoming the ACL injury, overcoming left tackle issues and overcoming the Broncos’ elite defense. Welcome back to the QB Stock Market. This isn’t your typical QB rankings. I’m focused on monitoring the fluctuations of starters’ performances throughout the season. No one — not even Josh Allen — is safe at the top. No one — not even Deshaun Watson — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. We only have one week to evaluate, and so these rankings might surprise folks. One question holds most important: What have you done for your team lately? Previous: Offseason | Preseason | Week 1 In Week 1, Drake Maye’s performance against the Seattle Seahawks was reminiscent of how Josh Allen used to play against the New England Patriots. Going back to 2018, Bill Belichick drew up nasty and exotic blitzes to spin Allen’s head. And because Allen couldn’t make sense of those blitzes, game after game, Belichick kept sending them. You could see how much joy Belichick took in the game plan, with disguises and wrinkles and eccentricity, specifically designed to beat up on Allen. Belichick must’ve looked forward to it. And then their fifth matchup rolled around. It was 2020. Belichick thought he could fool Allen, as usual. But Allen passed for 320 yards and four touchdowns. It flipped the paradigm in the AFC East. Allen never looked back. And it was one of the many things that cost Belichick his job. The Seahawks-Patriots rivalry feels like the same dynamic, with coach Mike Macdonald burying Maye with brain-twisting blitzes and disguises. To make matters worse, Maye’s three interceptions in Seattle were not overly complicated reads. They were simply egregious mistakes. The final interception was, easily, the worst decision of Maye’s career — nosediving the team’s chances in the worst way. It’s not just the Seahawks, though. Complicated defenses have a tendency to overwhelm Maye. So this feels like the same dynamic — except that we don’t know if it’ll end like it did for Allen. I expect Maye to jump back into the top 10. But it’ll depend completely upon an “aha” moment. It’ll depend completely upon Maye completing the Allen comparison, with that final developmental leap, not just by winning with talent — but by outsmarting defenses. C.J. Stroud lost it for the Texans. That hurts to say, because he got the Texans in position for a win against the Bills. He kept it close the whole way, with 274 passing yards and two touchdowns. It was a good game until that last drive. Trailing with minutes left, he drove Houston into scoring position — only to take a pair of sacks that ruined everything. For those two plays, he looked like the same deer in headlights that we saw in the playoffs against the Patriots. For those two sacks, he looked like the guy who was not deserving of a contract extension. How do we reconcile those two plays with the rest of his performance? Let’s start with the sack that was most egregious. And it wasn’t the one that ended the game. On first-and-9 with 30 seconds left and goal-to-go, Stroud took a sack from Bills defensive lineman Deone Walker. The Texans’ win probability took the most pronounced hit of the entire game, sinking a full 38.7%, per Next Gen Stats. Stroud held the ball for 3.8 seconds — way, way too long. Because this wasn’t blindside pressure. It came right up the middle. Stroud watched Walker close in, and ducked into the sack, rather than throw the ball away. Stroud didn’t look mentally ready for the play, which flipped the game in a matter of seconds. A few plays later, it was over. Bills edge Gregory Rousseau strip-sacked Stroud to end the game. It was a third-and-18, and the Texans, essentially, sent their receivers for the end zone. Nobody was open. Stroud held the ball for almost four seconds (which is way too long). But you can’t blame him, given that he had just one more down and 25 more seconds to score. Should he have thrown it away? Of course. Hindsight shows that, clearly. But I also understand why he wanted to make something happen — and risk the incoming pressure — by holding the ball a little longer. He wanted to eke out every opportunity to score on this play. I get that. In a weird way, I view this play differently than I did at the end of the game. So did the advanced stats, showing the Texans’ chances slipping 10.7% on the fumble. The rest of the game, Stroud was efficient. He battled with one of the league’s best teams and quarterbacks. The body of work — on the whole — was good. It’s just that Stroud’s errors on the final drive were irreconcilable. And the brutal truth is that those errors are the only plays we’ll remember from this game. Leave it to the Dallas Cowboys to put together the worst defensive series in all of football in Week 1. The Cowboys were worse — on the whole and on the Giants’ final scoring drive — than the Panthers, who allowed 59 points in Week 1. Dallas’ defensive expected points added per play was .363 (32nd). That’s because the Cowboys refused to cover the Giants’ checkdown option. So that’s exactly who Jaxson Dart threw to — three times in a row, including for a touchdown. Yes, seriously. Giants running back Devin Singletary had three catches in the flat on three consecutive plays. And the third was a 9-yard touchdown. It was pretty similar with every target to tight end Isaiah Likely, who had more room than he should have to operate in the middle of the field. Dart was 8 of 8 for 78 yards and two touchdowns when throwing to his new tight end. But after a season where I faulted Dart constantly for doing the wrong thing (constantly), I have to give him his flowers here. He took what the defense gave him. That’s basically the first rule of quarterbacking. His completion percentage over expected was +10.9%, and he attempted a fairly modest 17.2% tight-window throws. His time to throw was just 2.64 seconds, showing he was quick to get the ball out of his hands. It all speaks to a low-difficulty game plan against a low-talent defense. Dart did what he had to do to get the W. And in this case, he didn’t have to do much. It wasn’t totally Jared Goff’s fault that the Saints got back into their opener in Detroit, eating away at a 14-point lead and sending the game to overtime. The Lions defense shoulders plenty of that blame. But when looking at Goff’s fourth quarter, you can see a series of failed third-down conversions where he made mistakes. That let New Orleans back into it. On two third downs in the fourth quarter, Goff threw a pair of targets to Jameson Williams. In both instances, Goff made the catch more difficult than it needed to be. And there was a target for Amon-Ra St. Brown (another fourth-quarter third down) when Goff should’ve looked him off and found the second man in the progression. Williams, in particular, could’ve had a much bigger game if he and Goff had a cleaner connection. He had just four catches on his nine targets, and finished at a catch rate of 44.4% — 13.9% lower than expected, per Next Gen Stats. If Goff and Williams can figure out why, exactly, their connection grew frayed in this game, then this offense will benefit enormously. But Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown are incredible in pressure moments, including in overtime when Goff fired what seemed like a dangerous ball for St. Brown — only for the All-Pro wideout to snatch the ball away from a DB on the way into the end zone. Goff can be as precise as any quarterback in the NFL. But when he slips, even for three different third-downs, it can cost the Lions. Pocket passers — even good ones — have such a small margin for error. I think we’re past the point of thinking that Brock Purdy is simply a product of his supporting cast. I think we’re also seeing that his supporting cast can thrust him into the top 10. This 2026 roster might be better than the one that helped Purdy break out in 2023. While Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are absolutely superstars, I’m not sure we all view Brandon Aiyuk — or even Deebo Samuel — in that same light as we once did in 2023. Perhaps Purdy didn’t get the respect he deserved for helping those two receivers play at their peak. The crazy thing about this year’s team is that they’re sustaining the insane rate of injuries that’s typical only for San Francisco. For now, the 49ers are deep enough to withstand the rolling absences. Even with rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling exiting the opener in the first half, the 49ers stayed afloat with ample targets for Mike Evans and Samuel. And with rookie running back Kaelon Black looking more than capable in a (surprising) timeshare with McCaffrey, the All-Pro veteran will undoubtedly have fresher legs into December and January. This is all great news for Purdy. He’s never going to land in the tier of QBs who defy circumstance: Lamar Jackson, Allen and Mahomes. (The tier that’s in reach for supertalents such as Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and perhaps even Trevor Lawrence.) But Week 1 against the Rams reminded that, even when things are imperfect (a good defense, a bad set of injuries, a brutal travel schedule in Australia), Purdy can be dangerous. He’s often going to exceed expectations. There are a lot of throws that Caleb Williams makes that leave me in disbelief. But there was one throw on Sunday that left me wondering if he’s the only person on the planet who could’ve completed it. Allen and Mahomes could maybe pull this one off. But that uncertainty — that maybe — speaks to just how special it was. “He couldn’t have put it in a better spot,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said of the pass. OK, so let’s take a look. It’s a 22-yard touchdown to Cole Kmet. Williams rolled to the right — increasing the necessary air yards for the throw to 42.3 yards, per Next Gen Stats. And he had a 32% chance of completing the pass. There was even a pass-rusher closing in on the throw. Despite all that, Williams made this look effortless. It’s why so many Bears players and coaches told me there’s “no limit” to the offense when the 2024 No. 1 overall pick is at the helm. It’s why I’m bullish on the Bears having a real shot at making a run at making history and topping the 2013 Broncos’ scoring record. Williams was sensational (and so was the Bears’ run game). He didn’t even have to get Colston Loveland involved. Loveland, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden didn’t have to score a touchdown for Williams and Co. to put up almost 60 points. Williams and Ben Johnson already had the NFL’s attention. Soon, they’ll have the NFL’s respect. And by the season’s end, 31 teams will be studying the Bears to figure out what they can copy.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Our weekly collection of the best of the NFL weekend is back, but with a twist this year. Instead of picking Sunday’s best performers, we’re picking our All-Stars from Thursday night through Monday night each week. We also have a new name, too, as we pick which players stood out at each skill position and defensive position while also highlighting the best offensive line in the league. This was not an easy week, and there were players who missed the cut at multiple positions who would make the list many weeks. We’re trying to be equitable between several teams’ strong offensive showings to open the 2026 season, as there was a tie for the most points scored in Week 1 in NFL history. Here goes … How good was the quarterback play this week? Trevor Lawrence threw for four touchdowns in a little more than a half, and it’s hard to really give it real consideration because it was against the Cleveland Browns. Caleb Williams had four touchdowns in a 59-point outburst for the Chicago Bears in their win over the Carolina Panthers. But we’ll go with Allen, who threw for two scores and ran for two more in a 36-31 win over the Houston Texans, who perhaps have the league’s best defense. By volume, it might be Williams, but given the strength of the opponent, we’ll go with Allen as he developed a strong connection with D.J. Moore in their first game together. There are some really good days missing out here. Jahmyr Gibbs had three touchdowns and 186 total yards in the Detroit Lions’ win over the New Orleans Saints. Ashton Jeanty had two touchdowns and 147 total yards in the Las Vegas Raiders’ victory over the Miami Dolphins. And poor D’Andre Swift. If this were like last year and we published the list after Sunday’s games, the Chicago Bears running back would’ve made this team. He ran for 124 yards on 6.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns as part of a 291-yard rushing day for the Bears in their 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. There were a pair of other running back performances that were just a bit stronger than Swift’s, though. Derrick Henry, who continues not to show his age and dominate, had 24 carries for 144 yards and three touchdowns in the Baltimore Ravens’ win over the Indianapolis Colts. And Kenneth Walker III stole Swift’s spot on this team with his impressive performance in his Kansas City Chiefs debut on Monday night. His 60-yard touchdown helped the Chiefs pull away from the Denver Broncos early in the second half. He finished with 173 rushing yards, the most for any Kansas City back in 14 years, when Jamaal Charles went for 226 in 2012. He added a second touchdown on a short flip from Patrick Mahomes. In a strong week for backs all around, Walker forced his way onto this team, as Monday’s performance also doubled as a career-high in rushing yards. We could reach back to Wednesday night and pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was electric with 122 yards and a touchdown in the Seattle Seahawks’ opening win. And Gibbs wasn’t the only Lions star to put on a show on Sunday, recording two touchdowns in their win over the Saints. A familiar name had one of his best performances in a while on Sunday, though. Justin Jefferson helped the Minnesota Vikings pull out a wild division win despite losing quarterback Kyler Murray early to a concussion. Carson Wentz came in and played well, with Jefferson getting 92 yards and two touchdowns as he had eight catches on nine targets. Jalek Coker, meanwhile, didn’t help his team to victory. His numbers were too strong to leave him off the list, though. He had eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns as Carolina tried to keep up with the Bears. A real three-wide battle here. Isaiah Likely had some spectacular catches in the New York Giants’ prime-time win over the Dallas Cowboys, getting eight catches for 78 yards and two scores after following John Harbaugh to New York. It’s a close nod over the Philadelphia Eagles’ Dallas Goedert, who had 77 yards and two touchdowns in a close win over the Washington Commanders. And he’ll be on here a lot, but Trey McBride was his usual self in the Arizona Cardinals’ surprising win over the Chargers, with nine catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. We can’t completely shut out an offense that put up 59 points in a game this week. We also can’t leave out the unsung part of any team’s offensive success, so each week we’ll name the starting five for the league’s best line. Chicago went off for 59 points and eight touchdowns, so give credit where it’s due: left tackle Braxton Jones, left guard Joe Thuney, center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Jonah Jackson and right tackle Darnell Wright. We could have easily gone with another 500-yard effort from the Ravens, or a solid debut from a new-look line for the Lions as well. Some huge showings here. We’ll mention the Bills’ Greg Rousseau getting two sacks, two forced fumbles and five quarterback hits in a monster game. But we have to start with T.J. Watt, who came through with a pick-six in the fourth quarter to help the Steelers fend off the Atlanta Falcons, to go with two sacks and three tackles for loss on the day as well. And the Minnesota Vikings were only up three with five minutes to go when Van Ginkel not only sacked Jordan Love but forced a fumble and returned it to the 1, the biggest play in Minnesota’s 29-point burst to end a big division win. Josiah Trotter is the first rookie to make the list this season. The second-round pick from Missouri became the first player in NFL history to get a pick-six and a sack in his debut, stepping up as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried to rally back against the Cincinnati Bengals. Roquan Smith had 11 tackles and a pick for the Baltimore Ravens, but we’ll go with the Bucs rookie — whose father Jeremiah had two pick-sixes in his career — for an auspicious first game. You have to go back to Wednesday, but an enormous play from Josh Jobe secured the win for Seattle. New England was in range for a tying field goal, took one more shot at the end zone, and with 21 seconds left, Jobe made an acrobatic toe-tap interception off Drake Maye to give the Seahawks a big win in the much-anticipated Super Bowl rematch. If you haven’t seen the highlight yet, take a minute and look up Owens, who drew double-coverage from Philadelphia as a gunner for Washington, stiff-arming two Eagles players to the ground and dropping the returner with a WWE-caliber takedown. The 25-year-old is in his third season as a special-teams ace for Washington, with 21 special-teams tackles in his first two years. We should also give a nod here to Cardinals receiver Simi Fehoko, who blocked a Chargers punt to the 2-yard line in the fourth quarter of a two-point game to help Arizona pull off a great upset win.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports