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Kyle Kirkwood doesn’t need to look at the standings to know what he needs to do to challenge for the 2026 INDYCAR title. He cut 42 points off of Alex Palou’s lead, thanks to winning the Freedom 250 and Palou’s 20th-place finish. But he still left Washington a distant 91 points behind. Palou would need a total collapse over the final three races to not win his fifth title. There’s a doubleheader at Milwaukee this weekend and then the season finale the following week at Laguna Seca. “I’m just going to go out there and try and win every single race and see where it goes from there,” Kirkwood said in his post-race news conference. “It’s starting to pan out. “I can’t control what Palou does. Maybe, in very small circumstances, you can. In the sense of where he finished today or where he was going to finish today, there is no controlling that because you’re in the lead. We just had a very fortunate day in the points championship.” Eying his fourth consecutive title, Palou just needs to finish eighth in each of the final three races to win the title (and that would require Kirkwood to win each of the last three races plus the pole plus lead the most laps). He has three finishes of worse than eighth in the first 15 races this season. “Never super comfortable until it’s done, right?” Palou told me and another reporter after the race. “Obviously, today sucks more for this race than the championship. The good amount of points that we had [allowed] us to have days like today so we can focus on Milwaukee and try to win it.”Washington fit into the Kirkwood wheelhouse because it was a new street course. He also won the most recent new street race at Arlington. Palou’s day in Washington got off poorly from the start when the Chip Ganassi Racing driver lost the lead to Kirkwood at the start of the race. Then on his first pit stop, Palou accidentally hit the tire that was set out for a Mick Schumacher stop. He later tapped the wall, bending a toe link. The link eventually broke about 20 laps later and he hit the wall, needing repairs to finish the race. “When I smacked Mick’s tire, it obviously was not on purpose, and that put us on the back foot,” Palou said. At the beginning of the year, Kirkwood and Andretti Global were in transition with new leadership and with the addition of veteran driver Will Power. The impact of Power and new team principal Ron Ruzewski (one of the Penske executives released last year amid the qualifying attenuator controversy) is evident, as Andretti has looked like one of the stronger teams late in the season. “Ron, from every aspect, has helped this team,” Kirkwood told me after the race. “It’s proven. And quite honestly, he showed us it’s the little things that count. Whether it’s pit stops, it’s development, it’s us as drivers. … There is no big-ticket item. There never is. “And he’ll tell you that. It’s the little things that matter and that’s what we’ve been doing a lot better this season.” They most likely won’t catch Palou right now, but they can set the stage for championships in the future. “If we were sitting here 40 points out or something like that, it would be a different conversation,” Ruzewski said in the winner’s news conference. “It’s still 90 points out. I think to echo what Kyle said, we just have to go out there at this point and try to put numbers up on the board. “That being said, the best thing we can do is put all three of our cars in front of Palou. That’s really what we’re trying to do, is not just have Kyle win races but have Marcus [Ericsson] and Will on the podium or in front of Palou. That’s the only way we have a chance. If we can get all three on the podium every week, that’s what we’re going to try and do every week.” Moving Up Arguably one of the most impressive improvements on the INDYCAR side this year has been Kyffin Simpson, who finished 21st in the standings as a rookie in 2024 and then 17th last year. Despite a wreck in qualifying Saturday, he finished fifth at Washington and sits 13th in the standings, just one spot behind teammate Scott Dixon. “This track just kind of grew on me more and more,” Simpson told FOX Sports after the race. “I kept having more and more fun with it and had an exciting race.” The same could probably be said for his season. Zilisch’s Double Trouble? Rick Hendrick said “never say never,” but he has no plans to partner with an INDYCAR team for new hire (as of 2028) Connor Zilisch to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Hendrick had partnered with Arrow McLaren for Kyle Larson’s two attempts at the Indy-Charlotte double. “I’m done with that,” Hendrick said during a virtual news conference. “I’ve learned to never say never, but it would take a lot of convincing for me to do that again.” Zilisch has indicated his willingness to do it. There’s always the possibility Trackhouse could try to partner with someone next year, but Zilisch indicated he’s focused on Cup. “It’s something down the road that I’ve always dreamed of,” Zilisch said. “But at the end of the day, I need to focus on what I’m doing on Sundays here before I really focus on stepping outside my comfort zone.” In The News — NASCAR will not have an event on the streets of Chicago in 2027. After racing there from 2023-2025, NASCAR has not landed on the funding it wants for the event. It will race again at its Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet. —The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will have a points race at Bowman Gray Stadium next year, with the event slated for Aug. 20. The series also will make a return two weeks later to Canadian Tire Motorpsorts Park (Mosport).— Regan Smith will drive the Kaulig Racing No. 25 RAM truck at Bristol. He will also race it at Charlotte.— Shell will introduce an updated 100 percent renewable fuel mix for INDYCAR in 2027. It is a 70 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the renewable fuel standard average gasoline baseline. It will be sourced in Indiana and produced in Illinois. Clinched In the truck season finale and the Cup’s next-to-last regular-season race at New Hampshire, several drivers clinched spots in the Chase. Cup: Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Carson Hocevar, William Byron and Daniel Suarez clinched to join Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott. Truck: Grant Enfinger, Daniel Hemric, Ben Rhodes and Tyler Ankrum clinched spots in the Chase, joining the six who already had clinched. Those six are Layne Riggs, Kayden Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Christian Eckes, Ty Majeski and Gio Ruggiero. Picture This Social Spotlight They Said It “Maybe it will get in the Toowoomba Chronicle. They might put it in, a picture of me shaking President Trump’s hand. It’s pretty crazy.”— Will Power​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Welcome to the Quarterback Notebook, where I’ll be covering the past week in NFL quarterbacking — from the most interesting passers, plays and storylines, to some other stuff that caught my eye while watching film. In this preseason edition of the notebook, I’ll make the case for Fernando Mendoza to start in Las Vegas, weigh in on the Rams’ backup quarterback competition, examine the Drew Allar hype, and more. Let’s talk quarterbacks. The Raiders plan to subject us to a full season of Kirk Cousins as part of Fernando Mendoza’s developmental plan. While that’s disappointing, the reasoning is easy to understand. We’ve seen bad supporting casts stunt a young quarterback’s development. And if you’ve looked at the Raiders’ offensive depth chart at any point this summer, you know it lacks the supporting talent that most rookie passers need to have a successful campaign. After watching Mendoza’s first two preseason games, though, the Las Vegas brain trust, led by Tom Brady, should feel confident that Mendoza isn’t like most rookies. He’s already showing the polish and refinement coaches want to see from developing quarterbacks before handing them the keys to the offense. Rookie Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak certainly isn’t treating him like a rookie quarterback with his playcalling. In games against the Cardinals and Texans, Kubiak essentially threw Mendoza into the schematic deep end, with very few schemed-up throws, like screen passes or run-pass options, and a healthy dosage of big-boy dropback concepts that even veteran passers can find difficult to execute. Mendoza has certainly shown some signs of his youth, especially when his first read doesn’t pop open, but the good has easily outweighed the bad. I’ve been most impressed with Mendoza’s eyes. They always seem to go to the right spots based on the coverage. The Raiders have dialed up a lot of “pick a side” concepts that see Mendoza read the safeties and pick a side of the field to work based on the coverage shell. That’s not exactly 400-level quarterbacking, but young QBs routinely botch those reads, and Mendoza has had no such issues so far. If you’ve ever heard Mendoza talk about quarterbacking, that’s hardly surprising. The dude is a robot who sounds like his brain is synced with an AI chatbot trained on coach axioms and old Bill Walsh playbooks. I have been pleasantly surprised by how crafty Mendoza has already proven to be. This throw from the preseason opener against Arizona is a good example of Mendoza working outside of the scheme to make a play. There isn’t much of a window there with the Arizona linebacker dropping underneath the deep stop route, so Mendoza looks outside to hold the defender out of the throwing lane just long enough to zip a ball past him. From the end-zone angle, you can see that Mendoza is looking to the outside of the defender before throwing the ball back inside of him. Now that is 400-level quarterbacking. Here’s another throw you don’t often see from rookie quarterbacks, with Mendoza hitting a backside “drift” route after Arizona covers up his frontside read. That’s a staple play-call in Kubiak’s scheme, which is heavily influenced by his former boss, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. If you can’t make that throw, you can’t play in this offense. That Mendoza already seems to have it down is a sure sign that he’s game-ready. If I were to nitpick that play, I would point out Mendoza’s awkward footwork as he works to the backside. He can’t get his base under him as he makes the throw. But that’s exactly why he should be on the field getting reps. Mendoza already has the mental acuity to play NFL quarterback. He just needs to get comfortable executing against a live defense. That won’t happen on the bench. That 35-yard connection between Bo Nix and new Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle set off an internet debate over the quality of that throw. My take: It’s complicated. All things considered, the throw itself is fine. Sure, Nix slowed Waddle down and probably cost him a long touchdown, but we can’t ignore the pass rush’s effect on the pass. Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt is bearing down on Nix and gets a hand up to disrupt his throwing motion. He has to snap it off early and can’t get a proper follow-through. That’s probably why Next Gen Stats had the completion probability at just 46%, even with Waddle running wide open down the seam. The throw wasn’t the layup that it looks like if you’re only focusing on the catch point. But that’s not where the analysis should end. Nix had the time and space to slide up in the pocket into a cleaner throwing platform, which would have lowered the pass’ degree of difficulty considerably. Pocket management has been the most glaring issue in Nix’s game early in his career, and that has had a downstream impact on his accuracy, as it did in this instance. If the third-year quarterback is going to make the leap Denver is hoping for this season, he’ll have to clean up this one particular issue. There hasn’t been much separating Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson this preseason as they battle for the right to back up reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. Simpson was the better quarterback in the first game, but Bennett hit back in game two, leading the Rams to 20 points on five drives against the Saints while L.A.’s first-round pick was merely fine. With just one more week left in the preseason, the competition still appears to be wide open. Rams head coach Sean McVay’s final decision will give us a clue as to how the offense might run if Stafford has to miss time during the season. Simpson has been the cleaner of the two, completing nearly 80 percent of his passes, while Bennett has been the more ambitious quarterback with a much higher average air yards per attempt (8.7 yards to 4.7). The rookie hasn’t logged a single deep attempt, according to Next Gen Stats, which tells me the Rams haven’t taken the training wheels off for Simpson. Nearly a quarter of his throws have been to the flat, per Next Gen Stats, with many of those coming after play-action fakes. Los Angeles has been spamming bootlegs throughout the exhibition games, and it’s helped pad Simpson’s completion percentage. The play-call menu has been more expansive when Bennett is out there, with more straight dropbacks and passing concepts that allow the 28-year-old to scan the entire field. It looks more like the offense we’ll see Stafford run during the regular season with Bennett on the field. The Simpson offense has looked more like McVay’s early days in Los Angeles when he was calling plays for a young Jared Goff. McVay was eager to part ways with Goff and level up his passing game with Stafford. Unless the Rams coach wants to return to the pre-Stafford offense, Bennett will be the next man up if Stafford goes down. If he wants a steadier hand and a safer offense, Simpson could steal the backup job. Simpson has the higher upside, but I’d roll with Bennett for now. He’s willing — but not always able — to make the tougher perimeter throws, like this audacious touch throw he made in the win over New Orleans. And McVay lauded Bennett’s scrambling after he rushed for two touchdowns Saturday night. That second-reaction ability adds another layer to the Rams’ offense that even the league’s MVP can’t provide. The Steelers have already made it clear that Drew Allar’s rookie season will be a redshirt year, so there’s no need to rush into debates on how the third-round pick’s career will turn out. But with Allar putting a handful of flashy throws on tape over the first weeks, including this perfectly weighted ball down the sideline against the Jets, there’s been a rush to anoint him as Pittsburgh’s long-term answer at quarterback. I guess we’ll be spending these last few weeks before the regular season debating the future of a quarterback who was largely an afterthought during the draft cycle. So, let’s get into it. That’s admittedly a sweet-looking throw, with Allar dropping it in a bucket near the sideline 38 yards downfield. The play loses some of its luster when you zoom out to the all-22 angle and see that tight end Lake McRee was running into acres of open grass and provided his quarterback with a wide margin for error. That’s a throw you’d expect most NFL quarterbacks to make — and there are plenty of them who would have made things a bit easier on the receiver, which has been a theme through the two preseason games. Pittsburgh’s receivers have burned Allar with a few drops, but the rookie throwing outside the frame of his target has contributed to some of those missed connections. If I were a Steelers fan, I’d also be giddy about Allar’s start — but I’d be just as concerned with some of the red flags. Allar’s tendency to drift back in the pocket rather than stepping up is chief among them. The rookie has the arm talent to make throws while fading back, but he’d make things a lot easier for himself if he threw with a firm base more consistently. Good quarterbacks don’t make things harder for themselves. The good ones find a way to make the difficult things look easier play after play. It’s not surprising that Allar has made some impressive throws. His pre-draft scouting report touted him as a quarterback with a talented arm who had issues reading coverage and maintaining proper throwing mechanics. We’ve seen plenty of those weaknesses over the past two weeks. After two up-and-down preseason games, there’s no need to update that scouting report on what he could be. Allar has yet to show us anything we (and the NFL teams that let him fall to the third round) didn’t already know. The Steelers should continue to develop him, but the team’s search for its next franchise quarterback isn’t over just yet. With over a hundred quarterbacks taking reps in the preseason, it’s impossible to cover everything in this notebook, so here are five quickfire thoughts and takes on some quarterbacks around the league. 1. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are competing for the Falcons’ starting job, but undrafted free agent Jack Strand, a standout Division II Minnesota State–Moorhead quarterback, might be the best quarterback on the roster. 2. Jordan Love’s MVP odds are far too low. The Packers are going to be in some shootouts, and based on what he showed in Denver on Friday night, he may have leveled up his game. 3. If the offensive line keeps Geno Smith clean like it did Friday, the Jets’ offense is going to be a lot better than you think. 4. I’m still not ready to give up on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose preseason tape has been a lot better than the numbers imply. Teams like Miami, Cleveland and Atlanta should give the Colts a call if Riley Leonard ends up winning the QB2 job behind Daniel Jones in Indy. 5. Joe Milton has been my favorite watch of the preseason. He’s more than just a strong arm. Dak Prescott is one of the better quarterbacks in the league, but the Cowboys’ offense won’t fall off a cliff if he has to miss time this season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

There’s no position in sports that’s debated more than quarterback. And for the first time in years, there’s plenty of debate about who the best quarterback in the NFL is. After Patrick Mahomes’ and the Kansas City Chiefs’ underwhelming 2025 season, there’s no consensus on who is the No. 1 quarterback in the league. Matthew Stafford is the reigning MVP winner, while Josh Allen played at an elite level again last season following his MVP win in 2024. Then there are the likes of Lamar Jackson, who is a two-time MVP winner, and Joe Burrow, who has been statistically dominant when healthy. So, which quarterback is actually the best in the league entering the 2026 campaign? Here is how the six of us ranked the 10 best quarterbacks. Greg Auman: Goff finished second in the NFL last year behind only Matthew Stafford in both passing touchdowns (34) and passing yards (4,564). He’s topped 4,400 passing yards four years in a row, and his 130 passing touchdowns since 2022 are 13 more than any other quarterback. What’s missing? Goff only has two playoff wins in five years in Detroit, so the best thing he can do to elevate his status is beat other top quarterbacks head-to-head in January. If Detroit is healthy on defense and a reshuffled offensive line can work, it’ll be a playoff team again and potentially a dangerous one. Detroit’s last two games are at Chicago and Green Bay, so it very well might be that its playoff run starts in Week 17. Can Goff outduel Caleb Williams and Jordan Love on the road down the stretch? Eric D. Williams: At 6-foot-6 and 236 pounds and blessed with one of the strongest arms in football, Herbert possesses all the physical tools to be considered one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. The Oregon product also has the stats to back up that claim. Herbert’s 24,820 passing yards through the first six seasons of his career are second in league history. He is the only player ever to eclipse 4,000 yards in each of his first three years and his 31 games with 300-plus passing yards rank tied for second in the NFL since 2020. Still, Herbert has failed to get it done in the postseason, going 0-3 so far in the playoffs. The Chargers believe the addition of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will unlock a higher level of play for Herbert and the Bolts’ offense, which will lead to a deep postseason run in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s third season with the team. Henry McKenna: I’m happy we have Love on this list. I’m not sure that Love’s statistical breakthrough season is coming this year, given that he still doesn’t have a bona fide WR1. But I will say that his breakthrough season — from a decision-making and consistency standpoint — was last year. His game was clunky and filled with easy mistakes in 2024, perhaps because of pressure or perhaps because of injuries. But in 2025, he looked like the NFL’s best decision-maker, capable of managing games from throw to throw and drive to drive. He didn’t throw a million passes, but he generated the explosives when they presented themselves and largely took what the defense gave him. I’m expecting another impressive year on film and in advanced statistics, even if I can’t promise he’s a top-10 fantasy QB. Ben Arthur: While playoff success has eluded him, Prescott has long been considered a top-10 quarterback. The 33-year-old this past season led the NFL in completions for the second time in his career (404) and registered his fourth 4,000-yard passing season. The former fourth-round pick ranked in the top five in passing yards, passing touchdowns, EPA (expected points added) per dropback and completion rate over expected in 2025. Notably, Prescott is one of the NFL’s most aggressive passers. He led the league in tight window rate for the third time in the last four years last season. Entering his second year with the CeeDee Lamb-George Pickens tandem at receiver, the four-time Pro Bowler is positioned to continue putting up big numbers in 2026. McKenna: The guy made it to the Super Bowl in his second year. Admittedly, he got trounced immediately after arriving in the big game. But it was a testament to his ascendance in a season when he finished second in MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford. Last year, Maye was outstanding in just about every measurement. You want wins? He had 14 in the regular season and three more in the postseason. You want touchdowns? He scored 35 total last year. You want efficiency and advanced stats? He completed 72% of his passes and finished with an EPA per dropback of .25 (first in the NFL). Last season was an ascent comparable only to what we’ve seen from Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Now the question is whether — with a tougher schedule — Maye can maintain what he’s built. Whether he can meet this new standard. That uncertainty is what’s keeping him out of the top five. Auman: Burrow had five playoff wins and a Super Bowl appearance in his first three years in the league, but the Bengals have now missed the playoffs three years in a row. That’s on a terrible defense and Burrow’s bad injury luck. Can both change in 2026? The Bengals are the AFC’s Cowboys, led by a prolific quarterback and two elite receivers but hobbled by a bottom-five defense. Can Burrow stay healthy and get back to his dominant 43-touchdown form in 2024? That, and even a mediocre defense, will put the Bengals back in the playoffs and give Burrow a chance to reset himself among the elite quarterbacks in the league, not by reputation, but on production. Their schedule is super-easy, with only five games out of 17 against the top half of our most recent power rankings. Arthur: Jackson missed four games last season due to injury, but he remains on the shortlist of superstar quarterbacks when healthy. In 2024, his last full season, the two-time MVP led the NFL in touchdown rate, yards per attempt and passer rating. He also added 915 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on a league-high 6.6 yards per carry that year. Entering his age-29 season, the mobility that has made Jackson arguably the best dual-threat quarterback of all time could start to diminish. It’ll be paramount for the four-time Pro Bowler to continue making massive strides as a passer. In 2024, the former first-round pick registered his first 4,000-yard passing season. Williams: Stafford deservedly won a close competition over Drake Maye for the NFL MVP award last season — the first time the 38-year-old signal caller took home the trophy in his illustrious, 18-year career. Stafford lit up the scoreboard for L.A.’s offense in 2025, leading the league in touchdown passes (46), passing yards (4,707) and finishing second in passer rating (109.2). Stafford threw a league-high 32 touchdowns and just one interception against the blitz during his MVP season. Stafford missed most of training camp last year with a balky back, so can he make it through a full season healthy again? The Rams drafted Ty Simpson in the first round as insurance, but he’ll likely not be ready to lead this team, heavily favored to win the Super Bowl. So, it will be up to head coach Sean McVay to keep Stafford upright. Stafford played a full, 17-game season for the first time last year since 2021. Arthur: Mahomes may be the “GOAT” of this era, but his passing numbers in recent years have been nowhere near as spectacular as they were at the start of his career. He’s also coming off the first major injury of his career: a torn ACL. In 14 games last season, he completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,587 yards and 22 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. The reality, though, is that he remains one of the most gifted and creative quarterbacks of all time. He ranks first in league history in passing yards per game (285.2) and passing success rate (51.9%). His postseason success is also unparalleled among his peers: three Super Bowl rings, three Super Bowl MVPs, five Super Bowl appearances and seven AFC Championship Game appearances. If Rashee Rice is healthy and focused, Mahomes will have his best wide receiver room in years. Having reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in the backfield takes pressure off him as well. Ralph Vacchiano: If Allen could just win one championship, he might end up being in the conversation with Patrick Mahomes as the greatest quarterback of their generation. And really, he should be anyway. He’s finished in the top five in MVP voting four straight years, and five of the last six. That also includes four finishes in the top four. Allen still has the strongest arm in the game and is a lock to run for 500 yards and double-digit touchdowns every year. He may not be putting up the gaudy numbers he did earlier in his career, but he’s still averaged 3,700 passing yards and 27 touchdowns the last two seasons with a questionable arsenal of weapons and no true No. 1 receiver. Allen was also the MVP in 2024 and might have ended up finishing higher than third last year if the Bills could have prevented him from getting sacked a career-high 40 times. This year, the Bills upgraded his receiving corps a little with D.J. Moore and he could get an even bigger boost with his old offensive coordinator Joe Brady now running things his way as the Bills head coach. Allen is 30, so he isn’t exactly running out of time. But there is definitely a feeling in Buffalo and around the league that his time may be right now.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

We’ve passed the midpoint of preseason. The regular season is drawing near. It’s starting to feel like we know so much about each team … and at the same time, we know absolutely nothing. Who’s going to win the NFC North? How about the NFC West? Are the Patriots going to be kings of the AFC East — or will it be the Bills? The Ravens and Eagles are really back, aren’t they? Aren’t they?! Can the Bengals finally … not get in their own way? Let’s make sense of the league and the never-ending news cycle. This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines. The Philadelphia Eagles would’ve seen a flag on just about every play during their joint practices with the New England Patriots last week. Philly had as many as 13 men in the huddle. On purpose. On every play, receiver DeVonta Smith would stroll into the huddle (not wearing a helmet) and listen to the play call. Then he’d stand back with the backup quarterbacks to watch the play unfold. Smith, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, is getting every mental rep he can. “[It’s] helping my process every play — hearing a play call, hearing the words coming out of Jay’s [Jalen Hurts] mouth, and just overall … what I’m thinking of, what I see, and things like that,” Smith said Wednesday. It would’ve been hard enough to get promoted from WR2 to WR1 in the wake of the A.J. Brown trade. But Smith also has to learn a new offense under freshly-hired OC Sean Mannion — without taking many reps in the month of August. So that makes it all the more important to hear every play. It’s a new language. And given how much the Eagles will be counting on Smith, he has to make up for lost time. And then there’s the other extra guy who was in the huddle — admittedly less frequently. That was rookie receiver Makai Lemon, who is also nursing a hamstring injury. It’s a similar story. It’s hard enough to be a rookie, with the added pressure of being a first-rounder. But he is expected to contribute immediately as the team’s WR2. There are even more layers of complication for the newbie. “It’s a challenge because he’s not out there getting the actual reps,” Hurts said of Lemon last week. “But just being intentional with the walkthroughs, being intentional with the moments we have off the field and after practice.” For some teams, it can feel like training camp is dragging on forever. I’m not sure it’ll feel like that for the Eagles. It must feel more like they’re up against the clock, even with a few weeks until the first regular-season game against the Washington Commanders. The one advantage that the Eagles have is that — even without their top receivers in the lineup — their quarterback has been through this. Hurts has had a new offensive coordinator in all but one of his seven seasons in Philly. “I don’t know it any other way,” he said. The other advantage is that the Eagles have three-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley. He seems to be this offense’s identity — it starts with him. He’ll have a major role in the running game and passing game. And even though the Eagles’ passing attack struggled mightily with inefficiency and turnovers against the Patriots, Barkley didn’t have issues finding room to run. The more you listen to the way Barkley talks about Mannion, the more you can hear his confidence in this new system. “When you talk to the coaches, everybody keeps mentioning it. [It’s] the work that he’s putting in,” Barkley said of the new OC. “I don’t think there’s really anybody that can beat him into the building. I think he’s still the last one to leave the building. I think that’s pretty cool when you have a guy that’s that bought in.” I have a ruling on the Dexter Lawrence trade. I saw him intercept Bears QB Caleb Williams in joint practices — and I’ve seen enough. It’s a win for the Bengals. OK, I’m sort of kidding. But if you remember, I was a fan of the trade when the Bengals got the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle from the New York Giants in April. So now that Lawrence is proving to be a game-wrecker for Cincinnati, I will begin my first victory lap. The Bengals traded the 10th overall pick in a package that got them Lawrence. On the clock at No. 10, the Giants took tackle Francis Mauigoa. The players available included safety Caleb Downs and edge Rueben Bain, among others. They’re good players. They’re not likely to be as impactful as Lawrence in 2026. And that’s what really matters to the Bengals. Because QB Joe Burrow is tired of losing. He’s thinking about the Super Bowl. This year. “You know, I’m tired of saying, ‘Next year, next year, next year.’ This is it,” Burrow told reporters. “Life is too short to keep pushing things down the road, and I’m trying to instill some urgency and some intensity in everybody to go and be great every day and try to go make it happen.” Lawrence is helping carry out that vision. The Bengals need to keep investing in that vision. Fernando Mendoza’s second preseason game left me wanting more — not always in a good way. Before we dive in, I want to rewind to his first outing against the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, Mendoza looked … solid. Nothing exceptionally good or bad. But it was a performance he needed to build on, if he was going to put additional pressure on presumed starter Kirk Cousins. Because, to be clear, Mendoza looks solid on the whole. If the Raiders wanted to play him, they could. And he’d struggle and learn on the job. But that’s not what they want. They want him to be better than Cousins before he plays. And that’s just not where Mendoza is at — yet. In the first preseason game, he put together a nice drive, which included a chunk play to Malik Benson and an anticipation throw (which seemed to demonstrate pre-snap confidence in reading the defense) in the red zone for a 6-yard touchdown to receiver Jack Bech. Those were plays where Mendoza’s timing was ideal. But there were others when he was late to throw — when he waited too long and missed his window. That made perfect sense. He has taken more than twice as many snaps under center in just these two preseason games (13) than he did in his entire season at Indiana (6). This will take time. So back to his second preseason outing. You probably know by now that he threw an interception, which the Texans returned for a touchdown. It was a rookie mistake, with Mendoza looking off a throw that he could make and turning to the wrong checkdown at the wrong moment — too late. It’s a play he needs to throw away. Mendoza, again, looked a beat late on several plays. And then there was the stuff beyond his control. He took a sack that wasn’t his fault, with pressure coming up the middle instantaneously. He took pressure much quicker than expected on a screen pass, which ruined the timing of the play, which could have gone for 50 yards — but ended up with nine. I still like Mendoza. I still think he’ll start at some point this season. And while the Raiders would love for him to show progress (which he has!), they also have made it clear they’d prefer to keep him on the bench for as long as possible. His interception was the perfect excuse to do just that. He can make these rookie mistakes in practice, where he can do them behind closed doors — and without external scrutiny. If that’s what they really want, that’s what they can now do. Eli Manning famously rejected the San Diego Chargers leading into the 2004 NFL Draft. Peyton Manning famously returned to Tennessee and college football rather than land with Bill Parcells’ Jets in 1997. Would their nephew, Texas QB Arch Manning, do something similar ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft? There are a few strong candidates to lock up the No. 1 overall pick in 2027. The Jets and Cardinals make sense. But after the Cleveland Browns named Deshaun Watson as QB1, no other team is in a better position to get the top pick. Cleveland’s quarterback situation would be considered untenable for any other organization. The Browns have a plan, which is that they’ll explore Watson (and probably QB Shedeur Sanders, too) in 2026 and likely draft their next franchise QB in the upcoming class, which is supposed to boast several elite prospects. It’s actually not that bad of a plan. Objectively, no one wants to play Watson. Sanders has yet to live up to his “LEGENDARY” brand name. But if there was any season to tank, this would be it, with a swath of outstanding QB prospects eligible for next year’s draft. Unless … well, the plan could backfire. If the Browns pick at No. 1, then it’s possible that a handful of the elite prospects won’t want to land in Cleveland. And if one guy stays in school, that could lead others to follow suit. The biggest flight risk might be the top projected prospect, Manning. He might be the highest-profile prospect since Peyton. “I’ve spent a lot of time with Archie [Manning] and [Arch’s dad] Cooper [Manning],” draft analyst Todd McShay said on the “Brandon Walker College Football Show.” “I’ve spent a lot of time in Thibodaux, Louisiana, talking to the Manning family. The 2027 draft is not — by any stretch — a guarantee that Arch is going to be in it.” Oregon Ducks QB Donte Moore, in play to be the No. 1 prospect, is only a redshirt junior. Same with South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers, who could play his way into first-overall contention. The good news is that there are others: Notre Dame’s C.J. Carr, Ohio Sate’s Julian Sayin and USC’s Jayden Maiava. The Browns should end up with a good QB if they’re picking at No. 1. But it’s worth considering whether they might repel the best of the best. If Manning stays in school, he’ll see the Jets, Cardinals and Browns draft QBs in Round 1. So that means avoiding some of the historically awful franchises for a QB. It’s a long way away. But it already makes sense. The good news for Stroud is that he entered the NFL as a serviceable quarterback. The bad news for Stroud is that, in 2026, he’s roughly as serviceable. As the Texans and Stroud begin negotiations on what the QB is worth, they are apparently not particularly close, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. And I can imagine why. Stroud is the same guy who gave Caleb Williams advice after a game, with the Texans QB speaking down to Williams, like Stroud had years of NFL experience — like he was an accomplished vet. The moment lacked self-awareness. And now Stroud probably wants to get paid like an accomplished vet. Maybe those demands, again, lack self-awareness. In all likelihood, the Texans will have to pay Stroud. But not before making him prove himself — and get that nasty taste of the team’s last playoff run out of the Texans’ mouths. 1. I think I’m worried about Titans QB Cam Ward again. Last week, I felt like I was being a little melodramatic about Ward’s calamitous first preseason outing. Because it’s only preseason, right? But yet again this week, Ward looked like one of the worst QB1s who played. Last week’s excuse was that the sample size was too small. But that sample is getting bigger and nothing has changed. I’m still worried. 2. I think this throw from Rams QB Stetson Bennett was utter nonsense. How did he do it? 3. I think a few rookie receivers are coming back down to earth. There were a few names during the early weeks of training camp who seemed to be the next Randy Moss: Chiefs receiver Cyrus Allen, Browns receiver Denzel Boston, Saints receiver Jordyn Tyson. Allen literally seemed like the second coming of Tyreek Hill — but then he was WR5 in the preseason game this weekend, going in after Tyquan Thornton and Jaylen Royals. Boston had all the hype before the team got into pads, but I’ve seen his name fade since then. And Tyson, who was a human highlight reel at Saints camp, suffered a serious hamstring injury that’s going to mean he misses some time. 4. I think a few rookie receivers are not coming back down to earth. All you fantasy folks out there, keep an eye out for receivers Ja’Kobi Lane (Ravens), De’Zhaun Stribling (49ers) and Caleb Douglas (Dolphins). I also like Allen a lot, even with this rearrangement of the depth chart. He might not be Hill 2.0, but he’s still probably going to be good. 5. I think I’m relieved Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty is OK. He went down in practice on Sunday with an ankle injury, but he appears to be OK per multiple reports. He will likely miss some of the regular season. But man, it would’ve been truly awful to see him miss the season before it began, particularly after such a disappointing rookie year behind a crappy offensive line. 6. I think Ben Johnson loves keeping Caleb Williams humble. There was a throw that made the rounds on social media from the Chicago Bears QB. Williams targeted tight end Colston Loveland on a seam route near the end zone, and the QB put the ball in a hard-to-reach spot. Who was at fault? Should Loveland have caught it? Johnson cleared up any confusion: “I probably would go somewhere else with the ball on that one.” Loveland should never have been the target. Receiver Kaden Davis was wide open underneath. This is the philosophical battle between Johnson and Williams: Take the killshot or take the easy ones.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Every injury at this time of year carries extra weight, especially for the playoff contenders trying to get their rosters right for the stretch run. So when Dodgers All-Star outfielder Andy Pages fractures his hand on a pitch, Yankees starters Max Fried and Ryan Weathers both go down to injury, Padres starter Casey Mize leaves his start early with an ankle sprain and Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte deals with … well, whatever it is that he’s dealing with, it’s worth paying extra attention. In this week’s rankings, we spotlight the latest injury updates for every team. The absences of All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman (left shoulder strain) and third baseman Kyle Karros (concussion symptoms) have taken some life out of the lineup. A back end of the bullpen featuring Samy Natera Jr. and Ben Joyce was starting to intrigue until Natera, who has 42 strikeouts in 27 innings this year, went to the IL with back spasms. Now the offense has taken a hit, too, with left fielder Wade Meckler (concussion) and first baseman Nolan Schanuel (intercostal strain) out. Losing Matt Chapman and Casey Schmitt for the year and trading away Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos has taken a lot of the production out of the order. It will be interesting to see if Marcelo Mayer, the 23-year-old infielder acquired from Boston at the deadline, can put things together with a change of scenery, but he has to play for the Giants due to a right foot bone bruise. It’s hard to expect much here with Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rookier and Tyler Soderstrom all injured (among many others). Maikel Garcia returned after missing nearly two months with a hand injury, recorded hits in each of his first four games back, then promptly went back on the IL with a hamstring strain. It’s just not going to be the follow-up campaign many were hoping to see from the 2025 All-Star and World Baseball Classic MVP. The Royals are playing much better, though, and a healthy Vinnie Pasquantino is making a difference. Losing Hunter Greene for the rest of this year (and next) is a brutal blow both for the Reds and for Greene, who had his second Tommy John surgery. Remember when the Nationals were two games over .500 on July 28? Well, they’re 6-18 since then. That’s what happens when the lineup is missing All-Star outfielder James Wood — and now All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. The Mets are still missing a ton of pieces, but don’t tell them that. They’ve been playing much better baseball lately despite being without Juan Soto (calf strain), Devin Williams (shoulder strain) and Mark Vientos (fractured hand). Jorge Polanco’s injury-riddled disaster of a first year in Queens is also officially over after season-ending ankle surgery. If you’re wondering how this year in Seattle is going, Brendan Donovan was just scratched from a game after getting hit in the head by a pitch in the batting cage, and the Mariners have lost Bryce Miller’s past two starts by scores of 22-0 and 19-2. Whatever hope the Tigers have of sneaking into the playoffs after selling at the deadline, it’s getting slimmer by the day. They’ve lost eight of their past nine games, and it doesn’t help that the offense is without Riley Greene (hamstring strain) and Kerry Carpenter (plantar fasciitis), Byron Buxton is back, but he hasn’t looked like himself since returning from his hip issue. It’s hard to envision the Twins contending for a final playoff spot if they don’t get All-Star right-hander Joe Ryan back soon from a glute strain. Shortstop Oneil Cruz’s return is a welcomed sight, but the Pirates’ offense still looks rather lifeless. Losing Ryan O’Hearn to injury last month really hurt. They haven’t had a winning month since May, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change in August after getting swept at Dodger Stadium over the weekend. Maybe rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin’s expected return from a finger injury in July can provide a late-season spark. Slugger Samuel Basallo is back for an Orioles lineup that could use the extra thump. It will be interesting to see what Felix Bautista, who began a rehab assignment, can provide for the bullpen down the stretch as he works his way back from shoulder surgery. The Astros did nothing to address their rotation at the deadline, a decision they might already regret. Their starters rank 28th in ERA since the start of July, and Houston got outscored 23-7 by the Angels last week before dropping a series to the A’s. That kind of week should probably be automatic grounds for removal from a division race, but this is the AL West we’re talking about. One team will win it despite its best efforts. Keep an eye on starter Mike Burrows, who has looked better on his rehab assignment. (See above.) The Rangers have been basically a .500 team all year … which might be enough to win the division. We’ll see what deadline addition Logan O’Hoppe can provide after his call-up, but the offense could really use the return of third baseman Josh Jung, who’s still out after straining his calf a month ago. Infielders Andres Gimenez and Josh Smith are both dealing with hamstring issues. More importantly, though, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has returned from his concussion. Can he find his power stroke in time to save the Blue Jays’ season? Losing both Hunter Dobbins and Andre Pallante to arm injuries will be tough for the rotation to withstand. Meanwhile, shortstop Masyn Winn (sore thumb) didn’t start any games this weekend as the Cardinals were swept by the Phillies. The Guardians did what they had to do last week against the Giants and Rockies, and it might be a sign of things to come with a cakewalk of a schedule to end the year. It helps that the roster is relatively healthy, and most of the injured guys (Rhys Hoskins, Slade Cecconi, Shawn Armstrong) should be back at some point down the stretch. The Marlins have compiled the lowest rotation ERA in the National League this month despite being without All-Star Max Meyer (neck strain). It’s still unclear when he might return, but they should be getting outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring strain) and reliever Anthony Bender (shin stress reaction) back soon. We still have more questions than answers after Ketel Marte no-showed for a game Monday, was placed on the restricted list, then was shifted to the injured list with knee inflammation. The situation took its latest bizarre turn Friday when Marte was spotted at a casino during Arizona’s game. Not great while your team is fighting for a playoff spot. Meanwhile, Michael Soroka is back on the IL as the D-backs await the potential returns of injured pitchers Corbin Burnes, Ryne Nelson and Zac Gallen in some capacity before season’s end. Chicago’s starters have the worst ERA of any rotation in the American League this month. The White Sox really need Davis Martin to find his early season form when he returns from a blister issue. He was 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 first-half starts and is 0-2 with an 8.03 ERA in six starts since the break. Meanwhile, Kyle Teel is getting close to a rehab appearance, which should be helpful for a Sox team that has gotten little production from their catchers all year. The offense is about to get some reinforcements. All eyes are on Roman Anthony as he gets closer to his return, which could happen as soon as this week. Infielders Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are also closing in on a return. The Phillies are the hottest team in baseball, riding a nine-game winning streak. The offense is finding its groove — as are depth starters Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter — which made this weekend a bit concerning when Luis Arraez and Derek Hill both departed Saturday’s game early. Then Bryson Stott did the same on Sunday after fouling a ball off his foot. X-rays were negative on Stott, and Arraez felt good enough to replace him in the game. Max Fried is back on the injured list with a recurrence of his elbow bone bruise, Ryan Weathers is now sidelined with a forearm strain, and Giancarlo Stanton is in danger of missing the rest of the season. On the bright side, Cody Bellinger is back, and Aaron Judge is at least swinging a bat again. The Yankees need all the offense they can get right now, but the pitching is still performing despite the absences. Deadline addition Casey Mize left his latest start with an ankle sprain. It might seem like the Padres’ rotation is in a tough place until Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove can return, but the starters in place have done their part to keep the vibes strong and the arrow pointing up in San Diego. Reynaldo Lopez has started a rehab assignment as he works his way back from knee inflammation, but it remains to be seen when, if or in what role Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow surgery), Spencer Strider (elbow inflammation) and Hurston Waldrep (arm discomfort) will be able to contribute this year. The depth pieces in the rotation have picked up the slack in the meantime, but the offense has gone cold. If all goes well, injured pitchers Ben Brown, Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, Hoby Milner and Shelby Miller could all be back helping the staff sometime before season’s end. Meanwhile, utility man Matt Shaw is on a rehab assignment, an important development considering shortstop Dansby Swanson is sidelined with an oblique injury. The Orioles seem to have the Rays’ number, taking series against them both on the road and at home over the past couple of weeks. Griffin Jax (elbow discomfort) and Cole Sulser (back spasms) are both on rehab assignments, so pitching reinforcements should be due back soon in Tampa Bay. The Dodgers have started to right the ship after a couple of lackluster months, and now their rotation is getting close to full strength with Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani set to return to the mound as soon as this coming week. The outfield, meanwhile, took a big hit with Andy Pages’ hand injury, but catcher Will Smith could be back to assist the lineup by the first week of September. The impending return of right fielder Sal Frelick should provide an extra jolt of energy, but the health of star second baseman Brice Turang is something to watch as he manages his knee pain the rest of the way. He hasn’t hit a home run this month, and the Brewers are going to need him as a presence in the lineup.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Nothing is more important in the NFL than the quarterback. But even the best quarterbacks need the right help. That’s why the best and smartest teams in the NFL understand that they have to surround their quarterbacks with as many quality skill players as they can — reliable receivers who can turn any throw into a big gain, big tight ends who can make the tough catches in traffic, and explosive running backs who can keep the ball moving on the ground. So, which NFL teams have the best skill players this season? We ranked all 32 groups across the league. De’Von Achane is one of the best, fastest and most dangerous running backs in the NFL. Dolphins fans might want to stop reading right there, though, because even though new coach Jeff Hafley refuses to admit this team is rebuilding, one look at the skill position group (or lack thereof) shows the truth. After trading away Jaylen Waddle, their best receiver might be … Tutu Atwell? Jalen Tolbert? Take your pick between those two. Malik Washington could be a good third receiver, but might be forced into a larger role. Miami did draft two receivers in the third round — Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas — so maybe they can do something. TE Greg Dulcich produced a 26-335-1 stat line over 10 games last season, so maybe he can give the Dolphins average production. But if they want to win any games this season, they better put the ball in Achane’s hands … a lot. It’s easy to see why the Raiders don’t want to throw rookie QB Fernando Mendoza in right away, because they haven’t exactly surrounded him with a stellar cast. TE Brock Bowers is really good, assuming he’s over the knee issues that cost him five games last season. But other than that? RB Ashton Jeanty has loads of potential, but he was also a pretty huge disappointment as a rookie and now might be dealing with an ankle injury to begin the season. And the receiving corps is a huge problem. Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech are the top three options, but they’d all be No. 3 receivers with almost any other team. Right now, Bowers is the centerpiece — and really the only piece — of whatever new coach Klint Kubiak is trying to do there. For a growing team that’s a few years away from contending, they’re in a good spot. They have loaded up on young, talented and promising skill players. They got a small look at a better future last season with the emergence of RB Quinshon Judkins and TE Harold Fannin. And they have since added first-round WR KC Concepcion and second-round WR Denzel Boston. Add in enigmatic veteran wideout Jerry Jeudy and there’s a lot of talent — albeit mostly raw — for whomever is behind center. But the Browns’ plan is really more about the future because all of these players — except for Jeudy — are short on production but long on potential. That’s better for winning games down the line than right now. Nico Collins is a No. 1 receiver. But beyond that, the Texans are short on promise. They used Day 2 picks on Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in 2025, with the former being their initial hope to take a big leap this season, but he’s now out for the year with a torn ACL. That leaves Noel, who needs to somehow become a viable No. 2, since there’s no way to know if WR Tank Dell has anything to offer after missing all of last season with a devastating knee injury. The Texans do have a good, solid tight end in Dalton Schultz. And the trade for running back David Montgomery gives them a potentially decent backfield between him and Woody Marks. But it still looks like an offense that will lean heavily on Collins, which means it’s a team that will have to be led by its defense again. Carolina struck gold with Tetairoa McMillan, the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Beyond him, there is at least some hope for more. WR Xavier Legette was disappointing as a rookie, but he was their 2024 first-round pick. And WR Jalen Coker had a late-season surge last year.  But the Panthers are lacking at tight end, and while they do have the underrated Chuba Hubbard at running back, they lost their leading rusher (Rico Dowdle) in free agency. Maybe Jonathan Brooks, their 2024 second-round pick, will finally emerge. Beyond T-Mac, this is a skill group that has a ton of growing to do. If Garrett Wilson were almost anywhere else, he’d probably be considered one of the 10 best wide receivers in the league. And running back Breece Hall is a good player who can be one of the most explosive backs in the league when he gets in the open field. If this list graded only the top two skill players, the Jets would be much higher. But even the Jets have no idea what else they have. They have big hopes for two first-round picks — WR Omar Cooper and TE Kenyon Sadiq — to add some juice to their offense. They also have what Wilson called a “ticking time bomb” in WR Adonai Mitchell, a former second-round pick with the Colts whom the Jets acquired in a trade last year. But right now, all the excitement is about hopes and potential only. And the Jets have a long history of that not amounting to much. Their skill group looked barren until early August when they signed 32-year-old WR Stefon Diggs. He may not be what he once was, but he was still a pretty good No. 1 receiver for the Patriots last season. And the Commanders sure could use that kind of help, because the only other dangerous weapon they have is the underrated Terry McLaurin, who is coming off an injury-filled season and is about to turn 31. Beyond him, there is only speculation. WRs Luke McCaffrey and Treylon Burks have been huge disappointments. The Commanders think they found a gem in TE Chig Okonkowo, but he has big shoes to fill left by Zach Ertz. Washington liked Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but he’s a part-time back who’ll be splitting carries with newcomer Rachaad White, another part-time back. And good luck identifying the No. 3 WR on this team. The Commanders desperately need Diggs and McLaurin to defy Father Time. QB Cam Ward had nothing to work with as a rookie, and the Titans did a good job of trying to fix that in the offseason. Their big move was drafting WR Carnell Tate, who could be the next in a long line of Ohio State wideouts to star in the NFL. They also added WR Wan’Dale Robinson, a 5-8 dynamo coming off his best season (and a weapon that new OC Brian Daboll knows how to use). If veteran WR Calvin Ridley is healthy, Ward won’t have any excuses. They also have a solid, if unspectacular, RB duo in Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. This crew isn’t enough to win games for the Titans, but it should keep the chains moving. This is a group that underachieved last season behind a crumbling offensive line that has the potential for a huge turnaround under new OC Mike McDaniel. It will be led by WR Ladd McConkey, who finished strong after a slow start last year, and RB Omarion Hampton, if he can shake off an injury-filled rookie season. Leading wideout Keenan Allen is gone, though, which means McDaniel needs to finally be the one to get more out of 2023 first-round receiver Quentin Johnston. There are other intriguing pieces, such as TE Oronde Gadsden and second-year WR Tre Harris. But McDaniel will have to get the top pieces going in the right direction first. If the Giants are sure that both WR Malik Nabers and RB Cam Skattebo will be ready for the start of the season, this group could be ranked higher. But Nabers is still in the process of returning from a torn ACL and Skattebo is dealing with an ankle injury, so while the early reports are encouraging, the longer-term prospects are at least a little murky. Nabers is the real key because he’s far and away the Giants’ most dangerous weapon. They’ll piece together the rest of the receiving corps with Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin and rookie Malachi Fields, and maybe what’s left of Odell Beckham Jr. New York is also hoping for a leap from TE Isaiah Likely, a John Harbaugh transport from Baltimore who often thrived in limited action behind Mark Andrews. Liam Coen is so good at running an offense that it’s almost a given that the Jaguars will be more than the sum of their parts. Still, those parts have some work to do. WR Brian Thomas had a terrible season to follow up on his stellar rookie campaign. WR Parker Washington was good in his place, but miscast as a No. 1. Jacksonville did get strong production from WR Jakobi Meyers after a midseason trade, but it remains to be seen if he can sustain that. The real question, though, is at RB where the Jags let Travis Etienne walk after an 1,100-yard season. Coen has a lot of faith in Bhayshul Tuten and newcomer Chris Rodriguez, who has a history with Coen from their time together at the University of Kentucky. Coen thinks he has the pieces for an offensive juggernaut. But that might depend on how well Thomas rebounds. James Cook is a phenomenal RB and one of the best ground weapons in football. So that’s great. But nothing else about Josh Allen’s weapons comes close to matching that level. As always, his WR group is lacking. The Bills brought in DJ Moore, who is 29 and in decline. Beyond him, their best hope is Khalil Shakir, who is a decent No. 2 receiver. Buffalo does have a nice TE duo in Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, who combined for decent numbers last season (75-988-9). But it remains one of the NFL’s great mysteries why the club has ignored saddling its MVP-caliber QB with a better No. 1 receiver since trading Stefon Diggs after the 2023 season. Without that elite go-to guy, this team’s firepower is all about Allen and Cook. Maybe that’s enough. But the Bills sure could have made their lives easier. WR Emeka Egbuka looked to be a lock for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award before a late-season fade cost him the vote. It didn’t help that injuries to most of the rest of the offense put too much of a burden on his young shoulders. The Bucs have high hopes that he’ll be back on track quickly this season, though it’s a little concerning that he already has a toe injury and coach Todd Bowles’ has cast doubt on his availability for Week 1. Egbuka’s health is obviously important, but he also could use a healthier group around him. The Bucs have a good group of skill players with WRs Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, and RB Bucky Irving could again be a good lead back (with new addition Kenneth Gainwell as his handcuff). But none of them were healthy last season. They all still have to prove that they’re fully back. The outlook for the Saints looked a lot rosier before the news that rookie Jordyn Tyson, who some scouts thought was the most explosive WR in the NFL draft, could be out until October with a hamstring injury — something he frequently dealt with in college, too. That’s a significant blow to a young, improving team that coach Kellen Moore is building around young QB Tyler Shough. The second-year starter does still have a true No. 1 WR in Chris Olave. He also already has a vastly underrated tight end in Juwan Johnson. And newly signed RB Travis Etienne, who ran for 1,000 yards in three of his first four NFL seasons, gives the Saints a reason to move on from aging and injured Alvin Kamara. It’s still a promising group, but it sure would look better with Tyson. Without him, New Orleans will be hoping Devaughn Vele, a fourth receiver at best, can step into a much bigger role. The trade for WR Jaylen Waddle provided a huge boost to a really good team that was remarkably lacking in reliable weapons. With Waddle and Courtland Sutton, the Broncos have the potential for a really good top two at the WR position, and Tony Franklin could be one of the best third receivers in the league. The problem is things thin out after that. J.K. Dobbins is a good RB when healthy, but he’s never healthy. RB R.J. Harvey scored 12 touchdowns but averaged just 3.7 yards per carry as he struggled in situations as a lead back. Denver got nothing out of the TE position, where Evan Engram is in an obvious decline. If the RBs stay healthy and improve, the Broncos will have more than enough weapons for a Super Bowl run. But that might be a big “if.” Their big hope for a dangerous skill group is that Rashee Rice stays out of trouble and stays healthy, in which case he could become an elite WR. Xavier Worthy has the speed to be dangerous, too, though he’s been underwhelming as a pro. Last year, in fact, TE Travis Kelce was still Kansas City’s most dangerous weapon, despite being 36 and in obvious decline. He’s still useful, but a far cry from what he once was. The big boost for the Chiefs, though, should come on the ground after signing Kenneth Walker III in free agency, giving Andy Reid the kind of workhorse back that his aging core probably needs. Since QB Lamar Jackson doesn’t count as a skill player, this is really a two-man group. And it’s led by 32-year-old Derrick Henry, who remains one of the toughest, best and most durable RBs in the league. Eventually, he’ll start to decline, but that hasn’t happened yet. The Ravens also have a dangerous No. 1 WR in Zay Flowers. But beyond that? Not much. TE Mark Andrews is getting old and coming off his worst season. He also lost his sidekick in Isaiah Likely, who departed for the Giants. And former first-round pick Rashod Bateman is a study in unrealized potential. Baltimore has waited five years for him to develop into more than a decent third receiver being forced to play the No. 2 spot. They have surrounded 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers with some intriguing pieces for his theoretical NFL swan song. DK Metcalf hasn’t played like an elite receiver in recent years, but he’s still dangerous and capable of big plays. Adding Michael Pittman and drafting Germie Bernard in the second round gives the Steelers depth they didn’t have last year. And they have decent TEs in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, whom they should find a way to use more. Their most interesting new piece, though, is RB Rico Dowdle, a Mike McCarthy favorite from his days in Dallas. Pittsburgh didn’t have much of a running game last year, but there’s potential with a Dowdle-Jaylen Warren tandem. There were times last season when the Seahawks offense was a two-man show, with WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba and RB Kenneth Walker III. JSN is still there, and he’s good enough on his own. But Walker left and backup Zach Charbonnet is recovering from a torn ACL. That could put a lot of pressure on first-round pick Jadarian Price, who was a backup himself at Notre Dame. Settle’s other WRs are the aging, declining Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed, who is better as a kick returner. And A.J. Barner is a very low-impact TE. That likely means that JSN is often going to be a one-man show for the defending champs, especially early in the season. Justin Jefferson is coming off his worst season as a pro, and he still put up pretty good numbers despite some terrible QB play. That shows you he remains in the running as the best WR in the league once the Vikings’ QB situation gets sorted out. And he’s flanked by Jordan Addison and newcomer Jauan Jennings, which means double-teaming JJ isn’t necessarily an easy choice. TE T.J. Hockenson hasn’t been the same since his 2023 knee injury, but better QB play could also help him return to form. The real issue with this team is RB, though. Aaron Jones is 31 and injury prone and Jordan Mason is one-dimensional. Together, they form little more than one average back. There is potential for greatness in this group, but that’s always the case and it’s often unrealized. No doubt, Josh Jacobs is one of the toughest backs in the league, when healthy. Tucker Kraft was one of the NFL’s best tight ends before tearing his ACL last season. The Packers also have a potential No. 1 WR in Christian Watson, when he’s healthy, and former first-round pick Matthew Golden. And Jayden Reed could be a strong No. 2 or 3 if he’s over his foot injury. All of them have injury concerns, not to mention unfulfilled potential. So the ranking is probably lower than they’d like, but the ceiling is definitely high. This group of skill players is top-heavy, but it’s a pretty impressive top. It’s hard to find a better RB than Jonathan Taylor. TE Tyler Warren was one of the NFL’s best rookies last year. And WR Alec Pierce is one of the most dangerous deep threats in the league. The problem is he’s Indy’s No. 1 receiver now, and it’s unclear if he can carry that load. He’s got a strong No. 2 in Josh Downs, but the Colts don’t go deeper than that. They were better before they traded away WR Michael Pittman. Still, the trio of Taylor, Warren and Pierce is a pretty good place to start. If the Cards can ever find a quarterback, their path to respectability might be pretty short, because that QB will be surrounded by an array of talented weapons. WR Marvin Harrison may be an underachiever so far, but he’s only 23 and was the No. 4 overall pick just two years ago. Michael Wilson has put up good numbers for a No. 1 WR while waiting for Harrison to develop. And Trey McBride is the best and most productive receiving TE in the league. Now Arizona boasts a RB room with a potential star in rookie Jeremiyah Love, former starter James Conner and solid backup Tyler Allgeier. That’s a lot, if only the quarterback position wasn’t such a black hole. It feels like this was years in the making, but the Falcons finally saw their Big 3 come together last season. Bijan Robinson continued to show he’s the best RB in football. WR Drake London was on his way to a second straight elite season before missing four games with a knee injury. And Kyle Pitts, in his fifth season, finally had his breakout year at TE. The Falocons are pretty thin beyond those three, though. Their next two WRs are Olamide Zaccheaus and Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson is the backup running back. That leading trio is so strong, though, that it can carry Atlanta a long way in the NFL’s weakest division. There are age and injury issues, to be sure, but let’s start with this: The 49ers will line up three skill position players headed toward the Hall of Fame: RB Christian McCaffrey, TE George Kittle and WR Mike Evans. And that’s before you get to another trio of wideout additions: second-round pick De’Zhaun Stribling, free-agent signee Christian Kirk and the returning Deebo Samuel. On talent alone, the Niners deserve a higher spot in these rankings. But the age and injury concerns are real. Evans is already nursing a quad injury, Kirk is already nursing a calf injury, and WR Ricky Pearsall, a former first-round pick who missed half of last season with a knee injury, is already lost for this season. The depth is there, but only if they can keep it. Not many teams can trade away a No. 1 receiver (A.J. Brown) and still have one on the roster (DeVonta Smith), but that’s exactly why the Eagles felt comfortable making that trade. They also added Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown this offseason and drafted Makai Lemon in the first round to make sure the position was still a strength. Of course, they’ve got lots of strength beyond that. Saquon Barkley is coming off a down year, but he remains one of the NFL’s best and most elusive running backs. And when Dallas Goedert is healthy, he’s a dangerous and reliable tight end that gives Jalen Hurts one of the best underneath options in the league. This group was better and deeper with Brown, to be sure. But it’s still fantastic without him. It takes a little speculation to rank the Bears this high. But with coach Ben Johnson directing things, every player here has a chance to be explosive. The way Luther Burden III played down the stretch last year, the Bears may have two No. 1s with him and Rome Odunze. Colston Loveland was one of the NFL’s most dangerous tight ends from November on. And the power duo at running back of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai gave Chicago one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks last season. Those are five near-elite weapons — or players st least capable of playing at an elite level. That’s more than enough to give defensive coordinators nightmares all season long. Let’s face it: If the Patriots had this group of skill position players last season, they might be the reigning Super Bowl champs right now. But they saw what was missing around their near-MVP QB, so they went out and added an elite No. 1 receiver in A.J. Brown and a pretty good No. 2 in Romeo Doubs. They already had an outstanding running back duo in TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, and a reliable tight end in Hunter Henry. The Pats even have good No. 3 receivers (Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte) who should be productive in a reduced role this year. QB Drake Maye couldn’t ask for much more as he chases the MVP award and Super Bowl championship that he narrowly missed last year. Their 1-2-3 can match up with anyone in the NFL. Ja’Marr Chase is the NFL’s most talented receiver. And, with QB Joe Burrow healthy, Tee Higgins is going to put up No. 1 receiver numbers, too. Chase Brown has also proven to be one of the best all-purpose backs in the league over the past two seasons. That’s a Big 3 that few teams can match. It’s after that where things drop off a bit. The Bengals are OK with Andrei Iosivas as their third receiver, but tight end is a wasteland (Drew Sample, Mike Gesicki). Chase, Higgins and Brown are so good, though, that it may not really matter what other weapons the Bengals have. Dallas had one of the best offenses in the NFL last season, and it went way beyond QB Dak Prescott. He’s got two of the best, most explosive receivers in the NFL (CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens) — maybe the best duo outside of Cincinnati and the L.A. Rams. He also has an impressive array of No. 3 receivers that have been pretty productive, led by Ryan Flournoy and Kavontae Turpin. And while TE Jake Ferguson isn’t explosive, he’s proven to be remarkably reliable. Javonte Williams even finally gave the Cowboys the running game they’ve needed the past few years, proving he can handle an increased workload. So all the pieces are in place. There are no excuses for this team to not be an offensive juggernaut again. Amon-Ra St. Brown might be the most unheralded elite receiver in the league. Few can match his numbers the past four years. And Jameson Williams (17.2 yards per catch) is one of the best deep threats in the league. The Lions also long had the best 1-2 RB punch, and there shouldn’t be much of a drop-off now as Isiah Pacheco replaces David Montgomery as Jahmyr Gibbs’ sidekick. Detroit could easily be No. 1 on this list if TE Sam LaPorta bounces back with a healthy season and if third receiver Isaac TeSlaa builds off his strong finish to last year. Those are two “ifs” worth watching this summer. But even if everything doesn’t work out perfectly, this offense should still be explosive. Puka Nacua has been as productive as any receiver in football the past three years, when he’s been healthy. And while Davante Adams is 33 and not what he used to be, he’s still dangerous and became a touchdown machine down the stretch last season. The Rams are also backed by the 1-2 punch of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, which last season accounted for almost 2,000 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. Things thin out a little behind them, especially at receiver. But L.A. is deceptively good at tight end, where the trio of Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen combined for 92-897-14 last season — elite numbers for that spot. If 38-year-old QB Matthew Stafford is healthy, he has everything he needs for one last Super Bowl run.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

We’re finally entering the last week of the preseason, which means the regular season is right around the corner. Sunday only brought us one preseason matchup, with the Tennessee Titans taking down the Seattle Seahawks. But there was also a bit of good and bad injury news on Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers got a couple of key stars back, while the Las Vegas Raiders might be without one of their promising young players to open the year. But the biggest news of the weekend might have come on Saturday, when Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson called out the team’s fans after getting booed for his outing against the Buffalo Bills. As you begin your week, here are some of the things you need to know about what happened around the NFL this weekend. Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty left Sunday’s practice with an ankle injury after colliding with cornerback Darien Porter while diving for a catch. However, the injury might not be as serious as initially expected. Jeanty is believed to have a high ankle sprain, according to ESPN. Jeanty remained on the ground before being helped off the field without placing weight on his right leg. Head coach Klint Kubiak planned to feature Jeanty as a focal point of the offense alongside tight end Brock Bowers. If Jeanty is forced to miss time, fourth-round rookie Mike Washington Jr. is listed second on the depth chart and would take over primary backfield duties. Jeanty recorded 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his 2025 rookie season. The Raiders open their regular season at home against the Miami Dolphins. The San Francisco 49ers activated tight end George Kittle from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Sunday. Kittle took individual reps in full pads for his first practice session since suffering a torn right Achilles in January. Running back Christian McCaffrey also returned to practice after sitting out sessions since August 10 due to tightness, participating in individual drills and team period work. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak spoke about the impact of having both players back on the field. “It definitely just gives us energy,” Kubiak said. “It just changes things. You have two Hall of Fame-caliber players out there who are back out there and getting their work in, and they practice at a high standard, and they lift everybody up. It’s good to see them back out there.” Kittle expressed hope regarding his potential availability for the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams while acknowledging the full length of the schedule. “I want to play in every football game that I possibly can play in but I’m also aware it’s an 18-week season,” Kittle said. “If you miss Week 1 and you’re playing Week 2, hey, it is what it is. I’m just going to keep that as my goal and then we’ll adjust from there if we need to.” McCaffrey addressed his recent practice absence, explaining that the time off was part of a planned workload management strategy leading up to September. “Obviously when you don’t practice, the way the media works now it’s a firestorm,” McCaffrey said. “But this was kind of part of the plan from the jump was to ramp up pretty big, get nine, 10 practices in, kind of come back down and then ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration. Our staff’s done a great job of coming up with specific plans. And again, I feel great. I feel fresh, and it’s good to be back out there.” Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson addressed fan reaction after receiving boos during Saturday’s 31-7 preseason loss to Buffalo. Watson completed 5 of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception in his first home action since his 2024 Achilles injury. Watson called the crowd reaction personal. “I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little bit more personal than that.” Watson recalled the crowd’s reaction when he suffered his Achilles injury in 2024 when evaluating his relationship with local fans. “Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles. And that same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt,” Watson said. “So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city, and they cheer?” Our Greg Auman argues Cleveland should cut Watson, citing his bellow .500 winning percentage as the Browns starter, performance struggles, and fractured relationship with the fanbase, despite significant salary cap penalties. Asked if he held any regrets regarding his time with Cleveland, Watson doubled down. “I don’t regret anything in my life,” Watson said. Addressing the crowd atmosphere for the upcoming schedule, Watson noted that “maybe it’s 17 away games” in terms of environment. Auman wrote that Cleveland should move on and cut Watson despite the financial impact, which includes $127 million in dead money against the salary cap over two seasons. Head coach Todd Monken told reporters he hopes to name a starting quarterback Monday, potentially bringing an end to competition between Watson and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders ahead of Week 1. Cam Ward put up a respectable stat line for the Titans in their victory over the Seahawks on Sunday night, even if he only led Tennessee to three points. He completed 8 of 12 passes for 69 yards over three drives, setting his team up for a 55-yard field over his outing. But the Seahawks’ offensive backups had a pretty strong night. Backup quarterback Drew Lock completed 12 of 14 passes for 102 yards, including a 36-yard touchdown to tight end Elijah Arroyo, as he got the start on Sunday. Running back Jacardia Wright added a 69-yard rushing touchdown, helping Seattle take an early 16-3 lead. Seahawks rookie safety Bud Clark left Saturday’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter after suffering a lower leg injury on the Titans’ opening offensive series. Clark was carted off the field with what appeared to be an air cast applied to his leg following the play. The second-round rookie was expected to provide depth in Seattle’s secondary during his rookie season. Head coach Mike Macdonald previously told reporters about Clark’s development and workload during training camp. “Bud’s one of those rookies that we’re asking a lot of him right now, and I’m impressed with how he’s handling it,” Macdonald said. “It’s not perfect, but how he goes about his business is what we’re looking for.” With Clark facing a potentially extended absence, Seattle will look to backup safeties AJ Finley and D’Anthony Bell to step into increased depth roles. On offense, rookie first-round running back Jadarian Price has positioned himself as the clear primary back following Kenneth Walker’s free-agent departure and Zach Charbonnet’s ongoing recovery from a torn ACL suffered late last season. Seattle has decided to sit Price for the remaining preseason games to protect his health. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Joe Milton made a strong push for the backup job behind Dak Prescott during Saturday’s preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals. Milton started the contest, completing 9 of 13 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown before giving way to Sam Howell. “I was able to go out there and showcase what I got, what we’ve been working hard towards this whole camp, so it was great,” Milton said. Milton, who joined Dallas in 2025, stated he feels a “major difference” in his comfort level with the offense compared to a year ago as he finds himself in a competition with Sam Howell for the Cowboys backup position. “That’s out of my control,” Milton said about the final decision. “The only thing I’m able to do is go out there and call the play, and just make sure the offense is moving. Whatever they decide, they decide.” The Cowboys will evaluate both quarterbacks through the remainder of training camp before determining their Week 1 depth chart.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Washington — Kyle Kirkwood won on another street course, continuing to earn his moniker as “king of the streets.” And while that is a nice title to have, it kind of irks Kirkwood. The Andretti Global driver wants to be known for more than just strength on street courses. But Sunday sixth time on a street course, as he captured the victory in the inaugural race on the streets of Washington. It was his second street victory of the season to go along with the inaugural race at Arlington. “It’s a great thing I won here today, but it’s a bad thing for that title that I have that I’ve been trying to kick,” Kirkwood told me with a laugh after his victory. “It’s the only negative I can take away from today.” To win a championship, Kirkwood will have to do more than win on streets. He’ll have to win on ovals (as he did last year at Gateway for his only non-street course victory) and on road courses. Three races remain in the 2026 season — a doubleheader next weekend at Milwaukee and then the season finale at Laguna Seca. “I think I have to win at Milwaukee and a win at Laguna so I can say I have another win at an oval and a road-course win,” Kirkwood said. “I have a lot of top fives on road courses, but that elusive win has not come to me.” The 27-year-old Kirkwood is establishing himself as a perennial championship contender. He was seventh in the standings in 2024, fourth in the standings last year and sits second in the current standings. However, he is still a somewhat distant 91 points behind Alex Palou. “Every year we elevate our game. I elevate my game, the team elevates their game,” Kirkwood said. “From seventh to fourth to now, I’m running second. If we can hold off that, that’s once again [cutting it in] half again and the next step is to win.” Andretti Global has won the last two races and appears to be surging. “We’re going to be really good at Milwaukee,” Kirkwood said. “I think we’re going to be really good at Milwaukee. We had a phenomenal test there. … We’d like to be thought about as one of the big teams. It’s no longer the “Big Two” [of Ganassi and Penske]. It might be the Big Three with the amount of wins that we’ve had this year.” But if he (and the team) don’t win in the final three races, he might not feel that way. The strong vibes can be fleeting and even though there is a long offseason, Kirkwood feels how he finishes 2026 will impact 2027. “Momentum is a real thing,” Kirkwood said. “Even when you’re out of the car. You want to come off the season as strong as possible to carry that momentum. Because last year, I had a phenomenal first part of the year, but the second part of the year wasn’t that strong. “That momentum kind of hurts you if you don’t have great momentum going into the offseason with yourself, your work ethic, the team’s work ethic. When you’re determined, you tend to do things a lot better. It will be good to come out of the season with a very solid finish.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Washington — Kyle Kirkwood, who has been the best U.S.-born driver in INDYCAR the last two seasons, made him a popular winner of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix — an event designed to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary season. The Andretti Global driver led 128 of the 147 laps of a race where President Donald Trump waved the green flag and the drivers competed on a 1.7-mile circuit that included Pennsylvania Avenue as well as Constitution and Independence within view of many iconic U.S. landmarks. “America is built on many different nations,” Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood told me Sunday night. “In many ways, I don’t believe that today had to be won by an American. It just so happened that we were the best car out there today and we did everything right and were the winners. “In many ways I’m glad because I think that there’s a lot of people that are here as fans or watching on TV that wanted to see an American win. I’m glad I could give them that satisfaction, but it’s not easy to win any INDYCAR race, and the fact I was able to do it today as an American is a massive deal.” Here are my takeaways: 1. The Race Delivered With no huge issues with the track and no security breaches, the event went off without a major hitch. That was a major accomplishment for a race that was put together in late January when a Trump executive order gave INDYCAR the access to fast-track permits it needed. Trump stayed for the entire event and several members of his cabinet and other legislators were in attendance. Organizers said that 215,000 fans came to the grounds during the two days, many on free tickets. The president took a photo with past INDYCAR champions and Indianapolis 500 winners. “For me, being from a small town in Australia, to end up standing and talking to an American president is surreal,” Will Power said in his post-race news conference. “It’s something I never would have dreamed of. “It was just incredible to stand there, talk to the president and the First Lady, then jump in a race car and race in Washington, D.C.” 2. Andretti 1-3-4 Andretti Global didn’t just snag the victory, it also had Will Power finishing third and Marcus Ericsson finishing fourth. Only Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard, who placed second, broke up the Andretti Global party. “The team has made huge progression over this season, and you can see it now,” Power said in his post-race news conference. “It’s all coming online. I think the expectation now every weekend is to be on the podium — challenge for a win.” 3. McLaughlin Goes For It … And Wrecks Scott McLaughlin tried to make the pass on Kirkwood on a restart for the lead with 19 laps remaining. It ended with McLaughlin with a wrecked race car. “It was hard to pass all day,” McLaughlin told me after the accident. “I saw an opportunity. He braked really early, and obviously it was the right move from him to brake that early. But I thought that was my chance to make a move. “I just locked the rears late, and once I locked the rears, I was toast. That was my opportunity. I went for it. And I don’t regret it.” 4. Bad Day For Palou Four-time INDYCAR champion Alex Palou finished three laps down in 20th, seeing his championship lead go from 133 ahead of Kirkwood to 91. That is still a big lead with three races left in the season, and Palou very well could clinch next weekend at the doubleheader at The Milwaukee Mile. As he was exiting the pits, Palou hit a tire that was being set to be put on Mick Schumacher’s car, resulting in a pass-through penalty. And then he bent a toe link when he tapped the wall, a toe link that eventually broke and he ended up in the wall. “It was one of those days where I did a couple of mistakes,” Palou told me and another reporter after the race. “We had a bad stop. We had everything happening to us today. “I prefer this than having it spread out in different races.” 4 ½. What’s Next: The Milwaukee Mile INDYCAR will have a doubleheader weekend at The Milwaukee Mile, where it will race both Saturday and Sunday. Both races will be 250 laps. As far as short ovals, there have been two this year — both won by Josef Newgarden.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDYCAR raced through the streets of Washington, D.C., for the Freedom 250, and for the podium finishers, the location was the main takeaway of the weekend. Competing against the backdrop of the U.S. Capitol, the podium finishers reflected on the impact driving around various D.C. landmarks had on the experience. Winner Kyle Kirkwood held the lead for most of the afternoon, but the location added weight to the victory that rivaled traditional major races on the schedule. “You can’t even put it into words,” Kirkwood told our Jamie Little after the race. “This is incredible, I’m almost in tears here. This is a big moment for us, big moment for America. … It felt good to dominate out there, I’m not gonna lie.” While different in many ways, the spectacle of the Freedom 250 has been compared with that of the Indianapolis 500, which is considered one of the greatest motorsports events in the world. “If you can’t win at the (Indy) 500, this is definitely the place to win,” Kirkwood continued. “And I don’t know if we’re ever going to get another chance at this. I hope we do. I hope we do. This was awesome, but what a dream come true.” Second-place finisher Christian Lundgaard missed out on the top spot, but pointed out the location as a defining element of the weekend. “I feel it’s fitting that an American won, right?” Lundgaard said. “We gave it our best shot. Awesome event. We got the capital in the background. This is only something you could dream of.” Will Power secured third place and reflected on his journey from regional Australia to driving on the streets of D.C. He underscored how surreal the environment felt from inside the cockpit. “It’s such an epic event, man,” Power said. “Look back there, I just could never dream of being in a place like this, racing in a place like this when I started all those years ago in Toowoomba.” The shared perspective among the top three finishers highlighted an event where the scale of the venue elevated the racing experience.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports