Harrison Butker’s nightmare season for the Kansas City Chiefs continued yesterday, missing a 51-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Even worse, he had two tries at it.

Butker has had a rough start to the season, going just 12-for-19 on field-goal attempts so far, including yesterday’s miss. Butker missed a 56-yarder before the 51-yard miss, and had another opportunity to right his problem when the New York Jets were caught offside.

As the kick drifted wide of the right upright after looking like it would hook back in for a minute, boos rained down at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs have been getting away with Butker’s performances so far, but it’s an alarming issue that is hard to ignore. The Chiefs won in blowout fashion against the Jets, 35-12, so the missed kick didn’t matter, and Butker made all five of his extra-point attempts.

Their loss last week to the Denver Broncos did see Butker miss a crucial kick, but they are still 6-2 and having a good season so far.

The problem is that Butker’s confidence is clearly an issue now, and the longtime Chiefs kicker isn’t being picked up by his own crowd. If the Chiefs had a 50-yard kick to win the Super Bowl tomorrow, many fans in Kansas City would be nervous and unconfident.

The question becomes whether the Chiefs stick with their man or decide the bad is only getting worse. They picked up long-time Baltimore Ravens kicker and NFL legend Justin Tucker as a potential option. Unfortunately, he struggled last season before the Ravens released him.

The Chiefs have enough offensive weapons to get away with the kicking woes as of now, but Butker, or a replacement, will need to be more solid as the competition gets tougher and the playoffs roll around.

Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis is not receiving his semimonthly payments, according to sources, because the team has ruled that he is not rendering his services.

Porzingis has been out of the league with health issues that derive from an autoimmune disease called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), which causes fatigue, dizziness, and heart rate issues.

The 31-year-old star has been injury-troubled throughout his career. He has missed almost all team activities, from training camp through the season, because of this illness and has reportedly even considered retirement.

The Warriors signed the big man to a $20 million-a-year deal as they search for one last title in the Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr era. A lot of their success has come without a big man, but it’s been a clear need in recent years.

The Warriors have been actively trying to trade Porzingis given the situation but have had no luck, and it doesn’t look like they’d get anything of worth back for him besides dumping his salary cap so they can explore a replacement move.

Reports suggest the Warriors have no plans to void Porzingis’ contract, and Porzingis has no plan to dispute the organization’s lack of payments.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, a retirement, however unfortunate and out of his control it would be for Porzingis, would cause plenty of issues for the team. They’d still face the salary cap consequences unless they could prove the health issue was career-ending and not voluntary, which would be a long, exhausting process.

Stephen Curry proved that Father Time is a myth to some players. In six minutes, Curry exploded for 17 points, highlighted by a 31-footer from downtown.

Curry finished the night with 44 points; the Warriors needed it from their star after the Minnesota Timberwolves refused to stay down despite trailing by 24.

Curry joined LeBron James in an exclusive company of two. It was his 15th 40-point game since turning 35, tying James for the most in NBA history.

“I just see him doing what Steph Curry does,” coach Steve Kerr said after the 119-114 win. “I’ve been watching him for so long that it never surprises me when he gets hot. What makes him special is that it can happen at any time.” 

Curry started the night cold, shooting 2-of-8 from the field; three minutes into the second quarter, he changed that after hitting his first three-pointer. The next possession, he hit another three and shouted at his bench, who loved seeing the emotion from their leader.

Curry started cooking after that, making six of his next eight shots and ending the half with 23 points as the Warriors led 64-48.

In the third quarter, the lead grew to 78-54, but the Wolves still had life. Curry would need to put on his chef’s hat and start cooking again.

Curry scored 16 points from the foul line, 14 of them to keep Minnesota from completing the comeback. It was Curry’s second-highest total ever from the foul line. He has shot 16 free throws only three times in his career; this was the first time he would make all of them.

“They were pressuring pretty much all the way out to half court, so you’re gonna have those driving lanes,” Curry said. “Thankfully it helped us in a couple lulls that we had, getting to the line, getting easy buckets, which we needed all of them.” 

After missing games last season due to injuries, many thought father time had finally come for Curry, except that wasn’t what happened. In the second half, Curry showed his age didn’t matter after diving for a loose ball and nearly getting his lower half hit. Curry said he wasn’t even thinking about his knees.

“I think that’s just more indicative of how good I feel, considering the age and miles and how last year went that I even tried it, I had a confidence that I could get down there,” Curry said. “There’s situations where you find yourself in where you’re just playing basketball and reacting, and that’s one of those.” 

Curry has been on a minutes restriction by the Warriors coaching staff to manage the player’s workload. He is capped at 32 minutes, but as the Wolves slowly came back, they let him play up to 31 minutes and 35 seconds. It was his first 30-minute night of the season.

“I honestly didn’t know until after the game, which was nice that we were just kind of in the moment, playing,” Curry said. “A little different flow to it when I got hot in the second; had to play a little bit of a longer stretch. So it’s nice to keep building and feel good coming out of it.”

The Dallas Cowboys’ season hasn’t gone the way they wanted for America’s team. Heading into their Monday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team understood that a win could bring some spark to their season.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been around long enough to understand that, after losing two straight games, Prescott ended that losing streak. Prescott threw three touchdown passes in the Cowboys’ 38-21 win.

The win has kept the Cowboys in pace with the 4-2-1 New York Giants in the NFC East and temporarily shut down the negativity that has been building around the team.

“We say the division’s right in front of us. It is as long as we win,” Prescott said. “And if you lose another game, then you’re probably checking to see what New York’s doing. You’re probably checking and watching the other teams more than we should. So yeah, I mean you got to win games, got to win division games. How big of a game this was, understanding how much they’re hurt on their offensive side, yeah, huge road win for us.” 

The biggest concern for the Cowboys over the past two seasons has been their defense; entering Monday, the biggest questions were about the offense, which scored a combined 29 points in its past two games. Prescott threw four interceptions in those games, while head coach and playcaller Brian Schottenheimer received pressure from the fans after he said during the week.

“I know how great of a coach I am,” head coach Schottenheimer said on 105.3 The Fan, despite his 9-13-1 record and his being an “elite playcaller,” despite the recent woes.

After the victory, Schottenheimer had his normal postgame celebration inside the locker room with the players. He highlighted key plays on offense and defense and kept his postgame comments reserved.

“Had nothing to do with desperation,” Schottenheimer said. “Our guys just played good.” 

When asked why he wasn’t as expressive after a win and if he was OK, Schottenheimer said, “I’m great. Excited for our guys.”

Prescott said he did not discuss the criticism with his coach; he noticed a “definitely hungry, pissed-off version of Schotty.”

“It’s not like he’s naive,” Prescott said. “It’s not like he hadn’t heard some noise about him and whether it’s the call in the games or whatever doubt that’s been out there. But we’ve got his back. He knows that. He’s a guy that takes a lot of pride in his job, a lot of pride in his team. Everybody handles everything different, so I don’t blame him to an extent. We’ve got his back. More importantly, it’s just about us going out there and executing on Sundays.” 

The Cowboys’ last win before the losing streak was on October 4 against the Houston Texans, a team that is struggling more than they are. Now the Cowboys face off against the 2-5 Arizona Cardinals. Dallas has not won back-to-back games since a three-game winning streak in Weeks 11-13 last year.

“Nobody’s going to give it to us. Nobody’s going to say, ‘Yeah, you’re the better team. You got it,'” Prescott said. “That’s what’s so great about the NFL, so we’ve got to come out and earn it each and every week, and there’s going to be no difference coming next Sunday.” 

According to ESPN Analytics, the Cowboys have a 57% chance of winning the division.

“I think it gets us right back into the hunt in the NFC East,” Schottenheimer said.

Bad news for the Minnesota Timberwolves as superstar guard Anthony Edwards is set to miss up to two months with a knee injury.

Edwards tweaked his knee in the home opener against the Toronto Raptors and had been dealing with knee problems since last season. He was shown grabbing at his knee in pain and discomfort. He was listed as questionable and called day-to-day before an MRI showed worse damage than he originally thought, even though he was cleared to play on Monday, played 41 minutes and scored 47 points.

“They get to Miami in the season opener, and he’s playing and playing well, but from what I’m told at some point in that game, there was a tweak of some sort that happened with his right knee. They got new imaging with an MRI, and it revealed a worse situation than had been examined this last summer in July,” said Athletic senior writer Jon Krawczynski.

Edwards missed 21 games last season, around a fourth of the season. None of his missed time proved costly, as he played most of the playoffs.

This year is a different story, and could be quite costly.

Edwards needs to reach the 65-game threshold this year to be eligible for a $304 million supermax contract extension if he finishes as All-NBA.

The focus for the Timberwolves and Edwards, who will not struggle to make a nice chunk regardless, will still be winning a championship. They won’t rush him back if he’s not ready.

The role becomes larger for LaMelo Ball, who will need to step up in Edwards’ absence. In Edwards’ 21 missed games last season, the team went 12-9 and held up their end of the bargain, and the challenge resurfaces for the team’s 2026-2027 campaign.

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad after being out of the league since 2024.

The move likely aims to provide a backup in case starter and longtime Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gets injured or his poor season continues.

Tucker last played for the Ravens, where he spent his entire career until the team released him in May 2025. The decision ended his 13 years with the team after Tucker was accused of sexual misconduct by spa and messaging therapists. There were 16 allegations, and Tucker has denied them, calling them “unequivocally false.”

The NFL suspended Tucker for 10 games over the allegations.

Controversy on the Chiefs’ special teams unit is nothing new. Butker faced controversy for some comments he made calling a woman’s primary role the “homemaker.” The Chiefs also signed punter Matt Araiza, who faced serious assault allegations when he entered the league with the Bills. The league dropped all of Araiza’s charges and lawsuits.

Tucker, 37, is widely regarded as one of, if not the greatest, kickers ever. In his prime, he was essentially automatic from any distance. He was the highest-paid kicker of all time when the Ravens released him.

In his later years in Baltimore, his level had certainly dipped, and he began missing some uncharacteristic kicks. He posted just a 73.3% rate in 2024, the worst of his career. He ranked 31st in the NFL.

Butker is currently the only starting kicker on the 53-man roster. Tucker still has high upside if Butker goes down with an injury, but it doesn’t seem likely that a continued poor start would be enough for the team to bail on Butker and take a chance on Tucker after his most recent season. The Chiefs are 5-1 even with Butker’s struggles.

The Tampa Bay Rays stormed back in extra innings last night to walk off the Milwaukee Brewers and stay alive in the World Series by a score of 4-3.

The tightly contested game went to extra innings, tied 2-2, before Milwaukee’s Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead home run in the 12th inning. The solo shot sent Brewers fans, who had a strong presence in Tampa, into a frenzy, amplified by the Tropicana Field dome.

Fans began to lick their chops at the thought of not only a sweep, but their first World Series in franchise history. It would have been the Brewers’ ninth straight win and would have capped one of the most incredible World Series runs in history. The team had won eight straight, and both of their playoff losses came by a single run. They had yet to lose uncompetitively.

The Brewers were three outs away.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy wanted Shane Drohan in that spot to get the last three outs. He didn’t record an out before the Rays ended the game in walk-off fashion.

The inning started with a ground-ball error at third base. The throw to first was low, and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers couldn’t pick it for the out at first base.

From there, a pair of hits drove the runner around the bases to tie the game, and Drohan still hadn’t recorded an out. With the bases loaded, Ben Williamson hit a high chopper over Bauer’s head at first base and into right field to win the game. The Rays’ season was saved.

Much controversy surrounds the pitching decision and why Murphy didn’t put in ace pitcher Jacob Misiorowski to close out the series. Murphy stuck by his decision and just chalked it up to the Rays making clutch plays. He also said that if it were a three-run game, the decision might have been different.

Drohan faced the music post-game. “I failed,” the reliever said.

The Rays still have plenty of work to do. No team has ever mounted a 3-0 comeback in the World Series, and only one in MLB history: the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who came back to beat the New York Yankees en route to their World Series title.

Game 5 is Wednesday in Tampa before it returns to Milwaukee, with Misiorowski getting the call this time as the Brewers’ starter. The Rays won’t name a starter and will go with an “all hands on deck” bullpen game.

J.J. McCarthy picked up his first win as a New York Giant, leading the team past the Houston Texans 27-21 in overtime.

After the game, McCarthy’s wife, Katya McCarthy, took to Instagram to share her excitement and how proud she was of her husband. “God, I love you. So deserving,” was the exact wording of the post after the NFL posted a video of McCarthy’s celebration on the field following the win. The two are high school sweethearts and were married in 2025.

Even though McCarthy’s day didn’t show much on the stat sheet, his 252 yards and down-the-field drives led to the three rushing touchdowns the Giants scored. It was McCarthy’s first start with the Giants since being traded from the Minnesota Vikings, and he took over for Jameis Winston, who has been the team’s main man since QB Jaxon Dart went down with a season-ending injury.

Since Dart’s injury, the Giants have held their own after what looked like another season headed for a complete derailment. The Giants moved to 4-2-1 and still lead the NFC East.

McCarthy gets a second chance to prove himself after losing his starting job in Minnesota last year. The National Champion from the University of Michigan has shown flashes of promise but has ultimately lacked consistency in the NFL.

The Giants haven’t won the NFC East since 2011, and won the Super Bowl that year with Eli Manning under center. McCarthy won’t have a long-term home in New York regardless, barring something crazy like the Giants setting on Dart as their franchise quarterback, but this season could be McCarthy’s chance to win a job elsewhere if he can right the ship.

The Dallas Mavericks announced that star Cooper Flagg will miss Saturday night’s home opener against the San Antonio Spurs after an MRI revealed a mild left shoulder sprain.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year suffered the injury Friday night when Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith fouled him hard from behind on a breakaway late in the second quarter of Dallas’ 121-105 road win. Flagg will be reevaluated next week.

Cooper Flagg Injury News

Flagg appeared headed for an easy dunk when Nesmith chased him down and made contact, sending the 19-year-old crashing to the floor under the basket. Flagg immediately grabbed at his left shoulder.

The play sparked a heated scuffle between the two teams. Mavericks forward Naji Marshall confronted Nesmith under the basket, and officials had to separate players from both sides. After a review, officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1 on Nesmith, and they assessed technical fouls on both Nesmith and Marshall.

Flagg made both of the free throws awarded on the flagrant before being subbed out and heading to the locker room ahead of halftime. He did not return. He finished with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals and a block in just 17 minutes.

“Cooper has left shoulder soreness; he’ll be evaluated in the next couple of days,” Mavericks coach Dusty May said after the game.

The Mavericks were in full control when Flagg went down. Dallas jumped to a 42-23 first-quarter lead and led by more than 30 at the time of the foul. Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 24 points as Dallas spoiled Tyrese Haliburton‘s return to the Pacers’ home floor.

The injury interrupts what had been a blistering start to Flagg’s second NBA season. In Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Houston Rockets, he poured in 32 points, the highest-scoring season-opener by a teenager.

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Duke, won Rookie of the Year last season after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He also dealt with a string of injuries as a rookie, missing 12 games due to various ailments.

The Mavericks will now face the Spurs without their franchise cornerstone on the second night of a back-to-back. The team has not given a timeline beyond next week’s reevaluation, though the “mild” diagnosis suggests Flagg may avoid an extended absence.

The league could also scrutinize Nesmith further, as it routinely reviews flagrant fouls and on-court altercations for possible fines or suspensions.

Lewis Hamilton used a press conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix to call for peace in conflict zones worldwide, as Formula 1 faces criticism for bringing a race to Rwanda.

“I think we need to make sure we’re pushing to free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine,” the seven-time world champion said during Thursday’s FIA press conference in Austin. “I think there’s a lot of peace that I’m hoping we get to at some stage.”

The 41-year-old Ferrari driver was asked how he felt about F1’s announcement last week that Rwanda had landed a 10-year deal to host the African Grand Prix starting in the early 2030s. Hamilton has campaigned for years for the sport to return to Africa, where it has not raced since the 1993 South African Grand Prix.

While welcoming the news, Hamilton acknowledged the concerns surrounding the host country and said the situation needed to be approached with humility.

“Of course, going doesn’t mean that you neglect the things that are happening there,” he said. “So hopefully many people start to educate themselves a little bit more about what is happening there, what has happened there for hundreds of years, and I hope that does spark the conversation.”

The British driver also criticized gaps in how the U.K. teaches African history.

“There’s a lot that we don’t know. Growing up in England, they never ever taught us anything about Africa,” he said.

F1 announced on Oct. 13 that the race will be held at a new purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, about 25 miles south of the capital, Kigali, once construction is complete. Visit Rwanda, the country’s tourism brand, will present the event and also sponsors several major European soccer clubs.

F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali called the agreement “a landmark moment” for the sport. Rwandan officials have said the race will boost tourism, infrastructure and job creation.

The deal drew immediate backlash from human rights groups. Amnesty International accused F1 of handing Rwanda a “sportswashing prize,” with Amnesty UK campaigns chief Felix Jakens saying the country was using major sports to polish its image and deflect from its human rights record.

Critics have long accused President Paul Kagame‘s government of suppressing political opposition and independent media. The United Nations has also accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebel group in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congolese officials have accused Rwanda of profiting from the illegal exploitation of Congolese minerals. Rwanda has denied supporting the rebels.

Hamilton’s remarks quickly spread on social media, where supporters praised him for using his platform to speak out. It is not the first time the Ferrari star has spoken out on issues beyond the track or weighed in on conflicts abroad. In 2023, ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi, he spoke about the loss of life in Gaza and said he was disappointed in how governments had handled the crisis.

Some reports also suggested Hamilton hinted he could extend his career to compete in the first African Grand Prix, though the race is not expected until at least 2030, when he would be in his mid-40s.

Hamilton is set to compete in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.

Hamilton has been making headlines for his romance with Kim Kardashian, who attended his Singapore race this month.

LeBron James had a short and pointed response for President Donald Trump, who blasted the Philadelphia 76ers star for appearing to warm up during the national anthem before his Sixers debut.

“Must’ve been a slow news day at the office,” James told reporters with a smirk on Thursday night after the 76ers’ 114-106 home-opener win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He offered no further comment.

The controversy began Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, where the 76ers spoiled the Knicks’ championship banner night with a 106-100 win. Video from the pregame ceremony showed James mimicking a golf swing and a jump shot as the anthem played, while his teammates mostly stood still.

Trump shared the clip on Truth Social on Thursday, accusing James of disrespecting the country. Calling the four-time NBA champion a “TOTAL DISGRACE,” Trump said James should apologize to American service members who died for the flag.

The president doubled down at a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, later that evening, mocking James for practicing his golf swing during the anthem and calling it a major scandal.

James appeared noticeably more still during the anthem before Thursday’s game at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The anthem flap capped an eventful first week for James in Philadelphia. During the season opener, the 41-year-old got into a heated back-and-forth with Knicks fans seated along the baseline, an exchange that reportedly prompted Knicks superfan Spike Lee to step in and help calm tensions. James finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his Sixers debut.

James signed with Philadelphia this summer after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, taking a massive pay cut on a two-year, $8 million deal to join a roster featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.

The latest exchange is just the newest chapter in a long-running feud between the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and the president.

In 2017, James called Trump a “bum” after the president rescinded the White House invitation to the Golden State Warriors. The following year, James said he would never sit across from Trump and accused him of emboldening racists. Trump fired back, questioning James’ intelligence, and later said he preferred Michael Jordan.

In 2020, after Trump said he turned off games when NBA players knelt during the anthem to protest police brutality, James responded that the league would not be sad about losing his viewership.

Trump’s latest criticism drew support from some fans online, with one viral post arguing that Jordan never divided people politically the way James has.

New York Knicks center and veteran Andre Drummond got off the bench with a perfect start to his 15th NBA season. He recorded the team’s third-fastest double-double since the 1996-97 season.

Drummond needed just 14 minutes to score 10 points and grab 11 rebounds.

Drummond heard chants from the New York faithful, even though it is just his first season with the team.

Unfortunately, the run stopped there. Drummond only scored two more points in the second half and ran out of gas as the Knicks began to leak oil and would end up losing to LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 106-100.

He still grabbed three more rebounds for a game-high 14 total. He had two blocks and one steal to cap his stat sheet.

“I thought that he was really, really, really good on both ends of the floor during the first half,” said head coach Mike Brown. Drummond came in relief of big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who has also been in the news recently with the pausing of his contract negotiations, which suggests a trade could end up coming. With Drummond in his 15th season, the Knicks probably won’t look to him as their number-one option regardless.

Drummond averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last year, but an even bigger average to look for is the minutes. He played 24 minutes last night and averaged 19.5 last year. Brown said that he still has to see how Drummond’s minutes will look.

Based on Brown’s comments, he likely won’t average 24 minutes this season, and his extended minutes last night came from earning them with his first-half performance.

Drummond and the Knicks return Friday in Boston to face the Celtics.

The Indianapolis Colts blew a 13-point lead on Sunday and lost 26-20 to the Tennessee Titans, who were winless before the comeback. The crowd chanted “fire Ballard” and booed, and the team listened.

GM Chris Ballard was in the final year of his contract before the team let him go after the game, and he needed something to go right this year to avoid that. The Colts haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, and haven’t reached double-digit wins either in the same span.

The Colts lost seven straight games last year to end the season after an 8-2 start. The downfall was solidified by QB Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury in Week 14. Jones was an early MVP contender with his quick start before slowing down as the losses began.

The organization has had to consider changes everywhere, and this is just the start if things don’t turn around. For now, the coaching staff hasn’t changed to match this. HC Shane Steichen will report to ownership while the owners look for a new general manager.

“I’m grateful for every day that I’m in this building, and I don’t take that for granted. And I’ve got to get these guys ready for the Vikings,” said the coach.

Steichen also said the responsibility doesn’t fall on Ballard alone, adding that he also has to be better. “It takes all of us.”

Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon‘s ownership group released a statement that “our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard.”

The statement also included that they appreciated how much Ballard put into the organization.

The Colts fell to 2-4 with that loss to Tennessee, now behind the eight ball again, a theme that has repeated over the last decade.

The New York Knicks have decided to pause talks with Karl-Anthony Towns about a contract extension after their championship, and he hasn’t held back.

Towns said he is “very disappointed” after the pause in the discussions. He seems to enjoy it in New York, or at least feels entitled to the chance to discuss it.

“News to me,” he said, so he didn’t get notified before the public did.

He said he still intends to play hard for the Knicks next season, and he still has two years left on his current contract. 

“But even though there was no business done, there’s still business to be handled. After 53 years, we found a way to bring this trophy back to New York, and we intend for it to stay in New York.” 

Plenty of rumors circulate about potential destinations; however, the pause in contract extension talks means the Knicks could look to trade the big man for value.

The Golden State Warriors are among the top rumored landing spots if the Knicks do decide to trade. The team has lacked a consistent big man in a while to go alongside forward Draymond Green, who usually plays the five role. The Knicks traded for Kristaps Porzingis before he got injured, and a mysterious health issue has him out indefinitely.

There is no confirmation he will be traded; the Knicks could be waiting to see his performance this year or sticking to their original plan, which is to manage the salary cap.

Regardless of the negotiations, his past play has nothing to do with it. He helped the team win a championship and is still a top-end center in the NBA. His being the Knicks’ highest-paid player right now is likely why he’s holding out until the end of the season.

In the past few years, the Baltimore Ravens have not been the team to complete a comeback from down by seven points or fewer. With Lamar Jackson sidelined with an injury, Tyler Huntley once again had to fill in for their franchise player. Safety Kyle Hamilton was the hero for the Ravens in this game, sealing the win with an interception.

“The last couple of years, like ever since I’ve been here, that’s a game that we would lose,” Hamilton told his teammates and coaches after receiving the game ball. “This win right here, I feel like is us.” 

The Ravens have built a frustrating reputation around the league for their fourth-quarter collapses and falling short in close games. 

According to ESPN Research, the Ravens became the first team in four years to win a game down by eight or more points in the final minute, breaking the 581-game losing streak for teams in that situation.

“We talk about being at your best when your best is needed, and just like, the team had no flinch, no panic,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. “That’s a big step for us. And if we let it be, it can be a launch point for us to really, really get this thing rolling.” 

From 2023 to 2025, the Ravens were 9-15 in games decided by seven points or fewer, this is the sixth-worst in the league over that span.

The Ravens have won three straight games by a one-score margin. In Week 3, Tyler Loop made a 56-yard field goal as time expired to give the Ravens a 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 4, Malaki Starks recovered an onside kick to seal Baltimore’s 24-18 win over the Tennessee Titans. In Week 5, Hamilton intercepted Tua Tagovailoa to seal the game in overtime.

Minter believed their Week 2 collapse against the Saints, when they blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose 24-17, motivated the team.

“Confidence is gained by going through things and going through things together,” Minter said. “And I don’t know if we have the results of the last three weeks if the Saints game doesn’t happen. So I think there’s always ways you can take losses like that. You can learn from them and really, really try to improve and get better and look at the things that you did well and build on things.” 

“I have said it a thousand times before, but big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,” Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell said. “And Kyle Hamilton is the best of us.” 

For three quarters, the Ravens looked like they would drop to a 3-2 record as they could not finish drives, scoring only a touchdown and three field goals. Tight end Mark Andrews fumbled the ball that led to a Falcons touchdown and got it punched out on a two-point conversion. The Ravens’ defense couldn’t get off the field, allowing Atlanta to convert nine of its first 15 third downs.

“We were able to overcome adversity,” Andrews said. “In some years past, we may not have been able to do that.”

This win marked the first time the Ravens have completed an eight-or-more-point comeback in the final minute since 2021, when Baltimore beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-25 in overtime in Week 5.

“This is just us getting over some sort of hump or dark cloud,” Hamilton said. “I am excited for the future.”

The New York Yankees have exited the postseason in the ALDS for the second straight season. The team has now gone 17 straight seasons without winning the World Series.

The Yankees were swept in the divisional series by their AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays. They have now tied their franchise record for longest title drought.

The team struggled for most of the series before a heartbreaking Game 3 loss after a tying two-run home run was overmatched in the sixth inning. Without star Aaron Judge, New York couldn’t force a Game 4.

“Just hating every single moment of it,” Judge said. “Thinking about the whole year, thinking about missed opportunities in the season, in that series. Things that can be improved on, things I can improve on. Just hating every single moment of it so I don’t forget.” 

“There’s a standard to win a championship,” Judge said. “It’s black and white. There’s no gray area. It’s every day you show up to work. Every little thing you do is, ‘Are you working towards a championship or are you not?’

“So I think that’s the biggest thing: everybody in the room understanding you got to bring it every single day. Especially here in New York, you got to bring it every single day. There’s no days off and, yeah, it just comes down to the little things. Preparing every single day like you’re preparing for a championship game.”

Manager Aaron Boone can find himself on the hot seat after nine seasons. Under Boone, the team has struggled to beat higher-seeded teams in the postseason. The Yankees are 7-0 in postseason series against teams with worse regular-season records and 1-8 against teams with better regular-season records.

“Those conversations and things are for another day,” Boone said after the team’s elimination when asked about his job status.

While Boone may be in the hot seat, the Yankees haven’t fired a manager mid-contract since 1991. Boone has a year remaining on his contract.

At the end of this summer, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer after over 20 years with the Argentine national team.

Messi will live on in soccer history for his play, especially in his home country, Argentina. He is a god-like figure throughout the entire nation, having brought years of international success to the team, even though he struggled to win trophies until the latter half of his international career.

In his last game, he scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Benin in an international friendly.

It was Messi’s 208th appearance for the team, and it was an emotional night for everyone involved. Messi was visibly overcome, calling it the “saddest day of my career.”

He wasn’t the only one, though; fans and players couldn’t hold back tears as the night became a full “celebration” of his time with the team.

They paused the game in the 10th minute to honor the legend, and held a ceremony after that included a drone tribute and speeches.

The game comes a few months after the team’s World Cup Final loss to Spain, which ended in a nasty scuffle between the teams. That night was filled with passion for winning, whereas this night was all for Messi.

Messi will retire with two Copa América titles and a coveted 2022 World Cup victory, which he describes as the peak of his career and the day he completed the sport.

He won all three trophies after his first retirement in 2016, when he felt he was letting the international team down.

This retirement from international soccer will likely be his last, and it marks the end of his time on the Argentinian national team, though he will likely still play club for a little while longer.

His impact on not just the sport but his home country will live on forever in Argentinian history.

The San Francisco 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk suffered an apparent leg injury in their Week 4 win over the Denver Broncos.

He was ruled out in the fourth quarter after awkwardly getting hit in the knee with a helmet and being left in pain on the field.

Injuries are nothing new for San Francisco, who seem to be plagued by injuries every year.

Juszczyk was diagnosed with a knee sprain and bone bruise, which would be considered serious to some but maybe not 49ers fans, who will be happy to learn he shouldn’t be out more than a few weeks barring any setbacks.

The game that will be crucial for him to be suited up for and is looking unlikely is next week’s division matchup with the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers picked up some other injuries last week, including losing safety Marques Sigle on a kickoff return. He refused the cart when it came onto the field and walked to the locker room with no further update.

Cornerback Upton Stout also suffered a shoulder sprain in the victory over Denver.

The hope is that this season is not like the last few, when they were top contenders before injuries made the hurdle too high to clear in the playoffs.

RB Christian McCaffrey is always someone 49ers fans should watch on the injury report, and he has avoided any trouble so far this season.

If the 49ers stay healthy, this core, led by McCaffrey and Brock Purdy, will reach the playoffs with as good a chance as they have had.

Cameras and microphones captured a heated exchange between Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers faced their division rival, the Cleveland Browns, on Thursday Night Football. The Steelers have not won a road game on Thursday nights against division opponents and have lost five straight against the Browns.

With a new coach and a reunion of the duo that brought a Super Bowl to Green Bay, many expected McCarthy and Rodgers to bring success to a Steelers franchise that hasn’t advanced past the Wild Card round since 2016.

Midway through the first quarter, a hot mic caught a frustrated Rodgers who was gesturing and yelling towards the sideline, “What the f—? Call it!” The cameras then cut to McCarthy, who looked upset and used profanity; what looked like he said under his breath was directed at Rodgers.

The Steelers lost a close game after trailing 21-10 at halftime, with a final score of 27-24. 

“Communication sometimes is not the best choice of words, but everybody’s competing on the field,” McCarthy said. “I think what’s said on the field, the way I grew up in this game, usually stays on the field. That’s not the case today. I understand that. But any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn’t use those words.” 

After the game, Rodgers said the crowd in Cleveland made it very hard to hear some play calls, saying, “It was loud,” Rodgers said. “It was definitely a good crowd tonight. It was loud. So some of the calls, it was hard to hear for sure.”

While it may have seemed like tensions between the coach and quarterback would explode during the game, this duo has been together for 13 seasons before 2026 and will focus on their Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyquan Thornton suffered a terrible-looking injury after QB Patrick Mahomes threw a 55-yard completion on Sunday.

Thornton was tackled from behind, and his left leg twisted under Raiders defensive back Treydan Stukes as he made the tackle.

On replay, the extremely graphic video showed Thornton’s foot twisted the wrong way as he lay down. He didn’t initially feel anything, but after trying to stand up, he realized he couldn’t.

Thornton, 26, was initially drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round. The Patriots waived him in 2024, and he struggled to live up to the potential he was originally thought to have until a match made in heaven with the Chiefs started to shine a bright light on the receiver.

He had five catches for 111 yards in the Week 4 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, including two touchdowns, which makes his absence even more upsetting, as it was the best game he has had statistically in his career. Thornton was starting to solidify himself as a true deep threat for Mahomes.

Thornton was ruled out after the reception, and his official status is still unconfirmed. Coach Andy Reid said that he would be evaluated when the team returns to Kansas City, but he also said that “it didn’t look good.” The pessimism regarding the injury is understandable from Reid, who likely had seen the video as well as watched it in real time before making that comment.

The Chiefs’ depth at WR isn’t bad, with Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, and former Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill has been eyeing a return to the NFL after his injury last season led to his parting ways with the Miami Dolphins. If Thornton needs a deep-threat replacement, Kansas City would be the most likely landing spot for Hill.