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Archives for September 21, 2025

NFL: Monday Night Football

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Detroit Lions (1-1) at Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -5.5, Total 52.5

Series Rewind: It’s “Monday Night Football” so you know Lamar Jackson is excited about stepping on the field. The Baltimore quarterback has dazzled on Monday nights throughout his career and has 22 passing touchdowns without being intercepted in nine Monday night appearances.

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Jackson has twice thrown five touchdown passes and also had four touchdowns through the air when he set the franchise record of 442 passing yards against the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. There should be a lot of points scored in this matchup. The Ravens lead the NFL in scoring average (40.5) and have reached the 40-point mark in both of their games. Detroit ranks third in scoring (32.5) and is coming off a 52-21 whipping of the Chicago Bears in Week 2. Lions quarterback Jared Goff matched his career best of five passing touchdowns while hitting 23 of 28 throws for 334 yards. It was the fifth career start with his team scoring at least 50 points, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (five) for the fourth-most five-TD passing games since 1950, behind Tom Brady (eight starts), Drew Brees (six) and Len Dawson (six). Detroit wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown has caught 13 passes for 160 yards and is tied for the NFL lead with three touchdown receptions. The Lions are seeking to end a five-game skid against Baltimore.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Turn It Over vs Steelers

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FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – Aaron Rodgers tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin on a third-and-6 play with 2:16 remaining in the game to help the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers defeat the New England Patriots 21-14 Sunday.

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New England moved the ball to the Pittsburgh 28-yard line on its final possession before turning the ball over on downs.

The Patriots (1-2) committed five turnovers in the loss, including two fumbles by running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Running back Antonio Gibson and quarterback Drake Maye each lost a fumble, and Maye was intercepted once. Stevenson fumbled seven times last season, which was the most among NFL running backs.

“We don’t need to lose a football game to know that turnovers are very hard to overcome,” said Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. “They erase all the good things that you do. They take away momentum. They take away points, give them field position. We didn’t need to turn it over as many times as we did to learn a lesson. I think we knew that before. So, it was very unfortunate.”

Tight end Hunter Henry caught two TD passes for New England, which had a 369-203 edge in total yards.

The Steelers (2-1) took a 14-0 lead by scoring on each of their first two possessions. The first TD was set up by a Stevenson fumble that gave Pittsburgh the ball on its own 46-yard line. The Steelers capitalized when Kenneth Gainwell scored on a 1-yard run with 8:25 remaining in the first quarter.

“There’s a lot to clean up,” said Vrabel.  “A lot of good in there, but unfortunately just not enough to get us the win, to get us to really have any sort of advantage in the football game. Every time I felt like we were going to take the momentum and be able to score and move forward in the game, and the defense did a great job there. Unfortunately, it got to be one too many opportunities on their part.”

It was 14-0 after DK Metcalf caught a 12-yard TD pass from Rodgers and Chris Boswell made the PAT with 13:49 left in the second quarter. The play moved Rodgers into fourth place in career NFL TD passes with 509. He trails Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571) and Peyton Manning (539).

The Patriots scored on a 5-yard pass from Maye to Henry with 9:01 left in the first half. New England had a chance to tie the game later in the half, but Cam Heyward tipped a Maye pass that was intercepted by Bradin Echols in the end zone with seven seconds remaining in the second quarter.

New England tied the game when Henry hauled in a 16-yard TD pass on a fourth-and-two play with 14:56 left in the fourth quarter. The Andres Borregales PAT made it 14-14.

Pittsburgh scored the go-ahead TD after Maye fumbled and the Steelers recovered on their own 33.

The Steelers got two sacks from T.J. Watt.

–Field Level Media

 

NFL SNF on NBC: Preview

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Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at New York Giants (0-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -5.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The home team has won four of the past five meetings between these teams.

Patrick Mahomes is part of a 0-2 team for the first time in eight seasons as an NFL starting quarterback. The Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory — last place in the AFC West. The last time Kansas City started a season with consecutive losses was 2014 when Mahomes was a freshman quarterback at Texas Tech. The three-time Super Bowl winner has just 445 yards and one touchdown through two games as the Chiefs deal with challenges in the passing game involving wideouts Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and tight end Travis Kelce, who is showing his age.

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The most recent loss at home last week to the Philadelphia Eagles (20-17) in a Super Bowl rematch revealed flaws in the running game, where Mahomes has been the only consistent threat. The Giants were part of an entertaining effort while falling 40-37 in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Russell Wilson passed for 450 yards, three touchdowns and one interception one week after being criticized for a poor debut with the club in a 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders. The Giants are tied for 27th in scoring defense (30.5 points per game) and are dead last in total defense (455.0 yards per game). New York standout left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) could make his season debut.

NFL: Week Three “Pre” “Views”

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New England Patriots (1-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Steelers -1.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The regular-season series is knotted up 15-15 entering this weekend, but the Patriots have gotten the better of Pittsburgh in seven of their past eight meetings. The Steelers haven’t left Foxborough with a victory since 2008.

New England is coming off a 33-27 victory over Miami last week and will be attempting to win back-to-back games for the first time since the 2022 season. That was long before coach Mike Vrabel’s tenure, and he said he’s neither familiar nor concerned with that recent history. Drake Maye threw for 230 yards and two scores against Miami, and Rhamondre Stevenson led the Patriots in both rushing (54 yards) and receiving (88). The Steelers, for their part, are coming off a 31-17 defeat to Seattle; they gave up more than 30 points in each of the first two games and rank 28th in the league in run defense (299 yards allowed). Their defense could be missing linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle), cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) and safety DeShon Elliott (knee), who have not practiced this week. Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez practiced this week for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury July 28.

Carolina Panthers (0-2) vs. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (All Times Eastern)
FanDuel odds: Falcons -5.5, Total 43.5

Series Rewind: The NFC South foes have split their two-game series every season since 2020. But the home team has taken four of the past six games.

The Falcons got their first win of the season on “Sunday Night Football” last week but coach Raheem Morris wants them to treat every week like a prime-time show. The Panthers may not be the most inspiring opponent, but Carolina is preparing for its home opener after losses at Jacksonville and Arizona and scored an overtime win over Atlanta to end the 2024 season. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 312 yards against Carolina in last year’s regular-season finale. Running back Bijan Robinson is second in the league with 292 yards from scrimmage (167 rushing, 125 receiving), and Morris dubbed Robinson “definitely the best player in football.” Carolina QB Bryce Young had the best game of his NFL career the last time he played the Falcons, completing 73.5 percent of his passes for 251 yards with three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores. Carolina is re-tooling its offensive front with two starting linemen going on IR: Cade Mays is shifting to center, while Chandler Zavala will start at right guard. The Falcons need a replacement for cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. (hamstring), who’s considered week-to-week.

Green Bay Packers (2-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -7.5, Total 41.5

Series Rewind: This is the first meeting since the Packers beat Cleveland 24-22 in 2021. Green Bay has won six of the past seven meetings.

Cleveland has yet to force a turnover and Green Bay hasn’t coughed one up, but Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz geared the team up for plentiful chances to get their hands on the ball on Sunday. The Packers were aggressive pushing the ball down the field last week to beat Washington, and head coach Matt LaFleur surely took note of Lamar Jackson’s nine completions (and 14 attempts) on passes of at least 15 yards in the air. Green Bay is down one favored target in Jayden Reed (foot, clavicle surgeries) but fellow wide receiver Romeo Doubs and emerging standout Dontayvion Wicks (all six of his catches resulted in first downs) are more than adequate if TE Tucker Kraft is held out. Kraft underwent tests Thursday after a knee injury in practice but said he’s OK. The Browns share the NFL lead in pass attempts at 90 and found themselves in hurry-up, comeback mode at Baltimore last week when QB Joe Flacco flipped a pair of costly interceptions. Flacco has two touchdowns and three interceptions this season with two rookies leading the way. TE Harold Fannin has 12 receptions for 111 yards and RB Dylan Sampson has 11. Finding a way to slow down pass rushers Micah Parsons (Packers) and Myles Garrett (Browns) is imperative and no easy task for offensive lines dealing with injuries. Garrett leads the NFL with six tackles for loss and is tied for the league lead with 3.5 sacks.

Los Angeles Rams (2-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Eagles -3.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Saquon Barkley wrecked the Rams last season, rushing for a franchise-record 255 yards and two TDs in a Week 12 win in Los Angeles and 205 yards and two TDs in a divisional playoff win.

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Barkley is off to a modest start this year and the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year will try to jump-start the defending champion Eagles’ humdrum offense in a matchup of NFC unbeatens. QB Jalen Hurts scored a tush-push TD in the Week 2 win at Kansas City but is still looking for his first scoring pass of 2025, while wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have been underused. DT Jalen Carter (shoulder) is good to go. Rams QB Matthew Stafford needs one passing TD to tie Matt Ryan (381) for ninth place in NFL history. RB Kyren Williams has gained 50-plus scrimmage yards in 30 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Six-time Pro Bowl WR Davante Adams recorded his first 100-yard game and first TD with the Rams in last week’s win against the Titans. LB Jared Verse sacked Hurts twice in January’s playoff loss.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) vs. Houston Texans (0-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Jaguars -1.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The Texans have won their last seven games at Jacksonville and won 12 of the last 14 in the AFC South matchup. The Jaguars last beat them at home in 2017 and have won just three of their last 15 home games against Houston.

With two losses by a combined six points, the Texans have dug themselves an early hole in the division as they look to win the AFC South Division for the third straight year. With a depleted receiver room, third-year QB CJ Stroud has gotten off to a slow start with one touchdown and one interception in two games. Maybe a game against Jacksonville, who he has thrown for more yards against (1,171) than any other team, is what he needs to wake up. The Jags have never intercepted Stroud in four games, but lead the league in picks (five) this year. They’re also leading the league in rushing yards (169.5 per game) and fourth in total offense (389.0), anchored by RB Travis Etienne, who ranks second in the league with 214 rushing yards. Dyami Brown is the only Jaguars WR with 100 receiving yards this season, as Brian Thomas Jr. (five catches on 19 targets) is off to a slow start to Year 2. He was limited in Thursday’s practice due to a wrist injury.

Tennessee Titans (0-2) vs. Indianapolis Colts (2-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Colts -4.5, Total 43.5

Series Rewind: Third-year Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen is 4-0 vs. Tennessee entering this week’s matchup. The Colts lead the all-time series 39-22. The Titans are 7-16 at home vs. the Colts since the franchise moved to Tennessee in 2002.

The Colts are probably the biggest positive surprise of the season at 2-0 for the first time since 2009 while becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era to not punt during their first two games. QB Daniel Jones, tossed aside by the Giants, has looked like a new man, with 588 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in his first two games. Teams have been slow to figure out blitzing Jones is not the answer. He has been blitzed on 50 of his 63 pass attempts, posting a QB rating over 110 when the Broncos and Dolphins sent an extra rusher. Vacating spots in the back seven is also clearing lanes for RB Jonathan Taylor. He had 165 rushing yards last week and leads the league with 236 in two games. Titans QB Cam Ward is the first No. 1 overall pick in NFL history to throw no interceptions in his first two starts. However, he has just 287 yards, one touchdown and has been sacked a league-worst 11 times. He may again be under siege this week as RT J.C. Latham (hip) and RG Kevin Zeitler (bicep) aren’t fully healthy. Jones’ favorite weapon so far has been rookie TE Tyler Warren, who leads the team with 11 catches and is tops for all NFL tight ends with 90 yards after the catch.

New York Jets (0-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Buccaneers -6.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Tampa Bay is 2-0 for the fifth straight season but is looking for its first 3-0 start since 2005.

Healthy doesn’t describe either squad three weeks into the regular season. The Buccaneers have notched two comeback wins, including a 20-19 road victory over the host Houston Texans on Monday night. Quarterback Baker Mayfield guided that comeback and he has thrown five touchdown passes without an interception in 70 attempts this season. Mayfield is bothered with foot and toe injuries and has practiced, but his bodyguards are not in great shape. The right side of the offensive line is beat up. Guard Cody Mauch (season-ending knee) and tackle Luke Goedeke (foot) were placed on injured reserve. The Jets have to lean on veteran journeyman Tyrod Taylor to start this week. Quarterback Justin Fields (concussion) has been ruled out. New York is averaging just 274 yards per game, 26th in the NFL. New coach Aaron Glenn was the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions for the past four seasons but the Jets have allowed 30 or more points in each of his first two games.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Vikings -3, Total 42.5

Series Rewind: The home team has won 14 of the past 15 games between these teams.

Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson can’t fight over Joe Burrow this week. The former LSU receivers take center stage with an air of uncertainty with backup quarterbacks stepping in this week. Jake Browning took the reins when Burrow went down with a turf toe injury in Week 2 and beat the Jaguars (31-27) by guiding a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. He also was intercepted three times and lacks Burrow’s pocket agility behind a ragtag offensive line sure to be under siege by the blitz-heavy scheme of coordinator Brian Flores. The Vikings are rolling with Carson Wentz, a North Dakota State product and former No. 2 overall pick making NFL history with a start for his sixth team in six seasons. Wentz was a late add to the Vikings’ roster to be the backup to J.J. McCarthy, who likely will miss more than one week with a high ankle sprain. Coach Kevin O’Connell has been down this road more often than he’d like since Kirk Cousins ruptured his Achilles in 2023. A gift of upgraded protection could be waiting for Wentz after LT Christian Darrisaw (knee) practiced this week. He was held out of the first two games to focus on his recovery from a season-ending knee injury last October.

Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) at Washington Commanders (1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Commanders -3.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Washington has won four of the past five games in the series with the Raiders, most recently a 17-15 victory in 2021. The starting quarterbacks were Taylor Heinecke (Washington) and Derek Carr.

There’s a strong possibility Marcus Mariota is the Commanders’ signal caller. Jayden Daniels injured his knee in a 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 11 and head coach Dan Quinn wants to play it safe in another matchup with his former boss in Seattle, Pete Carroll. Mariota has plenty of experience and has started 74 regular-season games in his career. Mariota played two seasons (2020-21) with the Raiders so there surely is some familiarity remaining despite Las Vegas now having Carroll on the sideline. The Raiders are coming off a 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers when Daniel Carlson’s three field goals accounted for all the points. New quarterback Geno Smith was intercepted three times while throwing for 180 yards. Smith has thrown a league-worst four picks. Star tight end Brock Bowers played through a tender knee and had just 38 receiving yards on a night in which Las Vegas had just 218 as a team. Prized rookie running back Ashton Jeanty (81 yards on 30 carries) is finding the NFL is a bit tougher than the Mountain West.

Denver Broncos (1-1) at Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chargers -2.5, Total 45.5

Series Rewind: The Chargers swept the Broncos last season, winning both meetings by a touchdown, but Denver has had more success in the series, with a 72-57-1 edge all-time.

The Chargers are out for a clean sweep of the AFC West through three games. Los Angeles beat the Chiefs in Brazil to open the season, and a shorthanded defense stepped up to dominate the Raiders 20-9 in Las Vegas on Monday. Justin Herbert (560 yards, five TDs, zero interceptions) has been stellar through two games and Daiyan Henley — limited by an illness — led the D against Las Vegas with an interception, a sack and 10 tackles. The Chargers are alone atop the division for the first time since 2021, while the Broncos missed a chance to go 2-0 against the Colts. Bo Nix was solid before throwing a fourth-quarter interception, and the Broncos were called for a leverage penalty when the Colts missed a field goal to end the game, giving Indianapolis a second chance to convert the game-winner. Broncos tight end Evan Engram (back) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quad) haven’t practiced this week, nor have Chargers tight end Will Dissly (knee) or defensive back Elijah Molden (hamstring).

New Orleans Saints (0-2) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -7.5, Total 41.5

Series Rewind: The Saints have won six of the past seven meetings with the Seahawks.

Spencer Rattler is the 0-8 as a starter with the Saints, but he’s had New Orleans in position to win each of the first two weeks in defeats decided on the final possession. The last quarterback to start their career with nine consecutive losses was DeShone Kizer (2007, Browns). To avoid the history books, Rattler has the challenge of solving the Mike Macdonald defense that beat up and baffled Aaron Rodgers last week. It’s a homecoming for Saints coach Kellen Moore and rookie first-round pick Taliese Fuaga, who grew up 30 miles from Lumen Field as a Seahawks fan. Moore hails from Prosser, Wash., and has a large following from neighboring Idaho because of his success as a quarterback at Boise State. Seattle is making every effort to rekindle home dominance from yesteryear but the Seahawks lost at home Week 1 and won only three times there last season. Getting more out of the offense is the thrust this week for Seattle. The Seahawks got their new-look offense on track last week, gaining 395 yards against the Steelers. Sam Darnold threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns, while Kenneth Walker III rushed for 105 yards and a TD — his first 100-plus yard game on the ground since the 2024 season opener.

Dallas Cowboys (1-1) at Chicago Bears (0-2)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Cowboys -1.5, Total 50.5

Series Rewind: A win might be vital for Dallas this week. Over the past 10 seasons, only four teams with first-year head coaches have made the playoffs after a 1-2 start.

Brock Hoffman isn’t a household name, but he might be a make-or-break linchpin for the Cowboys. He steps in for injured center Cooper Beebe starting Sunday charged with keeping the Cowboys’ offense chugging after a 40-point outburst last week to beat the Giants in overtime. Dallas has been more balanced out of the gate, which head coach Brian Schottenheimer credits to the performance of his overhauled offensive line. Beebe made two second-effort blocks last week that saved heavy pressure or big hits on QB Dak Prescott, who is on a heater of sorts. A knife through butter on third down this season, Prescott is 15-of-20 passing with 11 moving the chains. He leads the league in both categories. That’s not great news for Chicago and a secondary fighting injuries. The Bears rolled back home licking their wounds after giving up 52 points to the Lions in a shellacking at Detroit. But the Cowboys’ defense is coming off a rough outing as well. The Giants had 350 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Dallas is surrendering first downs on 52 percent of opponent third-down tries. QB Caleb Williams has directed the offense on opening-drive touchdowns in both games this season. He’ll be staring across the line at a group coordinated by former Bears coach Matt Eberflus this week.

Arizona Cardinals (2-0) at San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: 49ers -1.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: Not many teams are less excited for the Christian McCaffrey experience than the Cardinals. The 49ers’ do-it-all back had over 100 rushing yards and 175 yards from scrimmage yards with seven TDs in two meetings in 2023, but missed both games with Arizona last season. He had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in six of seven career games against the Cardinals.

Quarterback Brock Purdy missed Week 2 with a toe injury, but the 49ers had enough to sink the Saints behind McCaffrey and Mac Jones. Jones threw three TD passes and had a passer rating over 113. McCaffrey is the 49ers’ leading receiver (15) and rusher (124 yards) but San Francisco has had success with Jauan Jennings in the slot in this matchup. He had 12 receptions in two games vs. Arizona last season. QB Kyler Murray has the Cardinals undefeated and threw four TDs in a 47-24 dismantling of injury-ravaged San Francisco in the season-ending matchup last season. Murray is aided by a running game that finished in the top 10 the past two seasons. RB James Conner has been largely held in check with 73 yards on 23 carries. Greybeard defensive end Calais Campbell had 2.0 sacks last week to become the fourth player since 1982 with multiple sacks in a game at age 39-plus (James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Bruce Smith).

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at New York Giants (0-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -5.5, Total 44.5

Series Rewind: The home team has won four of the past five meetings between these teams.

Patrick Mahomes is part of a 0-2 team for the first time in eight seasons as an NFL starting quarterback. The Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory — last place in the AFC West. The last time Kansas City started a season with consecutive losses was 2014 when Mahomes was a freshman quarterback at Texas Tech. The three-time Super Bowl winner has just 445 yards and one touchdown through two games as the Chiefs deal with challenges in the passing game involving wideouts Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and tight end Travis Kelce, who is showing his age. The most recent loss at home last week to the Philadelphia Eagles (20-17) in a Super Bowl rematch revealed flaws in the running game, where Mahomes has been the only consistent threat. The Giants were part of an entertaining effort while falling 40-37 in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Russell Wilson passed for 450 yards, three touchdowns and one interception one week after being criticized for a poor debut with the club in a 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders. The Giants are tied for 27th in scoring defense (30.5 points per game) and are dead last in total defense (455.0 yards per game). New York standout left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) could make his season debut.

Detroit Lions (1-1) at Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -5.5, Total 52.5

Series Rewind: It’s “Monday Night Football” so you know Lamar Jackson is excited about stepping on the field. The Baltimore quarterback has dazzled on Monday nights throughout his career and has 22 passing touchdowns without being intercepted in nine Monday night appearances.

Jackson has twice thrown five touchdown passes and also had four touchdowns through the air when he set the franchise record of 442 passing yards against the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. There should be a lot of points scored in this matchup. The Ravens lead the NFL in scoring average (40.5) and have reached the 40-point mark in both of their games. Detroit ranks third in scoring (32.5) and is coming off a 52-21 whipping of the Chicago Bears in Week 2. Lions quarterback Jared Goff matched his career best of five passing touchdowns while hitting 23 of 28 throws for 334 yards. It was the fifth career start with his team scoring at least 50 points, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (five) for the fourth-most five-TD passing games since 1950, behind Tom Brady (eight starts), Drew Brees (six) and Len Dawson (six). Detroit wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown has caught 13 passes for 160 yards and is tied for the NFL lead with three touchdown receptions. The Lions are seeking to end a five-game skid against Baltimore.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Sept 21

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | The 25th Anniversary of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games and Vince Carter’s Dunk

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – This Thursday, it will be a solid 13,148,730 minutes since the baddest dunk of ‘em all. The date was September 25, 2000 and the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics were scheduled rather late to catch the very beginning of the warm weather Down Under.

That’s 9,131 days or 1,304 weeks and three days, but it seems like yesterday.

Let me tell you, those 13,148,730 moments have been so dear, but how do you measure – measure 25 years?

In Summer Olympics, it’s been Sydney-to-Athens-to-Beijing-to-London-to Rio-to take a little break-to Tokyo, and then it was on to Paris.

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee?

How about men’s Olympic team coaches?

From Rudy Tomjanovich-to-Larry Brown-to-Mike Krzyzewski-to-Mike Krzyzewski-to-Mike Krzyzewski-to-Gregg Popovich-to-Steve Kerr.

That’s a lot of miles and a lot of basketball, especially when you add in the friendlies and the qualifiers. This columnists worked 1984 and ‘88 on USA soil, helping prep the “college guys” with short summer tours within the US vs. a hodge hodge group of NBA players in the various locales. It was fun.

From 1992 in Barcelona to ‘96 in Atlanta to 2000 in Sydney to 2004 in Athens I was on the team bus for the whole ride. (If you want, add the ‘94 Worlds in Toronto, a skip of the ‘98 Worlds in Greece as Patrick Ewing, super-agent David Falk and a group of other high-ranking player agents held the USA men’s senior team hostage for unrelated NBA labor stoppage reasons, then the continuation in 2002 in Indianapolis and even 2006 in Sapporo and Saitama, Japan.

Back on Olympic time, I waved good-bye to the USA Basketball contingent when they departed Las Vegas for Beijing in ‘08 but re-joined the group on USA soil when we announced the team and prepped for Rio in ‘16. I remember that summer well. I welcomed and enjoyed the reunion with the team, but my MacBook Pro did not, but that’s another story.

Let’s get back to Sydney and the current 25-year anniversary of the Summer Olympic Games that I believe were the best. That means the best in my opinion of my personal experience.

Sydney was fan-tastic. The weather, the organizing committee, the venues, the transportation, the crowds, and the vibe. The USA results weren’t bad either, as we brought home the gold in both men’s and women’s basketball against tough competition on the other side of the world.

We stayed out in the ‘burbs – in Parramatta – a town 24 kilometers (about 15 miles) outside of Sydney. Let’s call it the “Astoria, Queens” of Sydney. Great little town and a nice, secure commuter-type hotel we called home. Reserve forward Vin Baker BBQ’d for us, the Canadian TV crews welcomed us at their Outback Steakhouse looking watering hole. The VB and Crown beers were cold and there was not a sight of a Foster’s (Australian for Beer) anywhere to be seen.

My bus-mates were a combination of Kevin Garnett (directly behind me), Ray Allen(directly across the aisle) and Allen Houston (directly behind Ray). What a group! KG kept us entertained, Allen Houston kept us updated on all things of historical significance and all of his day trips while Ray and his A+ personality kept us in line, and he looked out for everyone with his uncanny ability to see all and everything. That was our little crew – for about 40 days.

Most importantly, there were a bunch of great players and great people on the bus. Just focusing on the players, we had Alonzo Mourning and Antonio McDyess amongst the bigs, we had Jason Kidd (thank God) at the point, we had “The Glove,” Gary Payton to shut down any hot-shooting opponents and we had all-around ‘glue’ in Steve Smith who set the best screens (we called ‘em picks) of all-time.

At practices, we’d be sitting at the make-shift scorer’s table, doing some work and maybe charting some stats that Rudy T wanted to look at after each session, and he’d turn around – all excited – and say to us, “Watch this, watch this!” The play would run and Steve Smith would just take out the defender while standing still with a screen. It was amazing. And, if you took out a defender trying to guard Ray Allen or AllenHouston, it was an 18-20 foot lay-up for those sharp-shooters.

Over the years, I came to realize that judging by all-around skills in the international game, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen and David Robinson were the USA’s best players. Yes, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were not of this earth in the focus and mental toughness they brought to every game they played. Steph Curry was someplace far above that at the Paris Games.

But, for this column, at this time – leading into this coming Thursday – let’s take a look at Vince Carter.

On the way to Sydney, I spent quite a bit of time with Vince – mainly in Japan where he was in serious demand for appearances and – generally, was the most popular player on the USA team. The crowds followed him and idolized him. A bit of the sensation came from Carter’s “Half Man, Half Amazing” performance at the 2000 NBA Slam-Dunk Contest in Oakland, held just a few months beforehand.

Carter was left off the nine-man roster for the 2000 Olympics and then was disappointed when USA Basketball settled on Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill and RayAllen to fill the 10th-11th and 12th roster spots. But an ankle injury to Hill opened up a roster spot and Coach Tomjanovich lobbied heavily for the scoring Carter would bring to the team.

Rudy T was right as Carter led the 2000 USA Olympic team in scoring with a 14.8 ppg average, and he scored every tough, important basket needed during the tournament (with the exception of an amazing, medal-saving offensive rebound and put-back by Antonio McDyess in the exciting USA semifinal win over Lithuania (85-83, September 29, 2000).

But, it was one moment in time during the final preliminary game that is remembered the most.

On September 25, 2000, the USA faced eventual silver medalist France in a Group A matchup. The final score was USA 106, France 94, but in the thick of the closely fought game, Vince Carter made a steal in the front court and there was only one defender – France center Frederic Weis – in between Carter and the basket. It was time for Vin-sanity.

In the aftermath of that dunk, a couple things struck me:

  1. It is, indeed, the greatest ‘in-game’ dunk of all-time.
  2. Carter almost struck teammate Kevin Garnett right in the face in his celebration after the play.
  3. After just a few seconds, Carter totally regained his composure and “dee’d up.”
  4. And a memory, when we got the locker room, Carter damn near broke me in half with a hug, still psyched out of his mind and he’d yet to see a replay.

The epilogue on Vince Carter – from direct, first-hand observation: He was a go-to guy who loved the pressure and thrill of competition. He was a pleasure to work with while we had our run with the Olympics team, a tremendous experience. He was a good teammate to the other 11 players and he was highly coachable via Rudy T as they developed a very nice rapport.

Carter’s mega-dunk at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games will live on forever and it’s “only” 25 years and counting.

The USA defeated France, 85-75, in the gold medal game on October 1. Lithuania took the bronze with an 89-71 victory over the hometown Australian Boomers.

It was an enjoyable flight home.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Next Sunday, the column will revisit the 2000 Sydney Olympics in “stream of consciousness” mode, truly testing the old memory bank.

The Government of the United Kingdom and the NBA announced a landmark £10 million investment to grow popularity in the sport of basketball in England, marking the first time the UK Government has committed dedicated funding for the sport under its Community Sport Facilities Programme.

The deal, unveiled during the recent State visit of the US President and First Lady, will see £5 million allocated by the Government in 2026-27, with the NBA matching that investment with £5 million through 2028.

As part of the UK Government’s £400 million Community Sport Facilities Programme, £5 million will be committed to basketball facilities in 2026-27. The funded sites will include a multi-sport offering “so they are accessible and appealing to get as many people active as possible.”

This represents a new approach for the Government, which has previously focused the program on football-led facilities. The NBA will match the investment with £5 million into expanding its grassroots programs, which currently reach more than 50,000 young people across the UK each year.

On the professional level, basketball continues to struggle in Britain amongst in-fighting and – to date – no team has emerged to play in the EuroLeague. There has been rumors of a London-based pro team being part of the plans in the NBA (and FIBA) choose to launch their own league in Europe.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Did you know? The A’s major league baseball team, temporarily relocated to Sacramento after leaving Oakland, lost 20 of 21 games between May 14 and June 4 but were the third best team in the Majors from July 24 to the present day, with only Philadelphia and Milwaukee having better records. The A’s took two-of-three from the Red Sox at Fenway this past week, severely damaging the Sox chances of catching the AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays and Wild Card leading NY Yankees. … The Cleveland Guardians have won 14 of their past 15 games, including a make-up game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon. They have the second of a same day twin bill Saturday night.

EIGHT DAYS A WEEK: The 2025 Major League Baseball regular season will conclude in eight days. Many of the Division titles and Wild Card berths will probably be decided on the final weekend of the season. A good look at The standings (they call it a “ladder” in Europe), shows who is in and who’s been eliminated. Click HERE. The final statistics will reveal a number of significant accomplishments. Heading into Saturday’s full schedule, consider these, among many other feats:

  • Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) – 48 Home Runs with 104 RBI and a league-leading .327 batting average.
  • Cal Raleigh (Seattle) – MLB-leading 56 Home Runs, crushing the single season HR record for catchers.
    • Other leaders include:
      • 48 Sal Perez (KC Royals
      • 45 Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds)
      • 43 Javy Lopez (Atlanta Braves)
  • Max Fried (NY Yankees) – MLB leader in Wins – 18
    • Other leaders include:
      • Garrett Crochet (Boston) – 17 – (Also leads MLB in Ks (249)
      • Freddie Peralta (Milwaukee) -17

Going into Saturday games, the Boston Red Sox are:

  • Are 60-49 vs. right handed starting pitchers
  • Are 24-21 vs. left handed starting pitchers

THIS JEST IN: In case you weren’t paying attention, it’s only Week 3 of the NFL regular season schedule and the following QBs are currently injured or have missed time:

  • Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) – toe surgery
  • J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota) – ankle
  • Justin Fields (NY Jets) – concussion
  • Brock Purdy (San Francisco) – shoulder/toe – questionable
  • Jayden Daniels (Washington DC) – knee

All, except Purdy, are listed as OUT for games of September 21.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: You can’t fire the team and you shouldn’t fire the coach, so just who is left? The Bison! Colorado’s new live buffalo mascot made her debut at Folsom Field last night when Colorado played against Wyoming.

She’s officially named Ralphie VII, although a unique nickname is soon to come after her first run. Ralphie VII is the latest in a string of field-storming live mascot buffaloes, a storied tradition and one of college football’s most iconic. The running of the buffalo has been a must-glimpse event at the school for the past 58 years. The one-year-old bison steps in for Ralphie VI, who went into retirement before the start of season after showing little enthusiasm toward making the gallop around the field.