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NFL Sunday Night Football Preview

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Dallas Cowboys (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Packers -1.5. Total: 52.5.

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Series Rewind: These non-divisional rivals played to a 40-40 tie in overtime last season in Texas, racking up a combined 925 yards of offense. Including the playoffs, the Cowboys have lost five of their last six games at Lambeau Field.

The Cowboys have alternated wins and losses through five games this season. They are 0-2 in prime time, losing on Sunday night in Week 1 to the Giants and on Thursday night in Week 5 to the Buccaneers. Dak Prescott is just 1-3-1 against Green Bay in the regular season despite racking up 16 total touchdowns (14 passing, two rushing). CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are facing a Packers defense that ranks No. 5 against the pass, allowing 181 yards per game with more interceptions (seven) than TD passes allowed (six). Running back Javonte Williams has scored 20 touchdowns in his first 21 games with Dallas. Green Bay has bogged down in the red zone with TDs on only nine of 18 trips inside the 20. Jordan Love threw for 337 yards and three scores last season at Dallas, while Christian Watson set a career high with three TD catches in his only prior meeting against the Cowboys back in 2022. Discipline has been an issue for coach Matt LaFleur’s club with 46 penalties for 369 yards.

–Field Level Media

NFL Week 6 Previews: 4pm Games

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Arizona Cardinals (1-4) at Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Rams -12.5. Total: 51.5.

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Series Rewind: The Rams have won three consecutive games over Arizona. Matthew Stafford threw four TD passes in the 37-20 victory to end the 2025 regular season.

Another hard-luck defeat, 37-34 to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, sends the Rams into Week 6. They’ve played well in the second half of late — LA scored 14 fourth-quarter points to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20 in Week 4 and forced overtime against the Bills with 20 fourth-quarter points — but a complete game has been fleeting. Matthew Stafford has started to hit his stride after a slow start, completing 74.1% of his passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns against the Bills. He did not throw an interception for the first time this season. Puka Nacua had a career-high 17 receptions that went for 138 yards and a touchdown. Davante Adams had two TD receptions of his own. But the Rams’ kicking game proved costly. They signed Blake Grupe off the New York Jets’ practice squad. In 50 career NFL games over three seasons, mostly for the New Orleans Saints, Grupe has made 81.9% of his field goals. The Cardinals arrive on a four-game losing streak after a 45-21 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The next day, the Cardinals traded Marvin Harrison Jr. to Houston. Jacoby Brissett completed 61.7% of his passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, but the Cardinals’ defense gave up 412 total yards, including 163 on the ground. The Lions put the game away with three second-half touchdowns. Arizona now heads back to the Los Angeles area, where they got their season off to what appeared to be a promising start with a 26-14 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Arizona gave up an average of 37 points over their last four games and former Rams assistant Mike LaFleur, in his first season coaching the Cardinals, might limit Jeremiyah Love this week because of an ankle injury. The Rams will be without left tackle Alaric Jackson, who was suspended for an altercation after Monday’s loss.

Los Angeles Chargers (0-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Chiefs -7.5. Total 41.5.

Series Rewind: In their most recent meeting in Week 15 last season, the Chargers completed their first sweep of the Chiefs since 2013, eliminated Kansas City from playoff contention and left Patrick Mahomes with a torn left ACL.

Coming off a bye week, the Chiefs are looking for their fifth 5-0 start since head coach Andy Reid arrived in 2013. Including his 5-0 start with the Eagles in 2004, he can become the third coach in NFL history with six such starts (George Halas, Paul Brown). Mahomes is 10-4 against the Chargers with 28 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Running back Kenneth Walker is off to a sizzling start with 621 scrimmage yards and six TDs in his first four games with Kansas City, which is playing at home for the first time in nearly a month (Sept. 20 win over the Colts). Travis Kelce needs six catches to pass Cris Carter (1,101) for sixth place in NFL history. Off to their worst start since 2003, the Chargers rank 30th with just 16.8 points per game. Justin Herbert has thrown at least one touchdown — and at least one pick — in every contest this season. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack has 10 sacks in 17 career games against the Chiefs.Buy Game Tickets

Buffalo Bills (4-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Fan Duel odds: Bills -5.5. Total: 53.5.

Series Rewind: Buffalo has won the past three meetings and five of seven. The series dates back to 1960 when both teams were part of the American Football League. One forgettable meeting for the Raiders is when the Bills rolled to a 51-3 victory in the 1990 season AFC title game to reach the Super Bowl.

The Bills can move the ball at will and score often but they also can’t seem to slow down opposing offenses. That means a high-scoring affair could be on tap with Buffalo tied for the league lead in scoring at 32.8 points and Las Vegas checking in ninth at 26.4. The Bills stand 28th in scoring defense (28.2) and 30th in total defense (388.6). Monday’s 37-34 overtime road win over the Los Angeles Rams marked the third time this season Buffalo has scored more than 30 points and given up more than 30 in the same game. Running back James Cook III lost two fumbles – one in overtime with the Bills in field-goal range – and that takes the shine off him ranking third in the NFL with 532 rushing yards. Quarterback Josh Allen leads the NFL with eight rushing scores and he rushed for 121 yards against the Rams while passing the ball just 19 times. Receiver DJ Moore (shoulder) and defensive tackle Ed Oliver (knee) both look likely to miss their second consecutive games. The Raiders have dropped two straight contests and were whipped 45-17 by the host New England Patriots last week. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is playing well with 1,269 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions while tight end Brock Bowers had eight receptions for 110 yards and one score against New England. Running back Ashton Jeanty had just 27 yards on 10 carries and has a paltry 3.3 average with 291 rushing yards. The Raiders entered the week tied for the NFL lead in turnover margin (+10).

 

NFL Week 6 Previews: 1pm Games

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New York Jets (2-3) at New England Patriots (3-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Patriots -7.5. Total: 43.5.

Series Rewind: The Patriots have won 18 of the past 20 meetings.

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Wide receiver A.J. Brown could be back for the first time since he hurt his right ankle in a 13-10 Week 1 loss to Seattle. The Patriots are waiting until at least Saturday to gauge whether Brown is fully ready. The Jets snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Cleveland 17-12 last week. The Jets have committed just three turnovers through five games, with quarterback Geno Smith throwing six touchdown passes and no interceptions on 147 attempts. New York wide receiver Garrett Wilson has 31 receptions for 374 yards and three touchdowns. New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez practiced Friday and could be back for another showdown with Wilson. In three head-to-head meetings, Gonzalez limited Wilson to eight receptions for 72 yards on 51 total routes. The Jets have the NFL’s fifth-best scoring defense (19.2 ppg) and will be facing a New England offense that may not have running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) or starting left tackle Will Campbell (knee). Henderson and Campbell were both injured against the Raiders, and, like Brown and Gonzalez, were limited in Wednesday’s practice. New England quarterback Drake Maye was intercepted seven times during New England’s first four games, but completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns without an interception during the Patriots’ 45-17 victory over Las Vegas last week.

Chicago Bears (3-2) at Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bears -1.5. Total: 51.5.

Series Rewind: The Bears demolished the Falcons, 37-17, in the last game between these teams in 2023. Four different Bears scored TDs in a matchup of quarterbacks Justin Fields (Bears) and Taylor Heinicke (Falcons).

Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. were drafted seven picks apart in the 2023 draft. Health willing, they’ll play on the field again Sunday for the first time since the ’23 college season. That Top 25 matchup ended a 52-42 victory for Penix and the No. 5 Washington Huskies over Williams and No. 24 USC. If either team wants to hit that level this NFL season, protection in the pocket has to become a higher priority. That’s why head coach Ben Johnson said he’s bringing a meat-and-potatoes approach to the offense with a focus on a timeshare at running back and controlling time of possession. The Falcons have less cause for concern this week after Chicago lost top pass rusher Montez Sweat to a two-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Atlanta never needs an invitation to pound the rock with running back Bijan Robinson. He’s second in the NFL with 732 total yards this season.

Tennessee Titans (0-5) at Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Colts -6.5. Total: 44.5.

Series Rewind: The Colts have swept the season series from the Titans three consecutive seasons. Tennessee’s last win was in 2022, a 19-10 victory in which the lone touchdown for the Titans was Andrew Adams’ 76-yard interception return.

The Colts ran into plenty of problems last week in Pittsburgh, specifically 188 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns from the Steelers’ Jaylen Warren and 235 passing yards and three TD passes from Aaron Rodgers. That was too much to overcome for an Indianapolis offense looking to regain the form that carried the team to an 8-2 start last year. Indianapolis is scoring 24.8 points per game this season (11th in the NFL) but ranks in the bottom half of the league in rushing, passing, total yards and third-down conversion percentage. Although Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 398 yards and six touchdowns in five games, quarterback Daniel Jones hasn’t been quite as efficient. Losing No. 1 wide receiver Alec Pierce hasn’t helped, but Jones has averaged 5.8 yards per attempt. Tennessee could help Jones find the explosive plays the offense has been missing. The Titans are allowing opponents to complete 74% of their passes, a rate surpassed only by the Miami Dolphins’ 76.6%. Tennessee’s offense has been consistently ineffective, averaging a league-low 11.6 points per game. The Titans suffered a 26-3 home loss to the previously winless Houston Texans last week. Tennessee ranks last in total offense, 31st in passing, 27th in rushing and last in average time of possession. Second-year quarterback Cam Ward is averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, the same as Jones. Since the start of the 2024 season, the Titans have lost 33 of 39 games, with four of the defeats coming against the Colts.

New Orleans Saints (1-4) at New York Giants (3-1-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Saints -1.5. Total: 45.5.

Series Rewind: New Orleans has won three consecutive games against the Giants. The all-time series (regular-season games only) between the teams is tied 17-17.

Jameis Winston played four seasons in New Orleans and made 10 starts for the Saints. Now he’s the Giants’ starter after Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury. Winston is 2-0-1 as the starter in potentially his most extended opportunity since being Tampa Bay’s No. 1 quarterback from 2015-19. The Giants leaned more heavily on Winston last week than they had previously and he responded by passing for 326 yards and three touchdowns in leading the team back from a 14-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter to escape Washington with a 27-27 tie. He passed for 254 yards and all three touchdowns after halftime. New York is 3-0 at home, including a 28-20 season-opening win vs. the Cowboys, the only full game Dart played. The Saints played their last three games at home and lost all three, prompting owner Gayle Benson to publicly call the team’s performance “not acceptable to me” and to say she was committed “to making the decisions necessary to improve this team.” After the game Sunday, the Saints will fly to Paris to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 25, then have their bye week, meaning they won’t play at home again until Nov. 8 against the Cleveland Browns. During the final nine quarters of the three-game homestand, New Orleans turned the ball over eight times, including three interceptions and two fumbles by Shough.

Baltimore Ravens (4-1) at Cleveland Browns (3-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Ravens -3.0. Total: 39.5

Series Rewind: Baltimore swept last season’s two meetings and has won the past three. The Browns have started Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, Bailey Zappe, Jameis Winston, Deshaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback in the past six meetings.

The Ravens will see former offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who’s now on the enemy side as Cleveland’s first-year coach. Watson has received another chance with Monken around and he’s been productive early with 1,010 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions. Wideout Denzel Boston has been an immediate hit, leading all rookies with 330 receiving yards and leading the NFL with a 20.6 average per catch. The Browns are improved but the old warts were back during last week’s 17-12 loss to the New York Jets. Cleveland had just 198 yards in the contest. Overall, the Browns are struggling offensively and rank 29th in total offense (273.6) and are tied for 27th in scoring offense (18.6). Cleveland defensive tackle Mason Graham (knee/ankle) practiced Friday after missing last week. The Ravens are hoping that quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) will be ready after he missed last week’s 30-23 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. But he missed his second consecutive full week of practice. Tyler “Snoop” Huntley could land another start. Huntley scored the game-winning points on a 1-yard run against the Falcons and completed 24 of 32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Derrick Henry rushed for 102 yards against Atlanta. He ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing yards (476) and is tied for second with seven rushing touchdowns.

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Fan Duel odds: Steelers -2.5. Total: 38.5.

Series Rewind: Pittsburgh has won six of the past seven meetings and 10 of 12 all-time. Tom Brady was Tampa Bay’s quarterback the last time these teams met in 2022 and the Buccaneers fell 20-18 after Brady’s two-point conversion throw was broken up by Devin Bush with 4:38 remaining.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown three touchdown passes in three consecutive games and completed a season-best 71% of his throws in last week’s 34-22 home win over the Indianapolis Colts. Rodgers has overall passed for 1,234 yards and 10 touchdowns against four interceptions. But the MVP of the offense has been 5-foot-8 Jaylen Warren, who became the sixth player in NFL history to have a rushing touchdown of 50 or more yards and a receiving score of 80 or more yards in the same game. Warren had a career-high 188 scrimmage yards (101 rush, career-best 87 receiving yards) against the Colts and is tied for sixth in the NFL with 410 rushing yards. Steelers star linebacker T.J. Watt continues to excel and has 4.5 sacks and an interception return for touchdown. Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels is in line to make his third straight start with Baker Mayfield still recovering from a dislocated right thumb. Mayfield missed practice again Thursday. Daniels guided the Buccaneers to a 24-16 victory over the host Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 8 as he completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown. But the biggest contributor was running back Bucky Irving, who had a career-best 165 rushing yards to go with two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) to fuel a ground attack that rolled up 241 yards. Irving ranks eighth in the NFL with 406 rushing yards.

Carolina Panthers (2-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Panthers -3.5. Total 38.5.

Series Rewind: The Eagles are 9-4 against the Panthers in the regular season. The last four meetings have been decided by six or fewer points, including Carolina’s 22-16 loss at Philadelphia the last time they met in Week 14 in 2024.

Philadelphia has lost three straight games and is playing without Jalen Hurts and possibly Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith. Fourth-year backup quarterback Tanner McKee is poised to make just his third NFL start after drawing Week 18 assignments in each of the past two seasons. He will need help from wideouts Darius Cooper (four touchdowns on seven catches this season) and Dontayvion Wicks, who has averaged just 37.7 yards during the losing streak. Coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense ranks 29th in the NFL with only three takeaways, including zero fumble recoveries. The Panthers are rested after a bye week and looking to climb above .500 for the first time this season. Bryce Young leads the NFL with 317 passing yards per game and has thrown three TD passes in each of his past two starts. Running back Chuba Hubbard has had success in the past against Philadelphia with a combined 241 yards from scrimmage and one score in two meetings. The defense ranks 31st against the run (156.5 yards

NFL Thursday Night Football Preview

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With a home matchup Thursday night against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and their “Dark Side” defense looming, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix made an admission: “I just have to remind myself not to play hero ball.”

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“We want to be aggressive, and then you see stats and see, well, this team is causing the most turnovers in the league,” Nix said. “And then it’s like, well, OK, I can’t put my team in a position where I’m turning the football over and putting our defense in a bad spot and giving them a short field.”

“Just play the play and if the play’s there, hit it,” Nix continued. “And if it’s not there, check it down, throw it away, punt.”

It’s an approach the Seahawks (3-2) might want to adapt as well, especially after Sunday’s 32-29 loss to visiting San Francisco in which they committed four turnovers. Three of them led to 49ers touchdowns in the first half, with the longest drive being 18 yards.

“There needs to be a sense of urgency to get better and have ball security,” said Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, who was 18-for-29 for 195 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. “For me personally, I’m going to try to be as decisive as I can be and go through my reads and trust what I see, trust my feet, all those things. But (we) can’t have turnovers, got to protect the football in this league. And if you don’t, you’ll pay.”

In the Seahawks’ other defeat this season, 33-31 on Sept. 27 at Washington, they committed three turnovers that led to 21 Commanders points.

“It’s not like we are getting blown out …” said Brian Fleury, the Seahawks’ first-year offensive coordinator. “They made some plays when we didn’t and we’re just going to keep focusing on our process, make sure that we’re getting better each week and let the outcomes take care of themselves.”

The Broncos (3-2) defeated the host Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown against his former team.

Nix was 16-of-27 passing for 123 yards and a score. He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. Wil Lutz kicked a pair of field goals as the Broncos rallied from a 17-10 deficit in the fourth quarter to win despite amassing just 224 yards of total offense.

“I heard long ago, I don’t know where it came from, it may have been from my parents, but if you stop enjoying the wins, you need to just go on and do something else because it’s not going to be fun for you anymore,” Nix said. “In a way, I’ve felt that a little bit.

“We’re sitting here at 3-2 and we’re having a good start to our season. There’s things we want to clean up. There’s things we want to fix. We’re leaving some things out there on the field, but we’re finding ways to win like we did last year. I feel strongly that we’re going to continue to do that, so the most important thing is winning, obviously.”

Broncos coach Sean Payton said there will be chances to “find plays that are clean” for Nix against the Seahawks, who rank first in the league in total defense (251.2 yards per game), passing defense (150.8 yards per game) and takeaways (11).

Both teams are relatively healthy. The Broncos had just safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle) and cornerback Pat Surtain II (ankle) listed as not participating in practice on Tuesday, which was an estimation as the team held a walk-through. For the Seahawks, linebackers Drake Thomas (ankle) and Chazz Surratt (calf) did not participate, per the estimation. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (ankle) was listed as limited for a second consecutive day. Guard Beau Stephens (shoulder) was upgraded from limited to a full participant.

–Field Level Media

ACC Football: Pitt Faces Test at BC

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CHESTNUT HILL – The undefeated run is over, but Pitt’s Atlantic Coast Conference journey continues with a Saturday test at Boston College.

The Panthers (5-1, 2-1) trek north to Chestnut Hill, Mass., in search of their sixth straight ACC road win dating back to last season after suffering a 21-17 defeat at home against North Carolina last week.

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Fifth-year quarterback Holden Geriner will continue to start after sophomore Mason Heintschel tore his ACL at Virginia Tech two weeks ago. Heintschel and the Panthers racked up 503 yards in a 48-7 win over Boston College on Oct. 4, 2025.

Against North Carolina, Geriner completed 71% of his passes with no turnovers in the first half for 99 yards. But he threw two interceptions following intermission in finishing 27 of 44 for a career-high 219 yards. Pitt also turned the ball over on downs in three straight drives at the end of the game and lost despite forcing two turnovers and allowing only 20 rushing yards.

“(Starting Geriner is) still the plan moving forward,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “You get too much rotation, then you’ve got problems. We got a ton of confidence in Holden. … I didn’t quite see what I wanted to see in the second half, but that’s football.”

Boston College (2-3, 0-2) had a bye week after letting a slight first-half lead slip in its 25-16 loss at then-No. 21 SMU on Oct. 3.

The recent time off helped the Eagles get healthier after 53 players had the flu the week of the trip to Dallas, while Notre Dame transfer Bodie Kahoun, a linebacker, has returned to the depth chart for the first time since leaving the Week 2 game against Rutgers.

“I think he probably has a good chance to play,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said of Kahoun.

The Eagles stayed in it against SMU thanks to Mason McKenzie passing for 208 yards in his first two-touchdown effort of the season, but five sacks helped neutralize his dual-threat ability (80.7 rushing yards per game). He finished with 74 yards on 21 carries, including a 40-yarder.

Before his injury, Kahoun quickly emerged on a Boston College defense that has eight takeaways and ranks second in the ACC with 164.6 passing yards allowed per game.

Pitt, meanwhile, averages 459.8 total yards per game and has thrown for 17 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Tune In: To the “Spalking” Heads

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Spalk, a cloud-based commentary and technology platform scaling multilingual commentary for teams, leagues and broadcast partners, announced its largest North American sports expansion, adding more non-English global partnerships with the NFL and the NBA as the fall progresses. The NBA expansion will include the first-ever remote broadcasts in seven languages for NBA on Prime, while the NFL expansion now includes live commentary in five additional languages never offered before.

“We have come a long way from launching the business in a New Zealand dorm room in 2015, and there is no better proof of concept than what we are now doing with a growing number of North American leagues, particularly the NFL and the NBA,” said Ben Reynolds Co-founder and CEO at Spalk. “The best way to reach consumers and make them fans on a global level is to give them the excitement of the live event in their own language, and we have refined the technology so that delivery, consistency and professionalism of talent is at a premium. By employing the largest group of multilingual talent literally everywhere in the world, we can assure that the leagues, our growing list of broadcast partners and most importantly the fans, are literally being heard and enjoying real-time multilingual broadcasts every day, with more to come.”

This coming season, Spalk will provide NBA broadcasts in Greek, Portuguese, Turkish, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and Korean using their qualifying list of talent. For NBA on Prime, coverage will cover Friday doubleheaders with 28 different commentators on one night across the two games. Twice this season there will be a triple header broadcast. That will have 42 commentators in one day across three games. For the NFL, Spalk is now delivering broadcasts in French, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Italian, a clear reflection of the global growth of the league.

Through the agreements, Spalk will provide its proprietary cloud-based streaming and AI-powered production technology to support enhanced live game coverage, multilingual commentary capabilities, and deeper fan interaction across digital platforms as well as remote real-time commentary in languages that the properties were not able to offer before. This month, Spalk will have over 5,500 announcers on their roster in 52 languages, the latest of which is Mongolian, which will be heard covering the Japanese basketball championships (in English and Spanish as well).

The 2026-27 season is the first European Football Season where Spalk is being used to produce multilingual coverage across all of the top five leagues in Europe (EPL, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga & Ligue 1), which includes production in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian for various rights holders around the world. Recent highlights include producing commentary in 22 languages of coverage on the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2026 being the first year Spalk has localized coverage for marquee properties like the Tour de France, the NBA and F1.

Broadcasters using Spalk’s Virtual Commentary Studio report savings of up to 85% compared with on-site production, which has helped make localized, multilingual coverage affordable for both the biggest leagues and niche sports. In turn, they are able to better commercialize their broadcast coverage and build fanbases around the world.

Patriots Roll on Vegas, 45-17

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FOXBOROUGH – New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a TD to help the Patriots defeat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 Sunday in Massachusetts.

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Rhamondre Stevenson added a 5-yard touchdown run for New England, which outgained Las Vegas 536-306. DeMario Douglas had two TD catches for the Patriots.

The Raiders (3-2) received a touchdown catch from tight end Brock Bowers (eight receptions, 110 yards) and a TD run from running back Dylan Laube.

Maye tossed two touchdown passes in the first half, when New England (3-2) built a 21-7 lead.

The Patriots struck first on a 35-yard pass from Maye to Douglas with 11:23 left in the first quarter, but Las Vegas tied the game 7-7 on a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to Bowers with 8:19 to go in the period. Stevenson’s touchdown run gave New England a 14-7 lead with 1:30 left in the first.

Maye’s second touchdown pass was an 11-yard completion to tight end Hunter Henry with 24 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Patriots extended their lead to 28-7 on a 34-yard scoring pass from Maye to Kyle Williams with 12:58 left in the third quarter.

Las Vegas’ Matt Gay made a 46-yard field goal with 8:30 left in the third to make it 28-10, but Maye responded with a 3-yard scoring run to push the lead to 35-10 with 3:10 remaining in the period. Andy Borregales’ 28-yard field goal 48 seconds into the fourth quarter extended the margin to 38-10.

Laube scored his first NFL touchdown on a 2-yard run with 10:49 to play to trim New England’s lead to 38-17. The Patriots answered with an 8-yard scoring pass from Maye to Douglas with 6:06 on the clock.

New England lost two key offensive players to injuries in the first half. Running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) and left tackle Will Campbell (knee) both went down in the second quarter. Neither returned to the game.

–Field Level Media

 

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 11

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The seasons, they are a’changing. Frost has already set in on the Mums. The firewood has been ordered and it better be delivered real soon because we’re going to need it within a week or two. College and Pro football are hitting stride, the NHL is underway and college ice hockey has begun.

Soon? It’ll be the NBA regular season (October 20) and the start of college basketball.

Ten games into the college and NBA seasons, there’ll be time for an educated, in-depth look-see at the contenders and pretenders, but now it’s time to focus on uncertainty.

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Uncertainty – as in – St. John’s has two players in the midst of different lawsuits against the NCAA. At the moment, St. John’s is relying on the various legal avenues, including lawsuits and injunctions, to secure playing time for athletes impacted by recent changes to NCAA participation rules. These two rulings will be critical for determining the Storm’s starting rotation and overall depth heading into the winter.

For Johnnie’s recruit Babacar Sane, he is in total limbo and currently abiding by a four-game green light to play while his case moves forward in teh legal system. His eligibility remains a focal point of the team’s Top 20 legitimacy as he pursues a permanent ruling regarding his prior involvement with the G League Ignite.

For Keyshawn Hall, his status is a bit more up in the air. He is actively contesting his status in court, arguing for fifth-year eligibility under the newly implemented “5-in-5” age-based model. St. John’s efforts to secure injunctive relief for Hall have shifted to New York after his previous attempts to gain eligibility through the Ohio court system were effectively blocked. By filing the lawsuit in Queens, where St. John’s is located, his representatives are attempting to bypass the hurdles encountered in his previous jurisdiction and secure a favorable ruling before the team’s season opener against Monmouth University on November 2nd. The hearing is scheduled for October 13.

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Those two upcoming legal hearings for the players will dictate the final makeup of the roster, which Pitino hopes will be fully available to compete in a highly competitive conference.

In mid-summer, St. John’s took two significant off-season hits.

The loss of transfer portal bonanza Donnie Freeman dealt a significant blow to all of St. John’s expectations shortly before the team was scheduled to report for offseason workouts. After transferring from Syracuse with high marks, the talented forward suffered a non-contact ruptured Achilles tendon during an individual training session in July. Freeman was expected to start for coach Rick Pitino.

The other, one of the international roster additions, was caught in an unexpected US State Department shift as 6-foot-6 Djordije Jovanovic was unable to complete his planned move to the United States. Despite an initial agreement that would have brought the player to Queens, he was ultimately blocked by logistical hurdles regarding his travel documentation. The visa-related travel issues made it impossible for him to join the team in time for the season, leading both parties to agree that he should stay with his club in Podgori (Montenegro).

Jovanovic previously obtained US clearance when he played 44 games for the (minor league) G-League Ontario Clippers (California) between 2022-24.

While St. John’s will channel the movement and nurse the recuperation of three of those players, it seems Jovanovic is out. That’s a serious set-back as he was a key contributor for Montenegro during the 2023 FIBA U-20 European Championship, where he served as a primary offensive option for his junior national team squad.

Meanwhile, the University of Connecticut (co-winners of the 2026 BIG EAST) are stacked and ranked No. 10 in the nation and No. 1 in the Big East.

Keep an eye out for Tuesday’s count proceedings and potential ruling.

BLUE RIBBON MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 for ‘26-27: Here’s a look at the preseason prognostications for the PRESEASON TOP 25 – (Blue Ribbon is a MUST PURCHASE – LINK IS HERE.

1. Florida

2. Duke

3. Illinois

4. Michigan State

5. Arizona

6. Tennessee

7. Texas

8. Houston

9. Arkansas

10. Connecticut

11. Vanderbilt

12. Michigan

13. Miami

14. Missouri

15. Virginia

16. Kansas

17. Iowa State

18. Louisville

19. Kentucky

20. St. John’s

21. Alabama

22. USC

23. Gonzaga

24. Ohio State

25. North Carolina

Artists’ rendition of future-world Carnesseca Court (St. John’s file).

 

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: LOUIE, LOUIE: They’ll need the ghost of Richard Berry (1935-1997) to honor the great Coach Lou Carnesseca in song if St. John’s can eventually build an on-campus arena (see top of the column) that would house a handful of men’s games that aren’t played at The Mecca – Madison Square Garden, but would create a tremendous facility for women’s basketball and other indoor sports. It’s been years-and-years of talk about building a modern facility at Union Turpike & Utopia Parkway, and the likes of legends Mel Davis and Billy Schaeffer spent even longer trying to raise the money to get a suitable building funded and built. But, recently, St. John’s Athletic Director Ed Kull posted this dream of an artists’ rendition. (Note the retired number of “23” – as Bill Wennington must’ve been on their mind.

A SERIOUS – RIP FOR … DITKA! – Guessing LT and Tom Brady deserve mention, but for my money, there are no better three football players EVER than Sayers, Butkis and Ditka (changed TE position/great coach. Ditka = five Pro Bowls, Super Bowl wins as head coach (‘85 Bears, plus as a player and assistant coach for Dallas Cowboys) and Pro Football Hall of Fame, first ever inductee as a Tight End.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The College Football Playoff (CFP’s) communications arm issued the following update regarding discussions with ESPN on a potential playoff expansion to 24 teams:

“While Friday, October 9 marked the end of the exclusive 30-day negotiating period with ESPN, we continue to have ongoing discussions with ESPN regarding media rights connected to potential playoff expansion to 24 teams. The dialogue throughout the window has been constructive, and we will carry these conversations forward with ESPN as we determine the path ahead. Given the confidential nature of these discussions, there isn’t more to share at this time. We will provide additional updates when appropriate.”

QUESTION 68? The Athletic reported, “Out of 68 schools in the Power Four conferences, Boston College was estimated to be spending the least on its football roster.” According to the Boston Globe, “The Eagles haven’t finished above .500 in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 2009. Last year, they were 2-10 overall. But after that dismal season, the athletic department pledged to spend more to compete for talent — across all sports, not just football. BC officials, disputing the figures cited in the report by The Athletic, say they’ve lived up to that promise.”

THE WNBA FINALS matchup is set between Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries. Atlanta advanced to the league’s Finals for the first time since 2013, completing a 3-0 sweep of New York behind 22 points from Angel Reese in an 85-83 Game 3 win. The Valkyries became the first expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals within its first two seasons, completing a three-game sweep of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday night. The Valkyries will face the Dream in the best-of-seven series that begins Saturday, Oct. 17 at Golden State (SF). Atlanta reached the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011 and 2013, but got swept each time. The series can go until Oct. 31 if it were to need seven games to decide a champion.

TIME HAS COME TODAY: Look who graces the current issue of TIME Magazine. While fantasy sports players might opt to draft Denver’s Nicola Jokic or San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick, NBA GMs are more likely to favor the all-around game of the incredible Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder.

“I think I’m the best player in the NBA,” he says. “I think the production that I have night in and night out is best-player-in-the-NBA production. I think the efficiency that I do it at is best-player-in-the-NBA efficiency. I think everybody picks up a basketball or a soccer ball or a football or a tennis ball to win the game, the match, whatever it is. And I’ve done my fair share of winning in these past couple years,” says the pull quotes of the cover story in TIME. You can read the full story at Shai in Time.

WHAT DO YOU PREDICT? – The NFL is urging the Supreme Court to rule on the regulation of prediction markets after the league accounted for $1.8 billion in trading volume on the first Sunday of this season alone, arguing that states are better positioned to oversee sports-related contracts “given the current landscape.”

The NFL filed a brief in support of New Jersey’s request for a high court decision on the governing authority for prediction markets, which provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the result of future events, according to Associated Press and multiple gaming media sites.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has maintained it has exclusive jurisdiction, while states have argued that the array of typically yes-or-no questions is akin to gambling and falls under their purview.

“Absent the clarity that only this Court can provide, (prediction market) operators will continue exploiting the gap between state and federal regulation, endangering consumers and the integrity of sports events across the country,” lawyers for the NFL wrote in their brief to the Court.

“Any delay from the Court will result in increasing consumer harm and risk to game integrity,” the NFL continued in its brief.

Kalshi spokeswoman Elisabeth Diana said its top priority is market integrity, and she pointed to its partnerships with the NHL, Major League Baseball and other sports organizations as evidence.

“Contrary to the NFL’s statements, the CFTC is actively policing sports-related markets, which are now listed on nearly every U.S. commodities exchange,” Diana said.

THIS JEST IN: Disgraced former CBS Sports NFL commentator and Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo will not have a pro golf gig to fill the time lost after being dismissed by the suits at CBS. The recently departed Romo was disqualified from the final round of a Korn Ferry pre-qualifier tournament, held October 2, coincidentally the same day he parted ways with CBS over his July operating while intoxicated (OWI) arrest.

Romo, who was attempting to make the cut for the Korn Ferry Tour, was accused of signing his score card with the wrong scores on two holes, per Golf.com.

Romo reportedly signed for a 4 on 16 and a 4 on 17 on his own scorecard. Problem was, his marker, Brandon Rice, had Romo marked down for a 4 on 16 and a 5 on 17. And when another pro reviewed Romo’s score, that pro believed Romo actually shot a 5 and a 5.

When contacted, Romo reportedly took responsibility for the error. Since he signed for a lower score than he should have received, Romo was automatically disqualified from the event.

Fore!

Remember, there’s always flag football.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: According to the Associated Press, Andrew Bailey knew enough about the U.S. Open, this past summer, that late Friday afternoon was an ideal time to sneak away from his duties in the merchandise pavilion and watch golf. He was outside the ropes at Shinnecock Hills (Long Island) this year to see 17-year-old Miles Russell grind to make the cut.

And then it was back to work in a 34,000-square-foot tent where his company, premium golf apparel brand Holderness & Bourne, sets up shop each year.

Bailey will be back at the U.S. Open next year at Pebble Beach in a far different capacity — hitting shots, not selling shirts.

“I’ve been trying to process it all,” Bailey said Monday evening, four days removed from winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur by playing bogey-free over the final 17 holes in a 5-and-4 victory. His first USGA title gets him into the Masters and U.S. Open.

Bailey tied for 38th in Q-school PGA Tour Canada in April 2015 to earn conditional status but never played on the PGA Tour. Three months later, he fell 20 feet while rock climbing at Whipps Ledges in Ohio, causing a compound fracture of his wrist that required two plates and 11 screws.

Proposed MLB Changes for 2027

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NEW YORK – (Major League Baseball proposed changes to both the regular season and playoffs to the MLB Players Association on Thursday.

MLB offered a revised regular-season schedule of 154 games, down from 162, that provides a standard off-day every week, beginning in the 2029 campaign. The altered slate — which was used almost exclusively between 1904-60 — would then allow for the AL and NL Division Series to expand from best-of-five to best-of-seven sets, thereby adding as many as eight more postseason games.

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The expanded playoffs would allow for more off-days, thereby reducing weekday daytime postseason games.

Also, the proposal allows for higher-seeded clubs in the wild-card and division series to be able to select their opponents, beginning in the 2027 season. The No. 3 seed in each league would choose its foe among the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds for its wild-card series, while the No. 1 seed in each league would select its opponent in the next round.

“Returning to a 154-game schedule would allow us to introduce a weekly off-day, which is good for player health, while also creating a new national broadcast window to showcase our most exciting teams and players,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said. “A shorter regular season unlocks making October even better for our fans — with fewer weekday afternoon games, a longer division series and more opportunities to see the game’s best pitchers on the biggest stage. And allowing the top seeds to select their opponents in the first two rounds would create compelling storylines, intensify existing rivalries and create new ones.

The scheduled off-day would be every Monday with the exception of a few games that would be shown in an exclusive national broadcast window. Per MLB, the teams that play on Monday would then have an off-day on Thursday.

“The league made multiple scheduling proposals today,” MLBPA said in a statement. “We are reviewing these materials, including the proposed changes to the playoff format. Players will weigh in on these proposals and we will respond at the bargaining table.

“Unfortunately, the league once again made clear that all of its proposals are contingent on players’ agreement to a salary cap, a system that guts player rights and compensation, as well as its other anti-player proposals.”

–Field Level Media

NFL Previews: Sunday Night

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Detroit Lions (2-1) at Carolina Panthers (1-2)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Lions -3.5. Total 50.5.
Series rewind: The home team has won four in a row in this series and the Panthers are 8-4 all-time against Detroit.

Headliners are set for a reunion of sorts when the Lions head to Charlotte. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs — who totaled three touchdowns and 164 yards from scrimmage in last Sunday’s 31-24 home victory against the New York Jets – and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young were college teammates at Alabama. They’ve been integral parts of powerful offenses early this season. Lions QB Jared Goff has completed 70.6% of his passes for 802 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions this season. The Lions have scored exactly 31 points in each of their three games and present a challenge for the Panthers, who are coming off a 21-18 loss at Cleveland. Carolina has adjustments to make with starting CBs Jaycee Horn (quad) and Mike Jackson (groin) going on injured reserve. Those spots could be replenished with Corey Thornton and Robert Rochell from the practice squad. Rookie cornerback Will Lee III is expected to be called upon for extensive duty as his role continues to grow.

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Atlanta Falcons (1-2) at New Orleans Saints (1-2)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Saints -2.5. Total 47.5.
Series rewind: The Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 in the 2025 regular-season finale to reclaim the edge in the all-time series (regular season only), 57-56.

On the verge of being left for dead after flopping in the first two games, the Falcons found life by plugging in QB Michael Penix Jr. at Green Bay last week. In primetime for the second consecutive week, Atlanta’s offense revolves around All-Pro RB Bijan Robinson, who helped get Penix comfortable in his first game since ACL surgery last November. Robinson’s third career 200-yard game (194 rushing, 19 receiving) included two touchdowns at Green Bay. He averages 127.3 total yards per game against the Saints, who are allowing 128.7 yards per game on the ground. New Orleans lost to the Raiders last week and has a breakout quarterback in Tyler Shough, the NFL leader in completions (91) who is also second in the league in passing yards (917). Shough and WR Chris Olave are thriving. Olave is tied for the NFL lead with 27 receptions. The extra attention has opened the middle of the field with TEs Noah Fant and Juwan Johnson each catching two TD passes last week.

–Field Level Media