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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

33.8 Million Crazy Eagles Fans

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KANSAS CITY – (Wire Service Report) – The Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday captured the attention of 33.8 million viewers on Fox Sports, the network announced.

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That number served as the highest-ever viewership for a Week 2 game, surpassing the nearly 28 million people who watched the Chiefs against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024.

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles got the better of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday for the second time in just over seven months with a 20-17 victory in Kansas City. Philadelphia posted a 40-22 win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9.

While the 33.8 million viewers serve as a regular-season record for Fox Sports, it matched a November 2007 regular-season game putting the New England Patriots against the Indianapolis Colts on CBS.

The viewership numbers for those contests are staggering considering the only regular-season games that topped those have been played on Thanksgiving or a pair of “Monday Night Football games.”

– Field Level Media

Crazy Day in the NFL

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Wire Service Report) – Antonio Gibson’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped the New England Patriots post a 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins in a Sunday afternoon shootout in Florida.

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Gibson’s first career touchdown return was the difference in the game, coming on the ensuing kickoff 12 seconds after a 74-yard punt-return touchdown by Miami’s Malik Washington gave the Dolphins the lead with 7:39 left.

The Dolphins drove into New England territory in the final 90 seconds, but the drive ended on Milton Williams’ second sack of the game on fourth-and-12 at the 28-yard line, clinching the Patriots’ first win in Miami since 2019. The Dolphins fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2020.

New England quarterback Drake Maye sparked the offense by completing 19 of 23 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns with a rushing touchdown. He was supplemented by Rhamondre Stevenson, who led the Patriots with 88 receiving yards and 54 rushing yards.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was 26 of 32 for 315 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Tyreek Hill sparked the offense with 109 yards on six catches while De’Von Achane led the Dolphins with 30 rushing yards and added 92 receiving yards and a touchdown.

On paper, the Patriots (1-1) should have had a larger halftime lead than their 15-14 advantage. They outgained Miami 143-18 in the first quarter and scored on all three first-half possessions before kneeling out the final 31 seconds.

And yet, a pair of missed extra points by Andy Borregales and a drive stalling inside the 5-yard line opened the door for the Dolphins, who scored touchdowns on their final two first-half drives.

Both quarterbacks were exceptional throughout the opening 30 minutes, each throwing a pair of touchdown passes.

Maye threw a pair of first-quarter TDs, to Mack Hollins with 9:34 left and to Kayshon Boutte with 55 seconds left.

Tagovailoa responded with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, an 18-yarder to Jaylen Waddle with 11:25 left and a 29-yarder to Achane with 41 seconds remaining.

After Riley Patterson gave the Dolphins the lead with a 40-yard field goal to begin the third quarter, the Miami defense delivered a stop.

Patterson extended the lead with another field goal from 44 yards to make it 20-15 Dolphins before the Patriots took the lead back on a 6-yard Maye scramble in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

The Patriots finished with five sacks of Tagavailoa, keeping Miami without a second-half offensive touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Las Vegas Outrushes Patriots

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FOXBOROUGH – (Wire Service Report) – Newly acquired quarterback Geno Smith threw for 362 yards Sunday, rookie running back Ashton Jeanty scored the go-ahead touchdown, and visiting Las Vegas gave new coach Pete Carroll a win in his first game with the Raiders, stopping the New England Patriots 20-13.

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Smith completed 24 of 34 passes with a touchdown and an interception as Las Vegas outgained New England 389-336. Jeanty had just 38 yards on 19 carries but one of them was a 3-yard run with 9:39 left in the third quarter that put the Raiders ahead for good at 14-10.

Daniel Carlson added field goals of 51 and 40 yards later in the second half to give Las Vegas a two-score lead. Rookie Andy Borregales connected from 44 yards out with 19 seconds left to get the Patriots within seven points, but his onside kick bounced out of bounds to seal the outcome.

Drake Maye hit 30 of 46 attempts for 287 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but it wasn’t enough to give Mike Vrabel a win in his first game as New England’s coach. Wasted in the loss were 2 1/2 sacks from Harold Landry and 103 receiving yards from Kayshon Boutte.

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers matched Boutte’s 103 receiving yards on just five catches.

Las Vegas opened its season with a loud bang, driving 66 yards with the season’s first possession. Smith capped the drive just 2:43 into the game, finding Tre Turner on a post pattern for a 26-yard touchdown.

The Raiders were marching again when Smith extended New England a lifeline by tossing an interception to Jaylinn Hawkins at the Patriots’ 18. They cashed it in with an 82-yard march that Maye finished on a 2-yard strike to DeMario Douglas at the 1:02 mark.

Neither team scored again until New England lashed together a drive late in the first half. A 56-yard drive positioned Borregales for a 35-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining, enabling the Patriots to take a 10-7 edge to the locker room.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Eagles Prep for New Banner

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – The Philadelphia Eagles have the Lombardi Trophy, while the Dallas Cowboys once again own the headlines — for better or worse.

The 2025 NFL season kick offs Thursday when the host Eagles raise their Super Bowl LIX banner before entertaining their NFC East foes, currently the subject of derision for trading away one of the best defenders in the game.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and his locker-room leaders refuse to discuss the possibility of a repeat.

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“We’re not talking anything about a title or anything. We’re talking about the Dallas Cowboys,” Sirianni said. “How do we put ourselves in the best position to win this football game … and how do you continue to get better as the year goes on? That’s your habits. That’s all we’re thinking about.”

Yet the Week 1 spotlight will shine less on the champs and more on their opponents.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones ended a contract standoff with sack master Micah Parsons by trading him to the Green Bay Packers a week before the season opener. The Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Kenny Clark and the Packers’ next two first-round draft picks, but they surrendered an All-Pro pass-rusher entering his prime.

Jones defended his decision, envisioning a world in which Parsons nets future stars for Dallas the same way the Herschel Walker trade did early in Jones’ tenure.

“Our fans, as well as my mirror, are saying, ‘Come on, let’s change something up. Let’s do something a little different here,’” Jones said.

But those draft picks won’t help this season, and fans in fact were incensed that Parsons was traded. Not even franchise quarterback Dak Prescott tried to spin the move too positively.

“I’m not going to say we’re better,” Prescott said. “We’ve got to go out there and prove it. We’d have to prove it even if (Parsons) was on this team, so I’m not going to say that by any means.”

The Cowboys’ defense already was behind the 8-ball after allowing 27.5 points per game last year, second-worst in the league (at 17.8 ppg, the Eagles were second-best). Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku will join Clark and journeymen Dante Fowler Jr. and Solomon Thomas in a remade defensive front.

Dallas traded for mercurial receiver George Pickens to line up opposite CeeDee Lamb, but the run game will be another question mark. Rico Dowdle left in free agency after a 1,000-yard season, and the Cowboys will balance vets Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders and rookie Jaydon Blue out of the backfield.

They’ll all have to come together under a new coach in Brian Schottenheimer after the team moved on from Mike McCarthy. Promoted from offensive coordinator, the career assistant gets his first crack as a head coach.

“Nothing’s changed. My goals haven’t changed. Our team goals haven’t changed,” Schottenheimer said after the Parsons trade. “I hit the players on that … after I talked about the tough couple of days for all the guys. It doesn’t change. The standard is the standard.”

The Eagles won’t look much different from the team that routed the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February. Saquon Barkley will try to replicate the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in league history, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith still lead the receiving corps and the defense remains chock-full of former Georgia Bulldogs.

Whatever his critics say, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts can call himself a Super Bowl champion as well. He threw for just 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns in 15 starts last year, but had his fourth straight year with double-digit rushing touchdowns (14). No one will benefit more from the owners voting down attempts to ban the “tush push” play last spring.

Hurts’ relationship with Sirianni, which appeared strained 12 months ago, has grown “day by day,” per the quarterback.

“We obviously, both of us, love to work, love hard work, have a ton of grit to ourselves,” Hurts said this week. “We’re passionate about that. We express that through our work. So I think it’s been able to grow and evolve.”

The Eagles may not have three-time Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson (back) for the opener as he missed practice Monday. Backup quarterback Tanner McKee (right thumb) also missed practice, while linebacker Joshua Uche (groin) and rookie safety Andrew Mukuba (hamstring) were limited.

The only Dallas player to miss practice Monday was defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (back). Star cornerback Trevon Diggs and left tackle Tyler Guyton, both dealing with knee injuries, were full participants.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Waive Two, Claim Two

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FOXBORO – (Staff Report from Official Team News Release) – The New England Patriots announced that they have released WR Javon Baker and WR Kendrick Bourne. The Patriots also claimed and were awarded QB Tommy DeVito from the New York Giants and CB Charles Woods from the Los Angeles Rams.

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In addition, the Patriots announced that they have signed 16 players to the practice squad: CB Miles Battle, G Mehki Butler, G Jack Conley, CB Brandon Crossley, TE C.J. Dippre, RB Terrell Jennings, WR John Jiles, DE Truman Jones, C Alec Lindstrom, DB Kobee Minor, DT David Olajiga, LB Cam Riley, DT Jahvaree Ritzie, TE Gee Scott Jr., LB Bradyn Swinson and WR Jeremiah Webb. All of those players were released by the team on August 26.

Baker, 23, was drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of UCF. The 6-foot-1, 202-pounder, played in 11 games with one start and finished with 1 reception for 12 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 79 yards.

Bourne, 30, has spent the last four seasons with New England after signing with the team as an unrestricted free agent from San Francisco on March 19, 2021. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with San Francisco on May 5, 2017, out of Eastern Washington. Bourne has played in 111 games with 34 starts and has registered 292 receptions for 3,714 yards with 22 touchdowns. In addition, he has played in four postseason games and has 13 receptions for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had his best NFL season in 2021 with New England with 55 receptions for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. Last season, Bourne was limited to 12 games with nine starts and had 28 receptions for 305 yards with 1 touchdown.

DeVito, 27, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the New York Giants on May 5, 2023, out of Illinois. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder, began his career on the practice squad before being signed to the 53-man roster on Oct. 31, 2023. In two seasons with the Giants, DeVito played in 12 games with eight starts and completed 145-of-222 attempts for 1,358 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was released by the Giants on Aug. 26, 2025.

Woods, 25, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the L.A. Rams on May 2, 2024, out of Southern Methodist. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder, spent the majority of the season on the 53-man roster before finishing the year on the practice squad. He played in 12 games and finished with 1 tackle on defense and 1 special teams tackle. He was released by the Rams on Aug. 26, 2025.

NFL: Pain in the Game

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FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – Pain is part of the game, but the emotional toll of NFL roster cuts warrants its own classification on the injury scale.

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All 32 teams face a 4 p.m. ET deadline on Tuesday to reduce their training camp rosters from 90 to the regular-season limit of 53. That’s a total of 1,184 players receiving a public rejection notice and going from the doorstep of a pro football paycheck to the enormous queue of roster fodder fighting for a chance to stick around in one of the 16 practice-squad spots available to every team.

“It’s tough when you’re in the position of having to tell a guy who worked his entire life, it’s been his dream since childhood to make an NFL roster and be an impact player,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. “But to be able to tell him no is difficult for me, still. It never gets easy.”

For players in backup roles who survive the initial roster cut to 53 on Aug. 26, the stress is far from over.

Unless a player is waived with an injury designation and reverted back to the team’s injured reserve list, non-vested veterans (less than four accrued seasons in the NFL) will be subject to waivers with no control over where they could wind up by this time next week.

If a player is claimed via waivers, he is automatically placed on that team’s 53-man roster. The claiming team must execute a corresponding move, which can involve injured lists — injured reserve, physically unable to perform, non-football injury — or necessitate cutting a player who made the initial 53-man roster only to be kicked to the curb before the start of the regular season.

For the first three weeks of the regular season, the Tennessee Titans are No. 1 in the waiver order, which follows the original draft order from the prior season with no regard to trades. That means the Jacksonville Jaguars are not No. 2 in line despite trading up for Travis Hunter. That spot still belongs to the Cleveland Browns, followed by the New York Giants.

Titans coach Brian Callahan and first-time general manager Mike Borgonzi are planning to be selective working the wire next week, but neither is hiding from the idea of finding talent capable of helping the franchise rebuild.

“You don’t just claim a player to claim one,” Callahan said. “You’ve got to feel like it’s a real talent upgrade for an opportunity to help your team. And you don’t just dismiss guys because we’ve also poured a lot of work into these players that have been here for the better part of six months.

“… So that’s the fine line you walk at this time of year. And again, having the No. 1 waiver claim allows us to be aggressive if we choose to be.”

Established veterans aren’t immune to being cut. They’re typically more expensive and contracts become fully guaranteed for vested veterans on the roster Week 1.

The Kansas City Chiefs have never been afraid to part with a vested veteran. They cut wide receiver Kadarius Toney last August and the Minnesota Vikings cut another former first-round pick, safety Lewis Cine, without an injury designation. Quarterback Desmond Ridder was cut by the Cardinals in the late-August roster culling in 2024 after being acquired in a trade from the Falcons.

Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has seen almost everything in his NFL career. Only a year ago, about two weeks separated Smith-Schuster being released by the Patriots (Aug. 9) and signed by the Chiefs (Aug. 26) as Toney was sent packing. This summer, coaches are applauding his approach to mentoring younger receivers and helping players who might wind up with his paycheck on the finer points of being a pro.

“Make the most of your opportunities,” Smith-Schuster said of what advice he shared with younger players. “For a lot of them, what they put on tape, they’re all getting evaluated (by 31 other teams).”

Smith-Schuster, 28, said being released by the Patriots turned out to be a blessing because he feels at home in Kansas City. The long view is part of the reason he spent an hour after training camp practices working with backup receivers, and the end result was a message he wants younger players to hear.

“I think naturally I’m a people person. I like helping out the guys. For me, I remember when I was a rookie. Some of the veteran guys took time out of their day, guys with families,” he said. “This is their livelihood. They’ve been playing football since they were kids. For them the more they can get out of a veteran — I know it goes a long way not only for them but the future.”

Ryans doesn’t necessarily have time for the long view.

He and Texans personnel boss Nick Caserio have already begun shaping what the final 53 will look like entering the preseason finale at Detroit on Saturday. From there he’ll be facing what he said is the worst time of the year as a head coach, collecting playbooks and erasing roster numbers.

“But the players do a great job of handling that by wanting to know, ‘Hey, what can I do to get better? What are the steps for me to make a team? Where do you see I need to improve?’ I have a lot of guys who ask that question. And I’m happy to give them the advice that I think can help them out,” Ryans said. “In my role, my biggest aim for all of our guys is: How do I help and assist players to make the NFL? It may not be our 53-man roster here with the Texans, but there are 31 other teams. Can I help those guys in any way make their dreams a reality?”

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL Tagged With:

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 17

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – HBO’s “HARD KNOCKS” is the best sports television show in history. It’s not even close. While Ernie (Johnson, Jr.), Charles (Barkley), Kenny (Smith) and Shaq (O’Neal) of Turner Sports fame can make you laugh out loud every time, not one of the “Inside the NBA” shows has ever made me feel like running through a wall after watching the show. Hard Knocks does that. Every episode.

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Just hearing the Hard Knocks theme song gets me revved-up and there’s been no highlight show or team documentary that has ever come close to unearthing such emotion. Hard Knocks often features a team I couldn’t care less about in the fixtures of the NFL, yet each summer I, along with legions of sports fans, come away from a few episodes of a weekly TV show rooting like hell for the team that’s been featured.

That is happening this year as the Buffalo Bills are featured and Tuesday night marked just the second episode of the 2025 version of the show which debuted in the “Way Back Machine” with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001.

The NFL and HBO have called Hard Knocks “the first sports-based reality series” in television history. That’s B.S. because long before 2001, anyone and everyone in the sports industry realized we had the best reality programming in history, and it was our games themselves.

CBS reality series – Survivor – premiered on May 31, 2000. Executive Producer Mark Burnett hatched an idea that – somehow – has lasted 25 years, with the property gaining and keeping its loyal audience while also spinning out other reality shows on everything from cooking/chefs to swamp people.

Facing facts, reality shows can easily be taped and watched at a later date, although office water cooler talk might spoil a surprise ending. Sports, on the other hand, has to be watched live. Every sports fan knows it and it’s impossible to steer clear of the score of a game unless you’re asleep and watch the game before leaving your bed or touching your phone device.

Hard Knocks married the two and has become must see TV, especially as avid NFL fans countdown the days to the opening weekend of football. The Hard Knocks theme song prompts the visceral reaction of the human mind and body.

The theme was written for NFL Films by David Robidoux, a music composer who hails from the tough town of Reading, Pennsylvania. Robidoux is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with degrees in audio engineering and film scoring. He began working for NFL Films in 1991 and is a 40-time EMMY nominee and 15-time EMMY Award winner. He’s created nearly 3,000 compositions for the NFL alone but has done everything from a Dressage routine for US Olympian Laura Graves in the Rio 2016 Olympics, featuring “Man Of War” to a “40 Years of NFL Films Music” 10 CD Box Set.

If the theme doesn’t cement you in your armchair for an hour, then the voice of narrator Liev Schreiber will provide you with chills throughout every episode. Schreiber, best known for his acting role as Marty Baron – editor-in-chief of the Boston Globe in the Academy Award winning movie, Spotlight, was so perfectly cast to be the voice of Hard Knocks. Back in 2023, when Hard Knocks was featuring the New York Jets, then-Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to Schreiber as “the voice of God” for his efforts in the series, and rightfully so, as the actor has been with the docuseries each and every episode – all but one season. In 2007, he didn’t narrate and turned the duties to Kansas City Chiefs fan Paul Rudd.

Schreiber’s only on screen performance came in that J-E-T-S season when he choppered over to NYJ training camp for a look-see and meet & greet with the Jets players and coaches. This year, with the Bills, Schreiber is back in the familiar place of narration – Thank God.

That brings us to the content (and buzzword 🚨 alert) storytelling. Hard Knocks covers training camp of NFL teams, but its secret sauce is the character development created on each and every episode. Sure, a fixed camera in the GM’s office secretly filming a player being cut from the team has been the type of behind the scenes access NFL fans dreamt they watch, but the more compelling storylines are the deep dives into the off field lives of the players. Often depicted with their families or pictured in everyday life, shopping or mixing up a breakfast smoothie for a roommate/teammate, the bond created by Hard Knocks with the rank and file players of each team, create that magical fan to player love affair that is the very root of all sports.

Yes, sometimes, that player/character who became the unexpected star of an episode is later cut from the team and it draws on a fans raw emotions, fully understanding what a player and his wife/family have gone through during camp.

One such player was John Connor, aka “The Terminator.” Then-New York Jets coach Rex Ryan tagged the nickname on Connor (not to be confused with Arizona Cardinals running back, James Conner). Fans of the J-E-T-S fell head over heels for Connor when, as a fullback, he was assigned to be a lead blocker and clear a hole for his running backs. Connor didn’t make a block, he often hit defenders so hard, they’d drop to their knees and be carted off the field, dazed and confused by the alien that just ran them over – thus, the nickname, “The Terminator.”

Of course, the reality of NFL camp took over when Connor was sidelined with an MCL sprain and hamstring injury and was released by the Jets a month into the 2012 season. He bounced from New York to Cincinnati, back to New York for a short stint with the Giants and Jets (again), before playing his final NFL camp with the Buffalo Bills where he was among the final cuts on September 4, 2015.

Connor’s career stat line in the NFL consists of 108 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 12 receptions and a pass receiving TD. His game did not stand out for NFL teams, but, through Hard Knocks, his name will live on forever.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Boston University is facing a lawsuit from Baylor University over a logo battle. The complaint was filed this week in Waco, Texas – where Baylor is located – and it seeks to prevent Boston University from using an “a specific interlocking BU design that is identical or strikingly similar to Baylor’s federally registered marks.” Baylor University noted it’s been using the interlocking BU letters since, at least, 1912 and the school registered for a trademark in 1987. The lawsuit says Boston University initially opposed the application, but the schools reached an agreement and Boston University has been using the letters side-by-side in its logo.

But the settlement went South, the lawsuit alleges, as Baylor found out – back in 2018 – that Boston University was using the interlocking BU on different hat styles in its campus store. Baylor asked Boston University to cease and desist in 2021, but the request was ignored. “Rather, its use has continued to expand, and a very large number of such goods now appears on the Defendant’s website,” Baylor said in the complaint.

A spokesperson for Boston University told WBZ-TV in Boston that the school does not comment on pending litigation. Meanwhile, Baylor is asking a judge to permanently stop Boston University from using the interlocking BU, and to destroy any products or signs with that specific logo.

WWYI wonders if Baylor would settle the case by playing an ice hockey game, with the winner getting rights to the BU. Surely, Baylor would rather play football.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Close to the old homestead, and alma mater is fact St. John’s President, Reverend Brian J. Shanley, OP, has been named Chair of the Big East Conference Board of Directors. This prestigious role is a testament to his leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to both academics and athletics. … In other words, St. John’s better get all the close calls on the court this coming season. … Former PGA Tour TV guru and WNBA Commissioner (2005-11) Donna Orender is trying hoops again. Orender is Commissioner of The UpShot League, a development league for women’s basketball (a la WNBA). The league is scheduled to play in May 2026. The UPSHOT League’s regular-season schedule will consist of 40 games, including 20 at home and 20 on the road for only four teams. Currently, the clubs are:

  • UpShot Charlotte
  • UpShot Greensboro
  • UpShot Jacksonville
  • UpShot Savannah – (Might they be named the Savannah Roseannadannas)?

The new league is being organized by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, a firm that owns, manages, and operates the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Greensboro Gargoyles, 32 Degrees Marketing, Community First Igloo, Charlotte Checkers, and Gastonia Ghost Peppers. Zawyer Sports is in the business of hosting family based entertainment. Investors include, Cheryl Miller and Anne Meyers Drysdale, among others.

SOX STUFF: Aside from the hot, hot, hot Milwaukee Brewers (NL), the Boston Red Sox are second-best in the majors and an AL-best 26-12 since July 1. … At Fenway Park, the Sox are a scorching 16-2 in their last 18 games, 18-3 in their last 21 home games, and 25-6 in their last 31. … Not surprisingly, the Red Sox have sold out for their last 13 games, with Saturday’s crowd of 36,192 the most recent crowd. … The Red Sox starting pitchers lead the American League with 57 quality starts. … Boston ace Garrett Crochet will take to the mound vs the Marlins on Sunday (1:35pm).

JIMMY FUND: Monday, Aug 18 and Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 mark the annual WEEI-Radio/NESN Radio Telethon to benefit The Jimmy Fund (Dana Farber Cancer Institute). Since 2002, the generous support of Sox fans and WEEI listeners/NESN viewers has raised more than $74 million to support pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana Farber. Tune-in and contribute, if you can: Visit HERE