Packers rookie Brandon Cisse records first NFL pick after embarrassing CeeDee Lamb slip appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Green Bay Packers just keep getting those picks. The Packers already picked off Dak Prescott once on Sunday Night Football, and they added to their tally near the end of the first half.
Rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse got the first interception of his career, with the help of an embarrassing slip from Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb.
Lamb slipped as he was cutting inside, which allowed a clear path for Cisse to catch Prescott's pass.
Unlike their first interception, which only resulted in a field goal, the Packers fully took advantage of the turnover as they scored a touchdown with under a minute left to take a 17-0 lead at halftime. They took just 87 seconds to execute a nine-play, 77-yard drive, which resulted in a Jordan Love one-yard touchdown run.

#first #cisse #rookie #slip

Louisville Kings fans have two opportunities this week to commemorate the team's United Football League championship.
A celebration is set for 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at Lynn Family Stadium. Attendees will have the chance to meet coach Chris Redman and select players from the team, take photos with the United Bowl trophy and more.
For more information, click here.
Then, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Redman will serve as the grand marshal of the Jeffersontown Gaslight Festival Parade. He'll be joined by players and members of the coaching staff; and up to 50 season ticket holders will be walking alongside them. The parade begins at Jeffersontown Commons Shopping Center. For more information, click here.
Both events are free to the public.

#information

The biggest game of the young college football season has arrived, as No. 1 Ohio State travels to Austin for a top-five showdown with No. 4 Texas. After the Buckeyes held off the Longhorns 14-7 in last year's opener, Texas now gets its chance at revenge at home in a game that could shape the national championship race.
Before the night's main event, No. 18 Tennessee heads to Atlanta to face a Georgia Tech team looking to recover from a crushing loss to Colorado that ended with its potential game-winning field goal being blocked.
For all of your college football betting picks, here are today's TST Best Bets, brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players receive a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.
First Pick: Texas vs. Ohio State - Under 51
Rundown: The premier storyline of last year's season-opening matchup between the Longhorns and Buckeyes was the disappointing debut of Arch Manning, who went 9-of-15 for 38 yards and an interception through the first three quarters of a 14-7 loss for top-ranked Texas.

#bets

Nuno Espirito Santo says the atmosphere at the London Stadium is a big advantage to West Ham after his team's thumping win over Wrexham.
A crowd of 59,712 watched the Hammers beat the Welsh side 6-0 as they returned to the top of the Championship.
Head coach Nuno said Friday's result was not any kind of statement or marker, but he did think playing in front of such a big crowd in the second tier was a plus for his players.
"We just focus on ourselves and realise London Stadium is a big strength that we have, to try to take advantage of 60,000 fans who give us so much that we have to try to give back," he told BBC Radio London.
The stadium atmosphere has come under scrutiny, with distance between the pitch and the stands being very different to the cramped, hostile surroundings of their old Upton Park ground.

#london #stadium #nuno #atmosphere

It's the news that seemed expected after the Tua Tagovailoa practice video on Thursday: Cooper Rush will step up and start on Sunday for the Atlanta Falcons as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The tough part in fantasy football is that there's so much talent on the Falcons' roster. Michael Penix Jr. will be inactive, so it was going to be Tagovailoa tossing the ball to Kyle Pitts, Drake London and beyond. Now, it'll be Rush.
Let's dive in with some notes about some of those players as we get ready for the rest of the 2026 Week 1 slate:
Tagovailoa had his share of struggles this preseason, so it's not like you were upgrading London et al here. Rush will be fine... and there's a world in which maybe he's better?
Bijan Robinson is still RB2 or RB1 this week. Drake London might see enough volume to be a WR1-level scorer this week. Same goes for Kyle Pitts, who is just outside the top-five TEs this week.

#kyle #thursday

BVB has never lost a competitive match against SC Paderborn: There have been two DFB-Pokal clashes, both of which saw the Black and Yellows advance to the next round. In the Bundesliga, Borussia has won two matches so far, with two others ending in draws. The most memorable encounter to date was the last Bundesliga match between the two sides at the end of May 2020. In that COVID-19-related match played behind closed doors in Paderborn, the Black and Yellows had a weak first half but stepped up their game after the break. All seven goals in the 6-1 victory came in the second half. Jadon Sancho (3), Thorgan Hazard, Achraf Hakimi, and Marcel Schmelzer—scoring his final professional goal—found the back of the net for BVB.
Best Start in Four Years With six points from two games, BVB has made its strongest start to the season in four years.
Sharp-shooting forwardSerhou Guirassy got on the scoresheet in Sinsheim with the goal that made it 1–2. The forward has been involved in three of BVB's five Bundesliga goals this season and has scored in four consecutive matches across both seasons.
Paderborn, a newly promoted team struggling to find its footing, arrives at SIGNAL IDUNA PARK with one point and still no goals scored. That said, the East Westphalians have already registered 23 shots on goal.
Milestone Within ReachBVB has achieved three wins to start the Bundesliga season only four times in its history (most recently in 2015–16). Now this milestone is once again within reach for the Black and Yellows.

#yellows #match #goals #goal

Taylor McGregor is the Cubs reporter on Marquee Sports and also works the sidelines for ESPN. Her diligent work during unusual circumstances made her a viral star earlier this week when she expertly kept viewers up to speed during a power outage that delayed kickoff in the SMU-Florida State contest. Amid this, it was right back to work for McGregor as the Cubs continued their series in Milwaukee against the Brewers. And it didn't take long until she found herself in another unusual situation.
Calling into The Score on Wednesday, McGregor thought she had a great temporary work station in her car on the side of the street. The thought was to do a quick hit and then get back on the road and out of the way. Plus, who is going to bother someone doing sports talk on the shoulder? Isn't this America?
That plan quickly took a turn as a security guard made it very clear to McGregor and the Chicagoland listening audience that she needed to move, like, right now.
You know what? This is just a case where everyone involved is doing their job and doing it well. The hosts are making sure they get the maximum entertainment value from the guest. McGregor is not about to let any number of transportation or technological issues from getting people all the Cubs info they need. And that security guard rightly does not care if someone is on a Zoom call, they cannot do that here. Respect all around.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —

#Cubs #work #unusual #right

Ajay Mitchell predicted to become one of the breakout players of the 2026-27 NBA season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have made some major changes ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season. Of course, the core players are still there, but it does mean that Ajay Mitchell is set for a bigger role. He will play a massive role in the backcourt alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
It is yet to be decided whether he will be the starter alongside SGA, as he will be competing against Cason Wallace for that role. Even if he plays off the bench, Mitchell will be a big part of the Thunder's potential success in the 2026-27 season.
With rotation players like Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Lu Dort all leaving the Thunder, the team needs a boost from the remaining players. Mitchell must play a big role because they need his contributions on both sides of the floor.
He is a decent defender who can fill the Dort void, but he will be mainly relied upon for his offensive contributions. Mitchell is a natural scorer who can create his own opportunities, but he can also set his teammates up with good passes.

#play

Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown did not have the orange-and-blue debut he had hoped for, but he delivered a clutch performance when his team needed him the most.
Brown passed for 259 yards in Auburn's 17-16 win over Baylor on Saturday in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, but could not find the end zone through the air, and he ended the day with the first three-interception game of his career. However, Brown's legs became the deciding factor in a crucial moment in the 4th quarter.
Brown scored what became the game-winning touchdown with 3:21 remaining on an 11-yard designed run. The touchdown was set up by keepers that gained 2 and 5 yards, respectively.
Brown credits Auburn's mantra of "play the next play" as motivation to score the go-ahead touchdown late in the game.
"That was our mentality going into the game. Every drive it was play the next play," Brown said postgame. "Follow (Jeremiah) Cobb. He led me to the promised land and protect the ball as I go into the end zone. That was really it."

#brown #game

Inter completed an extraordinary comeback from 2-0 down to beat Napoli 3-2 with a Lautaro Martinez double and Marcus Thuram, sealing a true thriller at San Siro.
The top two in each of the last two seasons faced off, though the Nerazzurri had started stronger with victories over Monza and Cagliari. Marcus Thuram was still not fully fit and Djed Spence working his way back from injury, with John Stones and Hakan Calhanoglu rested ahead of the Champions League trip to Real Madrid.
Max Allegri had a rough week, losing at home to Como, then Scott McTominay and Giovane both required surgery, with Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci already long-term absentees. Antonio Vergara was preferred to Kevin De Bruyne due to match fitness.
Napoli were unbeaten against Inter since the Supercoppa Italiana Final in January 2024, managing one win and four draws going into this test.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

#marcus

1
It is safe to say that Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes is enjoying a fantastic week. Fresh from lifting the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, the Portuguese maestro delivered a masterclass against Ipswich Town last Sunday in the 5-2 Premier League win.
Fernandes scored a hat-trick and picked up an ****** ist to help the Red Devils secure a blistering comeback victory. That saw him win the club's Player of the Match award, as well as the Premier League's Player of the Matchweek award.
The 31 year old is also in the running for Premier League's Player of the Month award for August. Should he triumph in that race, it will be his seventh win, equalling the current record held by Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane.
Fernandes registered a league-record 21 ****** ists last season as United finished third, winning the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Player of the Year awards. The five-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year recently sat down with the club's media to discuss an array of topics, including a viral moment from the Ipswich game.

#player #award #ipswich #season

Lando Norris insists he had opportunities to leave McLaren before signing a contract extension with the F1 team.
The reigning world champion, who has been with McLaren for a decade since joining their junior programme, at the weekend signed a new deal with the Woking-based outfit until 2030.
The 26-year-old Briton won his first world championship last year, pipping Max Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri to the ******* le, and believes he was rewarded for his loyalty to the team in more difficult years.
That being said, Norris says there were other options on the table.
"There was opportunity of course," Norris told Sky Sports F1. But opportunity that is positive. There's opportunities to gamble at times. I'm a driver that personally I would take one or two tougher years over instant success - as I did a few years ago with McLaren.

#years

Ebbsfleet United will be able to start their season on Saturday after the National League lifted the club's suspension.
The Kent club had their first six National League South games postponed while they addressed ongoing financial issues, which had led His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to issue a winding-up petition over unpaid debts going back to April.
A takeover of the club last month, by new owner John O'Leary, allowed Ebbsfleet to fully pay HMRC and players.
"We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding, as well as our players and staff for their exemplary conduct through this difficult period," the club said on Wednesday.
Ebbsfleet have been handed a suspended six-point deduction by the league's compliance and licensing committee, which will be triggered should they fail to comply with as yet unspecified "obligations".

#players #Kent

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country.
We're back with another Reacts Survey, and this week we're asking fans to help us fill out a potential playoff rotation.
With the Brewers currently sitting with the best record in baseball at 85-53, the Crew is on track for a first-round bye in the postseason, meaning they would start things off with a best-of-five series in the NLDS before a pair of potential best-of-seven series in the NLCS and World Series.
It's more than likely that you need a four-man rotation in all three of those rounds, as a three-man rotation would give pitchers just three days of rest between outings. With Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson seemingly locked into the top two spots, it also seems likely that Kyle Harrison is the team's No. 3 arm (though some of his recent results — particularly Monday night's loss to the Cubs — may put that into question).
Assuming the top three options are Miz-Henderson-Harrison, who would you like to see round the rotation out? Trade deadline acquisition Dustin May? One of the young lefties in Shane Drohan or Robert Gasser? A bullpen game? Someone else?

#fans #three #series #reacts

Indianapolis has added a player through the waiver system.
The Colts claimed defensive back Kapena Gushiken, according to the league's transaction wire.
Gushiken had been with the Eagles in the spring and training camp after going undrafted this year.
The Colts will need to make a corresponding move to add him to their roster.

#indianapolis #added

Before he established himself at the professional level, Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean was a superstar for the Iowa Hawkeyes. DeJean was primarily an outside cornerback, but he also played the cash/hybrid DB positions, and was also was a very dangerous punt returner.
He was in Iowa City during some of the leanest years of the Brian Ferentz offenses, so having DeJean to sometimes get them six points off of special teams was a huge difference maker for those teams. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Iowa's special teams and defense simply just had to be a critical component of the formula to score points. DeJean was a second round pick (40th overall) in 2024, and he was first team All-Pro last season.
In redshirt junior Zach Lutmer, Iowa has another star player at the cash position, who is set to return punts. Lutmer, whose versatility is a major ******* et, will shift over to free safety this year, and take over the punt returning duties from the departed Katen Wetjen.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has not exactly compared Lutmer to DeJean, but he has pointed out their similarities.
"Cooper gave me a lot of knowledge my freshman year and helped me out in a lot of different ways," Lutmer said at Media Day.

#cooper #cash #points

New Delhi: India's team management and selectors are working on backups for the middle order ahead of the ODI World Cup next year. TOI has learnt that Tilak Varma's name has come up as a potential backup option for Shreyas Iyer in the top six of the batting lineup.

Tilak, being a left-handed batter, is seen as someone who can break the monotony of right-handers in the batting lineup. Tilak has been asked to work on his bowling since it is believed that his off-breaks have a lot of potential. The team management, in fact, has flagged the dearth of bowling options in the top order, citing it as a reason for extra pressure on the lower order and the bowlers.

The planning for the ODI World Cup will only begin in earnest when India reach New Zealand in October, since most of the first-choice players will not be available for the ODI series against West Indies at home from September 27. A full-strength T20 team is also scheduled to travel to ****** an for the Asian Games at the same time.

"Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill feel there isn't any backup ready for the middle order. With Hardik Pandya and Nitish ****** ar Reddy being ****** e to injuries, they want someone in the top order who can at least chip in with four overs in an ODI," a BCCI source said.

Over the last year, the team management has been compelled to play either Washington Sundar or Axar Patel at No. 5 or No. 6 to balance the playing XI. In the last series in England, Ishan Kishan was sent in ahead of vice-captain Iyer.

"The team has to be prepared for conditions in South Africa in the World Cup. Iyer got injured in Australia and his game against pace and bounce is untested of late. The team already has two ageing players in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are having niggles as well. KL Rahul too will be over 35 by the time the World Cup comes around. Ravindra Jadeja isn't a certainty either. The fielding of the team has suffered due to fitness issues. The team management feels that they need younger backups ready," the source said.
The selectors, it is learnt, are not comfortable with playing batters out of position. Last year, Ruturaj Gaikwad was played at No. 4 and scored a hundred against South Africa in Raipur. But he has not been picked in the ODI team since.

"Gaikwad was picked as backup opener since Gill was injured. The team management feels Tilak could have been tried in that place. That's why they don't want to rush Devdutt Padikkal in the ODI setup because he found his calling in white-ball cricket while opening the batting," the source said.

The team for the West Indies series, however, will be an anomaly since Iyer, Tilak, Ishan and Axar will not be available. The selectors are more focused on picking another wicketkeeper for the series.
The selection committee is due to meet by September 3 to pick the team for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Delhi from September 13.

Sources said that the selectors are l

JUJUY, Argentina (AP) — Australia took its scoring chances and showed steel in defense, leading end to end to beat Argentina 27-21 Saturday in the first of two rugby test matches.
Tries in the first 10 minutes to hooker Brandon Paenga-Amoso and flyhalf Carter Gordon gave Australia an early buffer which it protected against an adventurous but less clinical Argentina.
Australia clung to its final six point margin for the last 27 minutes of the match when tiredness induced by altitude in the mountainous venue saw some sloppiness and imprecision invade its game.
Its inability to retain possession, especially in the last 10 minutes, gave Argentina chances to ******* a win but the Australian defense rose to the occasion.
"Here at altitude the shoulders are sore, the lungs are sore," said backrower Tom Hooper who scored Australia's only second half try. "It was a hard test match and the whole 23 got us across the line."

#Argentina #gave #match

NASCAR playoff standings 2026: Updated points, scenarios for final Cup Series spots at Daytona originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After a regular season filled with highlights, the Cup Series is mercifully approaching its crescendo — a 10-race postseason to determine who will hoist NASCAR's greatest prize, the Cup Series crown.
This year's playoff format is markedly different from its latest predecessors. The "win-and-in" format gave way to the Chase, popularized in the mid-to-late 2000s and early 2010s. The new layout rewards consistency as opposed to one-race excellence, offering a new path for riders who routinely place inside the top-five and top-10.
Toyota has shined in lieu of the change thus far — five of the top six performers helm the **** pits of the **** anese manufacturer, including regular-season champion Denny Hamlin.
Further down the standings, things remain compelling. Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen are clinging to postseason berths heading into the final week of the regular season. They have more work to do to lock themselves into the Round of 16 and give themselves a chance at competing for the top-flight's signature prize.

#playoff #race

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen did not hold back his excitement this past week about a potential opportunity that came across his desk.. or locker room stall.
The Bills rounded up their preseason with a 28-27 comeback win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. It was known Allen would not play like many other starters. But if given the opportunity, Allen really wanted to call plays.
"I'd like to think I'm a pretty balanced play caller," Allen said. "Explosive play caller."
There were some fireworks as quarterback Shane Buechele circled the wagons with some help from rookie receiver Skyler Bell & Co. Was that Allen's doing as the play caller?
Buffalo head coach Joe Brady joked at his post-game press conference that Allen was the one calling the shots throughout the entire fourth quarter... but alas, it truly was a joke. Allen did not get a chance to call plays in the end.

#Opportunity

Troy Aikman won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, but Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo also believes he and Joe Buck deserve credit for bringing one to ESPN.
During his Mad Dog Unleashed radio show on SiriusXM earlier this week, Russo was discussing Tony Romo's future with CBS, guessing the network would love to use his recent arrest as cause to absolve themselves from the rest of the 10-year, $180 million contract he signed in 2020. And if they do get out from under Romo's contract, Russo believes the era of networks paying ***** ysts tens of millions of dollars might be over.
"Now listen, Aikman and Buck got a fortune," Russo admitted. "But they also brought a Super Bowl to ESPN, because I don't know if they would have gotten a Super Bowl unless they had those guys because that's how important they are, Aikman and Buck…so a little different for them. But to pay the top guys $17 million to do the games, we're gonna watch the games no matter what. Not one announcer – and that includes Madden – if you gave Madden a lousy game, you're not gonna watch it…nobody is watching these games to see the announcers."
The stars aligned for Romo to land a $180 million contract from CBS thanks in part to ESPN driving the price up as they vied for his services on Monday Night Football. But falling short in the Romo sweepstakes six years ago turned out to be a great thing for ESPN. Because while CBS was left with what eventually became a Romo problem, ESPN had the flexibility to eventually pluck Buck and Aikman from Fox two years later.
ESPN undoubtedly got the better option for Monday Night Football by landing Buck and Aikman instead of Romo, but the Super Bowl was coming their way regardless. ESPN and ABC got back into the Super Bowl rotation when they signed their 10-year rights agreement with the NFL in 2021. Buck and Aikman didn't move over from Fox until 2022.

#russo #million

As Mark Vientos nears a return from his rehab **** ignment, the question of how the slugging right-hander fits into this version of the Mets was raised to interim manager Andy Green, and the skipper did not mince words.
"I don't know," Green said prior to Wednesday's game with the Brewers. "I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab **** ignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs. Still think there's a very bright future for him out there if he wants to grab a hold of it. That's on him."
The current construction of the Mets roster doesn't lend itself to a lot of at-bats for Vientos to start with. Even with the added roster spot on Sept. 1, the team has to use the DH spot to give time to other players, including Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Luis Robert Jr., as well as the eventual return of Juan Soto, who could see time as DH.
Vientos, who was placed on the IL back on July 10 with a fractured hand, has played three minor league games between Double-A and Triple-A. In that span, he's 0-for-9 with a walk and five strikeouts.
With no remaining options, Vientos will rejoin the team, but as Green put it Wednesday, it'll be a proving ground for the young slugger.

#green #METS

This is what you dreamed of.
The lights go down.
SHI Stadium is packed.
Everyone is wearing black.
The light show starts.

#stadium #black #light #show

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 23: Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants gets to home safely as catcher Connor Wong #12 of the Boston Red Sox makes a late tag during the first inning at Fenway Park on August 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) Getty
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 30: Manager Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants walks to the dugout during the third inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacksat Chase Field on June 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Getty
The San Francisco Giants announced a series of 10 transactions before their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds. The biggest move of them all was placing shortstop Willy Adames on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left elbow.
Adames, 30, suffered an elbow injury in their series finale against the Boston Red Sox. He told NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic that it happened when he slid home in the first inning. Adames eventually left the game in the fifth inning.
The veteran infielder underwent an MRI after the game, which revealed the sprain. Pavlovic relays that it's a moderate sprain, which could mean a lengthy stint on the injured list.

#boston

When the Manchester City starting lineup was announced prior to City's 2-1 win over Bournemouth yesterday, it did appear that Nico O'Reilly, Rico Lewis, and Elliot Anderson would form City's midfield. However, that was not the case. Rico Lewis lined up at right-back, with Ruben Dias, Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol starting in defence. Elliot Anderson, Nico O'Reilly, and Marc Guehi formed Manchester City's midfield. A criticism of Manchester City's play in the four preseason matches they played before yesterday's match was how open their midfield was. By starting Guehi and Anderson together, Enzo Maresca addressed this issue. Guehi put in a strong display in midfield, which fully justified Maresca's decision to play Guehi in City's engine room.
Manchester City have one of the elite centre-backs in the Premier League in Marc Guehi. Guehi has quickly established himself as an important player for his team since signing for the club from Crystal Palace during the January transfer window. Yesterday he once again showed his importance to Enzo Maresca's side, albeit in a completely different role.
Marc Guehi played in midfield yesterday. To his credit, he looked right at home in his new role. Guehi was good on possession, and he did get himself in the right positions out of possession. Typically, when a centre-back plays in midfield, they look clunky. Guehi was the exact opposite yesterday. He was integral to City's possession dominance, and his pairing with Elliot Anderson and then Mateo Kovacic was crucial to City's win.
Marc Guehi was a threat going forward at times yesterday, especially in the second half. He should have scored just after halftime when he missed a header from two yards out five minutes after halftime. Guehi did create one great opportunity for Erling Haaland in the 75th minute as he showed that he knew when to get forward. Eventually, Guehi got his goal in the 84th minute when he headed home a Rayan Cherki corner.
Come the final whistle, Geuhi had put in an brilliant all-around display in midfield and he fully vindicated Maresca's decision to start him in midfield.

#manchester

The Chicago Bears will battle the Cincinnati Bengals in a Week 2 preseason game on Saturday night at Paycor Stadium. Head coach Ben Johnson's team will play back-to-back road games to close out the preseason.
The Bears and Bengals conducted a joint practice on Thursday, which served as a big learning tool for both squads. Both offenses got off to hot starts before the defenses bounced back to close out practice. With that in mind, the expectation is that starters from both teams won't see the field on Saturday night. But there's still plenty to watch for Chicago as position battles continue to unfold and players make their case for a roster spot.
Here's how to watch Bears vs. Bengals in Week 2 of the NFL preseason:
Stream Bears vs. Bengals (free trial)
TV channel: FOX32

#bears #back #saturday

The NBA has been showing us for a while that simply putting several stars together isn't enough to win anymore. The 2024 Celtics had a stacked roster almost everywhere, with close to 10 guys who could handle minutes, while the 2025 Thunder might honestly be one of the deepest teams we have seen in a long time. Then the Knicks won the 2026 ***** le with a rotation that became much more important after Mike Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau and started trusting the bench more.
That is pretty much the rule now. A team can have crazy firepower in the starting five, but if the second unit can't score, defend, or survive five minutes without the stars, competing for four playoff rounds becomes much harder. Over 82 games, it matters even more, because injuries, rest, and bad shooting nights are going to happen no matter how talented the roster is.
So for this ranking, the focus is simple: which five teams enter 2026-27 with the deepest benches in the league? These are second units with several players who can change a regular-season game, cover an injury for a few weeks, or even stay on the floor during a tough playoff series. That obviously doesn't mean one of these five teams is guaranteed to win the ***** le, but having too many productive bench pieces is always a pretty nice problem to have.
The Rockets have a ridiculous amount of bodies behind their starting five, and the interesting part is that most of them bring something different. If Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun start, Ime Udoka can still bring Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela from the bench.
Sheppard gives them the scoring and shooting that second units usually need. He was up to 13.5 points and 3.4 ***** ists last season while hitting 39.4% from three, so Houston doesn't have to leave Durant on the floor every time VanVleet sits just to have somebody who can create offense.

#bench #several

Just hours after Carlos Sainz shocked the paddock by signing a multi-year contract extension to remain at Atlassian Williams through 2027, team principal James Vowles is shedding light on exactly how he convinced his star driver to stay.
The 2026 season has been an undeniable struggle for the Grove-based outfit. Currently languishing in eighth place in the Constructors' Championship with just 11 points, the team's FW48 chassis was severely delayed and heavily overweight, exposing the outdated internal design processes Vowles inherited. Despite these massive setbacks—and a frankly bleak outlook for the rest of the year—both Sainz and his teammate Alex Albon have bought into the long-term vision.
Rather than sugarcoating the team's current predicament, Vowles is taking full accountability for the botched winter development cycle.
Following a highly disappointing British Grand Prix where a fast-tracked front wing upgrade failed to push Williams up the grid, Sainz openly expressed his worries about the team's correlation data. Addressing those frustrations, Vowles told the media (at the Dutch GP) that the upgrade did work, but it wasn't enough to mask the car's foundational flaws.
"The initial thought that we had post-Silverstone, because of our position relative to the grid, was we haven't added performance to the car," Vowles told the media. "Actually, we had; just unfortunately the rate of development of the field is incredibly high, and there were other issues in this year's car that are holding us back as a result of it".

#williams #told #carlos

Chelsea are set to renew striker Joao Pedro's contract until 2034 before the start of the Premier League season.
Sources at Stamford Bridge say they expect the deal to go through - while those close to the 24-year-old say a full agreement has already been reached on a contract to run until 2032, with an option for the club to extend it by a further two years.
Internally, the Brazil international is regarded as a major success after joining from Brighton in a deal worth an initial £55m, plus £5m in add-ons, last summer.
Last season, Joao Pedro became the first Chelsea striker since Diego Costa to score 20 goals in a campaign without taking penalties.
He also scored three times during Chelsea's Club World Cup-winning campaign last summer and has netted eight goals in seven pre-season matches.

#joao #club #contract

One trusted French journalist has hinted that Liverpool could be close to striking an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for the transfer of Bradley Barcola.
Personal terms have already been agreed with the 23-year-old, who's been frozen out of the PSG squad along with fellow Reds-linked winger Ibrahim Mbaye until their respective futures are resolved.
The two clubs have yet to agree on a price for the France international, with some outlets claiming that the European champions are holding out for as much as £145m, but one respected source believes that the Merseysiders could strike a deal for significantly less than that.
Fabrice Hawkins has indicated that Liverpool's 'next written offer' for Barcola could be accepted by PSG, with the reporter expecting the eventual price to be in the range of £111m to £128m.
He told RMC Sport's After Foot podcast (via Anfield Sector): "Bradley Barcola wants to join Liverpool. PSG were informed earlier of his desire and it was accepted. There's no intention to keep Bradley Barcola. The sticking point has been the valuation, where they started at €170m.

#accepted