Arsenal have suffered a significant setback in their efforts to protect teenage sensation Max Dowman after an independent commission dismissed their appeal against his recent red card. The 16-year-old attacker was sent off during a frustrating Carabao Cup evening for the Gunners, and the club's attempt to overturn the decision has officially fallen flat.
The 16-year-old was given his marching orders in the 85th minute of ******* nal's Carabao Cup tie against Fleetwood Town. The late dismissal followed a heavy challenge from Harrison Neal, with the teenager reacting poorly and kicking out at his opponent.
Mikel Arteta's side ultimately exited the competition on penalties following a tense 1-1 draw. Hoping to spare their academy star a lengthy domestic suspension, the north London club formally challenged the referee's decision on grounds of wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment.
Those hopes were quickly dashed when the Football ******* ociation shut down ******* nal's attempts to clear the youngster's name. Taking to X on Thursday, an FA spokesperson released a statement confirming that the original on-field decision would be upheld by an independent panel.
"An independent Regulatory Commission has dismissed claims of both wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment for Max Dowman," the governing body announced.

#carabao #commission #dismissed

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — Hayden Wolfe kicked a 27-yard field goal in overtime and Troy rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat James Madison 24-21 on Thursday night.
Troy (4-4, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference) turned the ball over on downs at the Dukes' 41-yard line to start the game, and Camden Coleman tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Corey Scott on fourth-and-goal nine plays later for a 7-0 lead.
Coleman fired a 31-yard touchdown pass to Braeden Wisloski and James Madison (7-2, 4-2) led 14-0 after its first two possessions.
The Trojans cut it to 14-7 when Gavin Griffin ran it in from a yard out on the first play of the second quarter. Troy picked up three first downs on James Madison penalties to extend the drive.
The Dukes answered with a third straight touchdown drive, scoring on Seth Cromwell's 14-yard run for a 21-7 advantage at halftime.

#troy #touchdown

Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart have both managed to shave significant amounts off the hefty fines handed down by the DFB Sports Court following the pyrotechnics incidents during the DFB-Pokal final (via iMiaSanMia).
Both clubs were initially ordered to pay €260,000 after the use of pyrotechnics during the final, prompting Bayern and Stuttgart to appeal the original decisions. The appeals have now produced considerably different, but welcome, results for both clubs.
Stuttgart's fine has been reduced to €200,000, meaning the club will save €60,000 from the original punishment. Bayern came out even better, with its fine reduced to €170,000—a €90,000 reduction from the initial ruling.
That still leaves Bayern with a rather substantial bill for what happened during the final, but considering the original figure, ****** ody at Säbener Straße is likely to complain about the discount.
The DFB has made it clear that it intends to take pyrotechnics seriously, with clubs continuing to face significant financial penalties for incidents involving flares and other prohibited items in the stands.

#final #original #stuttgart #incidents

Los Angeles Kings (0-4-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Washington Capitals (5-3, in the Metropolitan Division)
Washington; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings, on a six-game losing streak, play the Washington Capitals.
Washington has a 4-1-0 record in home games and a 5-3 record overall. The Capitals rank ninth in NHL play with 39 total penalties (averaging 4.9 per game).
Los Angeles has gone 0-1-2 on the road and 0-4-2 overall. The Kings are 0-3-0 in games they have more penalties than their opponent.

#angeles #division

Detroit Red Wings (3-3-2, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Seattle Kraken (5-3-1, in the Pacific Division)
Seattle; Tuesday, 9:40 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Detroit Red Wings visit the Seattle Kraken after the Red Wings knocked off the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in a shootout.
Seattle is 5-3-1 overall and 1-1-0 at home. The Kraken have a 1-2-0 record when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent.
Detroit has a 0-0-1 record on the road and a 3-3-2 record overall. The Red Wings rank 10th in league play with 38 total penalties (averaging 4.8 per game).

#Seattle #overall #tuesday

Boston Bruins (7-2, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Dallas Stars (4-3-1, in the Central Division)
Dallas; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Dallas Stars host the Boston Bruins after Arttu Hyry's two-goal game against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stars' 4-0 win.
Dallas has a 4-3-1 record overall and a 1-2-0 record on its home ice. The Stars have a 2-1-0 record when scoring a power-play goal.
Boston has a 7-2 record overall and a 4-1-0 record on the road. The Bruins rank third in the league with 43 total penalties (averaging 4.8 per game).

#dallas #boston

It could be argued that, after falling to 2-4 and seeing many of the grand plans of this 2026 Dallas Cowboys team sit utterly deflated following a 23-13 loss to the Packers on Sunday night in Green Bay, coach Brian Schottenheimer was in an impossible situation. What to say to your NFL team, after a devastating loss in which you were dominated on both sides of the ball, in which any progress made on the defensive side of the ball in the second half was offset first by the defense's poor play in the first half and the offense's poor play overall?
But Schottenheimer did go to the podium for his press conference on Sunday night and was asked what he said to the team.
His message: "The effort is right, the fight is right, but mistakes are killing us. Repeating mistakes is not what we're about. But we've got to protect the football. Five turnovers in two games, not very good. Got to find the running game. That starts with myself and the offensive staff. Got to get off the field on third down on defense, whether that's penalties or losing 1-on-1s. So, we got to clean it up. Lost two games in a row, not playing well. Got to take a hard look at it. Starts with me."
It is hard to say that, given the level of talent on this team–on the offensive line, in the receiver's room, at quarterback, at running back–that mistakes alone are the problem. The Cowboys did play harder and more aggressively on Sunday in Green Bay, that was obvious. But that also raises the question of where that effort and aggressiveness was in Week 5 against the Buccaneers, as well as at other times this season?
And, it could be argued, that the tendency toward mistakes with penalties and turnovers are a symptom of poor preparation and discipline. That's part of effort, and part of fight. So, it's hard to say that it's mistakes alone that are holding the team back.

#sunday

Packers' Matt LaFleur laments shortcomings in SNF win vs. Cowboys appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Green Bay Packers improved to 4-2 on the season with a 23-13 home win over Dak Prescott's Cowboys that shed light on an NFL record the home team set. A worrisome Tucker Kraft injury put a damper on the win one week before a crucial road trip to play the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Afterward, Zach Kruse of the Packers Wire laid out what LaFleur thought of his team's missed opportunities in what could have been a more decisive win.
"We left a lot out there. We had opportunities to put our foot on their throat…Had penalties, drops. We have to play cleaner football," LaFleur said.
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#lafleur #matt #preferred

The overall performance certainly wasn't perfect, but the Green Bay Packers still rolled to a two-score win over the visiting Dallas Cowboys on "Sunday Night Football" from Lambeau Field in Week 6. Brian Schottenheimer's team was well-rested after playing on Thursday night in Week 5 and not lacking motivation after a humbling home defeat in primetime, but the Packers still raced out to a 17-0 lead and ended up leading the game by two scores for most of the night. Matt LaFleur's team has won three straight games and is 4-2 overall, an acceptable record given the ups and downs of the early season.
Three big things from the Packers' win over the Cowboys:
Facing Dak Prescott, Javonte Williams, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens without Micah Parsons, Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Hargrave provided a big test for Jonathan Gannon's defense, and the group passed it with flying colors. The Cowboys managed only 13 points, of which seven came in garbage time, and Gannon continually had Prescott under pressure and making rushed and confused decisions against the blitz or the pre-snap appearance of a blitz. Prescott averaged only 4.8 yards per attempt, and the Packers got a pair of interceptions inside their own 30-yard line and a pair of fourth down stops on pass attempts in the fourth quarter. More and more, the home opener disaster against the Atlanta Falcons is looking like a blip on the radar. The Packers have allowed fewer than 14 points in three straight games since.
The Packers offensive line took several steps forward in games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears, largely due to the settling of performances at both guard spots. But Sunday night represented a step in the wrong direction and provided evidence that the problems along the offensive line aren't solved quite yet. Jordan Love was under pressure on 45.5 percent of his pass attempts, his highest percentage since Week 1. And the run game accomplished next to nothing, averaging only 2.2 yards per attempt overall and 1.8 yards on runs by Pierre Strong Jr., MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson. The Packers got by because Love was excellent under pressure early, and the defense made enough stops so that the struggles moving the ball in the second half didn't matter. The inconsistency of the offensive line, drops in big spots and untimely penalties still look like the Packers' biggest hurdles.
Rookie kicker Trey Smack calmed fears of any prolonged struggles by making all five of his kicks, including all three field goals. Even on a breezy night inside Lambeau Field, Smack enjoyed a bounce-back performance -- even if only one of his five kicks was from over 40 yards (a 44-yard field goal). More importantly, Smack didn't let last week's issues bleed into a new opportunity. Against the Bears, his three misses cost the Packers seven points. On Sunday night, Smack's five converted kicks created 11 points in a 10-point win.

#field

The Dallas Cowboys arrived at Lambeau Field needing a response after an ugly loss to Tampa Bay, but another slow offensive performance and unprepared defense left Dallas chasing the game all evening.
Dallas went into halftime down 17-0, with turnovers and penalties repeatedly wasting opportunities leading to Dallas falling to Green Bay 23-13. Here are this week's winners and losers from the game.
Dallas has waited a long time for an interception, and Dee Winters finally delivered one.
Winters read Jordan Love perfectly late in the first quarter, stepped in front of the pass and appeared to return it for a touchdown before replay ruled him down at the Green Bay 42-yard line. Even without the score, it was exactly the type of momentum-changing defensive play Dallas has desperately needed.
The frustrating part was that the offense immediately wasted the opportunity with an interception of its own. That shouldn't take anything away from Winters. On a defense that was searching for takeaways and impact plays, Winters provided one.

#dallas #game

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love threw a touchdown pass and also scored on a 1-yard keeper and the Green Bay Packers held Dallas' high-powered offense in check and beat the Cowboys 23-13 in a penalty-filled game Sunday night.
Love went 23 of 41 for 276 yards to help the Packers improve to 11-1-1 in their last 13 meetings with the Cowboys, including a 40-all tie last season at Arlington, Texas. A 9-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden capped Green Bay's first series and put the Packers ahead for good.
The Packers (4-2) have won three straight as they await the return of three-time Pro Bowl running back Josh Jacobs, who comes off the commissioner's exempt list Monday. Jacobs hasn't played all season and pleaded no contest last month to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend in May.
Green Bay intercepted Dak Prescott twice to thwart scoring opportunities. Prescott went 34 of 54 for 258 yards. He threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Flournoy with 44 seconds left, but couldn't connect with CeeDee Lamb on a 2-point conversion attempt.
The game featured 22 penalties — 11 by each team. Dallas had 108 penalty yards, while Green Bay had 96.

#pass #yard #love #dallas

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday evening temporarily allowing the use of red-dyed diesel on public roads and deferring the federal excise tax on that fuel through the end of the year, a move aimed at lowering costs for truckers and farmers facing record-high diesel prices.
Red-dyed diesel is chemically the same product as standard highway diesel, but carries a red dye to mark it as off-road fuel — meaning it is not subject to the 24.4-cent-per-gallon federal excise tax that applies to diesel sold at the pump for road use, such as for tractors and heavy machinery. Using it in highway vehicles has been illegal, carrying penalties for tax evasion, according to CNBC.
According to the White House, the order instructs the Treasury Secretary to hold off on collecting federal excise taxes on highway use of dyed diesel between October 5 and December 31, 2026, and to do so without charging interest or imposing penalties. The Treasury is also directed to direct the Internal Revenue Service not to impose penalties for on-road use of dyed diesel during that period. The order further instructs officials to explore pathways, including legislation, to eliminate the deferred tax obligations entirely.
The White House projected that a trucker who tops off an 18-wheeler's tank with 250 gallons stands to save over $100 on a single fill-up, provided the trucker's state suspends its own diesel tax as well. On top of the federal levy, each state levies its own diesel excise tax, and those state-level taxes average out to 35.5 cents per gallon, according to CNN.
The order also directs the Secretary of Agriculture to coordinate with agricultural cooperatives and rural fuel distributors to ensure adequate dyed diesel distribution in high-demand areas, and the Secretary of Transportation to engage with state governments and industry stakeholders. The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs was directed to encourage states to adopt corresponding policies.

#Diesel #federal #House #according

Rebel Wilson is facing a new sanctions motion in her Los Angeles defamation battle with three producers of The Deb.
Amanda Ghost, Gregor Cameron and Vince Holden accuse Wilson of giving false sworn testimony, withholding documents and mishandling evidence during pretrial discovery. Their lawyers characterize the alleged conduct as a "fraud on the court" and are asking Judge Thomas Long to impose penalties.
Wilson's attorney, Allyson Katherine Thompson, disputes the accusations. She told MyNewsLA that the motion is another attempt to malign Wilson and described it as "gamesmanship" in a heavily contested case.
The sanctions motion is scheduled for an Oct. 22 hearing. The producers' underlying defamation case against Wilson is currently scheduled for trial in Los Angeles in January 2027.
One of the examples in the motion concerns a demand letter tied to the dispute.

#amanda

FleetCor and CEO Ronald Clarke agreed to a $100 million payment resolving Federal Trade Commission litigation. The settlement follows years of court action over hidden charges involving commercial fuel cards. Harm reached tens of thousands among small-business customers seeking lower operating costs. Regulators say promised savings disappeared beneath undisclosed billing practices.
Federal regulators accused FleetCor, which now operates as Corpay, of imposing unauthorized fees totaling hundreds of millions. Investigators found improper late penalties despite timely remittance or company barriers that prevented payment. Officials cited misleading claims about gas savings, fraud controls, plus card-related expenses. Those practices harmed operators across the United States, according to a 2019 complaint.
Regulators found FleetCor often waited several billing cycles before adding many charges. Delayed timing made extra costs harder for customers to notice. Invoices omitted fee disclosures, pushing account holders toward separate management reports. Even those documents obscured some amounts among unrelated details or excluded them entirely.
"FleetCor deceived its small business customers by promising fuel savings that never materialized," Christopher Mufarrige said. He directs FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. Agency officials also criticized hidden and unauthorized charges. Settlement terms channel restitution toward harmed account holders.
In 2023, one federal district court granted summary judgment to the FTC on every count. Its ruling found hidden charges and false representations involving savings, fees, plus fraud-control features. Permanent injunction terms barred FleetCor from billing without informed consent alongside clear disclosures. That order also prohibited deceptive fuel-card claims or hiding material information behind hyperlinks.

#fleetcor #savings

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) CEO Alex Karp just added a third front to the fight over artificial intelligence (AI) safety on Thursday, arguing that the companies developing the technology -- the Anthropics and OpenAI's of the world -- should face civil and criminal penalties if AI causes the damage their CEOs are warning of.
Speaking with CNBC, Karp said that he agreed that "reasonable guidelines" for the industry should be enforced, but that "you can't do it" and that "the first line of defense" instead should be to hold companies and their leaders responsible for their own actions.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Karp was weighing in on an ongoing and high-profile debate within the industry. After Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei penned an essay warning that AI capabilities were improving too quickly for researchers to understand and control them and that action must be taken to ensure the public's safety, he was joined by several AI leaders with calls for a slowdown and increased oversight.
Here's a look at what they had to say:

#safety #Companies #warning #leaders

Rockledge was eager to get back on the football field after a dispiriting loss to Eau Gallie on Sept. 11.
The Raiders hosted Class 6A Spruce Creek on Sept. 14 in a rescheduled game from Week 2 after weather forced the postponement of the game on Aug. 28.
Spruce Creek led 3-0 with 1:57 left in the first quarter, but a quarterback change on Rockledge's final offensive drive ignited a game-tying drive to force overtime.
The Hawks scored 2 plays into overtime. On Rockledge's first offensive snap of the extra period, the Raiders threw an interception resulting in a 10-3 defeat.
"We played hard, we played tough," Rockledge head coach John Holmes said. "Just too many penalties."

#overtime

Fourteen years ago, Ken Jouppi, who had operated a charter airplane business in Alaska since the 1970s, agreed to fly a passenger from Fairbanks to Beaver, one of the state's dry jurisdictions. The passenger's luggage included 72 cans of Budweiser and Bud Light, which she planned to share with her husband on his birthday. Although most of the beer was boxed, a six-pack "was packed only in a grocery bag and would have been in plain view to Jouppi as he was loading the airplane," the Alaska Supreme Court noted last year.
State troopers discovered the beer before the plane took off, and Jouppi was convicted of a misdemeanor. The trial court, which concluded that Jouppi had been "willfully blind" to the six-pack, sentenced him to three days in jail and a $1,500 fine. But state law mandated another punishment that was 63 times as severe: forfeiture of Jouppi's $95,000 airplane. Although that penalty seemed grossly disproportionate, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that it did not violate the Eighth Amendment's ban on excessive fines.
In July, responding to a petition filed by the Institute for Justice, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review that decision. It will hear oral argument in Jouppi v. Alaska on December 1. In a brief supporting Jouppi's appeal that it filed last week, the Cato Institute argues that the Alaska Supreme Court erred by failing to consider the gravity of his conduct and the financial consequences of the forfeiture. Both of those factors, Cato attorney Matthew Cavedon says, have been central to the common-law understanding of excessive fines for eight centuries.
"The Eighth Amendment was designed to prevent this kind of abuse by limiting excessive fines," Cavedon writes. "Long before the United States was founded, the common law protected people from extreme monetary penalties. But the Alaska Supreme Court's view is that challenges to excessive fines 'should rarely succeed.' This dismissive view led it to conclude that there is nothing excessive about the forfeiture of an airplane worth 'only 9.5 times the maximum fine'—and over 60 times the fine actually imposed. The decision below cannot be reconciled with this Court's precedent or the Excessive Fines Clause's original meaning."
In weighing the proportionality of the airplane forfeiture, the Alaska Supreme Court thought the relevant consideration was the harm caused by excessive drinking. "Alcohol abuse in rural Alaska leads to increased crime; disorders, such as alcoholism; conditions, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and death, imposing substantial costs on public health and the administration of justice," Justice Jude Pate wrote in the majority opinion. "Within this context, it is clear that the illegal importation of even a six-pack of beer causes grave societal harm."

#court #excessive #jouppi

A spot in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana semifinals is on the line! This Tuesday (15), at 9:30 p.m., at MorumBIS, Tricolor will host Boca Juniors (ARG) in the decisive second leg of the quarterfinals.
After suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at La Bombonera, São Paulo need to win by two goals to advance to the next round. A one-goal victory will send the decision to penalties.
"The expectation is huge because it's a cup match and MorumBIS will be packed. We've prepared well and we'll go in search of qualification with the support of our fans," said forward Artur, who added.
"Big matches are decided in the details. Now we have our fans, our stadium, and that will certainly help us a lot. We have to press from the start of the game. We're treating it as the match of the season," he added.
After the clash with the Argentinians, São Paulo will have another important commitment ahead. This time in the Brazilian Championship: they will face Internacional next Saturday (19), at 9 p.m., at MorumBIS, in the 28th round.

#fans

Matt LaFleur spent his entire offseason promising Green Bay Packers would finally learn how to finish games. Sunday in Minneapolis put that promise to the test immediately. The Packers built a healthy second-half lead, the same type of cushion that slipped away repeatedly last season, and it vanished again. What happened next, both on the field and in the press conference that followed, left fans furious.
Green Bay looked in control for most of Sunday's opener at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Packers led 22-10 in the third quarter behind Jordan Love, who threw for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Then everything unraveled. Minnesota Vikings scored 29 unanswered points in the second half, turning a comfortable lead into a 39-22 defeat.
The turning point came in the fourth quarter. With Green Bay up 25-17 after a penalty wiped a Vikings field goal off the board, LaFleur chose to go for it on fourth-and-1 instead of taking the points. Love was stopped on a quarterback sneak, and Minnesota took over on downs. The Vikings never let go from there.
Sep 12, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur during the first half against the New Orleans Saints at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Love was sacked four times after halftime, lost a fumble and threw a tipped interception during the fourth-quarter collapse. Twelve Packers penalties for 98 yards, several on Minnesota's go-ahead drive, compounded the damage.

#lafleur #half

The trade sending Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto is finally going forward, with the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers agreeing to complete the deal that was agreed to earlier this summer, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Monday.
The deal will be the same as what was agreed to 2 1/2 months ago: Leonard returns to the Raptors, with the Clippers getting Brandon Ingram, Gradey ******* , two first-round draft picks, two second-round picks and a pick swap, said the person who spoke to The ******* ociated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade had not received the required league approval.
It's a huge move for Toronto, which won the 2019 NBA ******* le with Leonard leading the way and is expecting to contend in the Eastern Conference. But the sides put the agreement on hold in early July pending any resolution of NBA's investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules with regard to Leonard's compensation.
The NBA hit the Clippers earlier this month with massive penalties as a result of that probe, suspending owner Steve Ballmer for one year, fining the team $30 million and forcing it to forfeit five first-round draft picks, among other sanctions.
Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, was hit with a $700,000 penalty as a result of that investigation. But he was not suspended and his contract was not voided, and the Raptors evidently are now certain that his status will not be affected.

#clippers #raptors #picks #deal

In fantasy football, you have to look back to move forward. Fantasy points are the goal, but how a player gets there is the key. Yahoo ******* yst Joel Smyth breaks down 11 usage notes from Week 1 in order to win your matchup in Week 2 and beyond.
Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season
Of routes run in Week 1 for Dalton Kincaid, higher than any mark in 2025. This is good for most TEs, but incredible and notable for Kincaid. As a first-round TE talent, Kincaid has been limited throughout his career due to run blocking and injuries. Last season before his knee injury, he was right at 60% of the routes, good enough to be a mid-level TE1, although not ideal. After the injury, it dropped to 44%. If a ~70% route share holds, Kincaid can be the TE value of the year. His yards per route were top-three in the NFL (not just TE) and he is a part of one of the best offenses in the league. He had a nice start to the season with 130 receiving yards against the Texans defense.
The RB target split for Bucky Irving compared to Kenny Gainwell in Week 1 (and would've been eight without penalties). Gainwell was a backup RB that wasn't a focus of the offense, with only 18% of snaps resulting in a touch (Irving: 47%). Not to mention, Irving got both red-zone carries, one resulting in a touchdown. Sean Tucker is still out for now, but Irving looks to be a workhorse RB with elite receiving potential.
Gold opportunities for Chuba Hubbard: two red-zone targets and a goal-line attempt. They're the best opportunities for a touchdown for a RB, and it resulted in two here. Chicago's defense may need some help, but the workload should keep him as a weekly play as long as he holds off Jonathon Brooks. With 71% of the RB touches, anybody can have value. Before his injury last season, Hubbard began the 2025 season with nearly 20 touches per game over the first few weeks. I trust the stability of his volume going into Week 2 as a central role of the red-zone offense.

#season #fantasy #gainwell #hubbard

GREEN BAY – Even before he took 3 points off the board for a fourth-and-1 attempt in the fourth quarter, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur was antsy about how much he was using rookie kicker Trey Smack.
The modern NFL has provided touchdowns over field goals. In a road environment, LaFleur was acutely aware of how much his offense was settling for field goals.
"Anytime in this league, if you kick enough field goals," LaFleur said, "you're able to get beat. That's essentially what happened. We kicked too many field goals when we had opportunities. We didn't take advantage of short fields at times."
By the fourth quarter, the Packers twice had settled for a field goal after reaching the red zone. That doesn't include a drive before halftime that started on Minnesota's 36-yard line that resulted in no points, mostly because of penalties.
When Smack connected on a 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, his fourth of the game, the Packers had only an 8-point lead. Smack's missed extra point after the Packers' opening touchdown in the first quarter in part prevented the field goal from making it a two-possession lead, but so did the lack of red zone efficiency.

#packers #fourth #goals #green

What did Pro Football Focus make of the New Orleans Saints' season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions? PFF's unique grading system leaves a lot to be desired as far as valuable ****** ysis, but it's a good starting point for highlighting which players pulled their weight and which performances deserve more scrutiny. With the Saints having fought their into overtime after stumbling out of the gates, let's check in on the best and worst player grades on offense and defense after Week 1.
WR Chris Olave: 82.6. Olave wasn't as effective blocking on run plays as he'd like to be, but that's nearly the only negative about his game (he did also drop a pass deep downfield early on). He caught 10 of 13 targets for a career-high 182 receiving yards, went 2-of-4 on contested catches, and converted seven first downs. His 30 yards gained after the catch were also impressive.
TE Noah Fant: 79.6. Fant had some miscues -- Shough overthrew and underthrew him a few times as the pair worked to get in sync -- but you can see why the ball continued to go his way. Fant picked up almost half of his yardage after the catch and looked comfortable while drawing targets in traffic.
QB Tyler Shough: 75.0. How impressive is it that Shough clawed his way back up the list after starting so poorly? PFF had him with six "big time throws" this week, as many as the next two quarterbacks combined, which they define as "a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window." He just needs to cut down on the turnover-worthy plays, sacks, and penalties. That's easier said than done but should come with experience.
TE Juwan Johnson: 73.4. Johnson was the team's highest-rated run blocker (75.1), and while he didn't see many targets until late in the game, he made them count by going 3-of-6 for 54 yards and a critical touchdown. He also forced the Lions defense into committing a costly coverage penalty early on.

#shough

Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears enjoyed an incredible offensive performance in their 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. However, they are keeping their eye on the ball with some issues they must address as the 2026 campaign is underway.
Williams filled up the stat sheet as he enjoyed his activity in the offense. He completed 21 out of 29 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns while racking up 10 rushes for 65 yards and two touchdowns.
Williams reflected on the performance after the game, per reporter Chris Emma. He surprisingly said this game will be the team's worst as he anticipates stronger displays throughout the coming weeks this year.
"That's who we want to be this week. We got to go clean up. We want to be truthers. Obviously, this is going to be our kind of worst game. I know points don't necessarily show that, but execution, the blocking, the penalties, all these different things," Williams said.
Sep 13, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs the ball while defended by Carolina Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd (55) in the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

#williams #caleb #bears #images

As you know, football fans from every team, whether they're emotionally stable after a game or not, can grab a keyboard or camera and share their feelings with the world. That's bad news this Monday, after the first Sunday of the NFL season, for Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and the officials who called the Vikings-Packers stunner in Minneapolis.
The Vikings trailed 22-10 before scoring 29 unanswered points in a 39-22 victory. LaFleur is getting torched by the fan base because second-half collapses have become a trend since last December, and the officials are taking heat after calling 13 penalties on the Packers and only three on the Vikings.
The purpose of this article isn't to break down whether the refs got it right or wrong. We did that right here. We're just here today to showcase some of the most unhinged Packers fan reactions. Enjoy!
Annie Agar, one of the more famous Packers fans, wants everyone fired and the refs "thrown in jail." It's satire, of course, but her angry reaction reflects how most Packers fans feel.
"Without the freak turnovers and terrible reffing – which might have been intentional punishment for knocking out Kyler Murray, this team smokes the Vikings 99 times out of 100," a Reddit user who goes by DrLuny wrote.

#packers #Vikings #fans #right

Sep. 14—It was an extraordinary football weekend that saw the two Big Ten favorites, Ohio State and Oregon, join the Illini in stunning disappointments. What follows are four burning takes from Saturday's scramble.
(1) Is the new UI defensive system unworkable at this level, or are the linemen simply lacking in NFL-level talent required of conference contenders?
Conclusion: It's equal proportions of both as the Illini permitted 43 first downs in two outings.
In the opener against UAB, the defense permitted 17 rushes of five yards or more, and gave up 194 ground yards while managing one sack. The Illini won with four huge plays, including a 65-yard punt return and a Hail Mary, avoiding early trouble because four UAB drives were chilled by Blazer penalties. Illinois tackling was already a major concern.
Against Duke on Saturday, the Illini again had a single sack amid surprisingly effective passes by Walker Eget (15 of 21 for 206 yards), and never got sensational Nate Sheppard under control. Sheppard bulled and darted for 147 yards, caught five passes for 41 and scored three touchdowns.

#four #level #sack

Minnesota Vikings QB Carson Wentz went 12-for-19 for 133 yards, three touchdowns and no INTs in relief of QB Kyler Murray (concussion) during the Vikings' 39-22 comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, according to ESPN.com.
Why it Matters: Murray left in the first quarter with a concussion and may not make it back in time to face the Chicago Bears Sunday. Wentz took a beating, and he was helped out by several terrible penalties on Green Bay's defense. He still put the ball in the end zone, but it doesn't look sustainable. He's only a QB2 in superflex and two-QB leagues.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carson Wentz shines in relief

#relief #minnesota

The Iowa Hawkeyes flipped the script on the Cyclones, winning this year's CyHawk game on a late field goal to pull out a 16-13 win. It was a scrappy, ugly, sometimes dirty game that was pretty much in line to how this series has gone these last ten years. But the Hawkeyes exorcised the demons of the last two years with a Caden Burr field goal from 42 yards out with :15 seconds left to bring the CyHawk trophy back home to Iowa City.
After last week's performance against NIU and with a brand new regime in Ames, many expected this to be a much more comfortable game for the Hawkeyes, especially under the lights in Kinnick Stadium with a raucous crowd. But Iowa State put Iowa into an early 10-0 hole midway through the second quarter that had the black and gold faithful starting to get that "here we go again" familiar feeling. But the offense managed to come to life, thanks to a massive 56-yard bomb to Tony Diaz that set up a Hank Brown touchdown run late the first half. A huge 45-yard Buhr field goal right before halftime reset the score and setting up a grinding second half of football.
Neither team had a great first quarter. Iowa started with the ball but procedural penalties doomed their drive. Meanwhile the Hawkeye defense held the Cyclones to only six plays in the quarter. Iowa State managed to move the chains in the second quarter with drives of nine and ten plays that ended on a Kyle Konrardy field goal and 7-yard Jalen Raynor touchdown pass, respectively. Raynor's stat line tonight won't impress anyone: 10/19 for 117 yards, and no touchdowns with some crucial misfires on potential big plays. But aside from those misses he made no back breaking mistakes that allowed the Iowa defense to capitalize.
Hank Brown REACHES OUT for Iowa's first score.

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Iowa State regained their momentum coming out of the break with an eight play drive that ended with another Konrardy field goal. Running back Aiden Flora had the play of the drive with a 34-yard scamper down to the Iowa 19, but holding and illegal substitution penalties stalled the drive leading to the Konrardy kick to put ISU up 13-10. Iowa's offense went in to hibernation as they could not get Kamari Moulton going on the ground, the Cyclones were clearly committed to stopping the run and it worked for much of the game. Iowa's first three drives of the second half went for only 21 yards (four plays), 8 yards (3 plays), and -5 yards (3 playes, not helped by a holding penalty on Dotzler). Woof.

#cyclones #game #state

What a difference a week makes.
Michigan opened the Kyle Whittingham Era last week needing some game-clock malpractice and a Hail Mary to survive against Western Michigan.
Seven days later, the Wolverines put together a nasty defensive effort, overcome a host of costly penalties and roll to a 17-10 win over No. 11 Oklahoma in the Big House.
Remember when Whittingham unintentionally made a stir by questioning QB Bryce Underwood's status as the starter last week? Well, he made sure to clear the air after Underwood — mostly with his feet — helped Michigan beat OU.
"Bryce is our quarterback," he said.

#bryce

The UCLA Bruins defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 28-10 in their home opener at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. on Sept. 12.
The Bruins were held scoreless for the first half of the game, but took the lead in the third and blew up in the fourth to steamroll the Aztecs. UCLA head coach Bob Chesney was able to keep his team together yet again as he leaves his first home opener in the Rose Bowl triumphant. Here were five takeaways from the Week 2 performance.
The Bruins defense defended their den viciously for the season opener as they held the Aztecs scoreless for the first three quarters of play. San Diego State's lone touchdown came on the defense's worse drive of the game that was filled with penalties that led the Aztecs down the field and into the endzone.
Nonetheless, the defense was the strongest side of the ball for the majority of the game as they held the Aztecs to just 45-passing yards, had two sacks, six tackles-for-loss and an interception that was snagged by senior linebacker Jalen Woods.
FIRST CAREER INT FOR J-9! 💪

📺: BigTenNetwork
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#aztecs #opener #ucla #bowl