Giants pass rusher Brian Burns' season appears to be over.
Burns is believed to have suffered a torn ACL on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter.
The injury is a devastating one for the Giants' defense. Burns has started every game for the Giants since they traded for him in 2024, and last year he had a career-high 16.5 sacks.
Burns is in the third year of the five-year, $141 million contract he signed in 2024.
Until late last week, Burns was expected to miss Sunday's game because of the low ankle sprain he suffered the week before. Instead he played, and played what turned out to be his last game of the season.

#season #played

The Eagles left their season opener with a victory, but the offensive line's uneven performance has now been followed by a significant personnel change. Philadelphia placed Landon ****** erson on injured reserve after the veteran left guard played through multiple ailments against Washington. Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin are the leading candidates to replace him, although the Eagles could consider changing more than one position.
Here are four takeaways from the move.
Dickerson rarely looked comfortable against the Commanders. He played all 55 offensive snaps but surrendered three pressures, including a quarterback hit, and was penalized for holding. Those problems were part of a difficult afternoon for Philadelphia's interior protection. Washington repeatedly generated pressure through the middle and finished with three sacks.
Dickerson's performance should be viewed in the context of the physical issues he was trying to manage. He remained on the field for every offensive play, but he did not resemble the powerful and dependable blocker the Eagles have come to expect.
Kendall appears to be one of the most logical candidates to enter the starting lineup. His ability to play both center and guard gives Philadelphia flexibility, especially if the coaching staff wants to limit changes at once. The Eagles could place Kendall directly at left guard and leave Cam Jurgens at center and Tyler Steen at right guard. That would preserve continuity at four of the five starting positions.

#played

The Pittsburgh Steelers kicked off the 2026 NFL season with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons at home, 20-13. The close score is a reminder that any team can be beaten and shouldn't overlook any potential opponent. The Falcons started Cooper Rush at quarterback and gave the Steelers everything they could handle. The offense has things to clean up, but the Steelers' defense was on full display, including a massive performance from T.J. Watt.
Watt finished his season debut with four pressures, two sacks, two hurries, two tackles, and four defensive stops. PFF awarded Watt a 92.3 defensive grade, 81.4 run defense grade, 73.9 tackling grade, and a 90.8 pass rushing grade. Did I mention the pick-six? I didn't? Well, that's important too, since it was the deciding factor on Sunday.
Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen spoke to the media after the game and doesn't understand the criticisms tossed at Watt.
"I saw how they talk about him online," Queen said. "It's crazy how a guy can be dominant for so long, and then one year he gets hurt … and everybody tries to turn the page on him."
Queen isn't wrong. The hoopla of Myles Garrett being traded to the Los Angeles Rams following his record-breaking sack season and DPOY award has pushed Watt out of the conversation because of his injury in 2025. Sunday was a remarkable reminder that with Watt leading the stingy Steelers defense, the EDGE rusher is as good as anyone on any given Sunday.

#season #falcons

Win or lose, any football game is sure to include some standout individual performances.
Luckily for us, the Jacksonville Jaguars obliterated the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, and there are plenty of game ****** to pass around.
Trevor Lawrence threw 4 touchdowns; Parker Washington had the coolest one of them; Foye Oluokun logged an interception and another pass breakup; Ventrell Miller had a team-high 9 tackles plus a sack and a forced fumble; and Josh Hines-Allen stuffed the stat sheet with 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery (on different plays!).
After the final whistle, we asked Jaguars fans to pick Big Cat Country's Player of the Week.
81% of voters chose Trevor Lawrence.

#fumble #week #game #forced

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

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw the best and worst of Baker Mayfield in their first season-opening loss since 2020.
Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl ***** le that season so 0-1 isn't an insurmountable deficit.
Plus, every team in the NFC South lost on Sunday.
Mayfield lost three fumbles that led to 17 points, including one that was returned for a score in Tampa Bay's 33-27 loss to Cincinnati. He also held the ball took long at times, taking four sacks. But Mayfield had an efficient game when he wasn't giving the ball away. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards and ran for 30 yards, including a touchdown.
If Mayfield protected the ball, the outcome would've been different.

#yards #buccaneers

AUBURN — Both Da'Shawn Womack and CK Murray are expected to see the field when Auburn football when it hosts Florida for its SEC-opener this weekend, head coach Alex Golesh said Monday, Sept. 14.
Neither Womack nor Murray played in Auburn's home-opener against Southern Miss last weekend after Golesh provided health updates on both throughout the week.
"Those guys both practiced this morning, and we anticipate having them both," Golesh said. "It was a push to get them both back last week. I don't know if you saw, I had to get Womack out of my way about 20 times on the sideline (against Southern Miss). I kept telling everybody he was 'Coach Wo' on the sideline, and he (was). He brought a really cool energy. So did CK, which I was proud of both those kids for."
TIME, TV: When does Auburn football play Florida this week?
Transferring from Ole Miss to Auburn this offseason, Womack had 27 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and a forced fumble for the Rebels last year. Murray played in all 12 of Auburn's games last fall, posting 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Prior to that, Murray spent three seasons at Sam Houston.

#golesh #miss #Florida

There were plenty of great performances from around the local gridiron as area football teams opened their seasons. Tommy Cassell picked a few of the best performances for readers to vote on to decide the Hometeam Football Player of the Week.
More: Check out the Hometeam Central Mass. high school football standings, leaders
These picks were selected from performances reported by area coaches to the Hometeam Scoreboard. Coaches or administrators are encouraged to report game results and highlights each night by calling the T&G sports desk at 508-793-9350 or emailing sportstelegram.com.
Abalo rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown and also made 13 tackles to lead the Burncoat defense in a 34-6 beatdown of Bourne.
This senior led the Warriors' defense with seven tackles and a pair of sacks, with one of his sacks resulting in a safety on defense during Narragansett's 29-6 victory over Monty Tech.

#Football #coaches #tackles #sacks

There is only one way to describe Greg Rousseau's effort for the Buffalo Bills against the Houston Texans in Week 1: Game changer.
The Bills (1-0) took a 36-31 win on the road in their season opener in Houston.
The Texans' offense soon won't forget Rousseau any time soon.
Rousseau dominated the game. Despite Buffalo's shortcoming on defense by allowing 31 points, Rousseau consistently stood out.
Rousseau had four tackles, including two for loss, five quarterback hits, with two strip sacks including the game-winning takedown of Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. Rousseau knocked the ball out of Stroud's hand and it was scooped up by linebacker Terrel Bernard with only seconds left on the clock.

#bills #soon #including

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-0 after a 20-13 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13 at Acrisure Stadium.
The stars played a big part in getting them there. T.J. Watt returned a fourth-quarter interception for a touchdown to provide the game-winning points. Veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. – the headliner of the team's 2026 free agent class – caught three passes for 58 yards. And Alex Highsmith knifed through Atlanta blockers to record two sacks of his own.
Add it all up, and the positives were plentiful for first-year coach Mike McCarthy in his debut.
Here's a look at some of the highlights and lowlights through the eyes of Pro Football Focus evaluators, who study every play on film to grade each player individually. For context, players are graded on a 0-100 scale.

#atlanta #stadium #veteran

If you look at Deshaun Watson's final numbers from Cleveland's 34-10 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday, you might be able to talk yourself into some positives.
After all, Watson was 16-of-22 for 205 yards with a touchdown and an interception — good for 9.3 yards per attempt and a 97.7 passer rating.
But if you watched the game, you'd know 46 of those yards came on a garbage-time touchdown to Denzel Boston against the Jaguars' backups. You would've seen Watson fire an interception to end Cleveland's first drive, almost throw another to end the second, and then get strip-sacked on the third. You would understand that most — if not all — of Jacksonville's five sacks on Watson happened because he was dropping so far back that the offensive line couldn't form a cohesive pocket. You might've been baffled by how often he was trying to change a call at the line of scrimmage too late in the play clock.
Cleveland's first drive had gotten off to a solid start, with the team moving the ball before Watson's interception. After that, the unit was off the rails with no sense of rhythm.
But Watson said postgame that the pick didn't rattle him.

#interception

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
📲: https://t.co/rVIspx5dud pic.twitter.com/4ODHkrh5SV

#aztecs #opener #ucla #bowl

One of the biggest and most controversial trades happened this offseason when the L.A. Rams traded for Myles Garrett. The organization entered the season with more expectations than ever, but its campaign began in embarrassing fashion, as the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Rams 27–7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (95) poses with general manager Les Snead (left) and coach Sean McVay at press conference at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The fans were disappointed with star pass rusher Myles Garrett, as his performance was really disappointing and he made virtually no impact in his Rams debut.
During a recent episode of "The Odd Couple," Fox Sports Radio host Rob Parker criticized several members of the Rams before turning his attention to the former Cleveland Browns star and saying:
"Myles Garrett was so terrible. He was a zero. He had nothing. Go look in the box score. His name's not even in there. You know why? He didn't do anything. No pressures. No sacks. No tackles. Nothing—not even a half tackle. Nothing. I would have rather had Mrs. Garrett from 'The Facts of Life' than Myles Garrett on my football team last night. That's how bad it was."

#Rams

Michigan improved to 2-0 on Saturday afternoon, beating Oklahoma 17-10.
Here are key takeaways from Michigan's win.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was just 9-of-17 passing for 111 yards and was marginally better throwing the ball than he was in Week 1. However, he did some great things on the ground, including a 38-yard rushing touchdown to put Michigan up 7-0. In all, Underwood had 87 yards on the ground and the score. Underwood will have to improve passing. While Michigan should continue to lean on what he does best (running), that approach is bound to be stopped on a given week; the defense will give up more than 10 points, and Underwood's arm will decide if Michigan loses. Today was a step in the right direction; he didn't throw an interception despite a couple near picks. Even so, Michigan has a lot of tough games coming up this season (Penn State, Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State) and improvement is necessary through the air.
Michigan had 11 penalties for 90 yards, and many of these extended drives for Oklahoma. Jyaire Hill had a late hit, Dom Nichols ripped John Mateer's helmet off, Shamari Earls had a facemask penalty. Eliminating penalties was a point of emphasis heading into this game, but the team failed to follow the message that head coach Kyle Whittingham had. Michigan's lucky that all the yellow flags didn't cost them the game — because they nearly did.
Michigan held Oklahoma to just 289 yards and 3-of-13 on third down. Defensive end John Henry Daley (eight tackles, one sack) was an absolute force and disrupted Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer's timing, as was defensive end Dom Nichols (0.5 sacks). Linebackers such as Troy Bowles (nine tackles) and Nathaniel Staehling (seven tackles) played well, and safety Chris Bracy (six tackles) delivered hard hits throughout the game. It was a cohesive effort (besides the penalties).

#michigan #oklahoma #game #state

One more sleep until the Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium. Until then, let's dive into some prospects Packers fans should keep tabs on during the Week 2 slate of the college football season.
With the Packers expected to have a heavy presence at the Mississippi State at Minnesota game, we'll start with the SEC vs. Big 10 matchup.
Ashton Beers, iOL: Beers fits what the Packers look for in interior lineman. The Gophers starting center has 14 starts at center, seven at right guard and two at left guard to his name. He also has taken snaps at left tackle. With his position versatility, size (6-6, 320) and football acumen, Beers could be a target for the Packers on Day 3 of the 2027 NFL Draft.
Jaray Bledsoe, DT, Mississippi State: Bledsoe is an active interior presence. Last week the former Texas transfer recorded 1.5 tackles for loss after he recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season. The 6-4, 290 pound defensive tackle will face a tough test against Minnesota's interior offensive line that boasts potential first-round pick Greg Johnson and Beers.
John Walker, DT, Ohio State: A month ago if you were to discuss the Ohio State defensive tackles, you'd likely hear the names James Smith and Eddrick Houston and for good reason, both prospects are fine players. Houston looked like an immovable object last week against Ball State. John Walker though was the defensive tackle that caught my attention. He showed good initial quickness off the snap and power to make an impact against the run and impact the timing of the quarterback. I charted him with a pair of run stops and two pressures.

#defensive #minnesota

After nearly two decades of head coach Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers are starting over with new head coach Mike McCarthy, a whole new system and several new starters. Optimism is high and fans feel like there's been a new energy with the team and so let's offer up our own bold predictions for the upcoming season.
We aren't ready to name the two players but between the team's three big edge defenders and defensive linemen Cam Heyward and Derrick Harmon, we predict the Steelers to get at least two players with 10+ sacks.
Time is almost out for Joey Porter Jr. to agree to terms on a contract with the Steelers but we predict Porter Jr. still plays in 2026, even if it is on his rookie contract.
Between Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, the Steelers have a very good two-headed running back attack. And while we think the run game will be effective, we don't see either player eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards individually.
With the team's new additions, we predict DK Metcalf will reap the benefits with his best season. Metcalf's career high in receptions is 90 and his receiving yards are 1,303. We predict Metcalf tops both this season.

#season #mike #players

The Buffalo Bills will visit the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on Sunday with an important win on the line. Come the end of the season, these early-year victories come in handy.
For this AFC battle between Joe Brady's Bills and DeMeco Ryan's, it will be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.
Here are Bills Wire's three key matchup to watch Week 15's Bills vs. Texans matchup in Week 1:
Anderson led the line for a Texans defense that beat up Bills quarterback Josh Allen when these two teams faced off last season. Anderson had 2.5 sacks and the Texans had eight as a team. Brown needs to be a lot better against him in 2026. Brown has noted that he was playing through injury last year.
Expectations are high for Moore's debut with the Bills. Can he be the top playmaker Buffalo's offense has lacked in recent years? If he is, Moore will have a tough task to show it. Stingley is a two-time All-Pro defensive back and will probably follow Moore around all game.

#bills #moore #come #year

Both the Steelers and the Falcons have new coaching staffs heading into Week 1. It's safe to say both franchises will be looking to start their new era off on the right foot with a victory. I spoke with Kevin Knight of The Falcoholic to learn a bit about what's new with the Atlanta Falcons.
Kevin Knight: Well, now even Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup thanks to an oblique injury suffered during individual drills on Thursday. That means Cooper Rush at the helm (who, in truth, may not be any worse than Tua based on the aforementioned preseason). What you're going to see is a lot of quick game, and as much Bijan Robinson as the team can muster. If Atlanta can run the ball well and get Bijan going, they can score points. So that'll be the plan, with the passing game largely taking a complementary role until Michael Penix Jr. returns.
Kevin Knight: This is a good defense that will have to find ways to manufacture pass rush. Thankfully, Jeff Ulbrich is an evil genius with his blitz packages, and he's got a lot of interesting looks planned. Expect to see a lot of linebacker and slot blitzes to supplement their weaker edge rusher room, along with a lot of emphasis on interior pass rush. Atlanta has a really nice interior duo with Brandon Dorlus (who was leading all interior defensive linemen in the NFC with 8.5 sacks last season before injury) and trade acquisition Gervon Dexter Sr. They're hoping the interior can offset some of their weaknesses outside.
Kevin Knight: I like Kevin Stefanski and think it pretty much takes a miracle worker to extract any amount of success from the Cleveland Browns organization. It does seem like there's a coherent, forward-thinking plan in place for this Falcons team for the first time in years. I don't necessarily expect a lot of success in 2026 based on the moves made to this point and the way the team is structured, but I do expect Atlanta to be one of the most aggressive teams in free agency and the draft in 2027.
Kevin Knight: As I mentioned before, Brandon Dorlus is a borderline-elite interior pass rusher who may also get some run on the edge. Linebacker Divine Deablo was the biggest surprise in last year's free agent class and completely transformed the defense when he was on the field. Second-year safety Xavier Watts was a DROY candidate in 2025 and forms a dynamic duo with veteran Jessie Bates III. Atlanta will be starting two rookies on defense: Avieon Terrell (brother of A.J. Terrell) in the slot, and Kendal Daniels at linebacker. Both impressed in training camp, with Daniels being a particularly pleasant surprise given his Day 3 selection.

#expect

Carole Radziwill is opening up about a famous family heirloom that came with an unexpected story.
The What Remains author, 63, shared the story during an appearance on Haley Sacks' Financial Tea podcast, on Thursday, September 10. "I did inherit Jackie Kennedy's Cartier watch. I ended up selling it at auction," Carole said
After Sacks suggested the watch was "cursed," Carole explained, "There was something about that watch that linked all of us — Jackie Kennedy in the '60s, me in the '90s, and then my best friend in the 2010s — and all three were widowed in their 30s."
Carole was married to Anthony Radziwill, Kennedy Onassis' nephew and John F. Kennedy Jr.'s first cousin, from 1994 until his death from cancer in August 1999. JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette, died in a plane crash the previous month.
During her appearance on Financial Tea, the Real Housewives of New York City star admitted she eventually decided to auction the watch at Christie's because she hoped Cartier would buy it back.

#jackie

Michigan defensive end Dom Nichols understands exactly what John Mateer can do when a pass rush loses containment.
He saw it last September.
Mateer threw for 270 yards and added 74 more on the ground while accounting for three touchdowns in Oklahoma's 24-13 victory over Michigan. The Wolverines will get another shot at the Sooners on Saturday, and Nichols is not being subtle about what he expects when Mateer tries to escape the pocket this time.
"He's not getting away from me," Nichols said this week.
There is some bite behind the confidence. Nichols opened the 2026 season with nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks against Western Michigan, emerging as one of the few uncomplicated positives from Michigan's shaky 13-12 victory.

#victory #john #september #saturday

The San Francisco 49ers came out firing on every cylinder to deliver a 27-7 beatdown Down Under of the Los Angeles Rams. From the decision to arrive early to their piling on late scoring, how well did Brock Purdy, Kyle Shanahan and the crew do in upsetting the Super Bowl favorites to start the season?
Offense: A-
The old guys ruled. And that Kaelon Black kid wasn't too shabby. A 30-something (Demarcus Robinson, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel) accounted for their three TDs and an almost 40-something, Trent Williams, was the best of the bunch, because you and I had as many tackles, QB hits and sacks as Rams' All-Universe pass rusher Myles Garrett. Less happily, De'Zhaun Stribling and Jake Tonges were carted away in the second quarter. George Kittle was a rumor. Yet Brock Purdy didn't notice. Outside of a horrific interception, Purdy was terrific with his arm, legs and swaggy first-down celebrations. Does Christian McCaffrey finally have a caddy? Yes. Rookie Black looked excellent in a real game after resembling a third-round find in the spring and summer.
Defense: A+
Raheem Morris in 2028? The well-respected new defensive coordinator looked like Bill Belichick (the pre-2022 version) while his unit made the reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford look ordinary. Sorry, correction: not just ordinary, but awful. Having Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw (combined games played for 49ers in 2025: 9) back together did give Morris some added IQ points. The LB duo turned out the lights on the Rams when Greenlaw held up Tyler Higbee and Warner peanut-punched the ball out. The 49ers didn't have a sack, but they made Stafford unsettled. Osa Odighizuwa had four of their eight QB hits, including a pressure that led to Stafford's INT.

#greenlaw

When Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with a torn ACL, there were panic-stricken takes that he might miss some or most of the 2026 season.
That didn't happen. At every step of Mahomes' recovery he has looked right on track, and it will culminate with him starting on Monday night. He made it back for Week 1, which was within the normal timetable for his injury.
Mahomes should be fine for the opener. But the Chiefs' issues around him persist.
The last thing the Chiefs want to do in Mahomes' first game back, against a very good Denver Broncos defense, is put him in harm's way. But with preferred left tackle Josh Simmons dealing with a back injury and Jaylon Moore, just signed to a two-year, $30 million deal this offseason, staying at right tackle, the Chiefs have had to scramble.
The result is that Mahomes will return and be protected by an undrafted rookie left tackle against a Broncos defense that led the NFL with 68 sacks last season. That's not ideal.

#back #Broncos

SOUTH BEND — Forty-two weeks since suffering the second left ACL tear of his career, Notre Dame football linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa could return this week against Rice in the home opener.
"Kyngstonn's done a great job," Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Thursday, Sept. 10 on his Zoom update. "He's practiced well. He'd been working to the point where he can play. He's had a really good week of practice. Right now, we're optimistic he'll be able to go on Saturday and be able to help us some."
The junior standout from Inland Empire, CA wore his Shamrock Series jersey but otherwise was in civilian clothes for the season-opening win over Wisconsin on Sunday, Sept. 6.
Viliamu-Asa appeared to practice throughout August at near full capacity as he worked back from the Senior Day injury against Syracuse last Nov. 22.
A preseason All-America candidate, Viliamu-Asa averaged 40 defensive snaps per game in his 11 outings last season. He tied for fourth on the team with 48 tackles and ranked second with 7.5 tackles for loss, including three sacks.

#sept #able #season #last

Drake Maye walked into Lumen Field on Wednesday night looking to open his season with a statement win over the defending Super Bowl champions. Instead, the young Patriots quarterback endured one of the toughest nights of his career.
Maye completed 23 of 33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, but three interceptions and three sacks piled up as New England fell 13-10 to the Seattle Seahawks. Still, Maye showed his toughness on the ground, carrying the ball seven times for 47 yards.
One of those runs turned into a scary moment. In the first quarter, as Maye stepped out of bounds, Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall shoved him well after the play had ended.
MORE: Drake Maye, Patriots set unwanted NFL record against Seahawks
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) took a hit against the Seattle Seahawks. Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

#maye #england #three

Brandon Graham is retiring from the NFL again, officially ending one of the most accomplished and beloved careers in Philadelphia Eagles history.
Graham announced his retirement Tuesday after 16 seasons, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. The 38-year-old spent his entire career with Philadelphia, becoming a two-time Super Bowl champion and the longest-tenured player in franchise history . Graham retired following the Eagles' Super Bowl win over the Patriots after 15 seasons in the NFL, but Philadelphia convinced him to return from retirement last October. He recorded three sacks and eight tackles in nine games and played a handful of snaps on the interior to help replace an injured Jalen Carter.
His two-sack performance against the Las Vegas Raiders made him the oldest player in Eagles history to record a sack.
Philadelphia released Graham in June in what was described as a procedural move, leaving open the possibility of another return. Graham expressed interest in playing a 17th season and participating in a full training camp, but the Eagles entered September with a younger and deeper group of edge defenders.
The No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Graham appeared in 215 regular-season games and recorded 79.5 sacks and 128 tackles for loss. His career required patience after early injuries and criticism, but he eventually developed into one of the franchise's most dependable defenders and respected leaders.

#Retirement

Brandon Graham's first retirement was a brief one, but he says the second one will be a lasting exit from the football field.
Graham said at an event on Tuesday, via Rob Kuestner of NBC Philadelphia, that he is "officially done" playing football. Graham retired after the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February 2025, but the defensive end returned to the team in October and played in 10 games for the team.
Graham spent his entire NFL career with the Eagles. The 2010 first-round pick has the franchise record with 215 regular season appearances and he played in 13 playoff games, including both of the franchise's Super Bowl wins.
Graham had 495 tackles, 79.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries in those 215 regular season games. He added 21 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in the playoffs. One of those forced fumbles came against Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter of Philadelphia's Super Bowl LII win.

#bowl #first

The NFL is kicking off again with an absolutely loaded first week of games. The biggest face-offs launching the 2026 season include a Super Bowl rematch and a battle in Oz, with plenty of roster additions and subtractions that will transform your favorite teams. But for better or worse?
Read on to find out, in our top five most anticipated Week 1 matchups.
When: 8:20 p.m. ET
Where: NBC, Peacock
Week 1's opening game is also its most anticipated, as the Patriots take on the team that wiped the floor with them in a Super Bowl rematch. Will the Seahawks' dominant defense hold after the loss of key pieces like Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant? Or will New England QB Drake Maye achieve redemption (he had six sacks and two interceptions in Super Bowl LX) now that he's got protection from guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs catching passes instead of the other team?

#week #rematch #peacock

LAWRENCE — As Kansas football embarked this past Friday on the second year of D.K. McDonald serving as the team's lead defensive coordinator, in a season opener at home against LIU, the Jayhawks saw the group thrive in Lawrence.
Kansas, which went on to win 51-6, didn't allow any points until the fourth quarter — a pair of field goals. LIU only amassed 146 yards of total offense and went 2-for-13 on third downs. KU finished with 11 tackles for loss and three sacks, only allowing LIU to average 2.8 yards per play.
RELATED: Will Kansas football have Cam Pickett and Bam Crouch available against Missouri?
On Monday, here's what McDonald had to say about the defense's performance, as the Jayhawks continued to prepare for a game this upcoming Friday at home against Missouri:
McDonald liked what his side of the ball was able to do, getting those tackles for loss. He liked the effort the guys put in, how they'd rally around each other for tackles and play to the standard they're trying to set. It's something that he wants to see continue when Kansas faces Missouri.

#went

The Seattle Seahawks begin their 2026 season versus the New England Patriots on Wednesday. That doesn't mean some publications aren't already looking towards the 2027 NFL draft. With a new college football campaign officially underway, mock drafts have been populating news feeds.
NFL Draft On SI: A Sports Illustrated Channel was among the outlets that released new first-round mock drafts. Using power rankings to determine the draft order, they have the Seahawks picking at No. 31 overall. The pick? Clemson defensive end Will Heldt.
"Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider likes to keep four, five pass rushers in rotation," NFL Draft On SI wrote. "With DeMarcus Lawrence and Dante Fowler Jr. being aging veterans, adding another young rusher to the fold would fit the Seahawks' approach. Clemson's Will Heldt transferred to the program last season from Purdue and led the Tigers in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (7.5)."
Heldt placed third among returning Power Four edge defenders with an 84.4 PFF overall grade last season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 87.8 PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets ranked 14th in the Power Four. He's been a dominant rusher for the Tigers.
Heldt feels like a prospect who will be on the Seahawks' radar.

#heldt #draft #season

The reigning Celebration Bowl champs may only be two games into their 2026 season but they've also done a great job at showing why last year's HBCU National Championship was no fluke. Chennis Berry has built a dominant program top-to-bottom over in Orangeburg; a team that doesn't take losing well and doesn't do a whole lot of it to begin with. South Carolina State, now 2-0, appears to be steamrolling towards another stellar season. Another MEAC ***** le and trip to Atlanta may be waiting down the road and, while of course the work to get there will be difficult, there can be no debating that the Bulldogs are the top of the mountain in HBCU football at this very moment.
SC State came out of the gates blazing hot with a 87-0 victory over Savannah State (Berry's alma mater). In that game they were about as finely tuned a machine as you can get in all three phases. They racked up 627 offensive yards and amazingly enough not one individual player had more than 100 on their own in any singular category. Josh Shaw ran for three scores in that game and it wasn't even half of the total rushing touchdowns they had that day. Keely Watson completed eight passes and nearly half of those went for TDs as well. On the other side 29 different defenders logged at least one stop and three of them were responsible for takeaways. Just to stamp it they got a blocked punt returned for a score as well.
Division II opponent or not, that's the type of performance that just can't be ignored and it was followed up by another smothering performance against Florida A&M on Sunday in the Orange Blossom Classic. Down in Miami the Bulldogs steamrolled again in their 31-13 victory. The defense in particular was lights out as they held the Rattlers to -1 rushing yards. Yes, negative rushing yards for the whole game as well as a mere 4-for-17 on third down. Had it not been for a flurry of penalties, SC State could have won by a heck of a lot more.
The roster is brimming with talent and it starts with running back Mason Pickett-Hicks who is averaging 156.5 yards per game. Pickett-Hicks ran for 210 yards against FAMU last weekend and was essentially unstoppable on his 17 rush attempts. He found the end zone twice and was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week. SC State also boasted the conference's Defensive Player of the Week with junior defensive lineman Jordan Dollard. Dollard was a game-wrecker on Sunday, posting 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He had six stops total.
Those two are just a few of the playmakers the Bulldogs have at their disposal. Front to back Berry's team is loaded and, although the sample size has been small, it certainly seems like they are again the team to beat. Who, if anyone, might be able to do it?

#state #bulldogs