Puka Nacua’s return was supposed to give the Los Angeles Rams a puncher’s chance to stay afloat in the NFC playoff race. On Sunday, the second-year receiver took it literally.

The Rams’ star was ejected from the team’s Week 9 contest against the Seattle Seahawks for throwing a punch at Tyrel Dodson. Seattle intercepted a pass from Matthew Stafford on the play with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. It’s been a frustrating week for Nacua, who exited the game with just one catch for 11 yards on four targets.

Seattle would take advantage of the turnover, scoring a touchdown and taking a 13-3 lead into halftime. The Rams would go on to win, 26-20, in overtime to improve to 4-4. The Seahawks fell to 4-5. The NFC West is a tight race through Sunday, with the Rams trailing the division-leading Arizona Cardinals (5-4) by a half a game and the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers also sitting at 4-4.

Rams WR depth chart

The Rams are fairly thin at receiver without Nacua in the fold. With Jordan Whittington already sidelined, that leaves Los Angeles with just four healthy receivers for the second half of Sunday’s contest. Cooper Kupp will handle most of the work, with Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell playing more prominent roles. Tyler Johnson, who hasn’t seen a lot of work in the passing game, should also get some looks with the lack of other available options.

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Cooper Kupp
Demarcus Robinson
Tutu Atwell
Tyler Johnson

Puka Nacua stats

After a record-setting rookie season, Nacua’s sophomore campaign has been disappointing. The receiver was playing in just his third game of the year on Sunday, largely thanks to a knee injury he aggravated in Week 1. Nacua was activated off IR in time to play in the team’s Week 8 game against the Minnesota Vikings and delivered a big performance. He recorded seven catches for 106 yards, reminding fans what a healthy Nacua is capable of.

He will finish Week 9 with 11 catches for 141 yards in three games. That’s a steep drop from the 105 catches and 1,486 yards he posted in 2023. Nacua hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this season, something he did six times in his rookie year.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a knee injury during the first half of his team’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He exited the game before the Eagles’ first possession of the second half.

Brown looked banged up after a tackle toward the end of the first half. After an initial, quick visit with Philadelphia’s medical staff, the wideout returned to the huddle for the following play after the two-minute warning.

He played the remaining few minutes of the half and went to the locker room with the rest of the team. However, Brown returned to the locker room with an apparent injury before the Eagles’ offense took the field for the first time in the third quarter. In the minutes afterward, the team declared the star receiver as questionable to return.

A.J. Brown injury update

Brown has been ruled out for the Eagles’ Week 9 game against the Jaguars with a knee injury, the team announced.

All things Eagles: Latest Philadelphia Eagles news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The receiver initially looked banged up late in the second quarter. Initially, he appeared to have avoided further injury when he quickly returned to the huddle after a brief visit with the Eagles’ medical staff.

Brown was initially deemed questionable to return, but the team ruled out the star wide receiver early in the fourth quarter.

Eagles WR depth chart

With Brown injured, here’s how the rest of the Eagles’ receivers room looks:

DeVonta Smith
Jahan Dotson
Ainias Smith
Johnny Wilson

This story will be updated with new information.

GLENDALE, Ariz. – It does rain in the desert.

The Arizona Cardinals announced Saturday that State Farm Stadium’s retractable roof would be open for Sunday’s Week 9 game against the Chicago Bears. It turned out that was a lapse in judgment.  

Hail unexpectedly started pouring down from the sky during the second quarter, impacting the grass field. Some fans inside the stadium looked up in disbelief, and others walked toward the stadium bowl for cover.

The Cardinals’ stadium staff decided to close the roof, which took roughly 10 minutes to shut completely, as the game continued.

The roof closed with just under four minutes remaining in the second quarter.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The hits kept coming for the Dallas Cowboys against the Atlanta Falcons.

After quarterback Dak Prescott left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and was later ruled out, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb exited with a shoulder injury.

Lamb left in the fourth quarter after backup quarterback Cooper Rush targeted him in the end zone on a third-and-11 play. He remained on the ground for a moment before getting up and grabbing his right shoulder.

He returned to the game, however, and caught a pass from Rush for a two-point conversion with 1:28 remaining.

Lamb is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, but he said after the game he plans to play in next week’s key NFC East contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Lamb was dealing with an AC joint issue.

All things Cowboys: Latest Dallas Cowboys news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The All-Pro selection had eight catches for 47 yards on 12 targets in the 27-21 loss.

In August, Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract extension that put him behind only the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson in annual average salary among wide receivers.

Ryan Blaney was heartbroken last weekend when what seemed like a sure victory slipped from his grasp on the last lap as Tyler Reddick passed him to win the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Blaney, the reigning series champion, was determined to not let that happen again.

This Sunday, in the penultimate race of the 2024 season, Blaney passed Chase Elliott with 14 laps remaining in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway then surged ahead to win the final elimination race and clinch a berth in the Championship 4. Blaney joined his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who won the third-round playoff opener at Las Vegas two weeks ago, and Reddick, who took the checkered flag at Homestead for 23XI Racing, in next week’s NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.

“I’m worn out. It’s hard,” a relieved but exhausted Blaney said after the race. “It was nice to pass (Elliott) clean. I laid the bumper to a couple guys that I wish I didn’t have to, but I needed to get going, so it was a long night. 

“Thank goodness. I think that’s the most tired I’ve been after a race in a long time.”

While Blaney was celebrating however, controversy was brewing with the fourth and final Championship berth, which was being awarded to the playoff driver with the most points who hadn’t won a race in the third round. When the race ended, the points indicated that Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell and Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron were tied in the playoff standings. The tiebreaker, which was based on the best finish in any of the three races in the third round, would have gone to Bell, who took second at Las Vegas behind Logano.

But Bell only tied Byron in points when he passed one final car on the last lap of Sunday’s race. And that pass – of 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace – was immediately reviewed by NASCAR officials, who eventually determined that Bell used the outside wall to pass Wallace in a move known as “wall-riding.”

Two years earlier at Martinsville, Ross Chastain used a similar move – which came to be known as the “Hail Melon” – to vault himself into the Championship 4. Following the 2022 season, NASCAR officials made “wall-riding” illegal and determined it was a safety violation, and after reviewing Bell’s final lap, they came to the same conclusion and dropped him from 18th place to 22nd. That decision meant Byron, who finished sixth at Martinsville, and Bell were no longer tied in the standings, putting Byron into the Championship 4 alongside Blaney, Logano and Reddick.

Bell was perplexed and crushed by NASCAR’s decision, which cost him a shot at racing for a championship next weekend.

“It was Martinsville, and it was a round of 8 cutoff race. Unfortunately, I was on the bad side of it,” Bell said. “It is a shame that it comes down to a ball and strike call like that. You can look at both sides of the fence – the Chevy organization had a lot of blocking going on so that the 24 (William Bryon) didn’t lose positions. I slid into the wall and kept my foot into it. I guess that is a losing move.”

In a post-race news conference, NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer said officials looked at all the video and specifically referenced Chastain’s move at Martinsville two years ago.

‘In the (2022) off-season meeting with the industry, meeting with our drivers, and to a man that was not a move that they want to have to make,’ Sawyer said about wall-riding. ‘There was language in the rule book. When you look at it today, (Bell) clearly got up against the fence there in (turns) three and four, and rode the wall all the way off four there.

‘Strictly it’s to protect our drivers as well as our fans. So yeah, it was pretty straightforward.’

Sawyer also said that since it’s a race violation, Joe Gibbs Racing cannot appeal the decision and that he wouldn’t speculate what Bell’s intentions were.

‘I’m not going to speculate on what Christopher did or said what he meant to do. That wouldn’t be fair to try to make that type of decision based off that,’ Sawyer said. ‘We looked at the data. We looked at video. We’ve been very clear, based off our conversations with our industry, based off that move two years ago, that that would not be tolerated.’

USA TODAY Sports covered the race from start to finish. Scroll below the photo gallery for highlights from Sunday’s Xfinity 500 and Martinsville and click here for the full results.

NASCAR awards final Championship 4 berth to William Byron

After reviewing footage of the last lap of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR officials concluded the move Christopher Bell made on the final lap to gain a position was illegal. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver passed Bubba Wallace but did so by ‘wall-riding,’ officials concluded. NASCAR had outlawed using the wall to gain positions after Ross Chastain used a similar move at Martinsville two years ago.

NASCAR penalized Bell by moving him from the 18th finishing spot to the 22nd finishing spot, which allowed William Byron to earn the final Championship 4 berth on points. Without the penalty by NASCAR, the drivers would have been tied on points, but Bell would have made next week’s championship race by winning a tiebreaker between the two drivers.

Top 10 results as Ryan Blaney wins NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

Ryan Blaney pulled away from Chase Elliott to win the Xfinity 500 Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Here are the Top 10 finishers:

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske (winner)
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports (2.593 seconds)
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports (-5.172 seconds)
Austin Cindric, Team Penske (-5.263 seconds)
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing (-7.643 seconds)
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports (-11.887 seconds)
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing (-11.993 seconds)
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing (-12.287 seconds)
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing (-12.355 seconds)
Joey Logano, Team Penske (-12.647 seconds)

Final NASCAR Championship 4 berth between Christopher Bell and William Byron

William Byron finished sixth in Sunday’s playoff race at Martinsville, a dozen spots ahead of Christopher Bell. But Bell made one last pass on the final lap and ended the day in a tie with Byron on points. With Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney earning three of the four Championship 4 berths with race wins in the third round, the final playoff spot came down to points. The tiebreaker goes to the driver with the best finish in the third round, which was Bell’s second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR officials were reviewing Bell’s last pass, however, when he rode the wall to the checkered flag. NASCAR has a rule in place that prohibits wall-riding, following Ross Chastain’s move at Martinsville Speedway – which became known as the ‘Hail Melon’ – in the 20222 playoff race.

Ryan Blaney wins NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville to make Championship 4

Ryan Blaney rallied in Stage 3 of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway to pass Chase Elliott on Lap 486 of 500 and send the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion back to the championship race. Blaney won last year’s playoff race at Martinsville en route to his championship.

Another caution brings out divergent strategies among playoff drivers

Alex Bowman made contact with Carson Hocevar on Lap 398 causing Hocevar to spin and bring out the caution flag in the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville.

Among the six playoff drivers hoping to clinch a berth in next week’s championship race, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney pitted from the front of the pack for four tires, while Denny Hamlin took two tires. William Byron and Kyle Larson stayed out. Christopher Bell also hit pit road, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was one lap down.

With less than 100 laps remaining in the Xfinity 500, Larson and Byron restarted on the front row. Elliott, Blaney and Hamlin restarted in the Top 10 on new tires.

Playoff drivers fighting for position in Stage 3 of NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

All of the the playoff drviers have now hit pit road for fresh tires and fuel. Chase Elliott runs first after pitting 20 laps before all of the other championship contenders. But Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson, along with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney and RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski – a non-playoff driver – are trying to reel him in on fresher tires.

Chase Elliott gambles with pit stop in must-win situation at Martinsvile

Chase Elliott become the first NASCAR Cup Series playoff driver to pit under green, bringing his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet down pit road on Lap 352 of 500. Elliott was running 10th at the time.

On the racetrack, playoff driver is trying to chase down Stage 2 winner Brad Keselowski for the lead.

Brad Keselowski wins Stage 2 of NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

Brad Keselowski won the second stage of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, holding off reigning series champion Ryan Blaney. Keselowski took the lead from Blaney following a restart on Lap 203 and held it until the end of the segment – in Lap 261 of 500. Denny Hamlin who started at the rear of the field after damaging his car during Saturday’s qualifying drove all the way through the field to first third in the second stage.

Here are the top 10 finishers of Stage 2:

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
Noah Gragson, Stewart-Haas Racing
Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing

Caution flag reshuffles the field, includling playoff drivers

Martin Truex Jr. brought out another caution flag on Lap 184 of the Xfinity 500 after spinning in Turn 4. The yellow flag brought some of the leaders to pit road for fuel and tires, including the top two drivers William Byron and Chase Elliott, plus teammate and fellow playoff driver Kyle Larson. But Elliott had a terribly slow pit stop pushing him all the way back to 26th place for the restart.

Meanwhile, playoff drivers Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin stayed out for track position and restarted first and second on Lap 192. Byron and Larson restarted 12th and 13th.

Harrison Burton spins to bring out caution in Stage 2 at Martinsville

Harrison Burton, running 19th, brought out the caution flag on Lap 158 of the Xfinity 500 after spinning out following contact from Carson Hocevar. A handful of drivers elected to come to pit road for tires and fuel, but the Top 17 drivers all stayed out to maintain track position.

William Byron takes lead from teammate Chase Elliott at Martinsville

William Byron rocketed past his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott on the restart to begin Stage 2 of the Xfinity 500. Elliott and Byron both restarted on the front row. A few laps later, on Lap 145, Daniel Suarez spun after contact from Daniel Hemric, who was hit from behind by Austin Cindric, to bring out the caution flag.

Chase Elliott wins opening stage of NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

Playoff driver Chase Elliott led 88 laps in the 130-lap opening segment to win the first stage of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. Fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, who is also in contention for a Championship 4 berth, finished second. Byron can make the Championship Race on points, but Elliott most likely must win today’s race to advance.

Here is the Top-10 finishing order from Stage 1:

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing
Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
Joey Logano, Team Penske
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

Christopher Bell becomes first playoff driver with issue at Martinsville

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell got loose on Lap 77 of the Xfinity 500 and made contact with Corey LaJoie before spinning out and bringing out the caution flag. Bell, the playoff points leader entering today’s race at Martinsville, was running 14th at the time.

With nearly 80 laps on their tires, every driver who had not yet pitted under green came in for for fresh tires and fuel. Playoff drivers Chase Elliott maintained the first and second positions after pit stops.

Martin Truex Jr. pits early at Martinsville but penalized for speeding

Martin Truex, who started on the pole in today’s race at Martinsville, was the first of the leaders to hit pit road under green in the Xfinity 500. Truex pitted from the fifth position but was penalized for speeding entering pit road. Between pitting under green and serving a pit-road speeding penalty, Truex is now three laps down to leader Chase Elliott.

Chase Elliott takes lead at NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

Chase Elliott passed pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. on Lap 42 of the opening stage of the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville. Truex had led the first 41 laps of the Xfinity 500. Elliott must win today to clinch a berth in the NASCAR Championship Race. Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, a fellow playoff driver, runs third behind Truex.

Green flag waves to begin NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

The green flag has been waved at Martinsville Speedway to start the Xfinity 500, the penultimate race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season with the final two championship berths on the line. Pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. and playoff driver Chase Elliott lead the field to start the race.

Playoff driver Denny Hamlin will start at rear of field in Martinsville

Denny Hamlin is among three drivers who will move to the rear for the start of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. Hamlin and Corey Lajoie made repairs to their cars, and Austin Cindric had steering issues. Hamlin is the lone playoff driver among this group and will need to drive through the field to catch up to the other championship contenders, who are all starting 16th or better.

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville start?

The Xfinity 500 starts at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville on?

NBC is broadcasting the Xfinity 500 and has a pre-race show beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR race at Martinsville?

A perfect fall day for drivers, teams and fans. The National Weather Service is calling for sunny skies and a calm wind with a high of 64 degrees. Bring a light jacket and enjoy the race.

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 is 500 laps around the 0.526-mile oval for a total of 263 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 130 laps; Stage 2: 130 laps; Stage 3: 240 laps.

Who is starting on the pole in the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. posted the fastest time in Saturday’s qualifying and will start on the pole in Sunday’s race. Truex has announced that he is retiring from full-time racing at the end of the season.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, one of eight remaining playoff drivers, qualified second and will also start on the front row.

Which drivers will race for 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship?

Team Penske driver Joey Logano and 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick are locked into the Championship 4. The final two contenders will be determined this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

Logano won Cup Series championships in 2018 and 2022. Reddick is seeking his first Cup title.

Who are the other NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers?

These are the other six championship hopefuls in order of points through eight races. If one of them wins Sunday’s race at Martinsville, they will clinch a berth in the NASCAR Championship Race. If none of them win, the final two championship berths will be decided by points after Martinsville.

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … 4,132
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports … 4,110 (-22 points)
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports … 4,103 (-29)
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … 4,092 (-40)
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske … 4,072 (-60)
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports … 4,067 (-65)

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Martinsville?

William Byron led 88 laps, including the final two in an overtime shootout, to lead a top-three sweep by Hendrick Motorsports on April 7, 2024. Kyle Larson came in second and Chase Elliott third.

And one year ago in the playoff race, Ryan Blaney led 145 laps, including the final 23, before holding off Aric Almirola by 0.899 seconds on Oct. 29, 2023, to clinch a berth in the Championship Race. He would win his first Cup Series title one week later.

What is the lineup for NASCAR’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville?

Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver

1. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
2. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
3. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
4. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
5. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
6. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford
7. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
8. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford
9. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
10. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
11. (4) Josh Berry, Ford
12. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
13. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
14. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
15. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
16. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
17. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
18. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
19. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
20. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
21. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
22. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
23. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
24. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
25. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford
26. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
27. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
28. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
29. (16) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
30. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
31. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
32. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
33. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford
34. (51) Corey LaJoie, Ford
35. (66) Josh Bilicki, Ford
36. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet
37. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota

When is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race?

The NASCAR Championship Race is Sunday, Nov. 10 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

Time: 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local)
TV: NBC
Live stream: NBC Sports website, NBC Sports app and Fubo

Which drivers have won NASCAR Cup Series championships under this playoff format?

The current playoff format was adopted in 2014, and Kevin Harvick won his first championship while also winning the final race of the year. Here are the NASCAR Cup Series champions since 2014 and their finish in the season’s final race:

2014: Kevin Harvick (won at Homestead-Miami Speedway)
2015: Kyle Busch (won at Homestead)
2016: Jimmie Johnson (won at Homestead)
2017: Martin Truex Jr. (won at Homestead)
2018: Joey Logano (won at Homestead)
2019: Kyle Busch (won at Homestead)
2020: Chase Elliott (won at Phoenix Raceway)
2021: Kyle Larson (won at Phoenix)
2022: Joey Logano (won at Phoenix)
2023: Ryan Blaney (runner-up at Phoenix)

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Tired enough that the Phoenix Suns star clapped back at ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith in an interview with the Athletic that published Sunday.

‘Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,’ Durant told the Athletic Saturday night. ‘I’ve been in the league for 18 years. I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking (expletive) about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.’

The response follows a clip that Smith posted October 24 to his social media in which he dismissed the Suns as legitimate contenders, in large part over Durant’s leadership, saying ‘when you are that great … you should be able to be a better leader than he has shown.’

All things Suns: Latest Phoenix Suns news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent,’ Durant wrote.

Durant told the Athletic he was the ‘same dude’ when asked if he has been more vocal this year.

‘Obviously, you grow as a human being, you get more comfortable with yourself, you get more comfortable talking to crowds as you experience more and more in the league,’ Durant said. ‘… I’ve always been on this trajectory, of diving deep into the game, not just for myself but for the whole team. To say that I’m just sitting here, you paint this picture of me coming into the locker room, not talking to my teammates, quiet, not talking to my coaches. Like, come on, man. It’s just ridiculous.’

Durant, 36, is averaging 25.8 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game this season. The Suns have raced out to a 5-1 start, which is tied for second place in the Western Conference, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are locked in a tough battle for NFC North supremacy in Week 9. The winner of this game will take a one-game lead in what’s been the most competitive division in the NFL.

The Lions will be without one of their best defensive players – safety Brian Branch – for the second half. Here’s why:

Brian Branch ejection

The second-year safety was ejected from the game with 6:18 left in the second quarter for his hit on Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bo Melton.

The hit came on a second-and-20 for the Packers from their own 38-yard line. Green Bay was driving but was just pushed back by a holding penalty.

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Branch was initially flagged for unnecessary roughness for the hit but was later ejected after review by the NFL’s replay officials in New York.

On the game broadcast, Fox’s NFL rules expert, Dean Blandino, explained why the choice was made.

“They’re looking at it, they decided that the hit raised to the level of a disqualification,’ he said.

The color analyst for Fox’s broadcast of this game – Tom Brady – didn’t understand the ejection.

‘I don’t love that call at all,’ he said after Blandino’s explanation. ‘I mean obviously it’s a penalty but, to me, there has to be serious intent in a game like this… they’re gonna have to adjust the rest of the game losing their best defensive player, who I know they were expecting to have a huge day today. Not an easy guy to replace.’

As a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady may come under fire for that commentary. His restrictions as a broadcaster include not publicly criticizing game officials. Technically, this decision was made by replay officials, not game officials, so he may be off scot-free for his opinion.

Brian Branch stats

Branch has 40 total tackles (including two for loss), four interceptions, a team-high 11 passes defended, and one forced fumble this season.

Who will replace Brian Branch?

The problem with Nebraska starts with the name, the mascot, the essence of the place. 

They’re called the Cornhuskers. 

As the legend goes, the term actually came from a sportswriter in 1900 named Cy Sherman, who started calling using “Cornhuskers” to refer to the football team that was referred to at the time as the Nebraska Bugeaters. A few years later, it stuck.

These days, we have lots of mascots in sports that represent relics of the old world: Knights, Pirates, Raptors, Trojans, Cavaliers. We could go on and on. 

For people in Nebraska, the name Cornhuskers represents a similar tradition, but with a more personal and meaningful touch. It signifies the hard, noble work of farmers who settled on the Great Plains and fed America, a lifestyle that went hand-in-hand with the sport of football as they saw it at the turn of the 20th century. 

But in the modern world, corn crops are processed by machines that can handled multiple tons per hour. The industry has evolved. There are no more actual corn huskers.  

The state’s other big cash crop, however, has not evolved. Nebraska football still does the same thing every year. 

After starting 5-1 and looking like a lock to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016 – yes, you read that right – Nebraska’s season is once again on the ropes after a 27-20 loss to UCLA. 

The level of catastrophe in this result is hard to fully and accurately convey. It’s not just that UCLA was 2-5 or that Nebraska was playing at home or that the Bruins pretty much dominated the game and took a 27-7 lead midway through the third quarter. 

It’s the pattern.

Last year, Nebraska was 5-3 with winnable games remaining. It finished 5-7. In 2022, Nebraska was 3-3 and lost its next five games. In 2021, Nebraska was 3-3 and couldn’t find even one more stinkin’ win. In 2019, the Huskers were 4-2 and missed out on bowl eligibility because they lost five of their last six and couldn’t beat 4-8 Purdue. 

So the November collapse is not only real, it’s as predictable as the fall harvest. And much to the horror of Nebraska fans, it’s happening again. 

At 5-4, Nebraska needs to either win at Southern California, beat Wisconsin or go to Iowa the day after Thanksgiving and win in Kinnick Stadium to become bowl eligible and prevent another horrific late-season slide. 

It won’t be easy, especially given how difficult things have been offensively for freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola the last few weeks. Nebraska has scored a total of 58 points in its last four games. 

At this point, nobody expects coach Matt Rhule to launch the Huskers from nowhere to national title contention. He won at Temple, he won at Baylor and it would be one of the more stunning developments in recent college football history if he doesn’t eventually win at Nebraska.

But still, there’s no good excuse or explanation for losing at home to a very bad UCLA team. After paying Rhule a bunch of money (he’s owed $56 million after this season) to break this intolerable bowl streak, a mascot in blue jeans and a red cowboy hat representing a 1900s-era farmer who no longer husks his own corn is enough false advertising. 

UPS AND DOWNS: Ohio State leads winners and losers from Week 10

That’s why Nebraska is No. 1 in the Misery Index, a weekly measurement of which programs are feeling the most angst. 

Four more in misery

Penn State: A lot of people can watch the same movie time and again but still find it enthralling, even though they know every line down to the letter. Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, for example, has claimed to watch “The Town” multiple times per week. Here at the Misery Index, “Casino” is that movie you just have to click on if you see it come up on the TV guide. Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen it, it’s still awesome. 

Penn State football is the opposite of that. It’s the movie nobody in their fan base wants to watch on repeat. 

Anyone who has invested their time and emotion into this program for the last decade under James Franklin felt it deep in their loins when the Nittany Lions were on the 3-yard line with a chance to tie or take the lead against Ohio State less than seven minutes to go: There’s no way Penn State was scoring. They didn’t, getting stuffed three times before Drew Allar threw an incompletion in the end zone. Penn State never touched the ball again in a 20-13 loss, dropping Franklin to 1-14 against top-five teams and 3-18 against the top 10. 

TIRESOME ACT: James Franklin, Penn State fall short again

Clemson: What makes a 33-21 home loss to Louisville so infuriating is that Clemson fans were convinced a lot of the issues of the last few years had been fixed. And why shouldn’t they have been? After an embarrassing 34-3 loss to open the season against Georgia, the Tigers played really well over the next six games, particularly on offense. At minimum, Clemson looked like a team ready to challenge for the ACC title and a College Football Playoff spot. But it turned out to be an orange mirage, and Clemson won’t make the CFP unless it can win the ACC title. They simply don’t have any good wins. Beating Appalachian State, North Carolina State, Stanford, Florida State, Wake Forest and Virginia is not impressive when you’ve gotten smacked around by the two best teams on the schedule. 

That’s the reality for Dabo Swinney right now. Clemson is not the best program in the ACC. That would be Miami. It’s not even the second-best because that would be SMU. The national championships are now long in the rear-view mirror, and the Tigers pretty mediocre. 

Arizona: It’s almost impossible to believe now, but the Wildcats were indeed ranked 21st in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Even though the architect of Arizona’s turnaround, Jedd Fisch, left for Washington, the return of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan gave the Wildcats a 1-2 punch on offense that should have been the foundation for lots of point scoring. Instead, Arizona’s offense has dropped off a cliff under head coach Brent Brennan and offensive coordinator Dino Babers.

Coming into this week, the Wildcats ranked 71st nationally in total offense and 98th in scoring. It was more of the same Saturday in a 56-12 loss to UCF, dropping the Wildcats to 3-6 as Fifita struggled again in this new system. Arizona is without question one of the nation’s most disappointing teams. 

Auburn: There will be an Iron Bowl played the Saturday after Thanksgiving, just as it always is. But this year, the state championship of Alabama has already been won – by Vanderbilt of all teams. The Commodores completed an Auburn-Alabama sweep, and became bowl eligible, with a 17-7 win in Jordan-Hare Stadium. It shouldn’t have been a huge surprise. Vanderbilt is a pretty decent team that has been competitive against everyone in the SEC. Auburn is a 3-6 team that needs a miracle to avoid its fourth consecutive losing season.

At this point, Auburn fans have to be wondering, “How did it come to this?” Well, Diego Pavia has played a crazy huge role. The Vanderbilt quarterback beat Auburn last year when he was at New Mexico State. And even before that, in 2022, he beat then-Liberty coach Hugh Freeze 49-14. If you’re one of those people who paid Freeze $6.5 million a year to come to Auburn, it’s fair to wonder whether Pavia would have been a better investment. 

Miserable but not miserable enough

Georgia: At this point in the season, you’d find broad agreement across college football that Georgia is the most likely team to win the national championship. The depth of talent is unmatched. The coaching track record is pristine. In wins over Texas and Clemson, they’ve already proven they can beat some of the best teams in the country. But is Carson Beck good enough to lead the Bulldogs to the promised land? It’s a legitimate question for Georgia fans to ask. Because even in a 34-20 win over Florida, a game that was tied deep into the fourth quarter, Beck threw three interceptions. That gives him 11 for the season and eight in the last three weeks. He just makes too many mistakes, and Georgia fans are going to have heartburn every time he drops back to throw.

Virginia Tech: A year ago, Syracuse decided that the 6-6 trajectory of the program wasn’t good enough and hired Fran Brown, who was the defensive backs coach at Georgia, to replace Dino Babers. It’s a decision that has paid off handsomely. Syracuse is now 6-2 and full of excitement after beating Virginia Tech 38-31 in overtime. 

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech fans watched their team blow a 21-3 lead and give up a 14-play touchdown drive at the end of regulation to tie things up with 29 seconds to go with a team that hasn’t progressed from last year’s 7-6 record under Brent Pry. If you’re jealous of the excitement from Syracuse football fans, there might be a problem with your program. 

Oklahoma State: For the second week in a row, we are asking where the fire is with Mike Gundy as a team that was projected to be a College Football Playoff contender sinks to 3-6 (0-6 in the Big 12) after a 42-21 loss at home to Arizona State. Obviously, this season is gone and it’s not coming back. So we can move on to the bigger picture here, which begins with the following statement Gundy made in his postgame press conference. 

“I’m not sure sure I agreed with our schemes,” said Gundy, who mostly appears bored as he comes into the home stretch of his 20th season. “There are some things I don’t really agree with.”

Though he declined to elaborate, that’s a pretty strange thing to say. And it begs more than a few questions – questions like, Aren’t you the…head coach? Do you talk to your coordinators? Are you attending meetings? Are you going to practice? And if there are things in the scheme and gameplan that you don’t agree with, aren’t you the person with the power to change them?

Wisconsin: The great thing about the Badgers’ rivalry with Iowa is how similar the two programs are. They are quintessential Big Ten overachievers, playing a particular brand of Midwestern football that evokes images of frostbite, beer and heavy bruising. Among their 98 meetings, only two wins separate them. In many ways, they are each others’ greatest measuring stick – and right now the reading is clear. Wisconsin has lost touch with its rival after a 42-10 Iowa victory. Two years into the Luke Fickell era, why aren’t the Badgers better than this? Why are they on a three-game losing streak against the Hawkeyes without any of them being particularly close? Why do the Badgers feel like they’ve been bumped down into the third or fourth tier of Big Ten programs? Between 1998 and 2019, Wisconsin was basically a Top 25 staple. Now, the Badgers are just jumping around the middle of the Big Ten standings. 

(This story was updated to change a video).

Lionel Messi’s next playoff game could be his last match of the season.

Messi and Inter Miami are on the brink of elimination after falling 2-1 to Atlanta United on Saturday night thanks to Xande Silva’s game-winning goal in the final minute.

Inter Miami may have met its match in the MLS Cup Playoffs. They’ve lost five games all season to MLS teams. Atlanta now has two of them.

Game 3 will be played at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, with their first-round series tied 1-1.

Is there any reason to panic for Messi and the MLS Cup title favorites?

Let’s be clear: A first-round exit would be a massive letdown for the Messi experience in Major League Soccer and the United States in 2024.

Inter Miami is the best No. 1 seed in the league’s history. The MLS Supporters’ Shield winners set the regular-season points record (74) in Messi’s first full campaign with the club.

Not winning the Dec. 7 MLS Cup final would be a disappointment – especially for Messi, scoreless after the first two MLS playoff games of his career.

‘We have the advantage that there is a lot of hierarchy in the team with players who have been through much more difficult situations than this one,’ Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said after the Game 2 loss.

Messi’s memorable career was built on adverse defeats before the crowning moments of his legacy.

Messi’s World Cup run in Qatar began with a dumbfounding loss to Saudi Arabia. And let’s not forget the unforgettable final against Kylian Mbappé and France, which ended in penalty kicks and cemented Messi’s status as an all-time great.

Messi’s most recent bout of adversity occurred in the Copa América final earlier this summer where he awkwardly contorted his body and suffered a right ankle ligament injury causing him to miss two months of the MLS season.

Messi felt the pressures of a scoreless first half for Argentina against Columbia in the final. He was left sobbing on the bench, ankle swollen like a softball, after he finally exited in the second half trying to play through injury. Then, he was elated and relieved when Lautaro Martinez scored the game winner for Argentina’s second straight Copa America title.

Before Messi’s recent international success, Argentina was ousted in four previous World Cups, and he even retired from the national team after two straight Copa América final losses to Chile. He was criticized for winning so little with Argentina while he won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns with Barcelona.

Messi and Inter Miami facing elimination in the MLS Cup Playoffs doesn’t quite stack up with the others. But it’s the predicament he and Inter Miami face heading into Game 3 next Saturday.

Messi must play better in the playoffs. Sure, he’s delivered some masterful passes, like the goal Jordi Alba scored in Game 1’s 2-1 win on Oct. 25. He has just one assist, and missed all 13 of his shots in 180 minutes.

Messi has hit the right post in both games. He’s been wide right, wide left and soared shots over the net. And at least four shots were blocked by Atlanta’s dynamic goalie Brad Guzan using various body parts to no end.

These misses have come after Messi arguably appeared the strongest since his Copa América injury when he entered the postseason after two hat tricks in two games with Argentina and Inter Miami last month.

Atlanta is a fearless bunch. They snuck into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season, and won a wild card game to face Inter Miami. They have a chance to beat them for a third time this season.

Messi has led Inter Miami to two titles, and he wants to win another championship. But a pesky No. 9 seed stands in the way.

So, reason to panic? There should be.

Atlanta has nothing to lose, while Messi’s experience in MLS and the United States hinges on his success. Anything can happen with Messi on the pitch and Inter Miami’s historic season on the line later this week.

Week 9 represents the halfway mark of the 18-week NFL season. At this point, many teams know whether they can contend for the playoffs or if it’s time to look ahead to next year’s NFL draft.

The 2025 NFL draft order will have some shake-ups going forward, and there were several in the final moments of Week 9 games. Still, certain teams are more clearly in the running for the No. 1 overall pick. There are nine teams with two or fewer wins through the first slate of afternoon games in Week 9.

After the Carolina Panthers’ win over the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers dropped from the No. 1 spot to No. 3. They now sit behind the New England Patriots and Saints in each of the top two spots, respectively.

2025 NFL draft order

After the early afternoon slate of games in Week 9, here’s how the 2025 NFL draft order has shaken out, according to Tankathon.com:

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

New England Patriots: 2-7 record; .471 strength of schedule
New Orleans Saints: 2-7; .500 SOS
Carolina Panthers: 2-7; .507 SOS
Cleveland Browns: 2-7; .517 SOS
Las Vegas Raiders: 2-7; .518 SOS
New York Giants: 2-7; .532 SOS
Miami Dolphins: 2-6; .438 SOS
Jacksonville Jaguars: 2-6; .489 SOS
Tennessee Titans: 2-6; .536 SOS
New York Jets: 3-6; .479 SOS
Dallas Cowboys: 3-5; .528 SOS
Los Angeles Rams: 3-4; .496 SOS
Cincinnati Bengals: 4-5; .486 SOS
Indianapolis Colts: 4-4; .486 SOS
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-4; .500 SOS
Seattle Seahawks: 4-4; .511 SOS
San Francisco 49ers: 4-4; .534 SOS
Chicago Bears: 4-3; .548 SOS
Arizona Cardinals: 4-4; .522 SOS
Denver Broncos: 5-4; .496 SOS
Los Angeles Chargers: 5-3; .469 SOS
Atlanta Falcons: 6-3; .475 SOS
Baltimore Ravens: 6-3; .535 SOS
Philadelphia Eagles: 5-2; .462 SOS
Houston Texans: 6-3; .493 SOS
Minnesota Vikings: 5-2; .533 SOS
Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-2; .500 SOS
Green Bay Packers: 6-2; .523 SOS
Washington Commanders: 7-2; .440 SOS
Buffalo Bills: 7-2; .446 SOS
Detroit Lions: 6-1; .549
Kansas City Chiefs: 7-0; .493 SOS

2025 NFL draft: No. 1 overall pick odds

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado: +250
Cameron Ward, QB, Miami (FL): +500
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: +500
Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: +1500
Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: +1800
Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: +1800