The San Francisco 49ers were significantly undermanned by the end of their 28-18 Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Not only did they lose Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to a knee injury and an illness respectively, they also lost left tackle Trent Williams after he was ejected in the fourth quarter.

Williams’ ejection occurred with 3:03 left in the contest. The veteran offensive lineman was on the ground when Chiefs safety Bryan Cook came over to him and took a swipe at his facemask.

Williams responded by hopping to his feet and taking a big shot at Cook. He punched Cook in the back of the helmet, drawing a flag and resulting in his dismissal from the game.

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The NFL considers punch to be a ‘prohibited act,’ which is viewed as a form of unsportsmanlike conduct, per the league’s rulebook. NFL officials are allowed to disqualify players for ‘flagrant’ acts if seen by the on-field officials or replay official, which explains why Williams was ejected from the game.

Cook was not penalized for his role in the incident. It isn’t clear if the officials didn’t see his swipe at Williams or if they didn’t view it as flagrant enough to warrant an ejection or flag.

Either way, Cook remained in the game after the tiff and was unharmed after absorbing the blow from Williams.

Tempers had already flared in the 49ers vs. Chiefs game after Kansas City receiver Skyy Moore and San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir got into a shoving match following Mecole Hardman’s fourth-quarter touchdown. Cooler heads prevailed after Williams’ ejection, and there were no further tussles in the final three minutes of the Super Bowl 58 rematch.

LANDOVER, Md. –  Jayden Daniels’ left rib injury overshadowed the Washington Commanders’ 40-7 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers.

The mood was joyous at Northwest Stadium as the Commanders took the field on a day when the franchise retired Hall of Famer Darrell Green’s number at halftime. Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler had a pick-6 to get things started in the opening quarter. Then Daniels raced down the field for a 46-yard run on Washington’s very first offensive snap.

The Commanders jumped out to a 10-0 lead. However, Washington’s hot start quickly became an afterthought when Daniels checked into the medical blue tent and subsequently escorted to the locker room during the first quarter in obvious discomfort.

The Commanders initially announced Daniels was questionable to return in the first half, but he was later downgraded to out in the third quarter.

“You got to compartmentalize that for the moment and for the moments throughout the whole game. Obviously, it happened in the first quarter,” Commanders center Tyler Biadasz said. “Get through it and keep it in great spirits and hope everything’s okay, and keep on moving on.”

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Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Daniels will undergo further testing on Monday to find out the severity of the rib injury.

Veteran Marcus Mariota filled in admirably for Daniels against the hapless Panthers. The quarterback completed 18-of-23 passes for 205 yards to go with two touchdowns.

“Not a good feeling, but we were ready to adjust. We adjusted where Marcus (Mariota) came right in and did everything he was supposed to do. So it was like (Jayden Daniels) wasn’t even there, you know,’ Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. said. ‘We would love to have him back out on the field. I’m just glad everybody was prepared to adjust to it.”

Mariota said postgame that Daniels was doing OK.

“He was in good spirits,” Mariota said. “For the most part you just check on him (see) how he is doing and we’ll take it day to day.”

Mariota is a mobile quarterback and can manage a game. He can make similar plays with his legs, albeit, not as explosive. He’s registered 74 starts over the course of a 10-year career. He’s one of the better No. 2 quarterbacks in the NFL. The Commanders offense didn’t change much with Mariota under center as they scored 30 points in Daniels’ absence.

“Really what it comes down to is trying to execute what the gameplan was. Nothing of us really changed,” Mariota said. “We as quarterbacks are talking about situations and scenarios all the time.  …We all have an idea of what this is supposed to look like.”

The Commanders have to hope Daniels’ tests yield positive results. The good news is the quarterback was in sweats on the sideline in the second half smiling and waving to fans. Further evidence that the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year front runner is in good spirits.

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

As one might expect given the weekend’s results in college football, there is a new No. 1 team atop the US LBM Coaches Poll. As one might also expect, that team is last week’s No. 2.

Oregon ascends to the top spot for the first time since Nov. 11, 2012. The Ducks were voted first on 51 of 53 coaches’ ballots submitted this week after their Friday night whitewash of Purdue. It was not unanimous, however, as Georgia claimed the remaining first-place nods and vaults back up to No. 2 after taking down previous No. 1 Texas on the road. The Longhorns fell five places to No. 6 with the loss.

Penn State, still unbeaten but having the week off, stays put at No. 3. No. 4 Ohio State, which was also in an open date, holds at No. 4. There was a bit more drama at the No. 5 spot, where Miami edges out Texas by five poll points. LSU climbs a notch to No. 7, followed by Tennessee, Clemson and Iowa State. The Volunteers improved two spots after their defeat of Alabama.

TOP 25: Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 8

Notre Dame remains at No. 11, and Brigham Young gains a position to No. 12. Indiana makes the big move of the week, vaulting five places to No. 13 after a decisive win against then-No. 25 Nebraska. Texas A&M is No. 14 , followed by Alabama.

Navy joins the poll at No. 24, its first appearance since the final poll of the 2019 season. It also marks the first time that the Midshipmen and academy rival Army, checking in at No. 23, are in the top 25 in the same week since USA TODAY began administering the coaches poll.

Also joining the ranking this week is No. 25 Vanderbilt, its first appearance since the final poll of the 2013 season. Nebraska drops out along with Michigan.

(This story was updated to add a video and gallery.)

The first race of the third round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs proved to be a rough ride for multiple championship contenders but not for Joey Logano, who came up aces Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Logano won the South Point 400, becoming the first driver to clinch a berth in the championship race. The two-time series champion edged Christopher Bell by 0.662 seconds at the checkered flag after starting 10th. Bell started on the pole and won Stage 2, while finishing second in the opening stage.

It’s been a crazy last two races for Logano, who was the last playoff driver to make the third round. The Team Penske driver only advanced to the Round of 8 after Alex Bowman was disqualified following last week’s race at Charlotte. Logano is now assured of a chance to race for his third championship in the last seven seasons, after winning the Cup Series title in 2018 and 2022.

‘It’s an incredible turn of events coming from what was at the end of last weekend and what it was like Sunday night – after a couple hours after the race and to this Sunday. This sport is just incredible. Things change, but what a team I’ve got,’ Logano said.

‘It takes everybody to do it, so we’re in the Championship 4 again.,’ Logano continued. ‘I’m so proud of this team. We just find a way and that’s what I’m most proud of. I said it as we entered this thing this week that we may be the underdogs, but I don’t think so anymore.”

At the other end of the spectrum, three playoff drivers saw Lady Luck turn against them in Las Vegas, with Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney each involved in crashes on Lap 90 following the Stage 2 restart.

Elliott made contact with Martin Truex Jr. and collected Reddick and Brad Keselowski. Reddick suffered the worst of the incident, with his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota spinning through the infield and flipping on its hood before flipping over again. While Reddick was somehow able to escape injury and drive the car back to pit road, the vehicle damage was too great to repair, and Reddick’s race was over. He finished 35th out of 37 drivers

Elliott also suffered major damage but was able to remain in the race, though the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team was forced to bring the Chevrolet back to the garage for repairs a few laps later. Elliott eventually returned the race, finishing 37 laps down in 33rd place.

Blaney was not involved in that incident but crashed further back in the field on the same lap, slamming hard into the wall after spinning while trying to avoid contact. Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske crew was able to repair his Ford, but Blaney finished eight laps down in 32nd.

Following Logano and Bell, Daniel Suarez, who was eliminated last weekend at Charlotte, finished third. William Byron, who is still in championship contention, finished fourth, with Hendrick teammate Bowman following in fifth. Truex, Ross Chastain, playoff driver Denny Hamlin, John Hunter Nemechek and Chris Buescher rounded out the Top 10.

SOUTH POINT 400: See full results of Sunday’s race at Las Vegas

The playoffs now move to Homestead-Miami Speedway next Sunday before the final elimination race in two weeks at Martinsville Speedway. Following Martinsville, the playoff field will be trimmed in half, leaving a final four to race for the championship, Nov. 10 at Phoenix Raceway.

While McLaren has grabbed the headlines in this unpredictable Formula One season, Ferrari stole the show in Sunday’s Pirelli United States Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc scored a commanding victory at Circuit of the Americas, his third of the season, and teammate Carlos Sainz finished second. Max Verstappen, F1’s season points leader and the three-time reigning world champion, held off McLaren’s Lando Norris for the final podium spot — but not without drama.

‘Very happy from the start to the finish,’ said Leclerc, the 27-year-old from Monte Carlo. ‘We were struggling a bit with the car Saturday, but it felt better today. The pace of the car was really, really good; everything fell into place for us.’

Sunday attendance was to be announced by Formula One, but the crowd was thought to be in the 140,000 to 150,000 range on a warm, sun-kissed day in Austin.

Bouncing back a day after setbacks

Usually the first to the top of the iconic 133-foot Turn 1 hill on lap one wins the race. Leclerc upheld that tradition, charging from a fourth-place start to No. 1 by the time drivers reached the apex of Big Red.

‘We got a good launch, unlike the Sprint race,’ Leclerc said. ‘Yesterday we were in the wrong place at the wrong time going up the hill. Today we learned from it.’

Lots of drama over third place

While Leclerc rolled to an 8.5-second advantage over teammate Sainz, there was an epic shootout for third place. On lap 53 of 56 on the 3.4-mile road course, Norris, second in the standings behind Verstappen, overtook the Dutch superstar after an edge-of-your-seat battle for the last 15 laps.

But Norris was nailed for charging too wide off the track, exceeding the limits in his overtake, and penalized five seconds. That was more than enough to give Verstappen third.   

‘Quite a difficult race; we never really had the pace to attack,’ Verstappen said. ‘We were struggling on steering, breaking and that made defending quite difficult. In the end to be on the podium is a great result.’

Verstappen slightly increased his season points lead with 354 to Norris’ 297 with five races left, starting next week in Mexico City. Leclerc closed to a strong third place with 275. McLaren still leads the manufacturers standing with 544 points to Red Bull Honda’s 504. Ferrari gained ground with 496 points.

It was not a weekend to remember for Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion and five-time COTA winner spun off the course and into the gravel on lap 3. He had to be towed off the track. Mechanical problems on Saturday forced overnight changes for Mercedes, and Hamilton had to start from pit lane.

How did COTA’s repaved track rate?

The condition of COTA’s notoriously bumpy track has been a main theme, especially in recent years. Verstappen said after last year’s race, ‘it is more suited for rally cars. Just too bumpy for F1.’

COTA addressed the complaints with a major repave this year, costing well north of $10 million. The worst of the bumps were fixed, though ripples remain, notably in Turn 4.

‘It’s a tricky track,’ McLaren CEO Zak Brown said. ‘Still bumpy in places, the drivers just have to get used to it.’

Norris said, ‘it’s improved, bumpy in places, but really fast.’

Saquon Barkley downplayed suggestions that his first matchup against the New York Giants was a ‘revenge game,’ but the Philadelphia Eagles star played like he had something to prove against his former team.

Barkley had one of his best-ever performances in the Eagles’ 28-3 blowout of the Giants. He nearly broke his single-game yardage record despite not having to play much in the fourth quarter and was the catalyst for a slow-starting Philadelphia offense in the dominant win.

Here’s a breakdown of Barkley’s excellent performance in Week 7.

Saquon Barkley stats vs. Giants

Below is a look at Barkley’s stats from Philadelphia’s 25-point Week 7 win over New York:

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Carries: 17
Rushing yards: 176
Rushing TDs: 1
Yards per carry: 10.4
Receptions: 2
Receiving yards: 11
Receiving TDs: 0

Barkley was every bit as good as those numbers indicate. He ripped off chunk games frequently throughout the contest, including a game-long run of 55 yards that saw him reach a top speed of 21.93 mph, the second-fastest speed by a ball carrier in 2024, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Barkley also ran with great power through the contest. He frequently tried to run through Giants defenders and drag them for extra yards after contact. The best example of that came on a 41-yard run he had near the end of the fourth quarter.

Barkley’s 176 rushing yards were the second-most of his career for a single game. His career-best mark of 189 yards came during his second season in 2019 against the Washington Commanders. He achieved that total on 22 carries, five more than he had in Sunday’s game against the Giants.

Perhaps more impressively, 176 rushing yards were the second-most in NFL history by a player against his former team. The only player to outshine Barkley was the Cincinnati Bengals’ Cedric Benson, who logged 189 rushing yards against the Chicago Bears in 2009.

Barkley didn’t break those records, but he may have had a chance to if he played more in the fourth quarter. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni revealed during his postgame news conference that the veteran declined the option to handle more carries late in the blowout, instead deferring touches to his teammates.

That affirmed Barkley’s assertion that there was nothing personal about his big performance against his former team.

‘I got no hate in my heart. They got no hate for me,’ Barkley told Fox Sports’ Kristina Pink. ‘It’s all love, it’s a business. They told me to go somewhere else, and I found a new home, and I’m happy. And at the end of the day, we got the win.’

A change of scenery for Stefon Diggs hasn’t settled the bad blood with one of his longtime rivals.

Prior to Sunday’s game, the Houston Texans wide receiver had a heated confrontation with Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander in which the two star players needed to be separated from one another.

Diggs and Alexander appeared to have an exchange of words near the Packers’ sideline that featured the wide receiver swatting at the cornerback. Packers coach Matt LaFleur stepped between the two and Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon approached Diggs and placed his hand on the receiver’s chest, after which Diggs shoved him. A Texans staff member and multiple officials then helped usher Diggs away, but several more Packers players arrived. Alexander then re-emerged and appeared to shove Diggs’ face mask as tempers flared.

Diggs told reporters after the game the issue started when he was heading to the locker room and heard ‘somebody chirping.’

‘I don’t give a (expletive) if I’m by myself or with a million,’ Diggs said. ‘I’m never the bigger person. I ain’t letting (expletive) go. They picked it up or whatever. But I ain’t with the football tough guy (expletive).’

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Diggs was held to a season-low 23 yards on five catches, but the Packers secured a 24-22 win on a 45-yard Brandon McManus field goal as time expired.

‘Those guys have a history,’ Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said in a postgame news conference. ‘They’ve been going at it before. We don’t want to encourage that, right? We just want to go play ball the right way and make sure it’s settled on the field. We can’t be about chirping and all the extra stuff, we just have to be about executing when the ball is snapped.’

Diggs and Alexander sparred as NFC North rivals from 2018-19, when Diggs was still a member of the Minnesota Vikings. The two got heated again in 2022, when Diggs and Alexander both emerged from the Highmark Stadium tunnel at the same time in the Buffalo Bills’ 27-17 win over the Packers.

‘I don’t give a (expletive) who started it, I finished it,’ Diggs said after the game. ‘I got the win.’

(This story has been updated with new information.)

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Amari Cooper didn’t take long to make his mark on the Buffalo Bills.

Five days after being traded to the Bills, the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver caught a 12-yard touchdown pass in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans to mark his first reception with the team.

Cooper made the catch early in the third quarter to put the Bills ahead 14-10 for their first lead of the day. He finished with four catches for 66 yards in the Bills’ eventual 34-10 win.

The Bills gave up a third-round pick in the package to acquire Cooper, whom the team hoped would elevate a passing attack that had struggled to find its footing after top target Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason.

With the quick turnaround after the deal, Cooper and Bills coach Sean McDermott were initially unsure if the wide receiver would play in Week 7 against a Titans defense that ranks first in the NFL in passing yards allowed.

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‘I would still have to kind of go through the week, get a routine, still learning the playbook and everything. I just got here, you know what I mean?’ Cooper said last week. ‘So I don’t really have an expectation right now that I can chalk up to being realistic until I go through the week.’

This story has been updated to include new information.