The 2025 WNBA playoffs are off and running with Game 1 completed in every first-round series. There were two blowouts, one convincing defensive performance and a thrilling finish involving the defending champions.

The top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream each got comfortable wins at home, while the New York Liberty needed overtime to beat the Phoenix Mercury in a game that also featured an injury to Liberty star Breanna Stewart.

The best-of-three format in the WNBA playoffs first round also means four teams now face win-or-go-home matchups in Game 2, with tip times scheduled this week for every series that will decide the four teams to advance to this year’s WNBA semifinals.

Here’s a look at the latest scores, results and schedule for the 2025 WNBA playoffs:

WNBA playoffs 2025: Scores, results and schedule for first-round series

No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries

Lynx lead series, 1-0

Game 1: Lynx 101, Valkyries 72
Game 2: Lynx at Valkyries, 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday (ESPN)
Game 3: Valkyries at Lynx, TBD on Friday (ESPN2)*

No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Seattle Storm

Aces lead series, 1-0

Game 1: Aces 102, Storm 77
Game 2: Aces at Storm, 9:30 ET on Tuesday (ESPN)
Game 3: Storm at Aces, TBD on Thursday (ESPN2)*

Watch WNBA playoffs with Fubo

No. 3 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever

Dream lead series, 1-0

Game 1: Dream 80, Fever 68
Game 2: Mercury at Fever, 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday (ESPN)
Game 3: Fever at Mercury, TBD on Thursday (ESPN2)*

No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 New York Liberty

Liberty lead series, 1-0

Game 1: Liberty 76, Mercury 69
Game 2: Mercury at Liberty, 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday (ESPN)
Game 3: Liberty at Mercury, TBD on Friday (ESPN2)*

*if necessary

The Detroit Red Wings will wear uniforms celebrating 100 years of franchise history during the upcoming season.

The jersey, unveiled Monday, Sept. 15, will be worn during select games. The sweaters pay tribute to the franchise’s arrival on the shores of Detroit in the fall of 1926, when the club — an Original Six member — was known as the Detroit Cougars. After a two-year stint from 1930-32 as the Detroit Falcons, the club was bought by grain merchant James E. Norris, who renamed the club the Detroit Red Wings.

The centennial jersey will make its debut during the team’s home opener Oct. 9, when the Wings host another Original Six franchise, the Montreal Canadiens.

Here is how each iteration of the franchise will be memorialized:

DETROIT COUGARS TRIBUTE: The original 1926–27 Detroit Cougars jersey prominently featured an Olde English “D.” This classic logo has been thoughtfully redrawn and reintroduced as a secondary mark for Red Wings Centennial, appearing on the front leg of the solid-red pants, the jock tag at the bottom front of the jersey and the hem loop on the back. The jersey’s number font is inspired by the Cougars’ “Barber Pole” uniforms, worn in 1927-28.
DETROIT FALCONS TRIBUTE: The striping along the hem, sleeves and socks draws from Detroit Falcons uniforms from 1930-1932. Both the font and striping use a vintage off-white tone to reflect the heritage aesthetic.
LEATHER-LIKE FEATURES: Patches on the jersey are designed to match the leather-brown hue of the Centennial uniform gloves, a nod to the traditional leather used in gloves and goalie pads. Featured patches include:

The jersey will be worn for more than a dozen home games. They’re also available for pre-order at ShopHockeytown.com, and in person starting in early October at the Red Wings Team Store at Little Caesars Arena.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Centennial’s (Corona, Calif.) upset win over Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), the Monarchs’ first loss to a team that isn’t St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in a decade, has shaken up the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings.

The instant classic dropped Mater Dei to one of its lowest rankings in Super 25 history, while Centennial jumped from No. 25 to inside the top 10, entrenching itself among the best of the best.

With that, a new No. 1 team appears atop the high school football hierarchy in 2025.

Meanwhile, Edna Karr’s (New Orleans, La.) win over American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) gave the Patriots their second loss of the season and opened the door for Allen (Texas) to enter the rankings. The Eagles posted 70 points in their most recent win and have outscored opponents 154-27 through three games.

As high school football action moves to Week 5, here is the full Super 25:

1. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 2

Last result: Defeated East St. Louis (Ill.) 35-10

2. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 3

Last result: Defeated Junipero Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) 42-0

3. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 4

Last result: Defeated Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) 79-6

4. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 5

Last result: Defeated St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.) 34-26

5. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 6

Last result: DNP

6. Buford (Ga.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 7

Last result: Defeated Douglas County (Douglasville, Ga.) 34-26

7. Duncanville (Texas)

Record: 1-0

Previous rank: 8

Last result: DNP

8. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)

Record: 3-1

Previous rank: 25

Last result: Defeated No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 43-36

9. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 1

Last result: Lost to No. 25 Centennial (Corona, Calif.) 43-36

10. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)

Record: 5-0

Previous rank: 9

Last result: Defeated Brighton (Salt Lake City, Utah) 56-14

11. Mission Viejo (Calif.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 10

Last result: Defeated Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.) 34-24

12. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Record: 3-1

Previous rank: 11

Last result: Defeated Western (Davie, Fla.) 45-6

13. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)

Record: 4-0

Previous rank: 12

Last result: Defeated Downey (Calif.) 49-7

14. Edna Karr (New Orleans, La.)

Record: 2-0

Previous rank: 17

Last result: Defeated No. 18 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 24-17 (OT)

15. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)

Record: 2-1

Previous rank: 13

Last result: DNP

16. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)

Record: 3-1

Previous rank: 16

Last result: Defeated Oak Mountain (Birmingham, Ala.) 41-0

17. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 20

Last result: Defeated Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.) 44-7

18. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 15

Last result: Defeated Winslow Township (Atco, N.J.) 41-14

19. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)

Record: 3-1

Previous rank: 23

Last result: Defeated Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) 44-14

20. Carrollton (Ga.)

Record: 5-0

Previous rank: 21

Last result: Defeated Gainesville (Ga.) 43-21

21. North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 14

Last result: Defeated Guyer (Denton, Texas) 28-27

22. Southlake Carroll (Texas)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 24

Last result: Defeated Byron Nelson (Trophy Club, Texas) 52-3

23. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 19

Last result: Defeated Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) 40-0

24. Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: 23

Last result: DNP

25. Allen (Texas)

Record: 3-0

Previous rank: NR

Last result: Defeated Rock Hill (Frisco, Texas) 70-14

Super 25 watchlist

Brownsburg (Ind.)
Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)
Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)
St. Edward (Lakeland, Ohio)
Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

With college football and fall sports back, I am reminded of what a special time of the year it is for student-athletes who have sacrificed so much for this moment, and classmates, alumni and fans who passionately cheer them on. Stadiums spread across every community in the nation are filled with excitement, providing hope for students and creating an economic boom for large and small college towns. Sadly, behind the scenes, the system is broken with these programs facing a historic financial strain that has led to cutting women’s and Olympic sports just for athletics departments to stay in business … but this is just the beginning of a downward spiral that will lead to the destruction of college sports.

As Congress returns from August recess, it has a historic opportunity to end this strain and put the system back together. Currently, the U.S. House of Representatives is fast-tracking a very narrow bill, via the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements (SCORE) Act. The SCORE Act is a good starting point for some of the key elements of the discussion, and it is encouraging that this issue is finally gaining traction in Washington. However, as the the legislation is currently drafted, it does not achieve President Trump’s clearly-stated objectives of saving women’s sports, protecting Olympic sports, and looking out for the interests of smaller schools. The President, and the American public (over 85% of them, as shown in recent polling) feel stronly that ALL of collegesports and ALL of the schools continue to provide opportunity to the 500,000 student athletes that they do today.  

After years of studying this problem, we know Congress will need a comprehensive solution that not only addresses the splashy items, such as NIL and the Transfer Portal, but also tackles massive issues of the need for a new independent body to oversee collegiate athletics, address cavernous revenue shortfalls all college programs (big and small) are facing, and, for the first time in the history of college sports, provide student-athletes with a meaningful voice in how rules are made and enforced.   

We have said it before and we will say it again: we need a new governing body to accomplish this goal. It cannot be the NCAA, which, for years fought tooth and nail against any rule that would benefit student-athletes and protect the most vulnerable schools and sports. The NCAA is now lobbying Congress and the public for the ability to override the multitude of court cases they have lost (including a 9-0 loss at the U.S. Supreme Court), so that it can re-take control of rule-making and crack down on the athletes and the schools.

Of course the NCAA wants to re-gain power. Of course it wants to go back to raking in billions at the expense of the student-athletes and the schools it is ostensibly charged to represent. The NCAA’s version of the SCORE Act ensures that the powerful colleges stay powerful and relegates the lesser-advantaged schools to permanent irrelevance. The SCORE Act also does not address the fact that there will not be enough money to pay for sports, like track, swimming, volleyball, soccer and softball. Through sneaky and strategic drafting, the SCORE Act does not explicitly grant the NCAA direct power, but the implications are clear – they will regain control if this bill becomes law. 

Language should be added to the bill that allows the entire college sports system to come together and form a new governing body that represents everyone.  Big, small, Women, Olympics, revenue sports, non-revenue sports – ALL of them!

This new governing body will be especially necessary if Congress were to make the economically necessary move to modernize the Sports Broadcasting Act (SBA), a law that was written in 1961 – a lot has changed since then.  With the rights under this act, we will need smart and savvy media minds that can create the value necessary to make sure that all of the sports continue to be funded, and that revenue is fairly allocated.  Doing this would open a massive spigot of revenue that will solve many of the critical problems facing college sports today and will keep the enterprise in business.

An antitrust exemption is necessary to allow fair rules to be made and enforced, and to stop the disruptive onslaught of litigation.  But providing an antitrust exemption is a HUGE legal concession that vests a tremendous amount of power and should not be given without the utmost thought, care and intentionality.  We cannot trust the NCAA with this level of power. The NCAA has proven for decades that it cannot effectively manage such authority. Giving them this power will allow a return to their old ways and roll back the progress student-athletes have fought for, shielding the entity from lawsuits and allow them to resort to their collusive practices. The NCAA is a voluntary membership organization that is funded by revenue generated by all of its member institutions and is now almost completely controlled by the biggest and most powerful schools (Power 4 Schools now get 65% of the votes).  Because of its governing structure, the NCAA is too conflicted to put student-athletes first and to represent the interests of its entire membership.

It is absolutely critical in the future governance of college sports to give student-athletes a true seat at the table. They need a voice in crafting policies on payments, health, and workload — things they’ve been left out of for the entire history of college sports. And women and Olympic athletes should have the same seat and the same influence that football players and men’s basketball players do. Their voices should be heard!! After all, athletes in these non-revenue generating sports, usually played by athletes who will not see serious profit from their NIL, represent the vast majority of students who have an opportunity to get a leg up in life because of an athletic scholarship. We must not leave these student athletes behind by focusing on the small percentage of athletes who are seeing record NIL profits.

As we all cheer on the college programs we love passionately, all fans and communities must recognize that the entire system is at great risk.  As we cheer from the stands, or our living rooms, we must use that same passion to ensure Congress doesn’t forget about any of the student-athletes. Remind them of the students who will have the opportunity of a lifetime by playing a sport, but also to get an education that will return dividends far greater than the small amount of NIL money they will receive. Congress cannot leave these women, men, and future Olympians behind.

We invite Congress to join us in meeting President Trump’s mandate by modernizing the Sports Broadcasting Act, dismantling the NCAA’s outdated model, and building a governing body where student-athletes aren’t pawns but partners. By recognizing the TRUE problems in college sports and taking action to solve them, we will protect every program, every student-athlete at ALL schools, big and small, and protect ALL of the communities and institutions that rely on college sports as the center of our economy and culture.

This is our fight, and we cannot let up until we win. I hope you will join us at www.savingcollegesports.com.

Cody Campbell is co-founder and co-CEO of Double Eagle Energy Holdings. He is also chairman of the board of regents of the Texas Tech University System and a former Texas Tech football player.

Colts just accomplished something never done during the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
Sunday featured four games pitting at least two former No. 1 draft picks against each other.
Trouble in K.C.? Mahomes, Kelce part of worst start for perennial AFC West champs in more than a decade.

The 32 things we learned from Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. Number of NFL victories New Orleans Saints QB Spencer Rattler has in eight starts following Sunday’s 26-21 loss to the undermanned San Francisco 49ers. But Rattler did throw a career-best three TD passes in defeat, the first time he’d thrown multiple in nine pro appearances.

1. The number of times three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes has been 0-2 in his nine-year NFL career, now marking the first. In fact, the last time he was 0-2? High school. Going back to Super Bowl 59, this is also the first time Mahomes has lost three straight games in the NFL. As for his Kansas City Chiefs, who have won nine straight AFC West crowns? They’re 0-2 for the first time since 2014 … which is also the last time they missed the postseason.

1a. By winning their first Week 2 game in the tenure of seventh-year head coach Zac Taylor, the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals are 2-0 for the first time since 2018 − former HC Marvin Lewis’ final season. Yet with QB Joe Burrow headed to the shelf for three months now that he requires surgery for his injured toe, which knocked him out for most of Sunday’s victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars − and threatens to sideline him much longer − it may also wind up as something of a Pyrrhic victory.

1b. Number of wins the New England Patriots have against Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa after holding on for a recently rare 33-27 victory in South Florida. Sunday was the Pats’ eighth crack at Tua, who was sacked for the fifth time on Miami’s final snap.

2. Yards shy New York Giants QB Russell Wilson, 36, was of matching his career best for passing yards (452) in Sunday’s 40-37 overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys. However Wilson was sacked three times, which turned out to be just enough − along with the INT ‘Mr. Unlimited’ airmailed in OT.

3. The number of consecutive regular seasons that have featured a Super Bowl rematch after the Philadelphia Eagles and Chiefs teed it up Sunday, seven months after Philly opened a can of you know what on K.C.’s three-peat bid. The Eagles won 20-17, making the reigning champions 8-3 all-time in a Super Sunday redux that occurs in the subsequent season.

4. The number of field goals and PATs apiece − 16 points total − scored by Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey, unassailably the league’s best kicker, on Sunday. Aubrey hit a 64-yarder at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime and drilled a 46-yarder to win it. He might be the Cowboys’ most important player.

5. The number of NFL quarterbacks − ever − with at least 500 regular-season TD passes. Aaron Rodgers threw his 508th on Sunday, tying former teammate Brett Favre for fourth place all time.

6. If Sunday’s performance made it seem like Dallas could, uh, really use another pass rusher, well owner Jerry Jones revealed after his team’s escape act that he’d signed three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney. The No. 1 pick (by the Houston Texans) in the 2014 draft, Clowney has never had a double-digit sack season. Ex-Cowboy Micah Parsons, who’s now wreaking havoc for the Green Bay Packers, hasn’t had fewer than 12 in any of his first four seasons. Still, ‘America’s Team’ did limit the G-Men to 84 rushing yards, so maybe Jones is absolutely tickled by the performance of his Big D run D.

7. Will Chiefs TE Travis Kelce rue returning for a 13th NFL season when he could be sampling potential wedding cakes? A week after taking out teammate Xavier Worthy while running a poor route, Kelce’s deflection of a Mahomes’ pass at the goal line into an Eagles interception effectively sparked a 14-point swing − Philly scoring what turned out to be the decisive TD on its ensuing drive.

8. The number of 2-0 teams following Sunday’s games. More may yet join their ranks Monday, but for now, the Bills, Colts, Bengals, Packers, 49ers, Eagles, Cardinals and Rams stand among the unbeatens who have played twice.

9. The number of 0-2 teams following Sunday’s games. More may yet join their ranks Monday, but for now, the Chiefs, Titans, Jets, Browns, Dolphins, Saints, Panthers, Bears and Giants are all quickly descending into desperation mode.

10. The Indianapolis Colts became the first team in NFL history to start a season by scoring on each of their first 10 possessions.

10a. And how about this: The Colts are the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) that didn’t punt in their first two games. Admit it, you knew Daniel Jones and Co. would be this good.

11. The number of games Detroit Lions RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery need to set an NFL record for teammates both scoring rushing TDs in the same contest − which is to say one more time. The duo matched the 10 instances old-time wingmen Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung (Packers) and Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny (49ers) turned the trick in Sunday’s 52-21 thrashing of the Chicago Bears and their former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson.

12. The number of Jags rookie WR/CB Travis Hunter, which may as well be a target. While contributing just three catches for 22 yards in his second game, Hunter also committed a 25-yard pass interference penalty − and not against one of Cincinnati’s star wideouts but Andrei Iosivas − on fourth down of the Bengals’ final drive, which ended with them bleeding the clock before scoring the game-winning TD. Without Burrow.

12a. But give Hunter credit for playing through heavy usage, 42 of his 81 snaps in Week 2 coming on the defensive side.

13. The number of consecutive drives, going back to last season − and the most this century − that Miami’s defense had surrendered points … before halftime (briefly) stymied the Patriots on Sunday.

14. The number of field goals − without a miss, incidentally − Colts K Spencer Shrader has made in six NFL games split among three different teams. He drilled five Sunday, including the game-winning 45-yarder at the gun, in Indy’s 29-28 defeat of the Denver Broncos.

14a. Of course, a Denver penalty for leverage nullified Schrader’s first attempt to win the game, a 60-yarder that fell short.

15th. The overall selection QB Mac Jones was (to the Patriots) in the 2021 NFL draft − despite rampant pre-draft speculation that he was headed to the Niners with the third pick. (San Francisco took Trey Lance instead.) But Sunday, Jones finally got to play for HC Kyle Shanahan and matched his career high with three TD throws while filing in for injured Brock Purdy, the same guy who Wally Pipped Lance three years ago. Beware, Brock.

15a. Lance, now the Los Angeles Chargers’ backup QB, hasn’t throw a TD pass since his rookie year.

16. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey caught one of Jones’ TD strikes, making CMC the third NFL player ever with at least 50 career rushing touchdowns plus 30 through the air. Hall of Famers Lenny Moore and Marshall Faulk are the others.

17. The jersey number of Daniel Jones. We’re loving life for ‘Indiana Jones,’ who’s led the Colts to their first 2-0 start since 2009, when Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was taking the snaps. Jones passed for 316 yards and a TD on Sunday and ran for another score − and given that production came against Denver’s vaunted D, it was arguably a more impressive performance than his debut for his new team in Week 1 agaisnt lowly Miami.

18. In a battle of former New York Jets quarterbacks, the Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold got the best of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Rodgers in the latter’s Acrisure Stadium debut. Both were picked off twice in a fairly sloppy affair that also saw Seattle recover a kickoff in the Steelers’ end zone for a touchdown.

19. Worth wondering if the Steelers are falling into a similar trap as the 2024 Jets, who averaged a league-low 21.4 runs per game while putting too much emphasis on Rodgers’ aging arm. Pittsburgh has run 41 times through two games.

20. As for the 2025 Jets? They’ve run it 60 times, though just 21 in Sunday’s 30-10 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. And with new QB1 Justin Fields in the concussion protocol? Different cast, same old Jets (so far).

21. The Los Angeles Rams’ 33-19 defeat of the Tennessee Titans featured a meeting of the league’s newest No. 1 overall pick (Titans QB Cam Ward) against its oldest active No. 1 overall pick (Rams QB Matthew Stafford, 2009).

22. The Bengals’ defeat of the Jags featured three No. 1 picks: Burrow, Jags QB Trevor Lawrence and Jags DE Travon Walker … plus Hunter, the second overall selection this year.

23. In Detroit, Lions QB Jared Goff – the No. 1 pick in 2016 (by the Rams) – threw five TD passes while outdueling Chicago’s Caleb Williams, the struggling top pick from last year’s draft.

24. And there was a fourth game featuring a pair of No. 1 picks, the Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray (2019) surviving a late charge from the Carolina Panthers and Bryce Young (2022).

25. Eagles DT Jalen Carter, thrown out of the opener, played his first snaps of the 2025 season and registered one TFL and three hits on Mahomes on a day when Philly once again very much limited Kansas City’s offense.

26. Number of penalties (for 266 yards) in the Cowboys-Giants thriller. Good thing the teams made a potential slopfest watchable with 77 points and nearly 1,000 yards of offense.

27. New England’s Mike Vrabel and Dallas’ Brian Schottenheimer notched their first wins with their current teams Sunday.

28. For Schottenheimer, 51, it’s his first win ever as a head coach. Now he’s just 204 behind his legendary father, Marty.

29. Elsewhere, Johnson, the Jets’ Aaron Glenn – both were on Detroit’s staff prior to this season – and the Saints’ Kellen Moore, who won a ring with the Eagles in 2024, are all still awaiting their first HC Ws.

30. The Baltimore Ravens’ home opener also served as the kickoff celebration of their 30th NFL season since they relocated from Cleveland and were renamed in 1996. As part of the festivities, the Ravens painted their end zones in throwback font styles. Would love to see the uniforms Hall of Famer Ray Lewis wore as a rookie next time …

31. Week 2 will end with a “Monday Night Football” doubleheader, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Houston Texans before the unbeaten Las Vegas Raiders host the unbeaten Chargers.

32. And hope you like “MNF” twinbills – because you’re going to get four of them over the next six weeks.

Just as they seemed to be throwing away the final playoff berth in the NL, the New York Mets righted themselves just enough Sept. 14, getting a three-run, walk-off home run from Pete Alonso to salvage the final game of a Citi Field series against the Texas Rangers.

It was a bold strategy – losing eight consecutive games in the middle of an ever-tightening National League wild-card race – and somehow it just might work out for the Mets.

And after the sunflower seeds hit the dirt and the Gatorade bath dried up and the Mets rubbed their eyes and looked up, they somehow had a 1 ½-game lead for the final wild-card spot

We should all be so lucky.

See, the Mets’ streak started with two losses to their direct wild card pursuer, the Cincinnati Reds, before thoroughly folding their tent against the division-leading Phillies, losing four at Philadelphia. And they further galvanized the Rangers’ AL playoff hopes by losing the first two games against them.

How ugly was it? Well, it was their longest losing streak since 2018, when they lost 11 in a row, and their pitchers posted a 6.27 ERA as they got outscored 47-20.

Yet the Reds and San Francisco Giants had mercy on them. Cincinnati could have passed the Mets this weekend, but instead got swept by the Athletics in Yolo County, while the Giants’ hot streak of nine wins in 13 games finally cooled with a pair of weekend losses to the Dodgers. The Giants now lurk 1 ½ games back, while Arizona is two out and the Reds 2½ games back.

Still, the damage was done – the Mets have fallen three spots to No. 14 in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings. But Citi Field is somehow still standing.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (-)

‘PECOTA had us at 80 wins,’ Pat Murphy says after clinching playoff spot. (Hey Murph: We had you at 83).

2. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

Injury ends Jose Alvarado’s season. Might as well get used to life without him before the playoffs hit.

3. Toronto Blue Jays (-)

Surprise, surprise: Top prospect Trey Yesavage recalled, will start Monday’s game.

4. Chicago Cubs (-)

Nico Hoerner batting .362 with runners in scoring position.

5. Detroit Tigers (-)

What a relief: Tarik Skubal expected to make next start after side scare.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)

Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández combine for 10 extra-base hits as Dodgers win five of six.

7. New York Yankees (-1)

‘We’re the best team in the league,’ says Jazz Chisholm. About time to find out.

8. San Diego Padres (+1)

Win five of seven in 10-game stretch against Rockies to solidify playoff prospects.

9. Boston Red Sox (-1)

‘I think we should stop talking about October, to be honest with you,’ says Alex Cora.

10. Seattle Mariners (+2)

A nine-game winning streak to take control of first place? That’s the way you do it.

11. Houston Astros (-1)

Week of reckoning arrives: Final homestand welcomes Rangers, Mariners to the 713.

12. Texas Rangers (+1)

Sweeping Brewers, taking series against Mets a heck of a way to get back in it.

13. Cleveland Guardians (+2)

Cade Smith up to 15 saves as he fills in for Emmanuel Clase.

14. New York Mets (-3)

They own almost all the relevant tiebreakers against their wild-card pursuers.

15. San Francisco Giants (+1)

Willy Adames two away from Giants’ first 30-homer season since Barry Bonds.

16. Kansas City Royals (-2)

Might just be curtains on their playoff hopes.

17. Cincinnati Reds (-)

Terry Francona convenes team meeting after untimely sweep: ‘When it’s hardest to believe, that’s when you gotta dig deep.’

18. Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

Wait, what’s this? A playoff race?

19. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

Masyn Winn shuts it down for the season due to knee injury.

20. Tampa Bay Rays (-)

Junior Caminero, 22, has 43 home runs.

21. Miami Marlins (+1)

Ryan Weathers returns from 60-day IL with five scoreless innings.

22. Baltimore Orioles (+1)

Probably should’ve announced the title inflation for their GM before embarking on such a rough season.

23. Athletics (+2)

Go figure: Yolo County’s bullpen is best in MLB (2.94 ERA) since trading Mason Miller.

24. Los Angeles Angels (-3)

Christian Moore returns after two-week minor league reset.

25. Atlanta Braves (-1)

Brian Snitker reaches 800 wins as possible retirement looms.

26. Minnesota Twins (+1)

Kody Clemens’ three-homer night gives him 19 longballs with Twins.

27. Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)

Bubba Chandler bounces back from brutal start to take perfect game into sixth inning.

28. Washington Nationals (-)

Strained back ends Cole Henry’s promising rookie campaign out of bullpen.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

A mildly encouraging 25-28 since All-Star break.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

Will need an 0-12 season-ending finish to match White Sox’s record 121 losses.

Joe Burrow’s injury was the biggest fantasy football news from Week 2, impacting the entire Cincinnati Bengals offense.
Quarterback Jared Goff and the Miami Dolphins offense were among the top fantasy performers of the week.
Quarterbacks Justin Fields and J.J. McCarthy struggled, landing them on the list of fantasy losers.

Obviously, the biggest fantasy football news from Week 2 was the unfortunate injury to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow – and the impact it will have on the team’s offense for what could be several months.

Backup Jake Browning was able to step in and competently keep the chains moving by completing 21-of-32 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns (and also score on a 1-yard sneak). But he’s no Joe Cool.

While Ja’Marr Chase led all receivers with 16 targets and 14 catches, the other Cincinnati skill players were not as effective. And they won’t have the Jaguars defense to push around every week.

Meanwhile, the other major development was the … major development from Week 1 to Week 2 of several rookie running backs. Fantasy managers went in pretty heavy in drafts this year on the plentiful crop of young RBs. And the dividends are already starting to pay off.

Fantasy football winners for Week 2

Rookie RBs Quinshon Judkins, Cam Skattebo, Bhayshul Tuten

While the collective output from rookie running backs was disappointing in Week 1, several of them saw their workloads increase Sunday.

Judkins signed his rookie contract, practiced with the Browns for the first time and led the team in rushing – all in the space of one week. He was drafted to be the lead back and was on Sunday, rushing 10 times for 61 yards.

The Giants’ Skattebo outsnapped Tyrone Tracy 33-27 against Dallas and scored his first NFL touchdown.

And Tuten saw far more work in the wake of the Jaguars trading Tank Bigsby, carrying eight times for 42 yards and catching a touchdown pass.

QB Jared Goff

There were some concerns in the preseason about how effective the Detroit Lions offense would be without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Maybe not with star RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, but moreso with Goff.

But the veteran was deadly efficient against the Bears, completing 23-of-28 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns – three of them to St. Brown. At the same time both Gibbs and David Montgomery scored rushing TDs. Just because Johnson has moved to Chicago, Goff (QB5 through two games) hasn’t forgotten how to use his many weapons.

Miami Dolphins offense

After a pitiful performance on both sides of the ball in their opener, the Dolphins offense looked much more like themselves at home against the Patriots. The still-horrible defense forced Tua Tagovailoa to throw 32 times, which opened the door for a 100-yard receiving day for Tyreek Hill, a touchdown for Jaylen Waddle and a team-high eight receptions (for 92 yards and a score) for De’Von Achane.

WRs Rome Odunze and Wan’Dale Robinson

Playing second fiddle to much more high-profile wide receivers on their own teams, both Odunze and Robinson turned double-digit targets into top-5 performances for the week. The Bears had to throw a ton in a blowout loss to Goff and the Lions. That opened the door for Odunze to catch a pair of TD passes among his seven receptions and 128 yards. Meanwhile, the Giants’ Robinson managed to get beyond the Cowboys secondary for some big-gainers in racking up 142 yards and a score.

Fantasy football losers for Week 2

QB Justin Fields

Burrow wasn’t the only starting quarterback to leave early in Week 2. Fields was just 3-for-11 for 27 yards when he was hit hard and left with a possible concussion. He was the No. 2 fantasy quarterback in the season opener, thanks in part to his two rushing touchdowns. Even if Fields is able to return soon, a head injury is a bad omen for someone who relies more on his legs than his arm for fantasy value.

RB Kaleb Johnson

Johnson is perhaps the biggest disappointment among the rookie running back crop. He was drafted as someone who could ascend to the lead back role in Pittsburgh, but instead he’s hardly seen the field on offense during the first two weeks. Given a chance in the return game to show off his elusiveness, Johnson committed a boneheaded play Sunday of not fielding a kickoff against Seattle and having it recovered in the end zone for a Seahawks touchdown. That won’t help his case.

TE Mark Andrews

While the Baltimore Ravens continue to generate yardage and points (a league-leading 81 through two games), Andrews has been silent. He’s had exactly one catch in each of the first two weeks – and fellow tight end Isiah Likely could be back from injury next week to cut into his value even more. After being drafted in the top eight at the position, Andrews is looking more like a drop.

QB J.J. McCarthy

Yes, McCarthy did redeem himself with a furious fourth quarter in the opener, but that momentum didn’t carry over into his second consecutive appearance in prime time. He was bad for all four quarters Sunday night vs. the Falcons, hitting on just 11-of-21 passes for 158 yards and turning the ball over three times. Even worse, he’s not getting the ball to his best weapons. WR Justin Jefferson had just three receptions for 81 yards and TE T.J. Hockenson has seemed to disappear with four catches in two games.