North Carolina football assistant coach Armond Hawkins “has been suspended for violating NCAA rules related to extra benefits,” the school announced in an emailed statement Oct. 9. 

A cornerbacks coach for Bill Belchick’s Tar Heels (2-3, 0-1 ACC), Hawkins was a former recruiting analyst and secondary coach at the University of Washington alongside defensive coordinator Steve Belichick. 

According to the statement released by UNC Athletics, Hawkins “will remain on leave as the Department of Athletics further investigates other potential actions detrimental to the team and university.” 

Reports of Hawkins’ suspension started to surface Oct. 7, with The Athletic reporting the extra-benefits allegations involved providing a player’s family members sideline passes for a game.

Following rumors about the future of Bill Belichick and UNC football, Belichick and athletic director Bubba Cunningham released a joint statement on Oct. 8. The 73-year-old coach said he’s “fully committed” to the Tar Heels and what his staff is “building here” in Chapel Hill. 

Cunningham said Belichick has the “full support” of the athletics department and university. 

Following its off week, the Tar Heels play at Cal on Oct. 17, in a game that kicks off at 10:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them torbaxley@fayobserver.com.

USC and coach Lincoln Riley face a critical stretch of their season with upcoming games against Michigan and Notre Dame.
One of college football’s highest-paid coaches, Riley has a 4-11 record against ranked opponents at USC.
The upcoming slate could determine the team’s postseason fate and shape the narrative of Riley’s tenure in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — As the cooling fall temperatures start making their way in The Golden State, the heat is turning up in the city of angels.

After starting the season with a modest schedule that led to a massive gut punch in a last-second loss to Illinois, Southern California enters a pivotal stretch of the year. 

Hosting Michigan in a Big Ten battle of college football blue bloods. Then the trip to South Bend, Indiana, to play Notre Dame in what could determine the postseason fate of the loser. 

It’s time to put up or shut up for the Trojans. More importantly, time for Lincoln Riley to prove he’s the guy makes $11.5 million this season, one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.

“These are special games,” Riley said. “These are games that you remember. These are games that provide great opportunities for players, for fans, for everyone. I think you embrace it.” 

Lincoln Riley struggles against ranked opponents at USC

With the pressure cooker turned on high to start 2025 after a middling Big Ten debut that ended in a 7-6 record, Riley’s squad looked like what Trojan fans expected in the first four games of the season. Breaking the scoreboard, throwing the ball all over the field, highlight plays en route to dominant victories.

But it’s USC. That’s expected when Missouri State, Georgia Southern, Purdue and Michigan State are on the schedule and you put up 210 combined points. It’s the ranked matchups, the high-profile games where USC expects to win and return as a national power. 

At Oklahoma, Riley had a knack for winning the most important contests of the season, and what moved him toward the top coaches in the country. He was 15-6 against ranked opponents in five seasons in Norman, a key to the three College Football Playoff appearances.

Riley entered this season 4-10 against ranked opponents, with no wins against a team in the top 10.

The first opportunity to flip the script came at then-No. 23 Illinois. Facing a ranked opponent, the Trojans rallied to take a late lead. But the same issues as last season appeared, with USC unable to hold onto the lead as the Illini made a last-second field goal.

Make it 4-11 against ranked opponents, and if USC has any hopes of contending for more than just a bowl game, those numbers have to change.

‘The hay is not in the barn’

Fortunes can change when No. 15 Michigan visits Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 11 for the first time since 1957. The two power schools have played several times in the Rose Bowl, but USC is 0-3 against the Wolverines during the regular season.

Last season’s meeting wound up being a critical moment for the Trojans. They went into Ann Arbor and were close to a 3-0 start before the Wolverines scored a last minute touchdown. That game set the season off course, as USC went 4-6 the rest of the regular season.

The Week 7 matchup will test whether USC is legit. Quarterback Jayden Maiava is averaging 338 passing yards per game, third-most in FBS, leading an offense that scores 48.4 points per game. Makai Lemon’s 589 receiving yards are second-most in the country. 

The high-powered offense will face a Michigan defense that’s top 20 in the country, exceptional in creating turnovers and sacking the quarterback. Plus, Justice Hayes leads a strong Michigan running game that will test if USC’s defense has taken steps forward.

“Fired up,” Maiava said about the matchup. “This team’s ready. It’s been ready. Super good team we’re about to go play. Can’t wait.”

A win is paramount to Riley’s credibility as an elite coach and the Trojans’s fate. Beat Michigan and Notre Dame next week and something special could be brewing, with trips to Nebraska and Oregon looming in November. Lose to the Wolverines and Fighting Irish, and that luxurious seat Riley occupies will feel warmer. 

USC looks good, but as new starting center J’Onre Reed puts it, “the hay is not in the barn.” There’s still plenty the Trojans must prove.

Time for Riley to step up to the plate. It’s moments like this that form legacies, and he can reclaim his story in the critical stretch of his USC tenure. 

“This is what we wait all freaking year for games like this, for opportunities like this,” Riley said. “We’re gonna prepare our ass off and go play.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – A near-nightmare situation for the New York Giants unfolded on MetLife Stadium’s much-maligned turf Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, making his third professional start, stayed down after taking a sack from Eagles defensive lineman Patrick Johnson late in the third quarter and with the Giants leading 27-17.

Dart remained on the ground for a couple of minutes and banged his right leg onto the turf in frustration. He eventually hopped up and jogged off the field. Russell Wilson, New York’s starter for the first three games of the season, replaced him. 

It was later announced that Dart cleared a concussion evaluation, and would reenter the game on the Giants’ ensuing offensive possession. But not before some sideline hijinks involving head coach Brian Daboll and rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who ran over to the blue medical tent as Dart was undergoing tests.

Daboll apologized to the Giants’ team orthopedist, Dr. Scott A. Rodeo, who was standing near the medical tent and drew the head coach’s ire as Dart remained in the tent.

“If you’ve ever been on an NFL sideline there’s a lot of emotions,” Daboll said.

Daboll wanted Dart back on the field as he considered going for a fourth down and was asking how long it would take for Dart to be cleared since he would have burned a timeout ‘not at risk of anything else’ regarding his quarterback, he said.

USA TODAY Sports confirmed Friday that the league is looking into the matter. In a statement provided by an NFL spokesman, the league expressed the following: ‘The NFL initiated a review of the application of the concussion protocol involving New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart during last night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. That review will be conducted jointly with the NFLPA under the parties’ collective bargaining agreement.’

“I was in the wrong,” Daboll said Thursday.

It felt like an eternity inside the confines of the tent for Dart.  

“It felt so long,” Dart said. “I was just trying to get back on the field. I understand they have a protocol and whatnot but I was just trying to get out there fast.”

Skattebo joked that he was making sure Dart ‘wasn’t hurting anybody in the injury tent.’

“He’s a dog,’ Skattebo said of his fellow rookie. ‘He wants to be back on the field. I knew going over there, I needed to calm down a little bit, because I knew he was going to be on fire. 

“He was a little fired up.”

Dart was 16 of 22 for 187 passing yards and a touchdown throwing the ball and had seven carries for 51 yards and a score on the ground. 

Dart also exited his first start, a win over the Los Angeles Chargers, briefly while being evaluated for a concussion. 

This story has been updated with new information.

PHOENIX — The Las Vegas Aces are one win from sweeping the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals.

Aces center A’ja Wilson lifted her team to a 90-88 Game 3 victory over the Mercury on Wednesday with a game-winning jumper to take a commanding 3-0 lead. This may be the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals series, but no team in NBA history has come back from a 0-3 deficit (159-0).

The Mercury will attempt to stave off elimination on Friday without All-Star forward Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion in Game 3 after her head collided with Kierstan Bell’s knee on an offensive rebound attempt.

Here’s everything you need to know about Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Friday:

What time is Mercury vs. Aces Game 4?

Game 4 of the WNBA Finals between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 4 seed Phoenix Mercury is scheduled to tipoff at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 10, at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.

Where to watch WNBA Finals: TV, streaming for Game 4

Date: Friday, Oct. 10
Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
Location: Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix)
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo, ESPN Unlimited

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For four games, the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners have been exchanging gut punches, leading to one final test for a berth in the American League Championship Series.

Their AL Division Series is knotted 2-2 entering the decisive Game 5 on Oct. 10 at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, and the winner-take-all match seems as evenly matched as the series at large, in which the Tigers have outscored the Mariners 18-16.

Ostensibly, the Tigers have the edge thanks to Tarik Skubal, who is expected to win his second consecutive AL Cy Young Award. Yet the Mariners have bested him twice already this season, winning Game 2 after waiting him out and taking a late lead.

What happens in Game 5? Here are five things to watch:

Tarik Skubal: How deep can he get?

Mariners manager Dan Wilson knows it’s a conundrum: You want to drive up Skubal’s pitch count, but also be aggressive before falling down in the count and enabling the left-hander to punch you out with the game’s most devastating fastball-changeup combo.

“It is a balance, but these guys have seen him now three times and have a pretty good idea of what to expect,” says Wilson on the eve of Game 5.

Skubal struck out nine in seven innings of Game 2, leaving with a 2-0 deficit before the Tigers rallied to tie, only for Julio Rodriguez to notch the go-ahead hit in the bottom of the eighth.

This will be his third high-intensity outing in 11 days, throwing 107 pitches to win Game 1 of their wild card series at Cleveland, followed by his 97-pitch outing in ALDS Game 2. Seattle beat him twice this past year, in Seattle in Skubal’s second start of the year and again July 11 in Detroit, knocking him from the game after five innings and 87 pitches.

None of that past is necessarily prologue, yet the win-or-go-home stakes and Skubal’s recent workload don’t strongly suggest he’ll still be around in the eighth inning. Even if Detroit badly needs him to be.

Tigers bullpen: How tall is the trust tree?

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch would strongly prefer rolling out Skubal and not budging. Alas, that probably won’t be an option, and Hinch may have to stray from his comfort zone.

He has leaned heavily on Kyle Finnegan and Will Vest in leverage spots, calling on Finnegan to escape a jam in the fourth inning of do-or-die Game 4, then riding him for two innings. Detroit scoring six runs in the final three innings was the only thing that prevented Hinch from using Vest for two innings, rather than one, to seal the must win.

What’s more, Game 1 starter Troy Melton is probably not available after three clutch relief innings in Game 4. Lefties Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter have been hit-or-miss. Righty Rafael Montero probably won’t see action after a bad Game 1 outing.

Ideally? Skubal for six and Tommy Kahnle, Finnegan and Vest for one inning each, and a raucous flight to Toronto for the ALCS. But scripts look a lot better on paper than they do in the arena.

Big Game Dumper?

Sure, Cal Raleigh got a taste of the playoffs along with the rest of the Mariners in 2022, when they won a wild card series at Toronto before an ALDS sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros.

But this is his first time around as 60-homer, AL MVP-favorite, Home Run Derby champion Big Dumper. And goodness, the results have been excellent.

Raleigh’s banged out seven hits in 16 at-bats, including a home run to his biggest fan, and driven in four runs. Simply, the man looks as locked in now as he did in his historic regular season. That’s helped the first four of Randy Arozarena, Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Jorge Polanco provide timely damage all series.

Sure, there’s no home run record to chase, not even an ALDS MVP trophy to pursue. But it’s instructive to remember Raleigh is very dangerous.

Bottom’s up?

In Games 3 and 4, each team got home runs from their No. 9 hitters – Seattle’s J.P. Crawford and Detroit’s Javier Baez. While the game certainly may be decided by the marquee players like Raleigh, Rodriguez or Riley Greene, the nether reaches of the lineup may decide this.

This is where Skubal’s presence looms large: He’ll likely force DH Dominic Canzone to the bench, where his .300 average and .840 OPS will be replaced by Mitch Garver. Outfielder Victor Robles has just 1 hit in 10 at bats, and though he’s drawn three walks has not been able to steal a base.

Meanwhile, Tigers Dillon Dingler, Parker Meadows and Colt Keith are a combined 4-for-36 with one extra-base hit. Yet they’re not permanent fixtures; keep an eye on Jahmai Jones in the late innings against Mariners lefty reliever Gabe Speier, a huge spot in which Jones came through in Game 4.

A bad Muny rising

One thing you can probably book in Game 5: Andres Muñoz standing on the mound in the bottom of the ninth. The baddest reliever on either side was stretched thin in the first three games, pitching in all of them and racking up a spotless two-inning appearance in their 11-inning Game 1 loss.

 Doubt it. His slider is one of the finest wipeout pitches in the game and he converted 38 of 45 save chances this year. If Muñoz’s tank is at least half full, he could be the difference maker in what should be a close and tight game late.

Prediction: Mariners 4, Tigers 3

LOS ANGELES —The Los Angeles Dodgers popped some champagne Thursday night, chugged Bud Lights and hugged one another while half-dressed.

But as far as celebrations go, well, there may have been more jubilation at a senior citizen bingo parlor than the Dodgers’ National League Division Series clinching party.

The Dodgers felt more relief on this night, surviving a heavyweight bout against the Philadelphia Phillies with an epic 2-1, 11-inning victory, winning the National League Division Series, three games to one.

Really, the Dodgers will tell you after a brief party in their indoor batting cage, so not to mess up their fancy new clubhouse, they were simply too exhausted to properly celebrate.

They can do that in the next round, knowing that another series victory will provide a return trip to the World Series.

And, if they win the World Series again, becoming the first NL team to pull it off since the Cincinnati Reds’ Big Red Machine in 1975-76, then you’ll see a bash that will make Hollywood envious.

But for now, they just wanted to chill, soaking in the moment, believing that by surviving this grueling series, they can beat anyone coming their way.

“It was a war,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It was a battle. It was an instant classic.’

It may take years for the Dodgers to fully appreciate what they just accomplished, but on this night, their heads were still spinning.

“I don’t know where that ranks being part of a game like that, but it definitely ranks up there,’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “Extra innings at home, against a really, really good team. Great pitching. Both teams playing like there is no tomorrow.

“And for it to end on a throwing error with their pitcher throwing back to home plate, man, that’s just crazy.’

It was only an elimination game for the Phillies, but the Dodgers will tell you it felt like a Game 7 to them.

“You definitely don’t want to go back to Philly,’ Muncy said. “You know it’s a very, very hostile environment. You don’t want to mess with that. You don’t want to make that flight.’

The two teams spent 3 ½ hours trading punches and left it all out on the field. Starters, Tyler Glasnow and Cristopher Sanchez pitched six shutout innings apiece, giving up just three hits. The Dodgers turned to rookie Roki Sasaki who pitched three perfect innings in one of the greatest relief performances in Dodger postseason history. The Phillies went to starter Jesus Luzardo, who hadn’t pitched in relief in four years, to get five outs.

The biggest stars were shut down with the Dodgers’ quartet of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez going 3-for-18 with seven strikeouts, while Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper went 1-for-14 with four strikeouts.

Roberts was second-guessed why he took out Glasnow after six innings – with the Phillies immediately scoring a run – and Phillies manager Rob Thomson was questioned for intentionally walking Ohtani, who was 1-for-18 with nine strikeouts in the series to face Mookie Betts – who drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game.

And it ended on a gaffe that had the Dodgers sharing their sympathy for Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering.

“It’s brutal,’ Roberts said. “He’s done it a thousand times. And right there he was so focused, I’m sure, on just getting the hitter. [He] just sort of forgot the outs and the situation.’

The bases were loaded with two outs. Andy Pages, the Dodgers’ No. 9 hitter who was 1-for-24 in the series, was jammed and broke his bat on a 96.2-mph fastball. It bounced back to Kerkering, who fumbled the ball and then picked it up with his bare hand.

“I was just so mad at myself,’ Pages said, who was still 55 feet away from first base when Kerkering picked up the ball. “I saw him grab it and then watched him throw it. But I couldn’t believe he didn’t throw it to first base.’

Neither could anyone else at Dodger Stadium.

While Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto pointed towards first base, and Pages barely more than halfway down the line, panic set in. Kerkering fired it home, Realmuto. Even if the throw was a perfect strike, it was going to be too late to get pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim at the plate.

“I ran for my life,’ Kim said.

While the ball rolled to the backstop, the Dodgers rushed onto the field still trying to comprehend exactly what happened.

“Once the pressure got to me,’ Kerkering said, “I just thought there’s a faster throw to J.T., a little quicker throw than trying to cross-body it to (first base). So just a horse-(expletive) throw.

“It’s baseball.

“[Stuff] happens.’

Said Thomson: “He just got caught up in the moment a little bit,’ Thomson said. “I feel for him because he’s putting it all on his shoulders. But we win as a team, and we lose as a team.’

The Dodgers were in disbelief.

“Pure joy, a little bit of laughter,’ Muncy said, “because I wasn’t sure what happened. The way everyone was standing around I thought it was a foul ball at first. But then it just turned into pure joy.’

But even in the middle of their clubhouse celebration, they talked in subdued tones about the blunder, thrilled that they won the game – but wanting to express their empathy for Kerkering.

“You feel bad,’ Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said, “but at the end of the day, you know you can be that guy because you play in a sport. It’s part of baseball. It happens.

“I was talking to Freddie [Freeman] about that, and we both talked about how bad that would feel. He’s got to wait until next year to flush it out.’

But that’s the Phillies’ problem, with Thomson being asked about his job security at the end of the night.

“It’s out of my control, I’m not even thinking about it,’ Thomson says. “I’ve got 60 people in there that are broken-hearted right now. So, I’m thinking about that more so than my job right now. …

“When this happens, it’s like your entire world comes to a stop. It’s just a thud.’

For the Dodgers, they’re thinking about getting that second ring while awaiting the winner of the Chicago Cubs-Milwaukee Brewers series, where they will be a heavy favorite.

If the Dodgers weren’t formidable enough before this series, they’ve become a beast with Glasnow not only proving he can pitch under postseason pressure but debuting a lights-out closer who solved their ninth-inning woes.

Sasaki was nothing short of sensational.

Nine up, nine down.

Thirty-six pitches, 26 strikes.

“Oh my gosh, you’re talking about one of the great all-time appearances out of the pen that I can remember,’ Roberts said. “I can’t speak enough to his growth and his contribution to this club. We’re starting to see something really special in him…

“What he’s done now on the biggest of stages, he’s just scratching the surface. We couldn’t be more proud of him.’

Roberts had no intention of using Sasaki for three innings, but he was so dominant and so efficient, he kept running him out there. One mistake, and the game could be over, with the Dodgers packing their bags for Philadelphia.

But he mowed them down in the eighth. Again in the ninth. And in the 10th. He could have gone on if Roberts permitted it.

“It’s part of the Japanese culture, the toughness,’ Roberts said. “He’s been a star his entire life. And I just felt that in that moment, in the ninth inning, he was the best option right there to keep this game going.

“The toughness is certainly there, and he’s embracing it.’

It’s hard to believe this was the same guy who looked lost all summer. Sasaki, who was the most sought-after free agent on the market since the cost would be only what a team had left in its international signing pool. In the Dodgers’ case, it was just $6.5 million.

Sasaki opened the season by making eight starts, yielding a 4.72 ERA, and only twice did he last more than five innings. The 100-mph fastball that was showcased in Japan was gone, with his velocity dropping by about 5 mph. He went on the injured list with shoulder fatigue, struggled in the minors, and then let the Dodgers overhaul his pitching mechanics.

He returned in late September, agreed to a bullpen role, and looked good enough in two relief appearances to make the postseason roster.

Now, after what he has done in the postseason, allowing just one hit in 5 ⅓ innings, he looks like the second coming of Mariano Rivera.

“Just felt like my fastball velo was back to where it used to be,’ Sasaki said, “and the command of the fastball was where I wanted it to be as well. So, I think that really helps with the off-speed. And because of that I do really feel confident to be able to attack in zone.’

Sasaki’s dominance has everyone in the Dodgers feeling confident that they once again are the team to beat, knowing already that their rotation is the best in baseball with Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

“It was incredible,’ said Glasnow, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, and dreamed of pitching in the playoffs for the Dodgers. “I think for what he went through in the beginning of the year, to come back, go to Triple-A, and then come out and throw some of the nastiest innings I’ve seen in baseball. It just shows how strong he is, how much of a competitor he is.

“Didn’t seem like anything fazed him. He was throwing strikes, super aggressive. It’s extremely impressive. We’ll need him for the rest of the season.’

The Dodgers, after going 5-1 this postseason, have begun the countdown.

Eight more victories, and they are World Series champions again, for the third time in six years.

“It feels great, but we know we have a lot of baseball to be played,’ the Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez said. Our goal is to win the World Series. The goal is not to win the NLDS.’

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

The New York Giants grounded the Philadelphia Eagles on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

New York handed its division rival a 34-17 loss in Week 6, an eyebrow-raising, lopsided victory for New York.

It was all working for the Giants on Thursday night: rookie passer Jaxson Dart looked on-target, with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in the win. The much-maligned Giants defense held Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Eagles offense in check.

Most notably, the home crowd felt energized, seeing a team that just might be turning a corner.

Weird things happen in the NFL on Thursday nights all the time, but the result of this game felt a little more real than most: The win showed that the Giants may be finding their footing as an outfit, while the Eagles’ flaws not only resurfaced, but were on full display in the thrashing.

So what are the biggest takeaways from this matchup? USA TODAY Sports’ NFL experts weigh in below:

Eagles vs. Giants reactions

Beasts of the NFC East?

Is the NFC East headed for a new heyday? This suddenly feels like a moment similar to the 1980s and 1990s when the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles and Washington – RIP, St. Louis Cardinals – were so often concurrently great while sharing immensely nasty and important rivalries that so often had Super Bowl implications. But with Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart making his NFL prime-time debut in fine style in Thursday night’s upset of Philly, it sure looks like all four teams in the division are now armed with franchise quarterbacks – each with his share of top-end supporting lieutenants … though Dart’s are more like privates. But when these Little Giants get a year of experience, and WR Malik Nabers rejoins Dart, RB Cam Skattebo and LB Abdul Carter in 2026? This could be a helluva divisional free-for-all – hopefully for several years. – Nate Davis

Eagles’ wings clipped

This Eagles passing game stinks. There is no creativity, no moving of the pocket for Hurts and no juice from the players. Maybe the Tush Push has taken it out of them. But offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo needs to tap into that imagination if the offense wants any chance of resembling last year’s, because the run game is also still MIA. – Chris Bumbaca

Forget the Liberty Bell – sound the alarm bells

Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown met amid their recent offensive struggles. The entire team needs to have a meeting now.

Philadelphia was thoroughly outplayed in all three phases by the Giants. The Eagles looked out of sorts. The offense lacks explosiveness as they attempt to labor down the field, and the defense couldn’t stop the run or rush the passer without Jalen Carter.

Brian Daboll, Jaxson Dart and the Giants defense deserve a tun of credit. It was a signature victory for Daboll and a performance the team can build upon the rest of the season. – Tyler Dragon

A Giant turning point

This felt like a game the Giants won more than one that the Eagles lost. Jaxson Dart looked poised and made throws in rhythm and off-script. The defense held Eagles receivers in check and pressured Jalen Hurts throughout the night. This is the team that Giants fans expected to see coming out of a hot preseason. One Big Blue question remains – can they maintain the momentum? If they keep playing like this, then it might not be much of a question at all. – Joe Rivera

…Playoffs?

At 2-4, the Giants’ wins have come against the defending champions and the previously undefeated Chargers. Rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo will put New York in the wild-card conversation through Thanksgiving and cool off Brian Daboll’s seat.

The Eagles need the extra time off after this one to get healthy and sort out what’s become a lackluster offense. Jalen Carter’s absence hurt the defense and so did guard Landon Dickerson’s on offense. Philadelphia’s now gone four consecutive games without clearing 100 yards rushing as a team after doing that just once in the regular season and playoffs combined in 2024.

At least A.J. Brown got his targets; Nine in total that yielded six catches for 80 yards. – Ayrton Ostly