Bueckers said coach Geno Auriemma is ‘a lot nicer to me now that I’m not a player.’
Bueckers joined the UConn practice squad when she was back to receive her championship ring.
Bueckers looks forward to playing for Wings coach Jose Fernandez and hopes to help build a winner.

When Paige Bueckers returned to Storrs, Connecticut, of the first time seven months after leading the UConn Huskies to the program’s 12th national title, she noticed a change in head coach Geno Auriemma.

‘He’s a lot nicer to me now that I’m not a player there,’ Bueckers told USA TODAY Sports ahead of the release of her CarMax commercial on Monday. ‘We picked up right where we left off for sure.’

Being back in Storrs felt ‘really weird,’ Bueckers admitted. She left UConn as a three-time first-team All-American and returned as the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. After a nearly a full calendar year of basketball, Bueckers said she’s finally had the opportunity to catch her breath and process her achievements and what’s ahead.

‘On my birthday (on Oc. 20), I reflected on the year 23 itself and how much of a journey it was,’ said Bueckers. ‘I stayed the most present and it ended up being one of the most fun, joyful, just peaceful years of my life. Just embracing everything that kind of came my way.’

PAIGE BUECKERS’ birthday celebration includes throwing dimes at the Cowboys game

It’s the same mindset Bueckers has carried to Dallas in her transition from the top-ranked Huskies to the struggling Wings, who finished at the bottom of the WNBA standings last season with a 10-34 record. Bueckers, who was named second-team All-WNBA, is no stranger to adversity and knows anything worth having comes with ‘bumps, bruises, wins and losses.’

‘To come off of a national championship, where you’re on top of the world, and then come to the Dallas Wings organization and not have immediate success in terms of the end result of a winning and losing season,’ Bueckers said. ‘I believe everything in my life happens for a reason and there’s a purpose. And even through the injuries, through all the adversity in my life, I’ve always looked back and been extremely grateful for it.’

Paige Bueckers returns to UConn, joins practice team

While in town for UConn’s championship ring ceremony in late October, Bueckers joined the practice squad to compete against her former teammates. When Bueckers stepped on the Huskies practice court again, she quickly noticed Auriemma’s change in demeanor.

‘I was a practice player, so it was fun to kind of beat up on (Auriemma) and the team on the other side of things and not have to worry about him yelling at me,’ she said with a laugh. ‘Just to be on the other side … you really feel no pressure. You’re out there just hooping having fun, and the other team is getting yelled at, so you’re not really worried about anything. You can just go be free.’

Lots of trash talking was involved, even toward her teammates: ‘I even had to yell at my practice squad teammates, because they were not locked in. So everybody can get it. Nobody’s safe.’

CHECK OUT HUSKIES BLING: Paige Bueckers helped design UConn’s championship rings

The Huskies (4-0) are ranked No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll as they look to repeat as champions without Bueckers, which Auriemma compared to ‘losing three players.’ Bueckers expects UConn junior guard KK Arnold to step up this season and take more ownership of the team.

‘(Arnold) learned from Nika (Mühl), she learned from me, she learned from Kaitlyn Chen, just in that point guard role position,’ she said. ‘And now it’s really her team. She’s an upperclassman. So she’ll continue to find different ways to lead in her unique way, to continue to find a way to use her voice and be that voice and that presence for the team. I’m really excited to watch.’

Although Auriemma believes he’s low on Bueckers’ totem pole — Auriemma said she didn’t respond to his birthday text message until ’20 hours later’ — the 24-year-old phenom said visiting her former team felt like coming home to visit family, ‘I felt like no time had passed.’

Auriemma ‘huge fan’ of Wings head coach

Bueckers hopes to form a similar type of relationship with Jose Fernandez, who was hired as the Wings head coach in October after leading the South Florida women’s basketball for 25 seasons. Bueckers said she’s ‘connected with (Fernandez) a couple times’ since his hiring and is ‘getting to learn more about who he is.’

One thing she knows, Auriemma ‘is a huge fan of him.’

‘(Fernandez) has been extremely successful in his entire college career. I played against him a few times,’ said Bueckers. ‘I like the way he thinks basketball and the way he is really lived it his whole entire life. And that’s how I am. I live, breathe basketball, so continue to work with him, get to know him more, him getting to know me and the team more. I’m really excited.’

Bueckers said she doesn’t set individual goals: ‘I’m just trying to win the day, trying to compete, trying to get better, trying to lead, trying to gain everybody’s respect, and ultimately just trying to do everything it takes to build a winning culture.’

Bueckers added that she wants to come back stronger, which became clear as early as the WNBA preseason when ‘a Jackie Young shoulder check straight to the chest’ left her breathless in a humbling welcome to the WNBA moment.

‘I want to live in the paint a little bit more, get to the rim a little bit more (and) get to the free throw line more,’ said Bueckers, who averaged 19.2 points per game in her rookie campaign. ‘Just get my legs back, get my strength back, muscle and muscle endurance so that I can last through an entire long season.’

Paige Bueckers partners with CarMax

Buckers said her move to Dallas pushed her to ‘become an adult in real time.’ Which that comes adult decisions, like picking out the right car. Bueckers signed a three-year partnership with CarMax and is set to star in a campaign, titled, ‘Wanna By Your Way?’ In the ad, she dons a Cowboy hat while in search of the perfect vehicle to accommodate her new Western lifestyle.

Bueckers remembers watching CarMax commercials when she was a little girl.

‘I’ve been a huge fan of (CarMax) commercials and how they set women up for success and give ’em the platform to be on national television to be seen,’ Bueckers said. ‘To have little girls see that we have representation and we are in these commercials … just as the men in the NBA are, it’s really huge.’

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One of the college basketball players implicated in a sports betting investigation the NCAA revealed in September has confirmed his involvement.

In an interview on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ on Monday, Nov. 17, former University of New Orleans shooting guard Cedquavious Hunter admitted, ‘I did point-shave’ as part of a scheme orchestrated by an unnamed bettor out of Las Vegas.

‘I was money hungry,’ Hunter told reporter Will Reeve. ‘Fast cash.’

Hunter, a 3-point specialist who played at UNO during the 2024-25 season, said he and others implicated in the scheme would intentionally miss some shots to affect the point spread.

‘95% (of the time) we got the job done,’ he said.

The NCAA in September identified 13 former players from six schools it was investigating in a wide-ranging sports betting investigation. Then earlier this month, the association’s committee on infractions banned six players for life for ‘betting-related game manipulation and/or student-athletes providing information to known bettors.’

Hunter was one of those six players ruled permanently ineligible, along with UNO teammates Dyquavian Short and Jamond Vincent.

According to the report, text messages recovered from Short’s phone included an exchange with Hunter in which they discussed receiving $5,000 for their participation.

‘I told them (NCAA investigators) I didn’t know anything but the whole time, I knew everything. But I was trying to lie because I thought I would get my way out of it,’ he told GMA.

Hunter averaged 8.2 points and 22.3 minutes per game in his only season at New Orleans. He took 4.8 3-point shots per game, converting on 38.6% of them.

As for his motivation for getting involved and what he would do with the money, Hunter needed a moment to compose himself before answering.

‘I just had a child, so the school wasn’t paying me money, so I was trying to get money to actually take care of my child.’

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy became the fifth of the first six U.S. Olympians named to suffer an injury when he was hit in the face by a puck on Saturday, Nov. 15.

McAvoy left the game midway through the second period after being struck by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson’s shot. He didn’t return to the game at Montreal’s Bell Centre.

The defenseman was bleeding and needed help getting off the ice.

Coach Marco Sturm said on Monday, Nov. 17, that McAvoy was still being evaluated.

‘He’s with the doctors right now,’ Sturm said. ‘There’s no timeline. Obviously, he’s going to be out tonight, and we’ll see how it goes today.’

Charlie McAvoy injury update

McAvoy was able to fly home with the team and is being evaluated by doctors. He won’t play Monday night.

Asked if surgery was a possibility, Sturm said, ‘It is. Again … we’ll have to wait and see.’

U.S. Olympians injury updates

McAvoy, who was unable to finish the 4 Nations Face-Off because of an injury suffered in Montreal, was one of the first six players named to Team USA.

Four others have missed time.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had offseason hernia surgery. He’s expected to return to on-ice activities in less than two weeks.
Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk is recovering from October thumb surgery. He was on the ice on Friday and his original timeline has him out until at least Thanksgiving. Coach Travis Green said he could be back in two weeks.
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes sat out Friday’s game with an undisclosed injury. He was hurt on Tuesday but returned to that game. He was back in the lineup on Sunday and had four assists.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews suffered a lower-body injury on Tuesday, Nov. 12 when checked by Boston’s Nikita Zadorov. He’s expected to miss a week and was placed on the injured list, retroactive to Nov. 12.

Vegas’ Jack Eichel was the other player named earlier this year. The deadline for submitting rosters is Dec. 31.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, who’s in the mix to make the team, had surgery on his finger after an accident at a team dinner on Thursday. He’s out for eight weeks.

A fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua no longer is in negotiations.

It’s real, as in going to happen, according to a news release issued by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-founded by Paul. MVP is partnering with Netflix, which will livestream the fight on Dec. 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

The fight will be a sanctioned, professional heavyweight bout contested over eight, three-minute rounds with 10-ounce gloves, according to the news released MVP issued Monday, Nov. 17.

Without even stepping into the ring, Paul may have won another fight – against critics who have mocked him for the caliber of his opponents. Those opponents include a YouTuber, a retired NBA player, four MMA fighters and the 58-year-old version of Mike Tyson.

Joshua, a two-time world heavyweight champion, clearly will present Paul with his toughest test yet.

Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul odds

Odds according to bet365 as of Nov. 17, 10:49 a.m. ET:

Jake Paul 11/2
Anthony Joshua 1/10

Anthony Joshua record, weight, size

Boxing commissions could balk at sanctioning the fight because Joshua has considerably more experience and has fought far superior boxers. To wit:

Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) has been in 13 title fights and has fought Oleksandr Usyk, the current undisputed heavyweight champion. (He lost both bouts by decision.) Joshua won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In addition to a wide edge with experience and quality of opponents, Joshua would also have a size advantage.

Joshua is 6-6 and has weighed in at 250 pounds or more for his last five bouts.

Jake Paul record, weight, size

Meanwhile, Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) has been in 13 fights, total.

Paul has touted the significance of a victory over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., even though Chavez had not held a world title since 2012. He partnered with USA Boxing before the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Paul is 6-1 and typically fights as a cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound maximum for the weigh-in. The only time Paul fought as a heavyweight was against Tyson. Paul weighed in at 227 pounds before a victory by unanimous decision over Tyson, who weighed in at 228 1/2 pounds.

(This story was updated with new information.)

The NHL standings remain jammed, but there have been some key changes since the last USA TODAY Sports power rankings two weeks ago.

The Boston Bruins have moved into the Atlantic Division lead and the Los Angeles Kings now lead the Pacific Division. The New Jersey Devils are still atop the Metropolitan Division but lost a key player. And the Colorado Avalanche remain the class of the league.

Some surprising teams have dropped off while others are showing staying power.

Here are the latest NHL power rankings (changes from two weeks ago are listed in parentheses; stats through Nov. 16):

1. Colorado Avalanche (0)

Martin Necas has 12 points in eight games since agreeing to his eight-year extension. And goalie Scott Wedgewood has earned a one-year extension because of his league-best 11 wins.

2. Dallas Stars (+9)

This is more what we expected of the Stars this season. They have six wins in their last seven games and have 30 goals during that stretch. Jason Robertson has six goals in his last three games. But defenseman Thomas Harley is out week-to-week.

3. New Jersey Devils (+2)

The Devils will be without leading scorer Jack Hughes for eight weeks. He had finger surgery after being hurt at a team dinner. This will be the third consecutive season in which Hughes has missed 20 games with an injury. New Jersey won its first game without him.

4. Carolina Hurricanes (+5)

The Hurricanes caught a break when Seth Jarvis missed only the remainder of the game when a teammate’s stick caught him in the eye. The team’s leading goal scorer returned the next night.

5. Los Angeles Kings (+19)

The Kings have reached an eight-year, $85 million contract extension with Adrian Kempe, their leading scorer, per reports. It’s key to hold on to him because Anze Kopitar is retiring after his season.

6. Boston Bruins (+20)

The Bruins are surging again with eight wins in nine games. They have been very streaky this season, opening 3-0 and then losing six in a row before putting together their current run.

7. Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)

The Penguins have slowed a little as they deal with injuries. But they picked up three of a possible four points in the Global Series in Sweden to stay in a playoff spot. They have the league’s best power-play.

8. Winnipeg Jets (-6)

The Jets went 1-4 on their road trip before winning the finale against the last-place Flames.

9. Detroit Red Wings (-1)

The Red Wings cooled off after their strong start, but they remedied that by putting 42 shots on Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick in a 2-1 win on Nov. 16.

10. New York Islanders (+9)

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, 18, became the youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal.

11. Anaheim Ducks (-1)

The Ducks have lost three in a row after their seven-game winning streak. Leo Carlsson’s 11-game point streak is over and Cutter Gauthier has one goal in his last five games.

12. Chicago Blackhawks (+11)

The Blackhawks’ start could be for real. Connor Bedard had a nine-game point streak and the team won the game in which his run ended.

13. New York Rangers (+3)

The Rangers have found their offense. The key, apparently, was Artemi Panarin shaving his head.

14. Montreal Canadiens (-11)

The injuries are piling up. Forward Alex Newhook (fractured ankle) and defenseman Caiden Guhle (adductor muscle) had surgery. Newhook will miss four months, and Guhle is out 8-10 weeks. And now forward Kirby Dach will miss 4-6 weeks with a broken foot.

15. Seattle Kraken (-1)

Goalie Philipp Grubauer could play a bigger role after injuries to Joey Daccord and Matt Murray. He finished up the Kraken’s latest win after Murray was hurt.

16. Ottawa Senators (+9)

Brady Tkachuk (thumb surgery) is traveling with the team. Coach Travis Green says he’s probably a couple weeks away, which fits in with the original timeline of Thanksgiving to mid-December.

17. Vegas Golden Knights (-13)

The Golden Knights went 1-3-2 on a recent homestand to drop into a wild-card spot.

18. Tampa Bay Lightning (-5)

The Lightning have been blown out twice in their last three games. Their power play is in the bottom five in the league and 40-goal scorer Brayden Point has only three this season.

19. Edmonton Oilers (-7)

Connor McDavid has climbed to No. 2 on the scoring list. Injured Zach Hyman has made his season debut, which will help the offense.

20. Florida Panthers (-3)

Brad Marchand’s new contract has ended up as Panthers’ best offseason move. He has points in his last 10 games, with nine goals in that stretch, and has joined the 1,000-point club.

21. Minnesota Wild (+8)

The Wild are shaking off their rough start with a 6-1-1 record in their last eight games. Backup goalie Jesper Wallstedt has made three of the last five starts, with two shutouts.

22. Utah Mammoth (-15)

The Mammoth looked like a playoff team after a seven-game winning streak. But they have gone 2-5-1 since and are below the wild-card line.

23. Philadelphia Flyers (-1)

After a slow start, forward Matvei Michkov put together a three-game goal streak.

24. Columbus Blue Jackets (-9)

Kirill Marchenko has an 11-game point streak. He needs two more games to tie the franchise record.

25. Vancouver Canucks (+2)

The Canucks signed forward David Kampf, whose contract was terminated by the Maple Leafs. He should help Vancouver’s last-ranked penalty kill.

26. Washington Capitals (-8)

Alex Ovechkin has been limited to five goals this season, though one of them was his 900th career goal. The Capitals miss forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, who’s out for months after abdominal surgery.

27. San Jose Sharks (+2)

Macklin Celebrini is among the league’s scoring leaders but the Sharks have totaled one goal during a two-game losing streak.

28. Toronto Maple Leafs (-8)

The Maple Leafs have given up 22 goals during a five-game losing streak. They claimed Troy Stecher off waivers after defenseman Chris Tanev left the ice on a stretcher. Captain Auston Matthews is out with a lower body injury but should be back soon.

29. Buffalo Sabres (-8)

Captain Rasmus Dahlin is back from his personal leave to be with his fiancée as she continues recovery from a heart transplant during the summer. Dahlin, who missed three games, had two assists as the Sabres ended a five-game losing streak.

30. St. Louis Blues (+1)

Jordan Binnington should make Team Canada after winning the 4 Nations Face-Off, but he ranks last in Moneypuck’s goals saved against expected. He drew attention for trying to hide Ovechkin’s milestone 900-goal puck.

31. Nashville Predators (-3)

The Predators ended their five-game losing streak with a victory in Sweden that featured an overtime goal by struggling Steven Stamkos. But they followed that up with a shutout loss to the Penguins in the second game of the Global Series.

32. Calgary Flames (0)

The Flames continue to lead the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. They rank last in goals per game and power play success.

The Women’s Professional Baseball League will hold its inaugural season in Springfield, Illinois, the league announced Nov. 17, as its four teams will contest games at 5,200-seat Robin Roberts Stadium in the state capital.

Earlier this month, the league announced that the four teams in the league will represent Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. The rosters will be populated with the league’s first player draft on Nov. 20, which will be broadcast live on the league’s YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels.

Choosing Springfield as the site for 2026 games — scheduled to begin Aug. 1 — was both logistical and symbolic, according to league organizers. The league desired a centralized locale for its first season. And Springfield, according to the league, was, in 1875, the site of the first game in which women were paid to play baseball. Springfield was home to a franchise in the World War II-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League – the Springfield Sallies, who played during the 1948 season.

The women’s baseball coming to Springfield will, of course, be far more modernized, with players hailing from the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and other countries; many are already familiar with one another through years of international competition.

Now, the league hopes Robin Roberts Stadium — named for the Hall of Fame pitcher — and the inaugural season will set the league on a path toward growth and sustainability.

‘Robin Roberts Stadium not only offers a central, strategic location, but is a first rate venue where WPBL teams will be the only baseball played during our season,’ says league co-founder Keith Stein in a statement. ‘This will provide the kind of exclusivity that we wanted for our players.’

Tryouts for the league drew more than 600 hopefuls to Washington, D.C., where the four-day process eventually culled the group to around 100 in advance of the draft. The WPBL will also launch a developmental league in 2027, to be based in Springfield.

Texas A&M’s comeback win against South Carolina shows both championship resolve and potential flaws.
Notre Dame appears to be a playoff lock, but a head-to-head loss to Miami could complicate their chances.
Several non-quarterbacks, like Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez, are making strong cases for the Heisman Trophy.

The capacity of college football to put fans through just about every emotion imaginable, sometimes in the course of just one single contest, is what makes it so beautiful and yet so maddening at the same time. Don’t believe us? Just ask the followers of a certain program from the Lone Star State.

It is with that team’s almost unfathomable result from Week 12 where we will begin our latest installment of overreactions of the week. Indeed, since it was a complete tale of two halves in the true ‘best of times, worst of times’ sense, we’ll approach it from both extremes.

Texas A&M is in deep trouble/invincible.

Depending on one’s perspective, the Aggies’ disaster of a first half followed by a nearly perfect performance after intermission to stage their epic comeback against South Carolina is open to multiple interpretations. At one end of the spectrum, the team’s unblemished record is merely a product of a favorable schedule, and the bevy of mistakes in the first two quarters showed the flaws that will eventually prove to be the team’s undoing. On the other hand, the comeback demonstrated the kind of resolve championship teams must have to overcome adversity, finding ways to win even when not everything is working.

As is often the case with the subjects we take up here at Overreaction HQ, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Even before Week 12, the Aggies had endured their share of close calls, some of which were against opponents with sub-.500 records. It’s true the Aggies have yet to face another team in the upper quadrant of the SEC standings and won’t until the title game, but it might also be that their experience with delivering in clutch situations will serve them well later. In short, we shouldn’t anoint them as national title favorites, but neither should we count them out.

Notre Dame is a playoff lock

It would appear that the Fighting Irish’s dominant win at Pittsburgh was their last true hurdle en route to a 10-2 finish that, given their position in the first two sets of rankings from the CFP committee, should all but guarantee their inclusion in the field. But if they find themselves in a pool of other at-large candidates with identical records, there might be a complication.

If shifts in the standings over the next couple of weeks move Miami closer to Notre Dame’s position, that small matter of the Hurricanes’ head-to-head win against the Irish way back in Week 1 will be harder to dismiss. This presupposes, of course, that the ‘Canes are able to win out, which is certainly not a guarantee given the team’s sometimes inexplicable lapses. So yes, it looks good for the Irish, but they are not quite at the finish line.

A non-quarterback will win the Heisman

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire made a point this weekend of spotlighting his standout linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, lining him up in the offensive backfield to get him a rushing touchdown. It was in fact the second score of the season for Rodriguez, who earlier recorded a touchdown on a 69-yard fumble recovery. He has also recorded a team-high 100 total tackles, including 9½ behind the line of scrimmage, and has snagged four interceptions. That’s a pretty strong case as the most impactful player for a top-10 team to earn consideration.

There are convincing arguments for other non-QBs as well, like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. To be sure, there are plenty of worthy passers this year, like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin or Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is still in the mix as well, though his rough outing in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Oklahoma damaged his case.

Recent history favors the signal callers, of course. Since 2000, there have only been five recipients of the sport’s most prestigious individual honor whose primary position was something other than quarterback. Voters do consider other positions. They did last year in fact. There isn’t a two-way player this year with Travis Hunter’s credentials, but sometimes enough electors think outside the QB box for someone else to bring home the statue.

The Big 12 race is over

Mathematically speaking, it’s still possible for the league to end in a six-way tie for first place at 7-2. That would be fun for fans of chaos and mayhem, but realistically the championship game will likely be a rematch between Texas Tech and Brigham Young. The full chaos scenario can only come to pass if the Cougars lose at Cincinnati this week – conceivable – and the Red Raiders drop their regular-season finale in two weeks at West Virginia – not out of the question but unlikely.

James Madison will make the College Football Playoff

JMU is ranked at No. 22 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, the highest position among non-power conference programs. We’re sorry to rain on your parade, Dukes’ fans, but the poll is not the same as the CFP committee rankings.

The American has considerably more depth than the Sun Belt, not to mention some actual positive results against the power leagues. Thus its champ is still going to have a stronger case than even a 12-1 winner of the SBC barring – here comes that word again – chaos. There is still time for that, of course, but we wouldn’t advise anyone to make travel plans just yet.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers should be in the market for an outfield bat this winter, they may not end up as the high bidder for top free agent Kyle Tucker.

It would seem to be an obvious fit with baseball’s new Evil Empire having bottomless pockets and Tucker expected to command a $400 million contract, but the Dodgers might prefer to focus on shoring up the bullpen.

Los Angeles became the first team in a quarter-century to repeat as World Series champion with manager Dave Roberts installing rookie Rōki Sasaki as his closer during the playoff run. But general manager Brandon Gomes said last week that the plan is ‘absolutely’ to have Sasaki rejoin the rotation in 2026.

The Dodgers spent big on the bullpen last winter, committing $72 million over four years to Tanner Scott but find themselves in the market again for a late-innings reliever. This year’s market is flush with proven closers including Edwin Diaz and Devin Williams, but are the Dodgers even looking for a dedicated ninth-inning man?

‘I don’t think it’s a need, but it could be a ‘nice to have’ if that’s how it plays out,’ Gomes said at MLB’s GM meetings in Las Vegas.

The Dodgers are expected to pursue free agent right-hander Pete Fairbanks, who racked up 75 seasons over the past three seasons before the Tampa Bay Rays made a surprise decision to decline his 2026 option.

Dodgers rumors surround the bullpen

The lefty Scott struggled in his first year with the Dodgers, posting a 4.74 ERA in 61 regular season games but missed the entire postseason. But Los Angeles is confident the 31-year-old will have a return to form next season after posting a 2.04 ERA in 146 games in 2023 and 2024.

“I think we’ve seen it in the past with guys, there is reliever volatility. Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen in the past with other great relievers,’ Gomes said. ‘So our full belief is that Tanner is gonna come back and have a great year for us next year, and be right there in the mix to pitch at the back end of games.”

With Scott on the books for three more years, the Dodgers may prefer to stay out of the Diaz sweepstakes, which is expected to end in a four- or five-year deal worth about $100 million.

Several key players, including quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Michael Penix Jr., sustained injuries during Week 11 games.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen accounted for six touchdowns, becoming the only player in the Super Bowl era to achieve this feat twice.
The NFL’s final international game of the season was played in Madrid, where the Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders in overtime.

The 32 things we learned from Week 11 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. The jersey number of Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman, who was a healthy scratch Sunday after being late to his second team meeting of the season. “Yeah, it is disappointing, but I still believe in the young man,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “I believe he will learn from it.”

1. ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ is one of the great, anthemic tracks by Irish rock legends U2 − a musical remembrance of an infamous episode during ‘The Troubles’ that plagued Northern Ireland for decades in the late 20th century.

2. Pivoting to the NFL of the early 21st century, Sunday was figuratively bloody for a lot of teams and players, several key ones sustaining concerning injuries. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr., Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs and Tennessee Titans WR Calvin Ridley, who broke his right fibula, were among notable players who didn’t finish their games. Ridley is done for the year, while the others will be evaluated moving forward − though the prognosis for Rodgers’ injured left wrist already has his status for Week 12 in some doubt.

3. Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey and Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase both seemed to be suffering from wounded pride in a regrettable incident near the end of Pittsburgh’s 34-12 victory. Ramsey was ejected for throwing hands, though it seems Chase could be preemptively ejected from Cincy’s next game after it appeared he spit toward the perennial Pro Bowl defender.

4. The number of interceptions, matching a career-worst, thrown by Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold in his native Southern California. Miraculously, his team only lost by two points to the Los Angeles Rams, who took outright possession of first place in the NFC West.

4a. The number of sacks, one off the career high for a game he set last month, by Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, who won 23-16 despite the one-man onslaught. Garrett is now on pace for 25½ sacks, which would smash the NFL single-season record of 22½, which is jointly held by T.J. Watt and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan. Garrett is also the first player to accrue at least a dozen sacks in six consecutive seasons.

5. The number of losses Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has now suffered following a bye, dropping his record in such games to … 22-5.

6. The number of touchdowns accounted for Sunday by Bills QB Josh Allen, who threw for three and ran for three. He’s the only player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to manage such a feat … and he’s now done it twice.

6a. No other team in the league had managed six touchdowns in a game in Week 11 prior to Monday night’s game.

6b. The number of points the Los Angeles Chargers scored Sunday while getting blown out 35-6 by the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

6c and 7. Sick of the whole 6-7 meme yet? Yep, so are we. Thanks for nothing, Jordan Mason.

8. Back to Allen, who raised his chances for back-to-back MVP honors with Sunday’s performance. He’s now accounted for 290 touchdowns in terms of passing (213), rushing (75) and receiving (2), the most ever by a player yet to turn 30 years old.

9. The number of lead changes in the Bills’ 44-32 defeat of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and QB Baker Mayfield, who was drafted No. 1 overall in 2018 – six spots ahead of Allen.

10. The number of games played by the Chiefs, who fell to 5-5 after Sunday’s loss to the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos. It’s the worst 10-game start for K.C. since QB Patrick Mahomes was drafted in 2017.

11. The number of consecutive games, dating to last season, won by the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High – the league’s longest active winning streak at home.

12. The jersey number of Browns rookie QB2 Shedeur Sanders, who made his unanticipated but highly anticipated regular-season debut in relief of injured starter and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel in Sunday’s loss to Baltimore.

13.5. Sanders’ passer rating Sunday in a dismal performance that will only add grist to the mill for detractors after the former University of Colorado star surprisingly plummeted to the fifth round of this year’s draft – that free fall largely attributed to the way Sanders conducted himself off the field. He completed four of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception against the Ravens.

14. Amid Sunday’s rash of injuries, Bryce Young shook off an early ankle issue himself to have the biggest day of his NFL career, throwing for a franchise-record 448 yards and matching a personal best with three TD passes in a 30-27 overtime defeat of the Falcons in Atlanta.

15. Don’t look now, but Young’s Carolina Panthers are suddenly a half-game behind the Bucs in the NFC South standings. The clubs don’t meet for the first time this season until Dec. 21.

+16. The Chicago Bears’ league-best turnover differential after they took the ball away twice in their 19-17 escape from the Vikings in Minnesota.

17. The number of penalties (for 130 yards) committed by the Arizona Cardinals in their 41-22 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

18. Cards QB2 Jacoby Brissett outdid Young by 4 yards, throwing for a career-best 452 in defeat.

19. Unfortunately for Arizona, its three turnovers − including two INTs by Brissett − couldn’t overcome the Niners, who played a much cleaner game (zero giveaways and just one flag) in QB Brock Purdy’s return to action.

20. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey racked up 121 yards and three TDs from scrimmage. San Francisco TE George Kittle scored twice, giving him 50 career TDs.

21. The league’s record seventh (and final) international game of the 2025 season was almost inarguably played in the most spectacular overseas venue the NFL has ever visited − Madrid’s Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid C.F. A field that can be disassembled and nourished underground is among Bernabéu’s many spectacular features.

22. Props to Miami Dolphins CB Jack Jones, whose overtime interception set the Fins up for the game-winning field goal that ousted the Washington Commanders 16-13.

23. Jones also issued a callback to former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo with his celebration.

24. Speaking of Ronaldo … you’re arguably the best tight end in the league, Trey McBride. But don’t be that soccer-y guy who gets a rule named after him.

25. Commanders LB Bobby Wagner, a future Hall of Famer if there ever was one, made eight tackles in Sunday’s loss. He joined London Fletcher, who used to play for Washington and now does Commanders analysis on radio broadcasts, as the only players with at least 100 tackles in 14 consecutive seasons dating to the 2000 season.

26. Yet Wagner wasn’t the primary tackling machine Sunday in Spain. Miami’s Jordyn Brooks had 20, half of them unassisted, and the most by any player in a single game this season. Brooks’ 125 stops in 2025 pace the league.

27. Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp had three catches for 23 yards but couldn’t notch a win in his first game against the Rams, the team that drafted and for whom he was the MVP of Super Bowl 56.

28. But the ever-classy Kupp did get a video tribute from his first NFL team and a receiving line of well-wishing former teammates.

29. As for the man who effectively replaced Kupp, WR Davante Adams? He had one 1-yard reception for a touchdown Sunday. It also happened to be the 1,000th catch of Adams’ illustrious career.

30. The score allowed Adams to become the third player in league history to catch at least 10 TD passes in a season with three different teams, Brandon Marshall and Hall of Famer Terrell Owens − neither played for Adams’ Packers, Raiders or Rams − being the others.

31. As for the Rams’ new “Midnight Mode” uniforms, which remind one of the Lakers’ unneeded black ones? Let’s turn the lights on ‘em, eh?

32. Now that YouTube TV and Disney have called a truce to their carriage dispute, it might be time to begin assessing alternatives following Comcast’s dreadful performance while (allegedly) broadcasting NFL games on Sunday.

Bonus 33. Surely Rogers Communications didn’t subject Canadians to this aggravation as the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Montreal Alouettes 25-17 to win the 112th Grey Cup on Sunday in Winnipeg.