The Packers managed to salvage a tie with the Cowboys, but Matt LaFleur’s conservative approach almost cost Green Bay dearly.
The good vibes around Jaxson Dart’s debut with the Giants quickly dissipated when Malik Nabers went down with a knee injury.
The Chargers and Ravens are among the teams that are reeling from other notable injuries on Sunday.

As the NFL concludes the first month of the regular season, almost no one is walking away from Week 4 unscathed.

That holds true in the standings, where just two teams – the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills – remain unblemished. But losses are mounting in another way, too, with several teams already having their depth tested in recent weeks as they regularly utilize injured reserve. And the major personnel hits kept coming Sunday, with a number of franchises being forced to figure out ways to forge on without critical contributors.

Here are the biggest winners and losers from Week 4 in the NFL:

NFL Week 4 winners

Jaxson Dart

Let’s table aesthetics for a minute. Beyond the bottom line, little about the rookie quarterback’s starting debut was appealing. But the New York Giants turned to Dart looking for some kind of jolt, and it got one with a 21-18 win over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers. The first-round passer’s production was modest at best – 111 passing yards and 54 more on the ground – with the offense stalling out after a nine-play, 89-yard touchdown march on the opening drive. Still, Dart’s running ability changed the complexion of the attack for the better, and he pushed through a hamstring injury as he repeatedly extended plays. Despite taking five sacks, he maintained his composure and didn’t commit any backbreaking errors. The rejuvenation might be short-lived given the costly loss of Malik Nabers to an apparent torn anterior cruciate ligament, but New York at least has something to build on.

Tush Push 2.0

Unease surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense figures to hang around at least another week after Jalen Hurts didn’t complete a pass in the second half of a 31-25 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that was too close for comfort. But Nick Sirianni and highly ridiculed first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo still deserve credit for getting creative. On a third-and-1 in the third quarter, Philadelphia came out in a Tush Push look only to trick the defense with a counter sweep to Saquon Barkley, who sauntered for a 6-yard score. In the first half, the team also mixed things up by throwing a short, underhanded touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Goedert when presenting a look that suggested a quarterback sneak. The plays were probably cold comfort given the five three-and-outs that came after halftime, but they at least suggest the offense is capable of expanding beyond a somewhat rigid identity.

Atlanta Falcons’ offensive stars

After a rocky opening trio of contests, this was much closer to the vision for the Falcons’ foursome of top-10 picks in the last four years. In a 34-27 win over the Washington Commanders, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. rediscovered a sense of comfort, completing 20 of 26 passes for a career-high 313 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Running back Bijan Robinson was central to that effort, as he took a swing pass 69 yards and finished with 106 receiving yards on four catches. But perhaps even more important was the re-emergence of Drake London, who secured the first touchdown of any Falcons receiver this season and answered questions surrounding his connection with Penix by notching eight receptions for 110 yards. Tight end Kyle Pitts also got going with a season-high 70 yards on five grabs. Perhaps a Commanders defense that repeatedly presented holes in coverage and bungled tackle attempts is responsible for a good bit of the breakout, but good vibes were needed after Atlanta fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard last week in response to the team’s stagnant aerial attack.

Kansas City Chiefs’ passing offense

Probably premature to declare the aerial attack fully healed given how other teams have easily dismantled the Baltimore Ravens’ ailing defense. But Patrick Mahomes and Co. will take any progress they can get, and the strides made this week in a 37-20 victory shouldn’t be ignored. Xavier Worthy’s return from a shoulder injury provided immediate dividends, with the speedy wideout not only posting 121 yards but also opening things up for others. With only two games left in Rashee Rice’s suspension, there’s a legitimate opportunity to build some steam before the Week 10 bye.

Marcus Jones

Success stories regarding holdovers from the Bill Belichick era are few and far between for the New England Patriots. On Sunday, however, Jones ignited a 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, with his 87-yard punt-return touchdown in the first quarter starting the scoring avalanche after a shaky start. He nearly housed another in the second quarter but was tripped up by punter Sam Martin after a 61-yard runback. The 2022 All-Pro’s 167 punt return yards were the most in Patriots for any player in a single game.

Liam Coen

Through four weeks, Coen stands alone among first-year coaches as the only one with a winning record. The key to the turnaround has been pretty straightforward: A team that collected just nine takeaways in 2024 now has 13, with four coming in a 26-21 win that handed the San Francisco 49ers their first defeat of the season. But an opportunistic approach has extended to other areas, as Parker Washington returned a punt 87 yards for a score. Coen hasn’t managed to get Jacksonville’s off-kilter passing attack to fully click, but he’s revitalized yet another underperforming run game, with Travis Etienne Jr. racking up 124 yards and a score on 19 carries Sunday. He also managed to get bragging rights over 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, making a strange controversy even more bizarre when he seemed to push back on Saleh’s assertion that the Jaguars engaged in legal sign-stealing.

Puka Nacua

Offensive Player of the Year Award incoming? After crushing the Indianapolis Colts for 13 catches and 170 yards in the Los Angeles Rams’ 27-20 win, the receiver is now at 42 catches and 503 yards. Maintaining that torrid pace – which would position him to break the single-season marks in each category with 178 receptions and 2,138 yards – will be exceedingly difficult. So far, though, no one looks up to the task of slowing him. Even with Davante Adams on board, it’s clear Matthew Stafford runs the aerial attack through the third-year pass catcher, who’s surely boosting his financial outlook even further as he approaches eligibility for an extension after this season.

Chase McLaughlin

The Buccaneers had their share of special teams hiccups and their comeback magic finally ran out, but don’t blame either problem on McLaughlin. The kicker nailed a 65-yard field-goal attempt that goes down as the longest outdoor conversion in NFL history. He later added a 58-yard boot for good measure.

NFL Week 4 losers

Matt LaFleur

All that for a 40-40 stalemate between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys? Leave it to Dak Prescott to sum up the contest in his postgame interview with NBC: ‘Trying to wrap my head around a tie.’ Us, too. When the Cowboys settled for a field goal in the opening series of extra time, it seemed like the Packers were perfectly positioned to again roast a defense that did little to shift its status as a liability. But on a night when he repeatedly boxed in his attack with complacent play-calling, LaFleur teetered on the verge of catastrophe with his game management on Green Bay’s final drive. Content to drain the clock to deny Dallas another drive at the end of the game, LaFleur put his offense in scramble mode when Jordan Love was forced to fire an eventual incompletion into the end zone with only one second remaining. Escaping might be seen as a win given the myriad ways that Green Bay could have come fully undone at the end. But for the second consecutive week, LaFleur squandered a double-digit lead. In the NFC North, playing not to get burnt in close contests will almost assuredly lead to losses rather than mere ties.

Giants’ brief glimmer of hope

In most scenarios, a transition to Dart that produced this end result would be viewed as an unmitigated success. But any notion of properly developing the rookie passer and building toward a more prosperous 2026 campaign took a major hit when Nabers went down with what immediately became clear was a significant injury. There’s no replacing a player who is a gravitational force in the passing game and last season set the NFL rookie record with 109 receptions, which was also the Giants’ all-time franchise high. New York’s aerial attack looks toothless without Nabers, and opponents will be free to key in on Dart and Cam Skattebo in the run game while also squatting on anything short. Stout defensive efforts by Big Blue will go a long way toward ensuring Dart doesn’t get roped into too many unfavorable situations as Brian Daboll and Co. try not to saddle him with too much. But as he continues playing for a desperate coaching staff, it seems clear that Dart will have to take on more than anyone could reasonably ask now that Nabers is out.

Adonai Mitchell

In his young career, the Colts receiver has demonstrated a penchant for ripping off electric plays as well as committing costly errors. The full range of his volatile play was summed up Sunday when he dropped the ball before crossing the end zone, turning what otherwise would have been a dazzling 75-yard touchdown into a touchback. His tough afternoon continued late in the fourth quarter with a holding penalty that negated Jonathan Taylor’s go-ahead 53-yard touchdown scamper. Indianapolis has stood by Mitchell among his early setbacks and continued to do so after the loss, with Shane Steichen merely dismissing the fumble as a ‘bump in the road.’ It’s the smart long-term play for a massively talented player, but the short-term toll of paying for his slip-up smarts, especially for a team that otherwise had enjoyed such a sterling start.

Minnesota Vikings’ lines

Commanding the line of scrimmage was the prevailing theme of Minnesota’s offseason, as the team invested considerable resources in remaking each of its fronts. It made the first leg of the franchise’s international jaunt event more painful when both crumbled in a 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland. With neither center Ryan Kelly (concussion) nor right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) returning after exiting the game, Carson Wentz had little recourse for the Steelers’ relentless blitzes. Despite showing some resilience with a strong late surge, Wentz was in too large of a hole on a day in which he threw two interceptions, took six sacks and saw the running game once again disappear. Defensively, a group that was without standout Pro Bowl edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel couldn’t find a way to counteract Aaron Rodgers’ quick strikes or stuff backup running back Kenneth Gainwell, who went for 99 yards and two scores on 19 carries. Given that the injury losses might not be resolved in a week, this problem could hang around for a bit.

Carolina Panthers

Seems pretty clear that last week’s shutout was more reflective of the Falcons – at least at that moment in time – than the Panthers. Carolina couldn’t carry over any semblance of momentum, allowing 42 unanswered points to a Patriots team that has been far from consistent or deadly. The pass rush barely generated pressure against Drake Maye, who was only hit once. One week after talking a big game following his pick-six, cornerback Chau Smith-Wade tried to punch out the ball from Hunter Henry rather than tackle the tight end, and the result was a 31-yard touchdown. Meanwhile, the chemistry between Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan was decidedly off, with an overthrow on a would-be touchdown among the several notable misses.

Tennessee Titans

After an 0-3 start, Brian Callahan relinquished play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree. How will he – or the Titans organization as a whole – respond to the team posting the second shutout loss of the young season in a 26-0 defeat to the Houston Texans? With just 175 total yards, 10 first downs and a two-of-11 mark on third downs, Tennessee had no life beyond what its previously 0-3 AFC South rival afforded it. But worst of all were the abundant mistakes, including two missed field goals, that have become a feature of Callahan’s run. At a time when the NFL’s other stumbling franchises are showing some form of promise, the Titans are repeatedly coming up empty in offering up reasons for optimism beyond Cam Ward’s playmaking streak. Callahan said after the game that the outcomes are attributable to poor play rather than a lack of fight, but he can’t afford for this wayward group to continue to wander much longer.

Ravens’ mounting injuries

In last week’s panic meter assessment, I gave the Ravens a bit of the benefit of the doubt after they faced two of the NFL’s formidable attacks. A repeat of the same exercise would bump up the concern levels for this unit at least a couple points after Kansas City’s largely languid attack found its footing against Baltimore. Perhaps the team placing defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike and Broderick Washington on injured reserve Saturday was a harbinger of what was to come for an already depleted unit, as linebacker Roquan Smith (hamstring) and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey (calf) and Nate Wiggins (elbow) all were dinged up against the Chiefs. Beyond what they mean to the unit itself, the losses also can have a cascading effect on the rest of the operation, as Lamar Jackson – who also left with a hamstring injury – might be left to press in an attempt to compensate for the defense’s inability to generate sufficient stops. A Week 7 bye can help the roster recuperate, but anything short of a .500 mark by the end of October would be troublesome for what was supposed to be an AFC front-runner.

Justin Herbert

When left tackle Rashawn Slater was lost for the season in training camp with a torn patellar tendon, the Bolts initially didn’t look worse for the wear. That was largely thanks to the superlative job that steady second-year protector Joe Alt did upon flipping to Herbert’s blind side. But when Alt went down with an ankle injury Sunday and didn’t return, the floodgates opened for the Giants’ pass rush. Herbert was pressured on 47.7% of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats, with the triumvirate of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter combining for 20 pressures. While Herbert was only sacked twice, he never established a consistent level of comfort and threw two interceptions. If Alt’s injury keeps him sidelined for a long stretch, Los Angeles will have a hard time withstanding the onslaught of edge rushers sure to be in Herbert’s face on a weekly basis.

Joe Flacco

When he was subbed out at the tail end of the Cleveland Browns’ 34-10 loss to the Detroit Lions, it was probably a matter of protection after the starting quarterback was battered with nine hits on the day. But it was also hard to shake the notion that the 40-year-old could be running out of time to turn this floundering offense around. Kevin Stefanski gave something of a non-answer when asked by his commitment to Flacco, pointing instead to the wider offensive problems. But Flacco’s turnovers have been deflating, and he added three more on Sunday. Turning to a rookie ahead of a London matchup against Brian Flores’ Vikings defense has to be a non-starter, but giving a shot to Dillon Gabriel should be on the radar for a franchise that is getting nice returns elsewhere from its rookie class.

Geno Smith

When Smith unraveled in a three-interception outing against the Chargers, it was natural to shrug off the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback’s night as the product of facing one of the NFL’s stingiest defenses. But with Smith throwing three more picks in a 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears, the veteran signal-caller’s early woes can’t be dismissed as merely an aberration. Smith himself acknowledged the letdown, saying after the game, ‘The guy that I’m supposed to be hasn’t showed up yet.’ While Ashton Jeanty’s breakout performance should be encouraging for a ground game that had been lifeless through two weeks, the Raiders simply don’t have the pieces in place to weather these kind of outings from Smith.

Spencer Rattler

The New Orleans Saints quarterback’s 25th birthday was Sunday, and he was given the unfortunate gift of becoming the ninth passer since the AFL-NFL merger to open his career 0-10 thanks to a 31-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It’s almost certainly not fair to put that mark all on the second-year signal-caller, who isn’t receiving much help from a roster stuck in transition. But on a day when New Orleans’ ground game piled up 189 yards on 34 carries, Rattler couldn’t engineer much downfield, finishing with just 126 yards on 18-of-27 passing. He’s not nearly the biggest problem for the Saints, but with second-rounder Tyler Shough sitting on the bench, there are still too many missed offensive opportunities for him to have much comfort in his standing.

Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart won his first NFL start Sunday, but it came at a cost.
The Kansas City Chiefs were direct beneficiaries of the Giants’ upset win.
Elsehwere, the NFL is down to just two undefeated teams.

The 32 things we learned from Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. Still the number of NFL wins registered by New Orleans Saints QB Spencer Rattler, who made his 10th pro start Sunday, which was also his 25th birthday. But Rattler and his team hung tough and hardly looked overmatched in a 31-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Western New York. If any game this season had the makings of a significant blowout, it was this one.

1. The number of NFL wins registered by New York Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart, who made his first pro start Sunday and led his previously winless team to a victory over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers. Dart threw for a touchdown, ran for a touchdown and passed his first in-game concussion protocol – though that forced newly relegated backup Russell Wilson onto the field for a few snaps.

2. But the collateral damage around the Giants-Bolts game was extensive – namely the torn ACL, per multiple reports, suffered by budding Giants superstar WR Malik Nabers. His on-field partnership with Dart lasted all of a half before apparently being put on pause until 2026.

2a. The AFC West-leading Chargers also sustained a serious setback, OT Joe Alt lost in the first quarter to an ankle injury that had him in a walking boot after halftime. Alt has been filling in at left tackle, which he capably manned at Notre Dame, after Pro Bowler Rashawn Slater ruptured his patellar tendon in training camp, knocking him out of the lineup until 2026.

3. The ramifications of their upset went even further for the Chargers, who saw their divisional lead shrink to one game over … the Kansas City Chiefs, who are suddenly sitting at a very healthy 2-2 (though the Bolts did beat them in Week 1).

4. But the Chiefs smoked the Baltimore Ravens 37-20 on Sunday afternoon, QB Patrick Mahomes throwing for four TDs for the first time in nearly two years. Helps when explosive second-year WR Xavier Worthy − he led K.C. with both 38 rushing yards and 83 receiving yards in his first full game of the 2025 season − is healthy.

5. Conversely, it’s the Ravens who very much seem to be in serious jeopardy after falling to 1-3. Picked by many − raises hand − to win Super Bowl 60, they’re already spiraling with QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring) and their defense waylaid by concerning injuries.

6. The Philadelphia Eagles – perhaps somewhat quietly, given they’re the defending champions? – remain the team to beat after knocking off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-25 in the weekend’s only matchup of 3-0 squads.

7. The Eagles and Bills head into Week 5 as the league’s only remaining unbeatens.

7a. Philadelphia has now started 4-0 in three of the past four seasons – 2024, when they wound up winning Super Bowl 59, the lone exception.

7b. The Saints and Tennessee Titans are currently the only 0-4 teams, though either the New York Jets or Miami Dolphins will presumably join them Monday night.

8. Yet the Eagles remain consistently inconsistent on both sides of the ball, their passing game (112 yards, none in the second half) and passing defense (272 net yards) both returning to the witness protection program Sunday in Tampa.

8a. More troubling star WR A.J. Brown appears to be back in his feelings after a seeming get-right game a week ago. But Brown collected just two of his team-high nine targets in Tampa for 7 yards.

9. Even All-Pro Saquon Barkley, coming off what was probably the greatest season a running back ever had, has 237 rushing yards – total – in four games.

9a. Barkley had 255 yards last season … in one game.

10. But what remains reliably excellent are Philly’s special teams – that group opening Sunday’s scoring by returning a blocked punt 35 yards for a touchdown.

11. The Eagles became the first team in league history, per OptaSTATS, to score consecutive touchdowns via punt or field-goal blocks. They cinched Week 3’s win over the Los Angeles Rams by swatting two fourth-quarter field-goal tries, the second returned to pay dirt by 336-pound DT Jordan Davis to end the game.

12. Through four weeks, Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, Buffalo Bills RB James Cook and San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey have had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in every game.

12a. Robinson had a career-best 181 yards Sunday, (106 receiving, 75 rushing) and scored once as Atlanta got back into the win column after being blanked in Week 3.

12b. By scoring a TD and amassing 135 yards from scrimmage, Cook became the fourth player since 1990 to record at least 100+ yards from scrimmage and at least a touchdown in each of his team’s first four games.

13. Las Vegas Raiders rookie RB Ashton Jeanty has taken some grief in this space to date, failing to rush for more than 63 yards in a game prior to Sunday. But against the Chicago Bears, he broke off a 64-yard TD run as part of a breakout performance that included 155 yards from scrimmage and three TDs. Props and congrats, sir.

13a. Jacksonville Jaguars rookie CB/WR Travis Hunter probably hasn’t been granted enough grace and patience, either. And, frankly, he still hasn’t had a breakout performance on par with Jeanty’s. But the reigning Heisman Trophy winner made some nice catches among his three grabs for a career-best 42 yards in Sunday’s defeat of the 49ers on the road. It’s coming.

14. The number of consecutive regular-season games the Bills have won at Highmark Stadium after surviving the Saints on Sunday. Buffalo has scored at least 24 points in all of them.

15. The NFL’s first regular-season game in Ireland turned out to be a thriller, the Pittsburgh Steelers – owned by the Irish-rooted Rooney family – staving off a fourth-quarter comeback by the Minnesota Vikings at Dublin’s historic Croke Park.

16. The number of international games NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to eventually see on the schedule annually.

17. Goodell said Saturday that he hopes to expand the league’s footprint to Asia soon but didn’t specify a locale the league was targeting on the world’s largest continent.

18. The NFL will be playing its first regular-season games in Australia and Rio de Janeiro in 2026.

19. The league is playing a record seven international games this season – Sunday’s game in Dublin kicking off a stretch of four consecutive weeks the league will be playing in Europe, each of the next three games based in London – so don’t forget to set those fantasy lineups on Saturday night.

20. The league will make its debut in Berlin and Madrid in November.

21. Already putting in your fantasy waiver wire claim for Houston Texans RB Woody Marks? The rookie from USC entered Sunday with 90 yards from scrimmage in three games and nary a score. Against the Tennessee Titans, he posted 119 total yards and two TDs. As the two-time defending AFC South champions finally notched their first win of 2025.

22. As for the still winless – and somehow worse than their record indicates – Titans? Rookie QB Cam Ward and WR Calvin Ridley might be among players you’re sending to the waiver wire.

23. It’s also worth wondering if second-year Tennessee coach Brian Callahan might be the first among his ranks to hit the waiver wire this season. The Titans have looked incrementally worse by the week, and Ward didn’t hold back his embarrassment following Sunday’s defeat.

24. Back to the Bucs, who’d beaten the Eagles in six of their previous seven meetings prior to Sunday but still deserve a heavy dollop of credit. Despite trailing 24-3 before halftime and 31-13 late in the third quarter, they made a game of it. How?

25. Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield, injured biceps and all, became the first player to throw two TD passes covering at least 70 yards in the same game since … former Buc Ryan Fitzpatrick did it seven years ago … against the Eagles.

26. Also, Bucs K Chase McLaughlin connected on a 65-yard field goal prior to halftime, the longest in NFL history that occurred outdoors. McLaughlin also drilled a 58-yarder Sunday.

27. Also on the plus side for the Bucs, who remain atop the NFC South, All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs and WR Chris Godwin both made their 2025 debuts Sunday after lengthy injury rehabs.

28. Bills QB Josh Allen, the league’s reigning MVP, continues to carve out a signature place in NFL history. He accounted for three touchdowns Sunday (2 through the air, 1 on the ground) and matched former MVP Cam Newton for the most games ever (45) with at least one passing and rushing TD.

29. Through four weeks, who didn’t see the AFC South having a pair of 3-1 teams − neither based in Houston − who would also rank among the conference’s (very premature) top five seeds. Naturally, we’re referring to the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.

30. The Colts might be 4-0 if not for WR Adonai’s Mitchell mistakes Sunday. He prematurely celebrated what would have been a 76-yard TD catch and lost the ball through the end zone before breaking the goal. Touchback. If maybe too young to have learned from DeSean Jackson, Mitchell should have internalized the lesson with teammate Jonathan Taylor made a similar mistake last season.

30a. A second-round pick a year ago, Mitchell is still awaiting his first NFL TD.

30b. For good measure, Mitchell’s holding penalty with little more than two minutes to play and the game tied nullified what would have been Taylor’s go-ahead 53-yard TD run. The Colts were forced to punt, and the Rams scored the game-winning TD on their next snap.

30c. But let’s not pin the loss entirely on Mitchell. Daniel ‘Indiana’ Jones did have something of a reversion with two INTs against LA.

31. And how much longer before the Cleveland Browns give one of their rookie quarterbacks – Dillon Gabriel and/or Shedeur Sanders – a shot? Veteran starter Joe Flacco committed three turnovers in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Detroit Lions, Gabriel inserted for mop-up duty for the second time in three games.

32. Last (but certainly not ‘last’), Vikings CB Isaiah Rodgers – he’s wearing the No. 2 jersey in the clip below – was clocked at 23.32 mph in Sunday’s game, the fastest time posted by any player since Next Gen Stats began accumulating such data in 2017 … even if he couldn’t quite track down Steelers WR DK Metcalf from across the field on his 80-yard catch-and-run TD.

The engagement of pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has created a seismic shift in the way teams think about their fan bases.

“We used to be about a 50-50 ratio, male-to-female fanbase,’ Chiefs principal owner Clark Hunt said during an appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ in August. ‘Now 57 percent of our fans are female.’

Women sports fans have always been here, but marketing to women has long been dominated by the old-fashioned “shrink-it and pink-it” method that views female fans as an afterthought. However, leagues, teams and brands are starting to catch on to how essential women are not only to their fanbases, but to the global sports economy.

‘The shift is significant, not only because women have for a long time been avid sports fans, but because they’re also inheriting so much of the economic power,’ Thayer Lavielle, managing director of The Collective, the women’s division of sports, music and entertainment giant Wasserman, told USA TODAY Sports.

According to ‘The Collective Economy Part II: Her Fandom, Her Buying Power,’ a survey published Monday by The Collective, women sports fans make a majority of their household purchasing decisions (85%) and will control 75% of global discretionary spending by 2030, yet remain the most overlooked and untapped market in sports fandom.

The narrative around women sports fans is evolving. Kristin Juszczyk created her own sports apparel that merges fashion and fandom after noticing the limited options for women. Aunt Flow Free Period Care promotes inclusion by providing complimentary feminine products in bathrooms at sporting venues across North America and the UK through dispensers. The Golden State Valkyries tapped into community and culture by hosting a fashion show to showcase local Bay Area designers.

But the change is not happening quickly enough, according to the study, which collected data from more than 7,100 women across 10 countries. Sixty-six percent of women sports fans say sports organizations don’t understand or appeal to them.

‘For brands, leagues and teams, the question is no longer whether to thoughtfully engage women as fans — it’s whether you can afford not to,’ the study says.

‘Meet her where she’s at’

Although women are reshaping the landscape of sports fandom, the ecosystem continues to reflect the traditional patterns and habits of men. The Gender Equity Policy Institute reports women have about 13% less free time than men in the U.S., meaning women ‘fan’ differently, beyond stadiums and broadcasts.

‘How do you reach her in her daily life? It’s not like her fandom stops when the whistle stops,’ Lavielle said. ‘She doesn’t have the time to go to the stadium every week or even once a season. … If these teams and leagues can figure out how to more consistently bring them to her instead of requiring it the other way, we’ll forever be more loyal and spend more.’

Women sports fans crave authenticity and storytelling, leaning more toward an athlete’s journey, resilience and personality than their performance or stat lines. Let’s use F1’s Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’ for example, which created a new legion of fans due to the emotional connections viewers formed with the athletes.

‘These authentic stories spark identity and emotional connection and give her reason to root for her team and league in a deeper way,’ the study reads.

Mothers are engine of generational growth

Mothers hold undeniable influence over the next generation of sports fans. Nearly 50% of moms have played sports, fueling ‘new cycles of fandoms.’ About 90% of women sports fans that are mothers are heavily invested in their child’s youth sporting activities, an industry that generates a whopping $77B globally, shifting a pastime into a shared cultural experience. That translates to dollars.

A mother not only decides what to buy for herself, she also decides who she buys from and who she makes purchases for, including her family. According to the study, 92% of women around the world say family plays an important role in daily purchasing decisions and 92 % of women sports fans believe brands should support social causes, highlighting the inseparable link between family and values.

‘Meet her where she already is, and you don’t just win her loyalty — you win her household and the next generation of fans,’ the study says. ‘Mothers are not just consumers, they are the engine of generational growth. By nurturing participation and fandom, they ensure that the next generation not only plays the game but supports it as engaged, loyal fans.’

But women are not a monolith and although ‘mom-centric’ marketing is critical for mothers, it’s not the only role for women sports fans and can alienate others. Fifty percent of women sports fans who are not mothers also feel that brands do not understand them.

Read The Collective’s full survey here.

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.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays are the top seeds in the 2025 MLB playoffs.
The top four teams — the Brewers, Blue Jays, Phillies and Mariners — have a bye to the division series.
The 2025 World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 24.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays are the top overall seeds as the MLB playoffs get underway.

Those two teams finished the 2025 regular season with the best records in their league and will have the home-field advantage as long as they can stay alive in their quest to reach the World Series. The Brewers (97-65) finished one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the overall No. 1 seed.

Along with the Seattle Mariners, the top four teams automatically advance to the division series. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers will battle in the AL wild-card round. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds will match up in the NL wild-card round.

Here’s the complete 2025 MLB playoff schedule:

MLB wild card series schedule

Tuesday, Sept. 30

Tigers at Guardians, Game 1: 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Padres at Cubs, Game 1: 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
Red Sox at Yankees, Game 1, 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Reds at Dodgers, Game 1: 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

Wednesday, Oct. 1

Tigers at Guardians, Game 1: 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Padres at Cubs, Game 2: 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC
Red Sox at Yankees, Game 2: 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN
Reds at Dodgers, Game 2: 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN

Thursday, Oct. 2

(Game 3 schedule subject to change)

Tigers at Guardians, Game 3: 1:08 p.m. ET, ESPN * if necessary
Padres at Cubs, Game 3: 3:08 p.m. ET, ABC * if necessary
Red Sox at Yankees, Game 3: 6:08 p.m. ET, ESPN * if necessary
Reds at Dodgers, Game 4: 9:08 p.m. ET, ESPN * if necessary

Watch 2025 MLB playoffs on Fubo

Division series schedule

(Best-of-five)

Saturday, Oct. 4

Dodgers/Reds at Phillies, Game 1
Cubs/Padres at Brewers, Game 1
Yankees/Red Sox at Blue Jays, Game 1
Guardians/Tigers at Mariners, Game 1

Sunday, Oct. 5

Yankees/Red Sox at Blue Jays, Game 2
Guardians/Tigers at Mariners, Game 2

Monday, Oct. 6

Dodgers/Reds at Phillies, Game 2
Cubs/Padres at Brewers, Game 2

Tuesday, Oct. 7

Blue Jays at Yankees/Red Sox, Game 3
Mariners at Guardians/Tigers, Game 3

Wednesday, Oct. 8

Blue Jays at Yankees/Red Sox, Game 4 *if necessary
Mariners at Guardians/Tigers *if necessary
Phillies at Dodgers/Reds, Game 3
Brewers at Cubs/Padres, Game 3

Thursday, Oct. 9

Phillies at Dodgers/Reds, Game 4 *if necessary
Brewers at Cubs/Padres, Game 4 *if necessary

Friday, Oct. 10

Yankees/Red Sox at Blue Jays, Game 5 *if necessary
Guardians/Tigers at Mariners, Game 5 *if necessary

Saturday, Oct. 11

Dodgers/Reds at Phillies, Game 5 *if necessary
Padres/Cubs at Brewers, Game 5 *if necessary

League championship series schedule

(Best-of-seven)

Oct. 12

ALCS Game 1

Oct. 13

ALCS Game 2
NLCS Game 1

Oct. 14

NLCS Game 2

Oct. 15

ALCS Game 3

Oct. 16

NLCS Game 3
ALCS Game 4

Oct. 17

NLCS Game 4
ALCS Game 5 *if necessary

Oct. 18

NLCS Game 5 *if necessary

Oct. 19

ALCS Game 6 *if necessary

Oct. 20

NLCS Game 6 *if necessary
ALCS Game 7 *if necessary

Oct. 21

NLCS Game 7 *if necessary

World Series schedule 2025

Friday, Oct. 24: Game 1
Saturday, Oct. 25: Game 2
Monday, Oct. 27: Game 3
Tuesday, Oct. 28: Game 4
Wednesday, Oct. 29: Game 5 *if necessary
Friday, Oct. 31: Game 6 *if necessary
Saturday, Nov. 1: Game 7 *if necessary

The Milwaukee Brewers finished the regular season No. 1 in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings. But are they the team to beat in Major League Baseball’s playoffs?

That’s a question for another day, and another story, even. For now, though, it’s time to pause before the postseason mayhem and toast the demons of Dairyland, who finished the year 97-65, most in the major leagues and a club record, topping their 2018 and 2011 clubs that won 96 games on their way to the National League Championship Series.

‘Nobody was expecting this,’ ace Freddy Peralta told reporters in Milwaukee after a successful two-inning playoff tuneup.

He’s not wrong about that. Now, to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018 – though that’s a problem for another day.

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (-)

Closer Trevor Megill off the IL just in time for a crisp inning in season finale.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

Trea Turner’s hamstring heals up in time for regular season return.

3. New York Yankees (+3)

Aaron Judge, meet Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle: The only dudes to win a batting title and hit at least 50 home runs in a season.

4. Toronto Blue Jays (-1)

With pitchers scuffling and Bo Bichette mending, can certainly use the five days off as No. 1 seed.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (-1)

Clayton Kershaw’s final line: 223-96, 2.53 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 3,052 strikeouts in 2,855 1/3 innings.

6. Chicago Cubs (-1)

92 wins their most since 2018.

7. Seattle Mariners (-)

They’re ‘optimistic’ about Bryan Woo’s return from pectoral injury for playoffs.

8. Boston Red Sox (+1)

Four dudes (Trevor Story, Ceddane Rafaela, David Hamilton and Jarren Duran) stole at least 20 bases.

9. San Diego Padres (+1)

Posted consecutive 90-win seasons for first time in franchsie history.

10. Cleveland Guardians (+1)

Nope, it’s still not Browns season yet.

11. Detroit Tigers (-4)

1-5 against the Guardians the last two weeks. That won’t matter come Game 1 Tuesday.

12. Houston Astros (-)

Will heads roll after first playoff miss since 2016?

13. New York Mets (-)

Pete Alonso is ready to get paid. Can Mets live without hiim?

14. Cincinnati Reds (-)

No biggie, just gotta take out L.A. and Philly in back-to-back playoff series.

15. San Francisco Giants (-)

He did it: Willy Adames posts Giants’ first 30-homer season since Barry Bonds.

16. Kansas City Royals (+2)

Carlos Estevez led the majors with 42 saves.

17. Texas Rangers (-2)

Jake Burger bound for surgery to repair tendon in wrist.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)

Roller-coaster season ends with five-game losing streak to finish 80-82.

19. Miami Marlins (+1)

Denying Mets a playoff berth extends good vibes toward 2026.

20. St. Louis Cardinals (-1)

With roster reconstruction ahead, Sonny Gray now open to waiving no-trade clause.

21. Tampa Bay Rays (-)

Chandler Simpson’s arrival as offensive threat might be year’s best development.

22. Atlanta Braves (-)

Emotional goodbye for Charlie Morton a nice touch by organization.

23. Baltimore Orioles (-)

Tony Mansolino finishes interim manager run with 60-59 record.

24. Athletics (-)

After disillusioning the Yolo County faithful, they tease using ‘Sacramento’ on uniforms next year.

25. Los Angeles Angels (-)

Playoff drought extends to 11 years.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

Paul Skenes about to win the Cy Young Award with 10 wins.

27. Minnesota Twins (-)

Rocco Baldelli’s fate unknown as rocky season concludes.

28. Washington Nationals (-)

A hearty ‘See. You. Later!’ to retiring broadcaster Bob Carpenter.

29. Chicago White Sox (-)

‘Just’ 102 losses this time. Beats 120, for sure.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

Bar can’t go any lower than 43-119. Right?

The Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds secured the final spots in the 2025 MLB playoffs.
The postseason begins on Tuesday, Sept. 30, with the best-of-three wild-card series.
The Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers, and Phillies earned byes into the division series.

The final pieces of Major League Baseball’s 2025 playoff puzzle fell into place on the last day of the regular season when the Cleveland Guardians clinched the AL Central crown and the Cincinnati Reds secured the third National League wild-card spot.

After a day of much-needed rest, the postseason kicks off on Tuesday, Sept. 30, with the opening games of the best-of-three wild-card series.

The top two teams in each league will sit this round out after securing byes into the division series, which will begin on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Here’s a look at the 2025 postseason bracket:

MLB playoff bracket

American League

Byes: Blue Jays, Mariners
AL wild card series

Tigers at Guardians
Red Sox at Yankees

ALDS

Blue Jays vs. Yankees/Red Sox
Mariners vs. Guardians/Tigers

National League

Byes: Brewers, Phillies
NL wild card series

Reds at Dodgers
Padres at Cubs

NLDS

Brewers vs. Cubs/Padres
Phillies vs. Dodgers/Reds

Upcoming MLB playoff schedule

The AL and NL division series begin on Saturday, Oct. 4.

The AL championship series begins on Sunday, Oct. 12 with the NL championship series starting on Monday, Oct. 13.

The 2025 World Series opens on Friday, Oct. 24.

Final 2025 MLB standings

AL East

Toronto Blue Jays (94-68) – won head-to-head-tiebreaker vs. Yankees
New York Yankees (94-68) – clinched postseason berth
Boston Red Sox (89-73) – clinched postseason berth

AL Central

Cleveland Guardians (88-74) – clinched AL Central title Sept. 28
Detroit Tigers (87-75) – clinched postseason berth

AL West

Seattle Mariners (90-72) – clinched AL West title
Houston Astros (87-75)

AL wild card standings

Top three reach playoffs

New York Yankees (94-68)
Boston Red Sox (89-73)
Detroit Tigers (87-75)

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies (96-66) – clinched NL East title
New York Mets (83-79)

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers (97-65) – clinched NL Central title
Chicago Cubs (92-70) – clinched postseason berth
Cincinnati Reds (83-79) – clinched postseason berth

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69) – clinched NL West title
San Diego Padres (90-72) – clinched postseason berth

NL wild card standings

Top three reach playoffs

Chicago Cubs (92-70)
San Diego Padres (90-72)
Cincinnati Reds (83-79) – won head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Mets