Jahmyr Gibbs had a career night, eclipsing 200 yards from scrimmage with a career-long 78-yard touchdown run.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his star turn for the Seahawks, but former Ohio State teammate C.J. Stroud floundered for the Texans.
Baker Mayfield’s MVP campaign took a hit with the Buccaneers’ performance in Detroit.

If you can’t get enough ‘Monday Night Football’ action, then Week 7 was for you – ESPN serving up yet another doubleheader, this one with two games in standalone windows as opposed to a pair with staggered starts.

If you can get enough ‘Monday Night Football’ action, then Week 7 was for you – this being the final time this season, and maybe ever, that the league plays two on the first day of the work week assuming ESPN’s acquisition of NFL Network and other league media properties is eventually finalized.

Either way, the Detroit Lions rebounded from their Week 6 loss at Kansas City to hand the Tampa Bay Buccaneers their second defeat of the season, largely cruising to a 24-9 victory at Ford Field. The Seattle Seahawks didn’t exactly provide an even performance on the West Coast, but it was good enough to vanquish the Houston Texans 27-19 in the second game.

Two games, two sets of winners and losers … one final time:

WINNERS

‘Monday Night Football’

Sure, NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ effectively became the league’s weekly showcase years ago. But “MNF” still retains its own cachet, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the primary call for what’s supposed to be the capstone of the league’s weekly cadence. Tinkering with the format over the years – whether it’s kickoff times, pure doubleheaders or overlapping games − has never seemed to hold much appeal, particularly to viewers conditioned to ingest one game after a laborious day with another on the way soon enough when the alarm clock blares on Tuesday morning. Even in the entertainment juggernaut that is the NFL, less is sometimes more.

NFC playoff picture

Tampa Bay was the projected No. 1 seed at the start of the night. Now? Chaos. The Green Bay Packers, with their 4-1-1 mark, now move to the head of the class while the Bucs drop back to fourth overall in the conference.

Jahmyr Gibbs

Detroit’s two-time Pro Bowl back had a career night, eclipsing 200 yards from scrimmage (218 overall) for the first time in his career, thanks in large part to a career-long 78-yard TD run that staked the Lions to a 14-0 second-quarter lead that never seemed under much threat.

Tez Johnson’s MVP campaign

The Buccaneers receiver didn’t provide another viral moment like he did in Week 6, when he interpreted MVP chants aimed at QB Baker Mayfield instead being rained on himself after a TD catch. But the seventh-rounder out of Oregon had another productive night − and when Mike Evans was hurt and Chris Godwin was out − matching fellow rookie Emeka Egbuka with four catches and 58 yards.

Former Ohio State wideout

Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba added eight more catches, 123 yards and a TD to what’s shaping up as his first All-Pro effort. His 819 receiving yards lead the league and have him close to a 2,000-yard pace. JSN even had a guardian angel, field judge Nate Jones shielding him on Houston’s bench after a melee nearly broke out after CB Derek Stingley ripped Smith-Njigba’s helmet off after picking off a pass. His eventful night also included an illegal dunk over the crossbar following his TD … though former Seattle TE Jimmy Graham surely approves.

LOSERS

Former Ohio State quarterback

Texans QB C.J. Stroud, not two years removed from being the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year – and three from being Smith-Njigba’s Buckeyes teammate – can’t seem to catch a break these days. From a lack of protection, a DOA run game and injuries to his favorite targets, WR Nico Collins and TE Dalton Schultz, Stroud had to endure another rough night while hoisting 49 mostly inconsequential passes for one of the league’s least-imposing offenses.

Baker Mayfield’s MVP campaign

His season-long magic act just didn’t materialize on this night, when Tampa Bay’s continuously depleted offense finally seemed to catch up with the Bucs, who managed just one touchdown to go along with their lowest point and yardage total (251) of 2025. But that’s good news for fellow QBs Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes and other aspirants to the end-of-year hardware.

David Montgomery

Gibbs’ big night seemed to come at his wingman’s expense, Montgomery getting five fewer touches in much less critical spots while producing just 39 total yards.

Seattle sports

Did the Seahawks ever really think a 10 p.m. ET kickoff on a Monday would coincide with the Mariners playing in Game 7 of the ALCS before coming up just short of their long-awaited World Series debut? The ‘Hawks’ sloppy win won’t overshadow the M’s’ unfortunate collapse … but at least the rest of the country was reminded that the Pacific Northwest remains an underrated sports hotbed.

Brian Branch

The Lions’ Pro Bowl, do-it-all defensive back sat out Monday, suspended for throwing hands after the loss to the Chiefs. While the timing was unideal for a battered Detroit secondary, Branch’s buddies rose to the occasion and picked him up.

Mike Evans

Playing for the first time in a month after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 3, the Bucs’ six-time Pro Bowl receiver didn’t make it to halftime, suffering a concussion and broken collarbone after hitting the turf as he tried to track down a deep pass from Mayfield. And while Evans’ health is the primary concern, on a secondary level, his record streak of 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons – it began in 2014, his rookie year – will almost certainly end given the fractured clavicle. ‘He’s going to be gone until toward the last of the season,’ said Bucs coach Todd Bowles.

Arizona Cardinals

Losers of five in a row, they continue to lose touch with the rest of the NFC West − Seattle’s win ensuring the rest of the division picked up another game on the Cards in Week 7.

Slick uniforms

On a two-fer prime-time night, all we got is the Lions in their black alternates with Honolulu Blue helmets? No classic Seahawks unis? No Bucco Bruce? None of the crazy stuff in the Texans’ closet? Boo …

Joe Carter’s walk-off home run clinched the 1993 World Series in Toronto.
Blue Jays are back in the Fall Classic for first time since their last title.
Carter played 17 MLB seasons and won two championships with Toronto.

Joe Carter, the man who hit the biggest home run in Toronto Blue Jays history, sat in his home theater and watched history repeat itself more than three decades later.

It was like an out-of-body experience, watching a near replay of himself, circling the bases, jumping up and down after hitting the game-winning home run in the 1993 World Series that made him a Canadian national hero.

Now, nearly 32 years to the day, George Springer etched his name forever in Blue Jays folklore, hitting a dramatic three-run, seventh-inning home run to lift the Blue Jays into the World Series past the Seatle Mariners, 4-3.

The sellout crowd of 44,770 at the Rogers Centre screamed in euphoria.

Carter screamed in his house, startling his wife and daughter who were pacing upstairs, with his whole neighborhood in Leawood, Kansas hearing the jubilation.

“This is crazy, this is so crazy,’ Carter told USA TODAY Sports. “My heart was beating 10,000 beats a second, and I’m not even playing. It’s hard on a 65-year-old man.’

The moment Springer’s ball landed into the left field seats, Carter knew exactly what he’s going to say to Springer when he sees him before Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

“Welcome to the three-run home run club!

“You look at me. You look at Jose Bautista. You look at Edwin Encarnacion. And now, you look at George Springer.

“Unbelievable.’

Carter got emotional watching Springer’s reaction, jumping up and down, rounding the bases, thrusting his arms into the air.

It was the only the third go-ahead homer in the seventh inning or later in a Game 7 in postseason history, joining Pittsburgh Pirates’ Hal Smith in the 1960 World Series and Washington Nationals’ Howie Kendrick in the 2019 World Series. And Springer is the only one in history to achieve the feat with his team trailing by multiple runs.

It brought back the memories of that night in the same building, Oct. 22, 1993, when the Blue Jays trailed the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-5, in the ninth inning of Game 6 of the World Series. There were two runners on when Carter came to the plate, and he smacked a three-run homer off Phillies closer Mitch Williams into the left-field seats, winning the World Series championship.

It was only the second home run to end a World Series in baseball history, joining Bill Mazeroski with the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I told my wife, ‘Sweetheart, now know I know you felt when you were in the stands I was at the plate,” Carter said. “I was so nervous. My heart was beating so fast.

“And then he did it. He really did it. I couldn’t believe it.’

Carter was trading text messages with John Smoltz, the Hall of Fame pitcher and Fox analyst during the game, and just when the Blue Jays were about to open the bottom of the seventh, he sent one more text to Smoltz:

“Looking for a hero.’

The inning opened with a walk by Addison Barger and a single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, with No. 9 hitter Andres Gimenez laying down a sacrifice bunt. Springer, who suffered a badly bruised knee in Game 5 in Seattle, stepped up and drilled a 1-and-0, 96-mph fastball off Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo into the seats.

Carter found his hero.

Then, I held my breath the last two innings,’ Carter said. ‘I did not want to see Cal Raleigh come to the plate.’

Instead, Raleigh, who homered earlier in the game, was left standing on the on-deck circle as closer Jeff Hoffman struck out the side.

“Now, those guys don’t have to talk about ’93 anymore,’ Carter said. “I’m so glad. For them to go from worst to first, and now to the World Series.’

Carter was just in Toronto three weeks ago filming a team commercial with Springer designed to fire up the crowd, with Carter letting the fans know that since they did it in the past, they can sure do it now.

And now, Carter and Springer may be together for the next 20 years in autograph shows, hitting the two most famous homers in Blue Jays history.

“I was so happy for him,’ Carter said. “It was like poetic justice. The guy gets hit in the knee and the fans are booing him. You kidding me? Well, now those fans in Seattle will have a lot to boo George Springer about, he’ll be remembered in their history.’

Carter played 17 years in the big leagues for four different teams but Toronto has a special place in his heart. This is where he spent seven years, winning back-to-back World Series championships and a place he calls his second home – where he has had his celebrity golf tournament the past 15 years.

“This means so much to everyone in Toronto, really, all of Canada,’ Carter said. “I just remember how much joy we brought to everyone. But that was a long time ago. There are a lot of Blue Jays’ fans who weren’t alive when we won those championships.

“Now, they get to make their own memories, and wow, what a memory.’

Carter will be traveling to Toronto for the World Series where he’s expected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at one of the games, saying, ‘They’ve saved me for the last 32 years, I’m due.”

And when he sees everyone, he’ll let them know that it’s not enough to just get to the World Series. As long as they’ve gone this far, they might as well win it.

“It’s fun getting there, but you just didn’t get there to get there, you got to win the whole thing,’ Carter said. “Don’t be happy just getting there, let’s win it. I know you’re the underdog. You’re going against the $1 billion payroll and the super-human guy in Shohei Ohtani. Those guys are a first-class organization with their arms and Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.’

The Dodgers are trying to go where only two teams have ever gone in the last 50 years, winning back-to-back World Series titles like the Blue Jays in 1992-1993.

Carter would love for the Blue Jays to stop the Dodgers from joining their elite company.

“The Dodgers are good, but the Blue Jays have that championship pedigree,’ Carter said. “It showed in their DNA when they lost the first two games at home, then went to Seattle where they had to win, and come back home where they had to win.

“I’m telling you, we can do it. The city of Toronto is going to be rocking. All of Canada is going to be so pumped up. And, I’m so pumped up.

“This is going to be a classic.’

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

The Oklahoma City Thunder can be seen as the current gold standard for building a championship team. This new era began when Billy Donovan left to coach the Chicago Bulls, and Mark Daigneault took over. The Thunder won 22 games in Daigneault’s first season in 2020 and have increased their win total over the past four years, culminating in an NBA-high 68 wins and the team’s first championship. 

This was achieved by stockpiling draft picks, using those picks to select role players, and executing a franchise-changing trade to acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers.

General manager Sam Presti, who won his first long-overdue Executive of the Year award last season, is making sure the championship core remains intact by signing league and Finals MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren to long, big-money contract extensions, and barring injury and complacency, could sit atop the perch for the rest of the decade.

Oklahoma City is again the odds-on favorite to bring home another championship. Here are five teams that could throw a wrench in that coronation:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland seems best equipped to stop the Thunder from becoming the first team to repeat since the 2018 Golden State Warriors. Last year, the Cavaliers started with a 15-game winning streak and had the best record in the East, but their postseason run ended with a disappointing five-game drubbing to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Semifinals. Although they had the defensive player of the year, Evan Mobley, their defense let them down in the playoffs, and they finished 9th in defensive rating during the regular season. First-team All-NBA selection Donovan Mitchell provides consistent scoring and stability, while the additions of Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. are expected to strengthen their bench, so Cleveland will likely remain one of the league’s top teams. 

Denver Nuggets

Any team with the league’s dominant force is a contender every season. Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP, averaged a triple-double last year, and with new head coach David Adelman, don’t expect that production to decline. What has changed is that Michael Porter, Jr. is now in Brooklyn, and to compensate for his absence, Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, along with new additions Cameron Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jonas Valančiūnas, and Bruce Brown, should provide enough support for Jokic so Denver can improve on its No. 4 seed and the seven-game conference semifinals loss to the Thunder. Keep an eye on guard Christian Braun, a 15-point-a-game scorer and recipient of a new five-year, $125 million extension, who may be in the running for Most Improved Player.

New York Knicks

Is it now or never for the five-decade championship-starved Knicks after making their first conference finals appearance in 25 years? That loss to the Pacers led to Tom Thibodeau being fired and replaced by Mike Brown, who has promised a different style of basketball with a more up-tempo pace and almost a reliance on the three-point shot. That could lead to a heavy burden being lifted off Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson. Brunson could be planted out on the perimeter instead of being ball-dominant and distributing, even though he had a career-high in assists last season. With the Pacers and Boston Celtics having superstars nursing Achilles injuries, New York’s path to the Finals figures to be less complicated.

Houston Rockets

The conversation with the Rockets begins and ends with 37-year-old Kevin Durant, who is on his third team this decade. Durant, with his new two-year, $90 million extension, is expected to lift the Rockets into immediate championship contention, even without guard Fred VanVleet, who was lost for the year with a knee injury. Durant is expected to be scoring option 1, 2, and 3, something Houston lacked last year. The Rockets’ young core, especially All-Defensive First Team selection Amen Thompson, will be crucial in advancing past the first round, where their season ended. But this team’s identity should be on the defensive end, with four starters listed at 6-foot-10 or taller. And despite Durant being expected to wear a cape on most nights, any realistic title aspirations have to start with lockdown defense.

Minnesota Timberwolves

There is no other way to put it: the Timberwolves are loaded, and anything less than another appearance at least to the Western Conference finals would be a massive disappointment. Anthony Edwards is a bona fide superstar and should be in the MVP conversation. His teammates, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Julius Randle, provide more than enough punch to where they should waltz deep into the playoffs. One concern may be at the point guard position. Mike Conley is 38 years old, so if second-year player Rob Dillingham can take over those reins, the Timberwolves, who were rated in the top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency, can turn their balanced roster into champions.

TORONTO — George Springer has heard almost everything from opposing fan bases throughout his career, the price every clutch postseason performer pays as their career goes on. It has been laid on even thicker in road games since the 2019 revelation of the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme.

So when he was asked before Game 7 of the ALCS how he felt when Seattle Mariners fans booed him when he crumbled to the ground when a 95-mph pitch struck him on the right knee in Game 5, he demurred. Just concerned about his health, he said.

Yet that hit a little different for Springer’s father, George Jr., who had to watch his son berated by a sellout crowd at T-Mobile Park, with fans cursing the slugger as he writhed in pain.

Even when Springer and the Toronto Blue Jays got a significant measure of revenge when he hit a go-ahead three-run home run that sent the Blue Jays to the World Series and eliminated the Mariners, father was still stinging about son getting booed while he was suffering.

“I’ll be completely honest about that: That was the most despicable fan behavior I have ever witnessed. Anywhere,” Springer’s father told USA TODAY Sports. “I’ve been to soccer games and football games and obviously Major League Baseball games the past 12 years, in playoff environments, in tough places to play.

“I have never seen a fan base boo a player who was injured. Rejoice in their injury. Those fans will now have a very long offseason to reflect on their behavior.”

Springer’s 23rd career postseason home run came off Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo and flipped a two-run Blue Jays deficit into a 4-3 victory. The Mariners are still seeking their first trip to the World Series, left to wonder about next year, which came far sooner than they would have imagined.

The elder Springer hopes it allows ample time for soul-searching for the fans cursing his son right behind him at T-Mobile Park.

“I hope when they come back in the spring, and cheer on their team,” he says, “they’ll be better fans and better people.”

With more than 40% of the season behind us, there are only two ways to improve your rosters — waiver wire and trades.

Evaluating a fantasy trade can be a daunting task. Most managers value their players more than they’re actually worth. That’s where the Week 8 fantasy football trade value charts come in. You can also check out our Week 8 fantasy rankings to help with lineup and waiver decisions this week.

The charts can be used as your very own fantasy football trade analyzer in standard, half-PPR (point per reception) and full PPR leagues. Someone sends you an offer? Simply pull out a calculator (on your phone, you don’t need an actual calculator) and plug in the values for each player. Don’t worry, six-points-per-passing-touchdown and superflex leagues are covered as well.

Important note: If you’re offered an uneven trade (i.e., a 2-for-1 or 3-for-1), include the values for the players you’d be moving to the bench or dropping within your calculation. Example: If someone in your league offers you Breece Hall, Stefon Diggs, and Jakobi Meyers (combined value of 91) for Ja’Marr Chase (71), it might look like you’re getting the better end of it. However, if you’re bumping down, say, Kyle Monangai and Tez Johnson (combined value of 42) in the process, it’s a net negative deal for you.

The rankings are based on how players should be valued in 12-team leagues. Players are sorted in order of their half-PPR values.

Quarterback trade value chart

(Note: ‘6/TD’ is for leagues that award six points for passing touchdowns and ‘SFLEX’ stands for superflex.)

Running back trade value chart

Wide receiver trade value chart

Tight end trade value chart

Overall Week 8 fantasy football rest-of-season rankings

Note: These values are for 12-team, one-QB leagues with half-PPR scoring.