It was exhausting and exhilarating, maddening and delirious and by the end of it, Game 5 of the American League Division Series was the longest, by innings, winner-take-all game in Major League Baseball history.

Such drama – capped when Jorge Polanco’s bases-loaded single scored J.P. Crawford in the bottom of the 15th inning to break a stalemate and send the Seattle Mariners into the AL Championship Series – comes with no shortage of statistical absurdities.

The Detroit Tigers were shut out for an entire game – the final nine innings – yet still hung around long enough to rue the many missed opportunities all winter. Meanwhile, the Mariners will sleep off their celebration and jet to Toronto for Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday, Oct. 12.

Before moving onward, let’s explore nine of the most important and absurd numbers from the 15-inning epic.

37

Strikeouts by both teams, a tribute both to the excellent pitching but also the tightness with which players clutched the bats in the late going.

The Tigers struck out looking three times against Eduard Bazardo in the 13th and 14th innings, a grim lack of aggression when the game could’ve been won. Bats were shattering everywhere all night, and where’s Statcast when you need that particular piece of data?

Yet 27 of the strikeouts were registered in the first nine innings – 13 by Tarik Skubal, who set a record for most strikeouts in a winner-take-all game.

2

Consecutive extra innings in which the Mariners got the first two runners on base yet failed to cash in the winning run. In fact, in the bottom of the 12th they had first-and-second, nobody out and a 3-0 count on No. 9 hitter J.P. Crawford – who failed twice to get a bunt down and then flew out to left.

The next batter, Randy Arozarena, grounded back to Keider Montero for a 1-4-3 double play.

In the 13th, erstwhile starter Jack Flaherty walked both Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh to start the frame. Yet he threw a nasty full-count knuckle curve to strike out Jorge Polanco and then got a 6-4-3 double-play ball out of Eugenio Suarez.

Yes, the Mariners experienced the ultimate fulfillment by the end. Yet any player or fan will tell you it was torture getting there.

4

Starting pitchers who entered the game in relief, putting into action the “all hands on deck” ethos so dramatically cited in winner-take-all games.

In fact, Mariners starters Logan Gilbert (who won Game 3) and Luis Castillo (who started Game 2) had never appeared in relief in their careers. Gilbert pitched around three hits in his two innings while Castillo fulfilled an even more awkward ask, coming in with runners on base in the 14th inning. He induced an inning-ending popout from Javy Baez, and then pitched a spotless 15th – for the win.

The most gallant performance? That goes to Tigers lefty Troy Melton, who started Game 1, pitched three shutout innings to win Game 4 and save Detroit’s season – then added a scoreless 10th inning in Game 5. Above and beyond, to say the least.

9

Career RBIs entering the game for Leo Rivas, who suddenly found himself in a crucial spot in the seventh inning after a flurry of managerial maneuvers: Two outs, trailing 2-1, two runners on – and it was his 28th birthday, no less.

Surprise party: He ripped a line drive to left field to score the tying run.

Another run wouldn’t cross for eight more innings – by which point Rivas was well on his way to his 29th birthday.

101

Velocity on Skubal’s 99th and final pitch of the night, a fastball he ripped past Cal Raleigh for his 13th strikeout to end the sixth inning. It was the 14th consecutive batter Skubal retired and by then, the Tigers had seized a 2-1 lead and needed just nine outs to advance.

Alas, the Mariners did well to run Skubal’s pitch count up, and the lefty expended plenty of bullets to get those punchouts. Yet the soon-to-be two-time Cy Young Award winner showed he was all that on the postseason stage.

0-for-18

Output for the Tigers’ 2-3-4 hitters, Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson. They combined for seven strikeouts, four by Torkelson, and four runners stranded in scoring position as Tigers fans pleaded, screamed, begged for just one lousy run as their pitchers kept hanging up zeroes.

1

Career victories for “Humpy” in the “salmon run” contested at T-Mobile Park, usually in the middle of the fourth inning.

Yet desperate times call for desperate measures and so, in the middle of the 15th inning, Sockeye, Silver, King Salmon and Humpy rolled out on the warning track and ran one more time.

Lo and behold, it was Humpy’s night, much to the delight of the T-Mobile diehards.

Just minutes later, Polanco’s single drove in the series-winning run.

Coincidence?

43

Hours between the final pitch of ALDS Game 5 and first pitch of ALCS Game 1.

In that time span the Mariners were expected to imbibe voraciously, dry off their champagne, go to bed, wake up, fly to Toronto, work out at Rogers Centre and, theoretically, get some sleep before the next round begins.

Hit snooze a few times, fellas. You earned it.

PHOENIX — The Houston Comets, the Minnesota Lynx and, now, the Las Vegas Aces.

With their third title in four years, the Aces have firmly cemented themselves as one of the WNBA’s dynasties. And, by completing a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night in the league’s first best-of-seven Finals, at a time when the level of play in the WNBA has never been higher, the Aces might just be the best team ever.

They have the best player on the planet in A’ja Wilson, the best facilitator in Chelsea Gray, the best two-way guard in Jackie Young and the best coach in Becky Hammon. Add in a bench that includes former scoring champion Jewell Loyd and sharp-shooter Dana Evans, and they could shatter the WNBA’s record for titles won by a single franchise before their reign is over.

‘I just think the evolving of the game — I left the game in ’14. These players are bigger, stronger, faster and more skilled just than it was 10 years ago,’ said Hammon, who faced both the Comets and Lynx during her playing career. ‘Those dynasties laid the groundwork, showed how winning should be done and really gave a lot to the W in so far as history. It’s really great to talk about it, but the skill set and the level that these guys are at, to me it’s not comparable.

‘These ladies are at the top of the game, and it is the best basketball the W has ever seen. From top to bottom.’

In fact, at this rate, the biggest threat to Las Vegas might be the next collective bargaining agreement. The current deal expires Oct. 31.

The Aces are an incredibly tight-knit group — the postgame press conference Friday night with Hammon, Wilson, Gray, Young and Loyd was a hilarious lovefest — and it’s hard to imagine them losing their core. But salaries are expected to soar, and every franchise will be throwing money at them. Heck, everyone else on the Las Vegas roster, too.

Not if owner Mark Davis has anything to do with it, however.

When Davis bought the Aces in 2021, he did so partly because he thought the players were being short-changed financially and he wanted to change that. Now that the players are about to cash in, Davis will be happy to pay the tab if it means keeping the dynasty going.

‘I’m going to keep everybody,’ Davis told USA TODAY Sports. ‘We have to see how this all shakes out, but yeah, obviously we want to continue what we’re doing it. It would be tough to break it up.’

It would be a shame, too. It’s hard enough to win one title, let alone enough of them to earn yourself the title of dynasty. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in that position, you do everything in your power to protect it and keep it going for as long as you can.

‘I’m grateful to be with this bunch,’ Wilson said. ‘And that ain’t the alcohol talking.’

That’s what makes this title particularly sweet, because it wasn’t that long ago the Aces didn’t look like playoff contenders let alone dynasty material.

In an eight-day span after the All-Star break, Las Vegas was walloped twice by the Minnesota Lynx. Not just beaten. Ground into proverbial dust, losing by 31 points the first game and 53 the second.

But the great teams figure things out. The Aces closed the regular season on a 16-game win streak. They would win 25 of their last 28 games, including all four against the Mercury. The 97-86 win over Phoenix on Friday night was their second by double digits in the Finals and fifth in the playoffs.

They joined the Comets as the only WNBA teams to win three titles in four years. The Comets won four in a row from 1997-2000.

‘To be here right now, after where we were in May and June, there were a lot of doubts besides in our locker room,’ Gray said. ‘We had confidence in each other. I’m just really proud of how we stayed the course and trusted the process the entire time.’

While the sweep might suggest otherwise, the Aces had to show that resolve in the Finals.

They led by 20 early in the third quarter Friday night, only to have Phoenix storm back and make a game of it, just as they did in Game 3. Despite not having Satou Sabally and Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts getting tossed after back-to-back technicals, they got within six points twice in the fourth quarter.

But the Aces are simply too good. Their run will end on their terms, not someone else’s.

‘We ran into a really good team,’ Tibbetts said. ‘We ran into a team that’s been through it together. We ran into a team that had the ultimate belief and trust that they could get it done.’

Gray and Young combined for 11 points during a two-minute span to put Las Vegas back up by double digits, 89-78, with 4:26 left. All that was left to do was uncork the champagne and start planning the parade.

‘This one hits different because it was different,’ Hammon said, choking back tears. ‘There was probably a lot more adversity than any of us anticipated. We’re all humans. But humans that wanted to get it right and get it right together.’

Get it right they did. And now they’re a team for the ages, pushing the bar by which all future WNBA teams will be measured to the highest of heights.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

PHOENIX — After the Las Vegas Aces swept the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA Finals, A’ja Wilson came into the postgame press conference with her googles, pink tambourine and her newest piece of hardware — the second WNBA Finals MVP Trophy of her career.

‘I still got a little bit more winning to do before you put me in that (GOAT) conversation,’ said Wilson, who drew comparisons to Michael Jordan after finishing with 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in the Aces’ 97-86 Game 4 win over the Mercury. ‘When you’re compared to greats, when you’re compared to legends, that means you’re doing something right and I’m so grateful, but I would never do who I am, who I am without my teammates.’

This marks Wilson and the Aces’ third title in four years. Wilson and her teammates highlight our list of winners from Game 4 of the WNBA Finals. The Mercury and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert round out our losers:

Winners

Aces forward A’ja Wilson’s greatness

A’ja Wilson might have just redefined what it means to be a GOAT. On Friday, she became the first person in WNBA and NBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals MVP and a scoring title in a single season. She also joined Bill Russell as the only players in both leagues to win three MVPs and three championships in a four-season span. As Aces head coach Becky Hammon said, Wilson is “Everest. There is no one else around.”

Aces coach Becky Hammon’s finals record

Under Hammon, Las Vegas has cemented itself as one of the premier dynasties of the league, joining the Minnesota Lynx, Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Detroit Shock and Phoenix Mercury as the only teams to win three or more championships. After winning her third title in four seasons, Hammon stands alone with the best record in WNBA Finals history (10-2).

Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd’s ring collection

It’s time we put some respect on Gray’s name. She now has four championship rings with the Aces and the Sparks. The ‘point gawd’ deserves her praise for being part of the Las Vegas dynasty, but also one of the best guards in league history. Speaking of guards, Loyd now has her third ring and her first in the post-Seattle Storm era of her career. After a very tough split from the organization, winning with the Aces has to feel sweet. ‘I was kind of written off and exiled, but I ended up in the promised land,’ Loyd said in her postgame presser. To be clear, that’s the ultimate mic drop moment for the veteran guard.

Mercery forward Alyssa Thomas’ grit

Thomas is often regarded as one of the toughest players in the league. Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said it. Her teammates say it. She showed just how tough she is in the third quarter of Game 4. Thomas injured her right shoulder in the closing seconds of the first half after running into a hard screen set by Aces guard Jewell Loyd. Thomas writhed in pain on the court and Mercury staff members had to hold her right arm as she went back to the locker room. But Thomas was back on the court when the third quarter began with her right shoulder heavily tapped.  Thomas finished with another triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Mark Davis’s postgame meal

Las Vegas Raiders and Aces owner Mark Davis strolled into Las Vegas’ postgame presser, drenched in seemingly something of the alcoholic variety and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No, that’s not a misprint. Davis really chowed down on a sandwich and then took the podium to answer questions from until his team arrived.

Losers

Anticlimactic best-of-seven WNBA Finals

After the 2024 WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty went to a decisive Game 5, all eyes were on the first best-of-seven Finals in league history. But the minimum number of games were needed to determine a champion in the 2025 WNBA Finals. The Aces swept the Mercury in four games, marking an unceremonious end to the first best-of-seven series. 

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert booed

Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts’ ejection 

‘I thought it was bull—-,” Tibbetts said. “I didn’t even know that I got the second one. To be completely honest, I don’t understand it. I feel bad for our team, our fans, my family. It wasn’t needed in my opinion. Now I’d love to hear that, their call. But yeah, we work, we’re playing for our playoff lives. I mean, most coaches, when they get tossed, you’re doing it on purpose. And that was not my intention at all. But there’s been issues with the officiating all year.”

Tibbetts stopped short of repeating what he said, but a postgame pool report revealed that Tibbetts yelled, “That’s f—ing terrible.” crew chief Roy Gulbeyan said, “After the first technical was assessed, coach Tibbetts stepped in closer aggressively to the calling official and again yelled, ‘That’s f—ing terrible.’ At that point, a second technical was assessed, and he was ejected.”

Mercury turnovers

The Mercury committed 18 turnovers in their Game 4 loss, which the Aces converted to 26 points. It continued a troubling trend for Phoenix after having 14 turnovers in Game 1 that led to 20 Aces points.

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One of the biggest, most highly anticipated games during Week 7 of the 2025 college football season came with a terrifying moment.

In the first quarter of No. 8 Alabama’s game at No. 14 Missouri, and with the score tied at seven, Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson tried connecting with wide receiver Derek Meadows across the middle on a second-and-7.

As Meadows tried bringing in the pass, which would have been about a 25-yard gain, he received a huge hit from Tigers safety Marvin Burks Jr. and was unable to hang on to the ball. Meadows stayed motionless on the turf, with Alabama team trainers and even head coach Kalen DeBoer rushing over immediately to him. He was confirmed with a concussion by DeBoer following the Crimson Tide’s 27-24 win.

Burks was flagged for targeting and ejected from the game. Here’s the latest on Meadows’ injury:

Derek Meadows injury update

In his postgame news conference with reporters, DeBoer confirmed that Meadows, along with running back Jam Miller, sustained a concussion from his hit.

Though as horrific as the scene on the field initially appeared, Meadows was able to leave the field without the help of a stretcher or cart.

According to ESPN sideline reporter Katie George, Alabama trainer Jeff Allen got to Meadows almost immediately after the play. He then stabilized Meadows’ neck and rolled him over onto his back. Once Meadows was face up, Allen and his team tested the freshman wideout’s mobility of his hands and legs. He was able to move both. 

With medical personnel on either side of him, he was able to walk off the field on his own power. According to Colin Gay of the Tuscaloosa News, a part of the USA TODAY Network, Meadows returned to the Alabama sideline in street clothes later in the first half.

A rangy target at 6-foot-5, Meadows was a four-star recruit in the 2025 class coming out of national powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. He was rated as the No. 126 overall player in the 2025 class, including the No. 18 wide receiver, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

The catch against Missouri would have been the first of Meadows’ college career.

The NFL is expanding its global footprint with a record number of international games this season.
Teams are developing strategies to manage travel, jet lag, and distractions for overseas games.
Coach Sean Payton has learned from past experiences to better prepare his team for international contests.
The league may eventually expand to a 16-game international series, requiring all 32 teams to play abroad.

Sean Payton has learned from experience. The last time he coached a game in London, with the New Orleans Saints in 2017, the perky strategist got jammed up during pregame festivities at Wembley Stadium after Darius Rucker sang ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’

“I had a mess-up the last time,” Payton told reporters in London this week, prepping for his Denver Broncos to meet the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Payton has a good vibe with Rucker, the Miami Dolphins fan of Hootie and the Blowfish fame, and was caught up in the moment.

“I was kind of excited about how it was all put together and I jogged to the middle of the field and I forgot about ‘God Save The Queen,’” Payton recalled, alluding to the British national anthem. “Then I sat there at the 50-yard line just kind of like a cat burglar and took my visor off and was embarrassed. So, I’ll make sure to be prepared for the second anthem. That was clumsy.”

Consider Payton an in-house expert now for managing tweaks and nuances attached to the international games increasingly becoming part of the NFL’s “new normal” as the league expands its global footprint.

NFL’s slate of international games will only grow

Wake up! The NFL is staging a record seven international regular-season games this season, with all but the first one in Week 1 (Chiefs-Chargers, Sao Paulo, Brazil) starting at 9:30 a.m. ET (6:30 a.m. PT) and airing on the NFL Network.

Sure, it makes for the possibility of a marathon Sunday for viewers who may opt to roll from the early international tilt through NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” which typically ends shortly before midnight ET.

And such lineups will only escalate. Per the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with players that runs through the 2030 season, the league can stage up to 10 international games per season without further approval from the players union. Yet even a 10-game lineup represents a mere stepping-stone to the more robust international slate that seems destined.

Ultimately, the NFL – which staged its first regular-season contest in Ireland in Week 4, and after a trio of London tilts the next three weekends will have games in Berlin and Madrid in November – will likely pursue a 16-game international series that requires all 32 teams play at least one game away from the U.S. each season. And Commissioner Roger Goodell has acknowledged that such a series could be packaged as its own media bundle when the upcoming media rights deals (and CBA) are negotiated.

Could that happen before the current CBA expires? It would entail re-opening the CBA, which might be inspired by the league opting out of existing media deals and negotiating more record-breaking TV and streaming pacts. So, like so many things NFL, follow the money for clues.

The Vikings-Steelers game on Oct. 5 was the second-most watched international game, averaging 7.9 million TV and digital viewers. That hardly compares to an average that tops 17 million for all NFL games, but it still trends in a progressive direction for the league.

In any event, NFL teams stand to help themselves by formulating keen strategy for handling international games because the overseas trips are not going away.

The NFL, international games, and circadian rhythms

If you know Payton, who just notched his 173rd career victory (tied for 14th place all-time), you know he’s all over the idea of seeking to secure advantages – physical, psychological or whatever.

That’s why the Broncos have ramped up their work with a sleep specialist to aid in the body clock adjustment from Mountain Time to UK Time. Then again, Payton was already fully engaged in psychological measures last week as the Broncos (3-2) prepared for their upset victory at Philadelphia.

“No one could use the ‘L word’ last week, anywhere,” Payton said, the L-word being London. Of course, they all knew the schedule, and that the team would embark on an extended road trip because it wouldn’t return to Denver after facing the Eagles.

Part of Payton’s point, though, was that he didn’t want his team thinking about the London game when a big challenge loomed in the City of Brotherly Love.

His concern was backed by data. The record of teams playing on the road the week before a European trip is 11-19, which marks a 36.7% winning clip.

“We just told them, ‘Friday, just have an extra suitcase. It’ll be at your hotel.’ And that was it, ” Payton said of the directive last week that was the extent of London talk.

Rather than checking out of their Philadelphia hotel before facing the Eagles, which is typical for visiting teams, the Broncos returned to the hotel after the game. They had a team meal, treatment for injuries and the coaches had a window to study videotape. Then they flew to England on Sunday night, arriving on Monday morning.

In many cases, teams prefer to arrive late in the week for international games, seeking a short turnaround. Interestingly, the Jets – now coached by Aaron Glenn, once an assistant on Payton’s staff with the Saints – also went to London on Monday despite playing at home last weekend. Under previous Jets coach Robert Saleh, the Jets flew to London on Thursday night.

Acclimation is the key word. When the Broncos arrived on Monday, the first order of business for players after checking into the hotel was a light workout – running, stretching, weightlifting and the like.

Flashback: During the 1990s, when the San Francisco 49ers traveled to London for a preseason game (the flight took the Artic route), coach George Seifert ordered the team to conduct a workout in a park – before even checking into the hotel. Seifert insisted that research concluded the immediate physical activity was the best way to deal with jet lag. No argument on that, but as a beat writer covering the team I also remember witnessing a lot of grumpy players who were not too happy with George.

Skip the distractions. It’s a business trip

Payton knows. While international games provide strong marketing opportunities for the league and teams to grow the brands, for the players and coaches it is an undeniable business trip. Which means reducing distractions.

“You want the schedule? No sightseeing,” said Payton, coaching a team in London for the third time. “We’re staying in the middle of nowhere. No sightseeing.”

After a Tuesday off-day, consistent with the NFL work week, the Broncos held their normal Wednesday and Thursday practices on the normal days. That Payton, whose team is lodged in the English countryside, reiterated the “no sightseeing” pledge is rooted in experience, too.

He remembers an idea his rambunctious Saints tight end, Jeremy Shockey, tried to hatch.

“Shockey tried to get all the passports and take the team to Amsterdam. So, we put the kibosh on that,” Payton recalled from a 2008 experience that culminated with a win against the Chargers.

Other factors are also in the mix. The Broncos were already on the East Coast; it would have been more taxing to return to Denver and then circle back for a trip to England. Besides, Payton likes the bonding opportunity. When he coached the Saints, they were displaced multiple times due to hurricane evacuations. Last year, with back-to-back games on the East Coast, the Broncos trained in between at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, which is where Payton took his Saints for training camps on multiple occasions.

“This type of experience with your team I think is really positive,” Payton said. “It’s certainly an easier trip, coming off a win.”

Said Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper: “It definitely brings us all together, and stuff gets us out of our comfort zone a little bit to where we kind of have to forcibly hang out with each other and get to know your teammates and stuff like that. I think that’s amazing for real because we get caught up in our lives. We have families, we have kids and everything that we have to handle on a day-to-day basis. So, when you travel and you kind of separate yourself away from that, it gives more time to kind of grow as a team, grow as a unit. I think that’s only going to help us get better down the road.”

Then there are post-London considerations. Although many teams (such as the Vikings and Steelers last week) prefer a bye week after an international game, the Broncos will come home to face the New York Giants in Week 7. Denver won’t get its bye until Week 12.

Good move, according to the data. While teams are 44-41-1 overall (51% winning clip) the week after a European game, the pattern for winning skyrockets to 71% for teams that play a home game the following week, without a bye week (12-5).

Payton knows that next week he will have to manage fatigue.

“We’ve done some studies on that, interestingly enough,” Payton said.

Of course he has. There may not be an NFL coach more on the cutting edge than Payton when it comes to pursuing patterns of results and methods for recovery against the NFL grind.

“Now, we’ll be smart as to how we practice next week,” he said.

But first things first. The task for every team operating overseas is to make the work week as similar to a typical week as possible. After all, week-to-week rhythm and routine is part of the NFL’s fabric. So, there’s enormous attention to detail when it comes to practices, workout facilities and equipment, meals, meetings and other components of the NFL regimen.

“Well, you try to keep it the exact same, but it’s hard when they uproot you,” Bo Nix, Denver’s second-year quarterback, told reporters in London. “You don’t have quite the same resources, I guess. So, you try to make do with what you’ve got. But it’s definitely not going to be a normal week. Good thing I’m not superstitious or anything.”

Maybe he will get used to it with repetition. Chances are that many more international games are coming in future years. Here’s to some fish and chips.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

Diego Pavia is full of confidence. He should be.

He won a national championship as a junior college quarterback and, if you doubted him in the SEC, he became the first Vanderbilt QB to knock off Alabama in 40 years in 2024.

Before this season, he told TV personality Paul Finebaum the perennial conference doormat could win it all.

“I wasn’t cracking a joke,’ he told Finebaum. ‘That’s the standard.’

We can use confidence to propel us forward, but can we take it too far?

It’s a question for young athletes to ponder before games they feel they should win. Often, it seems, the words just come out.

“I don’t know what they’re doing, I just focus on us, but I know we’ve got to bring it, that’s for sure,” Pavia told On3 ahead of last weekend’s rematch with the Crimson Tide. “The crowd, I think, is going to be a big factor in the game. But we just gotta play within the white lines. If we do that, if we play our game, it won’t be close.”

The problem with trash talk, even in our attempt to wrap it in conviction, is you have to be able to back it up every time, or bear the consequences.

‘We heard what he said, but we just went out and played our game,’ defensive tackle and team captain Tim Keenan said in the Tuscaloosa News after Alabama whacked Pavia and the Commodores 30-14. The key word here is “heard.”

As Vanderbilt sits idle this weekend, we can reflect on whether the quarterback’s bluster can be effective within the big picture. As younger athletes, we can think about how to channel belief in ourselves and our teammates to put us in positions to thrive, but not put our foot in our mouth.

With the MLB playoffs, and a five-time World Series champion, as a backdrop, here’s how we can use self-confidence as motivation without going overboard:

Set expectations with the team in mind

Derek Jeter reported to New York Yankees minor league camp at 18, skinny and pigeon-toed. R.D. Long, Jeter’s former roommate who was three years older and had come to the Yankees via the University of Houston, likened what he saw to Bambi.

“You look at somebody like that and you think, ‘OK this is gonna take a while,’” Long told me in 2014, just before Jeter retired as a future Hall of Famer. “You find me a position player that walked in the door looking like Derek Jeter, at 6-3, 159 and within two calendar years, makin’ a debut in the major leagues. I’d like to hear anybody tell me that they’ve seen that.

“There weren’t any expectations. He looked that weak.”

Long and Jeter became teammates in 1993 at Class A Greensboro (North Carolina). At 19, Jeter was the second-youngest player on the Hornets, and the youngest regular among a core of 21- and 22-year-olds.

Jeter committed 56 errors, his arms and feet appearing to go every which way as his throws from shortstop were wild, sometimes landing a number of rows into the stands behind first base.

At the same time, his teammates also watched one of his greatest assets at play: He seemed impossible to alienate. He befriended everyone and ensured nobody who was standing around in the clubhouse was excluded from team outings.

“I had just spent four years with people telling me how great they were at Harvard,” Nick Del Vecchio, the team’s then 23-year-old first baseman, told me almost two decades later. “ ‘Oh, I can do this, or I got a 170 IQ.’ I’m not impressed. But I was impressed with this kid. He’s incorporated a lot of the traits that my parents taught me, other parents have taught their children. And then you read about great people in history and he’s got those intangibles … whether it be perseverance or savvy as to how to overcome a certain problem.”

Del Vecchio pointed to a moment, during a losing streak, when Jeter spoke up in front of everyone.

“All right, it’s time to go out,” the first baseman remembers the shortstop saying loudly, then directing teammates toward a local restaurant. “He’s like, ‘I want to see everybody there,’ in a joking way. And everybody kind of showed up. We’re like, ‘Why were we listening to this little kid?’ But he wasn’t a little kid. Age-wise, sure, he was younger than all of us but …”

Here was a kid who had managed, almost inadvertently, to elevate himself to leadership status on a team of older players.

Derek Jeter had ‘it’: The genesis of what made the Hall of Famer a winner

Be confident, but not cocky

When he spoke to you, the 19-year-old Jeter looked you right in the eye. He wanted to know where you were from and learn about your family. If the conversation drifted to his life, he found a way to turn it back to yours.Jeter’s chats with the media tended to follow that same pattern.

“He never forced you to look at him as a leader,” says Mike Buddie, a Yankees fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest the same year as Jeter, who is now the athletic director at TCU. “It just happens. It’s one of those inherent personality traits that I think makes all great leaders.

“We’d win a game 2-1 on a two-run home run that he hit in the ninth inning and all he would talk about was what a great game our pitcher pitched … Just little things like that, consistently over time, you sit back and you think, ‘Somebody either taught him well or the kid’s just got that special ingredient that he always thinks of the team first.’ ”

That Greensboro club, the former players recalled, had a closeness, a togetherness that churned it toward the South Atlantic League championship series. Jeter was at the center of it.

Similarly, since arriving at Vanderbilt last season after two years at New Mexico State, Pavia, 24, has uplifted Vanderbilt. The Commodores raced to 7-6 last season after going 2-10 without him the year before. Their aspirations are much higher this season at 5-1.

“Diego captures the attitude of our program,” Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea told Tennessean columnist Gentry Estes in August. “I mean, I’ve helped create that. That’s been a part of my mindset . . . When he’s on that stage and he’s saying what we believe and he’s saying it for everyone here, it’s our job then to back him up. I feel the same way when I say big things.”

Lea, though, Gentry wrote, watches for overconfidence on the practice field, for signs of a team acting like it has “arrived” and not taking care of business.

Also in August, a Netflix documentary was released in which Pavia said: “We can beat Tennessee literally any given Saturday. They think they’re going to destroy us. …  (Expletive) every single one of them dudes, you know? We’re gonna win this game at all costs.”

The remarks hadn’t been released ahead of the 2024 game, which Tennessee won 36-23, but they’re out there now. The teams play again Nov. 29.

When we’re confident, we can use our actions and words to energize our teammates. When we’re cocky, we can motivate the opposition. Jeter always seemed to know the distinction.

Late in the 2003 season, infielder Aaron Boone arrived in a trade for the Yankees’ pennant run. He wasn’t sure what to expect from Jeter, who was a bona fide superstar.

“I was fortunate to play with a lot of great players, a lot of confident players and some guys that have kind of a false bravado or a way about ’em,” Boone told me after he had retired from playing, “and I just always got the feeling playing with Derek that he was the most confident guy on the field, and just a real confidence, a genuine confidence, not a bravado.

“I always felt like he has this absolute, convicted  belief that, no matter what, he was gonna get somethin’ done, especially in a big spot, and that’s what I took away from him,” said Boone, who went on to manage the Yankees. “What I respected about him, was how he went about things, how he treated people, how he was all the time – not when the cameras are running.”

Talk to yourself – and keep it positive

Jeter recalled those moments when his Yankees were eliminated, too.

“Those press conferences, we’ve all been in ’em, they’re very difficult,” he said on air to Ortiz and former teammate Alex Rodriguez, “because we’ve been a part of teams where we thought, ‘We’re gonna win a World Series,’ thought we were the best team, and it didn’t happen. So I think sometimes you gotta sit down and let it all digest for a minute.”

It works the same way before we play a big game. Pause and reflect on the work you have put in and what you can accomplish, or even what you already have accomplished. Come up with your own personal mantras, a proven technique espoused by performance coaches like Larissa Mills and Kirsten Jones.

Young athletes are particularly affected by negative self-talk. But we can just as easily tell ourselves, “I feel great today!” or “I can score against her.” You might be surprised at how much better you feel, even as the underdog.

“What are the sayings you have running through your mind when things are going well?” Jones writes in her book, “Raising Empowered Athletes.” “What about when things aren’t going well? Our thoughts become actions. What I mean by that is if you are always thinking about things not working, you don’t even need to say it out loud, you can just think it and then watch it transpire.”

The best thing about self-talk is no one hears what you say to motivate yourself. It’s only when the thoughts become words that they reach opponents.

Always be yourself. It’s what makes you confident

Before he retired in 2011, longtime Yankees head athletic trainer Gene Monahan recalled that when Jeter spoke around the Yankees, he never put anybody else down. He was overwhelmingly positive.

“He’s the most positive player I’ve been around,” Monahan recalled in an interview. “He leads by example, and leads with his class, and he really knows what to say and what not to say. His stock he’s come from is incredible. His mother and father are incredible human beings. I don’t know them that well but I do know that when we are together at a social event or something, they exhume intelligence, and temperance.”

Family bonding for the Jeters meant hopping a fence behind their townhouse in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and landing in the outfield of Central High School. His parents, Charles and Dorothy, hit grounder after grounder to Derek and his sister Sharlee, who played softball.

The repetition, that time and interaction together with our family and teammates in our everyday actions, helps make us who we are.

Aria Gerson, who covers Vanderbilt for the Tennessean, wrote last week about how at its core, Vanderbilt is a run-first team football team that spreads the ball around. It’s a practice they got away from in the second half of last weekend’s game at Alabama.

She points out how Pavia ran the ball six times and attempted 20 passes in the second half, while Commodores running backs had two carries.

 “Pavia can be electric at times,” she writes, “but the team isn’t at its best when he plays hero ball.”

The Commodores still have a chance to reach the College Football Playoff, something Pavia, of course, believes can still happen.

Jeter believed he could get hits off Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson, too. He just never said it out loud.

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Josh Norris will miss a “significant amount of time’ after suffering his second major injury since being acquired at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
Norris has been limited to four games since arriving to the Sabres because of two injuries.
Here are other injury updates around the NHL.

He will miss a “significant amount of time,’ coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, after suffering his second major injury since being acquired at the 2025 NHL trade deadline.

‘I don’t know what that amount is,’ Ruff said on Saturday, Oct. 11. ‘He’s still being evaluated.’

Norris missed the remainder of the 2024-25 season with an oblique injury in his third game after arriving from the Ottawa Senators in the Dylan Cozens trade in March.

This season, he suffered an upper-body injury in a loss to the New York Rangers in the Sabres’ opener. He was hurt while taking a faceoff and was slow getting to the bench.

Ruff said this season’s injury is different from last season’s. Norris also had shoulder issues earlier in his NHL career.

He has been limited to four games by separate injuries with the Sabres. He had a goal and an assist last season with Buffalo and no points in his lone game this season.

He had 90 goals and 156 points in 236 career games in five-plus seasons with the Senators before the trade.

The Sabres are trying to end a 14-year playoff drought.

Other NHL injury updates

Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is out at least a week with a lower-body injury.

Finding the right players to start in place for them, or managers working around the impact of injuries on the fantasy football landscape at the one-third mark of the 2025 season can be challenging.

Luckily for those pondering tough start-sit decisions for Week 6, the USA Today Sports staff has you covered.

The first round of byes in Week 5 is out of the way, which means some of the top running backs (Bijan Robinson and Josh Jacobs), wide receivers (Drake London, Rome Odunze and D.K. Metcalf) and even tight ends (Kyle Pitts, Tucker Kraft) return to action this week.

The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles treated us to an exciting ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup that featured a fair amount of fantasy football points from some unexpected stars.

If you’re still debating how best to set your lineup, we’re here to help. USA TODAY Sports has your guide to sorting out your fantasy lineup at every position for Week 6. Here are our staff start and sit recommendations for the rest of this week:

Fantasy football start ’em: Week 6 QB

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (at Baltimore Ravens)

The Ravens are ravaged by injuries at all levels of their defense. Nnamdi Madubuike, Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton all missed action against the Texans in Week 5, and it isn’t clear if any of the latter three will return to action in the Ravens’ final game before their Week 7 bye.

All that spells a good opportunity to back Stafford, who has thrown for 375 yards and three touchdowns in back-to-back games. The Ravens have allowed a league-high 35.4 points per game, so Stafford could put up massive numbers just like Stroud did against Baltimore last week (244 passing yards, four touchdowns).

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (at Miami Dolphins)

Herbert has posted three consecutive games with just one total touchdown, so fantasy managers may be inclined to sit him. However, the Dolphins are allowing the third-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to quarterbacks this season, buoyed by a league-high four rushing touchdowns to the position.

Herbert just scrambled for 60 yards against the Commanders, so he could have a higher floor than usual in this juicy matchup. He may also be required to throw more than usual, as the Chargers are set to be without their top two running backs, Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris, for an extended period.

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

The Bengals have allowed 31.2 points per game this season, good for the third-most in the NFL. Cincinnati’s stop unit has also allowed 1,347 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season, which are also the third-most in the NFL.

That should position Love, who has posted multiple touchdowns in three of his four starts this season, for success.

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

Look, Young isn’t a guy you want to start in fantasy football often, but the Cowboys have surrendered the most FPPG to quarterbacks this season. Dallas is also one of four NFL teams averaging more than 30 points per game, so Young may have to throw often to keep the Panthers in the game. That could be enough to make him a solid streamer in Week 6.

Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 6 QBs

Justin Fields, New York Jets (vs. Denver Broncos)

The Broncos have allowed the third-fewest FPPG to quarterbacks this season. Only the Vikings and Texans have been better than them, and each is on bye in Week 6.

One of the reasons Denver has been so good against opposing quarterbacks: it has limited them to a league-low 15 rushing yards through five weeks. That’s despite facing the hyper-mobile Jalen Hurts, who had just three yards on two carries against the Broncos.

That spells trouble for Fields, whose legs are his biggest fantasy asset. With a lower floor, it’s hard to recommend streaming him in Week 6.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)

Tagovailoa has posted multiple touchdowns in four consecutive games, but the Chargers haven’t allowed more than a single passing touchdown in any of their five games. Something has to give here, and it feels more likely that Tagovailoa will be limited against a Chargers defense that has been stronger against the pass than the run.

Expect Sunday’s game script to benefit Dolphins running back De’Von Achane while Tagovailoa remains in the ranks of low-end streamers.

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (at Kansas City Chiefs)

The Lions have a stellar offense, which should allow Goff to be a quality fantasy starter most weeks. However, the Chiefs have allowed just five passing touchdowns to quarterbacks this season, so Goff’s ceiling is lower than usual in the matchup.

Fantasy football start ’em: Week 6 RBs

Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams (at Baltimore Ravens)

Williams had his best performance of the year so far against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5. ‘Thursday Night Football’ ended up as a loss for the Rams but featured two receiving touchdowns for Williams in a standout day.

There are few better teams to face as a follow-up to that than the Baltimore Ravens. This is a banged-up defense missing key players at every level; they allowed the Houston Texans running backs to excel on the ground with 27 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown as a group.

What the Texans couldn’t exploit as well against Baltimore was utilizing backs in the passing game. None of their running backs is anywhere near the receiving threat that Williams is for the Rams. Before the Texans game, Baltimore allowed an average of seven catches and 50 yards per game to running back groups and two total touchdowns. Williams could be in for another top-tier performance.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (vs. Chicago Bears)

As stated earlier, we’re no longer doubting Bill, especially this week. He had 150 total yards and two touchdowns on 16 touches against what’s been one of the best run defenses in the league in 2025 in Los Angeles. Now he gets one of the worst in primetime.

Chicago returns from their bye this week, and before it was one of the worst defenses when it comes to stopping running backs. In their first four games, the Bears allowed 171 total yards per game to opposing running back groups at over six yards per touch. Chicago’s last game featured rookie Ashton Jeanty going off for 155 total yards and three touchdowns.

Croskey-Merritt may not reach those heights because Chicago has the benefit of an extra week to prepare, but he should still be a starter in Week 6.

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Tennessee Titans)

Speaking of Jeanty, the Raiders’ top rookie followed his breakout game with a solid effort in a blowout loss to the Colts. He and the Las Vegas offense as a whole failed to find the end zone but he still racked up 109 total yards on 19 touches. That made for his second-best week in fantasy football this year.

He could be in for another good game this week at home. Las Vegas’ next opponent from the AFC South isn’t nearly as stingy a run defense. Tennessee is allowing the third-most points to running backs through the first five weeks of the season, per FantasyPros. Even in a wacky comeback win over the Cardinals, Tennessee still allowed a season-high 143 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Tennessee has given up nine total touchdowns to running backs through five games this season. With Brock Bowers’ status week-to-week with a knee injury, Jeanty will get a healthy helping of touches in Week 6.

Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

Chuba Hubbard missed Week 5 against the Dolphins and Dowdle certainly made the most of it. He was the top-scoring running back in all formats in Week 5 and could be in for another good game this week if Hubbard is still hobbled by a calf strain.

The Cowboys just allowed the New York Jets running backs to average 8.25 yards per touch in Week 5. That group racked up 189 total yards and a touchdown. Dallas has struggled to stop running backs in the last two weeks: 248 rushing yards, 180 receiving yards and three touchdowns allowed is one of the worst marks in the league.

Dowdle is a near must-start with this matchup if Hubbard is out. If Hubbard plays, consider Dowdle for a FLEX spot.

Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 6 RBs

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Cleveland Browns)

Pittsburgh enjoyed the week off as one of the early byes in 2025, but is rewarded with a home game against one of the toughest run defenses in the league. Cleveland ranks best in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) per rush, according to SumerSports. Even with a potential hangover from traveling back from Europe this week, they should still be a tough out for the Steelers’ backs.

Warren is also returning from a knee injury that kept him out of the lineup for the Steelers’ Week 4 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Cleveland’s far from the easiest opponent to make a return against. Warren should be viewed as a FLEX option at best this week.

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (at Green Bay Packers)

The biggest news out of Cincinnati this week is the arrival of quarterback Joe Flacco as the new starter with Joe Burrow out for the coming months. That may pay off for Brown later down the line but it could be tough in Week 6.

Green Bay’s defense is allowing the fourth-fewest points to opposing running backs in 2025 through five games. Even with the shootout against the Cowboys on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 4, the Packers have yet to allow 100 yards rushing to any opposing running back group. An extra week of rest and playing at home could also make a difference. Brown’s stock is up with Flacco’s arrival but it’ll probably pay off more in Weeks 7 and 8.

Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Seattle Seahawks)

Jacksonville capped off Week 5 with a comeback win at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, yet Etienne didn’t contribute much. His 58 total yards on 15 touches were his second-lowest total of the season as he failed to break 10 points in PPR leagues for the first time this year.

Things may not get much easier against the Seahawks this week. Seattle is tied for the second-best run defense in the league by EPA/rush. Yes, Rachaad White scored two touchdowns against them last week but that came by running behind one of the best offensive tackles in the league in Tristan Wirfs. Outside of those scores, Seattle allowed just 70 total yards on 24 touches to Buccaneers’ backs.

Wirfs is multiple tiers better than any offensive lineman the Jaguars have. Etienne’s backfield mate Bhayshul Tuten may have better luck thanks to his receiving skills out of the backfield but still won’t likely find much room against this Seahawks defense.

Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Detroit Lions)

Pacheco had another underwhelming performance in Week 5 with 56 total yards on 10 touches. That was surprisingly his second-best fantasy showing of the year with 8.6 points in PPR leagues. Things won’t get much easier in Week 6.

Detroit is tied with Seattle for second-best league-wide in EPA/rush allowed. In fantasy context, the Lions are allowing the sixth-fewest points per game to running back groups. Detroit’s yet to allow 100 yards rushing to a team this season and they’ve faced better rushing attacks than Kansas City’s current unit.

Pacheco’s weekly performances and the Chiefs’ general struggles to run the ball effectively have him in consideration for an indefinite sit. Rookie running back Brashard Smith is getting more involved in the passing game and could become a better option among Chiefs running backs in fantasy football.

Fantasy football start ’em: Week 6 WRs

Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans

The Titans play the Raiders in Week 6, a team that has tied for the second-most receptions (70) allowed to receivers this season and has given up the fourth-most average fantasy points (39.66) to receivers through five weeks.

Ridley finally reaped the benefits of the chemistry he’s been building with rookie quarterback Cam Ward in Week 5. Against a Cardinals defense that also ranks among the highest in receptions allowed to wideouts, Ridley caught five of his 10 targets for 131 yards. He has a shot at another big day in Las Vegas for Week 6.

Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

For a third straight week and the fourth time in five games, Pittman scored a touchdown for the Colts in Week 5. He has another good matchup against the Cardinals’ defense, which has allowed the fourth-most receptions and seventh-most yards to receivers.

Arizona just allowed five catches for 131 yards to Ridley, the Titans’ top receiver, last week. Pittman and quarterback Daniel Jones will get a crack at a big day of their own at home, especially given the Cardinals’ defensive success against opponents’ rushing attacks but shortcomings against the pass.

Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 6 WRs

Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

The Jets may be 0-5, but Wilson has had plenty of fantasy football success as the team’s lead wide receiver. Quarterback Justin Fields excels in getting the ball to his top wideout, particularly in garbage time, which often keeps Wilson in fantasy managers’ good graces.

This week may be different. New York is set to face off with a Broncos defense that is the best in the league at limiting opponents’ dropback success rate. The aforementioned Surtain followed Brown, the Eagles’ No. 1 receiver, on 91% of snaps and limited him to four catches for 40 yards last week. Given the Jets’ lack of strong receiver depth elsewhere, Surtain will be sure to track down Wilson all day and keep him from having a big outing.

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

Higgins hasn’t tallied more than three receptions in a game yet and has only had one outing with more than 50 yards this year. This week, he and the Bengals face a Packers defense that will look to feast on the Bengals’ mediocre offensive line.

That sets up for an especially troublesome day for Bengals Week 6 starter Joe Flacco, who just arrived via trade and will still need to catch up on a new offensive scheme.

Fantasy football start ’em: Week 6 TEs

Tucker Kraft, Packers vs. Bengals

The Packers return from their Week 5 bye to host the struggling Bengals this Sunday. Green Bay is a two-touchdown favorite in this matchup and owns the highest implied team total of the entire week at 29 points. Scoring opportunities should be abundant for the Packers, and Kraft will likely be a big part of it.

Cincinnati allowed the most receptions to opposing tight ends in 2024 and ranked in the bottom three in touchdowns and yards allowed. They are on pace to do the same in 2025, already allowing the fourth-most yards, second-most receptions, and are tied with the most scores allowed to the position. Sam LaPorta just caught five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown against this Bengals defense. We can expect a strong showing from Kraft this week.

Oronde Gadsden II, Chargers at Dolphins

This is a deep league streaming option, so hopefully those in 10-team leagues aren’t searching for tight end help this far down the rankings. A rookie tight end is always difficult to trust, but Gadsden’s route share has increased each week, going from 28% in Week 3 to 50% in Week 4 and then 61% in Week 5. He’s trending up in an offense that will be without its two top running backs for the foreseeable future. The Chargers have a multitude of weapons at wide receiver but Gadsden could prove to be valuable in an offense that is expected to continue to air it out.

The Chargers are on the road against the host Dolphins, a team that has struggled to defend tight ends. Gadsden could easily find double-digit fantasy points for someone looking for a sneaky streamer this Sunday.

Zach Ertz, Commanders vs. Bears (‘Monday Night Football’)

Our final start of the week is a player who is a decade older than the last recommended start. Still, Zach Ertz is set up for a bounce-back showing in Week 6 after posting a goose egg against the Chargers. He had his worst showing in over a decade but an exciting matchup on Monday night at home against the Bears could be just what the doctor ordered for this grizzled vet.

Chicago returns from its Week 5 bye and will have fresh legs, but its defense has been questionable through the first month. The Bears are bottom-five in yards allowed per game thus far. There should be plenty of fantasy goodness on both sides of this matchup that has the second-highest projected total of the week behind the Lions-Chiefs matchup.

Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 6 TEs

Kyle Pitts, Falcons vs. Bills (‘Monday Night Football’)

Pitts has enjoyed an early-season resurrection after sky-high expectations as a former No. 4 overall pick. Unfortunately, the Falcons are coming off a bye and host the Bills on Monday night, and Buffalo has been terrific at defending tight ends so far in 2025. The Bills have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends and the fewest receptions per game to the position overall (2.2).

Pitts was nearly entering must-start status but the matchup in Week 6 causes hesitation. Michael Penix Jr. is leading this up-and-coming offense, but a matchup in prime time is challenging for the 25-year-old quarterback. Make arrangements to keep Pitts out of lineups this week.