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Week 7 NFL Capsules

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas RaidersOct 13, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) salutes the crowd after the Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

New England Patriots (1-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5), 9:30 a.m. ET in London

Jacksonville stays in London but shifts to Wembley Stadium for a second consecutive regular-season game in Europe. The Patriots are 8-1 against the Jaguars and appeared to find new energy in a quarterback change from Jacoby Brissett to rookie No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Maye looks to drive New England to a 4-1 all-time record in international games after a three-TD debut last week during which he established a quick connection with WR Demario Douglas (six catches, 92 yards, TD). The Jaguars are giving up a tick under 30 points per game and the offense is struggling to keep pace — and stay healthy. In TE Evan Engram’s return from injury last week, he posted 10 receptions against the Bears. Rookie WR Brian Thomas Jr. has been Trevor Lawrence’s most consistent target. He leads all NFL rookies with 424 receiving yards. The Jaguars are back stateside next week — not headed for a bye — with these four games before the scheduled break: Packers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions.

Seattle Seahawks (3-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-2), 1 p.m. ET

The Falcons are riding a three-game winning streak, their longest since winning the last four games of the 2019 season. Seattle opened the season by winning its first three games before dropping three straight. Atlanta is looking for its first winning season and playoff appearance since 2017 having just completed a three-game sweep of divisional opponents. QB Kirk Cousins set the franchise’s single-game passing total with 509 yards and four touchdowns in a 36-30 win to open October. Then the run game took over against Carolina. Backup running back Tyler Allgeier led the team with 105 rushing yards and one score, while Bijan Robinson ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns. First-year head coach Raheem Morris has been impressed with the work of offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who is also in his first year. Robinson, who spent the last two seasons as the pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Los Angeles Rams, has Atlanta averaging 24.8 points per game, up from 18.9 last season. Seattle is fighting injuries, especially in the secondary, and could be forced to use its fourth-string right tackle.

Tennessee Titans (1-4) at Buffalo Bills (4-2), 1 p.m. ET

The Bills introduce new No. 1 WR Amari Cooper, who was acquired Tuesday from the Browns and is looking forward to bigger and better things in his fourth NFL home. Not only did he gain three games in the standings by joining Buffalo, but he’s now the top target of Josh Allen. Allen has thrown 156 passes this year without an interception. RB James Cook (toe) might not play. But he wasn’t missed in Monday night’s 23-20 win at the New York Jets as rookie Ray Davis accumulated 152 total yards (97 rushing, 55 receiving) on 23 touches. QB Will Levis struggled again and the Titans blew a late lead to the Colts last week. Levis completed 16 of 27 passes for only 93 yards. Of more importance to Tennessee is his turnover trouble. His fourth-quarter interception last week was his seventh in five games and his 10th giveaway this season. The Titans’ problems offensively are obscuring the solid work of their defense, which is ranked No. 1 in the league in total defense (248.8 yards per game) and against the pass (137.0).

Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) at Cleveland Browns (1-5), 1 p.m. ET

Maybe AFC North rivalries can awaken the Browns, or perhaps the long-awaited return of RB Nick Chubb. Cleveland faces its first division opponent, hosting the Bengals in pursuit of a season-shifting win. Chubb is expected to take the field for the first time since a Week 2 knee injury prematurely ended his 2023 season. He comes back in a time of need for Cleveland, which just traded wideout Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday. The Browns are scoring the third-fewest points per game in the NFL (15.8) and have dropped four games in a row. The Bengals got off to an 0-3 start, but they have since won two of their past three games, most recently beating the New York Giants 17-7 in Week 6. Cincinnati’s defense finally stepped up, holding an opponent under 24 points for the first time since a season-opening 16-10 setback against the New England Patriots. But Cincinnati has a six-game losing streak in Cleveland and has yielded an average of 27.5 points per contest in those defeats. QB Joe Burrow continues to do his part, ranking second in the NFL with 12 TD passes and fifth with 1,578 passing yards.

Houston Texans (5-1) at Green Bay Packers (4-2), 1 p.m. ET

Two of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league since the start of the 2023 season are center stage at Lambeau Field. Jordan Love has two-plus TD passes in 15 games since he became the Packers’ starter to open last season. C.J. Stroud has multiple TD passes in three of his past four road games, driving the Texans to the top of the AFC South. He had three TD passes in a 41-21 win at New England last week. Neither quarterback could solve the Vikings’ defense run by Brian Flores, but Love thrives at home with four TD passes in each of his last two games in Green Bay. The Packers’ defense is tops in the NFL with a plus-9 turnover differential and will be looking to force Stroud into uncharacteristic mistakes. Safety Xavier McKinney leads the league with five interceptions. Green Bay will use new kicker Brandon McManus after releasing rookie Brayden Narveson, who missed five of 17 field-goal attempts this season.

Miami Dolphins (2-3) at Indianapolis Colts (3-3), 1 p.m. ET

The visiting Dolphins are back at it following a well-timed week off and Miami has won four in a row coming out of its bye. The road team is also 4-1 in the past five meetings in this series. Miami remains in a holding pattern as it awaits word on the future availability of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion). Tyler Huntley will again guide the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense on the road. The Dolphins’ output of 3, 12 and 15 points in the full games Tagovailoa sat out was two steps back from the juggernaut that averaged almost 30 per game last season. Standout receivers Tyreek Hill (23 catches, 286 yards, TD) and Jaylen Waddle (21-258-0) are taking a hit during the offensive upheaval. Last season, the two players combined for 191 receptions, 2,813 yards and 17 scoring receptions. Miami did have Raheem Mostert on the field for the first time in four weeks when he rushed for 80 yards against New England in Week 5. The Colts are experiencing their own quarterback quandary. Anthony Richardson (oblique) will start unless he has a setback but a number of Colts are hurting. WR Michael Pittman (back) played through severe pain last week — and caught a TD pass from Joe Flacco — and RB Jonathan Taylor (349 yards, four touchdowns) has missed the past two games due to an ankle injury.

Detroit Lions (4-1) at Minnesota Vikings (5-0), 1 p.m. ET

No matter the quarterback, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson isn’t the player the Lions want to see coming after losing their top pass rusher. Aidan Hutchinson (broken leg) was the league’s leader in sacks and without him, the Lions might need to dig deeper into their bag of tricks to move QB Sam Darnold out of the pocket. Jefferson has 140-plus yards in three consecutive dates with Detroit. In eight career games vs. the Lions, Jefferson has 62 catches for 1,073 yards (134.1 per game) and three TD catches. A Vikings’ win would be significant in the packed NFC North standings and give Minnesota its first 6-0 start since 2009. The Lions are clicking of late behind mistake-free QB Jared Goff. He’s going for his fourth consecutive win over the Vikings and has averaged 302 passing yards with six touchdowns and no picks in the past three meetings. His own alpha wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, had seven catches and 100-plu yards in both matchups with the Vikings last season. Lions coach Dan Campbell is 4-2 against the Vikings since he arrived in Detroit.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) at New York Giants (2-4), 1 p.m. ET

Saquon Barkley is back at MetLife Stadium and heads to the visitor’s locker room with the Eagles for the first time since exiting New York for Philadelphia in free agency. He’s looked the part of difference-maker with at least 115 yards from scrimmage in four of five games this season. A main obstacle to Philadelphia’s success inside is containing Pro Bowl DT Dexter Lawrence, who is tied for second in the NFL with 7.0 sacks and vowed not to miss this matchup despite being dinged up last week. The Giants are not well-suited to match up with the Eagles outside now that A.J. Brown is recovered from a hamstring injury. Brown and DeVonta Smith both hauled in TD passes from Jalen Hurts last week. Pass protection reemerged as a concern for the Giants when LT Andrew Thomas had season-ending foot surgery on Tuesday. It ended a stretch of more than 400 snaps together for the offensive line and introduces untested options into the starting mix. The Giants are getting production in the passing game from Jones and Wan’Dale Robinson, and first-round rookie Malik Nabers suits up for the first time in three weeks after clearing concussion protocol. Nabers could join a tiny group of receivers who had at least five catches in their first five career games (Terry Glenn, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua).

Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) at Los Angeles Rams (1-4), 4:05 p.m. ET

Aside from a popularity contest — California still loves the Raiders — Sunday’s game matches a pair of teams off to disappointing starts with offenses in dire need of consistency and a few good men to play wide receiver. The Raiders and Rams are two of 11 NFL teams averaging fewer than 19 points per game. And the concerns are even more heightened on defense, where the Raiders are tied for fifth worst in the NFL at 27.2 points allowed per game, while the Rams are fourth worst at 27.8 per game. Rams QB Matthew Stafford has averaged 247.6 yards per game, 11th best in the NFL, but has just three touchdown passes in five games and has been sacked 16 times behind a makeshift line. The Raiders moved away from Gardner Minshew last week and went to Aidan O’Connell at quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. But Las Vegas had its second-lowest point total of the season in a 32-13 home loss. O’Connell is set to start again this week to guide an offense that has moved away from wide receiver Davante Adams, after he was traded to the New York Jets for a third-round draft pick. Adams played the first three games and caught 18 passes. Without him the past three games, rookie TE Brock Bowers had 19 receptions for 187 yards and one TD. Jakobi Meyers, considered the Raiders’ top wideout in Adams’ absence, did not play last Sunday with an ankle injury.

Carolina Panthers (1-5) at Washington Commanders (4-2), 4:05 p.m. ET

Dave Canales and the Panthers had a vision for what this season might look like for 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, and it appears to be playing out — in Washington. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels has performed at what teammates dubbed this week “an MVP level,” steering Washington to the top of the NFC East in Dan Quinn’s debut season with the Commanders. Daniels’ 75.3 completion percentage is the second-highest all-time in the first six games of an NFL career (minimum 100 pass attempts). Young was bypassed by journeyman Andy Dalton at QB and the offense has performed well enough to hang around in most games. RB Chuba Hubbard is third in the NFL with 485 rushing yards. Getting the ball in the end zone isn’t a challenge for Washington, which averages 29.7 points per game. But the Panthers are putting up only 17.2 points per game. Daniels has connected with Terry McLaurin for a TD in four consecutive games while the combination of RBs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler and Daniels has helped Washington generate a dynamic running game, averaging 157.3 yards and more than two TDs per game.

Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) at San Francisco 49ers (3-3), 4:25 p.m. ET

49ers LB Fred Warner and head coach Kyle Shanahan were frank in their discussions about facing the Chiefs, who beat San Francisco in the Super Bowl in February (and in 2019), and QB Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. Mahomes is 4-0 with 1,356 pass yards (339 per game), 11 TDs (10 pass, one rush) with a passer rating of 104.6 against San Francisco. The Cliff’s Notes version of their outlook on the Week 7 matchup: Beating Mahomes can’t be done at the microphone. The 49ers are relatively rested coming back from a Week 6 Thursday night victory at Seattle, but the Chiefs are returning from their bye week. They’ve won five of the past six games coming out of the bye, and head coach Andy Reid is 21-4 all-time after byes. Kansas City got back to work this week with RB Kareem Hunt reinstalled as the lead back and the Chiefs leaning on a collective at wide receiver to help settle an offense prone to stalling in the red zone. Mahomes has six touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024. Production isn’t a problem for San Francisco. QB Brock Purdy has 1,629 passing yards and nine touchdowns with the 49ers developing a running game without RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles). Jordan Mason (shoulder) left last week’s game only to see rookie Isaac Guerendo gain 99 yards on the ground.

New York Jets (2-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2), 8:20 p.m. ET

Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers are together again, as the longtime Packers’ teammates debut with the Jets at Pittsburgh in prime time with little time to waste. The week before acquiring Adams the Jets fired their head coach, and falling to 2-5 could prompt more changes. The Steelers made waves of their own by opening the door for Russell Wilson to claim the QB job this week in what head coach Mike Tomlin framed as a declaration of health for the former Broncos and Seahawks starter. Justin Fields accepted responsibility for the demotion, saying he didn’t do enough to win the job while Wilson was hobbled. Pittsburgh’s defense might give Wilson time to settle in, as the Steelers give up just 14.3 points per game. LB Patrick Queen, in his first season in the middle of the 3-4 after playing for the Ravens, is becoming a major part of the machine and posted a season-high 13 tackles last week. He’ll have the responsibility of helping contain Jets RB Breece Hall (169 yards from scrimmage last week).

–Field Level Media

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A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24

WNBA: Playoffs-Las Vegas Aces at New York LibertyOct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.

Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).

Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.

It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.

“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”

While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.

“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.

“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”

Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.

“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”

As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.

“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”

When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.

“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”

–Will Despart, Field Level Media

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Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series

MLB: Seattle Mariners at AthleticsMay 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.

It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.

But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.

Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.

“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.

“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”

Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.

The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.

“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”

Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.

The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.

Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.

Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.

Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.

Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.

“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”

New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.

Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.

Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.

–Field Level Media

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Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement

Boxing: Pacquiao vs UgasAug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.

Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.

The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.

Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.

The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.

Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.

Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.

–Field Level Media

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