Liberty are WNBA champs; Dodgers-Yankees World Series; Chiefs are NFL’s lone undefeated; Georgia stomps Texas

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🏈 The Football Five

1. Chiefs-49ers is supposedly a rivalry, but it’s one-way traffic right now. Kansas City picked off Brock Purdy three times in a 28-18 win, its fifth straight (including two Super Bowls) over San Francisco. The hosts lost Brandon Aiyuk to what’s feared to be a torn ACL, plus Maliek Collins cheap shotted Patrick Mahomes in the throat and Trent Williams got ejected.
2. The Browns fear Deshaun Watson tore his Achilles in a 21-7 loss to the Bengals. Before the injury, Watson was booed by Browns fans during pregame introductions. After the game, Myles Garrett ripped fans who booed when Watson got injured, and Jameis Winston defended Watson. And if you’re wondering, Cleveland is pretty much stuck with Watson and his fully guaranteed contract.
3. Jordan Love threw three touchdowns and led the game-winning drive as the Packers beat the Texans, 24-22. Brandon McManus made a walk-off 45-yarder in his team debut. Green Bay’s defense was excellent, dominating up front and limiting C.J. Stroud to just 86 yards passing.
4. Saquon Barkley ran for 176 yards and a touchdown in his first game against the Giants, a 28-3 Eagles romp. It’s the second-most yards rushing by a player against his former team. It’s safe to say Barkley isn’t missing the Giants, who benched Daniel Jones, but will keep starting him. Jones still hasn’t thrown a touchdown at home since his huge deal during the 2023 offseason.
5. Jayden Daniels (ribs) left the Commanders‘ win early, and Aidan O’Connell (thumb) left the Raiders‘ loss early. Here’s the Week 7 injury report.

🏆 Good morning to all, but especially to …

THE WNBA CHAMPION NEW YORK LIBERTY …

An all-time WNBA season had an all-time WNBA Finals, and a first-time WNBA champion. The Liberty pulled out a 67-62 overtime victory over the Lynx in the winner-take-all Game 5 for their first title in the league’s 28 seasons.

• At the end of regulation, with New York down two, Breanna Stewart appeared to travel after catching the inbounds pass. No call. Then Alanna Smith was called for a foul as Stewart went up for the shot. Not everyone agreed, including LeBron James. But Stewart hit both free throws, and to overtime we went.
• In her postgame press conference, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the series was “stolen” from Minnesota.
• Leonie Fiebich hit a 3-pointer eight seconds into overtime, and the Liberty never looked back. The Lynx scored just two points in the extra session.

This was a knock-down, drag-out fight that the Liberty won not on the back of their biggest stars, but thanks to others. Sabrina Ionescu shot 1 for 19. Stewart was 4 for 15. (That’s a combined 14.7%.). But Jonquel Jones (17 points) was excellent en route to Finals MVP honors, and Nyara Sabally and Fiebich had 13 points apiece. That’s how you get your first WNBA title in 28 years as a franchise — big moments by Ionescu, Stewart and Jones throughout the series, sure, but a supporting cast that steps up in crucial moments, too.

Here’s Jack Maloney on the Liberty’s total team effort:

• Maloney: “In a game in which most players appeared to be feeling the weight of the moment, Sabally hit the court with a burst of carefree energy. She had some huge baskets in the third quarter as the Liberty made their game-changing run and crashed the glass well. Easily her most important play came late in overtime when she made an incredible recovery to block Napheesa Collier, who was about to convert a layup to make it a one-point game.”

… AND THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS, THE NEW YORK YANKEES AND (MOST) BASEBALL FANS

Shohei Ohtani. Mookie Betts. Max Muncy. Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Aaron Judge. Juan Soto. Giancarlo Stanton. Gerrit Cole.

Stars everywhere, and, surely, more will emerge. It’ll be Dodgers-Yankees for the World Series after the Dodgers finished off the Mets,10-5, in Game 6, one day after the Yankees topped the Guardians, 5-2, in Game 5.

Starting in Los Angeles, Tommy Edman is one of those stars emerging. A midseason acquisition from the Cardinals, Edman had a two-RBI double in the first inning to give the Dodgers the lead and a two-run home run in the fourth to open things up. He earned NLCS MVP honors after batting .407 and collecting 11 RBI in the series. Will Smith also homered, and seven different pitchers held New York’s offense at bay. Here’s what’s next for the Mets, and it might not include Pete Alonso.

Things were much more dramatic in the ALCS one night earlier. Soto hit a two-out, three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to propel the Bronx Bombers their first World Series since 2009. Soto joined some hallowed company, and Mike Axisa broke down the epic at-bat.

Of course, Soto doesn’t even get the chance if Stanton doesn’t hit a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth. He earned ALCS MVP honors for swatting four homers and driving in seven runs in the series. Meanwhile, here’s where the Guardians go next.

So now the stage is set. Game 1 of the World Series isn’t until Friday. We’ll have plenty more stuff to get you ready between now and then, but R.J. Anderson already has five things to know about an incredible Fall Classic matchup.

👍 Honorable mentions

• Tua Tagovailoa plans to return in Week 8.
• Amari Cooper caught a touchdown on his first reception with the Bills. Buffalo’s offense was one of Cody Benjamin’s Week 7 winners.
• Shoutout special teams! Charlie Jones had the longest kickoff return touchdown under the new kickoff rules, and Parker Washington had the longest punt return touchdown in Jaguars history.
• Christian Pulisic delivered a game-winning assist.
• Joey Logano won the South Point 400.
• Francis Ngannou returned to MMA with a knockout of Renan Ferreira.

🏈 And not such a good morning for …

THE NEW YORK JETS

Go ahead and bring in all of Aaron Rodgers‘ friends, Jets. It’s not fixing problems that go far beyond anything Davante Adams could fix. The Steelers bulldozed the Jets 37-15 in Russell Wilson‘s Pittsburgh debut, a statement win for Mike Tomlin‘s squad and a new low for the 2-5 Jets.

• After a slow start, Wilson finished with 264 yards and two touchdowns, one each to George Pickens and Van Jefferson, and a touchdown rushing. Pickens was exceptional with five receptions and 111 yards.
• Rodgers threw one touchdown pass, but also two interceptions to Beanie Bishop Jr. (one off an awful drop by Garrett Wilson). Adams caught just three of nine targets for 30 yards.
• The Steelers rolled up 149 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Fittingly, their final play was a 10-yard Najee Harris run to cap a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Pittsburgh had three separate drives of 10+ plays and 75+ yards.
• Here were the Jets final seven drives: interception, end of half, punt, interception, blocked field goal, turnover on downs, end of game.

It’s just not good enough. The secondary has been ravaged by injuries. The front seven isn’t what it’s been, and it got trounced. I’m not sure Haason Reddick‘s impending return will be enough, either.

On offense, the Jets are 31st in rushing success rate, and the passing game just looks so difficult — even the good plays. The red zone offense is a mess, and not being able to run the ball looms really large there.

Adams will help, the schedule lightens up, and the AFC playoff picture is messy. But this doesn’t look anything like the Super Bowl contender — and, right now, even the playoff contender — the Jets want to be.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

• College football coach firing season has begun. Oklahoma fired offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, East Carolina fired coach Mike Houston and Southern Miss fired coach Will Hall. Utah OC Andy Ludwig stepped down.
• Travis Hunter aggravated his shoulder injury.
• Jerod Mayo called his Patriots a “soft football team across the board” after a 32-16 loss to the Jaguars in London.
• A Rams player had his team-issued tablet stolen.
• Mikal Bridges‘ new shooting form is ugly.

🏈 Lions hand Vikings first loss of season, take NFC North lead

Undefeated one day, second in your own division the next. The Vikings took their first loss of the season, a 31-29 home defeat to the Lions, after Jake Bates‘ late 44-yard field goal. With Detroit and Minnesota both 5-1, the Lions have the tiebreaker and, therefore, the top seed not only in the NFC North, but in the NFC.

This was everything you could have wanted in a football game, but the thing that stands out to me is Detroit’s offense shredding a Minnesota defense that has flummoxed every other opponent.

• Jared Goff went 22 for 25 for 280 yards and two touchdowns.
• Goff had four completions of 25+ yards over the middle; the Vikings had only allowed four such completions over the past three weeks combined. In his weekly grades, John Breech says, “It might be time to put Goff in the MVP conversation.”
• Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. He also had 44 yards receiving.
• Amon-Ra St. Brown caught all eight of his targets for 112 yards and a touchdown.

I just love this offense. I love how it plays to its strengths. I love everything about it. What a fun game, and what a fun team.

🏈 College football recap: Georgia stomps Texas, Alabama loses again

As it turns out, Georgia can still play some darn good football. The Bulldogs rolled into Austin and thumped No. 1 Texas, 30-15, a resounding win that says Kirby Smart‘s bunch still runs the SEC, if not all of college football, Chris Hummer writes.

• Georgia had seven sacks, dominating up front against a team that had allowed six sacks all season entering the night.
• Texas, desperate for a spark, brought in Arch Manning for Quinn Ewers before going back to Ewers. Neither had any answers.
• It wasn’t a whole lot better for Georgia’s passing offense, but running back Trevor Etienne (110 total yards, three touchdowns) proved to be a major difference.
• It was ugly for Longhorns fans, too. Many threw things onto the field after a controversial pass interference call that ended up getting overturned anyway. The SEC fined Texas $250,000 and is trying to ban the fans who participated. Texas apologized.

On the bright side, Texas fans, Dennis Dodd says all is not lost.

Elsewhere, three weeks ago, after a wild win over then-No. 1 Georgia, Alabama was the toast of the college football world. Now, the Crimson Tide just look like toast, period. The Crimson Tide fell at No. 11 Tennessee, 24-17.

• Alabama has two losses before November for the first time since 2007, Nick Saban‘s first year in Tuscaloosa.
• The Volunteers trailed 7-0 at halftime, but Nico Iamaleava made huge plays in huge moments, and Dylan Sampson ran for 139 yards and two scores.

Hats off to Tennessee. But, oh boy, ‘Bama. A screen on fourth and 22? Two more Jalen Milroe turnovers? 15 penalties for 115 yards? The standard is slipping under Kalen DeBoer, John Talty writes.

• Talty: “The bigger issue feels like any sort of killer instinct is desperately missing. Saban was the master of intensely and deliberately stoking that killer instinct … Now? No one is scared of Alabama. Even the Vanderbilts of the world, the schools Saban used to show mercy to, rightfully believe they can beat the Crimson Tide on any given day. Opponents realize they can push this undisciplined Alabama team into making dumb mistakes.”

The SEC race is anyone’s best guess, Shehan Jeyarajah writes.

Here’s more:

• Scores and highlights
• AP Top 25 | Coaches Poll
• Bowl projections | Grades | Winners and losers | Overreactions
• Illinois beat offensively inept Michigan, 21-7. Could the 3-4 Wolverines go from national champions to missing a bowl game?
• Miami won a 52-45 thriller over Louisville, and Chip Patterson says Miami and Clemson run the ACC thanks to their quarterback play.
• Kurtis Rourke (thumb) will miss Indiana‘s game against Washington, but the Hoosiers are very much a playoff contender, Tom Fornelli writes.
• It’s looking really bad for Brent Venables and Oklahoma.
• Hey Arizona State students, Kenny Dillingham wants you to try out for kicker.
• Brady Cook got hurt, went to the hospital and then returned to lead Missouri to victory.

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏈 Ravens at Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. on ABC/ESPN
🏈 Chargers at Cardinals, 9 p.m. on ESPN+