Articles by Ricky ODonnell

The New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders’ Week 2 matchup was a showdown of two of the worst teams in the NFL. While the Carolina Panthers already look like clearly the league’s biggest bottom-feeder, the Giants and Commanders don’t exactly project to be powerhouses, either. Both of these teams badly wanted to win on Sunday if only because there likely won’t be many opportunities for wins all year.
Giants kicker Graham Gano was put on the injured report on Saturday with a groin injury. Gano looked uncomfortable during warmups, but New York didn’t elevate another kicker to the active roster.
Gano hobbled off the field on the opening kickoff, and was eventually ruled out. The Giants had punter Jamie Gillan handle kicking duties, but he entered the goal with only three field goal attempts in his career. New York didn’t trust him enough to actually let him kick a field goal in this game, and it came back to cost them.
The Commanders beat the Giants, 21-18, without scoring a touchdown. Washington made seven field goals to account for all of its scoring only five days after signing kicker Austin Seibert.
The Giants had a chance to kick the go-ahead field goal with just about two minutes left in regulation. With the ball on the Washington 22-yard-line, the Giants decided they couldn’t trust Gillan with a reasonable field goal, and decided to go for it. QB Daniel Jones found an open Malik Nabors for what would have been a first down, but he dropped it:

Giants can’t convert the 4th down attempt and Jayden Daniels will receive the ball in a tie game with 2 minutes remaining in the game.ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?! pic.twitter.com/Lalrpz5nWW— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) September 15, 2024

If Gano was healthy, that’s an easy field goal opportunity. It’s a huge failure on Giants management for not having another place kicker on the active roster, especially because New York only had 52 active players on Sunday, one short of the NFL limit.
Giants fans were losing their mind with the poor roster management.

Graham Gano was added to the injury report on Saturday. Giants did NOT elevate Jude McAtamney. Now Gano is hurt and the Giants have no kicker.Giants have 52 men on their active roster (plus two elevations) today, so they were already playing one short.How? HOW?— TheGiantsWire (@TheGiantsWire) September 15, 2024

Graham Gano was added to the injury report long before this game. We saw what happened last year when Gano tried to play through an injury. For Brian Daboll not to have a legitimate backup kicker on the roster today is inexcusable.— The Entertainah (@TheEntertainah) September 15, 2024

The giants rostering 52 players and not having kicker is going to single handedly lose them the game. Terrible roster management by Schoen— The Met Man▫️#NYMWSC24 (@WILPONSmustSELL) September 15, 2024

Imagine being so financially strapped with the salary cap that you played this game with 52 knowing your kicker was banged up. Roster management at its finest— Mike C (@GiantsMC66) September 15, 2024

Whoever is responsible for not signing the backup kicker to the active roster after knowing that Gano had an injury all week should be fired. We only had 52 players NOT 53 on the roster for the game. A total embarrassment. Malpractice & Incompetence. Good grief. Pathetic.— Skye Luque (@LuqueMeatSauce) September 15, 2024

After being hurt on the opening kickoff, Gano could barely walk:

At least this was cute:

The Giants could have won this game if they cared enough to put another kicker on the roster. Instead, New York blew a golden opportunity for one of its few victories of the season.
When everyone in charge of the Giants eventually gets fired, remember this moment. […]

Justin Jefferson is the best wide receiver in the NFL, and on Sunday against the mighty San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of the NFL season, he recorded the longest reception of his career.
The Vikings were pinned at their own 3-yard-line early in the second quarter. It’s rare you will see an offense call a play action pass in such a situation, but that’s exactly what the Vikings dialed up. The Niners were caught completely off guard as Jefferson ran deep, got behind two San Francisco defenders, and danced around long enough to take it to the end zone.
Vikings’ QB Sam Darnold was on the 49ers last year playing backup to Brock Purdy. You know this had to be sweet for Darnold, who threw an absolutely perfect pass to hit Jefferson in stride. Watch Jefferson’s epic touchdown here.

How about the hustle from teammate Jalen Nailor on this play, too? He busted his butt downfield to give Jefferson a late block to make sure he scored the touchdown.
Not many people gave the Vikings a chance this season, especially after rookie QB JJ McCarthy went down with a season-ending injury. At least so far, Darnold looks competent, Jefferson is as great as ever, and Minnesota looks totally fine. The NFL always keeps you guessing. […]

What’s a catch in the NFL? Even after years of arguments and rule clarifications, the answer doesn’t seem any more certain. You can read the official rule summary of what constitutes an NFL catch here, but essentially it’s a three part process: 1) secure the ball, 2) stay inbounds, and 3) “perform any act common to the game (e.g., tuck the ball away, extend it forward, take an additional step, turn upfield.”
It sure feels like Los Angeles Chargers tight end Eric Tomlinson completed a catch in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Week 2. He appeared to have possession, take two steps, and make a ‘football move’ by advancing up field. Panthers defensive back Jaycee Horn punched the ball out, which was initially ruled a fumble. It looks like a fumble to these eyes. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the refs overturned it.
On the very next play, Chargers QB Justin Herbert threw a touchdown pass.
Here’s the fumble that wasn’t a fumble. Watch the play and judge for yourself.

Herbert found Quentin Johnston for a 29-yard touchdown strike on the next play. Rarely do you see an overturned call affect the game in such an obviously significant way.
The Panthers can’t afford to get robbed out of important plays like this one. It looks like another long Sunday for Carolina. […]

It was only two years ago that Arch Manning was the biggest name in the college football recruiting world. Manning — the son of Cooper Manning, and the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning — was the No. 1 overall recruit in the country as he committed to Texas, according to 247 Sports. Players with that type of pedigree rarely have a long wait before they are starting, but with Quinn Ewers in front of him, Manning redshirted in his true freshman year and was set to ride the pine again this season.
Ewers went down with an injury in Texas’ Week 3 matchup against UTSA, and was ruled out for the game. Manning entered for the first bit of meaningful action of his career, and he immediately showed out.
On his very first pass of the game, Manning zipped a 19-yard touchdown to DeAndre Moore Jr. to put Texas up 21-0. Watch the play here:

Manning got Texas in the end zone again on the next possession, and this touchdown was even more impressive. On a 2nd-and-2 from their own territory, Manning faked a handoff and took off on a designed run. He busted the play 67 yards for a touchdown.
Peyton and Eli Manning couldn’t move like this. Their nephew has wheels!

That’s some Manning Fireworks for you.
Manning threw another long touchdown pass in the third quarter … though running back Isaiah Bond did most of the hard work:

And one more for Manning. This touchdown throw was 75 yards:

Ewers is playing like a first round NFL draft pick through the start of this season. Is it possible that Manning is even better? It’s wise not to take too much away from a game against UTSA, but the talent Manning possesses just jumps off the screen.
Texas can only keep Manning on the bench for so long. This will be his program before you know it. […]

College football is wonderful when it’s good. It’s also great when it’s terrible. Kansas and UNLV were closer to the latter than the former when they met on Friday in Week 3, but the end product was still one of the more entertaining games of the short season.
UNLV beat Kansas, 23-20, for a come-from-behind victory. The Rebels scored a chaotic touchdown at the halftime buzzer to cut into what was an 11-point Kansas lead, and then shut down the Jayhawks offense in the second half (limiting them to only one field goal) as they forged ahead for the win.
The wildest play of the game happened in the fourth quarter. With UNLV trailing by four points, QB Matthew Sluka took off up the middle on a scramble and immediately fumbled when he was hit from behind by a Jayhawks defender. Kansas tried to dive on the ball and accidentally booted it forward … right to another Kansas player, who somehow botched the scoop. Kansas then had six players around the football trying to dive on it, but still couldn’t corral it. The ball bounced back to UNLV, and they finally secured the possession. Watch the play here:

HOW did Kansas not come away with that football? Almost every player on the field in a black jersey had a chance to secure the ball, but none of them could do it.
This play actually helped decide the game. After recovering the fumble, UNLV drove down the field and scored the go-ahead-touchdown. They wouldn’t trail the rest of the game.
Kansas was a two touchdown favorite entering the night. This loss is going to sting.
UNLV improves to 3-0. Kansas falls to 1-2. It feels amazing to have football back in our lives, even (especially?) when it leads to sequences that should be soundtracked by ‘Yackety Sax.’ […]

The NFL world watched in shock and horror as Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left with a concussion during the third quarter of a Week 2 matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football. This is Tagovailoa’s fourth known concussion. It was only two years ago that football fans watched Tagovailoa suffer an apparent head injury against the Bills, re-enter the game, and then start again four days later against the Bengals only to be carried off the field in a stretcher when he suffered another concussion.
Tagovailoa walked off the field on his own accord on Thursday, and was reportedly “conscious, awake, and alert” with full movement in extremities after the game. As fans await an update on Tagovailoa’s status for the rest of the season, there has already been discourse on whether or not the 26-year-old QB should retire due to repeated head injuries.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he did not know when Tua would return the field, but he wouldn’t expect him to play next week. McDaniel also acknowledged the retirement speculation when asked about Tagovailoa on Friday, but gave a wonderful response about how that’s far the biggest concern right now. Right watch McDaniel’s full answer on Tagovailoa retirement talk here:

Here’s a transcription:
“You’re talking about this career, right? His career is his.” McDaniel said. “And that’s something that I think, I just really, really, really wish — I totally understand [the question], and it’s not misplaced. I totally get how that’s where people want to go to. I just wish people would, for a second, hear what I’m saying — that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care, that should be the last thing on your mind.
As Tagovailoa walked off the field on Thursday night with a diagnosed concussion, McDaniel gave him a big smooch on the head:

McDaniel’s words are spot on, but it’s fair to question his past actions. Back in the 2022 season, Tagovailoa sustained an apparent head injury, but returned to the game. He played four days later against the Bengals and suffered an even scarier concussion. McDaniel likely played a role in Tua seeing the field in that instance.
It will be fascinating to see how Tagovailoa’s season plays out from here. The most important thing is that he’s set up for a long and healthy life after football. The contract and football implications for the Dolphins can wait for another day. For now, let’s just hope Tua is okay. […]

Derek Bender showed off an elite bat for a college catcher during his three-year career at Coastal Carolina, putting up averages of .326/.408/.571 with 32 homers and 153 RBIs in 144 games. The Minnesota Twins saw enough to select Bender in the sixth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, using the No. 188 overall pick to bring him into the organization.
The Twins released Bender on Thursday after one of the most bizarre baseball scandals of the season. It involves tipping pitches, elimination from playoff contention, and a desire to begin the offseason early from a player whose professional career might already be over.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel broke the story of the Twins releasing Bender after he was reportedly helping opposing hitters by telling them what pitch was coming during the second game of a Single-A double-header between his Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
Bender told multiple hitters for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, a Detroit farm team, the specific pitches being thrown by starter Ross Dunn, sources said.
Lakeland won the game and eliminated the Mighty Mussels from playoff contention with the loss. Why would a catcher be helping the opposing team by tipping pitches? According to ESPN, Bender “had told teammates he wanted the season to be over.”
Bender seems like a fascinating guy after going back and reading some pre-draft coverage. His college career was mostly notable for defiant reaction after hitting this home run earlier this year:

Here’s a good feature on Bender from 2023 explaining how his unique personality and approach to the game.
Bender was struggling at the plate in his first 19 games as a pro in Single-A ball. This might be the last we hear of him. […]

NBA MVP has become one of the most furiously debated awards in all of sports. The league’s eternal 82-game regular season leaves plenty of time for narratives to form, and candidates to rise and fall up the rankings. As we enter the 2024-2025 NBA season, a few MVP trends are starting to form.
The last six NBA MVP winners have been born outside of the United States. An MVP winner hasn’t been on the championship-winning team since Stephen Curry in 2015 with the Golden State Warriors. It’s easy to forget this is a regular season award, but playoff narratives from the season before often have a way of factoring in.
What makes the 2025 NBA MVP race so much fun is that there’s no overwhelming favorite entering the season. The candidate that rises to the top will have to drive high-level team success, put up incredible numbers, and — most importantly — stay healthy. Here are the players who can win MVP as we enter the new season.
NBA MVP long shots for 2025
9. Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns: Booker’s numbers last season — 27.1 points, 6.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds per game on impressive 61.1 percent true shooting — would have been good enough to factor into the MVP race most years, but instead he didn’t get a single top-5 vote, mostly because the Suns only finished No. 6 in the West. After getting swept out of the first round by Minnesota, the Suns brought in a veteran point guard in Tyus Jones who should make Booker’s life easier as a scorer. Booker has real momentum after playing a pivotal role during Team USA’s gold medal run at the 2024 Olympics, where he showed a more well-rounded game and increased his defensive intensity. If that carries over, the Suns could enjoy more team success this season, and push Booker into the MVP race.

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

8. Ja Morant, G, Memphis Grizzlies: The last time we saw Ja Morant available for a full season, he was making the Grizzlies an elite team in the Western Conference. Memphis finished with the No. 2 seed in the West in both 2022 and 2023 before a calamity of errors — including Morant’s long suspension and then season-ending injury — pushed the team into the lottery last season. The Grizzlies look a bit different this year as Morant returns, but there’s no question he’s still their leading man. Now 25 years old, Morant will have every opportunity to prove he’s one of the best scorers and playmakers in the league … if he’s mature enough and durable enough to stay on the court. If the Grizzlies can regain their status as an elite regular season team, Morant is bound to figure into MVP talk.
If they get the No. 1 seed …
7. Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks: Brunson has gotten better every year of his NBA career, and if that trend continues into Year 7, he’ll have a real chance to earn MVP consideration. Brunson placed fifth on last season’s MVP ballot after averaging 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game while playing huge minutes for the Knicks. New York should be even better this season after trading for Mikal Bridges to go along with a full season of OG Anunoby, but Brunson’s creation burden will still be enormous. Tom Thibodeau’s resolve to treat every game like a Game 7 can only help Brunson’s MVP case. It isn’t hard to imagine a scenario where this team is winning close to 60 games, Brunson is creating every opportunity, and he builds a serious case for the award.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

6. Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves: The Wolves are much more than a one-man show, but there’s no question that Edwards became their leader last season. The 23-year-old figures to be an MVP candidate for the foreseeable future with nuclear athleticism and some of the league’s most impressive tough shot-making ability. Edwards still has plenty of room to grow in more subtle ways — he can start by improving the Wolves’ halfcourt offensive efficiency — but he’s going to have the wow plays that power MVP campaigns. Minnesota isn’t sneaking up on anyone this year, but Edwards seems just fine with having a target on his chest.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis almost feels underrated entering the season after missing the playoffs the last two years with injuries. When he’s at his best, Antetokounmpo is still the second or third best player in the world, and the most devastating two-way force in the league. His growth as a playmaker — he averaged a career-high 6.5 assists per game last year — gives him more counters to beat an opposing defense, and he’s still totally overwhelming when he attacks the rim. The Bucks face a ton of pressure to regain contender status this season, but they always know what they’re going to get from Giannis.
2025 NBA MVP favorites

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

4. Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers: Embiid seemed poise to win his second straight MVP last year until a knee injury knocked him out for most of the second half of the regular season. Now he has a new and improved supporting cast around him, headlined by the signing of Paul George this summer. Embiid should feel less pressure to carry the Sixers every night with George and Tyrese Maxey as elite co-stars, and that could negatively affect his MVP case. That’s totally fine: for Embiid, the playoffs are the only thing that matters, but he’s still bound to put up huge numbers if he can stay available for the regular season.
3. Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets: It’s generally agreed upon at this point that Jokic is the best player in the world. He’s going to have to do more than ever to keep the Nuggets at the top of the West this season with the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the team more determined to rely on young players. As he turns 30 in February, Jokic remains in his physical prime and can boost a long track record of durability, ridiculous all-around production, and an ability to power team success. With three MVPs already under his belt and a surprising early playoff elimination last season, will voters really want to make him the sixth player in league history with at least four MVP trophies? For as great as Jokic is, don’t be surprised if the ballots want to go with someone new even if he is still performing at the highest level in the league.

Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, Oklahoma City Thunder: SGA’s MVP case is already easy to see: the Thunder are a heavy favorite to finish with the No. 1 seed in the West, and he’s going to be at the controls with an opportunity to put up massive numbers. Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP last year with an absurd combination of scoring, playmaking, and efficiency while also tying for the league-lead in steals. As his young co-stars continue to evolve and his supporting cast improves with the additions of Isaiah Hartensten and Alex Caruso, the Thunder are a very real championship front-runner, and Gilgeous-Alexander is perhaps the MVP favorite.
1. Luka Doncic, G, Dallas Mavericks: Doncic is a one-man army when it comes to producing efficient offense. He’s too big, too crafty, and too skilled to be contained by any individual matchup or any one form of defensive coverage. He has momentum coming off a Finals run that saw him slay every Western Conference opponent in front of him without being 100 percent healthy, and he has more shooting around him this year with the arrival of Klay Thompson. The only real question for Doncic’s MVP viability is if he’ll be in elite shape entering the season, or if he’ll need to ramp up for a couple months before the games really start to count ahead of the playoffs. Luka feels destined to win an MVP or two before his career is over, and this could be the year he does it.
5 big names who didn’t make the cut
LeBron James and Stephen Curry can still be as good as anyone in the world on any given night, but it’s hard to imagine them doing it consistently over an 82-game season this late into their careers. Anthony Davis just doesn’t seem durable enough to win this award despite playing 76 games last season, and even if he does the Lakers likely won’t be at the top of the conference. Victor Wembanyama will win an MVP soon, but not yet. Jayson Tatum would easily fit the ‘best player on the best team’ MVP formula, but it feels like he’ll never get full credit for Boston’s success because his teammates are too good. […]

The Tennessee Titans had the Chicago Bears on the ropes in Week 1 on Sunday. Tennessee held a 17-0 lead on the road as the clock ticked away on the second quarter. The Titans defense was spoiling the debut of Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams with consistent pressure up the middle, and it put Will Levis and the Tennessee offense in a position where they didn’t have win the game as much as they had to not lose it.
So much for that. The Bears beat the Titans, 24-17, thanks to a ferocious comeback led by their defense and special teams. Chicago failed to score an offensive touchdown, yet won the game thanks to a blocked punt returned to the end-zone, and a fourth quarter pick-six on Levis that put the Bears ahead for good.
Levis’ interception was just terrible. On third and six, Levis flipped the ball to the sidelines just before getting sacked, and it flew right into the hands of Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who took it to the hours. It’s an inexcusable mistake in any context, but it was especially dumb when the Titans were just going to punt on fourth down anyway against a lifeless Bears offense. Just take the sack!
Levis’ reaction made a hilarious play even funnier. As Stevenson was running back the pick-six, Levis went full Surrender Cobra. Watch the interception here:

Now please enjoy the memes:

Here’s a great Fox Sports feature on the history of the Surrender Cobra.
After the game, new Titans head coach Brian Callahan said his team probably would have won if they successfully punted on 1st-and-10 every possession.
He’s right, but it still stings to hear him say it:

Titans HC Brian Callahan:“If we’d just punted on 1st & 10 every time, we might’ve won the game”— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) September 9, 2024

Hey, at least the Titans defense looks great. It can only get better from here for Will Levis and the offense. […]

The San Francisco 49ers shocked the NFL by listing superstar running back Christian McCaffrey as inactive the team’s season opener against the New York Jets to cap Week 1 on Monday Night Football. McCaffrey had been listed on the injury report as questionable with Achilles and calf injuries, but it was widely assumed he was going to play. The next man up in the 49ers’ backfield was Jordan Mason, who turned in the game of his life in McCaffrey’s absence.
The Niners beat the Jets, 32-19, in a performance that reminded the country who the most talented team in the NFC is once again. San Francisco looked phenomenal even without McCaffrey available, and that’s because Mason stepped up in the biggest opportunity of his short career.
Mason finished with 147 yards rushing on 28 carries with one touchdown. Undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2022, he signed with the Niners and slowly worked his way up the depth chart to become McCaffrey’s primary backup entering the year. This should be a heartwarming story of an underdog shining on a big stage, but instead after the game, all the talk was about when Mason learned he would be starting.
In the immediate aftermath on the field, Mason told reporters after the game he learned he was starting on Friday. When asked about that after the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that wasn’t true. When reporters asked Mason to clarify his answer again in his postgame press conference, he got upset and asked if he could go to the next question. Watch the video here:

Jordan Mason was upset during the postgame press conference After the game he told reporters that he was told he was going to start on Friday. Kyle Shanahan was asked about this and said that this wasn’t true. This was Mason after all of that: https://t.co/UA4yAuMzQp pic.twitter.com/zsApKlYOIv— Kevin Krueger (@kevinkruegs) September 10, 2024

This isn’t the case of the media being “out to get” Mason, though it’s understandable he feels that way even if he’s wrong. This is Shanahan and the 49ers doing “gamesmanship” so the Jets prepared to face McCaffrey all week despite San Francisco knowing he wasn’t going to play. Unfortunately, Mason is the collateral damage in the team’s attempt to gain an edge, and now he comes out looking bad after the game of his life.
Here were Shanahan’s comments after the game:

The NFL mandates that teams provide accurate reports on injury players to the league office, opponents and media leading up to each game. What the Niners tried to do by reporting McCaffrey’s status late is what every team tries to do to gain an edge. The league wants full transparency, especially when there’s so much money flowing through gambling and fantasy football these days. Many fantasy owners got caught surprised by McCaffrey’s status, and didn’t have time to find a replacement.
It’s just unfortunate that this is the big topic to come out of the game when it should be Mason’s stellar performance. We’ll update this story if the 49ers are disciplined. […]