With a revamped offensive unit, a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, and the return of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2026 NFL season with plenty of optimism.
Pittsburgh got off to an effective start in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. While the win definitely was far from flashy or explosive, the Steelers earned a 20-13 victory over Atlanta.
While Rodgers played a clean game, the offense struggled to find consistency as the team works through the growing pains that come with offseason changes.

Utah State cornerback Markie Grant, safety David Kabongo (8) and safety Charger Doty (3) react during a game against Washington, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Seattle.

UAlbany football head coach Tom Perkovich’s team is looking to improve to 3-1. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)

ALBANY – The University at Albany football team ruined Monmouth’s playoff hopes last November and ended the Great Danes’ dismal 2025 season on a high note.
With his team off to an impressive start this season, first-year Great Danes coach Tom Perkovich said he hasn’t brought up that 31-24 upset of the Hawks in last season’s finale. After all, he wasn’t even on the sideline for it.

Iga Swiatek sits outside the qualification spots for this year’s WTA Finals.
The six-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t been anywhere near her best in 2026. With a handful of tournaments left this season, Swiatek sits 10th in the ‘Live WTA Race’, 650 points behind eighth-placed Linda Noskova.
If the Pole fails to close that gap, she will miss out on the WTA Finals for the first time in six years.

Danny Kanell and Sony Michel join CBS Sports HQ

Ryan Strain recalled an unusual summer that helped get his career back on track at Falkirk.
The 29-year-old Australia right-back was looking for a club after his contract at Dundee United had expired when he joined up with PFA Scotland’s inaugural free agent training camp in Kirkintilloch.
The former Maccabi Haifa and St Mirren player, who began his senior career in Australia with Adelaide United, then got the call from Bairns boss John McGlynn before signing on a one-year deal.

Nick Saban joins The Pat McAfee Show to discuss

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BATON ROUGE, LA – SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin head coach of the LSU Tigers celebrates on the sideline following a turnover during the second half of a game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on September 12, 2026, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Derick Hingle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Lane Kiffin was building an empire.
Several stops into his long and winding coaching road, Kiffin was building something big in Oxford.

Bournemouth manager makes bold promise ahead of Liverpool clash
Liverpool vs Bournemouth: Iraola Returns as Cherries Prepare to Go All In

Liverpool head to Bournemouth with a useful edge, and it is a simple one. Rest matters. Rhythm matters. Travel matters. Bournemouth have just played the first European match in their history, won 2-1 away at Real Sociedad, and now have to turn that into a Premier League performance against one of the division’s strongest sides.

That is not ideal preparation, even if nobody at Bournemouth wants to say it out loud.

Lewis Jagger scored three tries in 10 games for Huddersfield in 2026 [swpix.com]
Huddersfield Giants winger Lewis Jagger has signed a new contract through to the end of the 2029 season.
The 18-year-old made a try-scoring debut against Leigh Leopards in the final game of 2025 and scored three tries in 10 appearances in 2026.
“Jags is a kid of high ability and high capability,” director of rugby Andy Kelly told the club website.
“He’s had to step in the side quite premature and he’s more than adequately equipped himself to the side.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just over 24 hours away from its upcoming UFC 331 fight card, featuring the overdue championship rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. The action gets underway this Sat. night (Sept. 19, 2026) on Paramount+ from inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., also featuring a five-round lightweight co-main event pitting Arman Tsarukyan against Mauricio Ruffy.
Before they can fight, they must weigh in.

How to watch the Cavaliers on DAZN: Prices, plans, features for new Cleveland NBA streaming home originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to take the next step in 2026-27 after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden back to lead the charge. 
While those stars are familiar, Cavs fans will have a new way to watch them this season.

On First Take, Stephen A.

76ers’ LeBron James’ high school teammate is now running the Cavaliers after promotion originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been very active this summer in terms of getting the guys they want. A big reason for this is to chase a championship, as they believe they have the duo to do it.
James Harden was acquired at the last trade deadline. This summer, he took a team-friendly deal to help with free agency.

The Cavaliers are promoting Brandon Weems, who has been with the team for the past decade, to serve as general manager, sources told ESPN

Jack Campbell fought back tears while reflecting on Detroit’s poor defensive effort in Thursday night’s loss in Buffalo.

Rams coach Sean McVay is hoping to brush off his team’s lackluster season-opening loss to the 49ers by not thinking about Australia — for a very long time.

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Scott Van Pelt and Stanford Steve Coughlin give

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From current playoff matchups to league races to the postseason schedule, we have it all.

Tired of seeing your favorite team go home early in the postseason? Here’s one thing each current playoff team needs to address to make a deep run.

5. Ryan Day, Ohio State, $10,021,250 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Beyond the crippling despair, angst, and frustration that the historic second-half collapse in Austin last Saturday created inside the souls of every member of Buckeye Nation, one of the most frustrating things about Ohio State’s defeat at the hands of Texas is that we now have to wait an entire month to see if the Buckeyes and their coaches can put the hard-learned lessons of the loss to the Longhorns into practice against another top-flight opponent.

Bob Toski turns 100 on Friday, Sept. 18. The legendary golf teacher and pro has an opinion on pretty much anything related to the sport.
Here are his thoughts on:
Tiger Woods: When I watched Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson drive the golf ball, they were almost always in the fairway. Tiger would drive the ball offline consistently. I watched him do that and said, Byron didn’t do that, Hogan didn’t do that. He either had a misunderstanding of the golf swing or he couldn’t execute it like I thought he could. But he found a way to dominate.

Buffalo Bill’s Highmark Stadium and QB Josh Allen © Instagram (@/buffalobills)
The Buffalo Bills opened Highmark Stadium for the first time for an NFL game as they hosted the Detroit Lions in a high-flying 72-point Thursday Night Football thriller.
Before the game, the Bills gave fans a memento to commemorate the first NFL game at the new stadium, which cost $2,100,000,000, according to AP News. This contained a ‘key’ to the stadium, alongside a special message, saying:

“This stadium is yours, Buffalo. Welcome home.

The Seattle Seahawksreleased their second injury report of the week on Thursday in preparation for the Week 2 contest with the Arizona Cardinals. Starting right guard Anthony Bradford was limited with a hip injury for the second straight day. Bradford appears in legitimate danger of missing the Cardinals showdown.
Head coach Mike Macdonald will deliver a final injury report and update on Friday. We should learn more about Bradford’s availability then.

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LOS ANGELES – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Friday’s UFC 331 official weigh-ins, which begin at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Official weigh-ins take place at the host hotel in California and precede the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which begin at 8 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena. The same venue hosts Saturday’s numbered event on Paramount+.

On First Take, Stephen A.

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Rubian Dias joins Joe Prince-Wright to discuss

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(Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills opened the new Highmark Stadium in style on Thursday night, with a 41-31 win over the visiting Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. The win propelled the Bills to a 2-0 start, and with a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans and their vaunted defense in Week 1, Buffalo has put 77 points on the board in just two weeks.
And in the process, Allen has made a strong, albeit early, case for his second MVP award.

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Domonique Foxworth and Charlie Kravitz react to

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TALLAHASSEE, FL – SEPTEMBER 07: Wide receiver Yamir Knight #8 of the SMU Mustangs avoids getting tackled by defensive tackle Mandrell Desir #3 of the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 7, 2026 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Let’s be up front and honest: the Florida State Seminole defense has been pretty bad to start this season.

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 12: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur’s match against Aston Villa tomorrow feels significant. Despite consistent match-by-match improvement, Tottenham still are without a win or a goal scored in Premier League play this season.

Anton Stach’s nervous Klopp call brings Germany return after injury struggle
A text message from an unknown number and a nervous phone call put Anton Stach back where he wants to be after a difficult summer.
On Monday night Stach was part of Leeds United’s 4-1 thumping of Newcastle United, so Tuesday’s training session at Thorp Arch began a little later than usual. By the time he was ready to head home again afterwards, he was back in the Germany fold – called up by new national team boss Jurgen Klopp.
“He text me actually,” said Stach.

Tottenham forward Dejan Kulusevski (BENJAMIN CREMEL)
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi hopes Dejan Kulusevski’s long-awaited return from injury will provide a boost for his troubled team.
Kulusevski has not played for Tottenham since May 2025 after suffering a knee injury, but the Sweden forward returned to full training this week.
Although the 26-year-old is not ready to face Aston Villa on Saturday, he should make his comeback after the international break.

ORCHARD PARK – For most of Thursday night’s electric home opener at shiny new Highmark Stadium, it felt like the Buffalo Bills were in complete control against the Detroit Lions, and understandably so.
The Bills scored touchdowns on their first four possessions in opening a 27-7 second-quarter lead and while the sellout crowd of 60,644 was in celebration mode, the nationwide Amazon broadcast audience may have started to flip around Prime for viewing options that were more compelling than the Josh Allen-authored blowout taking shape.

On Get Up, Harry Douglas, Dan Orlovsky and Dan

Earlier this week, The Athletic listed the Texas Longhorns as one of the highest-paying programs in college football with a payroll of approximately $45-55 million.
But “that is inaccurate,” Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said during his Thursday weekly Zoom session with reporters.
“I think The Athletic and different outlets, I guess, do valuations on players of what they think players are worth and/or not worth,” Sarkisian said.

San Antonio FC defender Alex Crognale dribbles the ball during a match against Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Toyota Field. SAFC and Sacramento face off again Sunday as both teams make a push for the USL Championship playoffs. (Rance Ristau/San Antonio FC)

With San Antonio FC locked in a tight battle to qualify for the playoffs, midfielder Luke Haakenson is not letting the pressure get to him as the club prepares for its match against Sacramento Republic FC on Sunday.

Felix Auger-Aliassime lost to Karen Khachanov, 7-6, 3-6, 2-6, 2-6, in the second round of the 2026 US Open.
The Canadian reached the US Open semi-finals a year ago, but failed to repeat the feat in 2026. Instead, Khachanov defeated Auger-Aliassime in four sets before reaching the semi-finals himself.
Auger-Aliassime looked off his game at Flushing Meadows, and ahead of this weekend’s Davis Cup action, he’s confirmed what really happened to him.

Texas A&M begins SEC play against Kentucky in just the fourth all-time meeting between the teams and only the second as SEC opponents. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

After two lopsided home wins in nonconference play, No. 9 Texas A&M opens SEC play.
The Aggies (2-0) host Kentucky (1-1) at Kyle Field to cap three straight games at home to start the season. Saturday’s game is just the fourth all-time between the schools and only the second since A&M joined the SEC in 2012 (the first was in 2018, an Aggies overtime win over the No. 13 Wildcats).