Hopefully David Tepper didn’t have any drinks nearby on Sunday. Or anything else the Carolina Panthers owner could throw in anger. The Panthers spent and spent this offseason to improve after going 2-15 last season. They hired a new coach, Dave Canales. They improved the team around quarterback Bryce Young. And nothing was different. The Panthers’ renewed optimism was burned …

Week 2 of the 2024 college football season wasn’t short on fireworks with plenty of upsets and near pitfalls changing both major polls significantly and altering the perception around some of the nation’s top teams. Though Week 3 doesn’t look as exciting on paper, there are some intriguing matchups — especially in the nonconference — that should have an impact …

USATSI Chicago Bears reserve safety Jonathan Owens was Johnny on the spot during Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans. Owens returned a blocked Ryan Stonehouse punt for a touchdown, trimming the Titans lead to 17-9 pending the extra point in the third quarter.  Owens is the husband of Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles. The St. Louis native is on …

Getty Images Sunday was poetic justice for several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who recorded an 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in their regular season opener.  Justin Fields, a former first-round pick and Georgia native, won his first career start as a member of the Steelers in a game that was played in his home state. Arthur Smith, fired …

Teams looking to get off to a fast start to the regular season clash on Sunday Night Football when the Los Angeles Rams meet the Detroit Lions. Detroit ended Los Angeles’ season a year ago when it posted a 24-23 Wild Card victory. The Rams (10-7), who were second behind San Francisco in the NFC West, were dominant within the …

Notre Dame’s last second field goal attempt is blocked to give Northern Illinois the 16-14 win in a NCAA college football game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend. We’re still trying to process how the heck Notre Dame let Northern Illinois win in South Bend. Then again, such things tend to linger when they …

USATSI The Carolina Panthers’ first drive of the 2024 season looked a lot like their 2023 season. On the first pass attempt of his sophomore campaign, former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young threw an interception. Young’s pass intended for wide receiver Diontae Johnson was intercepted by Saints safety Will Harris, who brought the ball seven yards to the Carolina …

Jonathan Owens (36) celebrates with teammates after scoring Chicago’s first touchdown of the season. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley) Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens traveled to Paris this summer to watch his wife Simone Biles compete at the Olympics. On Sunday, it was Biles’ turn to play spectator as the Bears played their season opener at home against the Tennessee Titans. She …

Through two games, Ole Miss football has been dominant. The Rebels blasted Middle Tennessee State 52-3 on Saturday, thanks to quarterback Jaxson Dart’s record-breaking performance and running back Henry Parrish’s four-score game. The Rebels remained at No. 5 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and moved up one spot to No. 5 in the AP Poll. Ole Miss’ rankings also …

Davante Adams and the Las Vegas Raiders kick off the 2024 NFL season against Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday on CBS and Paramount+. The Silver and Black finished last season with an uninspiring 8-9 record, and they look to turn things around with Antonio Pierce firmly established as head coach. They visit a new-look Chargers team that went 5-12 …

Getty Images The NFL’s new kickoff rule has something in common with the old kickoff rule: The returner has to actually catch the ball before he can return it and the Bears had some trouble with that small task during the first half on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.  After Tennessee scored a touchdown late in the first quarter, Nick …

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Dante Dowdell (23) stiff arms Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Preston Hodge (24) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images As a longtime follower of Colorado football, Saturday’s game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers has me feeling like Robin Williams from the movie “Jumanji.” Seeing issues from years …

Taylor Swift was in attendance at the US Open men’s final along with Travis Kelce on Sunday, four days after watching her boyfriend’s Kansas City Chiefs open their NFL season with a victory. The singing superstar was wearing a red-and-white checkered dress when she arrived for the match between American Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner of Italy. Kelce was dressed …

Report: Aiyuk nixed last-second Steelers trade before 49ers deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area It appears Brandon Aiyuk nearly joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before agreeing to a four-year, $120 million contract extension with the 49ers on Aug. 29, the star receiver was close to being dealt to Pittsburgh. Just how close was it? On the same day he …

Getty Images Texas made a big move in the AP Top 25 this week after a huge road win against Michigan. The Longhorns leapfrogged Ohio State, the Wolverines’ biggest, rival, for the No. 2 spot behind still top-ranked Georgia.  The Buckeyes still received more first-place votes with five to the Longhorns’ four. Those two, and Georgia, were the only three …