The San Antonio Spurs need to be careful not to waste their time with Victor Wembanyama.
It may seem like Wemby is years away from his prime, but he’s already an elite NBA defender. The Spurs should be making win-now moves if they are wise, or at least attempting to embody that mindset in 2024-25.
San Antonio added Chris Paul over the summer, which was a great move despite Paul’s age, but the Spurs will still struggle to score at times. Another bona fide bucket-getter would do wonders for Gregg Popovich’s ball club.
Is adding someone like Trae Young an impossibility for San Antonio? Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes certainly doesn’t think so, seeing as Hughes recently discussed why a Young-to-Spurs deal would make sense.
“Adding Young would mean an almost top-down stylistic change for his acquiring team, but no organization has the malleability San Antonio does with Victor Wembanyama,” Hughes said. “On defense, specifically, Wemby might be the best player in the league to solve the problems Young causes.”
“The main drawback would be taking the ball out of Wembanyama’s hands, but it’s not yet clear he’ll develop into an offensive alpha who dominates touch time. Young could raise the level of San Antonio’s attack while Wemby ensures elite production on the other end.”
“Atlanta’s interest would stem from the potential to get back the first-rounders it sent away in the Dejounte Murray deal a couple of years ago.”
At the very least, a Young-Wemby pairing would sell a ton of tickets and enhance the Spurs’ brand presence. There’s no doubt that San Antonio would be interested in the idea; it would just be a matter of putting together an attractive enough package for Atlanta or bringing in a third team if necessary.
After a weeks-long search, ESPN finally found its replacement for longtime NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. You might be familiar with some of his work.
Shams Charania is heading to ESPN to serve as the network’s lead NBA insider, he announced on X — the website formerly known as Twitter — on Monday afternoon.
Charania previously served at The Athletic, Stadium and Yahoo Sports. The Chicago native was Wojnarowski’s understudy while at Yahoo Sports. As the years wore on, the two became adversaries, competing with one another to see who could produce the bigger news drops.
Charania beat out a host of candidates, including fellow ESPN stars Jeff Passan and Adam Schefter, to receive the gig. Here’s what you need to know.
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Why did Shams Charania leave The Athletic for ESPN? Charania’s decision to join the Worldwide Leader in Sports was all about timing. His contracts with The Athletic and FanDuel TV were nearing their expiration, making him among the hottest commodities in sports media.
NBC Sports and Prime Video were among the other platforms interested in securing Charania’s services. In the end, ESPN’s pursuit was impossible to pass up.
ESPNer Pat McAfee was among Charania’s biggest advocates, per Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy. McAfee publicly endorsed Charania’s candidacy for Wojnarowski’s job on his show. Charania is a regular guest on the program.
“Shams Charania’s the answer. I know there’s conversations happening. … But if you take our bias out of this conversation, there’s only one answer. It’s Shams Charania,” McAfee said.
MORE: Expert NBA award predictions for 2024-25 season
Adrian Wojnarowski reacts to Shams Charania filling his job at ESPN Former NBA insider Wojnarowski hopped on Jim Rome’s show and broke the silence on Charania filling his job at ESPN for the first time.
“Shams texted me after I announced my retirement. What I told him is what I’ll say today. I hope he has as fulfilling and as rewarding of a career as I’ve had. I certainly wish that for him,” Wojnarowski said.
“He’s right about the incredible group of colleagues that he’s going to find at ESPN. The best of the best. Incredible reporters, on-air talent,” Wojnarowski mentioned, referencing Charania’s announcement post.
“For me, that was always the best part of working at ESPN: the colleagues who elevate you. You’re around the best of the best. That was true on the NBA, and that was true being around [Adam] Schefter, [Pete] Thamel and [Jeff] Passan and those guys.
“I wish [Shams] the best and he’s got a great team around him at ESPN. I miss those guys already,” Wojnarowski concluded.
Shams Charania net worth It’s unclear quite how much money Charania is worth at this point in his career. He reportedly fetched between $3 million and $4 million annually during his time with The Athletic, Stadium and FanDuel, per Front Office Sports.
Wojnarowski, meanwhile, reportedly earned $7 million a season with ESPN, per the Los Angeles Times.
Wojnarowski is believed to have left around $20 million on the table when he decided to retire from the industry and return to St. Bonaventure as the men’s basketball team’s general manager.
Charania’s new deal very well could have fallen somewhere between those two figures, although it hasn’t yet been revealed.
MORE: Where LeBron James, Stephen Curry and other stars land in updated player rankings
Shams Charania age Born on April 1, 1994, Charania is 30 years old.
With his hire, Charania becomes ESPN’s youngest-ever “lead news-breaker,” per Sports Business Journal.
Which teams will be the biggest over and underachievers for the 2024-25 season?
Win totals are out for all 30 teams, and those gambling lines serve as a good proxy for expectations that fans should have.
Sometimes, these totals are unpredictable. The Grizzlies were by far the biggest underachievers last year, hitting their under by 18.5 games due largely to injury. Other times, the evidence is right there for those willing to adjust their expectations quickly. The Wolves, Thunder, Magic and Pacers were all teams led by young stars who showed promise at the end of their previous years. They all completely smashed their overs last season.
The last time I did this, I went 3-1. My best over bet, the Warriors, crashed and burned, but I correctly picked the Knicks as overachievers and the Spurs and Lakers as hitting their unders. Before I pat myself too hard on the back, two years ago I went 0-3. Follow this advice at your own risk, if the reasoning makes sense to you.
With that caveat, here are my favorite over and unders this year.
With the NBA season around the corner, now is the perfect time to lock in awards predictions.
Last season, I had a couple of easy hits on MVP and Rookie of the Year winners. I vastly overestimated the Warriors’ representation in awards, incorrectly picking Chris Paul and Steve Kerr for Sixth Man and Coach of the Year, respectively.
This season is going to prove even more challenging than last. The bar is higher than ever to win the league’s most prestigious awards.
Here are my picks for MVP, Sixth Man of the Year, DPOY and more.
MORE: Updated NBA Power Rankings after Karl-Anthony Towns trade
NBA award predictions 2024-25 Most Valuable Player: Luka Doncic, Mavericks Doncic has finished no worse than eighth in MVP voting in each of the last five seasons. He was the No. 3 finisher last season.
That voting occurred before the playoffs, where he was the MVP of the Western Conference Finals and unstoppable throughout the Mavs’ Finals run. He proved that no defense can contain him, beating every single scheme with averages of 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists during the playoffs.
Doncic has a great chance to repeat that success this upcoming season. The Mavericks should be better given their additions of Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie. Doncic has another year of chemistry with Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II should continue to improve from a promising rookie campaign.
Better spacing around Doncic will make him even tougher to guard. Thompson will get the easiest 3s of his life, and teams can’t sag off a poor shooter like Derrick Jones Jr. anymore.
Doncic is entering his age-25 season and will be better than ever. Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo won their first MVPs at age 24. Jokic won his at 25. Doncic will end his career in that same realm as one of the top 25 players to ever play the game. His time is now.
MORE: Why Klay Thompson chose Mavericks over Lakers in free agency
Zach Edey dunks on Walker Kessler in the Summer League. Rookie of the Year: Zach Edey, Grizzlies This is not a good rookie class, and many of the top picks in this draft looked like they were a long way away from contributing during Summer League. Alex Sarr is a work in progress offensively to put it kindly, as is Zaccharie Risacher. Reed Sheppard could compete for the award but may not get the minutes needed to win given Houston’s depth at guard.
That leaves Edey winning the award by default. He’s going to play a lot — the Grizzlies don’t have much else behind him at center. He also has NBA-ready skills with his interior scoring and rebounding, and Memphis is a good place to disguise his weaknesses.
Edey isn’t going to be a great shooter or mobile defender, but Memphis has OK shooting in its starting lineup and a power forward in Jaren Jackson Jr. who can help mitigate those issues. Edey is going to be a screen-setting giant for Ja Morant, who should have nice pick-and-roll chemistry with him from Day One.
Edey isn’t going to be the best player in this class, but he might be the most productive rookie. This feels similar to Malcolm Brogdon’s win in a meh 2016 draft class. While some players ended up becoming way better than Brogdon, his age — like Edey, Brogdon played four years in college — and immediate contributions to a playoff team were enough to win it.
MORE: Zach Edey recreates iconic Muggsy Bogues-Manute Bol photo at media day
Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Wembanyama finished runner-up to Gobert last season, and he didn’t even know opposing player tendencies for most of the year. With a full season of film and learning how NBA rotations work, he’s going to be much better.
That’s a scary thought given that Wembanyama led the league with 3.6 blocks per game last season. Players often pulled the ball back rather than challenging him, and he still got to that absurdly high number. He’s more than just a rim protector, too. His 8-foot wingspan allows him to grab for steals that no one else can, and he’s pretty good at moving his feet on the perimeter.
The biggest thing holding Wembanyama back last season was that his Spurs teammates were horrible defenders, dropping their team defense down to 21st in the league. That shouldn’t be the case this year. Chris Paul isn’t nearly what he once was, particularly one-on-one, but he is a smart positional defender who can still get steals and organize the defense. Harrison Barnes is likewise past his prime but still a massive upgrade defensively over the sieve that is Keldon Johnson. And rookie Stephon Castle is a gritty point-of-attack defender.
San Antonio should be at least in the top half of the league defensively this season. That will make it very tough to deny Wembanyama this award.
MORE: Victor Wembanyama’s DPOY potential in two blocks
Most Improved Player: RJ Barrett, Raptors Barrett has been on a tear ever since being traded from the Knicks. He closed out the season for the Raptors by averaging 21.8 points per game and dramatically increasing his 3-point percentage, from 33.1 percent to 39.2 percent.
That may seem fluky, but Barrett continued that hot streak through the Olympics for Team Canada, averaging 19.8 points per game and hitting 43.8 percent of his 3s. The shooting improvement could be real.
Barrett’s improved scoring looks sustainable for a couple of reasons. First, he’s learned to lean into his strengths. He’s a bully driver at his best. When he puts his head down and tries to muscle through defenders, nobody is stopping him. Second, his new role in Toronto allows him to focus more on being a pure scorer. That is going to help him put up big stats in his first full year there.
Barrett has good passers around him in Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes who can further simplify his job. He just needs to finish plays, which he is great at. Not many people were paying attention to a bad Raptors team at the end of the year, but the evidence is right there. Barrett is poised for a huge year.
MORE: Gradey Dick, Trey Murphy III, Dyson Daniels are dark horse Most Improved Player candidates
RJ Barrett Sixth Man of the Year: Buddy Hield, Warriors Sixth Man voters usually pick the guy who guns the most off the bench. That is Hield in a nutshell. Steve Kerr loves Brandin Podziemski, and Stephen Curry is going to start. Hield should be in a bench role where he’s free to go off.
Hield did not find a good role with the Sixers last year, but he still shot fireballs when he was in. And as a member of the high-flying Pacers, he was dynamite on his 3s. He’s a high-volume shooter with a quick trigger, and he’s going to get even more looks than ever in a movement offense where he’s filling in for one of the greatest shooters in league history in Klay Thompson.
Hield has shown that he is capable of huge scoring outputs in the past. He averaged 20.7 points per game in nearby Sacramento earlier in his career. He’s also been a relative iron man, even playing in 84 games last season. The minutes should come to him, and he’s going to hit a lot of shots.
MORE: Three trades to get Stephen Curry the Warriors help he needs
Clutch Player of the Year: Nikola Jokic There isn’t a better player to get the ball down the stretch than Jokic. He plays at his own speed and knows exactly what he’s doing at all times. He’s unstoppable one-on-one and will make the perfect pass when teams double-team him.
Jokic was one of the most clutch players last season by statistical measures. He didn’t get too much consideration for the award because the Nuggets were too good. Curry and DeMar DeRozan finished first and second in the award, respectively, because they played on more mediocre teams who faced closer games.
The Nuggets won’t have that problem this year. They lost a key starter in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and are counting too heavily on unproven young players like Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson. Russell Westbrook is another wildcard that could be difficult to incorporate.
Jokic is going to have to put these guys on his back, and he is going to win a ton of close games with heady defensive plays, his unstoppable floater and his Sombor Shuffle jump shot.
MORE: Nikola Jokic could lead the NBA in scoring if he wanted
Coach of the Year: Taylor Jenkins, Grizzlies Jenkins finished runner-up for this award in 2022 but should still be considered a spicy pick for Coach of the Year in 2025. He’s reportedly on the hot seat, so he could be fired rather than winning this award if the Grizzlies disappoint.
I don’t think that will happen. Memphis was a 51-win team last time we saw it healthy. Injuries decimated almost everyone on the roster last season — the Grizzlies were forced into playing 33 guys. It was a minor miracle that they even won 27 games.
This Grizzlies team also has good reason to believe they will be better than that team from two years ago. They’ve added Marcus Smart, Zach Edey and GG Jackson, though Jackson will miss time at the start of the season with an injury. Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. should all be better with more experience.
Most importantly, Jenkins is a brilliant coach who has shown previously that he can get the most out of this roster. He is one of the best X’s and O’s minds in the league. He draws up great stuff at the end of games, and he should have a talented roster now that can execute his vision.
A new NBA season is upon us and so is the latest installment of The Sporting News’ ranking of the top 30 players in the league.
While it’s nearly been four months since the Celtics were crowned NBA champions for a record 18th time, the 2024 offseason seemed to have flown by thanks to a historic NBA Draft and an electrifying Olympic basketball tournament that saw LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant lead Team USA to its fifth consecutive gold medal.
Now that the dust has settled from a busy offseason, the focus shifts to an NBA campaign in which every team in the league will have its sights set on dethroning Boston.
In each of the past two years, fans are reminded that talent always prevails, as Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to the promised land in 2023 before the duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum got the job done for the Celtics in June.
With that in mind, eight members of The Sporting News staff collaborated to rank the top 30 players in the NBA. Participants ranked their top 35 players. From there, players were ranked 1-30 based on average ranking across the board.
While Jokic was the consensus No. 1 overall, the group did not have a consensus agreement on any other player, adding to the intrigue of this year’s rankings. Take a look at the updated top 30, taking last year’s postseason, the Olympics and preseason projections into account.
Click here for the full list.
NBA player rankings 2024-25 Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves Highest rank: 9
Lowest rank: 13
Edwards’ meteoric ascent toward superstardom continues with a place in the top 10 of SN’s latest NBA player rankings.
After leading the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in franchise history, Edwards won Olympic gold with Team USA and is unquestionably the face of the franchise following the trade sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.
MORE: Grading the blockbuster Knicks-Wolves trade revolving Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle
Jayson Tatum, Celtics Highest rank: 6
Lowest rank: 14
Few people had a year as good as Tatum’s. In addition to his first-ever NBA title, he won his second Olympic gold medal and signed a historic contract extension to remain in Boston.
Tatum’s rebounding, playmaking and defensive abilities make him one of the most well-rounded stars in the league.
Kevin Durant, Suns Highest rank: 6
Lowest rank: 9
Durant is a generational talent with a game that continues to age gracefully.
Despite Phoenix getting swept in the opening round of the 2024 playoffs, Durant averaged an efficient 26.8 points in the series and again displayed his natural scoring ability during the Olympics. Expect more of the same in 2024-25.
MORE: Is Kevin Durant or LeBron James the USA Basketball GOAT?
LeBron James, Lakers Highest rank: 5
Lowest rank: 11
Even as he prepares for his 22nd NBA season, it isn’t much of a surprise that James lands among the top 10.
The soon-to-be 40-year-old was the star who shined brightest at the Olympics and reminded himself — and the rest of the world — that he’s still got plenty left in the tank. Whether that leads to team success in LA remains to be seen.
MORE: Why LeBron James won MVP over Stephen Curry in Paris
Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry, Warriors Highest rank: 4
Lowest rank: 7
While several questions surrounding the Warriors this season, very few pertain to Curry, if any.
The 36-year-old put forth an otherworldly shooting display at the Olympics and rides that momentum into his 16th NBA season, where he will look to propel Golden State back into the playoffs after a Play-In Tournament exit in 2024.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder Highest rank: 4
Lowest rank: 8
Last year’s MVP runner-up lands in the top five as he continues to build upon one of the most impressive superstar leaps in recent memory.
In addition to scoring over 30 points per game for a second straight season, SGA led OKC to the West’s No. 1 seed. With an even better roster, he’ll look to lead the Thunder even further in 2025.
Joel Embiid, 76ers Highest rank: 4
Lowest rank: 8
Even in a year marred by injury, Embiid did enough to stay in the top five of SN’s player rankings. He averaged a shade under 35 points over 39 regular-season games and, despite being clearly hobbled, averaged 33.0 points over six playoff games.
Ahead of the new season, Embiid has slimmed down and has his sights set on new heights with Paul George now in Philly.
MORE: Joel Embiid inks three-year extension with the 76ers
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks Highest rank: 2
Lowest rank: 3
A calf injury robbed fans of the opportunity to watch Antetokounmpo during last year’s playoffs but he looked healthy and in prime form while leading Greece to the Olympics. Now, Antetokounmpo will look to build upon last season’s averages of 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while having the benefit of a full training camp under Doc Rivers and alongside Damian Lillard.
Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic, Mavericks
Doncic’s role in leading Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals has a huge hand in him landing at No. 2 ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
While Doncic and the Mavs fell well shy of capturing the title, the five-time All-Star continues to display his generational abilities and should benefit from an even better roster around him this season. A run to the title might be what it takes to propel Doncic to No. 1, and the 25-year-old is well aware.
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets Highest rank: 1
Lowest rank: 1
The No. 1 spot feels like it’ll be Jokic’s for now and the foreseeable future.
Even after running out of steam during the Western Conference Semifinals, there shouldn’t be much pushback around Jokic’s standing as the best in the world. He put that prowess on display at the Olympics, where he pushed Team USA to its limit in the semifinals before ultimately leading Serbia to a bronze medal.
Denver’s roster took another hit this offseason but Jokic’s ability to make everyone around him better means his team will always have a chance to win big.
Which team has the best starting point guard, and which one has the worst? The Sporting News is ranking every team’s starter at each position for the 2024-25 NBA season.
The bar has never been higher to be a starting point guard in the league.
Lead ball-handlers who can create for themselves and others are what drive most NBA offenses. Seventeen of the top 18 point guards on this list have made at least one All-Star game. The lone exception, Jamal Murray, is considered by many to be one of the best players to never make one.
Here are all 30 projected starters at point guard for the 2024-25 season, ranked 1 to 30.
SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule
Luka Doncic NBA point guard rankings 2024-25
Luka Doncic, Mavericks
This is Doncic’s first season atop this list. He may be holding onto the top spot for a while.
Doncic earned his first scoring title last season, averaging 33.9 points per game to go along with his 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds. That helped him earn his fifth consecutive First Team All-NBA selection and finish third in the MVP race. He was unstoppable in leading the Mavericks to a surprise Finals berth before running out of gas against the Celtics.
Doncic’s 3-point shot has become deadly — he connected on a career-high 38.2 percent of his looks last year. That, combined with his unstoppable 1-on-1 scoring and unreal passing, makes him one of the toughest covers of all time.
MORE: Inside Klay Thompson’s decision to leave Warriors for Mavericks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander finished runner-up in the 2024 MVP race after averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. The crafty guard led the league in drives per game for the fourth consecutive year, finding a way to slither into the lane with his herky-jerky motion.
Gilgeous-Alexander has become a much-improved defender, garnering some All-Defensive consideration after averaging 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. He has great anticipation in the passing lanes, and he’s now a good two-way player.
Jalen Brunson, Knicks
There’s no point guard with a deeper bag than Brunson. He uses every move in the book to get to his favorite spots. He’s deadly from the midrange, he hit 40.1 percent of his 3s last season and he is a good finisher at the rim.
Despite standing at only 6-2, Brunson loves initiating contact. He’s comfortable working in the post and while he can get picked on defensively, he competes hard on that end. He was No. 2 in the league in charges drawn last season.
Stephen Curry, Warriors
Curry is still arguably the greatest shooter in the league. He led the league with 357 3-pointers made last season, connecting on 40.8 percent of his attempts. His 92.3 percent from the line was No. 2 behind former teammate Klay Thompson.
Curry was the No. 1 player on this list last season, but age has started to catch up to him. He always seems to miss a handful of games and entering his age 36 season, that trend will likely continue. He does save his best for the end of games — he won his first Clutch Player of the Year award last season and was fantastic in the last two games of the Olympics.
Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers
There isn’t a better player in transition than Haliburton. The Pacers have leaned into his free-flowing offensive capabilities, finishing as the No. 2 offense behind the Celtics last season.
Haliburton has great range on his 3-pointer and he’s one of the best passers in the league. His 10.9 assists per game led the NBA last season. He’s also turned himself into a scoring threat, scoring 20.1 points per game and helping to lead the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023-24.
Damian Lillard, Bucks
Lillard is coming off a down year by his standards. His averages of 24.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds still don’t look too bad, but he’s a better shooter than the 35.4 percent he canned from 3. He proved that by winning the All-Star Weekend’s 3-Point Contest in convincing fashion.
Lillard should be better with a full training camp to acclimate to Doc Rivers and the Bucks. He did show flashes of brilliance, topping 40 points three times last year.
Ja Morant, Grizzlies
Morant has fallen off the collective radar after playing in only nine games last season and facing off-court issues. But he was excellent in that short healthy stretch, averaging 25.1 points and 8.1 assists per game. He’s an athletic freak who is one of the best players in the league going downhill.
The Grizzlies were a mess last season, but a healthier roster should have Morant back in the discussion of top point guards in the league.
De’Aaron Fox, Kings
Fox has gotten better every year that he’s been in the league. He averaged a career-high 26.6 points per game last season, driven in large part by his much-improved 36.9 percent from 3. That shooting has made him even tougher to guard when he uses his blazing speed in transition or off screens.
Fox also made great strides as a defender, leading the league with 2.0 steals per game. He’s one of the more underappreciated stars in the league.
Tyrese Maxey, 76ers
Maxey had a breakout 2023-24 season for the Sixers, averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game as the new lead ball-handler for the team. He’s a great shooter who developed quick chemistry with Joel Embiid to form one of the best pick-and-roll duos in the league.
Jamal Murray, Nuggets
Murray averaged 21.2 points and 6.5 assists per game as Denver’s No. 2 option. He hit some big shots in the playoffs, as has become the norm for him, but nagging injuries limited his effectiveness.
UPDATED NBA PLAYER RANKINGS: Where LeBron, Curry and other stars land ahead of 2024-25 season
Holiday has become a rock-solid role player for the Celtics. He’s one of the best corner 3-point shooters in the league and a terrific All-Defensive guard who will take on any assignment. Young is a wildly productive point guard who averaged 25.7 points and 10.8 assists last season. The departure of Dejounte Murray should allow him to have the ball in his hands even more for a retooled Hawks team. Harden’s scoring took a big step back last season. His 16.6 points per game were the lowest since his sophomore season as a reserve on the Thunder. He’s still a great facilitator and 3-point shooter who will find ways to get to the line. Ball has not been able to stay healthy, playing in just 58 games over the past two seasons. He’s been great when he has been available, averaging 23.9 points and 8.0 assists last season. Cunningham averaged 22.7 points and 7.5 assists per game last season. The next step for him is improving his efficiency. Fred VanVleet
VanVleet’s teams always seem to do a lot better with him on the floor. He helped Houston take a big step forward last season, while the Raptors weren’t able to overcome his departure. He’s a tough defender and a good 3-point shooter who finds ways to compensate for his lack of height. Garland had a bit of a down year last season due in large part to injuries suffered at inopportune times. He’s an All-Star talent, though, who can bomb away from 3 and has excellent court vision. Murray is in a new home in New Orleans, which may help him unlock more of his potential. He’s a good shot creator but he was playing below his defensive capabilities in Atlanta. Suggs has turned into one of the best defensive guards in the league. He’s tough, gets around screens well and is a ballhawk. He’s become a much better 3-point shooter, hitting 39.7 percent from deep last season. Quickley gets to star in a bigger role in Toronto now. He’s a smart help defender and a do-everything guard whose one weakness is getting all the way to the rim. Mike Conley Minnesota Timberwolves
Mike Conley, Timberwolves
Conley remains one of the smartest guards in the league and a great 3-point shooter even entering his age 37 season. Rozier is a good shot creator who averaged 19.8 points per game last season. Injuries prevented him from finding his footing in Miami last season. Russell is capable of getting hot from 3 and putting up big scoring outputs, but his defense can be problematic. He has had issues because of that in the playoffs. Paul is still a genius passer and a midrange master, but entering his age 39 season, he can’t be counted on for major minutes. Giddey gets a bigger role in Chicago to show he can be a lead ball-handler in the league. He’s got great passing vision and rebounding. Turnovers, poor efficiency, bad defense and a shaky jumper all remain question marks. Josh Giddey
Jones is a solid distributor who’s not going to make many mistakes. He’s improved his 3-point shooting over the years, hitting 41.4 percent from deep last season. That makes him a great fit next to higher volume shooters in Phoenix. Brogdon is two seasons removed from winning the Sixth Man of the Year award. Injuries will always be an issue for him, but he’s a great shooter and smart decision-maker. Schroder has a blazing first step and can be a defensive menace. Attitude questions and a streaky jump shot are lingering issues. Henderson didn’t have the rookie year that many had hoped for, but he’s still a great athlete who showed flashes of very high potential. While George is still learning how to play the point guard role in the NBA, he had a solid rookie year in which he averaged 13.0 points and 4.4 assists per game.
Andy Dalton wasted no time elevating the Carolina Panthers in his first start of the 2024 NFL season Sunday, becoming the first quarterback of the new year to throw 300 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. Not only did the veteran backup appear much more at ease than Bryce Young, the former No. 1 overall draft pick who was demoted two games into the season, but he also reminded everyone that, well, he still exists.
At 36, Dalton is among the older active players in the NFL. This is his 14th season at the professional level. History suggests that his sudden Panthers stardom, giving new coach Dave Canales his first career win, will ultimately give way to more mercurial results — sooner rather than later, perhaps. Still, the fact he can still take the field and sling it like he did against Antonio Pierce’s defense is a testament to his underrated durability on the NFL stage.
Consider how much has changed, for both Dalton and the NFL at large, since the veteran first entered the scene. Here’s a timeline of notable Dalton happenings, emphasizing just how long the red-headed gunslinger has survived:
USATSI April 29, 2011: Dalton is drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. With Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer threatening retirement over a failed trade request, Cincy takes Dalton No. 35 overall out of TCU, quickly installing him as the starter at a position dominated by Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Tom Brady (New England Patriots) and a young Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions). His arrival comes months after Aaron Rodgers won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and Peyton Manning took his last snap with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jan. 1, 2012: Dalton leads his first playoff berth. His four fourth-quarter comebacks help Cincinnati finish with a 9-7 record and earn a spot in the postseason. Also drawing Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration, Dalton goes on to throw three picks in a 31-10 season-ending loss to the Houston Texans, led by rookie backup T.J. Yates. The New York Giants go on to win the Super Bowl, with Eli Manning outdueling Brady and the Patriots for a second time.
Nov. 27, 2012: Dalton continues his record pace. He becomes just the third player in NFL history at the time to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons, after Peyton Manning and Dan Marino.
Jan. 5, 2013: Dalton falls to the Texans in the playoffs once again. After guiding the Bengals to a 10-6 finish, headlined by late-year wins over division rivals in the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, he can’t outdo a Houston team led by Matt Schaub, falling 19-13. The Ravens go on to win it all with a 28-year-old Joe Flacco.
andy-dalton-bengals-redskins-tie-10-30-16.png USATSI Dec. 29, 2013: Dalton sets franchise records before another postseason flop. While leading the Bengals to yet another improved season, this time finishing 11-5 atop the AFC North, he throws 4,293 yards and 33 touchdowns. The breakout doesn’t translate to the playoffs, however, as his three turnovers doom Cincy in a 27-10 wild-card loss to the San Diego Chargers, raising questions about his value as a postseason signal-caller.
Aug. 4, 2014: Dalton signs a six-year Bengals extension worth nearly $100 million. Before lucrative quarterback deals become near-daily talking points, Dalton strikes it rich despite an 0-3 playoff record.
Jan. 4, 2015: Dalton falls to 0-4 in the playoffs. Despite another 10-win finish with the Bengals, the quarterback throws double-digit interceptions for the fourth straight year, and manages just 155 passing yards against the Indianapolis Colts in a 26-10 wild-card defeat, leaving him winless in the postseason after five years.
Nov. 5, 2015: Dalton guides an 8-0 start, then gets sidelined. Back in Pro Bowl form, he feeds top wide receiver A.J. Green en route to the first unbeaten eight-game stretch in franchise history. Weeks later, the quarterback suffers a fractured thumb and misses games for the first time in his career, with A.J. McCarron taking over for the remainder of the year, including a fifth straight wild-card loss for the franchise.
NFL: Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals USATSI Sept. 11, 2016: Dalton begins a four-year slide of missing the playoffs. Responsible for an enviable 50-26-1 record during his first five seasons, Dalton starts 2016 hot but can’t elevate an aging Cincinnati roster during four straight losing campaigns. He misses five games due to another thumb injury in 2018, which also proves to be longtime coach Marvin Lewis’ final season on the job.
Sept. 8, 2019: Dalton ushers in the Zac Taylor era. With Lewis out, the quarterback makes a splash in his first game under the former Los Angeles Rams coordinator, hired following L.A.’s run to Super Bowl LIII with Jared Goff. Dalton’s career-high 418 yards against the Seattle Seahawks come in defeat, however.
Oct. 29, 2019: Dalton is benched for Ryan Finley, but returns weeks later. Cincinnati finally demotes the veteran after an 0-8 start, turning to the fourth-round rookie out of NC State, only to rename Dalton the starter following an 0-3 stretch with Finley. Dalton finishes the year under center, and leads a win in Week 17.
April 30, 2020: Dalton is released by the Bengals. One week after using the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on LSU star Joe Burrow, Cincinnati officially says goodbye. Dalton exits as the club’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (204), with the second-most career victories (70) behind Hall of Fame finalist Ken Anderson. Burrow proceeds to miss half his rookie season with a torn ACL, but helps Cincy advance to the Super Bowl in 2021.
USATSI May 2, 2020: Dalton joins the Dallas Cowboys, then takes over for Dak Prescott. Resigned to a backup role, Dalton opens his first year outside of Cincinnati on the bench, only to replace Prescott following the latter’s season-ending ankle injury in October. He goes 4-5 as the replacement starter, throwing 14 touchdowns to eight picks as Dallas finishes 6-10 and out of the playoffs under new coach Mike McCarthy.
March 17, 2021: Dalton joins the Chicago Bears, who quickly tab him “QB1.” Freshly split from former top-two draft pick Mitchell Trubisky, the Bears publicly proclaim the 33-year-old Dalton an unquestioned starter, only to spend a first-round pick on Justin Fields, then turn to Fields as the permanent starter following a Dalton knee injury. The ex-Bengals starter ends up going 3-3, with more picks (9) than scores (8), in spot starts.
March 29, 2022: Dalton continues his backup tour with the New Orleans Saints. Embracing the journeyman stage of his career, he becomes Jameis Winston’s new No. 2, only to take over for an injured Winston by Week 4. Dalton goes on to keep New Orleans in the wild-card picture with arguably his most productive performance in years, throwing for 18 touchdowns and nine picks in 14 starts.
USATSI March 15, 2023: Dalton swaps sides in the NFC South. Fresh off his reasonable relief outing for New Orleans, he lands a two-year deal with the Panthers to mentor No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young. Initially, Dalton is ruled the expected Week 1 starter under coach Frank Reich, only to lose the summer competition to the rookie.
Sept. 24, 2023: Dalton throws more than any QB in relief of Young. Replacing the injured rookie as the Panthers’ top backup early in his first year, Dalton throws 58 passes against the Seahawks in a losing effort, the most by any signal-caller for the entire season. He at least keeps Carolina competitive as a result.
Sept. 16, 2024: Dalton is named the Panthers’ starter. With Young struggling mightily in an 0-2 start to his second season, already coming off a hapless 2-14 rookie campaign, new coach Dave Canales promotes the 36-year-old Dalton to the top job. The veteran proceeds to throw 319 yards and three scores in a near-flawless rout of the Las Vegas Raiders, giving the Panthers their most convincing victory in years.
Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
If I sound tired this morning, it’s because I stayed up all night rewatching EVERY throw made by Andrew Gregory Dalton. As the unofficial president of the Andy Dalton fan club, I wanted to fully appreciate what he did on Sunday.
I was going to spend this entire newsletter gushing about Dalton over things like the fact that he’s the ONLY quarterback in the NFL who’s thrown for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game this year, but I won’t do that, because I feel like we should probably also talk about other teams and other players in the NFL, but don’t worry, we will be talking about Dalton.
As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here.
NFL Week 3 grades: Cowboys get an ‘F,’ Packers earn an ‘A-‘ by winning without Jordan Love dak-g.jpg Getty Images You guys don’t have to call me Professor Breech, but that’s what I call myself during the NFL season since I’m in charge of handing out the grades for every game. There have been 14 games played in Week 3 so far, and we’ve graded them all.
Here’s a look at the grades from two notable games that were played Sunday:
Packers 30-14 over Titans (Click here for full recap)
Packers takeaway: Less than a month ago, the Titans gave up on Malik Willis by trading him to Green Bay, and on Sunday, he got his revenge. Willis put on a show, becoming the first Packers QB since 2010 to throw for at least 200 yards, rush for at least 50 yards while scoring a rushing TD and throwing a passing TD. Packers coach Matt LaFleur drew up a game plan that utilized Willis’ skill set, which is something they were never able to do in Tennessee. The Packers also got a dominant performance from a defense that forced three turnovers, including a pick six from Jaire Alexander. The defense also sacked Will Levis eight times, with two of those coming from Devonte Wyatt. If the defense keeps playing like this, the Packers will be able to beat anyone no matter who their starting quarterback is. Grade: A Titans takeaway: It turns out the Titans might have traded away the wrong quarterback. The QB they have (Will Levis) has been making back-breaking mistakes all season and that streak continued on Sunday when he had three turnovers against the Packers, including a pick six. Levis, who was under siege all game, got no help from an offensive line that gave up eight sacks. To make things worse, the QB that the Titans traded away (Malik Wallis) diced up the Titans defense with 275 total yards and two touchdowns. Although most teams tend to improve as the season goes on, this team has somehow taken a step back in every game it has played this year. Grade: D- Panthers 36-22 over Raiders (Click here for full game stats)
Raiders takeaway: The Raiders pulled off an upset over the Ravens last week, but they couldn’t handle Andy Dalton this week. In their home opener, the Raiders didn’t give the fans in Vegas much to cheer for. The defense got embarrassed by a Panthers offense that totaled 437 yards. It wasn’t just the defense that struggled for the Raiders, though; they also had two failed fourth downs, a missed field goal and an interception by Gardner Minshew in the fourth quarter. Minshew struggled for most of the game before getting benched for Aidan O’Connell late. This was a surprising loss for a team that had a chance to improve to 2-1, but instead falls to 1-2. Grade: D Panthers takeaway: Carolina’s decision to bench Bryce Young and turn to Andy Dalton is looking pretty brilliant so far. With Young on the bench, Dalton carved up the Raiders by throwing for 319 yard and three touchdowns, making him the first QB in the NFL this year to throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game (Young has never done that in his entire career). The biggest benefactor of Dalton’s play was Diontae Johnson, who went off for 122 yards receiving and a touchdown. Defensively, the Panthers weren’t forced to play from behind, which seemed to revive them. With Dalton under center, the Panthers are suddenly a more entertaining team and a team that could win a few games this year. Maybe the Panthers should have given him the starting QB job earlier. Grade: A+ As for the other 24 grades that I handed out in Week 3, you can check those out by clicking here.
NFL Week 3 winners and losers You can’t have a week of NFL action without having winners and losers, so we have some winners and losers.
Cody Benjamin came up with this week’s list, which you can check out below.
Winners
Vic Fangio’s defense (Eagles beat Saints, 15-12). “Six days after Kirk Cousins embarrassed the Philadelphia Eagles with a flawless game-winning fourth-quarter drive, Fangio had his unit locked in to outlast the equally physical New Orleans Saints. Derek Carr and Co. came into Sunday’s matchup as the NFL’s highest-octane attack, but they got next to nothing on the ground and/or in the red zone. If not for the Eagles “D,” Philly might be 1-2 right now.” Mike Tomlin (Steelers beat Chargers, 20-10). “Even the all-time coach’s biggest defenders probably didn’t expect the Pittsburgh Steelers to be sitting at 3-0, fresh off a decisive win over the Chargers, with Justin Fields still under center. Fields has done the job well enough so far, allowing Tomlin’s defense to run the show. And Russell Wilson is still waiting around as veteran insurance under center for a team that once again looks primed to hang around the playoff picture.” Vikings’ reputation (Vikings beat Texans, 31-7). “It was impossible not to highlight Minnesota’s surprisingly solid start after the first two weeks, but now Sam Darnold and Co. have logged back-to-back home upsets of legitimate contenders — first the San Francisco 49ers, now the Houston Texans. Darnold has been exuding legitimately elite command in an impressively deep lineup, and Brian Flores’ defense might be the most versatile and physical in the entire NFL.” If you want to see Cody’s list of losers, be sure to click here.
14 crazy facts from Week 3: Rams end unique 50-game winning streak by 49ers Getty Images Every Sunday night, I get an email from our research department here at CBS Sports, and every Sunday, that email always includes some amazingly wild facts about the games that were just played.
With that in mind, here are 14 crazy facts about Week 3:
Rams do the impossible. During his time with the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan had NEVER blown a second-half lead of 14 points, well, before Sunday, that is. Going into Week 3, Shanahan was 50-0 in that situation — he had WON 50 GAMES IN A ROW — but he’s now 50-1 after the Rams came back from a 21-7 deficit to win. The win also ended a streak of 101 straight losses by the Rams in that situation. Andy Dalton pulls off a feat that no QB had accomplished this year. In this first start with the Panthers, Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, making him the FIRST QB in the NFL this year to throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in the same game. Steelers in rare company. The Steelers moved to 3-0 on the season and they’ve done that even though they’ve only scored three total touchdowns. Pittsburgh now joins the 1988 Buffalo Bills as the only other team to start 3-0 with three or fewer touchdowns (The Bills made it all the way to the AFC title game in 1988). Sam Darnold makes history in Minnesota. Darnold threw four TD passes in Minnesota’s 34-7 win over the Texans, making him the first QB in Vikings history to win the first three games of the season AND throw multiple TD passes in each of those games. Purple People Eaters are back in Minnesota. With five sacks against the Texans, the Vikings defense now has at least five sacks in every game this season, making Minnesota just the third team since 1990 to record five sacks in each of its first three games of the season. The Vikings join the 2000 Buccaneers and the 2001 Saints. The Steel Curtain is back. The Steelers have given up 10 points or less in each of their first three games, making them just the fifth team since 2000 to pull off that feat. The Steelers joined the 2009 Broncos, 2005 Colts, 2004 Seahawks and 2001 Packers. Derrick Henry marching toward history. The Ravens running back finished with 151 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys, marking the 12th time in his career that he’s rushed for at least 150 yards with multiple touchdowns. That’s the second most in NFL history and trails only Jim Brown, who did it three times. Dolphins all alone. There are 32 teams in the NFL and the Dolphins are the only team that hasn’t held the lead for a single second this season. The Dolphins did win in Week 1, but that came on a field goal that went through the uprights with zero seconds remaining. Malik Willis is magic for the Packers. With his performance against the Titans, Malik Willis pulled off something that Jordan Love has never accomplished: He threw for at least 200 yards with at least 50 rushing yards along with a rushing TD and a passing TD. Before Sunday, the last time a Packers QB pulled that off was Aaron Rodgers in 2010. Willis also became just the fifth QB to record a passer rating of 120 or higher in his first two career starts, joining Brad Johnson (1999 with Washington), Jeff George (1994 with Atlanta), Jim Plunkett (1980 with the Raiders) and John Hadl (1973 with the L.A. Rams). Malik Nabers makes more history. The Giants receiver made history last week and he’s back at it again this week. Nabers has caught 23 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns this season, which makes him the first player in NFL history with at least 20 receptions and three touchdown catches in his first three career games. Nabers also became the youngest player in NFL history to catch two TD passes in a single game. Brandon Aubrey almost makes history. The Cowboys kicker drilled a 65-YARD field goal against the Ravens, which is the second-longest kick in NFL history. He came one yard short of tying Justin Tucker’s record of 66 (You can see Aubrey’s monster kick here). Undrafted hero. Adam Thielen caught the 60th TD pass of his career, which is impressive when you consider that he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Thielen is just the third undrafted player since 1966 to catch 60 TD passes, joining Antonio Gates (116) and Rod Smith (68). NFC teams can’t beat Lamar Jackson. With the Ravens beating the Cowboys on Sunday, Jackson is now 21-1 in his career against NFC teams, which is the best winning percentage by any QB in NFL history against the NFC with a minimum of five starts. Jackson has won nine straight games against the NFC, which is the longest active streak for a QB against the opposing conference (Joe Burrow could tie that streak on Monday if the Bengals beat the Commanders). Mahomes stands alone. The Chiefs QB picked up his 77th career win, which is the new NFL record for most wins by a QB through his first 100 starts. Mahomes had been tied with Tom Brady and Roger Staubach at 76, but now, he has the record to himself and he could add at least one more win to the record since he’ll be making his 100th start in Week 4. If you see any other fun facts, feel free to tweet them at me.
NFL Week 3 overreactions: Is Mike McCarthy in trouble? Everyone on the internet loves to overreact to things, and that’s especially true when we’re talking about the the NFL. With that in mind, Jeff Kerr decided to take a look at several things that happened around the NFL in Week 3 to decide if we’re all overreacting.
Statement: Mike McCarthy won’t last the season in Dallas Overreaction or reality: Overreaction. “The Cowboys have looked very poor over the last two home games, getting off to slow starts in each of them. … but here’s why McCarthy should last the season: Dallas still plays for McCarthy, as evidenced by scoring 22 straight points in the second half to make what looked to be a blowout a ball game. Garbage time or not, the Cowboys were a stop away form tying the game up. McCarthy is under fire with this 1-2 start, especially with both losses coming at home, but the Cowboys aren’t in trouble yet. Let’s see what happens Thursday against the Giants.”
Statement: Sam Darnold is the best QB in the NFL after three weeks. Overreaction or reality: Reality. “Darnold leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (8), ranks second in passer rating (117.3) and is fourth in yards per attempt (8.4). Darnold is the fifth quarterback in the last 25 years to start 3-0 with eight-plus passing touchdowns in his first three starts with a team, and he’s the first quarterback in Vikings history to win his first three games of the season and throw multiple pass touchdowns in each of them. The Vikings are getting excellent quarterback play from Darnold, setting up their defense to dominate games late. Without Darnold, Minnesota likely isn’t 3-0.”
Statement: Andy Dalton will be the Panthers QB for the rest of the year. Overreaction or reality: Reality. “This one might be the slam dunk of the NFL season. Dalton is the first quarterback this season with 300-plus passing yards and 3-plus passing touchdowns in a game, and he has more 300-yard passing games in two starts over the last two seasons (2) than Bryce Young has in 18 starts (1). … The Panthers have to go with Dalton moving forward — top draft pick be damned. Carolina is learning there might be some talent on this team, after all.”
There are plenty more overreactions from Week 3, and if you want to check those out, be sure to click here.
The Monday night doubleheader is back: We’ve got two games tonight Getty Images The NFL is throwing a curveball at us tonight by giving us a Monday night DOUBLEHEADER. If you’re wondering why this is happening, it’s one of the perks that ESPN got in its new media contract with the NFL. There will be a total of four Monday night doubleheaders this season. Besides tonight, there will also be one in Week 4, Week 7 and Week 15.
The first game of the night will feature Jacksonville at Buffalo in a game that kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Jared Dubin put a preview together for this game, and here’s how he sees things playing out:
Why the Jaguars can win: Trevor Lawrence had arguably his best game of the season when these two teams faced off last year in a game Jacksonville won and the Jags are likely going to need a similar performance if they want to win again. Lawrence needs to have a big game because there’s a chance that this could turn into a shootout. The Jags have one of the five-worst pass defenses in the NFL this year, so it won’t be surprising if Josh Allen lights them up. If that happens, Lawrence has the weapons to to keep up, it’s just a matter of whether he can figure out how to use them. Why the Bills can win: If the Bills can get after Trevor Lawrence, there’s a good chance they can walk away with a win on Monday night. The Jags’ offense seems to fall apart when Lawrence starts taking a lot of hits and if you need proof, just look at the numbers: Over the course of his career, the Jags are 4-14 when Lawrence gets sacked three or more times, including 0-2 this year. Lawerence has also lost seven straight games, so if the Bills can demoralize him early with a few sacks, that will likely put them on a track to victory. You can get a full preview of the game from Dubin by clicking here.
In late game, we’ve got the 0-2 Bengals hosting the Commanders at 8:15 p.m. ET on ABC.
Jordan Dajani put a preview together for that game, and here’s how he sees things playing out:
Why the Commanders can win: The Commanders have averaged 176.5 yards rushing per game through two weeks and the good news for them is that they’ll be facing a Bengals team that’s surrendering more rushing yards than almost any team in the NFL. Brian Robinson (173) and Jayden Daniels (132) have combined to rush for more than 300 yards this year. The Bengals are giving up 159.5 yards per game and if the Commanders get anywhere near that number, they’ll likely feel very good about their chances of winning. Why the Bengals can win: The Bengals’ early season struggles are well known, but it should be noted that they usually recover by Week 3. Joe Burrow has never lost in Week 3 — he’s 3-0-1 — and he’ll likely be feeling confident tonight knowing that the Bengals offense will finally be at full strength with Tee Higgins returning to the lineup. The Commanders defense hasn’t been great this year, which means Burrow should be able to take advantage of them, especially with Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase both on the field. The three Bengals superstars were only on the field together for 121 snaps in 2023 and they averaged an impressive 6.6 yards per play on those snaps. You can get a full preview of the game from Dajani by clicking here.
Teams that went into Week 3 with an 0-2 record went 6-1 on Sunday, and now, the 0-2 Bengals and the 0-2 Jaguars will try to keep that impressive run alive.
If you’re thinking about betting on the game, here are a couple of props.
ONE PROP I LIKE FROM BILLS-JAGUARS: Khalil Shakir OVER 3.5 receptions (-130 at Fanatics Sportsbook): Through two games this season, Josh Allen has been perfect when he targets Shakir, going 8 of 8 for 96 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers make me think that Allen will be extra comfortable targeting Shakir tonight, which could lead to quite a few receptions for the Bills receiver. ONE PROP I LIKE FROM BENGALS-COMMANDERS: Mike Gesicki OVER 2.5 receptions (-135 at BetMGM): In just two games, Gesicki has turned into one of Joe Burrow’s favorite targets. He has 10 catches through two weeks, and since Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will both be playing tonight, the Commanders likely won’t be paying as much attention to Gesicki, who could be in line to have a big game. ONE KICKING PROP I LIKE TONIGHT: Evan McPherson OVER 7.5 points (-125 at BetMGM): I fully expect the Bengals offense to be firing on all cylinders tonight and because of that, I think we’ll see a lot of scoring opportunities for McPherson. The Bengals kicker scored 13 points in Week 2 against the Chiefs, and it won’t be surprising to see him at least hit double digits this week. Of course, we also have some picks for tonight, so let’s get to those.
PICKS FOR THE MNF DOUBLEHEADER
JAGUARS-BILLS My pick: Bills 30-20 over Jaguars Dajani’s pick: Bills 27-21 over Jaguars Prisco’s pick: Bills 28-17 over Jaguars
COMMANDERS-BENGALS My pick: Bengals 24-17 over Commanders Dajani’s pick: Bengals 27-17 over Commanders Prisco’s pick: Bengals 29-16 over Commanders
Over on our CBSSports.com picks page, all eight of our NFL experts are taking the Bengals and Bills to win straight-up. However, when it comes to the spread, we have a slightly differing opinion. Although we all have the Bills covering as a 5-point favorite, we’re split on whether the Bengals will cover as a 7.5-point favorite. Underdogs of six points or more are 9-1-2 this year against the spread.
Extra points: Dolphins legend passes away It’s been a busy weekend in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
Mercury Morris dies at 77. The Dolphins legend, who played a key role for Miami during the team’s undefeated season in 1972, passed away on Sunday. The two-time Super Bowl winner led the Dolphins in rushing during each of his Super Bowl-winning seasons with the team (1972-73). You can read more about his legendary career here. Several teams have inquired about Bryce Young. It’s still not clear if the Panthers are going to trade Bryce Young, but if they decide to, it seems there’s plenty of interest. According to ESPN.com, several teams have already inquired about making a possible trade for the benched quarterback. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported on Sunday that the Panthers were planning on giving Young his job back at some point this season, but those plans might be out the window after the way Andy Dalton played on Sunday. Steelers place right tackle on IR. The Steelers offensive line took a hit over the weekend with rookie right tackle Troy Fautanu being placed on injured reserve. Fautanu missed Sunday’s win over the Chargers and will also have to sit out Week 4 (Colts), Week 5 (Cowboys) and Week 6 (Raiders). Injury roundup. There were a lot of injuries on Sunday, and we’re tracking all of them here. If you click over, you’ll read about how Justin Herbert aggravated his ankle injury against the Steelers. If Herbert has to miss an extended amount of time, the Chargers season could be over before it really even starts.
Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, and Jayden Daniels were all top-10 picks in their respective draft classes and all four will be in action on Monday Night Football in Week 3. It’s a MNF doubleheader that starts with Bills vs. Jaguars at 7:30 p.m. ET and concludes with Bengals vs. Commanders at 8:15 p.m. ET. How should you handle the four quarterbacks on Monday in NFL player props and which MNF NFL props should you consider?
Bills running back James Cook has topped 70 rushing yards in his first two games and he’ll likely see a heavy workload once again with the extra rest after beating the Dolphins last Thursday. Cook’s over/under for total rushing yards is 62.5 in the latest NFL prop bets, but the Jaguars do have the No. 11 run defense through two weeks. Before betting any NFL props for Monday Night Football or entering NFL predictions on sites like PrizePicks, you need to see the Bills vs. Jaguars and Bengals vs. Commanders NFL prop predictions powered by SportsLine’s AI PickBot.
Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine’s Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each player prop. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each player’s historical data and then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponent’s defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score.
Once a prediction is formulated, the AI rating is generated using the prediction, the matchup score, and the odds of the market. Last season, the AI PickBot hit a whopping 1,674 4.5- and 5-star prop picks. Anybody who followed those picks was way up.
For Jaguars vs. Bills and Commanders vs. Bengals NFL betting on Monday Night Football, the AI PickBot has evaluated the NFL player prop odds and provided NFL player prop picks for every available market. You can only see the AI player prop predictions for Buffalo vs. Jacksonville and Cincinnati vs. Washington here.
Top NFL player prop bets for Bills vs. Jaguars and Bengals vs. Commanders After analyzing Monday Night Football props and examining the dozens of NFL player prop markets, the AI PickBot says Bills quarterback Josh Allen goes comfortably over 232.5 passing yards. Allen has failed to reach 233 yards in five of his last six games including the postseason but there’s reason to believe that game script should play into his favor on Monday. The Jaguars are solid against the run but rank 30th in pass defense over the first two weeks after ranking 26th in 2023.
Allen has only thrown the ball 42 times so far in 2024, but he has averaged 8.8 yards per pass attempt this season and would only need to hit 27 pass attempts at that clip for the over to hit. The AI PickBot is predicting that Allen averages 34 pass attempts on Monday and has him cruising past 232.5 passing yards, projecting that he throws for 279 yards and rating the over as a 4.5-star play. See more NFL props here.
How to make NFL player prop bets for Week 3 Monday Night Football In addition, the AI PickBot also lists a Trevor Lawrence prop as a 5-star play and has a total of eight 5-star picks for Monday Night Football. You need to see the AI PickBot’s analysis before making any Jags vs. Bills or Commanders vs. Bengals prop bets for Monday Night Football.
