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Happy Tuesday, everyone! Before we get to the Super Bowl rematch on Monday night, we have news breaking as we launch today’s newsletter.
🚨 Matt Canada has been fired as offensive coordinator of the Steelers while running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is reportedly expected to take over as OC and quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan is expected to call plays. Our NFL crew will continue to cover the fallout from Pittsburgh throughout the day.
With that said, let’s get right to it.
THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
All I hear is the offense is disjointed and the defense is “meh.” This, that and the other thing are going wrong.
I don’t want to hear it. The Eagles are 9-1, and their latest win might just be their most impressive. Philadelphia went to Kansas City and beat the Chiefs, 21-17, with a remarkable comeback, some luck and a lot of heart.
Do I think the Eagles are perfect? No. Do they have some clear flaws? Yes. But, my goodness, they are terrific at making winning plays. A key first down here, a takeaway there, a timely pressure, a clutch throw. They do it week in and week out. Football is a game of imperfections. The Eagles overcome theirs better than anyone else.
THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
There are a lot of really, really bad offenses this year. Like, really bad.
But do you know which offense ranks last in second-half points per game and fourth-quarter points per game? The Chiefs — at 5.3 and 1.9, respectively. Wednesday will mark one month since the last time they scored in the second half. It’s a real problem, and solutions are lacking.
Normally under Mahomes, the Chiefs have had plenty of margin for error. Mahomes tries a daring pass that doesn’t work out? So what! That willingness makes him a legend, and he’ll bounce back. Kelce gets a little loose with the ball here or there? No problem! Keep feeding arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history.
And even Monday night, all of that could have been overcome when Mahomes drove a nearly 60-yard laser through the wind and the rain to Marquez Valdes-Scantling — a throw that would be right up there with any in his transcendent career.
Then Valdes-Scantling dropped it. Then Mahomes was called for intentional grounding. Then Justin Watson dropped a would-be first down on fourth-and-25 (!!), another incredible Mahomes throw. Game over.
Mahomes doesn’t have a wide receiver he can trust. He has an 87.0 passer rating when targeting wide receivers this season, worse than the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield and only slightly better than Bryce Young. For comparison’s sake, Mahomes had a 106.7 passer rating when targeting wide receivers from 2018-22.
I will never, ever count out Mahomes. The defense is awesome, the running game returned, and again, if Valdes-Scantling makes that catch, we’re talking about all of the good instead of all of the bad. But “if” gets you in trouble. And the Chiefs offense is in trouble.
Monday, Jordan Travis confirmed his magnificent Florida State career is over, and there’s simply no two ways about it: It’s an awful, awful blow for the Seminoles. We’ve talked about new starter Tate Rodemaker, but Travis leaves shoes that are impossible to fill: He’s the only player in the program’s top 10 of both touchdowns passing and touchdowns rushing.
That absence is impossible to ignore, but it’s not the reason the Seminoles fell from fourth to fifth in Dennis Dodd’s Power Rankings or in the mass of college football rankings that have already been released. Washington continues its incredible undefeated run behind Michael Penix Jr. and just defeated another top 10 team Saturday.
Still, the combination of the Huskies’ success and this unfortunate development for the Noles has everyone rethinking their rankings.
Washingon also jumped to fourth in the CBS Sports 133. The top eight in both remained unchanged otherwise:
Sometimes, we focus too much on the top teams. The good-not-great teams are worth celebrating, too. That especially goes for New Mexico, 9-3 on the season and winner of seven straight after crushing Auburn, 31-10. Jerry Kill‘s Aggies made the biggest jump in the CBS Sports 133 from 67th to 48th.
You can see the entire 133 here.
The Maui Invitational is almost always the best in-season tournament — it’s No. 1 in our rankings again — but that’s not what makes this year special. What makes this year special and meaningful and wonderful is that it’s the 40th anniversary of the tournament, and the first since the devastating fires. This year’s version is in a different arena, but it’s still going strong.
Matt Norlander takes a look at how this event came to be … and how it continues.
Matt also took a trip down memory lane with the 20 best Maui games ever, and I wouldn’t be surprised if another one this year makes a case to join the list: today’s action features No. 2 Purdue against No. 7 Tennessee and No. 1 Kansas against No. 4 Marquette.
The hot stove hasn’t exactly heated up yet — it will soon, don’t worry — and while all eyes are on Shohei Ohtani, could a former teammate be another A-list star attraction? Mike Trout might not want to be part of another Angels era heading nowhere. He has a no-trade clause, but Mike Axisa has three reasons why he should waive it and go elsewhere, including …
🏀 Cavaliers at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Purdue, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Jazz at Lakers, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Marquette, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Lawrence Taylor is one of the best to ever play in the NFL, yet he does not think he wo
The NBA's In-Season Tournament is down to six teams. The Indiana Pacers and New Orleans
Al Nassr fans will surely notice the absence of their team's biggest star for the AFC Champions League road match against Istiklol in early Dec
Comcast’s CMCSA Sky Sports secured the broadcasting rights for nearly a hundred additional English Premier League matches, starting 2025. This marks the first