By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
Sports
2026 Top Week 2 NFL Performances by Players from West
Week Two in the NFL brought plenty of excitement.
Eight games this week were decided by one score or less.
With the Rams’ win on Monday Night, 24 of the 32 teams in the league are 1-1 or better.
Here are my picks for the best NFL performances by former players from the region.
1. Josh Allen, QB, Bills/Wyoming
Allen accounted for five total touchdowns in the Bills’ Thursday night win over Detroit.
The former Wyoming star threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns while adding 69 yards on the ground and a pair of scores.
2. Devin Lloyd, LB, Panthers/Utah
The former Ute had a stellar performance as the Panthers dominated the Falcons.
In the 34-3 win, Lloyd recorded nine tackles, one sack, three total stops for loss, three passes defended, and two interceptions.
Lloyd is the fifth linebacker with a sack and two interceptions, including an interception returned for a touchdown, in a game since 1982.
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions/USC
The Lions came up short in Buffalo, but the former Trojan came up big in the primetime affair.
The former USC star caught nine passes for 142 yards and found the end zone twice. It was his fourth straight regular-season game with at least eight receptions.
It was also his second consecutive game with two scores.
4. Jared Goff, QB, Lions/Cal
Goff did all he could to keep up with Josh Allen and the Bills but ultimately came up short.
In the TNF loss, the former Cal QB completed 68.4% of his passes for 327 yards and four passing TDs.
That effort earned him a QB rating of 130.5, his highest rating in a game since week 12 of last season.
5. Dalton Kinkaid, TE, Bills/Utah
The former Ute is quickly becoming the favorite target of Josh Allen this season.
Coming off a career high in yardage a week ago, he added another 95-yard night on Thursday.
He hauled in seven passes on the night, finding the end zone one time.
6. Davante Adams, WR, Rams/Fresno State
The 14th career season for the former Bulldog may not have started great in Australia, but once he got back to North America, he took off.
He had a fantastic second week of the season on Monday Night against the Giants, catching five passes for 145 yards and a TD in the Rams’ win.
7. Christian Elliss, LB, Patriots/Idaho
The former Idaho Vandal had a big game in Week 2 as the Patriots shut down the Steelers.
Elliss finished the game with 12 tackles and had a sack and a forced fumble.
The 12 total stops were the second most of his career and the most since Week 17 of the 2024 season when he collected 13 tackles.
8. Trey McBride, TE, Cardinals/Colorado State
McBride had eight catches for 41 yards and a touchdown against Seattle.
The former CSU star had nine receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
He is now the fifth tight end in NFL history with at least eight receptions in each of his team’s first two games of a season.
9. Dalton Schultz, TE, Texans/Stanford
The Texans fell to the Bengals in week two, but the TE out of Stanford had a career day.
Schultz posted career highs in both receptions, with 12, and receiving yardage with 140 in the game.
It was just the second time in his nine-year career that he topped 100 yards in a game.
11. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Panthers/Arizona
For the third time in his career, the former Arizona WR went over 100 receiving yards.
McMillan caught five passes for 101 yards as the Panthers have scored 30+ points in their first two games of a season for the first time ever.
12. Denzel Boston, WR, Browns/Washington
The rookie out of Washington scored his first NFL TD in the Browns’ win over Tampa Bay.
Boston ended the day as the leading receiver for Cleveland, catching seven passes for 95 yards along with the TD.
13. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers/Stanford
The All-Pro out of Stanford continues to reach milestones.
On Sunday, he found the end zone twice in the win over the Dolphins. The two scores give him 100 for his career in 114 games, the fourth fastest to the 100 TD mark in NFL history.
His scores are evenly split between San Francisco and Carolina become just the third player in NFL history with at least 50 TDs with two teams, joining Randy Moss and Marshall Faulk.
Other Notables (in no order)
Jordan Love, QB, Packers/Utah State—2 TDs & 0 INTs, his 19th starts with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions; the second-most such starts by a quarterback in his first 50 career starts.
Carson Schwesinger, LB, Browns/UCLA—10 tackles
Bucky Irving, RB, Buccaneers/Oregon—89 total yards
Romeo Doubs, WR, Patriots/Nevada—96 yards
Bobby Okereke, LB, Panthers/Stanford—9 tackles, 1 interception
Jonah Coleman, RB, Broncos/Washington—58 total yards, 1 TD
Bo Nix, QB, Broncos/Oregon—288 yards, 1 TD
Jaden Hicks, S, Chiefs/Washington State—10 tackles
writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
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Indian men make short work of Sri Lanka, secure 16-1 win in second Asian Games hockey pool game
The Indians made short work of Sri Lanka in their second pool game of the Asian Games men’s hockey competition, coming away with a 16-1 win on Tuesday (September 22). The Indians, who had earlier defeated Indonesia 13-1, now have six points from two matches.
Jugraj Singh made the most of the opportunities he was given from the top of the circle to bolster India’s penalty corner battery ahead of the business end of the Asian Games competition.
The Olympic bronze medalists kept up the momentum through all four quarters against a beleaguered Sri Lankan side who were no match for India despite Suresh Rathnayake managing to manufacture a spectacular lone goal.
Prepped for a repeat Asian Games goalfest, Mandeep Singh set the ball rolling with an early powerful strike from open play, having latched onto Abhishek’s angled pass from the baseline in the fifth minute. Jugraj Singh scored from the top of the circle in the tenth minute off India’s second penalty corner. Refusing to take their feet off the pedal, the Indians swarmed the attacking third with Abhishek getting onto the scoresheet in the 11th minute.
Harmanpreet Singh‘s drag flick was stopped on the line by the post-runner in the 16th minute. The ball trickled into the back of the net, nonetheless. Abhishek then deftly slotted one in past an overworked Tharindu Hendeniya to pile on the misery for Sri Lanka in the 17th minute.
Jugraj Singh scored his second off a penalty corner in the 22nd minute despite his drag-flick being partially stopped by the defender on the goal line.
Harmanpreet Singh’s drag flick caught the foot of the first runner, but the rebound was neatly dispatched by Sukhjeet Singh into an empty net with the Lankan goalie and defence woefully out of position in the 29th minute.
A delectable relay goal materialised for India at the stroke of half-time with Mandeep Singh on the edge of the circle tapping the ball to Dilpreet Singh positioned near the goal, who deftly nudged the ball home.
Manpreet Singh scored India’s ninth goal in the 31st minute before Vivek Prasad got into the act with a powerful tomahawk that crashed into the backboard in the 36th minute.
Taking a crowded goalmouth out of the equation, Sukhjeet Singh and Dilpreet Singh foxed the Lankan deep defence with a couple of quick passes before the latter scored in the 38th minute.
A messy tackle on Mandeep Singh at the goalmouth resulted in a penalty stroke, enabling Jugraj Singh to notch up a hat-trick from the spot in the 42nd minute. Harmanpreet Singh scored from a penalty corner in the 45th minute just before Abhishek created a field goal in the 49th minute.
A delighted Suresh Rathnayake celebrated in the 50th minute, having undone the Indian defence, who appeared to stall in anticipation of an infringement call from the umpire.
Jugraj Singh lofted a penalty stroke into the roof of the net in the 53rd minute before Dilpreet Singh scored his third goal in the 55th minute.
South Korean challenge next up for India in Asian Games men’s hockey
With 2018 Asian Games champions Japan and four-time gold medalists South Korea, both in India’s group, topping the pool will not be a cakewalk for Craig Fulton’s team.While South Korea are no longer the force they once were (having not won a gold medal since 2006), the Indians themselves have slipped down the rankings following back-to-back poor showings in the Pro League and FIH World Cup.
Thursday’s encounter against South Korea hence assumes a lot of significance for the Indians both with regard to group placings and the morale of the team ahead of the crucial knockout stages of the Asian Games.
Edited by Subhashish Majumdar
General Salute has bypassed an Epsom Handicap start, opting instead for a race of similar value a week after his Randwick triumph.
The six-year-old, who went off at $12, notched his third black-type success in the Bill Ritchie Handicap over 1400 metres on Saturday. He stalked the leader Matcha Latte ($13) and managed to reel him in late to secure the Group 3 victory by a half-length.
Previously hampered by foot issues, General Salute has been free of these problems this season, which has been reflected in his current strong form.
“Tim (Clark) trialled him the other day. He’s got a great association with him, and he said it was the best he’d ever felt,” co-trainer Sterling Alexiou stated. “He landed in a nice spot in a sit-and-sprint race. He’s a lot better with a bit of cut out of the track, but he’s going great.”
Despite earning ballot exemption for the Epsom Handicap (1600m) by winning the Bill Ritchie, Alexiou confirmed the mile feature was not on the horse’s agenda.
The gelding will instead be aimed at the Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on October 10, with both races boasting a $1.5 million prize pool.
“He hasn’t had the preparation now (for an Epsom),” Alexiou added. “We missed a run the other week in the Tramway. He spiked a bit of a temperature a month ago, so he’ll probably go to the Alan Brown now.”
General Salute was returning from a successful off-season campaign where he won the Winter Stakes (1400m) and achieved placings in the Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) and Winter Challenge (1500m).
Jockey Tim Clark commented that he hadn’t planned to race as prominently as he did, but was content with his position given the race’s tempo, echoing Alexiou’s assessment of the horse’s peak condition.
“He landed a little bit closer to the speed than I thought,” Clark admitted. “I was happy to be there the way the race was being run. He seems like he’s matured and he’s a very talented horse.”
Headley Grange, the $4 favourite, ran a typically solid race to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind the second-placed finisher.
Compare the latest racing betting markets from various bookmakers.
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At 2-0, the Minnesota Vikings have very little to complain about. And, to be sure, there shouldn’t be much bellyaching from those who follow the team.
So, understand the purpose here. We’re making note of a basic fact rather than trying to ignite the flames of online fury.
Simply note that a pair of 3rd-Round Vikings rookies have yet to play. Worse yet, they’re not even dressing for games, meaning there’s not even a chance to get put onto the field. The players in question are OT Caleb Tiernan alongside S Jakobe Thomas. Where things go with these two is a minor story to monitor as the season continues progressing.
Vikings Rookies Jakobe Thomas and Caleb Tiernan Not Dressing
Part of what has stood in the way of these two has been health, or lack thereof.
Mr. Tiernan hurt his ankle early in the preseason, leading to some missed time as he worked himself back to full health. Now healthy, Tiernan has yet to be leaned on for the offensive line beyond the practice field.
And then Thomas had to sort through a back injury. He got worked into the mix at the end of the preseason by soaking up a pile of work in that final Broncos preseason game. Losing reps to his injury limited his capacity to jostle for playing time early on, possibly contributing toward a tumble down the depth chart.
To be clear, neither was projected to become a starter as a rookie.
Caleb Tiernan appeared to be somebody who could function as a versatile depth piece. He boasts the height of a tackle but the arm length of a guard. So, too, does he offer high-level athleticism and brains. Using him for a variety of different spots made sense, at least in his rookie year.
— READ MORE: 4 Takeaways After the Weekend’s Slugfest —
— READ MORE: VT’s Vikings Postgame Following a Gritty, Grinding Win —
— READ MORE: Vikings Shuffle Wide Receiver Depth, Bump Up a Young Fella —
Jakobe Thomas had a clearer pathway toward a large job. Coming into late-July, the Vikings had Josh Metellus as the lonely locked-in starter at safety. Next up were Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. What then made things tougher was the explosion from Jacob Thomas alongside the return of Harrison Smith.
Thomas is now on the outside looking in at safety. He’ll need to keep hustling to show that he can be leaned on for both Brian Flores and Matt Daniels.
So far, the best rookies have been 5th-Round rookie fullback Max Bredeson, UDFA safety Jacob Thomas, and UDFA punter Brett Thorson. 3rd-Round defensive tackle Domonique Orange has had some nice moments and 1st-Round defensive tackle Caleb Banks tossed some nice stats onto the sheet on Sunday.
The Vikings rookies have therefore found a way to contribute early on.
Caleb Tiernan and Jakobe Thomas will look to join the other players from within the overall draft haul as contributing pieces of the puzzle.
Anamoe, a sire whose first-season yearlings generated considerable buzz in 2026, has seen his initial two-year-old offspring make a highly promising public debut during trials at Randwick on Monday morning, validating the significant hype.
Two juveniles sired by the Darley stallion Anamoe participated in the season’s first official two-year-old trials on Randwick’s Kensington track, and both emerged victorious.
The Bjorn Baker-trained colt Nonu was a dominant winner of the fourth of five 850-metre trials for colts and geldings. Shortly thereafter, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s filly, Runaway Diva, clinched the final trial for fillies.
Baker admitted that the NZ$600,000 purchase price for Nonu at the Karaka Yearling Sale was higher than he had planned, but he is now very satisfied with the outcome.
“He’s a really nice horse, he’s got plenty of quality about him,” Baker said. “We probably went beyond our budget in New Zealand to buy him. But Anamoe was a superstar racehorse and I think he’s going to be a superstar stallion.”
Nonu defeated Eagle Jac, a colt by Jacquinot, by 3-1/2 lengths in a time of 49.02 seconds. Runaway Diva completed her trial in 49.22secs.
The filly, a $380,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling and out of Fleet Dove, required a bit more riding than Nonu to secure her victory. However, the runner-up, Everlasting Grace, impressed with a narrow second under a light ride, and Bott expressed considerable excitement for her upcoming career.
“I think the Anamoes in general have been very impressive; great constitutions the way they’ve handled themselves and physically she’s a great example of them,” he commented. “She’s a lovely, strong type and I think there’s a lot of improvement to come off the back of today with her. It was great to see the way she responded under pressure and she just kept finding.”
Waterhouse and Bott also celebrated a win in the final trial of the morning, with Trapeze Artist colt Flying Houdini finishing in 49.05secs. Baker also had another winner on the morning’s card.
The Warwick Farm trainer presented Stay Inside youngster Out Of Bounds, who won the third trial for colts and geldings in 48.90secs, equalling the fastest time recorded during the set.
This time was matched by the Marc and Mitchell Conners-trained Exceedance filly She’s Supreme, who was successful in the third fillies’ trial.
Michael Freedman was the only other trainer to record multiple trial wins, with Written Tycoon youngster Proverb navigating a challenging run to win the first trial in 50.25secs. Following that, Ole Kirk filly Straddha clocked 49.72secs to win the second fillies’ heat.
Other winners included Peter Snowden-trained Capitalist filly Shezablaze (49.53) and Chris Waller’s I Am Invincible colt Fiji, who appeared to have a comfortable margin when winning the second colts and geldings trial by 1-1/2 lengths in 49.92secs.
The impressive debut of Anamoe’s progeny suggests they will be popular selections for punters looking at the latest racing betting markets on betting markets for the race.
Sports
India vs Sri Lanka LIVE Score, Asian Games Men’s Hockey: India Slam 10th Goal vs SL, 2 Players On Verge Of Hattricks | IND 10-0 SL
The Indian strike force was at its lethal best against Indonesia, with the likes of Dilpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, veteran Mandeep Singh, Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra and Rajinder Singh working in tandem to create and convert chances. From set pieces, it was skipper Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh who took responsibility, and the onus will be on the duo to deliver throughout the competition. The match against Sri Lanka should be a cakewalk for the Indians, and chief coach Craig Fulton will be keen to test all his players ahead of two tough pool matches against South Korea and Japan.
Sports
'Monday Night Football' prediction, odds, time: Giants vs. Rams picks from expert on 28-10 roll
Larry Hartstein reveals his picks for New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams in the 2026 Week 2 ‘Monday Night Football’ matchup
Tom Dabernig, the trainer from Warrnambool, is looking forward to Oliveanotherday’s return to Caulfield for this Sunday’s Manikato Stakes. However, the trainer has acknowledged a minor concern ahead of the four-year-old’s first Group 1 start.
The gelding is heading into the $2 million race after his least successful outing, finishing fifth in the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington on September 12. The main reason identified for this performance was his initial exposure to racing down the straight.
Dabernig has suggested that an additional factor might have played a role, which Oliveanotherday could potentially face again this weekend in the 1200-metre weight-for-age event.
“I think it was just a case of straight first time and Good 3 track,” Dabernig said.
“I’m not totally blaming the Good 3, but I’m sure that he’s best runs for me have been on softer going.”
He elaborated, “He’s been very good here at Caulfield, so I’m just hoping that back at Caulfield he’ll accelerate off the bend and third-up be better than he was second-up.”
“He was only beaten 1.6 lengths and the winner came from the inside, the horses in the centre didn’t figure too much, so it might have been a combination of things.”
“But, I must admit, a Good 3 track would be my concern.”
Oliveanotherday has an impressive record of six wins from his nine career starts, with two of these victories occurring on Good 4 tracks. The Bobbie Lewis Quality was his inaugural race on a Good 3 surface.
Caulfield, a track where Oliveanotherday has won twice on the main course and once on the Heath track, was upgraded to a Good 3 during last Saturday’s race meeting. Dabernig is hoping for the predicted light showers on Saturday to materialise, following warm temperatures on Thursday and Friday.
Although disappointed that Oliveanotherday’s five-race winning streak was halted at Flemington, Dabernig is optimistic that the experience against seasoned sprinters will benefit him prior to facing established Group 1 competitors, including Beiwacht, Jimmysstar, and Giga Kick this weekend.
“The winner of that race has win six times down the straight and they’re all six and seven-year-olds and we’re only a four-year-old and only lightly-raced,” Dabernig stated.
“So, we were inexperienced and there were all those other factors there, so when you reflect on it all, there were probably reasons (for the result).”
The final line-up for the Manikato Stakes, as well as other races on the program such as Pride Of Jenni’s attempt for a third successive win in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes, will be confirmed on Wednesday morning. Consider the available Australian betting sites for the upcoming racing action.
Monday Night Football
Former champion Jon Jones has taken responsibility for Gable Steveson leaving the cage before his loss was announced at UFC 331.
On Saturday, Steveson was knocked out by seismic underdog Sean Sharaf in 12 seconds, in a scene that sent the Los Angeles crowd into raptures.
The result was the first loss of Steveson’s young career – a career that has brought major expectations, due to the American’s Olympic gold medal in wrestling.
Expectations around Steveson, 26, were only heightened when he began training with his friend Jones, one of the most controversial personalities in UFC history.
And there was controversy on Saturday, when Steveson and Jones left the cage and ringside area before their result was announced.
Jones, 39, has now moved to address the matter, writing on social media: “I’ve seen some reports on line and I really wanted to clear the air.
“It was my decision to take Gable straight to the back after the fight. Honestly it was the first time in this situation for me and my instant reaction was to get my friend to the back to make sure he was ok.
“Gable’s work ethic and will to win is there and I stand by him and believe he will go on to be one of the best heavyweights in the UFC. He will be back I’m sure of it.”
Steveson was 4-0 prior to UFC 331, with four first-round knockouts to his name. However, he had also shown himself to be raw, and Sharaf exposed his inexperience.
Sharaf, a former US marine, was emotional in the cage after his win, and he told reporters afterwards: “Yeah, I saw him leaving, but I was thinking about this before the fight.
“I was 4-0, I was undefeated when I had my first loss in the UFC, and he just had his first loss. It makes you better; you’re going to take a look back and you can’t underestimate people. You can’t think you’re untouchable and you’re just going to run through people.
“I think he’s going to go back, he’s going to get better. He’s got a hell of a lot of talent, so I’m sure you guys see him again.
“I told you the gameplan was hit, don’t get hit, leave with a bag full of cash. Everyone thought I was joking, but no, I’m just grateful. I’m so grateful.
“I prayed so hard, I believed in myself, my team believed in me, and I’m just so happy. I’m so happy for this moment.
“I was just treating this like every other fight. I don’t put anyone on a pedestal. He has two hands, two legs, and he bleeds red, so I guess I shocked the world, but I haven’t felt any different. I’m definitely getting more interviews, that’s for sure, but that’s about it.”
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