The San Diego Padres are back in the postseason! They’ll likely go back and forth as the season continues before they face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final Wild Card spot. The Friars swept the Washington Nationals after Jackson Merrill‘s two homer day. He finished a double shy of the cycle, with a single, a triple and two home runs. That production led the Padres to a 9-2 win in the series finale.

San Diego will now embark on a crucial road trip, facing the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. Both are divisional opponents who are very beatable for the Friars. Not only that, but both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs so they aren’t playing for as much. The Padres should be able to clean up against the two clubs, with the Friars beating San Francisco, 6-4, in the season series.

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Taking the mound

Anthony Molina (SF) v. Robbie Ray (SD)

In a short stint with the Giants, Molina has managed to immensely impress. In three appearances (two starts), Molina owns a 1.88 ERA through 14 1/3 innings pitched. Prior to that, Molina had been on the Atlanta Braves, where he pitched just five innings in relief before he was traded for starting pitcher Tyler Mahle.

Molina doesn’t have an abundance of experience at the big-league level. He’s spent two seasons with the Rockies, posting an ERA over 6.00 in both years. Molina worked primarily out of the bullpen but has worked as a starter for San Francisco. It’s worked to mostly solid results, with Molina surrendering three runs in his last three starts.

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This will be Ray’s homecoming since being traded by the Giants at the Trade Deadline. The veteran lefty has pitched incredibly well this season but has struggled with the Friars. He’s coming off of a miserable start in which Ray gave up five runs in just 2 1/3 innings versus the New York Yankees.

This is the perfect team for Ray to face in order to turn his Padres tenure around. Not only does Ray know these hitters well, having shared a clubhouse with them, but they have struggled immensely to produce runs this season. That said, San Francisco is on a three-game win streak after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals.

Batter up!

Apart from Merrill’s hot day at the plate, the San Diego lineup still looked fantastic on Wednesday afternoon. The offense (without Merrill) went a combined 12-for-33. Three of the Padres had three-hit games (Ty France, Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr.) while five had multi-hit games.

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After Cronenworth’s day off on Wednesday, he’ll likely be back in the lineup for the series opener versus San Francisco. He’s spent most of the second half batting behind Tatis. That has worked pretty well for the Padres, but Craig Stammen could tinker a little bit after Merrill’s recent hot streak.

Relief corps

After Walker Buehler was pulled from the game early (perhaps accidentally), the Padres’ bullpen locked it down. With the bases loaded in the third inning, Kyle Hart stymied the Nats. Hart then pitched 1 2/3 more innings before David Morgan, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning covered the final 4 1/3 innings.

With the off day on Thursday, San Diego will have all of its relievers available for the series opener. However, those who didn’t pitch in the series finale on Wednesday will be preferred over the rest. Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Randy Vásquez will be available out of the ‘pen for San Diego. Vásquez seems likely to pitch only if Ray struggles to work deep into the game.

GOLF Magazine this week announced its 2026 class for the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame. The inductees include Todd Anderson, Martin Hall, Ted Sheftic and the late Dana Rader.

These inductees will be honored at the 2026 GOLF Top 100 Teachers Summit, which will take place Nov. 1-4 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

“Each of the instructors we have chosen to enter the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame this year has earned the distinction in their own unique way,” said Hoyt McGarity, CEO and President of 8AM Golf, the parent company of GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. “The groundbreaking efforts and longevity of the careers of Todd, Martin, Ted, and Dana are something to behold and it’s an honor to recognize each of them for their extraordinary contributions.”

The World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame was established in 1999 and has inducted 22 teaching greats, including Mike Adams, Harvey Penick, Claude and Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, Jim McClean and Peggy Kirk Bell.

See below for a brief overview of each of the new inductees’ bona fides.

Todd Anderson

Director of Instruction, TPC Sawgrass

— 2010 PGA National Teacher of the Year

— 2016 Michigan Golf Hall of Fame inductee

— Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher since 2004

— Students have combined for 57 victories across the four major U.S. professional tours, including two FedEx Cup Champions

— Coached 26 players to the PGA Tour

— Helped more than 100 student-athletes earn Division I scholarships

— Developed 43 Collegiate All-Americans

— Developed 53 American Junior Golf Association All-Americans

Martin Hall

Director of Instruction, The Club at Ibis

— Holds dual membership in the PGA of America and PGA of Great Britain and Ireland

— Director of Instruction at The Club at Ibis since 1997

— Named 2008 PGA Teacher of the Year

— GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher since 1996

— Hosted Golf Channel’s “School of Golf,” producing more than 430 episodes

— Authored four books

— Presented at the PGA National Teaching and Coaching Summit seven times

Ted Sheftic

Founder & Director, Ted Sheftic Golf Learning Center

— GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher from 2003 to 2023

— Earned the Top 100 Lifetime Achievement Award for 20 consecutive years on the list

— Named Philadelphia Section PGA Teacher of the Year across four decades (1987, 1994, 2000 and 2013)

— Received the Horton Smith Award in 1999

— Inducted into the Philadelphia PGA Hall of Fame in 2016

— Co-developer of the PGA’s Get Golf Ready initiative

Dana Reader

Founder, Dana Rader Golf School

— Named LPGA National Teacher of the Year in 1990

— GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher

— Received the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award, the LPGA’s highest teaching honor

— North Carolina Golf Hall of Fame inductee

— Authored Rock Solid Golf

GOLF Top 100 Teachers Summit

The 2026 GOLF Top 100 Teachers Summit is set to take place Nov. 1-4 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The retreat will serve as a premier instruction and education event hosted by GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com and will be attended by the Top 100 Teachers in golf.

If you are an instructor and interested in attending, sign up using this link.

European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen produced another barnstorming run to win the men’s 5000m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest.

The Paris Olympic champion kept a low profile in the middle of the pack before storming around the outside to surge clear in the closing 100m.

American Parker Wolfe came to the front at the bell but was unable to prevent Ingebrigtsen powering away to a comprehensive victory, winning in 12:59.24. Cole Hocker was second in 13:00.05 and Wolfe clung on for third in 13:00.13.

“Easy work,” Ingebrigtsen said afterwards with a grin, before collecting the trophy at the brand-new event – along with a winner’s cheque for $150,000, which all individual champions will receive.

The Norwegian – frighteningly for his rivals – is still not at 100% fitness as he continues his comeback from an Achilles injury which required surgery in February.

The 5000m is something of a warm-up event for the 1500m on Sunday night, which will see hostilities resume between rivals Ingebrigtsen and Hocker as well as Commonwealth Games champion and new mile world record holder Josh Kerr.

Ingebrigtsen clashed again with Hocker a week after the Norwegian called his opponents “cowards” and “losers” for their performances in the Diamond League Final.

The American installed his own pacemaker only to hang back as the race began, with Ingebrigtsen frustrated at having to front-run before fading to fourth.

He later apologised for his comments but doubled down on the sentiment. He explained: “They told the other athletes and the organisers that they were targeting a specific pace and were bringing in their own pacemaker to set that pace, but then they did something completely different.

“When you promise the crowd a fast race, you have a responsibility to follow through – at least in my view. This isn’t about me losing. I wasn’t good enough. It’s about taking responsibility for the commitments you’ve made to the meeting organisers, the crowd and your competitors.”

The Week 1 NFL schedule has already seen a pair of games unfold, but 14 are still to come over the course of Sunday and Monday. Potential playoff previews are all over the schedule with matchups such as Ravens vs. Colts (+3.5), Chiefs vs. Broncos (-2.5) Bills vs. Texas (+1.5) and Packers vs. Vikings (-1.5) on the slate. New to sports trading? Visit our Kalshi promo code review and get a $25 bonus after $25+ in trades with the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS:

The highest total on the NFL odds board this week is 50.5 in Buccaneers vs. Bengals, while the lowest is 38.5 in Titans vs. Jets as new Tennessee head coach Robert Saleh debuts against the team that fired him in 2024. Before making any Week 1 NFL picks on those games or others, be sure to see the exact Week 1 NFL score predictions from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on betting sites on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters the 2026 NFL season on a 53-37 run on top-rated picks dating back to 2024. Anybody following its picks at NFL betting sites could have seen strong returns.  

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone following at sportsbooks and has seen strong returns at their best sports betting app.

Now, the model has simulated every Week 1 game 10,000 times. You can only see the model’s Week 1 NFL exact score predictions at SportsLine.

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Top Week 1 NFL picks

After diving into every game on the Week 1 NFL schedule, the model is backing the Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5) on betting apps to beat the Washington Commanders, 28-18, at home. The Eagles have dominated this series recently, winning seven of the last 10 meetings against the Commanders. Washington has dropped eight of their last 10 games overall, while Philadelphia has won three of its last five games. 

In addition, the Commanders are 5-4-1 against the spread in their last 10 games against Philadelphia. The model projects Jalen Hurts of the Eagles will throw for 213 yards and 1.79 touchdowns, while running back Saquon Barkley is projected to rush for nearly 100 yards and one touchdown. DeVonta Smith is also expected to catch five passes for nearly 75 yards. 

Quarterback Jayden Daniels of Washington is projected to throw for over 175 yards passing and one touchdown, while running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt will rush for nearly 50 yards. Philadelphia covers 60% of the time, while the Over hits with 1.5 points to spare. See the model’s other Week 1 NFL score predictions at SportsLine. 

How to make Week 1 NFL score predictions

In addition, the model has locked in exact score predictions for every other matchup. It’s also calling for an underdog to pull off a shocking upset. Nailing these results is key to making profitable Week 1 NFL picks. You can only see them at SportsLine. 

Who wins each Week 1 NFL game, and which underdog pulls off a shocking upset? Visit SportsLine now to get the model’s NFL Week 1 score predictions, all from the model on a 53-37 roll on top-rated NFL picks, and find out. 

In the NFL, good vibes are fleeting.

Just 19 months ago, the Eagles and Commanders were headed into the offseason feeling like they had world-beaters at quarterback. Philadelphia had just conquered the football world, blowing out the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX with Jalen Hurts taking home MVP honors. 

Washington, meanwhile, was fresh off its first NFC Championship Game appearance in over 30 years with rookie phenom Jayden Daniels leading the way. Life was good, and that conference championship game felt like the first installment of the NFL’s next great quarterback rivalry.

The 2026 season opener will be the first time Hurts and Daniels have faced off since that playoff game and there’s been a significant vibe shift on both sides of the matchup. Both quarterbacks are coming off frustrating 2025 seasons that may have cast some doubt on their long-term future with their respective teams.

Hurts and Daniels will be seeking massive contract extensions in the offseason. At that point, Hurts will have one year left on the extension he signed in 2023, and Daniels will be entering his third offseason, when first-round quarterbacks either sign their first big-money extension or end up in contract purgatory, a la Bryce Young in Carolina. 

So, the stakes are clear for both quarterbacks in 2026: A bounce-back season will be rewarded with a big payday. But if last year’s struggles bleed over into this season, contract talks might be put on hold.

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The bar for a successful season is lower for Daniels than it is for Hurts, with Washington expected to finish in the bottom half of the NFC East. 

If the third-year pro can just stay healthy for the full 17-game slate, that will be considered a win. If Daniels stays healthy and rediscovers his 2024 form, Washington will write him a blank check in the spring. It’s just hard to envision a repeat of that magical rookie season given the current state of the Commanders offense.

Jayden Daniels faces a crucial upcoming season amidst uncertainties around the Commanders roster. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

The offensive line was an issue last season and will be worse off in 2026 with star left tackle Laremy Tunsil out indefinitely with a torn triceps. Also, it will be up to first-year offensive coordinator David Blough, who’s just three seasons into his coaching career, to work around that massive weakness.

It would be understandable if Daniels doesn’t fully bounce back, but Washington may be reluctant to fork over a top-of-the-market deal for a player coming off two disappointing seasons, especially if more injuries pop up. The Commanders wouldn’t have to move off Daniels, but they’d likely push contract talks into the following offseason, which is typically a bad sign for a first-round quarterback.

Daniels had issues targeting the middle of the field in 2025, but it was less about his reluctance to make those throws and more about his inability to complete them. Per Pro Football Focus, his accuracy rate on intermediate throws dropped by nearly 10% compared to his rookie season. There were a lot of poorly placed passes on his 2025 film.

But the statistical dip can’t be pinned entirely on Daniels, who was throwing into tighter windows last season. With wide receiver Terry McLaurin out hurt, the Commanders were trotting some abysmal receiving groups out there. It got to a point where tight end Zach Ertz became Daniels’ best option against man coverage. Ertz is still a useful player, but when a 35-year-old is your most reliable option on key passing downs, it’s awfully hard to play quarterback.

Daniels’s regression from Year 1 to Year 2 can mostly be explained by his performance against man coverage and the blitz, which are closely linked. Washington didn’t have receivers who could punish a defense for playing aggressively, and Daniels loses accuracy when he’s forced to drive a throw into tight coverage. He’s one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks when throwing with touch in between the lines of a zone defense. He just didn’t get to do it often last season.

Washington’s offense should be more equipped to deal with aggressive coverage in 2026. Stefon Diggs, who joined via free agency, was one of the NFL’s most productive receivers against tight man-to-man coverage last season. McClaurin is healthy again. And the team prioritized explosive athletes to fill out the rest of the receiving corps, including third-round rookie Antonio Williams and former first-round pick Treylon Burks. 

Even with the upgrades, this isn’t a world-beating receiving corps, so Daniels will have to take a step as an intermediate passer to make it work.

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Last week, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman defended Hurts and denied that the clock is ticking on his time in Philadelphia despite the team’s passing game struggles over the past few seasons. “I think the bottom line for us … is winning football games,” Roseman said on a recent appearance on the “Move the Sticks” podcast. “And all [Hurts] does is win football games … for me, the barometer is winning football games.”

I don’t expect Roseman to get into the nuances of quarterback evaluation during a podcast hit, but that’s a reductive view of Hurts that also suggests his value to the team is directly tied to its winning percentage. If the Eagles have a down year, and the passing game doesn’t improve, will the front office view of Hurts shift? If that’s the case, then it does feel like there’s a lot riding on this season in regard to his future with the team.

Last season ended for Jalen Hurts with a wild-card loss at home to the 49ers. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Supporting talent is less of a concern for Hurts – who is still surrounded by blue-chip players even after the team traded away his top receiver, A.J. Brown – but he’ll also be getting his play calls from an inexperienced offensive coordinator with Sean Mannion coming over from Green Bay.

While Hurts is no stranger to OC changes, this is the first time in his NFL career where he’ll have to learn an entirely new offense from the ground up. Mannion is Nick Sirianni’s fifth offensive coordinator in Philly, but it’s the first time he’s gone outside of his coaching tree to make a hire. 

This won’t be some subtle rebrand. The Eagles offense will be an entirely new thing. Hurts won’t be playing in the shotgun nearly as much and there will be fewer spread formations. It will look more like the 49ers and Rams offenses, with the quarterback under center, condensed formations, and a lot of play-action passing.

That’s the hope, at least.

In April, ESPN dropped a report on the team’s growing frustration with Hurts’ reluctance to step outside of his comfort zone, which created a lot of the issues that have plagued Philly’s passing game over the past three seasons.

Here’s a key excerpt from the report: “He has pushed back on changes that would diversify the scheme, sources said, including when it comes to him going under center more. He has shown a reluctance to let it rip at times, particularly against zone coverage.”

Jalen Hurts faces a potentially big adjustment to new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s offense this season. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The report also covered Hurts butting heads with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore over the use of pre-snap motion. Moore, who’s been calling plays for NFL offenses since 2019, is a big proponent of the tactic but dialed back his usage in 2024 to suit Hurts’ preferences.

ESPN also quoted sources close to Hurts who denied those claims, but this season will give us a clear answer. Mannion’s offense is built around all the tactics that are supposedly outside of the quarterback’s comfort zone. This system doesn’t work without pre-snap motion. It doesn’t work without going under center. And it doesn’t work when the quarterback is reluctant to “let it rip” over the middle of the field against zone coverage.

Hurts’ reluctance to throw over the middle of the field isn’t just theoretical at this point. Per Next Gen Stats, Hurts targeted the middle third of the field at the league’s lowest rate in 2025. It was the fifth year in a row he’s accomplished that feat. He’s had four different offensive coordinators over that span, so there’s a clear common denominator.

My theory: Hurts doesn’t have top-end arm strength but makes up for it with a keen understanding of his own limitations. Hurts avoids the middle of the field for the same reason Jared Goff doesn’t throw on the run: it’s not his game. Making throws into tight zone windows with repeated success isn’t in his wheelhouse and not a winning strategy for him. It can hold back the offense at times, but it limits turnovers. Here’s an example from the Eagles’ loss to the Broncos last season.

You can see Hurts consider making the stick throw to wide receiver DeVonta Smith between two zone defenders before thinking better of it and settling for an out-of-structure heave downfield.

But when the windows are clearer – or the Eagles are in catch-up mode late and turnovers are less of a concern – Hurts will take his shots over the middle.

If this scheme change is going to work, one of two things needs to happen: Either Mannion is the second-coming of Shanahan and consistently provides Hurts with clear throwing windows over the middle, or Hurts takes more chances, even if it leads to a small bump to his interception totals.

Sunday’s opener will be our first glimpse at the new offenses in Washington and Philadelphia. While it’s important to give these first-year coordinators some grace and give their quarterbacks time to get acclimated to their new digs, the game will provide a perfect stress test for Daniels and Hurts thanks to the defensive matchups on both sides. 

How will Daniels fare against an Eagles secondary that closes throwing windows as well as any defense in the league? Will Hurts look comfortable going under center and turning his back to the defense on play-action defense against a Washington scheme built around pre-snap disguises and post-snap chaos?

The answer to those questions will have ramifications that stretch far beyond the final score on Sunday. They’ll determine how far the Eagles and Commanders can go in 2026 and how much confidence they should have in their franchise quarterbacks beyond this season. 

Following a demanding initial season on the track, Streisand is set to make her reappearance at Flemington.

The filly, a previous victor of the Blue Diamond Stakes, will compete as a three-year-old for the first time in Saturday’s Group 3 Cap D’Antibes Stakes, a 1100-metre contest.

This race represents the commencement of trainer Clinton McDonald’s planned three-run spring campaign for the filly, with a greater emphasis placed on autumn racing.

“She had seven starts as a two-year-old, so that’s why we want to give her a light spring, only three runs, and that will set her up for the better sprint races in the autumn,” McDonald explained.

“We don’t want to be hard on her, she’s rewarded us all the way through and being by Magnus, she should get better with age.”

Her Saturday return will be succeeded by the Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on October 10, and then a choice between the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) or the Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.

McDonald mentioned that Streisand has completed a superb preparation for her upcoming run.

“She had 10 weeks in the paddock and has had a nice, easy preparation,” McDonald said.

“She’s not fully wound up for Saturday. It’s not her Grand Final. She will be ridden quiet and will be strong late, and if she can win there, she will be in for a very good spring.”

“She runs on Saturday, then goes to the Schillaci at weight-for-age four weeks later and then into either the Coolmore Stud Stakes or Champions Sprint.”

“If Yulong taps me on the shoulder and say that they have too many colts going there (Coolmore), we’ll go to the Champions Sprint.”

“That’s the beauty of Streisand, she’s adaptable to anything and she’s consistently good at everything she does.”

McDonald also manages the Yulong-owned colt Tales Of Time, who he is hoping will target the Coolmore Stud Stakes after his recent win at Sandown on Wednesday.

The colt’s next scheduled race is expected to be the Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on October 3.

“It will nearly be the race of the carnival,” McDonald stated. “We think he’s up to that level. He’s been down the straight before and raced very well in the Maribyrnong, and that’s the path we will take with him.”

Explore the betting sites for the upcoming race featuring Streisand.

The Los Angeles Rams debuted their superteam in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday night, and they started off with a big thud down under.

The heavy Super Bowl favorites were trounced in primetime by the San Francisco 49ers, who won the game 27-7.

So much was made about Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers decision to leave California one week early so their bodies could acclimate to the time difference in Australia. The Rams, meanwhile, deployed two employees to study extensive sleep and circadian science research. They left California the day before the game, keeping their bodies on Pacific Standard Time.

To put things lightly, that didn’t work. And whatever nerds told Rams coach Sean McVay that taking a 16-hour flight just 28 hours before kickoff was a good idea should be fired. The team looked completely exhausted. 

Unless the grander plan was to just punt this game, anyways.

When you put aside the sleep science gobbledygook, it actually makes no sense to sit on an airplane for 16 hours, giving yourself just 12 hours before competing in a high stakes NFL game. Perhaps the Rams understand that there’s a lot of season left, and now there’s no need to adjust back to Los Angeles time. Instead, they can flush this blowout loss and immediately start preparing for their home matchup against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

Would a team really punt a divisional game in their season opener?

It sounds silly, but down three scores with several timeouts and the two-minute warning, Noah Eagle and Luke Kuechly were stunned on Netflix’s broadcast as McVay benched reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford in favor of Stetson Bennett with the game somewhat still in reach.

Bennett saw his first real NFL action since being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He didn’t do much, running around and helping the Rams kill time until they were allowed to escape Australia.

Speaking of a guy that didn’t do much? Myles Garrett.

The newly-acquired Garrett didn’t look worth Jared Verse and three draft picks in his Rams debut. Garrett played in 39 defensive snaps and didn’t record a single stat. He was missing from Los Angeles’ defensive line in key red zone moments, as he was gasping for air after not practicing all offseason.

There’s still plenty of games left for Garrett to turn around his first season in Los Angeles, but his postgame comments were jarring.
“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there. And I’ve got to be better,” Garrett said. “I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I’ve shown that I’ve been before.”

The 30-year-old superstar acknowledged that his knee injury still isn’t 100%. Hopefully the Rams can get 35-year-old Aaron Donald up to speed quickly, because Brock Purdy’s Niners had no trouble marching up and down the field on Garrett’s defense for 379 yards of total offense.

The sky isn’t falling in Hollywood.

They still have a league-high 14% chance of winning the Super Bowl on Kalshi, which is a popular prediction market that allows users to buy and sell contracts of real-world outcomes like the NFL. The Rams are going to win plenty of games. But for one night, you’re allowed to question the genius of McVay, general manager Les Snead, and everyone involved in the Week 1 Australia meltdown.