“Novak is crazy because he is old.” Daniil Medvedev was laughing when he said it. He wasn’t entirely joking. Djokovic arrives at Monday’s Beijing semifinal after consecutive matches lasting nearly three hours, including Sunday’s 2-hour, 35-minute fight with Alexander Zverev. Two days earlier, Djokovic required medical treatment against Bu Yunchaokete and then disclosed that an […]

Kenneth Walker has given Patrick Mahomes something Maxx Crosby cannot ignore. Kansas City enters Las Vegas with the NFL’s leading rusher and a play-action game suddenly carrying consequences. Walker has 360 yards at 5.5 per carry, enough production to make the handoff credible before Mahomes pulls the ball back. That fraction of hesitation is Crosby’s […]

Philadelphia has six days to fix what Los Angeles can attack immediately. Jalen Hurts was sacked five times Monday night in Chicago. The Eagles managed seven points. Now a Rams defensive front built to collapse the pocket arrives in Philadelphia. At the same time, the Eagles’ first Week 4 injury report adds another problem: reserve […]

Drake Maye has thrown six interceptions in three games. Buffalo now gets to ask him questions from behind an offensive line being rebuilt during the exam. Starting guard Greg Van Roten is on injured reserve. Right tackle Morgan Moses missed Wednesday with a foot injury. Maye himself is listed with a right shoulder issue, although […]

Jeremiah Smith is the obvious problem for Iowa. The less obvious problem is what happens everywhere else while the Hawkeyes try to solve him. Smith enters Kinnick Stadium with 617 receiving yards through four games, and Ryan Day acknowledged this week that Ohio State will throw his way even through double coverage. Iowa now faces […]

Virginia Tech has built its offense around Jeffrey Overton Jr.’s legs and Ethan Grunkemeyer’s clean decisions. Pitt arrives precisely where that arrangement becomes uncomfortable. Starting left tackle Justin Terry is out for several weeks. Right guard Montavious Cunningham is expected back, but Virginia Tech has already been moving pieces at left tackle, where Brody Meadows […]

Mostafa Rashed Neda and Osama Elsaidy already know how this argument ends. Except they have two different answers. Neda won their first meeting by split decision in March 2016. Nine months later, Elsaidy stopped him in the second round. Almost a decade later, PFL has put them together again with Neda installed as a substantial […]

Badreddine Diani has made subtlety unnecessary. His route past Hazem Kayyali runs through clinches, takedowns, and long stretches in which Kayyali’s striking becomes irrelevant. Diani has eight submission wins in 11 professional wins; Kayyali arrives with six knockouts in nine victories and a very different preference for where Friday takes place. Bookmaker Sportsbook‘s opening line: […]