In addition to his ball-hawking skills, Kevin Byard III provided the Chicago Bears with invaluable leadership, often placing him at the center of pre-game huddles as the team rattled off 11 wins en route to an NFC North title and a playoff victory against the Green Bay Packers. The veteran safety is on an expiring contract. So if 2025 was Byard's final season in Chicago, he'll be missed by Bears fans.
Now in his second NFL campaign, cornerback Mike Sainristil has experienced a career arc that hasn't been perfectly linear. His rookie campaign in 2024 was steadier, benefiting from a front seven that collapsed pockets at a higher clip and forced quarterbacks into rushed decisions. But this season has included more volatility, particularly when asked to hold up longer in isolation.
Midnight Mode, indeed. On the day the Rams donned black uniforms for the first and only time this season, the offense largely went dark. Red-hot quarterback Matthew Stafford cooled. Star receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua struggled to consistently make the clutch plays that they often make look routine. But safety Kamren Kinchens and the Rams' defense managed to keep the Seattle Seahawks at bay - just barely.
On the first play of the second half, Tua Tagovailoa threw high toward the sideline to De'Von Achane, who had it tick off his hands and Cleveland's Tyson Campbell intercepted it, managed to stay inbounds and ran 34 yards for a touchdown. Twelves seconds into the half, whatever thoughts the Dolphins had of regrouping at the intermission were gone and Cleveland led, 24-6.
STANFORD AT SMU Records: Stanford 2-3, 1-1 ACC. SMU 3-2, 1-0. Kickoff: 9 a.m. PT at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas TV: The CW Radio: KNBR 1050 AM Series history: Tied 1-1. SMU won 40-10 last year at Stanford Stadium, while Stanford won 7-0 in the 1936 Rose Bowl. SMU and Cal are Stanford's protected rivals in the ACC, which means the teams will play each other every season.
A "We Want Dart" chant broke out among some sections after Russell Wilson's second interception of the second quarter. Yet rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart again had just a cameo in the Giants' 22-9 loss on Sunday. For the first time since 2021, the Giants are 0-3. It's less than ideal for a Giants team that's lost 14 of their last 15 games. It was also less than ideal for Wilson reverting to his poor form from two weeks ago.
"Going based off of last year, plus the guys we got now, we should lead in interceptions probably by at least about 10 to 15," Stingley told ESPN. "I mean, we know we can get the ball. We just got to keep going to get the ball."
