Titans make Brian Callahan NFL’s 1st coach fired this year after 4-19 record and 1-5 start
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have fired coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start to his second season. Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker says the rebuilding team hasn’t shown enough growth. Callahan becomes the first NFL coach fired this season. He went 4-19 overall with Tennessee. Mike McCoy will serve as interim coach. The Titans had said they wanted to see improvement this season with Callahan going into his second year, this time with a rookie quarterback in Cam Ward. Yet Callahan had to hand off play-calling duties after dropping to 0-3 with the offense struggling.
Seahawks rediscover their pass rush as they remain unbeaten on the road
Perhaps the Seahawks needed to get away from Seattle for their formidable defense to return to form. In Sunday’s 20-12 victory against the Jaguars, the Seahawks limited Jacksonville to 273 yards of offense and sacked Trevor Lawrence a career-high seven times. Seattle moved to 3-0 on the road this season while carrying a 1-2 mark at Lumen Field, and its latest victory outside the Emerald City was largely due to its pass rush. On the other side of the ball, Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had big days for the Seahawks.
No Hail Mary magic this time and Moody’s last-play kick lifts the Bears past the Commanders 25-24
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — It wasn’t quite the same drama as the Hail Mary that decided these teams’ game a year ago, but Caleb Williams and the Bears did get the better of Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on a final-play score this time. Chicago defeated Washington 25-24 on Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal Monday night. The Bears extended their winning streak to three games under first-year coach Ben Johnson. Washington continued its pattern of alternating wins and losses in 2025 and flopped with a chance to pull even with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East.
Falcons ride Robinson’s 170 rushing yards, including 81-yard TD, to 24-14 win over Allen and Bills
ATLANTA (AP) — Bijan Robinson matched a career high with 170 rushing yards and the Atlanta Falcons denied Josh Allen’s comeback attempt to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14. Robinson’s huge day included an 81-yard touchdown run that was the longest rush in the NFL this season. He also had six catches for 68 yards to finish with a career-best 238 yards from scrimmage. Allen threw two touchdown passes but was also intercepted twice as the Bills lost their second straight. Drake London, who had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons.
Bill Belichick says he never sought an early departure from the North Carolina job
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Bill Belichick has denied reports that he’s been seeking an exit strategy from his North Carolina coaching role. Belichick says “some of the reports out last week about my looking for a buyout and trying to leave here and all that is categorically false.” Belichick was making his first public comments since a blowout loss to Clemson. During the second of two off weeks in a three-week span, the subject of Belichick’s future with the Tar Heels was a hot topic, so much so that last Wednesday the university released brief statements from the coach and athletics director reaffirming commitments between Belichick and the school.
Boiler up! Purdue tops preseason AP Top 25 for first time, ahead of Houston, reigning champ Florida
Purdue is No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time. The Boilermakers earned 35 of 61 first-place votes to top Monday’s AP Top 25 poll to begin the 2025-26 season. That put Matt Painter’s squad ahead of the two teams that played in last year’s NCAA title game. Runner-up Houston was No. 2 while reigning champion Florida was No. 3. UConn was fourth, followed by St. John’s. Duke, Michigan, BYU, Kentucky and Texas Tech rounded out the top 10. The Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Big 12 each had six ranked teams.
Lions safety Brian Branch gets 1-game suspension for punching Chiefs’ JuJu Smith-Schuster
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for one game without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct following a loss at Kansas City. Branch punched Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster on Sunday night, setting off a brief fight among players from both teams. Detroit will host NFC South-leading Tampa Bay without Branch, another blow for a team with a banged-up secondary. Branch will be eligible to return to the active roster on Tuesday, Oct. 21, during the team’s bye week ahead of its game against NFC North rival Minnesota on Nov. 2 at home.
South Carolina star forward Chloe Kitts to miss entire season with torn ACL
South Carolina senior forward Chloe Kitts has announced she will miss the entire 2025 season after tearing her ACL. She shared the news on social media Monday. The injury occurred at a recent practice. She will have surgery this week. Kitts, a two-year starter and last season’s Southeastern Conference tournament MVP, averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a junior. Coach Dawn Staley praised Kitts for her hard work and believes her leadership will continue from the sidelines. It’s uncertain if Kitts will seek a medical redshirt. This is another setback for the team, following Ashlyn Watkins’ similar injury.