{"id":905016,"date":"2026-09-25T13:26:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/905016\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T13:26:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T13:26:11","slug":"michael-penix-jr-returns-as-falcons-rout-packers-mlb-playoffs-taking-shape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/905016\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Penix Jr. returns as Falcons rout Packers; MLB playoffs taking shape"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc26 Five things to know Friday Michael Penix Jr. ignited the Falcons’ offense against the Packers. All it took for Atlanta to get off the mat was a quarterback change. Penix is finally healthy, and the Falcons looked like a completely different team in their 35-14 rout of Green Bay<\/a>. With Penix in the lineup for the first time in 10 months, he got the most out of his supporting cast; Bijan Robinson and Drake London racked up exactly 194 yards apiece. On the other sideline, Matt LaFleur faces major questions as the Packers are off to a 1-2 start with their lone win coming in overtime against the Jets.Four more teams secured MLB postseason berths. Thursday was a big day for playoff contenders. The Padres, with their 4-2 win over the rival Dodgers, were the last of four teams to secure spots in the bracket in one day. That result also guaranteed the Brewers the No. 1 seed in the National League and home-field advantage through the postseason. Earlier in the day, the Guardians locked up a postseason appearance<\/a>, as did both Chicago teams. The White Sox’s surprise campaign continues<\/a>, and if they win the AL Central, they will also own home-field advantage in the ALDS. And on the North Side, the Cubs earned their playoff spot<\/a> on the same day Pete Crow-Armstrong joined the 40-40 club<\/a>. Speaking of PCA, our MLB experts unveiled their picks for MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year<\/a>. As the regular season winds down, so ends a miserable year in the AL West, where one team could become the first sub-.500 club to win a division<\/a>.The WNBA playoffs are locked in. It’s a quick turnaround from the end of the regular season to the start of the playoffs, as the top eight teams in the league embark on postseason play Sunday. There was a ton of drama in the final moments of seeding as the Valkyries secured the No. 2 spot in the bracket with a 16-point comeback win over the Sparks. They will face the No. 7-seed Wings in the first round. Check out the full seed list and schedule<\/a> ahead of Sunday’s postseason tip-off. This also brings awards voting to a close, and our Jack Maloney shared his MVP and All-WNBA ballot<\/a>.The United States holds a modest lead at the Presidents Cup. The first of two four-ball rounds went the way of the host team, but only by a small margin.\u00a0The U.S. squad holds a 3-2 lead over the International team<\/a>, which is a slimmer advantage than expected considering it was favored in all five matches. Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns led the way with a 1 UP win over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im. Up next is this afternoon’s foursomes round.Puka Nacua and Zay Flowers injuries create tough fantasy football start-or-sit decisions. Quarterbacks aren’t the only players dropping like flies in the early stages of the season. Nacua and Flowers are among the other stars who could be unavailable in Week 3, and if you have them on your fantasy roster, here’s how you should proceed<\/a>. Our Dave Richard identified every startable player<\/a> and separated them from the ones you should sit, and since every league is different, his Week 3 PPR cheat sheet<\/a> is the ultimate resource to help you make your own decisions. \ud83d\udd25 Do not miss this: Previewing college football Week 4
\n Imagn Images<\/p>\n

It’s a massive week in the SEC and Big Ten. The SEC has three top-25 matchups on its Week 4 slate and the Big Ten has two, each with\u00a0sizable College Football Playoff implications<\/a>. No. 1 Texas and No. 18 Michigan and favored in their ranked matchups, but both are on upset alert<\/a> with highly capable underdogs on the other sideline. And for No. 10 LSU and No. 23 Texas A&M, the loser of their head-to-head showdown might already be out of the CFP race<\/a>. High enough stakes? <\/p>\n

The Longhorns’ trip to No. 14 Tennessee is so monumental that even President Donald Trump will be in attendance. That could cause in-game problems for both teams, as Steve Sarkisian said any time the President moves locations inside the stadium, coach-to-player communication is cut off<\/a>. Sarkisian even said this occurred in last year’s national championship game<\/a> and impacted the final drive. Throwing another wrench into the matchup: Tennessee linebackers coach William Inge is in the hospital due to a “personal medical issue.”<\/a> <\/p>\n

The top showdown in the Big Ten pits No. 12 USC against No. 20 Oregon. Both coaches desperately need a win<\/a> in this spot. Who needs it more? While Dan Lanning is still in search of a championship season, Lincoln Riley faces even tougher pressure<\/a> as he seeks to prove that the Trojans are back in college football’s top tier. <\/p>\n

Our picks for all of the biggest Week 4 games are in. Tom Fornelli’s Lock of the Week<\/a> comes from No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan, where he foresees the Hawkeyes having a tough time moving the ball. <\/p>\n

Here are our picks for every marquee matchup: <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 NFL Week 3 picks, injury updates and more
\n Getty Images<\/p>\n

When the Cowboys and Ravens fly to Rio de Janeiro for the NFL’s third Brazil game, they will embark on a challenge the league has never seen before<\/a>. Neither Dallas nor Baltimore has a bye week on the other side of this international trip. The flight home won’t feel so long for the winning team, and our experts Jordan Dajani and Jared Dubin think the Ravens will be that fortunate squad — but only if Zay Flowers suits up. <\/p>\n

Dubin: “The Cowboys have been both efficient and explosive offensively so far this season, and we’ve seen that the Ravens can still be beaten on defense early in the Jesse Minter era. Tyler Shough went off against them in the second half. I think Dak Prescott can do the same. If Flowers suits up, I think it won’t be quite enough. If he doesn’t, then I think the Cowboys can pull this one out in Brazil.”<\/p>\n

Also, if the first two weeks were any indication of what’s next, then Week 3 should also feature a handful of puzzling results. For one, it wouldn’t shock our Tyler Sullivan<\/a> if the Steelers go touchdown-less for the second consecutive game. Sullivan also put a handful of teams on upset alert<\/a>, and our betting staff tends to agree on a couple of them<\/a>. Here are three of the games with live underdogs to monitor: <\/p>\n

Rams at Broncos (+2.5)Texans at Colts (+2.5)Panthers at Browns (+2.5)<\/p>\n

There are eight unbeaten teams left heading into Week 3, so we ranked all of the 2-0 squads<\/a>. We also identified the secret weapon behind each of those perfect starts<\/a>, from 49ers cornerback Upton Stout to Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker. <\/p>\n

Lastly, on the injury front \u2026 <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc4d\ud83d\udc4e The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
\n Imagn Images
\n \ud83d\udcfa What we’re watching this weekend Friday <\/p>\n

\u26f3 Presidents Cup: Second round, 2 p.m. on Golf Channel <\/p>\n

\u26be Cubs at Red Sox, 6:05 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited <\/p>\n

\u26be Rays at Phillies, 6:40 p.m. on Peacock <\/p>\n

\u26be Orioles at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on MLB Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Northwestern at No. 5 Indiana, 8 p.m. on Fox <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 Stars at Wild, 8 p.m. on TNT <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Gotham at Stars, 8 p.m. on Prime Video <\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd3c WWE SmackDown, 8 p.m. on USA Network <\/p>\n

\u26be Diamondbacks at Padres, 10 p.m. on MLB Network <\/p>\n

Saturday <\/p>\n

\u26f3 Presidents Cup: Third and fourth rounds, 8 a.m. on Golf Channel and 9 a.m. on NBC <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Illinois at No. 7 Ohio State, noon on Fox <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Sam Houston at No. 11 Texas Tech, noon on TNT <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee, noon on ABC <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Wake Forest at No. 16 Louisville, noon on ESPN <\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd4a Zuffa Boxing 11: Fisher vs. Pirotton, 12:15 p.m. on Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\u26bd Summit at Current, 12:30 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\u26be Pirates at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. on MLB Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 3 Notre Dame at Purdue, 2 p.m. on NBC Sports Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 Penguins at Sabres, 3 p.m. on NHL Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan, 3:30 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Oklahoma at No. 2 Georgia, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida, 3:30 p.m. on ABC <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 15 Utah at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. on Fox <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 25 Houston at Georgia Southern, 4 p.m. on ESPNU <\/p>\n

\u26be Dodgers at Giants, 4:05 p.m. on Peacock <\/p>\n

\u26be Mets at Nationals, 4:05 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited <\/p>\n

\u26be Braves at Marlins, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network <\/p>\n

\u26bd Men’s international friendly: Peru vs. United States, 4:30 p.m. on TNT <\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd3c UFC Fight Night: Rosas Jr. vs. Barcelos, 5 p.m. on Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Wisconsin at No. 13 Penn State, 5 p.m. on NBC Sports Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Central Michigan at No. 6 Miami, 6:30 p.m. on The CW <\/p>\n

\u26bd Angel City at Spirit, 6:30 p.m. on Ion <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 South Carolina at No. 8 Alabama, 7 p.m. on ESPN <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 Blues at Blackhawks, 7 p.m. on NHL Network <\/p>\n

\u26be Rays at Phillies, 7:15 p.m. on Fox <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Arizona at Washington State, 7:30 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 USC, 7:30 p.m. on NBC <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 23 Texas A&M at No. 10 LSU, 7:30 p.m. on ABC <\/p>\n

\u26bd Fire at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State, 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network <\/p>\n

\u26bd LAFC at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV <\/p>\n

\u26bd Dash at Thorns, 8:45 p.m. on Ion <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Missouri State at No. 22 SMU, 9 p.m. on ACC Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 Sharks at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. on NHL Network <\/p>\n

\u26bd Timbers at Earthquakes, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV <\/p>\n

Sunday <\/p>\n

\u26f3 Presidents Cup: Final round, noon on NBC <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Bengals at Steelers, 1 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Chargers at Bills, 1 p.m. on Fox <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc1 NASCAR at Kansas, 3 p.m. on USA Network <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Vikings at Buccaneers, 4:05 p.m. on Fox <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Ravens vs. Cowboys (at Rio de Janeiro), 4:25 p.m. on CBS\/Paramount+ <\/p>\n

\u26bd Pride at Bay, 5 p.m. on ESPN <\/p>\n

\u26bd Inter Miami at Crew, 7 p.m. on Apple TV <\/p>\n

\u26bd Courage at Royals, 7 p.m. on Roku <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc8 Rams at Broncos, 8:20 p.m. on NBC <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Liberty at Lynx, TBD <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Wings at Valkyries, TBD <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Mystics at Dream, TBD <\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Fever at Aces, TBD <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":905017,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[558],"tags":[64,63,5358,5138,5367,23169,473136,755,6582,107871,591,64736,129988,593,9827,5135,32035,85,2957,23871,473137,5941,100961],"class_list":["post-905016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bijan-robinson","tag-dodgers","tag-drake-london","tag-falcons","tag-falcons-vs-packers","tag-golf","tag-jordan-love","tag-michael-penix","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-playoffs","tag-mnf","tag-nfl","tag-packers","tag-padres","tag-presidents-cup","tag-sports","tag-usa","tag-white-sox","tag-who-won-monday-night-football","tag-wnba","tag-wnba-playoffs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=905016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/905016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/905017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=905016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=905016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=905016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}