1: Hope Rogers (USA)

The Exeter Chiefs prop was one of the standout forwards in WXV1. She crossed for two tries and made plenty of hard yards with ball in hand her 42 carries were the most of any tight-five forward, while she was the only one to gain over 100 metres (105). It wasnt just in attack that she had an impact though, with Irelands Linda Djougang (44) being the only front rower to make more tackles than the American (42).

2: Emily Tuttosi (Canada)

The Canadian hooker put in an all-action performance during this years WXV1, ranking in the top three front rowers for carries (31), tackles (41) and attacking rucks (55). Even when tackled she was a threat for opposition defenders, making four offloads the joint most of any front row forward - while at the set-piece her tally of 34 successful line-out throws was at least 10 more than any other hooker.

3: Eva Karpani (Australia)

Karpani was the standout front row in WXV, according to the Opta Index, and its easy to see why, particularly with ball in hand. From her 26 carries she gained 111 metres, more than twice as many as any other front row, while her tally of three line breaks was as many as every other front row in WXV2 combined. Similarly, her nine defenders beaten was a high for her position in WXV2, while Italy's Silvia Turani was the only front row in the division to match her try tally of two.

4: Zoe Aldcroft (England)

Aldcroft is a player of huge importance to England, owing to her incredible work-rate. The second row is in the top five players in WXV1 for both tackles made per 80 minutes (18.2) and attacking ruck hits per 80 minutes (24). She was a menace at the line-out, stealing three opposition throws despite playing just 180 minutes in total.

5: Laetitia Royer (Canada)

Royer was relentless at the breakdown, hitting more than 20 defensive rucks and winning five turnovers in total the joint most of any player alongside Ireland's Aoife Wafer and France's Emeline Gros. She was a threat with ball in hand - her two line breaks and six defenders beaten were joint-highs for any second row, while she made the most offloads of any lock (five) and crossed for two tries.

6: Erin King (Ireland)

Irelands top try-scorer in WXV1 crossed for more tries than any other back rower in the top division (3). Her defensive numbers were very impressive too. King was one of three players in WXV1 to hit 20 or more defensive rucks, winning four turnovers in the process. At the set-piece she was a key cog in the Irish line-out, winning 13 in total, including one steal.

7: Aoife Wafer (Ireland)

Wafer is fast becoming one of the first names on the Ireland team sheet, with an impressive WXV1 campaign further increasing her stock. The Irish back row beat more defenders than any other forward (25) and also ranked joint-first for turnovers won with five. Her two tries, both in the historic win over the Black Ferns, will live long in the memory of Ireland fans.

8: Rachel Johnson (USA)

If there was an award for the hardest worker in WXV1 it might just go to the USA back row. She made a competition high 54 carries, along with 40 tackles and 80 ruck hits, with her combined tally for all three (174) being the most of any player. From her carries she gained 204 metres, the most of any forward and the second most of any player overall, behind Englands Kildunne.

NEW YORK -- Last Thursday, while Gerrit Cole mowed down the Kansas City Royals in the New York Yankees' series-clinching Game 4 win in the American League Division Series, Carlos Rodón took mental notes from the dugout. Not on anything Cole did to Royals hitters. Not on his approach or his pitch selection or his mechanics. But on Cole's demeanor around the mound. His tranquility as he navigated the only jam he encountered. The lack of screams and fist pumps. So cool, so calm.

"It's just like a robot walking to the dugout," Rodón noted.

Rodón's emotions sabotaged his first start of this postseason, in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Royals. He saw in Cole the model to emulate. On Monday, in the most important start of his professional career, Rodón nailed the imitation, tossing six brilliant innings in the Yankees' 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

Rodón held the Guardians to one run on three hits without a walk. He tallied nine strikeouts, seven on a wipeout slider he played off his fastball to near perfection. He threw 93 pitches and collected 25 swing-and-misses -- the most by a Yankees pitcher in a playoff game in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008), according to ESPN Research. He was composed and he was dominant as the Yankees moved within three wins of their first World Series appearance since 2009.

"Gosh, he was good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "We talked about would he take the experience of the first time out? And I felt like he totally applied all of that. I thought he was just in complete command of himself and of his emotions."

Clay Holmes, Tim Hill, and Luke Weaver followed Rodón out of the bullpen to record the final nine outs. The Guardians added a run in the eighth inning against Hill and threatened for more before Weaver entered with one out and runners on first and second.

The right-hander wiggled out of the jam by striking out pinch-hitter Will Brennan and getting Jose Ramirez, the Guardians' superstar third baseman, to ground out. Weaver, a failed-starter-turned-shutdown-closer, shut the door with three strikeouts in the ninth inning, becoming the first Yankees pitcher with multiple five-out saves since Aroldis Chapman in 2017.

The Guardians' counter to Rodón was Alex Cobb, a veteran right-hander making just his fifth start in 2024. He secured just eight outs before departing with a tight left hip, back spasms, and mess for the bullpen to clean.

Cobb's unraveling began with Juan Soto blasting a leadoff home run in the third inning. He then walked the bases loaded with two outs, prompting Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt to summon left-hander Joey Cantillo to face the left-handed-hitting Anthony Rizzo, who was playing in his first game since fracturing two fingers in his right hand in the penultimate game of the regular season 16 days earlier. The move did not stem the tide.

Cantillo allowed two runs to score on two wild pitches around a walk to Rizzo. He then walked Gleyber Torres to start the bottom of the fifth inning before uncorking two more wild pitches, walking Soto, and exiting without recording an out. Pedro Avila was called on to face Aaron Judge with runners on the corners and surrendered a sacrifice fly before escaping the inning.

"I didn't execute pitches and the control obviously was not there and just got to be better next time," Cantillo said. "That performance was obviously the difference in the game. So that's on me."

Six Guardians pitchers combined for seven walks and five wild pitches, tying the all-time postseason record, according to ESPN Research.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- All game long, the Buffalo Bills gave up uncharacteristic big plays against the New York Jets. None more notable than allowing the Jets to score on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half to make it a three-point game, despite the Bills' offense scoring a touchdown on three of its first four drives.

But it was on another throw when nickel corner Taron Johnson announced his return to the starting lineup in the loudest way possible, picking off an Aaron Rodgers pass with just under two minutes remaining to preserve a 23-20 win.

Johnson, a 2023 second-team All-Pro, was playing in his first game since Week 1 when he suffered a forearm injury.

The Bills' defense gave up eight plays of 20 or more yards to the Jets. In the first three games of the year, the Bills allowed seven such plays. That number is now at 15 from Weeks 4 to 6. Buffalo also allowed a Jets offense that came into the game averaging 80.4 rushing yards per game to get 121 yards on the ground.

The unit was saved by two missed field goals by Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein in the second half, in addition to a strong red zone defense that allowed the Jets to convert on one of four red zone trips.

Though the Bills missed opportunities (notably where penalties were involved), they came away with the win by forcing needed turnovers and avoiding crucial mistakes. Quarterback Josh Allen has now gone six straight games without throwing an interception, the longest stretch of his career.

Buffalo Bills (4-2)

Describe the game in two words: Bouncing back. It wasn't pretty, but the Bills avoided their first three-game losing streak since 2018 and maintained a significant lead in the AFC East.

Eye-popping stat: Josh Allen was traveling 16.26 mph when he let go of the ball on his 42-yard completion to RB Ray Davis in the second quarter, the fastest speed by a quarterback on a deep completion (20-plus air yards) over the past two-plus seasons (since Week 1, 2022), per NFL Next Gen Stats.

Most surprising performance: Davis. Ty Johnson has been the team's second back behind James Cook in terms of snaps, and while Davis has flashed his potential, this was a significant performance on a night when Cook (toe) was inactive. Davis' 116 scrimmage yards in the first half were the most by a Bills rookie in a half since 1980. He finished with 20 rushes for 97 yards and three catches for 55 more. This offense is at its best when the running game gets going, and this kind of depth behind Cook is a good sign.

Troubling trend: Tyler Bass' kicking. Bass' woes have been a concern since training camp, and Monday night was a reminder. While it was a blustery night -- 17 mph sustained winds and gusts in the 30-35 mph range -- the issues aren't new. Bass likely would have missed a PAT that went very wide left, but it was also blocked, and he missed a 47-yard field goal too. He made a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter but is now 2-of-5 from 40-49 yards this season (tied for the 31st-worst percentage from that distance). -- Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New York Jets (2-4)

New head coach, new offensive playcaller, same result for the New York Jets, who dropped their third straight game and missed a chance to grab a share of first place in the AFC East.

Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the abruptly fired Robert Saleh six days ago, presided over the same kind of performance that prompted owner Woody Johnson to sack Saleh: too many penalties (11 for 110 yards), too many wasted opportunities and too many points left on the field, including a pair of missed field goals by kicker Greg Zuerlein in the second half.

The Jets showed some signs of life on offense under new playcaller Todd Downing, who replaced the demoted Nathaniel Hackett, but the result was another crushing loss. They have lost by a combined 10 points in the past three games, and now they're on the verge of falling out of contention.

It wasn't supposed to go like this for the Jets (2-4), who fancied themselves as Super Bowl contenders. Johnson called this the best roster he has had in 25 years, but it's not performing up to expectations. Not even close. Johnson figured a coaching shake-up would help, but this was just more of the same. Unless they turn it around quickly, the 2024 Jets will go down as one of the biggest busts in recent history.

QB breakdown: You can hold the "Rodgers-is-washed up" headlines. Rebounding from last week's three-interception clunker, Aaron Rodgers passed for 294 yards -- just shy of his first 300-yard performance in 28 games. Typical, right? The whole night was just a tease. Rodgers played well enough to win, but he was undermined by three dropped passes; the Jets lead the league in drops. Rodgers (23-for-35, 2 TD, 1 INT) made one magical moment, a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to end the first half, but he ran out of magic with an interception on the Jets' final drive of the game.

Most surprising performance: Welcome back, Breece Hall. A nonfactor in the previous two games, Hall came alive with Downing calling the plays. Buffalo's shaky run defense might have had something to do with it, too. Either way, Hall was back to his dual-threat ways, producing 113 yards rushing and 56 receiving. There was more creativity in the run game and the holes were bigger. Ultimately, it wasn't good enough because of the red zone inefficiency (1-for-4).

Troubling trend: What is it with the Jets and backup running backs? They had no answers for rookie Ray Davis (152 yards from scrimmage), who replaced James Cook and became the latest understudy to shine against them. Remember Week 1? San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey was a late scratch and in came Jordan Mason, who rushed for a career-high 147 yards. Truth is, the Jets' run defense wasn't very good. Once again, the tackling was shoddy, and the gap discipline left a lot to be desired. Linebacker C.J. Mosley returned from a three-game toe injury, but he played limited snaps as Jamien Sherwood remained the Mike linebacker. Mosley was removed in the nickel.

Eye-popping stat: Rodgers' Hail Mary to Allen Lazard traveled 52 air yards -- the most on a completion by a Jets quarterback since Mark Sanchez in 2010. It was the fourth Hail Mary touchdown of Rodgers' career; no other player had more than two since 2008. -- Rich Cimini

Next game: at Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for the remainder of the preseason, and his status for the LA Clippers' season opener Oct. 23 remains uncertain.

Clippers coach Ty Lue confirmed Monday that Leonard will not play in the team's preseason finale against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday. Leonard has not suited up this preseason, missing the first three games and Monday night's 110-96 win against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit Dome because of inflammation in his right knee.

"Continue to keep rehabbing," Lue said when asked about the plan for Leonard this week. "Keep getting better. Keep checking the boxes."

Leonard has not participated in contact drills in training camp, as the team has been cautious with its franchise star. Lue has said that Leonard has spent practices strengthening his knee.

Leonard missed the final eight games of last regular season and was limited to two games in the six-game, first-round loss to Dallas in the postseason because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.

Leonard and the Clippers have gone through a variety of medical treatments to control the inflammation since the end of last season. The All-Star said at the start of camp that he was much more confident that he and the medical staff have a better handle on the condition.

While Leonard said he is feeling much better now, the two-time Finals MVP said he wants to make sure that he is available late in the season and doesn't have to deal with the troublesome inflammation in his knee, which has had surgeries on his ACL and meniscus.

Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said before the start of camp that Leonard still had some inflammation in his knee and that the team wanted to be as safe as possible and would hold Leonard out of contact drills.

Asked during the Clippers' preseason game against the Golden State Warriors in Hawai'i on Oct. 5 if he needed to play in the preseason in order to play in the season opener, Leonard said there's always a "buildup ... especially in the position I'm in."

Whenever Leonard returns to the court, he and the Clippers will have to determine the best path toward keeping him healthy long term, including potentially sitting out back-to-back games.

"I feel good," Leonard said Oct. 5. "Just been taking my time, getting stronger and getting ready.

"We're just taking it slow, day by day and just trying to get me back on the floor. Once those conversations come, we'll see what they're talking about [on the best approach for back-to-backs]."

The Clippers play the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 23 in the Intuit Dome's first regular-season basketball game.

Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George suffered a hyperextended left knee in the second quarter of Monday's preseason win in Atlanta and didn't return.

"Hopefully it'll be OK, so he's back with us right away," 76ers coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game.

George, playing in his second preseason game with the 76ers after signing a four-year max contract as a free agent this offseason, was defending Hawks forward Jalen Johnson on a drive with a little over eight minutes to go in the second quarter when his left leg planted awkwardly and bent at an odd angle.

He quickly exited the game and didn't return, with the team ruling George out for the remainder of the evening in the second half.

"I felt that it hyperextended, and immediately it was, all right, I need to get taken out and (looked at), but if you ask me, I'm not too concerned about it," George told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia had already ruled out Joel Embiid for the rest of the preseason Sunday, as the star center continues to ramp up his conditioning and activity levels to be ready for next week's regular-season opener at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23. Embiid suffered a left knee injury last season that limited him to 39 games.

The 76ers were already planning to be cautious with the health of both George and Embiid this season, with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey telling ESPN that both stars will "probably not play many back-to-backs, if any."

And for all of the attention on Embiid's injury history -- he has missed 204 games over the past eight seasons and sat out his first two years in the NBA with foot injuries -- the 74 games George played last season in his final year with the Clippers were his most since 2019 and came after he'd played no more than 56 games in each of his prior four seasons in Los Angeles.

Notre Dame landed a commitment from four-star quarterback Blake Hebert on Monday, flipping the longtime Clemson pledge and securing a quarterback for the Irish's 2025 class less than two weeks after Deuce Knight's seismic flip to Auburn.

Hebert, ESPN's No. 6 dual-threat passer in 2025, announced his decommitment from Clemson via X before giving his pledge to Notre Dame minutes later Monday evening.

Hebert, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback from Greenwich, Connecticut, had been committed to Dabo Swinney and the Tigers since June 16, 2023. With his recruitment closed, Hebert took a pair of trips to Clemson earlier this year, most recently on an official visit in May.

Yet the quarterback landscape in the 2025 cycle shifted when Knight, ESPN's No. 2 dual-threat quarterback, pulled his pledge from Notre Dame on Oct. 2 and committed to Auburn, ending a lengthy recruiting saga that began in the summer. The Irish were aggressive in their pursuit to land another 2025 quarterback following Knight's departure, and Marcus Freeman & Co. found one in Hebert, now bound for South Bend, Indiana, through a late-cycle recruitment led by Notre Dame quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator Gino Guidugli.

"I'd like to start by thanking the Clemson coaching staff as well as the program itself for all they have done for me," Hebert wrote on X minutes before announcing his pledge to the Irish. "With that being said, I have chosen to withdraw my commitment and will spend my next 4 years at another institution."

Hebert spent the first three seasons of his high school career at Massachusetts' Central Catholic High School. He missed nearly all of his junior season after suffering an ankle fracture in the program's season opener last fall. As first-year starter in his sophomore season in 2022, Hebert completed 58.3% of his passes for 1,748 yards with 24 touchdowns to one interception. Hebert transferred to Connecticut's Brunswick School prior to his senior season.

Hebert now joins a Notre Dame recruiting class that has lost several commitments in recent months. Before Knight, four-star safety Ivan Taylor marked a key departure when he flipped to Michigan in July, and the Irish lost a pledge from three-star running back Daniel Anderson earlier this month. However, Notre Dame still holds commitments from nine ESPN 300 pledges in 2025, led by four-star offensive tackle Will Black (No. 99 in 2025 ESPN 300), and Hebert will arrive on campus alongside four-star tight end James Flanigan (No. 144), running back Justin Thurman (No. 300) and wide receiver Elijah Burress (No. 44 wide receiver in 2025).

The Irish's incoming class sits at No. 14 in ESPN's latest team rankings for the 2025 cycle.