The Week 9 NFL slate is stacked with great matchups. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know for each game, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's Mackenzie Kraemer hand out helpful nuggets, as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded weekend of NFL football.

Let's get into the full Week 9 schedule, including a showdown between the Vikings' run game and the Chiefs' passing attack.

Jump to a matchup:
MIN-KC | CHI-PHI | IND-PIT
TEN-CAR | WSH-BUF | NYJ-MIA
TB-SEA | DET-OAK | GB-LAC
CLE-DEN | NE-BAL | DAL-NYG
JAX-HOU

Thursday: SF 28, ARI 25
Bye: ATL, CIN, LAR, NO

Jaguars (4-4) at Texans (5-3), London

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network
Matchup rating: 63.1 | Spread: HOU -1 (46)

What to watch for: How do the Texans cope without defensive end J.J. Watt? Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew II was sacked four times when the teams played in Houston in September. Jacksonville has allowed 18 sacks this season, which ranks 17th in the NFL. -- Sarah Barshop

Bold prediction: The Jaguars will hold running back Carlos Hyde to less than 40 yards rushing. After giving up 176 yards and two touchdowns rushing to Christian McCaffrey in Week 5, the Jaguars have shut down Alvin Kamara (31 yards), Joe Mixon (2 yards) and Le'Veon Bell (23 yards). -- Mike DiRocco

Stat to know: Houston's DeAndre Hopkins has at least five receptions in 11 straight games dating back to last season, the second-longest active streak in the NFL (Michael Thomas, 13).

What to know for fantasy: Leonard Fournette leads the NFL in touches (198) and owns the longest active streak of games with at least 75 total yards (eight in a row). See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Favorites are 16-10 against the spread (ATS) all time in London games (2-1 this season). Read more.

DiRocco's pick: Texans 17, Jaguars 14
Barshop's pick: Texans 24, Jaguars 17
FPI prediction: HOU, 67.9% (by an average of 6.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Replacing J.J. Watt won't be a one-man option for Texans ... Nick Foles or Gardner Minshew? Jaguars' quarterback decision looms

Vikings (6-2) at Chiefs (5-3)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 89.7 | Spread: No line

What to watch for: Dalvin Cook leads the NFL in rushing, and the Chiefs have allowed more yards on the ground than all but two other teams, both of which are winless. So, Kansas City faces a big challenge, and likely without any of its regular starting defensive linemen. Quarterback Matt Moore was impressive in his Chiefs starting debut last week, but the Vikings, who are fifth in the league in total defense, are an upgrade in competition. -- Adam Teicher

Bold prediction: Minnesota will tie its previous best effort against the run recorded on Dec. 31, 2017, when it held the Bears to 30 rushing yards. Andy Reid has been able to hide the weakness of his running game for some time now, but that ends this week against a stout Vikings defense. -- Courtney Cronin

Stat to know: The Chiefs rank among the NFL leaders in points per game (fourth at 28.3), yards per game (fifth at 392.5) and passing yards per game (second at 309.5).

What to know for fantasy: Since 2016, Stefon Diggs' average fantasy points per game drops by nearly 25% when playing outside the NFC North. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Minnesota is 2-8-1 both ATS and straight up in Kirk Cousins' starts against teams that entered with winning records, including 0-6-1 on the road (both ATS and SU). Read more.

Cronin's pick: Vikings 28, Chiefs 26
Teicher's pick: Vikings 27, Chiefs 24
FPI prediction: MIN, 52.5% (by an average of 0.9 points)

Matchup must-reads: Vikings' secondary gets boost now and chance to plan for future ... For $500, Hank Stram made Chiefs' Super Bowl IV victory 'iconic' ... Chiefs running the ball with much less success in 2019

Bears (3-4) at Eagles (4-4)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 60.1 | Spread: PHI -5 (42)

What to watch for: Rookie Andre Dillard will make his this third NFL start at left tackle. Star edge rusher Khalil Mack moves all over the formation and is likely to spend a good amount of time on Dillard's side. Whether the Eagles' offense can function at a high level will depend largely on whether Dillard can rise to the occasion. -- Tim McManus

Bold prediction: Jordan Howard rushes for 100-plus yards against his old team. Chicago ranks sixth in net rushing yards allowed per game (86.0). However, the Bears' run defense is nowhere near as good without defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (injured reserve/elbow), whose absence is felt every week. -- Jeff Dickerson

Stat to know: Carson Wentz has 11 straight games of throwing at least one passing touchdown (tied for the longest active streak in NFL with Russell Wilson).

What to know for fantasy: David Montgomery scored 2.5 more fantasy points last week than he did in his three games prior. But now he takes on the sixth-best defense against fantasy running backs this season. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Philadelphia is 2-8 ATS as a home favorite over the past two seasons, including 0-5 ATS when favored by five or fewer points. Read more.

Dickerson's pick: Eagles 17, Bears 15
McManus' pick: Eagles 26, Bears 17
FPI prediction: PHI, 62.2% (by an average of 4.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bears to stick with struggling Mitchell Trubisky, won't swap to Chase Daniel ... Inside the players-only meeting that might have saved Eagles' season

Colts (5-2) at Steelers (3-4)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 49.2 | Spread: IND -1 (42)

What to watch for: The Colts rank toward the bottom of the league in rushing defense. Even if Benny Snell Jr. and James Conner don't play, Pittsburgh's run game led by Jaylen Samuels and aided by fullback Roosevelt Nix should be strong enough to keep the game close. -- Brooke Pryor

Bold prediction: The Colts will record multiple sacks despite the Steelers having given up an NFL-low seven sacks this season, with two of those against Miami in Week 8. The Colts have a total of 10 sacks during their three-game winning streak, and defensive end Justin Houston has four in that time. -- Mike Wells

Stat to know: Mason Rudolph has a 6.6 QBR in the red zone this season, second worst in the NFL. In all, the Steelers have scored a touchdown on just 41.2% of their red zone drives, fifth worst in the NFL.

What to know for fantasy: Marlon Mack has at least 20 touches in three straight games. But tread lightly, as the Steelers have yet to allow a single running back amass even 90 yards or 14 fantasy points. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Indianapolis has covered six straight games when the line has been has been from -3 to +3, and it has won seven straight games outright (6-0-1 ATS). It is 3-0 ATS and SU in that spot this season. Read more.

Wells' pick: Colts 24, Steelers 13
Pryor's pick: Colts 21, Steelers 17
FPI prediction: IND, 50.2% (by an average of 0.1 points)

Matchup must-reads: Going into Detail: Peyton Manning on Brissett's look-off to Nelson

Titans (4-4) at Panthers (4-3)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 41.5 | Spread: CAR -3.5 (42.5)

What to watch for: Will we see composure and poise from Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen after he lost some of the calmness that was a strength while throwing three picks last week against the 49ers? The Titans have a physical, aggressive defense that will try to do to Allen what the 49ers did. -- David Newton

Bold prediction: Derrick Henry will finish with more rushing yards than Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers' run defense is allowing 135.1 yards per game, and Henry is coming off a career-high 4.7 yards per attempt against a Bucs defense that was tops in the league in allowing only 2.8 yards per attempt. -- Turron Davenport

Stat to know: The Titans are tied for third in red zone efficiency this season (66.7%), which would be their second-best number in the past 15 seasons.

What to know for fantasy: From Week 8 of last season through Week 8 of this season, McCaffrey has as many games with both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown (five) as any other two running backs combined. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: As an underdog of at least three points, Tennessee is 8-2 ATS and 7-3 outright under Mike Vrabel. Read more.

Davenport's pick: Panthers 20, Titans 17
Newton's pick: Panthers 27, Titans 17
FPI prediction: CAR, 51.1% (by an average of 0.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Two drives show how Ryan Tannehill has jump-started Titans' offense ... Addison away from Panthers after brother's death

Redskins (1-7) at Bills (5-2)

1 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 17.4 | Spread: BUF -9.5 (37)

What to watch for: Since Bill Callahan took over as interim coach in Week 6, Washington quietly ranks 10th in the league in rushing yards and eighth in yards per attempt. After the Eagles steamrollered the Bills on the ground last week (218 yards, three touchdowns), Washington likely will look to implement a similar game plan. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Bold prediction: Frank Gore will outrush Adrian Peterson in a battle of future Hall of Fame running backs. Gore will rush for 75 yards and a touchdown; Peterson will have a solid first half, but Washington's inability to convert on third-down passes and extend drives will hold him to 65 yards. -- John Keim

Stat to know: The Redskins have gone nine straight quarters without scoring a touchdown, the longest active streak in the NFL and second longest in the 2019 season (Miami, 10).

What to know for fantasy: The Bills' D/ST has reached double figures four times this season (tied for the third most), while the Redskins have allowed opposing D/STs to score double-digit fantasy points five times (tied for the second most). See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Washington played last Thursday. Since 2014, teams coming off a Thursday game and that are road underdogs of at least seven points are 15-5-1 ATS. Since 2001, those teams are 33-17-1 ATS. Read more.

Keim's pick: Bills 20, Redskins 9
Louis-Jacques' pick: Bills 21, Washington 6
FPI prediction: BUF, 68.7% (by an average of 6.6 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bills' Andre Roberts bets on himself, carves niche as return man ... Bills know they must fix run defense after being ravaged by Eagles ... Trent Williams: Lack of reaction to cancer scare to blame for Redskins rift

Jets (1-6) at Dolphins (0-7)

1 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 0.2 | Spread: NYJ -3 (42.5)

What to watch for: This is a matchup between the NFL's two worst offenses in terms of yardage and points per game. Expect points to be at a premium. It could come down to the quarterbacks: Sam Darnold vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has a 51.5 QBR as compared to Darnold's 33.6 thus far this season. -- Cameron Wolfe

Bold prediction: Le'Veon Bell's long-awaited breakout game will happen against the NFL's 31st-ranked run defense. We're not talking monster numbers here (remember, the Jets' offensive line is terrible), but he will exceed his season high (70 yards). -- Rich Cimini

Stat to know: Per Elias Sports Bureau research, this is the first game in NFL history in which both teams enter with a minus-100 point differential or worse and are both fewer than eight games into the season.

What to know for fantasy: Exclude the game against the ghostly Patriots and Darnold's 16-game pace this season would be a 69.9% completion percentage, 3,899 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes. It's not great, but it's better than you think and worth a look against the fourth-most friendly defense to fantasy quarterbacks. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: In the Super Bowl era, teams with records of 1-5 or worse are 4-18 ATS and 7-15 SU as road favorites. Since 2015, teams that are 1-4 or worse and are listed as road favorites are 0-8 ATS. Read more.

Cimini's pick: Jets 11, Dolphins 9
Wolfe's pick: Dolphins 17, Jets 16
FPI prediction: NYJ, 57.9% (by an average of 2.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Jets' trade deadline like 'Seinfeld,' except the nothing is something ... Jets' Le'Veon Bell clears air with Adam Gase over usage: 'I was angry' ... Rams trade CB Aqib Talib, pick to Dolphins

Buccaneers (2-5) at Seahawks (6-2)

4:05 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 56.7 | Spread: SEA -5 (52.5)

What to watch for: Will Russell Wilson have to carry the Seahawks' offense? They'll want to run the ball, like always, but might have trouble doing so against a Bucs defense that has allowed a league-low 68.6 rushing yards per game. -- Brady Henderson

Bold prediction: A bold prediction would be calling an upset, despite Bruce Arians' 4-1 record in Seattle against Pete Carroll. But this Bucs team lacks what his Cardinals squads had: the ability to pile on points early and close out games on defense. -- Jenna Laine

Stat to know: Jameis Winston has 15 turnovers through seven games this season, already his most through eight games in any season of his career. The last players with more turnovers through their teams' first eight games were Eli Manning (17) and Geno Smith (16) in 2013.

What to know for fantasy: Last week, Mike Evans joined Charlie Hennigan (1961) as the only receivers to post multiple 40-point fantasy games in their teams' first seven games of a given season. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Seattle is 0-5 ATS in its past five home games (0-4 this season). Read more.

Laine's pick: Seahawks 28, Buccaneers 26
Henderson's pick: Seahawks 29, Buccaneers 22
FPI prediction: SEA, 64.8% (by an average of 5.2 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bucs' Bruce Arians returns to football 'home' away from home ... Seahawks lean on tackle king Bobby Wagner, linebackers more than ever

Lions (3-3-1) at Raiders (3-4)

4:05 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 40.5 | Spread: OAK -2.5 (50.5)

What to watch for: With the Lions having the 26th-ranked run defense in the league, and the Raiders countering with the 30th-ranked pass defense, expect a lot of offense in this contest. The Raiders should ride Josh Jacobs early and often, while Matthew Stafford has to be excited at the thought of carving up Oakland's secondary. -- Paul Gutierrez

Bold prediction: Stafford will post his third consecutive 300-yard game, going three straight for the first time since the final three regular-season games of the 2011 season. He also will throw at least three touchdowns for the third straight week. -- Michael Rothstein

Stat to know: Detroit's Kenny Golladay has three games with 100 receiving yards this season (including last week), equaling his total for all of last season. And the Raiders have allowed five 100-yard pass-catchers this season (tied for the fifth most in the NFL).

What to know for fantasy: Tyrell Williams has scored five times on his 20 receptions this season (25% of his receptions). All other Raiders have scored on 5% of their receptions. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Matt Patricia is 5-0 ATS on the road against teams that entered with losing records. Read more.

Rothstein's pick: Lions 28, Raiders 23
Gutierrez's pick: Raiders 31, Lions 30
FPI prediction: OAK, 56.5% (by an average of 2.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Not traded, Darius Slay now wouldn't mind being with Lions his whole career ... Raiders prepping for another 'Dre Day should Rodney Hudson be out

Packers (7-1) at Chargers (3-5)

4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 72.1 | Spread: GB -3.5 (48)

What to watch for: If the Chargers can figure out how to stop Aaron Jones, hold up in coverage and make Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable by sending just four pass-rushers up front, they could make things interesting. That's a lot on the to-do list, though. -- Eric D. Williams

Bold prediction: This is going to feel like a home game for the Packers. If you thought they had a lot of fans in L.A. last year at the Coliseum against the Rams, wait until you see all the Cheeseheads this Sunday. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said: "We don't play the fans; we play the Packers." -- Rob Demovsky

Stat to know: The Chargers are the first team in the Super Bowl Era (since 1966) with four straight games of under 40 rushing yards.

What to know for fantasy: Over the past two weeks, Packers running backs have more fantasy points as pass-catchers (77.5) than Patriots (75.9) or Vikings (69.9) wide receivers. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Los Angeles is 8-1-2 ATS in the Lynn era as a regular-season underdog of less than seven points. Read more.

Demovsky's pick: Packers 38, Chargers 13
Williams' pick: Packers 28, Chargers 24
FPI prediction: GB, 56.9% (by an average of 2.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Hunter Henry producing in his return to the Chargers' offense ... Chargers' Anthony Lynn defends timing of Ken Whisenhunt firing ... The evolution of the Hail Mary: How Aaron Rodgers and others have perfected the throw

Browns (2-5) at Broncos (2-6)

4:25 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 31.5 | Spread: CLE -3.5 (39)

What to watch for: Quarterback Brandon Allen will take his first regular-season snap on Sunday, 42 months after being selected in the sixth round of the 2016 draft by the Jaguars, and he'll do it against Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who is tied for the league lead in sacks with 10. Allen faces an uphill battle playing behind a line that surrendered 26 sacks with Joe Flacco under center. -- Jeff Legwold

Bold prediction: Odell Beckham Jr. will double his touchdown total on the season, with two scoring grabs at Mile High. -- Jake Trotter

Stat to know: The Browns have played the second-toughest schedule so far this season, according to FPI, but they have the second-easiest remaining slate.

What to know for fantasy: Nick Chubb quietly has a run of at least 37 yards in four straight games. A fifth straight would tie him with Steven Jackson for the second most since 2001. (Adrian Peterson sits atop the list with six straight games in 2012.) See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Quarterbacks making their first career starts are 8-0 ATS this season (4-3-1 outright). Read more.

Trotter's pick: Browns 20, Broncos 10
Legwold's pick: Browns 17, Broncos 13
FPI prediction: DEN, 59.8% (by an average of 3.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Browns' season reaches the breaking point ... Meet Brandon Allen, the Broncos' sixth starting QB since 2017 ... Admittedly frustrated, Von Miller wants to be part of a better Broncos future

Patriots (8-0) at Ravens (5-2)

8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 94.1 | Spread: NE -3 (45)

What to watch for: Lamar Jackson has produced an NFL-best 262 scramble yards this season -- 88 more than anyone else -- by sidestepping and sprinting past tacklers. Meanwhile, the Patriots have allowed the second-most yards per rush on scrambles in the past 10 years. -- Jamison Hensley

Bold prediction: Ben Watson will catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. The Patriots have struggled to run consistently, so the odds are greater that the offense will once again need to rely more on the passing game. -- Mike Reiss

Stat to know: Mark Ingram II has seven rushing touchdowns this season, the fourth most in the NFL. And over the past five seasons, his 37 rushing scores trail only Todd Gurley II (52).

What to know for fantasy: The Patriots' D/ST has scored at least 23 points four times this season. The other 31 D/STs in the league? Four such games. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Over the past 10 seasons, New England is 31-13-2 ATS in prime-time games. But over the past six seasons, Baltimore is 11-4 ATS in prime time. Read more.

Reiss' pick: Ravens 20, Patriots 17
Hensley's pick: Ravens 27, Patriots 17
FPI prediction: NE, 62.3% (by an average of 4.3 points)

Matchup must-reads: Bets pouring in on Patriots to finish unbeaten ... Patriots add kicker Nick Folk to replace Mike Nugent ... The NFL's ultimate cheat code: A Lamar Jackson scramble

Cowboys (4-3) at Giants (2-6)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN App
Matchup rating: 42.9 | Spread: DAL -7 (48)

What to watch for: Dak Prescott and the Cowboys bring the NFL's No. 1 offense (437.9 yards per game) to Monday Night Football. That could spell trouble for a Giants defense, which ranks 25th against the pass. Prescott has thrown 13 touchdowns passes and no interceptions in his past five games against the Giants. -- Jordan Raanan

Bold prediction: The Cowboys will hold Saquon Barkley to less than 100 rushing yards. Barkley has two 100-yard outings in three games against the Cowboys, but he has needed runs of 68 and 59 yards to reach 109 and 120 yards in those. The Cowboys' run defense has only been OK, but it is as healthy and as confident as it has been all season. -- Todd Archer

Stat to know: The Cowboys have done most of their damage this season using 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE and 3 WRs). They are averaging an NFL-high 7.5 yards per play out of that package, with 18 offensive touchdowns. Only the Chiefs have scored more touchdowns using 11 personnel this season (20).

What to know for fantasy: The Cowboys have won five straight over the Giants, and Prescott is a big reason why, averaging 310 passing yards and 25.1 fantasy points per game. See Week 9 rankings.

Betting nugget: Over the past three seasons, Dallas is 13-2 outright and ATS in division games, including covering seven straight. It has covered all five meetings against New York in that span. Read more.

Archer's pick: Cowboys 27, Giants 17
Raanan's pick: Cowboys 34, Giants 26
FPI prediction: DAL, 80.7% (by an average of 11.7 points)

Matchup must-reads: Even without Jamal Adams, Cowboys show they're all-in ... Giants' Jabrill Peppers: Don't blame Pat Shurmur -- blame the players

Ten days in, here are our first 10 things of the season:

1. Holy KAT

I've written many times that Karl-Anthony Towns has a chance to be the most versatile scoring big man ever and only the second (after the Tall Baller from the G) to put up a 50-40-90 shooting season -- he has come close twice, falling short only on the 90 part -- but even I did not expect Towns to go full-on Drogon from all over the floor.

Towns is taking his usual portion of shots from the restricted area and has exchanged essentially all his midrangers for 3s. That is a good trade when you can do this:

I mean ... what? That is a 7-footer flicking up a step-back with the dexterity and quick release of a guard. Towns is 5-of-8 on pull-up 3s, after canning just 10 all last season.

Most of his treys are catch-and-shoots that come in the flow, and Towns -- with a big assist from Ryan Saunders' spread system -- is discovering more ways to hunt them. One favorite:

Towns didn't invent that tactic, but he can weaponize it to an unprecedented level. It's a classic screen-the-screener set that would typically proceed into Towns dipping down for a pick-and-roll with Josh Okogie. But when Towns sees that first screen wallop his guy, he aborts and moonwalks into an easy 3.

Towns hasn't abandoned posting up, and he shouldn't; he inflicts heavy damage as an inside-out hub. Towns and Anthony Davis are tied for the league lead in post touches, per Second Spectrum data, and the Wolves have scored about 1.25 points per possession whenever Towns shoots from the post or kicks to a teammate who fires right away -- a mark that would have ranked third among all players last season.

But he isn't hijacking the offense and meandering to the block. Towns is arriving in the post organically by sprinting the floor or sealing guys under the rim after setting screens.

He also is passing from the block more often, and the reads are easier -- and the rotations longer for defenses -- with Saunders playing four perimeter players around Towns. That setup also has exploded Towns' pump-and-go game; if he beats his man on the perimeter, Towns can outrace help defenders scrambling from the arc to the rim.

He has tightened up some on defense too, even if Joel Embiid would never concede it. Opponents are getting to the basket less often with Towns on the floor and shooting only 37.5% on attempts from the restricted area when Towns is nearby. That number will come up. Towns still can be slow rotating into help position. His agility and speed have never translated the same way on defense.

But Towns is trying harder, and Saunders has simplified the scheme so Towns mostly sits back in the paint. He should grow into an average defender. Combine that with all-world offense and you get a no-brainer top-10 player -- and potentially a top-five-level superstar.

2. Trae Young, reject

Young is mastering crueler methods of exploiting all the attention he draws beyond the arc:

In dissecting pick-and-roll defense against long-range gunners, we tend to focus on the big guy guarding the screener. He has to scurry out of his comfort zone! Is he agile enough to trap and recover? We perhaps overlook the mental and physical strain on Young's defender. That guy feels the oncoming pick. He hears the footsteps. He knows if he runs into that screen, if he is even a beat late slithering over it, Young is going to unleash something bad. So he naturally girds himself before that pick arrives. He leans. Maybe he opens his hips.

Young senses that anxiety and preys on it by faking toward screens and then bolting the other way. He is rejecting about nine picks per 100 possessions, double his rate from last season, per Second Spectrum, and defenders are falling for the gambit over and over. Only Lou Williams, master of the right-to-left crossover fade, veered away from more screens before Young injured his ankle on Tuesday.

Atlanta has scored about 1.7 points per possession anytime Young rejects a pick, per Second Spectrum. Young zipping away from a screen has basically been the most profitable recurring play in the league so far. Atlanta has scored 110 points per 100 possessions with Young on the floor, and a Washington Generals-esque 92 when he sits, per NBA.com data. Yowza.

Young already had one anti-trap device: crouching low, splitting defenders and beelining into a 5-on-3. Mix in this reject trickery and Young is going to have defenses paralyzed with uncertainty.

From there, Young can start manipulating instead of reacting. He can scan the floor, then digest which four or five passing options might emerge depending on his plan of attack and choose one. He is a world-class passer with either hand.

It won't look pretty every night. That is the nature of a high-variance 3-point game. Philly's size smothered Young on Monday. He is averaging five turnovers per game, and he needs to make himself more of a moving threat when others have the ball.

But if Young maintains this -- and returns soon -- he will probably be an All-Star and keep Atlanta in the playoff race.

3. Kendrick Nunn's hesitation dribble

Yeah, he missed, but oh, baby. John Collins -- improved on defense so far this season -- is still looking for Nunn.

You want it righty -- that is, Nunn's "weak" hand? Sure.

(Sorry, John.)

What a monster run on the margins for the Heat: Josh Richardson in the second round -- a very good player who netted Miami a great one in Jimmy Butler; Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo at the back of the lottery; Duncan Robinson, Derrick Jones Jr. and Chris Silva on two-way deals; and now Nunn, plucked from the G-League at the end of last season -- and leading the Heat in scoring.

This is what it takes to craft a sunny future, despite coughing up three future first-round picks in get-rich-now trades; striking out in post-Heatles free agency until the Butler deal; and lavishing fifth-starter types with eight-figure deals. All of that describes a franchise in peril. The Heat are no longer in peril. They are good now, lurking anew as a free-agent destination.

They have not missed James Johnson or Dion Waiters. (Most of the buildings on Waiters Island are boarded up. Bill Simmons is hoarding canned food in his bomb shelter.) With Nunn and Herro as rotation mainstays -- plus more minutes than expected for Meyers Leonard -- the Heat have more shooting and versatility than even they anticipated. Goran Dragic looks reinvigorated in a reserve role. Even if Waiters never steps on the floor again for Miami, the Heat have enough perimeter talent to play heavy minutes with Justise Winslow as a point-power forward -- a look they haven't had to explore much yet.

If they stay healthy, the Heat should stick in the race for the No. 3 or No. 4 spot in the East.

Several teams are kicking themselves about Nunn -- not only the Warriors, who waived him out of camp a year ago and had him in the G-League. Others brought Nunn in for group workouts and chose other (worse) players, or tried to entice him with promises of a training camp deal this season. Miami went another route -- a multiyear, nonguaranteed minimum -- and snagged him.

4. Hello, Otto Porter Jr.?

Porter was never the most, umm, forceful player, but he has been almost ethereal over Chicago's disappointing 1-4 start against an angel food cake schedule. The Bulls appear to be monitoring Porter's minutes for reasons that are a little unclear, and Porter has been an afterthought on the floor -- sluggish and unassertive with the ball, unremarkable on defense. He is averaging nine points per game on 14-of-44 shooting and has barely grabbed any rebounds -- one of the prime offenders for a team that has been pathetic on the glass.

Porter averaged almost 18 points per game after the Bulls acquired him from Washington last season, and he burst out of his 3-and-D box. He doubled his pick-and-roll volume and thrived under a heavier scoring burden.

That version of Porter was probably unsustainable, especially with Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. hungering for expanded roles. Porter jacked a ton of midrangers -- he was in the 100th percentile in long 2-point attempts after the trade, per Cleaning The Glass data -- and there is a low production ceiling on those shots.

But the Bulls urgently need Porter to be a functional 3-and-D guy who attacks scrambled defenses off the bounce. He is the only true small forward in Chicago's rotation; Jim Boylen's go-to bench unit features three point guards. The problems in Chicago go well beyond Porter, but the Bulls' postseason dreams will die fast unless he finds his game.

5. RJ Barrett, conducting like a vet

Barrett has been New York's best all-around player. This sort of ballhandling craft from a rookie non-point guard is super rare:

Barrett pinning Semi Ojeleye on his back and freezing the Boston defense, waiting for them to move first so he can counterpunch, is on its own an advanced NBA tactic. The look-away toward Julius Randle on the right wing to free Bobby Portis is veteran puppet master stuff.

Barrett's advanced pick-and-roll numbers are average, but average is a home run considering the spacing limitations of New York's starting five. Against Barrett-Mitchell Robinson pick-and-rolls, defenses ignore Randle and Elfrid Payton to clog every driving and passing lane:

Barrett has squeezed out points anyway by whipping smart passes and bulldozing smaller defenders. It took four games, but the Knicks found a way to make Barrett's life easier: use Portis as a spot-up threat and have the other big -- Randle or Robinson -- screen and dive.

Barrett is a solid rebounder, and he has held his own on defense. Skeptics worry Barrett's early shooting -- 42% from deep on decent volume -- isn't real, and if they're right, Barrett's projected peak gets a little murky. If Barrett develops into a good 3-point shooter, the Knicks might have a star.

The Knicks so needed something close to a sure thing in their young core. Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina have struggled. Kevin Knox II is a question mark, which is fine at this stage. Robinson is good already, and he has a chance to be a very impactful player -- but not an on-ball fulcrum on offense.

It's very early, but Barrett looks like he has a chance to be that.

6. Kawhi Leonard, running this

It was a major debate within the league -- a franchise-defining one for some teams -- when Leonard was on the trade block, coming off a mysterious leg injury: What if he's only 90% of his old self?

Leonard's two-way devastation of the 2017 playoffs, pre-Zaza, should have had teams contemplating the flip side: If he gets healthy, could he be even better?

Leonard isn't the same soul-snatching force on defense anymore, at least not until go time, but he has become a full-blown superstar in the most traditional sense on offense. He has run 44 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions with the Clippers, up from about 22 last season. The Clippers have scored about 1.16 points per possession when Leonard shoots out of the pick-and-roll or passes to a teammate who launches within two dribbles, per Second Spectrum. That number would have led all high-volume ballhandlers last season.

He already has developed chemistry with two very different dance partners in Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell. Zubac is more laborious, and so Leonard navigates with zigzaggy, start-and-stop patience until Zubac rumbles free:

Harrell can zip to the rim or mirror Leonard's pitter-pat. Harrell also is a master at re-screening at different angles, and Leonard is learning to bob and weave behind him -- and use the threat of a handoff to slice backdoor:

Leonard is dishing 6.2 dimes per game, almost double his single-season career high, and that comes after a one-assist performance against his old buddies in San Antonio Thursday. He has assisted on 42% of the Clippers' buckets while on the floor -- a Point God-level number. Leonard is demolishing concerns about the Clips' overall ballhandling.

This all signals extreme danger for the rest of the league when Paul George returns. George is overtaxed as a primary option, about right as a co-alpha dog, and unfair as a clear-cut No. 2.

7. The on-court shot clock graphic

To my well-intentioned colleagues and friends at TNT: Can we not?

Did anyone ask for a ticking shot clock graphic above the foul line? We can already see the shot clock in two places: above the backboard and in its tidy little corner below the score line. That second spot is perfect: It's unintrusive, but you know it's there if you want it.

The new TNT graphic is rendered in a faded white until the clock ticks to five, at which point it flips into a blaring red. The white version is just noticeable enough to be annoying. The red version is so loud, you no longer notice anything else.

A compromise: Do something more dramatic with the little shot clock in the corner within the last five seconds. Right now, the red background behind the digits starts blinking from light to dark, but the contrast isn't enough to catch your eye.

8. Rui and Bertans!

The League Pass Rankings reverse jinx lives! The Wiz -- dead last in that annual column -- are kinda ... fun? They are especially so with Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans manning the forward spots. (Side note: This kind of look, pairing two tweeners who lean more toward the nominal power forward designation, seems to be en vogue this season.)

Hachimura is a whirling dervish who is somehow both chaotic and balanced at once. He can overpower wings in the post, and he looks comfy stepping into old-school long 2s. Those are unsexy shots, but they bode well for Hachimura stretching to 3-point range.

Bertans is one of the best shooters alive, and Scott Brooks is running nifty tandem set pieces for Bertans and Moritz Wagner. (I can't believe that sentence is a true thing.) This double pick has been killing teams, since both Bertans and Wagner are threats to chuck:

Overplay the Bertans curl and he'll bust it to the rim:

The Wizards have scored 126 points per 100 possessions (not a typo!) with Hachimura and Bertans on the floor, though their 159-158 game of NBA Jam against Houston on Wednesday inflated those numbers. (Warning: Don't look up the defensive figure; your mobile device might combust.)

Washington isn't good, but they're feisty and entertaining.

9. OG Anunoby, driving

Most of the praise for Anunoby's early-season work has focused on his stellar defense, but this is the stuff that excites me:

Anunoby is attacking off the catch with new decisiveness and ferocity -- a must for any secondary perimeter option. He has blown by defenders on more than 53% of his drives, almost double his rate from last season. And Toronto is getting buckets out of it: 1.17 points per possession anytime Anunoby shoots out of a drive or passes to a teammate who fires right away -- a mark that would have nearly topped the league last season, per Second Spectrum.

The defending champion Raptors are as advertised: savvy, ultra-confident, totally comfortable in their own skin, and a damned pain to play against. Anunoby as a competent scorer, shooter and drive-and-kick fiend changes their future. Even if all three of Toronto's over-30 veterans -- Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka -- are gone by next season, the younger core of Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet is a plug-and-play roster for any free agent superstar. (Siakam is blossoming into a superstar now, a good bet to hit the trifecta of All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive.)

10. Trey Lyles, vanishing

So, this is going to be a problem if it persists:

When Lyles first cracked Utah's rotation as a rookie, he showed flashes of potential as a stretchy, playmaking power forward who could switch across almost every position on defense.

Lyles has since whiplashed between hunting shots too greedily and (right now in San Antonio) turning down wide-open looks. He has used only 8% of San Antonio's possessions, a rate usually associated with shot-phobic bruisers -- Dennis Rodman, Michael Cage, Joel Anthony types. Lyles never grew into that canny multi-positional defender.

The 3-1 Spurs have been fine with Lyles on the floor, but they can't start this passive version of him against elite competition in April and May. He is a placeholder. The Spurs don't want to start big, with Jakob Poeltl next to LaMarcus Aldridge. They appear to prefer Rudy Gay as a bench scorer. DeMarre Carroll is out of the rotation. They sloughed away Bertans to fit Marcus Morris Sr., but Morris is in New York.

The Spurs are a good team with two major lineup questions: Who starts next to Aldridge? And how often can/should they play all three of Derrick White, DeMar DeRozan, and Dejounte Murray? (The answer might be "more than they are now" despite some potential shooting issues. The more interesting big-picture question is how often they might play Murray, White, and Bryn Forbes -- or another young guy -- with two frontcourt guys who aren't DeRozan. Small-ball groups with all of them -- and DeRozan at power forward -- may not survive heavy minutes on defense.) Murray is absolutely wrecking stuff on defense.

11. Matisse Thybulle, what?

Sorry, I couldn't resist an 11th thing.

Holy hell. I wish we could have seen Kevin Huerter's face the moment he realized Thybulle had apparated back into his airspace. I imagine he resembled a character in a slasher movie who turns a corner and comes face-to-face with the killer.

Thybulle did not get credit for a block on that play, but something happened to Huerter's shot.

I have no idea if Thybulle will be ready to play in crunch time as a rookie in the playoffs, or develop an average 3-point shot. But he is already special on defense. I can't remember the last rookie wing to move with such liquid grace and speed. Maybe Kawhi? Thybulle is barely logging 20 minutes per game, and he leads the league in both steals and deflections.

Philly's size and defense -- No. 2 in the league behind Utah -- are absurd. What are you even supposed to do against a lineup of Thybulle, Josh Richardson, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Al Horford -- one of the Sixers' go-to lineups when Joel Embiid rests?

Kyle Edmund has been named as the fifth member of the Great Britain squad for this month's Davis Cup finals.

The former British number one, who has dropped to 75th in the world, secured his place after some encouraging performances at the Paris Masters.

The final spot was left open after Andy Murray, Dan Evans, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski were initially selected.

"While Kyle has had a tough few months, he showed in Paris what he is capable of producing," captain Leon Smith said.

Britain face the Netherlands and Kazakhstan in the group stage of the inaugural 18-team finals format on 20 and 21 November.

Edmund, 24, had lost eight matches in a row before beating Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis and Argentine 14th seed Diego Schwartzman in the French capital this week.

On Thursday, the 2018 Australian Open semi-finalist pushed world number one Novak Djokovic in a tight first set before fading to lose their third-round match.

That was enough for Edmund, who helped Britain win the Davis Cup in 2015, to be selected ahead of British number two Cameron Norrie, who is ranked 18 places higher.

"It's been a difficult decision to make as Cam Norrie has had a very good year on tour," Smith added.

"It's a strong position for our team to be in when we have such high-quality players vying for selection."

Britain were given a wildcard for the revamped event, which sees 18 nations compete across six groups in Madrid.

The group winners - as well as the two second-placed teams with the best records - progress to the quarter-finals, with the semi-finals and final taking place on 23 and 24 November.

Matches will consist of two singles and one doubles rubbers, all played over three sets on a hard court at the Caja Magica.

The 25-year, £2.15bn revamp of the Davis Cup is funded by an investment group led by Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique's Kosmos company.

An emotional Steven Hansen said it was a "privilege" to lead New Zealand after they beat Wales 40-17 in his final game to claim third place at the World Cup.

Hansen, who led the All Blacks to victory at the 2015 World Cup, said it was important to "honour the jersey" after the semi-final loss to England.

"It was a tough game for both sides so congratulations to Wales too," he said.

"We have played good footy all the way through, but you have one bad day and you're out. That's knockout footy."

Hansen ends a 15-year association with the All Blacks, having joined the set-up as assistant to predecessor Graham Henry in 2004.

The 60-year-old took over from Henry in December 2011, just weeks after the All Blacks won the World Cup on home soil, and has since achieved an 87% win ratio.

He has also won six Rugby Championship titles and four Coach of the Year awards, and the departing coach paid tribute to his players and the supporters as he left his post.

"It was important to honour the fans and put that one last week behind us," he said. "I'm really proud of the boys."

'Immensely proud'

On a poignant day for the All Blacks, the three-time world champions also said goodbye to stalwart and captain Kieran Read.

The powerful number eight, who has won 126 caps as well as two world titles, said it was "awesome to pull on the jersey" in his final game.

"I'm immensely proud to see a crowd like this," the 34-year-old said. "The guys appreciate what it means to be an All Black, I love it.

"This jersey means a lot, it's been part of my life for a long time. You try and leave it in a better place than you found it - that was my aim and hopefully I've done it."

Read still intends to play professional rugby and he will join Japanese club Toyota Verblitz on a one-year deal after the tournament.

He added: "Japan have been great hosts and we thank you for your support."

FT. WORTH, Texas – Terry McCarl wheeled TheSnowPlow.com/Destiny Motorsports No. 4 to his 14th victory with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network Thursday during night one of Tony Stewart presents the VANKOR Texas Sprint Car Nationals.

“Man, it feels good to win because this wasn’t an old man track. This place was cowboy-up tonight so I just want to let everyone know old T-Mac can still cowboy-it up,” said McCarl. “Doug just gave me a great car; I really have to thank him and everyone who helps us. Every name on this car means a lot.”

The victory was McCarl’s first win at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network. The multi-time Knoxville Raceway track champion is the 15th different feature winner of the season.

Taking the green from sixth, McCarl rode fourth until lap eight when the caution waved for Harli White, who made contact trying to avoid a lapped car while running second.

Set to go green from third, McCarl would end up taking off in second as race leader, Danny Jennings, started dropping water out of his engine. Giving the lead to Dylan Westbrook, the Hills Racing No. 47x shoe couldn’t hold off the charge of McCarl, with McCarl edging into the lead on lap nine by .017 seconds.

Pulling away from the field until the red lights flashed on as Channin Tankersley, who was running sixth, slammed the wall in the second turn after something came apart in the front suspension. Giving Westbrook a shot, the No. 47x could not keep pace, nor could anyone get a run with the field under caution again working lap 23 for Seth Bergman.

The caution reverted the field back to lap 22 for the final green flag of the night, with McCarl stretching his lead back out to 2.042 seconds before it was all said and done.

Getting a run on the final lap just as Westbrook suffered a mechanical issue, Sam Hafertepe Jr. snagged second, and in doing so, secured his fourth consecutive championship with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network.

Westbrook was able to hold onto third with Matt Juhl and Blake Hahn making up the top five.

Moving up from 11th, Colorado’s Jake Bubak was sixth with Scott Bogucki earning hard charger honors with a run from 20th to seventh in the SawBlade.com No. 28. Tony Bruce Jr. followed in eight with Robbie Price making up nine positions to finish ninth. Matt Covington likewise gained nine positions from 19th to complete the top-10.

field of 40 drivers was on hand for the first night of Tony Stewart presents the VANKOR Texas Sprint Car Nationals at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. Five SCE Gaskets Heat Races were won by Sammy Swindell, McKenna Haase, Matt Juhl, Bergman and Jennings. Hoosier Tire Qualifiers were topped by Bruce, Brandon Hanks and Dylan Westbrook. The two BMRS B-Features was won by Swindell and Price.

The finish:

A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 4-Terry McCarl, [6]; 2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [10]; 3. 47X-Dylan Westbrook, [4]; 4. 09-Matt Juhl, [3]; 5. 52-Blake Hahn, [7]; 6. 74B-Jake Bubak, [11]; 7. 28-Scott Bogucki, [20]; 8. 12H-Tony Bruce Jr, [8]; 9. 21P-Robbie Price, [18]; 10. 95-Matt Covington, [19]; 11. 17W-Harli White, [2]; 12. 11-Roger Crockett, [13]; 13. 11X-Tyler Courtney, [22]; 14. 24D-Danny Sams III, [16]; 15. 23-Seth Bergman, [5]; 16. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [24]; 17. 17G-Channin Tankersley, [12]; 18. 84-Brandon Hanks, [9]; 19. 51-Aaron Reutzel, [14]; 20. 33C-Casey Carter, [25]; 21. 1J-Danny Jennings, [1]; 22. 44-Sammy Swindell, [17]; 23. 55-McKenna Haase, [21]; 24. J2-John Carney II, [15]; 25. 14-Jordon Mallett, [23]

SEPANG, Malaysia – Fabio Quartararo led an impressive day for Petronas Yamaha SRT on Friday by topping MotoGP practice at the Sepang Int’l Circuit.

Quartararo started the day by pacing the opening practice with a track record time, but that turned out to only be a tease as he did even better during the second practice.

His 1:58.576 lap during the second practice reset the track record a second time on Friday and put him more than half a second clear of his Petronas Yamaha SRT teammate Franco Morbidelli on the practice charts.

Andrea Dovizioso was third fastest on the day, but he was. 630 seconds off the blistering pace set by Quartararo.

Maverick Viñales was fourth fastest for Monster Energy Yamaha, followed by his teammate Valentino Rossi in fifth. Marc Marquez was an uncharacteristic sixth fastest, nearly a full second behind Quartararo.

Johann Zarco and Andrea Iannone both crashed during the second practice, but were uninjured.

Many kids grow up dreaming of playing in their favorite professional league, imagining one day jogging out of the tunnel for the Green Bay Packers, climbing the steps of the dugout in New York Yankees pinstripes or skating onto the ice for the Boston Bruins. Some might dream of another future, though: behind the microphone as that team's play-by-play broadcaster.

But the weird thing about the NHL, in particular, is one's odds of becoming a player are probably better than becoming a team's announcer.

In the United States, there are only 24 -- soon to be 25 when Seattle enters the NHL -- television play-by-play jobs on the various regional networks, and only six of those gigs have changed hands in the past five years. Those numbers will start to grow in the near future, but there's simply not a lot of turnover. The average time TV broadcasters have spent with their current teams is 14 years, and nine have careers spanning more than 20 years with the same club. Several others have spent time in multiple booths.

The broadcasting post is one that can often be romanticized by fans. That singular voice can bridge generations, trigger the pangs of nostalgia and establish a tangible relationship with the viewer that is difficult to break. But time remains undefeated, and an older generation of NHL broadcaster is slowly moving on.

Bob Cole, an institution in Canada, called his last game for Hockey Night in Canada at the end of last season. Other long-time voices, such as Bob Miller with the Los Angeles Kings, Mike Haynes with the Colorado Avalanche, Paul Steigerwald with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ralph Strangis and the late Dave Strader with the Dallas Stars, and Howie Rose with the New York Islanders, are among those who have left their posts in recent years. Rick Peckham, the Tampa Bay Lightning's only TV broadcaster in franchise history, announced that 2019-20 would be his final season, too, after 42 total years in the business.

There are still several long-time broadcasters who continue to put forth spectacular work that has connected fans with the team for decades. Rick Jeanneret has scaled back some of his broadcast duties, but he's in his 49th season with the Buffalo Sabres and is the dean of hockey play-by-play announcers. Sam Rosen of the New York Rangers and Pat Foley of the Chicago Blackhawks are also members of the 35-year club.

Unquestionably, however, the shift is underway. As the experienced broadcasters move on, another generation is getting an opportunity to land highly-coveted seats in the booth. It often takes years of stops and starts, and the timing usually has to break just right. Three of the league's newest broadcasters had very different paths, landing behind an NHL mic before age 40. Here's a look at how some of the young talented voices in the NHL got to where they are today.

Brendan Burke, the young journeyman

If you've seen Burke calling NHL games for the Islanders on MSG Networks and occasional national games with NBC Sports Network, you might think he came out of nowhere. At 35, he is especially young in broadcasting years. But make no mistake, he has paid his dues before reaching the big time.

Burke spent 10 years riding the buses in the minors, first in Wheeling, West Virginia, where he got a hit on one of the many, many demo reels he sent to teams around hockey and baseball. He was only 22, but the ECHL's Nailers needed a new broadcaster. After a few years, he made the jump to the AHL, where he called games for the Peoria Rivermen while also working with their public and media relations and community outreach.

He was even responsible for team travel, and when the St. Louis Blues needed an emergency fill-in on their radio broadcast in 2009, Burke was actually in the middle of trying to get the Rivermen back to Peoria after their bus broke down in Rockford, Illinois. He got the team home, set up the press box for the AHL game, drove three hours to Chicago for a direct flight and managed to make his first NHL broadcast in Nashville with only a few hours to spare.

But that taste of the dream job was briefly spoiled when the Rivermen ceased operations in 2013, leaving a newly married broadcaster jobless and the NHL seemingly very far away.

"I was wondering if that was the right path," Burke says. "I had been in the AHL for five years. So I was wondering is a sixth season going to be what it takes to get to the NHL? Is it going to take seven? Should I start doing some freelance TV? What is the right path to get where I want to go?"

Fortunes shifted when the AHL moved the franchise to Utica, New York, where it would become the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate. Burke's wife is from the central New York town, not too far from Syracuse, and it was the perfect place to keep the dream alive. Within three years, Burke got the call he had been waiting for after longtime Islanders broadcaster Howie Rose decided to focus exclusively on working New York Mets baseball games.

"I grew up in New Jersey and the New York City market, so to me, this was coming home," said Burke, whose father Don Burke covered the Yankees and Mets for The Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey. "To wind up in the No. 1 media market in the world and to have it be the place where I've always wanted to end up, it was perfect."

Replacing Rose, who was beloved by Islanders fans and an influence on Burke as a young broadcaster, was not easy. But the rookie broadcaster got a vote of confidence in a call from Rose just before his first preseason broadcast. "'Don't act like you're filling in for anybody, this is your job,'" Burke recalls Rose telling him. "That was his one piece of advice and it was perfect because your natural inclination is to try and replace the guy who's been there for 20 years because that's what people are used to. I really took that to heart, and it changed how I approached it."

Burke is now in his fourth season alongside legendary Islanders color analyst Butch Goring. He has been used by NBC Sports on various playoff series and regular-season games, and he is also the voice of the Premier Lacrosse League's national package for NBC.

"It didn't feel quick when I went through those 10 years," Burke says. "But all of the sudden you turn around, at 32 years old, and you're calling the NHL on national TV, it doesn't feel like a long time. And if you told a 22-year-old Brendan Burke, 'Hey you've got to ride buses for 10 years to get where you're going at 32, I'd sign that contract right now. I probably would have signed a 15- or 20-year contract to do it."

One industry source even says there is a belief that Burke is among the small group of broadcasters who could one day land in the NHL's top U.S. broadcast chair.

"You know, it's one of those things where I will never get to call a Stanley Cup Final unless I get that job, and there's only one of them," Burke says. "Could I aspire to it before I got to the NHL? No. I just wanted to get there. Do I aspire to it now? I'm not going to say no. It's something that's certainly out there, and I've got time on my side."

Steve Mears' winding road home

Mears was such a fan of the Mario Lemieux-led Penguins in the late 1980s and early 1990s that he says he began speaking with a French-Canadian accent, imitating his favorite player. He'd play video games while matching the cadence of Hall of Fame Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange, calling the action on the TV screen.

Today, Lange is still behind the radio mic in Pittsburgh, but it's Mears calling Penguins games on TV for the AT&T Sports Network. Now in his third season, it's a dream job for the 39-year-old native of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, and something he had a hard time envisioning for himself even as he started out in broadcasting at Bowling Green State University.

Mears' career began calling games for the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the now defunct Central Hockey League. At 26, he had what he thought was his big break when he became the play-by-play radio voice of the Islanders. But as Mears was preparing for his fourth season in the Isles' booth, the organization decided to go with a simulcast of their TV broadcast, eliminating the radio booth entirely. Mears got word of the Penguins launching a 24-hour radio network in 2009, though, and earned a job as a host -- working under the wing of his idol Lange.

"You wonder if you'll ever get a break again," Mears recalls. "But sometimes the worst moment in your life turns out to be maybe the best, and you don't even realize it at the time.

"I tell students it's timing, luck and some level of talent. And there was timing right there. If you go back and retrace the steps -- if that doesn't happen, if I don't get in with the Penguins and they don't know my work and I make those connections, then maybe I'm not sitting here doing TV for them."

Before later returning as the TV voice, Mears became a more familiar face to NHL fans as a host on NHL Network's daily "NHL Live" program and the play-by-play voice of the network's World Junior Championship coverage, culminating with the dramatic gold-medal win by the U.S. in 2017. Mears admits that he loved his job at NHL Network, which made the decision to move on harder than expected. But when the Penguins announced Paul Steigerwald was moving into a different role in the organization, all he had to do was think about that 10-year-old kid calling play-by-play on NHL 96 in his No. 66 jersey.

"The fact that it was the Penguins, there was just no way I could have passed that up. When you strip down everything -- the path, everything I've done and all the other ancillary stuff -- when it comes down to it, I'm still just a Penguins fan from Murrysville," Mears says.

And being a fan comes in handy. "It's not a prerequisite for these jobs, but it helps to know the history of the game," Mears says. "I would like to think that Penguins fans appreciate that I'm one of them. I went to games at The Igloo [Mellon Arena]. It's in my DNA. It's not phony. I've got all the hockey cards and the posters and VHS tapes to prove it. I do think it makes our broadcasts better.

"I've already been blessed beyond belief to sit in that chair for the time I've had. Knowing the lineage, the importance of sports to Pittsburgh, the importance of the Penguins to my life and the city, in a lot of ways I'm already playing with house money."

Alex Faust, the wunderkind

Faust was only 28 when he landed his first full-time job in sports broadcasting, replacing a Hall of Fame broadcaster who had been with the Kings for the previous 44 years. Prior to that, Faust was carving out a role as a sought-after freelance broadcaster who had called a lot of men's college hockey games and eventually became the voice of Hockey East on NESN.

"I grew up fascinated by [broadcasting]," Faust says. "Both my parents worked in TV, and even though they begged me not to go into broadcasting, I got bitten by the bug."

He took his parents' advice as longtime television producers to heart and explored all of his options. Faust started a career as an analyst and consultant, putting his degree in economics to good use, while keeping broadcasting as a side gig.

"I always viewed it more as a passion project instead of a career path," he said. "I didn't ever think seriously that I would either be good enough or thought that I'd be interested enough to make it a career path. The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it, and here we are."

Having started calling hockey games as a student at Northeastern University, he picked up more and more work as a freelancer. People were paying attention, including Burke, who needed a fill-in broadcaster in Utica and immediately thought of Faust. NESN gave him an audition calling college basketball, and he started doing college hockey games, eventually landing the job as the lead voice for the Hockey East package. The jump in exposure was enough to leave his full-time job as a consultant.

After calling Notre Dame hockey games, NBC Sports Network offered Faust a shot at doing an NHL game. At 27, he called his first national NHL game alongside veteran color analyst Brian Engblom. Yanni Gourde scored an overtime winner to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Chicago Blackhawks in thrilling fashion, and that OT period served as Faust's demo for the Kings' job.

After auditions with color analyst Jim Fox, where Faust said there was instant chemistry, Fox Sports West and the Kings agreed that he was ready to fill the shoes of the iconic Bob Miller. In broadcasting terms, Faust is an overnight sensation.

"I'd like to think I've earned the opportunity to get this job based on my body of work to that date, but I also understand that part of my learning curve was stunted because I didn't have those experiences riding the bus [in the minors]," Faust says. "I didn't have the background of developing relationships with coaches and players, or grinding your way through a long season. So there were things in my first year that I encountered that I wouldn't have encountered before. I'm lucky that the Kings were flexible enough to allow me to grow into the role and trusting that I had enough upside that I could be an established voice in the league within a couple of years. I'd like to think that I'm there and that I'll be in this league for a long while."

Like Burke, Faust is already on national broadcasts with NBC Sports Network. His star rose so quickly that Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek floated Faust's name during his first season with the Kings as a possible replacement host one day, which Faust admits caught him completely off guard. Having just turned 30, Faust still has a lot ahead of him, and if the rest of his career is as impressive as his meteoric rise, there's a lot for him to look forward to.

"The best thing you can do is always aspire for growth," he says. "I want to be able to continue to call games on a national level. I think there's a fun challenge in doing that. I want to strive to be the best I can possibly be in this profession."

What comes next

While the voices are changing, the booth has been a largely homogeneous position. But the future of the profession is likely to grow.

There have been small gains made in recent years to diversify the NHL booth. More women have been given opportunities in color commentary roles, including former Olympians AJ Mleczko and Jennifer Botterill, who have been involved in Islanders broadcasts. Mleczko has also had booth time on NBC Sports' national broadcasts. Kendall Coyne Schofield, a current U.S. women's national team member, has been part of national broadcasts, too, but also picked up a few games with the San Jose Sharks' regional telecasts this season.

On the play-by-play front, two prominent hockey events had female play-by-play voices for the first time. Leah Hextall became the first woman to call men's NCAA tournament games for ESPN last season, and Sloane Martin earned the nod to call Minnesota's boys' high school hockey tournament in the spring of 2019.

The NHL's U.S. TV rights are currently exclusively held by NBC Sports until 2020-21. The expiration of the current contract could lead to a changing landscape with multiple national networks expected to bid for at least a piece of the U.S. rights. With that, the opportunities for even more new broadcast personalities could exist.

A mix of familiar and new voices will continue to ring through the television speakers. Wherever NHL broadcasting goes next, the abundance of talent in the industry's next generation proves that hockey fans will be in good hands.

WHEN THE PUCK finally came to rest, it was almost entirely inside Craig MacDonald's mouth. It was Dec. 21, 2007, and with 1:51 left to play, the Tampa Bay Lightning winger, working in his own zone, stepped in front of an errant, elevated slap shot that instantly cleaved a grisly, bloody and impossibly wide swath of carnage through MacDonald's lips, gums and tongue before reducing nine of his teeth to dust. He spat out the 6 ounces of vulcanized frozen black rubber like it was a rotten MoonPie to reveal a fractured lower gum line and his half-cleaved tongue, hanging by a thread. Even in a sport synonymous with dental trauma, where the enduring image of hockey has long been the disturbing-but-endearing shot of Bobby Clarke's toothless grin reflected in the shiny silver of the Stanley Cup, MacDonald's injury was gruesome enough to earn an on-air attaboy from Don Cherry himself.

Team doctors reconnected the filleted parts of MacDonald's face with 75 sutures, then sent him home, where he sat on the couch until dawn, jolted awake by even the slightest puff of air passing over a mouthful of raw, exposed nerves.

"Worst night of my life," he says.

The next morning wasn't much better. After making his way, ever so gingerly, to the office of Gil Rivera, the Lightning's team dentist, MacDonald opened his mouth and was greeted by ... terrified silence. As a member of the gnarliest and most peculiar fraternity in sports, Rivera has seen it all during his 17 years practicing dentistry in the NHL: a Tooth Fairy teammate delivering goalie Ben Bishop's incisors to the bench for safekeeping; winger Ondrej Palat holding up half his bottom teeth with his tongue after getting lightsabered by an overeager rookie in practice; veterans, like Tomas Tatar, whom Rivera calls "Humpty Dumpties" because they have lost the same three front teeth on four separate occasions; marquee talent in need of work (and a bit of courage) hiding from him at the arena; and a notorious tough guy silently sweating through his clothes during an especially tough bicuspid extraction that Rivera compares to King Arthur pulling Excalibur out of the stone.

"It's just hockey, right?" says MacDonald, who retired in 2013 and, after studying at Harvard, is now an investment consultant in Nova Scotia. "Although I still don't recommend people blocking shots with their teeth."

Still, as MacDonald sat in Rivera's chair the next morning, the anatomy inside the player's mouth -- monstrously swollen gums, shredded tongue and Tic Tac nubs instead of teeth -- was unrecognizable. Rivera recoiled. He had no idea what he was looking at, or where to start. "His mouth was just obliterated," Rivera says. Out of instinct, he grabbed his air and water syringe and began washing away the dried brown blood and coagulate. Still unable to describe what slowly came into view next, Rivera puts his wrist against his mouth and wiggles his four fingers, like a walrus. "Four nerves just dangling there, flapping in the wind," he says. "I was like, 'OK, we need to do [six] root canals right now.' Oh, that poor guy."

Over the next four months, on off-days and between games, Rivera pieced MacDonald back together again during a dozen visits and more than 50 hours in the chair. The most hockey thing ever? MacDonald missed a grand total of one game. And the respect he earned from then-Lightning coach John Tortorella garnered him the most ice time of his 16-year pro career -- as well as a friend, and a dentist, for life.

"That was the first time I truly understood just how tough and unique hockey players are," Rivera says. "And it was the first time I realized that I'd be bored sitting at a football game. If you're a dentist, this is definitely the gig you want."

IT MIGHT BE the gig Rivera wants now. That wasn't always the case. Rivera, who grew up in Puerto Rico, had never seen a hockey game until he attended the University of Connecticut. Three months after completing his residency, and new to Florida, he got a message from the senior partner at his dental practice telling him to report downtown to lend a hand with the Lightning. Rivera Googled "Tampa" and "Lightning" and, after briefly considering that the last thing lightning-strike victims needed was a good tooth cleaning, he realized his boss was talking about the city's NHL team.

Rivera began speed-reading as many gory case studies on extreme dental trauma as he could get his hands on. And what he quickly learned was that while tooth enamel might be the hardest biological substance on earth, it's no match for the sport of hockey. With pucks, sticks and fists flying in all directions at players who famously refuse all means of protection, tooth trauma and trips to the dentist -- most people's worst nightmare -- are as inherent to hockey as ice. Recently, after Florida's Troy Brouwer lost the same two front teeth that Calgary team dentist Kristin Yont had fixed for him when he played for the Flames, he sent her a picture of his wrecking-ball smile while sporting a T-shirt that said it all: 4 out of 5 Dentists Recommend Hockey.

"Dentistry is one of the defining characteristics of a hockey player," says gap-toothed Sharks defenseman Brent Burns. "Losing teeth is a badge of honor. And guys are so big and fast, and pucks are bouncing everywhere, it happens all the time in our sport."

The relentless assault on such a specific body part, especially one as socially and aesthetically important as teeth, has transformed NHL dentists into the unsung heroes of the sports world. Each team keeps a full-time dentist on staff, often seated a few rows behind the bench and armed with a medieval toolkit of needles, forceps, sutures and curettes. Most NHL arenas have dental chairs somewhere near the locker rooms. The work performed there is so vital to teams' health and success that dentists are often some of the few staff members to survive an ownership or coaching change, and many, including Rivera, get championship rings and their own day with the trophy after a run to the Stanley Cup. "After seeing how many lips had been on the Cup, I gave it the slightest little kiss I could ... and then I went and disinfected my mouth," Rivera says.

On his first trip to the Bolts' rink in 2002, Rivera, then a baby-faced 26-year-old, became lost inside the labyrinth of narrow, dark hallways under the arena. After the final horn blew, signaling another Lightning loss -- back then the team was, shall we say, toothless? -- Rivera looked up to see Tortorella, a notorious hothead, charging in his direction. Thinking that Rivera was a fan, a purple-faced Torts started screaming "Who the f--- let this f---ing kid back here!?"

"Somebody came running over, going, 'No-no-no, Coach, that's our dentist!'" Rivera recalls. "I love that guy; he's awesome and super sweet outside all this. But trust me, I made a mark on his mouth later on."

Indeed, Lesson No. 1 in hockey: Sooner or later, everyone answers to the dentist.

This season, it was much, much sooner for New Jersey Devils center Blake Coleman. Midway through the second period in the Devils' season opener on Oct. 4, a teammate's stick clipped Coleman in the mouth, damaging four teeth and depositing a sandwich of fiberglass splinters that had to be extracted as a prelude to an emergency root canal. After missing just four minutes of ice time, though, Coleman returned and scored on a one-handed Frisbee-flip backhand.

Blake Coleman caught the blade of Taylor Hall's stick - bleeding as he heads off. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/L63ip3BTIj

— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) October 5, 2019

Last season's playoffs opened with an even crazier jaw-dropping goal by San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski. Less than six minutes into Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, Burns sent a shot toward the net that literally ricocheted off Pavelski's front teeth and past Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. After his crowning achievement, Pavelski returned with a new plastic chin guard and a toothless grin that fit in rather well in San Jose.

Burns, for one, lost his first tooth at 16 from a high stick to the mouth the day after getting his braces off. Knowing his mom had paid a small fortune to his orthodontist, Burns was worried she might knock out his other tooth once she found out. The game took care of that in no time, creating in his mouth an old-school look so distinctive that in 2017 the Sharks gave away Gap-Toothed Brent Burns Grills to fans as an in-game promotion. His mom, though, still kids him constantly that she wants that braces money back.

Even Sidney Crosby, the face of the NHL, has a reassembled smile. In 2013 a teammate's slap shot shattered his jaw, damaging 10 of Crosby's teeth. That same season, the Rangers' Ryan Callahan was bearing down to deliver a check on an L.A. player when the guy turned around at the last second and bayoneted Callahan's mouth, "Game of Thrones" style, with his stick blade. On his first night on the job, and at his first hockey game, no less, new Kings dentist Kenneth Ochi sat Callahan down in the chair at Staples Center, took a deep breath and aimed his dental lamp at the side of the player's mouth.

The light shined straight through to the floor.

Callahan's teeth were intact, but there was a 3-inch hole in his cheek, like he was some kind of gaffed tuna. A closer look revealed that a large portion of Callahan's exposed jawbone was covered in a strange black substance. Ochi labored over it with his curette for an excruciating 15 minutes while trying to keep his dinner down. Later, a staff member with more hockey experience informed him, with a shrug, that the substance was stick tape. "There's no manual for this stuff," Rivera says. "But for someone who always wanted to be a dentist growing up, being a part of the NHL means we're doing some crazy stuff -- and I love it."

Or consider Game 4 of the 2010 Western Conference finals, when, after getting smashed in the mouth by a shot, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith spit out seven teeth like sunflower seeds on his way back to the bench. "It sounds gross and bad," Keith says, "but it happens all the time to guys."

During a game, an NHL team dentist's main priorities are triage, improvisation and speed: Stop the bleeding, yank or file down any dangerous edges and numb the pain so the player can return to the ice as quickly as possible. Restorative oral surgery -- things like root canals, crowns, bridges or removable teeth the players call "flippers" -- is saved for the fully equipped dental office. So it was that Keith left a breadcrumb trail of bicuspids all the way to the Blackhawks' training room, where at one point he counted seven needles in his mouth. He missed just six and a half minutes of the game and returned to the ice, mumbling instructions through numb chipmunk cheeks while setting up the game-tying goal. (Two and a half weeks later, Keith was drinking out of the Cup, presumably through a straw.)

"Gotta leaf it all on the eyesh," he gummed to reporters after the Sharks game.

FOR DECADES, THE pregame ritual in the NHL was for players to write their numbers on coffee cups, place their teeth inside the cups and leave them on a shelf in their lockers before taking the ice. In the 1960s and '70s, the game's giants, players like Clarke, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe and Stan Mikita, created the enduring and strangely charming archetype of the toothless hockey warrior. For the rest of the world, the eyes might be the windows into the soul. In hockey, it's the teeth. And for half a century, the idea that hockey players would so readily sacrifice their smiles and subject themselves to a lifetime of periodontal pain, all in the singular pursuit of fleeting hockey glory, came to embody the rough, quirky charm of the sport. "Hockey players accept that being in the dental chair is just part of their job," says Yont, the Flames' dentist. "And they do seem superhuman when it comes to that."

In 1972, Hull, one of the legendary gap-toothed Hall of Famers, left Chicago to join the WHA's Winnipeg Jets. According to The Globe and Mail, after Hull arrived in Winnipeg to discover that team dentist Gene Solmundson was paying his own way into the arena, the Golden Jet bought him seats near the blue line, and Solmundson has remained there ever since. (Although some teams offer their dentists a small honorarium, most receive little more than tickets to the game and an official association with an NHL team -- along with the chance to break the monotony of working on cavities, halitosis and dentures all day.)

At the very least, NHL dentists receive some rather unique (and creepy) keepsakes to decorate their offices. In Rivera's clinic, just across the street from Raymond James Stadium, there's a framed picture of his staff with the Stanley Cup and, just down the hall, a closet full of light green plaster molds of every Lightning player's teeth. All NHL dentists keep molds like these so they have something to work from when the originals inevitably go missing. But jumbled together on a counter, the collection of green jagged fangs, especially with the players' names scribbled on the backs in black Sharpie, looks like some kind of Halloween display.

Rivera also has a framed jersey that Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis inscribed "thx for the best smile in the NHL!!" During his 13 years in Tampa, St. Louis underwent just about every dental procedure imaginable inside Rivera's office. Routine dental trauma has just always been an accepted byproduct of the sport. Hanging in Solmundson's office in Winnipeg is a picture of an old local pro team in which all but one player have holes in their smiles. Tom Long, the team dentist for the Hurricanes since the franchise moved to Raleigh in 1997, remembers a similar jack-o'-lantern look to his 1966 Dartmouth hockey team.

Yet Long, Rivera and other team dentists now say they can see major changes in the sport of hockey reflected in the improved smiles of their modern-day NHL clients. In other words, the era of tooth trauma in hockey might be down to its last bite.

For starters, fewer fights and fewer head shots mean fewer lost teeth, obviously. College players in the U.S. are required to wear full masks, so a large portion of players arrive in the NHL with all their own teeth. More players are also wearing mouthguards -- although the truth is they're little help when it comes to a direct hit. MacDonald, after all, was wearing a mouthguard. It might have prevented a concussion, which is no small thing, but as for his teeth, all it did was provide a collection tray for his shattered chiclets (and a cautionary tale for his teenage daughters, both of whom play hockey but never without a full mask).

Long says quicker whistles on wayward sticks have saved a mountain of molars. So has the hybrid icing rule, instituted in 2013, the result of which is that players are no longer required to race into the boards at top speed for the puck. In the past five years, Long has become so impressed by the reduction in major dental trauma in the NHL that he recently wrote a letter of thanks to the league's board of governors. "The dynamics of the game have shifted," Rivera adds. "But the societal stigma has changed too. The market and culture with teeth is so strong now it has gotten into even the psychology of hockey players."

A recent study in the journal Sociology of Health and Illness titled "Straight White Teeth as a Social Prerogative" found that spending on dental services in the U.S. has increased by more than $100 billion since the NHL's coffee cup days. Our smiles are now one of the most potent societal indicators of class, status and fitness, thanks to endless marketing campaigns bombarding us with the message that a mouth full of perfectly straight, white chompers is "linked to ... acceptance into high society, improving employment prospects, and ensuring success in career and love."

As a result, players who just a few years ago would have waited until the offseason, or retirement even, to fix a missing or cracked tooth are repairing their smiles right away.

There will always be holdouts; this is the NHL, after all. In 2016, after a high stick turned him into a "Twilight" extra, Bruins winger David Pastrnak's new look became so popular on Instagram that he decided to keep it. Others decline dental work for an entirely different reason: Some of the toughest athletes in the world are just as terrified of dentists as the rest of us.

Especially the Eastern European players. Several team dentists surmised that because of a different standard of dental care in places such as the Czech Republic and Russia -- where the use of Novocain and anesthesia is sometimes considered an indulgence, even in pediatric dentistry -- players from that part of the world are so terrified of the dentist that Long has seen them visibly shaking from fear in his chair.

"Trust me, hockey players get just as anxious, just as annoyed, just as scared as everyone else," Rivera says. "They are huge, and I am small, but I always find it interesting that, in my dental office, they are always way more afraid of me than I am of them."

LIGHTNING DEFENSEMAN Braydon Coburn understands the terror. He was in Minsk, Belarus, at the 2014 world championship when an Italian player took a wild baseball swing at a loose puck and instead cracked Coburn right across the kisser, shattering his entire top row of teeth. "A total mess," he says. "Just all nubs and blood. The teeth fell out like piano keys."

Tournament officials told him not to worry. You're going to see the top dentist in all of Belarus, they said. Then they escorted him behind the rink into a cinder-block broom closet with a bare light bulb, a dental chair and Soviet-era equipment that looked like it belonged in a Jordan Peele movie. The team chaperone and Russian translator took one look at Coburn's hamburger face and screamed "Nyet!" before running out of the room crying. Still, Coburn didn't want to fly home and miss a chance to represent Canada, so he succumbed to the chair where, using nothing more than thumbs-up and thumbs-down signals to communicate, the Belarusian dentist pummeled him with pulpectomies for nearly three hours. With Coburn on the verge of either suffering a panic attack from the less-than-ideal conditions or passing out from the hot enamel smell of his own tooth dust, the dentist stood up, waved her hands and said "Finish ... after supper, teeth ready."

Coburn figured that between the swelling and the meds, he must have heard her wrong. Back home, that kind of extensive reconstruction work takes weeks to complete. But later that night he dutifully returned to the broom closet, where the dentist was waiting with what looked like a brand-new set of front teeth.

Without fanfare, she leaned over the chair and pushed them into his mouth. It was a perfect fit.

Coburn was able to remain in Minsk and play in the Canadian national team sweater again.

Now, sitting in the Lightning locker room after a morning skate, the Minsk memory causes Coburn to smile, which in turn reveals his miracle Belarusian bridge, still as tight and strong as the day he got it.

"That dentist saved me," he says.

In hockey, that's just part of the drill.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Mi Jung Hur shot a second consecutive 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the LPGA Swinging Skirts.

Hur, who is looking for her third victory this season, is at 12-under 132 overall. Defending champion Nelly Korda (67) was one shot back while trying to win her second LPGA title of the season and third of her career.

Minjee Lee (67) and In-Kyung Kim (65) are two strokes behind.

Hur, a 10-year LPGA veteran, said it was difficult with her husband and family in the gallery.

"Yeah, there's a little bit of pressure with my family," Hur said. "The whole family are here. But they were there last week, as well, so getting used to it."

Brooke Henderson shot a bogey-free round of 64, the lowest round of the tournament so far. The Canadian hit a 3-wood from 225 yards to five feet for an eagle on No. 12.

Henderson is three strokes behind Mi after opening with a 71.