NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash wants to make it clear that his relationship with star forward Kevin Durant is "good" heading into the start of the 2022-23 season.

That statement comes following a tumultuous summer for the organization in which Durant asked for a trade, then asked for Nash and GM Sean Marks to be fired.

"We're fine," Nash said after the Nets' first official practice of the season on Tuesday. "We're good. Ever since we talked, it's been like nothing's changed. I have a long history with Kevin. I love the guy. Families have issues. We had a moment and it's behind us. That's what happens. It's a common situation in the league.

"We all were hurting, seething, to go through what we went through last year, not being able to overcome all that adversity. Sometimes you lose perspective because you expect to win, but the reality is we were able to talk and discuss what we can improve on from last year. And also keep perspective. We went through a ton of stuff."

Nash, who developed a bond with Durant during their shared time with the Golden State Warriors, pushed back on reports that the star asked for him to be fired.

"I never thought that was 100%," Nash said. "There was a lot of things. It's not black and white like that, so there was a lot of factors. A lot of things behind the scenes. A lot of things reported are not accurate. A lot of things that are reported are not 100% accurate. So you get fragmented bits of truth. You get things that are flat out not true. It happens. ... So I never really get caught up in all that stuff.

"I'm going to hear it from Kevin when the time is right. I'm going to talk to Sean, I'm going to talk to all the parties involved. So you just work through it step by step. You don't overreact. We stay calm and work on communication and facts and here we are."

Nash said the air was cleared during a meeting with Durant, Marks and Nets owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai last month in Los Angeles. At the time, Marks issued a statement saying the Nets wanted to "move forward" with Durant, who still has four years remaining on a max contract he signed last year.

Nash declined to specify what he said to Durant that helped clear the air.

"That's a private conversation, so I'm not going to get into it," Nash said. "But it was an opportunity for us to just clear the air and communicate. It was pretty straightforward, it didn't take a lot of time, and we got to the bottom of it and decided to move forward."

Nash said he wasn't bothered by the speculation that, at times, seemed to consume the basketball world over the summer regarding his team -- and his star player.

"Knowing Kevin as long as I have, it didn't really bother me the way maybe everyone would think," Nash said. "That's a part of being a competitor. I wasn't overly surprised and I wasn't even overly concerned. This is something that I thought we would address in time and we did and here we are and we're looking forward.

"I think there's something in this that we can all grow from as well. Sometimes when things like that happen, the outside world makes a big deal of it, from the inside we take it as an opportunity for growth."

Nash wanted to keep the focus on the Nets' future instead of rehashing the drama of this past summer.

"I think we're in a really good position to start the season," Nash said. "And regardless of the way everyone wants to talk about drama all the time, we've been through this. I played in the league for 17, 18 years. I'm in here now, year three [as coach], seen it all, done it all. It does not impact me the way maybe it impacts people on the street or in the media, so it was never really as a big a deal to me.

"I always thought we'd have our moment, we'd discuss it and we would choose a course and we're fortunate to all be in the gym working together again and excited. I think the energy's been outstanding."

Aside from the notion that he felt any perceived issues with Durant were overblown, Nash remains steadfast in his belief that they will stay on the same page because of his feeling that there isn't as much tension behind the scenes as there was at the end of last season.

"You don't start the year thinking you're going to go through the same amount of adversity as we have the last two years," Nash said. "So that was the major ingredient in all this was that we have expectations, we have competitors, and we just faced too much to overcome last year."

One of the other reasons Nash and the Nets are feeling optimistic at the start of camp is because Ben Simmons is a full participant after missing all of last season because of back surgery and mental health concerns.

"Ben looked great," Nash said. "Ben's been doing really well. He's put in the time this summer and he's continually getting better every week so it looks to me like he's pretty close to the player we envisioned and he's going to make a big impact for us."

The United States was held to a goalless draw by Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain, on Tuesday in its final warm-up game ahead of the start of the World Cup in November.

The result completes a disappointing final buildup to the tournament in Qatar for Gregg Berhalter's side, having lost 2-0 to Japan on Friday.

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Following that loss, Berhalter brought Christian Pulisic into the lineup, along with Ricardo Pepi, DeAndre Yedlin and Kellyn Acosta.

But the U.S. suffered an early blow when Gio Reyna was taken off after just 30 minutes, with what U.S. Soccer later said was a precaution after he experienced muscle tightness.

The U.S. had shown some positive signs in the early going with some neat linkup play between the likes of Pulisic, Pepi, Reyna and Weston McKennie taking advantage of Saudi Arabia's high defensive line.

But it was limited to efforts from distance, the best of which saw Tyler Adams drill a shot just wide from 25 yards. And as the half wore on the U.S. became increasingly predictable and ineffective with the ball.

It was Saudi Arabia, ranked 53rd in the FIFA rankings, that came closest to opening the scoring in the first 45 minutes. A last-ditch block from Yedlin and a scramble away from Paul Arriola, on for Reyna, was required to keep the game scoreless after a close-range effort from Hattan Bahebri.

The second half didn't start much better for the USMNT. Yedlin was forced off on 59 minutes after receiving a heavy tackle from Saud Abdulhamid. Joe Scally replaced Yedlin, with Jesus Ferreira and Mark McKenzie also entering the action in place of Pepi and Aaron Long.

Ferreira soon had the Americans' best chance of the match but could only shoot straight at the Saudi Arabia goalkeeper after Arriola found him in the box.

The final result could have been even worse for the U.S. but for Saudi Arabia failing to take advantage of some late openings presented to them by a less than resolute U.S. backline.

The U.S. will next be in action when it begins its World Cup campaign against Wales on Nov. 21 before rounding out the group stage with games against England and Iran.

An Independent Accountability Resolution Process hearing panel concluded that Memphis Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway didn't violate NCAA rules when he provided benefits to three prospective student-athletes because of his long-standing philanthropy in Memphis, according to a decision released on Tuesday.

The IARP panel ruled that Memphis failed to monitor the education and activities of an athletics booster, provided impermissible extra benefits, conducted impermissible recruiting activities with prospective student-athletes and failed to cooperate with the investigative process by delaying the production of requested documents.

The Tigers were placed on three years' probation through Sept. 26, 2025, and fined $5,000, plus 0.25% of their men's basketball budget, after the IARP concluded Memphis committed four Level II violations and five Level III violations.

Memphis cannot appeal the ruling under IARP rules.

"Now that the IARP has arrived at its final decision, we are ready to turn the page and continue supporting our coaches and student-athletes on the court and in the classroom," Memphis vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics Laird Veatch said in a statement released Tuesday. "As we noted in our response to the Notice of Allegations, we have proactively made efforts to enhance our athletic compliance infrastructure and will continue to do so. To that end, we are thankful to the IARP for recognizing and reflecting that in its decision."

The Tigers were facing four Level I and two Level II rules violations after an 18-month investigation into the program. NCAA enforcement staff had alleged that Hardaway "failed to demonstrate that he promoted an atmosphere of compliance within the men's basketball program" and failed to monitor his staff, and accused the university of lack of institutional control.

Hardaway was accused of being involved in one Level I violation and two Level II violations.

The school acknowledged in November 2019 that Hardaway, before he became the Tigers' coach, had provided $11,500 in moving expenses for star center James Wiseman and his family to relocate from Nashville to Memphis in the summer of 2017. At the time, Hardaway was Wiseman's coach on the Nike EYBL circuit and later coached him at Memphis East High School.

Hardaway, a former Memphis basketball star, was considered a booster by the NCAA due to a $1 million donation he gave the school in 2008 to build a sports hall of fame. The school said Wiseman was unaware of Hardaway's payment to his family.

The NCAA ruled Wiseman ineligible, because it deemed his family had received improper benefits. Wiseman sued the NCAA, and a Shelby County judge issued a restraining order allowing him to play. After the judge's ruling, the NCAA issued a statement saying, "The University of Memphis was notified that James Wiseman is likely ineligible. The university chose to play him and ultimately is responsible for ensuring its student-athletes are eligible to play."

The IARP said despite having knowledge of Wiseman's ineligibility, Memphis officials allowed him to compete in a game on Nov. 5, 2019, "without informing the head coach until after the contest that [Wiseman] had been determined to be ineligible to play."

Wiseman, who was the No. 1-ranked prospect in the 2019 class, averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in three games for the Tigers. He later dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA, and the school declared him ineligible and applied for his reinstatement. The NCAA later suspended him for 12 games and upheld his punishment on appeal.

Wiseman, a 7-foot-1 center, left Memphis in December 2019 to prepare for the NBA draft. He was the No. 2 pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA draft and averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds as a rookie in the 2020-21 season.

"The hearing panel concluded that the head coach's philanthropic involvement in the Memphis community began prior to becoming an athletics booster in 2008 and before he was hired by Memphis as its head coach in 2018," the IARP said in a release. "The case decision references numerous gifts and financial assistance provided by the head coach to many members of the Memphis community from the time he entered the NBA until he became Memphis' head coach, including assistance provided either directly or to the families of three former prospective student-athletes who enrolled at Memphis and participated in men's basketball.

"Based on the case record and information developed at the hearing, the hearing panel found that the benefits provided by the head coach to the three prospective student-athletes were not recruiting inducements. According to the hearing panel, it was established that the head coach had a long-standing philanthropic commitment, particularly to youth in the economically disadvantaged Memphis community, even prior to becoming an athletics booster. The hearing panel determined that the benefits provided by the head coach were generally available to all prospective students of Memphis, not only student-athletes, and, therefore, were permissible."

In a statement released Tuesday, Hardaway expressed gratitude to Tigers supporters, saying, "We have finally arrived at the end of an extremely challenging period, and I could not be more grateful. I would like to thank our players and their families, as well as our coaches and our support staff, for continuing to focus on what we could control as this process lingered. Believe me, none of this was easy, but this group always had faith.

"Our University and athletic department leadership worked tirelessly to help present the facts of our case. I am thankful to the IARP for allowing us to present those facts and making its decision based on the facts. It's now time to put all of this behind us. Brighter days are ahead, and we cannot wait to share in future successes as one Memphis."

Hardaway, who has an 85-43 record in four seasons, guided the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA tournament in March.

Memphis opens the season at Vanderbilt on Nov. 7.

Welcome to Week 4 of the NFL regular season. This season we have seen our fair share of games come down to the wire. Eighteen games have been decided by three or fewer points -- six just this past week. Gone are the days of the blowout -- the fourth quarter is as important as ever.

Our updated Power Rankings are in. And there is quite a shuffle in the top five -- including a new No. 1.

Coming into this season, we're not sure anyone predicted this team to rise so quickly in the rankings -- but they are undefeated and have played some good football lately.

And there's another surprise team at No. 3 that few saw coming. Could this team become the best in the NFC down the stretch? Time will tell.

The Jacksonville Jaguars rose significantly after defeating Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers, and the New England Patriots dropped considerably after a loss to the Baltimore Ravens and an injury to QB Mac Jones' left ankle.

Below, we checked in with NFL Nation reporters across the league and asked them how every team's QB is doing this season. We paired their responses with the team's Total QBR and where that ranks in the league.

How we update our Power Rankings: Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- evaluates how teams stack up throughout the season.

So, let's get to it. Here's our new No. 1 team:

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

1. Miami Dolphins (3-0)

Week 3 ranking: 5

Team QBR: 81.5
QBR rank: 1st

Tua Tagovailoa is off to the start every Dolphins fan dreamed of in his third NFL season. He ranks second in the league in passing yards and is already halfway to matching his career high in touchdown passes with eight. He also leads the NFL in QBR and is second in yards per attempt. The new coaching staff and improved supporting cast around him seems to have unlocked the potential Miami saw when he was drafted No. 5 overall in 2020, and it's a big reason the Dolphins are the AFC's lone unbeaten team entering Week 4. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

2. Buffalo Bills (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 1

Team QBR: 77.3
QBR rank: 3rd

While the Bills are coming off their first loss, Josh Allen has had an MVP-candidate start to the season. He has the league's lowest rate of off-target throws (8.0%) and leads in passing first downs (49) as well. Allen's completion percentage (71.2%) and interception percentage (1.5%) would both be career bests. Still, things haven't been perfect. The Bills need to work on evening out the offense as Allen is also the team's leading rusher (113 yards), but the fifth-year quarterback has set the groundwork early for yet another impressive season. -- Alaina Getzenberg

3. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

Week 3 ranking: 8

Team QBR: 74.7
QBR rank: 5th

Jalen Hurts is one of the early favorites to be league MVP. His production on the ground remains strong -- he ranks second among quarterbacks in rushing yards (167) and first in rushing touchdowns (three) -- but it's his improvement as a passer that has put the NFC on notice. Hurts is completing 67.3% of his passes, compared with his career average of 60%. He ranks third in passing yards (916) and is sixth in QBR (74.8). His standout play is the No. 1 reason the Eagles are 3-0. -- Tim McManus

4. Kansas City Chiefs (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 2

Team QBR: 76.0
QBR rank: 4th

Graded against most of his peers, Patrick Mahomes is off to a great start with eight touchdown passes and one interception. But his season, by his expectations, has been uneven. He had a great game in the opener against the Cardinals, throwing for 360 yards and five touchdowns. His production has not been as great since, particularly in the loss Sunday to the Colts, when the Chiefs had numerous chances to put the game away and failed repeatedly. -- Adam Teicher

5. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 4

Team QBR: 51.1
QBR rank: 13th

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has played well, but the offense as a whole needs to improve. Coach Sean McVay said after the Week 3 victory in Arizona that he thinks the offense is "just continuing to learn our identity." Stafford, who threw five interceptions in the first two games, did not throw one against the Cardinals, and the offense did enough to win the game. Stafford has thrown just four touchdowns through three weeks. He is playing without wide receiver Van Jefferson, who is on injured reserve, and is continuing to lean on Cooper Kupp, whose target share has increased (35%) from the 2021 season (32%). -- Sarah Barshop

6. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 9

Team QBR: 79.3
QBR rank: 2nd

Lamar Jackson has played at an MVP level. He has accounted for 87% of the Ravens' offense, beating teams with his arm and with his legs. He leads the NFL with 10 touchdown passes and ranks second with a 78.7 QBR. Jackson, though, remains just as dangerous running the ball, producing the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL (243) and the best rushing average (9.35 yards per carry). The Ravens are still without their All-Pro left tackle (Ronnie Stanley) and their No. 1 running back (J.K. Dobbins) just returned on Sunday. But Baltimore leads the league in scoring (33 points per game) because Jackson is the best dual-threat quarterback in NFL history. -- Jamison Hensley

7. Green Bay Packers (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 7

Team QBR: 49.1
QBR rank: 14th

Aaron Rodgers isn't playing better or worse -- he's playing differently. He's throwing it shorter than ever. He averaged just 3.0 air yards on his completions Sunday against the Buccaneers. That's around half of the NFL average. Consequently, a large portion of his yardage has come after the catch. He's on track to set a career low in average air yards (5.1) and career high in YAC percentage (65%). Perhaps that could change if rookie receiver Romeo Doubs continues to produce. -- Rob Demovsky

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 3

Team QBR: 46.9
QBR rank: 18th

Tom Brady's Total QBR through the first three games is 46.9, good for 18th in the league and his second-lowest total since 2006. He has thrown three touchdown passes, which is 19th in the league, and his lowest total since 2014. But statistics alone never tell the full story. Brady has been without Chris Godwin, Julio Jones and starting left tackle Donovan Smith for two games now -- and the Bucs didn't have Mike Evans in Week 3 because of a suspension. Give him some receivers back -- Evans and Jones return this week -- and give them all some time to mesh, and they should hit their stride if they can avoid more injuries. -- Jenna Laine

9. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 11

Team QBR: 45.9
QBR rank: 19th

Kirk Cousins is clearly still adjusting to the Vikings' scheme under new coach Kevin O'Connell. Most notably, Cousins threw three interceptions in the Week 2 loss to the Eagles. "It's not where I want it to be," the quarterback said of the team's comfort level on offense. But Cousins is not a stranger to slow starts since signing with the Vikings in 2018; his current 45.9 Total QBR is higher than it was in Weeks 1-3 of 2019 (35.5) and 2020 (31.2). -- Kevin Seifert

10. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 15

Team QBR: 47.1
QBR rank: 16th

Joe Burrow is finding his way. The Bengals quarterback easily had his best week of the 2022 season in the Week 3 win over the Jets, when he completed 63.9% of his passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He had very good pocket feel and steered the offense in a game the Bengals desperately needed to win. After an emergency appendectomy at the start of training camp, Burrow's 46.3 QBR is lower than it was last season (60.2). But his latest performance suggests things could be trending upward after a slow start to the season. -- Ben Baby

11. Cleveland Browns (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 17

Team QBR: 62.6
QBR rank: 8th

Through three games, Jacoby Brissett is probably the biggest surprise on the Browns, and maybe one of the biggest surprise performers in the NFL. He ranks ninth in QBR (62.6), ahead of Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers, among others. He has completed 66.3% of his passes and thrown four touchdowns with only one interception. The running game has been prolific, but Cleveland ranks fifth in offensive efficiency because of its quarterback as well. If Brissett can maintain this level of play, the Browns should be firmly in the playoff mix once Deshaun Watson returns from suspension in Week 13. -- Jake Trotter

12. Denver Broncos (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 13

Team QBR: 45.1
QBR rank: 21st

The Broncos are 2-1, so that's good news. And Russell Wilson has pushed them through some important late-game drives in the two wins -- also good news. But overall Wilson and the Broncos' offense is a work in need of far more progress. He has looked a little out of sorts at times in the new scheme as he and coach Nathaniel Hackett try to find a balance in getting Wilson to move the ball out quickly and yet not taking away his ability to make plays off schedule. He has a 59.4% completion rate and two touchdown passes. But at key moments he has moved the ball, and there is optimism that more big plays are on the way. -- Jeff Legwold

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 24

Team QBR: 71.6
QBR rank: 6th

Trevor Lawrence looks like a No. 1 overall pick. After a rough start in the opener against Washington he has posted the second- and third-highest-rated games of his career in routs of the Colts and Chargers. He's sixth in the NFL in Total QBR (72.9) and seventh in completion percentage (69.4). Most importantly, he's not turning the ball over (just one interception). He has flourished under head coach Doug Pederson after a lost season with Urban Meyer. -- Michael DiRocco

14. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 10

Team QBR: 37.0
QBR rank: 26th

It would be hard to judge Jimmy Garoppolo off one game if that game didn't look so much like so many others he has started with the 49ers over the years. Which is to say Garoppolo is mostly solid but still prone to game-changing mistakes that contribute to frustrating losses. He had a costly fumble and an interception as the Niners tried to come from behind against the Broncos on Sunday night and fell a point short. There's a reacclimation process that must take place after he didn't participate in the offseason or training camp and returned from right shoulder surgery, but the 49ers don't have much time to wait for that to happen. -- Nick Wagoner

15. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)

Preseason ranking: 6

Team QBR: 60.8
QBR rank: 9th

The Chargers are 1-2 and in their losses, the performance of quarterback Justin Herbert has been somewhat uneven. He has without question had several "wow" moments -- including a 35-yard pass to receiver DeAndre Carter late in the defeat to the Chiefs -- but he's also had a few costly ones. In Kansas City, Herbert threw an interception that was returned 99 yards for a touchdown, putting the Chiefs ahead, and despite a gutsy decision to play against the Jaguars with fractured rib cartilage, Herbert completed only 56% of his passes, threw an interception and lost a sack fumble in a lopsided loss. -- Lindsey Thiry

16. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 21

Team QBR: 58.0
QBR rank: 10th

Dak Prescott has played only three-plus quarters after fracturing his right thumb in the season opener against Tampa Bay, and it wasn't a productive three-plus quarters. But he could be back as soon as this week (though likely it will be at least one more), which will benefit the offense. Cooper Rush has done what you want out of a backup quarterback. He led the Cowboys to two wins -- vs. Cincinnati and at the NFC East rival Giants. In three weeks, he has thrown for 514 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. But this is Prescott's job as soon as he is healthy. -- Todd Archer

17. New York Giants (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 19

Team QBR: 33.9
QBR rank: 28th

Daniel Jones has had his good and bad moments in the first few weeks of the season. Most of his top plays have come with his legs, such as the fourth-and-1 run late in the fourth quarter in Tennessee and the game-icing 11-yard scramble against the Panthers. Still, Jones hasn't blown anyone away (he had fewer than 200 yards passing in each of the three games), which is going to be difficult to change if he continues to get pressured at a high rate. -- Jordan Raanan

18. Tennessee Titans (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 22

Team QBR: 45.4
QBR rank: 20th

Ryan Tannehill started the season with a good enough effort that should have led to a win over the Giants. He delivered passes to nine different receivers combining for 266 yards on 20 completions and two touchdowns, but the defense faltered in the second half of the 21-20 loss. Week 2 against the Bills was a disaster for the whole team resulting in a 41-7 drubbing. Tannehill got back on course the following week against the Raiders by completing 19 of 27 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. At this point, Tannehill is playing like a mid-level starter who isn't being asked to individually elevate the passing game. -- Turron Davenport

19. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 14

Team QBR: 47.9
QBR rank: 15th

As goes Kyler Murray, so go the Cardinals. He only has 68 rushing yards in three games this season, which is why, in large part, the Cardinals' record is 1-2. From a throwing standpoint he's playing like his typical self. But as a runner, Murray isn't using his legs like he can, and to win the Cardinals need Murray to run. -- Josh Weinfuss

20. Indianapolis Colts (1-1-1)

Week 3 ranking: 25

Team QBR: 38.8
QBR rank: 25th

Matt Ryan is finding himself in a familiar situation, one reminiscent of his recent seasons with the Falcons: Shaky offensive line play and unproven passing targets are limiting his effectiveness. As a result of the heavy pass rush, Ryan is struggling with protecting the football. He has already fumbled seven times. But the veteran has showed composure when needed, like on the 43rd game-winning drive of his career Sunday versus the Chiefs, when he completed 8 of 10 pass attempts. -- Stephen Holder

21. New Orleans Saints (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 12

Team QBR: 44.5
QBR rank: 22nd

Jameis Winston is struggling. There's no denying that Winston is gutting things out right now as his list of injuries piles up. Winston hasn't been healthy since he tore an ACL last Halloween, and he is dealing with right ankle and back issues too. The offensive problems can't all be pinned on Winston since the Saints are struggling to maintain consistency in every area, but the spotlight will remain on him as long as he's on the injury report if his play doesn't improve. -- Katherine Terrell

22. Chicago Bears (2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 28

Team QBR: 23.0
QBR rank: 31st

Justin Fields' early-season struggles were magnified in the Bears' 23-20 win over the Houston Texans, as the second-year quarterback called his performance "trash" after completing 8 of 17 pass attempts for 106 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Chicago's offense hasn't been able to get its passing attack going, and much of that has to do with Fields missing wide-open throws, sailing balls past his receivers and generally appearing uncomfortable in the pocket. The Bears are trying to get a read on whether Fields is the answer at quarterback beyond this season, but it's tough to evaluate him when he has only attempted 45 passes through three weeks. -- Courtney Cronin

23. New England Patriots (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 16

Team QBR: 35.9
QBR rank: 27th

Mac Jones is hurting. Everything took a back seat to his physical condition when he hopped off the field on his final offensive play in the loss Sunday to the Ravens, going directly to the locker room for evaluation. Jones is dealing with what doctors have diagnosed as a severe high ankle sprain that would cause many to have surgery and miss multiple weeks, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Jones is also hurting on the stat sheet. He threw three interceptions Sunday, upping his total for the season to five. He didn't throw his fifth interception until the fifth game of the season last year. -- Mike Reiss

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 18

Team QBR: 44.0
QBR rank: 23rd

The honeymoon period -- if there ever was one -- for Mitch Trubisky is over. Trubisky is averaging 5.5 yards per attempt, the worst of any quarterback who has played three full games this season. He hasn't been aggressive enough in his downfield throws and the offense lacks rhythm. But it falls on more than just Trubisky, and many of the offensive issues are also rooted in the playcalling and the work-in-progress offensive line. There was at least one sign of life for an otherwise disappointing offensive start: Trubisky completed 9-of-13 for 109 yards, including a 36-yard toss to rookie George Pickens, in the first half of the Thursday loss to the Browns. -- Brooke Pryor

25. Detroit Lions (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 20

Team QBR: 63.7
QBR rank: 7th

Jared Goff has only one victory to show for it in three games, but he has appeared much more comfortable in his second season with the Lions under new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. With more talent around him, Goff helped the Lions reach an NFL record with a touchdown in 11 straight quarters -- the most to begin a season in league history. The team still must find a way to close games, but Goff certainly isn't the problem as he's playing much better football than he did last year. -- Eric Woodyard

26. Washington Commanders (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 26

Team QBR: 39.9
QBR rank: 24th

Through two games, Carson Wentz had thrown seven touchdowns to three interceptions and ranked 14th in total QBR. But taking the third game into account, it's been the full Wentz experience -- and he has dropped to 24th in QBR. He has moments when he and the offense look excellent, and he has helped the Commanders use every inch of the field because of his arm. But he also holds the ball too long at times and needs to take care of it in the pocket. Wentz is an upgrade for the team and that hasn't changed. He has the skill and the talent around him to be effective all year, but the protection will be a concern and his pocket awareness will be challenged. -- John Keim

27. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 27

Team QBR: 54.5
QBR rank: 12th

Geno Smith has been good. And better than most observers expected out of a longtime backup who hadn't entered a season as a starter since 2014. Smith ranks 10th in Total QBR (62.3) and is leading the NFL in completion rate by a wide margin (77.5%). He ranks 22nd in air yards per attempt (6.86), indicating how much of Seattle's passing game has been short and intermediate throws. But Smith had some success down the field in the loss to the Falcons on Sunday that dropped the Seahawks to 1-2. His next step will be leading a game-winning drive, something he couldn't do against Atlanta or in the three chances he had while filling in for Russell Wilson last season. -- Brady Henderson

28. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 32

Team QBR: 55.8
QBR rank: 11th

Marcus Mariota has been fine. He has completed 63.3% of his passes -- that would be the second-best in a season of his career -- with a QBR of 55.9. He is throwing for a career-best 8.1 yards per attempt, which has been aided by head coach Arthur Smith's playcalling. The concern? Some of his decisions and errors at critical times, including a red zone fumble and a bad center/quarterback exchange in the second half against the Saints in Week 1, leading to a loss, and a quarterback/running back exchange Sunday that was absolved somewhat by the win. But those mistakes have clouded an otherwise pretty good return to starting for Mariota and need to be remedied if he's going to keep the job long term. -- Michael Rothstein

29. Carolina Panthers (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 30

Team QBR: 18.8
QBR rank: 32nd

Baker Mayfield has been subpar. That's putting it kindly because he is putting up career-worst numbers. He ranks 32nd in the league in Total QBR (19.5), 31st in completion percentage (51.8), 28th in passing yards (550), 25th in touchdown passes (3, including a 67-yarder caught behind the line of scrimmage) and 25th in passer rating (80.8). And this doesn't take into account five fumbles (all recovered) and almost a dozen passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. -- David Newton

30. Las Vegas Raiders (0-3)

Week 3 ranking: 23

Team QBR: 47.0
QBR rank: 17th

Derek Carr is the most polarizing player in franchise history and while the Raiders' unexpected 0-3 start is not entirely his fault, we all know quarterbacks get too much credit when things are going well and too much blame when things are going wrong. That said, he is off to an uneven beginning under new coach Josh McDaniels, as Carr has often had a slow start under a new playcaller. Small sample size, obviously, but his passer rating (85.1) and completion rate (60.8%) are both the lowest for him in a season since his rookie year. -- Paul Gutierrez

31. New York Jets (1-2)

Week 3 ranking: 29

Team QBR: 29.1
QBR rank: 30th

Zach Wilson (right knee) missed the first three games, but there's a good chance he returns to the lineup this week. He hasn't played since the first preseason game, so there's bound to be rust. After an underwhelming rookie year, much is expected of the 2021 second overall pick. Wilson's development, more than wins and losses, will determine whether the season is a success or failure. Patience is key. He should be evaluated on how he progresses over the final 14 games. Part of that is being able to stay healthy; durability has become an issue for him. Veteran Joe Flacco has filled in for Wilson throwing for 901 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in the three games. -- Rich Cimini

32. Houston Texans (0-2-1)

Week 3 ranking: 31

Team QBR: 29.1
QBR rank: 29th

Davis Mills has regressed through the first three weeks of the season. He is completing 57.9% of his passes, third-worst in the NFL among starting quarterbacks. Last year he completed 66%. His biggest issue is third downs, on which he is netting 47% of his passes, fourth-worst in the NFL. And when the team has needed Mills the most, he hasn't produced late in games, as the Texans' offense has scored zero points in the final quarter. -- DJ Bien-Aime

CHICAGO -- After spending the summer rehabbing in Los Angeles and seeking different opinions from knee specialists, Bulls guard Lonzo Ball said he still can't run or jump without feeling pain in his left knee, which is why he is scheduled to undergo another arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday.

"There was a point where we would warm up and stuff, and I would go through certain days and it would be fine," Ball said during a video call with reporters on Tuesday. "Then whenever I got to real basketball activities, I just couldn't do it. Unfortunately, this is what's at hand and has to be dealt with. We feel like surgery, again, is the best option.''

The Bulls held their first team practice of the season on Tuesday afternoon while Ball was in L.A. preparing for the second surgery on his left knee since January and third in his career -- including a procedure in 2018 while he played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Ball said he would return to Chicago to be with the team for his rehab following the surgery.

"For me, this will be my third surgery so this time around I really don't want to rush anything," he said.

The Bulls said Ball is scheduled to be reevaluated in four to six weeks following his surgery, but both the team and Ball hesitated to put a timeline on his return this season. However, Ball did not believe his knee would cause him to miss the entire 2022-23 season.

"That's not in my mind right now, but that would be the worst-case scenario," Ball said. "I'm at a point now where I know I can't get back out there until I'm comfortable playing and can actually play. So whenever that day comes, that's when I'll have the jersey back on."

Not only has Ball been limited in his activities on the basketball court, but said he is having issues walking up stairs and with everyday movements. The lingering discomfort in his knee has left doctors, the team and Ball surprised by his prolonged issues. He said surgery this week was as much about identifying the issues as it was fixing it.

"From my understanding they're going in there to see what it is," Ball said. "Because it's not necessarily showing up on the MRI, but it's clear that there's something there that's not right. So they're going to go in, look at it, and whatever needs to be done is going to be done.

"I've never felt pain like this or was able to ramp up a little bit but never fully, so definitely a unique situation. The doctors and the Bulls, we're all trying to figure out what it is. Like I said, we all came to the conclusion that it's time for surgery."

Gloucester head coach George Skivington said the cancellation of Saturday's Premiership match with Worcester will come at a "very big cost" to the club.

Gloucester will lose about £400,000 as a result of the game not going ahead, PA Media reports.

"There'll be a huge financial loss for the game not going ahead this weekend, which is big," Skivington said.

This is the second time in six months that Gloucester have seen a league fixture with Worcester called off days before it was scheduled.

In March last season the game was cancelled due to injuries and illness within the Warriors squad. The game was not replayed and Gloucester were eventually awarded a 20-0 victory and five points.

"The cost is very big to the club, which is not on the level of what Worcester are going through, but on a personal level for the club these losses are big for us," Skivington said.

"I think we're lucky as a club we're in a good position financially as a club as you can be, I'm not saying we're flush but thankfully that's not my domain."

"There's concern for people you know within these clubs [Worcester and Wasps] there's some brilliant people at both those clubs. My sympathy goes out to anyone involved in this because it's horrendous."

Gloucester have only played twice so far this season in the Premiership, having had a bye week during round two.

They face Bath away in the Premiership Rugby Cup on Wednesday, with their next league fixture now also against Bath on 8 October.

"It's not ideal. You're planning your season and we've had a funny start with a bye week and four scheduled games in two weeks, so we put a lot of plans in place knowing it was going to be a tricky start for us," added Skivington.

"This is a curveball because it's now another bye week for us. I've had to adjust the training week as of Monday evening."

England winger Jonny May has been drafted into the Premiership Rugby Cup squad in a bid to get him match time, having missed much of last season with a knee injury.

Captain Lewis Ludlow will also make his first start of the season as he returns from injury.

May, 32, has played only once for Gloucester since January having returned for their match with Saracens on the final day of last season.

He was ruled out of the Six Nations and then missed this summer's tour in Australia after contracting Covid-19, despite being called into the squad.

Almost immediately after making a birdie putt to get through a 5-for-4 playoff at this week’s Monday qualifier for the Sanderson Farms Championship, Alejandro Tosti was in tears.

He had qualified for a PGA Tour event before, earlier this year in Puerto Rico, but a lot has changed since then for the 26-year-old Argentine.

After years of grinding in Latin America and on the mini-tours, Tosti is starting to finally see that dedication pay off.

Tosti starred collegiately for the Florida Gators before turning professional in 2018. Upon graduation, while many of his peers received loads of endorsements and sponsor invites, Tosti signed one deal (Cleveland/Srixon, who is still with him) but could only muster one sponsor exemption, for the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship, where he made the cut on the number before tying for 44^th. From there, he headed to the PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he’s spent much of the past four years playing all over the world. To show how much he's traveled: Tosti reached lifetime-platinum status for American Airlines last year.

The expenses added up quickly, though, for Tosti, who tried to save money wherever he could. When his lease expired last summer, he spent the rest of the year staying with friends and family or host housing and the occasional Airbnb.

“My parents were not able to support me, so it was really stressful in the beginning to play golf under a lot of pressure,” Tosti said last year for an in-depth story about the realities of turning pro. “It was something that I was not ready for. … You quickly start to realize how much each shot costs. Those missed shots can add up at the end of the year.”

Luckily for Tosti, despite his fair shares of struggles, he played well enough to keep his career going. He won on PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2019, but it wasn’t until this year that he was finally able to crack the top five in points on that tour. He won once and post four top-10s this past season to finish No. 5 and earn his Korn Ferry Tour card for the first time.

While the new KFT season doesn’t begin until next year, Tosti is already benefitting from his new status. In the past, he’s rarely tried to Monday qualify for PGA Tour events because of the costs and the requirement that he go through pre-qualifying.

Now, he’s exempt through pre-qualifying and has competed in each of the first two PGA Tour Mondays this fall.

“My percentage rate is high,” Tosti joked Tuesday via text.

"I've been playing well for a while," he added. "It was a matter of time for the good breaks to come."

Joining Tosti in Monday qualifying for the Sanderson are Canadian journeyman Ben Silverman, Oklahoma product Quade Cummins and Texas' Cole Hammer, the former top-ranked amateur who helped lead the Longhorns to the NCAA title last spring. Rhein Gibson was odd man out, being eliminated on the fourth playoff hole.