📰🏟️ Ken you believe it
Plus: Dodgers match MLB playoff streak...
Good afternoon. Welcome back to another week full of top sports stories. Let’s get right to it.
—Kyle
1) Chiefs steamroll Broncos in Mahomes’ return
Kansas City beat Denver 31-10 on Monday night as QB Patrick Mahomes returned from knee surgery, largely thanks to new addition—and reigning Super Bowl MVP—Kenneth Walker III.
- Walker rushed 23 times for 173 yards in his Chiefs debut, marking the franchise’s most rushing yards since Jamaal Charles in 2012.
- Walker’s 191 total scrimmage yards and 2 TDs also outpaced Denver’s entire offense (176 total yards, 1 TD).
- Mahomes threw for 184 yards and 2 TDs, while running for another score despite a brace on his left knee.
📣 FULL-COURT PRESS
Headlines across the sports world
- 🎰 Pro sports leagues and their players’ unions—including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, & MLS—ask state gambling regulators to monitor and impose lifetime bans on bettors who “abusively” harass athletes, coaches, or staff.
- 🏒 Chicago Blackhawks name 21-year-old Connor Bedard as captain, making him the second-youngest in franchise history behind Jonathan Toews (20).
- 🏈👀 NFL season opener last Wednesday (Seahawks-Patriots) averaged 25.1M viewers, down 11% from last year (on a Thursday) and the least-watched NFL opener since 2022.
2) Kawhi officially heads back to Toronto
The Toronto Raptors completed their trade for LA Clippers F Kawhi Leonard last night, sending the former Finals MVP back to his 2019 title team.
- The deal, initially announced in late June, was delayed for months due to the NBA’s cap circumvention investigation into the Clippers, with Leonard ultimately avoiding a suspension or canceled contract.
- In exchange for Leonard, the Clippers receive Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2 1st-round picks, a 1st-round pick swap, and a pair of 2nd-rounders.
- The Clippers will retain the 1st-round picks acquired from Toronto, despite the NBA stripping them of 5 1st-rounders in punishment for cap circumvention.
Toronto’s delayed trade is made
🌐 WEB GEMS
Interesting things to click
🏆🔢 Week 2 NFL Power Rankings: How all 32 teams stack up after a Week 1 slate filled with high-powered offenses.
⚾ Calling balls and strikes: The biggest success—and biggest disappointment—for all 30 MLB teams this season.
🏈 Own your fantasy waiver wire: The top targets to add heading into Week 2, along with key injuries to stay on top of.
3) Yankees, Dodgers clinch playoff spots
The Dodgers and Yankees both clinched postseason berths last night, joining the Rays and Brewers as the first 4 teams into the 2026 MLB playoffs.
- The Dodgers earned their 14 straight playoff appearance, tying the 1991–2005 Atlanta Braves for the longest streak in MLB history.
- The Yankees have now made a record 61 postseason appearances, including 9 of the past 10, and also clinched their 34th straight winning season—the 2nd-longest streak in pro sports history.
Tracking the MLB postseason field
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