This Week in Sports Talk (TWIST) is our weekly report on the big sports news headlines and major events, plus a preview of what’s up next. For October 2, 2022, here are the weekly top 10 sports news headlines to know: the big stories and major events in sports news this week in the NFL, MLB and more.

weekly top 10 big sports news headlines and major events: October 2, 2022

In the only news that really matters to many of us, word came this week that Rihanna will be the Super Bowl LVII halftime headliner.

If RiRi is performing, we truly don’t care who’s playing. But we realize that may not apply to all readers of this column, so here are 10 additional top headlines from the world of sports to know this Sunday.

1. NFL week 3 roundup

Courtesy of CBS Sports, here are the highlights of Week 3 of the NFL season, in case you missed any of it. Fans of the underdogs had reason to celebrate, as there were several upsets of note. Further evidence, if any was needed, that every dog has her day.

• The big Aaron Rodgers-Tom Brady showdown ended up being a low-scoring game. Green Bay hung on for a 14-12 win after Tampa Bay’s two-point conversion attempt failed.
• Jalen Hurts continues to win accolades; he led the Philadelphia Eagles to a decisive win over the Commanders, 24-8.
• The Colts upset the Chiefs 20-17, for their first win of the season.
• The Broncos beat the 49ers 11-10 in only the second 11-10 game in NFL history.
• Lamar Jackson bet on himself by not signing an extension this offseason, and so far that’s working out quite well. He delivered another incredible performance in the Ravens’ 37-26 win over the Patriots last Sunday. Jackson currently leads the NFL in passer rating (119.0) and passing touchdowns (10).
• The Miami Dolphins ended Week 3 as the only 3-0 team in the AFC after an upset 21-19 win over Buffalo on Sunday. Sadly, that’s not the end of the story for the Fins in our report – more on that below.
• In another shocker, the LA Chargers experienced a 38-10 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. In Jacksonville’s largest road win since 2001, Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and did not have a turnover or get sacked.

2. Thursday Night Football: Bengals 27, Dolphins 15.

In a horrible twist in what was such a promising start to the season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field in a stretcher after suffering head and neck injuries. He was later diagnosed with a concussion.

As noted above, Miami upset Buffalo a week ago. During that game, Tagovailoa was hit hard near the end of the first half, but he returned to the game, even though the team said that he had suffered head, back and ankle injuries.

Despite his condition, Tagovailoa was cleared to play in Thursday night’s game. The doctor who cleared him was fired over the weekend, and the incident has led to new scrutiny of the NFL’s concussion protocol. The Player’s Association is pressing for changes and the investigation of the incident is ongoing. As of this posting, reports are that Tagovailoa was in “good spirits” in the hospital and that nothing was broken during the incident.

The irony is that many observers had been concerned for the health of Tagovailoa’s opposing quarterback Joe Burrow. We reported last week that he had been sacked 15 times in just the first three weeks of the season. On Thursday night, though, Burrow threw two touchdowns and was  sacked just once as he led his team to their first victory of the season, 27-15.

3. Week 3 notable games to come

As of this posting, there is just one remaining unbeaten team in the NFL this season: the 3–0 Philadelphia Eagles.

On the flip side, there is one team left with no wins this season: the Las Vegas Raiders are 0-3 as of this posting.

Courtesy of SI and our Sports Desk, here are some of the big games of note for the rest of week 3:

• The Buffalo Bills are looking to bounce back after losing their first game of the season against the Dolphins last week when they play the Baltimore Ravens. It’s a battle of two great quarterbacks: Josh Allen versus Lamar Jackson. Both were first round draft picks in 2019, and both are currently among the favorites for MVP.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence take on the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s quarterback Trevor Lawrence versus Jalen Hurts, and Doug Pederson versus his former team.
• The Las Vegas Raiders will try to avoid a 0-4 start to the season when they host the Denver Broncos.
• The game of the week, though, is the rematch of Super Bowl 55, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers crushed the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9. It’s Patrick Mahomes versus Tom Brady, Part Six. At the moment, Brady is 3-2 against Mahomes, including 2-0 in the playoffs. The game will be played in Tampa, despite the damage to the surrounding area from Hurricane Ian.

4. Bret Favre fundraising scandal.

NFL quarterback and former Southern Miss college football star Brett Favre is under fire for the role that his charity played in funneling money to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation, according to The Athletic and ESPN. Favre also reportedly tried to raise money for a new volleyball center at the university, where his daughter was at the time a member of the team.

CBS Sports reports that Favre’s charity, Favre 4 Hope, was created “to support charities that provide support to underserved and disabled children and breast cancer patients, according to its mission statement.” However, the organization made three large donations to the USM Athletic Foundation, far more than contributions to any other organization.

5. Aaron Judge makes it 61 homers this season, tying AL record.

The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hit a blistering 117.4-mile-per-hour drive to left field for his 61st home run of the year, tying Roger Maris’ AL single-season record. CBS Sports reports that it was his hardest-hit home run of the year. In fact, it was his hardest since 2017. Judge’s mother, Patty, as well as Roger Maris Jr. were there to witness it.

Judge is now on pace to hit 64 homers this season. That would tie him with Sammy Sosa for the 5th best record in MLB history.  Our Sports Desk notes that Judge is also close to becoming first Triple Crown winner since the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera in 2012.

In other happy news, Albert Pujols hit his 701st home run, ending his MLB career in style.

6. MLB Playoffs

Major League Baseball Playoffs start on October 7, and it has been a great and suspenseful end to the regular season.

national league

In the NL, the LA Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals have clinched their divisions. Beyond that, there’s still a lot up in the air.

Both the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves have clinched playoff berths, but they are in a fierce battle for the NL East title (and a Wild Card bye). The two teams meet this weekend in a three-game series, and so far the Braves have beaten Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer in consecutive games. They may sweep this series this afternoon. As of this posting, the Mets are one game back for the NL East title.

The NL Wild Card race has gotten interesting thanks to the Philadelphia Phillies, who were swept by the Chicago Cubs. As of this posting, the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers are still in the race for the final Wild Card spot.

american league

In contrast, the AL playoff picture is pretty straightforward: The Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians have clinched their respective divisions. The Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays have clinched Wild Card spots. For the Mariners, it’s the first time they’ll be in the postseason since

7. College football highlights

Despite close games, thanks to last-minute comebacks, college football’s “Big Three of 2022” — the Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide — all survived the weekend.

However, Clemson, Michigan and Oklahoma State are close on their heels, making for a potentially highly interesting season in the coming weeks.

8. NBA Media Day

Monday was Media Day for NBA teams, and here are some of the storylines to follow as the pre-season comes to an end, courtesy of CBS Sports:

• As previously reported, Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for “violations of team policy.”
• The Cleveland Cavaliers have high expectations after acquiring Donovan Mitchell.
• The New Orleans Pelicans’ star Zion Williamson feels like he’s “at [his] best” after missing most of his first two seasons with injuries.
• The beleaguered Russell Westbrook demonstrated a professional demeanor as he and the LA Lakers work to rebound from a disastrous 2021-22 season (and he works to brush off the personal insults and condemnation from Lakers fans).
• Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still in Brooklyn, despite lots of vocal efforts to move to other franchises.

9. Controversy in NASCAR after driver injuries.

The auto racing world is embroiled in an intense conversation about the safety of the new-generation cars and trucks that hit the tracks for the first time this fall as the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue. Jordan Anderson was injured yesterday in the Talladega Truck Series race, and two other drivers are out with concussions caused by crashes in the new vehicles.

10. US wins President’s Cup

In golf, the news of the week is that Team United States won its ninth straight Presidents Cup, beating the International team 17.5-12.5. Xander Schauffele provided the win, beating Corey Conners 1-up to give the U.S. the requisite 15.5 points.

Weekly Top sports news headlines and major events to know: October 2, 2022

That’s our take on the big sports news headlines and major events, and a preview of the week ahead, including what to know about football, baseball and more.

Have a great week, dear reader. See you next Sunday.