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An ‘alien’ is coming to Atlanta: Falcons admit Mahomes Week is different

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An ‘alien’ is coming to Atlanta: Falcons admit Mahomes Week is different

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons’ defensive players talk about Patrick Mahomes like he’s an actor, and the NFL’s leading man is coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday night.

“When the play breaks down and you’ve got it all covered and you’ve done it all right, there’s a second part to the play. There’s a second act,” Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss said. “Being able to cover up not only the initial play that the great Andy Reid has drawn up falls apart, you’ve got Patrick Mahomes becoming Him.”

“Him” refers to the dominant figure in his environment, and few professional athletes have been more dominant in their environment than Mahomes.

In six seasons as Kansas City’s starting quarterback, he has never finished a season short of the AFC Championship Game. His three Super Bowl titles are tied for third among starting quarterbacks in NFL history, and everyone ahead of him on that list started for at least twice as many seasons as he has. Only Tom Brady and Joe Montana have more playoff wins than Mahomes’ 15, and he’s 29 years old. Since he joined the league in 2017, no quarterback has won more games (91) or won them at a higher rate (78.4 percent). The seven other quarterbacks drafted in 2017 have won 76 games combined.

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These numbers go on and on and on, and they’re the reason Atlanta finds itself on a prime-time stage for the second straight week as the Falcons are preparing to host the Chiefs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.”

With all due respect to Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson and the new-look Falcons, the stage will belong to Mahomes.

“It’s his improv, man,” Falcons safety Richie Grant said. “He can improv every single play, turn something that you think is a no gain into a touchdown.”

Mahomes is so good he even beats the oldest of NFL cliches — that every week has to be treated exactly the same no matter the opponent. Atlanta outside linebacker Matthew Judon faced Mahomes six times as a member of the New England Patriots. Mahomes Week is different, he said.

“There are special players in this league,” Judon said. “When you’ve got a guy like Patrick Mahomes on the schedule, you watch a little more film. You pay closer attention to the details because he’s a three-time champ, and there’s something in the margins to win the game. It’s going to be something in the details. It’s probably going to come down to a few plays.”

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The Chiefs (2-0) come into Atlanta as 3.5-point favorites, having won eight straight games dating to last postseason.

“As a competitor, you always want to make a play against one of the best competitors,” Grant said. “I would question you if you don’t have that mindset.”

“It definitely stokes your competitive fire,” Elliss said. “If you take anybody lax in this league, it’ll get you, but when you get to go up a team of this quality, it does stoke your competitive fire a little bit more. I’m excited.”

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Falcons coach Raheem Morris compares Mahomes not to an actor but to an extraterrestrial.

“He’s an alien,” Morris said. “He’s smart. He’s unique. He can move around. He can buy time. He can play within the framework of the system. He knows what you’re doing on defense. He’s grown up to the point of seeing everything. He’s seen every trick, every gimmick, every gamut, whatever you want to call it. He’s been able to really go out there and be at the top of his game in just about everything, and he’s just one of the best.”

Atlanta offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was charting draft-eligible quarterbacks as an analyst for Pro Football Focus in 2017. He said Mahomes had all those traits even then.

“Obviously, the ability that he has with his arm to really make any throw at any time was special, and then you just saw the instincts and the vision, and right away you’re saying, ‘There’s really no way that this shouldn’t work out,’ as long as he’s committed to the game, and he loves it,” Robinson said. “Obviously, he’s proven to be a football junkie.”

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Sunday night will be the second time the Falcons have faced Mahomes. The first was in December of 2020 when Morris was Atlanta’s interim head coach after the firing of Dan Quinn. The Chiefs won 17-14, but the Falcons caused Mahomes enough problems (55 percent completion percentage, 79.5 passer rating) that other NFL teams briefly hoped they had provided a blueprint for slowing him down.

He’s been to three Super Bowls since then.

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Morris got another shot at Mahomes as the defensive coordinator of the Rams in 2022. Again, Mahomes didn’t play great (85.4 passer rating). Again, Mahomes won (26-10). In two matchups against Morris’ defenses, Mahomes’ passer rating and efficiency as measured by EPA per attempt are lower than his career averages (82.4 passer rating versus 103.3 and .04 EPA per attempt versus .26), according to TruMedia.

Those numbers don’t change how Morris talks about Mahomes.

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“He’s certainly a problem no matter what,” the coach said, “and he’s one of the best that we’ve seen just in whatever generation you want to talk about.”

Falcons safety Justin Simmons, who spent the first eight years of his career in Denver, also has had some success against Mahomes. He’s intercepted the quarterback five times. No other player has done it more than twice. Like Morris, Simmons is smart enough not to brag about it.

“It’s not those first three seconds of the play, it’s those next four or five seconds that really matter,” Simmons said. “You can’t get frustrated when they make a big play. It’s a next-play mentality. They take a lot of shots and you have a lot of chances to go play the ball. We’ve got to be able to make plays on the football. It’s fun playing that cat-and-mouse game. This is going to be a big one for us.”

(Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)

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Patriots handle AFC East rival Jets at home behind TreVeyon Henderson’s 3-touchdown night

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Patriots handle AFC East rival Jets at home behind TreVeyon Henderson’s 3-touchdown night

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The New England Patriots continue to roll, handling their AFC East rival New York Jets, 27-14, on “Thursday Night Football.”

New England extended its lengthy win streak to eight games, improving to 9-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Jets’ brief win streak, after starting the season 0-7, has come to a close.

Heading into this game, the Patriots were expected to dominate the Jets. While the scoreboard didn’t say so in the end, their rookie running back certainly provided the fireworks.

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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

TreVeyon Henderson, who had a breakout game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week with 147 rushing yards and two long touchdown runs, added three more touchdowns to his first-year stat line in this victory. 

He was the only Patriots player to find the end zone, starting with the team’s 13-play, 69-yard drive that ended with his entire offensive line pushing him over the goal line to tie the game at seven apiece.

On the Patriots’ next drive, Henderson rushed in from seven yards out to give the Patriots a 14-7 lead to end the first half.

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New England started to pull away after quarterback Drake Maye, an MVP hopeful who had yet another great performance, put together chunk completions to set up an eventual touchdown pass to Henderson, who found himself wide open in the end zone.

Henderson finished the game with 62 rushing yards on 19 carries, while hauling in five catches for 31 yards.

Meanwhile, Justin Fields and the Jets’ offense struggled in yet another outing despite a great 14-play opening drive that ended with the quarterback rushing it in himself.

TreVeyon Henderson of the New England Patriots rushes for a touchdown in front of Isaiah Oliver #26 of the New York Jets during the first half against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)

Fields was coming off a rough game against the Cleveland Browns, though the Jets were able to win thanks to two special teams scores. He threw for only 54 yards with a 60.4 quarterback rating.

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Fields was 15-of-26 for 116 yards in this game with a touchdown pass on a broken play to John Metchie III that made it 21-14 in the third quarter. But there were more negative moments than positive for the Jets, including a fumble lost on a low snap in the fourth quarter while the Jets were down just a touchdown.

The Patriots were able to run the fourth-quarter clock out, and give the home crowd what they were hoping for in Mike Vrabel’s first year as a head coach — a winning season. 

There is still more work to do, but nine wins put the Patriots above .500.

TreVeyon Henderson of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 13, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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Looking more into the box score, Maye was an efficient 25-of-34 for 281 yards with his one touchdown pass to Henderson. Stefon Diggs also led the way with nine catches for 105 yards, a game high, while Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry both caught four passes.

For the Jets, Metchie was the leading receiver with 45 yards on three grabs, while Breece Hall had 58 rushing yards on 14 carries. Fields had 67 yards on 11 runs.

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High school girls’ volleyball: Southern California regional results and pairings

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High school girls’ volleyball: Southern California regional results and pairings

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Quarterfinals

DIVISION I

#1 Harvard-Westlake d. #9 Long Beach Poly, 25-13, 21-25, 22-25, 25-11, 15-11

#12 Bishop Montgomery d. #4 West Ranch, 23-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-9

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#3 Santa Margarita d. #6 Coronado, 25-21, 25-20, 25-17

#2 Temecula Valley d. #10 Bakersfield Centennial, 25-17, 22-25, 25-19, 25-23

DIVISION II

#1 Liberty d. #9 Arroyo Valley, 25-20, 25-19, 25-20

#12 La Canada d. #13 Ventura, 17-25, 25-15, 25-21, 23-25, 15-10

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#3 Cypress d. #6 Scripps Ranch, 20-25, 21-25, 25-15, 26-24, 15-13

#7 Carlsbad d. #15 Dana Hills, 25-14, 25-17, 22-25, 18-25, 15-13

DIVISION III

#1 Academy of Our Lady of Peace d. #8 Royal, 25-21, 25-11, 25-22

#4 Santa Fe Christian d. #5 Patrick Henry, 25-13, 25-7, 25-16

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#3 Mission Vista d. #6 Ontario Christian, 25-19, 19-25, 25-13, 21-25, 15-7

#2 Frontier d. #7 Chadwick, 25-20, 25-18, 35-23

DIVISION IV

#1 Nipomo d. #8 Grant, 24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-21

#12 Capistrano Valley Christian d. #13 West Valley, 25-13, 25-12, 25-22

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#3 Granada Hills d. #5 LA University, 25-23, 25-17, 25-22

#2 Mammoth d. #10 Rock Academy, 25-20, 25-12, 25-21

DIVISION V

#8 Panorama d. #1 East Valley, 25-23, 20-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12

#4 Elsinore d. #5 Artesia, 21-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-19

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#11 Nogales d. #3 O’Farrell Charter, 3-2

#2 Morro Bay d. #10 South El Monte, 25-10, 25-21, 25-18

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

SEMIFINALS

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

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OPEN DIVISION

#5 Marymount at #1 Sierra Canyon

#3 Torrey Pines at #2 Mater Dei

DIVISION I

#12 Bishop Montgomery at #1 Harvard-Westlake

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#3 Santa Margarita at #2 Temecula Valley

DIVISION II

#12 La Canada at #1 Bakersfield Liberty

#7 Carlsbad at #3 Cypress

DIVISION III

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#4 Santa Fe Christian at #1 Academy of Our Lady of Peace

#3 Mission Vista at #2 Bakersfield Frontier

DIVISION IV

#12 Capistrano Valley Christian at #1 Nipomo

#3 Granada Hills at #2 Mammoth

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DIVISION V

#8 Panorama at #4 Elsinore

#11 Nogales at #2 Morro Bay

Note: Finals (all divisions) Nov. 18 at higher seeds.

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Ex-NFL star admonishes college football teams involved in raucous melee

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Ex-NFL star admonishes college football teams involved in raucous melee

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Former NFL star Cam Newton had a message for the Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman college football programs in the latest episode of his podcast after a brawl occurred among players from each team over the weekend.

The halftime melee resulted in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) handing out suspensions for 27 players, including three who were suspended for two games. Each program received thousands of dollars in fines as well.

Then-Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) walks on the field during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 28, 2021. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)

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Newton said on “4th & 1” that Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were “set back” because of the fighting that occurred on the field.

“I despise the actions … I am extremely displeased with what took place. Why? It’s because make no mistake about it — I’ve spoken at length about equal opportunity,” Newton said. “We are sitting up here trying to get more access, more visibility, to amplify the platform of HBCUs. No matter if you in the MEAC, the SWAC, the SIAC, the OVC — or whatever conference you’re in — if you’re a representation of Blackness and Black culture, you should look at this and say to yourself, ‘This set us back.’”

Newton wondered what if the brawl took place on a major network that aired college football games and what the conversation would be around HBCU programs.

He added that, overall, the image was damaged as schools are trying to grow in terms of name, image and likeness deals and looking for sponsors.

Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton watches a game between the Howard Bison and Florida A&M Rattlers in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 16, 2023. (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)

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The former Carolina Panthers quarterback star also took issue with Grambling State head coach Mickey Joseph’s initial comments after the brawl. Joseph initially said the school wasn’t going to tolerate “disrespect” and they’re “going to meet disrespect with disrespect.”

Joseph apologized and backtracked from his comments, but it still didn’t sit well with Newton.

“I can forgive you for what you said, I can never forget what you said,” Newton said. “It’s almost like, what are you apologizing for? Are you apologizing because someone above you said, ‘That’s not a good look and you gotta apologize for that.’ Or, are you apologizing because that’s how you really feel?

“Anybody in the SWAC, MEAC, SIAC, CIAA, OVC, I’m ticked off because it set us back, man. It set us back.”

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The SWAC admonished the schools and the players that took part in the fight.

“We’re extremely disappointed by the events that transpired during halftime of the Bethune-Cookman at Grambling State football game,” SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland said in a statement. “Acts of that nature have zero place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and intercollegiate athletics.

Detail view of a penalty flag during a football game on Nov. 7, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

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“The Conference Office has and will continue to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for all acts deemed to be unsportsmanlike and contrary to the high standard of good sportsmanship we expect from all individuals associated with the athletics programs within our league.”

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