Head-scratching decisions by Commanders, Eagles; Georgia new No. 1 in college football, CFP shake-up

Oct 12, 2026 at 9:00 am ET • 6 min read

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

👀 Five things to know Monday

1. Week 5 in the NFL featured three wild endings. What did we just watch? First thing Sunday morning, the Eagles and Jaguars traded field goals in the last eight seconds as Jacksonville pulled out a miracle in London. In the afternoon, the Giants and Commanders exchanged catastrophic mistakes, resulting in a 27-27 tie. The most head-scratching decision was that of Jayden Daniels, who slid down in-bounds and allowed time to expire, despite being in field-goal range. Dan Quinn accepted blame for the blunder, and minority owner Magic Johnson had strong words for his team. Finally, the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens rallied late to beat the Falcons in overtime.
2. The Brewers' bullpen gave them a 1-0 series lead over the Dodgers. Game 1 of the NLCS was a pitchers' duel. Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski labored through 4.1 innings while allowing five hits and an earned run. Once Milwaukee's bullpen took over, it was lights out for the Dodgers. They combined to allow just two hits and zero earned runs in a 2-1 victory. This game continued a historic trend of low-scoring MLB postseason games. The ALCS begins tonight as the Guardians will take on the Rays after erasing a 2-0 deficit against the White Sox in the ALDS.
3. There's a new No. 1 team in college football. After taking down Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, Georgia has taken over the No. 1 spot in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs' 20-17 road victory wasn't without controversy --   there were some highly questionable calls down the stretch. Regardless, Georgia has entered its title as the best team in the country, but it would be a mistake to count out Alabama after this loss.
4. Marvin Harrison Jr. is getting a fresh start with the Texans. The Marvin Harrison Jr. experience was short-lived in Arizona as the Cardinals are trading the No. 4 overall pick to the Texans in exchange for a second-round pick and a sixth-round pick. Given how much Harrison's stock has fallen since he began his NFL career, the Cards did well to maximize value in this deal. Despite a disappointing start for Harrison, history can offer him a glimmer of hope.
5. Brendan Allen submitted Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Fight Night. No judges were needed for the main event in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Allen submitted Duncan in the fifth round with a rear-naked choke hold. Now 28-7 in his UFC career, Allen wants his shot at a title, and he called out middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. Will Allen get his wish? I guess we'll see.

🏈 Do not miss this: Are Vikings legit contenders?

Lost in a sea of close finishes and general wackiness, you might have missed the Vikings handing the Saints a 23-13 loss in New Orleans. Minnesota is a relatively quiet 5-0, and that begs the question: Should the Vikings be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender?

That's one of the topics our Zach Pereles explored in his Week 5 overreactions, and his conclusion was clear. Whatever reservations you have about Kyler Murray as a championship quarterback, put them aside. The defense is good enough that Murray won't have to be Superman every week.

• Pereles: "Brian Flores is the best coordinator in the NFL. We already knew this defense was excellent, but it was encouraging to see Murray play his best game with the Vikings yet. He completed 24 of 30 passes (80%) for 229 yards and a touchdown to Justin Jefferson, and he ran the ball seven times for another 54 yards, excluding three kneeldowns. They aren't absurdly good numbers, but they don't need to be if the defense is going to be this dominant."

Another team that impressed in Week 5 was the Packers. Green Bay thumped the Bears and improved to 3-2 on the season. Jordan Love threw for 367 yards, and the Packers defense allowed just 3.6 yards per play. It seems like the Pack may very well be back after a shaky start.

Of course, in the words of the great Sturgill Simpson, "It ain't all flowers, sometimes you gotta feel the thorns."

There were some teams that would rather forget Week 5 happened altogether. The Commanders are certainly on that list of losers after bungling what looked like a sure win over a division rival. The Raiders are another team who failed a big test as reality finally hit, although Fernando Mendoza saw his first NFL action.

Another No. 1 overall quarterback -- Cam Ward -- is going through hard times. Just don't expect the Titans to bench him anytime soon.

🤯 Upsets shake up the CFB landscape

College football is always good for a little chaos, but Week 6 provided something extra. A number of highly ranked teams, included former No. 1 Texas went down over the weekend.

The Longhorns blew a lead to rival Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl as their obvious flaws finally caught up to them. As a result, Texas has given itself a little less wiggle room in the race for a College Football Playoff berth.

As Tom Fornelli points out in his CFP Vibe Check, have the Horns inspired enough confidence for anyone to believe they won't drop a couple more games along the way?

• Fornelli: "But outside of Week 1 against Texas State, when has Texas looked genuinely impressive? Beating Tennessee 20-17 on the road was a good, gritty win, but it wasn't overwhelming. And when you follow it up with a loss to an Oklahoma team whose offense needs GPS guidance to find the end zone, it doesn't help matters."

If it's any consolation, Texas was not alone in its sadness. They had the company of a few more top-25 squads.

• LSU couldn't shake its road woes in a frustrating loss to Kentucky.
• The honeymoon is coming to an end for Jon Sumrall after an embarrassing loss to South Carolina.
• Oregon added to its growing list of disappointments by laying an egg at home against UCLA.

If you thought Week 6 was fun, just wait until you see what's in store for Week 7. There is one banger after another on the slate (Ohio State vs. Indiana; BYU vs. Notre Dame; Alabama vs. Tennessee), and you can see the odds for the biggest games right here.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Best since Barry Sanders? Bijan Robinson is on a torrid Hall of Fame pace.
• Aaron Rodgers kept climbing the record books in the Steelers' win over the Colts.
• Bad beat: The Dolphins' last-minute TD produced a gut-wrenching result for some bettors.
• Mike Evans trolled CB Trevon Diggs with a well-executed name-check.
• Bengals DB Jordan Battle picked off Malik Willis twice after identifying a tell in the QB's mechanics.
• Five-star WR Easton Royal flipped his commitment from Texas to Florida before the schools' Week 7 meeting.
• The Rangers lost star goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the season due to a lower-body injury.
• Viral sensation GG Banks has committed to play for Dawn Staley and South Carolina.
• Manchester City crushed Liverpool in its first match since the guilty verdict.
• Jose Mourinho skipped his press conference to "avoid a possible suspension" after Real Madrid's loss.
• Uh oh: A H.S. football referee has been suspended for grabbing a player during his TD celebration.

📺 What we're watching Monday

⚽ Newcastle United at Coventry City, 3 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Game 2: Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. on Fox
🏒 Senators at Devils, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏀 Preseason: Nets at Wizards, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
⚾ Game 1: Guardians at Rays, 8 p.m. on TBS
🏈 Bills at Rams, 8:15 on ESPN