Brewers bash champion Dodgers to brink of NLCS sweep; CBS Sports Preseason All-America team revealed

Plus, A.J. Brown is one of several injured NFL stars would could return soon

Oct 15, 2026 at 8:54 am ET • 6 min read

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⚾ Five things to know Thursday

1. Brewers clobbered three homers to take a stranglehold on the NLCS. Jackson Courio blasted a home run on the first pitch of the game, and that was an omen as the Brewers crushed three long balls en route to a 6-2 victory over the Dodgers. Jake Bauers was a hero for Milwaukee as his epic at-bat in the seventh inning ended with a clutch two-run homer. Immediately after Bauers went deep, Garrett Mitchell did the same thing, which had fans wondering why Dave Roberts left Blake Snell in the game for so long.
2. Patriots WR A.J. Brown could return sooner than later. Reinforcements are on the way for Drake Maye and the Patriots offense. The team has opened the practice window for Brown, who has spent four weeks on IR with an ankle injury. That's not the only good injury news this week as Caleb Williams and Lamar Jackson could be back in action Sunday. Still, injuries are affecting every team, but especially your fantasy squad. We're here to help you out with this week's edition of Start 'Em and Sit 'Em.
3. The Astros are looking for a new manager, but the Phillies are opting for stability. On the heels of a disappointing 81-81 season and a very brief postseason appearance, the Astros are making a change at manager. The team will not renew the contract of Joe Espada, which means Houston has hopped aboard the managerial carousel. In the NL, the Phillies are sticking with Don Mattingly, who took over after a terrible start and guided the club to the playoffs.
4. Oregon ruled out Dante Moore against Nebraska, and Florida is now banged up at QB. Even though Moore continues to progress through the concussion protocol, Oregon has ruled him out for Saturday's game against Nebraska. Will Dan Lanning go back to Dylan Raiola after a disastrous start against UCLA or turn to Brock Thomas? Your guess is as good as mine. On the other side of the country, the Gators have injury concerns about Aaron Philo as they get set to visit No. 7 Texas.
5. Our experts have logged their NFL Week 6 picks. The Broncos and Seahawks will kick off Week 6 tonight, but before they tee up the football, our experts have made some game-by-game score predictions. Pete Prisco has the reigning champs picking up a close victory before laying out his picks for the rest of the slate. Meanwhile, Tyler Sullivan forecasts the Panthers pulling off a stunner in his selections.

🏀 Do not miss this: Preseason All-America Team

One of the biggest benefits of the NIL era is that college basketball has more elite talent than ever, now that players are returning for bigger paychecks instead of bolting for NBA money at the first opportunity.

That made selecting our 2026-27 CBS Sports Preseason All-America teams especially difficult, but our experts nailed it. Each of the three teams features players who will be performing at the next level very soon, but the best of those might be Florida superstar Thomas Haugh.

As our own Isaac Trotter explains, if Haugh can improve his range shooting, he won't have to wait long to hear his name called in the 2027 NBA Draft.

• Trotter: "The 6-9 forward passed on a first-round grade from NBA decision-makers to cash in on a lot money to be the face of Florida basketball. Haugh could easily average 17-and-6 again for a loaded Gators squad that is the sturdiest preseason No. 1 outfit we've seen in years. Haugh's energy is a constant. He's an awesome transition scorer who can make hay as a cutter, slasher and real-deal defender. If Haugh can go from 32% to 38% from 3-point range and improve his on-ball potency, he will solidify himself as a lottery pick in a wide-open 2027 NBA Draft."

When it comes to how the talent broke down by conference, it was a a pretty level playing field for the most part.

• Big 12: 4
• SEC: 4
• ACC: 3
• Big Ten: 3
• Big East: 1

Not to spoil anyting, but Arizona freshman Caleb Holt did not make the cut. He did, however, turn some heads in the Wildcats' exhibition game.

🏈 Loyalty is killing CFB coaches

Loyalty is an excellent quality to have in a friend or partner. It's also why we love dogs.

It should not be quite as prevalent among college football coaches, some of whom have been undone because they did what was comfortable, not what was necessarily best for the team.

Our own John Talty highlighted five high-profile coaches who have been loyal to a fault, making hires and personnel decisions that have come back to haunt them. One of those coaches is Mike Elko. After a shaky season from Marcel Reed in 2025, Texas A&M chose not to pursue an upgrade in the portal.

Instead, the Aggies gave Reed a major payday, and they'll miss the College Football Playoff because of it.

• Talty: "Through six games, Reed has the worst passer efficiency rating of any Power Four quarterback. Against the Tigers, Reed finished with an 18.1 QBR (that's bad), 187 yards and two interceptions while completing just 19 of his 39 passes. In Texas A&M's three losses, Reed has thrown only one touchdown compared to five interceptions. You expect more from a veteran player making approximately $3 million this season."

Look, it can happen to the best of us. Dan Lanning and Dabo Swinney wound up on the list, despite the success that those two have had throughout their careers.

Steve Sarkisian is another coach who has fallen into the trap of being too loyal, but he may have a huge decision on his hands in the offseason. Arch Manning has struggled enough that another year in college should be on the table. If that happens, would Sark welcome back Manning with open arms, despite his shortcomings?

Finally, one person for whom loyalty is no an issue is Missouri QB Austin Simmons. After Trinidad Chambliss won the starting job at Ole Miss last year, Simmons didn't feel the need to stick around, but there won't be bitterness when Simmons returns to Oxford this weekend.

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

• The Oilers wasted no time surging up the early-season NHL Power Rankings.
• Joey Porter Jr. is ready to start for the Cowboys after feeling under the weather in Week 5.
• Will Zalatoris will miss the entire 2027 PGA Tour season due to back surgery.
• Could Joel Embiid be on the move this season? He's one of our top 50 trade candidates.
• Speaking of trades, Sheduer Sanders may have signaled a trade from the Browns.
• Kristaps Porziņģis has broken his silence on the mystery illness that has sidelined him.
• Michigan has added two transfers to its roster ahead of a key matchup against Penn State.
• Speaking of which, Kyle Whittingham and Matt Campbell really need a win on Saturday.
• The NFL is monitoring safety concerns as protests erupt in France prior to Saints vs. Steelers.
• PSG just doled out a major reality check to Manchester City.

📺 What we're watching Thursday

⚾ ALCS Game 3: Rays at Guardians, 1 p.m. on TBS
🏈 East Carolina at UAB, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Georgia Southern at Old Dominion, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ NLCS Game 4: Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Colorado State at Texas State, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 Seahawks at Broncos, 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Preseason: Thunder at Rockets, 8:30 p.m. on NBA TV