Ariel Helwani and the Boys In The Back go live on Uncrowned and YouTube at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. UK time for Tuesday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show.” Catch the full lineup below!
1 p.m. ET: Ariel and the gang kick off the show by answering all your questions for the latest edition of On The Nose.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a game against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 12, 2025. Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
According to Elias Sports, Aaron Rodgers versus Joe Flacco on Thursday night will be only third time in NFL history that two 40+ quarterbacks will start against each other. Tom Brady and Drew Brees did it twice in 2020.
On Sunday, the Bengals lost to the Green Bay Packers, 27-18. It was Flacco’s first game with Cincinnati after being traded by Cleveland, and he was pretty solid. He completed 29 of 45 passes (64.4) for 219 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 90.9.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry sending Flacco to an AFC North division rival did not sit well with Tomlin.
“To be honest, it was shocking to me,” Tomlin said Monday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us. Because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area. But that’s just my personal feelings.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco is hit by Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt during a game on Sept. 29, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Flacco is 11-11 in the regular season against the Steelers and 1-2 in the playoffs. Flacco beat the Steelers last year with the Indianapolis Colts when replacing an injured Anthony Richardson. Tomlin said a few weeks ago that he did not want to see the wily vet Flacco in that game.
“It certainly made sense from Cincinnati’s perspective,” Tomlin said of the Browns-Bengals trade. “He can throw the football, and he’s always been able to throw the football. Arm strength, arm accuracy, anticipatory passer, fluid movement through progressions, that’s always been his game.”
In total, Flacco has passed for 206.8 yards per game this season. He’s playing his 18th season as a pro and also previously had stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts.
The Denver Broncos just played in London on Sunday, but there’s no relaxing after flying across the pond.
Just one week after playing in England, the Broncos are set to host the New York Giants on Oct. 19. That will mark the first time in NFL history that a team has played a Pacific or Mountain Time Zone game one week after playing in London.
“It will be unusual,” coach Sean Payton said of the schedule. “In the years past, when you played here, it was always a bye.”
Sunday will mark a key road mark following a hectic schedule for the Broncos. After playing on Monday Night Football on Sept. 29, the team had a short turnaround before an East Coast road game on Oct. 5, then they traveled to England for a game on Oct. 12. Now they’re back home and set to host a game on Oct. 19 after recovering from the jet lag.
“Take into account the past weeks,” cornerback Pat Surtain said. “We had a Monday night game, then had to travel to Philadelphia on a short week, going into a hostile environment like that, then travel from Philly to London, even though it’s not ideal. I think it just a credit and a testament to the staff and the team being able to lock in no matter what the circumstances are. We came to secure one thing and that’s a win. It’s very important in this league. Most wins you get. Confidence sets you up great for the future. We knew what the main thing was and that was to win.”
Denver beat the New York Jets 13-11 in London, and they’re 3-0 over the last three weeks despite the hectic travel. They’ll look to keep the positive momentum going this week as they return to a more normal schedule.
Over the last three weeks, Surtain has faced three of the NFL’s best wide receivers: Ja’Marr Chase, A.J. Brown and Garrett Wilson. PS2 won each matchup.
Surtain held Chase to one catch for eight yards, Brown to four receptions for 40 yards and Wilson to one catch for four yards. He lines up on the opposing team’s WR1 each week and continues to limit big plays.
“I take on that challenge,” Surtain said. “Just going up against the best each and every week. I don’t take it lightly. Each and every week, through preparation, I always focus on the technical side of things. Trying new stuff, trying to affect their game and just go out there and do what I do at the end of the day. My coaches and my teammates believe in me to do that.”
“It’s hard to get a rhythm, obviously, with the pressure we generate and the coverage we have,” Surtain said. “But, I saw instances he was a little hurt a little bit, and throughout the game, seemed like he was grabbing his ribs or something. But yeah, I just think that collectively as a unit, we try to create pressure and create frustration amongst their best players.”
Surtain won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024 and he would likely be a favorite again in 2025 if not for the impressive play of teammate Nik Bonitto, who is on pace to break the NFL’s single-season sack record this fall. Surtain locking down top receivers and forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball helps the team’s pass rushers, and their quick pressure helps shorten PS2’s time in coverage. The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by elite play from Surtain and Bonitto.
The Denver Broncos traveled across the pond last week and left London with a (sloppy) 13-11 win over the New York Jets. It might not be long before the Broncos play another international game.
The Broncos were the designated “road” team in England (even though it felt like a home game), and they will be required to “host” an international game sometime between 2026 and 2029 (the NFL announced in 2022 that every team would be required to lose a home game at least once every eight years for an international game).
The list of countries that could host NFL games in 2026 includes England, Germany, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Mexico and Ireland. After Denver’s win in the U.K. on Sunday, coach Sean Payton was asked if he’s open to playing more international games, perhaps with a visit to Spain in 2026.
“Yeah,” Payton said. “When I first started this — there are certain things you do differently when you get older through experience, and one of the things I’ve found is bringing a team on the road for a period of time is beneficial. In New Orleans, we were relocated three or four times because of hurricanes, literally. Three different times we spent a week somewhere else. I always thought our team was better for it.
“To answer your question, yes, we were hoping to get this game. And when you get it, the way our season sets up now, when you’re nine home, seven away, when you get this as an away game, you know, it’s a plus because it’s kind of a neutral field. So I like traveling the team. I think they’re around each other, and I think it’s a positive.”
The Broncos’ designated international market is Mexico, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team “host” a game in Mexico down the road. Wherever the next international game is played, Payton hopes it’s not another 13-11 nail-biter.
“I’m proud of the way these guys fought here in the last really two and a half, three weeks, and I think our experience coming over here was fabulous,” Payton said of the team’s recent travel. “So hopefully it won’t be the last and hopefully won’t be the same nail-biting type game we just had. But it was a good win.”
Cape Verde have become the second-smallest nation to reach the World Cup after the islanders beat Eswatini 3-0 at home.
Victory meant the Blue Sharks secured top spot in their qualifying group and a place at the 2026 finals ahead of continental heavyweights Cameroon.
Dailon Livramento opened the scoring for the hosts in Praia, turning home a loose ball inside the six-yard box early in the second half, and Willy Semedo volleyed in a second soon afterwards.
Veteran defender Stopira added the third in stoppage time before the full-time whistle sparked joyous scenes of celebration at the 15,000-capacity National Stadium.
An archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of just under 525,000 according to the latest figures from the World Bank, Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted to reach the 2002 World Cup hosted in Japan and South Korea.
The team have punched above their weight in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in recent years, reaching the quarter-finals on debut in 2013 and again in 2023, and currently sit 70th in the world rankings.
Iceland, who featured at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is the only country with a smaller population to qualify for the global showpiece.
Last month’s 1-0 home win over Cameroon in the capital city put the islanders in pole position in Group D, knowing one victory from their remaining two games would book their place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
But the Cape Verdeans made sure of their second opportunity in Praia against winless Eswatini, becoming the sixth African side to book a ticket to next year’s finals.
Cape Verde President Jose Maria Neves was in attendance as the home crowd endured a nervy first period in which Livramento sent an effort wide and Jamiro Monteiro was denied by Eswatini goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala.
But the tension lifted as soon as Livramento broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half, prompting passionate celebrations with the crowd which were repeated when Semedo converted Diney’s knockdown.
Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade scored his first goal for Germany as they edged Northern Ireland 1-0 to take a big step towards automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Julian Nagelsmann handed the Magpies star his six international cap yesterday in Belfast and the 23-year-old repaid the faith of his manager by producing an excellent display.
Woltmade grabbed his first goal for Germany, having previously had a goal disallowed in last week’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg.
The talented striker broke the deadlock after the half-hour mark by heading home a well-taken corner from David Raum.
This came after Northern Ireland defender Dan Ballard had a 14th-minute goal ruled out for offside.
The hosts created the better of the chances in the second-half, but they failed to find the equaliser due to Oliver Baumann’s brilliance in goal.
The latest victory leaves Germany on the brink of World Cup qualification, with Die Mannschaft top of Group A with nine points.
Woltemade’s dazzling run of form
Woltemade has enjoyed a great start to life at Newcastle since completing a club-record £69 million move from Stuttgart in the summer.
The 23-year-old has netted four goals in seven appearances for the Magpies, scoring in his previous three outings against Arsenal, Union Saint-Gilloise and Nottingham Forest.
The towering centre-forward failed to get on the scoresheet in Germany’s match over Luxembourg, but he opened his scoring account against Northern Ireland.
Newcastle fans will hope that Woltemade continues his brilliant form this weekend when the club meet Brighton & Hove Albion away at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League.
Spain plays today against Bulgaria to virtually secure their qualification for the next World Cup, and the front pages of Tuesday, October 14, dedicate the most attention to this match.
And in Sport, the spotlight is on one of the best players in the history of football. Alexia Putellas talks about her contract renewal and the opportunity she had to move to PSG.
A win over Belgium could have seen Wales enter next month’s final fixtures top of Group J.
Instead – after a second defeat of the campaign – Wales sit third on 10 points, four points behind Belgium with two games to play.
North Macedonia also had hopes of an unlikely bid for top spot having held Belgium in Ghent on Friday.
But they were frustrated at home in a 1-1 draw with Kazakhstan on Monday to leave them second on 13 points having played a game more. Their final game is in Cardiff against Wales on 18 November.
It means Belgium – who take on fourth-placed Kazakhstan in Astana on 15 November and then group minnows Liechtenstein at home in Liege on 18 November – need just one win to guarantee finishing top. Even if they slipped up in Kazakhstan, it is almost inconceivable they would not beat a Liechtenstein side who have lost their last 20 qualifying fixtures.
And in the unlikely event that Belgium somehow drew both fixtures, Wales would still have to win both of their games and do so with a goal difference swing of 12.
With Game 1 of the NLCS on the line Monday night and the baes loaded, Brice Turang saw a baseball hurled in his direction at 85 mph and made the reasonable, reactive decision.
He got out of the way.
One pitch later, he swung at a high fastball for a game-inning strikeout that secured a 2-1 win and 1-0 series lead for the Los Angeles Dodgers over his Milwaukee Brewers.
A hit-by-pitch would have plated a game-tying run and extended the inning. Instead, Turang’s strikeout ended the game. For this, there were online critics. And postgame questions at his locker about his ninth-inning at-bat.
Turang responded in a manner not unlike his decision to get out of the way of a fast-moving baseball — with reason.
“It sucks,” Turang told reporters. “It is what it is. Natural reaction to kind of get out of the way, and there’s nothing I can do, I can’t go back.”
Turang then talked about the high fastball that he chased for strike 3.
“And then I was looking up at the top of the zone for the sinker, sweeper that he’s throwing,” Turang continued. “And he threw me a four-seam. And it took off. It is what it is.”
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Again, these are reasonable responses to reasonable actions.
Human beings aren’t wired to stand and willingly be hit by fast-moving objects when there’s an option to get out of the way. Expecting Turang to subdue his natural instincts to avoid harm is not reasonable. Neither is it to suggest that Turang should be ready and willing to act as a human target in a baseball game.
His third-strike swing, while suboptimal, was also reasonable. Sometimes hitters get the best of pitchers. Sometimes, it’s the other way around and they get fooled by one pitch while sitting on another. That’s baseball. And that’s what happened to Turang Monday night.
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Game 1 was a thriller featuring a brilliant start from Dodgers ace Blake Snell and a sensational defensive play by the Brewers unlike any baseball has seen before. It was not decided by Turang’s last at-bat. And he’s surely not to blame because he got out of the way of a fast-moving projectile.
