They’re starting to debunk that theory.

While their first two victories of the season required some grit and toughness, the Celtics and their stacked talent have begun to exert their will on opponents, showing how scary good they can be. For a second consecutive game, they took care of an inferior team with extreme ease. Sparked by another hot start, the Celtics dominated the Pacers – who were without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton – with a 155-104 victory at TD Garden that was never in doubt from the opening tip.

The 155 points mark the second-most the Celtics have scored ever in a regular-season game, only behind the 173 they scored in a win over the Minneapolis Lakers on Feb. 27, 1959

Jayson Tatum scored 30 points with 12 rebounds, Derrick White had 18 points and Sam Hauser scored 17 points on five 3-pointers off the bench in the rout. Like Monday in Washington, D.C., the Celtics rested their starters for the entire fourth quarter. Each of the players in that group played 27 minutes or fewer, which could have long-term benefits for the Celtics with how much they will rely on that group throughout the season.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has been emphasizing a renewed mindset of toughness and focus for his players, and it’s already paying off. They needed it in crunch time of their close opening victories over the Knicks and Heat. And once vulnerable to horrible losses to inferior teams, the Celtics have not overlooked their opponents this week.

On Wednesday, they took it to a different level.

The Celtics, too often last season, were guilty of letting go of the rope against inferior teams to them. Even when they built big leads, they lost focus and lost them. So far this season, they’ve made sure that’s not a problem.

The Celtics led by 21 at halftime after another blistering hot offensive first half and kept their foot on the gas pedal. They opened the second half on a 12-1 run to open their lead to 32. There was never a threat of a comeback as they led by as many as 53 late in the fourth quarter.

Like they did against the Wizards on Monday, the Celtics lit up the Pacers in the first quarter with another torrid shooting display. They trailed 6-4 in the opening minutes before reeling off a 14-0 run behind stops and 3-pointers from White, Jrue Holiday and Tatum. That forced a Pacers timeout but the Celtics continued to find mismatches and extra spacing inside as Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown flew in for easy dunks.

The Celtics carried that momentum. They were almost unstoppable offensively. The Pacers entered the night allowing the fewest 3-pointers per game, but they hadn’t played an offense as potent as the Celtics, who hit eight treys in the first quarter. They shot 76.2 percent in the first quarter as they opened a 17-point lead over the helpless Pacers.

Tatum had no problem picking apart the Pacers’ defense, whether it was in the post, from the 3-point line or through driving lanes. He hunted mismatches on Pacers guard T.J. McConnell to score with ease on several possessions. He scored 12 points in the second quarter, including a step-back 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 23-point lead late in the first half.

The Celtics scored 75 points in the first half Wednesday, two shy of their first half total on Monday in Washington. It’s believed to be the first time in franchise history that the Celtics put up at least 75 first-half points in back-to-back games.

“I’m still trying to figure out where I’m going to lay my head at tonight,” Sweat said.

So the new Bears defensive end will have to be excused for still figuring out what it’s going to take for the Bears to sign him to a contract extension.

It’s one of the most relevant questions for the Bears after general manager Ryan Poles traded a 2024 second-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders on Tuesday to acquire Sweat, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. In order to make that investment in draft capital worth it, the Bears obviously want Sweat for more than nine games.

Poles said the Bears are working to make a deal with Sweat. He didn’t have a timeline for when it might be completed but said he was hopeful “it won’t take too long.” The Bears also will have the franchise and transition tags available this offseason if a contract doesn’t come to fruition.

“I feel really confident that we can get a deal done,” Poles said.

Sweat, a former Commanders first-round pick who has 35 1/2 career sacks in 67 games since 2019, said financial security and the people and teammates around him would be important factors in where he signs his next contract.

He said he was sure his agents were talking to the Bears about working something out. But for Wednesday, Sweat still was trying to get his bearings in Lake Forest.

“Everything is happening kind of fast right now,” he said. “I’m just waiting for it to slow down and hit the ground running when we get there.”

Poles called the 6-foot-6, 262-pound Sweat “a long, fast, explosive, relentless defensive end that can help us both in the run and in the pass game.” He said Sweat is “a multiplier,” the type of player who makes everybody else on the defense better.

“Hopefully he comes in and continues to be that dog that he’s shown over the years,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said of Sweat. “Get some tipped passes that maybe fall my way or get the QB to throw the ball off target a little bit, allow it to fall in my hands.”

Sweat joins a Bears pass rush in desperate need of a boost after totaling an NFL-low 10 sacks through eight games.

After examining the upcoming options in free agency and the draft, the Bears saw the acquisition as getting ahead of a competitive market.

“If you look at the free agent stack now, it’s going to look very different by the time you get to that point of the year because there are so many different opportunities that can pop up in terms of extensions, tags, different things like that,” Poles said. “So we decided with that type of player we wanted to capitalize on that now.”

It was the second time in two years Poles traded a second-round draft pick for a player at the midseason deadline.

Last year’s trade, when Poles sent what would become the No. 32 overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool, obviously was a bust. The Bears traded Claypool to the Miami Dolphins after less than a year with the team.

Poles said he learned from the Claypool situation. But he also didn’t let it affect his thinking with Sweat, who is more established than Claypool was and already has 6 1/2 sacks, 11 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and 10 tackles for a loss in eight games this year.

“If (the moves) fail or you make mistakes, you look back at why and address those,” Poles said. “The key is that sometimes you become a little bit shy to make aggressive moves as you go forward. That’s not how we’re wired. I took a lot of those things from that situation and kind of went through that process and said, ‘OK, here’s where we may have messed up this.’ Then for this one, it’s not making the same mistake.”

In the days before the deadline, Sweat had seen the rumors swirling about potentially being traded. His agent told him the Atlanta Falcons were among the teams interested in acquiring him, and as someone who’s from Georgia, it was “a place of interest.”

“Obviously they wanted me,” Sweat said. “Here they wanted me more, so this is where I am.”

Sweat was heading to a Commanders walk-through Tuesday when he received the call from his agent. He said there were “a lot of emotions” as he prepared to leave his only NFL home, in part because of the relationships he built.

“I mean you’ve got to pick up shop and find a new home,” Sweat said. “So there’s a lot of emotions that come with that, but I’m ready for the challenge. I’m ready to meet my new teammates and hit the ground rolling.”

In the short term, Sweat said he believes he will play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, a possibility coach Matt Eberflus left up in the air.

As for the long term, Sweat didn’t delve into how much leverage he has over the Bears in contract talks given the draft capital they gave up to acquire him.

“I don’t really know too much about leverage and all that type of stuff,” he said. “I just want to consider everything around me before I make a decision.”

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Meanwhile, five starters — left tackle Ronnie Stanley, right tackle Morgan Moses, running back Gus Edwards, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh — did not participate in the portion of practice open to reporters. Reserve cornerback Rock Ya-Sin was also absent.

The Ravens’ first injury report of the week will come out later than usual, because the Seattle Seahawks did not begin practice until late afternoon, but coach John Harbaugh indicated none of the missing players are dealing with serious issues.

“Nothing really to report that’s concerning that way,” he said after practice. “As it goes along in the week, you’ll kind of see it unfold that way.”

Harbaugh said Monday his team came out of its win over the Arizona Cardinals without any major injuries. Beckham suffered a chest contusion but returned to finish the game. Oweh, who has been dealing with an ankle injury most of the season, also went to the blue medical tent to be treated but returned to action. Moses ceded some snaps to Patrick Mekari, but Harbaugh said that was more about managing the veteran lineman’s workload.

In addition to Williams, defensive back Daryl Worley (shoulder) returned to practice, starting his 21-day window to return from injured reserve.

Williams said he’s not frustrated by the hamstring and pectoral injuries that have kept him out much of this season. “I feel good,” he said, though he added “we’ll see what happens” when asked if he expects to play against the Seahawks.

This story will be updated.

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Eberflus described the culture he has been trying to establish for almost two years in Lake Forest as “awesome,” asserted that the last-place Bears are “turning a corner” and, on multiple occasions, pointed to the team’s .500 record over the last month as evidence they have legitimate reasons to feel encouraged and optimistic.

But that messaging might not resonate with most of an outside audience that has watched the Bears continually stumble on the field — they are 5-20 under Eberflus — while experiencing repeated tumult behind the scenes, the most recent being Wednesday’s sudden firing of running backs coach David Walker for what is believed to be concerning misconduct.

“As the head coach,” Eberflus said, “we are building a program and have standards to uphold as a staff and organization both on and off the field. And those standards were not met.”

Eberflus said the decision to fire Walker was made after he consulted with and gained the support of general manager Ryan Poles and team President Kevin Warren.

“It’s disappointing from my vantage point,” Eberflus said. “But we have a standard to uphold. When that standard is not met, we act accordingly. And that’s what we did today.”

Added Poles: “We have expectations here. Those come from me, Kevin, George (McCaskey) and Matt. If you don’t meet those expectations with how you move around this building, how you treat people, how you talk to people and how you act, you don’t belong here.”

Walker is the second member of Eberflus’ staff to exit Halas Hall in the last six weeks following the abrupt late-September resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams, whose departure from the organization, according to multiple sources, was conduct-related.

With so much failure on the field and so much instability in the coaching ranks, does Eberflus believe there is a culture problem with his team? “Absolutely not,” he said. “The culture in our building is outstanding. The guys work hard every single day. The relationship piece is there. We care about each other. We’re working diligently to get this thing turned (around).

“We’re 2-2 in our last four (games). One game (against the Vikings) was real close. We had a chance at that one. We really feel we’re turning the corner and we are excited about this week. But to answer the question, our culture is awesome.”

The Bears remain in last place in the NFC North and are coming off a 30-13 blowout loss on “Sunday Night Football” to the Los Angeles Chargers. That was the team’s third loss this season by at least 15 points and the ninth during Eberflus’ tenure.

The Bears hired Walker to coach their running backs in early February 2022, less than two weeks after Eberflus came aboard as head coach. Walker had been out of coaching for the previous three seasons with his most recent NFL stop coming with the Detroit Lions from 2016-18.

Now 53, Walker was in his ninth season as an NFL assistant with his first such gig coming with the Indianapolis Colts from 2011-14.

After leading the NFL in rushing a year ago — propelled largely by an explosive 1,143-yard season from quarterback Justin Fields — the Bears rank sixth this season, averaging 132.8 rushing yards per game.

Still, Eberflus dodged direct questions Wednesday about whether Walker’s removal was for behavioral reasons and not connected to his football coaching ability.

Eberflus was later asked about his vetting process for hiring coaches.

“The evaluation process is what it is,” Eberflus said. “You make your phone calls. You do your due diligence. You bring them in for an interview. You have phone conversations. You ask people who are associated and so forth and so on. So that’s that.”

With Walker gone, Omar Young will oversee the running backs. Young, who is in his second season with the Bears, was an offensive quality control coach in 2022 and transitioned into being an assistant quarterbacks and receivers coach this year.

This has been another rocky ride for the Bears with a couple of October victories hardly enough to offset the team’s dispiriting 0-4 start.

The Bears were trounced 38-20 by the rival Green Bay Packers to open the season at Soldier Field. Two weeks later, they trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 41-0 midway through the third quarter in an eventual 31-point loss. And in Week 4, they blew a 28-3 lead at home in a 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos.

The Bears’ two wins, meanwhile, were against the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders, a pair of teams experiencing their own turbulence.

The Commanders held a fire sale before the league’s trade deadline Tuesday, dealing away defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. And the Raiders, coming off consecutive losses to the Bears and Detroit Lions, fired general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels late Tuesday.

Still, Eberflus was clinging to positives Wednesday, expressing confidence in the improvement of his defense, the reliability of the running game on offense and the Bears’ ability to secure a Week 7 win over the Raiders with starting quarterback Justin Fields injured and rookie Tyson Bagent starting in his place.

“The guys are positive, upbeat and looking forward to New Orleans,” Eberflus said.

Poles, meanwhile, continued to express his unwavering belief in Eberflus as a leader.

“What I see every day when I see him address the team and when I see his approach to adversity, it is stable,” Poles said. “I know to the outside world, it doesn’t look like that. And I know it looks like we’re far away. But this dude comes in every day and just keeps chipping away. … The way he holds everything down here is incredible for how loud it is, how tough it is.

“This team, you watch them and they fight. I know this past weekend wasn’t great. But you can’t watch that team and be like, ‘Oh, they’re going to fold.’ ”

Still, with Walker’s firing affecting the building and overshadowing the trade for Sweat, Eberflus acknowledged the sullen mood.

“We’re all disappointed,” he said. “It’s never good when this has to happen. Certainly a disappointment. But I do know this, adversity does make you stronger in your personal life, in your team life. It’s just how you come through it. It’s how you respond to it.”

More Bears news

• Column: Bears GM Ryan Poles assumed risk in Montez Sweat trade, but free agency and the draft make it a worthy gamble
• Cornerback Jaylon Johnson stays with the Bears despite a late request before the NFL trade deadline
• Bears can’t make it 2 wins in a row — again: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 8 loss to the Chargers
• Column: When will the NFL and TV networks learn to stop putting the Bears in prime time?
• Vikings trade for QB Joshua Dobbs, adding another option after Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles injury
• True or false: The Tyson Bagent fairy tale has reached the end for the Bears after a shaky Week 8 performance
• How QB Tyson Bagent rose from zero-star recruit to Division II record-breaker to Bears rookie starter

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The Pacers knew it was time, too.

Before he signed with the Celtics on a two-year deal early in free agency, Brissett had a conversation with Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan about the future. They both agreed Indiana was not the right place for the 25-year-old forward.

“It was more of like a mutual respect, talking to Chad,” Brissett said Wednesday before facing his former team for the first time. “He understood where I’m at right now in my career and what I need to kind of move forward. We talked on the phone a couple times and he felt like, and myself felt like it was time for a change and I felt like I needed to be here with a team that’s really going in that championship direction. Not to say they aren’t, obviously they’re looking for that, but right now they’re building up and they drafted a couple young guys, so that’s what they’re working to do.

“So, it was nothing but love with the Pacers, and like I said, I’ll always respect them and I’ll always thank them for me being here.”

While the Celtics boast a top-heavy roster, Brissett is expected to be a significant contributor off the bench. He already flashed his impact in last Friday’s home opener, when Jayson Tatum credited him with changing the game with his offensive rebounding in the first quarter.

It’s something the Pacers saw with regularity.

“He’s in the top two or three percentile in the league as an offensive rebounder,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s a great runner. His shooting got better and better and athletically, he’s terrific. He’s tough, he takes charges, and he’s one of the greatest teammates you’re ever gonna have. Being one of eight or nine in this rotation tells you something about what kind of player he is, because cracking this rotation ain’t easy.”

Nesmith motivated by tweet

When Aaron Nesmith, the Celtics’ No. 14 pick in the 2020 draft, was traded to the Pacers last summer in the Malcolm Brogdon deal, a tweet from Bleacher Report struck a chord. The tweet included the caption, “What the Celtics gave up for Brogdon,” accompanied by a photo of a paper clip and string, insinuating they gave up nothing.

Nesmith saved the tweet. And after he went off for 26 points in a win over the Cavaliers last weekend, he posted the tweet to his Instagram story and added his own commentary: “(Expletive) aged well ain’t it.”

“I’m someone who I do take things personally and that helps make me better,” Nesmith said. “It’s what drives me to go to the gym at night, so the tweet was always on my mind for sure.”

Nesmith said he continues to look at that tweet occasionally for motivation. It seems to be working. Once struggling to find playing time on a loaded Celtics team, Nesmith has found a perfect fit in Indiana, where he inked a three-year, $33 million extension before this season began.

“It’s a blessing, the opportunity I have here, the guys here, the staff here, the front office,” Nesmith said. “I wanted to be here for a long time, so I’m happy we were able to make that happen.”

Carlisle raved about Nesmith, who overcame a difficult situation in Boston and has grown in several areas in the last year in Indiana.

“There just wasn’t a lot of time for him to play and so that was challenging,” Carlisle said. “So when he would get in for short stints, it’s tough. I was one of those players that frequently was in that situation. It’s one of the most challenging things. But he’s clearly a guy who has taken advantage of an amazing opportunity with us. He really fits our organization, what we stand for, what we’re building, who we are going to be. Couldn’t be happier to have him on board.”

Walsh heads to Maine

Jordan Walsh, the Celtics’ No. 38 pick in June’s draft, was assigned to the Maine Celtics. It’s not a surprising move, given he’s unlikely to play much in Boston this season. Maine’s G-League schedule begins next week.

“Jordan’s got a chance at the 3-and-D slot of what the NBA is,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla. “And he plays really, really hard. I thought he had a really good training camp with just the developmental team and the things that he’s learning. And you just need reps. Like, it’s exactly what we talked about with these other guys.

“You’ve gotta have reps and you have to develop a defensive identity first and then you have to know ways to affect offense. And then once you do those two things you can kind of grow into other roles. But the most important thing is he competes defensively and he figures out how to create 2-on-1s on offense with or without the ball.” …

Neemias Queta was out for a second consecutive game for the Celtics as he continues to nurse a lingering foot injury. Mazzulla said they’re just being cautious and they’ll see how it responds over the next week. … Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was out of Wednesday’s game due to an ankle sprain.

Within hours of the Harden deal being reported late Monday, LaVine’s name popped up in “early chatter” as a trade target for the 76ers, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.

LaVine would give the 76ers a scoring and playmaking threat to help replace Harden in the backcourt. And the 76ers have stocked up on future draft picks that could make for a tempting offer if the Bulls front office decides to rebuild.

But after a shootaround in Dallas ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Mavericks, LaVine said he has received no communication from the Bulls front office about a potential trade and feels confident in his role in Chicago.

“I’ve been traded before,” LaVine told the Tribune. “Trades are just part of the business and guys get shuffled around every year. I’ve been in trade talks since I’ve been here for some reason.

“I feel like I’ve held up my end of the bargain in my commitment to the Bulls, but there’s not a lot you can do with rumors and people putting your name in trade talks.”

LaVine noted that every trade is different. Some players have the opportunity to collaborate with the front office and their agent on a trade; for instance, Harden’s move to Los Angeles was coordinated through a long, drawn-out ordeal between the 76ers front office and the three-time scoring champion’s camp.

But that hasn’t been the case for LaVine. His trade to the Bulls in 2017 came as a shock.

LaVine was fresh off his third season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite being in recovery from ACL surgery, he felt good about his performance after averaging a then-career-high 18.9 points. He received no indication from the Timberwolves front office that a trade was possible heading into draft night — until his then-agent, Billy Duff, called him minutes before the No. 16 pick went in.

LaVine learned he had been traded to the Bulls with Kris Dunn and Lauri Markkanen — whom the Timberwolves had selected at No. 7 — in exchange for Jimmy Butler and No. 16 pick Justin Patton. He didn’t have the chance to talk with his teammates or Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor until after the trade went through.

“I was completely blindsided,” LaVine said. “You have to learn the business really fast early on in the NBA.”

LaVine said he tries not to think often about the possibility of being traded by the Bulls. He also feels assured they would provide upfront communication before making a major move.

“I feel like I’m in a good situation now where, if anything were to happen, they would let me know,” he said. “I have good communication with them and my agent.

“But there’s been stars traded before, high-level guys, who didn’t know about it as well. You’ve just got to hope you have a good relationship — or at least you have a heads up for the family.”

LaVine feels he has proved his commitment to the Bulls, but he also has been realistic throughout the start of the season. This is the third year of a roster built around the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević and LaVine — and the seventh season featuring LaVine as the face of the team. During that span, the Bulls have made the playoffs only once.

It’s clear to LaVine that if things don’t change this season, the Bulls front office will be forced to make roster moves. But in the short term, he’s focused on getting the offense off the ground — and not on trade buzz.

“You take it with a grain of salt,” he said. “It doesn’t affect me because at this point I’m in my 10th year. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. It’s unbothering to me.”

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“My experience with Bauer is not anything remotely close to what everyone else’s experience is. I love him, I think he’s an awesome guy. The personal things? I have no control,” the former Red Sox star told the LA Times while at the World Series filming content for the league. “He’s an awesome pitcher. He’s a great guy.”

Betts and Bauer were teammates on the Dodgers in 2021, after Bauer signed a three-year, $102 million contract. That June, a San Diego woman sought an order of protection against Bauer, and alleged that he’d committed sexual battery against her on two occasions. MLB placed him on administrative leave – and extended said leave nine times – as they investigated.

In April 2022, the league handed down an unprecedented 324-game suspension, more than twice the length of the previous record, under their Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy. After an independent arbiter reduced Bauer’s suspension to 194 games last December, the Dodgers released him. When no MLB team signed him, he spent the season pitching in Japan.

Bauer recently settled the sexual assault case in question, but he’s also been accused of similar behavior by three women in different states. Not long after the first woman came forward, news broke that an Ohio woman had obtained an order of protection against the pitcher in June 2020, for a similar incident in 2017. The Washington Post published disturbing messages Bauer allegedly sent the woman. “I don’t feel like spending time in jail for killing someone,” read one. “And that’s what would happen if I saw you again.”

The Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds, whom Bauer pitched for during those years, denied having any knowledge of the situation.

In June of this year, an Arizona woman filed a lawsuit against the pitcher, alleging that, in 2020, he’d raped her while holding a knife to her throat, choked her until she passed out, and that she became pregnant. She‘d previously filed a complaint against him in December regarding the incident, but no charges were filed. He countersued in April and claimed the encounter was consensual. While he alleged that the woman tried to extort him and that she terminated the pregnancy, he admitted to paying her $8,761 for “expenses.” Her complaint states that she miscarried.

Long before any of this began, Bauer already had a reputation for online harassment of women in sports. In the late 2010s, he made it a point to send his hundreds of thousands of followers after female reporters and fans, sometimes in retaliation for criticism, other times unprovoked. In 2019, the then-27-year-old pitcher spent over 24 hours harassing a college student because she tweeted that he was her “least favorite person in all sports.” He tweeted at and about her 80 different times, continuing to target her long after she stopped responding and blocked him.

Betts’ show of support for Bauer is a sharp pivot from several previous reports which described a disgusted Dodgers clubhouse that wanted nothing to do with their disgraced teammate. It was also met with scorn by many baseball fans on social media, who pointed out that, of course, Betts’ experience with Bauer wouldn’t have been “anything remotely close to” those of the women accusing him of assault.

Meet the press

The Red Sox are waiting until Thursday, an off-day in the ongoing World Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers, to officially introduce Craig Breslow as their new chief baseball officer.

Monday was the 10th anniversary of the Red Sox winning it all in 2013, a championship to which Breslow was instrumental. Serendipitously, his reintroduction falls on Nov. 2, the 10th anniversary of the World Series parade.

Around the league

ALCS MVP Adolis García and Max Scherzer, who left Monday night’s start with back tightness, will miss the remainder of the World Series due to a strain and back tightness, respectively, the Texas Rangers announced on Tuesday evening.

In his first-ever postseason, García’s bat has impressed some of baseball’s greatest hitters, including David Ortiz. Over 15 games, the 30-year-old Cuban outfielder hit .323 with a 1.108 OPS, eight home runs (tied for second-most in a single postseason in MLB history) and 15 RBI. Losing him is a crushing blow to the Rangers, who are vying for their first championship.

Aaron Judge still hasn’t played in a World Series, but he can add the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award to his already-crowded trophy cabinet. After winning the American League MVP award and breaking fellow Yankee Roger Maris’ AL Home Run record in 2022, Judge was singled out as the Major Leaguer “who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field” this year.

The Yankees’ newest captain received baseball’s “highest honor” (commissioner Rob Manfred’s words) for his All Rise Foundation, which supports youth in New York and the San Joaquin and Fresno, California counties where he grew up.

After letting the Giants hire Bob Melvin, the Padres are in search of a new manager for the seventh time in nine years. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, Benji Gil, Phil Nevin, and Eric Chavez are among the external candidates, but former Cardinals manager Mike Shildt and Ryan Flaherty are still the favorites.

SEEDS: 1. Concord-Carlisle (15-0-1); 2. Needham (14-2-2); 3. Acton-Boxborough (12-1-3); 4. St. John’s Prep (14-1-2); 5. Weymouth (12-3-4); 6. Brookline (11-6-1); 7. Newton North (8-5-5); 8. Newton South (8-4-5); 9. Lowell (16-3-1); 10. Franklin (13-0-5); 11. Winchester (13-1-2); 12. Brockton (11-3-2); 13. Framingham (9-7-2); 14. Natick (6-7-3); 15. Boston College High (10-5-3); 16. Leominster (11-4-3); 17. Lincoln-Sudbury (6-5-5); 18. Braintree (9-5-4); 19. Cambridge Rindge & Latin (8-7-1); 20. Ludlow (15-1-2); 21. Somerville (15-2-1); 22. North Andover (11-3-4); 23. Attleboro (13-1-4); 24. Shrewsbury (9-7-2); 25. Beverly (11-5-2); 26. Saint John’s (9-7-2); 27. Algonquin (9-7-2); 28. Barnstable (10-3-5); 29. Westford Academy (7-9-0); 30. Belmont (10-5-4); 31. Lexington (8-4-7); 32. Peabody Veterans (8-3-5); 33. Durfee (9-3-4); 34. Plymouth North (12-2-4); 35. Medford (11-6-1); 36. Boston Latin (7-7-4); 37. King Philip Regional (8-5-5); 38. New Bedford (6-5-7); 39. Bishop Feehan (10-7-1); 40. Marshfield (8-7-3); 41. Methuen (8-6-4); 42. Springfield Central (10-5-1); 43. Diman RVT (9-7-3)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Durfee at Peabody

GAME 2 – Methuen at Shrewsbury

GAME 3 – Marshfield at Beverly

GAME 4 – Boston Latin at Westford Academy

GAME 5 – King Philip at Barnstable

GAME 6 – Plymouth North at Lexington

GAME 7 – Springfield Central at Attleboro

GAME 8 – Bishop Feehan at St. John’s (S)

GAME 9 – Medford at Belmont

GAME 10 – Diman at North Andover

GAME 11 – New Bedford at Algonquin

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 12 – Game 1 winner at Concord-Carlisle

GAME 13 – Lincoln-Sudbury at Leominster

GAME 14 – Game 2 winner at Lowell

GAME 15 – Game 3 winner at Newton South

GAME 16 – Game 4 winner at St. John’s Prep

GAME 17 – Ludlow at Framingham

GAME 18 – Somerville at Brockton

GAME 19 – Game 5 winner at Weymouth

GAME 20 – Game 6 winner at Needham

GAME 21 – Braintree at BC High

GAME 22 – Game 7 winner at Franklin

GAME 23 – Game 8 winner at Newton North

GAME 24 – Game 9 winner at Acton-Boxboro

GAME 25 – Cambridge at Natick

GAME 26 – Game 10 winner at Winchester

GAME 27 – Game 11 winner at Brookline

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 28 – Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

GAME 29 – Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 winner

GAME 30 – Game 16 winner vs. Game 17 winner

GAME 31 – Game 18 winner vs. Game 19 winner

GAME 32 – Game 20 winner vs. Game 21 winner

GAME 33 – Game 22 winner vs. Game 23 winner

GAME 34 – Game 24 winner vs. Game 25 winner

GAME 35 – Game 26 winner vs. Game 27 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 36 – Game 28 winner vs. Game 29 winner

GAME 37 – Game 30 winner vs. Game 31 winner

GAME 38 – Game 32 winner vs. Game 33 winner

GAME 39 – Game 34 winner vs. Game 35 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 40 – Game 36 winner vs. Game 37 winner

GAME 41 – Game 38 winner vs. Game 39 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 42 – Game 40 winner vs. Game 41 winner

DIVISION 2

SEEDS: 1. Bedford (9-2-5); 2. Billerica Memorial (16-1-1); 3. Hingham (17-1-0); 4. Nashoba Regional (17-1-0); 5. Wakefield Memorial (13-3-2); 6. Oliver Ames (14-3-1); 7. Melrose (13-3-2); 8. Hopkinton (12-2-4); 9. Grafton (15-2-1); 10. Westwood (9-4-3); 11. Masconomet Regional (12-2-4); 12. Somerset Berkley Reg. (14-1-3); 13. Marlborough (10-7-1); 14. West Springfield (11-3-4); 15. Dartmouth (8-6-2); 16. Wayland (6-9-2); 17. Reading Memorial (5-6-5); 18. Westborough (6-8-3); 19. Revere (9-3-3); 20. Walpole (5-10-3); 21. East Longmeadow (7-6-5); 22. Milton (3-11-4); 23. Mansfield (6-7-5); 24. North Attleborough (7-8-3); 25. Duxbury (7-5-5); 26. Minnechaug (7-9-2); 27. Marblehead (5-9-4); 28. Milford (4-10-4); 29. Agawam (7-7-4); 30. Woburn Memorial (3-10-3); 31. Longmeadow (3-6-9); 32. Doherty Memorial (9-6-3); 33. Northampton (10-7-1); 34. South High Community (9-4-3); 35. North High (10-6-2); 36. Scituate (7-7-4); 37. Plymouth South (8-8-2); 38. Chicopee Comp. (12-6-0); 39. Southeastern RVT (11-3-2)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Northampton at Doherty

GAME 2 – Scituate at Agawam

GAME 3 – Plymouth South at Milford

GAME 4 – South at Longmeadow

GAME 5 – Southeastern at Minnechaug

GAME 6 – North at Woburn

GAME 7 – Chicopee Comp. at Marblehead

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 8 – Game 1 winner at Bedford

GAME 9 – Reading at Wayland

GAME 10 – North Attleboro at Grafton

GAME 11 – Duxbury at Hopkinton

GAME 12 – Game 2 winner at Nashoba

GAME 13 – Walpole at Marlboro

GAME 14 – East Longmeadow at Somerset Berkley

GAME 15 – Game 3 winner at Wakefield

GAME 16 – Game 4 winner at Billerica

GAME 17 – Westborough at Dartmouth

GAME 18 – Mansfield at Westwood

GAME 19 – Game 5 winner at Melrose

GAME 20 – Game 6 winner at Hingham

GAME 21 – Revere at West Springfield

GAME 22 – Milton at Masconomet

GAME 23 – Game 7 winner at Oliver Ames

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 24 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner

GAME 25 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner

GAME 26 – Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

GAME 27 – Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 winner

GAME 28 – Game 16 winner vs. Game 17 winner

GAME 29 – Game 18 winner vs. Game 19 winner

GAME 30 – Game 20 winner vs. Game 21 winner

GAME 31 – Game 22 winner vs. Game 23 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 32 – Game 24 winner vs. Game 25 winner

GAME 33 – Game 26 winner vs. Game 27 winner

GAME 34 – Game 28 winner vs. Game 29 winner

GAME 35 – Game 30 winner vs. Game 31 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 36 – Game 32 winner vs. Game 33 winner

GAME 37 – Game 34 winner vs. Game 35 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 38 – Game 46 winner vs. Game 37 winner

DIVISION 3

SEEDS: 1. Oakmont Regional (16-2-0); 2. Gloucester (14-3-1); 3. Norwell (15-2-2); 4. Pembroke (14-2-1); 5. Ashland (12-5-1); 6. Dedham (11-3-4); 7. Blackstone Valley RVT (14-1-3); 8. Swampscott (13-2-3); 9. Dover-Sherborn (10-6-2); 10. Nauset Regional (11-1-6); 11. Medfield (9-6-3); 12. North Middlesex Reg. (11-4-3); 13. North Reading (12-3-3); 14. St. Mary’s (12-2-4); 15. Newburyport (12-4-2); 16. Holliston (7-6-3); 17. Greater New Bedford (9-3-5); 18. Hanover (9-5-4); 19. Medway (7-4-7); 20. Boston Latin Academy (13-5-0); 21. Tantasqua Regional (14-3-1); 22. Watertown (9-9-2); 23. Belchertown (9-5-4); 24. Tewksbury Memorial (8-7-3); 25. Greater Lowell Tech (13-2-1); 26. Dighton-Rehoboth (9-1-8); 27. Old Rochester Regional (11-5-2); 28. Sandwich (10-3-4); 29. Weston (7-10-1); 30. Pope Francis (8-5-5); 31. East Bridgewater (11-5-4); 32. Norton (6-10-2); 33. Auburn (11-4-3); 34. Martha’s Vineyard Reg. (8-7-3); 35. Archbishop Williams (11-4-4); 36. Shawsheen Valley Tech (11-5-2); 37. Essex North Shore (8-7-3); 38. Fairhaven (9-9-1); 39. Assabet Valley RVT (8-7-3); 40. Chicopee (8-8-2); 41. Taconic (12-4-2)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Auburn at Norton

GAME 2 – Taconic at Tewksbury

GAME 3 – Chicopee at Greater Lowell

GAME 4 – Shawsheen at Weston

GAME 5 – Essex Tech at Sandwich

GAME 6 – Martha’s Vineyard at East Bridgewater

GAME 7 – Assabet Valley at Dighton-Rehoboth

GAME 8 – Archbishop Williams at Pope Francis

GAME 9 – Fairhaven at Old Rochester

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 10 – Game 1 winner at Oakmont

GAME 11 – Greater New Bedford ar Holliston

GAME 12 – Game 2 winner at Dover-Sherborn

GAME 13 – Game 3 winner at Swampscott

GAME 14 – Game 4 winner at Pembroke

GAME 15 – Latin Academy at North Reading

GAME 16 – Tantasqua at North Middlesex

GAME 17 – Game 5 winner at Ashland

GAME 18 – Game 6 winner at Gloucester

GAME 19 – Hanover at Newburyport

GAME 20 – Belchertown at Nauset

GAME 21 – Game 7 winner at Blackstone Valley

GAME 22 – Game 8 winner at Norwell

GAME 23 – Medway at St. Mary’s

GAME 24 – Watertown at Medfield

GAME 25 – Game 9 winner at Dedham

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 26 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner

GAME 27 – Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

GAME 28 – Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 winner

GAME 29 – Game 16 winner vs. Game 17 winner

GAME 30 – Game 18 winner vs. Game 19 winner

GAME 31 – Game 20 winner vs. Game 21 winner

GAME 32 – Game 22 winner vs. Game 23 winner

GAME 33 – Game 24 winner vs. Game 25 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 34 – Game 26 winner vs. Game 27 winner

GAME 35 – Game 28 winner vs. Game 29 winner

GAME 36 – Game 30 winner vs. Game 31 winner

GAME 37 – Game 32 winner vs. Game 33 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 38 – Game 34 winner vs. Game 35 winner

GAME 39 – Game 46 winner vs. Game 37 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 40 – Game 38 winner vs. Game 39 winner

DIVISION 4

SEEDS: 1. Cohasset (13-3-2); 2. Lynnfield (14-2-2); 3. Hampshire Regional (15-0-3);
4. Hamilton-Wenham (13-1-2); 5. Gardner (12-3-2); 6. Excel Academy Charter (13-3-0); 7. Monument Mountain (10-4-4); 8. Frontier Regional (16-1-1); 9. Monomoy (12-3-3);
10. Rockland (11-6-1); 11. Lunenburg (10-5-2); 12. Northeast Metro RVT (12-4-2); 13. Advanced Math & Science (12-4-2); 14. Lynn Vo-Tech (9-5-3); 15. Millbury (11-6-1);
16. Whitinsville Christian (8-5-5); 17. Nantucket (11-4-3); 18. Abington (10-6-2); 19. Pittsfield (7-9-2); 20. Bay Path RVT (10-7-0); 21. Stoneham (4-12-2); 22. Leicester (10-6-2); 23. Bellingham (3-11-4); 24. Littleton (3-12-2); 25. Tyngsborough (4-10-4); 26. Ipswich (7-9-2); 27. East Boston (6-9-2); 28. Minuteman Regional (14-2-0); 29. Winthrop (6-11-1); 30. Manchester-Essex (4-10-4); 31. Northbridge (9-9-0); 32. Mashpee (5-10-3); 33. Greater Lawrence Tech (8-8-2); 34. Sturgis Charter East (6-6-5); 35. Tri-County RVT (8-3-5); 36. South Hadley (8-8-2); 37. Trivium School (11-4-1); 38. Westfield Technical Acad. (11-7-0); 39. O’Bryant (8-3-6); 40. Falmouth Academy (8-6-3); 41. Blue Hills RVT (7-7-2); 42. South Shore Vo-Tech (9-7-1)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Greater Lawrence at Mashpee

GAME 2 – Blue Hills at Littleton

GAME 3 – Falmouth Academy at Tyngsboro

GAME 4 – South Hadley at Winthrop

GAME 5 – Trivium at Minuteman

GAME 6 – Sturgis East at Northbridge

GAME 7 – South Shore Tech at Bellingham

GAME 8 – O’Bryant at Ipswich

GAME 9 – Tri-County at Manchester-Essex

GAME 10 – Westfield Tech at East Boston

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 11 – Game 1 winner at Cohasset

GAME 12 – Nantucket at Whitinsville Christian

GAME 13 – Game 2 winner at Monomoy

GAME 14 – Game 3 winner at Frontier

GAME 15 – Game 4 winner at Hamilton-Wenham

GAME 16 – Bay Path at AMSA

GAME 17 – Stoneham at Northeast

GAME 18 – Game 5 winner at Gardner

GAME 19 – Game 6 winner at Lynnfield

GAME 20 – Abington at Millbury

GAME 21 – Game 7 winner at Rockland

GAME 22 – Game 8 winner at Monument Mountain

GAME 23 – Game 9 winner at Hampshire

GAME 24 – Pittsfield at Lynn Tech

GAME 25 – Leicester at Lunenburg

GAME 26 – Game 10 winner at Excel Academy

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 27 – Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner

GAME 28 – Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner

GAME 29 – Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner

GAME 30 – Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner

GAME 31 – Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner

GAME 32 – Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner

GAME 33 – Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner

GAME 34 – Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 35 – Game 27 winner vs. Game 28 winner

GAME 36 – Game 29 winner vs. Game 30 winner

GAME 37 – Game 31 winner vs. Game 32 winner

GAME 38 – Game 33 winner vs. Game 34 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 39 – Game 35 winner vs. Game 36 winner

GAME 40 – Game 37 winner vs. Game 38 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 41 – Game 39 winner vs. Game 40 winner

DIVISION 5

SEEDS: 1. Sutton (13-2-3); 2. Douglas (10-2-5); 3. Bromfield School (13-4-1); 4. Boston International (16-2-0); 5. Maynard (10-5-3); 6. Tahanto Regional (7-8-1); 7. Burke (8-7-2); 8. Westport (17-0-1); 9. Hopedale (5-7-6); 10. Rockport (12-6-0); 11. Ayer Shirley (12-5-2); 12. Saint John Paul II (8-7-3); 13. Mount Greylock Reg. (7-7-3); 14. Mystic Valley Reg. Charter (8-9-1); 15. Keefe Tech (10-4-4); 16. Mahar Regional (12-4-0); 17. Ware (16-0-2); 18. Georgetown (6-10-1); 19. Quaboag Regional (7-7-4);
20. Salem Academy Charter (8-8-0); 21. Brighton (5-6-3); 22. KIPP Academy Lynn Coll. (8-6-3); 23. Pioneer Char. Of Science (7-4-3); 24. Hull (7-10-1); 25. University Park Campus (8-9-1); 26. Upper Cape Cod RVT (14-2-2); 27. Tech Boston Academy (5-9-1); 28. Millis (2-14-2); 29. Athol (14-4-0); 30. Smith Vo-Tech (13-4-1); 31. Pathfinder RVT (14-4-0); 32. Rising Tide Charter (9-6-3); 33. Lenox Memorial (9-8-0); 34. Hoosac Valley (12-4-2); 35. Atlantis Charter (9-6-2); 36. Charlestown (8-3-2); 37. Neighborhood House (9-5-4); 38. Smith Academy (11-3-4); 39. Granby (11-1-6); 40. Pioneer Vall. Chinese Imm. (11-5-2); 41. Holbrook (9-7-2); 42. Excel (7-5-1); 43. Turners Falls (6-4-1); 44. Roxbury Prep Charter (4-3-5); 45. Greenfield (11-6-1); 46. McCann Tech (8-8-2); 47. Boston Collegiate Charter (6-5-5); 48. Pioneer Valley Regional (10-7-1)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Lenox at Rising Tide

GAME 2 – Pioneer Valley at Ware

GAME 3 – Holbrook at Hull

GAME 4 – PV Chinese Immersion at University Park

GAME 5 – Charlestown at Avon

GAME 6 – Greenfield at Salem Academy

GAME 7 – Roxbury Prep at Brighton

GAME 8 – Neighborhood House at Millis

GAME 9 – Hoosac Valley at Pathfinder

GAME 10 – Boston Collegiate at Georgetown

GAME 11 – Excel at Pioneer Charter

GAME 12 – Granby ar Upper Cape

GAME 13 – Atlantis Charter at Smith Tech

GAME 14 – McCann at Quaboag

GAME 15 – Turners Falls as KIPP

GAME 16 – Smith Academy at Tech Boston

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 17 – Game 1 winner at Sutton

GAME 18 – Game 2 winner at Mahar

GAME 19 – Game 3 winner at Hopedale

GAME 20 – Game 4 winner at Westport

GAME 21 – Game 5 winner at Boston International

GAME 22 – Game 6 winner at Mt. Greylock

GAME 23 – Game 7 winner at St. John Paul

GAME 24 – Game 8 winner at Maynard

GAME 25 – Game 9 winner at Douglas

GAME 26 – Game 10 winner at Keefe Tech

GAME 27 – Game 11 winner at Rockport

GAME 28 – Game 12 winner at Burke

GAME 29 – Game 13 winner at Bromfield

GAME 30 – Game 14 winner at Mystic Valley

GAME 31 – Game 15 winner at Ayer Shirley

GAME 32 – Game 16 winner at Tahanto

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 33 – Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner

GAME 34 – Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner

GAME 35 – Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner

GAME 36 – Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner

GAME 37 – Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner

GAME 38 – Game 27 winner vs. Game 28 winner

GAME 39 – Game 29 winner vs. Game 30 winner

GAME 40 – Game 31 winner vs. Game 32 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 41 – Game 33 winner vs. Game 34 winner

GAME 42 – Game 35 winner vs. Game 36 winner

GAME 43 – Game 37 winner vs. Game 38 winner

GAME 44 – Game 39 winner vs. Game 40 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 45 – Game 41 winner vs. Game 42 winner

GAME 46 – Game 43 winner vs. Game 44 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 47 – Game 45 winner vs. Game 46 winner

Bill Belichick pacing another sideline in another team’s colors, sneering and snorting at another team’s press conferences after 24 years in New England.

Then again, so was a 2-6 start to this season.

And a sub.-500 record for Belichick over a three-and-a half-year span.

And a Belichick-coached team ever sitting last in the AFC, having committed the second-most penalties in the league with the NFL’s third-worst turnover margin.

Yet, here we are.

The Patriots are a bad football team. Their roster is starved for blue-chip talent and a quarterback of the future. Belichick hand-picked every person in his locker room, front office and coaching ranks. He is responsible for everything.

If the Pats continue charging toward a 4-13 or 5-12 finish, it only reasons the door could swing open for Belichick to leave this January. Few NFL coaches or GMs survive a four-year run with a 45% winning percentage, let alone when that person is one and the same. Robert Kraft cleaning house has crossed the minds of multiple folks working in football operations with more than half a season left.

Whether Kraft turns the knob, Belichick kicks the door down himself or they agree to a mutual parting of ways, it’s believed Belichick will not go gentle into that good night of retirement. Reports have long indicated Belichick is committed to, perhaps even hellbent on, breaking Don Shula’s record for most coaching wins all-time. He’s 17 wins away from leaping Shula.

Perhaps more to the point, Belichick is someone raised in a film room who’s spent 49 of his 71 years on Earth coaching NFL football. Life, as Belichick knows it, needs football as much as water or oxygen.

The question is: could Belichick leave for the Patriots’ next opponent?

The Commanders should offer a cozy landing spot, even if only for the two years Belichick may need to seize his record. Washington is under a new ownership group led by 76ers co-owner and managing partner Josh Harris. That group is flashing all the usual signs of new owner behavior.

First, they make a public effort to ingratiate themselves with fans. Next comes spending unholy gobs of money. Washington is scheduled to have the fourth-most cap space in the league this spring, after off-loading top pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Bill Belichick dodges on Patriots’ inactivity at NFL trade deadline

Once the offseason hits, it's another safe bet Harris and Co. will advance to step three: hiring their own people. Ron Rivera is seven games below .500 in his three-plus years as Washington's head coach. Third-year general manager Martin Mayhew doesn't have a standout draft class on his resume.

Belichick could fill both jobs with one signature and instantly restore the Commanders to relevancy. No other coach or GM can offer that. Belichick would represent the ultimate big splash, and new owners love nothing, nothing more than stealing headlines and soaking the competition. (See: the new-look Broncos signing Sean Payton.)

What about Belichick's contract?

Since the NFL Network reported that Belichick signed a new deal this spring, insiders from ESPN to Sports Illustrated have thrown water on the idea that it represents an ironclad commitment between coach and team.  NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran reported the only known detail about the contract, saying it runs through 2024. If true, Belichick's future in that sense is no more guaranteed than any other losing head coach's, given NFL teams rarely, if ever, allow coaches to enter a contract year.

Bill O’Brien offers blunt assessment of disappointing Patriots offense

Even if Belichick's deal becomes an obstacle, financially or otherwise, the Patriots could always trade him. Washington just added two valuable draft picks at the deadline. An ownership group that dropped more than $6 billion to buy the team won't let money stand in the way.

As a Maryland native, Belichick would also return home. He could rehire old pal Josh McDaniels to run his offense and bring sons Steve and Brian to fill out his defensive staff. Belichick is well aware of Washington's storied history, having coached against the then Redskins for more than a decade when he was a Giants assistant in the 1980s.

Asked about that history Wednesday, Belichick spent a curious amount of his time discussing ownership.

"George Preston Marshall bought the team, moved it to Washington, had it a long time. Sold it to (Jack Kent) Cooke. Cooke won three Super Bowls with (Joe) Gibbs. (Daniel) Snyder bought it, and they’ve rebranded in the last couple years. It’s one of the older franchises in the league, I don’t know," he said.

Of course, the Commanders are among several teams that could entertain coaching changes this offseason, including one that's already pulled the trigger. They are: the Jets, Raiders, Browns, Chargers, Buccaneers and Bears.

Belichick isn't packing up for New York or Cleveland again. He's not following Brady's shadow in Tampa or Brady to Las Vegas, where his former top lieutenant got canned after 25 games. The Chargers' ownership is famously cheap and dysfunctional. Chicago could appeal, though the Bears' are only in Year 2 with their new head coach and GM.

That leaves only the Commanders. Stretch your imagination. Picture it again.

Can't you see it?

There hasn’t been so much as a chirp since from leading state Democrats, particularly those who may have to grapple in the next General Assembly session with a proposal to make additional funds available to the team.

Political experts say few in his own party may be ready to publicly question Moore — a dynamic new governor with many powers regarding state spending and decision-making — over the terms of the arrangement with Angelos, although a Republican legislative leader is expressing concerns.

The deal became public during a Sept. 28 game, when a hastily arranged announcement appeared as a scoreboard message and the display cut to a feed from the owner’s box showing the governor and Angelos. The text of the celebratory message failed to convey that there was no lease, only a nonbinding “memorandum of understanding.”

Treasurer Dereck Davis, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Senate President Bill Ferguson — all Democrats who previously had spoken forcefully about the need to get a new lease before the current one expires Dec. 31 — declined interview requests from The Baltimore Sun about the memorandum. House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and other legislative leaders also declined to comment.

The highest-profile public responses from Democrats came after Moore’s office solicited canned comments Sept. 28 from members of Maryland’s congressional delegation to distribute to the media the next day.

“The Governor would appreciate statements of support from Members (something along the lines of being encouraged by the MOU, progress being made to keep the Orioles and boost Baltimore),” said an email from Washington-based Moore aide Matthew Verghese to Maryland congressmen and senators. “Please let me know if you think you can provide one by tonight!” said the email, which was obtained by The Sun.

Delegation members received a summary of the memorandum of understanding from the governor’s office. Echoing Moore’s previous statements, the email said the agreement would bring the stadium’s operations in line with best practices from around the country and “boost private sector investment around the stadium and across the city while creating good-paying jobs and diversifying our economy.”

Most of the Democratic federal lawmakers responded with written quotes congratulating Moore on the progress toward a significant agreement.

According to Verghese’s Sept. 28 email, the governor’s “timeline” was to announce the memorandum of understanding the next day.

Instead, it happened between innings at the game that night. Two top officials of the Maryland Stadium Authority, the state entity that oversees Camden Yards, said they did not know about the plan to make the announcement to fans at the stadium until that day. They asked that their names not be used because they were not authorized to speak about the ongoing negotiations.

David Turner, a senior adviser and communications director for Moore, declined to comment Wednesday on why the announcement was moved up.

Moore administration members held a media briefing the next day to provide details of the memorandum of understanding. They also sent out two news releases with the solicited quotes, remarks that the governor’s office sent again Tuesday to The Sun.

The eight-page memorandum contains specific terms covering issues such as stadium rent, advertising signs, parking and ground lease approvals. It is not legally binding but says it outlines “key components” of the plans of the team and the stadium authority, while remaining subject to “additional modification.”

In an Oct. 4 guest commentary in The Sun, former Stadium Authority Chair Thomas Kelso, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan who Moore replaced last winter with his own choice, wrote that there are “numerous issues that need scrutiny” in the memorandum of understanding.

In particular, Kelso is concerned that the Orioles, not the state, would have authority over state-funded improvements to the ballpark.

“These changes will eviscerate the MSA’s role and responsibility at Oriole Park and reverse nearly four decades of success,” he wrote.

Kelso also questioned whether the state would receive adequate compensation for allowing the Orioles to work with private firms to develop state-owned land around Camden Yards, including the former B&O Railroad warehouse and Camden Station, that the state and team have long said are underutilized. Under the plan, the Orioles would pay $94 million in rent over a 99-year term.

The memorandum of understanding also proposes a safety and repair fund for ballpark projects that would cost $3.3 million per year, or about $100 million over a 30-year lease. The General Assembly would need to approve those funds, and the Ravens would seem to be eligible for a matching amount under a parity clause that requires the state to provide the teams “fairly comparable” lease terms.

In the weeks since the Sept. 28 game, The Sun sought interviews with state Democratic leaders about the memorandum.

“The president is looking forward to a lease being signed, and it would be more appropriate to comment when that is complete,” said David Schuhlein, a spokesman for Ferguson.

It’s not known when that will happen. Asked Tuesday about the status of negotiations, Moore spokesperson Carter Elliott called the memorandum of understanding “a strong framework” and said the state and the Orioles “are diligently fleshing out the details around the announced terms to align on final lease terms.”

The Orioles finished their 101-win season with a collapse in the American League Division Series, leaving the looming lease expiration one of the last big events on the team’s horizon for 2023.

“Mark my words, and you can bet on it, the Orioles will be here for 30 years,” Moore said in an impassioned speech during an Oct. 4 meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works. The state spending board, composed of Moore, Davis and Lierman, ultimately needs to approve a lease.

The memorandum of understanding places state Democratic lawmakers in a sensitive spot, according to political analysts.

Under a 2022 law, the stadium authority can borrow up to $1.2 billion to pay for stadium improvements — $600 million each for the Orioles and Ravens. Ferguson said in August that he didn’t envision the General Assembly making additional resources available.

Now, the memorandum suggests the legislature approve the safety and repair fund of about $3.3 million a year for the Orioles, which could trigger a matching amount for the Ravens.

“We passed this legislation that freed up an unprecedented amount of money. I supported it,” said Republican Del. Jason Buckel of Allegany County, the House minority leader. “I haven’t seen anyone advocate for going beyond the $600 million. I don’t know that there is a huge appetite in the General Assembly across party lines to invest hundreds of [millions] of dollars in more money.”

Moore — who took office in January for a four-year term and is popular within his party — has invested significant political capital in teaming with Angelos on their plans to sign a ballpark agreement and revitalize downtown Baltimore.

“Governors in our state, in particularly in comparison to other states, have a whole lot of power, and a whole lot of budget power,” said Roger E. Hartley, dean of the University of Baltimore’s College of Public Affairs. “So people don’t want to offend the governor. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t have disagreements. They might not make those disagreements public.”

It can be risky to challenge a new governor, said political analyst Flavio Hickel, an assistant political science professor at Washington College.

“It sounds like there are an awful lot of unknowns here,” Hickel said. ”When you don’t how a political leader will react, that’s the most dangerous situation.”

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Baltimore’s top executive, manager and best player were honored by The Sporting News on Thursday morning after leading the Orioles to a 101-win regular season.

Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was named MLB Executive of the Year and Brandon Hyde won AL Manager of the Year, as voted by their front office and managerial peers. Infielder Gunnar Henderson was named AL Rookie of the Year, as voted by the 376 players who submitted ballots, according to The Sporting News.

Elias took over in November 2018 after the Orioles lost a franchise-worst 115 games. The rebuild he led produced 100-loss seasons in 2019 and 2021, but it started to bear fruit in 2022 when Baltimore was the American League’s best team not to make the playoffs. The club took another step this year as the AL’s top regular season team while also boasting the sport’s top farm system.

Elias hired Hyde to lead the Orioles through the painful rebuild. After a 110-loss campaign in 2021, the Orioles won 31 more games in 2022 as one of MLB’s biggest surprises. While almost every team in MLB history to have such an improvement regresses the following year, Hyde’s Orioles didn’t, winning 18 more games to mark the greatest two-year turnaround in MLB history.

Henderson hit .255 with a team-best .814 OPS, 28 home runs, 29 doubles, nine triples and 10 steals. The 22-year-old rookie overcame a slow start and emerged in the summer as the Orioles’ best player, winning Most Valuable Oriole, as voted by local media. His 6.3 wins above replacement ranked ninth among MLB players on Baseball-Reference.

Elias, Hyde and Henderson could all win the same awards from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America next month.

MLB executives also voted for All-Star teams on their Sporting News ballots. Adley Rutschman, one of the Orioles’ three Gold Glove Award finalists, tied with Seattle’s Cal Raleigh for the AL’s catcher spot, while closer Félix Bautista, who missed the final six weeks of the season with a torn elbow ligament, was picked as the AL’s top reliever.

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SEEDS: 1. Natick (16-1-1); 2. Bishop Feehan (16-0-1); 3. Hopkinton (17-0-1); 4. Wellesley (13-5-0); 5. Brookline (13-3-2); 6. Franklin (16-2-0); 7. Acton-Boxborough (11-3-2); 8. Winchester (15-2-1); 9. Concord-Carlisle (13-3-2); 10. King Philip Regional (15-3-0); 11. Algonquin (10-4-4); 12. Needham (8-5-5); 13. Newton North (9-4-5); 14. Arlington (12-5-1); 15. Shrewsbury (9-5-4); 16. Weymouth (7-7-4); 17. Belmont (10-3-6); 18. Central Catholic (14-3-1); 19. Braintree (4-11-3); 20. Marshfield (10-4-5); 21. Woburn Memorial (9-4-5); 22. Lexington (7-8-3); 23. Durfee (13-3-2); 24. Bridgewater-Raynham (12-3-3); 25. Andover (7-6-5); 26. Framingham (2-10-6); 27. Westford Academy (7-7-2); 28. Newton South (4-9-4); 29. Wachusett Regional (7-8-3); 30. Plymouth North (5-7-6); 31. Beverly (6-9-3); 32. Boston Latin (7-7-2); 33. Waltham (10-7-1); 34. North Andover (7-7-4); 35. Cambridge Rindge & Latin (5-5-6); 36. Haverhill (10-6-2); 37. Chelmsford (7-4-7); 38. Diman RVT (10-9-1); 39. Medford (9-7-2)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Waltham at Boston Latin

GAME 2 – Haverhill at Wachusett

GAME 3 – Chelmsford at Newton South

GAME 4 – North Andover at Beverly

GAME 5 – Medford at Framingham

GAME 6 – Cambridge at Plymouth North

GAME 7 – Diman at Westford Academy

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 8 – Game 1 winner at Natick

GAME 9 – Belmont at Weymouth

GAME 10 – Bridgewater-Raynham at Concord-Carlisle

GAME 11 – Andover at Winchester

GAME 12 – Game 2 winner at Wellesley

GAME 13 – Marshfield at Newton North

GAME 14 – Woburn at Needham

GAME 15 – Game 3 winner at Brookline

GAME 16 – Game 4 winner at Bishop Feehan

GAME 17 – Central Catholic at Shrewsbury

GAME 18 – Durfee at King Philip

GAME 19 – Game 5 winner at Acton-Boxboro

GAME 20 – Game 6 winner at Hopkinton

GAME 21 – Braintree at Arlington

GAME 22 – Lexington at Algonquin

GAME 23 – Game 7 winner at Franklin

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 24 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner

GAME 25 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner

GAME 26 – Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

GAME 27 – Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 winner

GAME 28 – Game 16 winner vs. Game 17 winner

GAME 29 – Game 18 winner vs. Game 19 winner

GAME 30 – Game 20 winner vs. Game 21 winner

GAME 31 – Game 22 winner vs. Game 32 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 32 – Game 31 winner vs. Game 32 winner

GAME 33 – Game 33 winner vs. Game 34 winner

GAME 34 – Game 35 winner vs. Game 36 winner

GAME 35 – Game 37 winner vs. Game 38 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 36 – Game 32 winner vs. Game 33 winner

GAME 37 – Game 34 winner vs. Game 35 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 38 – Game 36 winner vs. Game 37 winner

DIVISION 2

SEEDS: 1. Masconomet Regional (15-0-2); 2. Nashoba Regional (15-1-2); 3. Longmeadow (13-2-3); 4. Notre Dame (Hingham) (11-6-3); 5. Grafton (15-3-0); 6. Mansfield (13-3-1); 7. Melrose (14-2-2); 8. Hingham (9-6-3); 9. Minnechaug (12-4-2); 10. Oliver Ames (13-3-0); 11. Westborough (8-6-2); 12. Duxbury (11-5-2); 13. Milton (8-7-3); 14. Westwood (10-6-3); 15. West Springfield (5-5-8); 16. Dartmouth (11-5-2); 17. Whitman-Hanson Reg. (7-8-3); 18. Marlborough (11-5-2); 19. Canton (8-7-2); 20. Scituate (7-6-5); 21. Walpole (4-10-4); 22. Marblehead (9-8-1); 23. Ludlow (3-6-9); 24. Bishop Stang (9-6-3); 25. Silver Lake Regional (6-8-4); 26. East Longmeadow (4-9-5); 27. Holliston (6-10-2); 28. Burlington (8-8-2); 29. Westfield (4-9-4); 30. Billerica Memorial (10-5-3); 31. Chicopee Comp. (9-7-2); 32. Somerset Berkley Reg. (10-6-2); 33. Amherst-Pelham Reg. (12-5-1); 34. Northampton (9-9-0); 35. Somerville (15-1-2); 36. Southeastern RVT (8-4-4)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Amherst-Pelham at Somerset Berkley

GAME 2 – Southeastern at Westfield

GAME 3 – Northampton at Chicopee Comp.

GAME 4 – Somerville at Billerica

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 5 – Game 1 winner at Masconomet

GAME 6 – Whitman-Hanson at Dartmouth

GAME 7 – Bishop Stang at Minnechaug

GAME 8 – Silver Lake at Hingham

GAME 9 – Game 2 winner at Notre Dame (H)

GAME 10 – Scituate at Milton

GAME 11 – Walpole at Duxbury

GAME 12 – Burlington at Grafton

GAME 13 – Game 3 winner at Nashoba

GAME 14 – Marlboro at West Springfield

GAME 15 – Ludlow at Oliver Ames

GAME 16 – East Longmeadow at Melrose

GAME 17 – Game 4 winner at Longmeadow

GAME 18 – Canton at Westwood

GAME 19 – Marblehead at Westborough

GAME 20 – Holliston at Marshfield

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 21 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner

GAME 22 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner

GAME 23 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner

GAME 24 – Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner

GAME 25 – Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner

GAME 26 – Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner

GAME 27 – Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner

GAME 28 – Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 29 – Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner

GAME 30 – Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner

GAME 31 – Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner

GAME 32 – Game 27 winner vs. Game 28 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 33 – Game 29 winner vs. Game 30 winner

GAME 34 – Game 31 winner vs. Game 32 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 35 – Game 33 winner vs. Game 34 winner

DIVISION 3

SEEDS: 1. Medfield (16-1-1); 2. Dover-Sherborn (14-3-1); 3. Hanover (17-0-1); 4. Norwell (18-1-1); 5. Pope Francis (15-1-0); 6. Cardinal Spellman (15-1-2); 7. Nipmuc Regional (14-2-2); 8. Tantasqua Regional (14-4-0); 9. Danvers (13-3-2); 10. Dedham (10-5-3); 11. Weston (10-3-5); 12. Apponequet Regional (16-1-3); 13. Auburn (15-2-1); 14. Belchertown (8-5-5); 15. Norton (9-6-3); 16. Saugus (14-3-1); 17. North Reading (13-3-2); 18. Medway (5-9-4); 19. Wilmington (8-6-4); 20. Nauset Regional (12-2-4); 21. Archbishop Williams (7-7-6); 22. Newburyport (11-4-3); 23. Sandwich (10-5-1); 24. St. Mary’s (10-6-2); 25. East Bridgewater (8-9-3); 26. Foxborough (6-12-0); 27. Swampscott (8-5-5); 28. Tewksbury Memorial (10-5-3); 29. Martha’s Vineyard Reg. (11-5-2); 30. Pentucket Regional (8-6-3); 31. Pembroke (6-8-4); 32. Dighton-Rehoboth (9-8-2); 33. Hudson (9-6-3); 34. Old Rochester Regional (10-8-2); 35. Blackstone Valley RVT (9-8-1); 36. Greater New Bedford (8-8-2); 37. Gloucester (7-7-3); 38. Falmouth (6-6-6); 39. Notre Dame (Worcester) (8-8-2); 40. Greater Lowell Tech (13-2-1); 41. Revere (16-1-1); 42. Holyoke (10-5-3); 43. Norfolk County Agricultural (16-3-1); 44. Boston Latin Academy (11-5-3)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Hudson at Dighton-Rehoboth

GAME 2 – Revere at St. Mary’s

GAME 3 – Greater Lowell at East Bridgewater

GAME 4 – Greater New Bedford at Martha’s Vineyard

GAME 5 – Latin Academy at Archbishop Williams

GAME 6 – Gloucester at Tewksbury

GAME 7 – Old Rochester at Pembroke

GAME 8 – Holyoke at Sandwich

GAME 9 – Notre Dame (W) at Foxboro

GAME 10 – Blackstone Valley at Pentucket

GAME 11 – Norfolk Aggie at Newburyport

GAME 12 – Falmouth at Swampscott

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 13 – Game 1 winner at Medfield

GAME 14 – North Reading at Saugus

GAME 15 – Game 2 winner at Danvers

GAME 16 – Game 3 winner at Tantasqua

GAME 17 – Game 4 winner at Norwell

GAME 18 – Nauset at Auburn

GAME 19 – Game 5 winner at Apponequet

GAME 20 – Game 6 winner at Pope Francis

GAME 21 – Game 7 winner at Dover-Sherborn

GAME 22 – Medway at Norton

GAME 23 – Game 8 winner at Dedham

GAME 24 – Game 9 winner at Nipmuc

GAME 25 – Game 10 winner at Hanover

GAME 26 – Wilmington at Belchertown

GAME 27 – Game 11 winner at Weston

GAME 28 – Game 12 winner at Cardinal Spellman

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 29 – Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner

GAME 30 – Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner

GAME 31 – Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner

GAME 32 – Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner

GAME 33 – Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner

GAME 34 – Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner

GAME 35 – Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner

GAME 36 – Game 27 winner vs. Game 28 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 37 – Game 29 winner vs. Game 30 winner

GAME 38 – Game 31 winner vs. Game 32 winner

GAME 39 – Game 33 winner vs. Game 34 winner

GAME 40 – Game 35 winner vs. Game 36 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 41 – Game 37 winner vs. Game 38 winner

GAME 42 – Game 39 winner vs. Game 40 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 43 – Game 41 winner vs. Game 42 winner

DIVISION 4

SEEDS: 1. South Hadley (15-1-2); 2. Sutton (12-4-2); 3. Cohasset (11-3-3); 4. Lynnfield (14-2-2); 5. Hamilton-Wenham (13-0-3); 6. Littleton (14-3-1); 7. Northbridge (11-7-0);
8. West Bridgewater (12-5-1); 9. Millbury (8-8-2); 10. Hampshire Regional (8-7-2); 11. Leicester (9-5-3); 12. Monument Mountain (13-5-0); 13. Rockland (8-8-2); 14. Lunenburg (12-5-1); 15. Abington (10-8-0); 16. Monomoy (12-4-2); 17. Manchester-Essex (7-8-3); 18. Southwick Regional (8-9-1); 19. Easthampton (13-5-0); 20. Bellingham (4-14-0); 21. Advanced Math & Science (11-7-0); 22. Uxbridge (6-11-1); 23. Tyngsborough (9-8-1); 24. South High Community (7-5-4); 25. Wahconah Regional (3-14-1); 26. Ipswich (5-12-1); 27. Bay Path RVT (9-5-4); 28. Blue Hills RVT (16-0-2); 29. Mashpee (5-11-1); 30. Sturgis Charter West (7-7-2); 31. Nantucket (8-10-0); 32. Bourne (8-9-1); 33. Saint Paul Diocesan (7-7-1); 34. Clinton (8-8-2); 35. Tri-County RVT (8-7-1); 36. Sturgis Charter East (10-7-0); 37. Westfield Technical Acad. (14-1-1); 38. Excel Academy Charter (10-5-0); 39. East Boston (13-4-1); 40. Minuteman Regional (11-5-1); 41. Cathedral (7-7-0)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – St. Paul Diocesan at Bourne

GAME 2 – Cathedral at South

GAME 3 – Minuteman at Wahconah

GAME 4 – Sturgis East at Mashpee

GAME 5 – Westfield Tech at Blue Hills

GAME 6 – Clinton at Nantucket

GAME 7 – East Boston at Ipswich

GAME 8 – Tri-County at Sturgis West

GAME 9 – Excel Academy at Bay Path

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 10 – Game 1 winner at South Hadley

GAME 11 – Manchester-Essex at Monomoy

GAME 12 – Game 2 winner at Millbury

GAME 13 – Game 3 winner at West Bridgewater

GAME 14 – Game 4 winner at Lynnfield

GAME 15 – Bellingham at Rockland

GAME 16 – AMSA at Monument Mountain

GAME 17 – Game 5 winner at Hamilton-Wenham

GAME 18 – Game 6 winner at Sutton

GAME 19 – Southwick at Abington

GAME 20 – Tyngsboro at Hampshire

GAME 21 – Game 7 winner at Northbridge

GAME 22 – Game 8 winner at Cohasset

GAME 23 – Easthampton at Lunenburg

GAME 24 – Uxbridge at Leicester

GAME 25 – Game 9 winner at Littleton

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 26 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner

GAME 27 – Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner

GAME 28 – Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 winner

GAME 29 – Game 16 winner vs. Game 17 winner

GAME 30 – Game 18 winner vs. Game 19 winner

GAME 31 – Game 20 winner vs. Game 21 winner

GAME 32 – Game 22 winner vs. Game 23 winner

GAME 33 – Game 24 winner vs. Game 25 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 34 – Game 26 winner vs. Game 27 winner

GAME 35 – Game 28 winner vs. Game 29 winner

GAME 36 – Game 30 winner vs. Game 31 winner

GAME 37 – Game 32 winner vs. Game 33 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 38 – Game 34 winner vs. Game 35 winner

GAME 39 – Game 46 winner vs. Game 37 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 40 – Game 38 winner vs. Game 39 winner

DIVISION 5

SEEDS: 1. Whitinsville Christian (16-2-0); 2. Monson (17-0-1); 3. Hull (13-2-2): 4. Mount Greylock Reg. (16-1-0); 5. Douglas (9-7-2); 6. Maynard (10-5-3); 7. Tahanto Regional (11-4-3); 8. Saint John Paul II (15-2-1); 9. Millis (6-10-2); 10. Georgetown (9-7-2); 11. Hopedale (5-10-3); 12. Palmer (10-7-1); 13. David Prouty (6-7-3); 14. West Boylston (12-5-1); 15. Mystic Valley Reg. Charter (11-6-1); 16. Quaboag Regional (6-8-3); 17. Lenox Memorial (9-7-2); 18. Bromfield School (5-11-2); 19. Parker Charter (11-4-2); 20. Granby (7-10-1); 21. Hopkins Academy (12-3-3); 22. Drury (9-8-1); 23. Nashoba Valley Tech (15-2-1); 24. Smith Academy (12-3-3); 25. St. Mary Parish (Westfield) (6-7-3); 26. Ayer Shirley (7-9-3); 27. Westport (12-5-1); 28. Academy of Notre Dame (16-2-0); 29. Mount Everett Regional (8-5-5); 30. Holbrook (7-8-3); 31. Smith Vo-Tech (11-3-2); 32. Franklin County Tech (10-5-3); 33. Upper Cape Cod RVT (10-5-2); 34. Athol (12-3-3); 35. Innovation Acad. Charter (9-5-4); 36. Rising Tide Charter (10-8-0); 37. McCann Tech (11-5-2); 38. Pioneer Valley Regional (7-7-1); 39. Prospect Hill Acad. Charter (8-4-0); 40. Bristol County Agricultural (7-7-2); 41. Avon (6-6-2); 42. Boston Collegiate Charter (11-5-1); 43. Gateway Regional (6-6-2); 44. South Shore Charter (8-4-0); 45. Burke (7-6-2); 46. Tech Boston Academy (6-6-2)

PRELIMINARY ROUND – TBA

GAME 1 – Upper Cape at Franklin Tech

GAME 2 – Avon at Smith Academy

GAME 3 – Bristol Aggie at St. Mary’s (Westfield)

GAME 4 – Rising Tide at Mt. Everett

GAME 5 – Burke at Granby

GAME 6 – South Shore Charter at Hopkins Academy

GAME 7 – McCann Tech at Academy of Notre Dame

GAME 8 – Athol at Smith Tech

GAME 9 – Boston Collegiate at Nashoba Tech

GAME 10 – Prospect Hill at Ayer Shirley

GAME 11 – Innovation at Holbrook

GAME 12 – Tech Boston at Parker Charter

GAME 13 – Gateway at Drury

GAME 14 – Pioneer Valley at Westport

FIRST ROUND – TBA

GAME 15 – Game 1 winner at Whitinsville Christian

GAME 16 – Lenox at Quaboag

GAME 17 – Game 2 winner at Millis

GAME 18 – Game 3 winner at St. John Paul

GAME 19 – Game 4 winner at Mt. Greylock

GAME 20 – Game 5 winner at David Prouty

GAME 21 – Game 6 winner at Palmer

GAME 22 – Game 7 winner at Douglas

GAME 23 – Game 8 winner at Monson

GAME 24 – Bromfield at Mystic Valley

GAME 25 – Game 9 winner at Georgetown

GAME 26 – Game 10 winner at Tahanto

GAME 27 – Game 11 winner at Hull

GAME 28 – Game 12 winner at West Boylston

GAME 29 – Game 13 winner at Hopedale

GAME 30 – Game 14 winner at Maynard

SECOND ROUND – TBA

GAME 31 – Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner

GAME 32 – Game 17 winner vs. Game 18 winner

GAME 33 – Game 19 winner vs. Game 20 winner

GAME 34 – Game 21 winner vs. Game 22 winner

GAME 35 – Game 23 winner vs. Game 24 winner

GAME 36 – Game 25 winner vs. Game 26 winner

GAME 37 – Game 27 winner vs. Game 28 winner

GAME 38 – Game 29 winner vs. Game 30 winner

QUARTERFINALS – TBA

GAME 39 – Game 31 winner vs. Game 32 winner

GAME 40 – Game 33 winner vs. Game 34 winner

GAME 41 – Game 35 winner vs. Game 36 winner

GAME 42 – Game 37 winner vs. Game 38 winner

SEMIFINALS – TBA

GAME 43 – Game 39 winner vs. Game 40 winner

GAME 44 – Game 41 winner vs. Game 42 winner

FINAL – TBA

GAME 45 – Game 43 winner vs. Game 44 winner

Every year there is parity. But for as confident as top-seeded Walpole (D1) and Watertown (D3) should be with their chances of securing the crown, there’s an unpredictable balance sure to shake things up.

Div. 1

The stars have aligned for Walpole (17-1) to avenge consecutive losses in the state final, set in a collision course with No. 2 Andover (15-2) to meet in the title game for a third straight year. The Porkers have an edge this time. But the only team they lost to (Uxbridge) fell to the Golden Warriors, who are clicking for a potential three-peat.

From there is an extensive tree of teams connected through beating one another. No. 6 Central Catholic (14-2-1) topped Andover early to show they’re capable of a Final Four run, but a No. 3 Wachusett (13-1-4) team it tied is anchored by experience. Chalk has them meeting in the state quarterfinals, though getting past No. 11 Belmont or No. 14 Barnstable won’t be easy.

No. 5 Acton-Boxboro (13-4-1) also beat Andover, but shares a blemish with No. 4 Franklin (17-0-1) against No. 8 Bishop Feehan. No. 12 Needham (13-5), No. 13 Winchester (13-5) and No. 20 Chelmsford (5-9-3) are sleepers, but A-B and Franklin look primed to meet in the quarterfinals.

Bishop Feehan (11-5-1) has settled into a rhythm since a blowout loss to Walpole and could give them trouble. First they get a chance for revenge for an upset loss to No. 9 King Philip, though the Warriors look for the next step themselves.

No. 7 Algonquin, No. 10 Concord-Carlisle, No. 15 Wellesley and No. 16 Lincoln-Sudbury could also turn heads.

Div. 3

Watertown (17-0) enters its bid for a three-peat as the clear title favorite on a 70-game win streak and 37-game shutout streak. Around them will be havoc.

Six of last year’s state quarterfinal teams are ranked in the top eight, each stronger than last year.

No. 2 Newburyport (17-1) followed up a surprise trip to the Final Four with a dominant regular season. An emotional rematch with No. 7 Gloucester (13-3-2) from last year’s Elite 8 is chalked out.

There won’t be a rematch between Sandwich and Watertown in the state final for a third straight year, but the No. 4 Knights (17-0-1) returned signature pieces to meet the Raiders for a fierce semifinal. No. 5 Foxboro (15-2-1) got a heavy dose of contenders in the regular season that Sandwich didn’t, though, which could mean it is bound for the Final Four instead. No. 12 Swampscott (11-5-2) and No. 13 Weston (11-4-3) are no afterthoughts.

Loaded No. 3 Dover-Sherborn (14-2-2) avoids Watertown until the state final, but No. 6 Falmouth (10-5-3) stands in the way as the only team to not lose to Sandwich. The Clippers look to make some noise in their new division, though No. 22 Hanover may be a significant sleeper. No. 14 North Reading isn’t an easy out either.

Strong goalies make a big difference to down a perennial juggernaut like Watertown, and the Raiders could run into a few. Gianna Triangle of No. 17 St. Mary’s (11-4-2) and Megan McGinnity of No. 9 Danvers (13-2-3) stand out, and both defenses have limited opponents.

Div. 2

The suspense doesn’t look as dramatic here, but don’t confuse that for a shortage of elite action. While they have dominated most of the way, neither No. 1 Reading (17-1) or No. 2 Norwood (16-2) is a shoe-in to meet in the final.

The Rockets’ second round would be against No. 16 Nashoba or No. 17 Masconomet. Both reached the Final Four in 2021 and 2022. No. 8 Canton looks like an upset candidate by beating Norwood in the regular season finale, but that’s if it can get past 2021 state champion No. 9 Westwood.

A second-round matchup for the Mustangs potentially holds No. 15 Notre Dame Academy of Hingham, which has been competitive in a tough schedule. A TVL rematch with No. 7 Hopkinton is possible in the quarterfinals. No. 10 Doherty also looks dangerous.

No. 3 Somerset Berkley (17-0-1) rolled past most as a strong Final Four candidate. A battle of unbeatens against No. 6 Dartmouth (17-0) is possible in the quarterfinals, but No. 14 Oliver Ames and reigning champion No. 11 Longmeadow spell trouble.

No. 4 Hingham (15-2-1) is ready to make its mark in the new division and will see familiar Patriot League foes until the quarterfinal. No. 12 Leominster is a sleeper, though, and No. 5 Minnechaug has big wins on its resume.

Div. 4

No. 1 Uxbridge (17-1) looks to have the tightest grip of any top seed, carrying wins over Walpole, Bishop Feehan, Acton-Boxboro, King Philip and Foxboro. Their cast of young stars has them primed for a three-peat, though anything can happen.

No. 3 Monomoy lost 6-0 to Uxbridge, but lost 6-1 in the regular season last year before taking the Spartans to double overtime in the state semifinal. The Sharks (13-2-3) are loaded for a crack at Uxbridge in the final. No. 2 Manchester-Essex (14-1-3) is Newburyport’s only loss and navigated a tough Cape Ann League to also stand as a final threat.

Senior-less No. 4 Sutton (13-3-2) hopes to ride its grass field all the way to at least the Final Four. No. 5 Case (14-1-1) was unbeaten most of the season and is sure to put forth a good run. Pesky No. 12 Frontier stands in the way if it can get past No. 21 Westport.

No. 6 Lunenburg (15-1-2) is a talented group to potentially send Monomoy home early. No. 8 Cohasset (11-6-1), No. 10 Lynnfield (11-7-2), No. 11 Clinton (18-0), No. 14 Nantucket (9-5-3), No. 15 St. John Paul II (11-2-4) and No. 23 Ipswich (4-8-6) may all be sleepers.

Predictions

Div. 1

Champion – No. 1 Walpole

Final Four – No. 1 Walpole, No. 2 Andover, No. 4 Franklin, No. 6 Central Catholic

Sleepers – No. 10 Concord-Carlisle, No. 12 Needham

Potential Upset – No. 19 Shrewsbury over No. 14 Barnstable

Best First-Round Matchup – No. 16 Lincoln-Sudbury vs No. 17 Braintree

Div. 2

Champion – No. 1 Reading

Final Four – No. 1 Reading, No. 2 Norwood, No. 3 Somerset Berkley, No. 4 Hingham

Sleepers – No. 8 Canton, No. 12 Leominster

Potential Upset – No. 12 Leominster over No. 5 Minnechaug

Best First-Round Matchup – No. 16 Nashoba vs No. 17 Masconomet

Div. 3

Champion – No. 1 Watertown

Final Four – No. 1 Watertown, No. 2 Newburyport, No. 3 Dover-Sherborn, No. 5 Foxboro

Sleepers – No. 7 Gloucester, No. 6 Falmouth

Potential Upset – No. 22 Hanover over No. 11 NDA (W)

Best First-Round Matchup – No. 14 North Reading vs No. 19 Oakmont

Div. 4

Champion – No. 1 Uxbridge

Final Four – No. 1 Uxbridge, No. 2 Manchester-Essex, No. 3 Monomoy, No. 5 Case

Sleepers – No. 10 Lynnfield, No. 6 Lunenburg

Potential Upset – No. 21 Westport over No. 12 Frontier

Best First-Round Matchup – No. 10 Lynnfield vs No. 23 Ipswich

Wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) and left tackle Trent Brown (ankle/knee) were held out with new injuries. The Pats also hit the field without backup tight end Pharaoh Brown and offensive tackle Calvin Anderson. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was severely limited with a hurt hamstring.

Defensive back Myles Bryant also has a new chest injury.

In Washington, the Commanders rested defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and sidelined wide receiver Curtis Samuel due to his toe injury.

Both teams’ complete injury reports are below.

PATRIOTS

Did not participate

WR DeVante Parker, Concussion

OT Trent Brown, Ankle/Knee

TE Pharaoh Brown,

OL Calvin Anderson, Illness

Limited participation

LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, Hamstring

DL Christian Barmore, Knee

LB Josh Uche, Ankle/Toe

DL Deatrich Wise Jr., Shoulder

CB Jonathan Jones, Knee

DB Myles Bryant, Chest

OL Vederian Lowe, Ankle

COMMANDERS

Did not participate

DT Jonathan Allen, Vet Rest

CB Kendall Fuller, Vet Rest

WR Curtis Samuel, Toe

C Ricky Stromberg, Knee

Limited participation

S Percy Butler, Calf

TE Logan Thomas, Heel

“We were actually packing the the bus to go to Wilkes-Barre and I filled up a cooler and was carrying it outside when our equipment guy grabbed the cooler from me and said, ‘Hey, go into the coaches office.’ It was was 12:27 and the bus left at 12:30,” said Lohrei.

Lohrei, the Bruins’ second-round pick from 2020 and their best defense prospect, got the word he will make his NHL debut on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Garden, thanks to a set of circumstances that could see the B’s miss half of its regular defense corps.

Charlie McAvoy will start his four-game suspension, Matt Grzelcyk was placed on long-term injured reserve and Derek Forbort is nursing a lower body injury, making him a question mark for the Leafs’ game. An offensive-minded defenseman who’ll need to grow his game in his own end, the 22-year-old Lohrei had four assists in seven games with Providence.

Defensemen Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon were also recalled from Providence.

Given the situation, Lohrei will not have the opportunity to be eased into the lineup. He will be paired with Brandon Carlo and play in the top four. The two lanky D-men, both of whom are 6-foot-5, played together in the preseason.

“I just liked their length, their mobility and their ability to force a lot of dumps-in and kill a lot of plays before it even gets into our end,” said coach Jim Montgomery.

“You’re going to see (Lohrei) out there a lot. We think he’s ready for this league and we think he’s going to play well in this league. I don’t know what the minutes are going to be, but he’s going to be playing top four minutes, so it should be anywhere (around) 18, depending on the special teams.”

It doesn’t seem so long ago that Carlo was the young pup being led into battle by Zdeno Chara. Now he’s the mentor and, considering that Grzelcyk is now on LTIR ( a player must miss 10 games and 24 days to qualify), it appears Lohrei will get a good, long look.

“It’s crazy being in this position. The time frame for me being in this position has gone by so fast. I still feel like a young guy at times but overall, I think the biggest things I’ve learned from Z, especially in these early stages of playing together, is communication on the ice,” said Carlo. “As long as we’re doing that, we’re going to set things out in the defensive zone and through the neutral zone and whatnot. And when we get back to the bench, if he sees something that I should do differently, then that’s the way you build chemistry for pairings. I think for both of us just communicating as much as possible (is key). He’s a smooth skater, great player and he’s going to do just fine. I think just helping him maybe manage nerves at times, I’ve been in the position and it’s about not getting over-exaggerated and overthinking too much. That’s a big thing in my game makes me play better. Just trying to keep him calm there and be a positive, encouraging voice and I feel that from there, he’s just going to take it and run with it.”

As for the butterflies, Lohrei doesn’t deny that they are there, but he’s leaning into them.

“Since I got the call up there’s been nerves, but that’s all part of and that’s what makes it so special and so fun,” said Lohrei.

Leaning on Lindholm

With the loss of McAvoy, Montgomery will lean heavily on Hampus Lindholm. That might not be such a bad thing. When McAvoy was injured to start last season, it was Lindholm’s excellent performance that sent the B’s on their way to a record-breaking regular season.

“I think the two of them when they’re in the lineup give us an advantage over most teams just because they control the game when both of them are out there,” said Montgomery. “And the opportunity not only with (McAvoy) but with Forbort out, now he’s goes to the No. 1 PK. He’s going to be out there for almost every D-zone draw when we have the opportunity, he’s going to be out there for half of the O-zone draws…. Him playing 26 to 28 minutes would not be a surprise now.”

As for Forbort, Montgomery quickly corrected himself by saying he is questionable, but make of it what you will.

Suspension talk

Montgomery’s take on McAvoy’s suspension for his high hit on Oliver Ekman-Larson?

“The league does an extensive review,” said Montgomery. “All I know is I would not want their job. I don’t think you can win, whether it’s too long or too short. We respect the job that they do and we’re going to respect their decision. I’d like to have him back sooner, but I coach him.”

Loose pucks

Matt Poitras will play his 10th game on Thursday against the Leafs, thus burning the first year of his entry level deal. He got the word from the GM on Tuesday.

“(Don Sweeney) just called me up to his office and I kind of had an idea it was going to be good news. I was still a little bit nervous, but he said, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be sticking around for your 10th game, just keep working, keep preparing the same way and you’ll be fine,’ ” said Poitras.

The 19-year-old rookie has been living in a hotel since training camp, but that’s going to change.

“Yeah, a couple of options have been presented, but I’ll take some time and talk to my parents and see what they think,” said Poitras.

It looks like Poitras will be playing a marquee role against his hometown team, the Leafs. He finished the emotional comeback win against Florida skating on a top line with David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha and that’s the line he practiced with on Wednesday.

“Those two guys are really skilled players and for me it’s kind of easy to find spaces and they’ll be able to move in and make plays and feed me the puck and I can feed it right back,” said Poitras. “Obviously, Pastrnak is a really good goal scorer and I see myself as a playmaker, so I’ll be looking for him and he can do his job and score.”…

Jakub Lauko was placed on IR. He has not skated with the team since taking in errant skate to the head over a week ago in Chicago. … After posting eight goals, six assists and a plus-nine rating, Pastrnak was named the NHL’s third star for October.

Brown played through ankle and knee injuries in last Sunday’s loss at Miami, where Parker took a blow to the head and did not return. Brown also missed the start of practice last week, but returned the following day and hasn’t missed a game this season.

Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson and tight end Pharaoh Brown were also absent Wednesday. Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley jogged lightly on the field, but did not engage in any individual drills. He left in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss with a hamstring injury.

The Patriots will release their first injury report of the week Wednesday evening.

The B’s brought up from Providence first-year pro Mason Lohrei as well as fellow defensemen Ian Mitchell and Parker Wotherspoon.

Grzelcyk was placed in long-term injured reserve and Jakub Lauko, currently out with an eye injury, was placed in IR.

Lohrei, the B’s second round pick in 2020 who left Ohio State early to join the organization, had four assists in seven games with the P-Bruins.

The B’s get back in action Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Garden.

The once-in-a-lifetime win by the Cubs led MLB and Fox to crow that the game was healthier than ever, and who could dispute them after an audience like that?

It was the most-watched World Series game in 25 years, since the Minnesota Twins beat the Atlanta Braves before 50 million viewers in another Game 7 in 1991. The 2016 Cubs were a likable, young team that figured to be back again, and around the league, team executives plotted their own rebuilds to emulate Chicago’s success.

But that didn’t happen. The Cubs’ win in ’16 turned out to be a blip, not only for their hopes of creating a dynasty but for baseball’s resurgence on the national sports scene.

Fast-forward to 2023, a year when new rules were implemented to bring fans a faster-paced game with more hitting and added speed on the base paths. It was an instant hit, drawing raves for Commissioner Rob Manfred.

But instead of crowning the season with a World Series that would satiate long-lost fans, this Fall Classic matchup between the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks has thus far drawn pathetic ratings.

The Series opener, which featured Corey Seager’s game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth and Adolis García’s walk-off home run in the 11th, turned out to be the lowest-rated Game 1 in Series history with an average of 9.172 million viewers on Fox.

Game 2, a close affair until the Diamondbacks pulled away in the eighth inning in a 9-1 win, had an average of 8.15 million viewers on Fox. Monday’s Game 3 was the least-watched Series game on record with an average of 8.13 million viewers as the Rangers won 3-1.

In comparison, the NCAA women’s national basketball championship game last March between LSU and Iowa drew 9.9 million viewers to ESPN, thanks in no small part to the intriguing matchup pitting Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese.

Who would’ve guessed LSU-Iowa would battle the World Series for ratings supremacy?

Of course, the World Series ratings figure to pick up if the series goes six or seven games. The Rangers could end it Wednesday as they lead 3-1 heading into Game 5 at Chase Field in Phoenix.

But based on recent trends, it’s still likely to go down as one of the lowest-rated of all time. Last year’s edition, which featured the Houston Astros’ six-game win over the Philadelphia Phillies, was the second-lowest average viewership ever, bettering only the Los Angeles Dodgers win over the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020, the pandemic-shortened season.

That’s obviously not a good trend for baseball, a sport that’s now vastly different from the one you and I grew up watching. Starters yanked before their third time around the order. Hitters strike out swinging for the fences when they only need to make contact. Managers make bullpen decisions based on pregame strategizing by their general managers.

Those are but a few examples of how the game has evolved, for better or worse.

A better matchup would’ve helped, obviously, and it’s no surprise Rangers-Diamondbacks hasn’t moved the needle.

The expanded postseason gave the sixth-seeded Diamondbacks an opportunity to sneak in despite going 34-44 (a .429 winning percentage) from July 2 to the end of the regular season. They did manage to beat the collapsing Cubs in six out of seven games in September, which ultimately made a difference in the tight National League wild-card race.

Only the most die-hard baseball fans outside of Arizona knew the names of more than a handful of the Diamondbacks players heading into the postseason. Several have made themselves known this October, including Ketel Marte and Mt. Carmel grad Alek Thomas. Arizona took advantage of the opportunity and upset the star-studded Dodgers and Phillies on their way to the World Series, so no one can say they didn’t earn it.

Yet the lack of star power remains. When the Game 3 starter is rookie Brandon Pfaadt, who finished with a 3-9 record and a 5.72 ERA, you know this is a team without much pitching depth.

The Texas Rangers aren’t exactly a dominant club either, earning a wild card after finishing behind the Houston Astros in the AL West. But their quest for the first championship in franchise history should make this Series watchable, much as it did for the ’16 Cubs. And at least they have some recognizable players like Seager and Marcus Semien, while García made a name for himself with a brilliant performance in the American League Championship Series.

Still, a World Series needs superstars. Until MLB figures out a way to get the game’s two biggest stars — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge — into a World Series, it’s probably doomed to repeat the trend of diminishing audiences for the foreseeable future.

That’s no problem for you or me. We’re watching no matter who is playing. If you’re just a fan who loves watching baseball, you don’t care about World Series ratings. You just want to see some good games and some memorable moments. There’s still a chance this one will deliver its share of both.

But if you’re Manfred or MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark, you have to be concerned about the game’s future.

The decision to add more wild card teams — meaning more postseason games to sell to media outlets — hasn’t seemed to make a dent in viewer interest. Reducing game times might have worked well in the regular season, but perhaps doesn’t really matter as much in October.

The next obvious move is to implement the automated strike zone, which was brought up by Fox announcer Joe Davis after an egregious call by plate umpire Alfonso Márquez against the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3. If that call had gone against the New York Yankees in a World Series game, robo-umps would already be a done deal.

No matter how this one turns out, it’s going to take a lot of brainstorming by MLB executives this offseason to figure out how to make the World Series a must-see event for all fans.

Denying the obvious is no longer an option.

Numbers don’t lie.

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The Chicago Sky are looking ahead after naming a new head coach and general manager.

Every Wednesday throughout the season, Tribune writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead for the Bulls, Sky and local hoops.

Chicago Bulls finish whirlwind first week of the season 2-2

The Bulls could not have gotten off to a rockier start — a blowout loss and a players meeting on the first night of the season. Players were furious after taking an “unacceptable” 124-104 beating from the Oklahoma City Thunder at home. They responded two nights later by scrabbling for an overtime win punctuated by an 18-point fourth quarter from DeMar DeRozan and a game-winning 3-pointer by Alex Caruso.

But the win didn’t shake off any of the uncertainty facing the Bulls. They dropped a 118-102 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday despite a career-high 51-point performance from Zach LaVine, then grinded out a 112-105 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday by slowing things down on the defensive end.

Despite very little turnover in the roster, things still aren’t clicking for the Bulls. Their offensive rating is sixth-lowest in the league (104.5) and their defense hasn’t been as smothering as it was last season. The offense has succeeded in taking more 3-pointers only to see their accuracy plummet to 29.4%.

“It’s something that we have to figure out,” LaVine said after the loss in Detroit. “The first through games, we haven’t gotten 100% of it yet. We’re trying to figure out something that isn’t working. We’re gonna stick with it though.”

Chicago Sky find their new head coach and general manager

The Chicago Sky set the stage for a new era over the past week as they filled the head coach and general manager positions.

Teresa Weatherspoon introduced herself to Chicago last Tuesday in a news conference with chairman Nadia Rawlinson and star Kahleah Copper. Weatherspoon will be a first-time coach in the WNBA after serving as head coach for Louisiana Tech and an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. The Hall of Famer’s selection as head coach was met with immediate enthusiasm from Copper and her teammates, who feel Weatherspoon’s vision for the Sky fits their identity as players.

“From the very first conversation, we connected over energy,” Copper said. “I’ve never had a coach that could really match my energy and that really hit me.”

On Tuesday, the Sky named Jeff Pagliocca their new general manager. This will be the first time the franchise has split the positions of general manager and head coach. Pagliocca worked with the Sky over the past four seasons as a player development coach and adviser to the head coach. His experience as a talent scout and skills coach will be critical for the Sky to acquire and develop the correct personnel to fit with Weatherspoon’s system.

What to know about the NBA in-season tournament

The Bulls play their first game of the in-season tournament Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. The night will feel like any other regular-season game — except the jersey and courts will be different and the stakes will be higher for players.

The in-season tournament is a new addition for the NBA designed to raise the interest and competition level of games throughout the first three months of the season. Teams were seeded into groups of five based on their record in the 2022-23 season. The Bulls are in Eastern Conference Group C with the Nets, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic.

Each team will play four group-stage games and the top team will advance to a knockout round, along with an additional wild-card team from each conference.

The Bulls will play three more group-stage games this month:

• Nov. 17 vs. Orlando Magic
• Nov. 24 at Toronto Raptors
• Nov. 28 at Boston Celtics

If they win their group, they will advance to the quarterfinals which take place on Dec. 4-5. The semifinal and final games of the tournament will be hosted at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The league is incentivizing player performance in the tournament through financial prizes. Each player on the championship team will receive $500,000; players on the second-place team will receive $200,000; players on the losing semifinalist teams will receive $100,000; and players on the losing quarterfinalist teams will receive $50,000.

Could Skylar Diggins-Smith join the Chicago Sky?

WNBA free agency is only months away and one player in particular has become an item of interest in Chicago: Skylar Diggins-Smith.

It’s clear that Diggins-Smith will not return to Phoenix after her relationship with the team and fellow star Diana Taurasi grew contentious over the last two years. The six-time All-Star took to social media last week and asked fans to submit their pitches for which teams she should look at as she enters free agency this January.

Diggins-Smith would be an asset to any team, but especially for the Sky, who spent most of last season scrambling for a solution at point guard. The Sky spent most of this year converting Courtney Williams from shooting guard to point guard, a challenging transition that didn’t allow high-scoring stars like Marina Mabrey and Kahleah Copper to play to their full potential.

The Sky need to make a change at point guard. Could Diggins-Smith be the answer? The key is making the right pitch to one of the most sought-after free agents this winter.

Weatherspoon brings a new level of recruiting star power to the Sky front office — and also has a long-standing relationship with Diggins-Smith. Copper also embraced the idea in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.

“Skylar would be a great fit,” Copper said. “I think she would help us get another championship.”

Signing Diggins-Smith could have another impact on the Sky roster — the future of Dana Evans, another local point guard from Indiana.

Evans has been patiently waiting in the wings for three seasons, holding down a key role as the first player off the bench for the Sky last season. But if the Sky commit to yet another starting point guard in free agency, Evans could become antsy to find a new home where she has a more visible path into the starting lineup.

Number of the week: 51

Zach LaVine scored a career–high 51 points in Saturday’s loss against the Detroit Pistons. His scoring made up exactly half the Bulls’ total offense — which finished with 102 points — but wasn’t enough to lift the team to a win.

LaVine went 19-for-32 from the field and also tallied four rebounds, but did not register a single assist in the game. He was the first player to score more than 50 points without an assist since 2018, when Klay Thompson accomplished the same feat with the Golden State Warriors.

The explosive scoring session came after a sluggish start for LaVine, who scored a combined 24 points on 7-for-30 shooting through the opening two games of the season. LaVine has been dealing with back stiffness throughout the opening week, which partially impacted his play. Despite being listed on the injury report due to back spasms on Saturday, he chose to play the second game of a back-to-back on the road in Detroit.

“Obviously, I wasn’t happy with the way I was performing and the way the offense was looking,” LaVine said. “I came out wanting to be real aggressive. Obviously, I got it going. It’s upsetting, you have a performance like that and lose. It sucks.”

Week ahead: Bulls

• Wednesday: @ Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
• Thursday: Off
• Friday: vs. Nets, in-season tournament, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
• Saturday: @ Denver Nuggets, 8 p.m., NBCSCH+, NBA TV
• Sunday: Off
• Monday: vs. Utah Jazz, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago
• Tuesday: Off

What we’re reading this morning

• Zach LaVine frustrated with shaky Bulls offense after his career night: ‘We’re trying to figure out something that isn’t working’
• Column: Teresa Weatherspoon is here to ‘stir things up’ for the Sky, but the GM will be key to the recipe
• Can anyone challenge Purdue? A team-by-team look at the Big Ten for the 2023-24 season.
• Who can catch Iowa in the Big Ten women’s race? Ohio State, Illinois and Indiana are eager to mix it up.
• Caitlin Clark’s production and panache make her a women’s basketball ambassador, a role she embraces at Iowa
• Column: There’s nothing wrong with trash talk in women’s sports — it’s the reactions to it that sometimes turn ugly
• ‘There’s a defiance to him’: How Coby White redefined his game to get a 2nd chance as the Bulls starting point guard
• What to know about the Bulls roster — and the expectations for the 2023-24 NBA season

Quotable

“I am one who has been told many times, ‘no.’ I am one who has (seen) doors closed many times. If you don’t get in the door, you got to get in a window. So I’m coming through the window. They don’t call me Spoon for nothing, I’m here to stir things up.” — Chicago Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon

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Here are the rankings heading into Week 9:

1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-1, No. 2)

Last week: Win vs. Commanders, 38-31

Up next: vs. Cowboys

The Eagles needed three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter to finally pull away, but they once again proved their mettle. It helps to have Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, who connected for two touchdown passes to help cover for a defense that allowed 26 first downs and 6.8 yards per play. Brown has blossomed into a superstar in Philly, becoming the first player in NFL history with 125-plus receiving yards in six consecutive games. All eyes will be on the status of Hurts’ injured knee heading into an intriguing matchup against Dallas.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2, No. 1)

Last week: Loss vs. Broncos, 24-9

Up next: vs. Dolphins in Germany

Was that clunker in Denver just a bad day or a cause for concern? Dealing with flu-like symptoms, Patrick Mahomes had one of his worst performances in a Chiefs uniform, throwing two interceptions and failing to record a touchdown pass for the first time since Dec. 5, 2021. The lack of receiving talent around tight end Travis Kelce is more glaring than ever, and Kansas City was only able to muster 62 rushing yards. Once in the driver’s seat, the Chiefs now find themselves in a crowded race for the top seed in the AFC.

3. Ravens (6-2, No. 3)

Last week: Win vs. Cardinals, 31-24

Up next: vs. Seahawks

The win in Arizona was a Rorschach test for the Ravens’ Super Bowl hopes. Did Lamar Jackson’s uneven performance against the Cardinals’ drop coverage reveal a blueprint for potential playoff opponents? Is Gus Edwards good enough to carry the running game down the stretch? Should Baltimore be concerned by the lack of production from free agent receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor? Is the defense vulnerable to lapses against inferior opponents? Just how good is a secondary that must continue to rely on Geno Stone and Brandon Stephens? There’s little doubt the Ravens have been playing well enough to be considered a title contender, but general manager Eric DeCosta is making a big bet on this group by not making any meaningful additions at the trade deadline.

4. Miami Dolphins (5-2, No. 5)

Last week: Win vs. Patriots, 31-17

Up next: vs. Chiefs in Germany

When the Dolphins’ stars are shining, they’re hard to beat. Tua Tagovailoa leads the league with 2,416 passing yards, Tyreek Hill is the first player in the Super Bowl era to top 1,000 receiving yards through eight games and cornerback Jalen Ramsey intercepted a pass in his team debut, helping push Miami to 6-2 for the first time since 2001. When left tackle Terron Armstead comes back and the offensive line gets closer to full strength, the Dolphins could look even better.

5. Dallas Cowboys (5-2, No. 6)

Last week: Win vs. Rams, 43-20

Up next: at Eagles

When everything clicks, the Cowboys sure are impressive. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb torched the Rams’ defense, while DaRon Bland recorded his NFL-leading third pick-six and Micah Parsons wreaked havoc in the backfield. Dallas also excelled on special teams, with Sam Williams blocking a punt for a safety and KaVontae Turpin returning the ensuing kick 63 yards. The Cowboys failed their first big test in a blowout loss to the 49ers, but they’ll get the chance to prove themselves this week against Philadelphia.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2, No. 7)

Last week: Win vs. Steelers, 20-10

Up next: Bye

The Jaguars have been far from dominant, but they haven’t started the season 6-2 since 1999. Winning ugly in Pittsburgh is almost a rite of passage for any AFC contender, and Jacksonville accomplished that despite turning the ball over on two of its three trips inside the red zone. The Jaguars are expected to get four injured starters back after the bye week, which will be crucial in keeping pace in a tight conference race.

7. San Francisco 49ers (5-3, No. 4)

Last week: Loss vs. Bengals, 31-17

Up next: Bye

Make that three straight losses for the team that topped these rankings just three weeks ago. Poor defense and costly mistakes on offense have been a toxic mix, as quarterback Brock Purdy committed three turnovers in the second half Sunday while Joe Burrow ruthlessly picked the 49ers’ secondary apart. When Purdy is outgaining Christian McCaffrey on the ground, you know something is wrong. Perhaps the addition of Commanders defensive end Chase Young will help reignite a pass rush that has curiously struggled to record sacks despite boasting a surplus of talent up front.

8. Buffalo Bills (5-3, No. 8)

Last week: Win vs. Buccaneers, 24-18

Up next: at Bengals

Don’t forget about the Bills. While Buffalo teetered on the edge of disaster in recent weeks, it rebounded well Thursday night behind a solid performance on both sides of the ball. Josh Allen’s right shoulder injury didn’t seem to bother him too much, and Khalil Shakir might have announced himself as the third receiver the Bills have been looking for. Buffalo also addressed a glaring weak spot at the deadline, acquiring veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas from the Packers after being forced to rely on practice squad call-up Josh Norman.

9. Detroit Lions (6-2, No. 9)

Last week: Win vs. Raiders, 26-14

Up next: Bye

The Lions quickly put a humbling loss behind them and showed maturity in finishing off the Raiders on Monday night. Three Detroit turnovers, including a pick-six by Marcus Peters to pull Las Vegas within two points in the fourth quarter, and a 1-for-5 performance in the red zone kept the Lions from running up the score as they piled up 486 yards and allowed just 157. Six sacks, including two from defensive tackle Alim McNeill, continued a strong start to the season for the defense. The addition of Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones is also a nice swing for a team that could use a big body on the outside.

10. Seattle Seahawks (5-2, No. 12)

Last week: Win vs. Browns, 24-20

Up next: at Ravens

If not for an interception that deflected off safety Jamal Adams’ helmet with 1:57 remaining Sunday, the Seahawks might have suffered a regrettable defeat. But thanks to that play and some great throws from Geno Smith on Seattle’s final drive, the Seahawks have a half-game lead in the NFC West. There were enough struggles on offense and some disappointing moments from the defense Sunday to feel uncertain about Seattle’s division title prospects, but given the state of the NFC, this team might already be a playoff lock.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3, No. 11)

Last week: Win vs. 49ers, 31-17

Up next: vs. Bills

Welcome back, Joe Burrow. The Bengals star quarterback finished 28-for-32 — including 19 straight completions at one point — for 283 yards and three touchdowns to lead a dominant win over what’s still considered one of the best teams in the league. It was a far cry from Burrow’s statuesque performances as he dealt with a calf injury during Cincinnati’s 1-3 start. Don’t overlook the Bengals’ ground game, either, which helped make play-action passes from under center — something Burrow said he worked hard on all offseason — more effective.

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3, No. 10)

Last week: Loss vs. Seahawks, 24-20

Up next: vs. Cardinals

Given the mix of talent and potential, this might be the most frustrating team in the league. The lack of clarity with quarterback Deshaun Watson, both in his ability and his availability, has created an awkward situation that has threatened to derail the season and coach Kevin Stefanski’s tenure. Backup P.J. Walker, who has just one touchdown pass and five interceptions in three games, is simply not good enough. Even if Watson does come back from his shoulder injury soon, it might be a while before we know whether Cleveland is truly a playoff contender.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (3-4, No. 21)

Last week: Win vs. Bears, 30-13

Up next: at Jets

With a healthy Justin Herbert, the Chargers are dangerous. Playing without a glove for the first time since fracturing the middle finger on his left hand in Week 4, Herbert completed his first 15 passes and led Los Angeles to points on each of its first five drives in a dominant win. Austin Ekeler led the team in receiving yards, and rookie Quentin Johnston even got involved. There’s still a long way to go, but the Chargers have kept their playoff hopes alive.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3, No. 13)

Last week: Loss vs. Jaguars, 20-10

Up next: vs. Titans

Injuries to quarterback Kenny Pickett (ribs) and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (hamstring) don’t bode well for a team that has been winning by the slimmest of margins all season. While Pittsburgh’s defense has been good enough to keep the team in every game, it must be even better if the offense has to rely on backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky and an ineffective running game.

15. New Orleans Saints (4-4, No. 23)

Last week: Win vs. Colts, 38-27

Up next: vs. Bears

Now we know how good the Saints offense can be. Derek Carr hit several long passes to Rashid Shaheed, Michael Thomas and Chris Olave as New Orleans averaged 17.7 yards per reception and recorded 511 total yards, its most since 2020. Taysom Hill, at the right moments, remains an effective weapon. After hitting a rough patch, the Saints are still tied for first in the NFC South.

16. Atlanta Falcons (4-4, No. 15)

Last week: Loss vs. Titans, 28-23

Up next: vs. Vikings

While the Falcons have been saying all the right things when it comes to Desmond Ridder, we might have seen the beginning of a quarterback change Sunday. After Ridder was sacked five times and lost his sixth fumble of the season, he was replaced by Taylor Heinicke, who finished 12 of 21 for 175 yards and a touchdown as Atlanta scored 20 second-half points. Given a division title is within reach, the Falcons can’t be too patient with their second-year quarterback.

17. New York Jets (4-3, No. 19)

Last week: Win vs. Giants, 13-10 (OT)

Up next: vs. Chargers

The Jets snatched victory from the jaws of defeat Sunday, as a missed 35-yard field goal attempt by the Giants’ Graham Gano with 28 seconds left gave Zach Wilson enough time to complete two long passes to set up the game-tying field goal at the end of regulation. Wilson then helped lead the Jets down the field on their first possession of overtime — aided by a pass interference penalty — before Greg Zuerlein kicked the game-winning 33-yarder. It was an ugly win that featured a combined 24 punts, 15 penalties and four third-down conversions on 34 attempts, but it puts the Jets above .500 as they await the potential return of Aaron Rodgers.

18. Minnesota Vikings (4-4, No. 14)

Last week: Win vs. Packers, 24-10

Up next: at Falcons

Kirk Cousins’ time in Minnesota might be over. The 35-year-old quarterback reportedly suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Sunday’s win, and his contract voids at the end of the season. The Vikings must now hang their playoff hopes on Joshua Dobbs, who was acquired at the trade deadline after an up-and-down stint as the Cardinals’ starter.

19. Tennessee Titans (3-4, No. 25)

Last week: Win vs. Falcons, 28-23

Up next: vs. Vikings

The Titans might have their answer at quarterback. Rookie Will Levis threw four touchdown passes in his NFL debut, and while many of those deep throws required plenty of luck, the former Kentucky star gives the offense some much-needed juice. It helps to have DeAndre Hopkins on the receiving end, too. How Levis plays in a short week against a strong Steelers defense will help answer some questions about his potential.

20. Houston Texans (3-4, No. 17)

Last week: Loss vs. Panthers, 15-13

Up next: vs. Buccaneers

After a blazing start, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has cooled off recently, which first-year coach DeMeco Ryans said is the result of defenses seeing more film of the Ohio State star and making adjustments. How the No. 2 overall pick adjusts himself will be the most interesting storyline to watch for the rest of Houston’s season.

21. Los Angeles Rams (3-5, No. 16)

Last week: Loss vs. Cowboys, 43-20

Up next: at Packers

The Rams’ season hinges on the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right thumb and is day to day. But he hasn’t been very effective when he does play, completing just 59.7% of his passes and ranking 24th in passer rating. Coach Sean McVay will need to work some magic to keep this team afloat.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4, No. 18)

Last week: Loss vs. Bills, 24-18

Up next: at Texans

Three straight losses have quickly overshadowed a strong start for Tampa Bay. An ineffective rushing attack has put too much on the shoulders of Baker Mayfield, who hasn’t been good enough to elevate the offense by himself. The Bucs have averaged just 16.3 points per game, which ranks 26th in the league.

23. Denver Broncos (3-5, No. 24)

Last week: Win vs. Chiefs, 24-9

Up next: Bye

It might have felt like it at times, but this is far from the worst team in the league. Ending a 16-game losing streak against the Chiefs could be a turning point for Denver, which might have found a winning formula behind running back Javonte Williams and an effective ground game. Maybe Russell Wilson is turning the corner, too.

24. Indianapolis Colts (3-5, No. 20)

Last week: Loss vs. Saints, 38-27

Up next: at Panthers

While the Colts offense has been surprisingly good with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, his nine turnovers in four starts have been costly. And as promising as first-year coach Shane Steichen has been as the offensive play-caller, his unwillingness to rely on a running game that averaged 6.8 yards per carry Sunday was puzzling. Jonathan Taylor had just one carry after rushing for 94 yards in the first half, while Minshew finished with 41 pass attempts.

25. Washington Commanders (3-5, No. 22)

Last week: Loss vs. Eagles, 38-31

Up next: at Patriots

The Commanders are clearly thinking long term, for better or worse. After coming up just short against the Eagles, they traded a pair of promising pass rushers, sending Montez Sweat to the Bears for a 2024 second-round pick and Chase Young to the 49ers for a 2024 compensatory third-round selection. Washington now has nine draft picks next year, including five in the first three rounds. It’s smart business, considering both players are pending free agents, but it’s certainly disappointing to give up on the season this early.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (3-5, No. 29)

Last week: Loss vs. Lions, 26-14

Up next: vs. Giants

The return of Jimmy Garoppolo was not enough to lift the Raiders offense, as he finished 10 of 21 for 126 yards and an interception while taking six sacks. Davante Adams had just one catch on seven targets, and Jakobi Meyers had just one reception on the only pass thrown his way. The defense led by Maxx Crosby is competing hard, but that effort is being wasted. The disappointing start has cost coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler their jobs.

27. Chicago Bears (2-6, No. 26)

Last week: Loss vs. Chargers, 30-13

Up next: at Saints

While backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and the Bears’ rushing attack could not get much going on offense, it was the defense that was a much bigger disappointment. Chicago did not force a punt until the middle of the third quarter and allowed the Chargers to convert on 7 of 12 third downs. According to ESPN, the Bears did not generate pressure on 30 of Herbert’s 40 dropbacks. Perhaps the addition of Sweat will boost the pass rush, though it’s a curious trade considering he could be a half-season rental.

28. New England Patriots (2-6, No. 27)

Last week: Loss vs. Dolphins, 31-17

Up next: vs. Commanders

Given how badly Mac Jones has struggled this season, it seems likely the Patriots will be drafting a quarterback in April. New England is on pace to have a top-five pick, something it hasn’t done since taking defensive end Willie McGinest at No. 4 overall in 1994.

29. Green Bay Packers (2-5, No. 31)

Last week: Loss vs. Vikings, 24-10

Up next: vs. Rams

Maybe surrounding Jordan Love with the league’s youngest group of pass catchers wasn’t such a good idea. The first-year starter has looked overwhelmed during a four-game losing streak, throwing four touchdown passes to seven interceptions. The defense has been equally disappointing, ranking 28th in efficiency according to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA.

30. New York Giants (2-6, No. 28)

Last week: Loss vs. Jets, 13-10 (OT)

Up next: at Raiders

Nobody expected Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito to be leading the offense, but recording minus-9 passing yards in an NFL game is embarrassing, no matter the circumstances. The Giants rank last in the league in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game, and don’t seem to have any answers. After receiving a new contract this season, Daniel Jones must prove he’s capable of lifting the offense out of this rut.

31. Carolina Panthers (1-6, No. 32)

Last week: Win vs. Texans, 15-13

Up next: vs. Colts

Bryce Young picked a good time to deliver his best game as a pro, as the No. 1 overall pick helped deliver Carolina’s first fourth-quarter comeback since 2018. Rumblings about Stroud being the better option began after the No. 2 pick’s strong start to the season, but Young showed enough growth Sunday to feel good about the direction of the franchise.

32. Arizona Cardinals (1-7, No. 30)

Last week: Loss vs. Ravens, 31-24

Up next: at Browns

The real season might be about to start for Arizona. Coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday there’s a chance Kyler Murray could start this week as the star quarterback gets set to return from ACL surgery. The only fair evaluation of this team should come with Murray under center, but it could take a while for him to get back on track as he adjusts to a new group of players and coaches.

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McDaniels and Ziegler left the Patriots for Las Vegas in Jan. 2022 and lasted just a season and a half together. The last time McDaniels was fired as a head coach in 2010, he spent one season working outside of New England, then returned for a second stint starting in the 2011 playoffs. He was later promoted back to his old post as offensive coordinator, where he remained for the next 10 years.

So could McDaniels return for a third stint?

Bill Belichick deflected when asked about McDaniels’ firing during his Wednesday morning press conference.

“Yeah, just heard about it this morning,” Belichick said. “Again, just trying to get ready for Washington.”

As for a possible reunion, Belichick reiterated: “Just getting ready for Washington.”

Under new coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien, the Patriots offense ranks second-worst in the league at 14.8 points per game. Last season, Belichick replaced McDaniels with the combination of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge. Patricia left after his only year as a play-caller, having overseen the worst Patriots offense of the Belichick era, while Judge was reassigned from quarterbacks coach to assistant head coach with an emphasis on special teams.

The Patriots will kick off against the Commanders at 1 p.m. Sunday from Gillette Stadium.

On Wednesday, Bill Belichick took his first questions about the team’s inactivity at the deadline. Belichick deflected the first two questions, saying his focus was on preparing for Sunday’s game against Washington. On Tuesday, the Commanders (3-4) were among the most active teams at the deadline, trading defensive ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat for picks in the second and third round of next year’s draft.

Pressed about any trade talks the Patriots (2-6) might have had Tuesday, Belichick repeatedly declined to offer specifics and called it “just another day.”

Below is a complete transcript of Belichick’s comments Wednesday related to the trade deadline:

Q: The trade deadline was yesterday. Was it a busy day for you guys?

Belichick: “Yeah, we’re getting ready for Washington.”

Q: Were you close on anything?

Belichick: “Spent time getting ready for Washington.”

Q: When you say you spent time getting ready for Washington yesterday, is that just there wasn’t much sort of percolated on the trade front for you guys?

Belichick: “Yeah, again, we talked about this the other day. The personnel department, the coaching department, we talked about that last week. It’s just another day.”

Q: So there really weren’t any decisions to make on your end?

Belichick: “If there was anything to talk about, we talked about it. If there wasn’t anything to talk about, then I worked on Washington, and the personnel people worked on personnel things.”

Q: “Bill, I’m really not trying to beat a dead horse here, but I just want to clarify you mentioned the personnel department handles the trade stuff and trade discussions maybe with other teams, but you are part of the personnel department here, why –“

Belichick: “Phil (Perry), I just said the same thing. We talked about this 50 times. If they have something that they think I need to know about, then we talk about it. If I have a personnel situation that I think they need to know about, I tell them about it, and then they look into it. It’s the same thing I’ve said the last 50 times we’ve talked about this. We work together when there’s something to work together on. If there’s not something to work together on, I coach, they do personnel.”

Q: “I was just trying to clarify just because you make it sound like two different things. Our understanding is you’re part of –“

Belichick: “Yes, if there’s something that we need to talk about, then we talk about it. And if there isn’t something to talk about, we don’t just sit there and stare at each other all day. We both have other stuff to do. Their department, the coaching apartment, there’s other things going on. So we don’t just sit there and stare at each other and see if the phone’s going to ring or there’s going to be something on the news or whatever. We have stuff to do.”

The Orioles complete that trio of past losers, and although an American League Division Series sweep at the hands of the Rangers prevented them from reaching that same stage, their regular season featured more accomplishments than either club. After going 52-110 in 2021, Baltimore won 101 games and the AL East in 2023, enjoying what was comfortably MLB’s largest two-year improvement over the past century.

If Texas claims its first championship, it will have only two more victories across the regular season and postseason than the Orioles managed, while it’s not possible for Arizona to catch Baltimore in that regard. Yet, the Rangers and Diamondbacks are in the World Series, and the Orioles are at home.

Both teams, though, offer templates for Baltimore heading into the offseason. At his end-of-the-season news conference about 36 hours after the Orioles were eliminated, executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias had little to say when it came to how he’ll approach the winter, saying that it was too early and not necessarily beneficial to dive into details. But aspects of the last two clubs standing exemplify checklist items for Elias and Baltimore’s front office this offseason.

Add legitimate pitching

Before Wednesday’s waiver claim of left-hander Tucker Davidson from the Kansas City Royals, here were the pitchers the Orioles had acquired directly onto their 40-man roster over the past year: free-agent signees Kyle Gibson and Mychal Givens; trade acquisitions Darwinzon Hernández, Cole Irvin, Danny Coulombe, Shintaro Fujinami and Jack Flaherty; waiver claims Jacob Webb and Jorge López; and Rule 5 draft pick Andrew Politi. Collectively, the group cost the Orioles about $20 million and five prospects Baseball America ranked among their top 30 at the time of the trades, though all were outside the organization’s top 10.

None of those pitchers started a playoff game. Politi, Givens, Hernández and López didn’t make it to the end of the season in the organization. Irvin and Fujinami were left off the ALDS roster. The two highest-paid pitchers on it, Gibson and Flaherty, were used as long relievers when the Orioles were being blown out. Webb surrendered a game-deciding home run in Game 1 and a grand slam that broke open Game 2. Acquired for cash from the Minnesota Twins on the cusp of the season, Coulombe was the only member of this group to be worth at least one win above replacement in the regular season using the methodologies of both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference.

Comparatively, among the pitchers the Rangers have added in that same span are multitime Cy Young Award winners Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer; veteran left-handers Jordan Montgomery and Andrew Heaney; and dominant postseason pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. All have made at least one start during the playoffs except deGrom, who in six starts before Tommy John elbow reconstruction produced as many wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference, or more than all of Baltimore’s additions other than Coulombe.

The Diamondbacks were relatively tame, though their trade to acquire closer Paul Sewald from Seattle has paid off handsomely in the postseason. Their top starter, Zac Gallen, was acquired in a 2019 trade and has since blossomed into a Cy Young Award candidate; the Orioles perhaps have their own version of that in Kyle Bradish, who leads their core of early-career starters.

But as the ALDS showed, greater fortification is needed. Baltimore has shown reluctance to make splashy moves, but one wouldn’t necessarily be required. Eovaldi, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball to knock out the Orioles, signed for a guaranteed two years and $34 million, a deal structure Elias said the Orioles have had on the table with players they were unable to acquire.

“Those pursuits will be on the menu again,” he said. “We’re trying to win.”

Extend a young star

The Diamondbacks aren’t going to the World Series because they signed rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll to an eight-year, $111 million extension before this season. But it could help the possibility of returning throughout the 2020s.

Including a club option for 2031, the agreement goes for three seasons beyond Carroll’s initial period of team control. As Arizona fans have watched him shine in the postseason — including three key hits against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series — they do so knowing their prized phenom will be a Diamondback for years to come.

Orioles fans do not have the same certainty. In nearly five years under Elias, the only guaranteed multiyear contracts Baltimore has given out have been two-year pacts with pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery. None of those agreements bought out any would-be free-agent seasons.

Infielder Gunnar Henderson, Carroll’s AL counterpart as the favorite for Rookie of the Year, has five more years of club control remaining, and catcher Adley Rutschman, the runner-up for that honor last year, has four left. In that sense, there’s not exactly a rush to ink the pair — Elias’ first two draft picks with Baltimore and the club’s top position players by wins above replacement in 2023 — to long-term contracts. But several other teams have reached extended agreements with their phenoms, and the continued absence of such a deal with Henderson or Rutschman adds to the looming possibility they spend much of their careers elsewhere.

Any such thoughts among the fan base have been induced by the organization itself, with not only its lack of action but also its words. In August, Orioles CEO and Chairman John Angelos told The New York Times the franchise would struggle financially to retain all of its young talent.

“When people talk about giving this player $200 million, that player $150 million, we would be so financially underwater that you’d have to raise the prices massively,” Angelos said.

Asked about the veracity of that comment after the season, Elias said, in his experience, “things don’t [always] come out exactly how you meant them” when speaking with media before saying the front office “quietly” examines extension possibilities.

“We are very focused on keeping this organization as successful and healthy as possible within the constraints of reality,” Elias said. “Obviously, we have players here that we love, and you look at it right now and you go, ‘Boy, I wish we had those guys under contract for longer than they currently are,’ and a big part of the calculus of keeping this franchise healthy, is pursuing or examining opportunities to possibly keep some of these guys longer. I’ve said it over and over. We quietly work on this in the background. I don’t want to be the one out talking about it, but obviously, that’s a part of our job as a front office to tackle that subject.”

Maximize playoff odds

Much was made of MLB’s playoff format when the four teams that won at least 99 regular-season games combined for one playoff win against 11 losses.

But the 90-win Rangers, the AL’s fifth seed, facing the 84-win Diamondbacks, the NL’s sixth seed, shows the importance of just getting into the field. Either team surely would have preferred a bye of the wild-card round and home-field advantage throughout the postseason en route to the Fall Classic, but they won enough in the regular season to get to the postseason, then won enough there to reach the World Series.

The Orioles’ approach to the 2022 trade deadline — when Elias focused more on future playoff pushes than the one in front of him — doesn’t need to be relitigated, especially given how well it has seemingly paid off for Baltimore’s long-term future. But it’s worth noting the 2023 Diamondbacks won one fewer game with a run differential one run worse than the 2022 Orioles. Cracking the field with a mid-80s win total gives a team as much of a shot of a World Series as triple-digit victories.

Perhaps that justifies Elias’ modest approach to both the offseason and trade deadline, acknowledging his intent was to put the Orioles in the postseason. They of course managed to exceed expectations, but they could have won 10 fewer games and made the playoffs regardless. Maybe the format devalues the regular season, but it also reinforces the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity to get beyond it.

Of course, teams such as Arizona are the exception, not the rule. According to FanGraphs, the Diamondbacks rank 20th in the majors in payroll, with a sizeable portion of theirs devoted to players no longer in the organization. Since 2008, the World Series winner has, on average, ranked in the top eight among the league’s 30 teams in payroll, with the average participant ranked in the top 12, according to data from Spotrac. Arizona is only the third team in that span ranked 20th or lower, with Tampa Bay’s pennant-winning clubs in 2008 and 2020 ranked 28th.

Each opponent the Diamondbacks beat to reach the World Series had a higher payroll, with Arizona going 9-3 as clubs with lower payrolls otherwise went 7-17 through the first three playoff rounds. That includes an 0-3 showing from the Orioles, who ended 2023 ranked 29th, against the eighth-ranked Rangers.

But the Orioles got in, and an offseason spent devoted to increasing the probability they do so again could be enough to find Baltimore playing at this time next year.

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They both started the year as starting pitchers, took steps back to lower levels because of fatigue and ended the season as reliable relievers in Baltimore’s bullpen.

Despite the growth from their respective journeys in 2023, Wells and Hall will likely begin the 2024 campaign in the same murky roles they were in last spring training: as starting rotation candidates who are also attractive options to be moved to the bullpen.

The two pitchers might have overcome similar challenges in 2023, but their approaches to the rotation competition during spring training couldn’t have been more different. Wells didn’t want to talk about it, while Hall said he fed off the “doubt” from those who didn’t believe he could be a starter. They could be in the same position when they report to spring training in four months.

Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said during his end-of-season news conference that he wouldn’t comment about specific players’ roles in 2024.

“I’m going to plead the fifth again,” he said when asked about Wells’ and Hall’s future.

However, Elias then acknowledged and praised them both for how they cleared their hurdles — Wells his second-half fatigue, Hall his early season velocity dip — to help the Orioles down the stretch.

As the Orioles spent most of the second half as the American League’s best team, it might have been easy to forget that Wells was an integral part of how they won so many games. In the first half, the 6-foot-8 right-hander was the club’s best starting pitcher and a legitimate candidate to make the All-Star team with a 3.18 ERA and MLB-best 0.927 WHIP, allowing two or fewer runs in 12 of his 17 first-half starts.

But the 104 2/3 innings he pitched before the All-Star break in early July were more than he’d recorded in a year since 2018 — the season before he underwent the Tommy John elbow reconstruction that altered the path of his career. He struggled once the second half began, as Elias later said he “hit a wall.” The Orioles demoted him to Double-A and he pitched only 14 2/3 innings over the next eight weeks, later transitioning to a relief role in Triple-A.

When he returned in late September, he was thrust into one of the highest-leverage moments of the Orioles’ season, saving their AL East-clinching win over the Boston Red Sox. He didn’t allow a run in seven appearances, the final three coming in the AL Division Series against the Texas Rangers.

“To get through that and then come up and then pitch like nails in a playoff race at a time when he was badly needed was inspiring to watch,” Elias said. “I wasn’t surprised. I mean, I know what he’s wired like, and I wasn’t surprised. We were counting on him, and he came through.”

Hall’s first half wasn’t as excellent as Wells’, as the left-hander pitched through diminished velocity that stemmed from his inability to weight train in the offseason because of lower back discomfort. That injury delayed his spring training, and Hall opened the year in Triple-A. In June, he took a step back to regain his velocity, going down to the team’s facility in Sarasota, Florida, to focus on building strength.

That strategy worked, and when he returned to the mound as a reliever, he had his old heater back. He was called up to aid the Orioles’ bullpen after closer Félix Bautista injured his elbow and went 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in 19 1/3 innings, including pitching in both of Baltimore’s clinch victories and two scoreless outings in the playoffs.

“DL … going to Florida and just being off the grid and just getting it all together at the exact perfect moment when we needed him most, is one of the many things that I’m very proud of with this group of guys,” Elias said.

“We haven’t even discussed, honestly, DL’s role next year,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’m just so excited about how he threw the ball in September and how he threw the ball on the national stage. Whatever we decide to do with him, he’s going to be a huge part of our team next year.”

With Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means, Dean Kremer and potentially an offseason acquisition ahead of Wells and Hall on the pecking order, it could make sense to keep them both in the bullpen. At the same time, though, Wells’ success as a big league starter and Hall’s excellent pitch arsenal and top prospect status could make it difficult to relegate them to lesser roles.

One factor that will be different next spring is Bautista’s absence and the potential need of a closer. With Bautista out for all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery earlier this month, the Orioles will need to fill what Elias called a “massive hole.” If Baltimore doesn’t address the need in free agency or via trade, Wells and Hall could be options to step into Bautista’s large shoes.

Wells, a Rule 5 draft pick, was a reliever as a rookie in 2021 and served as the team’s closer in September. Hall saved one game last season and finished three others this year, but his high-90s mph fastball and wicked offspeed stuff could make him a viable candidate.

Either way, the roles the two pitchers serve and who closes games will likely be some of the biggest questions facing the Orioles next spring.

“It’s going to be tough to replace him,” Elias said of Bautista, “so we’re going to bring all of our brain power towards answering that question.”

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The man in that charge of that offense has no illusions about the state of his unit.

“Yeah, it hasn’t been what we want it to be. It’s been very inconsistent,” Pats offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said Tuesday. “There’s been glimpses of, ‘Hey, this, this is good. This is what it can be, this is the rhythm that we need to get into, these are plays that are well-executed, well coached, well designed.’ And then these are other things that aren’t as good.

“So it’s very, very inconsistent.”

The Patriots appeared to make some progress during their loss at Las Vegas in Week 6, then their upset of the Bills in Week 7. But they scored just 17 points last Sunday at Miami, thanks to one touchdown drive on a short field and another against a prevent defense in the fourth quarter when the Dolphins had a 14-point lead.

The Pats have struggled in every area for long stretches of the season. Through eight games, they rank 24th in passing by DVOA and 19th in rushing. According to Pro Football Focus, the Patriots are a below-average offense in passing, pass-blocking, run-blocking and receiving.

Tying that all together is an offensive line that’s used 10 different combinations to start possessions this season, the result of several injuries and poor depth.

According to Grant, only he and Marquette coach Shaka Smart are beginning the 2023-24 season holding similar pat hands. The Eagles have three starters and nine lettermen back from a team that won eight regular season ACC games, including upset victories over Florida State and Virginia, and one in the conference tournament.

“We have nine returners, which is rare in this era with transfers and NIL,” said Grant. “Somebody told me at the ACC meetings there are only two teams (in Division 1) that have that many returners and they are Boston College and Marquette.

“It’s been pretty refreshing and there were times in practice before I can actually teach a play or teach a scheme, the older team might do it before I teach it.

“They teach the other guys on their own so there is a great understanding of what we are trying to do. That’s because of the continuity and all the returners.”

The trio of returning starters include 7-foot center Quinten Post, who missed the first half of last season with a foot injury, point guard Jaeden Zachary and forward Prince Aligbe, who lit it up during the Eagles’ summer tour in Europe.

Despite the wealth of depth and experience on the roster that accounted for nine conference wins, BC was picked to finish 12th in the ACC preseason poll. Post, who was the ACC Comeback Player of the Year last season, was voted preseason All-ACC second team and freshman guard Donald Hand was one of the five players listed on the Rookie of the Year watch.

“I pay attention to it and I don’t love it,” said Grant. “We have good players and they are doing some good things, but I don’t love it and I don’t get to vote on that for myself.

“Every year they vote us pretty low. We are going to keep working at it and focus on the non-conference and be as good as we can be when the time comes to play that second season.

“We know it’s a fight on every corner and we have a pretty good group. But I’m not going to dwell on that because that is where they picked us.”

The Eagles’ goal is to play in March beyond the ACC tournament and last season’s 16-17 overall record was the result of some unforgiveable non-conference setbacks. BC suffered toxic losses to Maine, Tarleton State and New Hampshire and struggled to beat Stonehill.

BC begins the season at Conte Forum against Fairfield on Monday, Nov. 8, and plays regional games against Harvard, Central Connecticut and Holy Cross. BC opens ACC play at North Carolina State on Dec. 2. Grant knows the Eagles must clean up on their non-conference opponents if they hope to compete in the Big Dance or the NIT.

“The goal is to be playing in March and having a chance to advance in March,” said Grant. “Whatever that means, that’s where we are at and that means progress and that’s breaking through to the other side.”

A tall order

Post describes himself as a “modern big.”

The 7-0, 250-pound graduate pivotman from Amsterdam elected to return the Heights to get more seasoning for what he hopes will lead to the pro career. That would involve establishing his credentials as a “modern big” for all to see in the rough and tumble of the ACC.

“The modern big means having the ball in your hands a lot,” said Post. “Old school basketball was post up with your back to the basket and then it got to the point where bigs were setting pick and rolls. The modern big knows how to play with the ball in his hands.

“That means he is a kind of playmaker, shooting the three, passing and dribbling. Those are the things I can do and make reads, find the open guy, shoot the ball and be a playmaker from the center position.”

Post also has some unfinished business to attend to. Post missed the front end of last season with a foot injury and only appeared in 19 games with 13 starts. He scored 286 points (15.1 ppg.) with 23 treys, 107 rebounds, 29 assists and 17 blocks. That was good enough to get some pre-NBA Draft workouts with the Celtics and the Nets.

“Had I been an NBA first round (pick), I of course would have gone,” said Post. “I was going to work out for five teams but I tweaked my ankle. It was super cool experience getting the feedback. I missed a lot of last season so a lot of these teams were not familiar with me. But they were intrigued with what I bring as a modern big.”

Minutes man

Zackery is the one returning starter best left on the floor in all situations.

That was certainly the case last year when he 6-2, 220-pound junior guard from Salem, Wis., appeared in 33 games with 31 starts and logged a staggering 1,093.33 minutes (33.1 per game). He finished second in scoring with 10.7 points per game and 31 treys. He led the team in assists (90) and steals (45), and grabbed 104 rebounds.

“This year I need to step up and be more aggressive and not just score points but create for everybody,” said Zachery.

Zackery would switch off from point guard to the shooting guard last season, sharing the ballhandling duties with Makai Ashton-Langford. Grant has several guys who can take it up the floor, but he wants Zachery full time at the 1 this season.

New old guy

BC has many ACC-tested players back, but the one that got away is the toughest to replace. Makai Ashton-Langford was the Eagles’ most influential can-do player on the floor because he could score from anywhere and defend like a demon, but he transferred to the University of Central Florida.

To help fill the void, Grant imported Claudell Harris Jr., a 6-3, 190-pound junior from Charleston Southern, where he was a Big South second team all-star. He wrapped up his sophomore year with 17.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

“I wanted to play in the ACC and Boston College gave me the opportunity to get play time, make shots and evolve my game,” said Harris.

New old look

Shooting guard Mason Madsen ditched the clean-cut well-adjusted Midwest look for something more West Coast radical chic from the 1970’s. Madsen let his hair grow out and donned an oversized logoed sweatband to go along with a full complement of facial hair.

“He looks like Bill Walton,” said Grant. “I don’t know if I’m going to have him clean it up if it gets too long, but he’s a free spirit. I don’t get caught up in guys trying to have their personalities and be themselves. I think he looks OK, like a hippie but he looks OK.”

In spite of his first name, Madsen didn’t throw up a lot of bricks last season. The 6-4, 195-pound senior guard from Rochester, Minn., led BC with 40 made three-point shots. Madsen played in a lot of pain last season and was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disease he is treating.

So did the NFL trade deadline.

Patriots fans got nothing but a bag of rocks.

The Great Pumpkin never materialized.

There was no all-in fire sale.

No deals. No nothing.

Same old, same old.

Rats! Bill held pat.

Robert remained MIA.

Or perhaps he stayed in MIA with his new wife, the esteemed Dr. Dana Blumberg. She is an actual doctor, having received a medical degree from St. Louis University.

Dr. Blumberg, 49, is a board-certified ophthalmologist and once taught ophthalmology at New York’s Columbia University. Presumably before it became a clearing house for Hamas sympathizers.

It might be time for Dr. Blumberg to give her husband a complete vision exam.

We’re not sure if Kraft can see that the Hoodie has no clothes.

Or that his team has done nothing but circle the rotary on Route 140 in Foxboro since Brady left in March 2020.

Or that losing is winning in 2023.

Or that Bill Belichick & Company’s time has passed.

We’ve covered some of this previously, but it must be noted again and again until the circumstances change just how far behind the Patriots have fallen in comparison to the competition.

The Dolphins might want to bronze Tua Tagovailoa. And not just because he’s one snap away from another season-curtailing injury.

You know by now Tua is 6-0 against Belichick.

More-so than any player not named Tom Brady, Tua has done more to keep Don Shula’s all-time wins record of 347 perennially out of reach for Belichick.

Brady giveth. And Brady curseth away.

It’s not just the six games.

Coach Mike McDaniel and Tua have demonstrated better than any other team that faces the Patriots on a regular basis just how much time has passed since Belichick Ball was a winnable proposition.

Belichick coached on a Giants team that won Super Bowl XXI with Phil Simms at QB. They won Super Bowl XXV with Jeff Hostetler taking snaps. Against Jim Kelly.

With that on the resume, it’s not hard to understand why Belichick continues to undervalue talented QBs.

Sunday at 9:30 a.m., you can watch a potential AFC championship preview from Germany as the Dolphins play the Chiefs in Germany. You will have an extra hour of sleep to prepare, as the clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday.

The Chiefs have won two Super Bowls since the Patriots won their last playoff game. This is where we remind you that Patrick Mahomes’ dad once played for the Red Sox. And Mahomes was taken with the 10th pick in the 2017 draft. The Patriots could win their next three games and still land the 10th pick in this QB-laden draft.

The Patriots wouldn’t give Brady two years guaranteed for $50 million after he won his sixth Super Bowl. The Chiefs gave Mahomes the biggest contract in NFL history. Andy Reid is no Gen Xer. He’s 65. But he hasn’t been afraid to adapt his game-plan to suit the NFL’s desire for action and push for skilled talent to replace skilled talent.

The Dolphins haven’t won a Super Bowl since Nixon was in the White House. They have the roster and talent now more than ever to succeed in the NFL.

The Dolphins could well snag home field in the AFC. Patriots fans know just how brutal games in January can be when you leave the snow and cold of New England for the bright sun, 88-degree temperatures and 91% humidity of Miami Gardens. Fans in Kansas City, Baltimore, Cincinnati, or Buffalo may learn that lesson soon.

We’re not sure if Kraft could see Stephen Ross (Stephen Freaking Ross!) celebrating in his owner’s box Sunday. We understand if Kraft couldn’t bear to watch. Ross was suspended by the NFL for 76 days last year after it was found his team tampered with Sean Payton and Brady.

If Kraft cannot visualize what’s happening, he may finally feel it in his wallet later this season when the stands in Foxboro are 40% empty – cutting in on concession sales – and next spring with the season ticket renewals fail to materialize.

It’s hard not to fault Belichick and Kraft for running the same playbook with a tight checkbook. Combined, they are 153 years old – 153 years ago, college football was in its second season. We didn’t have telephones, electric lights, or organized professional baseball.

Belichick is in his 49th season coaching in the NFL. Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994. That’s 78 years of collective experience coaching and owning in the NFL.

How dare you question them?

Patriots Twitter (X) tells us three of 191 NFL teams who started 2-6 made the playoffs, which means 188 have not.

The Patriots are 25-1 to make the playoffs, 120-1 to win the AFC East, 200-1 to win the AFC and, you might want to sit down for this one, 300-1 to win the Super Bowl. All those numbers come from DraftKings and have been translated from betting lingo to make it easier on the uninitiated.

The Patriots are 16th in a 16-team conference.

If they go any lower, they’ll be in the NFC.

The Patriots are no different than any great dynasty in its waning days.

Nothing works like it used to. The enemy is at the gates. (Or in the case of the Dolphins, swimming circles around you.)

The masses are restless. Past glories mask present misery.

The Kraft Family has replaced bread and circuses with free parking and a towering multi-million-dollar priapic lighthouse that can be interpreted in several ways.

Including as a giant middle-finger to the fan base.

Pretty soon, Kraft may see that same finger flashed a few thousand times in the stands at Gillette.

With or without an eye exam.

Bill Speros (@RealOBF and @Bill Speros on X) can be reached at bsperos1@gmail.com

For half the year, baseball teams play almost every day. For fans, the ritual of watching games, reading box scores, and following quotidian ups and downs of a team makes baseball an essential part of daily life in a way no other sport can.

Ironically, just at the moment that baseball has rightly adopted rule changes, like the pitch clock to bring the sport back to its faster-playing roots, Major League Baseball managed the unthinkable: It made the sacred regular season far less important. How? By preventing teams with the best records from playing any games for a week straight at the start of the playoffs, the most unnatural prison sentence possible for a baseball team.

Thus, the three teams (Braves, Dodgers, Orioles) who this year won 100 or more regular season games — the classic benchmark of a great team — were each colder than ice after the enforced weeklong layoff, collectively losing nine out of 10 playoff games, and so were quickly eliminated. Note that each 100-game winner was necessarily playing against teams that had just come off winning the previous three-game series, and so were facing teams still in season form and playing well.

Face it, MLB: Keeping teams with the best records from playing baseball for a week is a huge penalty, the baseball equivalent of jail, not a reward.

The problem is extended playoff schemes, which were originally sold as just an expedient needed due to the COVID pandemic. But greedy MLB executives and owners realized they could also squeeze in a few extra playoff games if they perpetuated a system where six teams in each league qualified. If baseball insists on six teams from each league, then two teams simply have to sit while the other four play.

During its first 65 years, the World Series featured just one team from each league with the best regular season record. Then for the next 25 years, from 1969 to 1993, only two teams in each league qualified for the playoffs.

Now 12 teams, or more than a third of the entire MLB’s 30 teams, qualify for what is effectively a tournament. Is it any surprise we have Arizona and Texas in the World Series this year, two teams that not only did not win their divisions, but finished at or near the bottom in wins of all qualifying teams.

But the current format is even more insidious than that. It encourages teams to create rosters geared just for the postseason, favoring two or three pitchers who might dominate absurdly short three-game and then five-game series, rather than prizing the traditional four or five-pitcher rotations by requiring all seven-game playoff series. In short, all that matters now is getting in the dance, and having a couple of hot pitchers and hitters.

To reestablish its identity and the integrity of its regular season, baseball needs to return to a saner postseason format. The simplest and fairest method would allow only four teams from each league to reach the playoffs.

This method was used successfully from 1994 to 2011. Unfortunately after that, the so-called “expanded wild card” madness took hold, first allowing five teams in each league to qualify from 2012 to 2019, and now the six-headed hydra in each league. It’s a disaster baked into the collective bargaining agreement the players and owners reached during the holdout season of 2022. So yes, the players are partly to blame, too.

Yet there may be a fairer way forward, after all. Under the latest labor agreement, baseball is intending to expand to 32 teams. With that number of teams, the MLB could create two divisions of eight teams in each league, with the winner of each division reaching the playoffs and the additional two teams with the top records in each league also qualifying. Then the division winners could host five of seven first-round games, the winners of those games with the best record hosting five of seven in the league championship series, with the winners on to the World Series.

No system is perfect. But equally, the MLB cannot perpetuate a system that undermines its most definitive characteristic — the long daily regular season — and then penalizes its best teams for winning during that season. To do so is to throw out 150 years of tradition. After all, they are not called the Men of October. They are called the Boys of Summer.

Paul Bledsoe (X: @paulbledsoe) is an Orioles and Nationals fan from Arlington, Virginia.

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The Bears traded a 2024 second-round draft pick Tuesday to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat.

Sweat, who leads the Commanders with 6 1/2 sacks, immediately becomes the best edge defender for the Bears, who are last in the NFL with 10 sacks.

“Montez is a huge addition to our team,” Poles said in a statement. “He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense.”

The Bears can negotiate a contract extension with Sweat or use the franchise tag to secure him before free agency starts in March. They are projected to have about $100 million in salary-cap room, so space to pay Sweat would not be an issue.

It would not be surprising if the Bears already are working on a new contract for Sweat with the goal of securing his future with the team when he arrives.

The 27-year-old Sweat, a first-round pick from Mississippi State in 2019, has been the Commanders’ most consistent edge rusher for the last three seasons as a knee injury sidelined Chase Young.

Young has bounced back this season, but concerns about the stability of his right knee — he tore the ACL and patellar tendon in 2021 — made Sweat the more sought-after player as the Commanders sorted through trade options. They also dealt Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a conditional third-round pick, according to reports.

The Bears attempted to address their pass rush at the outset of training camp by signing veteran Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million contract. He has been disappointing so far and hasn’t had a quarterback hit in the last three games. Ngakoue is tied with weak-side linebacker T.J. Edwards for the team lead with two sacks.

Bears defensive ends have combined for 13 quarterback hits, led by DeMarcus Walker’s five, and five sacks in eight games.

Securing Sweat would make this a more sound investment than the gamble Poles made at this time last year, when he traded a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. The goal was to provide developing quarterback Justin Fields with more help, but a knee injury sidelined Claypool and he struggled to fit into the offense.

Claypool finished with 14 catches for 140 yards in seven games for the Bears in 2022, and despite everyone saying all the right things about the former Notre Dame standout in the offseason, he didn’t fit in this season either. Poles eventually cut his losses, sending Claypool and a seventh-round pick in 2025 to the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round pick in 2025.

“You’re always disappointed in this situation, and it’s definitely something I take ownership of,” Poles told WMVP-AM 1000 after the trade. “Last year, in the situation we were in, we wanted to add another receiver to the offense, not only to help us be more productive but also to help Justin take the next step. The right thought process was there, and I feel comfortable with that.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out and we were hoping for him to be a little bit more productive and be someone that could help us take it to the next level.”

That same thought process was in play with Sweat, and if the Bears can work out an extension, they wouldn’t be making as big of a gamble. Plus they’re getting a player with a greater track record of success.

More Bears news

• Bears injury news: QB Justin Fields will miss his 3rd straight game, plus Jaquan Brisker and Tremaine Edmunds updates
• Bears can’t make it 2 wins in a row — again: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Week 8 loss to the Chargers
• Column: When will the NFL and TV networks learn to stop putting the Bears in prime time
• True or false: The Tyson Bagent fairy tale has reached the end for the Bears after a shaky Week 8 performance
• What to know about the Bears’ possible move from Soldier Field — and which other suburbs are vying for the stadium

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Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles assumed one when he made another big deadline-day deal Tuesday, sending a second-round draft pick to the Washington Commanders for defensive end Montez Sweat, a formidable addition to a defense utterly lacking a pass rush.

Poles bet on himself and his staff that they can get Sweat to stick with the Bears in the long term and be part of a second wave of roster overhaul. If so, he will be a foundational piece for the defense. That is the risk in the move for Sweat, who the Bears will pay $6.5 million for the final nine games of the season before his contract expires.

Of course, the Bears could consider a franchise or transition tag to keep Sweat in place or create more time for negotiations, but at this point, they have to be hoping it won’t come to that. Poles also has the future of Jaylon Johnson to consider after the cornerback briefly had permission to seek a trade with nothing materializing.

The Sweat trade was a move made for 2024 and beyond, and it makes sense from the standpoint that if the Bears had not traded for Sweat, another team likely would have (Atlanta Falcons?) and prevented him from reaching free agency. Had the Commanders kept Sweat, it’s unlikely they would have allowed him to reach the marketplace.

The Carolina Panthers are highly unlikely to allow Brian Burns to exit as a free agent. In other words, the Bears might have had a hard time finding a player of Sweat’s caliber in free agency. Instead, they could have shopped for leftovers like Yannick Ngakoue, who the Bears signed at the outset of training camp this summer to a $10.5 million, one-year contract. That’s not a path they wanted to head down again.

The college football season is a little more than halfway through and right now the 2024 draft class doesn’t look to have a no-doubt edge rusher. Maybe that changes but in talking with a handful of college evaluators, they’re not blown away by potential high-end talent at the position. Sure, there are intriguing prospects, but right now all come with questions.

If Poles’ evaluators were telling him similar things, it’s possible he reached the same conclusion and decided the risk — who knows how Sweat feels about the Bears and Halas Hall? — was more than worth it.

A second-rounder is a premium selection, no question. The Bears’ selection, now owned by the Commanders, could easily fall in the first five picks of the round. The Commanders could get a great player there. They could wind up with a bust. One personnel man said his team did an exhaustive study of pick value over the last 10 seasons. He called finding a solid starter with a high two — what this pick should be — about a 40% proposition.

“A lot depends on the depth of the individual class,” he said. “And then, of course, you have to nail the pick.”

Poles can always maneuver during the draft, perhaps trading down a short distance with one of his first-round picks, to recoup capital used to acquire Sweat. If the Bears plan to use their first pick on a quarterback, they could trade Justin Fields for a pick.

The Bears have to sign Sweat, 27, to nail this deal because they already know what kind of player he is. Sweat led the Commanders with 6 1/2 sacks (1 1/2 came in the Bears’ Week 5 win over Washington at FedEx Field) and has 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. His 10 tackles for loss is tied for the second-most in the NFC.

Sweat is one of seven players since 2019 (the year the Commanders drafted him in the first round) to have at least 80 quarterback hits, 30 tackles and 40 tackles for loss joining a list that includes Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Maxx Crosby, Cam Jordan and Burns. Not only does he hunt quarterbacks, but he’s also a rugged run defender.

“Montez is a huge addition to our team,” Poles said in a statement. “He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense.”

The Bears likely considered the possibility of Sweat’s teammate Chase Young, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2020 and defensive rookie of the year that season. But Young would have come with medical risk after suffering a torn ACL and ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee in 2021. The 49ers wound up acquiring Young, also on an expiring contract, for a supplemental third-round pick Tuesday.

The trade for Sweat is conditional on his passing a physical. Some teams red-flagged him in 2019 at the combine because of a preexisting heart condition. NFL Media reported prior to the draft that other clubs felt the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which results in thickening of the heart walls, was incorrect.

This is certainly something the Bears will want to look at but Sweat has been a model of durability in the NFL with the exception of time missed in 2021 because of a broken jaw. Chances are the Bears are confident the player will pass their exams.

The Bears knew the pass rush would be a mixed bag this season — they are last in the NFL with only 10 sacks — and that is why they bucked up for Ngakoue. He has been disappointing so far and hasn’t had a quarterback hit in the last three games. Ngakoue is tied with weak-side linebacker T.J. Edwards for the team lead with two sacks. Bears defensive ends have combined for 13 quarterback hits, led by DeMarcus Walker’s five, and have only five sacks in eight games.

Sweat should help change the complexion of the front seven — although he won’t do it by himself — and that in turn should help Johnson and a young secondary cover better.

Poles swung-and-missed when he traded a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool before the deadline last season. That trade fizzled almost immediately and surely there were lessons learned. Sweat won’t arrive with the football character questions that Claypool brought with him.

It would have been easy for Poles to stand pat, with the Bears 2-6, and continue to assess specifically how he wants to attack many roster needs in the offseason. But he explored all possibilities — even potentially trading the team’s best cornerback, Johnson — and made an aggressive bid to get Sweat.

The Bears project to have about $100 million in salarycap space, more than enough to make a bevy of moves. Poles has to prioritize signing Sweat — the Miami Dolphins got a contract extension done with edge rusher Bradley Chubb two days after acquiring him in a trade from the Denver Broncos last year — and then continue dialogue with Johnson’s camp.

Yes, there is risk involved here. Sweat and his representation have leverage right now knowing the Bears must sign him. But free agency is dangerous and the draft is a gamble in itself.

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