Historic Yankees comeback keeps season alive; Bengals trade for QB Joe Flacco; NFL, UFC Power Rankings

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

Good morning and happy Wednesday! Carter Bahns here with your morning newsletter. I hope you like trades, because the NFL delivered a pair of them in one day well in advance of the Nov. 4 deadline. But before we get to that we have some baseball to discuss, as all four of the day’s division series games are possible closeout contests.

Let’s get started.

🐯 Five things to know Wednesday

1. Historic Yankees comeback in an elimination game puts them in Game 4. In flipping a 6-1 deficit into 9-6 win, the Yankees produced the largest come-from-behind victory in an elimination game in franchise history. Aaron Judge’s 3-run blast off the foul pole in the fourth inning tied the game at 6, and then in the fifth Jazz Chisholm’s solo shot gave New York the lead for good. In the other ALDS, the Mariners mashed their way to a commanding lead and then held off a ninth-inning rally to put the Tigers on the brink of elimination with an 8-4 win.
2. The Bengals have a new quarterback. Joe Flacco is on the move but does not have far to go after the Bengals acquired him in a trade with the Browns. The 40-year-old veteran and a sixth-round pick were the haul for Cincinnati, which in return gave up a fifth-rounder. The Bengals are reportedly hoping to start Flacco this week at the Packers after Jake Browning went 0-3 taking over for the injured Joe Burrow. We have this trade covered from all angles, including grades for both teams and why the move makes sense for Cincinnati.
3. Defensive secondary help is on the way in Baltimore. The Ravens also pulled off a trade and acquired safety Alohi Gilman in a late-round pick swap with the Chargers. The only puzzling part of the move? They gave up another defender to do so. Odafe Oweh is on his way to Los Angeles on the other side of the deal. That was not the only move Baltimore made on Tuesday, though. The Ravens also added C.J. Gardner-Johnson to their practice squad as they continue to scramble amid a litany of injuries on their defense.
4. Brenton Strange is out for at least four weeks. The breakout Jaguars tight end hit the injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in the thrilling “Monday Night Football” win over the Chiefs. Strange, one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the NFL, entered Week 5 as Jacksonville’s leading receiver and helped the squad to an unforeseen 4-1 start.
5. No leadership changes are in store for the Astros. Despite a late-season collapse that led Houston to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016, both general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are reportedly set to return for 2026, giving them a chance to right the ship before the end of their respective contracts. The Astros lost six of seven games down the stretch to blow an AL West lead.

🏆 Do not miss this: UEFA Women’s Champions League continues Wednesday on Paramount+

Matchday 1 rolls on in the UEFA Women’s Champions League after an eventful Tuesday in which OL Lyonnes defeated Arsenal, 2-1, in a rematch of last year’s semifinal. FC Barcelona also made a statement on the first day of the tournament with a 7-1 rout of Bayern Munich.

Five matches are in store for Wednesday, and you can catch all the action on Paramount+. The early window features two global powers in Chelsea and Real Madrid as they open UWCL play against Twente and Roma, respectively, at 12:45 p.m. ET. The headliner, though, comes later in the day when Paris Saint-Germain and Wolfsburg clash in one of the biggest matchups of the league phase.

📈📉 Pete Prisco’s NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

There is a new top team in the NFL, according to Pete Prisco, who moved the Lions up to No. 1 in this week’s power rankings. Four consecutive wins means Detroit earned every bit of its move up the ladder, but Dan Campbell’s squad also got some help from the rest of the league after the final two unbeaten teams suffered their first losses.

The Seahawks are the biggest movers of the week, but not in a good way. They are down eight spots on the heels of a last-second loss to the Buccaneers. On the flip side, the Colts made the largest leap, up six places to No. 6 as they continue to construct a surprise season.

• On Colts: “At 4-1, they bounced back from the loss to the Rams to blow out the Raiders. Daniel Jones continues to play good football.”
• On Seahawks: “I know they had some injury issues on defense against Tampa Bay, but there were too many open receivers. The good news is Sam Darnold keeps bombing away.”

Here are the top 10 teams in Prisco’s NFL Week 6 Power Rankings:

1. Lions (previous ranking: 3)
2. Eagles (1)
3. Bills (2)
4. Buccaneers (4)
5. Steelers (9)
6. Colts (11)
7. Packers (7)
8. Jaguars (12)
9. 49ers (13)
10. Broncos (14)

🥊 Alex Pereira climbs UFC pound-for-pound fighter rankings

Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev came away from their UFC 320 fight injured, but the former did not miss a beat despite being “pretty sure” he suffered a broken foot. Pereira needed just 80 seconds to knock out Ankalaev and regain his light heavyweight championship, and the impressive showing earned him a climb back towards the top of our UFC pound-for-pound fighter rankings. He checks in at No. 4 after slipping earlier in the year with a loss to Ankalaev. And Brian Campbell has thoughts.

• Campbell: “Talk about a comeback victory. The 37-year-old Brazilian slugger had looked sluggish in a decision loss against the technical Magomed Ankalaev in March. Vowing to return at full health after competing at just 40% of himself, Alex Pereira wasted no time in finishing Ankalaev in their October rematch at UFC 320 to regain the title and call for a much-anticipated move up to heavyweight and a third title in as many divisions.”

Below are the top five male fighters in the rankings. Check out the full rankings, including the top five women.

1. Ilia Topuria (previous ranking: 1)
2. Merab Dvalishvili (3)
3. Islam Makhachev (2)
4. Alex Pereira (8)
5. Khamzat Chimaev (4)

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

• You get a fine! You get a fine! The Cardinals will fine coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for his sideline incident with Emari Demercado, and Jerry Jones must pay the NFL $250,000 for giving fans the middle finger at MetLife Stadium.
• Red River return? John Mateer could be back in the lineup for No. 6 Oklahoma in its rivalry clash with Texas after missing last week with a hand injury that required surgery.
• There is no shortage of off-field drama at North Carolina. Bill Belichick’s program and Hulu reportedly canceled its in-season documentary, and that news broke just hours before the team reportedly suspended cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins amid allegations that the Tar Heels awarded impermissible benefits to players.
• LeBron James’ announcement tease was nothing more than an advertisement. In more tangible news, the Lakers star is reportedly likely to miss the entire preseason with a glute injury.
• Jordi Alba will call it a career at the end of the MLS season, ending an illustrious run as an international soccer star.
• Saquon Barkley and Jaxson Dart both said they are good to go for “Thursday Night Football” after appearing on their teams’ injury reports earlier in the week.
• Rampage Jackson’s son, Raja, faces a felony charge after his vicious attack on wrestler Syko Stu.
• The NCAA approved new transfer portal rules for the 2026 window.
• FIFA imposed 12-month suspensions and fines to the Malaysia FA for using “doctored documentation” to field seven ineligible players.
• Jayson Tatum is the latest NBA star to assist his alma mater. Duke announced it tabbed Tatum as its “chief basketball officer” — a role in which he will volunteer as a special advisor.
• Deion Sanders underwent a four-hour medical procedure to address his blood clot issues, but he could be back on the sideline as soon as Wednesday’s practice.
• Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will accept a six-game suspension stemming from his 2024 PED violation.
• Following the season-ending injury Spencer Shrader sustained in Week 5, the Colts signed Michael Badgley to handle their kicking duties.
• The 2026 TGL schedule is out as the league prepares for Year 2.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly sought a potential trade to the Knicks.
• Joe Mixon remains without a timeline to return from his prolonged foot injury but is “making progress,” according to Texans general manager Nick Caseiro.
• Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold could reportedly return this month after receiving a positive second opinion on his shoulder injury.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions League: Chelsea at Twente, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions League: Roma at Real Madrid, 12:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions League: Atlético Madrid at St. Pölten, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions League: Vålerenga at Manchester United, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Women’s Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain at Wolfsburg, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ ALDS Game 4: Mariners at Tigers, 3:08 p.m. on FS1
⚾ NLDS Game 3: Brewers at Cubs, 5:08 p.m. on TBS
⚾ ALDS Game 4: Blue Jays at Yankees, 7:08 p.m. on FS1
🏒 Bruins at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Preseason: Spurs at Heat, 7:30 p.m. on NBA TVN
🏈 Missouri State at Middle Tennessee, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 WNBA Finals Game 3: Aces at Mercury, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 Liberty at UTEP, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚾ NLDS Game 3: Phillies at Dodgers, 9:08 p.m. on TBS
🏒 Kings at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Preseason: Trail Blazers at Warriors, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
⛳ Baycurrent Classic First Round, 11 p.m. on Golf Channel

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