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Russell Wilson has ugly Giants debut in season-opening loss to Commanders

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LANDOVER, Md. — After an eight-month layoff, the Giants played their 18th game of the 2024 Season That Everyone Wants To Forget, and it went just as poorly as most of the others.

Wait a second.

Sunday was supposed to mark the start of a new season — and new era — with positive vibes and an upgraded roster?

You could have fooled the fans watching the Giants lose 21-6 to the Commanders.

“It’s a new season,” head coach Brian Daboll said, “but it does hurt. No question about that.”

Russell Wilson and the Giants dropped the season opener against the Commanders on Sept. 7, 2025. JASON SZENES FOR NY POST

The offense still gained just 231 yards, converted only 4-of-16 third downs, made scoring touchdowns look impossible and relied on bailout kicks from Graham Gano.

With stud left tackle Andrew Thomas sidelined, the blocking still caved in around a quarterback (Russell Wilson) who was hit eight times.

Fill-in starter James Hudson III wasn’t the only one to blame.

And the defense still couldn’t force a takeaway and never got to fully display its pass-rushing identity because it was gashed by the run.

All the same old problems need correcting headed toward a virtual must-win road game against the Cowboys.

“My confidence isn’t wavering from one game,” said Brian Burns, who had two sacks. “I still have a lot of confidence in this team. It’s one game. Not going to let that turn into two.”

This was Wilson’s first regular-season game with the Giants. Getty Images

The Giants are 0-1 for the eighth time in nine years — and none of those Week 1 losses gave way to a playoff berth.

One year ago, it led to the misery of a 3-14 finish.

“We have to be urgent, because if we let this linger like we did last year, we’ll be 3-14 again,” right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said, “and I’m damn sure not going to accept that. That sucked last year.”

Russell Wilson looked to make a pass against the Commanders before being sacked. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

Wilson did not look like the advertised cure-all for an offense that finished No. 31 in scoring last season, yet still brought back 10 of 11 starters while replacing one below-average quarterback — at least until Daniel Jones blew up Sunday with the Colts — with another at this late stage of his great career.

What Wilson looked like in going 17-for-37 for 168 yards is a tentative quarterback who couldn’t capitalize on the doorstep.

The Giants ran 13 red-zone plays — 12 of which were called passes — and scored three points.

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is entering his second season in the league. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Play-caller Mike Kafka seemed to abandon the run as his three backs produced 15 carries for 30 yards.

“The game was simple in that we didn’t convert in the red zone,” Wilson said. “When the ball is on the 1-, 2-yard line, we have to score. They stopped us. That changes the entire complexion of the game.”

Despite having a Jaxson Dart package of plays installed in the game plan, Daboll said that he never considered turning to the rookie who aced every preseason test.

“We were right there until the end,” Daboll said. “It’s a collective deal. We can all do better.”

The Commanders begin the 2025 season at 1-0. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

One eyesore epitome of the offense came when trailing 7-0 in the second quarter: The Giants ran seven plays inside the 8-yard line but couldn’t score a touchdown.

Television cameras showed Daboll and Malik Nabers barking at each other.

“Six points, it’s tough to win a game,” Daboll said. “We left 11 points out there in the red zone.”

The combination of playing from behind and an inability to stop the run (220 rushing yards allowed) neutralized the possibilities for the vaunted pass rush.



Sure, the Giants sacked Jayden Daniels three times, but he also passed for 223 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 68 more to push the Commanders’ average to 6.9 yards per carry.

The Giants caught a huge break at the end of the first half, when Daniels was penalized for intentional grounding at the 4-yard line with no timeouts in his pocket.

A 10-second clock runoff ended the half without allowing the Commanders to attempt a chip shot of a field goal and pad their 14-3 lead.

Russell Wilson reacts during the Giants’ Sept. 7 loss to the Commanders. Jason Szenes for the NY Post
Zach Ertz (86) celebrates his touchdown during the Giants’ win against the Commanders. Jason Szenes for the NY Post

The Giants had one fourth-quarter possession in a one-score game, trailing 14-6.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. was popped trying to secure a third-and-4 checkdown pass, which led to a punt.

The Super Bowl hopeful Commanders promptly marched 80 yards on nine plays, punctuated by Deebo Samuel’s 19-yard touchdown run.

“We have to tackle — that’s the biggest point,” Dexter Lawrence II said. “We got them in a lot of third-and-longs.”

When it first looked like the Giants were finished — Wilson threw an interception with 3:46 remaining — the Giants were given a reprieve by a roughing the passer penalty on Bobby Wagner in a collision of longtime Seahawks teammates.

The second life meant nothing as those earlier goal-line failures resurfaced.

The Giants have been outscored 89-12 in their past three touchdown-less season openers.

So, here we go again?

“That’s not our mindset,” Lawrence said. “We have to get ready to play Dallas and beat them. Don’t make it two [losses]. No need for rah rah. We’ve got the players and we’ve got each other, and that’s all we need.”



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Prince Harry meets King Charles for first time in over a year

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Prince Harry has met his father King Charles at Clarence House in London for the first time since February 2024.

It is understood the King had a private tea with his son during a 55-minute meeting this afternoon.

The King travelled down to London from Scotland on Wednesday afternoon – and Prince Harry has been in the UK this week for charity events.

There had been no face to face meeting between father and son since February 2024, with Prince Harry telling a BBC interview in May 2025: “I would love a reconciliation with my family.”

The meeting will be seen as a first step in improving relations between father and son and building trust in what has been a sometimes tense relationship.

The last time that father and son met were together was soon after the King’s cancer diagnosis last year, with Prince Harry flying to the UK for a brief meeting.

There have been visits to the UK by Prince Harry since then, including for court cases, but he had not seen his father, in what had seemed a deep family rift.

Prince Harry arrived back in the UK on Monday and has carried out a series of charity events in London and Nottingham – against a background of questions about whether there would be a meeting with his father.

He will be leaving the UK on Thursday, returning to the US to see Meghan and their children, who did not come on this trip.

Prince Harry has previously voiced his frustration at not being able to talk to his father, particularly when there were concerns about the King’s health.

“There’s no point continuing to fight any more, life is precious,” Harry said in his BBC interview.

The apparent meeting between the King and Prince Harry comes after rumours of efforts to resolve the family divide.

Representatives of Prince Harry and Buckingham Palace had been photographed together in a meeting in London in July, producing newspaper headlines about a “peace summit”.

But there have been no signs of Prince Harry meeting Prince William during this week, with the brothers carrying out separate arrangements.

On Monday, Prince Harry had laid a wreath at the grave of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, on the third anniversary of her death.

Less than 10 miles away, Prince William and Catherine had attended a Women’s Institute meeting honouring the memory of the late Queen.



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What to know: Fear lingers after Koreans detained during raid at Hyundai plant

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POOLER, Ga. (AP) — After the detention of more than 300 South Korean workers in an immigration raid at a Georgia battery plant last week, a charter plane arrived in Atlanta on Wednesday to bring them home. But there has been no word on when the workers can leave, even after a high-level meeting between officials from the two countries.

The Koreans were among some 475 workers detained during last week’s raid at the battery factory under construction on the campus of Hyundai’s sprawling auto plant west of Savannah.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Seoul and Washington were discussing details for the workers’ return. The State Department says Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun highlighted the U.S.-South Korea alliance and strong relationship at a hastily arranged meeting Wednesday. In a statement that did not mention the arrests, the department said the meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties and underscoring the importance of the alliance between Washington and Seoul.

Here are some things to know about the raid and its aftermath.

What efforts have been made to get the South Koreans home?

A Korean Air Boeing 747-8i departed from Seoul for the U.S. to bring back detained Korean workers and landed in Atlanta on Wednesday, but officials say its return won’t happen as quickly as they had hoped. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it was talking with U.S. officials about letting the plane return home with the released workers as soon as possible. But it said the plane cannot depart from the U.S. on Wednesday as South Korea earlier wished due to an unspecified reason involving the U.S. side.

The workers were being held at an immigration detention center in Folkston, in southeast Georgia, near the state line with Florida. It’s a 285-mile (460-kilometer) drive from there to Atlanta. Three buses were parked at the detention center Wednesday morning.

South Korean officials said they’ve been negotiating with the U.S. to win “voluntary” departures for the workers, rather than deportations that could make them ineligible to return to the U.S. for up to 10 years.

South Korean TV showed Cho Ki-joong, consul general at the Korean Embassy in Washington, speaking outside the detention center. He said some administrative steps remained to be completed but that things were going smoothly. The South Korean Foreign Ministry declined to comment on media reports that he and other diplomats met with detained workers.

What are the immigration consequences for the workers?

U.S. authorities have said that those detained during the raid were “unlawfully working” at the plant. But Charles Kuck, a lawyer representing several of the detained South Koreans, said the “vast majority” of the workers from South Korea were doing work that is authorized under the B-1 business visitor visa program.

A B-1 visitor for business visa allows foreign workers to stay for up to six months, getting reimbursed for expenses while collecting a paycheck back home. There are limits — for example, they can supervise construction projects but can’t build anything themselves — but if it’s spelled out in a contract, they can install equipment, Los Angeles immigration lawyer Angelo Paparelli said.

Also, South Korea is one of 41 countries whose citizens can use the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which provides a visa waiver if they can provide “a legitimate reason’’ for their visit, and this basically gives them B-1 visa status for up to 90 days, said immigration attorney Rita Sostrin in Los Angeles.

What effect has the raid had on the area around the plant?

In Pooler, a suburb of Savannah, the sprawling Hyundai electric vehicle plant has triggered noticeable growth.

Signs in shopping center parking lots point to homes for sale in new subdivisions nearby. Construction crews work on multistory apartment buildings while finished apartments in the same complex display large banners proclaiming they’re ready for new residents.

Meanwhile, a growing number of Korean restaurants and Asian grocery stores have found a home among standard American fast-food franchises and chain eateries like Starbucks and Cracker Barrel.

Ruby Gould, president of the Korean American Association of Greater Savannah, said there’s no question that last week’s raid has raised anxiety among the area’s Korean immigrants.

“People are very upset about the incident, the arrest of the workers,” Gould said. “I’m sure there are some people in fear about this visa situation after they witnessed what’s happened.”

The U.S. Census Bureau says Pooler’s population jumped to 31,171 last year, an increase of 21% since 2020. That period includes the groundbreaking and construction of Hyundai’s EV factory.

People of Asian origin made up just 6% of the suburban city’s residents in 2020. While newer demographic data isn’t available, people in the area say Korean Americans and South Korean immigrants make up a sizable share of recent newcomers.

Pastor Robin Kim and his wife closed last month on a new home in Pooler, where Kim is starting his own church. He left the Army a few months ago after serving as a chaplain to soldiers at nearby Fort Stewart. Kim said they wanted to be a part of the Savannah suburb’s growing Korean community.

Kim, 51, has sought to calm some of the anger and anxiety in the community since last week’s raid. He noticed fewer Korean people out shopping over the weekend, and reads a constant stream of messages posted in a chat group of 1,900 local Korean residents.

“The people feel like they’re being watched, like they’re being judged by the American people,” Kim said. “They are scared right now. They don’t want to be trouble.”

He said some are resentful at the U.S. government considering the billions of dollars Hyundai has invested in the Georgia plant and the thousands of U.S. jobs it’s creating. Others worry the immigration arrests will mean increased scrutiny that hinders their own efforts to extend visas or obtain green cards.

___

Brumback reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Hyung-Jin Kim in Seoul and Didi Tang and Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this report.





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Fantasy Football rankings Week 2: Sleepers, projections, starts, Javonte Williams, Hollywood Brown and more

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Never let anyone tell you I don’t listen/read the comments and try to adapt to your needs and wants. I’m trying a new format for the fantasy football rankings in Week 2. Instead of game-by-game notes, I’m going position by position.

I’m still including important notes and tidbits, but I’m also trying to answer your start/sit questions when it comes to injuries and upside, risk and floor. The fun ranks are never leaving, but hopefully, this format helps answer even more of your dilemmas and gets you to the rankings quicker (they’re midway down the page now). Let’s get to it!


#CheckTheLink-age

Week 2 Waiver Wire
Week 2 SOS Ranks
Fantasy 101 (weather, start/sit, trading, more)
🎙️All In Speed Run Podcast🎙️


WEEK 2 FANTASY FOOTBALL NOTES

Running Backs

  • D’Andre Swift led all running backs with 95.2% of the RB touches (RBTouch%) in Week 1. Chase Brown was second at 92.0%.
  • Kyren Williams ceded a few snaps to Blake Corum, who is the clear No. 2, but Williams still had a 90.5 RBTouch% (third-highest) and 100% of the 3rd/4th down touches.
  • Travis Etienne had a 65.5 RBTouch% and Tank Bigsby’s 17.2% is now on the Eagles.
  • Only Jahmyr Gibbs and Christian McCaffrey had more receptions than Dylan Sampson’s eight (for 64 yards), so whether or not Quinshon Judkins plays — this week or any week — Sampson is a nice RB3, especially in a potential pass-happy matchup like this week.
  • If Austin Ekeler doesn’t play, Jacory Croskey-Merritt would see a mild boost, as Jeremy McNichols likely takes Ekeler’s passing work, and Chris Rodriguez would be active for a likely few touches.
  • Javonte Williams’ 77.3 RBTouch% would have ranked second for a full 2024 season, and Jerry Jones suggested Jaydon Blue will likely be inactive again in Week 2.
  • Tyrone Tracy is the lead but struggled with efficiency — not all his fault, but it adds risk, especially if the Giants involve Cam Skattebo more.
  • TreVeyon Henderson led the Patriots with a 52.4 RBTouch% to Rhamondre Stevenson’s 42.9%, and while Henderson has the added passing-game boost, there is still a floor risk if the offense struggles or they have a big lead.
  • Breece Hall looked terrific, but he’ll remain a RB2 with RB1 upside, as he had just 48.7% of the goal-to-go attempts, sharing with Justin Fields and Braelon Allen.
  • I don’t expect it to last all season, maybe not even half of it, but Kenneth Gainwell is part of the 1-2 punch with Jaylen Warren. Kaleb Johnson is a current non-factor with just a 4.2 RBTouch% in Week 1.
  • Sean Payton strikes again with RJ Harvey handling just 25% of the RB touches, though Harvey proved he has weekly Top 25 upside despite his high-risk, low-floor.
  • Not only was the Isiah Pacheco-Kareem Hunt platoon a perfect 50/50 split, but Hunt had all of the 3rd/4th down opportunities. This is good and bad. Pacheco is the clear early-down option with more work if the Chiefs are in control, but it’s also bad against the Eagles since that seems unlikely to happen.
  • Despite playing from behind until late, the Vikings used Jordan Mason as the lead runner, which included 16 rushes to eight for Aaron Jones. The appeal for Jones is clear in the passing game, but we can expect a Warren/Najee Harris-like backfield for the Vikings.

Wide Receivers

  • If Matthew Golden is out, Jayden Reed would get a mild boost, but it would make Dontayvion Wicks a deep flier. Romeo Doubs is locked into a top-two role either way.
  • Two of the most popular pickups are Cedric Tillman and Quentin Johnston. I have more faith in Tillman, who can be the Browns’ No. 1. Fantasy Points’ Win Rate had them close in Week 1 — 31.0% Tillman, 30.6% Johnston, but Tillman only had 4.8% of his routes graded negative (lost separation) versus 16.7% for Johnston.
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba had an insane 59.1 TmTGT%. I’m not dropping Cooper Kupp yet, as Justin Jefferson dominated Vikings targets last year (29.8%), but Sam Darnold still sent enough to Jordan Addison for his value (19.1%).
  • The most Fantasy Points Per Target (FPPT) for players with at least five targets but no touchdowns? Kayshon Boutte with 1.66. A reminder that Boutte had a decently high NFL Draft profile before his injury. Also, Stefon Diggs is still working his way into the mix, but Boutte could surprise again, as the Dolphins look to have one of the worst coverage units.
  • If Jauan Jennings is out, Ricky Pearsall would get a small bump, but chasing anyone else outside a Jake Tonges Hail Mary play wouldn’t be advised.
  • Elic Ayomanor not only ran as the clear No. 2 for the Titans, but he had 45.9% of the Titans’ Air Yards, which was 12th-most in Week 1.
  • There were only two players with over 80% of the routes run and who spent at least 75% of the time in the slot: Khalil Shakir and… Hunter Renfrow.
  • Hollywood Brown had a 40.0 First Read TGT% — which would have ranked behind only Malik Nabers and A.J. Brown last year — with a mere 6.31 AirYD/TGT. For reference, that would have ranked 114th last year for wide receivers with 25+ targets… or 13th-worst.
  • If you’re wondering, yes, I’m on board with the Deebo Samuel bounceback. If you listened to my podcast, you probably heard me say, “Jayden Daniels threw 200 balls to jabroni wideouts last year not named Terry McLaurin.”
  • I’m not in full-blown panic mode on Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, even though I’m rather worried. If you want the positive spin, Hill was 15th and Waddle 31st in targets per route run (103 qualified WRs), which has shown to be as predictive as YPRR.
  • If Drake London and Darnell Mooney are out for the Falcons, Casey Washington is the super sneaky, and super desperate, play with Ray-Ray McCloud more of the volume prayer.

WEEK 2 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS

🚨 HEADS UP 🚨

  • There is no perfect widget out there, sadly, still. I know many view this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop/etc. if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scrolling to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
  • ECR = “Expert” Consensus Ranking (which isn’t updated by everyone consistently, so take with a grain of salt).
  • Updated regularly, so check up to lineups locking.


Quarterbacks

  • Cam Ward had the worst Adjusted Completion Percentage (Adj Comp%) in Week 1 at 60.0% and only Russell Wilson had a worse Comp% Over Expectation (CPOE) at -9.7% and -11.2%, respectively.
  • There are some concerns with Jared Goff and the Lions offense, but while his 4.2 Air Yards per Attempt (Air/Att) was league-worst, his marks have been 6.4, 7.0, 6.7 and 6.3 in his four Lions seasons, and he’s struggled in Green Bay.
  • If Brock Purdy is out, Mac Jones would cause Pearsall to dip, but only a few spots, as Jones didn’t destroy Brian Thomas’ value last year.

Tight Ends

  • There were nine players with 100% route participation in Week 1. All were wideouts except… Juwan Johnson.
  • I understand the excitement for Harold Fannin, but look to Isaiah Likely to understand the risk. Fannin ran just 64.6% of the routes, and Likely only topped that mark six times last year. Of those, only twice did he score more than 7.4 points, or the same number of games he did with a lower percentage of routes. It’s hard for either tight end to carry consistent value when teams utilize two frequently, let alone when it’s the lesser involved option.
  • Speaking of … Noah Fant had 46.4% of the routes to Mike Gesicki’s 35.7%… Cole Kmet had 67.4% and Colston Loveland 48.8%… Dalton Kincaid had 60.8% and Dawson Knox 45.1%… both Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth had 52.9%… and surprisingly frustrating, Evan Engram at 41.9% and Adam Trautman at 37.2% plus Lucas Krull with 25.6%.

FUN WITH RANKS

So, let me first say, I’m a terrible singer. Second, who cares? Because that’s the fun of karaoke. This week’s fun rankings are the best karaoke songs.

There are several you expect, but I think a few you might not. I’m going for crowd involvement too. No, I don’t want to hear Tennessee Whiskey for the umpteenth time. None of us wants to hear your rendition, no matter if you think some random record label is going to discover you in the bar — hint: they won’t. While some songs would be great for the entertainment of failing to hit the high note, I want fun for everyone, which is why…

The ultimate, best ever, most amazing song of all time and greatest karaoke choice possible: DuckTales Theme!

Okay, now for the “ones” with 12 picks, just like for fantasy football.

Top 12 Best Karaoke Songs (after DuckTales)

  1. Journey: Don’t Stop Believin’ — I mean, it’s normally one of the first songs chosen for a reason. Everyone knows it. Everyone loves it.
  2. Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody — You need the stamina to make it all the way through as the karaoke-er, but it must be on the list.
  3. Neil Diamond: Sweet Caroline — “Bum, bum, bum!” A guaranteed hit and heavy crowd involvement.
  4. Backstreet Boys: Everybody (or I Want it That Way, or even ‘NSYNC’s Bye, Bye, Bye) — Hard to pick which is best, best. All are great, all will get the crowd involved, and everyone knows them, even if they don’t want to admit it.
  5. Bon Jovi: Livin’ on a Prayer — Everyone singing, “Whoa-oh!”
  6. Blink-182: All the Small Things (or What’s My Age) — I’m sure non-alternative/punk rock people will roll their eyes, but these are two terrific choices, and hard to pick which is best.
  7. Will Smith: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — The good news is everyone knows it. The better news is you don’t have to be on the stage long.
  8. The Killers: Mr. Brightside — Not the easiest if you only kind of know the lyrics, but a crowd pleaser.
  9. Jimmy Eat World: Sweetness — Similar to Bon Jovi, you’ll have enough of the crowd knowing this song to “Sing it Back, whoa-oh-oh-oh-oooh!”
  10. Coolio: Gangsta’s Paradise — Don’t overdo it. Just have fun and realize you probably have half the rhythm of Coolio.
  11. Wheatus: Teenage Dirtbag — Super underrated, and a lot of people don’t even realize they know it.
  12. The Darkness: I Believe in a Thing Called Love — I dare anyone to hit the high notes, but even if you can’t (you can’t), it doesn’t make this any less fun.

WEEK 2 FANTASY FOOTBALL PROJECTIONS

🚨 HEADS UP 🚨 These can differ from my rankings, and MY RANKS are the order I’d start players outside of added context, such as, “Need highest upside, even if risky.” Also, based on 4-point TDs for QB, 6-point rest, and Half-PPR

Download Link Added Thursday

(Photo of Javonte Williams: Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)



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