Did you believe him?

Jerry Jones teased the NFL universe for several days before the league’s trade deadline Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET in classic, look-at-me fashion that captivated the masses.

Armed with draft capital acquired a few weeks ago in dealing star pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers, the Dallas Cowboys owner pledged to be aggressive on the market.

Typical Jerry. Fan the flames of NFL hype. Give the people what they want.

Then Jones, bullish on the prospects of tapping into an estimated $100 billion in natural gas reserves, essentially told The Wall Street Journal how fixing the woeful Cowboys defense took a back seat to his prolific oil and gas exploration venture.

Typical Jerry. He knew how that would sound – and sell! – as something cute-outlandish to a segment of that loyal Cowboys fan base. And it would generate attention. Never mind that it wasn’t either-or, efforts towards both objectives were possible. Regardless, his quote went viral as headlines and social media posts screamed.

Jones then told Stephen A. Smith that a trade was essentially done. No details. More headlines. Then he met with the media throng after Monday night’s loss against Arizona and walked back his trade-is-imminent posture. More buzz.

Turns out that Jones was hardly bluffing. The Cowboys (3-5-1) made a huge deal with the New York Jets Tuesday and landed all-pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams shortly after obtaining linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals.

Typical Jerry. He managed to make a splash, although it’s not-so-typical, too, because usually Jerry The GM doesn’t cash in at the trade deadline.

Yet Jones, going on three decades since Dallas’ last Super Bowl berth, is surely flowing with style points this time. Williams, 27, is absolutely one of the NFL’s emerging defensive stars, and Jones got him for a 2027 first-round pick, a second-round pick next spring and, as a bonus, managed to unload a first-round bust, defensive tackle Mazi Smith, on the Jets.

Maybe Williams turns out to be the game-changer that defensive end Charles Haley was for the Cowboys teams in the 1990s that won three Super Bowl. Until it happens, though, it’s TBD, while adding more hope to the hype.

The Jets, with a first-year GM in Darren Mougey aligned with first-year coach Aaron Glenn, deserve some second-guessing after trading Williams and Sauce Gardner, the all-pro cornerback. Most teams try to build with premium players at premium positions, but the Jets just traded two away to stockpile premium picks – with no guarantees they will pick similar impact players – for a rebuild.

Hey, Jones can relate. He traded Parsons, whom the Cheeseheads envision as the missing piece to a Super Bowl.

Wilson, meanwhile, obtained for a seventh-round pick, fell out of favor and was benched in Cincinnati. A change of scenery can’t hurt. He goes from one pitiful defense to another, enlisted to help shore up a 29th-ranked run defense.

It was fitting that Jones – a proud wheeler-dealer flanked by his son, Stephen, the team’s COO, and Will McClay, VP-Personnel – got into the action amid the flurry of activity on the market. It used to be that nothing-to-very-little happened when the earlier NFL trade deadline approached. In 2023, though, team owners voted to push the deadline beyond Week 9, the midseason mark. It’s no coincidence that 25 players were traded in-season this year, reportedly the most in 25 years.

Still, how Jones does it is such a contrast to the methods of the league’s most accomplished full-time GMs. Although speculation about suitors and trade targets has persisted for weeks, Chris Ballard (Colts), John Schneider (Seahawks), Mickey Loomis (Saints) and Howie Roseman (Eagles), among others, saw no need to hype the deadline.

Of course, Jones would take that as a compliment. He’s different. And he generates buzz.

I’m reminded of this by a flashback: It’s Week 2 and I’m sitting on an airplane getting ready to fly to Kansas City. There are way too many Eagles fans on the flight, and they are trash-talking people wearing Chiefs paraphernalia.

Then one of the Philly fans blurts out: “Jerry Jones is the best GM in Eagles history!”

Talk about creating buzz. Jones’ name came up out of the blue, the reference apparently having more to do with how his decision to trade Parsons helped the defending Super Bowl champs by dealing away an impact player from the Cowboys.

Still, Roseman’s value to the Eagles is immense, which is not only reflected by the two Super Bowl championship teams he assembled. Roseman has been on a tear over the past week, swinging three trades in six days to address critical needs.

Jaelan Phillips, the edge rusher from the Dolphins, could be an answer to bolster the pass rush, while cornerbacks Jaire Alexander (Ravens) and Michael Carter (Jets) are needed to shore up the back end. Alexander is particularly interesting when considering that it wasn’t too long ago that he was considered one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.

Typically, Roseman was aggressive in addressing issues with his team. And typically, he saw no need to go full blast with his intentions. Different folks, different strokes.

No, Jerry never spilled the tea on the specific players he was poised to obtain in the trades. But he sure made it good theatre.

And after his drilling for championships has resulted in so many dry holes the past three decades, imagine the buzz if Jerry hits on a gusher.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

It’s why his return to calling games meant so much for college basketball fans, including legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Vitale, who’s aiming to return to regularly calling games after a battle with cancer, made his first appearance of the college basketball season for the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational between Texas and No. 5 Duke.

Vitale was emotional as the video board at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina played a tribute — narrated by Krzyzewski — in his honor.

‘I’m in awe of all the love everybody’s giving me out here,’ Vitale said on the broadcast. ‘It’s just unbelievable. Coach K, his words bring me to tears. Jay (Bilas) you played for the man. I’ve certainly learned to admire him so much, I think he’s the greatest coach ever in college basketball.’

Coach K’s kind message in the four-plus-minute tribute video by ESPN clearly meant a lot to Vitale.

‘During my over half-century in college basketball, I have only come across one person who is undefeated when it comes to touching the human spirit,’ Krzyzewski said. ‘His name is Dick Vitale.’

Vitale, a college basketball broadcaster for ESPN since 1979, is calling the first-ever Dick Vitale Invitational, a matchup that bears his name, to open the college basketball season. He signed a two-year extension with ESPN in May.

His enthusiasm was missed by the college basketball world, who’s glad he’s back to broadcasting the sport in a semi-regular fashion.

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu ‘has been suspended without pay for repeated violations of playing rules intended to protect the health and safety of players, including during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks,’ according to a statement from the league.

Luvu committed his third hip-drop tackle of the season on ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Seattle Seahawks, sparking the suspension. He was fined for the previous violations in Week 4 and Week 8.

According to the release:

Luvu violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 18 (a)(b), which states that: “It is a foul if a player uses the following technique to bring a runner to the ground: (a) grabs the runner with one or both hands or wraps the runner with both arms; and (b) unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.”

Luvu’s hip-drop tackle came with 7:55 remaining in the first quarter after he brought down Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Washington is set to face the Detroit Lions in Week 10 on Sunday, Nov. 9 and Luvu would be eligible to return to the team on Monday, Nov. 10.

The linebacker can choose to appeal the suspension, according to the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Any appeal hearing for Luvu would be heard by Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson.

Less than 24 hours after his quarterback suffered a dislocated elbow in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn squarely put the blame on his own shoulders for having Jayden Daniels in the game.

Quinn opened his Nov. 3 news conference with a hefty dose of accountability.

‘I know many of you have been asking about the thought process of Jayden being in the game, in that situation and I get that,’ Quinn said. ‘I’ve been thinking about it, honestly, nonstop too. And for me the answer is, man, I missed it.’

Quinn explained his thought process. As the Commanders took possession trailing 38-7 with 12:30 left in the game, the plan was for the drive to be the last time Daniels and other players such as tight end Zach Ertz, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and left tackle Laremy Tunsil on the field in what was an eventual 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

‘We weren’t going to have any read-run plays, meaning no carries for the quarterback on a run,’ Quinn said. ‘And honestly, man, that’s where I missed it. Of course (Daniels) can scramble. He’s Jayden. It’s what he’s special at, and that is 100 percent – that’s on me.’

Quinn confirmed that Daniels dislocated his left elbow and said there was no timetable associated with the injury as the team is still gathering information.

Daniels had missed the Commanders’ previous game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury. He also sat out Weeks 3 and 4 with a knee ailment.

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury, Quinn said, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey suffered a broken collarbone that will keep him out for an extended and indefinite period of time.

The electricity was palpable in Las Vegas. The Brigham Young contingent traveled West to usher in what many believe is now the golden era of Cougar men’s basketball.

It began with a rousing showing − with the man they believe to lead that era showing why so much is possible for BYU.

Freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa dazzled in his college debut, leading No. 8 BYU to a 71-66 win over Villanova with a dominant second half performance. 

‘It just feels good to get under my belt and get a win,’ Dybantsa said.

Last season felt like the start of something building for BYU, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since the Jimmer Fredette days in 2011. Coincidentally, “Jimmer Mania” might be the best way to compare the hype surrounding Dybantsa.

Considered the top recruit in the 2025 freshman class, Dybantsa attended Utah Prep Academy and opted to stay in-state, spurring Alabama, Kansas and North Carolina to play for BYU coach Kevin Young.

The Cougars got a taste of Dybantsa’s potential in a couple of exhibitions, including a 30-point outing against Nebraska. It brought excitement, but everyone eagerly waited to see what he could do in a game that counts.

When the lights were bright and the pressure was up, Dybantsa proved he could take over. He finished with a team-high 21 points, 13 of which came in a second half resurgence that staved the Wildcats off from a potential upset. He added five rebounds and three assists while not committing a turnover or a foul.

The flashes were there immediately. Dybantsa was driving toward the bucket and able to get himself enough space for a good look and get the shot in. His quick flurry in the opening minutes helped BYU get out to an early lead and gain a sense this game would be over early.

But the new Villanova under Kevin Willard showed it wasn’t going to fold easily. A 12-3 run in the second half suddenly made it a one-point game, and with just under seven minutes left, the Wildcats were up by two points. 

That’s when the Dybantsa show only picked up. He made it a mission to drive into the paint, weaving his way through the defenders and scoring as Villanova’s interior was unable to stop it. He scored six points during a 10-0 BYU run, a critical stretch that not only gave the Cougars the lead back but made it too big of a deficit for Villanova late in the second half.

By then, all BYU needed to do was to avoid the mistakes to let Villanova back in. 

It was an impressive showing for the freshman, even with teammates Richie Saunders and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III each having their own productive nights. There wasn’t a need to ease Dybantsa into the game, with him just sitting two minutes of the second half and playing the final nine minutes of the game.

Young said he had told Dybantsa at halftime he felt like he was a little too jumpy in the first 20 minutes, but saw him flip a switch that allowed him to be ‘a little bit more calculated with his drives.’

‘Down the stretch, we put the ball in his hands,’ Young said. ‘He made plays, so in his first game to be able to have the poise to do that, I thought was impressive.’

If there was one thing to work on, it was the free throw shooting, where he went just 2-for-7 from the charity stripe.

It’s only the first game, but it was a promising sign for Dybantsa and a BYU team that believes it can make its first Final Four in program history. If Dybantsa is able to command games like he did in the season opener, gold may be awaiting the Cougars in March.

When the Florida Gators won their first men’s basketball national championship in 2006, they immediately followed it up with a second straight title. 

In that 2007 repeat season, Florida rolled its way through the season, convincingly defending its crown and achieving something that hadn’t been done since Duke in 1992-93. Entering this season, the Gators felt like they could replicate their past with another championship.

Instead, it took just one game into the Gators’ 2025 title defense for them to learn it’s going to be a whole lot tougher to pull off another string of back-to-back national championships.

No. 3 Florida couldn’t stop No. 13 Arizona in Las Vegas with the Wildcats pulling off a convincing 93-87 win on opening night of the 2025-26 season.

While it was Florida that was the headline of the matchup, the show was stolen by Arizona’s five-star freshman Koa Peat. He had an electric debut for the Wildcats as he dazzled on both sides of the court, putting up a game-high 30 points with seven rebounds and five assists for the Wildcats. 

The Gators simply had no answer for him and the rest of Arizona’s high-powered offense, with cold streaks coming as Arizona’s offense got rolling after a slow start. Florida led by 12 points midway through the first half, only for the Wildcats to wake up and take the lead by halftime, which it held onto for the remainder of the game.

With the loss, the Gators are the first defending champion to drop their season opener since Syracuse in 2003.

Why it will be tough for Florida to repeat 

It’s only the first game of a four month marathon to the NCAA Tournament, but the result on Monday, Nov. 3 proved how difficult it is in today’s age to achieve back-to-back national championships – even though it was just done two seasons ago.

When Connecticut defended the title 2024, coach Dan Hurley lost his top two scorers, but had a core of key players return from all sides of the court that carried the torch. 

Florida coach Todd Golden has a somewhat similar case, with a big-man lineup of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh all back. Yet, it was the back court that carried the load, with Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard accounting for 46 points per game.

All of those guys are gone, and their absence was evident against the Wildcats.

Golden replaced his key guards with Boogie Fland from Arkansas and Xaivian Lee from Princeton, but as is expected with even notable transfers, it’s going to take some time for them to mesh with the rest of the team.

Haugh led Florida with 27 points, but Lee and Fland had rather timid debut performances. Lee had 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting, and Fland struggled to find the bucket, making just one shot in the second half to finish with nine points.

It’s a far cry from those back-to-back Florida years, when it had stars Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Corey Brewer still there to run it back. That came at a time where it was common for teams to retain key talent.

Now, the transfer portal and NBA draft make it so challenging for teams to replicate the success achieved just a few months prior. It’s also incredibly tough when Florida has a schedule that includes Arizona, Duke and Connecticut in addition to the gauntlet it will experience in the SEC.

Is Florida’s season over? Far from it. It could very well recover and be a No. 1 seed again in March.

However, the punch the Gators took from the Wildcats is a reminder that it is getting much harder to win it all in two straight years; and the road is only going to get tougher for the defending champs. 

The Dallas Cowboys apparently have a trade in the works as the clock ticks toward the expiration date to make a deal.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appeared on SiriusXM Radio Monday and revealed the team already has a deal ahead of the 4 p.m. ET, Nov. 4, trade deadline.

“A lot of action going on right now in terms of trading, we certainly have made a trade and we may make a couple more trades before that deadline. We’ve made one. We possibly could make two more,” Jones said Monday, via The Dallas Morning News.

Jones didn’t disclose who the player is, but claimed he’ll be an instant contributor.

“Immediately it will have them on the field and it will address some of the things that have been our shortcomings,” Jones said.

The Cowboys’ shortcomings are clearly on the defensive side of the football. Dallas (3-4-1) ranks last in the NFC in both total defense and points allowed entering their Nov. 3 Week 9 game against the Arizona Cardinals on ‘Monday Night Football.’

The Cowboys’ inept defense is a major reason why they are rumored to be aggressive buyers before the trade deadline. Jones has been on the radio in recent weeks to discuss the Cowboys’ approach heading into Tuesday’s deadline.

A Cowboys trade isn’t a formality, though, despite Jones’ proclamation. Jones famously thought he had a deal in place to re-sign star edge rusher Micah Parsons before things went sour between both parties.

We’ll find out in less than 24 hours if Jones’ words on the radio are validated.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.