Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was well aware of who was in attendance for the Lions’ Week 10 clash with the Washington Commanders in the nation’s capital.

After scoring a touchdown in the first quarter, St. Brown pointed toward the suite level at Northwest Stadium – where President Donald Trump was taking in the Week 10 game – before celebrating his score with a ‘Trump dance.’

The dance, inspired by the president’s unique dance moves, involves pumping both fists in the air while swaying the hips.

The dance’s use as a celebration first swept across the sports world last fall, shortly after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. Multiple athletes across a variety of professional sports leagues – and college athletics – have mimicked Trump’s dance moves to use as a celebration the 12 months since.

USA TODAY confirmed that Trump would be attending the Commanders’ Week 10 game on Nov. 7. ESPN’s Pat McAfee initially reported the president was joining Josh Harris, the Commanders’ principal owner, in a suite at Northwest Stadium.

On Nov. 8, ESPN reported that Trump and the White House had been in contact with Harris and the Commanders to express his desire for the team’s new stadium to be named after him. Washington plans to have its $3.7 billion project built on the site of the old Robert F. Kennedy Stadium – the home of the football team from 1961 to 1996 – within the city limits of the nation’s capital.

The Nov. 9 game between the Commanders and Lions is the second NFL game President Trump has attended since his inauguration in January. The first was Super Bowl 59 in February.

Trump has also attended the FIFA Club World Cup, Daytona 500, U.S. Open men’s singles final, Ryder Cup and two UFC fights during his second term in the Oval Office.

The 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs are through the best-of-three Round 1 series and the journey toward the Dec. 6 championship game will continue with the conference semifinals.

In Round 1, the higher-seeded teams won seven of the eight matchups. The Philadelphia Union, the 2025 Supporters’ Shield winners, swept their first-round series; so did Los Angeles FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami avoided a first-round playoff upset this time around, dispatching Nashville SC in three games.

Here is a look at the schedule for the conference semifinals for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs:

MLS Cup Playoffs 2025: Results and upcoming schedule

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Eastern Conference

• FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami — Sunday, Nov. 23, 5 p.m. ET
• Philadelphia Union vs. New York City FC — Sunday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Western Conference

• Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Los Angeles FC — Saturday, Nov. 22, 9:30 p.m. ET
• San Diego FC vs. Minnesota United — Monday, Nov. 24, 10 p.m. ET

Watch the MLS playoffs on Apple TV

ROUND 1

Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire

Philadelphia Union win series, 2-0

• Game 1: Philadelphia Union 2, Chicago Fire 2 (Philadelphia won penalty shootout, 4-2)
• Game 2: Philadelphia Union 3, Chicago Fire 0

FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew

FC Cincinnati wins series, 2-1

• Game 1: FC Cincinnati 1, Columbus Crew 0
• Game 2: Columbus Crew 4, FC Cincinnati 0
• Game 3: FC Cincinnati 2, Columbus Crew 1

Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC

Inter Miami wins series, 2-1

• Game 1: Inter Miami 3, Nashville SC 1
• Game 2: Nashville SC 2, Inter Miami 1
• Game 3: Inter Miami 4, Nashville SC 0

Charlotte FC vs. New York City FC

NYCFC wins series, 2-1

• Game 1: New York City FC 1, Charlotte FC 0
• Game 2: Charlotte FC 0, New York City FC 0 (Charlotte won penalty shootout, 7-6)
• Game 3: New York City FC 3, Charlotte FC 1

San Diego FC vs. Portland Timbers

San Diego FC wins series, 2-1

• Game 1: San Diego FC 2, Portland Timbers 1
• Game 2: Portland Timbers 2, San Diego FC 2 (Portland won penalty shootout, 3-2)
• Game 3: San Diego FC 4, Portland Timbers 0

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. FC Dallas

Vancouver Whitecaps win series, 2-0

• Game 1: Vancouver Whitecaps 3, FC Dallas 0
• Game 2: Vancouver Whitecaps 1, FC Dallas 1 (Vancouver won penalty shootout, 4-2)

Los Angeles FC vs. Austin FC

LAFC wins series, 2-1

• Game 1: Los Angeles FC 2, Austin FC 1
• Game 2: Los Angeles FC 4, Austin FC 1

Minnesota United vs. Seattle Sounders

Minnesota United wins series, 2-1

• Game 1: Minnesota United 0, Seattle Sounders 0 (Minnesota won penalty shootout, 3-2)
• Game 2: Seattle Sounders 4, Minnesota United 2
• Game 3: Minnesota United 3, Seattle Sounders 3 (Minnesota won penalty shootout, 7-6)

WILD-CARD ROUND

• Chicago Fire FC 3, Orlando City SC 1
• Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 1

2025 MLS playoff schedule

• Oct. 22: Wild-card matches (single-elimination matches)
• Oct. 24-Nov. 9: Round 1 (best-of-three series)
• Nov. 22-24: Conference semifinals (single-elimination matches)
• Nov. 29-30: Conference finals (single-elimination matches)
• Dec. 6: MLS Cup (single winner-take-all match)

MLS Cup: Results of every championship game since 1996

• 2024: Los Angeles Galaxy over New York Red Bulls (Dignity Health Sports Park), 2-1.
• 2023: Columbus Crew over Los Angeles FC (Lower.com Field), 2-1
• 2022: Los Angeles FC over Philadelphia Union (Banc of California Stadium), 3-3 (LAFC won penalty shootout, 3-0)
• 2021: New York City FC over Portland Timbers (Providence Park), 1-1 (NYCFC won penalty shootout, 4-2)
• 2020: Columbus Crew over Seattle Sounders FC (Mapfre Stadium), 3-0
• 2019: Seattle Sounders FC over Toronto FC (CenturyLink Field), 3-1
• 2018: Atlanta United over Portland Timbers (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 2-0
• 2017: Toronto FC over Seattle Sounders FC (BMO Field), 2-0
• 2016: Seattle Sounders FC over Toronto FC (BMO Field), 0-0 (Sounders won penalty shootout, 5-4)
• 2015: Portland Timbers over Columbus Crew (Mapfre Stadium), 2-1
• 2014: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (StubHub Center), 2-1 (extra time)
• 2013: Sporting Kansas City over Real Salt Lake (Sporting Park), 1-1 (SKC won penalty shootout, 7-6)
• 2012: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (Home Depot Center), 3-1
• 2011: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (Home Depot Center), 1-0
• 2010: Colorado Rapids over FC Dallas (BMO Field), 2-1 (extra time)
• 2009: Real Salt Lake over Los Angeles Galaxy (Qwest Field), 1-1 (RSL won penalty shootout, 5-4)
• 2008: Columbus Crew over New York Red Bulls (Home Depot Center), 3-1
• 2007: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (RFK Stadium), 2-1
• 2006: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (Pizza Hut Park), 1-1 (Dynamo won penalty shootout, 4-3)
• 2005: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (Pizza Hut Park), 1-0 (extra time)
• 2004: D.C. United over Kansas City Wizards (Home Depot Center), 3-2
• 2003: San Jose Earthquakes over Chicago Fire (Home Depot Center), 4-2
• 2002: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (Gillette Stadium), 1-0 (extra time)
• 2001: San Jose Earthquakes over Los Angeles Galaxy (Crew Stadium), 2-1 (extra time)
• 2000: Kansas City Wizards over Chicago Fire (RFK Stadium), 1-0
• 1999: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy (Foxboro Stadium), 2-0
• 1998: Chicago Fire over D.C. United (Rose Bowl), 2-0
• 1997: D.C. United over Colorado Rapids (RFK Stadium), 2-1
• 1996: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy (Foxboro Stadium), 3-2 (extra time)

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!

Every week for the duration of the 2025 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too.)

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 10 of the 2025 season nearly complete:

NFC playoff picture

1. Seattle Seahawks (7-2), NFC West leaders: They reside atop the conference and division … for now. Winners of four in a row, they currently have a better record in NFC West games than the Rams, who are also 7-2. But those clubs will meet in LA in Week 11. Also, Seattle could lose the No. 1 spot Monday night. Remaining schedule: at Rams, at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2), NFC East leaders: Something catastrophic (not uncommon in Philly) would have to occur for the defending champs not to be the first back-to-back winners of this division since they last did it … 21 years ago. A superior record in NFC games would allow the Eagles to move ahead of the Seahawks if they can win at Green Bay on Monday. Remaining schedule: at Packers, vs. Lions, at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

3. Green Bay Packers (5-2-1), NFC North leaders: With losses to Cleveland and Carolina, it’s certainly been an uneven campaign to date for an ultra-talented team. But a loss Monday to the Eagles would drop the Pack from first place to third in their division. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, at Giants, vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3), NFC South leaders: You can afford to drop two of three in a division the Bucs have ruled since 2021. Remaining schedule: at Bills, at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Los Angeles Rams (7-2), wild card No. 1: Winners of four straight, all in dominant fashion, they have a strong case as the league’s best team at the moment. Yet a Week 3 loss at Lincoln Financial Field could come back to haunt them when the NFC playoff field is seeded. Remaining schedule: vs. Seahawks, vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

6. Detroit Lions (6-3), wild card No. 2: The offense responded Sunday as Dan Campbell assumed the offensive play-calling. Detroit could assume first place in the NFC North on Monday night. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears.

7. Chicago Bears (6-3), wild card No. 3: They’ve won six of seven since an 0-2 start but have struggled to beat seemingly weaker teams − as happened Sunday against the Giants. Remaining schedule: at Vikings, vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

AFC playoff picture

1. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule’s been soft, but you can’t control whom you play − though the second-half lineup seems much less forgiving. A 6-1 record in conference games currently gives Indy the advantage over Denver and New England. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

2. Denver Broncos (8-2), AFC West leaders: They’re also winning a lot of ugly games − as they did Thursday night against Las Vegas. But wins are wins − and the Broncos have one more in AFC play than the Patriots do right now. Remaining schedule: vs. Chiefs, BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. New England Patriots (8-2), AFC East leaders: They’re in position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 seed since 2017. Not a whole lot of seemingly tough matchups from here on out. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4), AFC North leaders: Don’t look now, fellas, but you’re only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3), wild card No. 1: They manhandled Pittsburgh in prime time, offering fresh evidence that maybe they can overcome their litany of injuries. Remaining schedule: at Jaguars, BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Buffalo Bills (6-3), wild card No. 2: They’re starting to lose sight of the Patriots atop the AFC East after a pathetic performance at Miami on Sunday. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Texans, at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4), wild card No. 3: Tough loss at Houston on Sunday. But their Week 5 defeat of the Chiefs, who are also 5-4, could eventually loom large for both teams. Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to attend a NFL regular-season game since 1978 when he showed up to the Detroit Lions’ drubbing of the Washington Commanders in Landover, Maryland on Sunday, Nov. 9.

The crowd let the 45th president know how they felt by booing him (with a smattering of cheers) while being shown on the video board at Northwest Stadium and during a halftime military swearing-in ceremony, which Trump led.

Trump also spent a few minutes of the third quarter being interviewed by the FOX broadcast team of Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma.

‘It’s a microcosm of life,’ Trump answered when Albert asked him why he loved sports. ‘It’s sort of like life: the good, the bad, the ugly.

‘You have the triumph. You have the problems. You got to get through the problems to hit the triumphs. You can never quit. You can never give up.’

Standing between the two broadcasters, Trump complimented injured Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and praised backup Marcus Mariota – without mentioning their names and referring to them as ‘second-string’ and ‘first-string.’ He alluded to the Lions’ trade of Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff and said it worked out for both sides.

The broadcast showed a team photo from Trump’s football-playing days, uniform No. 85, at New York Military Academy. Trump admitted he never scored a touchdown.

‘I actually loved playing football … at least you realize that I never tell a lie,’ Trump said.

It seems Trump has strayed from his New York allegiances as a fan of both the Giants and Jets. There was praise of one of Vilma’s teammates with the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Drew Brees. As far as his game analysis, Trump harped on the importance of the Commanders’ drive as they trailed 32-10.

Vilma asked him about the general health of the nation. The stock market hit an all-time high, Trump said, along with his claim that ‘prices are coming down.’

‘We’re doing great,’ Trump said. ‘Just how (the Commanders) are doing right now.’

Mariota hit Deebo Samuel for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 32-16 after he said that.

‘I love ratings,’ Trump later said. ‘But you guys have the ratings.’

Trump went on to wax poetic about Washington coaches of the past and name-dropped George Allen and Joe Gibbs.

When Albert gave Trump the opening to exit stage left, Trump replied, ‘I’d love to have your job.’

Trump is no stranger to sporting events. He attended Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans in February shortly after beginning his second term. He was also on hand for the first day of play at the Ryder Cup in New York, the Major League Baseball playoffs and the men’s final of the US Open.

Trump attempted to purchase the Buffalo Bills in 2014 and his relationship with the league while in office is a complicated one, from his bashing of the protests that took place during the national anthem during his first term to standing in the Oval Office with commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this year to announce that the 2027 NFL draft will be held in Washington D.C. ESPN reported Nov. 8 that Trump wants the Commanders’ new stadium, at the former RFK Stadium site in Washington, to be named after him.

AI-assisted summary
• Despite Gardner’s debut, the Colts narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime, relying on running back Jonathan Taylor.
• The trade signals the Colts are betting on their current roster, which may lead to a large contract extension for quarterback Daniel Jones.
• History suggests a lockdown cornerback alone is not enough to guarantee Super Bowl success, which typically depends on elite quarterback play.

Having a lockdown cornerback in the NFL is basically the same as having a lockdown left tackle – awfully nice but hardly predictive of Super Bowl success.

Maybe the Indianapolis Colts, who forked over two first-round draft picks to the New York Jets for corner Sauce Gardner ahead of the league’s Nov. 4 trade deadline can disprove that. But Sunday’s (very) early returns suggest otherwise.

The Colts are now 8-2 and back atop the overall AFC standings after escaping the Atlanta Falcons 31-25 in overtime in the first-ever regular-season game staged in Berlin. After a crash course into his new playbook, Gardner, who hasn’t exactly been airtight in coverage after earning All-Pro honors in 2022 and ’23, seemed to do fine in his Indy debut.

He was regularly deployed to guard Drake London, Atlanta’s top receiver and a guy coming off a three-touchdown performance at New England in Week 9. London wound up with six catches for 104 yards Sunday. However, per Next Gen Stats, he only secured two of four targets for 26 yards against Gardner, who nearly registered his first pick of 2025 while covering him. London did snare a TD on a play that Gardner was either schemed out of or made a bad decision on.

“I mean, man, I’m going to be honest; it was like a tough week for me, like mentally, just trying to learn all the plays,” said Gardner.

“I started watching tape on Cleveland, then already had to switch and watch tape on Atlanta, and that’s besides having to hurry up and fly to Indy and then hurry up and fly to Berlin.”

London also beat Gardner, who slipped, on a two-point conversion inside of two minutes to go that gave Atlanta a three-point lead before Indianapolis tied the game in the final minute of regulation.

“I was sick after that,” said Gardner, who vowed to tighten things up in overtime, when the Falcons had -8 yards on five plays.

But that’s really the rub.

Gardner couldn’t much help a team that was so often abysmal in gotta-have-it situations, the Colts 4-for-16 combined on third and fourth downs. He couldn’t bolster the blocking of an offensive line that struggled in key spots and surrendered seven sacks. He wasn’t able to limit the mistakes of quarterback Daniel Jones, who turned the ball over twice – giving him seven giveaways over the past two games (after committing three in the first eight) in a frightening reversion to the version of himself whom New York Giants fans were so familiar with. Defensively, the Colts seemed to miss injured defensive tackle DeForest Buckner much more than they needed whatever Gardner gave them Sunday.

Ultimately, running back Jonathan Taylor, a legit MVP candidate, saved the day with 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yarder in the fourth quarter and the decisive score from 8 yards out in overtime.

“They go as Jonathan Taylor goes,’ said NFL Network analyst and former Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy.

‘You take away JT, you put it in Daniel Jones’ hands – we don’t know what’ll happen.”

Yup.

As pleasant a surprise as the conference-leading Colts have generally been this season – I certainly didn’t foresee this level of success unfolding – general manager Chris Ballard has now made a bed with what could be a mattress on a short shelf life. By acquiring Gardner for the hefty price he paid, Ballard has bet big on his team – and GMs should do that when they feel like their roster is Super Bowl-caliber or close to it. Gardner is a player who would need to earn his stripes in the playoffs against quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson – but he’s likely not going to make that much of a difference immediately in what’s typically an eminently winnable AFC South.

By extension, Ballard is also obligated to re-sign Jones, who’s playing on a one-year deal, to a sizable contract extension – the same mistake the Giants made after the 2022 season and ultimately regretted. Yet given Ballard’s next Round 1 selection is scheduled for the 2028 draft and 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson is just about relegated to bust status (at least in Indianapolis), the GM now has little recourse but to hope Jones’ marriage with head coach Shane Steichen is built to last in a way the union to Brian Daboll wasn’t.

The Colts – their losses this season have come against the division-leading Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers – have fattened their record this season against the likes of the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans (twice) and now the Jekyll-and-Hyde Falcons, who fell to 3-6 Sunday and have been manhandled this season by the Dolphins and the Carolina Panthers.

Moving forward, with potential future battles against Mahomes, Jackson, Allen, et al. looming, the Colts are banking that Jones can be a rarity – a largely ordinary QB1 like Nick Foles or Joe Flacco who can break through with a postseason hot streak that leads to Lombardi glory. If that happens, then Gardner will join a list that includes Stephon Gilmore, Darrelle Revis, Jalen Ramsey and even the incomparable Deion Sanders – topflight corners who couldn’t lead their original teams to success but subsequently won rings with squads largely propelled by Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks.

Barring that?

After betting the farm on Gardner and eventually Jones, Ballard’s years-long quarterback conundrum could ultimately be his undoing … perhaps thanks in part to his new cornerback.