Iranian state media reported the sound of explosions on the island in the strait of Hormuz, coming on the eve of crucial US midterms

The ⁠US launched limited strikes on ​Iran’s Qeshm Island late on Monday, ⁠according to reports in US media, hours after vice-president JD Vance said he was optimistic diplomatic efforts to end the war were moving in the right direction.

The strikes were reported as being “defensive”, and not thought to be a signal of a return to full hostilities, but came on the eve of crucial midterm elections in which Donald Trump’s Republican party is expected to be punished by voters for the cascading effect the war has had on the US cost of living.

Footage from prosecutors shows aftermath of shooting of Tyrin Johnson, 20, shot and killed by national guard in July

Tennessee national guard troops in Memphis last summer trained their handguns on a man as he lay dying on a sidewalk after a guard member shot him in the back, video released on Monday by county prosecutors shows.

A Memphis police officer can be heard in the footage from an officer’s body camera calling for an ambulance and then asking the troops: “Hey, you guys got a medical kit or anything?”

As the first set of polls close, the economy and the state of democracy appear to be top issues for US voters

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Donald Trump has called it “most important in our lifetime” while senator Bernie Sanders says it’s the most important “in modern American history”. Barack Obama called it a “circuit-breaker” and the “last, best chance” to rein in the president.

In any case, all eyes will be on the United States on Wednesday Australian time for the 2026 midterm elections. Will Americans use the day as a referendum on Trump’s second term? Will Democrats see a clean sweep of Congress?

Latest arrests come after DoJ unsuccessfully fought to force state election officials to set aside about 20,000 ballots

• US midterms – live updates

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) in California has charged six more people with alleged voter fraud crimes, an escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against the state’s election processes on the eve of the midterms.

Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles and a close ally of the president, announced on Monday that his office was prosecuting six lawful permanent residents accused of unlawfully registering to vote and casting fraudulent ballots. The DoJ filed similar charges against 28 people across California last month and arranged for a dramatic on-camera arrest of one 72-year-old defendant, editing the footage into a DoJ promotional video.

Sam Levine contributed reporting

Justice department had ordered state to segregate and not count 20,000 ballots from people it claims are non-citizens

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The supreme court on Monday ruled against the Trump administration and its attempts to force California election officials to segregate and not count ballots from people that the justice department claims are non-citizens. The ruling follows several lower courts siding with California officials, who argued the federal government was seeking to interfere in state elections.

The court did not issue an explanation for its ruling, which is customary in cases that come to it on an emergency basis. There were no noted dissents from the justices.

Individual, who also had underlying conditions, was hospitalized after being exposed to avian influenza

A Washington state resident has died after being hospitalized with “severe illness” after contracting bird flu, local health officials said on Sunday.

The individual was exposed to avian influenza, also known as bird flu, at a dairy with infected cattle in Yakima county, according to a news release. The person was subsequently hospitalized with severe illness and died on Sunday. Health officials said that the individual, whose identity had not been released, had underlying health conditions.

• Team say they will not release further information

• 26-year-old will remain in hospital for time being

The Detroit Lions have said the initial signs for Jack Campbell are “positive” after the linebacker was carted off the field and taken to hospital when he suffered a neck injury during Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The 26-year-old was treated for nine minutes on the field after making a tackle during Sunday’s game. Players from both teams were visibly distraught as Campbell received medical attention before he was taken for further treatment at a nearby facility.

Douglas DePodesta says he was made ‘scapegoat’ after collapse of case against Broadview Six anti-ICE protesters

The former head of the FBI in Chicago has accused the Trump administration of pressuring him to investigate the president’s political opponents and making him a “scapegoat” after a major federal case against anti-ICE protesters fell apart.

Douglas DePodesta, who served as FBI special agent in charge from 2024 until July 2026, alleged in a federal lawsuit filed on Monday that the Department of Justice (DoJ) had engaged in “misconduct” and “malfeasance” in its pursuit of unjust prosecutions – and that he was wrongly blamed for the DoJ’s missteps and unlawfully forced out of his job.

US president shares delayed results of chaotic renovation on DC site as Americans prepare to head to the polls

Donald Trump unveiled the delayed results of his $14m renovation of Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in what is expected to be his final press conference before voters head to the polls for the midterm elections.

On the eve of a consequential election day, with polls indicating that most voters feel the US president has grown too focused on building projects in the nation’s capital, he stood in front of the newly opened reflecting pool to discuss – in detail – changes to the pool’s pipe, the grass surrounding the area and granite.

Her latest plea comes three months after urging ‘someone to come forward’ with details about Nancy Guthrie

Savannah Guthrie has issued a new plea for help on the whereabouts of her 84-year-old mother, who authorities believe was abducted in February.

On Sunday, the Today show co-host shared a photo of an old drawing made by her daughter featuring an umbrella and the words: “I know it might not seem like it but I really need my mommy.”

• Pardon the Interruption co-host to take leave of absence

• Wilbon did not go into detail but cited ‘worrisome signs’

Michael Wilbon, the co-host of ESPN’s popular Pardon the Interruption talkshow alongside good friend Tony Kornheiser, announced on Monday he is taking a leave of absence because of what he described as “multiple health issues”.

Wilbon, who turns 68 later this month, wrote in a post on X that he is taking a trip to “the injured list” but added he hopes it is “not an extended one”.

The issue runs through almost every twist and turn and has come to define the congresswoman’s political persona

For Haley Stevens, the road from Democratic Senate candidate to campaigning alongside a Republican she once called a rubber stamp for Donald Trump has been remarkably short – and the issue running through almost every twist and turn has been Israel.

Having failed to stop Abdul El-Sayed in the primary, Stevens chose to back Republican Mike Rogers on Sunday, a candidate who she previously warned would enable Trump’s agenda – apparently because the Democrat who won refuses to share her position on Israel.

Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens has endorsed the Republican candidate for the Senate after a spat with her party’s own candidate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed. The endorsement stunned Stevens’ Democrat colleagues, with one calling it a ‘despicable betrayal’ on the eve of the midterm elections. So what will it mean for the race? Lucy Hough speaks to US southern bureau chief and host of Anywhere but Washington Oliver Laughland

US voters will decide whether Republicans will retain control of Congress or whether Democrats will rise up to stymie Trump’s agenda

Donald Trump will still be US president on the morning of 4 November. But he could be facing a very different political landscape, depending on the results of the US midterm elections held the previous day.

As the name implies, midterm elections fall nearly halfway through a president’s term. They are often a telling referendum on the sitting president’s performance, something Trump is actively encouraging by telling voters “pretend I’m on the ballot”. In this case, voters will decide whether Trump’s Republican party can retain its grip on Congress.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Republicans are defending a narrow majority, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to take control.

35 seats in the Senate. Thirty-three seats are up in regular elections, along with two special elections in Florida and Ohio to fill the remainder of terms that were vacated early. Republicans currently hold 53 seats, against 47 held by Democrats and independents who caucus with them. Democrats need to gain four seats to secure a majority.

39 governorships. Voters will choose governors in 36 states and three US territories.

Thousands of state legislative seats, as well as local offices, judicial contests and ballot measures on issues including taxes, abortion rights and voting rules.

The two FBI agents were charged with making false statements to Congress while testifying about the bureau’s role in investigating Biden’s laptop

A federal judge dismissed criminal charges against two former FBI officials who were accused of lying about their involvement in the investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of former president Joe Biden, on Monday.

Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said prosecutors failed to show probable cause that the two former officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, had knowingly made false statements.

Brent crude drops by more than 6% to $105.55 a barrel, the lowest level in more than two weeks

The oil price has fallen to its lowest level in more two weeks amid new hopes of a breakthrough to end the Iran war.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped by more than 6.5% to as low as $105.55 a barrel on Monday, the lowest since 16 October, sending shares in airline companies higher and pushing down government borrowing costs.

Residents would welcome the development, but the president’s past false promises cast doubt on the proposal

On a Monday afternoon in late September, Donald Trump gathered Iowa Republicans in the Oval Office to make a big announcement: the firm Mesabi Metallics would invest $15bn to make the midwestern state the site of the largest steel mill in the country.

One month later, and just days before the midterm election, word has spread in the small town of Wever, population 142, that the mill will be built somewhere nearby. And that’s been about it – no shovels in the dirt, workers on a job site or machinery on the dirt roads leading down towards the Mississippi River.

Lawyers file opposition to Trump’s request, telling supreme court justices they do not need ‘to bail out this president’

E Jean Carroll’s lawyers are fighting Donald Trump’s efforts to toss her $83m damages verdict in the US supreme court, telling the justices that they do not need “to bail out this president from the consequences of his repeated litigation choices”.

Jurors delivered Carroll the huge award on 26 January 2024, less than one year after the journalist and author won $5m in her sexual abuse and defamation case against Trump. The president has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing in relation to Carroll.

Former US representative, health secretary and state attorney general is a shoo-in after a stunning comeback victory in primary

It was Tuesday, and the man poised to be the next governor of California wanted to talk about Donald Trump.

Xavier Becerra had come to Guelaguetza restaurant in Los Angeles to talk about Trump’s attacks on voting in the state, but instead found himself answering questions about a presidential provocation of a different order.

Sunday’s win at Liverpool showed the Gunners are deeper, more experienced, and are playing against a weaker class of contenders than last season

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Arsenal are three points clear at the top of the Premier League table. But given the team in second are Manchester City, who are likely to be facing at the very least a major points deduction, perhaps more significant is that they are five clear of Brighton in third. The season of domination that many anticipated from the champions appears to be coming to pass.

Liverpool challenged them on Sunday. There was a 20-minute spell before half-time when they swarmed all over Arsenal, and Anfield felt at least like it did in the golden years of Jürgen Klopp, when it buzzed with an energy that could overwhelm visitors. But Arsenal got through that, reset at half-time, and navigated the second half with relative comfort. For the second league game running, they denied Liverpool a shot on target.

This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here.

An easy way to unveil the corporate interests and tech billionaires behind the ads

Welcome back to How We Win, a Guardian opinion series with leading thinkers, offering bold ideas for America’s political future. Last week, Katie Phang argued that the Epstein files are a midterms sledgehammer. Today’s edition was written by Judd Legum, the founder and author of Popular Information. Sign up for future editions here.

An unprecedented influx of cash from tech billionaires and corporate interests has been injected into the midterms to sway the election.

We don’t have to accept the world as it is. There are several ways we can combat dark money, as the balance of power shifts in Washington.

Lawyers for Massachusetts mother who killed children argue new trial would violate double jeopardy rules

Lindsay Clancy returned to court on Monday in an attempt to dismiss the charges that she murdered her three young children.

The hearing Monday was the second time the Massachusetts mother has been in court since her trial ended with a deadlocked jury in September after jurors were unable to agree on a verdict.

Republican John Sununu tries to distance himself from unpopular president in race against Chris Pappas that has gone from ‘toss-up to ‘lean Democrat’

Chris Pappas is stopping himself from getting too excited ahead of Tuesday’s midterm election.

“I take nothing for granted,” said the four-term US representative and Democratic nominee for New Hampshire’s open Senate seat. “This is a very purple, competitive state. Elections are never in the bag here.”

Case against Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, in Los Angeles comes four months after first trial ended with a hung jury

A 30-year-old man accused of starting the deadly Palisades fire is being retried for arson this week, four months after his first trial ended with a hung jury.

Federal prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht, a former Uber driver, is responsible for the January 2025 wildfire, which killed 12 people and ravaged thousands of buildings in the Pacific Palisades.

Family of four, two close friends and nanny also died in crash as pilot identified as 55-year-old Jeff Gregory

Family members on Monday identified a young Florida pilot as one of nine victims of a plane crash in Palm Beach county that occurred during a heavy thunderstorm.

Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, was co-pilot of the private Learjet 60 en route from Austin-Bergstrom international airport in Texas to North Eleuthera airport in the Bahamas on Sunday when it suddenly plummeted out of the sky, killing all onboard, her mother told the New York Times.

Young voters have many of the same concerns as the larger voting cohort, even if many are not registered to vote

The 2026 US midterms are approaching against a backdrop of growing political uncertainty, with young voters increasingly mobilizing around concerns about the country’s future.

Although nearly 50 million Americans aged 18 to 29 are eligible to vote in the midterms, almost half remain either unregistered or civically disengaged, according to US Census Bureau data.

Patient with chest pains rescued by Cleveland EMS after driver of private ambulance gets lost and leaves

An ambulance driver in Ohio abandoned a patient they were taking to hospital after getting lost and decided to call an Uber and go home.

The bizarre incident played out in Cleveland last week when the patient was being transported to the Cleveland Clinic with chest pain. According to the local broadcaster KWTX: “The ambulance driver got lost, told her he was done driving for the day, and called an Uber.”

As Josh Shapiro, the governor, mounts outreach program, members say ‘you don’t get to change anybody’s mind’

Making hay was more than a figure of speech last week at the New Holland auction house in Pennsylvania last week, where a ton of top quality hay bales were going for upwards of $400, up about 20% from last year.

For members of the Lancaster settlement, a term used to describe the Amish population that settled here in 1760, the price of hay was only part of the discussion: the price of horses, donkeys and milk were also topics of conversation and, as it has been for year or more, a potentially deadly outbreak of measles.

The Texan could pull off a historic victory in the Lone Star state, which hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since 1988

When a young, untested former school teacher stood up to address a modest gathering of local donors in Austin, the state capital of Texas, Wendy Davis felt sorry for him. “Poor kid,” she remembers thinking.

Then James Talarico began speaking. “He was like five or six sentences in and I knew that something was different about him,” recalls Davis, a former Democratic state senator. “He was as articulate and unique then as he is now. From that day, I started calling him ‘Baby Obama’.”

Concerns about datacenters and high energy bills could help Democrats clinch races in Ohio, Arizona and Michigan

In Arizona, where summer temperatures regularly hit triple digits, air conditioning can be a matter of life and death. This year, as the state recorded its hottest summer on record, Diali Avila’s monthly power bill went up to $400, the highest it has ever been.

Avila, the state director for Climate Power, an advocacy group, said the upcoming elections offered voters an opportunity to elect candidates who can ease their utility bills. “People are making the connection: they’re looking at their electricity bills that they get at the end of the month, and then they’re looking at their ballot, and they’re [realizing], this is my moment to take action,” she said.

Letter from mayor tells federal agents to stay out of city-owned facilities for immigration operations

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has threatened to take legal action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement over allegations the agency’s officers at the agency are using parking lots owned by New York City for operations in the area.

In a letter to the Trump administration, Mamdani noted the agency’s use of property owned by the city was “unauthorized and is therefore illegal, endangers City residents, and sows fear among those who seek to access City property”.

Mandatory evacuations in Arizona and New Mexico with Pagosa Springs warned of potentially ‘catastrophic’ deluge

Heavy rainfall produced flash flooding and mandatory evacuations in a swath of the south-west on Sunday, including in a Colorado tourist town bracing for its main river to rise to historic levels, as weary residents in the normally arid region deal with another drenching.

Officials in Pagosa Springs, a town of more than 2,000 in the Rockies located near ski resorts and known for its hot springs, warned of potentially “catastrophic flooding” as the San Juan River was forecast to crest at more than 20ft (6.1 meters) late on Sunday night.

Trump called Democratic candidate a ‘jihadist’ as El-Sayed’s defeated primary opponent backs Republican Mike Rogers. Plus an Australian fish worth its weight in gold

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Good morning. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who lost the Michigan Democratic Senate primary to Abdul El-Sayed, has endorsed his Republican rival in an extraordinary rebuke of her party’s nominee on the eve of the midterm elections. Tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens had already led to him asking her to stay away from his campaign events, and her endorsement of Mike Rogers comes as the US president unleashed a racist tirade against El-Sayed in Iowa.

What did Stevens do? Her endorsement came in a video posted to X after she attended an event with Rogers at the predominantly Black Perfecting church in Detroit on Sunday. Stevens’s endorsement was the culmination of an escalating feud between the former primary rivals – primarily over support for Israel – that has roiled one of the most fiercely contested Senate contests of the cycle.

What did Trump say? The president bashed El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, in brazenly racist terms, saying that Congress would have to “get a special metal detector for Abdul” if he were elected. “If you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you’re crazy. Mike Rodgers is apple pie. And you know what this country needs? A little apple pie. We don’t need the communists or jihadists, the Muslim Brotherhood. We need apple pie.”

At more than $52m, the race has become the most expensive in US history, but residents are fed up with flooding

Aida Havel mulled her fate over coffee after working the early voting polls all day in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. “We are trapped,” she concluded.

The Dare county commission candidate lives about 50 miles (80km) south, on Hatteras Island on the state’s Outer Banks.

As governments urge public to prepare for cyber-attacks and natural disasters, US focuses on military preparation

Governments around the world are spearheading new campaigns to encourage the general public to be prepared for a host of emergencies that could disrupt essential services, including cyber-attacks and natural disasters. The United States, however, is taking a different approach: focusing on military preparation, as opposed to the general population.

With an influx of global messaging regarding emergency preparedness, the Guardian spoke with emergency experts about the Pentagon’s latest initiative and the state of US disaster preparedness at large.

The measure would ease inequality and bolster healthcare – without draining our coffers or triggering a billionaire exodus

On Tuesday, California voters will decide whether to enact Proposition 40, a one-time, 5% tax on the net worth of about 250 California billionaires.

In recent months, a number of California billionaires and their apologists in the media and in government have come out swinging against the ballot measure. I’m not a billionaire, but I’m a Californian wealthy enough to know that they have no valid reason to fight the proposition. For multimillionaires like me, paying a 5% tax would not change our lives materially, and if we can afford this as people well below the billionaire line, certainly those at the very top can too.

George Zimmer, a member of Patriotic Millionaires, is the chairperson, CEO and founder of Generation Tux, an online rental platform for tuxedos and suits. He is also the founder, former CEO and chair of the Men’s Wearhouse

Many are challenging their detention using habeas corpus filings only to be arrested again, in violation of court orders

Immigrants who have been granted release from detention after winning habeas corpus petitions in court are being re-arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The Guardian has identified at least 20 cases nationwide relating to people who were detained after being released on habeas corpus petition in the last year, according to court records, attorneys and media reports.

The USMNT striker scored his first goal since the World Cup in a losing effort against Paris FC. Could it lead to something more?

Before this weekend, the last time Folarin Balogun scored was in the United States’ 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina at this past summer’s World Cup. In the immediate aftermath, the outlook for Balogun seemed rosy; an ascendant player who could muster a goal in tense games. At half-time against Bosnia, US fans weren’t just wondering how far his team could advance – they were sizing Balogun up against some of the world’s best strikers.

But for most of the ensuing four months, Balogun has been in limbo. His breakout World Cup was overshadowed by a red card in that same game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by a scandal of which he wanted no part. Just as it seemed a summer move away from Monaco could get his club career on track, he broke off a possible deadline-day move to Everton after a lengthy visit to the training grounds and a medical he felt was improperly handled.

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The latest and final New York Times and Siena College poll before the midterm elections also shows Abdul El-Sayed leading Mike Rogers in the US Senate race in Michigan by 11 percentage points, outside the margin of error.

The survey took place before Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens announced that she would back Rogers in the contest – a vital seat for her party to retain in their quest for control of the Senate.

Republicans are focused on a race that could flip the Senate – and where an Alaska Native is favored

Days before Alaskans get to vote, the federal government is already trying to overturn the result.

Last week, at Donald Trump’s behest, the justice department sued to block the certification of Alaska’s US Senate race, if the Republican incumbent narrowly loses; a judge dismissed that suit on Sunday, though the administration said it planned to appeal. On Wednesday, Trump demanded that Mary Peltola, the Alaska Native Democrat whom polls favor to win, be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. Piling on, Alaska’s Republican governor has since ordered an investigation into Peltola’s campaign.

In state where driving is part of life, president’s pledge to lower prices at the pumps cuts little ice

Behind the granite countertops of Fuel City, a gas station in Dallas where taxidermy deer flank the entrance and hot tacos are served 24/7, Alina Cardenas sees first-hand that Texans are stretched thin.

Drivers are filling up less, she said, while ringing people up for cigarettes and beer, and fewer people are buying a full tank. Some stop once they’ve reached $10 or $20 worth of gasoline.

Stevens’s decision sparked fierce backlash from members of the party, while Donald Trump praised the sudden switch

Democrat Haley Stevens’s shocking last-minute endorsement of Mike Rogers, the Michigan Republican Senate candidate, in the run-up to Tuesday’s midterm elections has sparked fierce backlash from members of her party.

Stevens, who narrowly lost in the Democratic primary for Senate to Abdul El-Sayed, announced her support for Rogers after a feud with the El-Sayed campaign over an outside group’s advertisement, which blamed the high cost of living on US support for Israel.

Journalists such as Jim Acosta and Scott MacFarlane are now competing against their former employers for eyeballs

On Tuesday, for the first time in more than 20 years, Jim Acosta, a former CNN stalwart, will not be working for a mainstream television network on election night.

Acosta, who left CNN last year after nearly 18 years at the network, is putting on his own live broadcast at the University of Virginia that will air on YouTube and his Substack platform.

Major changes in US law and industry have shifted the sources of large contributions to political campaigns – and how much they spend

The upcoming midterm elections will be the most expensive elections ever conducted in the US. And more of the money is “dark” than ever before, meaning it’s impossible to get a full picture of who is spending gargantuan sums to influence races that could provide a critical check on Donald Trump’s second term.

The elections have also shown how money in politics is being reshaped, with the increasingly powerful role played by big donors from the tech industry as well as the growing concentration of spending among a few powerful individuals and corporations.

Sites like Kalshi and Polymarket offer faux populism as elites reap the benefits – and voters risk being misled

Online betting is a bit like Donald Trump.

The prediction markets – platforms where users bet on whether events will occur – pretend to be populist, pushing the nabobs aside and representing the “wisdom of the crowd”. “This data is bottom-up, not elites-driven,” a Kalshi ​spokesperson told Reuters. But in fact, the markets are controlled by a few, skillful traders.

Democrats have taken back the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms. Here’s what a majority in Congress means for them – and for Trump

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• Democrats win control of Senate as US voters reject Trump’s agenda

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Democrats have flipped the US Senate and House of Representatives in a massive rebuke of Republicans and Donald Trump’s agenda. With Democrats majorities in both chambers, the final two years of Trump’s presidency will look markedly different from the first half. But what can Democrats actually do with with congressional power?

Nine people died when a business jet crashed in Miami, Florida, on Sunday. Onlookers captured footage showing a large crater engulfed in flames at the site of the crash

• All nine people aboard business jet that crashed in Florida have died

Former vice-president has not yet ruled out another run for the Democratic nomination as she campaigns for others in the midterm elections

Two years on from her devastating presidential election defeat, Kamala Harris was greeted like a rockstar as she took the stage before a rapt audience at Georgia’s Clark Atlanta University.

When a politician is greeted by a friendly crowd, they often hear chants of their name. But at Clark, an historically-Black college (HBCU), students instead delivered a school spirit chant for the Atlanta University Center, celebrating an HBCU alumna – and the country’s first female and first Black vice-president – as one of their own.

We cannot let the billionaire class take unprecedented risks with our future

America is a divided country in crisis. Despite the sunny economic forecast coming from the Trump administration, millions of Americans are struggling to find and keep jobs, getting crushed under the rising cost of living, and losing health insurance when they need it the most.

Meanwhile, via corporate consolidation and political corruption, the billionaire class is getting richer faster than ever before: a 40% increase in wealth in just the last two years. Today, the combined wealth of nearly 3,000 global billionaires equals one-fifth of the entire world’s yearly output. Nearly 1,000 billionaires live and do business in the United States.

In a downpour against the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay decided throwing was for losers. They were proved right

I don’t think I’m being cheeky when I say that passing is the most exciting part of football. A solid hit is nice, and a big run can thrill you, but this is a quarterback-centric game. When a QB is bad, teams usually lose and fans get bored. So, Sunday’s performance by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had me positively gobsmacked. I wouldn’t say their 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons was thrill-a-minute, but it certainly was historic. By completing a grand total of zero passes out of a paltry three attempts, Baker Mayfield led the Bucs to the first game with no passing offense since the Buffalo Bills beat the New York Jets 16-12 on 29 September 1974. If you are miraculously old enough to remember the NFL before the advent of the forward pass in 1906, first off, congratulations on being over 120 years of age. Please email me your full diet and exercise regimen. You’re probably on your feet (if standing is still something physically possible), cheering a bit of hard-nosed, classic football. The rest of us young whippersnappers still grinding through our first century are holding our noses.

Of course, Mayfield – a former No 1 overall pick – can throw. As recently as 2024 he threw for 41 touchdowns and 4,500 passing yards in a season. But Sunday’s game was played in pouring rain that led to farcical moments like this, and Tampa Bay clearly decided that the ground game was the only way to go. That the Bucs could score at all, let alone 16 points, is a credit to Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell running as though their lives depended on it. Irving finished the day with 170 rushing yards and one touchdown, while Gainwell had 140. Combined with Mayfield, they rushed 56 times for 324 yards – the most ever in a single game for the Bucs. They more than made up for Mayfield’s borderline irrelevance in the pocket. Mayfield made himself useful blocking for his runners, but otherwise, I probably could have started at QB for the Buccaneers and the game would have been the same, other than the high likelihood of me suffering at least one gruesome injury.