The Lead

Darnold's Injury Exposes Patriots' Quarterback Depth

The Seahawks beat the Patriots 13-10 Wednesday in a Super Bowl LX rematch, but the deciding moment came on New England's first series. Sam Darnold went down with a hip injury and did not return, forcing Drew Lock into relief duty behind a defense that had to hold the line without its starter. Josh Jobe's interception in the end zone in the final minute closed it out after Drake Maye rallied the offense into scoring range.

The result itself is a single Week 1 loss, but the injury is the part worth tracking. A contender that reached the Super Bowl now has to answer, in real time, whether its season-opening plan survives its starter missing extended time.

Lock playing competent relief football is a fine outcome for one night. It says nothing yet about whether New England's roster construction anticipated life without Darnold for weeks rather than a series.

The Rest of the Slate

US Open

Elena Rybakina beat Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday, a result that guarantees she becomes the WTA's new No. 1. Coco Gauff fought off match points before beating Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 in the other women's quarterfinal. On the men's side, top seed Alexander Zverev dispatched Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the semifinals of every Slam this season, while Karen Khachanov advanced when Alexander Blockx retired. The women's semifinal picture now shifts to Thursday, with Rybakina's new ranking already secured regardless of how the rest of the tournament unfolds.

Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were shut out 2-0 by the Athletics on Wednesday, with Scott Blewett picking up the win and Michael Lorenzen taking the loss. A scoreless night against a rebuilding Oakland roster is the kind of game that should not repeat if the lineup is performing as advertised.

Wheelchair Basketball

Canada opened the IWBF World Championships in Ottawa with a 76-51 win over Spain, led by Arinn Young's game-high 18 points and a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double from Kady Dandeneau. A lopsided opener like this tends to say more about depth than about the tougher pool games still ahead.

The Number

Blue Jays runs scored in Wednesday's loss to Oakland Getting shut out by a rebuilding Athletics roster is a poor look regardless of who is on the mound for the other side. Watch the next series opener for whether the middle of the order responds, because one scoreless night against replacement-level pitching is a shrug, but a second one turns it into a real problem.

What's On Tonight

            No major games scheduled.
          

Top Dog — Betting Angle

The pick: Aryna Sabalenka to beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets in Thursday's US Open semifinal. Sabalenka has reached a sixth consecutive US Open semifinal and Pegula has never beaten her at a Slam, a gap in big-match composure that tends to hold up under lights.

“A backup quarterback's first series tells you more about the roster than the starter's best ten games”