Welcome to Sports Desk, let's get into it.
Jalen Duren is a no-show in Detroit, skipping the Pistons' media day and the opening of training camp as his contract standoff with the organization drags on. The All-Star center wants a new deal, and until that changes, he's staying away. This is a situation worth watching closely as the season approaches.
Meanwhile, the NFL's early-season picture is getting murky fast. Five teams that made the playoffs last year are now staring at real trouble after Week Three. New England got blown out, the Chargers and Texans both dropped to zero and three, and the Seahawks lost to a backup quarterback. The margin for error is shrinking by the week for all five of these clubs.
And speaking of the Texans, the analytics crowd is raising questions about coaching decisions in Houston after a brutal week. Beyond that, the Commanders have a linebacker hitting a significant milestone, and there was some wild tight end production out of the Raiders-Saints matchup that the numbers people simply could not ignore.
That's your play-by-play. Sports Desk, back to the booth.
