Lightning Fire Tocchet, Lawton After Poor Season

The Colorado Rapids have been the MLS team with something to prove all season long. And while they certainly don’t lack in character, their home match against the Portland Timbers (11-9-7, 40 points) is a chance to show who they are. Only two teams have beaten the Rapids (13-9-5, 44 points) twice this season by multiple goals: LAFC and Portland.

Around the AFC Another Tua scare. New season, same Buffalo domination over division rival Miami. The Bills rolled on Thursday night. The scary part, though, came in the second half when Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained another concussion. He’s had several in his pro career and the latest came when he tried to run through a Damar Hamlin tackle attempt.

Steelers (1-0) at Broncos (0-1) When: Sunday, 2:25 p.m. Where: Empower Field at Mile High Radio/TV: 850 AM, 94.1 FM/CBS Line: Steelers -2.5 Broncos-Steelers series: Denver is 15-10-1 in 26 regular-season games dating back to 1970; the Broncos lost 27-19 in the last meeting, on Oct. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, and have dropped two in a row against the Steelers. In the spotlight:  Broncos shouldn’t sleep on Justin Fields.

BOULDER — When the bully across the road gives you a wedgie on national TV, the neighbors start to worry. Get beat by little brother? The neighbors start to talk. “I would say (CU Buffs coach) Deion Sanders needs (Saturday) more,” CBS analyst and former NFL lineman Ross Tucker, who’s in the booth for Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Showdown at Fort Collins, told me by phone earlier this week.

Colorado (1-1) at Colorado State (1-1) When/where: 5:30 p.m. Saturday/Canvas Stadium TV/Radio: CBS/850 AM, Rams Radio Network BetMGM Line: Colorado -7, 57.5 over/under Weather: 90 degrees and clear at kickoff Series History: 68-22-2 in favor of CU; six-game win streak for Buffs Three storylines for CU Another Get-Even Game: After the shellacking at the hands of the Huskers in Lincoln, will the Buffs be ready for another rival who wants payback for a loss last year?

Chase Wilson has plenty of great long-term memories about the Rocky Mountain Showdown growing up in Arvada, where he and his family made a tradition of gathering around the TV to watch CSU versus CU. His short-term memory of the game, which his Rams lost in double OT last year? Not as lovely. “I always remember turning it on in the living room with my family, and my mom would be making dinner or some sort of Saturday lunch, and it was a big event in our house,” CSU’s redshirt senior middle linebacker said. “… (But in terms of last season), the accumulation of CU’s whole last scoring drive (to force overtime) is what stuck with me.