Major League Baseball might face a long pause following the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series title. Owners have proposed a salary cap, reminiscent of the 1994 plan that led to a 7 1/2-month strike. The current labor contract expires on Dec. 1, and a lockout us likely. This could spark a free-agent frenzy similar to 2021. Players and management remain divided on economic issues, with players opposing the cap and seeking expanded rights. Other major U.S. leagues have salary caps, but baseball players have consistently resisted such a system.

Although the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers share a stadium, they don’t share a rivalry. The NFL schedule only puts these teams together once every four years, and they have neither the long history nor the recent animus necessary to make Sunday’s meeting into a true crosstown showdown. Matthew Stafford and the Rams know they'll be facing a desperate bunch of roommates this weekend. The Chargers are a shocking 0-6 in a start that makes the Rams’ early stumbles look minor in comparison. After beginning the season with legitimate aspirations for a third straight playoff berth and more, the Chargers are the NFL’s only winless team and its lowest-scoring team.

Blake Cashman has found his home in the middle of the NFL's most dominant defense. The eighth-year linebacker is in his third season with his home-state team, the Minnesota Vikings. Cashman had a career game last week against Indianapolis with 12 tackles, two sacks for a loss of 25 yards, three quarterback hits and four passes defensed in a 16-10 victory by the undefeated Vikings. Cashman is second on the team with 10 quarterback pressures despite playing an off-the-ball position and leads the Vikings with 54 tackles. He also wears the headset that receives the play calls before each snap.