Matthew

Both NFL most valuable players. Both bound for Canton. Both surgically precise with their passes.

Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen are two of the best liars in football.

Peyton Manning sat in the studio and cued the video. Stafford looked off a Philadelphia safety last Sunday to hold him in place. He froze a cornerback with a glance. Then he threw an out-and-up to Puka Nacua, absorbing a big hit as he released the ball.

“That’s a lot of looking off,” Manning said.

Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly, watching from his own home studio, agreed.

“The quarterback will lie to you,” Kuechly said. “He’s going to look you off. He’s going to pump you. But the one thing that never lies to you is the route.”

Welcome to “The Breakdown,” the ESPN2 show in which Manning and Kuechly provide different perspectives from opposite sides of the ball, discussing strategy, preparation and key storylines heading into marquee NFL matchups.

This show airs on Friday at 12:30 p.m. PDT, and this week’s episode focuses on Monday night’s game between the Rams and Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. The show is in its second season, and Kuechly replaces Bill Belichick, who played the defensive counterpart to Manning in Season 1.

“I’ve had lots of college coaches and pro players and high school coaches that watch this show that love it,” Manning said. “Because they want the details, but also for the casual fan to be able to understand and follow the game and maybe be entertained at the same time. It’s a delicate balance.”

Elements that Manning and Kuechly identified as critical to Monday’s game:

1. Stafford’s eyes. The Rams quarterback will try to move Buffalo defenders with his looks, a flick of his shoulders, a tiny pump fake. Kuechly advises defenders to watch the route.
2. Greg Rousseau. Kuechly identifies Buffalo’s edge rusher as the scariest player on tape, especially with his long arms that almost seem telescopic.
3. Allen’s ability to throw outside the numbers. The Bills quarterback has the arm strength to get the ball to any of his receivers at any time. “I would need a cutoff man to complete some of the throws he makes,” Manning said.
4. Quick snaps. Stafford is a master of catching the defense off guard and before it has set. It’s a look, Manning said, that some teams call “cheetah.” Kuechly said the rule for the defense should be that the play starts when the center touches the ball.
5. The last possession. Manning believes the last team that has the ball will be the team to win, and that the game will be back and forth the whole way.

Manning credits Kobe Bryant as the inspiration for “The Breakdown.” The late Lakers legend created a film-analysis series called “Detail,” which was designed to show the public how a professional basketball player studies game tape. It debuted in 2018 during the NBA playoffs.

Bryant then called Manning.

“He said, ‘Hey, I want you to do ‘Detail’ for football,’” Manning said. “He wanted me to take people behind the ropes in football, so that’s what I did.”

Manning did it alone at first, using only his voice to break down quarterbacks. Eventually, he brought in a defensive specialist for another perspective and they both appeared on camera.

Bryant’s concept of franchising the show across different sports gave Manning the idea to do the same with “Peyton’s Places,” thereby creating spinoffs with his brother, Eli, John McEnroe, Sue Bird and others.

Friends star Matthew Perry will be the subject of a moving new documentary series about his life and struggles with addiction

Netflix has unveiled a trailer for its documentary series about Matthew Perry.

The One About Matthew Perry will focus on the late Friends star’s life, career and struggles with addiction. In the trailer, Perry’s close friends and family members open up about the 17 Again and The Whole Nine Yards star.

The trailer prominently features Perry’s sister, Mia Perry Bowick, who shares details about the huge sums of money her sibling had spent trying to beat addiction. The footage also includes some of Perry’s most iconic on-screen moments from Friends.

In a particularly poignant moment, one person reveals how Perry “saved my life” through his own advocacy to help fellow addicts. There is also touching archival footage of Perry discussing his demons in his own words.

A logline for the upcoming series reads: “Told through intimate testimonies from close family and friends, this documentary event reveals the real Matthew Perry—generous, funny, vulnerable, larger than life—and the battles he fought to become the man behind the icon. A raw record of a life lived in full, and the honesty that became his greatest legacy.”

The One About Matthew Perry is the first in-depth documentary about the actor since his death. The series will shed light on the different facets of his life from the comedy genius to the man struggling with addiction and also a campaigner to help others get sober.

A Netflix description goes on to state: “Tender and unflinching, the series doesn’t separate Matthew’s humor from his pain, or his fame from his addiction. It sits with both, the way the people who loved him had to. Millions around the world are touched by addiction – their own, or someone they love – and this series speaks directly to them.”

The streaming platform is releasing the three-part factual series The One About Matthew Perry on October 27. The programme will be coming out a day before the third anniversary of the star’s death.

Perry tragically died on October 28, 2023 at the age of 54. He was found unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home. His cause of death was the acute effects of ketamine, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

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His death sent the world into mourning with his Friends co-stars paying tribute to Perry. Prior to his death, Perry had released his 2022 autobiography – Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.

Reflecting on the decision to open up about her brother’s death, Mia Perry Bowick said: “It’s taken time for me to feel ready to share these memories and what it was like to love Matthew through all the complexity of his life—to see him as a whole person, not just as Chandler, and not just as someone who struggled with addiction. As his sister, he shaped who I am today, the person I strive to be, and the work to which I’ve devoted my life.

“Matthew had a beautiful heart and a generous spirit, and even in his darkest moments, he could still make you laugh and feel loved. I hope this series gives everyone who loved him, whether personally or from afar, a deeper appreciation for who he truly was, and the legacy he leaves behind.”

The One About Matthew Perry will be released on Netflix on October 27

Did the Rams’ humiliating season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia make you reevaluate your preseason choices?

Did it make you doubt the veracity of the Rams’ championship claim?

Were you among the dummies who, as Davante Adams put it, were “freaking out”?

“You’re a fool if you think that that’s what it’s going to look like every single week,” a confident Adams said before putting on a cape and a show in the Rams’ 28-6 victory over the New York Giants on Monday at SoFi Stadium.

The 33-year-old receiver was confident because, for one, the Rams are never again going to fly 16 hours, hop off a plane and play NFL football.

Also, the Rams are very good.

And anybody — or “everybody,” per Adams — who doubts these Rams, does so at their own peril.

Because this is a team with so many weapons they seem sometimes to almost forget about one of them — Adams.

Prime-time ’Tae, the six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro first-teamer and future Hall of Famer.

A 13th-year professional scorer who, on Monday, passed Art Monk (12,721) to enter the top 25 on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. Adams also passed Antonio Brown, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Jimmy Smith (46) and tied Torry Holt and Michael Irvin (47) for the ninth-most games in NFL history with 100-plus receiving yards.

With star receiver Puka Nacua out nursing a hip injury, all eyes were on Adams — and hopefully you didn’t blink.

In Adams’ best game as a Ram, he caught eight passes for two touchdowns and 195 yards — 13 more than the Giants’ yardage total. And just 11 yards fewer than his career high.

Among his snags Monday was a leaping, two-handed grab off a sidearm sling from quarterback Matthew Stafford on the Rams’ second possession. Adams brought that down and sashayed in for a 31-yard touchdown that opened the scoring.

Then Stafford hit him in stride for a 64-yard monster gain on the Rams’ third drive, which set up Kyren Williams’ 10-yard touchdown reception.

Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, right, celebrates with wide receiver Xavier Smith after catching a touchdown pass in the first quarter Monday against the Giants.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford and Adams also had one of their patented over-the-shoulder touchdown connections in the corner of the end zone, which made it 21-3 in the third quarter.

“We’ve done that quite a few times on that route in particular,” Adams said, with a grin. “They did double-team it, but just tried to hide it a little too much. And if you’re going to double, you better get over there — because we’re going.”

And if you’re someone who thought the Rams play things too cool, well, Monday was too cool: “Our O-line did a great job protecting, to allow Matthew and Davante to have a bunch of cool connections,” coach Sean McVay said. “Anytime you go eight for 195, it’s a pretty special deal.”

Adams made high-degree-of-difficulty catches look elementary, like foregone conclusions. He was clinical, smooth with his body control.

“It’s a blessing, man,” Adams said. “Games like this. … I think you guys know what I’m capable of. I certainly do.”

But maybe Monday’s performance was a reminder not just of the Rams’ super-upside, but for the Rams themselves: As obvious a target as Nacua is, Adams remains a special talent. They ought to feed him more.

“He’s Wide Receiver 1 to me,” McVay said. “He ain’t a 2 … and I’m really happy for him. I thought he made some great plays, but you could see there’s a lot of trust that he and Matthew have. They were able to get a lot of work together this offseason, and it’s only going to continue to build.”

That investment in time and trust might have all been for naught had the Rams traded Adams — who previously was released by the New York Jets in March 2025 — when the Philadelphia Eagles were shopping A.J. Brown in the offseason.

The Rams didn’t hide that fact from Adams, McVay said: “I did want to acknowledge it. He’s a grown man, and I think he understood that this is a part of this business.”

And Adams didn’t take umbrage, he said at the start of training camp: “It’s just the way that this business goes … ultimately I’m still a Ram and I’m here and I’m happy to be here.”

Here, in L.A., still pursuing the elusive, ultimate goal — a Super Bowl title.

Rams wide receiver Davante Adams celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the Giants.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Last season, Adams lost in the NFC championship for the fifth time when the Rams were ousted 31-27 by the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seahawks.

And now, despite the debacle Down Under, the Rams remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.

Monday’s victory — imperfect but convincing — reinforced those assumptions.

And proved Adams’ point.

“We’ve still got another level we can tap into,” he said. “This team, we got to the confidence level we’re at because of the work we put in. … We’re trying to be great and be a Super Bowl-caliber team, you gotta hold yourself to a high standard.

“This is definitely on track with what we’re capable of.”

Aaron Donald made his triumphant return to NFL relevance on Monday night, and notably so did the Rams.

The team that looked lost in its Down Under debut returned to form against the New York Giants, even with star receiver Puka Nacua watching in street clothes because of hip pain.

Matthew Stafford was surgical with his passing, throwing four touchdown passes in a 28-6 victory. Receiver Davante Adams made several acrobatic catches befitting of the retina-burning yellow “Classic Sol” jerseys that turned the Rams into human highlighter pens.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie, acquired by the Rams in an offseason trade with Kansas City, made the most of his home debut with an interception in the second quarter that snuffed a Giants scoring threat. He broke up a game-high four passes.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald runs onto the field during player introductions before a 28-6 win over the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium on Monday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

SoFi Stadium, meanwhile, was a house of horrors for the Giants, who lost starting quarterback Jaxson Dart five minutes into the game when he was sandwiched by Rams defenders Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart and his left leg bent in an unnatural way.

That was a devastating blow to the Giants (1-1), who watched Dart wincingly limp off the field and into the blue medical tent. Later, it was off to the locker room for the second-year quarterback, and TV cameras showed him getting picked up by a cart in the bowels of the stadium, presumably for a more thorough medical examination before he was ruled out with a knee injury.

Surely, Dart could hear the roar of the Rams-heavy crowd as Adams made catch after catch — including a 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter and an 11-yarder in the third — and Kyren Williams pitched in with some pivotal plays of his own.

The Rams (1-1) extended their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter when, on third and six, Stafford connected with Williams on a 10-yard touchdown pass. That was set up by a 64-yard reception by Adams.

Stafford threw touchdown passes to Adams and Terrance Ferguson in the second half to take over sole possession of sixth place on the NFL’s all-time list with 427 passing touchdowns.

These were the Rams that most everyone anticipated seeing, the team with designs on ending this season with another Super Bowl at SoFi, where they raised the Lombardi Trophy in 2022.

Losing Dart was a gut punch to the Giants, who also got a scare early in the second quarter when standout receiver Malik Nabers doubled over in pain after a pass breakup. It was a shoulder injury that briefly sidelined him, although he was able to return later in the quarter.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes under pressure in the first half against the Giants.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Dart delirium was growing among Giants fans after the quarterback threw for three touchdowns and had a lofty passer rating of 134.2 in a 28-20 season-opening win over Dallas. So to lose him is a spirit-withering development.

Oddsmakers had the Rams as 7½-point favorites.

By the second half, a somber Dart was watching from the sideline in street clothes. It was a brutal weekend for a few of the NFL’s rising-star quarterbacks. Washington lost Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury, and Chicago’s Caleb Williams was carted off the field in tears, although that hamstring injury apparently wound up less serious than originally feared.

Donald, who spent his entire 10-year career with the Rams, retired after the 2023 season as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. After months of speculation, he decided to unretire and rejoin the Rams, who had traded for star Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett.

Garrett underwent knee surgery after the season-opening loss to San Francisco and was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss four games. Donald helped pick up the slack Monday, and got a rollicking ovation in pregame as the last Rams defender announced.

Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald wraps up Giants running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss near the goal line late in the second quarter Monday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Donald, who frequently commanded double-team blocking, made a memorable play near the end of the second quarter with the Giants — who had feasted on a Williams fumble — threatening to score.

On third down from the three, Donald pushed his way into the Giants’ backfield and wrangled running back Najee Harris for a three-yard loss. The beleaguered visitors opted to kick the first of their two field goals.

The Rams are squarely in the national spotlight with four prime-time games in five weeks. First, the opener in Australia, followed by the Monday night game. Next week, a Sunday night game at Denver, followed by a day game at Philadelphia, and finally another Monday night home game against Buffalo.

Federal authorities probing the death of actor Hayden Panettiere are focusing on where the drugs and medications that played a role in her death came from, echoing similar probes that resulted in charges for suppliers in the deaths of Matthew Perry and Mac Miller.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents and local investigators have questioned several people about the circumstances of her Aug. 16 death, focusing on potential controlled substances and medications tied to her demise inside a Greenville, S.C., apartment, according to sources familiar with the probe.

Paramedics and police found Panettiere in cardiac arrest, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office. Dispatch audio recordings from Broadcastify.com reference a possible overdose and CPR in progress. Narcan was reportedly administered by paramedics who arrived, and after efforts to resuscitate her, she was declared dead at 2:31 p.m.

Her death echoes that of actor Matthew Perry and rapper Mac Miller, both of whom succumbed to overdoses. In their respective cases, prosecutors secured convictions for the people who supplied Perry with ketamine and Miller with cocaine and oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. Perry’s demise in his hot tub led to his assistant, two doctors, a producer and a woman dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” pleading guilty.

The Greenville County coroner, in the wake of Panettiere’s death, conducted an autopsy but has not made a formal finding on the cause of death and toxicology results are pending.

Panettiere lived in Los Angeles, but her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, is a Greenville native, according to authorities. A police report outlined the initial response from police who arrived at the scene. The report states that Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were with Panettiere inside an apartment when the 36-year-old actor died.

According to the police report, Brian Hickerson showed an officer “a bag of medications HAYDEN is currently on.”

Several areas of the report were redacted, including statements from the brothers about what transpired as they called 911.

The officer who authored the report, Matthew Bryan, wrote that he recorded an interview with Brian Hickerson on his body-worn camera, and observed Zach Hickerson being “very emotional” while first responders tried to revive the actor. Brian Hickerson became emotional after she was declared dead, Officer Matthew Bryan wrote.

Later, he said that authorities obtained video of three individuals coming and going from the apartment from the complex’s security, which helped detectives with a search warrant.

Sloan Ellis, a South Carolina attorney for Hickerson hired in the wake of Panettiere’s death, said in a statement, “Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed. As has been publicly reported, police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Out of respect for Hayden’s loved ones and the ongoing investigation, there will be no further comment at this time.”

Sources familiar with the probe have met with DEA agents about the actor‘s death, according to People magazine and TMZ.

Hickerson was arrested multiple times on suspicion of domestic violence against Panettiere, beginning in May 2019 in Los Angeles, though the charges were later dismissed when prosecutors couldn’t secure a material witness.

Following an eight-count criminal indictment in 2020 that covered multiple violent incidents over the previous year, Hickerson pleaded no contest in April 2021 to two felony counts of injuring a spouse or girlfriend.

He was sentenced to 45 days in county jail along with four years of formal probation, ordered to attend mandatory domestic violence classes, and received a five-year protective order.

If Matthew Fine, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound senior running back and lacrosse star for Loyola High, needs a walk-up song, he can go back to 1969 when Frank Sinatra’s hit “My Way” came on the radio with the lyrics, “I did it my way.”

Fine, who lives in Manhattan Beach, declined to be interviewed last week before the Cubs’ game against the public school he lives five minutes from, Mira Costa. He didn’t want to give friends he grew up with any bulletin board material. Then he went out and rushed for 105 yards in a 14-7 Loyola victory.

It was fun for him to catch up with neighborhood kids he used to play with starting at age 5.

“I traded jerseys and traded photos,” he said. “It was nice talking to them.”

Asked if he walked home from the game, Fine said, “I actually considered it.”

Fine, with his speed and strength from lacrosse training, could be the comeback player of the year in football. He quit football after his sophomore year to focus on lacrosse. Loyola has one of the best lacrosse programs in the state, winning last season’s Southern Section championship. He’s earned a lacrosse scholarship to Utah.

Football coach Drew Casani had lobbied Fine to return to football before his junior year with no success. Last school year, after the lacrosse season ended, Casani sent him a text inviting him to return.

“I’m in,” Fine responded.

“I love football,” Fine said. “There was a lot of uncertainty. My junior year is where you get recruited for lacrosse. After sitting out a year and watching all the guys playing football, I got really jealous and wanted to jump back in.”

He rejoined the team this year starting at the bottom of the depth chart. Now he’s had back-to-back games rushing for more than 100 yards. This will be his first and only year playing on varsity.

“I’m doing this for fun,” he said. “I love football. I’ve been doing it longer than any other sport.”

Whenever the season ends, it will be Fine’s final football game.

“I don’t think I’ll have any regrets,” he said. “I’ll just be sad. I don’t want to think about that.”

Incredibly, as much as people believe football gets players in the best shape of their life, Fine once flunked his conditioning test for lacrosse after playing football.

“It’s a different type of conditioning,” he explained.

Casani is thrilled that Fine’s one year off from football has had little effect.

“He picked up seemingly where he left off,” Casani said. “ He’s fast, has vision and is hard to tackle.“

Don’t ask his father, Mickey, what Fine might do next or any day.

“My son does things his own way,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t understand it.”

With a 4.0 grade-point average and terrific lacrosse talent as an attacker, Fine has a bright future. For those who play intramural flag football on Utah’s campus, Fine could be the ringer to deliver a championship next year.

Start the early recruitment, Utes students.