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Seattle Seahawks dominate Chiefs 20-3 as Sam Darnold silences critics in potential Super Bowl preview
After a bizarre 2025 season, the Kansas City Chiefs are right back at the top of the NFL in 2026 and already well on their way toward yet another Chiefs-Bills AFC Championship game.
But last year's Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks, have been far less convincing. After opening the season with two wins over the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, Seattle entered the weekend just 1-3 since. The surprising loss to the Commanders was followed by a win over the hapless LA Chargers, then two frustrating losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos in overtime.
Last weekend's loss was ugly enough that speculation started immediately afterward that Sam Darnold might be in danger of losing his starting job to Drew Lock. From Super Bowl winner to backing up Drew Lock in six games? It sounds crazy, but that's what going 27/51 with no touchdowns and two interceptions, in a losing effort to a quarterback with 107 passing yards, does in the NFL.
DENVER BRONCOS SURVIVE UGLY OFFENSIVE NIGHT TO BEAT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 17-14 IN OVERTIME
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was adamant, however, that he'd stick with Darnold.
"Sam's played great football for us this year the majority of the time," he said in an October 16 radio interview. "There's other times he needs to take care of the football, but I think these are solutions we can find with Sam as our QB. I believe that."
"I think we have a lot of faith in Sam," he added in a news conference that same day. "Sam’s played great football for us. He’s done a lot of great things this year. We’ve obviously turned the ball over more than we want to. I feel like there’s things on our end that can help him play better football. And I think he’s definitely part of the solution, rather than the opposite."
He, and Seahawks fans, are probably glad Macdonald stuck with him. Despite some further, back-breaking struggles with ball security.
After a punt-filled first quarter, the second provided a lot more action. While Patrick Mahomes uncharacteristically struggled, with an interception killing a Chiefs' drive, Darnold was on fire for Seattle. On the Seahawks' first scoring drive, he threw for 71 yards, including a 33-yard completion to Jaxson Smith-Njigba. The very next drive, after Mahomes' interception, Darnold found Smith-Njigba again, connecting on a 28-yard touchdown pass thanks to some impressive strength from the 24-year-old wideout to stay in bounds.
In the waning seconds of the second quarter, though, Darnold's ball security issues crept up again.
After yet another big 28-yard completion to Smith-Njigba to put the ball at the Kansas City 2-yard-line with 30 seconds left in the half, the Seahawks tried a George Holani run that went backwards. Darnold, under pressure, tried to find Rasheed Shaheed in the endzone, only to get picked off by Noah Williams.
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Williams added a lengthy runback, seemingly setting up the Chiefs for an unlikely, last-second score.
But Harrison Butker, not off to his best start thus far, missed the 58-yard field goal to end the half.
In the third, Darnold was back at it again, completing passes of 17, 12, and 19 yards to help Seattle add three points and make it 13-0. And the typically dominant Chiefs offense just didn't ever get on track. Mahomes was frequently hurried, and with Rashee Rice once again out, there was little separation from the Kansas City receiving corps. Kenneth Walker couldn't get much going on the ground either.
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Mahomes was far from his best either, nearly losing a fumble in the third quarter, and mostly dinking and dunking his way down the field. Even when the Chiefs finally put together a solid drive in the fourth, Butker missed his second kick of the game, just a 45-yard try, that would have narrowed the score to 13-6.
Seattle took advantage, putting the game away with a 21-yard touchdown run from Emanuel Wilson on third-and-4.
While Lumen Field is a tough place to play, the level to which Seattle dominated Sunday night's game was still surprising. Prior to garbage time, they had a 388 to 210 yardage advantage with 22 first downs to Kansas City's 11. The Seahawks went 11/15 on third downs too, compared to just 3/11 for Kansas City. Kenneth Walker, coming off a game in which he had 19 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns, went just 14 for 36 against Seattle. And the three points for KC entering the fourth quarter was tied for the fewest of any game in Mahomes' storied career.
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It was the type of suffocating defensive performance that's become a hallmark of the Seahawks' run the past few seasons. And perhaps even more encouraging, a much better outing from Darnold, awful second quarter interception aside.
The Seahawks stay home to host the Chicago Bears on Monday night, while the Chiefs travel to Denver to take on the Broncos at Empower Field.
Thunder star Jalen 'J-Dub' Williams stretchered off court after gruesome left leg injury leaves him stunned
Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams was stretchered off the court against the Los Angeles Clippers after a gruesome left leg injury that appears it could end his season
Williams elevated near the hoop with Clippers defenders around him to attempt a shot when he landed in a very awkward position and seemed to fall with his left foot and ankle underneath him.
Williams’ reaction said it all, as his foot was not in the correct position.
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As Williams put his head in his hands out of pure disbelief, his Thunder teammates couldn’t believe what they saw as well. Trainers quickly made a circle around him and assessed the situation following the brutal injury, which below is quite graphic to look at as a fair warning.
Williams was placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the court, where the Thunder faithful were chanting his name. He delivered a thumbs-up to the crowd to acknowledge their support, but everyone including Williams knows this injury isn’t going to be something he comes back from anytime soon.
The injury details still need to be disclosed by Oklahoma City, and yes, not all gruesome injuries lead to a season-ending one, but considering what the video showed, there’s a high likelihood that Williams’ 2026-27 NBA season is done before it really got going.
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Williams entered his fifth NBA season, where he wanted to continue his role as one of the main stars on this loaded Thunder squad.
The former All-Star averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists across 33 games last season.
Unfortunately, Williams dealt with nagging injuries last season as the Thunder were trying to repeat as NBA champions. He dealt with a right wrist injury on his shooting hand, followed by right and left hamstring strains that caused him to be out for much of Oklahoma City’s postseason run to the Western Conference Finals.
While the Thunder won this battle with the Clippers to remain undefeated in the early season, they will need to find answers for the loss of Williams.
What also doesn’t help is guard Cason Wallace suffered a left shoulder injury in the first quarter of this contest before Williams went down. So, that’s two starters dealing with injury woes.
Alex Caruso, the versatile veteran who comes off the bench for the Thunder, and Jared McCain are likely the next men up for Oklahoma City.
Bruce Blakeman calls Kathy Hochul Zohran Mamdani's 'puppet' during New York campaign rally
Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman blasted Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as a "puppet" of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a campaign rally Sunday.
Speaking at the event in Yorktown Heights, New York, Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, accused his opponent of embracing the democratic socialist mayor's agenda while failing to crack down on illegal immigration and crime.
"Kathy Hochul, she was out campaigning with Mamdani this week," Blakeman said, according to the New York Post. "And I say that’s great."
"Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy, because I want to remind people that this un-American, antisemite, anti-Christian mayor is running the Democratic Party and Kathy Hochul is nothing more than his puppet," he continued.
Hochul has been campaigning alongside Mamdani, including at a recent rally in Brooklyn.
The political alliance between the mayor and the governor, who is seeking reelection to a second full term, comes as democratic socialists have gained greater influence in New York politics.
Along with Mamdani's victory in last year's mayoral election, candidates aligned with Mamdani and New York's democratic socialist movement scored major victories in congressional primaries this year, including the defeats of two Democratic incumbents.
Blakeman has previously targeted Hochul and Mamdani over public safety, accusing both Democrats of failing to address crime in New York City.
FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS
During a campaign appearance on the city's subway system earlier this month, Blakeman described Hochul as the "most pro-criminal governor" and accused both leaders of failing to keep commuters safe.
Mamdani has also publicly criticized Blakeman, accusing the Republican gubernatorial candidate of engaging in "bigotry and racism" following a debate between Blakeman and Hochul earlier this month.
"I think the governor did a good job," Mamdani told reporters when asked about Hochul's response to Blakeman's criticism. "And I'll never fault someone for not being able to catch all of it because that is a fool's errand when it comes to Bruce Blakeman."
Hochul and Mamdani have emphasized affordability and child care while campaigning together, arguing their policies are aimed at lowering costs for working families.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Hochul's and Mamdani's offices for comment.
Fox News Digital's Eric Mack and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this story.
Cam Skattebo takes aim at NFL after controversial call in Giants win: 'Guess I’m going to play for free'
Cam Skattebo has lowered his shoulder numerous times in his early NFL career, delivering bone-rattling thuds into opponents to help his New York Giants.
In Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans, though, Skattebo was flagged for unnecessary roughness after officials deemed he crossed a line when he laid the boom on safety M.J. Stewart, sending him to the turf after a big gain on the ground.
Skattebo was livid at the call, as was head coach John Harbaugh , who had to hold his running back behind him on the sideline before displaying his own displeasure at the flag being thrown.
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After the game, where Skattebo’s 42-yard run in overtime helped set up Devin Singletary’s 30-yard touchdown to seal victory for New York, the second-year running back didn’t mince words as he took a shot at the league as a whole.
"Yeah, I’ll keep that conversation between us," Skattebo said when asked what was said to the official following the unnecessary roughness call. "I will say, man, the NFL loves to post me when I do stuff like that, but then also wants to take stuff from me. So, I mean, I’m going to run the ball like I want to run the ball, and if I’m going to continue to get flagged or it or fined for it, man, I guess I’m going to play for free.
"I’m going to do what I can to be on this team, to give everything I got. If they’re going to punish me for that, I’m just going to keep doing it and keep playing hard."
To Skattebo’s point, the NFL has enjoyed his bulldozing style of running that turns back the clock to old-school running through the tackles.
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At the same time, the league has been trying to crack down on helmet-to-helmet contact for years, and referees believed Skattebo led with the crown of his helmet in this case.
However, looking back at the video, Skattebo’s run here appeared no different than others he’s had in the past. It’s why many NFL fans were in an uproar along with Skattebo, calling the call "soft," "bizarre" and more on social media.
It is very rare for officials to throw flags on an offensive player in those situations, which made it seem bizarre in the moment. The video replay almost confirmed as such, but nonetheless, as Skattebo pointed out, a fine might be coming his way from the league due to the unnecessary roughness call.
Controversial penalty call aside, Skattebo’s play in Week 7 was redemption after he did not get a single carry the game prior, as Giants fans believed Harbaugh had him in the doghouse following a costly overtime fumble against the Washington Commanders. The Giants ended up with a tie in that contest, but if Skattebo hadn’t fumbled, New York could be 5-2 today, given it came in field goal range, where the next score won the game.
"It wasn’t by design for him not to carry the ball," Harbaugh said after the tie to Washington. "Just when he was in there, we didn’t call any runs. You’re not thinking about which back is in the game and how many runs they’re getting. It’s we were going to give them all an equal shot, give them a chance, see who got a hot hand maybe, see who could get going with it. We weren’t planning on being down by 24, that’s for sure."
This week, Skattebo had a chance to change the narrative surrounding his early-season fumble woes, and he put up 124 rushing yards on 17 carries and scored a touchdown in the second half. The Giants had four rushing scores, but Skattebo may have perhaps separated himself a bit as the lead back once again.
The Giants have a bye next week, but when they return to face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road, Skattebo doesn’t seem like he’ll be changing anything about his play style.
College homecoming party turns to chaos as deck collapses, leaving at least 28 people injured
A college homecoming party took a frightening turn Friday night when a back deck collapsed at a Virginia home, leaving at least 28 people injured and sending emergency crews rushing to the neighborhood.
William & Mary confirmed students were among those injured at the off-campus residence in Williamsburg. All reported injuries were non-life-threatening, according to city officials.
Dispatchers received a report of a structure collapse around 10:07 p.m. on the 200 block of Matoaka Court. Responding police and firefighters found the home’s back deck had collapsed, the city said.
TERRIFYING SCENE UNFOLDS AS METAL CABANA FRAME CRASHES INTO PACKED CASINO POOL AREA
Emergency crews took 13 people to hospitals, while another 15 reportedly sought treatment on their own, according to the city’s Saturday morning update.
Neighbors told WAVY that a homecoming party was underway when the deck gave way. One described emergency vehicles stretching through the neighborhood.
"All the way down the street and wrapped around just ambulances and fire trucks," the neighbor, who asked not to be named, told WAVY. "We saw a lot of hospital gurneys coming out of ambulances. At least nine ambulances kind of wrapped around the street."
WATCH: VIRGINIA COPS CRAWL THROUGH BURNING HOUSE TO SAVE MAN TRAPPED IN FIRE
Joshua Wise, who lives next to the home, told the outlet some of his classmates were involved. He returned after emergency crews had finished responding but learned his housemate had been helping people get home.
"Word was traveling pretty fast," Wise told WAVY. "By the time I got back here, the emergency response was over, but I had a housemate who was helping people, trying to help out as much as possible, drive people home, get people where they needed to be."
Wise credited neighbors with coming together after the frightening incident.
"We did everything we could to help each other out and I think that that’s beautiful," he said.
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In a Saturday message to the campus community, William & Mary’s senior vice president for student affairs and public safety, Ginger Ambler, said the university was still gathering information. Additional students may have sought care beyond those initially counted, she noted.
"We are grateful that none of the injuries were life-threatening," Ambler wrote.
She said staff across the university’s health, academic and student support offices were working to assist affected students.
"We recognize that such an experience may affect our students deeply and in different ways," Ambler wrote.
Wise also praised the emergency response.
"Thank goodness for the emergency responders," he told WAVY. "They were great. The ambulances and everything got here pretty fast."
Local police and firefighters responded, and city officials were working with area hospitals to confirm the total number of people treated.
The city’s Codes Compliance Division is evaluating and inspecting the site.
Ninth Circuit questions Trump DOJ's emergency request to set aside 20,000 California mail ballots
A federal appeals court on Sunday scrutinized the Trump administration's emergency effort to force California to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots tied to people the Justice Department suspects are noncitizens ahead of the midterm elections.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit raised questions about both the government's legal arguments and whether the court has jurisdiction to intervene during a hearing in which attorneys representing the Trump administration and California argued for nearly two hours, Fox News' Matt Finn reported.
The federal government asked the panel to rule immediately, arguing that hundreds of thousands of California ballots could be tabulated each day while the dispute remains unresolved.
The hearing comes after the Trump administration filed an emergency request involving roughly 20,000 mail-in ballots sent to people it suspects are noncitizens.
The DOJ wants California election officials to set aside ballots associated with individuals on its list while their eligibility is reviewed, rather than allowing the ballots to be processed alongside other votes.
Circuit Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, questioned whether the administration's requested injunction could be reconciled with the Constitution's Elections Clause, which gives state legislatures authority over the times, places and manner of congressional elections, subject to congressional regulation.
"It seems to me that you want us to issue an injunction that is entirely inconsistent with the law that the California legislature has adopted pursuant to the Elections Clause," he told Justice Department attorney Matthew Donnelly.
BLANCHE WON'T RULE OUT DOJ BLOCKING ELECTION CERTIFICATION IN 'DOOMSDAY' SCENARIO
"How can we do that?"
The panel also questioned whether the Ninth Circuit has jurisdiction to intervene at this stage.
Judge Gabriel Sanchez, a Biden appointee, questioned why the Ninth Circuit should weigh in when the district court has yet to rule on the DOJ's request and a hearing before U.S. District Judge David Carter remains scheduled for Tuesday.
Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, focused more heavily on the government's concerns about potential noncitizen voting and questioned California's handling of challenges involving suspected ineligible voters.
The Justice Department sought emergency relief from the appeals court after Carter did not rule by a deadline previously requested by the department.
California, meanwhile, has argued that the Ninth Circuit should not intervene before the lower court has ruled.
The Justice Department initially filed the suit Oct. 15, roughly two weeks after California began mailing ballots.
TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL
Before oral arguments, the Trump administration accused California of having a history of "mishandling voter rolls."
California has disputed the federal government's underlying data while emphasizing that it has robust safeguards against noncitizen voting. Los Angeles County officials have said a preliminary review of a portion of the federal government's list identified apparent discrepancies, including people who were born in the United States or were not registered to vote. In a filing this weekend, California argued that the federal government's theory would "turn the Constitution on its head."
"When it comes to rules of elections administration, the federal government has no power to interfere with the States unless Congress passes a law governing the time, place, or manner of elections," the state contended.
More than 3 million people have already cast ballots statewide, including more than 500,000 in Los Angeles County, according to figures cited during the litigation.
The Justice Department has emphasized the urgency of its request, arguing that each day without a ruling risks allowing additional ballots to be processed before the citizenship dispute can be resolved.
Bennett said the three-judge panel would try to issue a ruling as quickly as possible.
Reuters contributed to this report.
JD Vance sees Bengals making 'a run' but that's understandable because he's a fan, especially of Ja'Marr Chase
We know by now that Vice President JD Vance is a big fan of the Cincinnati Bengals so, of course, he had something to celebrate on Sunday when his team beat the Baltimore Ravens.
Vance did not attend Sunday in Baltimore, but the Bengals punished the Ravens by scoring all their 35 points in the second half, mostly thanks to four touchdown passes by quarterback Joe Burrow.
It was the type of performance from the Bengals that everyone expected from a potential Super Bowl contender and particularly the offense.
And that had Vance feeling pretty good about his club.
"Huge win for Cincinnati," Vance posted on X.
Can you imagine? The second-most powerful man in the country posted on X about his NFL team. Let that sink in a second.
Anyway, the Veep continued ... "It's early, but I think the Bengals are going to make a run. Who Dey!"
The Bengals have won two consecutive games, but they do indeed need that run Vance is predicting.
They've been a roller coaster of a team, winning two in a row after losing two in a row after winning two in a row. If they continue that pattern, you know what comes next — some frustrating football.
But Vance, the fan, apparently doesn't buy that.
Speaking of being a fan, Vance loves Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.
JA'MARR CHASE THROWS HELMET AS FIGHT BREAKS OUT ON FIRST DAY OF BENGALS TRAINING CAMP
During Vance's visit to the Bengals training facility last week, Chase apparently noticed that Vance's six-year-old son, Vivek, was holding Bengals football gloves.
"Nice gloves, man," Chase told Vivek as he filed into the locker room.
That got the VP's attention.
"Special shout out to Ja'Marr Chase, an amazing talent, who made my little six-year-old's year by noticing his football gloves," Vance posted.
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There were, by the way, "reports" that the Bengals were generally unmoved or even unfriendly during Vance's visit to their training facility. But, as Vance's boss would say, fake news.
Vance shook hands and talked with coach Zac Taylor and other players and assistant coaches.
Anyway, back to the "run" that Vance is predicting. The Bengals play four teams in their next five games with losing records. Two of those teams, the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans, have won only once each.
The Bengals do play division co-leader Pittsburgh during that looming five-game stretch, so that matchup will help determine what kind of run they can put together.
NFL fans put on brave face in Paris as Steelers beat Saints with chaos in the city
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints in the NFL’s first-ever game in France that went off surprisingly well despite the protests and civil unrest all week in Paris leading up to the matchup.
The NFL was questioned throughout the week after seeing violence, looting, vandalization and more occurring in Paris over widespread anger regarding public living costs, deteriorating public services and more. Even President Donald Trump admitted he was "worried about it," talking about the Steelers-Saints matchup.
But the league, despite beloved soccer team Paris Saint-Germaine postponing its Saturday match to Monday due to the unrest, didn’t blink.
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Neither did its fans.
OutKick caught up with several fans who braved the potential of being caught in the middle of the protests in Paris, and though there were some inconveniences, it didn’t go any further than that for these football goers.
"If I’m being honest, I have not seen enough. I’ve seen some graffiti everywhere, but I haven’t seen anything myself," one fan said outside Stade de France.
Another added: "For the most part, it hasn’t been a problem. There’s been a few delays and disturbances, but it hasn’t been that big of a problem."
One fan that caught up with OutKick came all the way from Mexico, where protests due to violent crime, working conditions, and housing costs are nothing new for him.
"[It] don’t matter. Mexico is almost the same," he said when asked about France’s widespread protests. "We have a bad government. I don’t care. I don’t care [about] the problems in France. It’s OK for me. I came for the game."
Fair enough.
There were, of course, heightened security measures, as the NFL worked closely with Parisian police, French national authorities and the U.S. State Department to ensure the safety of all attending the game and the surrounding area. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Saints owner Gayle Benson and Steelers owner Art Rooney II all met with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace to go over safety plans as well before the game.
As for fans experiencing one of the most iconic cities around the globe, it wasn’t ideal to say the least.
"There are some stores I want to go to that are boarded up a little bit, or have cracks in their glass," one fan explained. "But other than that, the city seems great. It’s not as bad as I was expecting.
"There’s a lot of really beautiful things that they’re hurting for no reason. I understand they want to speak their voice, but they’re doing things that shouldn’t be done – vandalizing monuments and stuff. It’s not worth it."
Another fan believed that protesters have been going too far when it involves the destruction of property and more violent acts.
"Have they gone too far, the protestors? When they start tearing stuff up, yes sir. When they start burning vehicles and stuff, yeah, that’s too far."
Goodell said the game would go off without a hitch, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed as much to OutKick, and that was the case in the end.
There are five international games still left on the 2026 NFL schedule, with the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons playing in Madrid, Spain in Week 9.
The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions will play in Munich, Germany in Week 10, while the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers travel to Mexico City, Mexico the following week.
Israel drills for surprise attack with massive military exercise as expert invokes 1973 war
The Israeli military launched large-scale domestic military exercises on Sunday to counter surprise border infiltrations and ground raids across northern and central Israel, mobilizing multiple divisions and air assets amid rising regional tensions.
The drills, set to continue over 48 hours, came as an Israeli security expert invoked the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria used exercises to disguise preparations for a surprise attack, warning that escalating tensions in the region could in fact trigger what he described as a "dangerous miscalculation."
The large-scale maneuvers, the IDF said, involve the Northern Command’s 210th Division, the West Bank Division, and the Central Command’s 98th and 96th divisions, alongside the Israeli Air Force.
The exercise, scheduled just ahead of Israel's elections Oct. 27, aims to "maintain the forces’ alertness and readiness, strengthen the ability to defend communities, and make full use of aerial capabilities for defense in the area," according to the IDF.
On Friday, the IDF said troops would practice "a variety of scenarios, including a surprise attack and infiltration into Israeli territory by air and land," incorporating lessons learned from the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel.
"This exercise is mostly about non-state actors with or without Iranian support," Israeli national security analyst Dr. Ehud Eilam told Fox News Digital.
"It's aimed at those in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan who might try to infiltrate into Israel or send ground raids. Some are supported by Iran; others are not. It could be planned by Iran or be a local initiative."
"This is a massive exercise, the biggest one in recent years, aimed at protecting the borders," the former Israeli Ministry of Defense researcher added.
"It's all about making sure that the election day on October 27 will run smoothly. It's also a message to Iran and others: don't try to provoke us during election day, so nothing will be disrupted."
The Israeli drills followed a show of force by Tehran days earlier, during which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired roughly 30 ballistic missiles across two distinct weapon classes, according to reports.
That live-fire display highlighted Iranian strike capabilities and sparked renewed alerts about commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and prompted the Israeli military to heighten its alert level while maintaining maximum readiness for a targeted strike against Iran.
TRUMP IS DISMANTLING IRAN’S WAR MACHINE, BUT AMERICA STILL NEEDS AN ENDGAME
During a visit to the IDF's Central Command on Wednesday, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that the risk of escalation was growing.
"Given the numerous warnings across all fronts and the sensitivity of the current period, the potential for escalation has increased," Zamir said.
"To ensure better operational control on the ground, we have reinforced our troop deployments across all sectors, including moving the 98th Division into the area to strengthen security and stability."
"Part of mutual deterrence: a few days ago, Iran had their own pretty big exercise, and that was actually more intimidating as far as Israel is concerned because they launched missiles and prepared for a war with Israel," Eilam said.
"This exercise on Sunday and Monday is against Iran's proxies and allies at the border of Israel."
Sunday’s Israeli drill also followed an Oct. 19 mission in which Israeli fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers flew 800 miles across Syrian and Iraqi airspace to Iran’s border.
FROM INTELLIGENCE SHARING TO MISSILE DEFENSE, HOW ISRAEL'S PARTNERSHIP PROTECTS AMERICAN SECURITY
Washington was notified in advance and viewed the maneuver as a non-kinetic show of force following the postponement of a broader strike package earlier in the month.
Despite the deterrence signals, Eilam warned that large-scale military exercises carry the "risk of miscalculation" and particularly when troop movements could be mistaken for preparations for an attack.
"During the Cold War, every time the Soviet Union or NATO carried out a major drill, having so many troops in the field meant they might attack if that was the intention," Eilam said.
He pointed to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria used military exercises to help conceal troop buildups along Israel's borders.
Israeli intelligence largely dismissed the movements as routine drills, allowing the two countries to achieve strategic surprise when they launched a coordinated, two-front attack on Yom Kippur.
"The classic example in Israel is 1973, when Egypt and Syria conducted a major exercise just before the war that turned into the actual attack," the analyst said.
"Israel and Iran are now watching each other very closely and both sides suspect the other might strike first," Eilam added before stating that there is the chance of what they call "miscalculation — that each side suspects the other and strikes first by mistake."
"It's all about sending messages to each other."
"It remains uncertain whether there will eventually be an Israeli attack on Iran because it depends on U.S. authorization," Eilam concluded.
"Right now, both sides are signaling: 'We are ready, don't mess with us, but we don't want to start a war right now.'"
Conservative wave hits roadblock in Brazil as Lula holds off Bolsonaro challenge
Incumbent leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly defeated conservative Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro in Sunday's presidential runoff, according to The Associated Press. The deeply polarized nation returned to the polls for a second round runoff on Sunday.
Lula’s victory followed chaos at polling places after a Supreme Court justice ordered a last-minute, two-hour voting extension, a move that could face a legal challenge from Bolsonaro.
While the Flavio Bolsonaro campaign had also requested an extension in certain areas impacted by heavy rains, the unusual decision by the court to extend voting hours nationwide by two hours will certainly draw scrutiny.
BRAZIL BECOMES NEXT TEST FOR LATIN AMERICA’S SURGING CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT
Lula petitioned for the extension, claiming that buses were not circulating to take voters to the polls as expected.
"I've never complained about anything in any election before. Whether I won or lost, I'd just accept it and get ready for the next one. But this time, something abominable is happening," Lula argued.
The Bolsonaro camp is likely to claim that the extension favored Lula.
Bolsonaro narrowly won the first round on Oct. 4, with 47% of the vote, to Lula's 45%, but fell short of the 50% majority required to win the election outright.
The victory marks an unprecedented fourth presidential term for Lula, and a remarkable comeback victory. The result is even more surprising given that Bolsonaro had led, albeit by tight margins, in recent polling, and Brazil had recently elected a conservative congress aligned with the Bolsonaro agenda.
Earlier in the day, Lula voted in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo, while Bolsonaro voted in the north of Rio de Janeiro, the state he represents in the Senate.
The first vote tallies came in from Brazilians living overseas, where Lula won a decisive victory in Germany, and Bolsonaro won an overwhelming victory in Japan.
BRAZIL’S RAPID ELECTION COUNT PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON VOTING SECURITY AHEAD OF US MIDTERMS
While Bolsonaro performed well in his southern electoral strongholds, winning by comfortable margins in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul, he won those states by smaller margins than in the first round.
His turnout in the south was not enough to overcome Lula's famed Northeastern firewall; a reflection of the Workers Party dominance in the country's populous "Nordeste" region.
Bolsonaro also turned in a disappointing performance in Minas Gerais, which geographically and politically straddles the Brazilian north/south divide. Often referred to as the nation's quintessential bellwether state, it is fair to say that as goes Minas Gerais, so goes the nation.
While Bolsonaro won Minas Gerais by 5% in the first round, in the second round it was essentially tied.
Bolsonaro had received endorsements from other first round candidates: best-selling author Augusto Cury, former Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema, and former Goiás Governor Ronaldo Caiado.
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However, they were not enough to overcome the much-respected electoral machinery of the Workers Party. Lula has now appeared on the presidential ballot 7 times, winning 4 of those elections.
Heading into the first round, Flavio Bolsonaro was effectively able to make the case to working-class and middle-class voters that the Lula's economic approach was driving up their cost of living.
He painted the Lula administration as bloated, tax-heavy, and given to racking up debt and tied this to inflation and kitchen table economics.
Additionally, his message of hardline law and order appealed to a Brazilian public where voters routinely suggest that violence is the most pressing issue.
Nonetheless, these economic and security concerns were not enough to overcome a generation of loyalty to the Workers Party and its social programs, particularly in the North and Northeast of the country, where Lula won by wide margins.
While Lula will be riding high heading into a historic fourth term in office, he will face a Congress with a center-right and right-wing majority that has been described as one of the most conservative in history.
While Flavio Bolsonaro lost the 2026 election by a narrow margin, the Bolsonaro movement is certainly not going away, and arguably remains an influential force in modern Brazilian politics.
The Lula victory also brings to an end a long string of victories for Trump-backed right-wing candidates across the region. While Trump had not officially endorsed Flavio Bolsonaro, he made no secret of his preference, and enjoyed a close relationship with the Bolsonaro family.
Looking forward to 2030, all eyes will turn to Bolsonaro clan ally Tarcisio de Freitas, who stepped aside this election cycle, in order to clear the way for Flavio Bolsonaro's run. Will the Brazilian right back another Bolsonaro in four years time, or will the popular São Paulo governor also mount a bid?
In addition to the presidential election, voters in five states, as well as the federal district of Brasília, were also selecting governors in runoff elections. Bolsonaro-aligned candidates appeared poised to win most of those races.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.