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CLEVELAND (AP) — Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer in a five-run outburst before Detroit got an out, and the Cleveland Guardians unleashed their lights-out bullpen to complete a four-hitter in a 7-0 win over the Tigers in an AL Division Series opener on Saturday.

Thomas’ shot — on his first career postseason swing — helped the Guardians cool off the Tigers, who stormed into the playoffs with a second-half surge before sweeping AL West champion Houston in the wild-card round.

Tanner Bibee pitched 4 2/3 innings before Guardians manager Stephen Vogt swung the door open to baseball’s best bullpen to finish off the Tigers. Relievers combined for 4 1/3 hitless innings to finish the largest shutout victory margin in Cleveland postseason history.

Detroit struck 13 out times and didn’t get a runner past first in the final four innings.

METS 6, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo keyed another comeback in New York’s electric run through the National League playoffs, helping the Mets break through for five runs in the eighth inning against a pair of All-Star relievers as they rallied for a win over Philadelphia in Game 1 of their Division Series.

The Mets had been stymied by Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, held to just one hit while trailing 1-0 and unable to muster any real scoring chances over the first seven innings.

With Wheeler lifted after nine strikeouts and a startling 30 swings-and-misses over 111 pitches, the Mets — whose whirlwind week included a victory in a makeup doubleheader at Atlanta to clinch a postseason spot and three games in the Wild Card Series at Milwaukee — pounced against Phillies relievers Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm in the eighth.

YANKEES 6, ROYALS 5

NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and saved at least one run with a sliding catch along the left-field line, boosting New York over Kansas City in their AL Division Series opener.

New York’s Gleyber Torres and Kansas City’s MJ Melendez hit two-run homers in a back-and-forth game in which the Royals wasted leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4 and the Yankees failed to hold 2-1 and 4-3 margins. It was the first postseason game with five lead changes, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Kansas City pitchers tied their season high with eight walks, forcing in a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Yankees were just 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position before Verdugo lined a single off loser Michael Lorenzen.

Verdugo’s hit scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., who singled leading off and stole second on a play allowed to stand following a video review. Yankees manager Aaron Boone started Verdugo in left over rookie Jasson Domínguez in a defense-influenced decision. Verdugo entered the game in a 2-for-34 skid at the plate.

DODGERS 7, PADRES 5

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in his postseason debut, Teoscar Hernández’s two-run single gave Los Angeles its first lead in a playoff game in two years, and the Dodgers beat San Diego in their NL Division Series opener.

Manny Machado’s two-run homer off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, also making his first playoff appearance, put Los Angeles in an early 3-0 hole.

Ohtani quickly bailed out the Dodgers with his two-out homer that tied it 3-all in the second inning. The Japanese superstar went deep with Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax looking on and fans chanting “MVP! MVP!” His shot traveled 372 feet to right field, the sellout crowd of 53,028 recording it all on their phones.

San Diego went ahead 5-3 before the Dodgers rallied with three runs in the fourth.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers feel like they beat themselves Sunday night.

The offense held a late lead, but the defense couldn’t make it stand as Jalen Tolbert caught a four-yard touchdown from Dak Prescott on fourth-and-goal in the final 30 seconds to help Dallas defeat Pittsburgh 20-17.

“It came down to one play,” Steelers DT Cam Heyward said. “They were on the right side of it.”

Pat Freiermuth caught a 6-yard touchdown from Justin Fields in the final five minutes to give Pittsburgh a brief 17-13 lead, but the advantage was short-lived.

Pittsburgh’s No. 2-ranked defense forced three turnovers and blocked a field goal, but allowed 445 yards and couldn’t keep Tolbert out of the end zone on the final play of the Cowboys’ last drive, as he capped a 15-play, 70-yard series. Pittsburgh has lost two straight after a 3-0 start.

Dallas converted a pair of third downs on the winning drive to set up first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Rico Dowdle fumbled at the 1-yard line on second down, and Prescott jumped on the loose ball. Tolbert then beat DeShon Elliott to the pylon two plays later for the winning touchdown.

“We had to stop them on that one play,” Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said.

Fields finished 15 of 27 for 131 yards with touchdowns to Freiermuth and Connor Heyward.

Dallas held Fields and the Steeler offense to just 226 yards of total offense despite playing without top pass rushers DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) and Micah Parsons (ankle), an All-Pro who missed a game because of injury for the first time in his career. Marshawn Kneeland, who started because of the injuries, also left in the first quarter with a knee injury.

Still, Pittsburgh only managed a first-half field goal and 89 yards of total offense, as Dallas held a 6-3 lead at the break. Pittsburgh scored fewer than 10 first-half points for the fourth time in five games.

“We know how important fast starts are,” Heyward said. “You want to finish strong, you want to play a complete game, but we didn’t do that. We fell short.”

The fifth-highest crowd for a Steelers game had to wait for the Sunday night showdown between two of the NFL’s marquee franchises because of a nearly 90-minute weather delay. Thunderstorms made their way through downtown Pittsburgh shortly before the opening kickoff.

Neither team scored a first-half touchdown, but Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt became the second-fastest player in league history to reach 100 sacks on the final play of the first quarter.

Pittsburgh took a 10-6 lead with a touchdown on the first possession of the second half. Fields briefly left the game after Tyrus Wheat was called for roughing the passer. But Kyle Allen sparked the drive with a 19-yard completion to Freiermuth on second-and-5 from midfield. Fields capped the six-play, 72-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Heyward.

The Cowboys took a 13-10 lead early in the fourth quarter following a mammoth 13-play, 90-yard drive that spanned 8:32. Dallas converted four third downs and Dowdle capped the series with a sliding 22-yard reception from Prescott near the front pylon.

Pittsburgh capitalized on a Prescott interception and took a 17-13 lead in the final five minutes.

The Steelers converted a fourth-and-1 and later had a first-and-goal from the 6. Fields gave Pittsburgh the lead with a six-yard shovel pass to Freiermuth, but the defense couldn’t keep the advantage.

“We have to bounce back quickly,” Freiermuth said. “Obviously, we lost two in a row, but we have to go to Vegas next week and put it all together.”

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

TALLADEGA, Ala. — A 27-car crash that involved eight of NASCAR’s 12 title contenders. A chaotic cleanup that infuriated competitors. And a surprise winner.

Just a regular race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. snapped a 65-race losing streak by winning in overtime at Talladega on Sunday after a late crash collected more than half the field. Stenhouse is not in the playoffs and his victory marked the second consecutive week a driver not competing for the Cup Series title has won.

“It’s so tough to win these races. It’s so tough to miss the wrecks,” Stenhouse said. “These races are just chaos when it comes down to the end.”

The victory was the first for Stenhouse and his JTG Daugherty Racing team since he won the season-opening Daytona 500 to start 2023. He’s the 18th different Cup Series winner this year.

“It felt really good. This team has put a lot of hard work in, obviously we haven’t won since the 500 in ’23. It’s been an up-and-down season,” Stenhouse said. “We knew that this track is one of ours to come get.”

Stenhouse’s first career victory came at Talladega in 2017 and his four career Cup Series victories have come at either the Alabama superspeedway or Daytona International Speedway.

Stenhouse won in a three-wide finish between Brad Keselowski and William Byron, who with his third-place finish became the only driver locked into the third round of the playoffs.

Four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs next Sunday on the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte. Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe are all below the cutline.

Cindric was the leader with five laps remaining in regulation when Logano, two rows back, gave Keselowski a hard shove directly into Cindric. It caused Cindric to spin and 27 of the 40 cars in the field suffered some sort of damage in the melee.

Even Stenhouse had a chunk of sheet metal missing from the driver side door area when he drove his car into victory lane. In the chaos of the cleanup, with teams fuming post-race over how NASCAR navigated the crash scene, some argued that Stenhouse’s door was missing some safety foam and he should have been forced to pit for repairs.

“I bet they did. I didn’t see any missing foam,” said winning crew chief Mike Kelly, who suspects NASCAR will review how it handled the chaotic cleanup in which some cars were towed back to pit road and repairs began for them as others were still stranded on the track. “They were put in a tough situation with that many cars involved in the wreck, and that many (tow trucks). It’s a tough situation.”

Stenhouse later acknowledged there indeed was foam hanging out of the gaping hole.

The race was red-flagged for nearly nine minutes of cleanup, and 22 cars remained on the lead lap for the two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. Many of those 22 cars were damaged.

Keselowski finished second in a Ford for RFK Racing and was followed by Byron in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron is the points leader headed into Charlotte and his cushion is large enough to earn him an automatic spot into the round of eight.

Kyle Larson of Hendrick was fourth and followed by Erik Jones of Legacy Motor Club in a Toyota. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing was sixth in a Toyota and followed by Justin Haley of Spire Motorsports. Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing finished eighth, Bubba Wallace was ninth with 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan in attendance, and Denny Hamlin, the other co-owner of the team, rounded out the top 10.

Only four drivers still active in the playoffs finished inside the top 10.

Ryan Blaney, who used his win at Talladega a year ago to spark his run to his first Cup Series title, was involved in a crash racing for points on the final lap of the second stage.

Blaney was pushed too hard from behind by fellow playoff driver Alex Bowman and the shove forced Blaney’s Ford to take a sharp left and then bounce up the track into the wall and Ross Chastain.

Blaney tried to keep his battered car out on track but the engine eventually failed, ending his race. He was second in the playoff standings entering the race and feared his career-high seventh DNF of the season would drop him to the verge of elimination.

“I don’t know if (Bowman) ever lifted and just drilled me from like three car lengths back. The worst possible spot you could do it, so it’s pretty dumb on his part and it figures that he gets away scot-free per usual,” Blaney said.

Because so many drivers wrecked late, Blaney only dropped to sixth in the playoff standings.

Daniel Suarez was already trying to work his way above the elimination zone when his race was derailed as it started.

NASCAR penalized Trackhouse Racing for making a modification to the No. 99 after inspection so Suarez had to serve a pass-thru penalty at the start of the race that dropped him off the lead lap. When the pack came upon him to put him a second lap down on lap 11, Suarez tried to preserve position and ended up running into another car.

It caused him to spin into the grass and the Chevrolet had to pit for repairs. He tried the entire race to get back on the lead lap, couldn’t make it, and then was one of the drivers in the late crash.

He finished 26th, somehow, and gained one spot in the standings to 10th. Suarez is only 20 points below the elimination cutline.

“It was a very difficult day. We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole with the pass-through penalty,” Suarez said. “I just made a mistake. I tried to block when they were coming, but they were just coming too fast. That was on me. We put ourselves in a hole, and unfortunately we weren’t able to recover. And then in the last wreck, obviously that finished killing our chances.”

The playoff field will be cut from 12 drivers to eight when four are eliminated next Sunday at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. AJ Allmendinger won the race a year ago.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

ByRICH CIMINI
October 6, 2024, 2:39 PM

LONDON — Despite a historically bad first quarter, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers had the ball with 3:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, 70 yards away from a potential game-winning touchdown.

The Jets acquired Rodgers for moments like this, figuring the future Hall of Famer would deliver where so many past quarterbacks had failed.

Not on this day.

Rodgers drove the Jets into scoring territory, but he threw his third interception to seal a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It capped one of the worst games of his career — a day in which he also became the ninth player in NFL history to reach the 60,000-yard passing milestone, joining a fraternity that consists of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and Dan Marino.

“Obviously, that was below my standard,” said Rodgers, who threw two interceptions in the first quarter — a career first. He learned that factoid after the game. He lamented his three turnovers, saying, “In a game we lose by six, plays like that are exponentially highlighted. So, three turnovers for me is definitely out of character and I’m disappointed.”

The three interceptions tied a career high, something he has done only six times out of 236 games. His first interception was the costliest — a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Rodgers said he lost track of Van Ginkel on a blitz, and he wound up throwing the ball right to him.

“I’m lost for words,” Van Ginkel said. “I couldn’t believe it happened. He told me, too. Christmas came early for me. Just a guy of that caliber, that level, I’m just thankful, grateful.”

The second interception was an overthrow meant for Allen Lazard. The third was an underthrow to Mike Williams at the Vikings’ 9-yard line with 44 seconds left, a nice play by cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The Jets came so close to overcoming a 17-0 deficit. They’ve lost 97 straight games when trailing by at least 17 points, dating to 2001 — the league’s second-longest active streak.

“Obviously, up and down,” coach Robert Saleh said of Rodgers’ performance. “The biggest thing we talked about going into this game was playing clean ball. Minnesota had been feasting on pick-sixes and putting their offense in position to get easy layups. Unfortunately, that pick-six was a big difference in the game.”

The Jets (2-3) dropped their second straight, as their offense started slowly to continue a season-long trend. This time, Rodgers’ cadence wasn’t the issue (they had no pre-snap penalties). The problem was the turnovers and the inconsistent pass protection. Rodgers was sacked three times, hit 11 times and emerged from the game with a low ankle sprain.

He made it sound like his entire body was hurting.

“I’m definitely banged up,” he said. “Got my foot caught in a pile there. … They were trying to get me in the [medical] tent, and then we had a roughing the kicker. I said, ‘Screw it, I’m going back out there.'”

He paused for a moment of gallows humor.

“There were a lot of things that made some noises on the way down,” he said of his creaky body.

Rodgers did some good things, throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns on 29-for-54 efficiency. He and Garrett Wilson finally clicked, and they connected 13 times for 101 yards and a touchdown. Wilson was targeted 22 times, tied with Davante Adams in 2023 for the most in a game in the past five seasons. Until Sunday, Rodgers and Wilson had been experiencing growing pains.

Afterward, Wilson lamented the physical pounding his quarterback absorbed.

“He’s a tough cat,” Wilson said. “He’s going to stick in there, he’s not going to give up on us. We’ve got a find a way to keep him upright, get open that much quicker to take some of those hits off him. He’s a baller, man. Seeing him limp around like he was and fighting through, that’s not something a lot of people at that age, at that point in their career, all that he’s accomplished, would do. I don’t take that for granted and I make sure he hears that from me all the time.”

The bottom line is, Rodgers has a losing record after five games for only the third time in 20 years. Physically battered, and perhaps humbled, Rodgers still tried to sound an optimistic note.

“I still have a lot of confidence in this team,” he said. “I think it’s a team that’s going to make a run, and whether that run starts next week, the following week, or whenever it might be, I’m confident in our guys and I’m confident in the leadership and confident we’ll get this thing straightened out.”

ByDANIEL OYEFUSI
October 6, 2024, 4:49 PM

LANDOVER, Md. — The Cleveland Browns plan to stick with Deshaun Watson as starting quarterback despite starting 1-4 and fielding the only offense in the NFL that has failed to total 300 yards in a game this season.

“We’re not changing quarterbacks,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday after the Browns’ 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders. “We need to play better. I need to coach better.”

The Browns gained just 212 total yards and were 1-of-13 on third down as they lost their third straight game Sunday. Watson completed 15 of 28 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown before being replaced by backup Jameis Winston for the final drive of the game. Watson was also sacked seven times — he has been sacked a league-high 26 times — and lost a fumble.

This season, Watson has completed 60.2% of his passes for 852 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has posted a 23.9 total QBR, the lowest of any qualified passer this season.

“The offense is going to go as far as I go,” Watson said. “So, at the end of the day, we’re not doing enough offensively. As a quarterback, you take all the pressure. You take all the heat. You take all the blame. I’ve got to find ways to bring everybody else along with each other, [find out] how we can go out here on Sundays and eliminate all the mistakes that are going to cause us to get behind the eight ball and put ourselves in situations that we don’t want to be in.”

The Browns have scored under 20 points in all five games this season, their longest streak to start a season since 1999, according to ESPN Research.

The 1-4 start is the worst since Stefanski became head coach in 2020, but Stefanski has given no indication that sweeping changes are imminent. In the leadup to Sunday’s game, he said there have not been discussions about relinquishing his playcalling duties.

“This is not a one-person issue on offense,” Stefanski said. “We have the guys. We have the coaches. We will get it fixed.”

BySTEPHEN HOLDER
October 6, 2024, 5:19 PM

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Colts right guard Will Fries suffered a serious right tibia injury in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars and will undergo surgery Sunday night in Jacksonville, coach Shane Steichen said.

Fries was injured with 5:22 left in the third quarter of the 37-34 loss when he, while run blocking for running back Trey Sermon, got caught in between two Jaguars defenders in a pile and saw his leg bend awkwardly.

The team’s medical staff attended to Fries on the field and ultimately placed his leg in an air cast, indicating a possible fracture. Fries was placed on a backboard and carted off the field and into the locker room.

“Our prayers are with him and his family,” Steichen said after the game.

A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Fries did suffer a fracture.

Fries’ injury compounds the Colts’ other injury issues, including the oblique injury that sidelined starting quarterback Anthony Richardson and the ankle sprain that kept running back Jonathan Taylor out.

The remaining cast was unable to find a way to win, something that has become the norm in Jacksonville. Indianapolis lost its 10th consecutive road contest to the Jaguars, a streak that now covers 3 head coaches, 8 starting quarterbacks and 2 continents. (The Colts were the road team in a 2016 loss to Jacksonville in London.)

On Sunday, the Colts closed a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit with two late scores, only to give up a game-winning field goal with 17 seconds remaining.

“This is the National Football League,” Steichen said. “This stuff ain’t easy. Our guys battle and fight and scratch and claw and we’ve just got to find ways at the end. This was a tough one today.”

ByMIKE REISS
October 6, 2024, 5:59 PM

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — If not for the “toe-heel” rule, the New England Patriots might have had their second win of the season Sunday.

Instead, they lost 15-10 to the visiting Miami Dolphins after rookie receiver Ja’Lynn Polk’s 12-yard touchdown catch with 1:08 remaining was overturned after instant-replay review.

Polk leaped in the air under the goal posts to corral a pass from quarterback Jacoby Brissett, with his momentum carrying him toward the end line. Polk’s left foot came down in the end zone, as did his right toe, but his right heel landed out of bounds.

“The rule that was applied was the ‘toe-heel’ rule,” NFL vice president of officiating George Stewart said in a pool report. “What happened was he did have one foot down in the field of play, and at the completion of the second step, he had his toe in the field of play, but his heel came down on the white line out of bounds. So, he did not have two feet in bounds at the conclusion of the catch.”

Asked what elements of the play were critical in overturning the original call, Stewart said: “He did not have two feet in the field of play. It was a toe-heel. It wasn’t a drag. It was a toe-heel that caused this to be an incomplete pass.”

Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo agreed with the officials.

“It was close, but it was the correct call in my opinion,” Mayo said.

The Patriots had two more plays after the overturned call to potentially score. Then after the defense stopped the Dolphins to give the Patriots the ball back at their own 43-yard line with 29 seconds remaining and no timeouts, a final desperation drive ended at the Dolphins’ 11-yard line.

Polk, a second-round pick from Washington, lamented that the Patriots were in that position because the offense was stagnant for extended stretches and the team totaled 12 penalties for 104 yards.

Brissett, who finished 18-of-34 for 160 yards, didn’t hit 100 yards passing until the fourth quarter.

The Patriots have lost four straight games since opening the season with a 16-10 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Mayo said last week that even in the Week 1 win over the Bengals, the lack of offensive firepower was “unsustainable,” which sparks a question of how close he might be to turning to rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.

The Patriots, who are averaging 12.4 points per game, have had instability along the offensive line, starting five different combinations in the first five games. Their receiving corps also entered Sunday with the fewest receptions and yards of any team in the NFL.

Specific to whether a quarterback switch would make a difference, Mayo deflected a question after Sunday’s loss about how much separation there is between Brissett and Maye.

“I don’t want to get into the separation talk,” Mayo said. “I will say Jacoby is out there trying to do what we’ve asked him to do from the start. He’s taking some big hits, and his toughness continues to show up. Execution from the entire offense has to be better going forward.”

ByBEN BABY
October 6, 2024, 6:09 PM

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sat at his locker for several minutes, arms folded, one leg crossed over the other, assessing the aftermath of Sunday’s 41-38 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

For most of the day, the Bengals led and seemed poised to open play in the AFC North with a victory — their second straight. But on multiple occasions, Cincinnati saw that lead slip away before the Ravens eventually sealed the deal with Justin Tucker’s 24-yard field goal.

As Burrow reflected on the outcome, one thing was evident: After the fourth loss in five games to start the season, Burrow said it was frustrating that a team that started the year with title aspirations is nowhere close.

“We’re not a championship-level team right now,” Burrow said. “We’re not. I like to think that we’ll come back and improve throughout the season to get to that point, but right now we are not and we have to get better.”

It seemed like there was little more the offense could do after another productive outing. Cincinnati scored 30 points for the third straight game. Burrow threw for a career-high five touchdowns on 30-of-39 passing for five touchdowns, though he did also throw a costly interception in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 10 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

But it was not enough. The defense allowed more than 38 points for the second straight game. After Cincinnati led 38-28 with 8:54 left in regulation, the Ravens scored 13 unanswered points.

For Chase, that amplified the disappointment felt after Sunday’s loss.

“I think that’s what’s causing us to be mad, for the most part,” Chase said at his locker after the game. “Just putting up 30 points and losing right there.

“That’s what we want to do as an offense — put up 30 points and take over the game. Put the ball in our hands last drive and take over. That’s what we want, and we didn’t do it.”

Chase and fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins lamented the lack of aggressiveness during a wacky overtime period. Baltimore won the toss to start the extra period and was driving down the field for a potential game-winning touchdown. However, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbled a snap while in the shotgun, and Cincinnati linebacker Germaine Pratt recovered the ball and took it to Baltimore’s 38-yard line.

Cincinnati ran the ball on three straight plays to set up a field goal attempt for kicker Evan McPherson. Since he was drafted in 2021, McPherson has hit nine game-tying or go-ahead field goals in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime, according to ESPN Research. But a poor hold by rookie punter Ryan Rehkow played a role in the 53-yarder that missed wide left.

When asked about the conservative approach on that drive, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he didn’t want to risk a sack or holding penalty in that situation. He said that there was a pass called on that series of plays but that Burrow did a good job of checking into a run play that was more favorable given the defensive look.

“When you’re in field goal range and you believe in your kicker, it really is as simple as that,” Taylor said.

But instead of back-to-back victories, the Bengals are now trying to overcome the odds to reach the postseason. According to ESPN Research, only 5.6% of teams that have started the year with a 1-4 record in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) have reached the postseason. The 2020 Washington Commanders were the most recent team to accomplish the feat.

Burrow said there were no illusions about where the Bengals find themselves after their fourth loss of the year by just a combined 15 points.

“I know exactly how we are 1-4,” Burrow said. “We’re not making plays at the end of the game to go and win it. Definitely not in disbelief. I know exactly what’s happening.”

Despite what Burrow said postgame about the team not being a championship-level squad, Taylor said he still believes in that. Cincinnati went to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, losing to the Los Angeles Rams, and reached the AFC Championship Game the following year before losing in a rematch to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Taylor said there is still a lot of belief that the team can rebound despite what happened on Sunday against Baltimore.

“People can write us off if they really want to,” Taylor said. “I’m not dumb enough to do that.”
ABC News

ByALAINA GETZENBERG
October 6, 2024, 6:39 PM

HOUSTON — Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott took responsibility for the game management that led to the Houston Texans getting the ball back in time for a winning 59-yard field goal Sunday.

“That’s on me, the end-of-game situation on offense,” McDermott said after the 23-20 loss. “We’re in a tough situation … they were holding three timeouts; they got a good field goal kicker. We needed to run the clock and move the chains, and that’s on me. We didn’t do that there, and that’s my fault.”

Tied 20-20, the Bills forced the Texans to punt with 41 seconds remaining after quarterback C.J. Stroud was called for intentional grounding. McDermott chose to decline a potential 10-second runoff that could have come with the penalty, but he said they did contemplate it.

After getting the ball back at the Buffalo 3-yard line with 32 seconds remaining, the Bills’ offense had three straight incomplete passes by Josh Allen. The Bills are the only team in the last 45 years to be tied or leading in the final minute of the game, inside their own 5-yard line and throw three straight passes, per ESPN Research.

“I love Josh with the ball in his hands — you know I do,” McDermott said. “And again, efficient offense was the right approach there and … I didn’t have us do that. And so again, we learned from that. Tough situation.

“… You go back and forth, and, hey, I probably should have run it on the first play and just said, ‘Hey, where are we now?’ Either way, we’re probably going to have to move the chains one time, right? To not give them a chance. But again, those are situations and that’s on me.”

Allen’s first pass to rookie Keon Coleman in tight coverage was incomplete — the receiver was called for offensive pass interference on the play, but the penalty was declined. With 27 seconds remaining, on second down, Allen threw deep to Mack Hollins, but the ball fell to the ground just ahead of him. On third down with 21 seconds left, Allen targeted Curtis Samuel in the middle of the field, but he slipped before the ball got there and it bounced to the turf in front of him.

“Overall, again, that’s on me,” McDermott said when asked if he was onboard with the playcalls. “And so, we just gotta do a better job, I gotta do a better job in that situation.”

Allen, as well as offensive linemen Connor McGovern and David Edwards, said they were on board with trying to be “aggressive” in that situation.

“Coach is going to trust us to go out there and do that,” Allen said. “Obviously, would love to convert there and hindsight’s 20-20, but yeah.”

After a 13-yard punt return to the Texans’ 41-yard line, Houston ran one play to gain 5 yards and set up a 59-yard field goal. On that play, Bills linebacker Dorian Williams didn’t run onto the field until 12 seconds before the snap, and cornerback Rasul Douglas said after the game that he didn’t think Williams knew the playcall.

“We were trying to go nickel defense, and Dorian was on the side,” McDermott said. “We didn’t have the communication we needed right there, and so because of that, he was late onto the field and getting the call in that situation.”

The Texans won on the next play — a 59-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn as time expired.

Bills receivers caught only 4 of 18 targets on the day — the team’s worst reception percentage since 2009 (Week 13) and the worst by any team’s wide receivers with a minimum of 15 targets since 2016 (Rams, Week 16).

On the day, Allen completed 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown, to Coleman. The Bills were without leading receiver Khalil Shakir due to an ankle injury.

Allen recorded the lowest completion percentage in a game with at least 30 pass attempts in the past 30 seasons. He said he needs to play better, including with his ball placement, in discussing why the receivers weren’t getting open. Coleman said it wasn’t a result of anything the Texans were doing defensively, but of self-inflicted issues, including communication difficulties, which he put on himself.

“I would never, ever criticize Josh ever,” Edwards said. “He is the heartbeat of our offense and our football team. We go as he goes. He is the man. I could easily point to myself on one of those third downs, not being able to pick up one of the stunts. So, this game is not on Josh.”

ByJOHN KEIM
October 6, 2024, 6:49 PM

LANDOVER, Md. — Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels wore a diamond-studded No. 5 on a chain around his neck as he addressed the media. For the past four weeks, teammates say he has also worn an “S” on his chest as he helped build a four-game winning streak.

“He came in like Superman,” safety Jeremy Reaves said.

And even on a day when that cape was tugged, Daniels still managed to make plays that caused teammates to go “Wow” as he helped the Commanders continue an improbable start. After a 34-13 win over Cleveland on Sunday, Washington improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2008.

“We can be a really scary team,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said.

The Commanders have already matched their win total from last season and have won consecutive games by a combined 49 points entering their Week 6 game at Baltimore.

“The vibes in here are really high,” receiver Terry McLaurin said.

It has led to some players — who have endured one storm after another during their Washington tenure — to almost pinch themselves to make sure it’s real. Many were here during the turbulent period in which there were multiple investigations into owner Dan Snyder and the culture he created. Washington hasn’t had a winning season since 2016 — only one current player, punter Tress Way, was on the roster that season. Fans abandoned hope.

It’s coming back. In droves.

Reaves, with the organization since 2018, said he told teammate Jeremy Chinn, who signed with Washington in the offseason, “I don’t even know how to process this. It’s never been like this here. I was still in middle school [in 2008].”

Or as defensive tackle Jon Allen, in his eighth season here, said of the overnight change in the organization, “It’s night and day.”

A good chunk of that difference stems from Daniels and what he has done in his first five games. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for more than 1,000 yards and rush for at least 250 in his first five games. He also set an NFL record for completion percentage in the first four games of a season (82.1).

And even when he had his least accurate day — he completed 14 of 25 passes — Daniels still made big plays. On at least three occasions, he left a Browns player pounding the ground in frustration after allowing him to turn the corner for a big run or throw.

One time, Daniels eluded a blitz from safety Grant Delpit and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah by rushing to the outside — and then connecting with receiver McLaurin for a 66-yard gain. Another time defensive end Za’Darius Smith grabbed a piece of Daniels’ jersey as he ran to the right. It was nearly a sack; instead Daniels ran away from Smith for a 2-yard again on third-and-1.

Daniels ultimately ran 11 times for 82 yards, including a 34-yarder. He connected with receiver Dyami Brown for a 41-yard touchdown.

“He’s a competitor,” running back Austin Ekeler said. “He is going to show us stuff all year that we’re going to be like, ‘Wow.'”

But one reason Washington is more excited is because on Sunday, Daniels also showed that he’s still a rookie. He tossed an interception at the goal line on one drive and was less accurate than in his first four games.

However, the defense dominated a struggling Browns offense, recording seven sacks, holding them to 212 yards and one-of-13 on third downs. In the past two weeks the defense has allowed just 27 combined points.

It adds up to a team having fun again for the first time in a long time. Players have talked about how much fun they have going to work and playing with one another. After defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. recorded a sack, center Tyler Biadasz was on the sideline mimicking his “sweeper” celebration.

“I haven’t been a part of a quote, ‘good culture,'” said Washington right guard Sam Cosmi, who’s in his fourth season with the Commanders. “Slowly but surely I see it. It’s really cool to see, to be a part of talking and acting on it. I’m excited about that.”

That energy filtered into the stands at a stadium known for often having thousands of opposing fans. Any Browns fans were drowned out Sunday.

“I can’t give any regard for the past,” Quinn said. “What I can say, I thought there was a home-field advantage created.”

Allen credited Quinn for creating an energetic atmosphere. “There’s a reason guys always follow him around the league,” he said.

But, in the end, Daniels’ performance has been almost as invigorating. Linebacker Frankie Luvu, who recovered a fumble and had 2.5 sacks Sunday, said Daniels is already at the facility when he and Wagner arrive around “5 or 6 [a.m.].”

“To see that and what he does on Sundays, it’s not shocking,” Luvu said.

The second overall pick has captivated the fans in Washington — and beyond.

“I’ve got people back home [in Florida] who never watch the Commanders that are blowing up my phone,” Reaves said. “I get more texts about him than about myself. That’s crazy. I’ve never turned on my TV and seen anything Commanders or I’m on Twitter and Commanders is trending in a good way.”

But Daniels remains unimpressed. As someone close to him said recently: He didn’t come to Washington to win games early in the season.

“I’m just excited for those guys to have this feeling,” Daniels said of the players who have been here a while. “It’s exciting times. But we have to get back to work. We’re on to the next week now.”

ByCOURTNEY CRONIN
October 6, 2024, 8:19 PM

CHICAGO — Within three seconds of the ball being snapped late in the second quarter, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had everything he wanted right in front of him.

The rookie manipulated the Panthers’ secondary, using a hitch after dropping back to pass to move Carolina safety Xavier Woods to his right. The opening created on the backside of the play gave Williams a singled-up DJ Moore, who was sprinting toward the end zone.

Without hesitation, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft let it rip.

The result was a 30-yard touchdown for Moore — his second of the game — and helped the Bears (3-2) build a 20-point lead at halftime. The best performance of Williams’ young NFL career coincided with Moore’s banner day and resulted in a 36-10 win against the receiver’s former team.

“I’ve been wanting one of those,” Williams said. “DJ is such a special player, and you all saw it today. Him making plays … Having a special player like that on your team, you obviously want to give him the ball, let him just be DJ and be special. It felt really good. We were super excited. We got to the sideline and we were both like, ‘Finally, we were able to hit something like that.'”

The Bears’ offense hit the 400-yard mark for the first time this season on an afternoon when Williams completed 20 of 29 pass attempts for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions with a 126.2 passer rating — the highest by a Bears rookie in a single game since at least the 1970 merger.

Moore finished with a team-high five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns. The connection with Williams was highlighted by explosive pass plays that laid dormant during the first month of the season.

“It’s amazing,” Moore said. “What’s this, Week 5? Took five weeks to get the down-the-field pass game going. When it hits, it hits, and it was good today.”

Williams checked the next box in his development after struggling to find his deep ball accuracy in his first four games.

In Weeks 1-4, Williams was 5-of-29 (17%) with three interceptions on passes of at least 15 air yards — both marks ranked at the bottom of the NFL among qualified QBs. Against the Panthers, the rookie was 4-for-4 for 108 yards and two touchdowns on deep passes.

The Bears’ downfield efficiency came one week after Moore and Williams separately voiced frustrations over their struggling on-field connection, which culminated at the end of the first half of Chicago’s win over the Rams when the two failed to connect in the end zone.

Moore put the blame on himself and vowed that there wouldn’t be “any mishaps” on similar plays in the future.

Sunday’s performance showed that chemistry is beginning to hit its stride.

“Just us getting comfortable, us seeing what we can do,” Williams said. “… Just building confidence and trust between each other and trusting this offense between everybody. Offensive line, running backs, protection, the routes and what depth to run it at and how many steps, things like that. Going through the reads and a bunch more.

“We need to keep building, keep going. Obviously, great win, but definitely not settled on this.”

After a slow start to the season when he threw for 93 yards in his debut against Tennessee Titans, Williams has made tangible strides on a weekly basis. In addition to igniting the Bears’ passing attack, Williams has demonstrated growth against the blitz in back-to-back wins over the Rams and Panthers.

Carolina blitzed Williams on 31% of dropbacks, his third game this season where the rookie has faced a blitz at least 30% of the time. Williams, however, did some of his best work against the increased pressure, completing 8 of 10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown vs. the blitz.

Though Chicago’s back-to-back wins came against two of the NFL’s worst defenses, the Bears’ offense continues to see weekly progress.

For a second straight game, running back D’Andre Swift had more than 100 yards of total offense (73 yards rushing, 47 receiving) and a goal-line touchdown run. Williams involved the full complement of players around him by targeting Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen and Cole Kmet at least four times each.

“That’s good quarterbacking,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “It just is. It’s finding the completions, taking the shots down the field. We wanted to get our receivers involved today and we did that. Cole’s been involved. We got [ Gerald Everett] involved. We got everybody involved in the passing games, so I think that’s really good to be able to distribute that, play point guard, be able to do that. Hard to defend that way.”

Throughout the week, Williams and Moore prioritized the connection they had been searching for since the start of the season. It allowed the rookie to take the next step in his development.

“He’s just a really quick learner,” Kmet said. “It’s not easy, especially at this level. I just think it shows his willingness to get better every week. Obviously, he has the talent to be one of the best in the league, but he’s done a good job of being patient with himself in a certain regard … having that fire on him where he feels the heat a little bit where he knows he needs to get better at certain things.

“There were things today collectively that we all can be better at, but his command of the offense has just grown each and every week. Even a lot faster than I anticipated to this point.”

ByRAMONA SHELBURNE
October 7, 2024, 1:09 AM

PALM DESERT, Calif.– LeBron James and Bronny James made history Sunday night as the first father and son to play together in an NBA game as the Los Angeles Lakers lost 118-114 in the preseason to the Phoenix Suns at Arcisure Arena.

The historic moment came at the start of the second quarter when Bronny James, who was celebrating his 20th birthday, checked into the game and joined his father on the court.

“For a father, it means everything,” LeBron James said. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son. Be able to have moments with your son. And ultimately, to be able to work with your son. I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father can ever hope for or wish for.”

He said Lakers coach JJ Redick had told him before the game that he and his son would likely play their first minutes together as professionals. It allowed both to prepare for the moment, even though they didn’t know exactly when it would come.

“Just wanted to get them a chance to play together in preseason … within the flow of the game,” Redick said. “I’m thrilled that I get to be a part of this. I really am. It’s cool as a basketball fan. I think it speaks to LeBron’s longevity, but also his competitive stamina that he’s able to still be doing this in Year 22. It speaks to the work that Bronny has put in to get to this point and really just the fatherly care and love, and certainly the motherly care from Savannah as well.

“Bronny’s such a great kid and he’s a pleasure to be around.”

While they played together for only 4 minutes and 9 seconds, there were several memorable moments: first, when they each picked up full court on defense as the Lakers tried to shore up their transition defense, then when the elder James stood next to his son as they argued an illegal screen call on Bronny.

The only moment that didn’t come to fruition was the father-son assist, when Bronny missed a 3-pointer off a dribble handoff from his father.

“I was really hoping that wing 3 on the little side DHO had gone in,” Redick said. “That would have been a cool moment, but they’ll have a lot of moments together, I’m sure.”

The elder James, who is entering his 22nd season, has been speaking of his desire to play alongside his eldest son for several years and the Lakers put father and son in position to make history by drafting Bronny with the 55th pick in June.

“I’m prepping for the game like it’s regular game,” LeBron said. “But the moment when we came out of the timeout and he was picking up full court and I went up — because my guy was taking the ball out. We stood next to each other and I kind of looked at him, and it was just like, ‘Is this “The Matrix” or something?’ It just didn’t feel real.”

LeBron James, 39, started Sunday’s game after sitting out the preseason opener Friday. He and Olympic teammate Anthony Davis seemed to have a spring in their step early on, leading L.A. in the first half with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, respectively. Neither played in the second half.

Bronny did not score in his 13:25 of action, missing the only shot he took and committing four turnovers. He is still very much a work-in-progress offensively but has impressed teammates and coaches with his work ethic defensively.

“He’s tough,” Davis said. “Obviously, he’s defensive-minded. Some great blocks, Game 1. The physicality. He gets over on screens, good with his hands as far as deflection and steals. But he’s also still learning. He’s still trying to figure everything out, so we have to realize that. He’s still a rookie — and this is a different style of basketball in the league. But I like what I’m seeing from him, on both ends of the floor, especially defensively.”

Bronny has been remarkably even-keeled throughout the process of being drafted by the Lakers, going through his first professional camp and now playing alongside his father.

“I’m always thinking about ‘That’s my dad’ because that’s literally my dad,” he said. “So I just go out there and, when I’m playing, he’s just my teammate. That’s all I’m thinking at that point.”

When asked how he remained so calm playing through the history of this experience, he shrugged. It’s his nature, but also a byproduct of the experience he has been through the past two years, coming back from cardiac arrest while a freshman at USC.

“It’s just taking everything that has happened to me during this year, getting up and continuing to work every day,” he said. “Just finding fuel every day to get up and start working.

“JJ has really emphasized the defensive end and being a pest on defense. So that’s what I’ve been trying to focus on stepping on the floor.”