CLEVELAND — Patrick Mahomes was removed in the fourth quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 21-7 victory against the Cleveland Browns with an ankle injury. He did not return.
Mahomes was replaced by Carson Wentz and stood with his teammates on the sideline for the remainder of the game.
He was visibly limping off the field at the conclusion of the game.
Mahomes was hit on a number of pass attempts and was pressured 21 times, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He was 19-of-38 for 159 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game.
HOUSTON (AP) — Miami receiver Grant DuBose was taken off the field on a stretcher after a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
DuBose tried to make a catch in the third quarter, but was hit in the head by rookie Calen Bullock before his head violently hit the turf. He appeared to clench both fists after the hit — movements consistent with what’s referred to as the “fencing response,” which can be common after a traumatic brain injury — before remaining motionless as medical personnel rushed to his side.
Bullock was given a flag for unnecessary roughness for hitting a defenseless receiver on the play.
DuBose remained on the field for more than 10 minutes as he was tended to by emergency medical personnel. His jersey was cut off him and a neck brace was put on him while players from both teams watched with concern.
At one point while he was down, the Dolphins moved away from him and into a circle where they kneeled and appeared to be praying. Miami coach Mike McDaniel and Houston coach DeMeco Ryans embraced at one point while he was still on the field.
DuBose was eventually put on a spine board where his arms and legs were strapped down and he was taken off the field. A tube of some kind was in his mouth and no movement could be seen as he was taken off the field.
The Dolphins said DuBose has been ruled out with a head injury. He is in stable condition and being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
DuBose was a seventh-round pick last season and returned Sunday after injuring his shoulder early in the season.
It’s the second straight Texans game where an opposing player has been injured by an illegal hit to the head after linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit to the head of a sliding Trevor Lawrence gave him a concussion Dec. 1.
Lawrence was scrambling in the second quarter in that game. He initiated a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and unleashed on the defenseless quarterback. He also displayed the “fencing response” but soon got up on his own power and walked to a cart which took him off the field.
Al-Shaair was ejected for the hit and given a three-game suspension, which was upheld on appeal.
HOUSTON (AP) — Nico Collins had two touchdown receptions and Houston’s defense forced four turnovers, highlighted by two fourth-quarter interceptions by Derek Stingley, to help the Texans to a 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
It’s the second straight victory for the Texans (9-5), who can clinch the AFC South title for a second straight season with a loss by the Colts later Sunday.
Collins had a 6-yard TD reception in the second quarter and his second 6-yard scoring grab made it 20-6 in the third. That score was set up by a 35-yard run by Dare Ogunbowale on a fake punt.
Tua Tagovailoa threw a 7-yard TD pass to Jonnu Smith with about 4½ minutes left in the third quarter, but the kick failed to cut the lead to 20-12.
The Dolphins were driving again with about 10½ minutes left when Stingley hopped in front of Tyreek Hill to grab an interception at the Houston 20.
The Texans had two drives after that, but had to punt both times to give the Dolphins a last chance. Stingley came through again, intercepting another pass intended for Hill to recure the win.
C.J. Stroud threw for 131 yards and two touchdowns for Houston on a day Joe Mixon managed just 23 yards rushing on 12 carries after being shaken up by a hard hit early.
Tagovailoa lost a fumble and threw three interceptions for Miami (6-8) on a day he played without starting tackles Terron Armstead and Kendall Lamm. Tagovailoa threw for 196 yards.
There was a scary scene in the third quarter when Miami receiver Grant DuBose was taken off the field on a stretcher after a helmet-to-helmet hit. The team said he is in stable condition and being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
DuBose tried to make a catch in the third quarter, but was hit in the head by rookie Calen Bullock before his head violently hit the turf. Bullock was given a flag for unnecessary roughness for hitting a defenseless receiver on the play.
DuBose remained on the field for more than 10 minutes as he was tended to by emergency medical personnel. His jersey was cut off him and a neck brace was put on him while players from both teams watched with concern.
DuBose was eventually put on a spine board where his arms and legs were strapped down and he was taken off the field. A tube of some kind was in his mouth and no movement could be seen as he was taken off the field.
The Texans got a 44-yard field goal on their first possession and the Dolphins tied it with a 55-yard field goal early in the second.
Will Anderson Jr. sacked Tagovailoa from his blind side, causing a fumble which Tim Settle recovered on the Miami 28. Stroud put the Texans on top when he scrambled away from pressure and found Collins in the end zone for his first TD about seven minutes before halftime.
Miami cut the lead to 10-6 on a 36-yard field goal with about two minutes left in the second quarter.
Stroud wasn’t ready for a snap on Houston’s next drive and it bounced off his chest for a fumble which the Dolphins recovered.
But they came away empty when Tagovailoa was intercepted by Bullock four plays later. Bullock returned it 68 yards to the Miami 5 and the Texans added a field goal at the end of the half to extend the lead to 13-6.
Injuries
Miami WR Jaylen Waddle sustained a knee injury in the second quarter and didn’t return. …Houston TE Cade Stover missed the game after having an emergency appendectomy Saturday night. … DT Foley Fatukasi injured an ankle in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Up next
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw two first-half touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin, and the Washington Commanders narrowly held off a rally by Spencer Rattler and the Saints, winning 20-19 on Sunday when New Orleans failed on a 2-point conversion with no time left.
Daniels, returning to play in Louisiana a year after winning the Heisman Trophy with LSU, completed 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards. He also ran for 66 yards, highlighted by a first-down scramble on third-and-14 to set up a third-quarter field goal by the recently signed Greg Joseph that put the Commanders (9-5) ahead 17-0.
But Rattler relieved starting quarterback Jake Haener and nearly carried the Saints (5-9) to victory. After Joseph missed a 54-yard field goal with 1:55 to go, Rattler led a 56-yard drive and threw a 1-yard TD pass to Foster Moreau as time expired.
Interim coach Darren Rizzi went for the win, but Rattler could not complete his pass to tightly covered tight end Juwan Johnson — and the Saints fell to 0-4 without quarterback Derek Carr, who was concussed and injured his left, non-throwing hand a week earlier.
Washington helped New Orleans stay in the game with a combination of penalties (nine for 84 yards) and missed opportunities.
McLaurin had seven catches for 73 yards, but was overthrown while open deep down the middle in the fourth quarter. He later got his hands on, but could not control, a long pass down the sideline.
Rattler passed for 135 yards and a touchdown after replacing Haener, a second-year pro who made his first career start. Haener completed just four of 10 passes for 49 yards and was intercepted.
Rattler led all four of New Orleans’ scoring drives, the first of which ended with receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. passing to running back Alvin Kamara for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 17-7. Field goals of 41 and 51 yards by Blake Grupe cut Washington’s lead to 20-13.
Daniels took eight sacks, although a couple of those came when he ran out of bounds for no gain.
Washington opened the scoring on a play resembling sandlot football, with Daniels rolling left to elude defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, nearly falling down as he ducked away from defensive tackle Brian Bresee, and then throwing over the outstretched arms of linebacker Pete Werner. McLaurin caught it while running across the end zone and held on while colliding hard with three players — teammate Brian Robinson Jr. and defenders Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Injuries
Commanders: TE Zach Ertz left with concussion symptoms after his one-handed catch across the middle in the second quarter gave Washington a first-and-goal at the 4, setting up McLaurin’s second TD catch. … C Tyler Biadasz was added to the injury report with an illness on Saturday and was ruled out shortly before kickoff. … S Jeremy Chinn was hurt while assisting on a tackle in the fourth quarter.
Saints: RB Alvin Kamara was checked for a groin injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. … McKinstry was treated for an unspecified injury in the fourth quarter.
Up next
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cooper Rush threw for 214 yards and a career-high three touchdown passes, Dallas forced four Bryce Young turnovers and sacked the second-year quarterback six times as the Cowboys defeated the Carolina Panthers 30-14 on Sunday for their third win in the past four games.
CeeDee Lamb had nine catches for 116 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown reception and Rico Dowdle ran for a career high 149 yards on 25 carries to become the first undrafted running back to surpass 100 yards rushing in three straight games since Houston’s Arian Foster.
Young, who had shown improvement in recent weeks, finished 19 of 28 for 219 yards with a career-long 83-yard touchdown toss to rookie Jalen Coker and also ran for a score. But the second-year quarterback fumbled twice and threw two interceptions to fall to 4-21 as an NFL starter.
The Panthers came in as the favorite for the first time in nearly two full years, but it was all Cowboys (6-8) for most of the game.
Lamb had eight receptions for 104 yards in the first half as Dallas took a 10-0 lead. The Cowboys appeared ready to add to it late in the second quarter, but Rush mishandled a snap and fumbled at the Carolina 17. On the next play from scrimmage, Young found Coker along the right sideline for an 83-yard touchdown pass, the longest of his career to pull the Panthers (3-11) within three with 31 seconds left.
But that was as close as the Panthers would get.
Dallas’ Osa Odighizuwa stripped Young of the football on Carolina’s first possession of the third quarter and the Cowboys cashed in on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Rush to Jalen Tolbert, who got free across the back of the end zone for a 17-7 lead.
Rush later added a 17-yard TD pass to Jalen Brooks.
The old college try
Kicker Brandon Aubrey is known for his big leg and coach Mike McCarthy gave him a chance to prove it on the final play of the first half when the Cowboys attempted a 70-yard field goal. But Aubrey’s kick came up well short, barely reaching the end zone and was returned by the Panthers. The longest successful field-goal attempt in NFL history is 66 yards by Baltimore’s Justin Tucker and the longest attempt is 76 yards by Sebastian Janikowski.
Injuries
Cowboys: OT Chuma Edoga injured his ankle in the second quarter and guard T.J. Bass left in the fourth quarter with a lower leg injury.
Panthers: WR Xavier Legette left the game in the third quarter with a groin injury.
Up next
Cowboys: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday.
Panthers: Host Arizona next Sunday in their final home game of the season.
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — Freddie Freeman’s historic walk-off grand slam ball from Game 1 of the World Series has sold for $1.56 million at auction.
The bidding at SCP Auctions went into the late hours of Saturday night, according to a statement from the auction house on Sunday. It didn’t say who bought the ball.
Freeman, the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman, came to the plate on a sprained right ankle with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning against the New York Yankees. He hit the first pitch from Nestor Cortes 413 feet for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
The Dodgers won the game 6-3 and went on to claim the franchise’s eighth World Series championship in five games. Freeman was named World Series MVP.
The ball landed in the right-field pavilion, where it was corralled by 10-year-old Zachary Ruderman, who lives in Los Angeles. The ball rolled from the seat in front of him to his feet and he batted it to his father, Nico, who jumped on it.
The fifth-grader had been told he was leaving school early that day to get his braces removed. Instead, his parents took him to Dodger Stadium.
It’s the second ball connected to the Dodgers to be auctioned this season. The ball hit by Shohei Ohtani that made him the first player in major league history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season sold for nearly $4.4 million. It set a record for the sale of any sports ball.
HOUSTON (AP) — Two teens were killed and four were injured — including a 13-year-old girl — in a shooting at a makeshift club in Houston, police said Sunday.
Officers arriving at the site of the shooting late Saturday night found “a very hectic scene — a large crowd of people running out of a makeshift club,” Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra said at a news conference.
Police have not yet identified a suspect and have asked those who were at the event to call police with any information. Police said some witnesses told detectives that they saw a man wearing all black, including a hooded sweatshirt and a black mask covering his face, shoot a pistol into a crowd of people at the venue.
Police said a 16-year-old male died at the scene and a 14-year-old female died at the hospital. Their identifies are pending verification by the medical examiner.
The four who were injured, all females, were hospitalized. The injured 13-year-old was in critical condition, while an 18-year-old was in serious condition and a 17-year-old and 19-year-old were both in stable condition, police said.
Menendez-Sierra said most of those attending the event, which appeared to be organized on social media, were juveniles. He said they were gathered in an empty business.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a post on X that “makeshift, unsanctioned pop-up parties can quickly lead to chaos and violence.”
“Pop-up parties raise public safety concerns and teens need to stay away for their own safety,” he said.
___
This story corrects the age of the female who was killed to 14, not 16, per Houston police.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said Sunday that he has no concerns about President-elect Donald Trump's selection of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to serve as director of national intelligence.
Gabbard, a vocal non-interventionist, has seen her credentials come under scrutiny, particularly in light of a regime change in Syria and her covert meeting with former strongman Bashar Assad in 2017, which occurred after he had used chemical weapons on protesters. She later said Assad was "not the enemy of the United States."
"I know Tulsi Gabbard. She's a patriot. She served our country honorably. She, I think, fits the reform agenda. President Trump ran on disrupting permanent Washington and having people who are going to view things differently," Schmitt told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos. "There's a lot of reform, George, that needs to happen in those agencies. Tulsi Gabbard is somebody who I think can execute on that."
"I don't think it's unusual for members of Congress to visit foreign countries and talk to foreign leaders," he said of the former Democratic congresswoman. "President Trump, I think, believes in engaging in diplomacy, solving these things."
Gabbard has begun meeting with senators on Capitol Hill to try to get the votes she'll need from them for confirmation, though her chances have coincided with a wider debate over the U.S. role in Syria.
Trump has said the U.S. should stay out of events there, although there are 900 U.S. troops in the country to fight remaining ISIS pockets. Trump has not definitively said what he plans to do with those troops.
"I think that's a longer discussion, and a discussion that President Trump had in his first term," Schmitt said. "I do think we're entering a new phase, though, of realism in this country. President Trump would be less interventionist, and we get back to our core national interests, principally defending the homeland, the Indo-Pacific and China."
"Understanding what terrorism means around the world is important, but having these trip wires in other regions that pull us into wars, I think the American people have had enough of that," he added when pressed on the risks of an ISIS resurgence if U.S. troops leave Syria.
Gabbard is just one of many Trump picks who will need to win confirmation.
Stephanopoulos also pressed Schmitt on Kash Patel, the president-elect's choice to lead the FBI.
Patel is a top Trump loyalist who has railed against the "deep state" and pushed to eliminate the FBI's intelligence gathering capabilities, leading some critics to say that he'd politicize the bureau in Trump's favor.
Asked about Patel's book "Government Gangsters," in which he included a 60-person "enemies list," Schmitt dismissed that as a "footnote" in the book and insisted that Patel does not have an "enemies list." Schmitt said Patel would bring change to an agency that many Republicans have grown to distrust.
"That agency is in desperate need of reform. Kash Patel is very qualified, and I think he's going to get the support in the Senate," Schmitt said.
On Trump's promise to pardon Jan. 6 rioters, Schmitt said the president-elect would look at pardons on an individual basis and decipher between violent and non-violent offenders, which he said is the "exact right approach."
"I think you do separate violent acts from non-violent acts, but I think he's been pretty clear he's going to view these individually," Schmitt said.
(LONDON) -- Two Russian tankers believed to be carrying thousands of tons of oil were damaged off the coast of Crimea in the early hours of Sunday amid stormy weather, Russian emergency services and media reported.
The Volgoneft 212 and Volgoneft 239 vessels were both damaged while transiting the Kerch Strait waterway separating the occupied Crimean Peninsula from Russia's western Krasnodar Krai region, the country's Emergencies Ministry reported on Telegram.
The ministry cited "bad weather in the Kerch Strait" for the damage, the extent of which is not yet clear. The state-owned Tass news agency cited an unnamed ministry source in its report that the ship's bow was torn off. The vessel was around 5 miles from shore when it was damaged, the agency said.
An Emergency Ministry Mi-8 helicopter and a rescue boat were dispatched to the Volgoneft 212 vessel, which had 13 people aboard, the ministry wrote. "The crew requested assistance," it said. The ministry later said that one sailor died and the remaining 12 evacuated alive.
"It is known that there are oil products on the ship," the ministry added. "Information about the spill is being clarified."
The Interfax news agency reported that the Volgoneft 212 was carrying 4,300 tons of oil.
The Emergency Ministry later said the Volgoneft 212 "was damaged and ran aground."
The Volgoneft 239 had 14 people on board and was also carrying oil, the Emergency Ministry said.
The ministry reported that the vessel was drifting after sustaining damage.
(NEW YORK) -- Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the federal government is taking action to address the aerial drones that have prompted concern among New Jersey residents.
“There's no question that people are seeing drones,” he told “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview on Sunday. “I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(LOS ANGELES) -- An apparent tornado touched down in a small Northern California city Saturday, flipping cars, causing significant damage and sending several people to the hospital.
The National Weather Service said the apparent tornado touched down at about 1:40 p.m. local time in Scotts Valley, about 30 miles south of San Jose.
Several people were taken to the hospital with injuries, but there are no reported deaths, according to a press release from the Scotts Valley Police Department.
"Emergency medical teams are prioritizing those most in need of care, and we continue to monitor the situation closely," police said in the news release.
The tornado caused "significant damage" in several areas, police said.
Photos shared by police on social media showed multiple cars turned on their sides along the roadway and in a shopping center parking lot.
The weather service confirmed the tornado based on videos, photos, witness accounts and radar and said a survey team would further investigate damage on the ground to determine how strong it was.
California averages about 11 tornadoes a year, typically in the fall and spring, according to the weather service.
Earlier Saturday morning, the weather service issued the first tornado warning for San Francisco, amid a strong storm that knocked out power for thousands, according to ABC station KGO.
The tornado warning in San Francisco was lifted about 20 minutes later.
DALLAS (AP) — Matt Duchene scored at 2:31 of overtime on an end-to-end rush from near his own goal line and the Dallas Stars beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Saturday night.
Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the Stars, and Jake Oettinger stopped 15 shots to improve to 11-1-0 at American Airlines Center.
Jordan Kyrou gave the Blues a 1-0 lead in the first period and Jordan Binnington finished with 35 saves.
Duchene leads Dallas with 13 goals and four game-winners.
Robertson, Dallas’ top scorer during the past two seasons, has scored twice within three games for the first time since late October.
Kyrou, who leads the Blues with 12 goals and 26 points, has goals in three consecutive games and five in the last six games.
Robert Thomas had the primary assist on Thomas’ goal and has a six-game point streak for 11 points (three goals, eight assists).
Takeaways
Blues: With defenseman Nick Leddy out injured since late October, St. Louis acquired Cam Fowler from Anaheim on Saturday. Fowler played 17:57 with one block. Veteran forward Brandon Saad, with no goals in his last 13 games, was a healthy scratch.
Stars: This was their first win in seven games this season when trailing after one period.
Key moment
About 20 seconds before Duchene’s winner, Oettinger stopped Pavel Buchnevich on a backhand stuff attempt by extending his left skate to the post.
Key stat
Binnington kept the Blues in the game in the second period, allowing only one power-play goal on three Stars opportunities. Dallas outshot St. Louis in the period 14-3.
Up Next
Blues host the New York Rangers on Sunday, and Stars host Washington on Monday.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — It was midway through the third quarter of the Oklahoma City-Houston NBA Cup semifinal matchup on Saturday night. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just made a short jumper in the lane and, to his delight, a time-out was immediately called.
He needed it.
He retreated to midcourt, crouched down, propped himself up by his fingertips and took deep breath after deep breath. It was that sort of night. And given the way the Rockets and Thunder have defended all season long, such a game was predictable.
In the end, it was Oklahoma City 111, Houston 96 in a game where the teams combined to shoot 41%. The immediate reward for the Thunder: two days off to recover. The bigger reward: a matchup with Milwaukee on Tuesday night for the NBA Cup, with more than $300,000 per player the difference between winning and losing.
“That’s what defense does for you,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, whose team has held opponents to 41% shooting or worse a league-best 11 times this season — and is 11-0 in those games. “It keeps you in games.”
The Rockets-Thunder semifinal was basketball, with elements of football, rugby, hockey and probably even some wrestling thrown in. It wasn’t unusual. It’s how they play: defense-first, tough, gritty, physical.
They are the two top teams in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage defense — Oklahoma City came in at 42.7%, Houston at 43.4% — and entered the night as two of the top three in scoring defense. Orlando led entering Saturday at 103.7 per game, Oklahoma City was No. 2 at 103.8, Houston No. 3 at 105.9. (The Thunder, by holding Houston to 96, passed the Magic for the top spot on Saturday.)
Houston finished 36.5% from the field, its second-worst showing of the season. When the Rockets shoot 41% or better, they’re 17-4. When they don’t, they’re 0-5.
“Sometimes it comes down to making shots,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Especially in the first half, we guarded well enough. … But you put a lot of pressure on your defense when you’re not making shots.”
Even though scoring across the NBA is down slightly so far this season, about a point per game behind last season’s pace and two points from the pace of the 2022-23 season, it’s still a golden age for offense in the league. Consider: Boston scored 51 points in a quarter earlier this season.
Saturday was not like most games. The halftime score: Rockets 42, Thunder 41. Neither team crossed the 50-point mark until Dillon Brooks’ 3-pointer for Houston gave the Rockets a 51-45 lead with 8:46 left in the third quarter.
Brooks is generally considered one of the game’s tougher defenders. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the game’s best scorers. They’re teammates on Canada’s national team, and they had some 1-on-1 moments on Saturday.
“It’s fun. It makes you better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s what this league is about, competing against the best in the world and defensively, he is that for sure. And I like to think that of myself offensively. He gives me a chance to really see where I’m at, a good test. I’d say I handled it pretty well.”
Indeed he did. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points, the fifth instance this season of someone scoring that many against the Rockets. He’s done it twice, and the Thunder scored 70 points in the second half to pull away.
“We knew that if we kept getting stops we would give ourselves a chance,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And we did so.”
