Sports
QBs headline Bears' visit to Washington, matchup of top picks in peril
Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) leaves the field during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images The top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft — quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels — are scheduled to meet Sunday when the Chicago Bears visit the Washington Commanders.
If they both actually take the field is yet to be determined. It’s a homecoming for top draft pick Williams, who grew up in the Washington area.
Chicago (4-2) is coming off a bye while the Commanders (5-2) cruised to a 40-7 victory over the visiting Carolina Panthers last Sunday.
Daniels injured his ribs while falling at the end of a 46-yard run on the opening play of the Commanders’ first drive against Carolina. He finished the drive, which ended with a field goal, but showed signs of discomfort and left the game.
Coach Dan Quinn said Daniels is week-to-week, but the hope is the rookie quarterback can practice by the end of the week and be ready Sunday.
“He’ll continue in all the meetings and our individual stuff. He’ll go through that, and he’ll get treatment today,” Quinn said on Wednesday. “He’ll continue to progress throughout today and tomorrow, and I’ll update you guys after Friday’s practice, and go from there.”
If Daniels can’t go, veteran backup Marcus Mariota will face the Bears’ fifth-ranked defense. Against the Panthers, Mariota came on to start the second series and completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’d expect nothing else of him,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said. “He’s been a leader since he got here. He’s really helped Jayden along, and we’ve really built some camaraderie with him as well.”
The injury has been the only thing able to slow Daniels. The 23-year-old has completed 75.6 percent of his passes for 1,410 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. Daniels has 372 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Williams, 22, has been impressive during his rookie campaign as well, completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,317 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
The Bears scored 95 points in their three wins heading into the bye. Williams is focused on picking up where they left off.
“The flow of it is us being the flow, understanding the flow and us staying in it,” he said. “We gotta be a little bit better at the deep ball and things like that, myself, and the first quarter, we gotta come out and be better. We’ve scored a bunch in the second, third and fourth quarter, but first quarter for sure, we gotta be better.”
D’Andre Swift leads the Bears with 325 yards rushing (3.6 yards per attempt), while DJ Moore has 31 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns.
The Commanders’ offense ranks tied for first in points per game (31.1) and fourth in the NFL with 384.1 yards per game.
“It’s a similar offense when you watch the offenses,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said of Daniels and Mariota. “Of course, they’re different type of players in terms of who they are quarterback-wise. Our plan will be our plan and we’ll adjust. We’ll have contingency plans for who’s in there but we’re going to stick with what we’re doing.”
Washington is averaging 165.4 yards per game on the ground led by Brian Robinson, who has gained 396 yards (4.7 yards per carry).
That offense will be tested Sunday. Chicago’s defense ranks fifth in the NFL, allowing just 292 yards per game. The Bears are allowing just 16.8 points per game and have not surrendered over 21 points in 12 consecutive games dating back to last season.
A pair of Bears — cornerback Kyler Gordon (hamstring) and safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) — did not participate in practice on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyrone Taylor cracks 3-run shot to spark Mets over Dodgers
Jul 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor (28) reacts after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images Tyrone Taylor’s go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning propelled the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory on Sunday over the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers.
The veteran outfielder greeted reliever Evan Phillips with a 405-foot blast into the left field seats for his eighth homer of the season and fifth since July 4. It doubled as the Mets’ first hit since the first.
Marcus Semien, a defensive replacement in the seventh, added another three-run shot to cap a four-run seventh for the Mets as they snapped a three-game skid.
Four relievers combined to limit the Dodgers to three singles and one hit by pitch over the final five innings. Cionel Perez (4-3) pitched two perfect innings and struck out three.
Los Angeles’ bullpen did not match the Mets. Jack Dreyer walked two batters in the sixth and got only one out before being replaced by Phillips (0-2), who allowed a homer for the fourth time in his last five appearances. Will Klein gave up four runs in the seventh on two hits and two walks.
The first three Mets batters got hits off Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, with leadoff hitter A.J. Green doubling and scoring on Francisco Lindor’s single. Bo Bichette (2-for-4) followed with another base hit. After that, Sheehan allowed just two walks and one hit batsman while fanning five over five innings.
Los Angeles scored twice in the third off Mets starter Freddy Peralta. Eliezer Alfonzo hit a leadoff double. After an out and an Andy Pages walk, Freddy Freeman doubled home Alfonzo. Max Muncy’s groundout made it 2-1.
Freeman finished 2-for-4 for his fourth straight multi-hit game. Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez also went 2-for-4.
Peralta needed 93 pitches to get through four innings. He gave up six hits, three runs (two earned) and two walks while striking out three.
The Dodgers, who saw their four-game winning streak end, loaded the bases off Luke Weaver with two out in the eighth. However, Weaver made a great play on a Hernandez dribbler between the mound and third base to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers
Jul 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lane Thomas (15) hits a home run in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Michael Massey hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting Kansas City Royals hung on for a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Massey’s eighth homer made a winner of Nate Pearson (2-0), who was making his Royals debut after being acquired in a trade with Houston. Steven Cruz survived a ninth-inning jam to record his second save.
Lane Thomas had a solo homer and Luke Maile added an RBI double as the Royals salvaged a split of the four-game series.
Dillon Dingler had two hits and drove in two runs for Detroit.
Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the first. Leadoff hitter Thomas hit a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field that just cleared the wall. The Royals then scratched out an unearned run. Nick Loftin singled and Salvador Perez was hit by a pitch. Valdez retired the next two batters before walking Isaac Collins to load the bases.
Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee then bobbled Tyler Tolbert’s grounder, allowing Loftin to score.
The Royals made it 3-0 in the fourth. Tolbert drew a one-out walk and Maile followed with a double down the left field line to knock him in.
Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Lee led off with a double and Colt Keith walked. Kevin McGonigle singled to load the bases. After Gleyber Torres struck out, Avila was removed for Matt Strahm. Riley Greene hit a bouncer up the middle that got by second baseman Andrew Velazquez for an error. Two runs scored and Greene raced all the way to second. Dingler then knocked in McGonigle and Greene with a single up the middle.
Collins had a bloop single off Drew Sommers with one out in the eighth. Sommers (0-1) struck out the next batter but Massey took advantage of a hanging slider and deposited over the right field wall to give his club a 5-4 advantage.
Detroit had two runners on with no one out in the ninth as Lee walked and Keith singled. Cruz then recorded two strikeouts, sandwiching a popout, to end the contest.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers pound Rockies 11-2
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws during the first inning of their game against the Colorado Rockies Sunday, July 26, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jacob Misiorowski retired the first 14 batters he faced and finished with 12 strikeouts, Andrew Vaughn homered and the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-2 on Sunday.
Jackson Chourio, Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt and Jake Bauers had two hits apiece for Milwaukee, which broke open a close game in the sixth inning to win the series.
Misiorowski struck out seven in a row to start the game and 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with pitches consistently above 100 mph. Cole Carrigg ended the bid for a perfect game with an opposite-field homer to left.
Willi Castro was hit by a pitch before Misiorowski got Troy Johnston to ground out to end the inning — and his afternoon. Misiorowski (11-4) allowed one run on one hit and didn’t walk a batter in his five innings.
Carrigg’s home run was his fifth of the season and Castro hit a solo home run in the seventh for the Rockies, who finished with five hits and fanned 15 times.
Chourio led off the bottom of the first with the first of his two doubles and scored on Brice Turang’s single. One out later, William Contreras doubled to put runners on second and third, Turang scored on a Freeland wild pitch and Contreras came home on a groundout.
Freeland (2-10) settled in, giving up just two hits over the next four innings before Vaughn led off the sixth with his fourth home run. Freeland left after a one-out walk to Bauers, having allowed five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Brewers added on against Colorado’s bullpen.
Bauers stole second and Jimmy Herget walked Gary Sanchez ahead of three straight doubles. Lara brought home Bauers with the first two-bagger, Pratt made it 7-1 with a two-run double and Ortiz put runners on second and third with the next double.
Pratt capped the inning when he scored on a groundout.
After Castro’s 10th home run, Sanchez and Lara had RBI doubles in the bottom of the seventh and Vaughn a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Tyrone Taylor cracks 3-run shot to spark Mets over Dodgers
Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers
