Sports
Jaguars, facing Texans, ramp up for rebound from 'disaster'
Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls signals against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of three winless teams in the NFL and certainly the one in the most disarray.
The Jaguars (0-3) will attempt to halt their dysfunction and register that elusive first victory when they visit the Houston Texans in an AFC South battle on Sunday.
Jacksonville’s poor start includes being annihilated 47-10 by the host Buffalo Bills on the Monday night stage. The Jaguars trailed 34-3 at halftime after Buffalo scored touchdowns on all five first-half possessions.
“The game the other night was just a disaster on every level,” Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is telling his team they can still turn things around.
“It’s not the end of anybody’s season, obviously it’s Week 4,” Pederson said. “We just got to figure out a way to play good football, and right now, the tape shows that we’re not and we’ve got to fix that.”
A win over the Texans (2-1) would be a step in the right direction. It would take some heat off Pederson and the underachieving Lawrence.
Jacksonville has lost the last eight times Lawrence has been the starting quarterback. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2021 has completed just 52.8 percent of his passes this year while getting sacked 11 times.
“I’ve got to play really well for us to win,” Lawrence said. “That’s the NFL. The quarterback has to play well every week in order to give us a shot to win. I don’t feel like I’ve done that consistently enough. So I put that on myself.”
Lawrence has passed for 560 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for an offense that ranks 30th in scoring (13.3 points per game) and 27th in total yardage (276.3).
In the offseason, Jacksonville rewarded Lawrence with a five-year, $275 million extension that paid him like an elite quarterback. But in the wake of the Buffalo debacle, Pederson said pulling Lawrence in favor of backup Mac Jones is an option if things don’t improve.
The Texans don’t have a quarterback problem as second-year pro C.J. Stroud has stood out from the outset of his pro career.
Stroud led Houston to a 10-7 record as a rookie and guided the squad to a playoff victory. This season, he has completed 67.7 percent of his throws for 709 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions.
However, Stroud and the Texans were whipped 34-7 by the host Minnesota Vikings last weekend. Stroud passed for 215 yards and a touchdown but also was intercepted twice and sacked four times. Houston also was flagged for 11 penalties.
“They kicked our butts, kudos to those guys,” Stroud said Wednesday. “It is Week 4 now. We are going to move on. We are going to play against the Jaguars, who are a good team and focus on that.”
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans views the Jaguars as a fierce foe. Though Houston has won 10 of the past 12 meetings between the teams, Jacksonville earned a split last season.
“We will have a division opponent coming into our house,” Ryans said. “It’s going to be a tough matchup. We both know each other very well and it’s going to be a fight, so we’re looking forward to the matchup.”
Running back Joe Mixon totaled 184 rushing yards over his first two games with the Texans but sat out the Minnesota game with an ankle injury. He was limited in Friday’s practice and is likely to be a game-time decision.
Texans receiver Tank Dell (chest), running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring) and safety Jimmie Ward (groin) were all ruled out on Friday.
Jaguars standout linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (foot) and tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), who hasn’t played since Week 1, are out.
–Field Level Media
Sports
WNBA announces launch of central replay booth
Jun 27, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Storm head coach Sonia Raman speaks to an official in the fourth quarter at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dizon-Imagn Images The WNBA announced on Saturday that it will launch a centralized replay center for the start of the 2027 season.
The league already uses replay, but shifting to a centralized system aims to speed up and enhance the review process.
A state-of-the-art replay center in Secaucus, N.J., has been used by the NBA since 2014. The WNBA will now use the same facility as its centralized hub for all reviewable game situations. The center will give on-court officials quick access to multiple camera angles and guidance from officials in New Jersey to make fast and accurate calls.
“As the WNBA continues its extraordinary growth, we’re committed to investing in every aspect of the game, including the technology and resources that support players, teams, and officials,” head of WNBA league operations Bethany Donaphin said. “Leveraging the NBA’s state-of-the-art replay center is an important step in the continued evolution of our game.
“It allows us to enhance the consistency and efficiency of replay reviews while embracing innovations that strengthen the competition and deliver the best possible experience for all our stakeholders.”
The league previously formed an officiating task force during the offseason to improve officiating, a move that has received more attention in recent weeks due to specific on-court incidents.
Perhaps most notoriously, Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas was handed a one-game suspension for “recklessly making contact with her fist to the throat area” of Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during a game in June. No foul was called on the play, and Thomas and the Mercury were dissatisfied with the punishment process afterward, while the Fever were angry about the lack of a call.
Fever coach Stephanie White was upset after the contest that Thomas wasn’t called for a foul.
“You’ve got to call it,” White said at the time. “It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful.”
Current officials are set to rotate as staff for the center.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nikki Hiltz wins 4th straight 1500m title at USA Outdoor Championship
Jul 25, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Nikki Hiltz reacts after winning the women’s 1,500m in 4:06.92 during the USATF Championships at Icahn Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Nikki Hiltz won her fourth consecutive 1500-meter title in dramatic fashion at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships on Saturday in New York.
Hiltz, who has won the last four outdoor and last four indoor 1500m races at national meets, finished with a time of 4:06.92, finishing four hundredths ahead of Addy Wiley and six hundredths ahead of Emily Mackay in third place.
She’s just the second American runner this century to win four 1500m titles, joining Jenny Simpson, who did so from 2014-17.
“That was honestly, probably, I think out of all my titles, the hardest one,” Hiltz said, per NBC Sports. “I feel really, really, really happy with that one. It’s so hard to defend one. It’s hard to defend two. Now, going into this, I was the three-time defending champ. I think the weight just gets heavier and heavier and heavier. So I feel a lot of relief right now.”
The next hurdle for Hiltz, 31, will be attempting to reach her first international outdoor podium at September’s World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. At World Indoors she was a silver medalist in 2024 and a bronze medalist earlier this year.
“I want to try to medal in Budapest,” Hiltz said. “After Pre, I think I was like, maybe I could win (World Ultimate). Maybe I could win a world championship, and I think I’ve never had that belief, like, ever.”
In the men’s 1500m, Nathan Green similarly completed an indoor/outdoor sweep at national events with a 3:50.27 finish, five hundredths ahead of Vincent Ciattei.
In the 400m, Chris Bailey, who won gold at the Paris Olympics in the 4X400m relay, won his first national championship after first-place finisher Justin Robinson was disqualified for stepping on one of his lane lines multiple times.
Bailey finished with a time of 44.39 seconds, just ahead of Khaleb McRae (44.41) and Demarius Smith (44.54).
In the women’s 400m, Aaliyah Butler also won her first national championship after winning gold in Paris two years ago in the 4X400, finishing as the wire-to-wire leader with a time of 49.93 seconds. Alexis Holmes (50.47) was in second while Samaria Butler (50.89) rounded out the podium.
Alia Armstrong followed up her 60m hurdles championship at the U.S. Indoor Championships with a 100m hurdles championship on Saturday, finishing with a season-best time of 12.38 seconds. Four hundredths behind in second was Alaysha Johnson (12.42), while 2024 Olympic long jump gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall, who last competed in hurdles five years ago, finished third at 12.57.
Nathan Mountain won his first U.S. title in the steeplechase with a time of 8:13.81. He beat Carson Williams by seven hundredths despite a stumble on his landing after clearing the barrier on the final lap. Duncan Hamilton (8:14.05) finished a close third.
In the women’s steeplechase, Lexy Halladay-Lowry repeated as the American champion in decidedly less dramatic fashion, winning by nearly five seconds with a time of 9:12.54. Gabbi Jennings (9:17.42) finished in second, just ahead of Madie Boreman (9:17.68).
In the field events, the men’s triple jump came down to a tiebreaker when Salif Mane and Russell Robinson tied for the best jump of the day at 16.66m. After Mane forced the tie on his final jump and won his second U.S. title in three years with the better second-best jump of 16.11m, edging out Robinson’s 16.02. James Carter Jr. (16.15) came in third.
Curtis Thompson delivered a season-best javelin throw of 87.59m on his sixth and final throw to comfortably win his sixth national title ahead of Jordan Davis (82.36m) and Marc Anthony Minichello (75.98).
Recent Air Force graduate Texas Tanner won the men’s discus throw title with his fourth throw which traveled 65.46m, edging out Reggie Jagers (64.00) and Mitchell Weber (63.84).
Sandi Morris won her sixth national pole vault championship with a season-best jump of 4.90m, while Chase Jackson was the wire-to-wire leader in women’s shotput, winning her fifth title with her best throw of 20.55m coming on her sixth and final throw.
The event is being held in New York for the first time since 1991 as it celebrates its 150th anniversary in the city where the inaugural edition was contested.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Columbus rallies to beat rival Cincinnati
Columbus Crew offense Jamal Thiaré (19) heads the ball into the goal against the FC Cincinnati in the first half of the match at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on July 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Daniel Gazdag’s first-half penalty kick and Patrick Schulte’s four saves led the host Columbus Crew to a 2-1 comeback win over FC Cincinnati in the latest Hell Is Real derby on Saturday.
The Crew (5-8-4, 19 points) had one win in their previous six matches while Cincinnati (6-6-5, 23 points) had a three-match point streak end.
The rivalry got heated in the final minute and Cincinnati’s Gerado Valenzuela was red-carded after a scuffle broke out and the melee continued post-match in the Cincinnati tunnel.
Kevin Denkey staked Cincinnati a ninth-minute lead before the Crew rallied on scores from Jamal Thiare in the 42nd and a penalty kick by Gazdag in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time.
Columbus overcame an early deficit to take the 2-1 halftime lead on Gazdag’s second penalty kick in as many matches.
The Crew settled down after the Denkey score and Thiare found the equalizer off a corner kick by Dylan Chambost.
Thiare made a run to the middle of the box, got position on Miles Robinson and used a header for his first Crew goal after being acquired in a trade in February from Atlanta United, where he played the past three seasons.
At the 45-minute mark, Schulte made a critical stop with his right arm on a shot by Evander at the left post. The Crew followed with Max Arfsten drawing a foul at the end line from Matt Miazga that was upheld after a review.
Gazdag calmly scored from the spot for the 27th time in 28 tries in his MLS career with the Crew and the Philadelphia Union.
Cincinnati has allowed 42 goals after giving up 40 last season in 34 regular-season matches.
Denkey broke a tie with Evander for the club goal lead with his 11th but he couldn’t have done it with Evander and some poor defending by Mo Farsi.
Pavel Bucha attacked the right flank before sending a cross to the 6-yard box. Farsi tried to high kick the pass but whiffed and the ball went to Evander for a slick centering pass to Denkey, who did not miss.
Evander has a seven-match goal contribution streak (eight goals, seven assists).
This was the first meeting since Cincinnati won a best-of-three series in the 2025 playoffs.
– Field Level Media
WNBA announces launch of central replay booth
Nikki Hiltz wins 4th straight 1500m title at USA Outdoor Championship
