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Colts get solid relief QB play from Joe Flacco to hold off Steelers

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis ColtsSep 29, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon (32) recovers a ball fumbled by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during the second quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With an early injury to Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco entered the game and led the Indianapolis Colts over the surging Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 Sunday in Indianapolis.

After passing for 71 yards and rushing for 24 yards, Richardson left the game for Indianapolis (2-2) after a 14-yard run where DeShon Elliot hit the quarterback and dislodged the ball. The Colts recovered the loose ball, but the quarterback left the game for two plays to recover from the hit.

When Richardson returned, he attempted a designed rush to his left but went to the ground holding his right hip in pain. Richardson left the game for treatment but was later ruled out by the Colts.

In Richardson’s place, Flacco threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Flacco had patience in the pocket and completed 16 of 26 passes, including the Colts’ final touchdown drive where the veteran Super Bowl champion had three completions on third and long situations and eventually found Andrew Ogletree to give the Colts a 24-10 lead with 14:42 left.

The Colt had built a 17-0 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Taylor, a 4-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Josh Downs and a 33-yard Matt Gay field goal.

The Steelers got on the board with a 50-yard field goal from Chris Boswell to close the first half down 17-3.

Pittsburgh (3-1) battled back, scoring on three consecutive offensive drives, cutting the deficit to three points on a Justin Fields to Pat Freiermuth 8-yard touchdown with 3:40 to play.

After the Steelers got the ball back, an errant snap went off the facemask of Fields and although the Steelers recovered, Fields had two incomplete passes on the final three plays to give the Colts the ball back with 29 seconds remaining.

Taylor rushed for 88 yards for the Colts and added a touchdown behind an offensive line that didn’t include starting center Ryan Kelly, who missed the game as a late scratch due to a neck injury. 2024 fourth-round draft pick Tanor Bortolini started in his place.

Fields struggled early for Pittsburgh, but recovered to throw 312 yards with a touchdown pass and added two touchdowns on the ground (both during the second-half comeback attempt) with 55 yards rushing. What hurt the first-year Steelers quarterback was the play of the offensive line. Fields was sacked four times, resulting in 30 lost yards.

The Fields performance was needed for a Steelers backfield who lost both Cordalle Patterson and Najee Harris to injury in the defeat.

–Field Level Media

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Galaxy rally from 2-0 deficit, earn draw with FC Dallas

MLS: LA Galaxy at FC DallasApr 18, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; LA Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil (28) dribbles the ball as FC Dallas forward Petar Musa (9) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The visiting LA Galaxy erased an early 2-0 deficit with a pair of late first-half goals and then choked off the FC Dallas offense in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw on Saturday night in Frisco, Texas.

Lucas Sanabria got LA (2-3-3, 9 points) on the board and Joseph Paintsil equalized three minutes into first-half stoppage time. It appeared that Dallas (3-1-4, 13 points) snapped the tie when Kaick tallied in the 75th minute, but the goal was nullified for offsides.

Petar Musa collected a brace for Dallas, giving him nine goals on the year and enabling him to take the MLS goal-scoring lead over Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Nashville’s Sam Surridge. But the Galaxy kept him in check after halftime.

Musa needed just seven minutes to start the scoring, with the help of a horrific turnover by LA captain Maya Yoshida. Attempting to boot the ball laterally to a teammate in his end, Yoshida instead squibbed the ball right to Musa.

Given plenty of time and space to make his move, Musa measured goalie JT Marcinowski and calmly booted the ball into the lower left corner from just outside the box.

Dallas controlled the ball for most of the half, bolstering its advantage in the 38th minute via a nice buildup inside the Galaxy zone. Logan Farrington crossed from the left side and a sliding Musa poked it past Marcinowski.

Sanabria pulled one back in the 43rd minute as his shot from the top of the box deflected off the shoe of a Dallas defender and eluded goalie Michael Collodi at the right post.

Paintsil, playing his first match of the year after sitting out the first eight with injury, made it level via a fine feed from Gabriel Pec. Left open in the box, Paintsil wired a shot over Collodi and under the crossbar.

Dallas tried 11 shots to LA’s nine as it stretched its unbeaten string to five matches. Both teams got five shots on frame.

–Field Level Media

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Minnesota United blank Timbers for 3rd straight win

MLS: Portland Timbers at Minnesota UnitedApr 18, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota United FC forward Kelvin Yeboah (9) shoots the ball as Portland Timbers defender Finn Surman (20) and defender Brandon Bye (5) defend during the first half at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Tomas Chancalay had a goal and an assist as the Minnesota United won their third match in a row with Saturday night’s 2-0 victory against the Portland Timbers at Saint Paul, Minn.

Kelvin Yeboah scored the other goal, making it three matches in a row that he has a goal for the Loons (4-2-2, 14 points). Minnesota goalkeeper Drake Callender made two saves for the clean sheet.

Yeboah has half of his team’s 10 goals in MLS play. He’s the team’s only player with more than one goal.

James Pantemis made five saves for Portland (2-5-1, 7 points), which fell to 0-4-0 in road matches.

Chancalay scored his first goal of the season in the 16th minute off Jefferson Diaz’s assist.

Yeboah’s goal in the 60th minute capped a fastbreak with a short-range shot after Chancalay provided the final pass. Chancalay has four assists this year.

Portland has surrendered two or more goals in each of its last three road matches.

The Timbers began a busy stretch that includes several road assignments with a largely solid game despite failing to score. They held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks and a 55%-45% possession advantage, but Minnesota outshot the visitors 17-12, including 7-2 on shots on target.

The teams played to a 1-1 draw last August in the same stadium.

Portland stays on the road next Saturday, visiting San Diego FC. Minnesota plays twice next week, visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday before hosting LAFC on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

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Troy Johnston's clutch double leads Rockies' comeback win over Dodgers

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado RockiesApr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker (23) is congratulated by designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) after a two-run home run during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Troy Johnston hit a go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning and the Colorado Rockies held on for a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night in Denver.

Johnston had three of Colorado’s seven hits as the Rockies won for only the second time in nine games.

Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing homered for the Dodgers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Shohei Ohtani was 1-for-4 to extend his on-base streak to 50 games.

Brennan Bernardino (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 no-hit innings in relief, and Victor Vodnik pitched the ninth for his third save.

Will Klein (1-1) allowed hits to each of the first three batters he faced in the sixth, including Johnston’s game-winning double.

The first two Dodgers reached in the eighth against Jaden Hill and they loaded the bases with two outs before Hill retired Max Muncy on a groundout to second base.

Colorado starter Ryan Feltner went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) and five hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Los Angeles starter Emmet Sheehan gave up two runs on four hits in five innings, with two walks and four strikeouts.

The Dodgers led 2-0 two pitches into the game. After Ohtani hit the first pitch into play and reached on an error by Johnston, Tucker drove the first pitch he saw into the second deck in right for his third home run with the Dodgers.

TJ Rumfield’s RBI single made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first.

Rushing’s solo homer with one out in the second restored the two-run lead.

Kyle Karros’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning made it 3-2, scoring Johnston, who had singled, stolen second and moved to third on a groundout.

The Dodgers threatened when Freddie Freeman tripled with one out in the visitor’s half of the sixth. But Karros at third dove to stop Teoscar Hernandez’s grounder down the line, retiring him at first. Bernardino replaced Feltner and struck out Muncy to end the threat.

The Dodgers threatened with a pair of two-out singles in the ninth before Tucker’s flyout to left ended the game. Los Angeles was hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position, stranding eight in the narrow loss

–Field Level Media

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