Sports
Dolphins trumpet return of Tua Tagovailoa as Cardinals land in Miami
Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws the football against the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Miami Dolphins own the least productive offense in the NFL, but they feel one player could make a big difference.
The Dolphins are expecting a sudden increase in points as they count on standout quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to pick up their pace on Sunday when they battle the Arizona Cardinals at Miami Gardens, Fla.
Miami (2-4) ranks last in the NFL at 11.7 points per game. The freefall began when Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills.
Tagovailoa returned to practice on Wednesday and officially cleared concussion protocol on Friday to be activated from injured reserve. Tagovailoa’s last snap came in the third quarter of a 31-10 loss to the Bills on Sept. 12.
It was the fourth documented concussion in Tagovailoa’s football career, including two in 2022. After the latest one, he spent a lot of time talking to doctors, neurologists and other health experts, a decision and discussion head coach Mike McDonald said the Dolphins left to the experts.
Tagovailoa concluded moving forward with his career was the right call.
“Just got to be smart,” Tagovailoa said. “My entire time playing football, I’ve been a competitor and that is or was sort of my edge when I would run from high school, even in college I would do the same thing. This is the professional level, the best of the best, you just can’t be doing that.
“So definitely got to stay more available for the team, for the organization, for our guys.”
And right now, Miami’s results show the team needs an immediate jolt from the quarterback position.
“I don’t think for myself I put any pressure on myself coming back and having to save the team,” Tagovailoa said.
An explosive attack that was one of the best in the league has struggled to find the end zone without him. Miami scored 40 total points in the four games Tagovailoa missed.
Standout Miami receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for 191 receptions, 2,813 yards and 17 scoring receptions last season. They have 46 catches, 563 yards and one score through six games this season.
Hill has 24 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown. He caught one pass for 8 yards in last week in the Dolphins’ 16-10 road loss against the Indianapolis Colts.
Waddle (22-269-0) had one catch for 11 yards against the Colts.
Hill, though, was highly optimistic Wednesday.
“We’re back, baby,” Hill told reporters. “Strike up the (expletive) band. We’re back.”
Arizona (3-4) is coming off a 17-15 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
Running back James Conner led the way with a season-high 152 yards from scrimmage (101 rushing, 51 receiving). He set up Chad Ryland’s decisive 32-yard field goal by catching a short pass in the final minute, breaking a tackle and racing 33 yards to the Los Angeles 22-yard line.
Conner has rushed for 504 yards and three touchdowns this season.
“He energizes the offense, the sideline, the defense and the whole team,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said of Conner. “The stadium feels that. That’s what he is for us. Not only a playmaker but a guy that guys can lean on. He gets people going for sure.”
Murray scrambled for a 44-yard touchdown in the contest. He has 325 yards and two scores on the ground while passing for 1,331 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
Murray said the offense was sloppy against the Chargers.
“We ended up winning that game, which is great,” Murray said, “but the expectations are higher for me offensively.”
The Cardinals sustained a big blow against the Chargers when outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck sustained a torn ACL in his right knee. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (neck) and defensive lineman Roy Lopez (ankle) missed practice due to injuries on Wednesday.
Three Miami players sat out Wednesday due to injury: quarterback Tyler Huntley (right shoulder) and cornerbacks Kader Kohou (neck) and Storm Duck (ankle).
The Dolphins have won 10 of the teams’ 13 all-time matchups.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pete Crow-Armstrong fills stat sheet as Cubs plaster Pirates
Jul 25, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (middle) greets center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) returning to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Pete Crow-Armstrong filled the box score, going 4-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, a two-run home run, three RBIs and a stolen base to power the Chicago Cubs to an 11-0 victory over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
Dansby Swanson added two hits, two runs and an RBI, while Miguel Amaya scored twice and drove in two runs. Michael Busch went 3-for-6 with two RBIs, and Seiya Suzuki also drove in two runs in the Cubs’ 16-hit attack.
Shota Imanaga (7-8) threw six shutout innings, allowing four hits while walking one and striking out four. Javier Assad earned his first save with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit while walking none and striking out three.
The Cubs took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. Swanson and Amaya singled with one out before Crow-Armstrong ripped an RBI double into the right-center gap to open the scoring. Suzuki followed with a line drive over the glove of a leaping Ryan O’Hearn at first, driving in Amaya and Crow-Armstrong.
An inning later, Chicago sent 11 batters to the plate and stretched its advantage to 8-0. Ian Happ opened the inning by grounding out. But Nico Hoerner singled, Pedro Ramirez walked, and Isaac Mattson relieved Pirates starter Paul Skenes.
Swanson greeted Mattson with an RBI double to left for a 4-0 lead. Amaya’s single drove in Ramirez and Swanson. Crow-Armstrong laced a double to right and Amaya advanced to third.
Suzuki struck out looking, but Busch knocked in Amaya and Crow-Armstrong with a two-out single, giving the Cubs an 8-0 lead. After Alex Bregman walked, Pittsburgh again went to the bullpen and Ron Marinaccio walked Happ, but Hoerner lined out to left with the bases loaded.
Crow-Armstrong launched his 23rd home run, a two-run shot to right, and the Cubs’ lead grew to 10-0 in the seventh. Pinch hitter James Triantos collected his first major league hit, a single, in the eighth and scored from first on Ramirez’s double.
Skenes (9-9) gave up five runs on six hits, walked two and struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New England Revolution blast Atlanta United to climb up East standings
Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Dor Turgeman (11) protects the ball from Atlanta United defense Junior Alonso (6) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Carles Gil and Dor Turgeman each scored a first-half goal while Matt Turner made six saves on Saturday to help the New England Revolution earn a 4-1 victory over Atlanta United in Foxborough, Mass.
Peyton Miller and Brooklyn Raines also scored a goal apiece for New England (9-5-2, 29 points), which passed the Chicago Fire (26 points) for third place in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta (3-11-3, 12 points) extended its winless stretch to six games and fell to 1-6-2 away from home. Miguel Almiron scored a goal in the 85th minute to help the visitors avoid their eighth shutout of the year. Atlanta’s 17 goals scored are the fewest in the league.
New England tacked on to its 2-0 halftime lead in the 56th minute, as Miller tallied his fourth goal of the year to give the Revolution a three-goal advantage. Alhassan Yusuf picked up his second assist of the match in the process.
In the 67th minute, Raines scored the first goal of his MLS career. Assisted by Jackson Yueill, Raines’ left-footed strike marked just the second time New England has scored four-plus goals in a game this season.
After Almiron’s early shot was saved by Turner, New England found the back of the net at the 11-minute mark, as Matt Polster found Gil for his team-leading sixth-goal of the season.
Polster, recording his first assist of the year, left the ball for the New England star, who shook defender Tristan Muyumba and fired in a left-footed shot past the sprawling Lucas Hoyos.
Turgeman threatened to double New England’s advantage in the 26th minute, but Hoyos made his first save to preserve the one-goal deficit.
Turgeman broke through 10 minutes later, however, as the 22-year-old scored his third goal of the season. Yusuf’s perfectly placed cross found Turgeman in the box, where a left-footed shot made it 2-0.
Despite the two-goal halftime-margin, Atlanta put seven shots on goal in the first half to New England’s four.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Agustin Ojeda, NYCFC score early, douse Fire
Jul 25, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City Football Club offense Agustin Ojeda (26) celebrates his goal against the Chicago Fire FC during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images Agustin Ojeda scored a goal and added an assist Saturday night as New York City FC shredded the visiting Chicago Fire’s defense in the first half of a 3-1 win at Yankee Stadium.
Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Malachi Jones also scored for NYCFC (7-6-4, 25 points), which won their second straight fixture despite numbering nine players on the injured list. NYCFC earned an 11-9 advantage in shots as Chicago couldn’t consistently maintain its defensive shape.
Joel Waterman scored the only goal for the Fire (8-6-2, 26 points). Newly-signed striker Robert Lewandowski played the second half in his second match with Chicago and generated a shot.
The storylines for each team prior to kickoff couldn’t have been more diverse. While NYCFC was coming off a solid 2-1 win Wednesday night at Columbus, the Fire suffered a 3-2 loss at Miami that had coach Gregg Berhalter upset because of their poor defense.
It took just 10 minutes for Berhalter to see a rerun of Wednesday night. A failed clearing attempt and weak marking presented Fernandez Mercau space to wire a shot from just past the top of the 18-yard box by goalie Chris Brady. The shot carried a goal expectancy of only 2%.
Chicago equalized in the 21st minute off a set piece. NYCFC deflected a free kick but Waterman pounced on it at the left post, roofing a shot under the crossbar for his first goal of the year.
But Ojeda put NYCFC ahead for good eight minutes later. Andres Perea sent him down the right side and Ojeda angled a sharply-struck shot past Brady that hit the inside of the left post before nestling into the net.
Ojeda played the feeder’s role in the 41st minute as the Fire again lost their defensive structure. Perea found Ojeda on the right side and he passed into the middle, giving Jones a point-blank opportunity that he converted.
Goalie Matt Freese helped protect the lead for NYCFC in the second half, coming up with four of his five saves.
–Field Level Media
