Sports
Lamar Jackson, Ravens brace for challenge from upstart Broncos
Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images The Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos are in a position to make the postseason with a strong finish to the second half of the season.
The Ravens and Broncos are both 5-3 and in second place in the AFC North and AFC West, respectively. The teams will test their mettle against each other on Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
The Ravens are led by two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is playing at the highest level of his career.
“He’s been playing great and we’ve got a lot of football in front of us here,” Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh said of Jackson, who sat out practice on Wednesday for rest purposes. “We’ve got a game, quick game, another big game coming up. So that was warranted.”
Rookie Bo Nix has given the Broncos hope for the future and has led them to two straight victories. Nix has thrown for 1,530 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He could have success against the Ravens’ pass defense, which is ranked last in the NFL by allowing 291.4 yards per game.
“For a rookie quarterback, I think all of these are steps,” Denver coach Sean Payton said about Nix. “Confidence steps. We’ve seen it. The key is — and I’ve said it — the key is around him. Are we good enough at these other positions around him? That’s what we’re constantly looking (at). We have to paint the picture, and when we do that, we’ll have success. We’ll move the ball.”
The Ravens secondary also isn’t doing itself any favors.
Last week, safety Kyle Hamilton bobbled an easy interception that could have sealed the win against Cleveland. On the very next play, Jameis Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman to help fuel the Browns to a 29-24 victory. Safety Eddie Jackson, who also dropped two potential interceptions in the game, was beaten badly on the touchdown.
Courtland Sutton leads Denver with 29 receptions for 377 yards with two touchdowns.
“We’ll make those plays, we’ll work hard at it, and we’ll continue to work even harder at it, because it’s something that we want our guys to have confidence in,” Harbaugh said. “We have guys with good hands; they can catch the ball. I’m very confident that we’re going to do it going forward, but I’d like to see it happen really soon.”
The Ravens allow just 69.9 yards rushing per game, tops in the NFL. However, they are dealing with several key injuries.
Defensive end Brent Urban had to leave the game against the Browns with a concussion. Defensive tackle Travis Jones was able to play despite an ankle injury, but he was limited to 15 snaps and did not practice Wednesday. Nose tackle Michael Pierce was placed on injured reserve with a calf injury and will miss at least the next four games.
The Broncos’ rushing game could pose a challenge. Denver averages 121.4 yards rushing per game, led by the duo of Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.
“Stopping the run this game is going to be really important — it’s going to be huge,” Harbaugh said. “(The Broncos are) a running team, and they run it really well, and they run it a lot, so it’s going to be a big part of the game plan.”
Much of the Ravens’ success has revolved around Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. Baltimore leads the league in total offense (452.1 yards per game) and rushing offense (200 ypg). The Ravens also are second in average points per game (30.3).
Jackson is having another MVP-caliber season, throwing for 2,099 yards with 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also is second on the team with 501 yards rushing.
Henry leads the NFL with 946 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He also has two scoring receptions. The Broncos defense has been stout and is ranked third in yards (282.6 yards per game) and points (15 points per game).
“This is our toughest challenge by far,” Payton said about the Ravens.
Broncos safety P.J. Locke (thumb) and offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) did not practice on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angel Reese exits Dream's win after injuring leg
Jul 19, 2026; College Park, Georgia, USA; Chicago Sky center-forward Elizabeth Williams (1) blocks a shot against Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) during the first quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese left Sunday’s 93-91 win over the visiting Chicago Sky early in the fourth quarter after injuring her left leg during a layup attempt and did not return.
Just 15 seconds into the fourth, Reese was driving for a layup when she appeared to roll her ankle as she released the ball and went down to the floor.
Courtney Vandersloot was called for a foul as she defended on the play but a replay showed Vandersloot did not touch Reese and the foul call was overturned. Reese was also wearing a sleeve over her left knee.
After getting back to her feet, Reese went back down to the floor before returning to the bench. She was ruled out for the rest of the game, and no update was provided on her status, though coach Karl Smesko did speak with the media.
“It’s hard because we’re in the timeout. It seemed like a really long timeout, and there wasn’t a lot being said because we were all just looking at Angel,” Sesko said. “And when I was looking at her, it seemed like she was in a lot of pain, and she wanted to go out there and keep playing because she’s competitive and she wants to win the game. … I just didn’t feel comfortable with it because she looked like she was in a lot of pain.”
Reese, an All-Star in each of her first two seasons with Chicago, entered the game averaging a career-best 15.7 points along with a league-leading 11.8 rebounds.
She was traded from Chicago along with a second-round pick to Atlanta for a pair of first-round picks in the offseason.
She scored eight points with five rebounds in 20 minutes Sunday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Joey Logano fastest to finish in first North Wilkesboro points race since '96
Jul 19, 2026; North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, USA; Team Penske driver Joey Logano (22) takes the second stage during the Window World 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Joey Logano dominated by leading a career-high 323 laps as NASCAR welcomed historic North Wilkesboro Speedway back to the Cup Series’ regular-season points schedule for the first time since 1996 in Sunday night’s Window World 450 in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Winless since early May of last season at Texas Motor Speedway, the three-time Cup Series champion notched his 38th career victory in 16 seasons by topping Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota over the final half of the race, beating the points leader by 0.859 seconds in a long stretch of green-flag racing.
Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs and Shane van Gisbergen finished as the top five.
Sixth-place Bubba Wallace was the final car on the lead lap.
After three cleanly-raced support events over the weekend, Ryan Blaney was slotted first after qualifying was washed out Saturday, but his No. 12 Ford team had to fix a power steering issue that sent him to the back of the 37-car field.
That gave the point to Gibbs, who took them to green in a points race for the first time since polesitter Ted Musgrave did so on Sept. 29, 1996, before a nearly three-decade-long shutdown of the 0.625-mile short track.
Gibbs led the first 40 circuits until John Hunter Nemechek spun after contact with Zane Smith, and the first caution period ended with Hamlin taking two tires to claim the lead on the restart.
Gibbs hustled back in his No. 54 Toyota and narrowly beat van Gisbergen to win Stage 1, which consisted of 80 laps. Logano, Hamlin and Carson Hocevar were the next three finishers.
Logano, the 2024 winner of the All-Star Race at NWS, took the lead from van Gisbergen on Lap 113 in Turn 4 in the 185 laps that made up Stage 2.
The No. 22 Team Penske driver increased his advantage over second-place Chase Elliott to 3 1/2 seconds by Lap 150 and soon lapped Gibbs (speeding penalty), but Hamlin found his way to move by Elliott in the first long green-flag run on the short track.
On Lap 183, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman wrecked coming off Turn 2 and slid onto the pit-road entrance for the third caution, putting William Byron and Elliott two laps down after their green-flag stop.
Logano captured Stage 2 for his first segment win this season, and Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Wallace and van Gisbergen earned top-five bonus points.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals RHP Stephen Kolek (flexor) hurt on rehab assignment, placed on IL
Kansas City Royals pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) pitches in the third inning between the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The Kansas City Royals placed right-hander Stephen Kolek on the 15-day injured list on Sunday after he strained his right flexor during a rehab start.
Kolek was injured on Saturday while pitching for Triple-A Omaha to get him ready to return to the major league squad as soon as this week after an extended absence on the family medical emergency list.
He was scheduled for four innings or 65 pitches but made it through only 51 pitches (30 strikes) over 2 2/3 innings against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs before he exited in the third inning with the Omaha Storm Chasers’ trainer.
Kolek allowed two runs on six hits with a hit batter, no walks and three strikeouts.
“He said he didn’t feel great playing catch, but then as he got on the mound, he felt better,” Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro said Sunday. “The first couple of innings were pretty good. In the third inning, he felt more aggressive discomfort. They thought it was best to get him out of there.”
Kolek, 29, is scheduled to get imaging done on Monday.
He last pitched in a major league game on July 2, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings of a 5-2 home loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kolek has been away from the team since before the birth of his daughter, Faye, who was born seven weeks premature on June 25, MLB.com reported. He has been in the hospital with his wife, Jessica, and their baby, leaving only for that July 2 start. The Royals placed him on the family emergency medical list three times and the paternity list twice as well as the restricted list on July 11, according to MLB.com.
With his child making progress, Kolek planned to return to the Royals, including Saturday’s rehab start. Major League Baseball gave the Royals permission for Kolek to have a rehab assignment, which is not the norm for players on the restricted list.
Kolek is 4-3 with one shutout, a 4.50 ERA, 12 walks and 34 strikeouts in 54 innings over 10 starts this season.
He is a career 12-10 with a 4.13 ERA, 55 walks and 150 strikeouts in 213 1/3 innings over 71 games (29 starts) for the San Diego Padres (2024-25) and Royals (2025-present). The Padres traded Kolek and right-hander Ryan Bergert to the Royals for catcher Freddy Fermin on July 31, 2025.
–Field Level Media
Angel Reese exits Dream's win after injuring leg
Joey Logano fastest to finish in first North Wilkesboro points race since '96
