Sports
NFL roundup: Rams top Seahawks in OT on one-handed catch
Nov 3, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (15) catches a game-winning touchdown pass against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Demarcus Robinson made a one-handed 39-yard touchdown catch with 4:57 left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Rams a 26-20 victory against the host Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The Seahawks (4-5) got the ball first in the extra session, but Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for a game-high 83 yards, was stopped on fourth-and-1 from the Los Angeles 16-yard line. The Rams then needed only four plays to score the game-winning touchdown.
Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter — returning one of them 103 yards for a touchdown to break a 13-13 tie — for the Rams (4-4), who won their third consecutive game.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 14-yard scoring strike with 51 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score once again, this time at 20-all. Smith-Njigba finished with seven catches for a career-high 180 yards and two scores.
Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 44 passes for 298 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cooper Kupp had 11 receptions for 104 yards. Smith was 21-of-34 passing for 363 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He was sacked seven times.
Bills 30, Dolphins 27
Tyler Bass put a 61-yard field goal right down the middle with five seconds remaining to lift Buffalo to a win over Miami in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Buffalo (7-2) led by seven after Josh Allen connected with Quintin Morris for a 2-yard touchdown and a 27-20 lead with 6:18 left in the fourth quarter. However, Miami (2-6) proceeded to zip down the field, knotting things at 27 on Tua Tagovailoa’s 7-yard scoring strike to Jaylen Waddle.
But Bass came to the Bills’ rescue, and following his kick, a lateral play by the Dolphins went nowhere. Allen finished with 235 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 25-of-39 passing. Tagovailoa completed 25 of 28 passes for 231 yards and two TDs.
Bengals 41, Raiders 24
Joe Burrow completed his first 15 throws and tied a career high with five passing touchdowns to lead Cincinnati past visiting Las Vegas.
Burrow finished 27-of-39 passing for 251 yards and threw a pick-6 to Jack Jones that pulled the Raiders within 31-17 in the fourth quarter. Running back Chase Brown recorded his first career 100-yard game, rushing 27 times for 120 yards while catching a touchdown pass for the Bengals (4-5).
Gardner Minshew II was 10-of-17 passing for 124 yards for Las Vegas (2-7), which has lost five straight games. Former Cincinnati Bearcats star quarterback Desmond Ridder replaced Minshew with five minutes left in the third quarter and threw a late touchdown pass to rookie tight end Brock Bowers.
Vikings 21, Colts 13
Sam Darnold threw three touchdown passes in the second half and Minnesota held on to beat Indianapolis in Minneapolis.
Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and Josh Oliver had one touchdown reception apiece for the Vikings (6-2), who bounced back from a two-game skid. Darnold completed 28 of 34 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Justin Jefferson finished with seven catches for a game-high 137 receiving yards.
Cornerback Kenny Moore II scored the only touchdown for the Colts (4-5) on a fumble recovery. Joe Flacco completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and one interception.
Falcons 27, Cowboys 21
Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 24 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, helping Atlanta defeat visiting Dallas, which lost quarterback Dak Prescott to injury.
Bijan Robinson rushed for a game-high 86 yards for Atlanta (6-3), which has won five of its past six games. Darnell Mooney caught five passes for 88 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons.
Prescott completed 18 of 24 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown before exiting with a hamstring injury in the second half. Prescott was replaced by Cooper Rush, who completed 13 of 25 passes for 115 yards and a score as the Cowboys (3-5) lost their third straight.
Ravens 41, Broncos 10
Lamar Jackson threw for 280 yards and three touchdown passes and guided host Baltimore over rookie Bo Nix and Denver.
Baltimore running back Derrick Henry ran for 106 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns. His first score was his 100th career rushing touchdown, surpassing Barry Sanders for 10th on the all-time list, and he later moved past Marshall Faulk and Shaun Alexander for eighth place. The Ravens (6-3) still trail the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) in the AFC North.
Denver (5-4) lost for just the second time in its past seven games. Nix was 19-of-33 passing for 223 yards and became the first quarterback in franchise history to catch a touchdown pass since John Elway did so (1986).
Panthers 23, Saints 22
Chuba Hubbard ran for a 16-yard touchdown with 2:18 remaining as Carolina edged New Orleans in Charlotte to end a five-game losing streak.
Hubbard finished with 72 yards on 15 carries and scored twice, while Bryce Young threw for 171 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Panthers. Xavier Legette caught a 3-yard score as Carolina (2-7) avenged its 47-10 loss at the Saints in Week 1.
New Orleans quarterback Derek Carr, who had missed the previous three games because of an oblique injury, was 18-for-31 passing for 236 yards and a touchdown. Saints running back Alvin Kamara tallied 155 rushing yards and 60 receiving yards, but New Orleans (2-7) suffered its seventh consecutive loss.
Chargers 27, Browns 10
Justin Herbert passed for 250 of his 282 yards in the first half to help Los Angeles cruise past host Cleveland.
Quentin Johnston caught four passes for 118 yards and a touchdown and Josh Palmer also had a scoring reception for the Chargers (5-3), who won for the third time in four games. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 85 yards and two scores on 14 carries for Los Angeles.
Jameis Winston struggled in his second start for the Browns, as he was intercepted three times while completing 26 of 46 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown. It marked the 13th time Winston has thrown three or more picks in a regular-season game. Myles Garrett had three sacks and Cedric Tillman had a touchdown reception for the Browns (2-7).
Commanders 27, Giants 22
Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin connected for two touchdowns and Washington held on to hand New York its fourth straight loss in East Rutherford, N.J.
Daniels was 15-of-22 passing for 209 yards for the Commanders (7-2), who played without starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring). Austin Ekeler produced 83 total yards (42 rushing, 41 receiving) and a touchdown.
Daniel Jones went 20-for-26 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 54 yards and a score for the Giants (2-7). With New York trailing 27-16 in the fourth quarter, Jones hit Theo Johnson down the middle for a 35-yard touchdown with 2:48 remaining, but the ensuing two-point conversion failed.
Titans 20, Patriots 17 (OT)
Nick Folk converted a 25-yard field goal with 2:32 left in overtime and Tennessee snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over New England in Nashville.
Folk’s second field goal of the game capped a 13-play drive that ate the first 7:28 of overtime. The Patriots’ ensuing possession ended when Amani Hooker intercepted rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who had thrown a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of regulation. Maye was 29-of-41 passing for 206 yards with the touchdown and two interceptions, both by Hooker. He also ran for 95 yards on eight carries for New England (2-7).
Mason Rudolph completed 20 of 33 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Tennessee (2-6).
Cardinals 29, Bears 9
Trey McBride, Trey Benson and Emari Demercado each ran for a touchdown as Arizona pulled away from Chicago in Glendale, Ariz.
James Conner had 107 yards on 18 carries for the Cardinals (5-4), who won their third game in a row. Kyler Murray completed 13 of 20 passes for 154 yards. Demercado’s 53-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the second quarter gave Arizona a 21-9 halftime lead.
Caleb Williams completed 22 of 41 passes for 217 yards as the Bears (4-4) dropped their second straight game. Fellow rookie Rome Odunze had five catches for 104 yards.
Eagles 28, Jaguars 23
Nakobe Dean intercepted Trevor Lawrence in the end zone with 1:38 remaining and Philadelphia survived a second-half surge by visiting Jacksonville.
Saquon Barkley gained 199 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns, DeVonta Smith made a spectacular scoring grab and the Eagles (6-2) won their fourth straight game after blowing a 22-0 lead.
Barkley rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 40 yards and a score. Jalen Hurts passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a TD. Lawrence ran for two touchdowns for the Jaguars (2-7).
Lions 24, Packers 14
Jared Goff completed 18 of 22 passes for 145 yards, connecting with eight different receivers, with a touchdown and no interceptions in Detroit’s rain-soaked victory over host Green Bay.
The Lions (7-1) have won three straight games at Lambeau Field and are 5-2 against the Packers under coach Dan Campbell.
The Packers (6-3) had their four-game winning streak snapped. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love was cleared to play as a game-time decision after a groin injury a week earlier at Jacksonville. Love completed 23 of 39 pass attempts for 273 yards with no touchdowns and an interception.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
