Sports
NFL roundup: Vikings hold off Packers to remain unbeaten
Sep 29, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) cheers as he leaves the field following the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Sam Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, and the visiting Minnesota Vikings escaped with a 31-29 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday to remain unbeaten.
Jordan Addison finished with one receiving touchdown and one rushing score for Minnesota (4-0). Justin Jefferson (six catches, 85 yards) and Josh Oliver tallied one receiving touchdown apiece and Aaron Jones notched 139 total yards (93 rushing, 46 receiving) against his former team.
Jordan Love completed 32 of 54 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions in his return from injury for Green Bay (2-2). Dontayvion Wicks caught two touchdown passes and Jayden Reed (seven catches, 139 yards) and Tucker Kraft caught one apiece.
Minnesota jumped to a 28-0 lead before Green Bay scored the next 22 points. The Packers pulled within two points with 56 seconds remaining, but the Vikings recovered an onside kick to preserve the victory.
Chiefs 17, Chargers 10
Samaje Perine snapped a fourth-quarter tie with a 2-yard touchdown run and Patrick Mahomes shrugged off a slow start to throw for 245 yards as Kansas City stayed unbeaten with a comeback win in Los Angeles.
Mahomes completed 19 of 29 passes with a touchdown and an interception and overcame the early loss of receiver Rashee Rice, who caught 24 passes in the team’s first three games. Rice left Sunday’s contest in the first quarter after suffering a knee injury trying to make a tackle on an interception. ESPN later reported the Chiefs (4-0) fear Rice suffered a torn ACL.
Justin Herbert hit on 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown for Los Angeles (2-2), which managed only 224 total yards and 12 first downs.
Falcons 26, Saints 24
Younghoe Koo kicked a career-long 58-yard field goal with two seconds left as Atlanta beat visiting New Orleans. Trailing 24-23 with 29 seconds left, the Falcons advanced to the Saints’ 40-yard line after a defensive pass interference call. After three incompletions by Kirk Cousins, Koo booted the game-winner.
Koo went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, also hitting from 53, 44 and 42 yards. Kirk Cousins threw for 238 yards and an interception while Tyler Allgeier ran for 60 yards for the Falcons (2-2), who won despite not scoring an offensive touchdown.
Derek Carr completed 28 of 36 passes for 239 yards and an interception for New Orleans (2-2), which dropped its second straight. Alvin Kamara ran for a game-high 77 yards and a rushing touchdown that put the Saints ahead 24-23 with a minute left. Taysom Hill added a pair of rushing scores for the Saints before leaving with an abdominal injury.
Colts 27, Steelers 24
After an early hip injury to starting quarterback Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco entered the game and led host Indianapolis over surging Pittsburgh.
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 (2-2) a 24-10 lead with 14:43 left.
Justin Fields threw for 312 yards with a touchdown pass and added two touchdowns on the ground with 55 yards rushing as the Steelers (3-1) fought back from a 17-3 halftime deficit.
Buccaneers 33, Eagles 16
Baker Mayfield’s sizzling performance carried Tampa Bay past Philadelphia in Tampa, Fla.
Mayfield completed 30 of 47 passes for a season-high 347 yards with two touchdown passes and one TD run for the Buccaneers (3-1). Mike Evans had eight catches for 94 yards and a TD that made him the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (596 career points).
The Eagles (2-2) trailed 24-0 early and struggled without their top two receivers, A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion). Jalen Hurts had a touchdown pass and a TD run and finished with 158 yards on 18-of-30 passing. He was sacked six times.
Bengals 34, Panthers 24
Joe Burrow threw for two touchdowns and Chase Brown ran for two scores Cincinnati finally broke into the win column, topping Carolina at Charlotte, N.C.
The Bengals (1-3) scored 17 straight points to pull away from a tie score. Ja’Marr Chase made a 63-yard touchdown reception. Burrow was 22-for-31 passing with 232 yards and an interception, and Brown finished with 80 rushing yards on 15 carries.
Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton, playing against his former team, was 25-for-40 passing for 220 yards and two touchdown throws with an interception. Chuba Hubbard added 104 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 18 attempts for Carolina (1-3).
Bears 24, Rams 18
D’Andre Swift rushed for 93 yards, 36 of which came on a fourth-quarter touchdown carry, and Jaquan Brisker’s interception of Matthew Stafford in the final minutes preserved a Chicago home win over Los Angeles.
Swift broke free for a 36-yard touchdown run, putting an exclamation point on an afternoon in which he led the Bears (2-2) in both rushing and receiving. Swift caught seven passes for 72 yards. Caleb Williams went 17-of-23 passing for 157 yards and a TD pass.
For the Rams (1-3), Stafford went 20-of-29 for 224 yards, Williams carried 19 times for 94 yards and a touchdown and Tutu Atwell caught four passes for a team-high 82 yards.
Broncos 10, Jets 9
Wil Lutz kicked a go-ahead 47-yard field goal with 8:55 left to lift Denver to a win over New York in East Rutherford, N.J.
Lutz later had a chance to extend Denver’s lead, but he was wide left on a 50-yarder. The miss gave the ball to New York (2-2) at its own 40 with 1:27 to go. Greg Zuerlein failed to convert a 50-yard field-goal attempt with 47 seconds left, giving Denver (2-2) its second straight win. Zuerlein had moved New York in front, 9-7, on a 40-yarder with 13:34 remaining.
Bo Nix had a quiet day through the air for the Broncos, completing 12 of 25 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. Javonte Williams rushed for 77 yards on 16 carries, and Courtland Sutton finished with three catches for 60 yards and a score. Aaron Rodgers threw for 225 yards on 24-for-42 passing and star running back Breece Hall was held to 4 yards on 10 carries.
Commanders 42, Cardinals 14
Jayden Daniels passed for one touchdown and ran for another as Washington used a balanced attack to dominate host Arizona in Glendale.
Daniels threw his first career interception but was otherwise sharp, completing 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards as Washington (3-1) won its third in a row and second straight on the road. Brian Robinson carried 21 times for 101 yards and a touchdown while Jeremy McNichols added 68 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.
The Commanders’ efficient offense rolled up 449 yards compared to 296 yards for the Cardinals (1-3) as Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury enjoyed a satisfying victory over an Arizona team he guided from 2019-22.
Texans 24, Jaguars 20
Dare Ogunbowale caught a 1-yard scoring pass from C.J. Stroud with 18 seconds left to lift host Houston over Jacksonville.
Stroud completed 27 of 40 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans (3-1). Nico Collins caught a career-high 12 passes while gaining 151 yards and scoring a touchdown, and Stefon Diggs had five receptions for 69 yards and also rushed for a touchdown for Houston.
Trevor Lawrence was 18-of-33 passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns for the Jaguars (0-4). Brian Thomas Jr. caught six passes for 86 yards and one touchdown, and Christian Kirk had seven receptions for 61 yards and a score for Jacksonville.
Raiders 20, Browns 16
Alexander Mattison and Zamir White combined for 110 yards rushing and Las Vegas’ defense held tight in the second half to defeat visiting Cleveland.
Tre Tucker and DJ Turner each ran for a touchdown, while Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew was 14-of-24 passing for 130 yards. The Raiders (2-2) held the Browns (1-3) to 119 yards and six points in the second half, while overcoming an early 10-point deficit.
Deshaun Watson was 24-of-32 passing for 176 yards for the Browns, with one touchdown and one interception. Jerry Jeudy had six receptions for 72 yards for Cleveland, which was hurt by a second-half holding penalty that negated an 82-yard touchdown as well a missed extra point, both in the fourth quarter.
49ers 30, Patriots 13
Brock Purdy completed 15 of 27 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown to help San Francisco end a two-game losing streak with a blowout win over visiting New England.
Purdy tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle in the second quarter. He also had a pass intercepted in the end zone by Jabrill Peppers in the fourth. Jordan Mason carried the ball 24 times for 123 yards and a touchdown for the 49ers (2-2), who also got a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Fred Warner.
New England (1-3) got a 5-yard TD pass from Jacoby Brissett to tight end Austin Hooper with 12:05 remaining in the third after the 49ers fumbled away the second-half kickoff. But the Patriots managed to get only one other drive into the red zone.
–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
