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
Knicks and Nuggets Blow Big Leads: What Went Wrong in Game 2?
Roughly 5,000 feet of elevation separate Denver and New York City.
Still, gravity works the same regardless of where one stands. Just ask the NBA teams in both towns.
“You get too high, and you get, I don’t want to say cocky, but feeling yourself,” Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said.
That sensation went south on either side of the country Monday night.
After squandering sizable leads that would have cemented commanding 2-0 advantages in their respective first-round playoff series, the Nuggets and Knicks now find themselves bracing for a fight.
Should their opponents ultimately have their number, Denver and New York will look back with disdain on 19 and 14. Those were the Game 2 cushions the teams coughed up as the No. 3 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference.
“It’s a game we should’ve won,” Knicks guard Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.”
Be that as it may, the Knicks did just that against the Atlanta Hawks. They controlled the outcome for much of the night and took a 12-point edge into the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 14.
Then New York shot 5-for-22 from the floor in the final 12 minutes compared to 10-for-15 for Atlanta. Fighting through vulgar chants from the Madison Square Garden faithful, Hawks star CJ McCullom scored six straight points down the stretch during one key sequence on the way to a game-high 32.
“In that fourth quarter, you could tell [the Hawks] were playing with a level of desperation,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “There were four 50-50 balls, and they got three of the four. We always use that stat to gauge the level of aggression in a game. In that fourth quarter, their aggression stepped up.”
New York’s melted at the same time. How many late possessions saw the Knicks pass or hold the ball around the perimeter before settling for subpar looks from 3-point range? The Knicks went 3-for-11 from deep as part of their flop.
Denver led the Minnesota Timberwolves by 19 points early in the second quarter before crumbling. The Nuggets still were ahead by three points to start the fourth quarter but a combined 2-for-12 shooting effort from pillars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the final 12 minutes took a toll.
“I feel like we had the game in hand, and then we just didn’t make our shots,” Murray said.
As with the Knicks and Hawks, the reversal of fortunes stemmed both from the hosts’ miscues and an outstanding effort from a visiting player, as Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had 30 points.
“Great leadership, positive,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He recognized he needed to get into attack mode and get downhill a little bit more. He did that.”
The Knicks and Nuggets no doubt sensed the need to amp up their own urgency as things started slipping away Monday.
That neither could act upon it didn’t signal the end for either New York or Denver, of course. But now there’s unnecessary added weight for the climb back to the top.
Sports
Pistons seek return to identity vs. Magic after Game 1 shocker
Apr 19, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) is defended by Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) in the second half during the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images After an exceptional regular season, this wasn’t the start to the NBA playoffs that the Detroit Pistons envisioned.
Reeling from a stunning Game 1 loss in which only two players reached double figures, the Eastern Conference’s top seed heads into Game 2 Wednesday against the visiting Orlando Magic facing early pressure to reset the best-of-seven series.
The eighth-seeded Magic controlled the opener from the start, never trailing and leaning on a balanced offensive attack. Paolo Banchero led the way with 23 points while Franz Wagner scored 11 of his 19 in the fourth quarter to help close out the 112-101 win.
For Detroit, the issue wasn’t just the loss — it was how it happened. The Pistons never established their defensive identity and struggled to find consistent offense beyond star guard Cade Cunningham, two areas that will be central entering Game 2.
“It starts, always, with us defensively,” said Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “When you go back and watch the film of that (game), we weren’t ourselves defensively. The telling tale is typically when we play them, they go to the free-throw line a ton.
“… We went 38 (times) but they went 19. So that means we weren’t playing our brand of basketball, being physical, being handsy, being aggressive. That kind of sets the tone for us.”
Offensively, the Pistons leaned on Cunningham, who scored 39 points, but got little other support — scoring their fewest points in nearly three months, since a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 29. Detroit will need more help from All-Star center Jalen Duren, who was held to just eight points and seven rebounds in Game 1.
“They came out ready from the jump,” Duren said. “We didn’t really meet their intensity. They’ve been playing with their backs against the walls the last few weeks, so they were already kind of already rolling. I think we just got to do a better job meeting that intensity.”
Duren said the Pistons remain confident despite the loss, which extended their home playoff losing streak to 11 games, the longest in NBA history.
“We know the type of team we are,” Duren said. “We feel like we’re the better team. We know that we’ve just got to make adjustments and come out smarter, come out playing harder.”
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said he has talked to his team about not becoming too overconfident coming off Sunday’s win.
“It’s one game at a time,” Mosley said of his message to the team. “It’s the reality that, yeah, you did get the Game 1 win, but now you have to go and figure out how to get a Game 2 (win). There’s going to be, obviously, the positive talk about what you’ve done, and thinking there’s reasons to celebrate, but at the end of the day, it’s one game, and that’s the most important piece that we’ve talked about: just taking it one game at a time.”
Banchero said the team has received the message, and he believes the key for the Magic is to play defense like they did in the opener.
“I thought we were on a string, just communicating, talking out coverages,” Banchero said. “I think it’s just going to continue to take that, being aggressive, being the aggressors on defense and just not trying to give them much. Obviously they’re going to make shots, but just not trying to give them any free looks.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lynx star Napheesa Collier (ankle) targets June for on-court work
Mar 2, 2026; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Unrivaled Co-founder Napheesa Collier at Barclay’s Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The Minnesota Lynx said Tuesday that star forward Napheesa Collier’s rehab from left ankle surgery is “progressing as expected,” and she could resume on-court activities in early June.
The team plans to release updates on Collier’s progress when available.
The timeline means Collier will miss, at minimum, the first month of the WNBA season, which begins May 10 for the Lynx.
Collier underwent surgery on her ankle on March 24 after sustaining a severe injury during the 2025 playoffs. Per reports at the time, she sustained a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in the ankle and a muscle in her left shin on a collision during Game 3 of the playoff semifinal series vs. Phoenix.
Collier, 29, averaged a career-high 22.9 points and shot 40.3% from 3-point range to go with 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game last year. The back-to-back WNBA Most Valuable Player runner-up, Collier is a five-time All-Star and earned MVP honors in the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup final and the 2025 All-Star Game.
–Field Level Media
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