Sports
Raheem Morris on Falcons' timeout debacle: Not as simple as it seems
Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris leaves the field after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The biggest game for the Atlanta Falcons since their last playoff appearance in 2017 had it all.
A rookie quarterback making his first career road start in Michael Penix Jr. A 10-point Atlanta halftime lead. A late rally to force overtime. Eventually, it added up to a costly 30-24 road loss to the Washington Commanders on “Sunday Night Football.”
After Penix tied the game with a fourth-and-goal strike to Kyle Pitts, Atlanta (8-8) got the ball back with 40 seconds left with a chance to gain control of the NFC South.
Penix completed a 25-yard pass to Darnell Mooney on first down with 33 seconds left to advance Atlanta to Washington’s 44-yard line. The Falcons then wasted 16 seconds of clock, while head coach Raheem Morris still held two timeouts, before snapping the ball again.
Eventually, Riley Patterson missed a 56-yard field goal as regulation expired, before the Falcons fell in overtime.
The question for Morris on Monday was, “Why not use a timeout to save time on that final drive?”
“Would I like that back? Obviously, because it didn’t work,” Morris said in his press conference on Monday.
“But in hindsight, if we can just hit another route and we get a chance to have the timeouts to use, to utilize the whole field on the next throw, then we have a chance to get in better position and make it an easier field goal to end it there in regulation. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for me. … As simple as you make it seem, it’s not.”
Penix completed 19 of 35 passes for 223 yards, a touchdown and an interception but was outdueled by Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels (227 passing yards, 127 rushing yards, three TDs, one pick).
Ultimately, Atlanta’s chances of ending its seven-year playoff drought took a major hit.
If the Falcons had held serve on Sunday, they would have just needed to beat the Carolina Panthers at home in Week 18 to clinch the division. Now, Atlanta must win and have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) lose at home against the New Orleans Saints — a game in which Tampa Bay has opened as a two-touchdown favorite.
For Morris and company, everything counts on the rival Saints to pull off a monumental upset.
“At 1 o’clock on Sunday, I don’t think you can (worry about that game),” Morris said of the Tampa Bay-New Orleans matchup. “I think you can only handle what you can handle, control what you can control. So, I think as a professional and what I owe to Arthur Blank and this organization and fan base is to go out there and be completely locked into what we’re doing, trying to win versus the Carolina Panthers.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Another big night from Kayla McBride carries Lynx past Storm
Jul 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) shoots the ball while guarded by Seattle Storm forward Katie Lou Samuelson (33) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Kayla McBride scored a game-high 33 points Monday night and Courtney Williams made two late foul shots that enabled the visiting Minnesota Lynx to outgun the Seattle Storm 105-102.
Williams’ free throws with 4.0 seconds left put Minnesota (21-6) ahead by three and forced Seattle to hunt a 3-pointer that could force overtime. But Flau’Jae Johnson missed from the right wing just before time expired.
Rookie Olivia Miles added 32 points, plus eight rebounds and eight assists, to augment McBride’s seventh straight game of at least 20 points. Williams finished with 21 as the Lynx connected on 37 of 76 field goals and made 21 of 22 foul shots.
Johnson scored 26 points to pace the Storm (6-22), who fell to 0-11 in games decided by five points or less. Zia Cooke came off the bench to add 18 points, while Dominique Malonga chipped in 14 points and Natisha Hiedeman hit for 12.
Seattle led 90-86 when Malonga hit a floater with 4:41 remaining, but McBride and Miles combined for eight points in a 10-2 spurt that gave Minnesota the lead for good at 96-92.
The teams play again on Wednesday in their last game before All-Star weekend.
Minnesota entered the game with the WNBA’s best record but was looking to make improvements on defense after coach Cheryl Reeve criticized its performance on that end in Saturday night’s 101-93 win over Portland.
Instead, she got another game where the Lynx had to outscore the opponent. They led 23-13 at the 2:56 mark of the first quarter as Miles converted a layup but Seattle closed within 27-23 behind eight points from its bench.
The Storm erupted for 31 points in the second quarter, including six on the same possession by Johnson. She made three foul shots after a flagrant foul on Miles, then drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession that helped Seattle take a 54-53 edge to halftime.
Minnesota led 77-70 late in the third quarter before a four-point play from Katie Lou Samuelson got the Storm within 79-77 going to the fourth period.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cal Raleigh's grand slam more than enough for Mariners vs. Reds
Jul 20, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) hits a grand-slam home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Cal Raleigh hit a grand slam and George Kirby pitched six scoreless innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Cincinnati Reds 8-0 Monday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Victor Robles went 4-for-4 and scored twice for the Mariners, who won their third consecutive game and moved into first place in the American League West by a half-game over Texas.
Kirby (8-8) allowed three hits — back-to-back singles by Edwin Arroyo and Ke’Bryan Hayes leading off the third and a one-out infield single by Dane Myers in the fifth. Kirby, a right-hander, walked one batter and struck out six.
The Mariners broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth. Robles led off with a single off Andrew Abbott (5-6) on a soft liner to center field. With two outs, Robles stole second and advanced to third on catcher Tyler Stephenson’s errant throw.
Following a walk to Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez hit a chopper to the left side of the infield. Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz backhanded the ball but double-clutched before making a throw that eluded first baseman Sal Stewart and struck Rodriguez in the left hamstring. The Mariners’ star was credited with a run-scoring single.
Rodriguez left the game after that inning and team officials didn’t provide an update before the end of the game. Rodriguez returned to the lineup Saturday after being on the 7-day concussion list since July 2 when he was hit in the back of the helmet by a throw while sliding into second base.
The Mariners extended their lead with a six-run seventh. Robles and pinch hitter Luke Raley led off with singles to right off reliever Pierce Johnson, with Robles taking third on the latter. Rookie Colt Emerson’s sacrifice fly to left scored Robles.
Arozarena singled and Weston Wilson hit an RBI double into the right field corner. The Reds brought in lefty Caleb Ferguson, whom the Mariners acquired at last season’s trade deadline, and intentionally walked the left-handed-hitting Dominic Canzone to load the bases. The switch-hitting Raleigh crushed Ferguson’s first pitch deep to left-center to make it 7-0.
Raleigh came up with the bases loaded again in the eighth and got a run-scoring groundout for the final margin.
Abbott took the loss despite allowing just one unearned run on four hits over six innings. The lefty walked two and fanned six.
Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford was a late scratch from the starting lineup. The team offered no immediate reason why.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Walk-off HBP lifts Angels past Cardinals in low-scoring affair
Jul 20, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell (7) reacts after a walk-off hit by pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Jo Adell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give the Los Angeles Angels a 3-2 walk-off victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night in Anaheim, Calif.
The Angels, who were 0-48 when trailing after eight innings this season and had lost their last 106 such games, entered the bottom of the ninth behind 2-1.
Cardinals’ All-Star closer Riley O’Brien (3-4) struck out Mike Trout to begin the frame, but Nolan Schanuel followed with a single and Jorge Soler was hit by a pitch.
Vaughn Grissom then doubled off the top of the right field fence, missing a home run by inches, to drive in pinch runner Oswald Peraza with the tying run. After Jose Lowe was then intentionally walked to load the bases, Adell was plunked with a 3-0 sinker to drive in the game-winning run.
Adell also hit a home run among two hits and Schanuel also had two hits for Los Angeles, which won its second straight game. Jose Fermin (3-1) struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief to pick up the win.
Nathan Church went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Jordan Walker doubled and scored a run for St. Louis, which was coming off an 8-7 loss at Arizona on Sunday afternoon that saw it blow a 7-0 lead.
St. Louis took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Walker led off with a line-drive double over the head of Josh Lowe and to the fence in left field and advanced to third on a single by Lars Nootbaar. One out later, Church snapped an 0-for-30 drought with a single to right, driving in Walker and sending Nootbaar to third. Blaze Jordan then drove in Nootbaar with a groundout to third.
Los Angeles cut the lead to 2-1 in the third when Adell led off with his 14th home run, a 389-foot drive to left. The homer snapped an 0-for-24 streak for Adell.
The final inning overshadowed a pair of strong pitching performances from the starter. Angels right-hander Jose Soriano allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking one. St. Louis right-hander Kyle Leahy gave up one run on three hits over six innings, striking out four with no walks.
–Field Level Media
