Sports
Reality of rough starts to season hitting Bengals, Raiders
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) stands on the sidelines after throwing an interception in the 4th quarter at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The Bengals lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 37-17 and remain winless at home. The Cincinnati Bengals entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. Now entering November, they are 3-5 and will still be searching for their first home win when they host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
The Bengals are coming off an embarrassing 37-17 home loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that had fans leaving in droves with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati fell to 0-4 at home.
The Bengals are mired in third place in the AFC North with a suddenly struggling offense that hasn’t reached 20 points in three straight games after a three-game span of scoring at least 33.
“(The urgency is) as high as it can be,” said Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. “This is a must-win game. We’re 3-5. You go to 3-6, you basically have to win out. We’ve done it before. I know the players we have. You have to treat it week by week. Any game is winnable. You’ve just got to go and do it.”
The Bengals’ running game is ranked 28th in the NFL, averaging just 89.8 yards per game. The run game was particularly poor last Sunday as feature backs Chase Brown and Zack Moss combined to gain 43 yards on 17 carries.
“We’ve put ourselves in a bad spot, but it’s not a spot that we can’t get ourselves out of,” said head coach Zac Taylor. “I know that we believe that. We’re not even yet at the halfway point of the season. There’s going to be a lot of opportunity here. We’ve just got to stick together and keep working, find some wins and string it together.”
The Raiders (2-6) are coming off a 27-20 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, a game in which they were 2-for-4 in the red zone and just 1-for-3 in goal-to-go situations.
“It’s really frustrating. That’s obviously something we have to be better at,” said quarterback Gardner Minshew II. “We’ve been getting down there a few times, the defense put us down there a couple times.
“We’ve got to be able to get it in the end zone, point blank, period, if we want to be the team we’ve got to be. I have to look at it, figure out what we’ve done well over the last little bit and figure out what’s not working and go from there.”
The Raiders had their chance in the third quarter when they had the ball on the Kansas City 3-yard line, trailing just 17-13. But they were stopped on four straight plays, losing two yards on a run and Minshew getting sacked on fourth down.
The Raiders were flagged for five penalties for 32 yards on Sunday, including a pair which stalled drives.
“You can’t kill yourselves,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “We’ve got great opportunities like we did twice in the third quarter to get points on the board. We’ve got to do that. I don’t think you ever try to coach or play the game perfect. You do the best you can but, obviously, they were better in a lot of areas than us.”
The Raiders practiced on Wednesday without center Andre James (ankle) and linebacker Robert Spillane (knee). Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula) and wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadricep) missed their team’s session, while Burrow (right wrist) was a full participant.
The teams are meeting for the first time since Cincinnati’s 26-19 win in the wild-card round in the 2021 playoffs, snapping a 31-year playoff victory drought for the Bengals.
The Raiders lead the all-time series, 21-13, including 2-1 in postseason. The Bengals have won five of the past six meetings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A's place top pitcher J.T. Ginn (blister) on 15-day IL
Jul 18, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The Athletics placed right-hander J.T. Ginn on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to a blister on his right middle finger.
The move is retroactive to Saturday for Ginn, who leads the team’s starters in wins (eight), ERA (3.46) and strikeouts (100) while making 22 appearances (19 starts) this season.
Ginn, 27, allowed just one hit and struck out seven batters over 6 1/3 scoreless innings in a 15-1 romp over the Washington Nationals in his last trip to the mound.
He is 13-14 with a 4.20 ERA in 53 career games (41 starts) with the Athletics.
Also on Wednesday, the A’s recalled right-hander Mason Barnett from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Barnett, 25, is 1-0 with two saves and a 4.64 ERA in 13 relief appearances with the Athletics this season. He is 3-1 with a 4.34 ERA in 10 games (all starts) with the Aviators.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jasper Philipsen wins Stage 17 of Tour de France
Premier Tech’s Jasper Philipsen reacts after winning stage 17 of the Tour de France. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/Pool Jasper Philipsen won his first Tour de France stage of 2026 and the 11th of his career on Wednesday to extend a win streak by Belgian riders.
Philipsen’s victory in Stage 17 from Chambery to Voiron followed countryman Remco Evenepoel’s back-to-back triumphs in Stages 15 and 16, the longest streak for Belgium since 1981.
Philipsen, 28, completed the flat 174.7-kilometer trek just ahead of Switzerland’s Mauro Schmid and the Netherlands’ Olav Kooij.
Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia maintained the overall leader’s yellow jersey. His lead over Evenepoel is 4 minutes and 32 seconds, with Mexico’s Isaac del Toro in third place.
Stage 18 on Thursday is a mountainous 185.2-kilometer journey from Voiron to Orcieres-Merlette. The 113th edition of the Tour de France concludes on Sunday in Paris.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Inter Miami sign Brazilian superstar M Casemiro
June 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, U.S.; Brazil’s Casemiro celebrates after the match. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Inter Miami announced the signing of Brazilian superstar midfielder Casemiro on Wednesday.
Casemiro, 34, is under contract through 2027 with an option until June 2029 following five years with Premier League side Manchester United. Inter Miami acquired his discovery priority from the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Casemiro just helped Brazil reach the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, increasing his career totals to 91 caps and 10 goals with the national team. It was his third World Cup.
“What motivates me the most, and I think this is true for every player, is winning and continuing to grow. The project the club presented to me, along with the effort everyone made to bring me here, means a lot to me,” Casemiro said.
“I’m incredibly grateful, and I can’t wait to get started so I can repay that trust — not only during the 90 minutes on matchday, but every day in training as well. All I can say is thank you, and I’ll give everything I have to return the affection and confidence the club has shown me.”
Casemiro has recorded 73 goals and 61 assists in 663 club appearances with Brazil’s Sao Paulo, Spain’s Real Madrid, Portugal’s Porto and Manchester United. His 21 club trophies include five UEFA Champions League titles and three La Liga crowns with Real Madrid from 2013-22.
“Casemiro’s arrival reflects the vision and ambition that define Inter Miami,” said managing owner Jorge Mas. “We never settle. We’re always looking to grow, improve, and raise our standards every season. We’ve built a global club with the vision of becoming not only the best club in the United States, but also a benchmark globally.
“Casemiro embodies everything this club stands for: leadership, a winning mentality, and an extraordinary track record at the highest level of the game,” Mas added. “After achieving virtually everything there is to achieve in fútbol, his decision to join Inter Miami shows that he shares our ambition and our commitment to the highest standards as we continue building for the future. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the Inter Miami family.”
Casemiro now joins forces with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, his former rivals at FC Barcelona.
“I’m very proud to welcome Casemiro and his family to Inter Miami,” said co-owner David Beckham. “He is a person and a player that I have admired for a long time. He is a winner who has achieved so much in the game, and after such an incredible career with Real Madrid and Manchester United, I’m delighted that he’s decided to make Miami his next home.”
Defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami (15-9-2, 31 points) are in second place in the Eastern Conference as they return from the World Cup break to host the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night.
–Field Level Media
A's place top pitcher J.T. Ginn (blister) on 15-day IL
Jasper Philipsen wins Stage 17 of Tour de France
