Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The attorney representing eight Black former Iowa football players who allege racial discrimination during their time with the Hawkeyes withdrew his clients' demand for a $20 million settlement. Damario Solomon-Simmons says he will still move forward with a lawsuit. The players' initial demands also called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta.&nbsp;

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Defensive back Daraun McKinney has become the fourth Iowa football player to leave the program and enter the NCAA transfer portal. Running back Shadrick Byrd, linebacker Yahweh Jeudy and receiver Calvin Lockett also have left the team since Oct. 29. All four had limited or no playing time. McKinney was a redshirt freshman from River Rouge, Michigan. He played on special teams in the first three games and had no statistics. The Hawkeyes play at Minnesota on Friday night.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The return of Luka Garza puts Iowa in position to make a big step up in the Big Ten and nationally. The consensus All-American decided in August to return to school instead of continue in the NBA draft process. That led the Hawkeyes to being ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press preseason poll. Coach Fran McCaffery said his team embraces the expectations. The Hawkeyes were 20-11 last season and tied for fifth in the conference at 11-9. The Hawks bring back all five starters and a total of eight players who have seen significant playing time.

UNDATED (AP) — Fred Hoiberg did a near total remake of the roster in his first year at Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers finished the season on a school-record 17-game losing streak. Hoiberg revamped his roster again in the offseason with the hope his personnel is more competitive than the group that won just two Big Ten games, none after the first week in January. Yvan Ouedraogo and Thorir Thorbjarnarson are the only returnees who have played meaningful minutes. Nebraska opens Nov. 25 against an opponent to be determined in a multi-team event it will host.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin says he needs to give some help to starting quarterback Sean Clifford. That could start this weekend against Nebraska. Franklin says his plan is to get backup QB Will Levis more involved. The Nittany Lions are 0-3 and rank in the bottom half of the Big Ten in nearly every major offensive category. Clifford has been battered physically and mentally. &nbsp;a second-year starter who's been battered physically and mentally to start the season. After absorbing six sacks over the first two games, Clifford was brought down seven more times in Penn State's loss to Maryland last week.

UNDATED (AP) — Iowa looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are No. 5 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 and return consensus All-American Luka Garza and a supporting cast full of experience. Seven Big Ten teams are ranked heading into the season, the most since the AP poll went from 20 to 25 teams in 1989. Other than Garza, Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn are the only returning players who received AP postseason honors last season. Wisconsin, Maryland and Michigan State shared the regular-season title last season.

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes piled up some big numbers at Arrowhead Stadium last week, and not just on Sunday when he threw for four touchdowns in a 33-31 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Mahomes and his foundation chipped in to help pay for 40 voting machines so his home stadium could serve as a giant polling place on Election Day. Mahomes said he voted for the first time this year as did Broncos star linebacker Von Miller. The AFC West rivals were among the NFL players helping to get out the vote in 2020.&nbsp;

It's done: The NBA comes back on Dec. 22, a 72-game season

UNDATED (AP) — It's official: The NBA is coming back Dec. 22. 

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have struck a deal on rules for this coming season, setting the stage for what will be a frenzied few weeks before games resume. 

The league said a new system will be used to ensure that the split of basketball-related income continues, one of the many details that had to be collectively bargained with the union because the current agreement between the sides had a great deal of language that needed reworking because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The New York Knicks have temporarily closed their training facility after three team employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The Knicks say the tests came during routine screenings. They said all three employees were without symptoms and were currently under quarantine. The training facility, located in Greenburgh, New York, will be thoroughly cleaned while closed. The NBA season will begin Dec. 22.

Kevin Cash, Don Mattingly win Manager of the Year awards

UNDATED (AP) — Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash has earned the American League Manager of the Year award, and Miami's Don Mattingly is the winner of the NL honor. 

Long regarded as one of baseball's bright young minds, Cash guided Tampa Bay to an AL-best 40-20 record during the pandemic-shortened season. But he was roundly criticized for pulling ace left-hander Blake Snell in the sixth inning of the decisive Game 6 in the World Series against the champion Dodgers. 

Voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America concluded before the beginning of the playoffs. 

Mattingly guided the Marlins to their first playoff appearance since 2003 despite dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that paused their season and ravaged the roster. The Marlins' 31-29 record was Mattingly's first winning season in his fifth year with the club. 

The former big league first baseman and AL MVP had a winning record in each of his five seasons as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Mattingly and Cash both won the manager award for the first time.

Back in Boston, Red Sox's Cora vows to be above reproach

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Cora led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018, then lost the job of his dreams after an MLB investigation named him as the ringleader of a sign-stealing scandal during his time as Astros bench coach in 2017. Now he's back in Boston, armed with the task of rebuilding both his reputation and a team whose roster looks totally different from the one he previously oversaw. He acknowledges his mistakes, and says he's eager to prove he's also worthy of the second chance the team has given him.

— Steven Cohen promised splashes of cash Mets fans expect from his billions— within reason. In his first remarks since buying team team for a baseball record $2.42 billion, Cohen said he would be disappointed if the Mets don't win the World Series within three to five years. He promised the Mets will act "like a major market team" but also said the team won't "act like drunken sailors in the marketplace." Sandy Alderson, back as team president, said Luis Rojas probably will return for a second season as manager.

— Syracuse, Binghampton, Brooklyn and St. Lucie will be the New York Mets' four minor league affiliates next year, leaving Columbia, South Carolina and Kingsport, Tennessee, to be dropped. Returning Mets president Sandy Alderson made the announcement during a news conference to introduce Steven Cohen, who bought the Mets last week from the Wilpon and Katz families for $2.42 billion. Syracuse is the Mets top farm team at Triple-A. Alderson did not give the level for Binghampton and Brooklyn. It appears St. Lucie will be low Class A next year.

Roethlisberger among Steelers added to COVID-19 list

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed four more players on the COVID-19 list, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

The move comes a day after tight end Vance McDonald went on the list after testing positive following a 24-19 win at Dallas that pushed the Steelers to 8-0. Running back Jaylen Samuels, offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins and linebacker Vince Williams joined Roethlisberger on the list Tuesday.

The reserve/COVID-19 list is either for players who have tested positive or have been in close contact with someone who has.

All players who have been in close contact must quarantine for five days and are unable to visit the team's practice facility but can participate virtually. They must pass COVID-19 tests throughout the week to have an opportunity to play Sunday when the Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals.

— The Baltimore Ravens fortified their defensive backfield by signing free agent cornerback Tramon Williams, who hasn't played since last season. The 37-year-old Williams played in all 16 games with Green Bay a year ago. He has 13 seasons of NFL experience, most of them with the Packers. His addition to Baltimore's 53-man roster Tuesday coincided with cornerback Khalil Dorsey being placed on injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder. Williams made the Pro Bowl in 2010.

— Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had successful surgery to repair the torn left knee ligament that ended his season after seven games. The Browns said Beckham is expected to be ready for the 2021 season. Typically, the surgery requires at least nine months of recovery time. Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery in Pensacola, Florida. Beckham posted a photo on Instagram from the recovery room. Beckham was playing well for the Browns in his second season with them before getting hurt in an Oct. 25 game at Cincinnati.

— The Jacksonville Jaguars signed kicker Chase McLaughlin off Minnesota's practice squad and expect him to play at Green Bay this weekend. McLaughlin will be the team's sixth kicker this season. He follows Josh Lambo, Brandon Wright, Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka and Jon Brown. Lambo re-injured his hip during an onside kick Sunday and returned to injured reserve a day later. He initially hurt it in Week 2. McLaughlin will have to go through COVID-19 protocols before joining the Jaguars on Saturday.

— Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs will miss several weeks with a broken foot, a blow for a defense that was playing better in part because of the rookie's contributions. Diggs was injured in the second half of Sunday's 24-19 loss to Pittsburgh. The second-round pick out of Alabama had the first two interceptions of his career two weeks ago in a 23-9 loss to Philadelphia. The Cowboys had just one interception on the season before Diggs' pair. The last-place Cowboys are off this week before visiting Minnesota on Nov. 22.

— The Minnesota Vikings have placed cornerback Holton Hill on injured reserve with a foot injury that has kept him out of the last four games. Cornerback Mike Hughes is also on injured reserve with a neck injury that has cost him four games this year. The Vikings began the season with Hughes and Hill as their two primary cornerbacks. The Vikings also activated linebacker Todd Davis from the COVID-19 reserve list and placed long snapper Austin Cutting on the COVID-19 reserve list.

— The New York Giants have activated starting left guard Will Hernandez off the Reserve/COVID-19 list after missing two games. New York on Tuesday also waived cornerback Corey Ballentine, a sixth-round pick a year ago, and added wide receiver/return specialist Dante Pettis to the roster. Hernandez was placed on the Reserve/COVID list on Oct. 29, four days before a game against Tampa Bay. It ended his career-beginning streak of 39 consecutive starts.

— NFL owners have approved a proposal that will reward organizations for developing minority coaches and front office executives who become head coaches, general managers or team presidents for other clubs. Also, the league's owners unanimously approved a contingency plan to expand the playoff field to 16 teams if meaningful games are canceled due to COVID-19. Teams that lose a minority coach or an executive to a head coach position or primary football executive role with another club will receive a third-round compensatory pick for two consecutive years. If a team loses a minority coach and an executive to both head coach and general manager/president roles, that club will receive a third-round compensatory pick for three consecutive years.

— The Seattle Seahawks say they will not have fans for their Nov. 19 home game against Arizona. The Seahawks have not had fans at any of their first four home games. The team said Tuesday that continued conversations with local health and government officials led to the decision not to allow spectators against the Cardinals. The team said it has not ruled out the possibility that conditions could improve to the point where limited fans would be allowed for any of its three home games in December.

No. 1 Alabama-LSU, No. 5 Texas A&amp;M-Tennessee postponed

UNDATED (AP) — No. 1 Alabama at LSU and No. 5 Texas A&amp;M at Tennessee won't be played Saturday because of COVID-19 issues, raising the number of Southeastern Conference football games postponed this week to three. 

The Aggies and Volunteers will be rescheduled for Dec. 12, but the Crimson Tide's game against the defending national champion Tigers is in danger of not being played at all. Both teams are coming off their open dates and LSU already has a game against No. 6 Florida scheduled for Dec. 12 that had to be postponed last month. 

In the American Athletic Conference, Memphis at Navy was postponed as the Midshipmen struggled with COVID-19 cases for a second straight week.

In other virus-related college football news:

— No. 24 Auburn has paused team activities after nine players and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The Tigers game at Mississippi State scheduled for Saturday had already been postponed because of an outbreak with the Bulldogs. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday his administration had already been discussing whether the Tigers would have had enough scholarship players for the game. Auburn also has "a handful of close contact" cases having to quarantine in addition to the positive tests, Malzahn said. He didn't give a specific number or which positions had been hardest hit. Auburn, which is coming off an open date, is scheduled to host Tennessee on Nov. 21. There's at least a chance the Tigers wouldn't have been able to play Saturday anyway. The SEC requires at least 53 scholarship players to be available.

— Arkansas coach Sam Pittman will miss the Razorbacks' game at No. 6 Florida on Saturday after having two positive COVID-19 tests. Pittman was tested Sunday as part of the team's normal protocol and learned Monday morning that his test was positive. A follow-up test taken on Monday confirmed the initial positive result. Southeastern Conference protocol for an asymptomatic positive requires him to isolate for at least 10 days. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom will serve as interim coach. Pittman will remain a part of team meetings virtually. The Razorbacks are off to a 3-3 start in Pittman's first year - a significant jump from last year's 2-10 campaign. Arkansas has won two of three and is coming off a 24-13 win over Tennessee.

— Kansas State has had a novel coronavirus outbreak among its younger players that has left the Wildcats without a scout team in practice this week. Coach Chris Klieman says the outbreak has sidelined "upwards of 20 guys." Klieman says the Wildcats won't practice for as long as they normally do because of the lack of numbers, He called the outbreak a good reminder that it only takes one positive test to cause problems. Kansas State, which has lost two in a row, has this weekend off before facing Iowa State.

Ex-Iowa players' attorney pulls $20M demand, says he'll sue

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The attorney representing eight Black former Iowa football players who allege racial discrimination during their time with the Hawkeyes withdrew his clients' demand for a $20 million settlement. 

Damario Solomon-Simmons says he will still move forward with a lawsuit. 

The players' initial demands also called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta. 

The university in June hired an outside law firm to review the culture of the football program after dozens of former players, most of them Black, spoke out on social media to allege racial disparities and mistreatment.

Former Celtics star Tommy Heinsohn dead at 86

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn has died at age 86.

Heinsohn was a player, coach and broadcaster who was with the team for all 17 of its NBA championships. He beat out teammate Bill Russell for the NBA's rookie of the year award in 1956 and combined with his fellow future Hall of Famer to win eight championships in nine years.

After retiring, Heinsohn broadcast the team's games for three years before moving to the bench in 1969, succeeding Russell. Under Heinsohn, the Celtics won two more titles 1974 and '76 and he was inducted into the Hall for a second time for his coaching.

Disqualified Derby winner Maximum Security retired 

VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) — Maximum Security, disqualified after crossing the finish line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, has been retired to stud. 

The 4-year-old colt ended his career with a fifth-place finish in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic last weekend at Keeneland. Maximum Security will stand at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, next year for a breeding fee of $20,000. He is owned and bred by Gary and Mary West. 

He won 10 of 14 starts and had career earnings of $12,431,900.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The attorney representing eight Black former Iowa football players who allege racial discrimination during their time with the Hawkeyes withdrew his clients' demand for a $20 million settlement. Damario Solomon-Simmons says he will still move forward with a lawsuit. The players' initial demands also called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta.&nbsp;IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Defensive back Daraun McKinney has become the fourth Iowa football player to leave the program and enter the NCAA transfer portal. Running back Shadrick Byrd, linebacker Yahweh Jeudy and receiver Calvin Lockett also have left the team since Oct. 29. All four had limited or no playing time. McKinney was a redshirt freshman from River Rouge, Michigan. He played on special teams in the first three games and had no statistics. The Hawkeyes play at Minnesota on Friday night.IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The return of Luka Garza puts Iowa in position to make a big step up in the Big Ten and nationally. The consensus All-American decided in August to return to school instead of continue in the NBA draft process. That led the Hawkeyes to being ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press preseason poll. Coach Fran McCaffery said his team embraces the expectations. The Hawkeyes were 20-11 last season and tied for fifth in the conference at 11-9. The Hawks bring back all five starters and a total of eight players who have seen significant playing time.UNDATED (AP) — Fred Hoiberg did a near total remake of the roster in his first year at Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers finished the season on a school-record 17-game losing streak. Hoiberg revamped his roster again in the offseason with the hope his personnel is more competitive than the group that won just two Big Ten games, none after the first week in January. Yvan Ouedraogo and Thorir Thorbjarnarson are the only returnees who have played meaningful minutes. Nebraska opens Nov. 25 against an opponent to be determined in a multi-team event it will host.STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin says he needs to give some help to starting quarterback Sean Clifford. That could start this weekend against Nebraska. Franklin says his plan is to get backup QB Will Levis more involved. The Nittany Lions are 0-3 and rank in the bottom half of the Big Ten in nearly every major offensive category. Clifford has been battered physically and mentally. &nbsp;a second-year starter who's been battered physically and mentally to start the season. After absorbing six sacks over the first two games, Clifford was brought down seven more times in Penn State's loss to Maryland last week.UNDATED (AP) — Iowa looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are No. 5 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 and return consensus All-American Luka Garza and a supporting cast full of experience. Seven Big Ten teams are ranked heading into the season, the most since the AP poll went from 20 to 25 teams in 1989. Other than Garza, Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn are the only returning players who received AP postseason honors last season. Wisconsin, Maryland and Michigan State shared the regular-season title last season.UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes piled up some big numbers at Arrowhead Stadium last week, and not just on Sunday when he threw for four touchdowns in a 33-31 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Mahomes and his foundation chipped in to help pay for 40 voting machines so his home stadium could serve as a giant polling place on Election Day. Mahomes said he voted for the first time this year as did Broncos star linebacker Von Miller. The AFC West rivals were among the NFL players helping to get out the vote in 2020.&nbsp;<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-UPCOMING SEASONIt's done: The NBA comes back on Dec. 22, a 72-game seasonUNDATED (AP) — It's official: The NBA is coming back Dec. 22. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have struck a deal on rules for this coming season, setting the stage for what will be a frenzied few weeks before games resume. Teams will play a 72-game schedule. The league said a new system will be used to ensure that the split of basketball-related income continues, one of the many details that had to be collectively bargained with the union because the current agreement between the sides had a great deal of language that needed reworking because of the coronavirus pandemic.In other NBA news:The New York Knicks have temporarily closed their training facility after three team employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The Knicks say the tests came during routine screenings. They said all three employees were without symptoms and were currently under quarantine. The training facility, located in Greenburgh, New York, will be thoroughly cleaned while closed. The NBA season will begin Dec. 22.MLB-MANAGERS OF THE YEARKevin Cash, Don Mattingly win Manager of the Year awardsUNDATED (AP) — Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash has earned the American League Manager of the Year award, and Miami's Don Mattingly is the winner of the NL honor. Long regarded as one of baseball's bright young minds, Cash guided Tampa Bay to an AL-best 40-20 record during the pandemic-shortened season. But he was roundly criticized for pulling ace left-hander Blake Snell in the sixth inning of the decisive Game 6 in the World Series against the champion Dodgers. Voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America concluded before the beginning of the playoffs. Mattingly guided the Marlins to their first playoff appearance since 2003 despite dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that paused their season and ravaged the roster. The Marlins' 31-29 record was Mattingly's first winning season in his fifth year with the club. The former big league first baseman and AL MVP had a winning record in each of his five seasons as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mattingly and Cash both won the manager award for the first time.MLB-NEWSBack in Boston, Red Sox's Cora vows to be above reproachBOSTON (AP) — Alex Cora led the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018, then lost the job of his dreams after an MLB investigation named him as the ringleader of a sign-stealing scandal during his time as Astros bench coach in 2017. Now he's back in Boston, armed with the task of rebuilding both his reputation and a team whose roster looks totally different from the one he previously oversaw. He acknowledges his mistakes, and says he's eager to prove he's also worthy of the second chance the team has given him.In other baseball news— Steven Cohen promised splashes of cash Mets fans expect from his billions— within reason. In his first remarks since buying team team for a baseball record $2.42 billion, Cohen said he would be disappointed if the Mets don't win the World Series within three to five years. He promised the Mets will act "like a major market team" but also said the team won't "act like drunken sailors in the marketplace." Sandy Alderson, back as team president, said Luis Rojas probably will return for a second season as manager.— Syracuse, Binghampton, Brooklyn and St. Lucie will be the New York Mets' four minor league affiliates next year, leaving Columbia, South Carolina and Kingsport, Tennessee, to be dropped. Returning Mets president Sandy Alderson made the announcement during a news conference to introduce Steven Cohen, who bought the Mets last week from the Wilpon and Katz families for $2.42 billion. Syracuse is the Mets top farm team at Triple-A. Alderson did not give the level for Binghampton and Brooklyn. It appears St. Lucie will be low Class A next year.NFL-NEWSRoethlisberger among Steelers added to COVID-19 listPITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed four more players on the COVID-19 list, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.The move comes a day after tight end Vance McDonald went on the list after testing positive following a 24-19 win at Dallas that pushed the Steelers to 8-0. Running back Jaylen Samuels, offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins and linebacker Vince Williams joined Roethlisberger on the list Tuesday.The reserve/COVID-19 list is either for players who have tested positive or have been in close contact with someone who has.All players who have been in close contact must quarantine for five days and are unable to visit the team's practice facility but can participate virtually. They must pass COVID-19 tests throughout the week to have an opportunity to play Sunday when the Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals.In other NFL news:— The Baltimore Ravens fortified their defensive backfield by signing free agent cornerback Tramon Williams, who hasn't played since last season. The 37-year-old Williams played in all 16 games with Green Bay a year ago. He has 13 seasons of NFL experience, most of them with the Packers. His addition to Baltimore's 53-man roster Tuesday coincided with cornerback Khalil Dorsey being placed on injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder. Williams made the Pro Bowl in 2010.— Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had successful surgery to repair the torn left knee ligament that ended his season after seven games. The Browns said Beckham is expected to be ready for the 2021 season. Typically, the surgery requires at least nine months of recovery time. Renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery in Pensacola, Florida. Beckham posted a photo on Instagram from the recovery room. Beckham was playing well for the Browns in his second season with them before getting hurt in an Oct. 25 game at Cincinnati.— The Jacksonville Jaguars signed kicker Chase McLaughlin off Minnesota's practice squad and expect him to play at Green Bay this weekend. McLaughlin will be the team's sixth kicker this season. He follows Josh Lambo, Brandon Wright, Aldrick Rosas, Stephen Hauschka and Jon Brown. Lambo re-injured his hip during an onside kick Sunday and returned to injured reserve a day later. He initially hurt it in Week 2. McLaughlin will have to go through COVID-19 protocols before joining the Jaguars on Saturday.— Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs will miss several weeks with a broken foot, a blow for a defense that was playing better in part because of the rookie's contributions. Diggs was injured in the second half of Sunday's 24-19 loss to Pittsburgh. The second-round pick out of Alabama had the first two interceptions of his career two weeks ago in a 23-9 loss to Philadelphia. The Cowboys had just one interception on the season before Diggs' pair. The last-place Cowboys are off this week before visiting Minnesota on Nov. 22.— The Minnesota Vikings have placed cornerback Holton Hill on injured reserve with a foot injury that has kept him out of the last four games. Cornerback Mike Hughes is also on injured reserve with a neck injury that has cost him four games this year. The Vikings began the season with Hughes and Hill as their two primary cornerbacks. The Vikings also activated linebacker Todd Davis from the COVID-19 reserve list and placed long snapper Austin Cutting on the COVID-19 reserve list.— The New York Giants have activated starting left guard Will Hernandez off the Reserve/COVID-19 list after missing two games. New York on Tuesday also waived cornerback Corey Ballentine, a sixth-round pick a year ago, and added wide receiver/return specialist Dante Pettis to the roster. Hernandez was placed on the Reserve/COVID list on Oct. 29, four days before a game against Tampa Bay. It ended his career-beginning streak of 39 consecutive starts.— NFL owners have approved a proposal that will reward organizations for developing minority coaches and front office executives who become head coaches, general managers or team presidents for other clubs. Also, the league's owners unanimously approved a contingency plan to expand the playoff field to 16 teams if meaningful games are canceled due to COVID-19. Teams that lose a minority coach or an executive to a head coach position or primary football executive role with another club will receive a third-round compensatory pick for two consecutive years. If a team loses a minority coach and an executive to both head coach and general manager/president roles, that club will receive a third-round compensatory pick for three consecutive years.— The Seattle Seahawks say they will not have fans for their Nov. 19 home game against Arizona. The Seahawks have not had fans at any of their first four home games. The team said Tuesday that continued conversations with local health and government officials led to the decision not to allow spectators against the Cardinals. The team said it has not ruled out the possibility that conditions could improve to the point where limited fans would be allowed for any of its three home games in December.VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE FOOTBALLNo. 1 Alabama-LSU, No. 5 Texas A&amp;M-Tennessee postponedUNDATED (AP) — No. 1 Alabama at LSU and No. 5 Texas A&amp;M at Tennessee won't be played Saturday because of COVID-19 issues, raising the number of Southeastern Conference football games postponed this week to three. The Aggies and Volunteers will be rescheduled for Dec. 12, but the Crimson Tide's game against the defending national champion Tigers is in danger of not being played at all. Both teams are coming off their open dates and LSU already has a game against No. 6 Florida scheduled for Dec. 12 that had to be postponed last month. In the American Athletic Conference, Memphis at Navy was postponed as the Midshipmen struggled with COVID-19 cases for a second straight week.In other virus-related college football news:— No. 24 Auburn has paused team activities after nine players and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The Tigers game at Mississippi State scheduled for Saturday had already been postponed because of an outbreak with the Bulldogs. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said Tuesday his administration had already been discussing whether the Tigers would have had enough scholarship players for the game. Auburn also has "a handful of close contact" cases having to quarantine in addition to the positive tests, Malzahn said. He didn't give a specific number or which positions had been hardest hit. Auburn, which is coming off an open date, is scheduled to host Tennessee on Nov. 21. There's at least a chance the Tigers wouldn't have been able to play Saturday anyway. The SEC requires at least 53 scholarship players to be available.— Arkansas coach Sam Pittman will miss the Razorbacks' game at No. 6 Florida on Saturday after having two positive COVID-19 tests. Pittman was tested Sunday as part of the team's normal protocol and learned Monday morning that his test was positive. A follow-up test taken on Monday confirmed the initial positive result. Southeastern Conference protocol for an asymptomatic positive requires him to isolate for at least 10 days. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom will serve as interim coach. Pittman will remain a part of team meetings virtually. The Razorbacks are off to a 3-3 start in Pittman's first year - a significant jump from last year's 2-10 campaign. Arkansas has won two of three and is coming off a 24-13 win over Tennessee.— Kansas State has had a novel coronavirus outbreak among its younger players that has left the Wildcats without a scout team in practice this week. Coach Chris Klieman says the outbreak has sidelined "upwards of 20 guys." Klieman says the Wildcats won't practice for as long as they normally do because of the lack of numbers, He called the outbreak a good reminder that it only takes one positive test to cause problems. Kansas State, which has lost two in a row, has this weekend off before facing Iowa State.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-IOWA-RACIAL BIASEx-Iowa players' attorney pulls $20M demand, says he'll sueIOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The attorney representing eight Black former Iowa football players who allege racial discrimination during their time with the Hawkeyes withdrew his clients' demand for a $20 million settlement. Damario Solomon-Simmons says he will still move forward with a lawsuit. The players' initial demands also called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta. The university in June hired an outside law firm to review the culture of the football program after dozens of former players, most of them Black, spoke out on social media to allege racial disparities and mistreatment.NBA-OBIT-HEINSOHNFormer Celtics star Tommy Heinsohn dead at 86BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn has died at age 86.Heinsohn was a player, coach and broadcaster who was with the team for all 17 of its NBA championships. He beat out teammate Bill Russell for the NBA's rookie of the year award in 1956 and combined with his fellow future Hall of Famer to win eight championships in nine years.After retiring, Heinsohn broadcast the team's games for three years before moving to the bench in 1969, succeeding Russell. Under Heinsohn, the Celtics won two more titles 1974 and '76 and he was inducted into the Hall for a second time for his coaching.HORSE RACING-MAXIMUM SECURITY RETIREDDisqualified Derby winner Maximum Security retired VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) — Maximum Security, disqualified after crossing the finish line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, has been retired to stud. The 4-year-old colt ended his career with a fifth-place finish in the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic last weekend at Keeneland. Maximum Security will stand at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, next year for a breeding fee of $20,000. He is owned and bred by Gary and Mary West. He won 10 of 14 starts and had career earnings of $12,431,900.

Sports Headlines for Wednesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The MIAA announced its preseason coaches poll for the 2020-2021 women’s basketball season during the 2020 MIAA Basketball Virtual Media Day Presented By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sb-kc.com/">Seigfreid Bingham.</a> Emporia State topped this year’s coaches poll with a total of 153 points and four first-place votes. Last year, the Lady Hornets finished runner-up at the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship and qualified for the NCAA Championship before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. Nebraska Kearney earned the most first-place votes with six and was tabbed second with 146 total points. The Association’s defending regular-season and tournament champion, Central Missouri, was picked third with 143 points and three first-place votes. Pittsburg State was slotted fourth and accumulated 140 points from the coaches. The final first-place vote went to Fort Hays State, which rounded out the top five with 125 points. Missouri Western was slated sixth followed by Central Oklahoma in seventh with Wasburn at eighth and Northwest Missouri in ninth. The top ten was closed out by Missouri Southern. Newman trailed MSSU in 11th with Northeastern State at 12th and Rogers State in 13th. The 2020-2021 preseason coaches poll was rounded out by Lincoln.&nbsp; The MIAA tips off the regular-season on Thursday, November 19. Not only is the Association the first to get its season underway in NCAA Division II but one of the first to start in any of the three NCAA Divisions. To see the complete schedule of MIAA Basketball games,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/calendar.aspx?path=wbball">click here.</a> 2020-2021 MIAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Emporia State (4) - 153 points 2. Nebraska Kearney (6) - 146 points 3. Central Missouri (3) - 143 points 4. Pittsburg State - 140 points 5. Fort Hays State (1) - 125 points&nbsp; 6. Missouri Western - 109 points 7. Central Oklahoma - 104 points 8. Washburn - 79 points 9. Northwest Missouri - 76 points 10. Missouri Southern - 65 points 11. Newman - 55 points 12. Northeastern State - 37 points 13. Rogers State - 28 points 14. Lincoln - 14 points *Coaches Cannot Vote For Their Own Team&nbsp;&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The MIAA announced its preseason coaches poll for the 2020-2021 women’s basketball season during the 2020 MIAA Basketball Virtual Media Day Presented By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sb-kc.com/">Seigfreid Bingham.</a> Emporia State topped this year’s coaches poll with a total of 153 points and four first-place votes. Last year, the Lady Hornets finished runner-up at the MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship and qualified for the NCAA Championship before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 Global Health Pandemic. Nebraska Kearney earned the most first-place votes with six and was tabbed second with 146 total points. The Association’s defending regular-season and tournament champion, Central Missouri, was picked third with 143 points and three first-place votes. Pittsburg State was slotted fourth and accumulated 140 points from the coaches. The final first-place vote went to Fort Hays State, which rounded out the top five with 125 points. Missouri Western was slated sixth followed by Central Oklahoma in seventh with Wasburn at eighth and Northwest Missouri in ninth. The top ten was closed out by Missouri Southern. Newman trailed MSSU in 11th with Northeastern State at 12th and Rogers State in 13th. The 2020-2021 preseason coaches poll was rounded out by Lincoln.&nbsp; The MIAA tips off the regular-season on Thursday, November 19. Not only is the Association the first to get its season underway in NCAA Division II but one of the first to start in any of the three NCAA Divisions. To see the complete schedule of MIAA Basketball games,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/calendar.aspx?path=wbball">click here.</a> 2020-2021 MIAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Emporia State (4) - 153 points 2. Nebraska Kearney (6) - 146 points 3. Central Missouri (3) - 143 points 4. Pittsburg State - 140 points 5. Fort Hays State (1) - 125 points&nbsp; 6. Missouri Western - 109 points 7. Central Oklahoma - 104 points 8. Washburn - 79 points 9. Northwest Missouri - 76 points 10. Missouri Southern - 65 points 11. Newman - 55 points 12. Northeastern State - 37 points 13. Rogers State - 28 points 14. Lincoln - 14 points *Coaches Cannot Vote For Their Own Team&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 MIAA Announces 2020-2021 Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The MIAA announced its preseason coaches poll for the 2020-2021 men’s basketball season during the 2020 MIAA Basketball Virtual Media Day Presented By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sb-kc.com/">Seigfreid Bingham.</a> Northwest Missouri, the defending MIAA regular-season and tournament champion, was picked first in the preseason coaches poll with 169 points and 13 first-place votes. The Bearcats have won seven consecutive MIAA regular-season titles, the longest streak in Association History. Missouri Southern was tabbed second by the coaches with 147 points and the remaining first-place vote. In third-place was Washburn with 140 points followed by Rogers State with 123 points. RSU held the spot by a single point over Missouri Western as the Griffons rounded out the top five with 122 points.&nbsp; Central Oklahoma was slotted sixth as Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State tied for the seventh position. Lincoln was voted ninth and Nebraska Kearney concluded the top ten. Central Missouri was slated 11th with Emporia State tabbed in 12th as Northeastern State trailed in 13th. The 2020-2021 preseason coaches poll was rounded out by Newman. The MIAA tips off the regular-season on Thursday, November 19. Not only is the Association the first to get its season underway in NCAA Division II but one of the first to start in any of the three NCAA Divisions. To see the complete schedule of MIAA Basketball games,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/calendar.aspx?path=mbball">click here</a>.&nbsp; 2020-2021 MIAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Northwest Missouri (13) - 169 points 2. Missouri Southern (1) - 147 points 3. Washburn - 140 points 4. Rogers State - 123 points 5. Missouri Western - 122 points 6. Central Oklahoma - 106 points T7. Fort Hays State - 75 points T7. Pittsburg State - 75 points 9. Lincoln - 67 points 10. Nebraska Kearney - 64 points 11. Central Missouri - 60 points 12. Emporia State - 56 points 13. Northeastern State - 55 points 14. Newman - 17 points *Coaches Cannot Vote For Their Own Team&nbsp;&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The MIAA announced its preseason coaches poll for the 2020-2021 men’s basketball season during the 2020 MIAA Basketball Virtual Media Day Presented By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sb-kc.com/">Seigfreid Bingham.</a> Northwest Missouri, the defending MIAA regular-season and tournament champion, was picked first in the preseason coaches poll with 169 points and 13 first-place votes. The Bearcats have won seven consecutive MIAA regular-season titles, the longest streak in Association History. Missouri Southern was tabbed second by the coaches with 147 points and the remaining first-place vote. In third-place was Washburn with 140 points followed by Rogers State with 123 points. RSU held the spot by a single point over Missouri Western as the Griffons rounded out the top five with 122 points.&nbsp; Central Oklahoma was slotted sixth as Fort Hays State and Pittsburg State tied for the seventh position. Lincoln was voted ninth and Nebraska Kearney concluded the top ten. Central Missouri was slated 11th with Emporia State tabbed in 12th as Northeastern State trailed in 13th. The 2020-2021 preseason coaches poll was rounded out by Newman. The MIAA tips off the regular-season on Thursday, November 19. Not only is the Association the first to get its season underway in NCAA Division II but one of the first to start in any of the three NCAA Divisions. To see the complete schedule of MIAA Basketball games,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/calendar.aspx?path=mbball">click here</a>.&nbsp; 2020-2021 MIAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll 1. Northwest Missouri (13) - 169 points 2. Missouri Southern (1) - 147 points 3. Washburn - 140 points 4. Rogers State - 123 points 5. Missouri Western - 122 points 6. Central Oklahoma - 106 points T7. Fort Hays State - 75 points T7. Pittsburg State - 75 points 9. Lincoln - 67 points 10. Nebraska Kearney - 64 points 11. Central Missouri - 60 points 12. Emporia State - 56 points 13. Northeastern State - 55 points 14. Newman - 17 points *Coaches Cannot Vote For Their Own Team&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 2020-2021 MIAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll announced by the MIAA

MANHATTAN, Kan.&nbsp;– Kansas State head coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and a pair of freshmen in&nbsp;Deuce Vaughn&nbsp;and&nbsp;Will Howard&nbsp;met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday as the Wildcats are in the midst of their final bye week of the season. A complete transcript of Klieman’s press conference – which was also streamed live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ – and players are posted below. Kansas State is back in action next Saturday, November 21, when the Wildcats travel to face Iowa State. The game inside Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, kicks off at 3 p.m. and will be shown on FOX.

Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12975&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Chris Klieman</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12976&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Deuce Vaughn</a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/watch/?Archive=12977&amp;type=Archive" target="_blank">Will Howard</a>

Listen:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kstatesports.com/podcasts" target="_blank">Wildcats Uncut</a>

“Good afternoon everybody. It’s kind of strange to have an open week in the middle of November, but we have that. We’re going to try to get some work done as best as we can with some of our younger guys, although we had a big COVID outbreak last week with our younger guys and our numbers continue to go up in that respect. We’re down upwards of 20 guys right now – mostly in the young guys – so we have to be really creative with what we do this week. We have a few young guys who have already had it. If they havent had it, they’re probably either in quarantine or isolation, so we’ll practice some Iowa State stuff with our older guys, but we’re going to have to go against each other to do that because we aren’t going to have any scouts this week due to COVID. It’s just an interesting week of trying to get better with our young players and the kids who are still around as well as keep moving the team forward with respect to game planning some of Iowa State. We probably won’t be out at practice as long just because of a lack of numbers. We have plenty of things to work on for us in all three phases. I was pleased with our growth on Saturday, in the same respect disappointed because we need to win those close games and had opportunities. We’ll push forward to continue to try to find ways to win those games.”

On keeping defenses guessing against running back Deuce Vaughn...

“We wish he could have 200 yards each game. We probably have to do a better job of finding more creative ways to get him the football. We had some things designed for him, and I thought Oklahoma State did a really good job of taking those things away. When that happens, we have to create some things on the run to say, ‘Hey, this is how they’re playing, so we have to move him to this spot.’ He’s capable, mentally, to do all of that stuff. We talked about it as a staff on Sunday. He had a number of carries, but we need to get him the ball in space a little bit more. It’s going to be a conscious effort for us to try to find different ways to get it to him in space and get him a mismatch.”

On Will Howard’s performance against Oklahoma State...

“I liked the fact that he ran the ball exceptionally well. I like the fact that, after the turnover that resulted in a touchdown, he came back and led us down for a touchdown scoring drive, so those things are a positive. He continues to improve, but we have to take care of the football. He knows that. We cannot have turnovers in how we’re going to play games when in one-possession games and tight ball games in the fourth quarter. We have to do all we can to protect the football because it gives us the best opportunity to be successful.”

On the long pass play to tight end Sammy Wheeler...

“We were able to run the football well, so it set up our bootleg game. Actually, there was a play we threw to Jax (Dineen) in the first half where Jax got pushed out of bounds and Sammy was open on the same play. I think we kind of put it in our memory bank to say that we need to go back to that. We came back to it at the right time. We anticipated Sammy being open. Iowa State did the same thing to Oklahoma State in a game they had at Oklahoma State, so it was a variation of that. We were able to catch them on the over route for a big play. It was a good job. We probably could’ve even come back to it a little bit more often.”

On Will Howard running the ball with a quarterback already being out...

“We have to do what we have to do. I thought Oklahoma State was really good with taking away our outside run game. Some of our perimeter stretch run or jet run, whether it was with Deuce (Vaughn), Harry (Trotter) or a wide receiver, they were running really well sideline to sideline. In doing that, I thought it left some pockets inside where the quarterback could fake it and run essentially in the A or B gap. We have to do that. We’re continuing to manufacture different ways to move the ball offensively. I was really pleased with how we played up front. We were better up front. For us, we have to be an 11-man offense. We can’t just say 10-man offense and the quarterback isn’t a part of it. He has to be a part of it for us to be successful. That’s how it was when Skylar (Thompson) was playing. I’m pleased with where we’re at in that respect, and I do think that Nick Ast could give us that ability to do that too, and so could Jaren Lewis.”

On if Will Howard’s running ability was expected...

“Not this early. I still thought we’d see No. 10 (Skylar Thompson) out there spinning it around his whole senior season, so we knew he was a good athlete. Dating back to the Texas Tech and TCU games, he’s getting stronger, and you can tell that he’s put on a bit of weight and strength. He’s probably in better shape, and that just takes time. I’m excited because he is a threat to run the football.”

On Sammy Wheeler’s injury status...

“Sammy, unfortunately, fractured his clavicle on that long play, so unfortunately his season is cut short again. I feel awful for him because he was doing some really good things. Unfortunately for Sammy, he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and it’s an awful thing because he’s playing well. We’re already down Briley (Moore), so there won’t be a whole lot of tight ends out there this week.”

On young players being in quarantine...

“We just keep preaching it as much as we can. It’s not something that goes unsaid on a weekly and daily basis. Whether it’s our trainers, our strength and conditioning staff, us as coaches in position meetings or after practice. I remember saying it last week, ‘Guys, this is getting hotter and hotter.’ COVID is spiking everywhere. Our campus has a bunch, and I think it’s more of the kids in general, student-athletes on campus living in residence halls that are spiking so much because it’s not, knock on wood, as much our kids in apartments off campus because those kids don’t come to campus very much. They’re just coming to the facility and back home. It’s unfortunate that it’s a lot of young people, freshmen, and my daughter is a freshman, so I’m petrified everyday and calling her to make sure she’s taking care of herself. She hasn’t had it, but it’s just kind of where we’re at and it’s not just at Kansas State. You look across the landscape of colleges, we knew there would be a spike like this, and, unfortunately, it’s getting the best of us at K-State.”

On gaining confidence even after the loss to Oklahoma State...

“Our guys know they belong. We talk about that, but we have to finish. We finished in a Texas Tech game. We finished in a TCU game. We finished in an Oklahoma game. We didn’t get it done this week against Oklahoma State in a game where I kind of feel like we let them off the hook. We had an opportunity to win, and give Mike (Gundy) and his crew credit. They found ways to win, and that’s what good football teams do. I believe we’re a good football team that, in due time, is going to come on the winning end of those type of games. We didn’t this week, and you have to learn from it. You can’t dwell on it, that’s the thing. I don’t want guys walking around here on eggshells thinking, ‘Oh boy, we didn’t get a win and coaches are mad.’ We’re getting better, and you have to move forward. You can’t dwell on things and take steps backwards. We have to continue to move forward.”

On talking with coaches at other programs about how to handle the COVID situation...

“You share some with some of your closest people in the profession, but I don’t think there’s a template or that anybody has a manual that says this is how you do it. We knew this was going to be an unbelievable challenge. I don’t think the outside world – unless you’re in our facility everyday – knows how hard this is and how difficult the time is for these 18-22 year olds and us as coaches. We had a plan laid out 10 days ago, 15 days ago that I had with some of our staff and support staff on how we were going to attack this week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with these young players so that it could catapult us into: Here is where we need to spend the remaining scholarships in 2021. Here is what we need to look for from a walk-on standpoint, whatever it may be because we need to get an evaluation on X amounts of guys, and this is the last open week we have. Now that’s thrown away. That template is gone because there are a lot of kids we need an evaluation on that are sitting in their dorms in isolation. It’s unfortunate, but it’s also reality and the new normal. We’re going back to the drawing board to say what can we get done this week so we can still prepare for Iowa State but still push the program forward for the kids who have had COVID that are young players that don’t have to deal with the contact tracing and are still practicing. There’s a fine line for that. We don’t have enough tight ends. We don’t have enough defensive linemen. We don’t have enough running backs. We don’t have enough safeties. How do we construct a drill or a practice so that we can get a great evaluation of these young kids?”

On the run game and offensive line against Oklahoma State...

“Give Coach (Conor) Riley credit and give those players credit. They won the line of scrimmage and did much better. We need to continue to improve. We can’t just say it’s there now. It doesn’t happen at any position, so we have to continue to improve and work on the things that we struggled with, whether it’s staying on double teams or just falling off a block late. That’s what happened on Will’s fumble. We fell off a block late, and a defensive lineman does a great job, gets off the block late and strips the ball from Will, or we have a one on one tackle with Will and maybe it’s a fourth and one and we have to make a decision or we get a first down. We fall off a block late and he strips the football. Give them credit, but we are continuing to try to get better everyday. Our offensive line this week needs to continue to go against our defensive line because I think our defensive line is as good as there is in the Big 12. I really believe that collectively, and they make our offensive line better.”

“It does heat up, but it’s not like they’re coming on campus and it’s not like we’re going out and seeing them. That’s the difference. You have an open date this late, we’d be all over the place going to playoff games and visiting community colleges, whatever it may be. None of that stuff is happening. So, it’s us continuing to stay on phone calls and texts with guys. It is coming up fast, and we still have a lot of work to do. We’re spending a lot of time with our staff evaluating some players that maybe have three high school games on film, some that have a full season on film. It’s unfortunate the states that still aren’t playing because we don’t really have an evaluation on those guys except their junior film.”

On how active K-State will be in the transfer market...

“We’ll probably evaluate that a little bit more in December. We’re never going to shut it down totally. I don’t want to have a bunch because we are still a developmental program. I’m trying to build this thing so that, in the future, we’re competitive year in and year out at a high level, and I don’t want to do a quick fix. But in the same respect, that was part of this week to see how far some of these kids were to see if we need to go get another player at X position or Y position.”

On if Deuce Vaughn has a chip on his shoulder...

“Mentally, he was so sharp during our early time with him in terms of learning the playbook and spending the extra time. That part of it I was excited about because the game was going to slow down for him from a mental standpoint because he just gets the game, and he studies the game. From a physical standpoint, we saw him on film like in high school and said that this type of player can be a difference maker for us. As you went through the first few weeks of fall camp, you saw him making really good players on defense that are making plays for us right now miss in the open field or not be able to cover him or just get outrun or juked. We were like great, combine his physical skills with his mental makeup as well as the kid has an unbelievable heart. He’s a tough, tough runner. He loves the game, and sometimes we underestimate somebody who just flat loves the game, and this kid really does.”

On the status of tight end Briley Moore...

“It’s too early to tell. Maybe next week at this time we’ll have a better idea. We didn’t do anything yesterday. We gave the players off other than meetings, and I don’t envision him practicing these next couple of days. We’re probably a minimum of a week away from really having a great update on him.”

On how to move forward at tight end without Briley Moore and Sammy Wheeler...

“Maybe you could come and play. We’re struggling. We have Konner (Fox) and we have Nick (Lenners), and we’ve got a bunch of fullbacks that we’d have to move around a little bit. That’s why there is a benefit to having an open week. We have three young freshmen that we’re really excited about that could potentially be that role, but they’re not going to be here either for the next two weeks. We’re not a 10 personnel, four-wide team. We have to be pretty creative on offense and hope that we get a chance to get Briley back and keep moving Konner in the right direction. We know Nick is a good player. Time will tell what we end up doing there.”

DEUCE VAUGHN, FRESHMAN RUNNING BACK

On the attention defenses have given him as the season has progressed…

“A little bit more as far as brackets go. There will be some dudes following me across the formation if I’m in a motion or things like that. You get your name called out some plays whenever you may line up out wide, or you’re in the backfield you may get pointed at, you’ll get, ‘22, 22!’ A little bit more as the season goes along and stuff like that just start to try and adapt to that and makes sure that I do everything I can when I do get an opportunity to try and make a play that I probably made early in the season.”

On how challenging it is now that defenses are keying on him…

“A little bit, a little bit harder of course. There’s not as much space to do the things that you want to do, but whenever you get out there and they start keying you, it opens things for the other people in your offense. So, if I run the jet sweep and four guys follow and Will (Howard) has the 70-yard run, four guys came out there and he came up the middle and he’s out for 70. I’ll do that all day if we’re popping big gains and other dudes are getting big gains as well. So, I’ll do that all the time. I’ll be a decoy or do whatever I’ve got to do to get them out of there.”

On Will Howard’s rushing performance…

“He ran hard, and he is long, and he’s fast, and he was running really hard. That’s all I want out of a quarterback right there is someone that’s going to put his body on the line as well. He’s not afraid to pull it, get up in there and the hard five or the time to bust the 70, he’ll get out and run. That’s just something I was like, ‘OK, this dude is playing for us.’ He wasn’t scared to do it either. He was taking chances, he was popping up in there, he wasn’t afraid to pull it.”

On how the starters can get the message across to the younger players about COVID…

“Tough love in a sense. I feel like if I’m told something by a coach, of course I’m going to say, ‘Oh, alright, I have do that,’ but then again, when it’s your best friend or a close peer that tells you, ‘Hey, we’re going to pull you along kicking and screaming no matter what,’ I feel like it’s different that way. If Justin Hughes came up to me and was like, ‘Hey, man get it together,’ I’m going to be like, ‘Alright, let’s go.’ It’s things like that. It’s a respect thing I feel like. That’s something that I can work on even though I’m the same age as one of them just saying, ‘Hey man, that’s not what we need to be doing right now. We have a season to play, we have practice, we have all these things and we just need to be mentally ready and physically ready whenever the times comes, even though you’re young.’”

On building off the confidence gained with how they competed against Oklahoma State…

“Absolutely. I feel like we played really hard and we played a really good team in Oklahoma State. We battled with them the entire four quarters. That’s the thing we just have to finish whenever it comes down to it. You look around the Big 12 and you don’t see anybody winning by 28, 30 points. It’s always going to be seven to 10. So, in this conference when everybody is really good and everybody can play football, you’re going to have to grind out the four-quarter games to win those games. That’s just one thing we’re going to have to work on is making sure that we finish because I believe we can play with any team in the Big 12 right now. We showed that on Saturday.”

On where the offense made the most progress against Oklahoma State...

“I feel like the offensive line played really well. They were opening holes. They had a lot of dudes in the box, and that’s something I need to work on is making sure that once I make one guy miss, maybe getting my eyes up and making sure that, hey there’s probably going to be another guy up in here. They overloaded the box a whole bunch, but I feel like the o-line made huge strides in that game. They were opening up lanes, they were getting a punch. I’m just proud of those guys. Going into a bye week is big as well because now we’re going to get an extra week to prepare for Iowa State, and I feel like we’re going to come out there and play even better next game.”

On how he has held up physically throughout the season...

“I feel pretty well. Of course you get banged up and there’s soreness and stuff like that. But just utilizing everything that we have here to make sure that my body is feeling as best as possible on Saturday, I feel like I’ve been doing that. I feel actually really good going into this last little three game home stretch.”

On if he asks the coaches for more touches…

“I’m never going to be a ‘I need my touches’ guy, or be somebody that’s going to be, ‘I want the ball here, I want the ball there.’ I’m just going to be somebody that’s going to do anything possible to help the team win, and if that’s being a decoy and running jet sweeps and having Will (Howard) run for 70-yard runs up the middle, I’m going to do that every single play. I’m never going to be somebody that’s going to be like, ‘Hey, I need 20 touches a game, I need 25, I need 100 yards every game.’ That’s never going to be me. That never has been me, and it never will be.”

On how he is able to avoid big hits as a smaller back…

“Whenever you make it, say somebody is coming on and they’re coming from the left or the right, just kind of rolling your body to the point where if I take the impact, you don’t want to take anything on the shoulder or on your legs or your kneecaps or anything like that. Just make sure that you maneuver your body to the point where I can get hit right here and I can take it all and it will vibrate through your body almost to the point where you're not taking it all in one spot. It’s just kind of like a feel thing. As you’re moving so fast that when it happens your body, you have to take hits, take hits, take hits and before you know it you’re moving to the point where, I’m shielding, I’m shielding, I’m shielding. So, it’s hard to explain it just kind of happens.”

On if shielding against hits has been easy at the college level…

“Yeah I just feel like I’ve done it for so long because even in high school playing against some big kids down in Texas. So, just being able to maneuver your body whatever way you need to has become a second nature thing almost.”

On his quarterback runs against Oklahoma State…

“Yeah, a lot of them were read plays. They were keying on Deuce (Vaughn) a lot. They were flying linebackers out of the box, so we were just reading them. It happened that I was taking the ball a lot. Our offensive line made some really good holes. I’ve found that the run game might be a little more of my game now, and it wasn’t as much in high school. I feel like I’ve gotten a little faster and feel more comfortable with it here. It’s definitely a big part of this offense, and I was glad I was able to be able to do that in the running game. It was a lot of quarterback read plays.”

On transitioning into more of a running quarterback…

“It’s really not that different. At the end of the day, I just try to look at it as it’s just football and it’s what I have to do. It’s fun. I really like running the ball. I think it’s pretty fun. I’ve enjoyed doing that a little more at this level and just trying to have fun with and continue to get better at that part of my game.”

On what the coaches are stressing to limit the turnovers…

“Obviously it’s just ball security. You have to take care of the ball better, there’s no excuses for that. There’s really not much to say in that respect. It’s just being smart with the football and ball security. We’re going to continue to work on that. Just continue to make throws. They’ve said, don’t hold back, continue to sling it but see in front of throws and just hold onto the football. I definitely need to work on that.”

On the loss of tight end Sammy Wheeler…

“Yeah, Sammy is a heck of a player and that’ll be a big loss for us. Best wishes to him. I’ll be trying to do what I can to help him. It definitely is a tough loss, but at this point, it is what it is. We’ve faced a lot of adversity already this year and a lot of guys have already gone down. I’m confident somebody will step up. Like I said, it’s awful for Sammy and a big loss for us, but I’m confident some other guys will step up in his spot.”

On how he has evolved since he first became the starter…

“You could look at it in a bunch of different ways. In some ways it’s in leaps and bounds because you are kind of thrown into the fire and you have to learn as you go. But at the same time, it’s baby steps and there’s a lot of learning experiences you have to go through and a lot of tough times that you have to go through to grow in the journey that I’m on right now and that we’re on as a team. But, I feel like as we’ve gone along, the game has definitely slowed down for me a little bit. I feel more comfortable every game, and I feel like the offense, we’re starting to mesh even more. It’s continuing to try and get better with them and try to be the best leader I can for these guys, obviously, because Skylar (Thompson) was a great leader and a captain on this football team. I’m trying to do my best to step in. A lot of people have told me, ‘Don’t be Skylar be yourself,’ but at the same time, I have to step in because those are big shoes to fill. Skylar is a great player and a great guy, and he’s helped me a bunch with it. But just continuing to take those learning experiences and apply them into practices and in games.”

On how Skylar Thompson has helped him…

“Yeah, he’s helped me a bunch. Having him on the field and in practice is basically like another coach that will give me insight on what he’s seeing, and being able to go up and watch film with him and Coach Klieman has helped a lot. Even with just off the field, like after a tough game at West Virginia, he was there to tell me he’s been there and trying to just be a good guy and pick me up. He’s done a great job of that and trying to help me through these obstacles that I’m having to face and trying to get me levelheaded. He’s done a great job of that and just being there for me, and I really appreciate that.”

On how the starters can get the message across to the younger guys about COVID…

“It’s tough. I feel like we have pretty good protocols here and we’ve been trying to do what we can to keep the spread of the virus from happening. I feel like we’ve done a decent job of that, but it’s tough and it’s going to happen. We just have to continue to stress the fact that we have priorities, and we can’t be jeopardizing the team at all. We have to put the team's best interest in mind and just continue to do that for the rest of the season. Obviously, we’ve always said this COVID thing is tough – it’s tough for everybody – but everybody is going through it and we have to hunker down and have our priorities straight and not jeopardize the team and put the team first. We just continue to try and stress that and things will happen. There is some freak things that will happen, but at the end of the day, if we just keep our best interest in mind, we’ll be alright.”

On if he ran the ball this much in high school and expected to run the ball this much at K-State…

“They told me coming in that running the ball was definitely going to be a big part of the game here. It’s a part of the offense and a lot of it is option game and designed quarterback runs. I didn’t do as many designs, actually I did a decent amount last year. I didn’t early in my high school career. I did more of it last year on third down and short and critical fourth downs. They liked to run some quarterback powers. We actually ran a fair amount of option last year, a little more than usual. So, I’d say that got me ready for this. I’ve run the option before. I’ve done it, but obviously, it’s a different level and having guys around me that can make plays like they do. And being able to hand the ball off to Deuce (Vaughn) and Phil (Phillip Brooks) and everybody, it’s just a different type of game. Just continuing trying to do my part in terms of that and trying to get better running the ball and more comfortable with it. I feel like I’ll continue to do that. It’s a part of this offense. It’s something that’s going to be asked of me and asked of all quarterbacks in this offense. I’m ready to accept that challenge.”

On if people underestimate his speed…

“Yeah, I’d say you look at me, I’m longer, taller, you probably don’t think I’m the fastest guy on the field. But I feel like once I get out in space, my long strides will take care of themselves. I’m not anywhere close to where I want to be. I want to continue to keep working on my speed and continue to get faster throughout this year and throughout my career.”

🎥 🏈 K-State Holds Weekly Football Press Conference During Final Bye Week; COVID-19 outbreak

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the eighth-consecutive year Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2020-21 season ranked seventh or higher as KU is No. 6 in the 2020-21 preseason Associated Press poll released Monday. Kansas has been ranked in the Associated Press top 25 for 221 consecutive weeks, which is the longest active streak in the nation. Kansas’s first opponent, Gonzaga, is No. 1 followed by Big 12 foe Baylor at No. 2. Villanova is No. 3, Virginia No. 4 and Iowa No. 5 before KU. &nbsp; Last season, Kansas entered the preseason ranked No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 1 for the fourth time in school history (2020, 2016, 2010, 1997). The Jayhawks were ranked in the AP top 10 for every poll in 2019-20. It is also the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP. Under 18th-year and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, this is the 15th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll. Historically, the No. 6 ranking marks the 23rd time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher. Kansas will play 12&nbsp;regular-season games against teams ranked in the AP top 25, including three in the top five: No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 2 Baylor (twice), No. 10 Kentucky, No. 11 Creighton, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 14 Texas Tech (twice), No. 15 West Virginia (twice) and No. 19 Texas (twice). Kansas returns three starters and nine letter winners from last season’s 28-3 team which won the Big 12 regular-season title going 17-1 in conference play. KU ended the year ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls as the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020-21 Associated Press Preseason Poll (Nov. 9, 2020) Rank. School (first place votes) – points 1. Gonzaga (28) - 1541 2. Baylor (24) - 1540 3. Villanova (11) - 1501 4. Virginia (1) - 1364 5. Iowa - 1273 6. KANSAS - 1221 7. Wisconsin - 1150 8. Illinois - 1105 9. Duke - 1073 0 10. Kentucky - 1038 11. Creighton - 922 12. Tennessee - 919 13. Michigan State - 820 14. Texas Tech - 790 15. West Virginia - 651 16. North Carolina - 465 17. Houston - 438 18. Arizona State - 402 19. Texas - 380 20. Oregon - 375 21. Florida State - 351 22. UCLA - 336 23. Ohio State - 270 24. Rutgers - 190 25. Michigan - 160&nbsp;&nbsp;

LAWRENCE, Kan. –&nbsp;For the eighth-consecutive year Kansas men’s basketball enters the 2020-21 season ranked seventh or higher as KU is No. 6 in the 2020-21 preseason Associated Press poll released Monday. Kansas has been ranked in the Associated Press top 25 for 221 consecutive weeks, which is the longest active streak in the nation. Kansas’s first opponent, Gonzaga, is No. 1 followed by Big 12 foe Baylor at No. 2. Villanova is No. 3, Virginia No. 4 and Iowa No. 5 before KU. &nbsp; Last season, Kansas entered the preseason ranked No. 3 nationally in the Associated Press poll and ended at No. 1 for the fourth time in school history (2020, 2016, 2010, 1997). The Jayhawks were ranked in the AP top 10 for every poll in 2019-20. It is also the 11th time in the last 12 seasons that the Jayhawks have entered the season No. 7 or higher by the AP. Under 18th-year and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self, this is the 15th time that Kansas enters the season ranked seventh or higher in the Associated Press preseason poll. Historically, the No. 6 ranking marks the 23rd time since the 1992-93 season that Kansas will enter the season seventh or higher. Kansas will play 12&nbsp;regular-season games against teams ranked in the AP top 25, including three in the top five: No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 2 Baylor (twice), No. 10 Kentucky, No. 11 Creighton, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 14 Texas Tech (twice), No. 15 West Virginia (twice) and No. 19 Texas (twice). Kansas returns three starters and nine letter winners from last season’s 28-3 team which won the Big 12 regular-season title going 17-1 in conference play. KU ended the year ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls as the 2019-20 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020-21 Associated Press Preseason Poll (Nov. 9, 2020) Rank. School (first place votes) – points 1. Gonzaga (28) - 1541 2. Baylor (24) - 1540 3. Villanova (11) - 1501 4. Virginia (1) - 1364 5. Iowa - 1273 6. KANSAS - 1221 7. Wisconsin - 1150 8. Illinois - 1105 9. Duke - 1073 0 10. Kentucky - 1038 11. Creighton - 922 12. Tennessee - 919 13. Michigan State - 820 14. Texas Tech - 790 15. West Virginia - 651 16. North Carolina - 465 17. Houston - 438 18. Arizona State - 402 19. Texas - 380 20. Oregon - 375 21. Florida State - 351 22. UCLA - 336 23. Ohio State - 270 24. Rutgers - 190 25. Michigan - 160&nbsp;&nbsp;

🏀 Kansas No. 6 in Preseason Associated Press Poll

🎙 AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Tuesday

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Cam Newton and the New England Patriots appeared headed to a fifth straight loss — this one against the winless New York Jets, of all teams.

Then came the fourth quarter, and potential embarrassment turned into big-time relief.

Nick Folk kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired to win it 30-27 on Monday night after Newton rallied the Patriots from a 10-point deficit to avoid the franchise’s first five-game skid since 1995.

“It shows the character of this team,” said Rex Burkhead, who had a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. “Just battling, fighting. It shows the strength we have. We’re not going to quit. We’re not going to lay down.”

Newton had two touchdown runs, with the second tying it at 27 with 1:57 remaining. He also brushed off his struggles of the past few weeks, including a fumble against Buffalo last week that sealed a loss.

“I’m getting tired of sucking,” said Newton, who was 27 of 35 for 274 yards passing. “It’s simple. As a competitor, you know what your standard is. Taking pride in your work, that’s what it comes down to.”

After the Jets (0-9) went three-and-out for the first time all night, the Patriots (3-5) got the ball back with 47 seconds left and went to work.

Newton had a 5-yard run on third-and-1 from the New England 42 and then spiked the ball with 8 seconds remaining. He followed with a 20-yard pass to Jakobi Meyers to put Folk — who made several big kicks for the Jets from 2010-16 — in position for the winning field goal.

“I had a lot of good memories here at MetLife (Stadium),” said Folk, who had been dealing with a back injury. “I just added one to the other sideline tonight.”

Meanwhile, the Jets dropped to 0-9 for the first time in franchise history, and this was one was particularly agonizing.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said wide receiver Jamison Crowder, whose 20-yard TD catch shortly before halftime gave the Jets a 20-10 lead. “That was a tough loss right there. That was a game we should’ve won.”

After Folk’s 29-yarder with 6:04 left cut the Patriots’ deficit to 27-20, quarterback Joe Flacco — having a solid night until that point while starting for an injured Sam Darnold — tried to put the game away.

Instead, he swayed the momentum in New England’s favor.

Flacco’s deep pass down the middle for Denzel Mims was picked off by J.C. Jackson. That set up Newton’s tying TD — and deflated the Jets, who couldn’t recover.

“I don’t think I would’ve made a different decision in the moment,” Flacco said. “But, obviously, I’d like to have that one back.”

Flacco was 18 of 25 for 262 yards and three touchdown passes — two to Breshad Perriman and one to Crowder — but had the game-changing interception.

With the Patriots down by 10, Newton marched them down the field to open the second half, capping a 14-play drive with Burkhead’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone to make it 20-17.

But the Jets answered right back, with Flacco finding a wide-open Perriman in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown and a 27-17 lead with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.

A miscue by the Jets on special teams kept the Patriots’ next drive alive.

After Newton stumbled on third-and-1 and was stopped for a 4-yard loss, New England appeared to have to settle for a 32-yard field goal. But the Jets were called for 12 men on the field — resulting in a first down for the Patriots. The defense made up for the mistake, getting a red-zone stop — with an assist from a holding penalty on New England right tackle Mike Onwenu — and holding the Patriots to a field goal to make it 27-20 with 6:04 left.

But New England got the ball right back when Flacco was picked off by Jackson, who has interceptions in four straight games.

With the Jets looking for a stop on third down, Bless Austin was called for defensive holding, keeping the drive alive.

Damien Harris ran for 21 yards to get New England into Jets territory. He followed with a 9-yard gain, but it was called back because of an offensive holding penalty on Meyers. Harris also took a big hit on the run and was down for several minutes before walking gingerly to the sideline.

Three plays later, Newton completed a 19-yard pass to Meyers and then ran for 3 yards on fourth-and-1. Newton hit Damiere Byrd for 31 yards to put the ball at the 3.

With a taxed Jets defense tiring, Newton ran for 2 yards on first down, was stopped for no gain and then pushed his way into the end zone for his second rushing TD of the game to tie it with 1:57 remaining.

“It was a good win,” coach Bill Belichick said. “I thought we made the plays we needed to make at the end of the game. Certainly some things we can do better. But we played good complementary football at the end of the game.”

Flacco passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (40,551) for 20th on the NFL’s career yards passing list on his first TD pass to Perriman, a 50-yarder in the second quarter that put the Jets up 13-7. Flacco has thrown for 40,726 yards.

Meyers had 12 catches for a career-best 169 yards, joining Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman as the only Patriots players with 150 or more yards receiving in a game in the past five seasons.

Patriots: LT Isaiah Wynn left briefly in the first half with an ankle injury, but returned.

Jets: Rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton left in the first half with a chest injury, but coach Adam Gase was unsure if it was a torn pectoral. Cornerback Brian Poole was also ruled out at halftime after injuring a knee in the second quarter.

Patriots: Host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday night.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Cam Newton and the New England Patriots appeared headed to a fifth straight loss — this one against the winless New York Jets, of all teams.Then came the fourth quarter, and potential embarrassment turned into big-time relief.Nick Folk kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired to win it 30-27 on Monday night after Newton rallied the Patriots from a 10-point deficit to avoid the franchise’s first five-game skid since 1995.“It shows the character of this team,” said Rex Burkhead, who had a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. “Just battling, fighting. It shows the strength we have. We’re not going to quit. We’re not going to lay down.”Newton had two touchdown runs, with the second tying it at 27 with 1:57 remaining. He also brushed off his struggles of the past few weeks, including a fumble against Buffalo last week that sealed a loss.“I’m getting tired of sucking,” said Newton, who was 27 of 35 for 274 yards passing. “It’s simple. As a competitor, you know what your standard is. Taking pride in your work, that’s what it comes down to.”After the Jets (0-9) went three-and-out for the first time all night, the Patriots (3-5) got the ball back with 47 seconds left and went to work.Newton had a 5-yard run on third-and-1 from the New England 42 and then spiked the ball with 8 seconds remaining. He followed with a 20-yard pass to Jakobi Meyers to put Folk — who made several big kicks for the Jets from 2010-16 — in position for the winning field goal.“I had a lot of good memories here at MetLife (Stadium),” said Folk, who had been dealing with a back injury. “I just added one to the other sideline tonight.”Meanwhile, the Jets dropped to 0-9 for the first time in franchise history, and this was one was particularly agonizing.“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said wide receiver Jamison Crowder, whose 20-yard TD catch shortly before halftime gave the Jets a 20-10 lead. “That was a tough loss right there. That was a game we should’ve won.”After Folk’s 29-yarder with 6:04 left cut the Patriots’ deficit to 27-20, quarterback Joe Flacco — having a solid night until that point while starting for an injured Sam Darnold — tried to put the game away.Instead, he swayed the momentum in New England’s favor.Flacco’s deep pass down the middle for Denzel Mims was picked off by J.C. Jackson. That set up Newton’s tying TD — and deflated the Jets, who couldn’t recover.“I don’t think I would’ve made a different decision in the moment,” Flacco said. “But, obviously, I’d like to have that one back.”Flacco was 18 of 25 for 262 yards and three touchdown passes — two to Breshad Perriman and one to Crowder — but had the game-changing interception.With the Patriots down by 10, Newton marched them down the field to open the second half, capping a 14-play drive with Burkhead’s 1-yard plunge into the end zone to make it 20-17.But the Jets answered right back, with Flacco finding a wide-open Perriman in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown and a 27-17 lead with 30 seconds left in the third quarter.A miscue by the Jets on special teams kept the Patriots’ next drive alive.After Newton stumbled on third-and-1 and was stopped for a 4-yard loss, New England appeared to have to settle for a 32-yard field goal. But the Jets were called for 12 men on the field — resulting in a first down for the Patriots. The defense made up for the mistake, getting a red-zone stop — with an assist from a holding penalty on New England right tackle Mike Onwenu — and holding the Patriots to a field goal to make it 27-20 with 6:04 left.But New England got the ball right back when Flacco was picked off by Jackson, who has interceptions in four straight games.With the Jets looking for a stop on third down, Bless Austin was called for defensive holding, keeping the drive alive.Damien Harris ran for 21 yards to get New England into Jets territory. He followed with a 9-yard gain, but it was called back because of an offensive holding penalty on Meyers. Harris also took a big hit on the run and was down for several minutes before walking gingerly to the sideline.Three plays later, Newton completed a 19-yard pass to Meyers and then ran for 3 yards on fourth-and-1. Newton hit Damiere Byrd for 31 yards to put the ball at the 3.With a taxed Jets defense tiring, Newton ran for 2 yards on first down, was stopped for no gain and then pushed his way into the end zone for his second rushing TD of the game to tie it with 1:57 remaining.“It was a good win,” coach Bill Belichick said. “I thought we made the plays we needed to make at the end of the game. Certainly some things we can do better. But we played good complementary football at the end of the game.”JOE PASSES JOEFlacco passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana (40,551) for 20th on the NFL’s career yards passing list on his first TD pass to Perriman, a 50-yarder in the second quarter that put the Jets up 13-7. Flacco has thrown for 40,726 yards.CATCHING ONMeyers had 12 catches for a career-best 169 yards, joining Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman as the only Patriots players with 150 or more yards receiving in a game in the past five seasons.INJURIESPatriots: LT Isaiah Wynn left briefly in the first half with an ankle injury, but returned.Jets: Rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton left in the first half with a chest injury, but coach Adam Gase was unsure if it was a torn pectoral. Cornerback Brian Poole was also ruled out at halftime after injuring a knee in the second quarter.UP NEXTPatriots: Host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday night.

🏈 Patriots storm back to beat Jets 30-27, end 4-game skid

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are exactly where they anticipated being at the midway point of the season: first in the AFC West, their offense humming and their defense playing well. The only blip through eight games came against the Las Vegas Raiders, when they played their worst game of the season and had their 13-game win streak snapped. The defeat left the Chiefs (8-1) chasing the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers for the sole first-round bye in the AFC,.

UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback Stetson Bennett's status as 12th-ranked Georgia's starter is uncertain even if he recovers from a shoulder injury in time to play this week at Missouri. Bennett has started the last five games, including last week's 44-28 loss to Florida that knocked the Bulldogs out of the SEC East lead. Bennett suffered an AC sprain in his right shoulder in the loss to the Gators. Coach Kirby Smart is not saying if a healthy Bennett would start against Missouri. D'Wan Mathis, who played behind Bennett against the Gators, JT Daniels and freshman Carson Beck will compete at quarterback while Bennett is out.

UNDATED (AP) — Northwestern is 3-0 start for the first time since 2015 largely because of a defense that's yet to give up a point after halftime. In a 21-13 win over Nebraska, the Cornhuskers reached the Northwestern 25, 4 and 14 after half and came away empty each time. Two of those series ended with interceptions and the third on downs. Jarek Broussard had the most rushing yards by a player in his first game for Colorado, going for 187 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-42 win over UCLA. Oklahoma sacked Kansas' Jalon Daniels a national season-high and school record-tying nine times in a 62-9 win.

UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten is kind of upside down early in this strange and abbreviated season. Indiana is No. 10 and Northwestern No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25. Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State are nowhere to be found. The last time that foursome of former national championship programs was unranked at the same time was Oct. 13, 2013. Though that season Michigan State would finish No. 3 in the country. The other three were out by the end.&nbsp;

Patriots storm back to beat Jets 30-27, end 4-game skid

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Nick Folk kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired, and Cam Newton and the New England Patriots rallied to beat the winless New York Jets 30-27 to end a four-game losing streak. 

Newton had two touchdown runs and the second tied it at 27 with 1:57 remaining, erasing a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. 

After the Jets went three-and-out, the Patriots got the ball back with 47 seconds left and went to work to put Folk in position for the winning field goal. 

The Jets dropped to 0-9 for the first time in franchise history, and this was an agonizing loss. 

NFL's Patriots won't have fans at any games

UNDATED (AP) — The New England Patriots won't be allowed to have fans at any home games this season at Gillette Stadium.

Team officials say they've been informed that an executive order from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker prohibiting large capacity venues from opening to the public will remain in force for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season and the pro soccer season.

Stadium officials and Kraft Sports Entertainment tried to develop a plan to safely host a reduced number of fans that complies with guidelines issued by the CDC, the National Football League and Major League Soccer, but a rising number of virus cases in Massachusetts forced the decision.

— The Browns welcomed back several starters from injury for their first practice after the bye, but quarterback Baker Mayfield was missing. Mayfield was placed on the COVID-19 list on Sunday after coming in close contact with a staff member who tested positive with the virus. Mayfield could be back as soon as Wednesday if he continues to test negative. Running back Nick Chubb practiced for the first time since spraining his right knee last month. Chubb, who missed four games, looked quick while wearing a brace in drills. The Browns also got back starting right guard Wyatt Teller.

— Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Vance McDonald has tested positive for COVID-19. He's the first player from the NFL's last unbeaten team to be diagnosed with the novel coronavirus since the start of the regular season. The team says it was notified of the positive test on Monday morning, hours after the Steelers improved to 8-0 with a 24-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys. McDonald traveled to Dallas with the team and played 24 snaps against the Cowboys. He immediately self-quarantined after receiving news of the positive test and the Steelers remain in the NFL's intensive protocol.

— The San Francisco 49ers have placed receiver Kendrick Bourne back on the COVID-19 list three days after removing him. Bourne tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was forced to miss the game against Green Bay along with three teammates who were deemed "high-risk" contacts. Bourne then was removed from the list following two straight negative tests but now is back on it. The Niners also opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman has been sidelined since injuring his calf in Week 1.

— The Green Bay Packers have activated linebacker Kamal Martin and running back Jamaal Williams from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Martin and Williams both sat out the Packers' 34-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.

— The Chicago Bears have activated backup offensive tackle Jason Spriggs from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Spriggs was one of two Bears players to test positive last week. Starting right guard Germain Ifedi was also placed on the C0VID list because of a close contact, and the Bears shut their facility and canceled practice last Thursday. Ifedi was cleared to play against Tennessee on Sunday. The Bears also removed defensive back Michael Joseph from the COVID list, but he's on injured reserve.

— The Denver Broncos tight end group took another hit Monday with when tests showed rookie Albert Okwuegbunam sustained a torn ACL in his right knee at Atlanta on Sunday. The fourth-round pick from Missouri had a built-in chemistry with Broncos quarterback Drew Lock after the two played together two years in college. Okwuegbunam caught 17 touchdown passes from Lock in college and last week hauled in his first TD in the NFL. He was injured on his only catch Sunday in Denver's loss at Atlanta.

— Panthers coach Matt Rhule says running back Christian McCaffrey is "day to day" with a shoulder injury he suffered in the closing minutes of Carolina's 33-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rhule would not say if McCaffrey has had an MRI or an X-ray, adding that he should know more about the extent of the injury on Wednesday. McCaffrey missed six games with a high ankle sprain before returning on Sunday against the Chiefs and racking up 151 total yards and two touchdowns. He was injured with 1:10 left in the game when he was tackled near the sideline by Chiefs linebacker Dan Sorenson and landed on his shoulder.

— The Atlanta Falcons have waived defensive end Takk McKinley, a 2017 first-round pick who recently made public his displeasure he had not been traded. McKinley battled groin injuries this season and missed five games, including Sunday's 34-27 win over Denver. The Falcons' release of McKinley was not a surprise. Interim coach Raheem Morris said last week McKinley's status with the team was uncertain after McKinley posted on his Twitter account that he requested trades in 2019 and again this year. Morris said last week he planned to determine if McKinley "can even be on this team."

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — No. 13 Wisconsin expects to play Saturday at Michigan after canceling its last two games due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the team.

Wisconsin officials said Monday they have five active COVID-19 cases involving three staff members and two players. Five of the last six days have resulted in no positive cases. Only one staffer and one player have tested positive over the last week.

Wisconsin hasn't played since a season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois on Oct. 23. The Badgers canceled games at Nebraska and at home with Purdue over the last two weeks.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are exactly where they anticipated being at the midway point of the season: first in the AFC West, their offense humming and their defense playing well. The only blip through eight games came against the Las Vegas Raiders, when they played their worst game of the season and had their 13-game win streak snapped. The defeat left the Chiefs (8-1) chasing the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers for the sole first-round bye in the AFC,.UNDATED (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes piled up some big numbers at Arrowhead Stadium last week, and not just on Sunday when he threw for four touchdowns in a 33-31 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Mahomes and his foundation chipped in to help pay for 40 voting machines so his home stadium could serve as a giant polling place on Election Day. Mahomes said he voted for the first time this year as did Broncos star linebacker Von Miller. The AFC West rivals were among the NFL players helping to get out the vote in 2020.&nbsp;UNDATED (AP) — Quarterback Stetson Bennett's status as 12th-ranked Georgia's starter is uncertain even if he recovers from a shoulder injury in time to play this week at Missouri. Bennett has started the last five games, including last week's 44-28 loss to Florida that knocked the Bulldogs out of the SEC East lead. Bennett suffered an AC sprain in his right shoulder in the loss to the Gators. Coach Kirby Smart is not saying if a healthy Bennett would start against Missouri. D'Wan Mathis, who played behind Bennett against the Gators, JT Daniels and freshman Carson Beck will compete at quarterback while Bennett is out.UNDATED (AP) — Northwestern is 3-0 start for the first time since 2015 largely because of a defense that's yet to give up a point after halftime. In a 21-13 win over Nebraska, the Cornhuskers reached the Northwestern 25, 4 and 14 after half and came away empty each time. Two of those series ended with interceptions and the third on downs. Jarek Broussard had the most rushing yards by a player in his first game for Colorado, going for 187 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-42 win over UCLA. Oklahoma sacked Kansas' Jalon Daniels a national season-high and school record-tying nine times in a 62-9 win.UNDATED (AP) — The Big Ten is kind of upside down early in this strange and abbreviated season. Indiana is No. 10 and Northwestern No. 23 in the latest AP Top 25. Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State are nowhere to be found. The last time that foursome of former national championship programs was unranked at the same time was Oct. 13, 2013. Though that season Michigan State would finish No. 3 in the country. The other three were out by the end.&nbsp;<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NFL-SCHEDULEPatriots storm back to beat Jets 30-27, end 4-game skidEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Nick Folk kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired, and Cam Newton and the New England Patriots rallied to beat the winless New York Jets 30-27 to end a four-game losing streak. Newton had two touchdown runs and the second tied it at 27 with 1:57 remaining, erasing a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. After the Jets went three-and-out, the Patriots got the ball back with 47 seconds left and went to work to put Folk in position for the winning field goal. The Jets dropped to 0-9 for the first time in franchise history, and this was an agonizing loss. NFL-NEWSNFL's Patriots won't have fans at any gamesUNDATED (AP) — The New England Patriots won't be allowed to have fans at any home games this season at Gillette Stadium.Team officials say they've been informed that an executive order from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker prohibiting large capacity venues from opening to the public will remain in force for the remainder of the 2020 NFL season and the pro soccer season.Stadium officials and Kraft Sports Entertainment tried to develop a plan to safely host a reduced number of fans that complies with guidelines issued by the CDC, the National Football League and Major League Soccer, but a rising number of virus cases in Massachusetts forced the decision.Elsewhere in the NFL:— The Browns welcomed back several starters from injury for their first practice after the bye, but quarterback Baker Mayfield was missing. Mayfield was placed on the COVID-19 list on Sunday after coming in close contact with a staff member who tested positive with the virus. Mayfield could be back as soon as Wednesday if he continues to test negative. Running back Nick Chubb practiced for the first time since spraining his right knee last month. Chubb, who missed four games, looked quick while wearing a brace in drills. The Browns also got back starting right guard Wyatt Teller.— Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Vance McDonald has tested positive for COVID-19. He's the first player from the NFL's last unbeaten team to be diagnosed with the novel coronavirus since the start of the regular season. The team says it was notified of the positive test on Monday morning, hours after the Steelers improved to 8-0 with a 24-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys. McDonald traveled to Dallas with the team and played 24 snaps against the Cowboys. He immediately self-quarantined after receiving news of the positive test and the Steelers remain in the NFL's intensive protocol.— The San Francisco 49ers have placed receiver Kendrick Bourne back on the COVID-19 list three days after removing him. Bourne tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was forced to miss the game against Green Bay along with three teammates who were deemed "high-risk" contacts. Bourne then was removed from the list following two straight negative tests but now is back on it. The Niners also opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman has been sidelined since injuring his calf in Week 1.— The Green Bay Packers have activated linebacker Kamal Martin and running back Jamaal Williams from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Martin and Williams both sat out the Packers' 34-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night.— The Chicago Bears have activated backup offensive tackle Jason Spriggs from the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Spriggs was one of two Bears players to test positive last week. Starting right guard Germain Ifedi was also placed on the C0VID list because of a close contact, and the Bears shut their facility and canceled practice last Thursday. Ifedi was cleared to play against Tennessee on Sunday. The Bears also removed defensive back Michael Joseph from the COVID list, but he's on injured reserve.— The Denver Broncos tight end group took another hit Monday with when tests showed rookie Albert Okwuegbunam sustained a torn ACL in his right knee at Atlanta on Sunday. The fourth-round pick from Missouri had a built-in chemistry with Broncos quarterback Drew Lock after the two played together two years in college. Okwuegbunam caught 17 touchdown passes from Lock in college and last week hauled in his first TD in the NFL. He was injured on his only catch Sunday in Denver's loss at Atlanta.— Panthers coach Matt Rhule says running back Christian McCaffrey is "day to day" with a shoulder injury he suffered in the closing minutes of Carolina's 33-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rhule would not say if McCaffrey has had an MRI or an X-ray, adding that he should know more about the extent of the injury on Wednesday. McCaffrey missed six games with a high ankle sprain before returning on Sunday against the Chiefs and racking up 151 total yards and two touchdowns. He was injured with 1:10 left in the game when he was tackled near the sideline by Chiefs linebacker Dan Sorenson and landed on his shoulder.— The Atlanta Falcons have waived defensive end Takk McKinley, a 2017 first-round pick who recently made public his displeasure he had not been traded. McKinley battled groin injuries this season and missed five games, including Sunday's 34-27 win over Denver. The Falcons' release of McKinley was not a surprise. Interim coach Raheem Morris said last week McKinley's status with the team was uncertain after McKinley posted on his Twitter account that he requested trades in 2019 and again this year. Morris said last week he planned to determine if McKinley "can even be on this team."VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE FOOTBALLWisconsin expects to playMADISON, Wis. (AP) — No. 13 Wisconsin expects to play Saturday at Michigan after canceling its last two games due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the team.Wisconsin officials said Monday they have five active COVID-19 cases involving three staff members and two players. Five of the last six days have resulted in no positive cases. Only one staffer and one player have tested positive over the last week.Wisconsin hasn't played since a season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois on Oct. 23. The Badgers canceled games at Nebraska and at home with Purdue over the last two weeks.In other developments in college football:— No. 5 Texas A&amp;M has paused in-person activities after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The tests came after the team returned from its win at South Carolina over the weekend. Coach Jimbo Fisher says he is confident the Aggies will play Saturday at Tennessee. But he also says additional testing and contact tracing is under way. — LSU coach Ed Orgeron says a coronavirus outbreak and resulting quarantines among his players have made it difficult to know whether a number of starters or regulars will be available for Saturday's scheduled game against No. 1 Alabama. Orgeron says he's not even sure whether the game might need to be postponed but stresses that for now LSU is planning to play this weekend.— Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman has tested positive for COVID-19 and could miss the Razorbacks' game at No. 6 Florida on Saturday. The university made the announcement Monday in a news release. Pittman was tested Sunday as part of the team's regular protocol and learned Monday that his test came back positive— No. 1 Alabama's coach Nick Saban says running back Trey Sanders is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for unspecified injuries sustained in a car accident. Saban says Sanders' surgery was successful and that he was at UAB Hospital in Birmingham. The redshirt freshman was injured in a car accident Friday morning.— Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson will be out of Saturday's lineup against No. 13 Wisconsin and likely for the rest of the season. Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh says Hutchinson needs surgery after breaking his leg against Indiana. The junior led all linemen with eight tackles against Minnesota and seven tackles against Michigan State. MLB-ROOKIES OF THE YEARBrewers' Williams, Mariners CF Lewis win Rookie of the YearUNDATED (AP) — Seattle Mariners center fielder Kyle Lewis is the unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year award, and Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams won the NL honor on Monday night.The 25-year-old Lewis was one of baseball's breakout stars during the pandemic-shortened season, batting .262 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs in 58 games. He led big league rookies with 37 runs, 90 total bases and a .364 on-base percentage.Lewis also made a couple of memorable plays in center, robbing Oakland's Ramón Laureano of a grand slam on Sept. 14. He is the first player to win the award for Seattle since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001.Featuring a devastating changeup and a four-seam fastball that gets into the upper 90s, Williams was practically unhittable during the pandemic-shortened season. The 26-year-old right-hander went 4-1 with a microscopic 0.33 ERA, striking out 53 in just 27 innings. Williams is the first player to win the award for Milwaukee since Ryan Braun in 2007. He is the first reliever to take home the honor in either league since Craig Kimbrel for Atlanta in 2011. San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth and Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm finished tied for second in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.MLB-NEWSDodgers organization has 5 positive virus casesUNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers organization has five people that have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That's according to figures from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. County health officials say one family member from the organization also has tested positive. The identities of those testing positive have not been released and the team has not commented publicly. It's not clear if the number of positive tests includes third baseman Justin Turner. He was removed from the team's World Series clinching win after testing positive but after the game celebrated on the field with his teammates.In other baseball news:— Right-handed pitcher Dereck Rodríguez has signed a minor-league contract with the Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old is the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodríguez. Dereck Rodríguez appeared in 51 games over three seasons with the San Francisco Giants. He compiled a 12-15 record with a 4.27 ERA before being designated for assignment by the Giants on Aug. 26. He was claimed off waivers five days later by Detroit before recently becoming a free agent.— Former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the team, seeking more than $22 million in salary owed under his deal when he was fired in January. The suit filed in Houston claims Luhnow was unaware a camera was used to steal signs during the team's run to the 2017 World Series title, which Commissioner Rob Manfred found violated baseball rules against electronics. Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch were suspended for the season on Jan. 13 by Manfred and fired by the Astros later that day. — Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa has been charged with driving under the influence again. According to the Maricopa County Justice Courts website, the arrest occurred in February, but the case was filed on Oct. 28, one day before La Russa's hiring was announced by the White Sox. Team spokesman Scott Reifert said the White Sox were aware of the arrest when the 76-year-old La Russa was hired. La Russa pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Florida in 2007 after police found him asleep inside his running sport utility vehicle at a stop light and smelling of alcohol. He said then he accepted full responsibility and it would never happen again.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-POLLGonzaga starts on topUNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga will begin the college basketball season at No. 1 for the first time. The Zags earned 28 first-place votes in the preseason Top 25 from The Associated Press. That was four more first-place votes than second-place Baylor and gave the Bulldogs the top spot by a single point. Villanova received 11 first-place votes and was third while Virginia received one first-place vote and was fourth. Iowa was fifth behind national player of the year contender Luka Garza.Then came a wave of bluebloods with Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, Duke and Kentucky completing the top 10.BOEHEIM FATAL CRASHSyracuse's Jim Boeheim facing lawsuit in fatal crashSYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim is being sued over a fatal accident he was involved in nearly two years ago. According to Syracuse.com, the family of Jorge Jimenez alleged the coach's actions were "negligent, reckless and wanton." Jimenez was struck and killed by an SUV driven by Boeheim in February 2019 after he had exited a disabled car. Boeheim hit the 51-year-old Jimenez while swerving to avoid hitting the car. Police found Boeheim was not reckless and did not charge him.The four-page lawsuit was filed in Onondaga County Supreme Court in Syracuse and seeks an unspecified settlement.GOLF-MASTERS-GARCIAGarcia is out after positive COVID testAUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia is the second player to withdraw from Augusta National after testing positive for the coronavirus. Garcia won the green jacket three years ago for his only major. Joaquin Niemann of Chile announced on social media last week that he tested positive. That brings the field to 94 players on the first day of Masters week. Garcia won the Sanderson Farms Championship last month for his first U.S. victory since his Masters win. He missed the cut last week in Houston. That was the first domestic PGA Tour event that allowed limited fans.