MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in the third quarter, one to Travis Kelce after the All-Pro tight end briefly left the game with an ankle injury, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-20. Mahomes went 31 for 41 for 281 yards and no turnovers in his most efficient performance of the season for the defending champion Chiefs. Kirk Cousins threw touchdowns to Jordan Addison and Alexander Mattison for the Vikings. Minnesota had two chances at the tying touchdown in the final five minutes but was hindered by a late hamstring injury to star receiver Justin Jefferson.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw three of his four touchdown passes to George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers extended their dominance over the Dallas Cowboys with a 42-10 victory. The Niners knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs in tight games the past two seasons and that added intrigue to this early season matchup between perceived contenders. The rematch wasn’t even close. The Niners led 14-0 before the Cowboys got their initial first down of the night and were never really threatened on the way to matching a franchise record with their 15th straight regular-season win. Dallas had its most lopsided loss in 10 years.
DENVER (AP) — The expression on Sean Payton’s face when his quarterback retreated to the sideline after his last-minute fumble sealed Denver’s latest loss was a combination of exasperation, irritation and frustration. A telling look by the coach of the Denver Broncos to sum up the game and, really, the season so far.
Payton appeared none too pleased with Russell Wilson after his QB’s late fumble while scrambling away from pressure was returned 39 yards for a touchdown by Bryce Hall that capped the New York Jets’ 31-21 win Sunday. Denver had a third quarter in which the offense totaled minus-16 yards in four drives.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots are struggling like they never have since Bill Belichick took over in 2000. The Patriots are 1-4 after getting shut out 34-0 by the New Orleans Saints. That came a week after a 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys that was the worst loss in Belichick's career. This one is the biggest home shutout in Patriots history, and second only to a 52-0 loss to the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. Belichick says the answer is to “start over.” Asked if Mac Jones was still the starting quarterback, Belichick said it wasn't all Jones' fault.
DALLAS (AP) — Oklahoma and Texas might not be done playing each other in the Big 12 before going to the Southeastern Conference next year. Midway through the farewell season for the Big 12’s only remaining members with national championships, the fifth-ranked Sooners and No. 9 Longhorns again have established themselves as the league’s top two teams. Oklahoma is 6-0 and Texas is 5-1. The Sooners won 34-30 in their game Saturday at the State Fair of Texas. There could be a rematch in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2 at AT&T Stadium. Both have open dates next weekend.
UNDATED (AP) — Oklahoma moved up to No. 5 in The Associated Press college football poll and Miami’s late-game gaffe nearly cost the 25th-ranked Hurricanes a spot in the rankings. No. 1 Georgia got 50 first-place votes after 35 last week. No. 2 Michigan had 11 first-place votes. No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State each moved up a spot and received a first-place vote. Oklahoma jumped seven places after beating Texas. The Longhorns slipped to No. 9. For the first time ever, basketball blue bloods Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Kansas and Louisville are ranked in football at the same time.
HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Correa had three hits and three RBIs and Pablo López pitched seven shutout innings, helping the Minnesota Twins beat the Houston Astros 6-2 in Game 2 of their AL Division Series. Kyle Farmer hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who bounced back nicely after losing 6-4 in the series opener on Saturday night. Game 3 of the best-of-five series is at Minnesota on Tuesday. Correa, an October star for so many years in Houston, has returned to the postseason with a vengeance. He hit an RBI double in the first inning in Game 2. He batted with the bases loaded in the fifth and singled to center, driving in two more runs and lifting the Twins to a 5-0 lead.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Mitch Garver hit a third-inning grand slam and the Texas Rangers won their fourth consecutive game to start this postseason, pushing the Baltimore Orioles to the brink of elimination with an 11-8 victory in Game 2 of the AL Division Series. The wild-card Rangers have outscored the Orioles and Tampa Bay — the top two teams in the American League in the regular season — by 25-11. Bruce Bochy moved within one win of his first AL Championship Series as a manager. He reached that round four times in the National League, winning three World Series titles with San Francisco.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers remain all-in with Clayton Kershaw. Manager Dave Roberts has re-confirmed that the three-time Cy Young Award winner will start in Game 4 if the Dodgers can force the best-of-five NL Division Series to that point. The Arizona Diamondbacks tagged Kershaw for six runs in the first inning of their 11-2 win in Game 1. Now, the Dodgers will turn to 24-year-old rookie Bobby Miller against 17-game winner Zac Gallen in Game 2 on Monday. Miller beat the D-backs twice during the regular season, while Gallen lost both of his starts against the Dodgers.
ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Simone Biles has won two more gold medals at the 2023 gymnastics world championships. She first claimed the women’s beam with a superb routine on the final day of the competition, and returned later in the afternoon to take the gold medal in the floor exercise final. In Antwerp, Belgium, where she started her collection of 23 world titles 10 years ago, Biles has made a stunning return to the international stage. She also claimed a silver medal on vault after the sixth all-around title that made her the most decorated gymnast in history, male or female. And she led the U.S. women to a record seventh straight victory in the team event. Biles has won a record 37 medals at the world championships and Olympics.
SUNDAY SCORES
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Texas 11 Baltimore 8
Final Minnesota 6 Houston 2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Jacksonville 25 Buffalo 20
Final Atlanta 21 Houston 19
Final Detroit 42 Carolina 24
Final Indianapolis 23 Tennessee 16
Final Miami 31 N-Y Giants 16
Final New Orleans 34 New England 0
Final Pittsburgh 17 Baltimore 10
Final Cincinnati 34 Arizona 20
Final Philadelphia 23 L.A. Rams 14
Final Kansas City 27 Minnesota 20
Final N-Y Jets 31 Denver 21
Final San Francisco 42 Dallas 10