KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rather than heading into their bye tied atop the AFC West with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Kansas City Chiefs rallied for a 44-23 win at San Francisco and improved to 5-2 on the season. That left them just a half-game back of Buffalo for the best record in the conference. And a valid argument could be made that the first seven games were far more difficult than what Kansas City will face down the stretch. Six of the remaining 10 games are against teams that are .500 or have a losing record, including Jacksonville, Denver, Las Vegas and Houston.
FOXBORO, Ma. (AP) — Justin Fields threw for 179 yards and a touchdown and ran for 82 yards and another score, and the Bears defense forced returning Patriots starter Mac Jones back to the bench to give Chicago a 33-14 victory over New England. In a matchup of quarterbacks from the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game, Fields outperformed Jones, who led Alabama to victory over Fields’ Ohio State. And Fields also outplayed Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe, who came on after Jones managed just two three-and-outs and an interception in his return after missing three games with a high ankle sprain. Zappe led the Patriots to back-to-back touchdowns and a 14-10 lead. But Fields answered and the Bears (3-4) led 20-14 at the half. In the second half Chicago ran off 23 unanswered points.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts are benching starting quarterback Matt Ryan and will start Sam Ehlinger in Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. Coach Frank Reich says Ryan has a separated throwing shoulder though the injury was not the reason he was demoted. Ehlinger started his rookie season on injured reserve, but was promoted to the active roster in October 2021. He supplanted Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles as No. 2 on the depth chart heading into Week 6. Ryan leads the NFL with nine interceptions and has fumbled 11 times this season.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies are riding Bryce Harper as they try to win their first World Series since 2008. Harper was the National League Championship Series MVP. He won Game 5 against San Diego with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Harper is set to lead the Phillies into the World Series against the American League champion Houston Astros. Harper has delivered in the clutch ever since he signed his 13-year, $330-million contract in 2019. He is hitting .419 with six doubles, five homers, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored in the postseason after an injury-plagued year.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has apologized for not staying on the field to sing “The Eyes of Texas” after the Longhorns’ loss to Oklahoma State and promised it would never happen again. Controversy surrounding the postgame tradition erupted when some players objected in 2020 to singing it because of racist elements in its past. Sarkisian promised when he was hired 2021 the his team would sing the song and the issue seemed to die down. But after Texas lost last weekend, the coach and many of his players went straight to the locker room without singing.
PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé helped France win the World Cup four years ago and became a superstar in the process. This year's tournament could serve as a welcome escape from the pressures of Paris Saint-Germain. It's also an opportunity for Karim Benzema to showcase the talent that led him to winning the Ballon d’Or at nearly 35 years old. Together they form the most lethal attacking partnership of the tournament. But France coach Didier Deschamps has problems in midfield. Paul Pogba has not played since April and fellow World Cup winner N’Golo Kanté is out injured. Two-time champion France faces Australia, Denmark and Tunisia in Group D.
MONDAY SCORES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Chicago 33 New England 14
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Philadelphia 120 Indiana 106
Final New York 115 Orlando 102
Final Toronto 98 Miami 90
Final Chicago 120 Boston 102
Final San Antonio 115 Minnesota 106
Final Houston 114 Utah 108
Final Memphis 134 Brooklyn 124
Final Portland 135 Denver 110
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Ottawa 4 Dallas 2
Final Washington 6 New Jersey 3
Final Winnipeg 4 St. Louis 0
Final Edmonton 6 Pittsburgh 3
Final Vegas 3 Toronto 1
Final Carolina 3 Vancouver 2