AP Sports Summary for September 26th.
Burrow shakes off calf injury, throws for a season-high 259 yards as Bengals beat the Rams 19-16
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow shook off a lingering calf injury, throwing for 259 yards as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 to get their first win after starting the season with two losses. Joe Mixon's 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave the reigning AFC North champs their first lead of the season. Meanwhile, Logan Wilson picked off Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford twice and the Bengals sacked him six times. Stafford finished 18 for 39 for 269 yards as the Rams slipped to 1-2.
Jalen Hurts throws for TD, runs for another as Eagles thump Buccaneers 25-11 to remain unbeaten
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw for one touchdown and ran for another to help the Philadelphia Eagles remain unbeaten with a 25-11 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurts also led on his team on a game-ending drive that lasted more than nine minutes. The defending NFC champions are off to a 3-0 start in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1992-93. Hurts improved to 20-1 over his last 21 regular-season games. He tossed a 34-yard TD pass to Olamide Zaccheaus that helped Philly build a 13-3 halftime lead, and his 1-yard scoring run gave the Eagles a 17-point advantage early in the second half.
Analysis: Vikings, Chargers trade inexplicable decisions. Jets' commitment to Wilson still baffling
The Vikings and Chargers traded inexplicable decisions in the final two minutes. The Jets are sticking with a baffling choice for the foreseeable future. After Los Angeles coach Brandon Staley set Minnesota up for a win, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell and quarterback Kirk Cousins gave him a reprieve with their inability to manage the clock. The most perplexing decision in the first three weeks of the NFL season isn't a call on the field. It's the Jets choosing not to add a quarterback after Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon in Week 1.
Joe Burrow starts for Bengals vs. Rams after being questionable with calf injury
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow started for the Cincinnati Bengals in Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Rams. The star quarterback has been dealing with a calf injury but was a full participant in warmups without any obvious discomfort and went out for the Bengals' first offensive series. It wasn't clear until just before the game whether Burrow would play. The injury occurred early in training camp, and he aggravated it late in the Bengals' loss to Baltimore last week. Burrow returned to practice on Thursday on a limited basis, and on Saturday the team listed him as questionable.
With Pac-12 unsettled, CFP managers meet to make difficult decision on number of reserved bids
College Football Playoff managers will meet this week at the Big Ten offices outside Chicago. With the future of the Pac-12 still unsettled, it will be difficult for them to make a final decision on whether the number of places reserved for conference champions in the soon-to-be expanded field should remain six or be reduced to five. The CFP management committee will gather Tuesday and Wednesday at the Big Ten offices. The playoff expands from four teams to 12 next season, but conference realignment has led to a reconsideration about the selection process.
Raiders' Garoppolo is in concussion protocol, putting his start for Chargers game in question
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is in concussion protocol. That puts his status in question for when Las Vegas visits the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Garoppolo was injured in Sunday night's 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Garoppolo took several hits in getting sacked four times and his head bounced off the turf on one play in the fourth quarter. Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was flagged for roughing the quarterback. If Garoppolo can't play, the Raiders will go with 15-year veteran Brian Hoyer or rookie Aidan O'Connell.
Mel Tucker's attorney: Michigan State doesn't have cause to fire suspended coach over phone sex
Mel Tucker's attorney says Michigan State does not have cause to fire its suspended football coach after Tucker acknowledged having phone sex with an activist and rape survivor because he did not "engage in unprofessional or unethical behavior" or violate his contract. Attorney Jennifer Belveal denied in a statement Monday that Tucker's actions were acts of moral turpitude at the university that operates in the shadow of Larry Nassar's abuse of more than 100 athletes. Michigan State informed Tucker it planned to fire him last week. Activist and rape survivor Brenda Tracy said Tucker sexually harassed her during a phone call in April 2022. Tucker says the phone sex was consensual.
Jets' commitment to QB Wilson has many fans and media puzzled. But there's no quick or easy solution
Most Jets fans would take anyone at quarterback other than Zach Wilson at this point. They don't want to hear it's not all his fault or New York has plenty of problems and not just him. Even Joe Namath is angry and says he has seen enough of Wilson. The fact is the Jets are sticking with Wilson, the third-year quarterback who was once the future of the franchise but now is the most popular target of frustrated fans. A season that began with big hopes and Aaron Rodgers under center has gone south in a hurry and it's only Week 4.
Call for sanctions as homophobic chants again overshadow French soccer's biggest game
Homophobic chanting by sections of Paris Saint-Germain fans targeting Marseille players has again marred the biggest game in French soccer and prompted calls for sanctions. Olivier Klein is the inter-ministerial delegate for the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and anti-LGBTQ+ and he has posted a video of PSG supporters using insulting homophobic slurs aimed at their Marseille rivals. PSG won the game at the Parc des Princes 4-0. Klein called for sanctions and was joined by French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera. She said the disciplinary committee of the French federation will look into the case and urged PSG to file a legal complaint.
MLB-leading Braves are dealing with an ailing rotation as the playoffs loom
ATLANTA (AP) — Baseball's best team has some major pitching concerns heading into the final week of the regular season. Max Fried and Charlie Morton have both landed on the injured list in recent days. That leaves 19-game winner Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder as the only two healthy, established starting pitchers. The Braves have earned a bye for the wild-card round. If Fried can get over a lingering blister issue, he would give Atlanta the three starters it needs for the NL Division Series. Morton is definitely out until at least the NL Championship Series, should the Braves get that far.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Arizona at Chi White Sox 2:10 p.m. (Postponed)
Final N.Y. Yankees 6 Arizona 4
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Houston 5 Seattle 1
Final Texas 5 L.A. Angels 1
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 2 San Diego 1
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Final Florida 5 Nashville 0
Final Florida 5 Nashville 2
Final New Jersey 6 Philadelphia 0
Final New Jersey 4 Montreal 2
Final OT Ottawa 4 Toronto 3
Final Winnipeg 5 Edmonton 0
Final Colorado 3 Vegas 2
Final Seattle 5 Calgary 3
Final SO Calgary 3 Seattle 2
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 25 Tampa Bay 11
Final Cincinnati 19 L.A. Rams 16
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MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Final tie LA Galaxy 3 Austin FC 3
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Cincinnati at Cleveland 6:10 p.m.
Washington at Baltimore 6:35 p.m.
Arizona at Chi White Sox 7:40 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City at Detroit 6:40 p.m.
N-Y Yankees at Toronto 7:07 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Boston 7:10 p.m.
Oakland at Minnesota 7:40 p.m.
Texas at L-A Angels 9:38 p.m.
Houston at Seattle 10:05 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
L-A Dodgers at Colorado 3:10 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 6:40 p.m.
Miami at N-Y Mets 7:10 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Atlanta 7:20 p.m.
St. Louis at Milwaukee 7:40 p.m.
L-A Dodgers at Colorado 8:40 p.m.
San Diego at San Francisco 9:45 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Boston at Buffalo 7 p.m.
N-Y Islanders at N-Y Rangers 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Detroit 7 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Carolina 7 p.m.
Columbus at St. Louis 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Dallas 8 p.m.
Anaheim at San Jose 10 p.m.
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Connecticut at New York 8 p.m.
Dallas at Las Vegas 10 p.m.