The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied behind Ben Roethlisberger to remain the lone unbeaten team in the NFL, beating error-prone Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 28-24 Sunday in a duel for first place in the AFC North.
Roethlisberger threw a pair of second-half touchdown passes to bring Pittsburgh (7-0) back from a 10-point halftime deficit. After completing only four passes for 24 yards in the first half, the 38-year-old finished 21 for 32 for 182 yards.
Jackson threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles, turnovers that helped Pittsburgh stay within striking distance until its offence finally got on track.
The Steelers led 28-24 when the Ravens (5-2) faced a fourth-and-3 at the Pittsburgh 8 with 2 minutes left. Jackson ran a quarterback draw and lost the ball while being stopped short.
Baltimore got the ball back and moved to the Pittsburgh 23 before Jackson’s pass in the end zone was broken up on the final play.
Earlier, Robert Spillane took an interception back for a score to end Baltimore’s first possession, Jackson lost a fumble inside the Pittsburgh 5, and Alex Hightower set up a Steelers touchdown by picking off a pass on Baltimore’s initial offensive play of the second half.
Jackson went 13 for 28 for 208 yards and two interceptions, the most he’s had in a regular-season game since throwing three against Pittsburgh in October 2019.
After Hightower’s pick, Roethlisberger threw an 18-yard TD pass to Eric Ebron. The Steelers then went ahead 21-17 on a 1-yard touchdown run by James Conner.
Baltimore had scored in every quarter this season before being blanked in the third period.
Jackson made it 24-21 with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown with 11:52 to go, but Roethlisberger answered with an 80-yard drive capped by an 8-yard TD pass to rookie Chase Claypool.
The 22-year-old Abbotsford, B.C., native finished the game with five catches for 42 yards and his fifth receiving touchdown of the season.
Ravens All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley sustained a season-ending left ankle injury in the first quarter after being accidentally undercut by Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt.
After Pittsburgh went up 7-0 on Spillane’s 33-yard touchdown, the Ravens pulled even on a 6-yard touchdown catch by Miles Boykin. Baltimore then drove inside the Steelers 10 before Bud Dupree jostled the ball from Jackson’s grasp and Vince Williams recovered at the 4.
Wilson, Metcalf lead Seahawks past 49ers
Russell Wilson threw four more touchdown passes, two to DK Metcalf, and the Seattle Seahawks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a resounding 37-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Wilson and Metcalf tormented San Francisco and its banged up secondary as the top-scoring offence in the league continued to pile up points. The Seahawks (6-1) have scored at least 30 points in six of seven games.
Wilson hit Metcalf on a pair of first-half touchdown passes, but it was a 2 1/2-minute sequence midway through the third quarter when Seattle blew the game open.
Wilson found rookie DeeJay Dallas on a 2-yard TD pass to open the second half for a 20-7 lead. Dante Pettis fumbled the ensuing kickoff on a big hit from Cody Barton. Six plays later, Wilson evaded pressure in the pocket and zipped a 6-yard TD pas to David Moore for a 27-7 lead.
Seattle added one more score on a 1-yard TD run by Dallas with 3:33 left after the 49ers pulled within 10.
Wilson finished 27 of 37 for 261 yards and has 26 TD passes on the season, one behind Tom Brady for the most in the first seven games of a season.
Metcalf had another career day in his breakout second season. Metcalf had 102 yards receiving in the first half and finished with a career-high 12 catches and 161 yards receiving.
49ers quaterback Jimmy Garoppolo was just 11 of 16 for 84 yards and an ugly interception in the first quarter. Garoppolo went to the locker room with an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter and was replaced by Nick Mullens.
Running back Tevin Coleman returned for the first time since early in the season, only to leave at halftime with a knee injury. George Kittle made a terrific 25-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, but limped to the locker room with a foot injury.
Mullens led San Francisco on three TD drives in the fourth quarter. He capped the second with a 16-yard TD pass to Ross Dwelley with 4:16 left, but the 2-point conversion failed. Mullens was 18 of 25 for 238 yards and two touchdowns.
Saints edge Bears in OT
Drew Brees threw two touchdowns to regain the NFL’s all-time lead from Tom Brady, Wil Lutz nailed a 35-yard field goal in overtime and the New Orleans Saints beat Chicago 26-23 on Sunday.
The Bears’ Cairo Santos booted a 51-yard field goal at the end of regulation to force the extra period.
The Saints (5-2) led 23-13 early in the fourth quarter after scoring 20 consecutive points, only to have Chicago rally in the closing minutes of regulation. But the Saints pulled out their fourth straight win when Lutz connected on their second possession of OT.
Chicago receiver Javon Wims got ejected for punching New Orleans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the third quarter. Marshon Lattimore then intercepted Nick Foles, leading to a tiebreaking field goal by Lutz.
Brees added a 20-yard touchdown to Taysom Hill to make it 23-13 early in the fourth. The Bears (5-3) pulled within three with 3:32 remaining on Foles’ 3-yard pass to Darnell Mooney.
Chicago tied it with 13 seconds left on Santos’ field goal into the wind.
Brees completed 31 of 41 passes for 280 yards. Along with the TD to Hill in the fourth, he threw a 16-yarder to Jared Cook in the closing seconds of the first half to cut Chicago’s lead to 13-10. Brees now has 560 TDs in his career, with Brady at 559.
Foles was 28 of 41 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Allen Robinson had a sprawling 24-yard TD reception in the back of the end zone in the second quarter. Rookie Darnell Mooney added a career-high 69 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Eagles beat Cowboys in sloppy battle for 1st place
Carson Wentz threw a pair of touchdown passes to overcome four turnovers, Rodney McLeod returned a fumble 53 yards for a score and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys 23-9 on Sunday night.
A pair of two-win teams fighting for first place in the weak NFC East in Week 8 put on a sloppy performance fit for the preseason instead of prime time. The Eagles (3-4-1) took control of the division with their second straight victory. Dallas (2-6) has lost three in a row.
Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci, a seventh-round pick from James Madison making his first start, was sacked four times and lost two fumbles. He completed 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards.
Wentz threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles but his 9-yard TD pass to Travis Fulgham in the third quarter gave Philadelphia the lead for good. Wentz connected with Jalen Reagor on the 2-point conversion to make it 15-9.
Dallas was driving at the Eagles 21 with a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter when DiNucci was sacked by T.J. Edwards and fumbled. McLeod picked up a loose ball and went the distance for a 21-9 lead. The 2-point conversion failed, but Dallas later took a safety on a punt.
Greg Zuerlein hit a 59-yard field goal to give Dallas a 9-7 halftime lead. The Cowboys turned two fourth-down stops at their 44 into short-drive field goals.
DiNucci drove Dallas effectively on the opening possession and Zuerlein kicked a 49-yard field goal.
The Cowboys then had an excellent opportunity after Donovan Wilson strip-sacked Wentz and recovered at the Eagles 25. Dallas had a first down at the Eagles 4 before Brandon Graham stripped DiNucci on second down and recovered.
Philadelphia turned that turnover into a score as Wentz tossed a 2-yard TD pass to Reagor for a 7-3 lead. Reagor, the 21st overall pick, missed the previous five games following thumb surgery. A 32-yard pass to Fulgham set up the score.
The Eagles went for a fourth-and-3 at the Cowboys 44 on their next drive. Leighton Vander Esch sacked Wentz, knocking the ball away and Dallas recovered at Philadelphia’s 46. Zuerlein’s 49-yarder cut it to 7-6.
Mahomes powers Chiefs past Jets
Patrick Mahomes did just about everything for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
He even toted Tyreek Hill back to the sideline after a touchdown catch.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns, leading the AFC West-leading Chiefs to a 35-9 romp over the winless New York Jets.
Travis Kelce added 109 yards receiving and a touchdown, Mecole Hardman and Demarcus Robinson also scored, helping the Chiefs (7-1) give Andy Reid his 229th win to move into a tie with Curly Lambeau for the fifth most in NFL history.
Darnold was just 18 of 30 for 133 yards as the Jets fell to 0-8 for the first time since the 1996 team of Rich Kotite.
The Chiefs were astounding 19-point favourites coming into the game, and the opening series made it clear that wouldn’t be nearly enough. Mahomes was 5 of 5 for 85 yards, and he finished off the 90-yard drive with a 30-yard pass to Hardman.
According to <a href=”https://twitter.com/EliasSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EliasSports</a> Patrick Mahomes became the 1st player in NFL history with at least 20 Pass TD (21) and 1 or fewer Int in his first 8 games of the season.<br><br>He is the 1st Chiefs player with 400 Pass yards, 5 Pass TD and 0 Int in a game <a href=”https://t.co/yQs9tUhnW3″>pic.twitter.com/yQs9tUhnW3</a>
While the Jets answered with the first of three first-half field goals, the Chiefs kept scoring touchdowns.
Mahomes threw a dart over the middle to Hill for a 36-yard touchdown on their next drive, then he flipped a nifty pass underneath the Jets coverage to Kelce for his third TD pass of the half and a 21-9 lead at the break.
Mahomes hit Robinson from 26 yards out for his fourth TD pass, giving Kansas City a 28-9 lead late in the third quarter.
Mahomes capped his big day with his second touchdown throw to Hill early in the fourth. His five TD passes were second only to a pair of six-TD games he had against the Steelers and Rams — incidentally, the Jets have four touchdown passes all season — and his yardage total was the fourth most of his career.
Tagovailoa wins debut against Rams
Tua Tagovailoa threw his first career touchdown pass and then let his teammates take over with a succession of big plays, and the Miami Dolphins stamped themselves as playoff contenders Sunday by earning their third consecutive win, 28-17 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Dolphins struck for scores 75 seconds apart on Andrew Van Ginkel’s 78-yard fumble return and Jakeem Grant’s team-record 88-yard punt return. They came up with four takeaways in the first half and at halftime led 28-10 despite being outgained 224-54.
The big plays helped Tagovailoa overcome a costly early turnover in his first NFL start. The No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft finished 12 of 22 for 93 yards.
Los Angeles’ Jared Goff went 35 for 61 for 355 yards and one score with two interceptions and two lost fumbles.
The first time Tagovailoa tried to throw, the ball came loose when his arm was hit by Aaron Donald, and Tagovailoa was then driven to the turf by Michael Brockers as Leonard Floyd recovered the fumble.
Los Angeles scored a touchdown three plays later for a 7-0 lead.
Tagovailoa capitalized on their first takeaway by throwing a 3-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker. Tagovailoa retrieved the ball as a souvenir and carried it to the sideline, where the former Alabama star entertained teammates with a celebratory dance.
The Rams were threatening when Emmanuel Ogbah forced a fumble by sacking Goff. Van Ginkel scooped the ball up with nothing but open field in front of him and sprinted the distance to give Miami a 14-7 lead.
Barely a minute later, Grant sprinted through a seam in the Rams’ punt coverage for his fifth career return TD, and his third punt return for a score, both franchise records.
Shaq Lawson’s strip-sack of Goff and Kyle Van Noy’s return gave the Dolphins the ball at the 1, and they scored on the next play for a 28-7 lead.
Bills beat Patriots on Newton’s late fumble
Backup defensive lineman Justin Zimmer punched the ball out of Cam Newton’s arms and the fumble was recovered by safety Dean Marlowe at the Buffalo 13 with 31 seconds remaining to secure the Bills’ 24-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Zack Moss scored two touchdowns rushing and the AFC East-leading Bills are off to consecutive 6-2 starts for the first time since a six-year run from 1988 to 1993.
Buffalo snapped a seven-game skid against the division-rival Patriots, and beat a New England-coached Bill Belichick team for just the sixth time in 41 meetings, going back to 2000.
New England dropped to 2-5 and has lost four in a row, matching its worst skid since 2002.
The game was decided just as the Patriots were threatening to at least force overtime. Facing second-and-10 at the Buffalo 19, Newton took the snap and followed a line of blockers to his left. Zimmer came diving in from behind and punched out the ball, which rolled directly into Marlowe’s arms.
Newton finished 15 of 25 for 174 yards passing, and added 54 yards rushing plus a touchdown. Damien Harris had 102 yards rushing and scored on a 22-yard run.
Josh Allen went 11 of 18 for 154 yards passing and also scored on a 2-yard run in a game the Bills never trailed. He had one interception, which led to the Patriots cutting Buffalo’s lead to 7-6 on Nick Folk’s 33-yard field goal with 8 seconds left in the first half.
Tyler Bass’ 28-yard field goal with 4:06 remaining broke the 21-21 tie, after Allen’s pass to Gabriel Davis sailed through the receiver’s arms in the end zone.
Garrett hurts knee as Browns fall to Raiders
Myles Garrett has a knee injury that could alter the rest of Cleveland’s season.
The NFL sacks leader injured his knee in the first quarter Sunday and was ineffective the rest of the way as the Browns were beaten 16-6 by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Garrett got hurt early, was examined in the medical tent and played sparingly in the second half. The Browns put him in during obvious pass-rushing downs, but the star end lacked his usual explosiveness and didn’t record a sack for the first time in seven games.
He’ll undergo an MRI on Monday, and the Browns (5-3) are hoping it shows nothing serious.
Garrett’s injury aside, the Browns failed to build on the momentum from their thrilling win last week at Cincinnati.
Mayfield was plagued by several big drops, including one by Jarvis Landry, the normally sure-handed receiver being asked to do even more with Odell Beckham Jr. out for the season with a knee injury.
With the Raiders up 6-3 in the third quarter, Landry’s 20-yard TD catch from Mayfield was overturned by a replay review, which showed he bobbled the ball and hit the ground for an incompletion. The Browns settled for a 33-yard field by Parkey.
Mayfield went 12 of 25 for 122 yards but couldn’t get into a rhythm.
Raiders tackle Trent Brown, who recently tested positive or COVID-19, will remain hospitalized in Cleveland overnight.
A person with knowledge of Brown’s status told The Associated Press he will not travel with the team in order to take more tests. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced an update on Brown.
NFL Network reported that he was taken to the hospital after a pregame IV caused air to enter his bloodstream. Gruden didn’t provide any details on Brown other than to say he was being evaluated and that “everything is OK.”
Cook shines as Vikings knock off Packers
Dalvin Cook gained 226 yards from scrimmage and became the first Viking in over four decades to score four touchdowns in a single game as Minnesota defeated the Green Bay Packers 28-22 on Sunday.
The Vikings withstood a three-touchdown performance from receiver Davante Adams, who had seven catches for 53 yards.
Cook ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. Cook also had two catches for 63 yards, including a 50-yard score.
Adams’ 7-yard touchdown cut Minnesota’s lead to 28-20 with 2:42 left. Green Bay went a 2-point conversion got within 28-22 when replays determined the ball crossed the goal line on Jamaal Williams’ inside run.
When Cook wasn’t scoring for Minnesota, Adams was reaching the end zone for Green Bay on a 5-yard reception and a 1-yard catch.
Cook kept it going by racing 37 yards on the first play of the second half. He capped that drive with a 1-yard run that gave Minnesota its first lead at 21-14 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.
Minnesota faced third-and-9 from midfield when Cook caught Kirk Cousins’ pass behind the line of scrimmage and worked his way around or past a variety of Packers defenders to put the Vikings ahead 28-14.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
