SEATTLE --  Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says he respects what the NFL is trying to accomplish by more strictly enforcing the taunting rule, but he believes the league has "opened up a bit of a can of worms" by penalizing actions that can be difficult for players to suddenly avoid amid the emotions of a game. "You've got a lot of guys that have to deal with those explosive moments and they've got to really turn their focus away from the opponent," Carroll said Monday. "It's a good thought. It's just hard to manage it." The taunting rule isn't new, but the NFL has made its enforcement a point of emphasis for officials in 2021. The 11 taunting penalties called through the first two weeks already equals the total from the entire 2020 regular season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. There were nine in 2019. The Seahawks have been flagged for taunting twice in two games: receiver DK Metcalf in the opener and cornerback D.J. Reed on...

WASHINGTON -- A group of prominent women athletes, including soccer star Megan Rapinoe and basketball standouts Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, on Monday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to protect abortion rights in a case involving Mississippi's Republican-backed bid to ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion opponents have asked the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a woman's right to end a pregnancy and made abortion legal nationwide after it was outlawed in certain states. More than 500 athletes and groups signed a friend-of-the-court brief to the justices, including 26 Olympians, 73 professional athletes and various athlete associations. They argued that abortion rights have helped the growth of women's sports and expressed concern that future athletes would suffer without those protections. Without the right to terminate a pregnancy, "the physical tolls of forced pregnancy and childbirth...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts quarterback Carson Wentz's status for the key Week 3 AFC South game at Tennessee is up in the air because of two sprained ankles suffered against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, coach Frank Reich said Monday. Wentz's more severe sprain occurred on his right ankle when he tried to scramble and was taken to the ground by Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald with less than eight minutes left in the game. Wentz didn't return after limping to the sideline and then throwing his helmet in frustration. Wentz sprained his left ankle earlier in the game, according to Reich. The coach said he still had to meet with the team medical staff to get a better indication about Wentz's ankles. "I know Carson has a high threshold for pain," Reich said. "When you have guy who is a pocket passer, it affects his game less than a guy who is a mobile quarterback. That's not rocket science. My history with Carson is that he's a pretty fast healer and...

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- If Brooks Koepka is indifferent about the Ryder Cup, as some of his recent comments might suggest, it is not something that Steve Stricker has seen in his dealings with the golfer. Stricker, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, said Monday during an introductory news conference at Whistling Straits that he spoke with Koepka after he was quoted in a Golf Digest story that gained considerable traction. "I've talked to him about it,'' Stricker said during a news conference that was conducted along with European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington. "I've had experiences with Brooks over many, many of these teams, and the conversations that I have had with him and what I have personally seen in the team room does not jibe up to what I was reading in those articles. "Again, I am not worried about Brooks. He assures me he's healthy. He assures me that he is 100 percent all-in on this team and whatever he needs to do for this team to become the...

CLEVELAND --  Salvador Perez hit his 46th home run Monday, breaking Johnny Bench's record for homers by a catcher in a season, as the  Kansas City Royals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2.  Perez hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, topping Bench's total from 1970 for the most by a player who played at least 75% of his team's games at catcher. "It was unbelievable,'' he said. "I thank God for this. It's amazing.'' Perez also moved into a tie for the major league lead in homers with Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and leads the majors with 115 RBIs, the first catcher with that many RBIs since Mike Piazza in 1999. It has been a long road for Perez this season to put himself in contention for the home run title. He trailed Shohei Ohtani -- the home run leader at the time -- by 12 at the All-Star break and made up the distance by hitting 25 homers since July 24. Only Jimmie Foxx in 1935 has won the home run title after trailing the...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay admitted Monday his emotions uncharacteristically got the best of him when the cameras caught him yelling on the sideline in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's 30-29 loss to the Washington Football Team. The video made it appear that Golladay was yelling at quarterback Daniel Jones. In reality, he said his discontent in the moment was actually directed at offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. "Pretty much just me just talking to [Jason Garrett] a little bit," Golladay said. "That is two competitive guys right there. More so just me wanting to do anything I can. Not so much get me the ball more." Golladay had three catches on eight targets for 38 yards in the contest. He also had a key drop. Golladay has seven catches for 102 yards in his first two games since signing with the Giants. The prized free-agent acquisition, who received $40 million guaranteed from the...

Montreal Canadiens center Jonathan Drouin said he left the team last April due to insomnia caused by his anxiety. Drouin, 26, told TSN/RDS in an interview Monday that he's been dealing with the issue for many years, and his breaking point came during a road trip last season. The Canadiens played two games in Edmonton, and Drouin appeared in both. He took part in the pregame skate before their game at the Calgary Flames on April 23, but left the lineup for what the team said was a "non-COVID related illness." He missed all three games the Canadiens played in Calgary on that road trip and would not appear for Montreal again for the rest of the season. Drouin hadn't slept for three nights before the Flames game. "That's where it hit a wall for me. It was time to step away from the game. Literally take a step back from everything and enjoy life," said Drouin, making his first public comments about his leave of absence. "It was hard for me to do at that time --...

Elite center Dereck Lively, the top uncommitted player in the 2022 class, announced his commitment to Duke on Monday -- giving the Blue Devils the edge for the No. 1 recruiting class. Lively chose Duke over Kentucky, although Penn State -- where his mother, Kathy Drysdale, was a 1,000-point scorer -- and Michigan also remained involved until the final weeks. The Blue Devils and Wildcats went back-and-forth for Lively over the last few months since he visited both schools in June. "I like the whole idea of the Brotherhood, Duke basketball and Duke University," Lively told ESPN. "I believe next year's team has a chance to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament and maybe a national championship. After my playing career, a Duke degree is important to me."   Lively was Duke coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer's first scholarship offer after being named Mike Krzyzewski's replacement. "We developed a real good connection," Lively said of Scheyer. "[Their...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- After three of their four running backs suffered injuries in Sunday's win against the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers returned to the Bay Area uncertain of which of those backs would be available for next week's game against the Green Bay Packers. And while some of that uncertainty remains, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that only one of the three backs can be ruled out for next week and beyond.   One week after starting running back Raheem Mostert was lost to season-ending surgery on the "chipped cartilage" in his left knee, the Niners now figure to be without backup JaMycal Hasty for at least the next few weeks. Hasty suffered a high ankle sprain with about six minutes left in the 17-11 win over the Eagles. He did not return to the game and further tests Monday revealed the sprain, which generally comes with at least a three-week recovery, making Hasty a candidate to land on injured...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts quarterback Carson Wentz's status for the key Week 3 AFC South game at Tennessee is up in the air because of two sprained ankles suffered against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, coach Frank Reich said Monday. Wentz's most severe sprain occurred on his right ankle when he tried to scramble and was taken to the ground by Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald with less than eight minutes left in the game. Wentz didn't return after limping to the sideline and then throwing his helmet in frustration. Wentz sprained his left ankle earlier in the game, according to Reich. The coach said he still had to meet with the team medical staff to get a better indication about Wentz's ankles. "I know Carson has a high threshold for pain," Reich said. "When you have guy who is a pocket passer, it affects his game less than a guy who is a mobile quarterback. That's not rocket science. My history with Carson is that he's a pretty fast healer and...

Manny Pacquiao has not made a decision on his future despite comments from the boxer suggesting he has retired, Sean Gibbons, the president of Pacquiao's promotional company, told ESPN on Monday. The future Hall of Famer, during an interview with Filipina star Toni Gonzaga on Sunday, said his "boxing career is already over." "It's done because I've been in boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough," Pacquiao said in Tagalog, though the YouTube sit-down provided English subtitles. "I just continued [to fight] because I'm passionate about the sport." Following his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in an August welterweight title fight, Pacquiao hinted at retirement. On Sunday, the Filipino senator announced he's running for president ahead of May's election. The all-time great boxer -- he turns 43 in December -- was competing for the first time since a victory over Keith Thurman in July 2019. One of the greatest boxers of all time, Pacquiao is the only...

Manny Pacquiao has not made a decision on his future yet despite comments from the boxer suggesting he's retired, Sean Gibbons, the president of Pacquiao's promotional company, told ESPN on Monday. The future hall of famer, during an interview with the Filipina star Toni Gonzaga on Sunday, said his "boxing career is already over." "It's done because I've been in boxing for a long time and my family says that it is enough," Pacquiao said in Tagalog, though the YouTube sit-down provided English subtitles. "I just continued [to fight] because I'm passionate about the sport." Following his unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in an August welterweight title fight, Pacquiao hinted at retirement. On Sunday, the Filipino senator announced he's running for president ahead of May's election. The all-time great boxer -- he turns 43 in December -- was competing for the first time since a victory over Keith Thurman in July 2019. One of the greatest boxers of all time, Pacquiao is the...

MIAMI -- Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is considered "day-to-day" with a rib injury, head coach Brian Flores said Monday. Tagovailoa was knocked out of Miami's 35-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday after taking a hit from Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa on the Dolphins' second drive of the game. He was carted into the locker room shortly after and did not return. Jacoby Brissett threw for 169 yards and an interception in his stead. Flores said Tagovailoa is still in a "good deal of pain" Monday and undergoing further tests. Follow-up X-rays on Tagovailoa's rib were negative, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.  Flores also complimented Tagovailoa's toughness, dating back to the dislocated hip he suffered during his final year at Alabama in 2019. He did not say whether the quarterback would play this coming Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders but suggested that Tagovailoa's game status would be a matter of pain...

TAMPA, Fla. -- One week after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on injured reserve, coach Bruce Arians said that general manager Jason Licht has reached out to veteran cornerback Richard Sherman to gauge his interest. "We got to see," Arians said Monday, one day after his team defeated the Atlanta Falcons 48-25 to improve to 2-0. "He's got other things going on, too. Just a matter of, 'I coach the ones that we got and let [Licht] handle the rest of that.' We'll kick the tires on some other guys, too. But it's just a matter of, 'No, we'll talk and see, and if it's the right fit, it's the right fit and we'll move on it.'" The Bucs will be without Murphy-Bunting, who also serves as their nickelback, for an indefinite time after he suffered a dislocated right elbow in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. He's required to miss at least three games on IR, but Arians did not have a timetable on his...

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- In the hours since the  Chicago Bears' 20-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Matt Nagy declined multiple times to clarify whether veteran Andy Dalton (left knee) would remain the team's starting quarterback if healthy. However, five minutes after Nagy's Monday morning's news conference concluded, where Nagy cited "scheme" as the reason he could not divulge whether Dalton would remain the starting quarterback over rookie Justin Fields, the Bears sent a team official into the media room to announce that Dalton is, in fact, still the Bears' starting quarterback, health permitting. The team official stated that Nagy misunderstood the question. "If Andy is healthy, is he your starter?" Nagy was asked when pressed about the subject in the news conference. Said Nagy: "That's something that I'm not going to get into with scheme." Dalton's health, of course, is a major question mark after the 33-year-old left...

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - In the hours since the  Chicago Bears' 20-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Matt Nagy declined multiple times to clarify whether veteran Andy Dalton (left knee) remained the team's starting quarterback if healthy. However, five minutes after Nagy's Monday morning's press conference concluded, where Nagy cited "scheme" as the reason he could not divulge whether Dalton would remain the starting quarterback over rookie Justin Fields, the Bears sent a team official into the media room to announce that Dalton is, in fact, still the Bears' starting quarterback, health permitting. The team official stated that Nagy misunderstood the question. "If Andy is healthy, is he your starter?" Nagy asked when pressed about the subject in the press conference. "That's something that I'm not going to get into with scheme." Dalton's health, of course, is a major question mark after the 33-year old left Sunday's game late in the...

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry has suffered an MCL sprain and is "week-to-week," coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Monday. Stefanski said he didn't know yet if Landry would have to go on injured reserve, which would require him to miss at least three games. Landry suffered the knee injury on the opening drive Sunday against the Houston Texans. After catching a 9-yard pass on Cleveland's first play, he left the field and did not return to the game, which the Browns won 31-21. Landry has missed only one game since his career began in 2014. He was held out last season against the New York Jets after being a deemed a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. So far this season, Landry has 80 receiving yards, catching all his six of his targets. He also had a touchdown run in the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns are still waiting for their other starting wide...

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has avoided a serious rib injury, a source confirmed to ESPN. Follow-up X-rays were negative on Tagovailoa's ribs, and the second-year quarterback's availability for Week 3 and beyond will be determined based on his pain tolerance, the source said. Dolphins coach Brian Flores said Monday that Tagovailoa was still "in a good deal of pain" and was still undergoing testing. He said Tagovailoa was day-to-day. Tagovailoa was carted off to the locker room Sunday with a rib injury after taking a hit from Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa during Miami's second drive. The Bills came out aggressive to start the game, pressuring Tagovailoa on four of the six snaps he took, including two sacks on Miami's opening drive. He was replaced in the 35-0 loss by Jacoby Brissett, who finished 24-of-40 passing for 169 yards and an interception, which Flores said Sunday was "not good enough" -- a descriptor he...

HOUSTON -- Quarterback  Deshaun Watson will not be active for the Houston Texans' game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night despite starter Tyrod Taylor's uncertain status, coach David Culley said Monday. Taylor is getting an MRI on his left hamstring and is considered day-to-day, Culley said. Taylor was replaced by rookie Davis Mills to start the second half of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. He injured his hamstring when he ran for a 15-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. Taylor finished the second half. "Something happened on the touchdown," Culley said. "It wasn't to the point where he felt he couldn't go. ... The way he is, he never said anything to anybody." Culley said Monday that Taylor told him he was OK and wanted to go back in the game, but the coach said he wanted to make sure the injury wouldn't get worse. "I said, 'Look, we're going with Davis [Mills],'" Culley said. "I said,...

BALTIMORE -- With a somersault touchdown and a clutch fourth-down conversion,  Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson beat the Kansas City Chiefs and his self-described "kryptonite" for the first time in a thrilling 36-35 decision on Sunday night. Jackson carried the short-handed Ravens to their first win over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs after three defeats by running for 113 yards and throwing for 239 yards. The odds were seemingly stacked against Baltimore, which was down several injured players and trailed by 11 points (35-24) to start the fourth quarter. Jackson then delivered the biggest fourth-quarter comeback of his career, running for two touchdowns, including a flip into the end zone for the winning, 1-yard score. Ravens coach John Harbaugh celebrated the emotional win by giving Jackson a huge hug on the field. "It feels good to get that monkey off of our back," said Jackson, whose three of eight regular-season losses have...

Just days after Los Angeles manager Joe Maddon indicated  Shohei Ohtani might not pitch again this season because of a sore right arm, the  Angels' two-way sensation was back on the mound Sunday, matching his season high in strikeouts with 10 while pitching eight innings in a 3-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics. Ohtani had been penciled in to pitch Friday against Oakland in the opener of Los Angeles' final homestand, but that start was pushed back while the team debated whether to shut him down on the mound. His sore arm apparently felt much better in a bullpen session Friday, during which he threw about 30 pitches, and the Angels decided to hand Ohtani the ball Sunday as they finish out another non-playoff season. Ohtani allowed two runs and five hits with three walks Sunday, as the A's rebounded from a bullpen meltdown to beat the Angels in 10 innings and remain within two games of Toronto for the second AL wild-card spot. Ohtani reached...

After finishing with just two victories last season, the New York Liberty are back in the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2017. They earned the No. 8 seed on the final day of the regular season Sunday despite not playing. New York's postseason appearance will be the first for 2020 No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu, who was limited to just three games her rookie season because of an ankle injury. New York went 2-20 in the WNBA's shortened 2020 season.  Eight of the WNBA's 12 teams advance to the playoffs. New York will play at No. 5 seed Phoenix in a single-elimination first-round game Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The other first-round game Thursday will be No. 7 seed Dallas at No. 6 Chicago at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Liberty finished the regular season Friday with a 91-80 victory over Washington. They needed Washington and Los Angeles to lose Sunday, and both did. With New York, Washington and Los Angeles all finishing with 12-20 records, the Liberty won the tiebreaker...

After finishing with just two victories last season, the New York Liberty are back in the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2017. They earned the No. 8 seed on the final day of the regular season Sunday despite not playing. New York's postseason appearance will be the first for 2020 No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu, who was limited to just three games her rookie season because of an ankle injury. New York went 2-20 in the WNBA's shortened 2020 season.  Eight of the WNBA's 12 teams advance to the playoffs. New York will play at No. 5 seed Phoenix in a single-elimination first-round game Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The other first-round game Thursday will be No. 7 seed Dallas at No. 6 Chicago at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Liberty finished the regular season Friday with a 91-80 victory over Washington. They needed Washington and Los Angeles to lose Sunday, and both did. With New York, Washington and Los Angeles all finishing with 12-20 records, the Liberty won the tiebreaker...

PHILADELPHIA -- The San Francisco 49ers didn't intend to use newly acquired running back Trenton Cannon in any role other than special teams on Sunday. As it turned out, they had no choice but to plug him into the offense. By the end of San Francisco's 17-11 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Niners had lost their top three running backs to injuries in a span of about five minutes. That came after starter Raheem Mostert was lost to a season-ending left knee injury last week against the Detroit Lions. First, it was starter Elijah Mitchell's right shoulder, then it was an ankle injury for  JaMycal Hasty, and finally it was a concussion for rookie Trey Sermon. Mitchell departed after a 1-yard touchdown run was overturned with 11 minutes, 4 seconds to go, and Hasty and Sermon were out by the 5:45 mark. Hasty and Sermon did not return to the game, while Mitchell reentered with 5:26 to play. After the...

TAMPA, Fla. -- In his 22nd season in the NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is hard-pressed to find many career "firsts." But through two weeks of the regular season, Brady has thrown a league-leading nine touchdown passes, besting his previous career high, after throwing five scores in a 48-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. "I think any time you have a guy like Tom leading us, I think you're in a good spot," said wide receiver Chris Godwin, who has two touchdowns in two weeks. "All the skill players around him trust him, and trust is one of the biggest things you can have in this game." Brady tossed a pair of touchdowns each to tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Mike Evans, and connected with Godwin in the fourth quarter. Defensive back Mike Edwards finished the job with two fourth-quarter pick-sixes, becoming the first player since Robert Massey in 2012 to record two interceptions returned for...

TAMPA, Fla. -- In his 22nd season in the NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is hard-pressed to find many career "firsts." But through two weeks of the regular season, Brady has thrown a league-leading nine touchdown passes, besting his previous career high, after throwing five scores in a 48-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. "I think any time you have a guy like Tom leading us, I think you're in a good spot," said wide receiver Chris Godwin, who has two touchdowns in two weeks. "All the skill players around him trust him and trust is one of the biggest things you can have in this game." Brady tossed a pair of touchdowns each to tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Mike Evans, and connected with Godwin in the fourth quarter. Defensive back Mike Edwards finished the job with two fourth-quarter pick-sixes, becoming the first player since Robert Massey in 2012 to record two interceptions returned for...

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- In a perfect world, Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy would not have settled for a game-winning field goal attempt from 56 yards by Greg Zuerlein in the final seconds against the Los Angeles Chargers. But several problems arose. First, a player went off the field after  Tony Pollard's 3-yard run to the Los Angeles 38 on second down with 33 seconds to play. "One of our players came off that shouldn't have come off," McCarthy said. "Just a communication error." Then the clock McCarthy was eyeing on the digital board overhanging the SoFi Stadium field went out. "I never had a clock go off the board like that," McCarthy said. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was not in a better position, either. "He got blocked by a camera guy," McCarthy said of Moore's ability to see one of the field-level clocks. Instead of using the timeout early and potentially leaving the Cowboys in a bad situation if they ran a third-down play,...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The New Orleans Saints' offense set a new low for yardage in the Sean Payton era. And Jameis Winston posted the worst passer rating of his career while throwing his first two interceptions of the season Sunday. But Payton and his players refused to place any blame for their dismal 26-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers on the fact that they were missing eight assistant coaches because of COVID-19 protocols -- or missing nine starters because of injuries or suspensions -- and have been displaced for three weeks in the wake of Hurricane Ida. "Offensively, in particular, that's as poor as we've been in a long time around here, and that starts with me," Payton said. "We've gotta do a better job going in. Our protection plan wasn't good enough. But it had nothing to do with us being short-handed with coaches or us being away or the COVID [situation]. "All of those would be excuses. They played better than us today and deserved to win the...

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense took two hits before Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders even started, and by halftime, they were down four starters, including T.J. Watt. Watt went down with a groin injury in the second quarter and was officially ruled out after halftime. Both cornerback Joe Haden and linebacker Devin Bush also had groin injuries -- theirs sustained during Friday's practice -- that kept them out of the 26-17 loss. In addition, Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson suffered a knee injury on the final play of the game, an 11-yard reception from Ben Roethlisberger, and nose tackle Tyson Alualu fractured an ankle in the first quarter, coach Mike Tomlin said, leaving him sidelined for an "extended" time. "T.J. was raring to begin the game and had a lot of havoc early," defensive captain  Cam Heyward said. "Losing Ty was definitely something we had to adjust to. It...

CLEVELAND -- Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor left Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns with a hamstring injury and was replaced by rookie quarterback Davis Mills to start the second half. Head coach David Culley did not rule Taylor out for Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers and said the team didn't know the severity of the injury other than "it was severe enough that he couldn't play in the second half." Culley said Taylor sustained the injury before he ran for a 15-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. "He came off on the sideline, running to the left and he kind of pulled up, and knew something was wrong then," Culley said. "But he thought he was OK. But once we got in, we realized that he had pulled it pretty good." Taylor headed toward the locker room just before halftime and did not return to the sideline at the start of the third quarter. Mills finished 8-of-18 for 102 yards with a...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts quarterback Carson Wentz will undergo further evaluation on his right ankle after injuring it in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Wentz suffered the injury when he tried to scramble and was taken to the ground by Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald on third down with less than eight minutes left in the game. Replays showed Wentz's right ankle severely twisting as he went down. He said he could feel it twisting under the pile right away. Wentz was slow to get up and then limped to the sideline. "He rolled it up pretty bad," Colts coach Frank Reich said. "I had a sense when he walked off the field. It didn't look good. Sometimes if you go back in right away when it's still warm you can maybe gut out a few more plays. The longer we were off the field, it stiffened up and he tried, but there was no chance." Wentz was clearly frustrated while the training staff tended to his ankle. He threw...

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers defense took a significant hit in the second quarter when star pass-rusher T.J. Watt exited with a groin injury. He was ruled out after halftime. In addition, Steelers wide receiver  Diontae Johnson suffered an apparent leg injury on the final play of the game, an 11-yard reception from Ben Roethlisberger. The Raiders prevailed 26-17 to improve to 2-0 and drop the Steelers to 1-1. Before Watt's injury, which appeared to occur early in the Las Vegas Raiders' final drive of the first half, the pass-rusher had a strip sack of quarterback Derek Carr along with four tackles. Watt recorded his first strip sack against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills a week ago. In the fourth quarter, Steelers right guard Trai Turner was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct after he appeared to spit toward a Raiders player. Turner appeared to be angry about something that occurred during a play...

CHICAGO -- Bears rookie quarterback  Justin Fields' time may have arrived. After playing a handful of snaps in the first half of Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Fields took over at quarterback in the third quarter for veteran Andy Dalton, who suffered a knee injury and didn't return. Fields went 6-of-13 for 60 yards and an interception and rushed 10 times for 31 yards in the Bears' 20-17 victory. "I don't think I'm pleased with how I played at all," Fields said. "I think there's a lot more in me that I have to show. That's going to come with time. I know it's not going to happen overnight, so I'm just going to keep grinding, and no matter what happens, I know I'm meant for this. I'm meant to be here. My path here has been crazy. When I was younger, I never thought I would be here in this position. I'm here for a reason. And I definitely think I can play better. I just think that this is the beginning. I'm definitely...

CHICAGO -- Bears rookie quarterback  Justin Fields' time may have arrived. After playing a handful of snaps in the first half of Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Fields took over at quarterback in the third quarter for veteran Andy Dalton, who suffered a knee injury and is doubtful to return. Dalton hurt the knee on a 14-yard scramble in the second quarter when he landed awkwardly on the Bears sideline. Dalton immediately pointed to Fields to enter the game and headed the blue injury tent where the medical staff examined him. Dalton initially appeared to check out OK and later re-entered the game for a series before he went back to the locker room before halftime. Dalton remained in uniform after halftime but did not have his helmet on the Bears' bench. Fields ended the third quarter 4 of 8 for 55 yards and five rushing attempts for 24 yards. Bears head coach Matt Nagy played Fields sparingly in the last week's season opener...

PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers defense took a significant hit in the second quarter when star pass-rusher T.J. Watt exited with a groin injury. He was ruled out after halftime. Before the injury, which appeared to occur early in the Las Vegas Raiders' final drive of the first half, Watt had a strip sack of quarterback Derek Carr along with four tackles. Watt recorded his first strip sack against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills a week ago. Prior to the season opener, Watt signed a four-year, $112 million extension that made him the highest-paid defender in the NFL. He didn't practice in the team periods for all of training camp and joined them for the first time four days before the Bills game. Watt, 26, was the Steelers' fourth defensive starter sidelined by injury Sunday. Cornerback Joe Haden and linebacker Devin Bush were both inactive after suffering groin injuries that appeared on the injury report for the first time...

CLEVELAND -- Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns with a hamstring injury. He was replaced by rookie quarterback Davis Mills to start the second half. Taylor slowed up as he ran in for a touchdown in the second quarter, but he didn't miss a snap. He headed toward the locker room just before halftime and did not return to the sideline at the start of the third quarter. Mills finished 8-of-18 passing for 102 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception in the 31-21 loss. Taylor, who completed 10 of 11 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown, was playing in Cleveland for the first time since 2018, when he was a member of the Browns. After he left a Week 3 game with a concussion, then-rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield took over. The Browns won the game, and Mayfield kept the starting job. Sunday's game against the Browns was Taylor's 12th with a passing touchdown and...

CLEVELAND --  Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry suffered a knee injury on the opening drive Sunday and was ruled out against the Houston Texans. The Browns believe Landry has a sprained MCL. He will undergo further testing, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Landry caught a 9-yard pass on Cleveland's first snap but then left the field and did not return to the game, which  the Browns won 31-21. The Browns were already without wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who has yet to play this season as he returns from last year's knee surgery. Rashard Higgins replaced Landry in the lineup. The Browns had another injury scare in the first half when quarterback Baker Mayfield took a shot to his left shoulder while trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception. He briefly went to the locker room but returned in time for Cleveland's next possession and later scored on a 5-yard touchdown run just before halftime.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Facing the New England Patriots for the first time, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson received his welcome-to-the-rivalry moment on his first pass. And his second. And two more times after that. The rookie was intercepted four times in his first 10 pass attempts in a 25-6 loss Sunday at MetLife Stadium, an all-time clunker in which he learned a hard lesson about being overly aggressive. "It's OK to play a boring game of football. That's really it," coach Robert Saleh said after dropping to 0-2. "He's an electric dude. He's competitive as crap and he wants to win so bad, but sometimes it's OK to be boring. That's probably the biggest lesson he can take out of this one." Wilson, drafted No. 2 overall, threw more interceptions in the first 34 minutes of the game than he did his entire 2020 season at BYU. The common theme: He forced passes downfield when it would've been wiser to take the safer checkdown option. "This is...

MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins consider themselves subscribers to the "next man up" philosophy. But even so, when injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left in the first quarter of Sunday's 35-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills, it was a shift in momentum that Miami never recovered from. "It hurt losing Tua," Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah said. "But hopefully he's back next week." Tagovailoa was carted off to the locker room with a rib injury after taking a hit from Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa during Miami's second drive of the game. On fourth-and-1, Epenesa blew past Dolphins right tackle Jesse Davis and hit Tagovailoa as he threw a pass. The ball fell incomplete, and Tagovailoa was slow to get up before trying to leave the field. He collapsed to the ground before he got to the Dolphins' sideline, however, and was attended to by trainers before walking gingerly to the sideline. Tagovailoa briefly sat on the bench before...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- In a surprise roster move, New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder was declared inactive Sunday against the New England Patriots. Crowder was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list and returned to practice Thursday and said Friday that he expected to play in the Jets' home opener. He has been battling a nagging groin injury from training camp, although he said the injury wouldn't have prevented him from playing last week. It was the positive COVID-19 test that kept him out of the opener against the Carolina Panthers. In another notable move at wide receiver, Denzel Mims -- a 2020 second-round draft pick -- was a healthy scratch Sunday. This wasn't a surprise, considering his lack of practice reps and place on the depth chart, but it raises questions about Mims' standing with the team. The Jets are going with Corey Davis, rookie Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios as their top three...

The Toronto Blue Jays placed left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu on the 10-day injured list Sunday with neck tightness. General manager Ross Atkins told reporters he is hopeful Ryu misses just one start. Atkins said Ryu woke up with the tight neck Saturday, the day after his last start, against the Minnesota Twins, when he took the loss after giving up five earned runs and two home runs in two innings pitched. Ryu (13-9) is tied for the team lead in victories. The Blue Jays enter Sunday's games with a half-game lead over the New York Yankees for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Philippine senator and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao accepted the nomination of the PDP-Laban-Pacquiao faction to run for president in the 2022 Philippine elections scheduled in May. In the faction's national assembly held in Quezon City on Sunday, Pacquiao ended months of speculation by pushing through with his biggest fight outside the boxing ring thus far. "I am a fighter and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring. In my whole life, I have not backed out of a fight. Because in the name of principle, the nation's pride, I stand reaffirmed and strong," Pacquiao said during his acceptance speech. Pacquiao, who lived a life of poverty before embarking on a boxing career, said it was high time to fight for the poor and eradicate poverty. He also warned officials of the Philippine government who are corrupt, claiming they "are nearing imprisonment." "Your time is up! We gave you a chance, but you failed us. We waited for a long time, decades have passed, but nothing...

La'el Collins will begin serving his five-game suspension Sunday, but the Dallas Cowboys right tackle is appealing the ban and said he hopes the facts of his case lead the NFL to overturn its decision. Collins missed multiple drug tests, according to sources, but he also believes there are valid reasons for almost each missed test. One missed test came in November on the day that Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul died and the organization sent all its players home to allow them to grieve. Another missed test came on the day of Collins' uncle's funeral in Arizona, according to a source. The Cowboys gave Collins permission to leave Dallas and tend to his family, the source told ESPN. A third missed test came on the day Collins underwent hip surgery in October. The league counted a positive test for codeine against him, but Collins was prescribed the drug after having the surgery. Collins didn't have any positive marijuana tests...

Manny Machado screamed at All-Star teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. in the dugout during the fifth inning of the  San Diego Padres' crucial game against the Cardinals on Saturday night. Machado shouted and cursed at Tatis, telling him "it's not about you" and "you go play baseball," after Tatis struck out looking in the fifth. Tatis reacted angrily to the call by plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, and manager Jayce Tingler was ejected when he came out of the dugout to argue. "It's not viewed negatively," Tingler said. "We're a family. We're not going to discuss the details, but we care. There's passion. There's frustration. Those are all emotions that are natural, and those things happen."   Tatis slammed his helmet in the dugout after the strikeout before Machado began to give him an earful. The 29-year-old Machado and 22-year-old Tatis were separated by teammates during the incident, which came at the end of the top of the fifth. They eventually made their way to...

Yoel Romero shook his head and wagged his finger like Dikembe Mutombo. Bellator in-cage announcer Michael C. Williams was reading the results of the Bellator 266 main event and one of the judges had Romero winning the bout. Romero did not agree with the judge, pointing to his opponent,  Phil Davis, and giving him a fist bump. Ultimately, Romero was correct, if not the victor. Davis defeated Romero by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-26) on Saturday night at Bellator 266 in San Jose, California, throwing a bit of cold water on Romero's anticipated Bellator debut. Davis edged Romero out on the feet and then used his wrestling to seal things in the third and final round.  "He's a monster," Davis said. "I felt that power more times than I wished I had tonight." The fight was not as close as the split decision might have indicated, but the first two rounds were indeed close. The first was mostly inactive, but Davis landed slightly more clean strikes. In the second, Romero...

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- An officiating mix-up by an SEC crew cost Penn State a down on an offensive series during the first half of Saturday's 28-20 victory over  Auburn. Trailing 10-7 early in the second quarter, Penn State punted to Auburn after referee James Carter ruled it was fourth-and-11. The Nittany Lions had been flagged for intentional grounding on first down, an automatic loss-of-down foul. On second-and-16, quarterback Sean Clifford found wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 5-yard gain. But then Carter announced the next play as fourth down and Penn State brought punter Jordan Stout onto the field. Penn State coach James Franklin said he tried to alert the officials of the downs mix-up but could not get the call changed. "I talked to all of [the officials], and they said, look, they all agreed on the call and so did the replay [official]," Franklin said. "They all agreed. I kept bringing them over and saying, 'It's not...

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- An apparent officiating mix-up by an SEC crew cost Penn State a down on an offensive series during the first half of Saturday's 28-20 victory over  Auburn. Trailing 10-7 early in the second quarter, Penn State punted to Auburn after referee James Carter ruled it was fourth-and-11. The Nittany Lions had been flagged for intentional grounding on first down, an automatic loss-of-down foul. On second-and-16, quarterback Sean Clifford found wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 5-yard gain. But then Carter announced the next play as fourth down and Penn State brought punter Jordan Stout onto the field. Penn State coach James Franklin said he tried to alert the officials of the downs mix-up, but could not get the call changed. "I talked to all of [the officials], and they said, look, they all agreed on the call, and so did the replay [official]," Franklin said. "They all agreed. I kept bringing them over and saying, 'It's...

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- An apparent officiating mix-up by an SEC crew cost Penn State a down on an offensive series during the first half of Saturday's 28-20 victory over  Auburn. Trailing 10-7 early in the second quarter, Penn State punted to Auburn after referee James Carter ruled it was fourth-and-11. The Nittany Lions had been flagged for intentional grounding on first down, an automatic loss-of-down foul. On second-and-16, quarterback Sean Clifford found wide receiver Jahan Dotson for a 5-yard gain. But then Carter announced the next play as fourth down and Penn State brought punter Jordan Stout onto the field. Carter has been an SEC official since 2010, and served as head referee for the 2019 SEC championship game.

Anthony Smith said two years ago after a title loss to all-time great Jon Jones that maybe he'd never get another chance to beat Jones. But that was OK, Smith said, because he'd simply outlast Jones -- and the rest of the UFC light heavyweight division. Those comments have aged pretty well. Smith took out another up-and-comer Saturday night, submitting Ryan Spann with a rear-naked choke at 3:47 of the first round in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas. Smith dropped Spann twice with punches and then finished the job on the ground with his grappling acumen in an outstanding performance. Smith has five first-round finishes since 2018, tied with Vicente Luque for the most in the UFC during that stretch, per ESPN Stats & Info. "He's got the skills," Smith said in his postfight interview. "I think I'm better." After referee Herb Dean stopped the fight following Spann's tap, Smith started jawing at Spann. The two men had to be separated by...

After seeing two games of defensive mistakes and a lack of significant change, Ohio State coach Ryan Day handed playcalling duties over to secondary coach Matt Barnes on Saturday against visiting  Tulsa. Kerry Coombs, the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator, had been calling plays from the sideline to start the season, but after the 41-20 win over Tulsa, Day told reporters they made the change earlier in the week to give the defense its best shot at success. "We just took a hard look at it and had a lot of hard conversations and tried to figure out what gives us the best chance to move forward," Day said. "This is kind of the rhythm and the structure that we feel like, right now, is best suited for the defense. [Coombs] is a professional. He's an Ohio guy from the state of Ohio, he's got a lot of pride, and he just wants to win, so he's still very much a big part of this defense and a big part of Ohio State." Coombs had been on the field for the first two games...