Bayer Leverkusen are "honoured" to take on a team with the pedigree of Milan, so says Xabi Alonso.

Milan made a poor start to the season, failing to earn a win in their opening three Serie A games while they also lost their Champions League meeting with Liverpool.

However, they have turned things around on the domestic front with three successive victories, including a 2-1 win over reigning Serie A champions and city rivals Inter.

Milan have won the European Cup/Champions League on seven occasions, and Alonso - who was part of the Liverpool side that famously overcame the Rossoneri on penalties in the 2005 final - says it is an honour to go up against one of the continent's great clubs.

"Fundamental for my career. After 20 years we still talk about that night," Alonso said.

"Then two years later we lost to Milan but that victory in 2005 was incredible. It was [nearly] 20 years ago, we have to think about tomorrow. Milan is still the history of the Champions League.

"I've always liked Milan. Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, and great players, and to play against them is a great honour for us."

Despite Milan's inconsistent start to 2024-25, Bundesliga champions Leverkusen know to expect a stern test.

"It's one of those games when you have to play smart. With the ball, without the ball, you have to be patient, you have to be ready, you have to be focused," Alonso said.

"An Italian team is always dangerous. They know how to have patience. They are ready to defend low or to play with possession.

"Milan don't have to be dominant to be dangerous. Sometimes they have good possession, sometimes they have good counter-attacks."

Leverkusen won 4-0 away at Feyenoord in their opening Champions League match, and Alonso is relishing playing in Europe's elite club competition in front of the home fans on Tuesday.

"We're excited that the Champions League is back in our stadium," he added.

"That we're back in this competition and that we're playing our first home game against a huge club in the history of football." 

Leverkusen are aiming to win their opening two games of a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2001-02, a season in which they would go on to reach the final.

Jannik Sinner reached the last four of the China Open after defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-2 7-6 (8-6) on Monday.

The world number one will face Bu Yunchaokete in the semi-finals in Beijing, with a final against Carlos Alcaraz an intriguing prospect.

In the process, Sinner brought up his 58th win of the season, seeing him surpass Alexander Zverev as the player with the most TATP our-level wins in 2024.

"We always try to improve day by day and I feel like the result is coming in what level you’re playing throughout the season, how consistent you are as a player," said Sinner, who has now reeled off 14 successive victories.

"You also have to be ready mentally to do that. So we just try to stay in the present moment.

"We know what we have done this season, which is great for me. But every match we see we can improve, which is very good."

Data Debrief: The Italian job

Sinner has now become the first Italian in the Open Era to reach 10+ ATP event semi-finals in back-to-back seasons.

His next opponent, Bu, meanwhile, stunned Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-4.

Bu is the first Chinese player to claim multiple ATP top 20 wins at a single event on hard court, and the first player representing the host nation to reach the last four at the China Open.

Dikembo Mutombo, one of the greatest shot-blockers in NBA history and a Hall of Famer, died Monday due to brain cancer at 58.

He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in October 2022, and the NBA said he was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.

Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that he will be remembered for his play on the court and his humanitarian work after his retirement.

"Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life," Silver said. "On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others."

The fourth overall pick of the 1991 draft, Mutombo was an eight-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection during his 18-year career, playing for the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and the then-New Jersey Nets.

A native of the Congo, the 7-foot-2 centre was also one of just three players to be named the defensive player of the year four times, along with reigning winner Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Hall of Famer Ben Wallace.

Mutombo was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 after putting up career averages of 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.75 blocked shots. He led the league in blocks five times - the most by any player in the past 50 seasons.

He routinely followed up a blocked shot by waving his index finger in his opponent's face, insinuating don't try to shoot the ball over me.

Also remembered for his gigantic smile, Mutombo spent his time after his retirement from the NBA in 2008-09 working for several charitable organisations, including Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

In 1997, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, which focused on improving the health and quality of life for people in the Congo.

India set a record first-innings run rate for any men's Test to keep their hopes of a series sweep over Bangladesh alive on day four in Kanpur.

Having seen two days lost due to rain, India quickly went on the attack on a surface suited to spin, with Jasprit Bumrah knocking Mushfiqur Rahim (11) over for the first of his three wickets, ultimately finishing with figures of 3-50 at the close of Bangladesh's three-and-a-half-day first innings.

Mohammed Siraj (2-57) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2-45) also doubled up after Akash Deep had done so at the start of the innings on Friday, with Bangladesh bowled out for just 233 runs.

It was with the bat, however, that India really impressed.

The hosts set records for the fastest men's Test side to reach 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 runs, with none of the Sri Lankan bowlers able to slow them down.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal slogged 72 runs off just 51 balls faced before he was bowled cleanly by Hasan Mahmud, while there was also a quickfire half-century for KL Rahul, who hit seven fours and two maximums in his knock of 68 runs from 42 deliveries.

Virat Kohli fell narrowly short of his own half-century, scoring 47 from just 35 balls as Sri Lanka's expensive bowling continued, India ultimately declaring at 285-9.

The hosts likely required a couple of rapid wickets to give themselves time to seal victory on day five, but they got them through the brilliant Ashwin.

He trapped Zakir Hasan (10) lbw before crashing leg stump to dismiss Mahmud (4) with just five minutes of play remaining, leaving Bangladesh 26-2, trailing by 26 runs and surely playing for a draw.

Data Debrief: India set record pace

To say India were raring to get going with the bat on Monday would be an understatement. They scored at a rate of 8.2 runs per over through their 34.4 overs before declaring, the fastest rate ever recorded by any team in the first innings of a men's Test.

Now it is over to the bowlers to give them a chance to finish things off on Tuesday, and Ashwin – who took six wickets in the first Test – could be the man to lead them after scalping two huge wickets just before stumps.

Borussia Dortmund may have reached the Champions League final last season, but they will not be taking the visit of Celtic lightly, so says Nuri Sahin.

The last time Celtic made it past the group stage in the competition was in 2013, but they have made an impressive start to this season, winning all nine games across all competitions, including a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava.

Dortmund, runners-up to Real Madrid last season, have won three of their last four games in all competitions, though they were hammered 5-1 by Stuttgart on September 22.

"We're talking about a team that hasn't lost a lot of games, that hasn't conceded in their own league, that was very dominant in their first Champions League game," Sahin told reporters ahead of Tuesday's match at Signal Iduna Park.

"I'm looking forward to it and to call them outsiders, that would be unfair to Celtic.

"What can I say about Celtic, a prestigious club with amazing talent in the club, a fantastic coach."

Sahin knows all about Celtic's manager, after his time under Brendan Rodgers as a player when he had a loan spell at Liverpool in 2012.

Although he only made seven league appearances for Liverpool before his loan came to a premature end and he moved to Dortmund for the second half of that season, Sahin says Rodgers was an influence on his own coaching career.

"I'm looking forward to it. We had a short time together, a lot of talks before the transfer and also during my spell there," Sahin said.

"I really enjoyed it. I found his training sessions and his idea of football very, very interesting. I also wrote down a lot for my coaching career back then.

"Tomorrow I think we'll see each other again after 12 years and I'm looking forward to the duel."

Defender Julian Ryerson and midfielder Jamie Gittens were both taken off during Friday's league win over VfL Bochum, but Sahin said they will be available for the meeting with Celtic, while Giovanni Reyna is still out with a groin strain.

Carlos Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in a blockbuster China Open semi-final matchup after downing Karen Khachanov in the last eight.

The four-time grand slam champion needed just 96 minutes on court to beat Khachanov 7-5 6-2, easing through the second set after fending off some early pressure.

Alcaraz, who registered his 200th career victory last time out against Tallon Griekspoor, went a break up five games into the opener but was immediately pegged back, only to convert his seventh break point to seize the initiative once more. 

Back-to-back breaks midway through the second set then did the trick for Alcaraz, who dropped just two points on his own serve after clinching the opener.

The 21-year-old, whose victory saw him leapfrog Alexander Zverev to go second in the ATP rankings, said: "I always try to be aggressive, hitting strong shots, and I feel like I'm not afraid to show that. 

"That's what I'm feeling right now. In the past matches, everything went well, and I'm not letting my opponents show their best tennis. That's what I like and what I want in every match."

He will face Medvedev for a place in the final after the Russian registered his own straight-sets win over Flavio Cobolli on Monday.

Medvedev was forced to save 10 of 11 break points during his 6-2 6-4 win, which was far more competitive than the scoreline suggested.

Data Debrief: Medvedev's hard-court mastery 

Since the start of the 2020 season, Medvedev has now registered 186 ATP victories at hard-court events.

That is the most of any player on the surface and puts him some 22 wins clear of second-placed Jannik Sinner, who is a potential final opponent if he can overcome Alcaraz in the last four.

Derrick Henry was described as one of a kind by his Baltimore Ravens team-mates after his 87-yard touchdown run got the ball rolling in their impressive rout of the Buffalo Bills.

The Ravens handed the Bills their first defeat of the season by a comprehensive 35-10 scoreline on Sunday, with Henry continuing his strong start for his new team.

He went all the way from 87 yards on the Ravens' first drive of the game, the longest touchdown run in franchise history, also catching a Lamar Jackson pass for another score in the second quarter.

Henry finished the game with 199 yards on the ground and 10 receiving, while he could also have had a third touchdown if not for a fumble near the goal line, which led to fullback Patrick Ricard falling on the loose ball to further extend the Ravens' lead.

It was the 11th time, including playoff games, that Henry had rushed for at least 180 yards in a game – the most by any player in NFL history.

"He's one of one, I'll say that," Ricard said of the former Tennessee Titans back. 

"That's why he's just been one of the best backs in this league. I'm just so happy to have him here and block for him."

Henry has managed 480 yards rushing this term, the most by any player through four games of an NFL season since 2021, with his powerful style taking the pressure off reigning league MVP Jackson.

Reflecting on his early score, Henry said: "It was indescribable. 

"I did an interview Friday, talking about starting the game off right with a big play, and that happens. Sometimes you speak stuff into existence."

The Ravens have now managed back-to-back wins after a surprising 0-2 start, with four huge tussles with fellow AFC North teams on the agenda within the next six weeks.

Coach John Harbaugh said: "Now we know we are just getting better. We know what's possible, we know what we're capable of, but we have a long way to go, and we have a lot of work to do. 

"We're just four games in, and we have 13 more regular-season games to play. And where the season goes, it's going to be defined by what we do in the next 13 games plus."

Antonio Conte warned against complacency after Napoli ended a Serie A matchday top of the table for the first time since they captured the Scudetto in 2022-23.

Goals from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia helped Napoli to a 2-0 home win over Monza on Sunday, taking them to 13 points from their first six league games under Conte.

Having gone through three head coaches as they finished a dismal 10th as defending champions last season, Napoli have now kept as many Serie A clean sheets under Conte (four) as they managed in their previous 31 outings in the competition.

They have also managed three successive shutouts for the first time since February 2023 and are guaranteed to end matchday six at the summit of Serie A.

Conte, however, says there is much work to be done and has warned the Partenopei's lack of European football, while allowing them more rest time, denies them a chance to build momentum.

"There is an advantage and a disadvantage of not playing in Europe – the advantage is that you can train the team all week, the disadvantage is that the squad is not as competitive as those that do play in Europe," Conte told DAZN.

"Having said that, we continue to work, we do it to make people's dreams come true but the reality is that we are too far away to make flights of fancy.

"We need to sweat every game, like we did today, and grow."

Having led Juventus, Chelsea and Inter to league titles soon after taking the reins, Conte knows there are grand expectations around his Napoli tenure but says they are in the early stages of a major rebuild.

"Not even three months have passed, the president [Aurelio De Laurentiis] is the first to have spoken of a total reconstruction," he added.

"[Victor] Osimhen and [Piotr] Zielinski left while I hear people talking about certain things.

"I know that there are high expectations for me because I have done important things. Let's let the fans dream, but I have to keep my feet on the ground.

"I hear people talking who know nothing about Scudettos. We have to speed up to get Napoli where they deserve to be, which is not in 10th place."

Erik ten Hag is not thinking about the possibility that Manchester United will sack him after their dreadful start to the season continued with Sunday's 3-0 loss to Tottenham.

United suffered yet another humiliating Old Trafford defeat on matchday six, with Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke scoring in a routine win for Spurs, while the Red Devils saw captain Bruno Fernandes sent off shortly before half-time.

Ten Hag's side were also beaten 3-0 by Liverpool on their last home Premier League outing, making this the first time they have lost back-to-back home league games without scoring since November 2021.

Those two matches – a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool and a 2-0 loss to Manchester City – proved to be Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's final home games in charge.

Meanwhile, United's seven points are their joint-fewest after six games of any Premier League season (two wins, one draw, three losses), having made identical starts under David Moyes in 2013-14 and Solskjaer in 2020-21.

Despite speculation over his future continuing to grow, Ten Hag – who signed a new contract in pre-season – is not worried he will suffer the same fate as his predecessors.

Asked in his post-match press conference if he was worried about his future, Ten Hag said: "No, I am not thinking about this. 

"We all made this decision to stay together, as an ownership, as a leadership group in the summer, also we made decisions from a clear review about what we have to improve and how we want to construct a squad.

"But we knew it would take some time... how the window went, some players came in late like [Manuel] Ugarte. 

"Also, we have to make some improvements in our organisation, we have some injuries, we need some time.

"We are all on one page or in one boat together, the ownership, the staff and the players as well. I don't have that concern."

United fell behind to Johnson's opener within just 155 seconds, the earliest they have conceded in the Premier League since August 2023 versus Nottingham Forest (88 seconds).

Having gone 2-0 down within two minutes of the restart, United conceded in the first three minutes of both halves in a single Premier League match for just the second time, also doing so against Leeds United in February 2023.

Spurs generated a huge expected goals (xG) figure of 4.59 on Sunday – the third-highest United have allowed a Premier League opponent since such records began in 2009.

Only versus Arsenal in December 2017 (a 3-1 win) and against City in October 2011 (an infamous 6-1 loss at Old Trafford), have United given up a greater quality of chances in a Premier League match.

Speaking in his role as a Sky Sports pundit, former United defender Gary Neville slammed their performance, saying: "Today has shocked me, how low they've gone. It was a really bad one.

"I know that David Moyes had some bad ones in the early days, so has Ole along the way, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ralf Rangnick... but that felt like one of those days where they sank really low. It's one of the worst performances I have seen under Ten Hag. And that is saying something. It is really bad."

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Sunday's derby draw with Atletico Madrid could prove to be an important result in the future, despite their last-gasp concession.

Madrid were on course to move within a point of Barcelona – who saw their unbeaten start to the season ended by Osasuna on Saturday – in LaLiga when Eder Militao opened the scoring after 64 minutes.

However, after a 15-minute stoppage due to members of the crowd throwing objects at Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Angel Correa snatched a 95th-minute leveller for Atleti.

The Argentine's strike was the first stoppage-time goal scored by Atleti in a Madrid derby this century, as both teams maintained their unbeaten starts to the campaign.

Ancelotti was frustrated to drop two points but feels the result was still a positive one, telling reporters: "It is hard to cope with a draw when we were very close to winning.

"It can happen, the opponents are very strong and have a lot of quality. Their goal was in the last minute, it's a pity. We controlled the game well, we came close.

"But I always like to think positively. We've won a point away from home and we are a point closer [to Barcelona].

"The dynamic is good, we are in contention and we don't despair, a draw here can mean a good point for the future."

Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer took both teams off the pitch in the aftermath of Militao's opening goal as objects rained down from the stands, causing Atleti boss Diego Simeone to say Los Colchoneros "do not need these people".

Ancelotti hailed the officials' reaction to the incident and said the stoppage had not affected the flow of the game, adding: "I don't think it helped Atletico, it affected us both equally.

"We all wanted to play. The decision to stop the match was the right one. The referee said that lighters were thrown and that he had stopped the match twice, if they threw another one, he had to suspend it.

"I think it was a correct decision by the referee. It had to stop, a few things were sorted out, and we started again. Obviously, none of us liked the situation. Everyone wanted to play. The referee acted well."

Diego Simeone slammed Atletico Madrid's ultras after violence caused Sunday's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid to be temporarily halted, though he also feels players who provoke fans should be sanctioned.

Atleti and their cross-city rivals both maintained their unbeaten starts to the season as they played out a fiery draw at the Civitas Metropolitano, with Angel Correa's stoppage-time goal cancelling out Eder Militao's 64th-minute opener.

Militao's goal precipitated violent scenes as the ultras group Fondo Sur hurled objects including cigarette lighters at visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. 

That caused referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer to take both teams off the pitch for 15 minutes, as Simeone and Atleti captain Koke approached the stands in a bid to placate fans.

After the delayed match finally ended level, with Atleti also seeing Marcos Llorente sent off nine minutes into stoppage time, Simeone told DAZN: "My opinion is that people who have committed incidents should be sanctioned by the club. We don't need these people. We need the people who accompany and support us."

He was also critical, however, of Courtois' celebrations, adding: "They harm the club, but be careful: that does not justify generating situations that we, the protagonists, generate.

"We all have to help. The people who have thrown those lighters, it's not right. But maybe it doesn't help when us, the protagonists, undermine people, charge against people, provoke people and then people get angry.

"People have no other way of doing it, in a bad way, which is not right, but we also have to try to be calm, to understand the situations.

"You can celebrate a goal by celebrating it, but not by celebrating it by staring at the stands, charging against the stands, making gestures... because then people get angry.

"Of course it's not justified, but neither is the initial thing justified because otherwise we'll always be victims. The one who throws the cigarette lighter should be sanctioned and the one who provokes should also be sanctioned. 

"This way there is no more laughter and things like that; as you are not sanctioned, you are allowed to do things."

Atletico later released an official statement saying they have already identified one fan who hurled objects onto the pitch and are working with police to identify others.

"Atletico de Madrid wishes to express their rejection of the throwing of objects from a section of the south stand in the 68th minute of the match against Real Madrid," the statement read. 

"The club's security department has been working together with the police to locate those involved, one of whom has already been identified.

"The club will apply the internal regime foreseen for very serious cases to the people involved in this incident. 

"These attitudes have no place in football and tarnish the image of a stadium that has experienced a spectacular atmosphere with more than 70,000 spectators in the stands, the vast majority of whom have shown exemplary behaviour." 

Derrick Henry's franchise-record 87-yard touchdown run set the tone as the Baltimore Ravens knocked the Buffalo Bills from the ranks of the unbeaten with an emphatic 35-10 victory on Sunday night.

Henry broke free for the longest run in team history on Baltimore's first play from scrimmage to foreshadow a dominating performance from the defending AFC North champions, who out-gained the Bills by a 427-236 margin in total yards en route to handing Buffalo (3-1) its first loss of the season. 

The Ravens amassed 271 yards on the ground, with Henry producing 199 on 24 carries and adding a touchdown catch to lead Baltimore (2-2) to a second straight win following a surprising 0-2 start.

Lamar Jackson chipped in as well by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. The 2023 NFL MVP completed 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and added 54 as a runner.

The Ravens scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives to build a 21-3 half-time lead. After Buffalo's Tyler Bass hit a 50-yard field goal after Henry's record-setting run, Baltimore promptly marched 70 yards in nine plays to reach the end zone again.

Henry finished that drive as well by catching Jackson's short pass and crossing the goal line untouched on the first play of the second quarter.

The Bills also offered no resistance on Baltimore's next drive, a 10-play, 81-yard march capped by Jackson's 19-yard touchdown pass to Justice Hill midway through the second quarter.

Buffalo regrouped after intermission, with Josh Allen finding Khalil Shakir for a 52-yard gain before Ty Johnson cut the lead to 21-10 with a 3-yard touchdown run on the Bills' opening series of the third quarter.

The Bills' next possession ended in a turnover, however, as Allen fumbled when sacked by Kyle Van Noy and the Ravens recovered at Buffalo's 41-yard line.

A 25-yard Henry run and Hill's 17-yard catch following the takeaway preceded Jackson's 9-yard touchdown run and a 28-10 advantage late in the third quarter.

Henry nearly had a third touchdown of the night, but he fumbled into the end zone after taking a hand-off at Buffalo's 1-yard line. Baltimore fullback Patrick Ricard fell on the loose ball, however, for the Ravens' final TD with 11:23 left to play.

Allen, coming off a four-touchdown passing performance in Buffalo's 47-10 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, was held to 180 yards while completing 16 of 29 attempts.

Darnold delivers again as 4-0 Vikings hold off Packers

Sam Darnold continued his remarkable comeback season with three more touchdown passes as the Minnesota Vikings moved to 4-0 by holding on for a 31-29 win over the NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers.

Darnold led the Vikings to touchdowns on four of their first five drives as Minnesota built a 28-0 lead before fending off a late comeback attempt spurred by Jordan Love in the Green Bay quarterback's return from a two-game absence.

Love threw three of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including two to Dontayvion Wicks, and finished with 389 yards through the air in his first start since spraining his knee in the Packers' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.

The Packers' franchise signal-caller was intercepted three times, however, and Green Bay (2-2) had four total turnovers that contributed to its two-game winning streak being halted.

Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards with one interception to spark Minnesota to its first 4-0 start since 2016. Former Packer Aaron Jones contributed 139 yards from scrimmage in his first game at Lambeau Field since being released by Green Bay in the offseason and signing with the Vikings.

Minnesota took control right away, as Darnold hit Jailen Nailor for a 31-yard gain on 3rd-and-14 before capping the game's initial drive with a 29-yard strike to a wide-open Jordan Addison just 3:07 into the contest.

After Green Bay's Brayden Narveson missed a 37-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing possession, the Vikings marched 73 yards in eight plays to take a 14-0 lead on Darnold's 2-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver late in the first quarter.

Kamu Grugier-Hill then intercepted Love to give Minnesota the ball near midfield, with the takeaway setting up Addison's 7-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep that extended the lead to 21-0 with 11:50 left before half-time.

Green Bay's next two drives ended in another Narveson missed field goal and Love's second interception, which Shaquil Griffin returned 28 yards to the Packers' 4-yard line. 

After the Vikings were backed up by a holding penalty, Darnold found Justin Jefferson in the end zone for a 14-yard score to increase the margin to 28-0 with 5:28 remaining in the second quarter.

The Packers finally got some momentum late in the first half when Nailor fumbled a punt and Green Bay recovered deep in Minnesota territory, setting up Love's 15-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed just before half-time.

Reed finished with a career-high 139 yards on seven catches.

The Vikings maintained their 28-7 advantage into the fourth quarter, when Green Bay's offence came back to life.

Love engineered an 89-yard drive culminating in his 6-yard touchdown pass to Wicks to start the rally attempt, and cornerback Keisean Nixon sacked Darnold on the next play from scrimmage to force a fumble the Packers recovered on Minnesota's 20-yard line.

Two plays later, Love connected with Tucker Kraft for a 13-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 28-22 with 10:16 left.

The Vikings answered on their next possession, as a 27-yard completion from Darnold to Jefferson led to Will Reichard's 33-yard field goal with 6:50 remaining that made it a two-score game again.

Green Bay turned it over on its following two drives before closing within 31-29 on Love's 17-yard touchdown pass to Wicks with 56 seconds to play. The Vikings recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt, however, and ran out the clock.

Chiefs stay unbeaten with comeback win over Chargers

The Kansas City Chiefs also got to 4-0 on the season after overcoming an early 10-point deficit and an injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice in a 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Samaje Perine scored the tie-breaking touchdown with 6:04 remaining as the two-time defending Super Bowl champions won their 10th consecutive game dating back to last season, which includes four victories during the 2023 playoffs.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, a 54-yard strike to rookie Xavier Worthy in the second quarter that came after Rice was carted off with what the Chiefs fear is a torn ACL in his right knee, according to multiple reports.

Travis Kelce also stepped up in Rice's absence, as the veteran tight end posted season highs of seven catches and 89 receiving yards.

Worthy hauled in Mahomes' perfectly thrown deep ball to bring the Chiefs within 10-7 at the half, and Kansas City got the ball near midfield on their first drive of the third quarter after Los Angeles' Cameron Dicker missed a 55-yard field goal attempt.

Mahomes completed 4 of 5 passes on the series to put the Chiefs in range for Harrison Butker's 37-yard field goal that tied the game.

Kansas City's defence stopped the Chargers on 4th-and-1 from the Chiefs' 3-yard line early in the fourth quarter to keep the score at 10-10, then forced a three-and-out on Los Angeles' next possession before the offence came through with the go-ahead drive.

The Chiefs marched 60 yards in just five plays, highlighted by Mahomes' 29-yard pass to Noah Gray, and took their first lead of the day when Perine powered into the end zone from two yards out.

Chris Jones' third-down sack of Justin Herbert forced the Chargers to punt with 3:15 to go, and Los Angeles never got the ball back as Kansas City successfully ran out the clock.

Herbert, playing on a sprained ankle he injured in Week 2, completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and had a 7-yard touchdown toss to Ladd McConkey that gave Los Angeles (2-2) a 7-0 lead with 6:16 left in the first quarter.

Kristian Fulton then intercepted Mahomes on the next snap from scrimmage - the play where Rice was injured - and returned the ball 29 yards to set up Dicker's 50-yard field goal for a 10-0 advantage.

Flacco's relief effort helps Colts deal Steelers first loss

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes in relief of an injured Anthony Richardson, and the Indianapolis Colts got a late defensive stop to hold on for a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Flacco took over after Richardson hurt his hip on a scramble late in the first quarter and threw for 168 yards on 16-of-26 passing. The 39-year-old hit Josh Downs and Drew Ogletree for touchdowns to help Indianapolis (2-2) to a second straight win following an 0-2 start.

Downs finished with 82 yards on eight catches and Michael Pittman amassed 113 yards on six receptions for the Colts, who also received 88 rushing yards and a touchdown from Jonathan Taylor.

Pittsburgh (3-1) was handed its first loss of the season despite Justin Fields rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for another. Fields was sacked four times and had one of two Pittsburgh lost fumbles, however, as the Steelers failed to overcome a 17-0 deficit. 

Fields completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards, while George Pickens led the Steelers' receivers with 113 yards on seven catches. 

Richardson made an impact before his early departure, as he hit Pittman for a 32-yard gain on the game's first play to ignite an eight-play, 70-yard drive that Taylor finished with a 2-yard touchdown run less than three minutes in.

The 2023 first-round pick left after being tackled on a short run near the goal line on the Colts' next possession, which Flacco capped with a 4-yard touchdown delivery to Downs to extend the lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter.

Matt Gay's 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter increased Indianapolis' advantage to 17-0, but a 29-yard completion from Fields to Pat Freiermuth late in the first half got Pittsburgh on the board via Chris Boswell's 50-yard field goal.

The Steelers' defence then forced a pair of three-and-outs to begin the third quarter, and Fields and Pickens hooked up for a 38-yard completion to highlight a six-play drive culminating in Fields' 5-yard touchdown run that brought Pittsburgh within 17-10 with 2:53 to go in the period.

Indianapolis responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive kept alive by Flacco's 25-yard completion to Downs on 3rd-and-7. The veteran quarterback later hit Ogletree over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown that put the Colts up 24-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh answered once again, though, as a 32-yard catch and run by Najee Harris moved the ball deep into Indianapolis territory before Fields trimmed the lead to 24-17 with a 2-yard touchdown run with 11:23 remaining.

After Gay hit a 35-yard field goal to increase the Colts' lead to 10, Fields found Freiermuth for an 8-yard touchdown with 3:40 left to pull the Steelers within 27-24. The score was set up by a 37-yard catch by Pickens.

Pittsburgh got the ball back with 2:39 remaining, but Fields' final two passes fell incomplete and the Colts took over on downs with 29 seconds on the clock.

Broncos earn narrow win over Jets as defence flusters Rodgers

Wil Lutz hit a go-ahead 47-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter, and the Denver Broncos' defence made the kick stand up in a 10-9 win over the New York Jets at a soggy MetLife Stadium.

Denver (2-2) got its second straight win following an 0-2 start despite quarterback Bo Nix mustering just 60 passing yards in the rainy conditions. The rookie quarterback did throw his first NFL touchdown pass, however, when he found Courtland Sutton for an 8-yard score in the third quarter.

Running backs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 123 rushing yards to give the offence some spark, though, while the defence kept Aaron Rodgers and the Jets out of the end zone while recording five sacks of the four-time NFL MVP.

Rodgers completed just 24 of 42 pass attempts for 225 yards on a day New York (2-2) managed just three Greg Zuerlein field goals and went 4 of 17 on third downs.

Zuerlein misfired on a 50-yard field goal try with 47 seconds left, however, to snap the Jets' two-game winning streak.

New York had taken a 9-7 lead on Zuerlein's 40-yard field goal with 13:34 remaining, a kick set up by Rodgers' 22-yard completion to Mike Williams and a 23-yard connection with Garrett Wilson on the following play. 

Denver then answered with an eight-play drive in which all of its yards came on the ground, putting it in range for Lutz's field goal that put the Broncos back ahead with 8:55 to go.

Lutz later missed a 50-yard attempt with 1:27 remaining to give the Jets another chance, and a defensive pass interference penalty and a short catch from Williams got New York to Denver's 32-yard line for a field goal opportunity in the final minute.

Zuerlein's kick veered to the right of the post, however.

The Broncos managed just 46 total yards over the first two quarters and trailed 6-0 at the half after Zuerlein hit from 23 and 35 yards out in the second quarter. The first field goal came after Denver's Ty Badie fumbled when injured on a short catch and the Jets recovered at the Broncos' 34.

Nix was just 12 of 25 passing for the game, but the rookie came through with a key 29-yard completion to Sutton on 3rd-and-11 to extend what turned out to be the lone touchdown drive of the day.

Sutton got wide open in the end zone shortly afterward and came down with Nix's 8-yard toss to put the Broncos up 7-6 with 3:08 left in the third quarter.

Texans score late touchdown to keep Jaguars win-less

Dare Ogunbowale caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud with 18 seconds remaining to lift the Houston Texans to a 24-20 victory over Jacksonville that dropped the reeling Jaguars to 0-4.

After being forced to punt on their first five drives of the second half, the Texans' offence finally got untracked in the final minutes as Stroud led a nine-play, 69-yard series to put his team ahead.

The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year connected with Nico Collins for 26 yards to the Jacksonville 27-yard line with Houston (3-1) down 20-17 at the two-minute warning. Stroud later found Dalton Schultz for a 6-yard gain on 3rd-and-3 from the Jaguars' 8 before rolling out and hitting Ogunbowale in stride for the go-ahead score. 

Stroud finished with 345 yards and two touchdowns while completing 27 of 40 passes, with nearly half of them going to Collins. The star wide receiver racked up 151 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 12 catches.

Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes for Jacksonville (0-4), including an 8-yard strike to Christian Kirk that put the Jaguars up 20-17 with 6:16 left in the third quarter.

Lawrence's first TD pass came after the Jaguars recovered a muffed punt from Houston's Steven Sims at the Texans' 2-yard line in the opening minutes. Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. came down with the former No. 1 overall pick's short toss on the next play to quickly give Jacksonville a 7-0 lead 2:16 in.

Houston answered with a nine-play, 70-yard drive capped by wide receiver Stefon Diggs' 6-yard touchdown run on an aborted passing play midway through the first quarter.

Cam Little's 41-yard field goal on the ensuing possession put Jacksonville back ahead until Stroud's 3-yard touchdown pass to Collins gave the Texans a 14-10 edge with 7:19 left in the second quarter, with the score ending a 12-play, 74-yard drive.

Both teams traded field goals to close out the first half, with Little making a 52-yarder and Ka'imi Fairbairn countering with a 32-yard kick that sent Houston into half-time up 17-13.

Thomas recorded 86 yards on six catches for Jacksonville, while Kirk had seven receptions totalling 61 yards and Tank Bigsby rushed for 90 yards on just seven carries in the loss.