The Phoenix Mercury’s season ended Wednesday night with a 101-88 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of a first-round WNBA play-off series.
The loss may have also ended the illustrious career of Diana Taurasi.
The 42-year-old hasn’t officially said she will retire, but she alluded to retirement while addressing Mercury fans after the team’s regular-season finale last Thursday.
“If it is the last time, it felt like the first time,” she said from centre court.
If this was her final game, it caps one of the most decorated careers by an American basketball player.
As the winner of an incredible six Olympic gold medals, Taurasi secured her first gold at the 2000 Athens Games and her most recent at this summer’s Paris Games.
She also won three straight American collegiate national championships at UConn in 2002, 2003 and 2004, another three WNBA titles in 2007, 2009 and 2014, and six Euroleague championships.
Her entire WNBA career was spent with Phoenix after being selected first overall in the 2004 draft.
She made an immediate impact, winning rookie of the year honours in 2004 and was named league MVP for the 2009 season.
A 10-time all-WNBA first-team selection, Taurasi was named to her 11th WNBA All-Star Game this past season and would have almost certainly been chosen to more, but there were no All-Star Games in 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016 or 2020.
She’s the WNBA’s all-time leader in points scored – about 3,000 more than the next-closest player in Tina Charles – the top scorer in the WNBA play-offs, and is the league’s all-time record holder in 3-pointers made.
Despite concluding her 20th season in the WNBA, she is still playing at a high level.
She averaged 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in the regular season before scoring 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in Monday’s 102-95 loss in Game 1.
Taurasi had 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting with four rebounds and three assists before fouling out with 2:34 remaining in Game 2.
She left to a standing ovation from the Minnesota crowd before Napheesa Collier, who tied a WNBA playoff record with 42 points for the Lynx, came over to the Mercury bench for a brief handshake with her fellow UConn star.
If Taurasi ultimately decides to call it a career, she’ll be remembered as one of the greatest women’s basketball players in history.
CeeDee Lamb has apologised for his performance and attitude in the Dallas Cowboys' 28-25 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.
The All-Pro wide receiver was seen having a touchline disagreement with quarterback Dak Prescott during Sunday's loss at the AT&T Stadium.
Lamb also lost a red zone fumble and dropped a pass, while he caught four of seven targets for 67 yards.
Reflecting on a disappointing game for him and his side two days on, Lamb said: "I expect a lot out of myself, more than anyone could put on me.
"And quite honestly, I failed myself, and obviously I failed the team, just as far as producing and being that game-breaker.
"I kind of let the game get to my head a little bit. Honestly, I've got to be truthful to myself, and I played a part in that loss, a big part.
"Honestly [neither] my body language nor attitude, [helped change] the outcome of the game.”
Lamb has 13 receptions this season on 24 targets for 218 yards and a touchdown, having sat out the off-season as he waited for a new contract.
The 25-year-old's connection with Prescott has been lacking, but he insists there are no issues between them.
"Our relationship, if anything, has gotten stronger," he said. "Don't let what's out there fool you. We're brothers to the end.
"We know that we're all we got. I tip my hat to him. I have the utmost respect for him. I look at him as a brother.
"Everything is going to come out: the energy, the passion, the love, the fight, and then we'll make up in the end. No craziness now."
The 1-2 Cowboys face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium next up on Thursday.
Carlos Alcaraz welcomed the addition of Rafael Nadal to Spain's Davis Cup team, but hopes the tournament in November is not the 22-time grand slam champion's last.
Nadal, who last featured alongside Alcaraz in the doubles at the Paris Olympics, has hinted that his glittering career could come to an end at the conclusion of this season.
The 38-year-old Spaniard was forced to withdraw from last weekend's Laver Cup while also pulling out of the US Open, a tournament he has won on four previous occasions.
Nadal was a surprise inclusion in Spain's Davis Cup squad, and will join Alcaraz, Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno and Marcel Granollers for the tournament in Malaga.
"It's always great having Rafa around. I miss him. I'm not going to lie, I missed him in the Laver Cup," Alcaraz said.
"Obviously, as much time as I can spend with him, it's a privilege for me.
"I don't want to think that it's a potential last dance for him in Malaga. I just want to enjoy seeing him on court as much as I can.
"It's great support having him in the team. He can bring a lot of experience to the Davis Cup."
But for Alcaraz, his attention has now swiftly turned to the China Open, kickstarting his campaign in Beijing against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Friday.
The Spaniard, who was stunned at the US Open in the second round against Botic van de Zandschulp, led Bjorn Borg's Team Europe to victory in Berlin last week.
Alcaraz managed eight points for Team Europe during the 2024 edition of the Laver Cup, earning more points than any other player in a single edition of the tournament.
And the world number three believes his latest string of performances was the perfect preparation for the China Open.
"I played great matches in the Laver Cup, which helped me a lot to have more confidence coming to this tournament," Alcaraz told reporters in Beijing.
"I beat Ben Shelton, who was playing great, and Taylor Fritz, who came from the final in New York.
"Having those victories, it's great for my confidence and level to come here with extra energy knowing I'm ready to get a good result, knowing that I have a really tough draw."
Lando Norris believes overhauling Max Verstappen to win the Formula One driver's championship is "definitely possible", though he knows McLaren have no room for error.
Norris produced a magnificent performance at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, leading from the front and finishing some 20 seconds clear of Verstappen.
That victory – his third of the year – lifted him to within 52 points of Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings, while McLaren lead Red Bull by 41 points in the battle for the constructors' crown.
Norris has now won from pole in two of the last four races (Singapore and the Netherlands), becoming the 49th driver to achieve that feat on at least two occasions in F1.
In the last 30 grands prix in which Norris has scored points, he has averaged 15.3 points (460 in total), having only averaged 6.8 across his previous 66 (452 in total).
With Verstappen now winless in eight races, Norris does not see ending his three-year reign as an impossible objective, if McLaren can maintain their pace.
"This is what I've got to do, this is what I need, this is what we need to do as a team," Norris told Sky Sports F1.
"We've executed things perfectly as a team, especially to get Oscar [Piastri] into P3, but we need to do it at every race until the end of the year if I want to have a chance to get Max.
"We're working hard and if I keep doing what I've done this weekend, then it's definitely possible."
Verstappen won 19 of 22 races in the 2023 season – the most dominant campaign ever witnessed in F1 – but Norris hopes he can take this year's title battle to the final race, set for Abu Dhabi on December 8.
"I hope so. I still have a lot of points I've got to catch up and it's not going to be easy to do it," Norris added.
"It's against Red Bull and it's against Max, the most dominant pairing you've ever seen in Formula One, from last year.
"That's not necessarily changed in terms of… It's the same team and it's the same driver. So, I have some of the toughest competition that Formula One has ever seen.
"I'm working my heart out, I'm working my butt off, to try and make sure that happens. He's trying to make sure it doesn't happen. So we'll have to wait and find out."
Naomi Osaka beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-3 6-2 in the first round of the China Open on Wednesday, in her first match under Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
Osaka was returning to the Beijing event for the first time since triumphing there in 2019, and she rallied after going a break down in the first set, ultimately winning comfortably.
The four-time major champion smashed 30 winners to Bronzetti's seven in the one-hour, 23-minute contest, teeing up a second-round clash with Yulia Putintseva.
Speaking after her win, she admitted she had harboured doubts over Mouratoglou initially but was now convinced she has found the right coach.
"I think the fact he was Serena's coach made me want to avoid him," she said. This isn't rude because I found out it's not true, but I didn't know if he was a good coach or he just coached Serena!
"Then I met him, talked to him, worked with him on the court. He absolutely is a really good coach. I'm really glad that he's taking this project on, as well."
Data Debrief: Osaka's hard-court success
Osaka's victory means she now holds a 72.3% win percentage on hard courts at WTA 1000 events and grand slams (102 wins, 39 defeats).
Only three active players have a better such win ratio; Iga Swiatek (78.3%), Victoria Azarenka (75.5%) and Aryna Sabalenka (73.8%).
Three more teams secured play-off berths on Tuesday, with the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres booking trips to the post-season.
The Orioles got home runs from Anthony Santander, Colton Cowser and Ramon Urias to beat the New York Yankees 5-3 and deny their division rivals the AL East crown for at least one more night.
The Yankees, who saw Aaron Judge hit his 56th homer of the season, lead the Orioles in the East by five games with five to play, although Baltimore would have the tiebreaker if they go 5-0 down the stretch and New York finishes 0-5.
The Orioles will play in consecutive post-seasons for the first time since 1996-97.
For the fourth consecutive year, the AL West crown was claimed by the Astros, who beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3. Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Jason Heyward each hit home runs for Houston, with Heyward’s two-run shot in the fifth putting the Astros ahead for good.
In the NL West, the Padres turned a triple play to close out their 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and ensure them at least a wild-card spot.
Jake Cronenworth hit a two-run homer in the second and added an RBI double in the fourth to pace the Padres, who trail the Dodgers by two games in the West.
Braves take crucial series opener from Mets
Michael Harris had a home run and an RBI double, Spencer Schwellenbach was strong through seven innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 5-1 as both teams continued their fight for play-off position.
Harris finished 3 for 4 with seven total bases, and Marcell Ozuna hit his 39th homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth off Ryne Stanek.
Schwellenbach carried a shutout into the seventh, when he surrendered a solo shot to Mark Vientos. Schwellenbach allowed three hits and one walk over seven innings.
The win, Atlanta’s third in a row, moved the Braves (86-71) half a game back of the Arizona Diamondbacks (87-71) for the NL’s final wild-card spot. Arizona was routed 11-0 by the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
With the loss, the Mets (87-70) were left clinging to a wild-card position by the narrowest of margins. They face the Braves two more times before heading to Milwaukee for a three-game set against the NL Central champion Brewers.
Guardians secure first-round bye
Kyle Manzardo and Lane Thomas hit home runs to back a strong outing from Tanner Bibee, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-1.
With the win, the AL Central champion Guardians clinched a top-two finish in the American League and a first-round play-off bye.
Manzardo and Thomas both went deep in the first inning off Carson Spiers for the early lead, and Josh Naylor drove in a pair of insurance runs as Cleveland improved to 91-67.
Bibee, who had been 1-4 in his previous five decisions, cruised to his 12th win, allowing four hits and one run in seven innings with seven strikeouts.
The Guardians trail the Yankees by 1 ½ games for the best record in the AL.
Former US Open champion Marin Cilic has made history with his Hangzhou Open triumph, becoming the lowest-ranked player to win an ATP Tour title.
Ranked 777th at the start of the tournament, Cilic, who was given a wildcard to play in Hangzhou, beat home favourite Zhang Zhizhen 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5) to lift the trophy on Tuesday.
The Croatian has struggled with a recurring knee injury over the last two years, limiting him to just two appearances in 2023 and four earlier this year.
Cilic, a former world number three, had not won on the ATP Tour for 22 months before this week but dropped just two sets on his way to clinching the title.
"Everybody at home has been with me in this difficult period, working day by day, believing and pushing me, giving me strength and spirit," Cilic said.
"I'm happy to make this victory, not just for me, but for them. For everyone, there is a small piece of this trophy."
It is the 21st title of Cilic's career, and he will rise 404 places in the rankings to 373rd next week.
“Unleash Your Power: Where Mental Strength Meets Physical Excellence,” is the theme of the third staging of the Mayberry, JOA Jamaica Bodybuilding and Fitness Association (JABBFA) National Bodybuilding Championships.
This year’s event is set for Saturday, September 28 at the AC Hotel in Kingston.
“We are excited at JABBFA to showcase Jamaica’s premier bodybuilding event where the country’s top athletes will compete for the prestigious titles of Mr. and Ms. Jamaica,” said Vice President of JABBFA, Kirk Frankson at the launch of the event held at the Jamaica Olympic Association on Tuesday morning.
“This competition marks a pivotal moment in our season of bodybuilding as we continue to celebrate not only physical excellence but also the discipline, commitment and mental strength that our sport cultivates. It is a platform where our athletes don’t just showcase their physical prowess, but also their mental resilience and dedication to drive them to become the best version of themselves,” he added.
Mayberry Investments Limited will serve as main sponsors for the championships for the third year in a row.
“Today marks a significant moment for bodybuilding and fitness Jamaica as we kick off another year of showcasing the incredible talent, dedication and discipline of our athletes,” said Stephanie Harrison, VP-Marketing at Mayberry Investments Limited.
“We are very happy and elated to have accommodated this third staging and we believe in the potential of our athletes and it’s a testament to the growing importance of fitness and wellness in Jamaica,” she added.
The competition will feature 56 athletes competing in a diverse range of categories: Men’s Physique, Bodybuilding, Bikini Fitness, Body Fitness and Women’s Physique.
The Men’s Physique category will be broken down into three smaller categories: Short, Tall and Muscular while the Bodybuilding category will be broken down into two: Open and Classic.
Bikini Fitness, similar to Men’s Physique, will see three sub-categories: Short, Tall and Wellness.
There are 23 competitors registered for the Men’s Physique category with Bodybuilding, Bikini Fitness, Body Fitness and Women’s Physique following with 15, 10, 4 and 4, respectively.
“Without the athletes, none of this would’ve been possible. With their hard work and dedication, going through the diet, it’s amazing,” said JABBFA President Audrey Allwood.
A large number of Gyms around the island will be represented on Saturday including the likes of Fit Farm Fitness, Island Body Fitness, Myers Fitness Center, Work That body Gym and recent additions to the fitness landscape like Shaddai Fitness Factory among many others.
“We could not have done this without the gym because, of course, the gyms make the bodies,” Allwood said.
Allwood also expressed gratitude to Mayberry for their contributions over the last three years, referring to that period as the association’s “best ever.”
As far as prizes go, for all competitive categories with more than three participants, the top three athletes will be awarded trophies and Mayberry tokens and sponsored gift baskets.
Category winners will also receive a cash prize of JA$20,000, while the overall champions will be rewarded with JA$50,000.
Other sponsors for this year’s edition include Caribbean Producers Jamaica, Lasco Financial Services, Lasco Distributors, Ayrtons Distributors, Gustazos Jamaica, VitaMalt, Nature Valley, Powerade, Vigorton 2 Iron and Vitamin Tonic, Cheffin’z with Jolly, Fitness Junkies, Express Fitness Jamaica and PUSH.
Aryna Sabalenka is targeting a return to the top of the world rankings to cap a stellar 2024.
Sabalenka won two grand slam titles this year, the Australian Open and the US Open, as well as clinching the top prize in Cincinnati as well.
She also reached the final in Madrid and Rome, losing out to world number one Iga Swiatek on both occasions.
The Belarusian currently sits over 2,000 points behind Swiatek in the women's rankings, but the Pole will not be defending her crown at the upcoming China Open.
Sabalenka is entering the tournament as the number one seed, and another victory would see her take a huge step towards closing the gap at the top.
"Of course that's one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one," Sabalenka said.
"I'm not trying to focus on that, I'm trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left.
"I'm just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I'll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one.
"To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It's good to know that you've been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training wasn't a waste of time."
The women's singles tournament in China begins on Wednesday, with the final to be held on October 6.
The Jamaica Boxing Association staged its long awaited first fight card for 2024 with four fights and an exhibition bout on Saturday at the Stanley Couch Gym in Kingston. It was an all amateur fight card under the banner Gloves Over Guns Futures Programme.
Three of the four fights went to the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) whose boxers looked well prepared and physically fitter than their opponents. Arguably the fight of the night was the final (elite) bout between Delano McLaughlin of the JDF and Kirk-Patrick Heron of the Port Antonio Gym in a light heavyweight match-up. Both fighters were very determined while going all three rounds of three minutes each. At times they traded blow for blow while taking some big punches but in the end McLaughlin landed more hits and was adjudged the winner.
The first JDF boxer to enter the ring was Gervin Garrison in a light heavyweight matchup with Sadeki Harris of GC Foster Gym. Both boxers got busy immediately but Garrison soon showed that he was the better fighter with cleaner punches and was more agile around the ring. Harris took a lot of punishment and showed a lot of heart to stay toe to toe with Garrison but just did not have the strength to throw some winning punches as Garrison came out the clear winner.
That fight gave way to another JDF match-up between with Shawn Morgan in a lop-sided super heavyweight face off with Vernando McKenzie of Funrobics Gym. McKenzie entered the ring confidently but could not handle the force and speed of Morgan. He faced referee Wayne Roberts count more than once in the less than two rounds that he was in the ring, as Roberts eventually stopped the fight midway in the second round.
The only boxer out of the blue corner to record a win on the night was Mark-Andre Mendez of Control Strike Gym against Hammid Gordon of Funrobics Gym. They put on a spirited light middleweight show for the crowd but Mendez sent down more punches and was definitely under less pressure in the ring.
The opening action on the night was an entertaining exhibition bout which went to Alex Grant of Suga Gym over Crishaun McPherson of Funrobics Gym. They were the youngest boxers on show at just fourteen years old.
Stephen Bomber Jones, president of the Jamaica Boxing Association was pleased with the response from the boxing community. “I am very encouraged. I am extremely encouraged by what I saw. I am more encouraged also by the response by the boxers, the gyms and the managers themselves because tonight represents what they have been asking for, at least an answer, one of the answers for what they have been asking for. They have had their boxers training without being able to showcase their skills so this gives a platform to answer that so I am very happy.”
He also said ‘the last Saturday of every month we intend to have the same show but going forward it won’t just be amateurs. We want this platform to be from the most novice boxer which is our grassroot boxers – children, the elite amateurs – those that will over the next couple of years give the activities so that they can represent us internationally and also those boxers who want to turn pro, we give them this platform to have monthly bouts so that they can build a professional record so that they can be the choice of boxers that we carry around the island. The public deserves the best boxers when we do the Fight Night Series so this will be kind of be a feeder programme into the Series. The best boxers, the best amateurs and the best professionals that come out of this we will showcase around the island.”
The fight card was sponsored by Pepsi, S&G Road Surfacing, Vere Events, Locker room Sports and Creative Sports
The San Francisco 49ers' selection woes show no signs of easing with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffering a potentially season-ending injury and Christian McCaffrey needing specialist treatment on an Achilles issue.
The 49ers have made a 1-2 start to the 2024 season after winning the NFC championship for the eighth time last campaign, with injuries hampering them early on.
McCaffrey, the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year, was placed on injured reserve last week after missing the entirety of preseason with what was later diagnosed as Achilles tendonitis.
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle also missed Sunday's 27-24 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, during which Hargrave partially tore his right triceps.
That injury will require surgery and will likely bring his 2024 season to a premature end.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said: "It's a big loss. I thought he had his best game. I thought he was a huge factor, really affected the quarterback in that game.
"He's one of our better players. He was definitely going in the right direction and was going to have a big year."
McCaffrey, meanwhile, has flown to Germany to see a specialist regarding his Achilles issue.
He must miss four games after being placed on IR. Having missed two thus far, he cannot return until after the 49ers' October 6 meeting with the Arizona Cardinals at the earliest.
Shanahan also revealed quarterback Brock Purdy had complained of back soreness after the Rams game and would be evaluated daily, though an MRI scan came back all-clear.
Red Bull would be "foolish" not to consider an approach for George Russell when his Mercedes contract expires next year, says team principal Christian Horner.
While three-time world champion Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, the poor form of team-mate Sergio Perez has cast doubt on their lineup.
Perez started 2024 with four podium finishes in his first five races, but he has since endured a run of 13 outings without a top-three finish to slip to eighth in the drivers' championship.
Russell is set to become Mercedes' lead driver for 2025 when Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari, but with the Silver Arrows' team principal Toto Wolff repeatedly talking up the possibility of moving for Verstappen, his long-term future is in doubt.
With Russell's contract expiring after next season, Horner says Red Bull could swoop for him to fill a "gap" between their current drivers and those coming through their academy.
"We've got a gap now but we just want to take time to consider what those options look like for the future," Horner told Sky Sports F1.
"And we're not afraid to go out of the pool. You know, George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration.
"There are other talented drivers that could well be out of contract as well."
Russell claimed his second F1 race win in Austria earlier this year and currently sits seventh in the drivers' standings, 11 points ahead of Perez.
Horner's comments on Russell were put to Mercedes boss Wolff, who accused his counterpart of "stirring".
"He is always stirring s*** up on his part," Wolff said. "It's part of the game.
"George is a Mercedes driver, has been forever and hopefully will be forever. He has a long contract with the team."
The Silver Arrows endured a frustrating outing at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton finishing fourth and Russell sixth after early difficulties with the team's split strategy.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said making the NFL Playoffs was the "furthest thing" from his mind after the Washington Commanders dropped them to 0-3 on Monday.
Despite Burrow returning to fitness after a wrist injury ended his 2023 season prematurely, the Bengals have endured a dismal start to 2024.
Defeats to the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs were followed by Monday's 38-33 loss to Washington, as visiting rookie quarterback Jaylen Daniels took centre-stage.
Daniels completed 21 of 23 attempts for 254 yards and threw the first two touchdown passes of his NFL career as Washington improved to 2-1.
Burrow, meanwhile, finished with 324 yards on 29-of-38 passing and threw two touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase, but a porous Cincinnati defense was unable to keep Washington quiet.
This is Cincinnati's worst start to a campaign since before Burrows' arrival in 2019, leading him to push thoughts of a playoff charge to the back of his mind.
"We're by no means out of it, but playoffs and winning the division is the furthest thing from my mind," Burrow said.
"That'll be some critical thinking that I'll have to do. See what kind of leader I want to be going forward, what I feel like the team needs from me going forward."
Daniels, meanwhile, was hailed by his Washington team-mates after setting a new NFL single-game record for pass completion by a rookie quarterback (91.3%).
Defensive tackle Jon Allen said of Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick of this year's draft: "He is the answer."
Washington scored on 14 consecutive drives, excluding taking a knee at the end of each half, and receiver Terry McLaurin – the recipient of Daniels' second touchdown pass while he was being hit by a rushing defender – praised his maturity.
"I think he grew up tonight," McLaurin said. "I'm so excited for him because now as a rookie, once you see those throws, you get more confidence.
"His confidence is just going through the roof right now. When we needed it most, Jayden did a great job of taking a hit. Those are big-time throws for a rookie to make."
Josh Allen had a historic performance as the Buffalo Bills crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, but he said stats were not important to a team where "everybody eats".
The Bills rolled to a 3-0 start by routing the winless Jaguars 47-10 in New York, with Allen maintaining his best start to an NFL season with a brilliant display.
Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 75% of his passes (23-of-30), throw four touchdown passes, have no turnovers or sacks and lead his team in rushing yards (44) in the same game.
It is the first time he has not thrown a pick through three games of a season, while he also has the highest total QBR (92.6), completion rate (75%) and yards per dropback (8.2) through three games in his NFL career.
However, Allen says he and his team-mates are not focused on individual stats, with the collective being the most important thing.
"I think it's paying dividends from what we've worked on throughout the entire offseason and through training camp, the 'everybody eats' mentality," Allen said.
"It could be your play this play, you never know when it's going to happen, and that's the beauty of it, when guys get to buy into this.
"It's a fun and wonderful thing when you've got a bunch of guys that don't care about the stats, they don't care about the touchdowns.
"I think throughout practice we just had this mindset of, 'let's just do things the right way and find ways to win football games'. That's what we're doing right now."
The Jaguars, meanwhile, are 0-3 for the season and have lost eight of their last nine games in a run dating back to last year, having made a flying 8-3 start to the 2023 campaign.
Their offense has toiled since the first half of their 20-17 defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, scoring just 23 points and converting five of 27 third-down attempts in their last 10 quarters.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence – who signed a huge $275million contract extension during the offseason – has completed just 47.5% of his passes in that time, being sacked 10 times.
The Bills defense got to him four times on Monday as he suffered his eighth straight loss as a starter, leading coach Doug Pederson to give a non-committal answer when asked whether Lawrence's place in the lineup could be at risk.
"You say everything is on the table, we've got to take a look at injuries," Pederson said.
"Tonight, we had some guys injured. Things could be moved that way, it could be performance. They're all things we have to evaluate as we move forward.
"This is who we are right now and it's not very good. We have to be honest with ourselves and I've got to be honest with myself and just keep plugging away."
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said making the NFL Playoffs was the "furthest thing" from his mind after the Washington Commanders dropped them to 0-3 on Monday.
Despite Burrow returning to fitness after a wrist injury ended his 2023 season prematurely, the Bengals have endured a dismal start to 2024.
Defeats to the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs were followed by Monday's 38-33 loss to Washington, as visiting rookie quarterback Jaylen Daniels took centre-stage.
Daniels completed 21 of 23 attempts for 254 yards and threw the first two touchdown passes of his NFL career as Washington improved to 2-1.
Burrow, meanwhile, finished with 324 yards on 29-of-38 passing and threw two touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase, but a porous Cincinnati defense was unable to keep Washington quiet.
This is Cincinnati's worst start to a campaign since before Burrows' arrival in 2019, leading him to push thoughts of a playoff charge to the back of his mind.
"We're by no means out of it, but playoffs and winning the division is the furthest thing from my mind," Burrow said.
"That'll be some critical thinking that I'll have to do. See what kind of leader I want to be going forward, what I feel like the team needs from me going forward."
Daniels, meanwhile, was hailed by his Washington team-mates after setting a new NFL single-game record for pass completion by a rookie quarterback (91.3%).
Defensive tackle Jon Allen said of Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick of this year's draft: "He is the answer."
Washington scored on 14 consecutive drives, excluding taking a knee at the end of each half, and receiver Terry McLaurin – the recipient of Daniels' second touchdown pass while he was being hit by a rushing defender – praised his maturity.
"I think he grew up tonight," McLaurin said. "I'm so excited for him because now as a rookie, once you see those throws, you get more confidence.
"His confidence is just going through the roof right now. When we needed it most, Jayden did a great job of taking a hit. Those are big-time throws for a rookie to make."
Home runs from J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber backed six solid innings from Aaron Nola as the Philadelphia Phillies clinched their first National League East title since 2011 with Monday's 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.
The Phillies also received a run-scoring single from Nick Castellanos to enhance their chances of earning one of the NL's top two seeds and a first-round bye for the upcoming playoffs. Philadelphia (93-64) now trails the Los Angeles Dodgers by a half-game for the majors' best record with less than a week remaining in the regular season.
Nola (13-8) scattered seven hits and struck out seven while allowing just two runs. The steady veteran pitcher held the Cubs scoreless through the first six innings of play as the Phillies gradually built a 6-0 lead.
Realmuto opened the scoring with his 14th homer of the season, a two-run shot off Caleb Kilian in the second inning. Schwarber made it 3-0 an inning later with a lead-off homer that gave him 100 runs batted in for a second straight season.
The Phillies added another run off Kilian in the third when Trea Turner followed Schwarber's blast with a double and later scored on Castellanos' single.
Bryce Harper led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and eventually crossed the plate on an error by Chicago second baseman Nico Hoerner to increase the margin to 5-0. The Phillies scored again in the sixth when Brandon Marsh drew a walk, advanced to third on Johan Rojas' single and came home on a double-play grounder off the bat of Schwarber.
Nola was removed after surrendering back-to-back doubles by Isaac Paredes and Hoerner that got the Cubs on the board. Hoerner later scored on a groundout for the game's final run.
Kilian (0-1) allowed all six Philadelphia runs - five earned - and eight hits across 5 2/3 innings.
Mariners put Astros' AL West title plans on hold
The Seattle Mariners got seven scoreless innings from Bryce Miller and two runs batted in from Julio Rodriguez to prevent the Houston Astros from clinching the American League West with Monday's 6-1 win.
Rodriguez went 3 for 5 to lead a 13-hit attack that closed Seattle within 1 1/2 games of the co-holders of the AL's final two wild-card spots, the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.
The Mariners still have a faint chance of winning the AL West, though Houston needs to win just one of this series' two remaining games to claim its fourth straight division title.
Miller (12-8) continued a strong finish to his season by yielding just two hits and a pair of walks. The right-hander is now 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA over his last four starts.
Hunter Brown (11-9) allowed just one run while striking out eight over six innings for Houston, but issued two walks in the third inning that led to Seattle taking a 1-0 lead on Cal Raleigh's single that plated Victor Robles.
The Mariners added on in the seventh after loading the bases on singles by Justin Turner and J.P. Crawford and a walk to Dylan Moore. Two batters later, Rodriguez singled to center to drive in Turner for a 2-0 advantage.
Seattle loaded the bases again in the eighth on three consecutive singles before Turner brought in Raleigh with a sacrifice fly. Jorge Polanco followed with a run-scoring double to stretch the margin to 4-0.
Jason Heyward finally got Houston on the board with a solo home run in the eighth, but the Mariners scored twice more in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Back-to-back doubles by Robles and Rodriguez increased the lead to 5-1 before Rodriguez scored on Randy Arozarena's double.
Giants drop Diamondbacks back in NL wild card standings
The San Francisco Giants hit three home runs, including an inside-the-park shot from Matt Chapman, to come through with a 6-3 win over Arizona that knocked the Diamondbacks out of a tie for the NL's second wild card.
Casey Schmitt and Michael Conforto also homered to help the Giants to a fourth straight win. Chapman finished 2 for 3 and drove in three runs, while San Francisco starter Hayden Birdsong (5-5) struck out six while holding the Diamondbacks to two runs in five innings.
Arizona fell a half-game behind the New York Mets in the standings and now holds a 1 1/2-game lead on the Atlanta Braves for the final NL wild card. The Braves and Mets begin a pivotal three-game series in Atlanta on Tuesday.
The Diamondbacks had an early 1-0 lead after consecutive doubles by Geraldo Perdomo and Joc Pederson in the first inning, but the Giants went ahead with three runs in the third off Eduardo Rodriguez.
After Heliot Ramos singled and scored on Jerar Encarnacion's double, Chapman drove a pitch off the center field wall and sprinted around the bases for the first inside-the-park homer by a Giants' player since Denard Span in 2017.
Christian Walker drove in Corbin Carroll with a double in the bottom of the third to pull Arizona within 3-2, but Schmitt's solo homer in the fourth restored the Giants' two-run advantage.
Conforto went deep an inning later to increase the lead to 5-2, then doubled in the seventh before crossing the plate on a Chapman triple.
Arizona got a run back in its half of the seventh when Jose Herrera doubled and scored on Perdomo's single. The Diamondbacks failed to score thereafter, though, with Ryan Walker throwing a perfect ninth for San Francisco to record his 10th save.
Rodriguez (3-4) struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings but was tagged for five runs on seven hits.
Jayden Daniels delivered a nearly perfect Monday Night Football debut that carried the upstart Washington Commanders to a 38-33 victory over the scuffling Cincinnati Bengals.
The No. 2 overall pick of this year's draft completed 21 of 23 attempts for 254 yards and threw the first two touchdown passes of his young career, leading Washington (2-1) to a second straight win following a season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that began first-year head coach Dan Quinn's tenure. Daniels' completion percentage of 91.3 set an NFL single-game record for a rookie.
Washington scored on every one of its possessions, save for kneel-downs to end the first half and the game, to overcome Joe Burrow's three touchdown passes and drop Cincinnati to 0-3.
Daniels added a rushing touchdown while Terry McLaurin recorded 100 yards and a touchdown on four catches for the Commanders.
Jayden Daniels was dealing. pic.twitter.com/h89iQbd7KF
— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2024Burrow finished with 324 yards on 29-of-38 passing and threw two touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase as the star wide receiver totalled 118 yards on six catches.
The Bengals piled up 436 total yards for the game, but their defence never had an answer for Daniels as Washington matched every score Cincinnati offered while leading from the second quarter on.
Cincinnati started strong as Chase got behind the Washington secondary to haul in a 41-yard touchdown pass from Burrow on the game's opening drive.
The Commanders responded by going 70 yards on 10 plays to tie the game at 7-7 on Brian Robinson's 1-yard touchdown run, a play set up by Daniels' 30-yard completion to Luke McCaffrey on 4th-and-2.
After Cincinnati's Evan McPherson missed a 48-yard field goal on the next possession, Washington marched back into Bengals' territory before Austin Ekeler broke loose for a 24-yard touchdown run and a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The Bengals moved inside Washington's 10-yard line on their next series, but settled for McPherson's 28-yard field goal that the Commanders countered with another touchdown.
Daniels hit McLaurin on a deep pass for a 55-yard gain to the Bengals' 4-yard line, then ran untouched into the end zone on the following play for a 21-10 advantage with 2:04 left before half-time.
McPherson's 31-yard field goal brought Cincinnati within 21-13 at the half, but Ekeler took the second-half kick-off 62 yards deep into Bengals' territory to quickly get Washington in scoring range again.
Daniels finished that drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to reserve offensive lineman Trent Scott on a trick play to extend the lead to 28-13.
Burrow kept the Bengals in it by hitting Andrei Iosivas for a 2-yard touchdown on the subsequent possession, and the defence was able to hold Washington to a field goal on its next drive as the Commanders went up 31-20 with 11:30 to go.
Cincinnati again answered, as Burrow completed all four of his passes on a 70-yard drive that Chase finished with a 31-yard touchdown grab with 9:42 left. Burrow's pass for Tee Higgins on the 2-point attempt was broken up, however, to keep Washington's lead at 31-26.
Daniels converted a 4th-and-4 with a 9-yard pass to Zach Ertz on the following possession, however, and McLaurin came down with a diving 27-yard touchdown catch shortly afterward to again give Washington a two-score lead with 2:10 remaining.
Burrow led the Bengals down the field once again in the waning moments as Cincinnati closed within 38-33 on Zack Moss' 1-yard run with 40 seconds left. Washington then recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
Bills move to 3-0 with 47-10 rout of spiralling Jaguars
Josh Allen threw four first-half touchdown passes to lead a dominant performance by the Buffalo Bills, who remained unbeaten with a 47-10 thrashing of the still-winless Jacksonville Jaguars.
Buffalo scored touchdowns on all five of its first-half drives to build a commanding 34-3 half-time lead en route to its first 3-0 start since 2020. Allen finished with 263 yards while completing 23 of 30 passes before being removed early in the fourth quarter with the outcome already decided.
The Jaguars dropped to 0-3 and were never competitive as their free-fall continued. Jacksonville has now lost eight of nine games dating back to last season following an 8-3 start to the 2023 campaign.
Trevor Lawrence's struggles were extended as well as the former No. 1 overall draft pick threw for just 178 yards and one touchdown on 21 of 38 passing. Jacksonville's expected franchise quarterback was also sacked four times and threw an interception to Damar Hamlin, the first pick of the inspirational safety's career.
Allen and the Bills set the tone from the get-go, as the star quarterback connected on 6 of 7 passes while orchestrating a 10-play, 70-yard opening drive capped by James Cook's 6-yard touchdown run less than 5 1/2 minutes in.
Tyler Bass' extra-point attempt was blocked, about the only thing that went wrong for Buffalo over the first two quarters.
Following a three-and-out from Jacksonville, the Bills marched 65 yards in 11 plays to take a 13-0 lead on Allen's 6-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid on 3rd-and-goal with 3:25 left in the first quarter.
The Jaguars answered with Cam Little's 41-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but Allen hit Keon Coleman for a 24-yard score on the following possession - the rookie's first career touchdown - to extend Buffalo's advantage to 20-3.
Hamlin then intercepted Lawrence's overthrown pass on the next drive to put the Bills back into Jacksonville territory. Five plays later, Khalil Shakir caught a short pass from Allen and broke a tackle before racing 27 yards for a touchdown that put the Jaguars in a further hole late in the first half.
The Bills got the ball back with 1:12 remaining before the half and needed just 53 seconds to find the end zone again, as Allen hit running back Ty Johnson for a 16-yard score for his fourth TD pass of the evening.
Jacksonville's offence did show some life to start the second half, as Lawrence went 4 for 5 for 53 yards on an 8-play drive that he finished with a 6-yard touchdown strike to Brenton Strange to cut the lead to 34-10.
The Jaguars faltered from there on, however. After two Bass field goals got the Bills to the 40-point mark, Jacksonville backup quarterback Mac Jones fumbled when sacked by Javon Solomon and Buffalo recovered at the Jaguars' 21-yard line with 6:21 left.
Four plays later, rookie Ray Davis scored his first NFL touchdown with a 3-yard run to finish off the rout.
Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton endured a "frustrating" Singapore Grand Prix having failed to build on their impressive showing in qualifying.
Hamilton started one place ahead of his team-mate in third, but the Silver Arrows' split strategy proved costly during the gruelling 62-lap race.
The seven-time world champion gambled by starting on the soft tyres but was unable to get away with the runaway front two of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
Russell, however, elected to start on the favoured medium tyre, but Hamilton's decision arguably held up his Mercedes team-mate in the opening stint.
The pair finished fourth and sixth respectively, with Hamilton overtaking the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc late on to move to 174 points in the drivers' championship.
“After a very difficult Friday, we would have likely taken P4 in the Grand Prix,” Russell said.
“Our pace in qualifying, however, made us believe we could achieve more.
"Today was no doubt a difficult race for us, both challenging in terms of our pace but also physically.
“The McLarens were very impressive and in another league to us, whilst Max [Verstappen] had the legs on us.
We were able to hold off the Ferrari of Charles [Leclerc] in the closing stages, so it was very much an evening of damage limitation.
"Given the pace of the car, that was the very best we could have achieved.”
Hamilton further relayed his frustrations about the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit but is confident the Silver Arrows can bounce back in Austin next month.
“It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that,” Hamilton said.
“This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can.
"We don’t always get things right and that was the case today with our strategy.
“We have lost some form to the leaders in the past few races and we’re working hard to figure out why that is.”
Mercedes had won three of the last four races before the summer break but have since managed just one podium since after Russell benefitted from Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez's crash on the penultimate lap of proceedings.
But up next is a track Hamilton has relished over the years, with the Briton winning the American Grand Prix in Austin more times than anyone else (five), though he has not prevailed around the Texas circuit since 2017.
Rafael Nadal has been included in Spain's squad for the Davis Cup Final Eight in November, which could well be his farewell event.
Nadal, who has not featured on court since the Paris Olympics, has previously suggested the current season could be the last of his glittering career.
The Spaniard withdrew from the US Open in August and also pulled out of Bjorn Borg's Team World squad for the Laver Cup in Berlin last week.
World number three Alcaraz is also in the Spain team named by captain David Ferrer, alongside Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno and Marcel Granollers.
Alcaraz starred for Team World at the Laver Cup, winning eight points for his team, which is the most any player has managed in the competition.
Six-time champions Spain, whose most recent success came in 2019, face Netherlands in the quarter-finals, starting on November 19.
Defending champions Italy, led by world number one Jannik Sinner, take on Argentina, aiming to become the first team to retain the title since 2013.
The United States, whose squad includes Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, face Australia and Germany will meet Canada.
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