Las Vegas Raiders superstar Davante Adams has taken to Twitter to apologise to the person he was caught on video shoving to the ground immediately after his side lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 30-29 on Monday night.
Adams, who caught two long touchdowns in the game to finish with 124 yards from three catches, was making his way from the field when he alleges someone holding a tripod ran in front of him as he tried to head down the tunnel.
The receiver pushed the worker to the ground before heading into the locker room.
Minutes later, after the footage circulated widely online, Adams tweeted out an apology, saying "that's not me".
"Sorry to the guy I pushed over after the game," it said. "Obviously very frustrated at the way the game ended and when he ran in front of me as I exited that was my reaction and I felt horrible immediately.
"That's not me… my apologies man hope you see this."
Star tight end Travis Kelce pulled down four touchdown catches to carry the Kansas City Chiefs to a 30-29 home win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.
Kelce became the first player in NFL history with four touchdown catches of fewer than 10 yards in a single game, finishing with just 25 yards from his seven catches as he was used heavily near the goal-line.
While it was the Chiefs who came out on top, it was the Raiders who started on fire, jumping out to a 17-0 lead one minute into the second quarter after Josh Jacobs' one-yard touchdown run followed a big 58-yard touchdown catch from Davante Adams, arguably the best receiver in the league.
Kelce would catch a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter, before securing a four-yard score and an eight-yard score on back-to-back drives in the third term. He would cap off his day with another one-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put his side up 30-23 with seven minutes remaining.
In response, Adams got on the end of his second deep touchdown of the game as he got behind the defense on a 48-yard bomb from Derek Carr, but instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game, they opted to go for two, and were stopped short.
That decision came back to haunt the Raiders, as they never got back into field goal range.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 43 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns, while Carr completed 19 of 30 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Neither quarterback committed a turnover.
Adams and Jacobs both had massive games for the Raiders, with Adams finishing with 124 yards and two touchdowns from just three catches, while Jacobs rushed 21 times for 154 yards and a score.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said it is too early to decide on a starting quarterback for their Week 6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The Dolphins currently have both starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater recovering from concussions, with third-string rookie Skylar Thompson being forced to play nearly the entire 40-17 loss to the New York Jets this past Sunday.
There is concern Tagovailoa actually suffered two concussions less than a week apart after being allowed to return to the Dolphins' Week 3 win against the Buffalo Bills despite showing symptoms, prompting the league to update their concussion protocol.
With the uncertain nature of concussions and their recovery period, McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday that they will wait until later in the week to decide who will start at the sport's most important position.
"It's too soon for me to really pinpoint [the starter]," he said. "I kind of have to wait and assess the whole situation, which I do not have in scope.
"What I do know is that Skylar will be practicing on Wednesday and hopefully Wednesday I'll have a better feel of the direction that we should go that's best for the football team.
"Being a backup quarterback in this league is not easy, and what people don't understand is you have a finite amount of reps during the week because you can't deplete your athletes and you can't have endless amount of reps.
"So typically, starters get anywhere from 80 to 100 per cent of the practice reps. So a backup quarterback, especially a rookie, it's a tremendous challenge because you have to own the whole game plan, visualize it, be able to call it, be able to line people up and then execute appropriately."
The inclination from McDaniel could be that the team will look for outside help at the position to avoid having to start their seventh-round draft pick, however teaching the playbook to a new signing in time for Week 6 is likely too unrealistic.
Things have gone from bad to worse for the Baltimore Ravens’ embattled defensive secondary.
Free safety Marcus Williams, the team’s top free agent acquisition of the offseason, will go on injured reserve after suffering a dislocated wrist.
While Williams is expected to return at some point this season, Ravens coach Jon Harbaugh told reporters Monday that Williams will miss "a significant amount of time."
Williams is thought to have injured his wrist early in Baltimore’s 19-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night but attempted to play through it.
"He gutted it out," Harbaugh said. "He didn't really say too much about it, so I don't think anybody realised how serious it was until they got inside and took a look at it."
Williams, who spent the first five years of his career with the New Orleans Saints, has three interceptions and five pass breakups this season – a rare bright spot for a secondary that is allowing a league-worst 305.8 passing yards per game.
Young players like Geno Stone and 2022 first-round pick Kyle Hamilton will be forced into larger roles for the Ravens’ defense.
"Both [Stone and Hamilton] have their own styles, and I think they're going to both play well for us," Harbaugh said. "So I'm looking forward to all those guys, as a team [and] as a group, kind of filling in for Marcus and not losing a step on that."
The Ravens lead the AFC North at 3-2 and visit the 4-1 New York Giants this Sunday.
Through five weeks of the 2022 season, the San Francisco 49ers have the best defense in the NFL.
The Niners have given up just 4.01 yards per play so far this year, the fewest in the league, while only they and the Dallas Cowboys have conceded fewer than 20 points in every game.
San Francisco's points totals allowed in 2022 – 19, 7, 11, 9, 15 – tell a tale of dominance, with Christian McCaffrey's rushing touchdown against the 49ers only the second the defense has conceded since giving up three in a rainstorm in their season opener to the Chicago Bears.
The 49ers' average of 12.2 points allowed is tied with that of the Buffalo Bills for the league's best. They have given up just 12 points in the first half, while no other team has conceded fewer than 35.
No defense has allowed fewer explosive plays of 10 yards or more than the 49ers (45), and San Francisco have forced a league-leading 44 negative plays from opposing offenses.
The Niners have given up four yards or more on only 42.9 per cent of first downs, the best ratio in the NFL, and they have allowed a conversion on just 30 per cent of the third-down attempts they have faced. The Tennessee Titans (27.1) and New Orleans Saints (29.9) are the only two defenses who can claim to have fared better in that regard.
Simply put, the 49ers' defense is dominating in every facet. The Niners do not give up explosive plays with regularity, excel at putting opponents behind the eight-ball by creating negative plays and limiting yardage on first down, and have little difficulty getting off the field on third down.
DeMeco Ryans' defense was already among the NFL's elite last year, but what has catapulted it to championship-calibre unit that has the potential to be the foundation of a deep San Francisco playoff run?
The perennial star of the show for the 49er defense is the front, which is teeming with depth at edge rusher and boasts several players who can thrive rushing from that position and from the interior.No team has registered more quarterback sacks than San Francisco (21) and the 49ers' 91 pressures trail only the Cowboys (95) and Philadelphia Eagles (92).
The athleticism of linebacker Fred Warner, who displays extraordinary precision in zone coverage and can run with wide receivers downfield, is also critical to San Francisco's defensive success.
Talanoa Hufanga's breakout second season has deservedly attracted substantial attention, the former fifth-round pick quickly becoming a walking highlight reel at the safety position, recording five tackles for loss, five pass breakups, one sack and two interceptions, including a game-clinching pick-six against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4.
Hufanga has demanded attention with his enthralling hard-hitting and all-action brand of football, but just as crucial to the Niners and deserving of similar acclaim has been the play of cornerback Charvarius 'Mooney' Ward.
The 49ers' big-ticket free-agent acquisition in the offseason, San Francisco gave Ward a three-year, $40.5million contract with a view to him becoming the missing piece for a frequently maligned cornerback group.
Ward has unquestionably delivered to this point with his performances, combined with the emergence of Hufanga, helping transform the 49ers' secondary from an area of concern to a clear strength.
Arguably no 49er defender has done more to prevent big plays than Ward, who has been burnt – which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted – on 10 of his 29 targets for a burn rate of 34.5 per cent. That is the fifth-best among corners targeted at least 20 times.
His big play rate, which tracks burns for 20 yards-plus or burns for touchdowns, of 18 per cent is 13th for his position. When wideouts have got in a position to catch the ball when going against his coverage, they have frequently seen it knocked away from them. Trevon Diggs (nine) is the sole defender to have produced more pass breakups than Ward's eight.
Through his strength in coverage and his proficiency for making plays on the ball, Ward has given the 49ers a lockdown corner they can rely on who offers a defense defined by its diversity even more flexibility.
Indeed, Ward's ability to consistently shut down wide receivers in man coverage is an asset to the Niners when they want to be more aggressive on defense, with San Francisco thriving through such an approach in the 24-9 beatdown of the Rams, in which they blitzed Matthew Stafford and an injury-hit Los Angeles offensive line on 30.4 per cent of dropbacks and were rewarded with seven sacks and 21 pressures.
Ward has also elevated the play of those around him in the cornerback room. Fellow starter Emmanuel Moseley has the third-best burn rate (31.8 per cent) among cornerbacks and nickel Deommodore Lenoir has given up a big play on 15 per cent of his targets, a rate bettered by just four corners.
The 49ers will now have to do some reshuffling in the secondary, however, after Moseley saw his season ended by a torn ACL suffered in Sunday's 37-15 rout of the Carolina Panthers.
Moseley's injury will mean either Lenoir shifting to the outside or one of Jason Verrett, Ambry Thomas or rookie Samuel Womack taking over at the spot across from Ward.
Without Moseley, the opposite side of the field to Ward may be viewed as a potential vulnerability in a defense that has presented none this campaign.
But San Francisco's defensive backfield is better equipped to deal with a serious injury than it was a year ago. The 49ers' misfortune may have robbed them of the top-tier starting cornerback duo Ward and Moseley looked like becoming, but their astute investment in the former has ensured the Niners' secondary is now one opposing offenses have significantly less hope of succeeding against.
Seeds Ana Bogdan and Marta Kostyuk crashed out of the Transylvania Open in the first round.
Home hope Bogdan, seeded third in Cluj-Napoca, was beaten in straight sets by Jule Niemeier, who showed the quality that helped her reach the last eight of Wimbledon in a 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win.
Ukrainian Kostyuk, meanwhile, lost in three sets to Jasmine Paolini.
The sixth seed took a tight first set but Paolini broke Kostyuk five times thereafter en route to a 5-7 6-3 6-4 triumph.
Eighth seed Anna Bondar enjoyed a better day, prevailing 6-4 6-2 over Elina Avanesyan, while there were also wins for Dayana Yastremska, Anna Blinkova and Ysaline Bonaventure.
Tyson Fury's promoter Frank Warren revealed the 'Gypsy King' is set to face Derek Chisora for a third time in December after talks over a bout with Anthony Joshua broke down.
Fury U-turned on a decision to retire following April's win over Dillian Whyte and appeared set to meet Joshua after offering him the chance for a WBC heavyweight championship fight last month.
Warren said that fight was "90 per cent" finalised in mid-September, but talks have since broken down, with Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn declaring he would not "play a game" with Fury last week.
With Oleksandr Usyk prepared to wait until 2023 for his next fight, Fury now appears set for a trilogy bout with Chisora, whom he defeated in July 2011 and November 2014.
Asked about the breakdown in talks with Joshua's camp, Warren told iFL TV: "Obviously that caused a big problem, it went on for three or four weeks and we've been struggling to get an opponent.
"We've got the highest-ranked opponent now, which is Derek Chisora. That's where we'll be going and that will be on December 3.
"What it's all about is, Tyson will have had one fight in one year, and we were expecting the fight in December would be Usyk, but Usyk wasn't available.
"Now that looks like – I hope – going on at some time in February, so Tyson wants a fight before then and wants to get out, that's where we're at. If he fights Chisora and comes through that, then he's got the big one.
"Tyson's head and shoulders above them all anyway. Derek might give him more of a fight than Anthony Joshua – I'm not being disrespectful, I just think he [AJ] is more vulnerable."
While the fight is yet to be formally agreed, Fury has long desired another meeting with Chisora, saying in August: "I'd always said I'd fight Derek Chisora at the end of my career, and here we are, breaking all records again, setting precedents."
Dominic Thiem produced a dominant display to cruise past Joao Sousa in the duo's first-round clash at the Gijon Open, only dropping two games for just the second time in his career.
The 2020 US Open winner did not face a single break point in his one-sided 6-2 6-0 victory on Monday, reaching the last 16 after 62 minutes.
It is just the second time in the Austrian's career he has lost as few as two games in a completed ATP-level match, having previously done so against Jaroslav Pospisil in 2013 (in a 6-1 6-1 win).
"Especially with the forehand, it was really good for basically the first time [since my injury]," Thiem said afterwards. "I'm very happy about it. This way is right, the direction is right."
Meanwhile, Argentina's Sebastian Baez was forced to retire when a set down to France's Constant Lestienne, and fifth seed Tommy Paul eased past 16-year-old home hope Martin Landaluce in straight sets.
Only one seed was in action at the Firenze Open on Monday, with Aslan Karatsev advancing courtesy of a walkover following an injury to Tallon Griekspoor.
Red Bull have reacted with "surprise and disappointment" after the FIA found the team to be in breach of Formula One's budget cap regulations for the 2021 season.
One day after Max Verstappen claimed his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA announced Red Bull were guilty of a "minor" breach of the rules in his first championship-winning campaign.
Monday's FIA ruling was not accompanied by any punishment for the team, with the governing body stating they are "determining the appropriate course of action".
Although Red Bull – who currently hold a 165-point lead over Ferrari at the top of the constructors' standings – are unlikely to face serious sanctions, the team remain confident in their submitted financial reports.
A statement released by Red Bull read: "We note the findings by the FIA of 'minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations' with surprise and disappointment.
"Our 2021 submission was below the cost cap limit, so we need to carefully review the FIA's findings as our belief remains that the relevant costs are under the 2021 cost cap amount.
"Despite the conjecture and positioning of others, there is of course a process under the regulations with the FIA, which we will respectfully follow while we consider all the options available to us."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was bullish in response to accusations Red Bull had overspent last month, declaring the team were "absolutely confident" they had not fallen foul of the regulations.
Fellow constructor Aston Martin, who were also thought to have breached the cap, were found to have merely made a "procedural" error in their reports.
Red Bull have been found to be in breach of Formula One's budget cap regulations for the 2021 campaign, the FIA has confirmed.
However, no punishment has yet been handed down to the constructor for their offense, with the governing body stating they are "currently determining the appropriate course of action".
A day after Max Verstappen took his second drivers' championship crown at an incident-strewn Japanese Grand Prix, the FIA revealed the Dutchman's team broke financial regulations during his first title-winning season last year.
The 25-year-old is unlikely to face serious sanctions, though, with the breach under five per cent, meaning it is considered "minor" and is likely to carry less severe penalties.
Fellow constructor Aston Martin, also thought to have potentially breached the cap, have been found to have merely made only a "procedural" mistake in their financial report.
"The FIA Cost Cap Administration is currently determining the appropriate course of action to be taken under the Financial Regulations with respect to Aston Martin and Red Bull," said a statement on Monday.
"Further information will be communicated in compliance with the regulations."
Calls from Ferrari and Mercedes for Red Bull to face harsh sanctions if found in breach are only likely to increase over the close of the season, presenting F1 with more off-track drama after last year's denouement.
The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule on Monday, one day after a 37-15 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers dropped the team to 1-4 this season.
Carolina hired Rhule in January 2020 after he led Baylor University to an 11-3 record in 2019 and earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honours.
The Panthers signed Rhule to a seven-year contract worth a guaranteed $62million, but the team went 5-11 in 2020 and 5-12 last year before opening with four losses in their first five games this season.
That 11-27 record is the fifth-worst in the NFL since the beginning of the 2020 campaign.
Defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach Steve Wilks has been named Carolina's interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Wilks went 3-13 in 2018 with the Arizona Cardinals in his only previous head coaching experience in the NFL.
Defending Super Bowl champions the Los Angeles Rams will host the Panthers in Wilks' first game at the helm with Carolina facing problems at quarterback.
Starting QB Baker Mayfield has confirmed he will undergo an MRI after injuring his left ankle in the 49ers loss.
With 2021 starter Sam Darnold still on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, P.J. Walker would presumably start at quarterback should Mayfield be forced to miss the Week 6 game.
Jalen Hurts felt he let the Philadelphia Eagles down on Sunday despite helping them maintain their unbeaten start to the season against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Eagles improved to 5-0 on Sunday with a 20-17 win in Arizona as Cardinals kicker Matt Ammendola hit a game-tying field goal attempt wide right, wasting the opportunity to send the contest to overtime.
Hurts, though, was disappointed he gave the Cardinals the chance to force an extra period with a kick, having thrown an incomplete pass to Quez Watkins on third down from the Arizona five-yard line with the score tied at 17-17, leaving the Eagles to settle for a field goal at the end of a 17-play drive that lasted nearly eight minutes.
For Hurts, it was a significant blemish on a game in which he was otherwise very accurate. Hurts completed 72 per cent of his passes and, per Stats Perform data, delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 91.2 per cent of his attempts. He also rushed for the Eagles' only two touchdowns.
"As a competitor when you have the ball in your hands at the end of the game, you want to take advantage of it and not give the opposition the opportunity to win the game, tie the game, whatever it is," said Hurts.
"I don't look at anybody else but myself. I look in the mirror and I look at myself and I ask myself, 'What could I have done more to not put the team in this position toward the end of the game? How could I have gotten us in the end zone?'
"What could I have done more to put us in a better position? I feel like in many ways, I feel like I let them down.
"Just with opportunities we didn't take advantage of and the ball touching my hands every play. Those are the mixed emotions I have.
"The worst feeling is when we walked off the field, when I walked off the field even toward the end of the game, we kicked a field goal.
"[Eagles kicker Cameron] Dicker made a great play and put this team in a great position, but there's nothing that I can do.
"I can't control what their kicker does. He missed it. Our kicker made ours. I can't control that, but I can control what we do in the second quarter, in the first quarter, when I have the ball in my hands. I can do that.
"I don't like putting the team in the position where their kicker has the opportunity to tie or win the game, or our defense is on the field.
"If I can control it, I want to take advantage of that. That’s just my competitive nature with it."
Tom Brady denied having any influence over a controversial roughing the passer penalty that helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seal a narrow Week 5 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons looked set to get a chance to complete a memorable comeback against Tampa Bay when Grady Jarrett sacked Brady on third down with three minutes remaining.
However, after a conversation, referee Jerome Boger called roughing the passer against defensive tackle Jarrett, giving the Bucs a free 15 yards and a new set of downs, allowing Tampa Bay to ice a 21-15 win.
In a pool report Boger said he called the penalty due to Jarrett unnecessarily throwing Brady to the ground.
Asked in his post-game media conference if he had lobbied at any point in the game for roughing calls, Brady offered a blunt response.
"I don't throw flags," said Brady.
Bucs coach Todd Bowles, for his part, felt the penalty was influenced by the controversy surrounding Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback who was concussed in the Week 4 game with the Cincinnati Bengals when he was tossed to the ground by Josh Tupou.
Boger also made a similar call on a hit on Josh Allen that helped the Buffalo Bills beat the Baltimore Ravens three days later.
"I saw that one being called. I saw it against Tua when he got hit, and in the London game [Packers v Giants]," Bowles said.
"I think they are starting to crack down on some of the things, slinging backs. I don’t know.
"Right now, the way they are calling [it], I think a lot of people would’ve gotten that call.”
The Bucs' win snapped a two-game losing streak and moved them to 3-2, though a team many expected to contend to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl has yet to really deliver a convincing performance.
"Obviously, it's tough to lose two straight at home. You have to earn it in the league. There are no easy games, you've got to play good," Brady added.
"Five games in and we've got a lot of work to do. We're not nearly at the point of where we're capable of being."
Up next for the Bucs is a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Josh Allen wanted to show Gabe Davis he has his implicit trust prior to the Buffalo Bills' 38-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his faith in the wide receiver will have only grown stronger after they combined in astonishing fashion in Week 5.
Davis had struggled to make much of an impact in the previous two weeks while battling an ankle injury.
But the third-year receiver, who caught four touchdowns in the Bills' incredible playoff defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs last season, was back to his best against the Steelers.
He caught two remarkable long touchdown passes, the first of which went for 98 yards after the Bills were backed up on their own two-yard line, Taiwan Jones having dropped the opening kick-off.
That score came 64 seconds into the game, making it the longest touchdown from scrimmage within the first 90 seconds of a game in NFL history.
Three drives later, they linked up for a stunning second act, Allen finding Davis for a 62-yard strike that saw the wideout make a superb one-handed catch and wrestle the ball away from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
"I kind of got hit right when I threw it, so I didn't see him catch it. I just kind of heard the crowd go crazy," Allen said of the opening touchdown. "Those ones are cool. It's going to be tough to beat."Backed up to take a shot like that, it's not too often you get a shot to do that early on in the game.
"The kick return put us at the two-yard line, put us behind the 8-ball a little bit, but guys were resilient, we didn't blink and just trusted our guys.
"I've got so much trust and faith in 13 [Davis], it was good to see him get going. He only had three catches but for 170 and two touchdowns, which is pretty crazy; it's not too often you have those type of drives.
"We had a one-play, two two-play drives and a three-play drive that ended in touchdowns. That’s crazy."
Allen added of the second touchdown, on which Davis was essentially double covered with Fitzpatrick playing over the top: "I'm just trusting my guy more than anything, he's coming off a couple weeks with an ankle and I just wanted him to know that I trust him implicitly.
"I'm gonna give him these opportunities, when you continue to make them, it makes it that much easier to trust a guy."
Asked if he saw something in Davis that made him think he was back to 100 per cent, Allen replied: "I think I saw it in our walkthrough that we do on Saturdays, just the way he was moving, bouncing around on it, I was like 'OK, this guy’s ready to go', and he was."
Zac Taylor expects fortune to favour the Cincinnati Bengals eventually after they again came up just short in Sunday's 19-17 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bengals went to the Super Bowl last year but have a losing 2-3 record through Week 5 in 2022.
However, each of their three defeats have seen Cincinnati lose by a field goal on the final play of the game, going down 23-20 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime in Week 1 and 20-17 to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
It was little surprise Justin Tucker similarly punished Taylor's team, with the Ravens kicker executing an NFL-record seventh game-winning field goal with time up.
Of those, this was the fourth – another record – to come with his team losing, as the Bengals failed to protect a late lead having been tied against both the Steelers and the Cowboys.
"It's tough," said coach Taylor. "We've lost three games now on the last play of the game, that's what I told the guys.
"We just have to keep taking our shots, and these things have a way of balancing out, and we are going to get some of these wins in these situations."
That the Bengals were within three points of winning was particularly painful given a hapless third-quarter series from which they failed to score any points.
Cincinnati had first-and-goal from the Baltimore two, but Taylor called two trick plays, seeing wide receiver Tyler Boyd sacked running the Philly Special on second down before Joe Burrow's attempted shovel pass up the middle to Stanley Morgan on fourth down was batted away.
"We felt good about some stuff we called, but obviously it didn't work," Taylor said.
He added: "I felt comfortable with our package going in. When it doesn't work, you wish you would have done something different."
Ja'Marr Chase, whose 12-yard catch brought the Bengals back to the two-yard line after Boyd's sack, said: "It's pretty frustrating.
"We've got to know how to execute coming into that and know which play is going to give us the right play. I don't think we did that."
Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon would later run in a touchdown from the one-yard line in the fourth quarter, but he was pass blocking on both the Philly Special and the shovel pass.
"I'm just running the play that's called," Mixon said.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford needs help, according to head coach Sean McVay.
The Super Bowl LVI champions suffered their third loss of the season, with Stafford and the offense struggling again in a 22-10 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Rams have managed only one touchdown in their past nine quarters, with Stafford finding wide receiver Cooper Kupp in a 75-yard catch and run against the Cowboys.
Stafford has also been left banged up with the Rams' offensive line cursed by injuries, allowing five sacks on Sunday, for a total of 21 for the season. The QB was also pressured 20 times by the Cowboys defense, the equal second most in a game for Stafford's career.
"I love Matthew Stafford," McVay told reporters. "He is competing and doing everything in his power for this team. He needs some help. We've got to be able to help him."
McVay had no quick fixes for his side's offensive line issues, while he continued to back Stafford.
"I think he's doing everything he can," he said. "I think he needs more help. Guys got to play better around him.
"We've got to be able to help him be able to give himself a chance to sit on his back foot, just past even a hitch on some things.
"I'll ride with that guy to the end of time. And he's continuing to do everything in his power to try to help our team move the football, score points and we've got to be able to help him out more."
Stafford completed 28 of 42 attempts for 308 yards with one interception against the Cowboys, showing that he has been able to play through pain after copping so many hits.
"I feel OK," Stafford said. "It's part of the game."
"We've got to find a way to get the ball in the end zone. Got to do a better job sustaining some drives, giving ourselves some more manageable situations and find a way to get more points."
New York Mets manager Buck Showalter defended his decision to have San Diego Padres' pitcher Joe Musgrove checked for a foreign substance in their 6-0 shutout Wild Card series loss on Sunday.
The Mets bowed out of the preseason after their excellent 101-61 regular season, unable to find any answers to Musgrove, who allowed only one hit across seven innings with five strikeouts.
Musgrove became the first pitcher to go seven scoreless innings and allow one or zero hits in a winner-take-all game as the Padres advanced to the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Showalter desperately, and unsuccessfully, tried to get Musgrove pulled out of the game in the sixth inning when he requested umpires check him for a foreign substance, including inspecting his ears.
"I felt like that was best for us right now. Some pretty obvious reasons why it was necessary," Showalter told reporters.
"I love him as a pitcher, always have. He's too good a pitcher… Without getting into a lot of things, the spin rates and other things [were unusual], I get a lot of information in the dugout. We certainly weren't having much luck the way it was going, that's for sure.
"I'm charged with doing what’s best for the New York Mets. However it might make me look, I’m going to do that every time and live with the consequences.
"I'm not here to not hurt somebody's feelings."
Padres manager Bob Melvin was quick to defend Musgrove's character, with the right-hander jeered at times after the incident.
"Questioning his character to me is the part I have a problem with," Melvin said. "I'm here to tell everybody that Joe Musgrove is above board as any pitcher I know and any player I know and unfortunately that happened to him. The reception he got after that was not warranted."
Musgrove understood Showalter's request, claiming that the Mets were getting "desperate". The pitcher gestured at the crowd and the Mets dugout after the sixth inning.
"I figured he was going to do it," he said. "I've seen him do it before, checking the pitcher.
"I get it, they're on their last leg. They're desperate. They're doing everything they can to get me out of the game at that point. It motivated me a bit. It fired me up."
The win means the Padres are into the NLDS for the second time in the last three seasons, while it ends the Mets' season prematurely having seemed destined to be top seed in the NL East for long periods of the season before being overhauled late by the Atlanta Braves, including a series sweep.
"The sport is so gratifying and so many great things happen," Showalter said. "It's just cruel at times like this because I feel for the players, they put so much into it.
"We're such a special group. It's like I just told them, it's not always fair. I don’t think I've ever had such a good blend of good people and good players."
Joe Musgrove and Juan Soto have led the San Diego Padres past the New York Mets and into the NLDS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers after a 6-0 victory on Sunday.
Musgrove allowed only one hit with five strikeouts across seven innings, even having to overcome a desperate call from Mets manager Buck Shoalwater for an umpire check for foreign substances on the pitcher's ears.
The 29-year-old right-hander is the first pitcher to go seven scoreless innings and allow one or zero hits in a winner-take-all game. Musgrove's display means the Padres starting pitchers in this three-game series allowed only three earned runs. All three Padres pitcher used on Sunday only allowed one hit.
The result means the Mets' promising season ends with a 2-1 Wild Card series exit, bowing out of the postseason for the fifth straight time in front of their fans at Citi Field.
Soto, who the Padres acquired in a bumper Deadline Day trade from the Washington Nationals, went two-for-four with two RBIs in the eighth inning to open up the 6-0 lead. It was Soto's fifth career postseason game with multiple RBIs.
"I feel great. It's an amazing moment," Soto said amid the celebrations. "Everybody wants to be in this party. We just make it another step. Why not [win the World Series]. All the way. All the way."
Austin Nola drove in two in the second inning, representing the first hit with two out and a runner in scoring position this series for the Padres.
Trent Grisham equaled Jim Leyritz's franchise record of five consecutive games with an RBI, when he added another run in the fourth inning.
Grisham also hauled in a fine catch just before the wall, with a runner on first, to save a potential run from Mark Canha's fifth-inning shot.
After striking out Daniel Vogelbach to make it one hit through five innings, the Mets desperately called for Musgrove to be checked, yet the umpires found nothing.
Soto drove in two more runs in the eighth inning with a grounder to left-field, before Josh Hader closed out the win.
The Baltimore Ravens were saved by a Justin Tucker 43-yard field goal in the final seconds to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 19-17 on Sunday night.
Arguably the best kicker of his generation, Tucker converted all four of his field-goal attempts in the contest, also hitting from 25 yards, 37 yards and a 58-yarder in the third quarter to take the lead out of the halftime break.
Things were tied at 10-10 at the midpoint after touchdown catches from both featured tight ends, with Baltimore's Mark Andrews benefitting from a busted coverage to walk in with an easy 11-yard score, before Hayden Hurst answered right back with a 19-yard touchdown reception for the Bengals later in the second quarter.
There would be no more touchdowns until Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow converted a goal-line sneak in the first play out of the two-minute warning to take a 17-16 lead, leaving the Ravens one minute and 58 seconds to drive down into field-goal range.
After struggling to move the ball all night, the Ravens made their last drive look easy, with a couple of catches for Andrews followed by a 19-yard run by Lamar Jackson to push their way to the 25-yard line, where they would run down the clock for the final kick.
After nailing the kick, it improved Tucker's record on game-deciding field goals (in the final two minutes or overtime to tie or take the lead) to 25 out of 26 (96 per cent).
Jackson finished up completing 19 of 32 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while also leading the Ravens in rushing with 12 carries for 58 yards.
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