Coach Sean McDermott said he and his team were praying for Dane Jackson after the Buffalo Bills cornerback suffered a worrying neck injury in Monday's win over the Tennessee Titans.
The 25-year-old Jackson was taken away in an ambulance for scans at the Erie County Medical Center.
He suffered the injury in a collision with a team-mate, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, near the end of the first half.
McDermott said in a post-game press conference: "We're still waiting word. We're praying for Dane. Dane Jackson has, I think, full movement in his extremities, which is good.
"You go from being a coach to being a human when you're watching him being loaded into the ambulance. That's a real moment. It's an unfortunate situation.
"The game's important and trying to win a game is important, but there's bigger things, especially at that moment when their team-mate's down there.
"I saw him in the ambulance at half-time. I had a chance to talk to him real quick before they headed out."
The blow to Jackson took some of the attention away from a fine win for the Bills, which saw Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs connect for three touchdowns.
Wide receiver Diggs had 12 receptions for 148 yards, and he savoured seeing the Bills move to 2-0 for the third time in the past four seasons.
He said: "As a receiver, you want to be able to do everything, especially if you consider yourself a wide receiver one.
"You've got to be everything for your quarterback. If your quarterback wants to throw a bomb, you better be able to catch it. [Same for] if he wants to carve things up in the middle.
"I've got a quarterback that can do everything, so I've just got to do everything. If I do my job, I'm all right, giving my quarterback that comfortable feel, that safety play, so he's out there not thinking too much, just trusting I'm going to be open and I'll make a play for you."
Week 3 will see the Bills tackle the Miami Dolphins, AFC East rivals who have also begun with two wins.
"That's definitely going to be another test for us, and it's something we look forward to," Diggs said. "They're in our division, so we've got to get a win.
"I feel like they're a good-ass team, they've got a hell of a defense, they call on the right plays on offense, and they're having a lot of success."
Seventh seed James Duckworth edged compatriot Alexei Popyrin in three sets, while eighth seed J.J. Wolf got past Stefan Kozlov in the San Diego Open first round on Monday.
Duckworth sent down 14 aces, winning 85 per cent on his first serve, and hit 53 winners as he got past Popyrin 7-5 4-6 6-1 in two hours and 20 minutes.
Popyrin could only manage 35 winners with 18 unforced errors. Duckworth will face one of the American qualifiers, Mitchell Krueger and Christopher Eubanks in the next round.
Wolf needed one hour and 52 minutes to topple countryman Kozlov 6-2 7-6 (8-6), converting three of his six break points, getting the edge by winning 50 per cent on Kozlov's second serve.
In the battle of the Argentines, Tomas Martin Etcheverry defeated Facundo Mena 7-6 (8-6) 6-3. Mena hit 28 winners but was undone by 23 unforced errors.
Frenchman Constant Lestienne fought back from a set down to win over American wild card Brandon Holt 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
The New York Mets clinched their place in the MLB postseason for the first time since 2016 with Max Scherzer securing his 100th career win in a 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.
The 38-year-old Mets right-hander, reinstated from the injured list, struck out nine across six innings where he threw 68 pitches. Scherzer was pulled after six innings with a perfect game intact, with the Mets opting not to risk injury to the three-time Cy Young Award winner on his return from an oblique issue.
The win means the Mets have booked a postseason berth, guaranteed at least a spot in the National League (NL) Wild Card Game, holding a 94-55 record.
Pete Alonso's three-run homer in the fourth inning headlined five runs against NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes.
The Mets will be making only their 10th postseason appearance in the franchise's 61-season history.
"This is what you play the game for," Scherzer said. "You play to get into the postseason. There's a lot of ways for it not to work out. For us to be able to find a way to get into the postseason, that's awesome. That's what we celebrate. That's what you play the game for.
"We have a lot of things in front of us. We understand that. But you got to celebrate the good times, too."
Astros clinch fifth AL West title in six years
The Houston Astros secured the American League West title for the first time in the past six seasons with a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jose Altuve's leadoff home run set the tone for the Astros, while Luis Garcia gave up two hits and four walks in five innings with four strikeouts as Houston claimed their 16th shutout.
The Astros also won for the eighth time in nine games ahead of their sixth straight postseason. Houston are assured of a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Kershaw dominates Diamondbacks
Clayton Kershaw tossed down 10 strikeouts as the Los Angeles Dodgers toppled the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2.
The Dodgers, who have already clinched the NL West, saw Joey Gallo blast a second-inning homer, before Chris Taylor's three-run blast opened up a 5-0 lead.
But Kershaw grabbed the headlines, managing to strike out at least 10 batters with no walks in a game for the 27th time in his career.
Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs connected for three touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills moved to 2-0 for the third time in the past four seasons with a 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans on Monday.
The Bills blew away the Titans after leading 10-7 in the second quarter, with Allen finishing the game with four touchdown passes, completing 26 of 38 passes for 317 yards with no interceptions.
Diggs got on the end of three of those, including a 46-yard third-quarter hand cannon, having 12 receptions for 148 yards. Allen has contributed to four or more TDs in each of his past four games, including playoffs.
Buffalo's win means they have won six straight regular-season games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL. It is also the Bills' NFL-best 13th 14-point-plus win over the past two seasons, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next best with eight.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill, who was benched late, threw 11 of 20 passes for 117 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, including a Matt Milano pick six. The Bills face the 2-0 Miami Dolphins in Week 3, with three of their next four games on the road.
The Philadelphia Eagles joined the Bills with a 2-0 record after a 24-7 triumph over the Minnesota Vikings led by Jalen Hurts who had a major hand in all three of their touchdowns.
Hurts threw for one touchdown (finishing with 26-of-31 passing for 333 yards), while he ran in two TDs (57 yards from 11 carries), helping the Eagles open up a 24-7 half-time lead, with neither side scoring in the second half. Hurts landed a 53-yard pass for Quez Watkins' TD.
The Eagles defense managed three interceptions from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 27 of 46 passes for 221 yards with one touchdown to Irv Smith Jr.
Police in Las Vegas are investigating allegations that a fan struck Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in the aftermath of Arizona’s 29-23 overtime victory over the Raiders on Sunday.
Video showed that Murray was giving high-fives to fans in the front row of Allegiant Stadium when a man appeared to reach down and strike Murray in the face with an open hand.
Murray was not injured but appeared shocked by the act on video.
A Las Vegas police spokesperson confirmed that a battery complaint was filed Sunday. Murray’s name was not explicitly mentioned by the spokesperson, who said the allegation was that "a spectator at the stadium struck a professional football player."
Police have not yet identified a suspect.
Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he has not seen the video but was made aware of the incident on Monday.
"I was just told about it," Kingsbury said. "But I think that guy's a lowlife, whoever did it, and I hope they arrest him, he gets fired and can never go to another game."
The Cardinals trailed 23-7 at halftime but stormed back to force overtime, thanks in large part to Murray tallying a passing and a rushing touchdown, along with two two-point conversions to force overtime.
Arizona won the game when Byron Murphy Jr. returned a Hunter Renfrow fumble 59 yards for a touchdown in the extra session.
The Detroit Tigers have hired San Francisco Giants general manager Scott Harris as their new president of baseball operations.
Harris has spent the past three seasons with the Giants, having previously been with the Chicago Cubs over seven years where he ascended to assistant general manager.
The Tigers have hired Harris to replace long-time general manager Al Avila who was fired in August.
Detroit had high ambitions for the 2022 season, having invested $230 million on Javier Baez, Eduardo Rodriguez and Andrew Chafin. Instead, the Tigers have the fourth-worst record (55-91) in the majors this season.
Tigers chairman and CEO Christopher Ilitch said: "Scott's vision for how to construct a baseball organization to compete and win in the modern game is impressive.
"His leadership ability is polished from both his experience as an executive at multiple levels and mentorship from some of the game's most talented baseball operations leaders. Scott is a difference maker, innovator and fiercely competitive, always looking for an edge."
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving thinks his team "needed" their 4-0 loss to the Boston Celtics in last season's NBA playoffs.
That chastening first-round exit to Irving's former team brought to an end a frustrating campaign for the much-fancied Nets.
With Irving being teamed with Kevin Durant and James Harden, many felt Brooklyn were the favourites to go all the way.
However, Irving only made 29 appearances in all for the Nets, mainly due to his unvaccinated status meaning he could not play any home games until late in the season when the ban in New York on unvaccinated players was lifted.
Durant also missed some games through injury, while Harden struggled for form before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, who is yet to make his Nets debut.
Speaking on Twitch for streamer KaiCenat, Irving said: "We got 4-0'd my G, we got 4-0'd. It was meant to happen like that. Motivation, bro.
"We needed that humbling experience, especially going against the Celtics. It was already built to be that match-up.
"We're going to see them again, we're going to have to. They're going to be where they're going to be. But those young'uns over there in Boston, bro, I got to see them grow up.
"So to see them do what they did last year on the Finals stage, making it that far, I'm glad they had to go through us."
Irving – who exercised his $37million player option with the Nets for next season in June – still managed to average 27.4 points per game last year, as well as 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Since entering the NFL in 2020, Tua Tagovailoa has had more doubters than believers.
With a stellar college career at Alabama ended by a hip dislocation, there were plenty of concerns around Tagovailoa ahead of the 2020 draft, and they persisted after the Miami Dolphins put them to one side to select him fifth overall.
A rookie year in which he rotated with Ryan Fitzpatrick and a surge in the second half of last season fuelled largely by the Dolphins' reliance on the run-pass option did little to dissuade the sceptics, with plenty still questioning his ability to be the long-term answer at quarterback for a franchise that has not had one since Dan Marino rode off into the sunset.
Those doubts evidently existed within the Dolphins' organisation, one which was reportedly very interested in striking a trade for Deshaun Watson last year.
But two games into an undefeated start to a make-or-break year for Tagovailoa it is clear he has the belief of the most important person in the building – his head coach.
And on Sunday, as the Dolphins remarkably stormed back from a 35-14 fourth-quarter deficit to stun the Baltimore Ravens 42-38 on the road, Mike McDaniel's faith in one of the most scrutinised quarterbacks in the NFL enabled Tagovailoa to deliver one of the most incredible results in recent league history.
The Dolphins became the first team to overcome a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit since the Philadelphia Eagles achieved that feat in Week 15 of the 2010 season against the New York Giants.
For those who aren't familiar with that game, it required a 65-yard punt return from Desean Jackson as time expired for the Eagles to complete the comeback and became known as the Miracle at the New Meadowlands. That's how unlikely such turnarounds are.
Yet McDaniel instilled calm in the Dolphins as they went into the second half trailing 28-7, and his relaxed approach and his belief in his quarterback yielded astonishing dividends.
McDaniel's understated inspiration
"I just challenged them to say 'who cares what the score is?' It's about how we play football together, so this is an opportunity, it's a tough one but that doesn't even matter, let's get something out of this game to feel good about in the second half and we'll worry about the score some time in the fourth quarter," McDaniel said.
"I didn't care about the outcome of the game at that point, at half-time it was a huge opportunity for us to show who we are and play good football for each other."
In regards to Tagovailoa, McDaniel was delighted he succeeded in getting his quarterback to play with a short memory in a game where he threw two interceptions in the first half.
"Now maybe Tua will finally listen to me," added McDaniel. "It's awesome to be critical of yourself, it's good. He has a high standard for himself. After the first game I just wanted to see the guy enjoy playing football, and understand that yes 'you want to make the perfect read and the perfect throw every time, but who cares?'
"If you just get better at one thing a game you're going to be pretty good at the end of the season. So let's just press forward.
"The absolute worst thing could have happened for him at the beginning of the game [on the first interception], where we get a contested ball, that's not really his fault, and then he starts pressing and throws it up for a second interception.
"This is huge because he stopped worrying about the last play and he went and played and took his responsibility seriously to his team-mates about 'hey I'm going to lead this team confidently'.
"It is what you get into sports for. I think it was a moment that he'll never forget, that hopefully he can use moving forward because we basically had to play perfect complementary football to come back from a deficit like that against a really good team. His team-mates learned a lot about him and I think he learned something about himself."
That short memory allowed Tagovailoa to complete 36 of his 50 pass attempts for a career-high 469 yards and six touchdowns. The only other two Dolphin quarterbacks to throw six touchdowns in a game are Marino and Bob Griese.
And, with two of those scores coming on deep shots 48 and 60 yards to Tyreek Hill, Tagovailoa may feel he has gone some way to quieting a narrative that has persisted throughout the build-up to this campaign.
Deep ball questions answered?
The offseason in Miami was defined in part by questions about Tagovailoa's ability to throw the deep ball. Last season, he had one completion of 20 yards or more for a touchdown. Through two games in 2022, he has three.
In addition to producing an immediate improvement on where he was last year in completing passes downfield, Tagovailoa also made strides from his performance in the opening week of the season against the New England Patriots.
Week 1 saw Tagovailoa deliver an accurate, well-thrown ball on 71.9 per cent of his passes, according to Stats Perform data. Against the Ravens, his well-thrown rate was up to 80 per cent.
Tagovailoa's performance saw him enter the NFL record books as the third-youngest player with six touchdown passes in a single game and the fourth-youngest with at least 450 passing yards and five touchdowns in the same game at the age of 24 years and 200 days.
His success came in part through heeding the words of his coach and getting significantly better in one area than he was in the previous week, but his career day was not simply the product of better accuracy and motivation from McDaniel.
Play-calling mastery
Indeed, it was also a result of having two receivers with the speed to terrify any defense and a play-caller who knows how to deploy them and set his team up for success, as well as two massive coverage mix-ups by Baltimore that allowed Hill to tie the game with two deep receptions.
While he only produced a burn – which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted – on seven of his 13 targets (a ratio of 53.8 per cent that was below the average of 58.7 for the week as of Monday), only five receivers targeted at least five times in Week 2 averaged more burn yards per target than Hill's 14.62.
With fellow speedster Jaylen Waddle winning 13 of his 19 matchups for an impressive burn rate of 68.4, Tagovailoa was targeting two pass-catchers adept at creating separation who presented the perfect duo with which to attack a Ravens secondary battling injuries, Hill and Waddle becoming the first pair of team-mates in NFL history to record at least 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in the same game.
And McDaniel made the most telling illustration of his impact on the final drive. Schooled in the Kyle Shanahan offense, the first-year head coach showed the value of his long apprenticeship under the league's pre-eminent play-caller on two game-deciding calls.
The first was his call for a split-zone run with Chase Edmonds on second-and-one from the Ravens' 35-yard line with 46 seconds left.
It is a situation where most would have expected another shot at big passing play. Instead, McDaniel created an explosive move with the run, using the snap motion to take the nickel defender at the second level over to the far side of the field, before safety Chuck Clark, playing down in the box, reacted to tight end Mike Gesicki peeling back across the formation to block linebacker Patrick Queen by following him away from the direction of the play, his vacation of his previous alignment and well-executed blocking by Miami creating a huge hole for Edmonds to rumble 28 yards to the seven-yard line.
Two plays later, McDaniel again used motion to help the Dolphins complete the comeback, this time with Waddle going across the field and being followed in man coverage by former Alabama team-mate Jalyn Armour-Davis. At the snap, Trent Sherfield ran a slant that essentially served as a pick play, the collision between Armour-Davis and Daryl Worley leaving the former out of position for long enough for Waddle to create separation with his pivot route and allowing Tagovailoa, having superbly navigated the pocket, to find him with a high throw on the move.
At Alabama, Tagovailoa was playing for college football's powerhouse, a program that serves as a ceaseless production line of NFL talent and the perfect incubator in which a young quarterback can thrive at that level.
In other words, he was in the ideal situation. Across his first two seasons in Miami, he was in anything but.
As the hugely improbable fightback against the Ravens demonstrated, Tagovailoa – with two game-breakers at receiver and a head coach with the mindset and the play-calling acumen to accentuate the strengths of his quarterback and his surrounding talent – is in a substantially better spot.
McDaniel, Tagovailoa and Co. combined to achieve the near-impossible and, after a fourth-quarter turnaround for ages, the quarterback whom so many were willing to write off should be the subject of burgeoning belief.
The NFL has suspended Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay for four games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
The suspension was revealed on Monday and stems from an arrest in January, when the 24-year-old was charged with misdemeanour criminal property damage at the home of the mother of his son.
He started in both of Kansas City's playoff games last January following the arrest, and agreed to a pre-trial diversion program over the summer to conclude the case.
Gay has started both games for the 2-0 Chiefs this season and is tied with L'Jarius Sneed for second on the team with 16 tackles. He also has two tackles for loss, two passes defended and one quarterback hit.
It is uncertain if Gay will appeal the suspension in an effort to get it reduced, but as it stands, he will miss games against the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills, and will be eligible to return against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7.
Four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka admitted she has not had "the best year" but is still "pretty happy with where I am now."
Osaka – a former world number one – has slipped to 48th in the latest WTA rankings, and has not won a match at a grand slam since she beat Madison Brengle in the second round at the Australian Open in January.
The Japanese-born star was eliminated in the first round at the French Open and US Open this year, and did not compete at Wimbledon due to an Achilles injury.
Having taken some time away from the game last year to focus on her mental health, Osaka has struggled to get back to her previous high levels.
However, speaking ahead of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, she seemed calm about the situation, as she suggested she is improving both on and off the court.
"It was kind of hard at first, just because I feel like I should be somewhere where I'm obviously currently not," the 24-year-old said.
"I think for me, it's more about being at peace with myself. I know that I'm here for a reason."
Osaka has seven career singles titles to her name, including four majors – she has won twice at Flushing Meadows and twice at the Australian Open.
"This year has not been the best year for me, but I've learned a lot about myself," she added.
"Life is ups and downs, and this year was more down than up, but overall I'm pretty happy with where I am now."
She is preparing to defend her title at the Pan Pacific Open, which has not been held in three years due to the coronavirus pandemic, starting with a match against Daria Saville on Tuesday.
"It feels really weird to hear that I'm the defending champion because it was the last time I played in 2019," she said.
"I would love to win it again, but I think just taking it one match at a time... and also just playing in front of a crowd in Tokyo again, because the Olympics was crowdless, so it will just be nice to see people."
Sebastian Korda and Lorenzo Sonego progressed to the second round of the Moselle Open on Monday, while Stanislas Wawrinka came through qualifying.
Korda was playing his first indoor match since the decider of the Next Gen ATP Finals last November, and Hugo Gaston represented a tough opening test.
But the American prevailed in straight sets against the home favourite, winning 6-3 7-6 (7-2) after defending set points in the second set and blowing his opponent away in the subsequent tie-break.
Another tricky opponent awaits, with number three seed Lorenzo Musetti up next in the second round.
Musetti's Italian compatriot Sonego also succeeded in Monday's only other main-draw match, beating sixth seed Aslan Karatsev 7-5 6-3 to set up a last-16 clash with either Gilles Simon or David Goffin.
In the qualifying section, three-time grand slam champion Wawrinka beat Zsombor Piros 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-0 to reach the first round, where Joao Sousa awaits.
The winner of that match will face top seed Daniil Medvedev in the last 16.
San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Trey Lance underwent successful surgery on his broken ankle on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery.
The 49ers revealed in a statement that Lance had a fibula fracture and a ligament disruption in his right ankle.
Lance's first season as San Francisco's starter is over only two games in after the 2021 No. 3 overall pick suffered the injury in Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Lance's right leg bent awkwardly when tackled by two Seattle defenders on a designed run on just the 49ers' second drive of the game. He was carted off after having his leg placed in an air cast and quickly ruled out of the contest.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the fracture following his team's 27-7 victory.
"It's always tough, especially when it's a big one like that," Shanahan stated. "It's a very sad moment, but you don't have time to sit there and think about it.
"We were real happy about the win, but it was a little sombre once you got in the locker room and you see him."
Lance spent his rookie season as the backup to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, but was declared the team's starter this offseason.
The 22-year-old did struggle in last week's 19-10 road loss to the Chicago Bears, completing just 13 of 28 passes for 164 yards and an interception in a game played in rain-soaked conditions.
Lance took to Twitter to post a message to thank fans for their support on Monday, writing: "Truly appreciate all of the messages and prayers. Surgery was a success and I am ready to attack this rehab process.
"We will never understand why, but I trust that it's all a part of His plan. I will be back better than ever. This chapter is going to make the story even greater!"
Garoppolo replaced Lance in Sunday's win and threw for 154 yards and a touchdown, with no turnovers on 13-of-21 passing.
"I thought he did a real good job coming off the bench, made some real key throws," Shanahan said. "I'm real proud of Jimmy and how he came in and was ready for the moment and helped us get a win."
Garoppolo did not practice at all during training camp as he recovered from shoulder surgery and spent the summer the subject of trade rumours.
The nine-year veteran ultimately remained with the 49ers on a reworked contract that slashed his 2022 salary from $24.2million to a $6.5m base, though he can earn close to an additional $9m in incentives.
The 49ers have had considerable past success with Garoppolo at the helm, as he owns a 31-14 record in 45 regular-season starts since joining the team in a trade with the New England Patriots during the 2017 season.
Garoppolo helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl during the 2019 season and led them to last season's NFC Championship Game. The 30-year-old threw for 3,810 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in 15 starts in 2021.
Duhaney Park Red Sharks won their sixth consecutive National Club Championship (NCC) Grand Finals, and eighth overall, following a pulsating 40-18 win over Washington Blvd. Bulls on Saturday at the UWI Mona Bowl.
The Bulls jumped to a 6-0 lead early but the Red Sharks responded well and held a narrow 16-12 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Red Sharks took control of the game, running in five tries whilst the Bulls could only muster one additional score.
Red Sharks were led by fullback Javian Bryan with eight points from four goals, Kenneth Walker and Jenson Morris each scored two tries whilst Miguel Facey, Joseph Shae, Chevaughn Bailey (MVP) and Andrew Simpson each scored a try.
For the Bulls, Lawrence Drummond led with six points from three goals and Shamoy Stewart, Oshane Edie and Daniel Morrison scored a try apiece.
“We were a bit scrappy, we had too many knock-ons, but to score 40 points we had to chance our arm a bit. In the first half, we moved from what works for us which is using three to four tackles to lay a platform, instead, we were going one in and looking to play off the second tackle,” said winning coach Roy Calvert.
“In the second half we went back to basics and scored 24 points. Hats off to the Bulls, they gave it to us, but my boys stood up and pulled it off and I am very proud of the team.”
Meanwhile, Bulls’ coach Derone Davis believed fatigue was a key factor in the loss.
“It was unbelievable being our first grand finals. We started well, we dominated the middle in the first 40 minutes, which was our game plan,” he said.
“Hakeem, Makaya and Kyle were especially damaging carrying the ball and tackling and that kept us in it. We started the second 40 positively but fatigue set in, our skills broke down and we lost the script. Congrats to the Red Sharks on a well-deserved win”
Earlier, Jamaica Defence Force Warriors were comfortable 16-0 winners over West Kingston Hyenas in the play-off for third place.
Courtney Davies, Demar Williams and Okeano Stephenson each scored tries while Nicolai Kennedy kicked two goals.
In the NCC U19 Grand Finals, Portmore Rugby League Club defeated Washington Blvd. Bulls 4-0 courtesy of a try from Rasheed Pencle.
Meanwhile, in the other U19 club game St Bess Rugby League Club defeated Liguanea Dragons 26-0 for third place.
Mike Evans has been suspended for one game without pay by the NFL after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver clashed with the New Orleans Saints' Marshon Lattimore.
Evans and Saints cornerback Lattimore were engaged in a physical battle throughout the Buccaneers' 20-10 victory at the Superdome on Monday.
It boiled over in the fourth quarter when the latter got in the face of Tom Brady as the Buccaneers' quarterback appealed for a penalty flag on an unsuccessful third-down play.
Evans came in and knocked Lattimore to the turf, prompting a melee that resulted in both players being disqualified.
The pair have history, with Evans previously being suspended for one game for a cheap shot on Lattimore in 2017.
Evans spoke to the media after the game and did not expect to receive any kind of suspension, though that confidence was clearly misplaced.
An NFL statement read: "NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension for a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(g) which prohibits 'unnecessarily running, diving into, cutting, or throwing the body against or on a player who is out of the play or should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent, before or after the ball is dead,' as well as Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 which prohibits any act which is 'contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship'."
Runyan also personally wrote to Evans explaining the decision, which is still subject to a potential appeal.
He said: "After a play had ended, you were walking toward your sidelines. When you noticed your team-mates engaged in a confrontation with Saints' players, you ran toward that area on the field and violently threw your body into and struck an unsuspecting opponent who was part of that confrontation.
"You knocked your opponent to the ground and a melee ensued involving players from both teams. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional."
Evans can return to the Buccaneers' active roster on September 26, the day after their game against the Green Bay Packers.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes their surprise victory over the Cincinnati Bengals served as a tonic for the disappointment of a season opener in which they lost Dak Prescott to injury.
The Cowboys suffered a chastening home loss in Week 1 as they slumped to a 19-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which quarterback Prescott sustained a fractured thumb that required surgery.
While Prescott's initial recovery timeline was deemed to be six to eight weeks, there is optimism he could return sooner.
Rush significantly boosted Dallas' hopes of still being in a position to contend when Prescott does return, helping to drop the defending AFC champion Bengals to 0-2 on Sunday.
He threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' 20-17 win, going three of four on the Cowboys' final drive to set up Brett Maher for a 50-yard field goal as time expired to seal victory.
"Anybody knows how disappointing our first loss was last week," Jones said after the game.
"We could point to the reasons why, but that's not enough. But to come out here with our same home crowd and beat a really fine young quarterback and beat a team that was playing in the Super Bowl just a few months ago, that's a big tonic for the disappointment we had.
"And we all know how tough these games are that we've got coming up, but the main thing is kudos to Cooper Rush.
"That shows me so much about him and the principle of he kept a workmanlike basis. He's done that. He's gotten better. He knows this offense as well as anybody breathing, and he stepped out there and did some great execution."
Rush's performance helped calm some nerves about the prospect of playing without Prescott for any extended period.
"When [Prescott] has strength, which I have no idea when that will be, but it will be not an issue of being concerned about re-injuring the thumb. It will be an issue of his ability to grip the ball, and you know Dak, he's beat every timeline I've ever seen or looked at," added Jones.
"So he's got a good chance to do it, but there's no question that we didn't put him on injured reserve. I want to be real clear about that – we did not put him on [IR], so he could be working during these weeks.
"He could be out there, throwing, [and] certainly involved in everything else. He couldn't have done that had we put him there.
"I certainly would look to hope that he just might be available, but I'm telling you, this performance out here today by Rush sure takes a lot of the angst out of that."
Zac Taylor is confident the Cincinnati Bengals will still be a "really good football team" once they "settle down" following another shock defeat for the reigning AFC champions.
The Bengals fell to 0-2 on Sunday as they suffered a 20-17 defeat to a Dallas Cowboys team led by quarterback Cooper Rush in the absence of the injured Dak Prescott.
After being sacked seven times by the Pittsburgh Steelers in an overtime loss in Week 1, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was brought down for six more sacks by the Dallas defense.
It is a worrying start for a Bengals team who spent significant resources remodelling an offensive line that allowed Burrow to be sacked 51 times last season.
"It's all frustrating," head coach Taylor said of the Bengals' pass protection issues.
"We've given ourselves an opportunity to win these games against good teams, so once things settle down, I know that we're going to be a really good football team."
Praising Micah Parsons, who registered his second successive two-sack game, Taylor added of the Cowboys: "Maybe they haven't gotten the sacks against everybody you watch, but quarterbacks are just springing out of the pocket when you watch all of the tape from last season against these guys.
"They have a really stellar pass rush. They use these guys really well.
"Micah Parsons is going to be in the conversation for one of the best, if not the best pass rushers, just the way they can move him around. The way he can take advantage and bend.
"He's a real problem, and they've got real good players behind him, too. We put ourselves in some positions where they could really tee off and maximise what they're really good at. And that was frustrating early on.
"I thought we settled in better later in the game and were a lot more efficient."
Following defeats for the rest of their AFC North rivals on Sunday, the Bengals are only a game back in their division despite their winless start, which they have the chance to end next week on the road against the New York Jets.
"Every team's going to go through this, where you face a two game losing streak at some point," said Taylor. "Unfortunately for us, it's the first two games of the season. It's a long season.
"We've just got to hit the reset button, not in a negative way, but just regroup for Tuesday to get ready for the Jets this Sunday. I know our guys are going to be focused the right way. We have great leadership.
"So again, that's just what we're relaying on right now, is those guys to get focused, have a great week of practice and go to New York and find a way to win.
"I think we're going to be in great position going forward. Any time you lose, it's going to feel like, from everybody that's watching, that's the story. I get it. That's how it should be. We're going to work hard, just as we have, to go on the road and find a way to win against a good team."
Burrow, meanwhile, hailed the second-half improvement in pass protection but recognised the need for a complete game for the Bengals to get back on track.
"Second half, I thought the protections was great. They have a great rush, I would say top two or three best rushes in the league," Burrow explained.
"They've got DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah, they do a really good job with their picks in game, too. And so, early in the game, you're going to have those, and I can do a better job of getting the ball out quickly.
"I thought, for the most part, we protected the ball well in those situations, and that was my goal this week. And then in the second half, I thought the offensive line protected great.
"We kind of warmed up in the run game, and then we're able to have some more time in the pass game, and that's what comes off of that.
"When we're able to run the ball well, they might be thinking 'run', and so then they're not so quick to get into their pass rush. So, the second half was more efficient, better for us, but just need to prolong that for the entire game."
Frank Reich acknowledged the Indianapolis Colts were "pathetic" in defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still believes they are "not that far" from "where we need to be".
The Colts required a 17-point fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1 to tie with the Houston Texans, yet they made another woeful start on Sunday.
This time, there was no recovery, as Indianapolis lost 24-0 in an alarming start to the season.
"That s*** was embarrassing," said defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. "We got our a** whooped."
Buckner added the Colts must "grow from this", and head coach Reich still sees a positive path forward.
"As pathetic as that was today, where this is and where we need to be, the distance is not that far," he said. "We have the players and coaches to do it.
"I know that doesn't play in the outside world, and I'm fine with that. We'll take our medicine and I'll take my medicine, and we'll just keep doing what we do."
This is the first time the Colts have failed to win their first two meetings with fellow AFC South opponents since the 2017 season.
That was the last season before Reich was hired as head coach, with Indianapolis finishing with a 4-12 record.
Mike Evans is not concerned about potentially receiving a suspension from the NFL following his ejection in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' win over the New Orleans Saints for his confrontation with Marshon Lattimore.
The Buccaneers capitalised on three interceptions from former Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston to emerge from the Superdome with a 20-10 win.
It snapped a seven-game regular-season losing streak for the Buccaneers against their NFC South rivals.
Wide receiver Evans and Saints cornerback Lattimore were engaged in a physical battle throughout and it boiled over in the fourth quarter when the latter got in the face of Tom Brady as the Buccaneers' quarterback appealed for a penalty flag on an unsuccessful third-down play.
Evans came in and knocked Lattimore to the turf, prompting a melee that resulted in both players being disqualified. The pair have history, with Evans previously being suspended for one game for a cheap shot on Lattimore in 2017. Despite that previous episode, Evans does not expect to receive similar discipline this time around.
"It gets spicy when you come to New Orleans, they're a good team, physical team, we matched that today," Evans said
"All I seen was, I know we were trying to get a flag called and it wasn't called, all I see was Lattimore punch Lenny [Fournette] in the face or something like that and then like push Tom, that's all I saw. I just pushed him."
Asked about the potential for a ban, he replied: "Nah, that was 2017, I didn't even get ejected in that. That was really a cheap shot, this wasn't."
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan had a very different view of events.
"It hurts to lose your best corner," Jordan said. "Guys gun at him because they know he is one of the best corners in the league.
"When I saw the replay, [Lattimore] didn't go after anybody. Somebody came after him. What do you want him to do in that situation?"
Brady was visibly annoyed for much of the game as the Bucs laboured before pulling away with 17 fourth-quarter points, at one point taking out his frustration on a tablet after a disappointing end to an offensive series.
"It's an emotional game," Brady said. "A little bit of execution helps all the way around. I thought the defense played well again and the offensive line fought hard.
"Tough game all around. That is a really good team, really well coached — a team we really struggle with. So, it feels good to win."
Alison Riske-Amritraj suffered another early exit as the Pan Pacific Open began in Tokyo on Monday.
Riske-Amritraj reached the last 16 at the US Open earlier this month but has struggled in Asia since then.
She was the top seed at the Chennai Open last week, only to lose in straight sets in the first round to Anastasia Gasanova.
And the American fell at the first hurdle again in Japan.
Riske-Amritraj was drawn against compatriot Claire Liu, who was coming off back-to-back defeats to Anastasia Potapova and without a win since qualifying for the Canadian Open last month.
But Liu brushed aside the seventh seed 6-2 6-3 to set up a meeting with Elise Mertens in the second round.
Mertens eased through with a 6-0 6-3 win over Wang Qiang, while Petra Martic was similarly comfortable in a 6-1 6-1 defeat of Rina Saigo.
Saigo was one of two home hopefuls to depart on Monday as Qinwen Zheng won 19 points in a row en route to beating Misaki Doi 6-2 6-4.
At the Korean Open, Zhu Lin was the only seed in action and got the better of Jang Su-jeong in straight sets.
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