Robert Sarver, the owner of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, has been suspended by the NBA for one year and fined $10million after an investigation found he engaged in racist and sexist conduct at the workplace.
The report was published Tuesday and was initiated after the NBA commissioned a law firm to investigate Sarver's behaviour after ESPN reported last November allegations of racism and misogyny during his 18 years with the Suns.
The investigators interviewed 320 people, and Sarver, team management and employees "cooperated fully with the investigative process", according to the NBA.
The investigation found Sarver ''repeated or purported to repeat the N-word on at least five occasions spanning his tenure with the Suns,'' though added there is "no finding that Sarver used this racially insensitive language with the intent to demean or denigrate", concluding he said the word "when recounting the statements of others".
The study also determined that there were "instances of inequitable conduct toward female employees," including "sex-related comments" and inappropriate comments made toward a pregnant woman.
He also made inappropriate jokes about sex and anatomy, as well as yelled and cursed at employees in a manner that would be considered bullying ''under workplace standards".
Based on the findings by the probe, the NBA punished Sarver by banning him from any NBA or WNBA team facility, including any office, arena, or practice facility; attending or participating in any NBA or WNBA event or activity, including games, practices or business partner activity; representing the Suns or Mercury in any public or private capacity; or having any involvement with the business or basketball operations of the Suns or Mercury.
The league said it would donate his $10m fine ''to organisations that are committed to addressing race and gender-based issues in and outside the workplace".
''The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing,'' NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.
"We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces.''
Sarver said he will ''accept the consequences of the league's decision'', though also stated he disagreed with some of the investigation.
"While I disagree with some of the particulars of the NBA's report, I would like to apologize for my words and actions that offended our employees," Sarver said in a statement through the Suns.
"I take full responsibility for what I have done. I am sorry for causing this pain, and these errors in judgment are not consistent with my personal philosophy or my values."
As part of his punishment by the NBA, Sarver will have to complete a training programme ''focused on respect and appropriate conduct in the workplace."'
''On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators' report," Silver said. "We must do better."
T.J. Watt could return to action sooner than expected after the Pittsburgh Steelers refused to put a timescale on his absence beyond the Week 2 clash with the New England Patriots.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner suffered a torn pectoral in the fourth quarter of a wild 23-20 overtime opening victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to NFL Network' Ian Rapoport, Watt tore a muscle but not the tendon, which could mean his absence is as short as six weeks. There had been concerns Watt's season could be over already.
The prospect of Watt avoiding surgery will be welcome in Pittsburgh, where Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin also pointed to positive news regarding the pass rusher.
Tomlin has yet to add Watt to the injured reserve list and said: "We're not in hurry to gather information too quickly. We will see how his body responds, we'll get second and third opinions and then at the end of the week or at some point we will do what's appropriate."
He added: "I can definitively say that T.J. won't play this week, but I won't make any commitments beyond that."
The clash with the Patriots takes place on Sunday, by which time the picture regarding Watt's likely return should be clear.
Watt shared an image on social media on Tuesday of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous "I'll be back" catchphrase, from the Terminator movie. That has been interpreted as the 27-year-old suggesting his season is not over.
Tomlin further explained Pittsburgh's stance, adding: "Let me say this, we're probably in a lot better place than we were after the game and usually that's the case.
"That's why I don't always say too much after the game, even though there might be speculation out there."
Marc Marquez will make his competitive return at next weekend's Aragon Grand Prix after nearly four months out of action.
The six-time world champion has not raced competitively since the Italian GP on May 29 due to undergoing surgery on his right arm.
That was the fourth time Marquez had gone under the knife since breaking his arm in a crash at the Spanish GP in July 2020.
After completing a two-day test in Misano and intensive training at home, Repsol Honda confirmed on Tuesday the Spaniard will take part in the 15th race of the season.
Commenting on the news in a video message posted on social media, Marquez said: "As you can see, I'm smiling, which means I'll be at the Aragon GP. Racing, of course.
"After talking to the doctors and the team, we have decided that the best for my recovery is to continue on the bike, adding up kilometres for next year.
"Doing it in the Aragon GP in front of all the fans is priceless. I'm sure your support will help me go through the whole weekend. Looking forward to Friday and being on the bike."
Marquez has won the Aragon GP a record five times in MotoGP, but he finished second to Francesco Bagnaia in last year's thrilling battle.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes Dak Prescott could be back on field much sooner than initially expected.
Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday that Prescott won't be placed on injured reserve because he could return from his broken thumb within four weeks.
"We want him to be in consideration for playing within the next four games," Jones said
Prescott was originally expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after suffering a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If placed on IR, Prescott would have to miss a minimum of four games, however, after Monday's surgery, Jones is optimistic the 29-year-old won't be out that long.
"We feel better about it than we did Sunday night," Jones said.
With Jones' new timeline, Prescott could be back playing in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams on October 9.
"Dak has a real chance to be back out there throwing the ball pretty quick," Jones said.
The Cowboys host the 0-1 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday with Cooper Rush set to start at quarterback.
The 28-year-old Rush made his lone career start last season in Week 8 at Minnesota with Prescott nursing a calf strain and threw a winning touchdown pass to Amari Cooper in the final minute of a 20-16 victory.
Rush threw for 325 yards in that game and was seven of 13 passing for 64 yards Sunday after Prescott got hurt.
Prescott struggled against Tampa Bay prior to his injury, completing 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards with one interception, compiling a 47.2 passer rating – the lowest by any QB in Week 1.
Frances Tiafoe has replaced John Isner in the Team World line-up for next week's Laver Cup in London.
Isner has failed to recover from the wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from the US Open ahead of his second-round match against Holger Rune.
Fellow American Tiafoe knocked out Rafael Nadal en route to reaching the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, where he was beaten by tournament winner Carlos Alcaraz.
The 24-year-old, now at a career high of 19th in the ATP rankings, will take Isner's place at the O2 Arena as Team World aim to end Team Europe's run of four triumphs in a row.
Tiafoe previously took part in the tournament in 2017 and 2018, but has missed the past two editions.
Team World captain John McEnroe said: "I am thrilled to have Frances on the team.
"He's raised his game to a whole new level and has shown he can compete and win against the best players on Tour. He brings a positive energy that should help the entire team."
Tiafoe joins Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Alex de Minaur and Jack Sock on McEnroe's six-man team.
Team Europe, led by Bjorn Borg, is made up of Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
The tournament is contested on an indoor hard court and runs for three days from September 23.
Anthony Joshua's management team says he has accepted terms to fight Tyson Fury on December 3.
Fury had originally wanted to face Oleksandr Usyk – who beat Joshua in Saudi Arabia in August – in a title unification bout, but the Ukrainian does not want to compete again until 2023, and Fury intends to fight before the end of the year.
That led to the Gypsy King going public with his proposal to Joshua as he pushed to set up a 'Battle of Britain' clash with the WBC heavyweight belt on the line before the end of 2022.
On Tuesday, Joshua's management team 258 announced that, along with Matchroom Boxing, the terms had been accepted, but negotiations had been postponed following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday.
They tweeted: "258 and Matchroom Boxing can confirm, on behalf of Anthony Joshua, that we accepted all terms presented to us by Fury's team for a fight Dec 3rd last Friday.
"Due to the Queen's passing, it was agreed to halt all communication. We are awaiting a response."
Fury's promoter Frank Warren later replied on Twitter, writing: "Contract will be with you very soon."
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn previously declared his fighter had accepted a proposed deal for the bout, with a 60-40 split in favour of Fury.
Fury had said his team secured provisional dates with Wembley Stadium and the Principality Stadium.
Bernard Foley is relishing "one more crack" at international rugby after the experienced fly-half was picked by Australia to face New Zealand in Thursday's Bledisloe Cup clash.
After three years out of the picture, since moving to play in Japan after the Rugby World Cup, Foley has been handed the chance to be the Wallabies' playmaker once more.
The 71-cap Foley's inclusion is one of eight changes made to the starting line-up by coach Dave Rennie for the tussle with the All Blacks in Melbourne.
Waratahs captain Jake Gordon comes in at scrum-half to partner 33-year-old Foley, with the home side looking to atone for a 24-8 loss to South Africa last time out, in Sydney.
Australia have two wins from four games so far in the Rugby Championship and complete their campaign with home and away battles against New Zealand, with the Bledisloe Cup on the line.
Wing Marika Koroibete will get his 50th cap, yet all eyes will be on Foley in the first instance.
"It's great to have Bernard's experience, and he brings plenty of voice and passion for the gold jersey," Rennie said.
Foley replaces Noah Lolesio who suffered concussion in the loss to the Springboks.
"It means so much," Foley said. "Not being a part of it for a couple of years, being a spectator overseas, you get to reflect on how much the jersey means to you and how you really appreciate the time and opportunity.
"I'm really excited. One thing when you go away is you miss the build-up, the anticipation of these big games, so I've enjoyed this week."
For his international return to come against New Zealand makes it all the more special.
"I think you definitely look at the games and you have some great battles," Foley said. "You always wish you can get one more crack, so for me to be back here is just making the most of it."
New Zealand coach Ian Foster has switched around his scrum, with Hoskins Sotutu coming in at number eight and Brodie Retallick handed a chance in the second row, as Scott Barrett moves to blindside blanker
Foster said of the high-stakes tussles with Australia: "We are incredibly driven to keep hold of this trophy which means so much to both countries.
"And when you factor in how tight this year's Rugby Championship is, all signs point towards another great Test match here in Melbourne."
Australia::Andrew Kellaway, Tom Wright, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Jake Gordon; James Slipper (captain), David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa, Jed Holloway, Matt Philip, Rob Leota, Pete Samu, Rob Valetini.
Replacements Folau Fainga'a, Scott Sio, Pone Fa'amausili, Darcy Swain, Fraser McReight, Nic White, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia.
New Zealand: Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Tyrel Lomax, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Sam Cane (captain), Hoskins Sotutu.
Replacements: Dane Coles, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Quinn Tupaea.
The Seattle Seahawks enjoyed a Week 1 win against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field on Monday, but it was not all good news.
Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams left the game with what coach Pete Carroll later described as a "serious" knee injury.
Adams – who has suffered shoulder and finger injuries in recent seasons – had made three tackles by the time he had to leave the game, which Seattle narrowly won after touchdowns from Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson and a field goal from Jason Myers, all in the first half.
"[Adams] hurt his knee tonight," Carroll said after the game. "Not a typical knee injury. His quadricep tendon got damaged some tonight. He got hurt, it's a serious injury."
Fellow safety Quandre Diggs expressed sympathy for Adams, relating how he had witnessed his team-mate's eagerness to make his mark from close quarters.
"It sucks, man," Diggs said. "This guy's had a hell of a camp, he's had a hell of an offseason, and you hate to see it, especially with Jamal being one of my closest friends.
"It's tough. We kind of had the same offseason where it was just rehab and trying to get back to be the leaders of this team and the leaders of this defense.
"It's just hard to imagine. You go out there and you always have that doubt, like, 'Am I ready? Am I ready to go?'.
"It sucks the way it happened, and it sucks for him personally, because I know how much work he put in this past offseason and I know mentally he was in great space. He was the most comfortable he's been around here. It just sucks to see. I love him."
Russell Wilson did not begrudge the decision to attempt a field goal late in the Denver Broncos' 17-16 opening game defeat at the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.
Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett opted to send on Brandon McManus with 20 seconds left on fourth-and-5 for a 64-yard attempt, which McManus could only pull to the left, giving the Seahawks the chance to take the knee to victory.
Wilson impressed on his debut for Denver, making 29 of his 42 pass attempts for a total of 340 yards, throwing one touchdown and zero interceptions.
Despite being sidelined for the crucial moment late on, the 33-year-old quarterback believed it was still the correct decision, suggesting McManus could be the best kicker in the game.
"We got the best field goal kicker maybe in the game,'' Wilson said after the loss.
"We got there and unfortunately it didn't go in... I believe in coach Hackett, I believe in what we're doing, I believe in everything.
"I don't think it was the wrong decision."
Wilson – who spent 10 seasons in Seattle prior to his blockbuster trade to Denver – was on the receiving end of some boos from the home fans at Lumen Field, but still paid tribute to his former team.
"This was a special game, just because I got to see and play against some of my closest friends,'' Wilson said. "I wouldn't be where I am today without this place... but I didn't play for just this one game, I've got a bigger mission.
"[The booing] didn't bother me. It was a hostile environment, it always has been. I didn't expect to get a round of applause every once in a while.
"I gave everything I had here every day, every day, and anybody that says anything else, they're completely wrong."
Hackett was pleased with his new man's efforts, even in defeat, saying: "I think he played really well, he took care of the football, he made really good decisions, he had some explosive plays, he was able to distribute the ball all over the field.
"That's what makes me really frustrated for him."
San Francisco 49ers running back Elijah Mitchell will be sidelined for eight weeks with a knee injury, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Mitchell sprained the MCL in his right knee in Sunday's 19-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, exiting the game in the second quarter.
The 24-year-old running back, who scored seven touchdowns across the 2021 season, had six carries for 41 yards in the game before being ruled out at half-time.
"We're estimating about two months, eight weeks, give or take a few," Shanahan said. "Hopefully, it goes well and it's earlier but you never know with those things, so that's what we're guessing."
Mitchell broke the 49ers' single-season rookie rushing record in 2021, rushing for 963 yards in 11 regular-season games, along with a further 169 yards in the postseason.
"He was pretty down," Shanahan said. "For obvious reasons, we're down for him. Elijah went through a lot last year, it's well documented the injuries he had.
"He really worked hard this offseason. He was feeling really good going into that game and I thought he looked really good before he got hurt.
"And just unfortunate hit that he had. I just tried to tell him to keep his head up. Anybody who would have gotten caught in that situation would have gotten hurt with the way his foot planted in the ground and the guy hit his knee. I think we were just real fortunate it wasn't worse."
Three-time American League (AL) MVP Mike Trout moved one away from the major league record after homering in his seventh-straight game as the Los Angeles Angels lost 5-4 to the Cleveland Guardians.
The 10-time All-Star drove high to center-field at the top of the fifth inning for a game-tying two-run blast and his 35th home run of the season. Trout crushed a fastball for the third straight game, this time from Konnor Pilkington for a 422-foot drive.
The Angels center fielder is within one blast of the eight-game record, held jointly by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr (1993). Trout will get the chance to match the mark on Tuesday against the Guardians.
"That's good company to be in," Trout said. "I'm just putting a good swing on the ball and they're going out."
The win was important for the AL Central-leading Guardians, as Amed Rosario doubled home Steven Kwan in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run.
The Guardians are 74-65, three games ahead of the Chicago White Sox (72-69) who did not play on Monday.
Valdez equals deGrom quality-start record
Left-hander Framber Valdez tied the record with a 24th consecutive quality start as the Houston Astros won 7-0 over the Detroit Tigers.
Valdez's shutout tied New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom (2018) for the all-time single-season streak record since 1913, tossing down 107 pitches with eight strikeouts allowing six hits and one walk.
The Astros pitcher's shutout was almost broken when Willi Castro was called safe at the plate from Yordan Alvarez's throw but that was overturned on replay.
Dodgers secure postseason berth for real
The Los Angeles Dodgers officially clinched their postseason berth with a 6-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks after the MLB prematurely declared that on Sunday.
The MLB confirmed that an internal error in determining the Dodgers' postseason scenario meant that Dave Roberts' side actually needed one more win to lock in their 10th straight playoffs berth.
Mookie Betts blasted a ninth-inning three-run home run, marking a career-high 34 homers this season for him.
Three-time American League (AL) MVP Mike Trout moved one away from the major league record after homering in his seventh-straight game as the Los Angeles Angels lost 5-4 to the Cleveland Guardians.
The 10-time All-Star drove high to center-field at the top of the fifth inning for a game-tying two-run blast and his 35th home run of the season. Trout crushed a fastball for the third straight game, this time from Konnor Pilkington for a 422-foot drive.
The Angels center fielder is within one blast of the eight-game record, held jointly by Dale Long (1956), Don Mattingly (1987) and Ken Griffey Jr (1993). Trout will get the chance to match the mark on Tuesday against the Guardians.
"That's good company to be in," Trout said. "I'm just putting a good swing on the ball and they're going out."
The win was important for the AL Central-leading Guardians, as Amed Rosario doubled home Steven Kwan in the seventh inning for the go-ahead run.
The Guardians are 74-65, three games ahead of the Chicago White Sox (72-69) who did not play on Monday.
Valdez equals deGrom quality-start record
Left-hander Framber Valdez tied the record with a 24th consecutive quality start as the Houston Astros won 7-0 over the Detroit Tigers.
Valdez's shutout tied New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom (2018) for the all-time single-season streak record since 1913, tossing down 107 pitches with eight strikeouts allowing six hits and one walk.
The Astros pitcher's shutout was almost broken when Willi Castro was called safe at the plate from Yordan Alvarez's throw but that was overturned on replay.
Dodgers officially secure postseason berth
The Los Angeles Dodgers officially clinched their postseason berth with a 6-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks after the MLB prematurely declared that on Sunday.
The MLB confirmed that an internal error in determining the Dodgers' postseason scenario meant that Dave Roberts' side actually needed one more win to lock in their 10th straight playoffs berth.
Mookie Betts blasted a ninth-inning three-run home run, marking a career-high 34 homers this season for him.
Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes as the Seattle Seahawks won in Russell Wilson's return to Lumen Field with a 17-16 victory over his new side Denver Broncos in Monday Night Football.
Trailing by one point with 20 seconds to play, the Broncos opted to chase victory with a 64-yard field-goal attempt from Brandon McManus, rather than keep the ball in Wilson's hands. McManus' attempt, which would have tied for the second longest field goal in NFL history, had the distance but missed wide left.
Wilson, who was traded by the Seahawks to the Broncos in the offseason, completed 29-of-42 passes for 340 yards with one touchdown for Denver.
Smith was the star for the Seahawks, particularly in the first half, completing 23-of-28 attempts for 195 yards with two touchdowns. The Seahawks were scoreless in the second half but their defense held up.
Seattle scored a TD with their first drive as Smith found a wide-open Will Dissly, who had three receptions for 43 yards.
The Broncos tied it up in the second quarter when Wilson floated to Jerry Jeudy for a 67-yard to reception TD, which was his first in over 600 days. Seattle re-claimed the lead before half-time when Smith threw 25 yards to Colby Parkinson.
After Denver cut the lead to one from a McManus field goal in the fourth, the Broncos came up empty on the goal line twice, before their last-ditch attempt fell short.
Wilson hit up Javonte Williams, before exhausting time and calling a timeout with 20 seconds remaining to allow McManus' attempt.
The win means Seattle have won their last eight Week 1 games at home, dating back to their last loss in 1999. Denver have lost six straight Monday Night Football games.
Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge says the side lacked resolve and did not believe in each other last season leading to their first-round playoffs exit.
Former Phoenix Suns player and head coach Ainge stepped into the Jazz role in January, after the side had the best record (52-20) in the Western Conference in 2020-21.
But the Jazz bowed out of the 2021-22 playoffs at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, after a 49-33 season.
Key players including Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell have since left, along with head coach Quin Snyder who resigned in June, marking a period of change for Utah.
"What I saw during the season was a group of players that really didn't believe in each other," Ainge told reporters on Monday. "Like the whole group, I think they liked each other even more than what was reported, but I'm not sure there was a belief.
"When we got to the playoffs I thought, well this is a team that has had some disappointing playoffs so I thought maybe they're just waiting for the playoffs. I gave them that benefit of the doubt, but it was clear the team didn't perform well in the playoffs again.
"I believe every one of these guys went into every game believing they were going to win, don't get me wrong on that. I'm just saying when adversity hit, the resolve, you could see in a team that has a true belief in having each other's back or one another.
"I think individually they have resolve, but I just don't believe collectively they did. So you see a lot of players trying to do it on their own as the believe in one another wasn't as great as teams I've been on and around that I've seen."
Jazz general manager Justin Zanik claimed that the side's offseason changes, trading out All-Stars Gobert and Mitchell, was about opening up another window to challenge for an NBA title. Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji all joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the Mitchell trade.
"You have these conversations and there's a return and you start balancing what you can acquire on the market for perennial All-Star players, and we traded two of them this summer, that necessitates us to make a decision for the organisation that is hard," Zanik said.
"We've got really good players, but you have a timeline you want to open up with a maximum window.
"Previous results kind of told us who we were. It wasn't just a one-year thing. This was a good three-year period where we won a lot of games and had a lot of success, but we were tapped out from a potential stand point and we needed to reset that."
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has undergone thumb surgery on Monday after suffering the injury in Sunday's 19-3 season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Prescott fractured his right thumb when his hand struck the helmet of Tampa Bay pass rusher Shaquille Barrett with about six minutes remaining in the game.
Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones said the injury would keep Prescott sidelined for "several weeks", while ESPN has reported he will miss "six to eight weeks as he goes through rehabilitation". That length would see him out until November 13 against the Green Bay Packers.
Prescott missed most of the 2020 season with a fractured right ankle, and the Cowboys went 4-7 in his absence with three different quarterbacks making at least one start, with veteran Andy Dalton getting the bulk of playing time.
Cooper Rush, who stepped in after Prescott's injury on Sunday, is expected to make his second career start when the Cowboys host the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said: "The nice thing about Cooper is Cooper's been in our system, knows our system inside and out.
"We won't be in that position of trying not to do too much or vice versa. Cooper gives us the ability to keep playing [our offense]."
The Minnesota Timberwolves have joined Anthony Edwards in apologising for a video the former first overall pick posted in which he made a homophobic slur.
Edwards posted a video to his Instagram story on which he could be heard passing comment on a group of men gathered near the car he was sat in.
The offensive clip prompted a backlash on social media, and Edwards apologised on Sunday.
"What I said was immature, hurtful and disrespectful, and I'm incredibly sorry," he wrote on his Twitter page.
"It's unacceptable for me or anyone to use that language in such a hurtful way, there's no excuse for it, at all. I was raised better than that!"
The Timberwolves released a statement on Monday, attributed to president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
"We are disappointed in the language and actions Anthony Edwards displayed on social media," it read.
"The Timberwolves are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming organisation for all and apologise for the offense this has caused to so many."
Mac Jones could return to action as soon as Week 2 despite suffering with a back injury after the New England Patriots' season-opening defeat to the Miami Dolphins.
On a day to forget for the Patriots, Jones had 21-of-30 passing for 213 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
That was only enough to see New England beaten 20-7, their fourth straight defeat to the Dolphins.
Worse was to come with news second-year quarterback Jones required a scan on a back problem, yet Monday brought more positive reporting.
The X-ray was negative, according to widespread reports, while NFL Network suggested Jones had been dealing with back spasms rather than an injury.
Jones was certainly optimistic he would be fit to face the Pittsburgh Steelers this week as he spoke with reporters.
"I definitely feel better," he said. "I want to be ready to play against Pittsburgh. I feel good.
"I wasn't feeling too hot after the game. I definitely feel a lot better. I don't expect any issues. Everything's good."
Emma Raducanu was not able to see out victory against Dayana Yastremska at the Slovenia Open as her opponent retired when two points from defeat.
Raducanu, returning to action after a first-round loss at the US Open, where she had been the defending champion, looked set to ease past Yastremska.
The Briton did advance to the second round, but only courtesy of a premature conclusion to the match.
Raducanu led 6-2 5-3 and was 30-0 up in her own service game when Yastremska retired, complaining of a wrist injury.
Yastremska has previously been accused of gamesmanship for similar antics; of her now six career mid-match retirements, all have come with her a break down and about to lose, with four coming in a potentially decisive game.
Her decision to quit at this year's Australian Open was particularly unpopular, with Madison Brengle on the brink of inflicting a third-set bagel.
However, Raducanu did not look to criticise Yastremska after this latest contentious finale.
"Obviously no one wants to win by retirement," the top seed said. "But Dayana is an extremely ferocious competitor, so I knew it was going to be a tough match going in."
Fellow seeds Beatriz Haddad Maia, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Anastasia Potapova all also progressed in Portoroz.
At the Chennai Open, only eighth seed Chloe Paquet was subject to a scalp against Karman Kaur Thandi, with Rebecca Peterson and Eugenie Bouchard among the other victors.
The 2020 NFL Draft class was largely defined by the quality and the depth of the wide receivers available, and the two crown jewels of this point have been Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb. Both headed into this season as the obvious focal points of offenses hoping to provide the platform for postseason runs for two teams that were both reduced to the role of spectators by the Divisional Round last term.
However, just one week into the 2022 campaign, Jefferson and Lamb appear destined for vastly different seasons.
'It was only Week 1' serves as one of the most important caveats in the NFL. Poor results in the opening week of the season are often of no consequence to a team's fortunes come the end of the regular season.
Yet, between the performance of the Minnesota Vikings in their win over the Green Bay Packers, and the Dallas Cowboys' debacle in a primetime defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it is tough to think of two displays from the opening week that revealed more about the respective directions of the teams in question.
Jefferson and Lamb are primed to play critical roles in what could be two of the headline stories from the 2022 season, but they are set to be tales of significant contrast.
Jefferson and O'Connell's perfect marriage
Aaron Rodgers labelled Jefferson "the best player in the game today" after his masterclass in the Vikings' 23-7 victory over the Packers.
It's unclear whether Rodgers was referring to their Week 1 encounter or declaring the wideout the top player in the NFL.
Yet Jefferson may have a compelling case for the latter should he continue to perform at the level he produced on Sunday.
Weaponised by an excellent gameplan from new head coach Kevin O'Connell, Jefferson recorded nine receptions for a career-high 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Jefferson now has 205 receptions in 34 career games, becoming the fourth-fastest player to 200 receptions. He tied Anquan Boldin and Reggie Bush (34) and is behind only Jarvis Landry (33), Michael Thomas (32) and Odell Beckham Jr. (30) on that list.
It was his fifth career game with at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown reception, putting him tied with Randy Moss and Victor Cruz for the second-most such games by a player in his first three NFL seasons. Only Lance Allworth (six) has more.
Betting against Jefferson catching Allworth would seem a foolish move on the evidence of Week 1. His burn rate, which measures how often a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, of 63.6 per cent was far from the best of the opening week, yet no player did more when they did beat coverage.
Indeed, Jefferson's burn yards per target average of 16.73 was the fourth-best among receivers with at least five targets, illustrating the remarkable amount of separation he was able to create against Green Bay. None of the players above him (Julio Jones, Gabe Davis and Nelson Agholor) reached three figures in receiving yards.
Jahan Dotson (64.7) and Ashton Dulin (60) were the only receivers to end Sunday with a higher big-play rate - a measure of burns of over 20 yards and burns for a touchdown - than Jefferson's 55.5 per cent. The difference being that Jefferson hugely impressive performance in that metric came across 11 targets, while Dotson and Dulin received 11 targets combined.
Jefferson's showing was the product of a marriage between a player who has quickly catapulted himself to the gold standard at his position and a play-caller who knows exactly how to use him.
Once mistakenly seen as purely a slot receiver, Jefferson was deployed all over the field by O'Connell. Jefferson lined up in the backfield, in the slot, on the outside and was sent in motion, his array of different alignments keeping him away from the Packers' best cornerback Jaire Alexander and allowing the former LSU star to wreak havoc.
The versatile skill set of a true do-it-all receiver was harnessed to perfection and, in a week dominated by overreactions, it would not be a stretch to suggest the Vikings could be a force in the postseason and Jefferson an MVP candidate like Cooper Kupp a year ago if O'Connell and Minnesota continue in this vein.
Hours after Jefferson's talents were maximised, Lamb saw his considerable skills wasted on a depressing night for Dallas.
Cowboys predictably poor
With the Cowboys having shorn themselves of wide receivers behind Lamb, at least until Michael Gallup returns from injury, there was always a danger they would become predictable in the passing game and, through no fault of their star wideout, Dallas' offense was unsurprisingly turgid in a 19-3 loss to the Buccaneers.
A Dallas offense deprived of the services of left tackle Tyron Smith struggled to contain the Tampa Bay defensive front, with Prescott's snap to release time of 2.50 seconds -- slightly quicker than the average of 2.55 for Week 1 -- more a result of the pressure he was under rather than efficient processing from one of the game's most intelligent quarterbacks.
Dallas averaged just 3.8 yards per play, with their lack of efficiency not reflective of Lamb's individual efforts.
Like Jefferson, Lamb was targeted 11 times, but he finished with just two catches for 29 yards.
His burn rate of 63.6 was also identical to that of his fellow 2020 draftee and, though Lamb did not generate the same level of separation, his average of 12 burn yards per target was a over a yard above the Week 1 average of 10.75.
But Lamb's reasonable success in getting open was rendered completely immaterial as Prescott struggled behind a line ill-prepared for the challenge in front of them.
Prescott finished with 7.36 air yards per attempt, below the average of 7.75 for the week. Throwing short is not always an indicator of a poor performance -- Josh Allen averaged 7.26 air yards in Thursday's opener -- however, 96.8 per cent of Allen's passes well thrown compared to 78.6 for Prescott, who threw three pickable passes on 28 attempts compared to one on 31 throws for Allen.
Hurried and inaccurate, Prescott was never allowed to be the quarterback he is when at his best, one capable of forming a devastating connection with Lamb, who amassed 2,037 receiving yards over his first two seasons in the NFL.
And, when Prescott was then forced to leave the game with a thumb injury that will keep him out for six to eight weeks, Lamb's hopes of joining Jefferson in the NFL's elite at receiver this season went with him.
The Cowboys will now turn to backup Cooper Rush and most will expect Dallas' playoff hopes to quickly dwindle. Given the downgrade at quarterback, Lamb seems likely to consistently cut a bereft figure in what many thought would be a breakout campaign for the Cowboys' WR1.
These two marquee matchups helped produce a story of two disparate teams. One in Minnesota, underrated and blessed with a coach schooled in the league's pre-eminent offense who can put Jefferson in position to further his status as one of the most dangerous weapons in the game. The other, the Cowboys, overhyped and short of the talent or the diversity of thought to get the ball to their extremely gifted wideout.
Week 1 provided plenty of hope 2022 can be the year the Vikings earn the on-field success to match Jefferson's consistent brilliance, but it appears destined to be a season of frustration for Lamb and a thoroughly uninspiring Cowboys team.
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