NFL:
Jay Ajayi ran for two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles began their Super Bowl title defense by rallying for an 18-12 win against the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles trailed 12-10 until Ajayi rushed 11 yards for a touchdown and cracked the end zone for the two-point conversion. The Falcons reached the Philadelphia 10 with 1:55 remaining but couldn't score.
Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa did not practice Thursday, leaving his status for the opener against Kansas City in doubt. Bosa was not in pads during the early portion of practice that is open to reporters after being listed as limited on Wednesday's practice report. The third-year player did not play in the preseason after he injured his left foot on Aug. 7.
The Texans had their 2017 season derailed by an avalanche of injuries that saw 21 players go on injured reserve. That included star DE J.J. Watt, linebacker Whitney Mercilus and quarterback Deshaun Watson. Now healed and with a revamped defense, Houston returns to New England hoping to put its misfortunes in the past as both teams open the 2018 season.
A U.S. appeals court has revived a lawsuit against the NFL by former players who claim the league illegally plied them with powerful prescription painkillers to keep them on the field. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the lawsuit is not pre-empted or superseded by labor agreements between players and teams. The NFL had argued that the players failed to exhaust the grievance procedures in those agreements.
Sam Darnold's first snap for the New York Jets on Monday night will be one for the record books. The rookie will become the youngest quarterback to start a season opener in the Super Bowl era _ since the 1966 season _ at 21 years and 97 days old at kickoff against the Lions in Detroit. Darnold will have some history against him. The five previous youngest QBs all lost in their debuts.
On Sunday, at 1 p.m. the New York Jets take on Detroit, Buffalo takes on Baltimore, the New England Patriots face the Texans, and the New York Giants face Jacksonville.
MLB:
The Chicago Cubs rallied to move another half-game ahead of the Brewers and Cardinals in the NL Central. David Bote doubled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning of the Cubs' 6-4 comeback over the Nationals in Washington. The go-ahead hit came less than four weeks after he launched a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Nats, 4-3.
Chicago trailed 4-3 in the eighth until Kris Bryant scored on a fielder's choice. Albert Almora Jr. and Bote hit back-to-back doubles to break a 4-4 tie. Bote came around to score on a two-out single by Taylor Davis. The outcome puts the Cubbies 4 ½ games ahead of Milwaukee and five in front of St. Louis.
Checking out the rest of Thursday's major league slate:
— The Braves coughed up a 6-4 lead in the ninth before Dansby Swanson scored on a wild pitch by Yoshihisa Hirano to give Atlanta a 7-6 victory against the Diamondbacks. Kurt Suzuki was 4-for-5 with two RBIs for the Braves, who also got home runs from Kurt Suzuki and Johan Camargo to stretch their lead in the NL East to five games over Philadelphia. Paul Goldschmidt tied the game with a two-out, solo homer in the ninth before Arizona slipped two games behind the NL West-leading Rockies.
— Francisco Lindor was 4-for-5 with a pair of solo homers and four RBIs as the Indians whipped the Blue Jays, 9-4 in Toronto. He homered in his first two at-bats and added a two-run single in the Indians' third straight win. Jason Kipnis added a three-run blast for the Indians, whose magic number to win the AL Central is down to seven.
— Francisco Mejia homered twice in his first major league start to lead the Padres' 6-2 win at Cincinnati. The team's highly-touted catching prospect hit a solo homer and a three-run shot on his first two swings against Luis Castillo. Hunter Renfroe also went deep for San Diego.
The Yankees start a 3-game series in Seattle tonight. The Mets start a 3-game series tonight against Philadelphia. And the Red Sox start a 3-game series against Houston tonight in Boston.
Tennis:
Serena Williams will take on Naomi Osaka in Saturday's U.S. Open women's final. Williams was broken in the first game and trailed 2-0 in the opening set before rolling to a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Anastasija Sevastova (an-ah-STAY'-zhah she-vah-STOH'-vah). Osaka saved all 13 break points she faced in defeating 2017 runner-up Madison Keys, 6-2, 6-4.
The 13th-seeded pair of CoCo Vandeweghe and Ashleigh Barty upset the top-seeded duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 7-6 (6) to reach the U.S. Open women's doubles final. Krejcikova and Siniakova won the Wimbledon doubles title in July.
Mike Bryan continues to excel at the U.S. Open, even without his twin brother and longtime doubles partner Bob. Bryan and Jack Sock, who stepped in earlier this year when Bob went down with a hip injury, earned a 6-2, 6-7 (1), 6-4 semifinal win over the Colombian team of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah. They will face seventh-seeded Luke Kubot of Poland and Marcello Melo of Brazil, who won the day's first semifinal 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 over Radu Albot and Malek Jaziri.
Golf:
Tiger Woods shares the lead at the BMW Championship following his lowest round in more than five years. He fired an 8-under 62 that leaves him even with Rory McIlroy through one round, one stroke ahead of Xander Schauffele (SHOW'-flee). Woods didn't hit anything longer than a 9-iron into the par 4s and didn't miss a green until the 14th hole of his best opening round in 20 years.
NBA:
The basketball Hall of Fame class of 2018 includes the most prolific 3-point shooter of all time and three of the sport's greatest point guards. Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill head a class that also includes Maurice Cheeks and Tina Thompson, the first-ever draft pick for the WNBA.
Steve Nash spent most his basketball career as an underdog. After spending nearly two decades in the NBA, becoming a two-time MVP, eight-time All-Star and one of its most creative passers along the way, it's undeniable that Nash helped to remake both his position and the way it's played by an entire generation today.
NHL:
The NHL is going back to old favorites this season for the Winter Classic between the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins at Notre Dame Stadium and the Stadium Series game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins at Lincoln Financial Field. It'll be the sixth outdoor game for the Blackhawks, fifth for the Penguins, fourth for the Flyers and third for the Bruins. While eight teams haven't gotten that chance, those days could be approaching.
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