Hurts, so good! Eagles QB dominant in 24-7 win over Vikings
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw for 333 yards and a touchdown and he ran for 57 yards and two more scores to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Hurts had 301 total yards in the first half in the breakout game of his young career. The Eagles led 24-7 at halftime. Cornerback Darius Slay had two interceptions in the second half. The Eagles improved to 2-0. The Vikings are 1-1. Kirk Cousins and top target Justin Jefferson struggled for Minnesota.
Diggs scores 3 TDs for Bills in 41-7 rout of Titans
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw four touchdown passes, including three to Stefon Diggs, and the Buffalo Bills rolled past Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans 41-7 in their home opener. The Bills followed a season-opening 31-10 rout of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams by throttling an opponent that has been their nemesis in each of the past two seasons. Fullback Reggie Gilliam and linebacker Matt Milano, with a 43-yard interception return, also scored touchdowns for Buffalo. Buffalo's defense limited Tennessee to 182 yards of offense and 12 first downs, while registering two sacks and forcing four turnovers. The Titans fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2012.
Scherzer perfect for 6 in return, wins 200th as Mets clinch
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Max Scherzer was pulled from his 200th win with a perfect game intact, and the New York Mets clinched their first playoff berth in six years by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2. Reinstated from the injured list before the game, Scherzer struck out nine in six innings. The 38-year-old ace threw only 68 pitches, but that was as far as the NL East leaders let him go in his first start in 16 days. Christian Yelich doubled leading off the seventh against Tylor Megill. Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer off Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, and the Mets won their fifth straight to wrap up at least one of the three National League wild cards. They lead the NL East by one game over Atlanta.
Astros clinch AL West for 5th time in 6 years, beat Rays 4-0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Houston Astros clinched their fifth AL West title in six years, getting a leadoff home run from Jose Altuve in a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Headed to the postseason for the sixth straight season, Houston won for the eighth time in nine games and improved the AL’s best record to 97-51. Luis Garcia won his fifth straight decision, giving up two hits and four walks in five innings while striking out four. Hunter Brown and Héctor Neris finished a five-hitter, the Astros 16th shutout this season.
Bills' Dane Jackson taken to hospital with neck injury
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills cornerback Dane Jackson suffered a neck injury in a collision with a teammate and was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The team said Jackson had full movement in his limbs and was getting a CT scan and an X-ray at Erie County Medical Center. Jackson was hurt late in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans. He tackled receiver Treylon Burks from behind following a 12-yard catch. As Jackson lay on Burks’ back, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds dove in late and struck his teammate directly in the helmet. Jackson’s neck snapped back following the collision.
Fine line between longevity, Brady and a Sayers-like career
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — There’s a fine line between a Tom Brady and a Gale Sayers. Whether a player is a seven-time Super Bowl champion who plays well into his 40s like Brady or an all-time great running back knocked out of football during his prime like Sayers there’s an element of luck to longevity in the NFL. Its inescapable, regardless of era. For all the evolving technology, increased awareness of the value of year-round fitness regimens and rule changes designed to make the game safer, players concede good fortune is a common dominator to staying on the field.
Bucs' Evans suspended for dust-up with Saints' Lattimore
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans has been suspended without pay for one game for his role in a scuffle that resulted in him and New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore being ejected from the Buccaneers-Saints game. The NFL said Evans violated unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct rules by knocking Lattimore to the ground when the Buccaneers star intervened in a confrontation that initially involved Lattimore and Bucs teammates Tom Brady and Leonard Fournette. Evans, who can appeal the decision, was suspended for next Sunday’s home game against the Green Bay Packers.
Analysis: safe leads don't exist but game-losing TD is real
No lead seems safe in the NFL after the Browns, Ravens and Raiders all blew big advantages to come up on the losing end in a wild and wacky Week 2. The biggest collapse came in Cleveland where the Browns became the first team to lose out of the last 2,230 teams over the last two decades to blow a lead of 13 points in the final two minutes. The Raiders took a 20-0 halftime lead over the Cardinals but lost 29-23 in overtime and the Ravens couldn't hold a 21-point fourth-quarter lead over the Dolphins in a 42-38 loss.
WNBA players skipping Russia, choosing other places to play
SYDNEY (AP) — Top WNBA players are finding other places to compete this winter, not wanting to go back to Russia after the arrest and conviction of Brittney Griner on drug possession charges and the country's invasion of Ukraine. Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones are going to Turkey. Courtney Vandersloot is headed to Hungary. All three were part of the same Russian super team as Griner. That club won five EuroLeague titles in the past eight seasons and has been dominant for nearly two decades with former greats DeLisha Milton Jones and Diana Taurasi playing there. Nearly a dozen WNBA players competed in Russia last winter and none of them are heading back this year.
Mets have top payroll, Dodgers drop with Bauer suspension
NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets are on track to have baseball’s highest payroll for the first time since 1989. They are among a record-tying six teams set to pay a penalty. The Dodgers started the season as the top spender and fell into second due to Trevor Bauer’s suspension. According to updated figures through Aug. 31 complied by Major League Baseball, New York entered the last full month of the season with a $273.9 million payroll. The Dodgers are second at $267.2 million.