Well, somebody had to avoid a loss. The Denver Broncos have their first victory following a 37-28 decision over the winless New York Jets at the Meadowlands. Brandon McManus put Denver ahead to stay by drilling a 53-yard field goal with 3:08 remaining following a facemask call that prolonged the drive.
Melvin Gordon put the game out of reach with a 43-yard TD burst on Denver's next offensive series. Gordon ran for 107 yards and two scores. Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien had some good moments his first NFL start, completing 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He hit rookie Jerry Jeudy for a 48-yard TD and tossed a seven-yarder to Tim Patrick. His two major hiccups were a pair of fourth-quarter picks that led two nine points for the Jets, including an interception return. Jets QB Sam Darnold ran had a team-high 84 yards on six carries, including a 46-yard TD run to open the scoring. It was the longest touchdown run of the season by an NFL quarterback, but it couldn't stop New York from dropping to 0-4.
In NFL news, the Tennessee Titans find themselves back in a waiting mode, hoping the NFL allows them back inside their headquarters by Tuesday. Their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that was scheduled for Sunday in Nashville is now postponed until later in the season after one additional Titans player and one personnel member tested positive for COVID-19. The Titans have now had confirmed cases in five players and seven members of the organization over the past five days in the NFL's first outbreak. The announcement Thursday morning came a day after the league said it hoped to play the game either Monday or Tuesday. The NFL said a new game date will be announced "shortly." Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings have reopened their headquarters for team activities. Their resumption of practice followed another morning of zero positive COVID-19 test results four days after playing the Titans. Minnesota plays at Houston on Sunday.
MLB
The Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics have ended long postseason droughts, thanks in part to the watered-down, best-of-3 Wild Card Series. The Braves picked up their first postseason series victory since 2001, and the A's picked up a series win for the first time in 14 years. Rookie Ian Anderson was sharp in his postseason debut before the Braves completed their second straight shutout of the Reds, 5-0. Anderson struck out nine while holding Cincinnati to two hits over six innings. Ronald Acuña Jr. had three hits for the NL East champions, including a run-scoring double in the fifth. The Braves eventually broke it open in the eighth with two-run homers by Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall. Reds starting pitchers allowed just one run over 13 innings in the two-game sweep by the Braves, but Cincinnati failed to score in 22 innings.
The A's were staring at a 3-0 deficit and another opening-round elimination before scoring four times in the fourth inning of a 6-4 victory against the Chicago White Sox in Game 3. Mark Canha and Matt Olson walked with the bases loaded to put the Athletics ahead after Sean Murphy smacked a two-run homer earlier in the fourth. Chad Pinder snapped a 4-4 deadlock with a two-run single in the fifth. Oakland will take on AL West rival Houston in the Division Series.
The Dodgers also finished up their Wild Card Series. Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 while allowing three hits over eight innings of the Dodgers' 3-0 shutout of the Brewers. Kershaw's strikeouts were a playoff career high and the most by a Dodgers pitcher in the postseason since his mentor Sandy Koufax had 15 in Game 1 of the 1963 World Series against the Yankees. Each run came in the fifth inning. Austin Barnes broke up the scoreless tie with an RBI single and scored on a two-run double by Mookie Betts, chasing losing pitcher Brandon Woodruff.
The Padres have forced a Game 3 in their NL series by slamming five home runs in an 11-9 comeback over St. Louis. The Cardinals led 6-2 until Fernando Tatis crushed the first of his two home runs, a three-run blast in the sixth inning. Manny Machado went deep one batter later and Wil Myers homered in both the seventh and eighth innings to give the Padres breathing room. Tatis collected five RBIs, Myers drove in four and Tommy Pham provided four of San Diego's 15 hits.
Game 2 of the Cubs-Marlins game in Chicago was postponed to Friday due to the threat of rain. Miami took the opener, 5-1 on Wednesday.
NBA
The Philadelphia 76ers have reached an agreement with Doc Rivers to become their head coach. A person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Rivers completed the deal Thursday to become the latest coach to try and lead the franchise to its first NBA championship since 1983. Rivers takes over for Brett Brown, who was fired after the Sixers were swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Rivers was fired about two weeks after the Los Angeles Clippers wasted a 3-1 series lead and lost to Denver in the Western Conference semifinals.
TENNIS
It was a good day for Sofia Kenin, and good-bye for fellow American Sloane Stephens at the French Open. The fourth-seeded Kenin reached the third round by beating Ana Bogdan 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The Australian Open champ failed to convert three match points with Bogdan serving at 5-1 in the final set. She then saved three break points in the next game and held on to win. Stephens lost in the second round, her earliest exit at Roland Garros since a first-round defeat on her debut in 2011. The 29th-seeded Stephens lost, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Spaniard Paula Badosa. Former champion Jelena Ostapenko pulled off a second-round stunner by ousting No. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova, 6-4, 6-2. Other winners on the women's side Thursday included seventh seed Petra Kvitova, eighth seed Aryna Sabalenka, No. 11 Garbine Muguruza and No. 13 Petra Martic.
In the men's bracket, No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic dispatched Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Djokovic has dropped just 10 games on his way to the third round. Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, seventh seed Matteo Berrettini ,No. 10 Roberto Bautista Agut and No. 13 Andrey Rublev also won their second-round matches. Ninth seed Denis Shapovalov lost to Roberto Carbelles Baena in five sets.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Appalachian State has postponed next week's football game against Louisiana-Lafayette due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. The school announced the move six days before the teams were set to meet in Sun Belt Conference play in Boone, North Carolina. The game will be rescheduled for either Dec. 4 or 5.
In other college football news, Stanford cornerback Paulson Adebo is opting out of the 2020 season to prepare for next year's NFL draft. Adebo was projected as one of the top cornerbacks in the country after leading the nation with 38 passes defensed to go along with eight interceptions his past two seasons for the Cardinal.
GOLF
Jimmy Walker is part of a four-way tie for the first round lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississipppi. Walker played bogey-free on the fast greens at the Country Club of Jackson for an 8-under 64. It was the best start in more than two years for the former PGA champion. Charley Hoffman made nine birdies to grab a piece of the lead with Walker, Kevin Chappell and defending champion Sebastián Muñoz. Michael Gligic and MJ Daffue are one off the pace.
Also, Lauren Stephenson eagled the par-4 14th in an 8-under 63 that gives her a share of the Shoprite LPGA Classic lead with Mi Hyang Lee. Stephenson birdied four of the first five holes and finished the morning round on Seaview's Bay Course with eight birdies and two bogeys. Lee birdied the final two holes in a bogey-free afternoon round, putting her one stroke ahead of Ryann O'Toole and Nasa Hataoka.
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