Jared Goff won a matchup against Tom Brady while helping the Los Angeles Rams retain a share of first place in the NFC West. Goff completed 39 of his 51 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams' 27-24 victory at Tampa. Robert Woods, Van Jefferson and Cam Akers grabbed short scoring passes from Goff as Los Angeles improved to 7-3. Cooper Kupp had 11 receptions for 145 yards and Woods finished with 10 catches for 130 yards. But the Rams didn't go ahead to stay until Matt Gay kicked a 40-yard field goal with 2:36 left. Jordan Fuller picked off two passes from Brady, who was under pressure much of the game. Brady finished 26 of 48 for just 216 yards and two touchdowns as the Bucs fell to 7-3.
An all-Black officiating crew worked an NFL game for the first time in league history. Referee Jerome Boger led the crew, which also included umpire Barry Anderson, down judge Julian Mapp, line judge Carl Johnson, field judge Dale Shaw, side judge Anthony Jeffries and back judge Greg Steed.
In other NFL news:
The Baltimore Ravens reopened their training facility Monday afternoon after closing earlier in the day due to another coronavirus outbreak within the team. Several members of the organization have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Thursday's showdown with Pittsburgh. Coach John Harbaugh said running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins were among those testing positive and won't be available versus the Steelers. The Ravens said they were informed late Sunday night that "multiple" people tested positive. The team has started the process of contact tracing.
The league has expanded its mandate for mask usage on the sideline and is threatening discipline for those who violate the league's updated COVID-19 protocols. The league told teams in a memo on Monday that players who are not substituting or preparing to enter the field of play and are not wearing their helmets will be required to wear a mask or a double-layered gaiter on the sideline, starting this week. Play-callers now must wear a mask even if they have a face shield.
The Vikings have placed star wide receiver Adam Thielen on the COVID-19 reserve list. Thielen leads the NFL with 11 touchdown receptions, the most in team history through the first 10 games. The move was made the day after he caught eight passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Dallas.
Browns defensive star Myles Garrett will miss his second consecutive game as he recovers from COVID-19. Coach Kevin Stefanski did not provide any details on Garrett's condition other than saying he will not be back in time to face the Jaguars. Garrett has 9 1/2 sacks and has been among the NFL's best defensive players all season.
The 49ers have added defensive linemen D.J. Jones and Jordan Willis to their COVID-19 list. The Niners have placed eight players to that list since defensive lineman Arik Armstead was placed on it last week following a positive test. The team had a bye last week and plays the Rams near Los Angeles on Sunday.
Dolphins offensive lineman Jesse Davis has been placed on the reserve-COVID-19 list. Davis has started every game this season at three different positions.
ARENA FOOTBALL
The National Arena League announced its schedule for the 2021 season Monday. The league, which consists of seven teams across the U.S., will officially kick off the 17-week season on April 3. The newly-revived Albany Empire will host the Orlando Predators at the Times Union Center on that date. The NAL says each team will play a total of seven home games and seven away games during the regular season, with the NAL Championship scheduled for the weekend of August 14.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The Southeastern Conference has shuffled its schedule, including pushing back the Arkansas-Missouri and Tennessee-Vanderbilt games which had been set for Saturday. The league says it has postponed the Arkansas-Missouri game because of combination of positive tests, contact tracing and the resulting quarantining within the Arkansas program. Vanderbilt and Missouri will now meet Saturday to make up a game that was postponed on Oct. 17. No date has been set for Arkansas-Missouri or Tennessee-Vanderbilt, but Dec. 19 is a possibility for teams not playing in the league championship game.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Syracuse's season opener against Bryant University is on for Friday afternoon. School officials say all members of the men's team have undergone multiple tests since coach Jim Boeheim and another member of the program tested positive.
The third-ranked UConn women's team has postponed its first four games after a member of the program tested positive for COVID-19. The Huskies were going to play Quinnipiac and either No. 6 Mississippi State or Maine this weekend at Mohegan Sun.
In other college basketball news:
Tennessee has paused activities in the men's basketball program with head coach Rick Barnes among staff, players and other personnel that have tested positive for COVID-19. A release from the school said the positives were detected Sunday during routine surveillance testing conducted three times a week. The No. 12 Volunteers were scheduled to open against Charlotte on Wednesday before facing VCU on Friday in the Volunteer Classic in Knoxville. The school will update the status of those games on Tuesday.
Utah men's coach Larry Krystkowiak and eight Utes players have tested positive for COVID-19. Krystkowiak said five players who tested positive were living in the same house and three were living in another. Utah's women's basketball team also announced it was pausing basketball activities due to a positive coronavirus case.
Arizona's season opener against Northern Arizona on Wednesday has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test in the Lumberjacks' program. The programs will work to possibly reschedule the men's game at a later date.
The season opener for No. 20 Oregon' season opener Wednesday against Eastern Washington has been postponed because of two positive COVID-19 cases within the Eagles' program. The Eagles called for the postponement due to concerns of having enough scholarship players available due to the positive tests and contact tracing protocols.
Butler will open its season Wednesday night with up to 1,500 fans at Hinkle Fieldhouse. School officials say they voluntarily decided to limit capacity to fewer than the 2,275 fans. The Marion County Department of Health set that capacity because it will be the first game played under the school's new COVID-19 protocols.
NBA
The Milwaukee Bucks say they won't allow fans at home games for the 2020-21 season until further notice in accordance with state and local health guidelines regarding COVID-19. Bucks officials say they will work with state and local health officials as well as the NBA to evaluate a potential time that fans can return to games in some capacity later in the season. The NBA season is set to start Dec. 22, but the Bucks' schedule hasn't been released.
In other NBA news:
The Cavaliers have announced they have acquired center JaVale McGee and a 2026 second-round draft pick from the Lakers for forwards Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell, pending league approval. Also, Cleveland is nearing a deal with free agent guard Matthew Dellavedova, one of the Cavs' most popular players.
The Pistons have traded center Tony Bradley to the 76ers for guard Zhaire Smith. Bradley appeared in a career-high 58 games for the Jazz last season, averaging 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Smith played in 13 games over the past two seasons for the 76ers, averaging 3.7 points.
Pope Francis met with NBA players at the Vatican and lauded them as "champions," saying he supported their work on social justice. Marco Belinelli, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver were joined in the audience Monday by NBA players' union executive director Michele Roberts. The union says the players spoke about their "individual and collective efforts addressing social and economic injustice and inequality occurring in their communities."
MLB
The Chicago White Sox will host the New York Yankees in the rescheduled Field of Dreams game at Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 12. MLB says the plan is tentative, contingent on the status of public health next summer. The teams had been scheduled to play at the ballpark next to the "Field of Dreams" movie site last Aug. 13. When the schedule was revamped because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Yankees were replaced as the opponent by the St. Louis Cardinals, but the game was called off on Aug. 4. The rescheduled game will be MLB's first in Iowa.
In other MLB news:
The New York Mets have abandoned their search for a president of baseball operations, giving team president Sandy Alderson a greater role in baseball operations. The club will instead focus on hiring a general manager who will report to Alderson, who returned to the team Nov. 6 when Steven Cohen completed his $2.42 billion purchase. Alderson said he had been thwarted in attempts to gain permission to speak with officials on other teams. He told Luis Rojas he will return for a second season as manager.
Cleveland Indians skipper Terry Francona says he's stronger physically and looking forward to managing again in 2021, his ninth season with the club and 21st in the majors. Francona missed most of this past season with significant health problems. He says he's been active, lost some weight and feels like he's putting himself in a better position to succeed physically over the course of a long season. Francona's 2021 coaching staff won't include his longtime friend and bench coach Brad Mills, who has been replaced by DeMarlo Hale. Mills opted out of the 2020 season for personal reasons but is expected to stay with the Indians in a yet-to-be determined capacity.
NHL
The Boston Bruins have signed forward Jake DeBrusk to a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $3.675 million. The 2015 first-round draft choice had 19 goals and 35 points last season. He is fourth on the team with 62 goals and sixth with 120 points since joining the Bruins in 2017.
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