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Monday, November 23, 2020 SECTION B Paul Farmer . Sports Editor . 427.6926

Steelers 10-0 after shutting down Jaguars, 27-3

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Used to be, the only thing that smelled worse than a Steelers performance in this northern Florida town were the paper mills.

Well, the paper mills have been gone for a while. But the Steelers lackluster performances are not.

The good news for the Steelers is the Jacksonville Jaguars were worse. Much worse.

The Steelers scratched out three touchdowns and a pair of Chris Boswell field goals against the AFC’s worst scoring defense but still managed a 27-3 victory against the Jaguars that ran their unbeaten record to a franchise-best 10-0.

The defense held the Jaguars to a field goal on the opening possession of the game, and that was it. They held the Jaguars to 206 yards offense and pressured and befuddled Jaguars rookie quarterback Jake Luton into four interceptions – two each by safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds.

The Steelers running game at least showed some signs of life after Mike Tomlin promised a better effort. James Conner rushed for 89 yards on 13 carries, thanks to runs of 25 and 17 yards.

The Jaguars had the worst scoring defense in the AFC, allowing an average of 30.1 points per game, but the Steelers offense struggled for most of the game with the exception of two touchdown drives near the end of the first half.

Their only touchdown in the second half came on a 20-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger to tight end Eric Ebron with 6:40 remaining — a score that was set up by the second of Edmunds’ interceptions.

Roethlisberger completed 32 of 46 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns – the fourth time in the past five games he has attempted more than 42 passes. He was intercepted once – on the final play of the first half – his first interception in four games.

Receiver Diontae Johnson got most of the attention, catching 12 passes for 111 yards and being targeted 16 times. But rookie Chase Claypool had his eighth receiving touchdown of the season when he caught a 31-yard touchdown from Roethlisberger that gave the second quarter.

After an indifferent start that included Boswell’s first missed field goal of the season, the Steelers put together back-to-back scoring drives at the end of the first half to take a 17-3 halftime lead.

They looked as though they might add another late score after an interception by Edmunds gave them the ball at their own 29 with 29 seconds remaining. The Steelers got as far

See Steelers, Page B8

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to throw as inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski of

Chris Unger/Getty Images/TNS the Las Vegas Raiders defends during the second half at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday.

Chiefs’ win in Las Vegas against the rival Raiders

Herbie Teope

THE KANSAS CITY STAR

Forget any potential victory bus ride around Allegiant Stadium.

The Chiefs earned a well-deserved rest on the plane ride home.

The Chiefs and Raiders traded punches Sunday night while seeking the knockout blow in an AFC West heavyweight fight.

In the end, it was the Chiefs who survived with a thrilling 35-31 win in one of the more entertaining games around the NFL for Week 11.

The two teams traded early touchdowns and the Chiefs found themselves down 17-14 at the half before taking a 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas battled back and retook the lead when tight end Jason Witten hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, however, stepped on the field with less than two minutes remaining in the game and led the team on a game-winning drive. Mahomes finished the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce.

The win ensured the Chiefs, now 9-1 on the season, kept pace with the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0) in the chase for the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC. The Chiefs also opened a three-game lead over the Raiders (6-4) in the division.

Here’s what we learned from Sunday night’s game.

DEJA VU?

The late-game drama produced good feelings for Kansas City, but if there’s a big takeaway from Sunday night, it’s the Raiders figured out the Chiefs’ defense this season.

In two games, the Raiders have produced 854 total yards and 71 points.

The Chiefs allowed seven explosive plays, which are defined as 20 yards or more, in the Week 5 loss to the Raiders, and apparently didn’t fully apply lessons learned early in the game.

Las Vegas produced a 26-yard catch by tight endDarren Wallerand a 29-yard catch by wide receiver Nelson Agholor on their opening possession to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Josh Jacobs.

Throughout the first half, the Raiders offense had their moments in the spotlight and scored on their first three possessions en route to a 17-14 halftime lead. The Chiefs’ inability to apply pressure on Carr had a lot to do with it, too, as he completed 13 of 16 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown with a 135.2 passer rating in the first half. Carr wasn’t sacked in the game and the Chiefs recorded just one quarterback hit.

Any hope of halftime adjustments from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo didn’t materialize in the third quarter. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow came up with a 21-yard catch to set up a wide open tight endDarren Waller’s3-yard touchdown catch. Waller proved a thorn in the Chiefs’ side throughout the game and he finished with seven catches for 88 yards and the score.

Agholor also came up with another play for 20 yards in the fourth quarter on a third-and-5 play.

See Raiders, Page B8

Rams try again to beat Tom Brady, facing Bucs on Monday night

the Steelers a 10-3 lead in

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Michael Brockers was asked last week what it has been like to face Tom Brady.

Brockers groaned, then emitted a word that starts with S, as in Super Bowl, and has three more letters, which happens to be one for each game in which the Rams defensive end has stared across the line of scrimmage at the great quarterback.

“He’s got the upper hand on us,” Brockers said. “I’ve faced him, I think, three times, and he’s 3-0 vs. the teams I was on. That’s the first thing that comes to mind.”

Brady is unbeaten against the St. Louis and L.A. Rams in Brockers’ nine years. Brady 5-1 against the Rams overall, winning five in a row since a 2001 regular-season loss. The game that gets the goat of many current Rams is the Super Bowl after the 2018 season, in which the GOAT didn’t play that well and he and the New England Patriots still won.

Brady, 43, is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer now, but the challenge for the Rams (6-3) doesn’t look any easier as they face the Bucs (7-3) at Raymond James Stadium on Monday night.

Coming off a convincing win over NFC West-leading Seattle and quarterback Russell Wilson, Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley calls Tampa Bay’s offense “the best collection of skill group players that we’ve faced.”

Tampa Bay receivers Antonio Brown, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and tight end Rob Gronkowski have all played in the Pro Bowl. Former USC running back Ronald Jones is a top-10 rusher. And Brady is Brady.

“He’s the greatest. Probably will go down as the greatest of all time,” said Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who must try to shut down at least one of Brady’s targets. “I think I can leave it at that.”

In his five-game win streak against the Rams, Brady has thrown eight touchdown passes and one interception (by Cory Littleton in the Super Bowl). His one sack in the past three meetings also came in the Super Bowl (by John Franklin-Myers).

“He’s not going to let you really get a clean hit on him,” said defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who said the Rams must still try to “make him uncomfortable” and get their hands up when Brady is throwing.

Brockers said frustrating Brady must start with slowing down Jones and fellow running back Leonard Fournette and forcing the Bucs to pass.

Bogdanovic signs offer sheet with Atlanta Hawks

Kings have 48 hours to match

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

Bogdan Bogdanovic’s days with the Kings might be numbered after three seasons in Sacramento.

The Atlanta Hawks signed the 28-year-old restricted free agent to an offer sheet Sunday worth $72 million over four years, sources The Athletic. Marc Stein of the New York Times reported the deal includes a player option for the fourth year and a 15% trade kicker.

The Kings will have 48 hours to match if they wish to retain Bogdanovic’s services. If they match, they would be locked into the terms set forth by the Hawks, would not be able to trade Bogdanovic without his consent for one year and could not trade him to Atlanta under any circumstances for one year. If they do not match the offer, they will lose one of their best players

Bogdanovic, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, averaged a career-high

without compensation. 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 61 games for the Kings last season. He shot 44% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.

Bogdanovic turned down a four-year, $51.4 million extension prior to the 2019-20 season, choosing instead to test the market as a restricted free agent.

Under rules of the collective bargaining agreement, a restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer. The terms of that deal, which must be for a minimum of two seasons, are provided to the player’s original team, which has two days to match the offer.

If the team matches the offer, the player remains under contract with his original team under the principal terms of the offer sheet.

See Offer, Page B8

Warriors to sign Steph Curry’s close friend, Kent Bazemore, to one-year deal

Tribune ConTenT AgenCy

The Warriors have agreed to sign shooting guard Kent Bazemore to a one-year deal, a league source confirmed with The Chronicle.

Bazemore, 31, began his NBA career with Golden State in 2012. He provides the team muchneeded wing depth. General manager Bob Myers already had planned to make adding another wing or two a priority, but that became even more important when Klay Thompson suffered a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon during a pickup game Wednesday in Los Angeles.

A “3-and-D” wing, Bazemore is a career 35.1% 3-point shooter who can defend multiple positions, rebound at a high rate for his size and limit mistakes. After emerging as a key rotation player during a five-year stint (2014-19) for the Hawks, he split last season between the Trail Blazers and Kings, averaging 10.3 points and shooting 38.4% from 3-point range in 25 games with Sacramento.

According to the Athletic, Bazemore fielded several offers in free agency before picking Golden State. Though he figures to come off the bench for the Warriors this season as a backup to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andrew Wiggins, Bazemore can start when necessary and, more important, provide reliable minutes in the playoffs. Part of Golden State’s interest him was rooted in the fact that it already knows what it’ll get from him.

Undrafted out of Old Dominion in 2012, Bazemore spent 1½ seasons with the Warriors to open his career. Along the way, he became good friends with Stephen Curry.