SPORTS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2025
BAHAMAS BLANK
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
TEAM Bahamas opened the CONCEBE (Central America and Caribbean)
U-23 Pan American Qualifier with a 9-1 loss to Puerto Rico on Sunday night at the Justino Salinas Stadium in Panama.
The team, managed by Kenneth Adderley, former Minor Leaguer, and coached by Jeffrey ‘Sangy’ Francis, Tre Sweeting and Orville Saint, was making
its debut at the tournament in the age group.
The qualifier serves as a pathway to the 2026 WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup in Nicaragua. There are three spots available for the winners of this Pan Am qualification.
The Bahamas played well at the beginning, but Puerto Rico eventually put on the hits as the game progressed and they slowly stayed in control from the fifth inning.
With one out, Team Bahamas left center fielder
Pheron Chalrton stranded on second base in the first inning after the next two batters struck out, Puerto Rico, rebounding from their 1-2-3 outing in the top of the first, produced the first run of the game in the second to take the initial 1-0 lead while leaving two more runners on base.
In the third with one runner on first base due to a walk, starting pitcher Deshaugh Forbes made a hopping catch over catcher Caden Walker for the first
Mantas shine in Battle of the Bay
By BRENT STUBBS
Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE Mantas water polo team, preparing to travel to Coral Springs, Florida, for CARIFTA in November, competed in their final tournament at the Battle of the Bay over the weekend in Ocala, Florida.
And coach Lotty Borbely was quite impressed with what he saw.
“We entered this weekend’s battle with 14u coed and 16u boys teams,” he said. “All 14 years old players double played in the 16 year old team and a few 16 year old athletes played in the 18U NL water polo club.
“After the initial shakiness the U14 team performed flawlessly and played themselves in the gold final. In the last match improving both their tactical and technical skills lead the game all the way and pulled out a 12-11 hard victory.”
Additionally, Zara Phillips competed on a 12-U combined team with other Florida clubs.
Members of the 14-U team are Asher Bastian, goalie, Jaylen Rahming, Caylen Brown, Paityn Burrows, Cameren Carroll, Dalane Phillips, Jacob Johnson, Kaeden Hackett and Jahmahl Wilson.
The 16-U team was composed of Isaiah ColonMuñoz, goalie, Shanterro Knowles, Elijah Turnquest,
THE SPORTS CALENDAR Sept
SOFTBALL
BSF TOURNAMENT POSTPONED
THE Bahamas Softball Federation postponed its Best-of-the-Best Modified Pitch Softball Tournament over the weekend in Palmetto Point, Eleuthera due to the inclement weather.
The tournament, which was expected to honor the late Van ‘Lil Joe’ Johnson and Reggie ‘the Juicer’ Knowles, was rescheduled for the weekend of October 31st to November 2nd.
SOFTBALL NPSA GAMES POSTPONED
THE New Providence Softball
Association’s best-of-five playoff series were called off on Saturday at the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex due to the inclement weather. The Sunshine Auto Wildcats are facing the Platinum Pool Sharks in one half of the ladies’ playoff picture, while the Ballers Elite are playing against the Black Scorpions in the other half. In the exciting men’s series, the Renegades are playing the Chances Mighty Mitts and the SWD Gremlins are matched against the Titans in the two matchups. The NPSA will continue their series on Tuesday and Thursday nights, starting at 7 pm at the Bankers Field.
out of Puerto Rico.
But Forbes loaded the bases on another walk and Puerto Rico took advantage on a bloop single in center field, sending two more runs home for a 3-0 advantage. A sacrifice fly to right field scored another run for a 4-0 lead before Forbes got the final out on a fly ball.
Rohan Culmer got a one-out single for Team Bahamas in the fourth, but after a dispute over what appeared to be an illegal bat, he was called out.
In the bottom of the
fourth, Charlton drew a lead off walk, but was caught in a run down trying to steal for the first out.
With one out, Jaiden Cartwright singled, but Paris Johnson hit into a double play.
Chad Delancy, playing third, drew a walk, but got picked off at second on Caden Walker’s grounder.
However, he got out trying to steal second as Rohan Culmer struck out.
After giving up the fifth run on a two-out fly ball to center, Robert Grant came
in to replace Forbes in the sixth and was able to avoid any further damage, even though Puerto Rico got a pair of runners on base on walks.
But in the seventh, Grant gave up three runs as Puerto Rico managed to push their insurmountable lead to 9-0
In its last chance to score, Kashon Conliffe and Ben Dupuch came off the bench and got on base. Conliffe then stole third and Dupuch followed at second.
JAZZ HITTING THE HEIGHTS THIS SEASON FOR YANKEES
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
JASARADO Jazz Chisolm completed one of his most productive seasons since joining the Yankees, posting career highs in multiple categories. This season, Jazz had a batting average of .247 with 31 home runs, 31 stolen bases, 80 RBIs, and an OPS of .827. He also joined an
exclusive club by becoming the third player in Yankees history to record a 30-30 season (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases). Yankees Manager Aaron Boone commented. “Thirty-thirty invokes a lot of things, and it certainly lines up with his skill set… I think that he’s moving the needle and getting better as a player,” he said. Jazz’s season was not without adversity as he began the year on the injury
list with a strained right oblique, sidelining him from April 29 to June 3. Upon his return, the Yankees had moved him from third base for which he had rehabbed, to a permanent shift to second base.
Jazz also would hit his 100th career home run this season in the game where he was coping with the recent loss of a close friend.
JAZZ - SEE PAGE THREE
ZARA Phillips displays her bronze medal.
NEW York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr runs to the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in New York yesterday.
Photo: Pamela Smith/AP
MANTA - SEE PAGE THREE
BLANK - SEE PAGE FOUR
Bankers golf tournament in fine spirit
THE Bankers Athletic Association hosted its annual golf tournament on Saturday at the scenic Royal Blue Golf Course, with a shotgun start and was marked by spirited competition, camaraderie, and unexpectedly perfect weather.
Despite forecasts of rain and strong winds, players were treated to a cool breeze and excellent playing conditions, making for an exciting day on the course.
The tournament featured close scores throughout the field, but at the end of the day, the following teams and individuals emerged as winners:
Tournament Results
• 1st Place (Overall Winner): Global Sun Team
2 • 2nd Place: Fidelity Team 2
• 3rd Place: Global Sun Team 1
Special Awards
• Longest Drive (Men): Christopher Adderley & Larry Glinton
• Longest Drive (Ladies): Driskel Rolle & Nathalie
Tynes
• Closest to the Pin
(Men): Ras Delancy
• Closest to the Pin
(Ladies): Mona Augustin
The BAA extended its appreciation to all participants, volunteers, and sponsors who made the
tournament a success. The event not only showcased outstanding golfing talent but also highlighted the spirit of teamwork and community within the banking sector.
“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s tournament,” said Gina Gonzalez Rolle, Tournament Organizer. “The energy, sportsmanship, and support from our teams made this an unforgettable day. Even when the rain came down, everyone enjoyed themselves.”
The association looks forward to building on this momentum and hosting an even larger event in the years to come.
Media day debut for VJ - and happy to be there
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
VALDEZ VJ Edgecombe took part in his first media day as an NBA player this weekend at the 76ers’ annual media day.
Edgecombe spoke to the media about his expectations for the NBA season and also how he has been getting used to the NBA basketball versus college basketball.
“I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do… I’m just happy to be here,” he said.
“I just go in with a mentality to win, and whatever
I have to showcase I will do but at the end of the day we’re all on the same team and have the same goal to win,” he added. He also spoke about preparing his body for the NBA physicality and schedule.
“I’ve gained a little weight but I’ve been in the weight room with the strength and conditioning staff and it’s been great, I’ve been getting stronger getting faster, and jumping a little higher, I’m just trying to make sure my body is prepared for 82 games,” he said.
Edgecombe was also complimented by his superstar teammate Joel Embiid
on his presence on the team.
“I like him a lot. Obviously, I’ve talked to him a lot. Even as soon as we drafted him, I just knew I would like him. I like his background, it kind of reminds me of myself, coming from another country and having a lot of hardships growing up. He’s amazing, so far and it’s been good having him around,” he said.
Pivoting from college to the NBA is always a steep climb but VJ enters the league with several advantages: elite athleticism, a supportive locker room, and an entire nation waiting to see him succeed.
JAZZ: I LOST MY BEST FRIEND YESTERDAY
He reflected after the game: “It felt kind of surreal… I lost my best friend yesterday, so today felt like a different type of day, especially with the 100th home run and everything,” he said. At the end of the regular season, the Yankees finished tied with the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East with a record of
94-68. However, the Blue Jays won the tiebreaker relegating the Yankees to a wild card berth. They will face their long-time rivals the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three series.
MANTAS LINING UP FLORIDA TRIP FOR CARIFTA CONTEST
Jayden Smith along with the 14-U players. The 14-U team started the tournament with a narrow 12-13 loss to Seminole water polo. In the next game, they took a commanding win over NC X ORL United winning 16-2. Next they easily beat Patriot WPC 22-1 which placed them in the Gold Medal finals vs Jacksonville. After a close 1st quarter which showed the score tied at 3, the team then took control of the lead and went on to win the gold medal with a win over Jacksonville 13-12. Jahmahl Wilson led Team Bahamas in the final game with five goals, while Caylen Brown and Jacob Johnson both scored three and Paityn Burrows, Cameren Carroll and Dalane Phillips got one each. The 16-U male team got off to a rocky start against their old foe Hialeah water polo club. In a disappointing first game
medal match against NC X ORL United. The Mantas lost 12-10 to finish fourth in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Phillips, playing on the 12-U combo team, walked away with the bronze medal after her team beat the Next Level water polo club.
“I am very happy with their progress. We have one more month to sharpen the skills and do our best in CARIFTA,” Lotty said. “The 16U team had a much tougher job against well established Florida teams.
“But with determination they got into the bronze final where they lost 10-12. I was happy with their relentless attacks and never give up attitude. We have to improve the final shots that must hit the net with no hesitation.” Overall, Borbely said it was a great weekend to prepare and he looks forward to CARIFTA 2025 in November. Due to the number of CARIFTA teams, there will also be a Florida Invitational Tournament taking place at the same time. CARIFTA matches will go towards the CARIFTA team standings and the other matches will be designed for the invitational. Countries expected to compete are Bonaire, Curacao, the Cayman Islands and Trinidad & Tobago. They will also compete in the Invitational are the
Gladiators Water Polo-Miami; Miami Riptides, Miami White Caps, South Florida Water Polo, Next Level Water Polo Tampa, Hialeah Storm, Loyola Water Polo from Puerto Rico and Columbia Water Polo. Trinidad & Tobago are the host of this year’s CARIFTA.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers’ VJ Edgecombe being interviewed during the NBA basketball team’s media day on Friday.
Photo: Chris Szagola/AP
BLANK - from page one
On a single from Caiden Walker, Conliffe came home with Team Bahamas’ first run for a 9-1 deficit.
But Culmer struck out to end the game. Team Bahamas will be back in action. today against the US
Virgin Islands at noon. On Tuesday at the same time, the Bahamas will play Aruba. After a break on
Wednesday, the Bahamas will be back in action on Thursday when they face Cuba at noon as well.
Crimestoppers take 2-0 series lead in championship
By JONATHAN BURROWS
Sports Reporter
THE Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association (BGDBA) championship round tipped off this past weekend at the AF Adderly gymnasium.
In game one on Friday night, the number one-seeded Police CrimeStoppers overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the third-seeded Nassau Flight Services Ballers 83-81. Kirklyn Farrington powered the comeback with a team-high 26 points, 12
of which he scored in the fourth quarter. Despite strong scoring performances by both starting guards of the Ballers (54 points combined), the Ballers were unable to hold the lead late in the fourth quarter.
“We feel like we are the better team, they have
Abel who is a national team player, but we intend to ride him all game, and in the fourth quarter hope that he has no legs and that’s our strategy,” said the head coach of Police CrimeStoppers. That strategy would again prevail in game two as the Police
CrimeStoppers would take the 2-0 series lead in the 93-86 win this past Saturday. Adam Johnson anchored the CrimeStoppers with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Abel Joseph led the game in scoring with 32 points and 11 rebounds in the loss for the Ballers.
With the series now 2-0 in favor of the CrimeStoppers, the Ballers face a steep climb if they are to stay alive in the best-ofseven series. Game three is scheduled for Monday September 29, though its status remains uncertain due to pending weather conditions.
ISLAND YOUTH LEAGUE TO LAUNCH IN OCTOBER TEAM BAHAMAS TO BE BACK IN ACTION AGAINST USVI
THE Island Youth Basketball League (IYBL), powered by Ballin’ By Da Beach, is set to launch this October, reviving mini basketball in The Bahamas and opening new opportunities for children from K4 through Grade 8. With the vision Every Island. Every Player, the IYBL will bring together more than 600
young athletes, in its 2025–26 pilot season. The programme is designed to provide structured basketball alongside life-skill development, with an emphasis on teamwork, discipline, and personal growth. League co-founders Jurelle Mullings (League Director) and Neville “Manny” Adderley (Coaching Director) will lead the
programne. They will be joined by representatives from the Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF), the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA), the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association (NPWBA), the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture (MOYSC), and the New Providence Association of Certified Basketball
Officials (NPACBO), along with distinguished and qualified coaches from throughout The Bahamas.
The season will officially begin with a Press Conference on Thursday, October 2nd at 1:00 PM at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium, followed by the Fall Jamboree Tip-Off on Thursday, October 9, at 6pm.
“This league was created to ensure every child has a safe place to play, grow, and thrive,” said Mullings. “We’re committed to expanding access and opportunity across every island.” Registration is now open at www.ballinbydabeach.com/ybl. For more information, contact the IYBL Team at 557-1685 or ybl@ ballinbydabeach.com
Jalen Hurts throws 2 TDs and Eagles secure
20th victory in 21 games with win over Bucs
Associated Press
The Philadelphia eagles used a fake tush push, another special teams touchdown and a late defensive stop to stay undefeated.
Jalen hurts tossed two touchdown passes, Sydney Brown returned a blocked punt for a score and the eagles beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-25 on Sunday for their 20th victory in 21 games.
The only loss in that span for the reigning Super Bowl champions was against Washington last December in a game hurts left with a concussion in the first half.
Chase McLaughlin’s 65-yard field goal for Tampa Bay on the final play of the first half was the longest in NFL history in an outdoor stadium.
Playing with an injured biceps that limited in him in practice this week, Baker Mayfield had TD passes of 77 yards and 72 yards but threw an interception on first down from the eagles 11 with his team down 31-23 midway through the fourth quarter.
The Bucs had another chance with the ball at Philadelphia’s 40 and just under two minutes left. But Mayfield was sacked by Moro Ojomo and a fourth-and-9 pass went for only 2 yards.
eagles punter Braden Mann ran out of the bounds for a safety to end the game.
BILLS 31, SAINTS 19
Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, and Buffalo shook off a sloppy first three quarters to stay undefeated while beating winless New Orleans.
James Cook had 117 yards rushing and a touchdown in a game that wasn’t decided until midway through the fourth quarter. The Bills never trailed, but were clinging to a 21-19 lead when Allen hit a wideopen Dalton Kincaid for a 28-yard touchdown with 7:07 left.
Allen asserted himself on the previous play by putting his head down, breaking two tackles and dragging three defenders before finally going down for a 27-yard gain to convert a third-and-5.
Allen finished 16 of 22 for 209 yards while throwing his first interception of the season. Khalil Shakir scored on a 43-yard catch to cap Buffalo’s opening drive.
The five-time defending AFC east champion Bills are 4-0 for the 10th time in team history and first since 2020. Buffalo also won its 14th straight regular-season outing at home, one short of matching the franchise record spanning the 199091 seasons.
The Saints opened a season 0-4 for the ninth time in team history and first since 2012. They’ve lost eight straight dating to last year, their worst streak since losing 14 straight in 1980.
The Saints showed some resolve, but still couldn’t finish, a week after a mistake-filled 44-13 loss at Seattle.
STEELERS 24, VIKINGS 21
Kenneth Gainwell ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns and Pittsburgh held on to beat Minnesota in Ireland’s first regular-season NFL game.
DK Metcalf had five catches for 126 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown for the Steelers, who improved to 3-1 going into their bye week.
The Steelers victory gave quarterback Aaron Rodgers his first international win and capped a Rooney family homecoming in front of a decidedly pro-Steelers crowd of 74,512 at Croke Park. Rodgers was 18 for 22 for 200 yards and the touchdown to Metcalf.
Carson Wentz, making his second consecutive start for the injured J.J. McCarthy, was 30 for 46 for 350 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Vikings (2-2).
T.J. Watt’s interception of Wentz’s pass — tipped by
Cam heyward at the line of scrimmage — set up the Steelers on the Minnesota 35 in the third quarter, and Gainwell scored from 4 yards for a 21-6 lead. It was nearly identical to Gainwell’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
DeShon elliott had the other interception and the Steelers sacked Wentz six times.
TEXANS 26, TITANS 0
Rookie Woody Marks had a touchdown reception and ran for another score and houston beat Tennessee for its first win this season.
It’s the third time the Texans have shut out a team and the first time since blanking the Titans 29-0 on Nov. 28, 2010. The Titans were shut out for the first time since a 16-0 loss at Denver on Oct. 13, 2019.
C.J. Stroud threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter Sunday to put the game away and match their TD total in the previous three games combined.
The Texans (1-3) led 6-0 after two first-half field goals, but neither team got into the red zone until a 17-yard grab by Nico Collins put houston on the 12 on the last play of the third quarter. Stroud connected with Marks for a TD on the next play, but the 2-point try failed to leave the Texans up 12-0.
Derek Stingley picked off rookie first overall pick Cam Ward on the next drive and returned it 20 yards. The Texans cashed in on that mistake when Stroud threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jayden higgins to push the lead to 19-0 with about 9 ½ minutes to go.
An 18-yard touchdown run by Marks, a fourthround pick from USC, made it 26-0 with less than five minutes remaining.
Marks had 69 yards rushing and 50 yards receiving.
FALCONS 34, COMMANDERS 27
Michael Penix Jr. bounced back from his worst NFL start, Bijan Robinson had a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage as Atlanta beat short-handed Washington.
The Falcons (2-2) were coming off a 30-0 loss to the Panthers in which Penix and the offense were totally ineffective. Against the Commanders (2-2), Penix completed 20 of 26 passes for a career-high 313 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Robinson had 75 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a nifty 14-yard touchdown run where he broke multiple tackles. he also had four catches for 106 yards, the highlight being a 69-yard catch-andrun in the third quarter that set up Penix’s TD toss to Kyle Pitts.
Falcons wide receiver Drake London had his best game of the season with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown less than a week after the Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike hilliard.
Marcus Mariota, filling in for injured Commanders starter Jayden Daniels, was 16 for 27 for 156 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. With top receiver Terry McLaurin also sidelined, Deebo Samuel had six receptions for 72 yards and a TD for Washington. Luke McCaffrey also had a scoring catch and Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the Commanders in rushing with 59 yards on seven carries.
Tyler Allegeier gave the Falcons a 31-16 lead with a 15-yard run late in the third quarter. Mariota answered with a pretty 24-yard touchdown pass to Samuel on fourth down, plus a 2-point pass to Zach ertz to cut the lead to 31-24. The Falcons responded with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that featured two key thirddown conversions by Penix and ended with Parker Romo’s 26-yard field goal with 1:57 left. Matt Gay kicked a 42-yard field goal
with 1:33 remaining for the Commanders, but the Falcons recovered the ensuing onside kick.
PATRIOTS 42, PANTHERS 13
Marcus Jones had an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown, Drake Maye added two touchdown passes and ran for another, and New england rolled to a win over Carolina.
TreVeyon henderson and Antonio Gibson added touchdown runs and Jones had a 61-yard punt return that set up another TD to help the Patriots (2-2) avoid their fifth straight 1-3 start.
A week after turning the ball over five times in a loss to Pittsburgh, the Patriots were turnover-free while going 4 for 4 in the red zone.
Maye was steady throughout, completing 14 of 17 passes for 203 yards. Receiver Stefon Diggs had six catches for 101 yards.
Carolina struggled from the outset, missing an extra point after scoring on the game’s opening possession and then punting on four of its final five drives. The other possession ended with a missed field goal.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young finished 18 of 30 for 150 yards and a touchdown before being replaced by Andy Dalton with just over eight minutes remaining.
Maye put New england in front 14-6 in the opening seconds of the second quarter when he scored on a designed quarterback run.
Later, following a missed 55-yard field-goal attempt by Carolina’s Ryan Fitzgerald, Maye led the Patriots on an eight-play drive that was punctuated by a 5-yard TD run by henderson.
A 61-yard punt return by Jones to the Carolina 14 got the Patriots back in business. Four plays later, a 1-yard touchdown run by Gibson pushed the lead to 28-6 just before halftime.
LIONS 34, BROWNS 10
Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond returned a punt 65 yards for another score and Detroit beat Cleveland.
The Lions (3-1) intercepted Joe Flacco twice in the first half and scored 20 straight points for a 13-point lead at halftime. Detroit forced Flacco to fumble in the fourth, setting up another touchdown.
The Browns (1-3) opened with an 88-yard, 13-play touchdown drive, then had 44 yards with three punts and two turnovers the rest of the half. They finished with 249 yards of offense, gaining an average of 3.8 yards per play.
Goff was 16 of 27 for 168 yards with a 2-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown late in the first half and an 8-yard toss to him in the fourth quarter, giving the All-Pro receiver six TD receptions in the last three games.
Flacco started strong before struggling and
finishing 16 of 34 for 184 yards with three turnovers. Rookie Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick, replaced Flacco late in the lopsided game.
Quinshon Judkins had 21 carries for 82 yards and a 1-yard scoring run that gave the Browns a short-lived lead in the first quarter.
The Lions pulled into a tie on the ensuing possession after Jahmyr Gibbs scored on an 8-yard run.
Jake Bates kicked 48- and 58-yard field goals in the first half to give Detroit a 20-7 lead.
Cleveland pulled within 10 points on Andre Szmyt’s 33-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, and its stingy defence kept the score close until Raymond’s punt return early in the fourth and St. Brown’s second scoring catch helped the Lions pull away.
GIANTS 21,
CHARGERS 18
Jaxson Dart threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score in an impressive NFL starting debut, leading New York to its first victory over previously undefeated Los Angeles.
The excitement by the Giants (1-3) over the win was a bit tempered by the uncertain status of wide receiver Malik Nabers, who was carted off the field in the second quarter with a knee injury.
Dart launched a deep pass down the right sideline — a free play after the Chargers jumped offside — toward a streaking Nabers. The wide receiver’s right leg appeared to buckle as he went up to try to catch the pass, which fell incomplete. Nabers, down at the Chargers 7 with 6:12 left before halftime, immediately grabbed at his right leg. he was checked for several minutes before being helped onto the cart.
Dart, starting in place of Russell Wilson, ran for a 15-yard score to cap his first drive as a starting quarterback. he also threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Theo Johnson. Dart finished 13 of 20 for 111 yards and ran 10 times for 54 yards.
he also brushed off a hamstring injury after halftime and a big hit from the Chargers that sent him to the medical tent for two plays to be evaluated for a head injury.
The Giants’ defence also made big plays when it counted most, including Brian Burns’ sack of Justin herbert that forced the Chargers (3-1) to punt late in the game. Then, Dart and the offense took over and milked the clock before giving herbert and Los Angeles one final try — but with just 18 seconds left.
herbert threw incomplete to Quentin Johnston and then completed a 22-yard pass to Johnston, who was tackled by Cor’Dale Flott and couldn’t get out of bounds — ending the game
RAMS 27, COLTS 20
Tutu Atwell caught an 88-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford with 1:33 to play, and Los Angeles rallied to end Indianapolis’ unbeaten start to the season with a victory. Daniel Jones passed for 262 yards for the Colts (3-1), but Indy couldn’t overcome receiver Adonai Mitchell’s mind-boggling fumble right before he crossed the goal line with what was about to be a 76-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. The Colts also had a 53-yard rushing TD by Jonathan Taylor taken off the board by a holding call on Mitchell with 2:15 to play. Stafford passed for 375 yards and three touchdowns for the Rams (3-1), and he hit Puka Nacua for a 9-yard score with 3:20 left. Nacua finished with 13 catches for 170 yards.
After the Rams’ defence quickly got the ball back, Stafford made a brilliant throw on the next snap for the decisive score by Atwell, the speedy receiver who frequently goes underutilised in Sean McVay’s offense. Atwell’s TD catch was only his second reception of the season.
Kam Curl then made his second interception of the day with 53 seconds left, and the Rams ran out the clock on a thrilling win.
JAGUARS 26, 49ERS 21
Parker Washington had Jacksonville’s first punt return touchdown in eight seasons and the Jaguars opportunistic defence delivered four more takeaways in a victory over San Francisco.
Former Niners star Arik Armstead’s strip-sack of Brock Purdy with less than three minutes to play sealed the win for the Jaguars (3-1). The Jaguars have generated at least three takeaways in all four games this season, and have four more takeaways than they had in the entire 2024 season. They turned those into 17 points against the 49ers (3-1) highlighted by Travis etienne’s 48-yard run one play after Dennis Gardeck forced a fumble by Luke Farrell in the second quarter. Trevor Lawrence then threw a 4-yard TD pass to hunter Long following the first of Purdy’s two interceptions for the 49ers to give the Jaguars their second 3-1 start in the past 18 seasons. Jacksonville built the lead to 26-14 when Washington returned a punt 87 yards for the Jaguars first punt return TD since Jaydon Mickens had one in 2017 Purdy threw a 21-yard TD pass to Jake Tonges with 7:41 to play to cut the deficit to 26-21 and San Francisco had a chance for a comeback after Cam Little missed a 47-yard field goal.
But Armstead broke through on the second play of the ensuing drive and knocked the ball loose from Purdy. Foyesade Oluokun recovered to give the
Jaguars their fifth road win ever in 20 trips to the West Coast.
CHIEFS 37, RAVENS 20
Patrick Mahomes threw for 270 yards and four touchdowns while outduelling Lamar Jackson, who left in the second half with a right hamstring injury, and Kansas City routed beat-up Baltimore.
Xavier Worthy returned from a shoulder injury to catch five passes for 83 yards, igniting a Chiefs offense that had been struggling to find its footing without the speedster and his suspended teammate, Rashee Rice, early in the season.
The Chiefs (2-2) built a 20-10 halftime lead against Baltimore before cruising to their seventh win in the past eight meetings. The most recent time the Ravens (1-3) beat them was September 2021, and their previous win in Kansas City was on Oct. 7, 2021. Jackson threw for 147 yards with a touchdown and his first interception of the season before hurting his hamstring midway through the third quarter, though by that point the game was mostly decided. Cooper Rush played the rest of the way for the Ravens, who suddenly find themselves in a dire situation just four weeks into the season.
BEARS 25, RAIDERS 24
Josh Blackwell blocked a 54-year-old field-goal attempt by Daniel Carlson in the final minute to preserve a fourth-quarter rally led by Caleb Williams, and Chicago stunned Las Vegas. After D’Andre Swift’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left put the Bears (2-2) in front, Geno Smith led the Raiders (1-3) into position for Carlson’s kick with 38 seconds left. Blackwell came in nearly untouched from the left side, dived and deflected the ball. he raced down the field in celebration as teammates chased him.
The Bears became the second team to win 800 regular-season games, joining the Green Bay Packers, who had 812 going into Sunday night’s game at Dallas. The Raiders have lost three straight. Chicago had four takeaways for the second game in a row, allowing the Bears to survive a middling performance by Williams and coach Ben Johnson’s offense. They gained 271 yards, just 69 on the ground. The Bears rushed for 2 yards in the first half. That’s their lowest output in a half since totalling minus-1 against Minnesota in Week 17 in 2017. It also was the fewest allowed by the Raiders in a first half since Kansas City had minus-2 in Week 15 in 2012. Rome Odunze, playing in his hometown, became the first Bears receiver to catch at least one touchdown pass in the first four games of a season since Alshon Jeffery’s six-game streak in 2014.
hiladelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, yesterday in Tampa, Florida.
Photo: Chris O’Meara/AP
Mercury erase 13-point deficit, clinch Finals berth with 86-81 victory
Associated Press
AlyssA Thomas scored 23 points, DeWanna Bonner made two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Mercury overcame a 13-point deficit in the final period to beat the shorthanded Minnesota lynx 86-81 in Game 4 on sunday night and advance to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2021.
Phoenix will face the Indiana-las Vegas winner in the championship series. Indiana forced a Game 5 earlier sunday with a 90-83 home victory.
The Mercury won the final three games of the best-of-five semifinal series. The top-seeded lynx were playing without Cheryl Reeve, who was suspended for Game 4 because of her behavior and comments toward officials in Game 3. Minnesota also was without All-star guard Napheesa Collier, who suffered an ankle injury near the end of the Game 3 loss.
The Mercury trailed
68-55 heading into the fourth quarter but pulled to 70-69 on sami Whitcomb’s 3-pointer with 4:46 left. Bonner’s 3-pointer pushed them ahead 72-70 and she hit another 3 with 2:03 left for a 77-73 lead.
Minnesota’s Kayla McBride hit a 3-pointer — her sixth of the second half — to cut it to 77-76 with 1:04 left. The 38-year-old Bonner then made a pair of free throws to push the Mercury ahead 79-76. Bonner scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. satou sabally scored 21 points.
Phoenix will play in the Finals for the first time in four years and try to win its first championship since 2014.
McBride led Minnesota with 31 points on 6-of11 shooting from 3-point range. Courtney Williams added 20 points.
Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter to give the Mercury their first lead of the game at 41-38. But the lynx responded with a 23-9 run, highlighted by three 3-pointers from
McBride. The lynx jumped out to an early 12-1 lead but the Mercury slowly chipped away at the deficit. Thomas hit Bonner for a layup just before the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 38. sabally led the Mercury with 18 points before the break.
FEVER 90, ACES 83
All-star center Aliyah Boston finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 points to help Indiana avoid elimination in the WNBA semifinals with a victory over the second-seeded las Vegas. The best-of-five series is now tied 2-2 with a winner-take-all Game 5 set for Tuesday in las Vegas. The winner faces either top-seeded Minnesota or fourth-seeded Phoenix.
Indiana closed it out after las Vegas mistakenly called a timeout it did not have with 30.1 seconds left in the game. The technical foul gave Indiana one free throw and possession of the ball, and the
Fever made all three free throws to take an 87-77 lead. The Fever broke out their “stranger Things” uniforms, perhaps trying to send a message it wouldn’t let the
high-powered Aces run roughshod over a team missing four key players — Caitlin Clark, sophie Cunningham, sydney Colson and Aari McDonald — because of injuries. Boston and
Mitchell then delivered it by leading the Fever to their second straight elimination-game victory in this year’s playoffs. They won the final two games against Atlanta in a bestof-three first-round series.
Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally, centre, fouls Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21) during the first half of Game 4 of a WNBA basketball playoff semifinals series, yesterday in Phoenix.
Photo: Samantha Chow/AP
Europe wins Ryder Cup, reasserts its dominance over the Americans
By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
Staked to the largest lead in history, europe fully expected to win the Ryder Cup on Sunday. the surprise was how much emotion poured out of the team on a final day that produced a furious american charge and, ultimately, another Irish hero.
What looked to be only a matter of time before the european celebration was on turned into nervous glances at the scorecard as the unruly crowd at Bethpage Black finally had a US team to cheer for instead of against.
It went from looking impossible to improbable to just maybe.
and then Shane Lowry, who endured so much abuse from a hostile and vulgar New York crowd, had the last word. He holed a 6-foot birdie putt against Russell Henley to earn the half-point europe needed to make sure it kept that 17-inch gold chalice.
He couldn’t contain himself, pumping his fists and spinning around the green and squeezing every teammate he could find. He recalled telling his caddie as they walked up the 18th fairway, “I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here.”
“the Ryder Cup means everything to me,” Lowry said. ditto for all of europe. even a closer call than imagined did not take away from a reminder who dominates these matches. europe has won 11 times in the last 14 Ryder Cups, and this was its fifth time winning on US soil in the last 10 tries.
“they’ll be talking about this team for a long time,” Luke donald said after joining tony Jacklin (1985 and 1987) as the only european captains to win back to back.
tyrrell Hatton, unbeaten in four matches, earned a halve against Collin Morikawa that made e urope an outright winner.
t he final score — e urope 15, United States 13 — was the only real surprise.
“Shoutout to the a mericans,” d onald said, his players draped in flags of their home countries.
“We knew they’d be tough. I didn’t think they would be this tough on Sunday. t hey fought so hard, and all the respect to them.
“ t his means a lot, obviously, to me and the team. We came here knowing that the task was going to be very difficult. Couldn’t be more proud of these guys — what they’ve gone through, how they come together, how they’re playing for history, how they’re playing for the people that came before them and now they’ll be talked (about) for generations to come.”
t he a mericans at least showed a pulse and made their opponents sweat more than anyone imagined, storming back from a seven-point deficit. No team ever won from more than four points behind going into the 12 singles matches.
t here was a moment where a comeback actually looked possible.
Cameron Young and Justin t homas won matches on the 18th hole. Bryson d eChambeau charged from 5 down to earn a halve. Scottie Scheffler avoided getting blanked by winning his heavyweight match against Rory McIlroy.
“Obviously this is an extreme long shot,” t homas said. “I’m glad
Cam and I could finish like that to at least give us a little hope.” a nother point came from Xander Schauffele in the shortest match of the day, 4 and 3, over Jon Rahm. US Open champion J.J. Spaun won his match. e xcept for Ludvig Åberg taking down Patrick Cantlay, there was no e uropean blue anywhere to be found. a ll they needed was a half-point. that’s when Lowry came through. He was 2 down with four holes to play when he birdied three of the last four, none more memorable than the last one.
His final putt will put him alongside other Irishmen who have produced Ryder Cup heroics — Graeme Mc d owell at Celtic Manor in 2010, d arren Clarke and his emotional week at t he k Club, Paul McGinley at t he Belfry in 2002.
“We gave it a good fight, that’s for sure,” US captain k eegan Bradley said.
t he a mericans tied a Ryder Cup record by winning 8 1/2 points from the 12 singles matches. t hey needed 10 points.
t he a mericans still have a 27-16-2 lead in the series that date to 1927, but the modern Ryder Cup didn’t start until 1979 when continental e urope was invited to the party. Since then, e urope has captured the cup 13 out of 19 times.
McIlroy had said winning a road Ryder Cup was among the biggest accomplishments in golf. It’s just not all that unusual. e urope has won five of the last 10 away from home.
e urope’s best players starred at Bethpage Black even as New York fans hurled abuse, building a record seven-point lead going into the 12 singles matches.
e urope put a half-point on the board before a shot was hit. Viktor Hovland, who had a summer neck injury flare up on Saturday, was forced to withdraw. Harris e nglish, whose name had been put in the secret envelope, also sat out and the match was declared halved.
t hat meant the a mericans had to win nine of the 11 matches and halve another and they put up an astonishing fight, finally hearing cheers for
the US instead of only vitriol toward e urope. “the europeans won one match today. You think about the odds of something like that happening,” Bradley said. the damage was done long before, when Scheffler and deChambeau
combined to produce one point between them over four matches. Bradley said his one regret might be the way he set up the course. Bethpage Black has a reputation of being a beast, but the rough was trimmed back and then heavy
the week made the greens soft. “We tried to set the course up to help our team. Obviously it wasn’t the right decision,” Bradley said. “I definitely made a mistake on the course setup. I should have listened a little bit
rain during
more to my intuition.” there were birdies galore, a rarity at the Black Course. there was hostility from the crowd, typical of this region and this public golf course. and there was a european celebration, which is becoming all too familiar.
EuropE poses with the trophy after winning the Ryder Cup golf tournament against the United States on the Bethpage Black golf course yesterday, in Farmingdale, NY. Photos: Matt Slocum/AP