Mike Evans has been suspended for one game without pay by the NFL after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver clashed with the New Orleans Saints' Marshon Lattimore.
Evans and Saints cornerback Lattimore were engaged in a physical battle throughout the Buccaneers' 20-10 victory at the Superdome on Monday.
It boiled over in the fourth quarter when the latter got in the face of Tom Brady as the Buccaneers' quarterback appealed for a penalty flag on an unsuccessful third-down play.
Evans came in and knocked Lattimore to the turf, prompting a melee that resulted in both players being disqualified.
The pair have history, with Evans previously being suspended for one game for a cheap shot on Lattimore in 2017.
Evans spoke to the media after the game and did not expect to receive any kind of suspension, though that confidence was clearly misplaced.
An NFL statement read: "NFL vice president of football operations Jon Runyan issued the suspension for a violation of Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(g) which prohibits 'unnecessarily running, diving into, cutting, or throwing the body against or on a player who is out of the play or should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent, before or after the ball is dead,' as well as Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 which prohibits any act which is 'contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship'."
Runyan also personally wrote to Evans explaining the decision, which is still subject to a potential appeal.
He said: "After a play had ended, you were walking toward your sidelines. When you noticed your team-mates engaged in a confrontation with Saints' players, you ran toward that area on the field and violently threw your body into and struck an unsuspecting opponent who was part of that confrontation.
"You knocked your opponent to the ground and a melee ensued involving players from both teams. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury to your opponent and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional."
Evans can return to the Buccaneers' active roster on September 26, the day after their game against the Green Bay Packers.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes their surprise victory over the Cincinnati Bengals served as a tonic for the disappointment of a season opener in which they lost Dak Prescott to injury.
The Cowboys suffered a chastening home loss in Week 1 as they slumped to a 19-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which quarterback Prescott sustained a fractured thumb that required surgery.
While Prescott's initial recovery timeline was deemed to be six to eight weeks, there is optimism he could return sooner.
Rush significantly boosted Dallas' hopes of still being in a position to contend when Prescott does return, helping to drop the defending AFC champion Bengals to 0-2 on Sunday.
He threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' 20-17 win, going three of four on the Cowboys' final drive to set up Brett Maher for a 50-yard field goal as time expired to seal victory.
"Anybody knows how disappointing our first loss was last week," Jones said after the game.
"We could point to the reasons why, but that's not enough. But to come out here with our same home crowd and beat a really fine young quarterback and beat a team that was playing in the Super Bowl just a few months ago, that's a big tonic for the disappointment we had.
"And we all know how tough these games are that we've got coming up, but the main thing is kudos to Cooper Rush.
"That shows me so much about him and the principle of he kept a workmanlike basis. He's done that. He's gotten better. He knows this offense as well as anybody breathing, and he stepped out there and did some great execution."
Rush's performance helped calm some nerves about the prospect of playing without Prescott for any extended period.
"When [Prescott] has strength, which I have no idea when that will be, but it will be not an issue of being concerned about re-injuring the thumb. It will be an issue of his ability to grip the ball, and you know Dak, he's beat every timeline I've ever seen or looked at," added Jones.
"So he's got a good chance to do it, but there's no question that we didn't put him on injured reserve. I want to be real clear about that – we did not put him on [IR], so he could be working during these weeks.
"He could be out there, throwing, [and] certainly involved in everything else. He couldn't have done that had we put him there.
"I certainly would look to hope that he just might be available, but I'm telling you, this performance out here today by Rush sure takes a lot of the angst out of that."
Zac Taylor is confident the Cincinnati Bengals will still be a "really good football team" once they "settle down" following another shock defeat for the reigning AFC champions.
The Bengals fell to 0-2 on Sunday as they suffered a 20-17 defeat to a Dallas Cowboys team led by quarterback Cooper Rush in the absence of the injured Dak Prescott.
After being sacked seven times by the Pittsburgh Steelers in an overtime loss in Week 1, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was brought down for six more sacks by the Dallas defense.
It is a worrying start for a Bengals team who spent significant resources remodelling an offensive line that allowed Burrow to be sacked 51 times last season.
"It's all frustrating," head coach Taylor said of the Bengals' pass protection issues.
"We've given ourselves an opportunity to win these games against good teams, so once things settle down, I know that we're going to be a really good football team."
Praising Micah Parsons, who registered his second successive two-sack game, Taylor added of the Cowboys: "Maybe they haven't gotten the sacks against everybody you watch, but quarterbacks are just springing out of the pocket when you watch all of the tape from last season against these guys.
"They have a really stellar pass rush. They use these guys really well.
"Micah Parsons is going to be in the conversation for one of the best, if not the best pass rushers, just the way they can move him around. The way he can take advantage and bend.
"He's a real problem, and they've got real good players behind him, too. We put ourselves in some positions where they could really tee off and maximise what they're really good at. And that was frustrating early on.
"I thought we settled in better later in the game and were a lot more efficient."
Following defeats for the rest of their AFC North rivals on Sunday, the Bengals are only a game back in their division despite their winless start, which they have the chance to end next week on the road against the New York Jets.
"Every team's going to go through this, where you face a two game losing streak at some point," said Taylor. "Unfortunately for us, it's the first two games of the season. It's a long season.
"We've just got to hit the reset button, not in a negative way, but just regroup for Tuesday to get ready for the Jets this Sunday. I know our guys are going to be focused the right way. We have great leadership.
"So again, that's just what we're relaying on right now, is those guys to get focused, have a great week of practice and go to New York and find a way to win.
"I think we're going to be in great position going forward. Any time you lose, it's going to feel like, from everybody that's watching, that's the story. I get it. That's how it should be. We're going to work hard, just as we have, to go on the road and find a way to win against a good team."
Burrow, meanwhile, hailed the second-half improvement in pass protection but recognised the need for a complete game for the Bengals to get back on track.
"Second half, I thought the protections was great. They have a great rush, I would say top two or three best rushes in the league," Burrow explained.
"They've got DeMarcus Lawrence, Micah, they do a really good job with their picks in game, too. And so, early in the game, you're going to have those, and I can do a better job of getting the ball out quickly.
"I thought, for the most part, we protected the ball well in those situations, and that was my goal this week. And then in the second half, I thought the offensive line protected great.
"We kind of warmed up in the run game, and then we're able to have some more time in the pass game, and that's what comes off of that.
"When we're able to run the ball well, they might be thinking 'run', and so then they're not so quick to get into their pass rush. So, the second half was more efficient, better for us, but just need to prolong that for the entire game."
Frank Reich acknowledged the Indianapolis Colts were "pathetic" in defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still believes they are "not that far" from "where we need to be".
The Colts required a 17-point fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1 to tie with the Houston Texans, yet they made another woeful start on Sunday.
This time, there was no recovery, as Indianapolis lost 24-0 in an alarming start to the season.
"That s*** was embarrassing," said defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. "We got our a** whooped."
Buckner added the Colts must "grow from this", and head coach Reich still sees a positive path forward.
"As pathetic as that was today, where this is and where we need to be, the distance is not that far," he said. "We have the players and coaches to do it.
"I know that doesn't play in the outside world, and I'm fine with that. We'll take our medicine and I'll take my medicine, and we'll just keep doing what we do."
This is the first time the Colts have failed to win their first two meetings with fellow AFC South opponents since the 2017 season.
That was the last season before Reich was hired as head coach, with Indianapolis finishing with a 4-12 record.
Mike Evans is not concerned about potentially receiving a suspension from the NFL following his ejection in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' win over the New Orleans Saints for his confrontation with Marshon Lattimore.
The Buccaneers capitalised on three interceptions from former Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston to emerge from the Superdome with a 20-10 win.
It snapped a seven-game regular-season losing streak for the Buccaneers against their NFC South rivals.
Wide receiver Evans and Saints cornerback Lattimore were engaged in a physical battle throughout and it boiled over in the fourth quarter when the latter got in the face of Tom Brady as the Buccaneers' quarterback appealed for a penalty flag on an unsuccessful third-down play.
Evans came in and knocked Lattimore to the turf, prompting a melee that resulted in both players being disqualified. The pair have history, with Evans previously being suspended for one game for a cheap shot on Lattimore in 2017. Despite that previous episode, Evans does not expect to receive similar discipline this time around.
"It gets spicy when you come to New Orleans, they're a good team, physical team, we matched that today," Evans said
"All I seen was, I know we were trying to get a flag called and it wasn't called, all I see was Lattimore punch Lenny [Fournette] in the face or something like that and then like push Tom, that's all I saw. I just pushed him."
Asked about the potential for a ban, he replied: "Nah, that was 2017, I didn't even get ejected in that. That was really a cheap shot, this wasn't."
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan had a very different view of events.
"It hurts to lose your best corner," Jordan said. "Guys gun at him because they know he is one of the best corners in the league.
"When I saw the replay, [Lattimore] didn't go after anybody. Somebody came after him. What do you want him to do in that situation?"
Brady was visibly annoyed for much of the game as the Bucs laboured before pulling away with 17 fourth-quarter points, at one point taking out his frustration on a tablet after a disappointing end to an offensive series.
"It's an emotional game," Brady said. "A little bit of execution helps all the way around. I thought the defense played well again and the offensive line fought hard.
"Tough game all around. That is a really good team, really well coached — a team we really struggle with. So, it feels good to win."
Alison Riske-Amritraj suffered another early exit as the Pan Pacific Open began in Tokyo on Monday.
Riske-Amritraj reached the last 16 at the US Open earlier this month but has struggled in Asia since then.
She was the top seed at the Chennai Open last week, only to lose in straight sets in the first round to Anastasia Gasanova.
And the American fell at the first hurdle again in Japan.
Riske-Amritraj was drawn against compatriot Claire Liu, who was coming off back-to-back defeats to Anastasia Potapova and without a win since qualifying for the Canadian Open last month.
But Liu brushed aside the seventh seed 6-2 6-3 to set up a meeting with Elise Mertens in the second round.
Mertens eased through with a 6-0 6-3 win over Wang Qiang, while Petra Martic was similarly comfortable in a 6-1 6-1 defeat of Rina Saigo.
Saigo was one of two home hopefuls to depart on Monday as Qinwen Zheng won 19 points in a row en route to beating Misaki Doi 6-2 6-4.
At the Korean Open, Zhu Lin was the only seed in action and got the better of Jang Su-jeong in straight sets.
Becky Hammon was rewarded for leaving Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs as she led the Las Vegas Aces to the WNBA title on Sunday.
Hammon was Popovich's long-time assistant before being hired by the Aces last year, having been passed over for senior NBA roles.
But the six-time WNBA All-Star responded by delivering the Aces their first championship courtesy of a 3-1 Finals win over the Connecticut Sun.
In doing so, Hammon became the first first-time head coach to win the WNBA title since the league's debut season in 1997.
This success came as no surprise to Popovich, however, who said: "We are all thrilled for coach Hammon.
"Winning a championship is a remarkable achievement for a first-time head coach in her first year with a team, yet I'm not at all surprised by her success.
"Becky has proven over and over that she has a unique understanding and passion for the game of basketball.
"Congratulations to Becky, her players and the entire Aces organisation. They played the right way the entire season and were a true joy to watch."
Aces owner Mark Davis added: "She's been absolutely unbelievable, and I guess this legitimises the way we went after her."
But Hammon sought to direct the praise back onto her players, telling ESPN: "Just getting to know them on a day-to-day basis, who they were as people, they're unbelievable on the court, but they're unbelievable humans, first and foremost.
"They care about each other, they invest into each other. It's been an absolute honour to be their coach.
"I saw excellence and I wanted to be a part of it. I'm just super thankful – one through 12, I love you all. It's been so much fun, so much fun."
Aaron Judge claimed a piece of history with two more home runs on Sunday to leave New York Yankees team-mate Gerrit Cole running out of adjectives for his brilliance.
Judge homered twice in the Yankees 12-8 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to move to 59 for the year.
The outfielder, who moved past his 2017 career best of 52 at the start of September, still has work to do to close the gap to MLB record-holder Barry Bonds' 73 in 2001.
But Judge is now just two shy of Roger Maris' American League record, set for the Yankees in 1961.
In fact, only three Yankees players have ever reached 59 home runs in an AL season, with Maris (61) and Judge (59) joined by Babe Ruth twice (60 in 1927 and 59 in 1921).
Given both Maris and Ruth were left-handed batters, Judge now owns the outright AL record for right-handers, passing Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg (both 58).
With two or more homers in an 11th different game this season, Judge tied an MLB record that belonged to Greenberg (1938) and Sammy Sosa (1998).
Yankees starter Cole may have grown tired of finding ways to describe his team-mate's achievements, but he is relishing being able to witness true greatness first hand.
"Sorry to repeat the same line, but it's historical," Cole said. "I've got nothing else for you.
"It's the greatest offensive season that I've personally ever witnessed. I don't know what else to say. It's wonderful. I'm riding it, dude. It's amazing."
As further records near, Yankees manager Aaron Boone only anticipates the excitement ramping up.
"Obviously we're in a pennant chase, and Judge is sitting where he is, so there's going to be that added buzz every time he comes up," Boone said.
"I experienced that playing in the NL Central playing against Sammy and [Mark] McGwire in '98 where it's like every time, it's an event.
"And I think the fact that we're where we are in the pennant race and what he's doing hopefully should create an awesome environment at the stadium."
Jimmy Garoppolo is back as the San Francisco 49ers' starter but only after an awful injury to his successor Trey Lance.
Garoppolo looked to be on the way out of the Niners in the offseason as Lance, selected with the third overall pick in last year's draft, was installed as the starter in San Francisco.
Eventually, however, the team agreed to a reworked contract with Garoppolo that would see him stay on as Lance's backup.
And the 30-year-old, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019 and the NFC Championship Game last year, did not have to wait long for his chance.
Lance fractured his right ankle in a tackle on the 49ers' second drive of their Week 2 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
He left the field on a cart and was quickly ruled out of the rest of the game, with coach Kyle Shanahan later confirming the quarterback was set for season-ending surgery.
Garoppolo came in for his first snaps of the year, throwing for 154 yards and a touchdown and rushing for a further score as San Francisco eased to a 27-7 win.
After the game, he said: "It felt good to be back out there.
"I felt terrible for Trey. I've been on that side in this league. It's tough. Every person has their share of injuries, but that sucks for him and I feel bad for him.
"But he's our brother, and we'll pick him up."
Garoppolo has himself been working his way back from shoulder surgery, but he quickly settled back in.
"It was more just about getting the shoulder ready," he said. "Mentally, I knew the scheme.
"Some of the new plays took a little while to learn, there's always some new wrinkles in the offense, but for the most part it was just once my shoulder was good, I was ready to roll."
Nathaniel Hackett got his first win as Denver Broncos head coach on Sunday, but he did not enjoy a happy home opener as his team were jeered against the Houston Texans.
Much was expected of the Broncos this year after trading for quarterback Russell Wilson and handing him a huge new contract.
The calendar looked kind through two weeks, starting against Wilson's former team the Seattle Seahawks and then welcoming the Texans.
But Denver, under first-time coach Hackett, lost in farcical fashion in Seattle and only scraped past the Texans 16-9 to recover to 1-1.
The crowd were far from happy with what they saw from their team in Week 2, and those sentiments were echoed by Hackett, the subject of boos.
"I would be booing myself," Hackett said. "I was getting very frustrated.
"We get down to the red zone two times, don't get another touchdown, which is unbelievably frustrating. I don't think we have scored in there yet.
"That's something where all of our guys have to step it up. Whether we run the ball more, whatever we're doing, we just have to execute at a higher level."
The Broncos inexplicably ran down the clock against the Seahawks before sending on kicker Brandon McManus to miss a vital field goal rather than putting the ball in Wilson's hands on fourth and five.
And timekeeping was again an issue against the Texans, with slow play-calling prompting the Denver fans to count down the play clock in a loud chant.
"I think I just need to be sure I clean up exactly what I'm hearing, where I'm going with it, and make sure I'm on the same page for Russ," Hackett explained. "I think that will make us more efficient."
Wilson, who completed just 14 of 31 passes for 219 yards with one touchdown and one interception, was reticent to criticise the crowd as he skirted around the issue.
"I guess [the countdown] was helpful if needed," he said. "I guess they do that in basketball sometimes.
"This crowd was amazing tonight. Once again, how they were especially when the defense was out there with the game on the line... I know how hard that is as a quarterback hearing all of that noise and all that tenacity.
"That was great that our fans were really into it and just a great football crowd, for sure."
Kyler Murray decided to take responsibility for the Arizona Cardinals after a woeful first half left them 20-0 down at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
And Murray and the Cardinals were rewarded for his bravery as they rallied to a sensational 29-23 win in overtime.
Cornerback Byron Murphy's fumble return decided the game, but quarterback Murray had brought Arizona to that point.
Under increased scrutiny this season after signing a five-year, $230.5million contract extension – which initially contained a controversial 'homework' clause – Murray threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 but saw the Cardinals beaten 44-21.
Through two quarters in Week 2, Murray had completed only six passes for 53 yards, thrown an interception and not carried the ball once.
It looked like being another miserable day for the former first overall pick and his team-mates, yet he turned the game on its head.
"I had to take over, had to do whatever it took to win," Murray explained. "That was my mindset."
The fourth-year star threw for 224 yards and a TD, rushing for a further score to put Murphy in a position to win the game.
"That feeling, going into the half where nothing is going right, we've felt that plenty of times since I've been here," Murray said afterwards. "It's an ugly feeling.
"But the grit, the resiliency of this group... the issue with this group is never about playing hard. It's about executing."
The pick of Murray's plays was a two-point conversion when the Cardinals trailed the Raiders 23-13, as the QB scrambled for 20 seconds and 85 yards before reaching the end zone.
"There's so many do-or-die plays, I lost count, where we had to have this stop, had to have this two-point conversion, had to score, had to have the fourth down," coach Kliff Kingsbury said.
"And guys just kept fighting. I mean nobody blinked. At half-time, it was just, 'hey, we got to settle in and do what we do'.
"We played about as bad as you could the first half and didn't play great the second half, but the effort was incredible."
Of Murray, he added: "He's a special talent. You can see when he's able to do his thing, that's what he does, and he had some tremendous plays.
"The numbers may not be great, [but] we don't care about numbers."
Tua Tagovailoa's career game led the Miami Dolphins to one of three remarkable fourth-quarter turnarounds in the NFL on Sunday, but his team-mates were not surprised.
Tagovailoa is now in his third year as a professional having been selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft – falling that far only after dislocating his hip at Alabama.
Even as the Dolphins' established starter, there had been concerns the quarterback would never get over that injury, showing only middling form prior to Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
But Tagovailoa set career highs in completed passes (36), passing yards (469) and passing touchdowns (six) as he led Miami to a remarkable fightback.
The Ravens had led by 21 points at the start of the fourth quarter, yet Tagovailoa threw four TDs in the final 15 minutes alone in a dramatic 42-38 win.
With the New York Jets also recovering to stun the Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals recovering against the Las Vegas Raiders, this was just the second example of three teams recovering from 13-point fourth-quarter deficits on the same day in NFL history (also October 4, 1992).
However, within that improbable sequence of results, Tagovailoa's team-mates did not doubt his ability.
"We expect that from him," wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said. "We're confident in him; he's confident in himself.
"It's good for you all to see, but we kind of expect that."
Waddle finished with 11 catches for 171 yards and two TDs, while Tyreek Hill had 11 catches for 190 yards and a pair of scores.
The Dolphins therefore became the first team in NFL history with at least 400 passing yards and five passing TDs from a quarterback and at least 170 receiving yards and two receiving TDs from two team-mates in the same game.
Hill added Tagovailoa had "really showed me who he is as a leader" in the sensational finale, although he overcame adversity even within that game.
Tagovailoa threw a pair of interceptions in the first half but kept coming back, with three of his six TD passes having at least 20 air yards – as many deep TD passes as he had thrown in his career up until that point.
"This is huge," said coach Mike McDaniel. "Because he stopped worrying about the last play and he went and played and took his responsibility to his team-mates seriously.
"It is what you get into sports for. I think it was a moment that he'll never forget that hopefully he can use moving forward, because we basically had to play perfect complementary football to come back from a deficit like that against a really good team. I couldn't be happier for him."
The New York Jets achieved something that had not been managed in 21 years or 2,229 consecutive games with Sunday's come-from-behind 31-30 win over the Cleveland Browns.
The Jets rallied from a 13-point deficit in the final two minutes to win the game. No side had achieved that since the Chicago Bears in 2001, who also did it against the Browns.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh labelled it "something crazy", while quarterback Joe Flacco called it a "wild one".
While a lot went right for the Jets, a lot went wrong for the Browns, with Nick Chubb running in a touchdown to make it 30-17 with 1:55 left, instead of stopping short and retaining possession.
Given the Jets had no timeouts left, the Browns could have kept the ball and run out the clock. Instead, they handed possession over, offering the Jets a chance, which head coach Kevin Stefanski took the blame for.
"That is a scenario where that is on me to communicate that to the huddle," Stefanski said.
"We've done that before. Having said that, we need to close that game out."
The Browns also left wide receiver Corey Davis wide open for Flacco's 66-yard touchdown pass that gave the Jets an avenue back into the game, before the Jets' QB found rookie Garrett Wilson for the winner with 22 seconds left.
"Obviously, guys not on the same page," Stefanski said about the Davis touchdown.
"It was very, very clear what we were doing. We talked about it on the sideline before everybody went out and talked to the entire defense about what they were about to do, which was try and throw it over our head. We can't let that happen.
"We have a young football team, and unfortunately, that youth at times has shown up here, and we have to grow up real fast. I am not going to get into the specifics. When we do not do our job as one person, it is a reflection of the entire defense."
It was a major triumph for the Jets, who shrugged off the disappointment of their opening loss to the Baltimore Ravens despite the absence of starting QB Zach Wilson, with 15-year veteran Flacco flourishing in his stead.
"I don't know where it ranks, but it's up there," Flacco said. "And there were 22 seconds left so as much as you want to freak out and assume you have victory at that point, that's a lot of time. They had a timeout.
"You become a fan at that point, you become very nervous. When you come out on top, it adds to the excitement. It was a wild one, for sure."
The Jets had rookies Wilson and Breece Hall contribute three of their four touchdowns, offering belief for a side that finished the 2021 season with a 4-13 record.
"Those guys don’t blink anyway," Flacco said. "I think a lot of the time you're looking for the outcome to be in our favour before you can say those kinds of things.
"You're obviously not going to say those kinds of things about young guys when we're not winning games. That's why winning is so big, it allows those things to be so big."
Trey Lance’s first season as the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback is over after only two games after the 2021 No. 3 overall pick fractured his right ankle in Sunday’s win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Lance’s right leg bent awkwardly when tackled by two Seattle defenders on a designed run on the 49ers’ second drive of the game. He was carted off after having his leg placed in an air cast and quickly ruled out of the contest.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the fracture following his team’s 27-7 victory and announced Lance is set to undergo surgery Monday.
“It’s always tough, especially when it’s a big one like that,” Shanahan said. “It’s a very sad moment, but you don’t have time to sit there and think about it.
“We were real happy about the win, but it was a little somber once you got in the locker room and you see him.”
Lance spent his rookie season as the backup to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo but was declared the team’s starter this offseason. The 22-year-old did struggle in last week’s 19-10 road loss to the Chicago Bears, completing just 13 of 28 passes for 164 yards and an interception in a game played in rain-soaked conditions.
Garoppolo replaced Lance in Sunday’s win and threw for 154 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers on 13-of-21 passing.
“I thought he did a real good job coming off the bench, made some real key throws,” Shanahan said. “I’m real proud of Jimmy and how he came in and was ready for the moment and helped us get a win.
Garoppolo did not practice at all during training camp as he recovered from shoulder surgery and spent the summer the subject of trade rumours. The nine-year veteran ultimately remained with the 49ers on a reworked contract that slashed his 2022 salary from $24.2 million to a $6.5 million base, though he can earn close to an additional $9 million in incentives.
The 49ers have had considerable past success with Garoppolo at the helm, as he owns a 31-14 record in 45 regular-season starts since joining the team in a trade with the New England Patriots during the 2017 season.
Garoppolo helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl during the 2019 season and led the 49ers to last season’s NFC Championship Game. The 30-year-old threw for 3,810 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in 15 starts in 2021.
Aaron Rodgers showed that he still owns the Chicago Bears after leading the Green Bay Packers with two touchdown passes in a 27-10 victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
Running back Aaron Jones was outstanding with two touchdowns for the Packers, who bounced back from their 23-7 Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay have now won their home opener in 10 consecutive years.
Rodgers was the center of attention, given his history against NFC North rivals Chicago, improving his all-time record against the Bears to 24-5. On Sunday, he had two touchdown passes, completing 19-of-25 for 234 yards, meaning in his past four games against the Bears he has 14 touchdowns with no interceptions.
The Packers QB brought up his 450th career passing touchdown for Jones' first as Green Bay piled on three second-quarter touchdowns after Justin Fields had run into the endzone to give the Bears an early lead.
In the second half, Rodgers also tied a career-high 14 consecutive completions, matching a mark he set back in 2014 against the New York Jets.
Beyond Rodgers' contribution, Green Bay had almost 200 rushing yards from Jones (15 carries for 132 yards) and AJ Dillon (18 carries for 61 yards) adding variety to their offense. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins had three receptions for 93 yards including a fourth-quarter 55-yard gain to flip the field.
Jones got the first 'Lambeau Leap' of the season after weaving his way into the endzone, before he also ran around the edge from Rodgers' pass to open up a 17-7 lead. Rodgers found Randall Cobb to pick up 20, before sending a laser to Allen Lazard for their third TD before half-time.
Fields, who twice fell short of a running touchdown on the goal-line in the fourth quarter, completed seven-of-11 attempts for 70 yards with one interception, with David Montgomery running 122 yards from 15 carries. Jaire Alexander's late interception sealed the win for the Packers.
Cameron Smith told the media he feels LIV Golf's roster has become strong enough to "warrant" world ranking points after winning his maiden event on the controversial tour in Chicago on Sunday.
Smith won by three strokes at Rich Harvest Farms, finishing his 54 holes at 13 under, with Dustin Johnson tied for second with Peter Uhlein.
After stepping off the 18th green, the reigning Open and Players champion spoke about feeling like he needs to prove that he is still one of the best golfers in the world no matter where he is playing.
He is currently ranked third in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), but that will soon change as he continues playing the LIV Golf schedule, where none of the events are recognised by OWGR.
Speaking on the matter at his post-win press conference, Smith said he is hopeful of a resolution as soon as possible.
"[A resolution is] hopefully close – I think for all the guys on the tour it would mean a lot to get world ranking points," he said.
"I suppose there’s a lot on the line with the ranking points, getting into majors, stuff like that, so there needs to be [a resolution] quite soon, I think.
"The field here is strong enough and deep enough to where it warrants that, and hopefully it’s soon."
Smith himself will be free to play in every major for the next five years as a perk of becoming a major champion.
The Denver Broncos lost a key player on both sides of the ball in Sunday’s 16-9 victory over the Houston Texans, during which wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and cornerback Patrick Surtain II each left with injuries in the first half.
Jeudy hurt his ribs and shoulder in the first quarter after falling hard to the turf while attempting to make a catch and was ruled out of the game shortly afterward. Surtain departed early in the second quarter with an injury to his left shoulder.
Both players are expected to undergo MRIs on Monday to further evaluate their injuries.
Jeudy’s exit further depleted a wide receiver corps already without KJ Hamler, who was held out of the contest as he works his way back from offseason knee and hip surgeries. Tim Patrick, who caught 53 passes for 734 yards and a team-high five touchdowns in 2021, suffered a season-ending ACL tear during training camp.
Denver did get 122 yards on seven catches from top receiver Courtland Sutton against the Texans, though Russell Wilson and the offense struggled for much of the day in the quarterback’s first home start as a Bronco.
Wilson completed just 14 of 31 passes for 219 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and the Broncos were hurt by penalties for a second straight week after being flagged 13 times for 100 yards.
Denver committed 12 penalties totalling 106 yards in Monday’s season-opening loss to the Seahawks, which marked Wilson’s return to Seattle for the first time since being traded to the Broncos in March.
"We’ve just got to execute at a higher level," Broncos first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett remarked after Sunday’s win. "We’re just going to have to evaluate everything. Whether it’s getting the personnel out there, or lack thereof, and making sure the plays are coming in nice and clean. And just getting into the huddle and out of the huddle.
"That’s inexcusable," Hackett said of his team’s mistakes. "That’s on us, that’s us hurting ourselves."
Jeudy is coming off an injury-plagued 2021 campaign in which he suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener and missed the Broncos’ next six games. The 2020 first-round pick got this season off to a strong start by recording four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown in the Seattle loss.
Surtain was the ninth overall pick of the 2021 draft, and is coming off a strong rookie season where he intercepted four passes and played in 16 games.
Aaron Judge seems determined to end any discussion about who the American League MVP is, slugging his 58th and 59th home runs of the season in the New York Yankees' 12-8 road win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Judge now has 20 home runs more than any other player this season, and he is two home runs away from both the Yankees' and American League's single-season record of 61 – set 61 years ago in 1961 by Roger Maris. With his 59th, he set a new Yankees and American League record for a right-hander.
It was a massive day for Judge, who finished four-for-five at the plate, also adding a two-run double in the ninth inning to give his side some breathing room.
In a game where the two teams combined for 28 hits, Anthony Rizzo and Oswaldo Cabrera both collected three each for the Yankees, while Tyrone Taylor and Kolten Wong had three each for the Brewers, including a home run each.
It was a mediocre start on the mound for Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, giving up four runs in five innings while striking out eight batters, but he was still credited with the win as the Yankees never surrendered their lead after he left the game.
The win moves the Yankees' record to 88-58, leaving them with a five-and-a-half game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, while they remain seven-and-a-half games behind the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League.
Soto shines in Padres win
Juan Soto has been in a slump for the past month, but he began to break out of it with three hits in the San Diego Padres' 6-1 away win against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Soto, 23, was acquired by the Padres in a blockbuster trade at the deadline that saw the Washington Nationals receive one of the biggest hauls in the history of the league, but he is yet to live up to his hefty price.
After just 10 hits in the past month (10-of-74, .135 batting average), Soto went three-for-four on Sunday with a walk, a single, a double and a home run. It was his first home run of September.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Yu Darvish was excellent for the Padres, striking out eight batters in six scoreless innings while allowing only one hit and one walk.
Alvarez stays red-hot for the Astros
Other than Judge, there is arguably not a hotter hitter in the league right now than Yordan Alvarez, who notched another four RBIs in the Houston Astros' 11-2 home win against the Oakland Athletics.
While Soto had only 10 hits in 30 days before Sunday, Alvarez is now on a 10-game hitting streak, and he has 13 hits from his past six games after a pair of doubles against the Athletics.
In any other year, Alvarez would be considered a real chance to win AL MVP, as he boasts the third-most home runs in the league (37), the second-best slugging percentage (.630) and the third-best on-base percentage (.407) – but he trails Judge in all three categories.
On the mound, Framber Valdez gave up two earned runs in six innings, giving him his league-leading 26th 'quality start' of the season. No other pitcher has more than 23.
Max Homa emerged victorious after a chaotic finish to the Fortinet Championship, chipping in for birdie on the last hole to win by one stroke from Danny Willett.
Homa and Willett came into the day tied for the lead, but heading into the last hole it was Willett leading by one stroke.
After Homa found the fairway bunker and was unable to reach the green, it appeared he had blown his chance to get the birdie he required, until a spectacular chip-in pulled him level with Willett.
The Englishman just needed to sink a four-foot birdie putt for the win, but it lipped out. On the return par putt to force a playoff, he incredibly lipped out again, gifting Homa the outright win at 16 under in an incredible turn of events.
It is the fifth PGA Tour win for Homa, who won multiple events last season for the first time in his career, after nabbing one win in 2018-19 and one in 2020-21.
Homa collected a $1.44million cheque for his victory, with Willett earning $872,000 for second place.
Alone in third was American Taylor Montgomery, who shot Sunday's round of the day with an eight-under 64 to fly up the leaderboard and finish at 13 under.
Rounding out the top-five was round-one leader Justin Lower, and South Korea's An Byeong-hun, who was in the top-five for the entire week before finishing tied for fourth at 12 under.
Rickie Fowler only had one top-10 finish this past season, and he has already matched that figure as he finished tied for sixth at 11 under with Sahith Theegala and Canada's Nick Taylor.
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