Sergio Perez considered an incident when a tractor appeared on the track ahead of Pierre Gasly at the Japanese Grand Prix "the lowest point" in Formula One "for years".
Dreadful conditions in Suzuka saw a series of crashes on the first lap on Sunday, with the safety car almost immediately introduced.
The race was then red-flagged on lap three, but Gasly passed a tractor – seemingly recovering Carlos Sainz's crashed Ferrari – as he was still driving around the track, with the incident appearing to occur just seconds after drivers had been notified of the red flag.
As the cars returned to the pit lane and waited for the rain to ease, a number of drivers took to social media to angrily point out how dangerous that moment was.
Jules Bianchi was the last F1 driver to suffer a fatal crash, which happened in Japan in 2014 when he hit a recovery vehicle.
"That's the lowest point we've seen in the sport for years," Red Bull's Perez said. "What happened today just makes me so angry.
"I just hope ever in the sport we never get to see this situation ever again. It's putting all the drivers at risk.
"We saw what happened here a few years ago with our friend Jules, and absolutely I don't care about what was the reason for that. It should never happen again, ever in any category."
Gasly was later handed a 20-second penalty by the FIA for speeding under red flag conditions, but he described his fear as he encountered the tractor.
"We lost Jules already," Gasly said. "We all lost an amazing guy, an amazing driver for the reasons that we know – eight years ago, on the same track, in the same conditions, with a crane.
"How? How today can we see a crane not even on the gravel, on the race track while we are still on the track? I don't understand that.
"Obviously, I got scared; obviously, if I would have lost the car in a similar way that Carlos lost it in the lap before, it doesn't matter the speed – 200, 100 – I would have just died. It's as simple as that.
"I don't understand. It's disrespectful to Jules, disrespectful to his family."
The AlphaTauri man added: "I'm just extremely grateful that I'm here. Tonight, I'm going to call my family and all my loved ones.
"The outcome is the way that it is because I passed two metres from that crane. If I would have been two metres to the left, I would have been dead."
Lewis Hamilton is adamant Mercedes will have a better car next season that should allow them to provide a greater challenge to Red Bull after Max Verstappen wrapped up the 2022 Formula One title.
Verstappen won a second successive championship on Sunday thanks to victory in the Japanese Grand Prix combined with his rival Charles Leclerc receiving a five-second penalty that demoted him to third.
Initially there was confusion over whether full points were to be awarded as the normal race distance was not completed due to a lengthy rain delay, with even Verstappen suggesting the title was not his yet at first.
After several minutes, Verstappen's success was confirmed as the Dutchman retained his crown with four races to spare, far more straightforward than last season when he only moved ahead of Hamilton at the end of a controversial final grand prix.
But Mercedes have never really been a threat to Verstappen this year, with George Russell fourth in the standings and Hamilton a further two places down the ladder – neither driver has claimed a single victory in 2022.
Hamilton congratulated Verstappen afterwards but swiftly turned his attention to 2023, optimistic Mercedes can build a car that is not dogged by the design issues the W13 car has had following the introduction of new technical regulations.
"Congrats to Max," Hamilton said, before refocusing on Mercedes.
"I think for us, we know what the problems are with this car. I believe that we as a team, we've not gone from being world champions to not being able to build a good car.
"I have no doubts we'll build a better car next year.
"Whether or not we rectify every issue from the car this year, we'll find out when we get there."
Hamilton finished fifth in Suzuka, spending much of the shortened race stuck behind Esteban Ocon, who held on to take fourth.
Despite what many might have perceived as a frustrating day for the seven-time world champion, Hamilton insisted he had "a blast".
"I don't feel frustrated," he told Sky Sports. "It was a sprint race. I think I did the best I could and I'm happy we got some points.
"We were just so slow in a straight line. I was getting close, as close as I could, and as soon as I pulled out, they would just pull away.
"I wish it was a longer race. I'm glad we got some laps for the fans here, although it's not really a massive race for them considering how long they've waited.
"In terms of the conditions, the restarting was awesome. That's what motor racing is about. I had a blast. It was so tough, so hard to see. Really hard to see the car skating around, but that's motor racing.
"I think the restart we had at the end was the perfect time and I just wish we could have gone longer into a bit of the dark."
F1 now heads to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix on October 23.
Christian Horner described Max Verstappen's title triumph as "beyond all our dreams" as he noted the Formula One champion's growth from his first success in 2021.
Verstappen sealed a second consecutive title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday – his championship belatedly confirmed by a penalty for Charles Leclerc that left the Ferrari driver in third, out of reach of top spot as full points were awarded despite a rain delay.
The Dutchman was informed of his triumph only after his parc ferme interview, with the Red Bull team hurriedly checking the regulations and discovering he had moved clear of both team-mate Sergio Perez and Leclerc.
Team principal Horner explained to Sky Sports: "We thought it wasn't going to be full points awarded. We thought we were one point short. We were looking at pitting him for the fastest lap and so on.
"Wow, that's beyond all our dreams.
"Max has been truly, truly dominant. That's our 14th victory, a record for us, and the way he has driven since the first race...
"We came back from some difficulties in the first couple of races, but he and the team have just raised it to another level.
"I'm incredibly proud of everything he's done, everything the team's done. They've gone way beyond under massive pressure. To achieve this championship is truly special."
Verstappen's first title came in controversial circumstances last year as he edged Lewis Hamilton in a contentious decider.
But Horner believes his superstar driver is now operating in a class of his own.
"I think Max has grown from that first world championship," he said. "The way he's driven, the way he's operated this year has just been at another level.
"All respect to him, because he truly deserves this championship."
Ultimately, Perez was the man who made sure of Verstappen's success, tussling with Leclerc to prompt the final-lap penalty that completed the job.
"What a script," Horner added. "To get that victory here in Japan with Honda, as well, is really special.
"Charles obviously made a mistake at the end and the penalty was given, but it's fantastic for Checo. He's done a super job today."
Max Verstappen may not have immediately known he was again Formula One champion on Sunday, but a dominant season made this triumph "more beautiful" than the last for the Dutchman.
Verstappen has won consecutive titles in slightly confusing fashion, even if his 2022 success was long anticipated.
When the Red Bull superstar pipped Lewis Hamilton in 2021, it was after a highly controversial restart in the season finale as both drivers took the fight right down to the wire.
This time, Verstappen headed into the Japanese Grand Prix knowing he was almost certain to be celebrating again at some stage.
He could complete the job at Suzuka by finishing eight points ahead of Charles Leclerc and six ahead of Sergio Perez – an outcome he unknowingly achieved.
Leclerc was given a five-second penalty after the race to finish behind Perez, meaning Verstappen was champion when Red Bull clocked full points would be awarded due to the race resuming after a red flag, despite only half of the grand prix being completed.
It was an odd way to learn of the success, but Verstappen was able to reflect on the year as a whole, having contributed to 12 of Red Bull's team-record 14 wins.
Of his two titles, Verstappen said: "I think the first one is always a little more emotional, but the second one is probably more beautiful with the season we've had – the wins, the great racing, the teamwork, the one-twos.
"Also we're leading the constructors' so we really want to focus on that as well to try to secure that.
"It's been a pretty special year. It's something you really have to remind yourself of, because these kind of years you don't have very often."
Summing up his emotions, Verstappen added: "It's crazy. I have very mixed emotions, of course, winning the race and also, looking back now, winning the championship. What a year we've had so far.
"It's been incredible and something I never could have imagined happening after last year, already fighting to the end and then having such a good car again this year.
"I'm so thankful to everyone who has been contributing to this success. The whole team that is here but also back in the factory room is working flat out, and they're never missing any motivation to try to make the car faster.
"Besides that, the work we've done together with Honda, all the way through, every year, constantly improving rapidly.
"To win now twice is very emotional, especially here [at Honda's home race and with the Japanese fans], with everyone watching.
"It gives you a little bit more pressure, but it's good pressure, positive pressure. I'm very proud that we could do it here."
Max Verstappen learned he had sealed another Formula One world title only after winning a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
It had appeared Verstappen would be made to wait until Austin to confirm a second consecutive championship, as his hopes of getting the job done at Suzuka were rocked by heavy rain.
Even when Verstappen crossed the line in first place with just over half the race completed, title rival Charles Leclerc looked to have clung on to second to delay his title celebrations.
But Leclerc's late move to stay ahead of Sergio Perez landed him a five-second penalty, putting the Ferrari man in third and no longer within reach of Verstappen.
The victory for Verstappen moved him clear of Red Bull team-mate Perez, too, and the Dutchman was informed of his triumph only after his initial parc ferme interview.
It made for a bizarre conclusion to a long and controversial day, with initial attempts to start the race lasting mere minutes.
The safety car was out by the end of a first lap that had seen Leclerc briefly get ahead of pole-sitter Verstappen, only to trail again by Turn 1.
A series of incidents behind them in the awful conditions led to a yellow flag, and proceedings were red-flagged by the third lap.
The delay that followed lasted more than two hours, with Verstappen eventually resuming behind the safety car with only 45 minutes available in the race's three-hour window.
A sprint to the finish was without any drama at the front, though, and the title was instead decided by the battle for second as Leclerc left the track and then forced Perez wide.
Max Verstappen won the Formula One world title on Sunday with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver claimed his second consecutive drivers' standings triumph when a penalty after the race confirmed his rival Charles Leclerc was demoted to third place.
The Toronto Blue Jays were still in shock as John Schneider and his players sought to reflect on a remarkable defeat to the Seattle Mariners that ended their season.
Toronto, the fourth seed in the American League, had lost their Wild Card opener at home to the Mariners on Friday but appeared on course to level the series the following day.
The Blue Jays led 8-1 at the end of the fifth inning, with Seattle needing to become just the third team to overturn a seven-run deficit in a postseason game.
But that was exactly what they did, with four runs in each of the sixth and eighth innings to win 10-9 and advance to the ALDS.
"Baseball sucks sometimes, and this group will be back in the exact same spot very, very soon," Schneider said.
"Sometimes when you think you have an advantage, you don't win."
The interim Blue Jays manager gathered his thoughts more effectively than Teoscar Hernandez, whose two home runs proved in vain.
Hernandez is only the third Blue Jay to hit two homers in a single postseason game, although all three examples have now come in defeats that saw Toronto eliminated (also Jose Bautista vs the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 ALCS, Danny Jansen vs the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 Wild Card).
"Nothing goes through my mind," Hernandez said. "Every little thing that happened in the game, it's just incredible the way it happened.
"I mean, we were winning by seven runs. It sucks, but at the end, it's baseball, and we have to eat it, go home, think about it and get ready for next year."
While heartbreaking for the Blue Jays, the win continued the Mariners' Cinderella story, bringing playoff baseball back home to Seattle for the first time since 2001.
A 21-year postseason drought had been the longest such active run in any of the four major American sports.
"It's a credit to our players not quitting," said manager Scott Servais. "Just keep grinding through it.
"We've talked about doing the little things, just get on base, and that's what you saw. Nobody tried to hit a homer. It was just 'keep the line moving'. And all of a sudden, big things happen."
Pierre Gasly was furious as he suggested he was put in danger by a recovery tractor at the rain-disrupted Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday.
The race at Suzuka lasted less than a lap under a downpour before a safety car was brought out, with a red flag soon following after a number of early incidents.
Among them, AlphaTauri's Gasly – who has just agreed a move to Alpine – made contact with an advertising board, which then became lodged in his front wing, further impacting his already reduced visibility.
But Gasly was still driving behind the safety car when he passed a tractor on the track recovering Carlos Sainz's car.
"I could have f***ing killed myself," Gasly fumed.
The most recent fatal accident in Formula One occurred at Suzuka in 2014 when Jules Bianchi collided with a recovery vehicle in wet conditions.
A widely reported FIA response sought to explain the incident with Gasly, saying the race had been red-flagged by the time he encountered the tractor.
"The safety car had been deployed and the race neutralised," the FIA said. "Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the safety car, was then driving at high speed to catch up to the field.
"As conditions were deteriorating, the red flag was shown before Car 10 passed the location of the incident where it had been damaged the previous lap."
The incident was set to be reviewed again after the race, which still had not restarted an hour after the red flag.
The Seattle Mariners launched the biggest road comeback in playoff history to advance to the ALDS after completing a Wild Card sweep over the Toronto Blue Jays with a 10-9 win.
The Mariners, in their first postseason campaign since 2001, trailed 8-1 at the bottom of the fifth inning before four runs in each of the sixth and eighth.
Down 9-6 in the eighth, J.P. Crawford hit a blooper to center, landing between center-fielder George Springer and shortstop Bo Bichette, who collided, allowing three runners to score and tie the game up.
Adam Frazier came up with the game-winning RBI double in the ninth inning, hitting to right-field to drive in Cal Raleigh.
The comeback was the joint second biggest in MLB postseason history, and the largest rally to clinch a postseason series.
Seattle now progresses to the ALDS where they will face the Houston Astros.
"To go to the World Series, you have to go through Houston,'' Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "They're really good. We understand that. We're really good.''
Phillies floor Cards to end Pujols' career
Albert Pujols' decorated career ended as the St Louis Cardinals bowed out following a 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies after Bryce Harper's second-inning home run.
Pujols went two-for-four, managing a hit with his final at-bat, but could not produce the heroics to lift the Cardinals, with their leading home-run hitter Paul Goldschmidt struggling throughout. Pujols ends his career with 703 home runs, the fourth most of all-time.
Aaron Nola was excellent for the Phillies on the mound, with six strikeouts across six-and-two-thirds scoreless innings, allowing only four hits.
The Cleveland Guardians completed a sweep over the Tampa Bay Rays with a 1-0 win after Oscar Gonzalez homered in the 15th inning.
Vintage deGrom helps Mets stay alive
The New York Mets stayed alive with a 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres to square up their Wild Card series.
Jacob deGrom starred with eight strikeouts across six innings, while Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso homered in the first and fifth innings respectively.
With the Mets leading 3-2 in the seventh, Jeff McNeil managed a two-run double. Brandon Nimmo was important too, going three-for-four with one RBI.
Patrick Cantlay carded a joint course record and career low 60 to move to grab a share of the lead with Tom Kim at the Shriners Children's Open with one day to go.
Cantlay, who had shot back-to-back 67s, tied the course record on the third day at Las Vegas' TPC at Summerlin with 11 birdies in his 11-under-par round.
The American world number four just fell shy of the elusive 59, missing with his birdie putt from just under 25 feet on the 18th hole.
Cantlay's 60 was his first on tour as a professional, having achieved the feat in 2011 as a 19-year-old amateur at the Travelers Championship.
Kim and Cantlay are three strokes clear on the leaderboard at 19-under overall, with halfway leader Mito Pereira back with Matthew NeSmith on 16 under.
The South Korean managed six birdies on the back nine to score an impressive nine-under-par 62 on Saturday.
Kim landed his approach on the 18th two feet from the hole to close out his round with birdie and earn the joint lead.
Pereira could only manage four birdies to lose his grip on the lead, while NeSmith had a strong eight-under round fueled by three birdies on the final four holes.
South Korean pair Im Sung-jae and Kim Seong-hyeon are next best on the leaderboard at 15 under.
Behind them is a group of five tied at 14 under, including Kim Si-woo and Aaron Rai, who carded a nine-under 62 on Saturday, with four birdies on his final five holes.
The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to modify concussion protocols following an investigation of Tua Tagovailoa's recent injury, saying his return to a game against the Buffalo Bills was "not what was intended when the protocols were drafted".
Although the investigation found the Miami Dolphins to have followed existing protocols "as written", NFLPA president J.C. Tretter believes Tagovailoa's treatment was not a "meaningful application" of the rules.
The Dolphins came under heavy scrutiny for their decision to field Tagovailoa against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, a game in which he sustained a concussion.
In Tagovailoa's previous outing against the Bills, he appeared unsteady on his feet after his head slammed against the turf following a heavy collision.
The NFL and NFLPA launched an investigation into the handling of that injury after he returned to the field shortly thereafter, with head coach Mike McDaniel saying he suffered a back injury.
A joint NFL-NFLPA statement released on Saturday read: "The parties have completed their joint review of the application of the NFL's concussion protocol following the injury to Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during their game on September 25, 2022.
"While the investigation determined that the team medical staff and unaffiliated medical professionals followed the steps of the protocol as written, the NFL and NFLPA agree that the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the protocols were drafted.
"As such, as has been done in previous cases, based on the advice of the parties' respective medical experts, the protocol will be modified to enhance the safety of the players.
"Specifically, the term 'ataxia' has been added to the mandatory 'no-go' symptoms. If a player is diagnosed with 'ataxia' by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the concussion protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game.
"The parties remain committed to continuing to evaluate our protocol to ensure it reflects the intended conservative approach to evaluating player-patients for potential head injuries."
Tretter, however, has since taken to social media to criticise the Dolphins' handling of the incident, tweeting: "We do not believe this was a meaningful application of the protocols.
"Nobody, including the NFL, believes he should have been put back in the game. It is problematic that he was cleared for a back injury for which the lead doctors never took the time to examine."
Tagovailoa has been ruled out of the Dolphins' Week 5 fixture against the New York Jets on Sunday.
Filippo Ganna made cycling history by beating the UCI hour world record by over a kilometre with his attempt in Switzerland on Saturday.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider was trying to beat the previous mark of 55.548km set by his team-mate Dan Brigham in August.
Ganna achieved it in style as he finished with a distance of 56.792km, a full 1.244km ahead, achieving his feat at the Tissot Velodrome in Grenchen.
The double world time trial champion, who signed a four-year extension with INEOS in August, said: "To arrive at this amazing goal is fantastic for me, and all the INEOS Grenadiers staff who worked for a long time to arrive at this result. This result is amazing. 56.792 kilometres is not bad!
"Next time maybe I'll try in another part of the season with fresher legs and we can go higher again.
"This result is amazing. Now I'm thinking about recovery and trying to celebrate together with everyone here."
Brigham also congratulated Ganna on taking his record, saying: "A massive kudos to Filippo for that historic ride. I know the commitment, determination and work that's needed to put in a performance like that.
"It's fantastic that this ambitious project came together on the night. Having my record beaten by Filippo was always part of the plan and it's great to have such a deserving team-mate as the new record holder."
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green will step away from the team for a short period after being involved in a physical altercation with team-mate Jordan Poole.
On Wednesday, reports suggested Green could face disciplinary action after becoming involved in a heated interaction with Poole, forcing the team to halt practice.
Subsequent social media footage of the incident appeared to show the players pushing one another before Green escalated the confrontation by throwing a punch.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Green apologised to Poole and his family, and professed his hope he could still face the Los Angeles Lakers in Friday's season opener.
"Number one, I was wrong for my actions," Green said. "There's a huge embarrassment that comes with [this].
"Not only for myself, as I was the one who committed the action, but the embarrassment that Jordan has to deal with and that this team has to deal with, this organisation has to deal with.
"But also Jordan's family. His family saw that video. His mother, his father saw that video. If my mother saw that video, I know how my mother would feel.
"I watched the video 15 times, maybe more, because when I watch the video, I'm looking at the video, I'm like; 'this looks awful! This looks even worse than I thought it was'. It's pathetic."
Asked whether he expected to be involved on opening night after spending a short period of time away from the team, Green added: "Yeah, I expect to play. Will I play? That's a different story. It's something we will figure out. What the answer is, is to feel our way through this."
Green's future has been the focus of speculation recently, with the four-time NBA champion stating he does not expect to agree a contract extension in the near future.
But the 32-year-old was adamant any frustrations concerning that situation had nothing to do with Wednesday's incident, adding: "The one thing I can assure you is that that had absolutely nothing to do with anything.
"I am a flawed human being, and the work I've done to correct those flaws – I think – has been tremendous.
"There's a long way to go, that's a constant work in progress. The day that that took place, I was in a very, very bad space mentally, dealing with some things in my personal life."
London could be home to two NFL teams if a European division of American football's premier league gets off the ground.
The NFL first started playing international games in 2007 with the goal of turning the league into a truly worldwide brand. Fifteen years later, commissioner Roger Goodell continues to field questions about the final goal of that effort.
Could the NFL become a trans-Atlantic league with franchises in Europe? It appears the answer is that yes, it could, if not quite yet.
Speaking to fans on a panel with former players Osi Umenyiora, Victor Cruz and Maurice Jones-Drew, Goodell spoke positively about the possibility of an NFL franchise – or two – calling the UK home.
"I think there's no question that London could support not just one franchise, I think two franchises, I really believe that," Goodell said. "That's from a fan perspective, a commercial standpoint, from a media standpoint, I think you [the UK fans] have all proven that."
The Green Bay Packers will become the last of the NFL teams to have played a game in the UK when they face the New York Giants on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the second of three games this year in London.
On October 30, the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars will play at Wembley Stadium.
The NFL will also play its first ever game in Germany next month when Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Seattle Seahawks at Allianz Arena in Munich.
The panel's host, Neil Reynolds of Sky Sports, joked that the NFL should have an entire division based in Europe, an idea well received by Goodell.
"That's part of what we're doing, right?" Goodell said. "We're trying to see 'could you have multiple locations in Europe where you could have an NFL franchise?', because it would be easier as a division."
Despite the success of the NFL's International Series, the primary concern with its expansion remains competitive balance.
"The question I think is going to come down to, not so much the logistics about travel, that's clearly a challenge, it really comes down to whether you can do it competitively, where the team here or the teams in the States coming over can continue to be competitive, and that was the challenge when we did the regular-season games," Goodell said.
"There was a lot of concern with ownership when we first introduced it, and frankly it took the guts of the Giants and Dolphins that came out here the first time, they had to prove we could do it competitively.
"This is where it turned around [for the 2007 Giants] and they went and won the Super Bowl that year. That sent a message to everybody in the league – it's not going to damage your ability to make it to the postseason. Competitiveness is the key."
The Los Angeles Rams did not give Sean McVay much reason to be confident they can find their Super Bowl-winning form during their Monday defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.
San Francisco rode a dominant defensive performance to knock off the Rams 24-9, extending the 49ers' regular-season winning streak against their NFC West rivals to seven games.
Matthew Stafford failed to throw a touchdown pass having also drawn a blank in the Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals. It marked the fourth time in his career that Stafford had gone without a scoring throw in successive games.
Yet even with their offense misfiring, the Rams and head coach McVay have reason for hope heading into Sunday's clash with the Dallas Cowboys.
Since McVay took over in 2017, the Rams have gone 3-1 against the Cowboys, including a win in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at the end of the 2018 season.
Los Angeles' average margin of victory in those successes has been 16 points and, going against a backup quarterback in Cooper Rush, the Rams would appear to be a strong bet for a two-touchdown win in this matchup.
Yet Rush is proving himself a top-tier backup as Dak Prescott recovers from a thumb injury.
He has helped the Cowboys to three successive victories after they lost the season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Having won his first start against the Minnesota Vikings last year, Rush is the first quarterback in Cowboys history to win his first four starts. The only other NFL players to do so since 2005 are Kyle Allen (5), Patrick Mahomes (6), Jimmy Garoppolo (7) and Trevor Siemian (4).
And Rush and the Cowboys may have a formula for making it five wins for their number two signal-caller.
The Rams' nine-point effort against the 49ers marked the second time they had failed to score more than 10 this season. They were held to 10 by the Buffalo Bills in the season curtain-raiser.
Los Angeles had only failed to surpass 10 points seven times in McVay's first five seasons as head coach and have not done so more than twice in one season since doing so nine times in 2016, the Rams' first year back in their Southern California home following the return from St. Louis.
In the Cowboys, however, the Rams are facing a defense that has the talent to match the destruction the 49ers produced against a banged-up offensive line that allowed Stafford to be sacked seven times and pressured on 21 dropbacks.
Heading into Week 5, the Cowboys ranked second in pass rush win rate and boast three pass rushers in Micah Parsons (4), Demarcus Lawrence (4) and Dorance Armstrong (3) who have combined for 10 sacks so far this season.
With the Rams proving incapable of protecting Stafford as they fell to 2-2 on the season in the loss to San Francisco, that trio has a chance to consistently disrupt the Rams' passing game and allow a Dallas offense that has committed just two giveaways this season to control the ball and the clock.
Should that happen at SoFi Stadium, the Cowboys will be in an excellent position to reduce the Rams' reasons for positivity by dealing another blow to their hopes of retaining the Lombardi Trophy.
World number one Iga Swiatek will face Barbora Krejcikova in the Ostrava Open final after beating Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday.
Swiatek continued her stellar season with a 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 6-4 victory over the Russian.
A tie-break was needed to settle the opening set, with Swiatek securing a crucial break of serve when 6-5 up.
The Pole was caught off guard in the second set as Alexandrova took it the distance, before Swiatek claimed the solitary break of the decider to lead 4-3 and did not allow her opponent a way back.
Swiatek, who has 60 wins to her name in 2022, will do battle with Krejcikova in the championship match after she came from a set down to defeat Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.
Rybakina served 17 aces to Krejciokva's two, but the Czech 26-year-old battled to victory to put herself in the final of her home tournament.
At the Jasmin Open, Alize Cornet knocked out second seed Veronika Kudermetova with a 6-4 6-3 triumph to clinch her place in Sunday's final.
Cornet saved nine of 11 break points to beat the world number 12 and has not dropped a set all week at the tournament in Tunisia.
Elise Mertens awaits Cornet in the final after a 6-4 6-0 success over Claire Liu, who knocked out top seed Ons Jabeur on Friday.
Mertens broke Liu at 5-4 up to take the first set before emphatically sealing victory with a sublime second in which she won 24 of the 29 points.
Novak Djokovic progressed to the Astana Open final after Daniil Medvedev retired from their last-four clash due to injury.
The two played out a thrilling first two sets, with Medvedev taking the lead before Djokovic fought back to level the match via a tie-break.
However, the Russian was unable to continue after sustaining a leg injury, keeping Djokovic in the hunt for back-to-back titles when he competes in the showpiece, where he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas.
"I really hope that his injury is nothing too serious,” said Djokovic. "I know Daniil, he's a great guy, he's a fighter, he's a big competitor.
"He wouldn't retire a match if he didn't feel that he [could] continue or [if it wouldn't] worsen his injury. He told me that he pulled an adductor muscle in his leg.
"It was such a close match, particularly in the second set. I would probably say he was a better player on the court in both sets. I was fighting and trying to find a way.
"I found a way to win the second, but I'm just sad for the tournament and for these people who were enjoying the battle, and for Daniil that it had to end this way."
Third seed Tsitsipas started slowly in the first set against Andrey Rublev but managed to triumph 4-6 6-4 6-3 in Saturday's other semi-final.
"My mentality kind of changed," said Tsitsipas, who will seek his first ATP 500 title at the ninth attempt. "I played with more of an aggressive game style and didn’t have anything by luck."
At the Japan Open, Taylor Fritz battled back from 3-1 down in the deciding set against Denis Shapovalov to claim a 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 semi-final victory and book his place in his third ATP Tour final this season.
Third seed Fritz faces an all-American clash in Sunday's final against Frances Tiafoe, who dropped his first set of the week as Soonwoo Kwon bageled him, but the US Open semi-finalist recorded a 6-2 0-6 6-4 win.
"It was a weird match, but I'm happy to get through," said Tiafoe, who progressed into his second final of the season and fifth overall.
"It's not always going to be pretty, it's not always going to be the best stuff, but a win is what matters."
Max Verstappen believes he needs a "perfect race" to secure victory at the Japanese Grand Prix and with it a second successive Formula One world title, despite qualifying on pole.
Verstappen holds a 96-point lead in the drivers' championship as what once looked like being a fascinating battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has instead turned into a procession.
The Red Bull driver's retention of the title he wrested from Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton last season is now an inevitability.
It is matter of when and not if Verstappen wins the drivers' championship, and he put himself in the box seat to do it at Suzuka by claiming pole for a race being held for the first time since 2019, the coronavirus pandemic having seen the 2020 and 2021 races cancelled.
He set a time of one minute and 29.304 seconds and avoided a grid penalty following an investigation into a Q3 near-miss with McLaren's Lando Norris.
But Verstappen refuses to get complacent even with a second title in touching distance. A win and the fastest lap bonus point will seal the championship and Verstappen would also clinch it if he wins without the fastest lap and Leclerc finishes lower than second.
"I'm not thinking about it too much. What was most important was we had a competitive car," said Verstappen.
"We had that in qualifying and I hope it will be the same in the race because we do need a perfect race to win it. But at least it is a good start."
The weather could dampen Verstappen's hopes of a title party on Sunday, with rain forecast at the end of a weekend that saw Friday's running in practice washed out.
"We're going a little bit into the unknown," said Leclerc as he looks to extend the one-sided title fight to the United States Grand Prix after finishing 0.010 seconds behind Verstappen.
"But it looks like the conditions are also a little bit unpredictable. We don't really know whether it is going to rain or not, or maybe both. We will see."
While the conditions may be tough to judge, it is fair to say Mercedes are unlikely to compete for the win unless inclement weather arrives.
Hamilton qualified sixth while George Russell was down in eighth, the latter over a second off Verstappen's pace.
"The Red Bull is still quicker on the straight with no DRS than we are with DRS," Hamilton said.
"Rain opens up more opportunity. It could be not the most exciting race if it's dry, at least not for us."
The Green Bay Packers have been one of the most consistent teams in the NFL under the leadership of Matt LaFleur.
As a head coach, LaFleur has compiled a 42-11 regular-season record, winning three NFC North titles and guiding the Packers to the NFC Championship Game in two of his three campaigns in charges.
Yet the failure that has contributed to their inability to get to the Super Bowl during LaFleur's tenure has also been consistent.
In the NFC Championship Game at the end of the 2019 season, the Packers were gashed on the ground by Raheem Mostert and the San Francisco 49ers in a 37-20 blowout.
Mostert racked up 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a remarkable display, and a year later as the Packers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field at the same stage, they suffered a similar if less statistically dramatic downfall.
Leonard Fournette only had 55 yards rushing in the Buccaneers' 31-26 win, but he had a 20-yard score in the second quarter that gave Tampa Bay a lead they never relinquished, and he averaged four yards after contact, again illustrating the Packers' struggles to stop the run.
The offense and special teams were more at fault last season as the 49ers beat the Packers at Lambeau in the Divisional Round, but a nine-yard run from Deebo Samuel gave the Niners a key third-down conversion on their game-winning drive.
When the Packers have needed to stop the run in critical games, they have come up short, and the signs of that problem being fixed in 2022 are not good.
The Packers are allowing at least four yards on 57.8 per cent of carries by their opponents, the highest rate in the NFL, and giving up 4.91 yards per rush on first down. Green Bay's rush average allowed of 4.97 yards per carry is the 11th-worst in the NFL.
Three of the Packers' first four games have seen them surrender over 100 yards rushing, conceding 167 in allowing a poor New England Patriots team to take them to overtime.
Green Bay's issue is not getting into the backfield, as the Packers rank eighth in run disruption rate, according to Stats Perform data.
So why are the Packers still having issues stopping the run? The short answer is tackling.
Their tackle success rate of 73.6 per cent is tied for the fifth-worst in the NFL, with their problems coming chiefly on the left side of their defense. Left inside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell has missed four tackles and seen a further two broken, while edge rusher Preston Smith – listed as the starting outside backer on the left side – has also had a pair of tackles broken.
It is certainly not fair to pin all the Packers' run defense struggles on Campbell, but it is clear they are not doing enough as a collective to bring ball-carriers down if they evade the disruption Green Bay creates in the backfield.
This week the Packers face the New York Giants in London and meet a running back in Saquon Barkley who is doing an excellent job of racking up yardage on plays where the defense generates a run disruption.
Indeed, Barkley, the NFL's rushing leader through four weeks, is averaging 3.54 yards per carry when faced with a run disruption, above the average of 3.02.
However, his yards after contact per attempt average of 1.96 yards is below the average of 2.01. So while he might be able to evade defenders who get behind the line of scrimmage, tackle-breaking runs from the 2018 second overall pick should be at a premium.
In that sense, he is something of a test case for the Packers. Green Bay has poured plenty of resources into the problems stopping the run but, if Barkley enjoys significant success fighting through contact at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it could be a sign that run defense and, more specifically, tackling is an issue that could doom a Super Bowl-ready team once more and require more targeted attention next offseason.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
