NFL: Bengals beat Titans as Dolphins, Chiefs make it five in a row

LOS ANGELES -- The suddenly surging Cincinnati Bengals claimed a third straight NFL victory on Sunday as the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs both took their win streaks to five games.

The Bengals, who fell to the Los Angeles Rams in last season's Super Bowl, beat the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans, 20-16, in Nashville.

Quarterback Joe Burrow connected with Tee Higgins on a 27-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to secure a fifth win in six games for the 7-4 Bengals.

"This is the kind of game that great teams win," Burrow said. "It's not always going to be pretty. This is the NFL. You're playing really, really good teams on the opposing end.

"You've got to find ways to win, and we're starting to do that."

The Titans fell to 7-4 after they struggled to deal with Bengals receiver Higgins, who had seven catches for 114 yards and a TD.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs notched a 26-10 win over the Rams in a game quarterback Patrick Mahomes called "ugly."

Mahomes threw one TD, Isiah Pacheco ran for another and Harrison Butker kicked four field goals as the Chiefs failed to convert five of their six red-zone scoring chances into touchdowns.

"I felt like we didn't execute at a high level in the red zone," Mahomes said. "I threw a dumb, dumb interception there at the end of the game. But it's a team game. The defense stepped up -- they played great."

Miami's fifth straight victory was a comfortable 30-15 decision against the hapless Houston Texans.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw for 299 yards and one touchdown and extended his run without an interception to four games.

Miami coach Mike McDaniel said the win streak "means a lot, because it wasn't just handed to us. It's earned.

"They did things the right way and that shapes the way you do things moving forward."

Miami's defense held the Texans scoreless until late in the third quarter.

"That was awesome to see from our defense," Tagovailoa said. 

"The turnovers, the sacks, the big hits that they were making defensively -- it's always great to watch when we're also able to do some things well offensively."

- Browns down Bucs -

The Las Vegas Raiders won a shootout in Seattle in overtime, beating the Seahawks, 40-34.

In Cleveland, Nick Chubb ran in an overtime touchdown to give the Browns a 23-17 comeback win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The game-winning play capped a fine individual performance from the Browns running back, who rushed for 116 yards on 26 carries.

Tampa Bay had led 17-10 going into the fourth quarter after Brady had found Ko Kieft with a five-yard pass in the third.

But with 32 seconds left on the clock, Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett found David Njoku in the endzone to take the game into overtime.

The Bucs were forced to punt twice and Brissett led the Browns on a six-play, 71-yard drive that was finished off by Chubb.

Brissett was likely making his final start of the season with star quarterback Deshaun Watson's 11-game suspension coming to an end on Monday.

Mike White, replacing the benched Zach Wilson at quarterback for his first start of the season, threw for three touchdowns and 315 yards as the New York Jets beat the Chicago Bears, 31-10.

The Washington Commanders picked up their sixth win in seven games, beating the Atlanta Falcons, 19-13.

Trevor Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and 321 yards as the Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Baltimore Ravens, 28-27.

Lawrence found Marvin Jones with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left and then found Zay Jones for the game-winning two-point conversion.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal on the last play, an attempt which would have had to beat his own NFL record field goal distance of 66 yards set against Detroit in September 2021.

"The fact that we had a chance and I just didn't deliver, it's heartbreaking to me," Tucker said.

Agence France-Presse

NFL: Super Bowl champ Chiefs clinch division by beating Dolphins

LOS ANGELES -- The Kansas City Chiefs coughed up an uncharacteristic four turnovers but still beat the Miami Dolphins 33-27 on Sunday to clinch their fifth straight AFC West division title.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes received a rude welcome in his first appearance at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium since he earned MVP honors in a Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in February.

He was intercepted twice and sacked for an NFL-record 30-yard loss in the first quarter as Miami seized an early 10-0 lead.

But the Chiefs scored 30 straight points to seize control and fended off the Dolphins' fourth-quarter rally bid to improve to 12-1.

Miami's defeat gave the Chiefs' main competition for the AFC's top overall seed, Pittsburgh, a boost, securing the Steelers' first postseason berth since 2017.

The Steelers, chasing the AFC North division title, took on the Buffalo Bills later Sunday.

Mahomes's three interceptions marked his first multi-interception game in more than two years. But he threw for 393 yards and two touchdowns.

Tyreek Hill scored on a 32-yard run and a 44-yard reception and Travis Kelce had eight catches for 136 yards and a TD.

Mecole Hardman returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown and Chiefs defender Chris Jones sacked Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a safety.

Tagovailoa passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns to Mike Gesicki, cutting the deficit to six points with less than five minutes to play before Harrison Butker kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Chiefs with just over a minute remaining.

Mahomes kept that drive going with a fourth-and-one pass to Hill.

In other early games, the Tennessee Titans tightened their hold on first place in the AFC South with a 31-10 victory over the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

Tennessee running back Derrick Henry ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns. His fourth game with at least 200 yards and two TDs broke the NFL record he previously shared with Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and LaDainian Tomlinson.

His ninth straight road game with more than 100 yards left him one shy of the NFL record established by Sanders over the 1996 and 1997 seasons.

Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 26-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Superstar quarterback Brady threw touchdown passes to Scotty Miller and Rob Gronkowski and the Bucs benefitted from three missed field goals and a missed extra point by Vikings kicker Dan Bailey to secure the win.

Agence France-Presse

Tua, Tom Brady top NFL jersey sales

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was drafted two weeks ago, but his No. 1 jersey already ranks at the top of the NFL's jersey sales ahead of another Florida newcomer.

His aqua Dolphins home jersey is the top seller and the away white is second in jersey sales since the NFL draft last month.

Behind Tagovailoa is Tom Brady, the new quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He actually filled the third (pewter alternative vapor), fourth (white vapor), fifth (Buccaneers red) and sixth (red vapor) spots on the NFL sales list.

Brady teammate Rob Gronkowski, acquired by the Buccaneers from the New England Patriots, is No. 7 on the list ahead of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow was the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Tagovailoa was the fifth pick in the draft. He chose to wear No. 1 after the No. 13 he wore at Alabama -- retired by the Dolphins to honor Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino -- was unavailable.

Second overall pick Chase Young's Washington Redskins jersey rates as the highest seller for a defensive player at No. 24 on the NFL's list.

Field Level Media/Reuters

Don Shula, winningest NFL coach who led Dolphins to perfect season, dead at 90

Don Shula, a masterly coach with a square jaw who won more National Football League games than anyone else and guided the Miami Dolphins to two Super Bowl titles and the only perfect season in league history, died on Monday at 90.

Shula, whose NFL coaching prowess with the Dolphins and the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1995 made him one of the most famous sports figures in America, died peacefully at his home, the Dolphins said in a statement.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Shula will be remembered as one of the greatest coaches and contributors in the history of American football.

"He was a remarkable teacher and mentor who for decades inspired excellence and exemplified integrity," said Goodell. "His iconic legacy will endure through his family and continue to inspire generations to come."

The 1972 Miami Dolphins team that Shula guided stands as the only team in NFL history to post a perfect record - 17-0 - as they marched to a Super Bowl victory over the Washington Redskins. The next season, Shula led them to a second straight victory in the Super Bowl, America's biggest sporting event.

His coaching record in 33 NFL seasons, including regular season and playoff games, was 347 wins, 173 losses and six ties. No coach won more NFL games. Only one other coach, Chicago Bears stalwart George Halas, exceeded 300 wins, with 324. Shula took six teams to the Super Bowl, winning twice.

"I want to count my blessings. I've been able to do something for a lifetime that I have enjoyed doing," Shula, with sunglasses, combed-back white hair and his trademark jutting jaw, said in 1997 as he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. "I've had good health and I've met a lot of great people along the way."

In 2013, he wore the cream-colored jacket given to members of the Hall of Fame to the White House when President Barack Obama invited Shula and the rest of the 1972 Dolphins for a special tribute. Obama lauded Shula, who at age 83 sat in a motorized scooter, as a legendary coach.

Shula was such an enduring figure in professional football that one of his former players, fearsome defensive lineman Bubba Smith, once joked: "If a nuclear bomb dropped, the only things I'm certain would survive are AstroTurf and Don Shula."

Fellow Hall of Fame coach John Madden in 1997 told the Miami Herald: "Nobody else has done it in so many ways, in so many different eras, with so many different kinds of players."

Donald Francis Shula was born on Jan. 4, 1930, in Grand River, Ohio, the son of Hungarian parents. He played college football at John Carroll University in Ohio before spending seven seasons as a defensive back with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins of the NFL. He retired after the 1957 season before working as a college football assistant coach at the University of Virginia.

He came back to the NFL in 1960 when the Detroit Lions made him their defensive coordinator. In 1963, the Baltimore Colts hired Shula as head coach. At age 33, Shula was the youngest head coach ever in the NFL at the time.


A PUNCH IN THE MOUTH'

Shula once called his coaching style "as subtle as a punch in the mouth," and his players knew he was firmly in charge. But he also knew human psychology enough to understand that different players needed to be motivated according to their own individual personalities - with a tongue-lashing for some, a calm explanation for some and humor for others.

Shula did experience some noteworthy failures. On Jan. 12, 1969, his Colts were heavily favored to beat the New York Jets in Super Bowl III in Miami. But Joe Namath, the brash Jets quarterback, guaranteed his team would win.

At the time, the Super Bowl pitted the champion of the venerable NFL against the champion of the upstart American Football League. The two leagues had already revealed plans to merge (they did so in 1970) but NFL teams had thrashed the AFL's champions in the first two Super Bowls.

In one of the biggest upsets in the annals of American sports, the underdog Jets shocked Shula's Colts, 16-7. Shula coached the Colts one more season before going to the Dolphins, a former AFL team struggling to make it in the merged league.

He coached the Dolphins from 1970 until 1995, taking them to the Super Bowl five times. The first time they reached the Super Bowl - following the 1971 season - they were flattened by unflappable coach Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys, 24-3.

The 1972 Dolphins were a team on a mission. Shula guided them to victories in all 14 regular season games and their first two playoff games to earn a spot in Super Bowl VII.

The team was led by quarterback Bob Griese, back from a broken leg, with additional offensive firepower from running backs Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris and wide receiver Paul Warfield. Miami's sturdy "No-Name Defense" featured the likes of linebacker Nick Buoniconti and safety Jake Scott.

Miami beat Washington, 14-7, in the Super Bowl on Jan. 15, 1973, in Los Angeles to finish the season 17-0. Shula's players carried him off the field on their shoulders as he punched his right fist skyward in triumph.

He led the Dolphins to a third consecutive Super Bowl berth the next season - and a second straight victory - as they walloped quarterback Fran Tarkenton's Minnesota Vikings, 24-7.

Shula never again won a Super Bowl. He took the Dolphins to the title game after the 1982 season, losing to the Redskins, and after the 1984 season, falling to the San Francisco 49ers.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Shula coached quarterback Dan Marino, one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, but the two were unable to win a Super Bowl together. Shula said his biggest career regret was failing to win another Super Bowl.

"Coach Shula - you will truly be missed! You embody the definition of 'greatness.' You brought that winning attitude with you every day and made everyone around you better," Marino wrote on Twitter.

"Thank you for always believing in me. You made me a better player and person. My thoughts & prayers are with the entire Shula family. Love you Coach!"

Shula was married twice and had five children. 

(Reporting by Will Dunham in Washington and Peter Szekely in New York; Additional reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Bill Trott, Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)

-reuters-

NFL: Dolphins stun Patriots as Chiefs win for bye, Eagles advance

The Miami Dolphins stunned the New England Patriots, 27-24, on Sunday, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs to seize an NFL first-round playoff bye with a 31-21 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The heavily favored Patriots' loss on their home field at Gillette Stadium, coupled with the Chiefs' win, means Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl champions will play in the wild card round for the first time since 2009 -- when they were thumped at home by the Baltimore Ravens.

“We didn't play the way we're capable of playing and it ended up costing us," New England's superstar quarterback Brady said. "Just too many bad mistakes.

The Pats will host the Tennessee Titans in the wild card round.

With plenty at stake on the final day of the regular season, Raheem Mostert ran for two touchdowns and Dre Greenlaw made a game-saving defensive tackle as the San Francisco 49ers clinched the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 26-21 win over Seattle.

The 49ers (13-3) will get a bye in next weekend's wild-card round while the Seahawks (11-5) get the No. 5 seed and will play at No. 4 seed the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the final game of wild-card weekend.

The Titans secured the last American Football Conference berth with a 35-14 win over the Houston Texans.

That result extinguished the faint hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders.

Green Bay locked up a National Football Conference first-round bye in dramatic fashion in Detroit, where Mason Crosby kicked a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Packers to a 23-20 victory over the lowly Lions.

With quarterback Aaron Rodgers struggling, the Packers trailed by two touchdowns in the second quarter, and didn't take the lead until Crosby came through.

The Eagles locked up the final NFC berth, clinching the NFC East division title with a 34-17 victory over the New York Giants.

That result rendered the Dallas Cowboys' 47-16 victory over the Washington Redskins meaningless.

'Hail to the Dolphins'

The Patriots' road to a title repeat was suddenly looking a lot tougher after their shock loss to the 5-11 Dolphins.

"It was a great chance for us to not play next week, and we didn't take advantage of it," Brady said after the Pats fell to No. 3 in the AFC behind the Baltimore Ravens and the Chiefs. "We just didn't play good enough."

New England have never won the Super Bowl without benefit of a first-round bye.

They looked set to escape with a victory when James White pulled down a screen pass and ran for a 13-yard touchdown that put New England up for the first time with 3:53 remaining.

But the Dolphins marched 75 yards in three minutes and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick found tight end Mike Gesicki for the winning TD with 24 seconds left.

Brady struggled much of the day, completing 16-of-29 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

Brady's first TD pass of the day moved him past Peyton Manning into second on the NFL's all-time touchdown pass list headed by Drew Brees.

But his pass intercepted by former teammate Eric Rowe in the second quarter was returned for a touchdown that gave the Dolphins a 10-3 lead.

"It was just a bad throw," the 42-year-old Brady said, insisting that he had no physical problems on the day.

New England's top-ranked defense allowed a season-high in yards to a Dolphins offense led by Fitzpatrick -- who threw for 320 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a TD.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs didn't waste the opportunity provided by the Pats' defeat, locking in the AFC second seed and a bye with a gritty win over the Chargers.

Los Angeles led 14-10 after an early third-quarter touchdown, but Chiefs rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman returned the ensuing kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown to ignite a Kansas City rally.

Running back Damien Williams added an 84-yard TD run for the Chiefs.

"All in all a great game," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, drawing a laugh when he added: "Hail to the Dolphins."

In Seattle, Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement and scored a touchdown for the injury-riddled Seahawks but the former star running back was used mainly as a decoy in the backfield so quarterback Russell Wilson could run the ball. 

Lynch carried the ball 12 times for just 34 yards in his first NFL game in 14 months. Seattle would've won the NFC West title with a victory. Lynch averaged 2.8 yards a carry.

Agence France-Presse

WORLD SPORTS: Gase is new Dolphins coach, Spieth surges ahead

Dolphins land Gase as head coach4

Reuters

The Miami Dolphins made Adam Gase the National Football League's youngest active head coach on Saturday, believing the 37-year-old can end the team's post-season frustration.

"We did exhaustive research on all of the candidates ahead of time and conducted thorough and detailed interviews with each person," said Dolphins owner and managing general partner Stephen Ross in a statement on the team's website.

"In the end, I was convinced and the search committee was unanimous Adam was the right leader for our football team who best met all of our priorities.

"He has high energy, is competitive and driven to win with a mindset of teaching and developing players."

Gase comes to Miami from the Chicago Bears where he served as offensive coordinator last season. He was Denver's offensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014 when the Broncos and Peyton Manning led the league in scoring offense (34.0 points per game), total offense (430.1 yards per game) and passing offense (315.8 yards per game).

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Spieth surges ahead in Hawaii

Agence France-Presse

World number one Jordan Spieth chipped in for an eagle and grabbed seven birdies in a nine-under par 64 on Friday to surge four strokes clear of the field after two rounds of the US PGA Tournament of Champions.

After another lovely day on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii, Masters and US Open champion Spieth had a 16-under par total of 130 and a four-shot lead over first-round leader Patrick Reed, Kevin Kisner and Argentinian Fabian Gomez.

Reed had four birdies in a four-under 69 for 134, while Kisner climbed up the leaderboard with an eight-under 65 that included an eagle and six birdies and Gomez carded a bogey-free 66 that featured seven birdies.

New Zealand's Danny Lee was alone in fifth after a 68 for 135.

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Former Cardinals scout chief facing jail over Astros hack

Agence France-Presse

The former director of scouting at the St Louis Cardinals faces a possible prison sentence and a heavy fine after pleading guilty to hacking computers belonging to the rival Houston Astros, a justice department statement said Friday.

Chris Correa entered his guilty plea to all counts during a federal court hearing in Houston, where he had been charged with five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer.

Prosecutors said Correa, who worked for the Cardinals from 2009 up until July last year, had accessed an Astros database known as Ground Control, which contained an array of data including scouting reports, statistics and contract information.

Correa admitted accessing the database between March 2013 and March 2014 in order to gain access to Astros information.

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Japanese pitcher Maeda joins Dodgers on eight-year deal

Reuters

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed an eight-year contract with Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda on Thursday as the team continues to fill the void left by the departure of Zack Greinke.

Maeda, a starting pitcher, has registered a record of 97-67 and a 2.39 earned-run average since he joined the Hiroshima Carp of the Japan Central League in 2008.

The 27-year-old is coming off a 15-8 season with a 2.09 ERA in 29 starts and earned his second Sawamura Award as the league's top pitcher.

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Korean pitchers banned for overseas gambling

Reuters

The Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO) handed out half-season suspensions to pitchers Lim Chang-yong and Oh Seung-hwan on Friday following allegations they were involved in illegal gambling in Macau.

Prosecutors in December sought a summary order against the two pitchers and asked a local court to impose 7 million won ($5,848) each in fines.

Free agents Oh and Lim are suspected of gambling tens of thousands of dollars in Macau in November 2014. South Korea's gambling laws ban nationals from betting in casinos abroad.

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Stone and Brooks share lead at lightning-plagued SA Open


Agence France-Presse

South Africa's Brandon Stone and Daniel Brooks of England shared the lead at the lightning-plagued SA Open on Saturday when only three players managed to complete their third rounds.

Both men were locked at 10 under for the tournament at the Glendower Golf Club when play was halted for the third consecutive day.

Brooks had been one of 78 players who had to return early on Saturday morning to complete their second rounds and he had opened up a one-shot midway lead with six birdies in his last 11 holes moving him to nine under par.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WORLD SPORTS: Dolphins fire coach, Yankees pitcher enters rehab

Dolphins fire coach Philbin after dismal start to season

Reuters

Joe Philbin became the first coaching casualty of the National Football League's 2015 season after leading the Miami Dolphins to a 1-3 start to the campaign, the team said on Monday.

Philbin was fired a day after his team failed to convert any of their 12 third down opportunities or four fourth down chances during a 27-14 loss to the AFC East division rival New York Jets at London's Wembley Stadium.

Yankees' Sabathia entering rehab, will miss playoffs

Reuters

New York Yankees veteran starting pitcher CC Sabathia is checking himself into alcohol rehabilitation and will miss the upcoming Major League Baseball postseason, the left-hander said on Monday.

"Today I am checking myself into an alcohol rehabilitation center to receive the professional care and assistance needed to treat my disease," the 35-year-old Sabathia said.

Sabathia, a six-times All-Star who won a World Series with New York in 2009, was the winning pitcher last Thursday against the rival Boston Red Sox when the Yankees clinched their first postseason berth since 2012.

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Nationals fire manager after two seasons in charge

Steve Ginsburg, Reuters
The Washington Nationals, a club that struggled all season and barely finished .500 despite a roster loaded with marquee names and assembled through a team-record $164 million payroll, fired manager Matt Williams on Monday.

Under-performing players, defensive lapses, and a slew of injuries to key players were just a few of the reasons the Nationals staggered to an 83-79 record and failed to make the postseason.

Williams, 49, won 96 games in 2014 in his first season as manager and was named National League Manager of the Year. The Nationals lost in the NL Division Series to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Washington opened the 2015 season as a favorite to win the World Series but the dream ended swiftly with a spate of injuries that saw Denard Span, Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and others spend much of the year on the disabled list.

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Bouchard's concussion comeback ends in tears

Talek HARRIS, Agence France-Presse

Eugenie Bouchard's comeback match from concussion ended in tears on Monday when dizzy spells forced her to retire from her China Open first-round match against Andrea Petkovic.

On a day when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was also hit by dizziness, Bouchard lasted just 10 games before retiring from her first match since she slipped and banged her head in the locker rooms at the US Open.

Bouchard skipped last week's Wuhan Open to continue her recovery, but said she had felt ready for Beijing and was bitterly disappointed to retire.

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Venus Williams storms up 10 places after Wuhan win

Agence France-Presse

Venus Williams was the main mover at the top of the new WTA tennis rankings published on Monday, climbing 10 places to 14th.

The veteran older sister of world number one Serena Williams won the WTA tournament in Wuhan last week, as Spain's Garbine Muguruza retired during the final due to exhaustion, although she was already a set and three games down at that point.

There was some solace for the Spaniard, though, as the Wimbledon finalist climbed three places to a career high ranking of fifth.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic was the big loser as the former French Open champion fell six places to 15th.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com