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09/23/18 05:37:00
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09/23 17:35 CDT The Latest: Hobbled Rams take 15-point lead into 4th
The Latest: Hobbled Rams take 15-point lead into 4th
By The Associated Press
The Latest on the third Sunday of the NFL regular season (all times EDT):
6:30 p.m.
The Los Angeles Rams are taking a 35-20 lead into the fourth quarter against
the Chargers in the Coliseum, but the home team is without its top two
cornerbacks.
Aqib Talib went to the locker room late in the third quarter with an
undisclosed injury. The Rams already were without Marcus Peters, who injured
his leg in the first half.
Backups Sam Shields, Troy Hill and Nickell Robey-Coleman are getting snaps in
the fourth quarter.
The Rams racked up 450 yards of offense in the first three quarters.
--- Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles.
___
6 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Marcus Peters injured his leg during the first half
against the Chargers and had to be helped off the field. He won't return.
Peters is in his first season with the Rams after establishing himself as a Pro
Bowl-level cornerback with Kansas City.
Rams kick returner JoJo Natson also injured his hand in the first half and
didn't return. He was signed two weeks ago to replace injured Pro Bowl returner
Pharoh Cooper.
The injuries haven't stopped the Rams from taking a 28-13 lead early in the
third quarter of their crosstown showdown.
--- Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles.
___
5:45 p.m
The 49ers fear quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will miss the remainder of the
season after sustaining an injury to the ACL in his left knee late in Sunday's
38-27 loss to Kansas City.
Garoppolo will have an MRI to confirm the severity of the injury, but 49ers
coach Kyle Shanahan said "we fear an ACL." That would mean C.J. Beathard is in
line to start at quarterback.
Garoppolo was knocked out of the game late in the fourth quarter after taking a
wicked shot from cornerback Steven Nelson along the sideline. Garoppolo
appeared to take an awkward step and his knee buckled, just as Nelson delivered
a shoulder-to-shoulder blow.
___
5:20 p.m.
The Rams stretched their lead in their crosstown showdown by blocking a
Chargers punt in the end zone and recovering it for a touchdown.
It all happened after Chargers rookie safety Derwin James made an end zone
interception of Jared Goff, but attempted to bring it out and went out of
bounds at the 1. The Bolts barely moved the ball on three plays, forcing an end
zone punt.
The Chargers missed a block, and Rams linebacker Cory Littleton easily blocked
Drew Kaser's punt, leaving Kaser with a leg injury in the process. Blake
Countess recovered it, and the Rams had a 21-6 lead after the extra point.
--- Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles.
___
5:10 p.m.
The Arizona Cardinals look nothing like the team that struggled the first two
games so far against the Chicago Bears.
Arizona (0-2) leads 14-0 after one quarter, more than doubling its point total
for the season.
Cardinals QB Sam Bradford has been sharp, hitting 4 of 5 passes for 92 yards
and a pair of touchdowns, eclipsing his output from last week's 34-0 drubbing
by the Los Angeles Rams.
___
4:55 p.m.
Seattle's Earl Thomas has quickly made his presence known.
Thomas made a remarkable interception midway through the first quarter of the
Seahawks' matchup with the Cowboys, pinning a deflected pass from quarterback
Dak Prescott against his shin and keeping the ball from hitting the ground.
Thomas' status for the game was in doubt after he missed two days of practice
for personal reasons this week.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll was vague about Thomas' situation as rumors
continued to swirl about his long-term future with the team. Thomas held out of
training camp while seeking contract security beyond this season.
___
4:50 p.m.
Jared Goff and the Rams' offense are off to a sizzling start in the crosstown
showdown with the Chargers.
The Rams took a 14-6 lead heading into the second quarter after three lengthy
drives led by Goff, who went 13 of 14 for 141 yards. Goff patiently carved up
the Chargers' defense, which is missing star pass-rusher Joey Bosa, on TD
drives ending in Todd Gurley's 1-yard run and Robert Woods' 3-yard TD catch.
The Bolts answered with a brilliant 42-yard TD reception by Mike Williams.
--- Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles.
___
4:30 p.m.
Three more players make demonstrations during the national anthem prior to the
afternoon games.
Chargers left tackle Russell Okung raised his right fist during the anthem
before their game against the Rams. Okung has made the gesture at every game
this season.
Seahawks offensive tackle Duane Brown and defensive Quinton Jefferson went into
the locker room for the anthem prior to their game with the Cowboys and came
out as soon as it finished.
During the early afternoon games, Dolphins receivers Kenny Stills and Albert
Wilson kneeled during the national anthem before their team's game against the
Raiders, and defensive end Robert Quinn raised his right fist.
___
4:05 p.m.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been knocked out of their game against
Kansas City late in the fourth quarter after taking a wicked shot from
cornerback Steven Nelson along the sideline.
Garoppolo could have stepped out of bounds, but instead he ducked back inside
and took a hard shoulder-to-shoulder blow right on his own throwing shoulder.
He remained on the field for about a minute before he was helped to the
sideline.
C.J. Beathard took over facing fourth-and-goal at the Kansas City 7 with the
49ers trailing 38-24 and 5:35 left. He appeared to throw a TD pass to George
Kittle, but it was wiped out by offensive pass interference, and San Francisco
wound up kicking a field goal instead.
--- Dave Skretta reporting from Kansas City
___
4 p.m.
Matt Ryan has set a new personal single-game record with his fifth touchdown
pass against the Saints. The five scoring passes ties a team record set by Wade
Wilson.
Ryan's scoring pass to Mohamed Sanu, followed by his 2-point conversion pass to
Sanu, gave the Falcons a 37-30 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
The play came after Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata was called for
unnecessary roughness when Atlanta's Matt Bryant kicked a 29-yard field goal
that would have given the Falcons a 32-30 lead. With the penalty, the Falcons'
offense came back on the field.
--- Charles Odum reporting from Atlanta.
___
3:45 p.m.
Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has been called for roughing the passer on a
sack on Redskins QB Alex Smith --- and there are sure to be more questions
about what constitutes a penalty on such plays.
Matthews broke in alone on Smith in the third quarter, wrapped him and brought
him down. Matthews immediately put his arms up and slapped himself in the
helmet as the flag was thrown. Packers coach Mike McCarthy argued with two
officials about the call, even chasing one along the sideline as he backpedaled
away.
In last week's tie against the Vikings, a potentially win-sealing interception
for the Packers was wiped out by a roughing call on Matthews when he hit Kirk
Cousins.
The rule preventing defenders from landing on the quarterback has been around
since 1995, but the league's competition committee made it a point of emphasis
this year. More than 30 roughing-the-passer penalties were called in this
season's first two weeks.
___
3:30 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri has matched Morten Andersen for most
field goals in NFL history with 565.
Vinatieri needed three field goals Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles to
tie the record. The 45-year-old Vinatieri kicked field goals of 35 and 31 yards
in the third quarter to give the Colts a 13-10 lead. Vinatieri matched the mark
early in the fourth with a 28-yarder and a 16-13 lead.
Vinatieri had three fields goals this season coming into the game.
Vinatieri was already the NFL's postseason record holder for scoring (234) and
field goals (56); and he hit two Super Bowl winners in the final minute. He's
won four Super Bowl rings and was the only unanimous selection on the Super
Bowl 50 Golden Team.
He made 263 field goals in 10 years with the New England Patriots and has 302
with the Colts.
___
3:10 p.m.
Calvin Ridley has become the first rookie with three touchdown catches in a
game in Falcons history.
Ridley's first career game with more than one touchdown catch comes on his
first game with at least 100 yards receiving.
His third scoring catch against the Saints was a 9-yarder early in the third
quarter that held up following a review.
___
3 p.m.
Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has left the game against Carolina with a
groin injury. The Bengals have changed his status to return to questionable,
after initially reporting he was probable to return.
Green, who had three TD catches last week against Baltimore, has five catches
for 58 yards in the game, which the Bengals trail 21-14.
___
2:55 p.m.
The 49ers have lost star cornerback Richard Sherman to a calf injury, the third
defensive back to get banged up in their game against Kansas City.
That's hardly going to help against Patrick Mahomes, who was already torching
the 49ers defense.
Starting safety Adrian Colbert left with a hip injury in the second quarter,
and backup cornerback Tarvarius Moore left earlier in the game with a wrist
injury.
Another starting safety, Jaquiski Tartt, was inactive with a shoulder injury
and cornerback Greg Mabin was also inactive. That means the 49ers are severely
depleted in the defensive backfield
--- Dave Skretta reporting from Kansas City
___
2:45 p.m.
Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson covered his face mask
with both hands as he was carted off the field with an ankle injury late in the
first half against the Washington Redskins.
A teammate rolled up on Wilkerson's legs at the end of a running play.
Wilkerson immediately grabbed his left leg, then stayed on the ground on a
rainy afternoon.
The 28-year-old Wilkerson was a first-round draft pick of the New York Jets in
2011.
He is in his first season with the Packers.
___
2:40 p.m.
The Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes has set the NFL record for touchdown passes through
three weeks , and he still has another half to go against San Francisco.
Mahomes threw TD passes to Chris Conley and Demetrius Harris before finding
Sammy Watkins on a slant route with 34 seconds left before halftime to give the
Chiefs a 35-7 lead.
Mahomes has 13 TD passes this season. Peyton Manning had the record of 12 set
in 2013.
Making his first start at Arrowhead Stadium, Mahomes is 17 of 25 for 252 yards
and three touchdowns. Eight different targets have receptions.
--- Dave Skretta reporting from Kansas City
___
2:30 p.m.
Denver rookie running back Phillip Lindsay has been ejected for throwing a
punch.
The penalty occurred during a scramble for a fumble by Broncos quarterback Case
Keenum. While the players were scrambling to get the loose ball, Lindsay took a
swing at a Ravens player.
Lindsay is the first undrafted rookie in NFL history to top 100 yards from
scrimmage in each of his first two games.
In this one, he has 20 yards on four carries.
___
2:25 p.m.
Drew Brees set the NFL record for career completions with his 17-yarder to
Michael Thomas in the second quarter against Atlanta. The completion was the
6,301st of Brees' career, surpassing the 6,300 thrown by Hall of Famer Brett
Favre.
Brees set the NFL's single-season completion record when he finished last
season with 481 after a Jan. 1 game, also played in Atlanta. That broke his
mark of 468, set in 2011.
__ Matt Winklejohn reporting from Atlanta
___
2:20 p.m.
The Buffalo Bills, who entered the game as 16-point underdogs, have built a
stunning 27-0 lead on the Minnesota Vikings.
The crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Vikings have seven straight games and
are 14-4 since the building opened, has been booing the home team repeatedly
throughout an abysmal first half.
Of the last 80 teams in the NFL who entered the game as underdogs of 16 points
or more, only five won their games.
Kirk Cousins has lost two fumbles on sacks deep in Minnesota territory. Buffalo
rookie Josh Allen has rushed for two touchdowns and thrown for another score.
--- Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis
___
2:15 p.m.
Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith's streak of consecutive passes
without an interception is over after 156 attempts, the longest active such run
in the NFL.
Smith was picked off by Green Bay Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the
second quarter Sunday. The throw was intended for tight end Jordan Reed, but he
broke inside and the football went outside, where Clinton-Dix was waiting for
the easy play.
The Redskins were leading 14-3 at the time.
Smith hadn't been intercepted since Dec. 10, 2017, when he was playing for the
Kansas City Chiefs against the Oakland Raiders.
___
2:10 p.m.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has thrown his first touchdown pass of the
afternoon, capping a 75-yard drive by scrambling all over the field and finding
Chris Conley in the back of the end zone.
Kansas City has TDs on each of its possessions and leads San Francisco 21-7.
Mahomes had 10 touchdown passes through the first two weeks. He is now tied
with Tom Brady (2011) for second-most TD passes through three games. Peyton
Manning set the record with 12 in 2013.
---Dave Skretta reporting from Kansas City
___
2 p.m.
Dolphins receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson kneeled during the national
anthem before their team's game against the Raiders, and defensive end Robert
Quinn raised his right fist.
All three have staged similar protests before their team's other games this
season.
The displays by Miami's players were the only demonstrations identified by
Associated Press reporters during the national anthem before Sunday's early
games.
___
1:50 p.m.
Raiders receiver Jordy Nelson has 139 yards on three receptions against the
Dolphins, and they've played only one quarter.
Miami missed injured safety Reshad Jones from the start, with rookie
replacement Minkah Fitzpatrick burned on the second play when Nelson turned a
short pass over the middle into a 61-yard gain. That set up Nelson's 12-yard
touchdown catch, again over the middle.
On the Raiders' next possession, Nelson beat Bobby McCain deep for a 66-yard
gain, before Miami made a goal-line stand.
___
1:40 p.m.
Marcus Mariota is in at quarterback for the Tennessee Titans.
Blaine Gabbert left the Titans' game with Jacksonville in the first quarter and
is being evaluated for a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit by defensive
tackle Malik Jackson. Jackson was flagged on the play.
Gabbert walked off the field under his own power and went inside the medical
tent for treatment. He then could be seen heading to the locker room.
Mariota missed last week's game because of an elbow injury that affects the
velocity and spin of his passes.
___
1:25 p.m.
Carson Wentz threw a touchdown pass for the Eagles in his first drive since
December.
Wentz completed five passes for 55 yards on Philadelphia's opening drive and
connected with Dallas Goedert for a 13-yard touchdown. All five receptions on
the drive were made by tight ends.
Wentz played for the first time since he tore his ACL and LCL in Week 14 diving
into the end zone on a scramble. He wore a brace on his left knee on a soggy
day in Philadelphia.
Wentz tweeted hours before the game: "My God has been faithful & my source of
strength through all the highs and lows. What a journey these past 9 months
have been. Finally getting back on that field and I can't thank the Lord
enough! I know the Linc is gonna be rockin so let's have some fun today."
Sure enough, fans in Wentz jerseys went wild when the QB ran onto the field.
___
1:20 p.m.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is off to another solid start in his first
regular-season game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Mahomes, who is 3-0 as the starter with all his wins on the road, led the
Chiefs to a touchdown drive to open their game against San Francisco. He was 4
of 7 for 48 yards, and converted a fourth-and-inches by keeping it on an option
and taking a big shot from a 49ers defender.
Kareem Hunt finished the drive with a touchdown plunge to give Kansas City a
7-0 lead.
--- Dave Skretta reporting from Kansas City
___
1 p.m
Ray Lewis returned to his home stadium for a celebration marking his entry into
the NFL Hall of Fame.
After the Ravens were introduced before their game against Denver, the song
"Hot in Herre" by Nelly boomed over the PA.
Lewis emerged from the tunnel wearing his yellow Hall of Fame jacket and did
his trademark dance while the soggy crowd cheered.
The city of Baltimore held a parade for Lewis on Saturday. He's the second
member of the Ravens to enter the Hall of Fame, joining Jonathan Ogden.
___
12:15 p.m.
The Cincinnati Bengals are joining in support of relief efforts for those
affected by Hurricane Florence, which has devastated the Carolinas.
The Bengals, like the Panthers, will wear stickers that read "One Carolina" on
the back of their helmets for Sunday's game in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Bengals said on Twitter "we send our well wishes to all who were affected."
Dana Outlaw, the mayor of New Bern, North Carolina ---an area hit particularly
hard by the hurricane--- received an invite from Panthers coach Ron Rivera to
hit the team's "Keep Pounding" drum before the game.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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