Mostert runs for 2 TDs, Tagovailoa throws for another as Dolphins hold off Patriots 24-17

The Derrick

18 September 2023

Mostert runs for 2 TDs, Tagovailoa throws for another as Dolphins hold off Patriots 24-17

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs hold on to beat Jets 23-20 with Taylor Swift, Aaron Rodgers watching

Perfect starts by Texas and Oklahoma have set up the 43rd meeting between the Red River Rivals where both teams will be ranked. The Longhorns were No. 3 in Sunday’s AP Top 25 and the Sooners moved up a couple of spots to a season-high No. 12. The Texas-Oklahoma rivalry has the second-most ranked matchups of any series in major college football. Michigan-Ohio State is No. 1. The Wolverines and Buckeyes have played 48 times when both teams were ranked, including last year.

China is simply relentless in its domination of the Asian Games. China won 132 gold medals and 287 medals overall at the games five years ago in Indonesia. China has already broken its mark for gold medals this time and is very close to matching the overall total from five years ago into Day 9 with five full days remaining. China has won 146 gold medals already. That is almost half of the 305 gold medals awarded so far. Its overall total stands at 269. Host nations typically get a “home field” bounce when hosting a large multi-sport event like the Asian Games.

Government officials say a new inspection has been ordered at the stadium that hosted the 2004 Athens Olympics after rust was found along the iconic arched roof. The site was forced to close. The 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium and nearby Olympic Velodrome are covered by white-ribbed steel roofs designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. They are similar in style to work such as the Oculus Transportation Hub in downtown New York. It is the latest headache for Greek authorities in managing costly Olympic venues around the capital. Many of them remain underused or mothballed.

The NFL’s top preseason contenders played like it in the first quarter of the season. Defending champion Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas and Buffalo are 17-3 combined. The Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Cowboys and Bills are, in Dennis Green’s words, who we thought they were. Of the six teams with the best Super Bowl odds entering the season, only the Bengals haven’t lived up to expectations. Cincinnati is struggling because Joe Burrow is playing hurt. A calf injury has severely limited the NFL’s highest-paid player. Most of the frontrunners are winning despite not playing their best football.

Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and two of her teammates on Spain’s women’s national team have appeared before a judge as witnesses in the investigation of former soccer federation president Luis Rubiales for kissing a player on the lips. Putellas, Irene Paredes and Misa Rodríguez all answered questions from the judge in Madrid. Rodríguez appeared in court in the Spanish capital while Putellas and Paredes testified via video from Barcelona. Spanish state prosecutors have accused Rubiales of sexual assault and coercion for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the awards ceremony after the Women’s World Cup final in August.

The crew chief for Kevin Harvick insisted he didn't cheat and race conditions caused Harvick to become the first driver disqualified at Talladega Superspeedway since 1972. Harvick lost to Ryan Blaney at Talladega on Sunday by 0.012 seconds and Harvick was credited with a second-place finish in the final superspeedway race ahead of his retirement at the end of the season. Some two hours after the race, NASCAR disqualified Harvick, saying the windshield fasteners on the No. 4 Ford were not secure in post-race inspection. Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Rodney Childers chalked the loose windshield up to rough racing conditions for 500 miles and not cheating in a since-deleted social media post.

UNDATED (AP) — Georgia’s hold on No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll loosened as the Bulldogs received a season-low 35 first-place votes out of possible 62. The Bulldogs needed a late touchdown to escape with a win at Auburn and still extended their streak to 16 appearances a…

Hitting a baseball is widely accepted as one of the hardest tasks in sports. Miguel Cabrera made it look easy. Now the likely Hall of Famer has wrapped up his career. He retires as one of seven players who have reached both 3,000 hits and 500 homers. At .307, Cabrera has the highest career batting average of that bunch. Cabrera steps away with a resume full of accolades. He was part of some memorable teams in a great baseball city in Detroit. He played until he was 40. By almost any standard, he fulfilled his considerable potential.

The Columbus Blue Jackets hope to improve on a horrendous season plagued by too many injuries to key players for coach Brad Larsen to keep his job. New coach Pascal Vincent was hired Sept. 17 after Larsen's planned successor, Mike Babcock, was dismissed amid allegations of violating the privacy of players by asking to see their cell phone photos. Most everybody is healthy now, and there are huge expectations for forward Adam Fantilli, who the team selected third overall in the 2023 NHL draft. Some veteran defenders were added to help in the back end.

For the first time in nine years, baseball’s postseason won’t include a New York team. Neither one even came close, really. Back in March, such a monumental flop by the Yankees and Mets would’ve been difficult to envision. With big-name stars like Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso on both sides of town — and the two largest payrolls in the majors — the highly anticipated 2023 season shaped up as one of the most exciting in the city’s history. But by August, all anyone in the Big Apple was talking about was football, as both tattered teams played out the string in front of empty seats. Now, the Mets and Yankees have critical decisions to make heading into an uncertain offseason.

Europe has won the Ryder Cup, and no one should be surprised. That starts with Rory McIlroy, the leading scorer for Europe in a five-point victory at Marco Simone. He thinks winning a road Ryder Cup is among the greatest feats in golf. Recent Ryder Cups have all featured big wins by the home team. This one was no different. It wasn't quite the “Coma in Roma.” But Europe led by five points after the first day and the Americans never got any closer. Next up for Europe is trying to win the next one at Bethpage Black.

Is it really October if you don’t conquer some demons?

Third-ranked Daniil Medvedev has overcome a second-set stumble to beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and advance to the semifinals of the China Open. The Russian struggled to find his usual fluid game in the first two sets but sprung to life in the third to shake off the 36th-ranked Humbert and progress to his 10th semifinal of the year. Making her first appearance at the China Open, second-ranked Iga Swiatek advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo. Seventh-seeded Ons Jabeur beat Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 6-4.

The Boston Bruins have won the Presidents Trophy twice in four seasons and figure to have another successful regular season. But they’ve won only two playoff series in that span, and that’s the problem. Boston fans will wait out the regular season to see if this team can deliver in the playoffs like previous years haven’t. Brad Marchand will have added responsibilities this year. He took over as captain after Patrice Bergeron retired. The Bruins want to make sure Marchand can manage his new responsibilities without losing the passion that fuels his game on the ice.

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs shook off a subpar performance during which they blew a 17-point lead, but held on to defeat the New York Jets 23-20. Mahomes was intercepted twice and struggled to get much going after a quick start with pop superstar Taylor Swift watching Travis Kelce and the Chiefs for the second straight game, this time from a suite at MetLife Stadium. Michael Carter II intercepted Mahomes on third-and-20 but it was negated by a holding call on Sauce Gardner. Mahomes ran for 9 yards on third down to the Jets 2 to seal the victory.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City shook off a subpar performance during which they blew a 17-point lead, but held on to defeat the New York Jets 23-20 on Sunday night.

Former elite fencer Kirsten Hawkes feels let down by the U.S. Center for SafeSport after filing a complaint to the agency formed six years ago to combat sexual misconduct in Olympic sports. Since then, more than 1,900 people have been placed on its disciplinary database — a sign its efforts to corral abusers who might otherwise go unchecked have been a success. But Hawkes’ former coach, who she accused of forcing an unwanted kiss on her and other abuse, never went on that list — not after SafeSport handed him a three-month probation, nor after the probation was overturned by an arbitrator. Hawkes says her case undermined her confidence in SafeSport’s ability to protect her and others in similar situations.

Former elite fencer Kirsten Hawkes feels let down by the U.S. Center for SafeSport after filing a complaint to the agency formed in 2017 to combat sexual misconduct in Olympic sports. Since then, more than 1,900 people have been placed on its disciplinary database — a sign, it says, that efforts to corral abusers who might otherwise go unchecked have been successful. But Hawkes’ former coach, who she accused of forcing an unwanted kiss on her and other abuse, never went on that list — not after SafeSport handed him a three-month probation, nor after the probation was overturned by an arbitrator. Hawkes says her case undermined her confidence in SafeSport’s ability to protect her and others in similar situations.

Say this about Brad Stevens: He isn’t timid.

George Kirby allowed only three hits in six innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 1-0 and allowed Houston to win the American League West title. A day after clinching the ninth postseason berth in franchise history, Texas only needed a win over the Mariners to wrap up the AL West. But the loss opened the door for Houston to grab the division title thanks to holding the tiebreaker over the Rangers. The Astros beat Arizona 8-1. Texas will begin the postseason as a wild-card team and face Tampa Bay. The Rangers couldn’t solve Kirby, who closed the regular season with 12 scoreless innings over his final two starts against Houston and Texas.