49ers' Brock Purdy a 'long shot' to play Sunday due to toe injury, could miss multiple weeks
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is a "long shot" to play against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday due to a toe injury. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that Purdy couldn't practice after getting hurt in a season-opening win at Seattle. If Purdy can't play, Mac Jones will start for the 49ers. Purdy played through injuries to his toe and left shoulder, leading a game-winning drive against Seattle. Jones, a former first-round pick by New England, signed with San Francisco in March. The 49ers are also without star tight end George Kittle, who is on injured reserve.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid says emotional outbursts in loss to Chargers are 'part of the game'
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are downplaying emotional outbursts during their season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. Star tight end Travis Kelce confronted right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who was penalized four times. Later, linebacker Drue Tranquill had words with defensive tackle Chris Jones after a crucial mistake. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that emotions are part of the game but acknowledged the team came out flat last Friday. Patrick Mahomes emphasized the passion among teammates, saying they hold each other accountable. The Chiefs have a Super Bowl rematch with Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Steelers know they need to protect Aaron Rodgers better after a 'sloppy' performance in opener
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has plenty to clean up ahead of a Week 2 visit from Seattle. While Pittsburgh pulled out a 34-32 victory over the New York Jets in the season opener, the line allowed quarterback Aaron Rodgers to be sacked four times. The 41-year-old Rodgers admits he contributed to some of those sacks and acknowledges he wasn't moving as well as he'd like after sitting out the preseason. Left tackle Broderick Jones, who allowed three sacks, knows he needs to improve. The Steelers are confident Jones can turn things around. They face a tough challenge against the Seahawks' aggressive defense next week.
NBA will not rush judgment in Kawhi Leonard investigation, Commissioner Adam Silver says
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA is not rushing its investigation into whether a business relationship between Kawhi Leonard and a California company was legitimate or a way for the Los Angeles Clippers to bypass salary cap rules. Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the league will wait for a report from an outside firm before taking further steps. The investigation began last week after a report suggested a $28 million endorsement deal between Leonard and Aspiration Fund Adviser, LLC, might have broken league rules. The Clippers deny any wrongdoing and welcome the investigation. Silver emphasized the importance of due process and fairness.
Trump loves the spotlight that comes with sports. He especially loves when it's on him
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has built most of his domestic travel around attending sporting events. Rather than rooting for any particular team, however, he seems more eager to soak up the spotlight and spectacle of the events — even if some in the crowd boo him. During his second term, Trump has attended major sporting events such as the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and the U.S. Open, and now he plans to go to Thursday's Yankees-Tigers baseball game in the Bronx.
Scottie Scheffler leads a Ryder Cup crew in Napa
The Procore Championship has a 144-man field to start the Fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule. It feels like Ryder Cup training camp. Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas are among 10 players on the U.S. team wanting to play at Silverado this week to stay sharp for the Ryder Cup. Scheffler was a big voice in encouraging everyone to play in Napa at the start of the year knowing it was the only tournament between the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup. But the world's No. 1 player says he's not just here to talk Ryder Cup.
Pro Picks: Packers will edge out the Commanders
Micah Parsons ran down Jared Goff for his first sack with the Green Bay Packers. Now, he’ll be chasing Jayden Daniels. Fresh off a convincing victory over the two-time defending NFC North champion Lions, the Packers host the Washington Commanders to kick off Week 2. The Commanders ran for 220 yards, including 68 by Daniels, in their win over the Giants. Without Kenny Clark stuffing the middle, the Packers still shut down Detroit’s run game. Parsons played 45% of the snaps just 10 days after the two-time All-Pro pass rusher was acquired from Dallas in a blockbuster deal. He should see more action on short rest.
College football picks: Sooners, Cyclones, Utes among Power Four teams making rare visits to G5 foes
It’s hard to not notice the handful of games where Power Four teams play Group of Five opponents on the road. Among Associated Press Top 25 teams this week, No. 13 Oklahoma is at Temple and No. 14 Iowa State visits Arkansas State. Among the unranked, SMU travels to FBS newcomer Missouri State, Duke is at Tulane and Utah goes to Wyoming. There should be fewer Power Four road games against G5 teams in coming years as athletic directors craft schedules giving them best paths to the College Football Playoff.
Germany rallies to beat Doncic’s Slovenia 99-91 and set up EuroBasket semifinal with Finland
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Luka Dončić’s 39 points were not enough for Slovenia as it lost 99-91 to Germany in a thrilling EuroBasket quarterfinal. Orlando Magic guard Franz Wagner scored 23 points and captain Dennis Schröder added 20 points and 7 assists for Germany, which will face Finland in the semifinals on Friday. Germany guard Andreas Obst’s 3-pointer capped a 12-0 run to put the World Cup champions ahead 77-74 early in the fourth quarter. Earlier, the Finns held off a Georgia fightback to win 93-79 and reach the semifinals for the first time. In Friday’s other semifinal, it’s Greece against Turkey. Both teams had advanced on Tuesday.
Paul Skenes tops 200 strikeouts as Pirates manage his workload
BALTIMORE (AP) — After surpassing 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career, Pirates ace Paul Skenes admitted it was good to get a breather. The NL Cy Young front-runner reached 203, fanning eight Orioles batters in Pittsburgh’s 2-1, 10-inning loss to Baltimore on Wednesday night. It might’ve been more had manager Don Kelly not removed the overpowering right-hander after a season-low 64 pitches with an eye toward managing his workload at the back end of his first full season in the majors. Skenes worked five scoreless, two-hit frames in his 30th outing. He as a majors-best 1.92 ERA over 178 innings after combining for 160 1/3 last season between the Pirates and Triple-A Indianapolis.
