September 18, 2026 4:29 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen quickly put his stamp on the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium that’s been aptly dubbed “The House that Allen built.” Allen threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores, and the Bills beat the Detroit Lions 41-31 on Thursday night in the first regular-season game at Highmark Stadium. It was Allen’s fourth career five-TD outing, and followed a four-touchdown outing (two passing, two rushing) in Buffalo’s 36-31 season-opening win at Houston. The $2.1 billion stadium that officially opened last month was built across the street from the Bills former home.
September 18, 2026 4:27 am
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — Sidney Crosby seems content with his contract status as he starts his 22nd season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Teammate Erik Karlsson feels similarly, though for different reasons. Both are entering the final year of their deals, and their future together is uncertain. Crosby, a franchise icon, is focused on how long he can keep playing at his high standards. He turns 40 next summer but remains competitive. Karlsson, at 36, hasn’t discussed an extension but feels good about his future. The Penguins aim to build depth and consistency, with a focus on long-term success.
September 18, 2026 2:50 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin hit a two-run single to key a five-run second inning and Henry Davis tacked on a two-run homer to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates over the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers 7-4. Milwaukee, a major league-best 95-58, leads the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games for the top NL seed and holds the tiebreaker. Pittsburgh (76-77) is closing in on missing the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season. Since 1992, the Pirates’ only postseason appearances were from 2013-15.
September 16, 2026 4:18 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Christian Yelich’s two-run double in the seventh inning sent the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yelich grounded his double down the left-field line off Carmen Mlodzinski to erase a 4-3 deficit. His big hit came one night after the Brewers became the first team in the major leagues to clinch a division title this season, winning their fourth consecutive NL Central crown. The Brewers have the best record in the majors at 95-57 and hope to finish atop the overall standings to earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
September 17, 2026 4:19 am
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots’ wide receivers are moving forward without A.J. Brown. The star free-agent acquisition suffered a high ankle sprain in New England’s season opener. Brown will miss at least the next four games. Coach Mike Vrabel says the Patriots’ game plans won’t change too much in Brown’s absence. But he says guys will move around to different positions. Romeo Doubs will be asked to fill some of the void left by Brown. Doubs had a rough debut with a key drop in the Patriots’ loss to the Seahawks.
September 17, 2026 4:21 am
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — The Winnipeg Jets suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on Wednesday night for failing to report to training camp. The team said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would address the media Thursday morning. It did not specify the length of the suspension for the U.S. Olympic star. Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2025 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, publicly requested a trade from the team on Aug. 27. In a statement posted on X by his agent, Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck said he had privately requested a trade “several months ago” and that he gave the organization time to address it “queitly and respectfully.”
September 16, 2026 4:21 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski struck out seven in five shutout innings and the Milwaukee Brewers won their their fourth straight National League Central title with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. About 50 minutes after the final out, the Brewers clinched the division when the second-place Chicago Cubs lost to Atlanta. Milwaukee players watched the end of that game on television, raising hands and cheering at the final out. The flamethrowing Misiorowski (15-5) dropped his ERA to major league-best 1.89 and boosted his season strikeout total to 243.
September 16, 2026 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation to broadly regulate college sports has cleared a first major hurdle in the Senate. The Senate voted Tuesday to consider the bill, a significant step forward as senators from both parties have made the legislation a priority. The bill aims to put guardrails around escalating spending in college sports as the industry struggles to adapt to a new model in which schools can pay players. Major conferences, Senate leadership and President Donald Trump have backed the bipartisan bill. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas said the bill aims to quell “the chaos we have in college sports.”
September 16, 2026 4:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. delivered record ratings for the women’s FIBA World Cup on TNT, with an average of 1.2 million people watching the Americans beat France in the gold medal game. It was the third most-watched women’s World Cup game and it peaked at 1.5 million viewers. The top two also came from this year’s tournament, which ended Sunday. The title game went up against the opening weekend of the NFL season and the U.S. Open men’s final. The WNBA has drawn huge ratings this season, thanks in no small part to Caitlin Clark’s star power.
September 15, 2026 4:20 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike McCarthy’s first win as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers came against the backdrop of cornerback Joey Porter’s absence. McCarthy opted to make Porter inactive for a season-opening victory over Atlanta, citing a back issue that forced Porter to miss a chunk of training camp. The decision came as a deadline for Porter to sign a long-term deal to remain in Pittsburgh came and went without an agreement. McCarthy said he is hopeful Porter will take a step forward in practice this week. The Steelers will take a step up in class in Week 2 when they visit defending AFC champion New England.
