January 23, 2023 3:52 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – Joe Burrow threw two touchdown passes, the Bengals swarmed Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen on a snow-slicked field and Cincinnati advanced to its second straight AFC championship game with a 27-10 win. Damar Hamlin’s inspirational presence while watching the game from an end-zone suite was not enough to spark the Bills in a rematch of a regular-season game that was canceled Jan. 2 when the Bills safety went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field in Cincinnati. The Bengals advanced to consecutive AFC championship games for the first time in franchise history and will again travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs.
January 23, 2023 3:47 am
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – Dougie Hamilton scored in overtime on the power-play and Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves as the New Jersey Devils downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Hamilton’s goal at 2:07 was assisted by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier and lifted the Devils to their second straight home overtime win. The Devils were returning from a 4-0-1 road trip heading into Sunday’s game. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby scored in the first for his 22nd goal of the season and goalie Tristan Jarry had 23 saves.
January 22, 2023 7:54 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 27-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and a place in their fifth straight AFC title game. They will play the winner of the Sunday game between Cincinnati and Buffalo. Mahomes missed most of the second quarter after he was landed on by Jaguars pass rusher Arden Key. But the All-Pro quarterback came out of the halftime locker room to lead the Chiefs on a 75-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive, and Kansas City forced two late turnovers to help put the game away. Trevor Lawrence threw for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Jacksonville.
January 22, 2023 7:51 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts erased lingering doubts about the state of his right shoulder by throwing two touchdown passes and running for a score during a dominant first half, and the Philadelphia Eagles overwhelmed the New York Giants 38-7 in an NFC divisional playoff game. Hurts is back, and so are the Eagles as a Super Bowl threat. Top-seeded Philadelphia will host the NFC championship game next Sunday against either Dallas or San Francisco. Hurts finished 16 of 24 for 154 yards. He showed he was fine when he aired out a pass on the second play of the game and hit DeVonta Smith in stride for a 40-yard reception.
January 22, 2023 7:52 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Darin Green Jr. scored 24 points and Florida State won consecutive contests for the second time this season beating Pitt 71-64. Jamarius Burton’s layup with 2:19 to go brought Pitt within 65-64, but Green responded with an immediate 3-pointer and the Panthers missed their last four shots. De’Ante Green made layups in consecutive possessions to break a 56-all tie and Florida State stayed ahead for the remainder. Burton scored 20 points for Pitt.
January 22, 2023 3:59 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen is back where he once belonged. The five-time All-Star centerfielder has finalized a one-year, $5 million deal to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The agreement returns McCutchen to Pittsburgh nearly five years to the day after the Pirates sent him to San Francisco in a cost-cutting measure. McCutchen served as the centerpiece for Pittsburgh’s brief return to contention nearly a decade ago. He won the National League’s MVP Award in 2013, a season that marked the start of a three-year run in which the Pirates reached the playoffs as a wild card. The 36-year-old spent 2022 with Milwaukee, hitting .237 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs.
January 21, 2023 4:00 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tristan Jarry made 44 saves in his return from a lower-body injury to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Jake Guentzel scored twice for the Penguins to reach 20 goals for the sixth straight season. Rickard Rakell added his 17th and Jason Zucker his 13th as Pittsburgh earned a split of its home-and-home series with the Senators. Brady Tkachuk had his 16th goal for the Senators and Cam Talbott stopped 40 shots while losing for the fifth time in his last six starts.
January 21, 2023 4:01 am
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Blaine Stewart has been named tight ends coach at West Virginia. Coach Neal Brown announced Stewart’s hiring Friday. Stewart is the son of the late Bill Stewart, who was head coach of the Mountaineers from 2008-10. Blaine Stewart spent four seasons on Mike Tomlin’s staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played wide receiver for three seasons at James Madison before finishing his college career at Division II Charleston.
January 20, 2023 3:51 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Byron Leftwich is out as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are shaking up their coaching staff after finishing with the only losing record Tom Brady has had in more than two decades as a NFL starter. The 43-year-old Leftwich was fired Thursday, three days after the Bucs were eliminated from the playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys and just two years removed from helping Brady win a record seventh Super Bowl in the quarterback’s first season with Tampa Bay. Five other assistant coaches were dismissed, too, while three others have decided to retire.
January 20, 2023 3:48 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – A family spokesman for Damar Hamlin tells The Associated Press the Buffalo Bills safety still faces a long rehabilitation despite enjoying a remarkable recovery some three weeks after having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati. Jordon Rooney says Hamlin still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly to ensure there are no setbacks or after effects. Rooney provided the update to emphasize Hamlin still faces hurdles since being discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center on Jan. 11, and began making regular visits to the Bills facility this week.
