December 24, 2021 3:48 am
HONOLULU (AP) – The Hawaii Bowl was canceled Thursday after Hawaii withdrew from its game against Memphis on the eve of the contest because of COVID-19, season-ending injuries and transfers. The game was scheduled for Friday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Hawaii finished the season 6-7, getting into the bowl because there were no available 6-6 teams. Memphis finished 6-6.
December 23, 2021 3:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping quicker starts on offense will take some of the pressure off their sagging defense. The Steelers haven’t scored a first-half touchdown in four straight games. That’s the first time that’s happened in more than a quarter century. Pittsburgh has managed to win two of those games thanks to fourth-quarter rallies. Coach Mike Tomlin admires his team’s resilience but says the Steelers need to score more points overall and can’t play catch-up every game. Pittsburgh faces a stiff test next weekend at red-hot Kansas City.
December 23, 2021 3:48 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) – The AFC North has become the NFL’s perfect storm of parity. The co-leaders – Baltimore and Cincinnati – are just a game ahead of last-place Cleveland. Sandwiched between in third place are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who would be part of that first-place deadlock if not for a tie against what was then a winless Detroit team. Each team will play two of its last three games within the division. And the four remaining non-divisional matchups are awfully compelling: Browns-Packers and Steelers-Chiefs this week, followed by Bengals-Chiefs and Ravens-Rams on Jan. 2.
December 23, 2021 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – If a team is unavailable to play in College Football Playoff semifinals because of COVID-19 issues, the game will be declared a forfeit and the available team will advance to the championship game. With COVID-19 cases spiking across the country due to the omicron variant, the CFP announced contingency plans for the semifinals and national championship game, scheduled for Jan. 10 in Indianapolis. While there will be no rescheduling of either semifinal, the championship game could be delayed until as late as Jan. 14. Meanwhile, No. 23 Texas A&M won’t play in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest on Dec. 31 because of COVID-19 issues and season-ending injuries. The team did not provide any details on the COVID-19 issues or injuries on the team.
December 22, 2021 10:55 am
The NHL has announced that players won’t be able to participate in the Beijing Olympics. The move that seemed inevitable in recent days means the league will spend the previously scheduled Olympic break making up games that have and will be postponed because of COVID-19 protocols. International officials and national federations must now pivot to Plan B without NHL talent. This will be the second consecutive Olympic men’s hockey tournament without NHL players. Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said the league and players are looking forward to the Olympics in 2026.
December 22, 2021 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – Jalen Hurts ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to help the Philadelphia Eagles come back from an early deficit and beat virus-ravaged Washington 27-17 in a critical showdown with NFC playoff implications. In his first game back from an ankle injury, Hurts scored on a pair of 1-yard QB sneaks to set the single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 10. He was 20 of 26 for 296 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Greg Ward and a bad-luck interception. Miles Sanders rushed for a career-high 131 yards. Washington struggled behind recently signed quarterback Garrett Gilbert and missing a handful of starters.
December 22, 2021 3:54 am
Cooper Kupp caught two touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford in the second half, and the Los Angeles Rams held off the Seattle Seahawks 20-10 in a rescheduled game between two COVID-19-depleted teams. Kupp broke Isaac Bruce’s single-season Rams receptions record in the third quarter with a 6-yard TD catch that was also the 120th of his spectacular year. The NFL’s receiving leader then scored a tiebreaking 29-yard touchdown with 10:48 to play. DeeJay Dallas rushed for a touchdown for the Seahawks, whose streak of nine consecutive winning seasons under coach Pete Carroll ended. Seattle is still mathematically alive for the postseason.
December 22, 2021 4:00 am
UNDATED (AP) – Lucas Johnson passed for a career-best 333 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score as San Diego State beat No. 24 UTSA 38-24 in the Frisco Bowl for the Aztecs’ program-record 12th win of the season. Jesse Matthews caught touchdown passes of 11 and 20 yards and set career marks with 11 catches and 175 yards receiving. Tyrell Shavers caught the other touchdown pass, a 24-yarder. Greg Bell also scored on a 1-yard run for San Diego State. Frank Harris threw touchdown passes of 12 yards to De’Corian Clark and 4 yards to Zakhari Franklin, and Brenden Brady scored on a 2-yard run for UTSA.
December 22, 2021 3:59 am
UNDATED (AP) – NHL players will not take part in the Winter Olympics after all. A person with direct knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press the league is going to withdraw from the Beijing Olympics after its regular-season schedule was disrupted by coronavirus outbreaks.
December 21, 2021 4:03 am
Kirk Cousins passed for two touchdowns and the Vikings evened their record at 7-7 with a 17-9 victory over the Bears. The two-time Pro Bowler also connected with Justin Jefferson for a 12-yard touchdown in the first quarter and threw a 7-yarder to Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the third. However, Cousins threw for just 87 yards, was picked off once and sacked four times. Dalvin Cook ran for 89 yards D.J. Wonnum had three sacks and the Vikings recovered three fumbles. Minnesota was in line for its easiest win of the season until Justin Fields threw a touchdown pass to Jesper Horsted on the final play. The Bears are 4-10.
