January 16, 2022 7:42 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers received an unexpected boost on Saturday when they activated JuJu Smith-Schuster off injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s visit to Kansas City. Smith-Schuster hasn’t played since injuring his right shoulder during a victory over Denver on Oct. 10. He underwent surgery a few days later and was expected to be lost for the season. Instead, Smith-Schuster returned to practice this week, wearing thicker shoulder pads in an effort to protect his right shoulder. His teammates raved about his conditioning, and his presence gives the seventh-seeded Steelers (9-7-1) a much-needed set of sure hands and — potentially — a physical blocker in the running game as they try to upset the second-seeded Chiefs (12-7) on Sunday night. Smith-Schuster has 15 receptions for 128 yards this season, becoming a de facto running back of sorts as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s preferred target in an offense heavily reliant on short passes. To make room for Smith-Schuster on the roster, the Steelers released punter Corliss Waitman, meaning rookie Pressley Harvin III will handle the punting duties at Arrowhead Stadium. Waitman kicked well while filling in for Harvin during a blowout loss in Kansas City last month. The team also announced rookie running back Najee Harris will carry no injury designation into the game after initially listing him as questionable Friday on the injury report.
January 16, 2022 7:49 am
CINCINNATI — Paul Brown Stadium nearly shook in triumph. The city of Cincinnati might have, too. Its latest hero, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, merely seemed to shrug after leading his team to its first playoff victory in 31 years, 26-19 over Las Vegas on Saturday in an AFC wild-card game. Burrow led an efficient offense that scored on six drives, Evan McPherson became the first rookie to make four field goals without a miss in a postseason debut, and Germaine Pratt sealed it with a fourth-down interception in the dying seconds. It was a victory three decades in the making for the Bengals (11-7). After going from worst to first in the AFC North with a generally young roster, they ended that embarrassingly long postseason drought that included eight consecutive defeats.
January 16, 2022 7:48 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The lingering sting of being embarrassed on home turf by the New England Patriots didn’t sit well with defensive end Jerry Hughes and the Buffalo Bills. On Saturday night, the Bills did something about it by erasing any doubt of who now rules the AFC East. Josh Allen set a team playoff record with five touchdown passes, including two to Dawson Knox, and Devin Singletary ran for two scores in the first half of a 47-17 throttling of the division-rival Patriots in a wild-card playoff game. Meanwhile, Hughes was part of a defense that ended Mac Jones’ rookie season by intercepting him twice, sacking him three times and limiting him to throwing two mean-nothing touchdown passes in the second half with the game well out of reach.
January 16, 2022 7:44 am
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jake Guentzel scored 37 seconds into overtime, Luis Domingue had 40 saves in his season debut and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1 Saturday night. Guentzel and Kris Letang each had a goal and an assist as the Penguins won for the 12th time in 14 games. Sidney Crosby assisted Guentzel’s winner, his 19th goal. Rudolfs Balcers scored San Jose’s only goal, and Adin Hill had 25 saves. Domingue, Pittsburgh’s third-string goalie, got the chance to make his debut after starter Tristan Jarry gave up six goals in Thursday’s 6-2 loss to Los Angeles. Backup goalie Casey DeSmith is in COVID-19 protocols. Domingue appeared in just one game last season with Calgary.
January 16, 2022 7:46 am
PITTSBURGH — Jamarius Burton scored 20 points and John Hugley added 19 and Pittsburgh won for the second time in three games with a 65-53 win over Louisville on Saturday. Burton and Hugley each collared eight rebounds and Mouhamadou Gueye and Femi Odukale both scored 10. El Ellis made 2 of 3 foul shots with 7:37 left before halftime for a 22-17 Louisville lead. Pitt responded by outscoring the Cardinals 11-2 to go up 28-24 and never trailed again. The Cardinals missed 10 of 11 from the floor, including a dunk, heading into the break. Dre Davis’ layup with 14:40 left put Louisville ahead by four, but an 18-6 spurt over the next 7 1/2 minutes gave Pitt its largest lead at 54-38 when Burton hit a jumper. Despite shooting 4 for 18 from 3-point range, the Panthers found better results inside the arc shooting 20 for 37 (54%).
January 15, 2022 4:05 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger are brutally honest about the Steelers’ chances of advancing past the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday night, especially given the Chiefs humiliated them just a few weeks ago in Arrowhead Stadium. In fact, the Steelers’ likely soon-to-retire quarterback admitted, “We probably aren’t supposed to be here.” But the Steelers have won a Super Bowl playing in the wild-card round before, so they know that anything can happen. And the pressure is all on the AFC West champion Chiefs, who have been to three straight conference title games and the past two Super Bowls.
January 15, 2022 4:05 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NFL has taken several steps to improve diversity among leadership positions, yet Mike Tomlin is the only Black head coach after Brian Flores and David Culley were fired this week. League officials want to see immediate improvement, but are optimistic that numbers will increase at both coach and GM positions based on the interview requests teams have made so far. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which advocates for diverse hiring, said in a statement that the firing of Flores and Culley is a “disappointment given efforts to increase the representation of Black coaches as head coaches in the NFL.”
January 15, 2022 4:08 am
UNDATED (AP) – Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Jim Phillips says now is not the time for College Football Playoff expansion. Phillips told reporters on a conference call Friday that with the NCAA about to embark on a transformation of Division I, CFP expansion should not be the priority. He also cited the continuing need for federal legislation regarding name, image and likeness compensation for athletes.
January 15, 2022 4:07 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Novak Djokovic was reported to be back in immigration detention Saturday after his legal challenge to avoid being deported from Australia for being unvaccinated for COVID-19 was moved to a higher court.
A Federal Court hearing has been scheduled for Sunday, a day before the men’s No. 1-ranked tennis player and nine-time Australian Open champion was due to begin his title defense at the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year.
The Australian Associated Press reported that Djokovic was back in detention. He spent four nights confined to a hotel near downtown Melbourne before being released last Monday when he won a court challenge on procedural grounds against his first visa cancellation. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke on Friday blocked the 34-year-old Serb’s visa, which was originally revoked when he landed at a Melbourne airport on Jan. 5.
January 15, 2022 4:08 am
HONOLULU (AP) – Russell Henley closed with a 30-foot eagle put for a 7-under 63 and the second-round lead at the Sony Open. Henley set a strong target when he was 6 under over his final six holes. That put him at 15-under 125 in another week of low scoring with very little wind at Waialae. Haotong Li is alone in second, three shots back and one ahead of Matt Kuchar. Both players shot 65s on Friday.
