December 29, 2020 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – Henrik Lundqvist says he’s scheduled for open-heart surgery after tests revealed a heart condition that kept him from continuing to play goal in the NHL. Lundqvist wrote on Twitter that he’s set to have an aortic valve and root replacement. He did not say when. Lundqvist underwent a physical after signing with the Washington Capitals over the summer. Further tests led to his decision not to play this season. General manager Brian MacLellan says Lundqvist has had a heart issue all along that he managed, and the team expected it to be the same. It’s unclear what changed for the 38-year-old after playing 15 seasons with the New York Rangers.
December 28, 2020 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North champions. Finally. Ben Roethlisberger overcame a month-long malaise to throw for 342 yards and three second-half touchdowns as the Steelers locked up the division title with a stunningly improbable 28-24 victory. Listless and lifeless for weeks thanks to a three-game losing streak that followed an 11-0 start, Pittsburgh (12-3) somehow got it together over the final 25 minutes against the Colts (10-5). Indianapolis missed a chance to inch closer to a playoff berth when it let a 17-point third-quarter lead slip away.
December 28, 2020 3:48 am
The Jets pulled off their second stunner in as many weeks by holding off the Browns, 23-20. The Browns erased most of a 20-3 deficit before Baker Mayfield fumbled twice in the fourth quarter, once on a sack and the second coming on fourth-and-1 with 1:18 remaining. Jamison Crowder caught a touchdown pass and threw one to Braxton Berrios on a razzle-dazzle play. Mayfield threw for 285 yards, but the 10-5 Browns managed just 45 on 18 carries. Meanwhile, the Ravens leapfrogged over the Colts and Browns in the AFC wild-card scramble by downing the Giants, 27-13. Lamar Jackson engineered four scoring drives while Baltimore built a 20-3 halftime lead. Jackson threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 80 yards. The Ravens recorded six sacks of Daniel Jones, including three straight in the second half.
December 28, 2020 3:46 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs have clinched a first-round bye and home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs’ offense was sluggish before a late TD drive gave them a 17-14 win over the Falcons. Kansas City trailed 14-10 until Patrick Mahomes threw a 25-yard scoring pass to Demarcus Robinson with 1:55 remaining. The Falcons still had a chance to force overtime, but Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo missed a 39-yard field goal attempt with nine seconds left.
December 28, 2020 3:43 am
ATLANTA (AP) – Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro has died at the age of 81 after a long fight with cancer. Niekro pitched well into his 40s with a knuckleball that baffled big league hitters for more than two decades, mostly with the Atlanta Braves. The Braves announced his death, saying he died Saturday night in his sleep. Niekro won 318 games over his 24-year career, which ended in 1987 at age 48 after he made one final start with the Braves. The right-hander was a five-time All-Star who had three 20-win seasons with Atlanta. Niekro also pitched for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays late in his career.
December 27, 2020 3:58 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Indianapolis Colts are surging. The Pittsburgh Steelers are reeling. Still, both teams will have plenty at stake when they meet at Heinz Field. The Colts have won five of six games to move into the lead in the AFC South. The Steelers have lost three in a row since their 11-0 start. Indianapolis can clinch a playoff berth with a win and losses by either Baltimore or Miami. Pittsburgh can lock up the AFC North with a victory but will need its offense to get going. The Steelers are averaging just 16 points a game during their current skid.
December 27, 2020 7:44 am
LAS VEGAS (AP) — With a defender dragging him down by his facemask, Ryan Fitzpatrick still managed to launch the pass that might have saved the Miami Dolphins’ season. Just a little more FitzMagic. Fitzpatrick’s desperation heave to Mack Hollins set up Jason Sanders’ 44-yard field goal as the Dolphins drove the field in the final 19 seconds to move one step closer to a playoff berth with an improbable 26-25 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night. Fitzpatrick led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter for Miami (10-5) with the final one the most unlikely after the Raiders (7-8) bypassed a gimme touchdown for a field goal. The move to play for the field goal backfired as the Raiders lost on a kick instead. The Dolphins moved a half-game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC playoff race and can clinch a wild-card berth with a win next week at Buffalo.
December 26, 2020 4:00 am
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Alvin Kamara tied a 91-year-old NFL record while helping the New Orleans Saints wrap up their fourth consecutive NFC South title. Kamara ran for a career-high 155 yards and tied an NFL record with six rushing touchdowns as the Saints ripped the Vikings, 52-33. He equaled a single-game record for rushing TDs set by Hall of Fame fullback Ernie Nevers in 1929 for the Chicago Cardinals. Kamara sprinted for a 40-yard touchdown on the game’s opening drive and added five more TDs inside the Minnesota 7. The 11-4 Saints never punted and set a record of yards gained in a game by a Vikings opponent with 583. Drew Brees completed 19 of 26 throws for 311 yards in his second game back from rib and lung injuries that had sidelined him for four games. It was the most points allowed by the Vikings since 1963.
December 26, 2020 3:41 am
The Pittsburgh Pirates are trading first baseman Josh Bell. A press release from the Pittsburgh Pirates states that Bell will be traded to the Washington Nationals for two right handed pitching prospects. The Pirates will receive Wil Crowe who made his major league debut with the Nationals in 2020 and Eddie Yean. The 26 year old Crowe is ranked as the Nationals’ third best prospect. Yean is 19 years old and is ranked as the Nationals’ eighth best prospect. Bell spent 5 seasons with the Pirates generating a .261 batting average, 86 home runs and 309 RBIs.
December 25, 2020 3:52 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he understands why his play is being criticized. Roethlisberger says he deserves it for the number of mistakes he’s made during Pittsburgh’s three-game losing streak. The 17-year veteran says the offense held a player’s only meeting over video conference in hopes of getting things right before the playoffs. After a torrid start to the season Roethlisberger has thrown for eight touchdowns against six interceptions over Pittsburgh’s last five games. Despite the team’s slide, the Steelers can still wrap up the AFC North title with a victory over Indianapolis.
