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While We’re Young (Ideas) and Notes

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NEW YORK – As the 2022 Holiday Season begins this week with Thanksgiving Day, this November 24, 2022, there’s no better time to STOP and THINK about the important things in our lives and to be thankful for each and every one of them, each and every day.

When Santa Claus rides into the official MACY*S Thanksgiving Day Parade, it’s open season for Christmas, complete with seasonal music, decorations, shopping and (hopefully) tidings of comfort and joy.

For starters, I’m thankful for my family. My two daughters are the definition of 1,000 Points of Light and Joy. Surprisingly, it’s been quite a challenge for me and my wife to be the parents of adult children as we miss them as they carry-out their lives. As an empty nester, I’ve sought advice from experienced parents and some of the smartest people on the planet. Everyone says the same thing, “Let them go and grow.” I’ve been a big believer in that tactic ever since our family decision to enroll each of my daughters in CITYterm – a program run from The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY. So sadly, CITYterm no longer exists but it was the single most important experience of my two daughter’s lives and a monumental step forward for our family and their maturation process to help prepare them for college. I knew that between their education in NYC/Boston and the CITYterm experience, they were ready.

A wonderful holiday tradition we should all be thankful for each year is the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. From 1981 through 2008, the great Christmas Tree kept me company as my office overlooked St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue and the tree was just a block away. For the most part, I visited it daily on my commute and always stopped in wonder of its beauty, size and spirit. It was the best part about working in the Rock Center area, although the holiday crowds were a bit overwhelming. But, it beat sinking into the asphalt of 5th Ave on a 98-degree summer day. That’s for sure. This year, the tree will be lit on November 30th. It will measure 82 feet in height and is 50 feet wide, weighing 14 tons with over 50,000 lights to do the tree the major league status of a Rock Center tree. It hails from Queensbury, a town between Glens Falls and Lake George in Upstate New York.

In addition to my immediate family, I’m thankful for and deeply appreciative of my “original” immediate family, my mother, age 97, and my brother, Thomas, and his family, along with the whole gang – Tim, Christopher, Sean and Paul – and their terrific families. The Martin side of the coin is equally great and there’s FAR too many to name each and everyone, but they’re all so wonderful and have played such an important role in our Massachusetts-based life, among many other important aspects of growth and helping us all face the challenges of the many CH, CH, CH – Changes.

Some other reasons to be thankful – rapid fire – are: Brian, Matt, T Walsh, Josh, and Spy. Johnnie, Dave G, Dana, Higor, Dave Oh, and Arty, of course. Hundreds of Mass-based friends – John MacKinnon, Stephen Berger, Matt Hauber – now in Christchurch for goodness sake. I’m thankful for the Holy Trinity ‘77 and surrounding years “kids” and the Keswick Americans. The literary crew: Bob Delaney, Dave Scheiber, Philip Turner and his son Ewan who have all taught me so much. NO name dropping allowed, but I have to say thanks to Bill and Lori and to Bruce Hornsby and his son – my European basketball man, Keith, now playing in France’s Div. I LNB for Nanterre 92.

Thanks to my Red Sox Press Box family, headed up by attendant Kevin Doyle. I miss them already, but there’s only about 85 days to go until Pitchers and Catchers report.

Also, thanks to Howie for the intro to the wonderful world of Derek and Susan and the TTB. What a series of albums entitled, “I Am the Moon.” Brilliant and a new genre of music to enjoy. Buy it.

Column inches will make me stop here, but sincere thanks to everyone in my life. I’ll be back at New Year’s with an extended list.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Ben Martin and Patrick Rodgers – both at (-14) – are tied for the lead at the RSM Classic, the final tournament of the PGA Tour’s Fall season. The next official tournament is the Sentry Tournament of Champions, scheduled January 5-8 in Maui, Hawaii.

That’s when PGA Tour Brunch will return and post mobile-friendly e-news six days a week. Fact-filled PGA Tour Brunch will take you all the way to the Tour Championship in August and is the PERFECT holiday gift for your favorite golf fan.

COUNTDOWN TO THE WORLD CUP: It’s here! The long-awaited World Cup begins today with home nation Qatar vs. Ecuador match on FS-1. This week, the focus wasn’t on the tournament but instead the banning of alcohol within WC venues. The decision will cost WC sponsor Budweiser millions but will be cause for hooligans from every nation to attempt to “sneak-in” their favorite spirits and beverages. … Budweiser was scheduled to sell beer within the event-ticketed perimeter surrounding each of the eight stadiums before and after each game. But, this week the last minute decision was made to ban alcohol and serve only Bud Zero. … The world famous beer brand, which is one of FIFA’s longtime partners, responded with a Tweet, “Well, this is awkward,” although the post was quickly deleted. … This is the first World Cup staged in an ultra-conservative, Muslim-based country with very strict controls on all alcohol consumption. Spectators can drink beer in the evenings in “the official FIFA Fan Festival,” a designated party area that also offers live music and activities, and in stadium hospitality suites for sponsors and VVIP guests, a policy similar to the NCAA Final Four in the USA.

Speaking of the USA, the USMNT opens-up play on Monday vs. Wales.

What’s WWYI favorite nation?

Dough-Nation! – Click HERE for PGA Tour Brunch or HERE for While We’re Young (Ideas).

TID-BITS: The Gavitt Games were played this week and BIG EAST rep Georgetown faced the Big Ten’s Northwestern Wildcats. With 4:52 remaining in the first half, Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas led by five, 28-23. But with :48 left in the game, Northwestern led 75-60 – a mere 20-point swing. A bad beat for Ewing, Georgetown and the BIG EAST. … On the other hand, Nebraska was leading St. John’s 22-12 with 5:07 left in the first half of a rough and tough defensive battle. In the second half, two different teams showed up, as St. John’s outscored the Cornhuskers 50-23 to take a 70-50 lead at the final buzzer. … Milwaukee Bucks star and former NBA MVP Giannis  Antetokounmpo created quite a stir on Friday night after his 4-for-15 debacle from the free throw line in a 110-102 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. After the game, Antetokounmpo took to the court to get some free throw shots up as the 76ers’ home court was being cleared and maintenance and media were attending to their post-game tasks. Philadelphia 76ers forward Montrezl Harrell claimed he was doing a post game workout and snatched the basketball away from the Bucks’ star who then went to the other end where technicians were dis-assembling their remote cameras. Antetokounmpo wanted no part of waiting as the workers were mounting a ladder next to the rim and backboard area. Antetokounmpo promptly asked them to move the ladder, but then took it upon himself to do so, tipping the top-heavy 10-foot ladder over only to have it crash to the court. … Not a good look for the former MVP who has struggled with his free throws since his rookie year.

Willets Point, Queens, site of proposed soccer stadium

WILLETS POINT: (Continuing in a New York State of Mind, rather than Boston-themed column) … The City of New York, Queens County and the NYFC soccer club announced plans to build a brand new soccer stadium as part of a Willets Point redevelopment plan. The new stadium, as news reports put it, would be located “directly across the street from the right field foul pole” near CitiField, the home field of the New York Mets.

Please tell me if I’m wrong, but since I first set foot in the old Shea Stadium (1964) to watch the Mets, the area designated for the new stadium and development has been nothing but an auto mechanic shop destination of the worst degree. Oil changes, Mufflers, Tires, Engine re-builds, Transmissions – you name it. Can you imagine what the earth under these shops and quonset huts has endured since the 1960s?

There is zero chance the oil, transmission fluid, and other mechanical waste was properly disposed of during the many years. I wouldn’t walk 100 feet into that zoning nightmare if you gave me $100 a step. At one point, I was told by a very reliable source that the New York Islanders of the NHL looked at the mess before they settled on their current, new site by Belmont Raceway, and guess what the Islanders found?

Disgusting? Un-healthy? Dangerous?

The word is that they’ll clean it all up. Yeah right! It would be similar to cleaning up Deepwater Horizon and the Piper Alpha, Beta and Santa Maria, along with the Gulf War oil spill of 1991 which left a 101 x 41 mile trail of oil in the Persian Gulf. The effort to clean-up in the outer limits of Citi Field started in 2021 when then-NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio participated in the announcement of a clean-up. I’d rather clean-up Chernobyl.

It’s so bad out there, it makes Camp Lejeune look like the beaches of Turks and Caicos.

It’s bad. Real bad. So bad the lawyers tell me I don’t have to write allegedly, but might try a-sledgedly.

It’s really bad out there. How bad?

It’s so bad, if they could remediate all 23 acres of Willets Point, and re-harvest the oil, the price of a gallon of gasoline would drop to 59.9-cents and there’d be enough oil left over to heat the Northwest Territories all year long.

It’s bad.

So bad the restaurants will simply serve salads with Vinegar and patrons will drag their salads along the floor. It’s so bad, an Australian rock band will play every game and hit the stage at Midnight.

It’s so bad, it’s alleged the New York City FC is going to market every season ticket with an oil change, tire rotation and a lube job.

You get the picture. Good luck to the fans of NYFC.

80 FOR BRADY: Every now and then you have to wonder how a film possibly sees the light of day. How did it get funded and produced? This week, “80 for Brady” broke the mold, as it was executive produced by former New England Patriots (current Tampa Bay Bucs) quarterback Tom Brady. The movie is scheduled to be in theatres this February 3rd. While there’s no grace in piling on Brady for his venture to produce a movie with a plot of the “Golden Girls meet Tom Brady,” you can’t help but wonder how bad a year it’s been for TB12 when he went from Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen to Lily Tomlin.

Take a look at the (much too long) trailer and decide for yourself:

NFL Desk: Patriots Edge J-E-T-S, 10-3

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – New England’s Marcus Jones returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown with five seconds remaining as the Patriots picked up their 14th consecutive win over the New York Jets, escaping with a 10-3 victory on Sunday afternoon in chilly and gusty Massachusetts.

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In a game that featured 17 punts, Jones provided the only touchdown to lead the Patriots (6-4) to their third straight win. New England’s defense was suffocating, holding New York (6-4) to just 2 yards of total offense in the second half and 103 for the entire game.

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones completed 23 of 27 passes for 246 yards, while Damien Harris finished with 65 yards on eight carries. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for just 26 yards but added another 56 on six catches.

Zach Wilson threw for just 77 yards on 9-for-22 passing. He also ran for a team-high 26 yards, while Michael Carter went for 19 yards on eight carries. New York’s defense stood strong as well, sacking Jones six times.

New England appeared to score the game’s first touchdown with 10:27 remaining in the fourth when Kyle Dugger sacked Wilson, Wilson fumbled and Davon Godchaux scooped up the loose ball at the Jets 10 and walked into the end zone.

However, Wilson ended up being ruled down, keeping things knotted at 3-all.

Both teams punted on their first two drives, but Nick Folk broke the scoreless tie at the beginning of the second quarter with a 24-yard field goal to punctuate a 14-play, 74-yard drive. New York quickly evened the score, though, thanks to Greg Zuerlein’s 45-yarder on the ensuing possession.

Folk had a chance to give the Patriots a lead before the break, but his kick clanked off the crossbar from 44 yards out with 2:49 left in the first half.

New England totaled seven first downs through the first 30 minutes of action, while the Jets managed just four as the teams combined for 252 total yards of offense.

Folk also missed from 43 yards out with 9:08 left in the third.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Gets the Job Done in Detroit

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Bills Defeat Browns, 31-23,  in Neutral Site Game

DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen passed for 197 yards and one touchdown and Tyler Bass matched his career best with six field goals to help the host Bills record a 31-23 victory over the Cleveland Browns in a game played in Detroit due to the historic snowfall in the Buffalo area.

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James Cook rushed for a career-high 86 yards and Devin Singletary also rushed for 86 yards and tacked on a score for the Bills (7-3), who halted a two-game losing streak. Stefon Diggs caught a touchdown pass for Buffalo.

Jacoby Brissett passed for 324 yards and three touchdowns for Cleveland (3-7), which lost for the sixth time in the past seven games. Amari Cooper caught eight receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns, but Nick Chubb was held to 19 yards on 14 carries for the Browns.

The game was moved to Detroit due to the epic snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area. On Saturday upon leaving their complex for the airport, the Bills said there were 77 inches of snow on the ground at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Bass matched the franchise record of six field goals for the second time in his career. The original mark was set in 1996 by Steve Christie.

Diggs had four receptions for 48 yards to top 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season. He has 1,033 this year.

The Bills led by three at halftime before Bass expanded the lead to 16-10 with a season-long 56-yard field goal with 9:42 left in the third quarter.

The Browns went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Buffalo 27 on their next drive but Brissett’s quarterback sneak was stopped for no gain. Buffalo took over and went 73 yards on four plays with Singletary scoring from the 5. A two-point conversion run failed.

Bass kicked fourth-quarter field goals of 49 and 28 yards to make it 28-10. Brissett pulled Cleveland within 12 by hitting Cooper on a 7-yard aerial with 4:11 left in the game before Bass tacked on a 39-yarder with 1:56 remaining.

Brissett tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones with 19 seconds left.

Buffalo took its first lead of the game at 13-10 on Allen’s 5-yard scoring pass to Diggs with 14 seconds left in the half.

The Browns struck on the opening drive of the game on Brissett’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Cooper. Bass got the Bills on the board with a 42-yard field goal with 3:32 left in the first quarter before Cleveland’s Cade York restored the seven-point margin with a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Buffalo started slow and recorded its initial first down nearly 22 minutes into the game. That drive culminated in Bass’ 36-yard field goal with 4:54 left in the half.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Patriots Have Jets on Hold

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – When the New York Jets clashed with the New England Patriots in Week 8, it looked as if the Jets were in prime position to shake a 12-game losing streak against their AFC East rivals.

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New York was riding a four-game winning streak, quarterback Zach Wilson was playing with confidence, and the Jets were playing at home — which happens to be the only place they’ve been able to win a regular-season game against New England over the past 13 years.

However, the New York Jets will have another chance to snap the skid when they travels to Massachusetts on Sunday for a meeting with the Patriots. Both teams are coming off their bye week. The Jets (6-3) bounced back from their loss against New England (5-4) with an impressive 20-17 home victory over the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 6.

James Robinson scored his first touchdown as a Jet late in the third quarter against Buffalo. After Tyler Bass’ field goal leveled the game at 17-all, the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein made good on a 28-yarder with just under two minutes remaining for the winning points.

With the Jets coming off the win and a week of rest, coach Robert Saleh said his team is better than it was the last time out against the Patriots.

“I feel like we’ve gotten better every week,” Saleh said. “It still comes down to being able to execute and do our job and do right longer. You’d like to think with every passing day, you get a little bit better.”

Getting better as the season progresses has been something New England has been able to accomplish, as the Patriots have won four of their past five games after a 1-3 start.

The Patriots went into their bye week on a high note following a 26-3 romp over the visiting Indianapolis Colts.

Matthew Judon and Josh Uche headlined a masterclass defensive performance, as they each recorded three sacks. Jonathan Jones blocked a punt and returned an interception 17 yards for a TD as New England prevented the Colts from converting any of their 14 third-down opportunities.

It might be harder for the Patriots to apply pressure against New York, though, as New England coach Bill Belichick noted that the Jets have tuned up their offensive line since the teams last met.

“They played Buffalo — that’s the only game we’ve seen — (and they) did a good job defensively against a very explosive Buffalo offense,” Belichick said. “Did a good job in the kicking game, protecting the ball, especially their quarterback.”

The Sunday game will open a busy stretch for the Patriots, who will play three games in a 12-day span. Following the meeting with New York, New England will visit the Vikings on Thanksgiving before returning home to play the Bills on Dec. 1.

“We’re focused on the Jets right now,” Belichick said. “Worry about next week next week.”

Defensive lineman DaMarcus Mitchell could miss the beginning of that stretch, as he did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness. Fellow defensive lineman Christian Barmore (knee), safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) and Uche (hamstring) were all limited.

Wide receiver Corey Davis didn’t participate in the Jets’ practice on Wednesday because of a knee injury. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (elbow) and guard Nate Herbig (shin) also sat out.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Pack Hopes Offense a Go

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GREEN BAY – (Staff and Wire Service/Field Level Media Report) – Stopping a five-game losing streak by any means possible beats the alternative.

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Still, the Green Bay Packers felt they might also have relocated their groove, to boot, after snapping a lengthy midseason skid with a 31-28 overtime victory against Dallas last week.

Will rookie wide receiver Christian Watson remain the revelation he was in catching three touchdown passes against the Cowboys? The Packers are eager to find out whether or not their offense can keep rolling when they host the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night.

Green Bay has won two of the past three meetings in the series, including a 40-14 home romp over Tennessee during Week 16 of the 2020 season.

The winning team has scored 40 points or more in four of the past five meetings, a run that dates back to 2004.

Maintaining the trend Thursday might take some doing. Tennessee (6-3) has scored no more than 24 points in a game this season, while 31 points is the high-water mark for Green Bay (4-6).

The Packers, though, are confident they found a spark last week. Trailing 28-14 in the fourth quarter, Green Bay responded with two scoring passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Watson before Rodgers steered the game-winning drive in overtime that culminated with Mason Crosby’s 28-yard field goal.

With Aaron Jones (24 carries, 138 yards, one touchdown) leading the way, the Packers topped 200 yards rushing for the third time in 2022. Green Bay started the same offensive line in consecutive games for the first time this season.

“That’s going to be an important part of our success moving forward if we can keep those guys healthy,” Rodgers said. “We’ve protected well. We’ve communicated really well, and we gave just little gaps for those backs, and man they had a big day.”

Tennessee is averaging 18.4 points per game. The Titans, who lead the AFC South by two games, are aiming to be unconventional, as only two teams of the 140 since 2002 to average 18.4 points or fewer have made the playoffs.

The Titans rebounded from an overtime loss at Kansas City in Week 9 with a 17-10 victory against Denver last week. With the Broncos geared toward stopping running back Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill connected with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a pair of scores after missing the previous two games with a sprained ankle.

Henry rushed for 53 yards on 19 carries to end a streak of five straight games with 100 yards or more on the ground. But that was against a Broncos ‘D’ that has allowed the ninth-fewest rushing yards (1,044) in the NFL.

As the second-leading rusher in the league, Henry hopes to come untracked against the Packers, who allow 4.8 yards per carry, tied for 28th in the league.

“I think the more carries you get him in a drive, the stronger he gets, and so that’s why it’s even more important that we pick up those third downs (when) we have the opportunity to, and get him (more) opportunities within the drive,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Todd Downing said. “Obviously that’s the mission, that’s the goal. We just didn’t do that well enough in the last game.”

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: Freeman Leads Carolina

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CHARLOTTE – (Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – D’Onta Foreman ran for 130 yards and a touchdown and the Carolina Panthers avenged a loss sustained 11 days earlier by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 25-15 on a rainy Thursday night in Carolina.

Panthers quarterback PJ Walker threw for 108 yards on 10-for-16 passing in a game that was close but didn’t quite have the drama of Atlanta’s overtime victory in the first matchup between the NFC South teams on Oct. 30.

Eddy Pineiro, who missed two potential winning kicks in the game at Atlanta, booted four field goals for the Panthers (3-7). Foreman had 31 carries to spearhead a Carolina ground game that produced 232 yards on a whopping 47 carries.

Marcus Mariota threw for two touchdowns and rushed for a team-best 43 yards for the Falcons (4-6), who’ve lost two games in a row. He was 19-for-30 for 186 yards in the air with an interception.

Trailing 22-15, Atlanta got the ball back with 2:33 to play, but two sacks on the ensuing possession doomed the Falcons. The Panthers recorded five sacks.

The Panthers built a 13-0 lead over the game’s first 28-plus minutes with Pineiro making field goals of 46 and 49 yards on either side of a Laviska Shenault Jr. 41-yard scoring run.

Atlanta didn’t score until Younghoe Koo’s 33-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.

Still, it was a big contrast from the last game for Carolina, which trailed 35-0 at the break Sunday at Cincinnati in an eventual 42-21 loss.

The Falcons perked up in the third quarter, with Mariota’s 7-yard pass to Drake London giving them their first touchdown and drawing them within four. Koo missed the extra-point kick.

Foreman’s 12-yard touchdown run with 1:51 left in the third quarter also was followed by a missed extra-point kick.

Pineiro made amends with a 40-yard field goal for a 22-9 lead with 9:22 left in the game.

Mariota threw 25 yards to KhaDarel Hodge for a touchdown with 2:56 to play, but Koo’s extra-point try was blocked.

The only scoring from that point was Pineiro’s insurance 37-yard field goal for the game’s final margin with 10 seconds to play.

–Field Level Media

Seahawks Prep for Munich Trip

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MUNICH – (Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was asked about this week’s trip to Germany to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday as part of the NFL’s International Series.

“To me, it’s like a (college) bowl game,” said Carroll, who guided USC to several, including a Bowl Championship Series title, before returning to the pros over a decade ago. “Everything around it, there is somewhat of a celebration everywhere you go as you travel and at the airport. It just seems like there is an added level of attention to it that makes it fun.”

It will be the first NFL game played at Allianz Arena, the home of the FC Bayern Munich soccer team, and will feature a pair of division leaders.

The surprising Seahawks (6-3) have won four consecutive games to move atop the NFC West, while Tom Brady and the Buccaneers (4-5) are tied for first with Atlanta in the NFC South.

Carroll said his players are excited about the trip.

“They are really pumped up about it,” Carroll said. “We are going to try and put on a show, make them see our football, and experience it in a way they never have before. It’s an honor to do that, and we will respect the heck out of every aspect of this.”

This will be the Seahawks’ second European trip in four years — they defeated the then-Oakland Raiders 27-3 in London in 2018 — so they have a feel for what’s ahead.

“Really, we are going to get on the bus, get on the plane, we will sleep a little bit longer, and we will be in a different country,” Carroll said. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

The Seahawks won 31-21 at Arizona last week as Geno Smith shook off a pick-six to throw for 275 yards and two touchdowns while rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for 109 and two more scores.

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, had to rally to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 16-13 at home to end a three-game skid. Brady completed 5 of 6 passes for 60 yards on the winning drive, the record 55th of his career, and hit rookie tight end Cade Otton with a 1-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining.

“We have not played the way we’re capable. Just some things have kind of not really fallen our way at all,” said Brady, who became the first NFL quarterback to throw for more than 100,000 career yards, including regular season and playoffs. “Hopefully we can get a win (Sunday), get to 5-5 and then the whole season is ahead of us.”

Added Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles: “It’s a lot easier to fly overseas after you win a game than when you lose a game. We’ve just got to start putting (victories) together.”

Brady’s options might be diminished Sunday as several of his receivers were listed on the injury report this week. Wideouts Julio Jones (knee) and Russell Gage (hamstring) have missed practice, while Mike Evans (ribs/ankle) has been a limited participant. Guards Shaq Mason (ankle) and Luke Goedeke (foot) have also sat out, as has linebacker J.J. Russell (hamstring).

The Seahawks are relatively healthy, with nose tackle Al Woods and defensive end Poona Ford both missing practice because of illnesses and linebacker Cullen Gillaspia sidelined with a knee injury.

–Field Level Media

District Sues Commanders, Snyder

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WASHINGTON DC – The attorney general for the District of Columbia, Karl Racine, filed a lawsuit against the Washington Commanders, team owner Daniel Snyder and the NFL for “colluding to deceive District residents.” The lawsuit comes amid a federal criminal probe launched earlier this month into alleged financial improprieties by Snyder and the team.

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Racine’s lawsuit contends the Commanders, in lock step with the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, misled fans about steps they were taking to rectify the “toxic workplace culture” within the organization in order to keep them coming to games.

“Faced with public outrage over detailed and widespread allegations of sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment at the Team, Defendants made a series of public statements to convince District consumers that this dysfunctional and misogynistic conduct was limited and that they were fully cooperating with an independent investigation,” the suit reads.

“These statements were false and calculated to mislead consumers so they would continue to support the Team financially without thinking that they were supporting such misconduct.”

Racine alleges that the hiring of attorney Beth Wilkinson to conduct an independent investigation into those workplace allegations was all part of the deception – contending the Commanders didn’t cooperate with the probe they paid to have done.

“Snyder and the Team launched a campaign to interfere with and obstruct the investigation,” the lawsuit states. “Snyder and the Team attempted to prevent witnesses from talking to Wilkinson through payoffs and intimidation and engaged in aggressive, abusive litigation to dig up information on victims and the journalists who reported on Defendants’ misconduct.

“The NFL was fully aware of this intimidation campaign. The course of Defendants’ conduct suggests the NFL was never serious about overseeing a thorough and complete investigation into Snyder and the Team’s misconduct,” the suit goes on.

Snyder’s wife, Tanya, has been in charge of day-to-day operations since July 2021 when the NFL fined the team $10 million for fostering a toxic workplace culture.

A separate federal criminal probe centers on alleged financial improprieties. Investigators from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia are looking into the team’s finances, The Washington Post reported.

The discovery of potential financial misconduct came amid the investigation into reported sexual harassment within Washington’s workplace. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform began to look at the financials after combing through 80,000 pages of documents and witness interviews regarding sexual harassment, The Post reported on March 31.

The Snyders hired Bank of America Securities to help with a potential sale of the team earlier this month.

–Field Level Media

NFL Desk: NFL Sunday Round-Up

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Rookie Ahmad Gardner broke up Josh Allen’s final pass with 33 seconds remaining as the New York Jets rallied for a dramatic 20-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon in New Jersey.

The Jets (6-3) took their three-point lead after Greg Zuerlein kicked a 28-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining, capping a 13-play drive where New York ran nine times and forced Buffalo (6-2) to use its three remaining timeouts.

On the Bills’ final possession, New York defensive end Bryce Huff hit Josh Allen’s right arm resulting in a 19-yard loss and a fumble recovered by Buffalo’s Ryan Bates at the 14-yard line. After the fumble, Allen made a low throw to Stefon Diggs and was seen holding his arm. The game then ended when Gardner kept pace with Gabe Davis along the left sideline and broke up Allen’s pass.

New York quarterback Zach Wilson completed 18 of 25 passes for 154 yards and a 7-yard touchdown pass to James Robinson in the third quarter. His final completion was a 12-yard slant to Denzel Mims that set up the game-winning field goal. Allen rushed for two TDs in the first half as Buffalo built a 14-3 lead. He completed 18 of 34 passes for 205 yards while gaining 86 yards on nine rushes.

Chiefs 20, Titans 17 (OT)

Harrison Butker kicked a 28-yard field goal with 4:04 left in overtime and Patrick Mahomes passed for 446 yards as Kansas City recorded an overtime victory over visiting Tennessee.

Mahomes established career highs of 43 completions and 68 attempts to help the Chiefs (6-2) end their four-game losing streak versus the Titans. He passed for one touchdown and one interception and also rushed for a career-best 63 yards while scoring once on the ground.

Derrick Henry rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns for Tennessee, which had a five-game winning streak halted. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill missed his second straight game due to an ankle injury. Rookie Malik Willis completed just 5 of 16 passes for 80 yards in his second career start.

Chargers 20, Falcons 17

Fill-in kicker Cameron Dicker booted a 37-yard field goal as time expired in his debut with Los Angeles, which earned the victory at Atlanta.

Austin Ekeler rushed for one touchdown and caught another. Justin Herbert passed for 245 yards, one score and one interception as the Chargers (5-3) won for the fourth time in the past five games.

Cordarrelle Patterson rushed for two touchdowns and Marcus Mariota passed for 129 yards for Atlanta (4-5). Tyler Allgeier had 123 yards from scrimmage, including 99 on the ground.

Dolphins 35, Bears 32

Tua Tagovailoa passed for 302 yards and three touchdowns and Tyreek Hill had 143 receiving yards and a score as Miami won in Chicago. Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes while connecting with Hill, Jaylen Waddle and recent acquisition Jeff Wilson for touchdowns.

Miami (6-3) notched its third straight victory, despite a strong effort from Chicago (3-6) quarterback Justin Fields, who passed for three touchdowns, ran for another and accounted for 301 yards of total offense. Fields’ 178 rushing yards broke Michael Vick’s record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular-season game.

Chicago finished with 252 yards on the ground, as the Bears joined the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers as the only franchises in the Super Bowl era to run for 225-plus yards in four straight games.

Bengals 42, Panthers 21

Joe Mixon tallied a career-best five touchdowns, four of which came in the first half, as Cincinnati dominated Carolina in a home rout.

Mixon recorded 171 of his 211 total yards in the first half. Quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 206 yards and also recorded a rushing touchdown for the Bengals (5-4).

Panthers quarterback PJ Walker threw for nine yards in the first half until previous starter Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes in relief. The Panthers (2-7) recorded a meager 228 yards of total offense.

Lions 15, Packers 9

Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and host Detroit snapped a five-game losing streak while handing Green Bay its fifth straight loss.

Goff threw for 137 yards, while Jamaal Williams gained 81 yards on 24 carries. Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell scored the first touchdowns of their careers for the Lions (2-6).

Aaron Rodgers threw for 291 yards and a touchdown for the Packers (3-6), but was intercepted three times. Allen Lazard caught four passes for 87 yards and a score.

Jaguars 27, Raiders 20

Travis Etienne Jr. rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns as Jacksonville rallied to beat Las Vegas after trailing 17-0 at home.

Trevor Lawrence, who threw for 235 yards, found Christian Kirk for a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Etienne scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to give Jacksonville (3-6) its first lead of the game.

Las Vegas (2-6) star receiver Davante Adams recorded 146 yards on 10 catches. Derek Carr threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns as Las Vegas fell to 0-5 on the road.

Patriots 26, Colts 3

Matthew Judon and Josh Uche recorded three sacks apiece to headline a stellar defensive effort in New England’s home rout of Indianapolis.

New England (5-4) totaled nine sacks as a team and Jonathan Jones recorded a punt block. New England quarterback Mac Jones threw for 147 yards and a touchdown pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson that put the game out of reach.

Indianapolis quarterback Sam Ehlinger finished with 103 passing yards and an interception in his second-career start replacing veteran Matt Ryan. Indianapolis (3-5-1) recorded eight first downs and 121 yards of total offense.

Vikings 20, Commanders 17

Greg Joseph converted a 28-yard field goal with 12 seconds left as Minnesota rallied from a 17-7 fourth-quarter deficit to top Washington in Landover, Md.

Joseph’s game-winning kick came four plays after he made a 22-yarder with 1:52 remaining to break the tie. But Washington was flagged for unnecessary roughness for contact with the long snapper. That enabled Minnesota (7-1) to burn most of the remaining time and tee up the deciding kick.

Kirk Cousins completed 22 of 40 passes for 265 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in his first game in Washington since leaving the franchise five years ago. His 12-yard scoring strike to Dalvin Cook with 7:46 on the clock evened the score at 17. Taylor Heinicke hit 15 of 28 passes for 149 yards with two scores and a pick for the Commanders (4-5). He put them ahead 17-7 on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Dax Milne just 46 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Seahawks 31, Cardinals 21

Geno Smith threw two touchdown passes while overcoming a pick-6 to lead Seattle past Arizona in Glendale, Ariz.

Rookie Kenneth Walker III rushed for a game-high 109 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns for the NFC West-leading Seahawks (6-3), who won their fourth consecutive game. Smith completed 26 of 34 passes for 275 yards and added 38 rushing yards on six carries.

The last-place Cardinals (3-6) lost their second in a row and for the fourth time in their past five games. Arizona’s Kyler Murray was 25-of-35 passing for 175 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a team-high 60 yards on eight attempts.

Buccaneers 16, Rams 13

Tom Brady became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 100,000 yards — counting playoff games — and led a last-minute drive to push host Tampa Bay to a win over Los Angeles.

Brady drove Tampa Bay (4-5) 60 yards in 35 seconds with no timeouts, finding rookie tight end Cade Otton for a 1-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining. Brady completed 36 of 58 passes for 280 yards as the Buccaneers moved into a tie with Atlanta for first place in the NFC South. Ryan Succop kicked three field goals for Tampa Bay.

Matthew Stafford connected on just 13 of 27 attempts for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Rams (3-5).

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Brady Surpasses 100,000 Career Yards

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TAMPA/St. PETERSBURG – (Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) –  Tom Brady became the first player in NFL history to rack up 100,000 career passing yards across the regular season and playoffs Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback entered Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams standing at 99,836 total yards. He surpassed 100,000 on a fourth-quarter pass to running back Leonard Fournette, who went 15 yards on a third-down play.

“I think for me it’s a credit to all the guys that I’ve played with, and who have blocked for me, who have caught passes,” Brady said after the game. “I think I can’t do (expletive) in this league without guys doing what they are amazing at, too.”

Brady made sure the milestone happened in a winning effort. He engineered a 60-yard drive in 35 seconds with no timeouts and connected with rookie tight end Cade Otton on 1-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds remaining to lift Tampa Bay over the Rams, 16-13. That play gave Brady 280 passing yards for the game and 100,116 for his career.

It marked another NFL record — Brady’s 55th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, breaking a tie with Peyton Manning.

Brady already owns the career regular-season passing yards record, which he took from Drew Brees last season. Brees is a distant second on the list for regular-season plus postseason yardage, at 85,724.

–Field Level Media