James Franklin hired as Virginia Tech's coach, just over a month after Penn State fired him
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — James Franklin has been hired as Virginia Tech’s football coach, a little more than a month after he was fired during his 12th season at Penn State. The Hokies announced the move Monday evening, becoming the first Power 4 program to fill a coaching vacancy this season. Franklin was set to be formally introduced at a news conference Wednesday morning. He was fired by the Nittany Lions on Oct. 12, a day after they lost at home to Northwestern to fall to 3-3. The 53-year-old Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State. He led the Nittany Lions to a College Football Playoff first-round victory last season.
Cowboys honor Kneeland, then get 4 TD passes from Prescott in 33-16 win over Raiders
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have won their first game since the death of defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes in Monday night's 33-16 win over the spiraling Las Vegas Raiders. The 24-year-old Kneeland was found dead on Nov. 6 of an apparent suicide. Coach Brian Schottenheimer and Cowboys players wore shirts honoring Kneeland, and they bowed their heads during a moment of silence before the game. The Cowboys then played one of their best games of the season to keep alive their slim playoff hopes.
Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase suspended 1 game by NFL for spitting on Steelers' Jalen Ramsey
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended without pay for one game for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Chase spat on Ramsey during a confrontation in the fourth quarter Sunday. Ramsey grabbed Chase by the face mask and punched him, which resulted in Ramsey’s ejection. The NFL says Chase was suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct. Chase denied spitting on Ramsey after the game, but a Cincinnati television station had video of the incident. Chase will miss the Bengals’ home game against New England this weekend. He has a right to appeal the suspension.
New York Jets bench struggling quarterback Justin Fields for Tyrod Taylor, AP source says
A person with knowledge of the decision says the New York Jets will start Tyrod Taylor at quarterback over Justin Fields on Sunday. The move Monday by coach Aaron Glenn sends the embattled and struggling Fields to the sideline for the Jets, who are coming off a 27-14 loss to New England last Thursday night. Glenn said last week he would evaluate all positions, including quarterback, and then decided to make the switch to Taylor, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Monday because the team didn’t announce the move. The Athletic first reported that the Jets were benching Fields in favor of Taylor.
Falcons QB Penix headed to injured reserve, will miss at least 4 games with left knee injury
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix will be placed on injured reserve and will miss at least four games with a left knee injury, leaving Kirk Cousins as the starter. Penix suffered the injury in Sunday’s 30-27 overtime loss to Carolina. It was the Falcons’ fifth straight loss. Cousins will make his second start of the season when the Falcons play at New Orleans on Sunday. Penix missed the Falcons’ 34-10 loss to Miami on Oct. 26 with a bone bruise on his left knee. He apparently aggravated the bone bruise and may have suffered a more significant injury.
LeBron James returns to practice with Lakers but hasn't decided whether to make season debut Tuesday
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James returned to practice with the Los Angeles Lakers and is waiting to see how he feels before deciding whether to make his season debut Tuesday. When James returns to Los Angeles’ lineup, he will become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons. James hadn’t worked out with the Lakers since he developed sciatica around the start of training camp in late September, missing a season opener for the first time in his basketball career. The top scorer in NBA history rejoined the Lakers on Monday after their return from a five-game road trip.
Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo leaves game early vs. Cavaliers due to a left groin strain
CLEVELAND (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo could be sidelined for a while after he left the second quarter of Monday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers due to a left groin strain. Coach Doc Rivers didn’t have an update on Antetokounmpo after the game and said the next step would be imaging on his left groin. Antetokounmpo had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in 13 minutes. He immediately went to the locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter after committing a foul and did not return.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama to miss at least 2-3 weeks with strained calf, AP source says
Victor Wembanyama will miss at least two to three weeks due to a strained left calf. A person familiar with the diagnosis shared this information on Monday with The Associated Press. The San Antonio Star center underwent an MRI on Sunday after sitting out of the team's victory against the Sacramento Kings. He suffered the injury on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. Wembanyama is currently averaging impressive stats, including 26.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. San Antonio is off to its best start in a decade with an 8-4 record. Last season, Wembanyama was limited to 46 games due to deep vein thrombosis.
Shedeur Sanders' NFL debut marred by home break-in during game, AP source says
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shedeur Sanders’ uneven performance in his NFL debut wasn’t the only bad thing to happen to him on Sunday. The Browns rookie quarterback discovered Sunday night that his suburban Cleveland home had been burglarized during the game. That's according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. The person says no suspects have been identified and it’s uncertain if anything was stolen. Several NFL players, including Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes, have had their homes burglarized during games since the start of last season.
Ex-Browns QB Bernie Kosar has a new liver after more than a year on transplant waiting list
CLEVELAND (AP) — Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar has received a liver transplant after being on the waiting list for more than a year. Kosar shared a video on social media Monday in which he said he feels good and is ready to enjoy life. The 61-year-old had been dealing with liver issues for years. He was diagnosed with cirrhosis and Parkinson’s disease last year. His transplant was delayed last weekend because of an infected donor organ. Kosar played in the NFL for 12 seasons, leading the Browns to three AFC championship games. The Browns honored him with a tribute video before Sunday’s game against the Ravens.
