Christopher Bell made it a clean sweep for Joe Gibbs Racing in the first three races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Bell surged to victory Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag after a blistering restart with four laps remaining in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Bell joined teammates Chase Briscoe, who won the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, and Denny Hamlin, who won last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, in the Round of 12 of the NASCAR playoffs.

Bell took the lead in Turn 2 of the restart from Carson Hocevar and held off a hard charge from RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski on the final lap to earn his first career victory at Bristol and his fourth of the 2025 season. Bell edged Keselowski by 0.343 seconds.

“We just know that any week, any given week, it could be us, and it hadn’t been us for a long time,’ Bell said of his victory Saturday night. ‘But Bristol, baby, tonight it’s us!”

Zane Smith finished third, Ryan Blaney fourth and Joey Logano fifth. Corey Heim, Hocevar, Alex Bowman, Briscoe and Ty Gibbs rounded out the Top 10.

The race concluded the first round of the playoffs and ended the championship hopes of four drivers. Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, and Josh Berry were eliminated from the playoffs with the lowest points after three races.

The second round, which begins next Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, features 12 drivers still alive in the championship hunt: Bell, Hamlin, Briscoe, Blaney, Logano, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric.

The Round of 12 then moves to Kansas Speedway on Sept. 28 before concluding with an elimination race on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 5.

NASCAR playoff standings entering Round of 12

Here are the updated NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings following Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway as the field was trimmed from 16 to 12 drivers. Four more drivers will be eliminated from championship contention in three weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

1. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing … +26
2. William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports … +24
3. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports … +24
4. Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing … +20
5. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske … +19
6. Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing … +10
7. Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports … +5
8. Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing … +1
9. Austin Cindric, Team Penske … -1
10. Joey Logano, Team Penske … -2
11. Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing … -2
12. Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing … -3

Christopher Bell wins NASCAR playoff race at Bristol

Christopher Bell took the lead on a restart with four laps remaining in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and held off Brad Keselowski for the checkered flag. With the win, Bell automatically advanced to the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Four drivers eliminated from NASCAR playoffs

Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry were eliminated from championship contention following Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which trimmed the playoff field from 16 to 12 drivers.

Bubba Wallace crashes with 12 laps to go

Bubba Wallace hit the wall in Turn 3 while running in 22nd position on Lap 482 to bring out the caution. Brad Keselowski led a handful of cars down pit road for tires, while Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith and playoff driver Alex Bowman stayed out ahead of shootout to the finish.

Brad Keselowski takes the lead on Lap 450

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion took the lead in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race with 50 laps remaining at Bristol Motor Speedway. Carson Hocevar runs second, Zane Smieth third, Alex Bowman fourth and John Hunter Nemechek.

Two more playoff drivers clinch berths in Round of 12

William Byron and Tyler Reddick secured enough points to guarantee advancement to the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. They join Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney in the Round of 12. Five more berths remain.

Denny Hamlin loses right front wheel, crashes

Denny Hamlin brought on the caution on Lap 384. Hamlin was battling with pole winner AJ Allmendinger for the 20th position when he appeared to lose his right front wheel one second before making contact with Allmendinger entering Turn 3. Both cars hit the wall and suffered major damage.

Hamlin also received a two-lap penalty for losing the right front wheel. Hamlin won the second playoff race last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway to secure a spot in the Round of 12.

NASCAR Bristol race: Lap 364 update

Kyle Larson slowed on the track and spun into the inside wall between Turn 1 and Turn 2 after suffering a broken toe link following contact with Daniel Suarez while both battled for 25th. Larson has already clinched a berth in the second round of the playoffs.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spins, brings out caution

Rickey Stenhouse Jr. spun in Turn 1 after contact from Bubba Wallace on Lap 354 of 500 of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race to bring out the caution flag at Bristol Motor Speedway. Stenhouse was running in the 20th position, while Wallace was seeking to get to pit road before the contact.

During the caution, most of the leaders came down pit road for fuel and tires, though some teams replaced all four tires, while others opted to spend less time on service and just take two tires.

Denny Hamlin stayed out while other drivers pitted. He restarted on the front row alongside Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who promptly took the lead from Hamlin.

Playoff driver Chase Elliott crashes out of Bristol race

Chase Elliott slammed into the outside wall head on in Turn 3 after John Hunter Nemechek made contact with the back of the No. 9 Hendrick Chevrolet on Lap 311. Elliott was running 10th at the time and was trying to squeeze into the bottom lane in front of Nemechek, who said he got rear-end contact from Denny Hamlin.

Elliott’s crew pushed the No. 9 Chevy behind the wall to try to repair the major damage but to no avail. Elliott was forced out of the race, and currently sits as the 12th and final driver positioned to make the second round of the playoffs … pending the final 180 laps of the race. Elliott currently leads teammate Alex Bowman by 23 points and Austin Dillon by 24 points in the playoff standings.

NASCAR Bristol Night Race Lap 300 update

Chase Briscoe leads the field on a restart with 200 laps remaining after a spin by Noah Gragson. Chris Buescher runs second, Bubba Wallace third, Ryan Blaney fourth and Christopher Bell fifth. All but Buescher are playoff drivers; Briscoe, Wallace and Blaney have already clinched spots in the second round of the playoffs.

Ryan Blaney clinches berth in second round of playoffs

Ryan Blaney, who won the opening stage of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway and finished second in Stage 2, became the fifth driver to advance to the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Seven spots remain open, while four drivers will be eliminated at the end of the race.

Ty Gibbs wins Stage 2 of NASCAR Bristol Night Race

Ty Gibbs, who has led a race-high 163 laps, outdueled Ryan Blaney to the start-finish line to win Stage 2 of the Brass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Blaney edged Gibbs to win the opening segment.

Alex Bowman finished third, Brad Keselowski fourth and Carson Hocevar fifth. Austin Cindric, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, Zane Smith and Denny Hamlin rounded out the Top 10.

Daytona 500 winner William Byron, who had gone a lap down in the closing laps of Stage 2, received the wave-around to get back on the lead lap. Byron was running 19th, leaving half the field at least one lap down.

Shane van Gisbergen spins, bring out caution

Shane van Gisbergen spun out in Turn 3 from 33rd position with 12 laps remaining in the second stage to bring out the caution. All lead lap cars except Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was running in the seventh position, made their way to pit road for fuel and tires. Ty Gibbs emerged as the leader after pit stops, followed by Alex Bowman and Brad Keselowski.

With his spin, van Gisbergen put himself in a must-win position to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

NASCAR Bristol Night Race: Lap 180 update

Ty Gibbs continues to lead the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol with 70 laps remaining in the second stage. Gibbs has led more than 120 laps in the race so far. Carson Hocevar has powered into the second position followed by playoff drivers Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace. Jon Hunter Nemechek runs fifth, and playoff driver Alex Bowman has rebounded from an early spin to drive up to the sixth position.

Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace advance in NASCAR playoffs

With their finishes in the opening stage of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, and Bubba Wallace have officially clinched berths in the Round of 12 of the playoffs.

Wallace finished fourth in Stage 1, while Kyle Larson finished 24th. But Larson had built up enough points in the first two races of the first round to secure advancement on points along with Wallace.

Larson and Wallace join Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, who had already advanced to the Round of 12 after winning the first two races of the first round.

Ryan Blaney wins Stage 1 of NASCAR Bristol Night Race

Ryan Blaney passed Ty Gibbs on the penultimate lap of the 125-lap opening stage then held off the Joe Gibbs Racing driver in a side-by-side battle to the finish line to win Stage 1 of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, collected 10 stage points and a valuable playoff point he can carry into the second round.

William Byron finished third, Bubba Wallace fourth and Zane Smith fifth. Chris Buescher, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, John Hunter Nemechek and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the Top 10.

Caution flag waves as Josh Berry’s car catches fire

Smoke filled up the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford of Josh Berry as he came down pit road. Berry’s car began to catch fire while he was still out on the track. As he maneuvered his vehicle down pit road, he radioed his crew that he could not see as smoke began to engulf the interior.

Berry was able to vacate his car under his own power as safety officials quickly put out the fire, and the caution flag waved on Lap 80. But Berry’s championship hopes came to an end with his race over early. Berry entered tonight’s race 16th in the playoff standings and needed a great race to advance to the next round.

Ryan Blaney last of playoff drivers to hit pit road

Ryan Blaney found a way to preserve his tires long after every other driver came down pit road under green. The Team Penske driver was the last playoff driver to change tires and may have to make only one more stop in Stage 1, while most of the field will likely have to make two stops before the segment ends.

Joey Logano goes a lap down early at Bristol

Race leader Ryan Blaney put is Team Penske teammate Joey Logano a lap down in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race after just 30 laps as Logano, the reigning series champion has struggled early.

Meanwhile, tire issues are plaguing multiple drivers with quite a few having to hit pit road early to replace tires. That includes playoff drivers Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick.

Green flag waves in NASCAR Bristol Night Race

Pole sitter AJ Allmendinger leads the field, and NASCAR Cup Series drivers have taken the green flag in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The opening stage is 125 laps.

NASCAR playoff eliminations begin at Bristol

The 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series playoff field will be reduced to 12 tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here are the four drivers below the cut line ahead of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race:

• 13. Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing (-11 points behind 12th)
• 14. Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing (-15)
• 15. Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports (-35)
• 16. Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing (-45)

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol start?

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Bristol on?

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race will be broadcast on USA Network. Pre-race coverage will start at 7 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Bristol?

Yes, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race will be streamed on Peacock and the NBC Sports website.The race can also be streamed on Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Watch NASCAR Cup races on Fubo

AJ Allmendinger on pole for Bristol Night Race

Kaulig Racing driver AJ Allmendinger, widely considered one of NASCAR’s best road-course racers, was the surprise pole winner for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Allmendinger will start first alongside Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney, the 2023 Cup Series champion.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Bristol?

The Bass Pro Shops Night Race is 500 laps around the 0.533-mile track for a total of 266.5 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 125 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 250 laps.

Who won the most recent NASCAR races at Bristol?

Kyle Larson earned his second consecutive win at Bristol Motor Speedway, dominating the day race on April 13, 2025. Larson started third and led 411 of 500 laps before beating Denny Hamlin by 2.250 seconds. Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five.

And one year ago in the 2024 playoff race, Kyle Larson dominated the field again, leading 462 of 500 laps to take the checkered flag. He gapped Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott by more than seven seconds in one of his best drives of the year. Hamlin finished third, followed by Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell.

NASCAR playoff standings

Here’s how the field stacks up with the gap to leader in parentheses. The bottom four drivers will be eliminated after Bristol.

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Chase Briscoe (-5)
3. Kyle Larson -17)
4. Bubba Wallace -27)
5. Ryan Blaney (-35)
6. William Byron (-38)
7. Tyler Reddick (-40)
8. Christopher Bell (-45)
9. Chase Elliott (-49)
10. Joey Logano (-56)
11. Ross Chastain (-58)
12. Austin Cindric (-66)
13. Austin Dillon (-77)
14. Shane van Gisbergen (-81)
15. Alex Bowman (-101)
16. Josh Berry (-111)

What is the lineup for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race?

(Car number in parentheses)

1. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
2. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford
3. (2) Austin Cindric (P), Ford
4. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
5. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet
6. (11) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota
7. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet
8. (23) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota
9. (20) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota
10. (21) Josh Berry (P), Ford
11. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
12. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
13. (1) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet
14. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota
15. (48) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet
16. (9) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet
17. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
18. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
19. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
20. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
21. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
22. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford
23. (3) Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet
24. (38) Zane Smith, Ford
25. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
26. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
27. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
28. (88) Shane Van Gisbergen (P), Chevrolet
29. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
30. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
31. (19) Chase Briscoe (P), Toyota
32. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
33. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
34. (51) Cody Ware, Ford
35. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
36. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
37. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
38. (67) Corey Heim, Toyota
39. (66) Chad Finchum, Ford

Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko was not happy after the Aggies’ allowed a Notre Dame scoring drive in the first quarter.

In fact, Texas A&M’s sideline on the road in Notre Dame, Indiana, might need a replacement chair after he voiced his displeasure to his defense.

While yelling at players on the sideline, Elko picked up a chair and tossed it out of rage. NBC play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle had some fun with the situation after the chair toss was shown on the TV broadcast.

‘That chair, we’re gonna have to check on,’ Eagle said. ‘Because the well-being doesn’t appear to be super high.’

NBC later zoomed in on the thrown chair, which was laying sideways behind the Aggies’ bench.

It’s unclear what made Elko so angry, but star cornerback Dezz Ricks was flagged for a personal foul after shoving Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love into the Fighting Irish bench after Love already ran out of bounds. CJ Carr then made a 47-yard pass to put Notre Dame on Texas A&M’s 4-yard line, setting up the touchdown to finish the drive.

Texas A&M is looking to avoid being swept in its home-and-home series against Notre Dame, as the Aggies fell 23-13 to the eventual national championship runners-up a season ago in College Station, Texas.

Elko is in his second season as Texas A&M’s head coach after serving in the same role at Duke for two seasons from 2022-23. Elko was previously the defensive coordinator for the Aggies from 2018-21, and was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame for one season in 2017.

Texas A&M fans are hoping Elko’s butt-chewing — and chair throw, for that matter — can ignite the Aggies moving forward.

At the 1:04 mark of the second quarter, Anderson tackled Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon, immediately collapsing on the field and lying prone on the turf. He was tended to by medical staff members for several minutes on the field, with members of both Texas A&M and Notre Dame kneeling in silence as he was tended to.

He eventually was stretchered off the field and gave a thumbs up as he exited the game. NBC’s Kathryn Tappen reported that Texas A&M coach Mike Elko told her that Anderson was taken to Beacon Memorial Hospital, a nearby Level 2 trauma center, in an ambulance for ‘precautionary reasons’ and that Anderson has ‘feeling in all of his limbs.’

Prior to his injury, Anderson was tied as the leading tackler among Texas A&M defenders with four tackles. The 5-foot-10 safety entered Saturday’s top-25 ranked matchup vs. Notre Dame with six total tackles and a quarterback hit in Texas A&M’s first two games of the season.

Here’s the latest on Anderson’s injury:

Bryce Anderson injury update

Anderson sustained an injury in the final minutes of the first half against Notre Dame following a hit on Raridon.

NBC’s broadcast showed Anderson being tended to by members of Texas A&M’s medical staff and medical staff at the stadium. NBC’s Kathryn Tappen reported that Anderson’s pads and jerseys were taken off of him and had a neck brace placed on him.

Anderson gave a thumbs up to those in the stadium as he was taken off the field. Prior to being taken off the field, the entire Aggie team went over to greet him after he was stabilized by the medical staff that tended to him.

Coming out of halftime, Tappen reported that Anderson was taken to a Beacon Memorial Hospital, a Level 1 trauma center that is located two miles away from Notre Dame Stadium, in an ambulance for further evaluation. She added he has ‘feeling in all of his limbs.’

Mike Elko comments on Bryce Anderson’s injury

Following Texas A&M’s thrilling 41-40 win over Notre Dame, Elko told reporters in South Bend that ‘all signs are positive’ regarding his safety ‘at this point.’

‘Still praying for Bryce. At this point, all signs are positive. I don’t think we are done with every diagnostic testing but so far every test that we’ve run through has come back positive,’ Elko said.

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The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox began a crucial three-game series at Fenway Park on Friday, Sept. 12, with the rivals jockeying for the American League’s top wild-card spot while trying to chase down the Toronto Blue Jays atop the AL East.

The Yankees (82-65) emerged victorious in the opener behind stellar pitching from starter Luis Gil (4-1) and another home run from slugger Aaron Judge as New York shut down the Red Sox in the 4-1 win. Judge put the Yankees on the board in the top of first inning when he mashed a 468-foot solo homer to center field for his 47th dinger of the season. The 362nd home run of Judge’s career moved him past legendary Joe DiMaggio for fourth most in Yankees’ history.

Meanwhile, Gil stymied the Red Sox batters, holding Boston hitless through six innings. Gil struck out four and walked four before giving way to the bullpen in the seventh. Finally with two outs in the frame, the Red Sox (81-67) got on the board when Nate Eaton hit a solo home run to left field. Boston’s only other hit of the game was a single by Alex Bregman in the bottom of the eighth.

Starter Lucas Giolito (10-4) took the loss for the Red Sox.

Neither team gained ground on Toronto, who maintained a three-game lead in the AL East after the Blue Jays beat the Orioles 6-1, but the Yankees increased their lead in the wild card race, moving to 1½ games up on the Red Sox. Boston (8-3 against the Yankees) has already clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker against New York, giving the Red Sox the edge should the teams be tied after 162 games.

Max Fried (16-5) will take the mound for New York, and Brayan Bello (11-6) will start for Boston in the second game of the series, Saturday, Sept. 13 at 4:10 p.m. ET.

Scroll below for highlights and a recap of Friday’s game:

Yankees beat Red Sox 4-1

The New York Yankees opened a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park with a 4-1 victory. Four Yankees pitchers limited the Red Sox to one run and two hits.

Nate Eaton homers for Red Sox’s first hit

Right fielder Nate Eaton ended the New York Yankees’ combined no-hitter bid with a solo home run to left in the bottom of the seventh inning off reliever Fernando Cruz. The right-hander entered the game after Yankees starter Luis Gil threw six no-hit innings. Cruz promptly struck out the first two batters he faced before Eaton finally got Boston on the board with his solo shot. The Yankees lead 4-1 heading to the top of the eighth.

Yankees add two runs; Red Sox still hitless

The New York Yankees tacked on two runs in the top of the seventh inning to extend their lead to 4-0. The Boston Red Sox, meanwhile, head into the bottom of the seventh still seeking their first hit. Yankees starter Luis Gil threw six innings and struck out four while allowing four walks. Fernando Cruz has entered in relief to pitch the bottom of the seventh.

Red Sox seeking first hit

The Boston Red Sox have been held hitless by the Yankees through five innings. New York leads 2-0 heading into the top of the sixth.

Yankees increase lead

Cody Bellinger hit a two-out RBI single in the top of the third inning for the Yankees, allowing Judge to score and take a 2-0 lead.

Aaron Judge passes Joe DiMaggio on Yankees’ HR list

Aaron Judge hit a home run to take sole possession of fourth place, passing Joe DiMaggio (361), on the Yankees’ all-time home run list with 362.

Judge has the most on the list among right-handed hitters. Babe Ruth (left-handed hitter, 659), Mickey Mantle (switch hitter, 536) and Lou Gehrig (left-handed, 483) are all ahead of Judge on the overall list.

Judge tied with DiMaggio on Sept. 11, when he hit two home runs against the Detroit Tigers in a 9-3 home win.

The Yankees lead the Red Sox, 1-0, in the top of the first inning.

Where to watch Red Sox vs Yankees

Friday night’s game will stream on Apple TV+ with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Watch Yankees vs. Red Sox on Apple TV+

What time is Yankees vs. Red Sox game?

Friday’s game at Fenway Park begins at 7:10 p.m. ET.

The Atlanta Falcons make their primetime debut this season in Week 2 on ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Minnesota Vikings.

Atlanta played defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay close in Week 1 but Younghoe Koo’s game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt with six seconds left was no good and the Buccaneers won 23-20.

The Falcons’ offense had a strong start to the season with 358 total yards against Tampa Bay. They’ll get more reinforcements this week for their game against the Vikings.

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney was a full participant in practice Friday, Sept. 12 and will play for the first time this season on Sunday night. Fellow wide receiver Drake London, who suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Tampa Bay in Week 1, was also a full go in practice and will play on Sunday.

London had a game-high 15 targets in Week 1 and came away with eight catches for 55 yards.

Mooney is entering his second season in Atlanta. In 2024, the former Chicago Bears wideout tallied 64 catches for 992 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.

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The Detroit Tigers and their fans are holding their breath after ace Tarik Skubal exited Friday night’s game against the Miami Marlins in the fourth inning with an apparent injury.

Skubal, the reigning Cy Young winner and heavy favorite to win the award again this season, removed his glove and grabbed his left side with his right hand after getting Eric Wagaman to fly out for the first out in the bottom of the fourth inning at LoanDepot Park. Manager A.J. Hinch and a Tigers trainer came out to talk to Skubal, and he exited the game after a brief conversation.

Skubal allowed four hits, including two home runs, and exited after 45 pitches with the Tigers trailing 3-1. He entered Friday’s contest 13-4 with an American League-best 2.10 ERA.

The Marlins cruised to an 8-2 victory over the Tigers.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch on Tarik Skubal injury

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Another day, another injury update from the San Francisco 49ers.

Less than a full week into the 2025 NFL season and San Francisco is dealing with injuries to key players on offense. Tight end George Kittle is on injured reserve and wideout Jauan Jennings may miss time with injury as well from the 49ers’ Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Friday, Sept. 12, that the team will be without quarterback Brock Purdy for Sunday’s road game against the New Orleans Saints, per multiple reports.

Purdy completed 26 of 35 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the 49ers’ win last week in Seattle.

His second touchdown was the go-ahead score to tight end Jake Tonges.

With Purdy out, the 49ers will turn to former first-round pick Mac Jones to make his first start of the year. The one-time Pro Bowler signed with San Francisco this offseason to be the backup quarterback and brings multiple years of starting experience to the team.

When will Brock Purdy return?

Purdy’s return date is uncertain at this point. It depends on how fast he can recover from his turf toe and shoulder injuries.

Here’s the 49ers’ upcoming schedule through October:

• Week 2: Sept. 14 at New Orleans Saints
• Week 3: Sept. 21 vs. Arizona Cardinals
• Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 5: Oct. 2 at Los Angeles Rams on ‘Thursday Night Football’
• Week 6: Oct. 12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 7: Oct. 19 vs. Atlanta Falcons on ‘Sunday Night Football’
• Week 8: Oct. 26 at Houston Texans

If Purdy’s recovery is two weeks, that puts him back in the lineup in Week 4 versus the Jaguars. If it’s more like five, Purdy may be starting again after the long break following Week 5’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ game in Los Angeles.

49ers QB depth chart

Jones is the next man up for San Francisco and the only other quarterback on the active roster following Week 1. Here’s how the position looks in San Francisco:

• Brock Purdy (injured)
• Mac Jones
• Adrian Martinez (practice squad)
• Kurtis Rourke (non-football injury list)

With Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight title on the line, the Mexican star will be fighting more than Terence Crawford on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Las Vegas.

He’ll also be fighting for his legacy.

Aris Pina, a voter for the International Boxing Hall of Famer, said he thinks Alvarez ranks among the Top 30 boxers all-time. Barry Tompkins, a highly regarded boxing analyst, said he thinks Alvarez is in contention for the mythical crown of best Mexican boxer ever.

The prevailing sentiment: Alvarez’s legacy hinges in part on the outcome of his fight against Crawford, who like Alvarez, has spent time atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Alvarez is 63-2-2 with 39 knockouts.

“His record speaks for itself,’’ Tompkins said. “And to his credit, he’s fought everyone who’s come along.’’

But he has not fought Crawford, who is 41-0 with 31 knockouts and, like Alvarez, a shoo-in as a Hall-of-Fame inductee. With Crawford jumping two weight classes, to 168 pounds from 154 pounds, a victory would damage Alvarez’s legacy, which needs cementing.

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., who was widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the early 1990s and finished his career with a record of 107-6-2 with 85 KOs, has long been considered the best Mexican fighter ever. Tompkins said Alvarez belongs in the conversation.

“Definitely in the conversation,’’ Tompkins told USA TODAY Sports.

Pina said he thinks there’s more work to do.

“If he beats Crawford and he beats him convincingly and goes on to beat (David Benavidez) or something like that, I could easily see him if someone were to say, ‘OK, he’s the No. 1 greatest Mexican fighter ever,’ ” Pina told USA TODAY Sports. “I probably wouldn’t even really argue.’ ”

Learning in the ring

In Mexico, with the option to turn pro as early as 15, Alvarez did just that. He won 11 of his first 13 fights by knockout and began to develop a reputation as a tough fighter with a rock solid chin and impressive defense.

He will carry those attributes into the 68^th fight of his pro career.

“Through all the styles that he’s had to fight coming up to become the most well-rounded fighter you’ve seen, many have seen in years,’’ Pina said.

At 23, Alvarez stepped in the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr., who was then 36 and considerably more experienced. Mayweather won by majority decision and handed Alvarez the first loss of his career.

He won his next 16 fights and went more than eight years without another loss.

“What we’ve learned from that is that he was able to bounce back,’’ Pina said. “Floyd dominated more or less, but Alvarez had his moments and it gave people hope that, ‘Hey, maybe he can learn from this.’ He absolutely did. He became a more complete fighter.

“And each fight it got gradual even more. You could see that.’’

In 2017, Gennadiy Golovkin had emerged as one of the hardest punchers in boxing. Top fighters steered clear.

Not Alvarez.

So began their trilogy.

It started with a draw in which Golovkin appeared to win, but Alvarez atoned in their second fight with a victory by split decision. He won their third fight by unanimous decision.

“He was much better in the rematch than he was the first fight, which clearly shows he learned what some of Golovkin tendencies,’’ Pina said.

Now 35, Alvarez still is a hybrid of brains and brawn. He suffered his second career loss in 2022, when he moved up to the 175-pound light heavyweight division and lost to Dmitry Bivol by unanimous decision.

Since then, he has won six fights in a row, without a knockout or a close call.

“He’s a pro,’’ Tompkins said, “and he does what he needs to do to win the fight.’’

On Saturday, Alvarez will be looking to win for the 64^th time of his career and potentially a legacy-cementing victory.