Manchester United's struggles are the result of poor planning by the club's board and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs time and money to get the team back on track, former defender Gary Neville has said.

United, once the dominant force in English football, have made their worst start to a league campaign in 30 years and dropped to 12th in the table, two points above the relegation zone, after Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.

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Solskjaer is the fourth permanent manager to take charge since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with the United enduring mixed fortunes under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho despite spending heavily on players.

"United are getting the pain they deserve for poor decisions at board level," Neville told Sky Sports. "The board is responsible for this with poor recruitment, poor selection of managers, going with them and then pulling off them.

"If you change direction as a board every two years, investing £250 million along the way in each manager, you're going to have big problems."

Solskjaer, who sanctioned the departures of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku last summer, is trying to rebuild the side with a greater emphasis on youth, and Neville said the board would have to be patient with his former teammate.

The club signed Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James in the summer transfer window, but Neville said the club need to bring in another "five or six top players."

"Solskjaer needs the opportunity to spend the money the others have had to spend," Neville added.

"If United recruit well in the next three or four windows, they've got the bones of something. If they recruit badly, they'll end up suffering.

"There's no quick fix and it has to be done methodically. I hope, because of the poor results, they don't come off the path they're on which is to develop a young, progressive team but they do need some quality and experience in there."

Keeper howlers, injury crises and chef Brendan Rodgers serving up some delightful delicacies. Buckle up: It's Nick Miller's Premier League weekend review.

JUMP TO: Liverpool the new United? | United no longer United | Spurs are rotting | Keep an eye on Villa

Have Man City already lost title?

It's the end of the first week in October, and already the title race might be over after Man City's shocking loss to Wolves on Sunday.

That's a little hyperbolic, of course -- particularly when we know what Manchester City are capable of. Plus, they still have to play Liverpool twice, so that lead could disappear in a hurry. But since three points for a win were introduced in 1980, only one team has ever been eight points clear at the top after eight games in the English top flight

Oh, yes, that other team to lead by eight points: It was Manchester United in 1985-86. They ended up finishing fourth, 12 back from champions Liverpool, and manager Ron Atkinson was sacked the following year. It's a cautionary tale.

An old Pep Guardiola quote from Marti Peranau's book "Pep Confidential" has been doing the rounds this weekend. "League titles are won in the last eight games, but they are lost in the first eight."

Of course, there are lots of sage maxims from the game's most learned figures that might not ultimately mean anything, but there is truth in what he said: City have, at best, made things extremely difficult for themselves. It adds further spice, if further spice was needed, to the game between the two sides in a few weeks: If City win, we have a proper title race, but if Liverpool win, it could genuinely be all over.

Have City become too predictable?

In terms of points, City are currently closer to Brighton in 14th place than they are to Liverpool. They've already dropped more points at home this season than they did in the whole of last. For the first time in a long while, they should be worried.

How to explain this one? The absence of Kevin De Bruyne was a factor, but you struggle to weep for them, considering they had David, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling while leaving Phil Foden on the bench.

The common factor in their adverse results is that the longer you manage to frustrate City -- and there are various ways to do that -- the less they seem to know what to do. You can almost see their players looking toward the dugout when things aren't going well, baffled as to why the plan isn't working, as if there's some sort of glitch in the system.

They aren't going to change, and Guardiola has a body of work to justify that. But it's possible that this super-charged automation, the machine that is City, has become predictable and too easy to combat.

Assist of the weekend

Among all the picking over City's performance, a word for Wolves, who look back to their big boy bothering best of last season. A word for Nuno Espirito Santo for maximising their threat on the counterattack by shifting Adama Traore into the middle; for Traore, who carried out that plan; and for Raul Jimenez for his two brilliant assists, the first of which featured an outrageous shimmy that you can watch over and over.

Liverpool the new United?

A comparison such as this is probably premature, given the respective trophy hauls, but there is something about this Liverpool team that is reminiscent of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in the 1990s. Like that United, Liverpool are relentless until the end, and any accusations that they consistently get lucky with late goals or penalties can be countered by that fact that they just keep going, aggressively pushing and putting themselves into positions to benefit from luck or "seen them given, seen them not given" penalty decisions.

Liverpool will go into their next game with the chance to equal Manchester City's record for consecutive league wins at 18. Their next game is at Old Trafford. It should be spicy.

Luckiest moment of the weekend

As mentioned, it's not that the penalty awarded to Sadio Mane against Leicester was necessarily an incorrect decision. It's more that it was a coin flip. It could have been a penalty, but Liverpool could not have seriously complained if it hadn't been given. Such luck is required to be champions.

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United no longer United

It really is difficult to think of new ways to describe how desperate Manchester United are, so let's keep this brief after another bad loss, this time to Newcastle at St James' Park.

Many have pointed to the players available to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, suggesting that he can't do much more with them, and indeed nobody could. That is nonsense.

This is a distance from being a vintage United squad, but they have somehow looked less than the sum of their parts this season, which is almost impressive in its ineptitude. Sure, not many managers could make these players title contenders, but most coaches with a bit of nous and experience could at the very least do better than this.

Appointing Solskjaer was understandable, given the sentiment and the results in his first couple of months, but it's clear now that it was a mistake. Keeping him for much longer would compound that mistake further.

A little respite for Newcastle

The only good thing that Manchester United did was give Newcastle a bit of respite. There were plenty of elements to encourage in Steve Bruce's side's win, not least Matty Longstaff's performance and goal, but this victory doesn't solve the problems that were apparent in last weekend's defeat to Leicester.

They're still there and won't be solved by this one win. A long season still lies ahead for Bruce and his team.

Spurs aren't stale -- they're rotting

There are so many problems with Tottenham at the moment that it would take far too long to discuss them all. Let's just pick one of them: Spurs looked so incredibly passive in their 3-0 defeat to Brighton. This used to be a team that was utterly relentless, that would take charge of games, smothering and throttling the opposition. On Saturday, they were tentative and completely unassertive, they barely looked dangerous, and they were absent-minded in defence, conceding three avoidable goals.

This time Mauricio Pochettino couldn't use the line that "everything they hit went in," as he did in the 7-2 loss to against Bayern Munich. If that was a spectacular flaying, this felt much more mundane, a relatively routine home win by a team that on the day looked superior. Yet this was a team that at the start of play were a point off the bottom three and had won only once at home in 2019, which was against Huddersfield.

It has becoming increasingly apparent that Spurs haven't gone stale. Rather, they've been rotting. When things go stale, they just sit there slowly going bad -- nothing sudden happens -- but when something rots, eventually it just collapses. Since around February, Spurs have been like a rotting roof beam that someone put a few coats of paint on as they progressed to the Champions League final: on the surface. Things looked OK, but beneath that they weren't, and now the beam has collapsed.

There's no easy answer to the question of where they go from here: It involves Pochettino leaving, the squad being torn up and painstakingly rebuilt, a combination of the two or some other, no less painful option. There could be grim times ahead.

Old boys' act

The narrative around Chelsea this season has broadly, and rightly, been around the excellence of the young players, and while Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount scored brilliant goals against Southampton, the driving force behind the 4-1 win over Southampton was the old guard.

Willian was exceptional and singled out for praise by Frank Lampard, Cesar Azpilicueta has regained some of his form after a troubling spell early in the season, and Jorginho has grown in influence to become the still point around which everything else spins.

Bouncing back

A week ago, Dean Henderson let a weak shot squirm through his grasp to cost Sheffield United their game against Liverpool. This weekend, he produced a string of brilliant saves to earn a point at Watford. That's being a goalkeeper for you.

Misplaced confidence from Marco Silva?

Turf Moor is a bad place to go if you're a manager under pressure. Not necessarily because Burnley are such an overpowering proposition on the pitch but more because if you lose, you have to walk past the away fans to reach the tunnel.

That fate befell Marco Silva at the weekend, and those Everton fans made their feelings clear, but it doesn't seem to have made him doubt his methods too much. "We're not worried at the moment," he said. "I have the same confidence I had at the beginning of the season. The same confidence about our quality and what we're doing every single day."

One suspects his confidence might be very slightly misplaced.

Will Villa's win loosen the jar?

Aston Villa's performances had been better than their results suggested before this weekend, and you suspected that someone was going to get a hiding at some point. That someone turned out to be Norwich, and perhaps the 5-1 win will be the equivalent of that first bit of ketchup to come out of a troublesome bottle. Plenty more could follow after this.

Victoria

Last season Champions (League stage: 6 wins, 1 defeats, 3 draws)
Captain Peter Handscomb
Coach Andrew McDonald

2018-19 stats

Overview

The defending champions are well placed to go back-to-back. Last season's success was built on the phenomenal run-scoring of Marcus Harris at the top of the order and a deep and well-balanced battery of fast bowlers. Harris, who became the first player to pass 1000 runs in a Shield season since 2014-15 and was Player of the Match in the final, did cover an inconsistent top order, but their batting will only be strengthened this season. Will Pucovski is a year older and a year wiser. Nic Maddinson scored three centuries last season despite only batting eight times due to a broken arm and broken finger, and missed the final. Victoria will have some selection headaches with Peter Handscomb, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell set to be available for at least five of the first six games, barring being called to the Test squad. Victoria are also planning to regularly rotate their bevy of quicks, in Scott Boland, Chris Tremain, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Andrew Fekete, as they did last season. But they will also potentially look to introduce young quicks Will Sutherland and Xavier Crone into the rotation. Jon Holland remains a key cog with his left-arm spin while Seb Gotch and Sam Harper will be battling for the wicketkeeping duties. Gotch was excellent last season but Harper has shown tremendous potential in short-form cricket and will push for opportunities.

Player to watch

Peter Handscomb will be an intriguing player to follow this season. He was in and out of the Test line-up summer due to form and questions about his batting method before becoming a mainstay of the ODI side. He was then squeezed out of the World Cup squad only to be called up to play the semi-final against England on limited preparation. He remains in Australia's limited-overs plans but his Test prospects should not be discounted. He has two Test hundreds and has been a consistent performer at Shield level for many seasons. Matthew Wade's reinvention as a Test player on the back of dominating domestic cricket should give Handscomb hope if he piles up scores for Victoria.

Young gun

All eyes will be on Will Pucovski in the early part of the season as Australia search for some top-order Test players. The question is rather when, not if, he should be introduced to the Test side. He has all the makings of a Test batsman and joined an illustrious group of Australia greats in scoring a Shield double century before his 21st birthday last year, a group that included Don Bradman and Ricky Ponting. Managing his mental health saw him miss chunks of last season, but he got a taste of the Test squad in February before taking time away. The Australia A tour seemed to go smoothly for him. Much is expected of him this summer.

New South Wales

Last season Runners up (League stage: 5 wins, 2 defeats, 3 draws)
Captain Peter Nevill
Coach Phil Jaques

2018-19 stats

Overview

A first-innings collapse in the final against Victoria cost them the chance of the title in a summer where both their regular-season defeats had also come at the hands of the eventual champions. A run of four victories in five matches either side of the BBL showed some of their best four-day cricket, harnessed around a potent bowling attack including Trent Copeland, Sean Abbott, Harry Conway and Steve O'Keefe. Some of them will move aside when the Test stars are available, although the full pack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon may only line up once before the Tests start with Cummins and Hazlewood having an extended rest. However, New South Wales could get a useful number of matches out of David Warner and Steven Smith, who missed last year's domestic season as part of their bans, will which build a formidable top order. Can they make it count? Last year only one batsman (Kurtis Patterson) averaged over 40 and when the batting failed, notably against Victoria, it tended to do so collectively so they ideally need greater output from one or two others as well as hoping Warner and Smith fill their boots. There is another interesting factor in the New South Wales' home campaign this summer with more matches scheduled at the SCG. The nature of the wicket will be important when it comes to the chances of forcing results.

Player to watch

It didn't turn into the off-season Kurtis Patterson would have hoped for after scoring his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka. He missed the cut for the Ashes squad having not stood out on the Australia A tour so starts this season again needing a strong run to restate a claim to the middle order. A string of form similar to his mid-season high last year, which brought four centuries in five innings during January and February, would certainly make an impression on the selectors.

Young gun

Jason Sangha is still only 19 so has plenty of time on his side. There was a lot of chatter when he scored his maiden Sheffield Shield hundred against Tasmania (in the same innings as fellow teenage Jack Edwards) but he couldn't build on that and didn't pass fifty again, finishing with an average of 21.44 having played all 11 matches. Has been working on his legspin in the off-season which will add to his all-round package.

Australia retained the Ashes in England for the first time in 18 years yet the 2-2 result arguably left as many questions as answers about how their Test side will be shaped moving forward. There are four Sheffield Shield rounds before the first of five home Tests against Pakistan and New Zealand this summer. Here are the issues the selectors will be looking to find answers for prior to the first Test in Brisbane and throughout the season.

The openers

David Warner is coming off the worst Test series for any opener who batted at least 10 times. However, all indications are that Warner is a lock for Brisbane based on his phenomenal overall record compared to those vying for his spot. Marcus Harris will be under pressure as the incumbent having made just two half-centuries in nine Tests and the selectors will think long and hard about a left-right combination.

Cameron Bancroft lost his place after four failures in the Ashes and would need a string of huge Shield scores to earn a recall. Joe Burns will be the most intriguing man to watch. He made 180 in his last Test match, and then another century against Sussex during the Australia A tour of the UK prior to the Ashes after recovering from post-viral fatigue, yet he missed the Ashes squad entirely. With four Test hundreds in 16 Tests, it is hard to fathom how he has not earned an extended run. Matt Renshaw is the forgotten man following a lean summer last year but runs in the Shield games will put him back into the equation.

The other question surrounds Usman Khawaja. There seems little doubt he is among Australia's best six batsmen in home conditions but given Marnus Labuschagne's impressive performances at No. 3 in the Ashes, does Khawaja open with Warner given his outstanding record in his brief opening stints at Test level?

The middle order

Labuschagne and Steven Smith look set to become Australia's permanent combination at three and four unless the selectors wish to return Khawaja to No. 3 for home assignments which would mean Labuschagne would need to be shifted down. Matthew Wade probably did enough to keep his spot for the start of the home summer but, as he articulated after his century at The Oval, there are no guarantees.

Australia are desperate for an allrounder at No. 6 to support the fast bowling cartel on the flatter Australian surfaces. Mitchell Marsh is the preferred option and while he bowled superbly at The Oval he did not answer any of the ongoing questions surrounding his batting at Test level. With two day-night Tests in the first three matches this summer, the selectors may opt for a specialist at No. 6. Tim Paine made it clear Travis Head had not necessarily been dropped on form but rather squeezed out for the allrounder. Head is one of the vice-captains and the selectors would love to get him back into the side sooner rather than later to continue his development. He would likely be the first cab off the rank.

Kurtis Patterson should be in the mix given he made a century in his last Test while Will Pucovski is a watching brief. Runs in the first four Shield rounds will send the Australian public Pucovski crazy and could force the selectors' hand, maybe before they are ready to introduce him.

The preferred fast bowlers

Provided Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are fit, they are locks for the first Test and beyond. Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Jhye Richardson will be vying for the third spot. The next couple of months could indicate whether the Ashes was a last hurrah at Test level for Peter Siddle. Starc and Pattinson could be selected in alternate games in order to manage their workloads and maximise their effectiveness while Richardson appears the understudy for either Cummins or Hazlewood. He is almost back to full fitness now having overcome his shoulder injury but he is still unable to throw without inhibition.

Who is Nathan Lyon's understudy

One of the threads that got lost during an Ashes series with endless talking points was the fact that Australia did not pick a second spinner for the tour. The selectors had incredible faith in Nathan Lyon's durability and form that no one was selected as cover. Jon Holland was the spinner on the Australia A tour after playing in the UAE last year, but whether he is Lyon's understudy should the offspinner suffer an injury is a different question. By all rights, he should be but Ashton Agar's return to fitness and his ever-present lure as an all-round package of sorts will keep the selectors interested, even if his bowling alone isn't at Holland's level. Steve O'Keefe's file appears to be stamped but he will continue to take wickets for NSW when he plays.

Australia are set to tour Bangladesh next year and one or two spinners will need to accompany Lyon as Agar and O'Keefe did in 2017. Can a legspinner like Mitch Swepson or Lloyd Pope bolt from the blue with a big home summer? For these reasons the development of Labuschagne's legspin is also important.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Normally reserved coach Jason Garrett initially was unsure why he had been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct in the Dallas Cowboys' 34-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers, and Jerry Jones was exasperated when he learned it was for abusive language.

"Apparently he didn't like how I threw the [challenge] flag," Garrett said.

Side judge Scott Edwards made the call on Garrett, and in a pool report referee Ron Torbert gave the reason for the penalty.

"It was for abusive language toward an official," Torbert said.

When that explanation was relayed to Jones, the Cowboys' owner and general manager expressed his irritation.

"Oh, I hope the little darling didn't hear something he hadn't heard before," Jones said. "We should all stop the wheel over that if he got [a penalty for] abusive language."

With four seconds left in the third quarter, Amari Cooper was ruled to have been out of bounds on a pass from Dak Prescott. Replays, however, showed he was able to get both feet down, requiring Garrett to use his final challenge of the game.

"We had already challenged a potential pass interference earlier [and] you know in that situation you have to use the flag to get the call corrected and you're not going to have one for later in the game," Garrett said.

"Obviously, I didn't handle that situation as well as I should have. I knew we were going to get the play because I saw it and unfortunately we had to use that flag there. And he made the decision to throw a flag on me."

Garrett's frustration stemmed from a 39-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Anthony Brown earlier in the third quarter.

"The standard is very high for them to overturn," Garrett said. "That was more of a situational challenge. I don't think it was pass interference. If I thought it was pass interference I wouldn't have thrown the flag, but understanding the standard is high because of the situation, you have to give yourself a chance. ... Oftentimes when you slow it down, things look a little more magnified than they are. I know it's hard to get those things overturned, but it's too big of a play not to do it."

The Packers ended that drive with Aaron Jones' fourth rushing touchdown of the day to take a 31-3 lead. The Cowboys managed to cut the deficit to 14 points in the fourth quarter, but a third Prescott interception made chances for a miraculous comeback even more difficult.

However, on that pass Prescott thought Michael Gallup was interfered with by Kevin King, which played a part in why he threw the pass to begin with.

"I saw what everyone saw," Prescott said. "Seeing guy very handsy. No call. Move on."

Garrett said it was not his place to comment when asked if he felt it was a poorly officiated game. Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott spoke carefully after the game about the officiating.

"I'm never going be the guy to go out there and be like, 'Hey we lost 'cause of the refs,'" Elliott said. "At the end of the day we gotta look in the mirror as a team and realize we shot ourselves in the foot too many times. It wasn't the refs. I mean, they weren't perfect, they weren't great, but we gotta look in the mirror and see that there's a lot of things that we could've done or fixed that we could've done to win that ball game. Not just look to blame the refs."

Players defended Garrett after the game.

"I love it when coach Garrett does things like that," defensive linemen Tyrone Crawford said. "He deserves to do whatever he needs to do for this football team and whatever he feels like. No one should question that. If you do, if you got a problem with it, then you've got a problem with all of us. That's just how it is with us.

"We're not worried about what people are saying outside of this. We're a family in here, and that's how it's going to go. Period."

In a week in which they needed wins, the Texans' offense scored 53 points, the Vikings' Adam Thielen netted 130 receiving yards and scored twice and the Ravens' Justin Tucker kicked an overtime game winner in Pittsburgh. The Patriots remained undefeated, and the Cardinals and Broncos finally found the win column. The Raiders pulled off a huge comeback. And New Orleans' Teddy Bridgewater threw four touchdowns in a division victory.

All that and more in Week 5's biggest takeaways from NFL Nation.

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Indianapolis Colts 19, Kansas City Chiefs 13

The Colts put the clamps on the Chiefs' high-scoring offense. It was the Colts' best defensive performance under coordinator Matt Eberflus. Kansas City's 13 points were the fewest the Chiefs have scored since quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the starter at the outset of the 2018 season. The Colts sacked Mahomes four times and limited him to 10-of-24 passing for 158 yards in the final three quarters, after he started 12-of-15 for 130 yards. -- Mike Wells

Next game: vs. Texans (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 20)

Patrick Mahomes needs some help, after all. The Chiefs gave the NFL's reigning MVP little assistance on Sunday night against the Colts -- and for the first time this season, Mahomes couldn't deliver a victory. The Chiefs failed to protect Mahomes well or to try to take any meaningful pressure off him with the running game. Mahomes was left battered -- he was limping as he left the field with the rest of the offense to make way for the punting unit late in the third quarter after his left ankle was stepped on by a teammate -- and the Chiefs had their lowest-scoring game with Mahomes at quarterback. Mahomes was sacked four times and took hits several times after throws. -- Adam Teicher

Next game: vs. Texans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New Orleans Saints 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24

Teddy Bridgewater has done wonders for his future earnings -- oh, and the Saints' Super Bowl chances -- over the past three weeks. He is now 3-0 as starter in Drew Brees' absence, and he put an exclamation point on his performance with 314 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday. Bridgewater might not get another chance to light up the stat sheet at Jacksonville and Chicago over the next two weeks, but it was a nice reminder he has this kind of performance in him when the circumstances are right. -- Mike Triplett

Next game: at Jacksonville (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

With a chance to prove that their 55 points against the Rams last week was no fluke, the Bucs failed to deliver. With or without Brees, the Saints demonstrated on Sunday that the NFC South is still very much theirs to win. If the Bucs want to compete, they have to take it up several notches and can't allow receiver Mike Evans to be taken out of a game. NFL sack leader Shaquil Barrett and the Bucs' defense were unable to pressure Bridgewater and surrendered 457 total yards. That's not going to win you a division title. -- Jenna Laine

Next game: vs. Carolina (9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday, London)

Houston Texans 53, Atlanta Falcons 32

A week after scoring 10 points against the Panthers, the offense woke up. Deshaun Watson threw for 426 yards and five touchdowns. He now has thrown at least four touchdown passes in a game for the fifth time in his career, which is tied for the second most in the NFL since 2017, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The quarterback who leads that category? Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, the Texans' Week 6 opponent. -- Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Kansas City (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Falcons' defense is atrocious, and there doesn't appear to be a quick fix. The Falcons surrendered 592 yards of total offense to the Texans and did not sack Watson. And now the Falcons have Kyler Murray, Jared Goff, Russell Wilson and perhaps Drew Brees upcoming over the next four games. The offense might have to score 35-plus points per game if the Falcons hope to win. "We're disappointed across the board,'' said Falcons coach Dan Quinn, who also is the team's defensive coordinator. "One hundred percent gut-check time for us.'' -- Vaughn McClure

Next game: at Arizona (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Buffalo Bills 14, Tennessee Titans 7

The hype surrounding Duke Williams might have been warranted. The practice squad signee caught four passes for 29 yards and the go-ahead score in his NFL debut on Sunday, picking up a first down or a touchdown on three of his four receptions. He was a fixture in the Bills' three-receiver sets, and Williams has another opportunity to shine when Buffalo hosts Miami after its Week 6 bye. "I loved his juice. I loved the toughness he brings -- he's earned it," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "The way he practiced, his behavior, in terms of his habits. One practice to another, all the way through the first four weeks. ... He made plays in practice and in the one-on-ones, so he earned it." -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Miami (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 20)

The Titans have to figure out a way to play better on the offensive line. They gave up three first-half sacks to Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was continuously under pressure and had little time to do anything with the ball. Right guard Rodger Saffold was signed to shore up the interior line, but he gave up a sack, as well. Tight end Delanie Walker is one of the top weapons in the passing game but has only two catches in the past two weeks. If the Titans plan on winning more games, they'll need to fix a leaky offensive line and get the ball to Walker more frequently. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: at Denver (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New England Patriots 33, Washington Redskins 7

The running game changed everything for the Patriots' offense. After quarterback Tom Brady tied a career high with 31 pass attempts in the first half and the offense wasn't operating at peak efficiency, a switch to a Sony Michel-led rushing attack changed the complexion of the game. Up to that point, concerns were growing in New England over the state of the offense. Only seven runs were attempted in the first half. But receiver Josh Gordon also said that was part of the plan -- to play fast and see if Washington could keep up with the passing game before unleashing the running game. Will the Patriots continue with the running attack on Thursday night against the Giants, who surrendered 211 rushing yards to Minnesota on Sunday? -- Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. N.Y. Giants (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

The Redskins have no answers on offense. They're a mess. They can't run, which is a function of inconsistent blocking and schemes. They struggle on third downs, a function of line play and inconsistent quarterback play. Colt McCoy was the latest to start behind center, and he'll likely continue; the Redskins will want to give him more than one week. And maybe they'll get a win at Miami. But perhaps the biggest failing in coach Jay Gruden's five-plus years has been the inability to establish a running game with any kind of identity. Injuries have hurt, but so have other factors, such as poor blocking. The scheme, designed by line coach Bill Callahan, has been knocked. After the opener, the Redskins looked like they might have a solid passing game, but they've had too many players in and out to establish anything. They're 0-5 and headed nowhere. -- John Keim

Next game: at Miami (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Baltimore Ravens 26, Pittsburgh Steelers 23

The Ravens can always rely on Justin Tucker. They ended a two-game losing streak and jumped back into first place in the AFC North on the strength of Tucker's leg. The most accurate kicker in NFL history hit four field goals, including the winning 46-yarder in overtime in the notoriously tough open end of Heinz Field. Quarterback Lamar Jackson said, "That's the best kicker in the game ... I knew he was going to make that." On a day when Jackson threw a career-worst three interceptions and the defense allowed big plays, Tucker remains the most consistent part of the team. He is now 24-of-25 (96%) on field goal attempts in Pittsburgh. -- Jamison Hensley

Next game: vs. Cincinnati (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Steelers are on their third starting quarterback in five weeks. With a concussion to Mason Rudolph, the next man up is Devlin Hodges, a Samford University product who went through training camp with the Steelers and was signed to the practice squad after the Joshua Dobbs trade. Hodges was elevated to the 53-man roster after the season-ending elbow injury to Ben Roethlisberger in Week 2. Playing just more than a quarter and a half, Hodges finished the game 7-of-9 for 68 yards. He also had the Steelers' longest run of the game with a 21-yard dash in the fourth quarter. The game plan obviously changes with the 6-foot-1 Hodges as the starter going forward. -- Brooke Pryor

Next game: at L.A. Chargers (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Oakland Raiders 24, Chicago Bears 21

Josh Jacobs' big day came at a big moment. He went to the Raiders in the Khalil Mack trade. Basically. It was with the No. 24 overall pick -- acquired as part of the package the Raiders acquired from the Bears on Sept. 1, 2018 -- that the Raiders selected the Alabama running back in April. And it was Jacobs who scored the go-ahead touchdown on a Marcus Allen-like leap over the pile in the fourth quarter. Jacobs rushed for two TDs and a career-best 123 yards on 26 carries. Mack had a fumble recovery and three tackles and was shut out on the sack front. Advantage, Raiders, who now go into their bye week with two straight wins, a 3-2 record and loads of momentum. -- Paul Gutierrez

Next game: at Green Bay (1 p.m. ET, Oct. 20)

The Bears' offense is inconsistent. Chicago entered the season with such high hopes, but after five games, the offense lacks an identity. It's hard to pinpoint one particular thing the Bears do well on offense, even though backup quarterback Chase Daniel has had good moments in relief of the injured Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears' defense will only take them so far, and on a day when the Bears' usually ferocious D needed the offense to bail it out, it didn't happen until it was too late. -- Jeff Dickerson

Next game: vs. New Orleans (4:25 p.m. ET, Oct. 20)

Minnesota Vikings 28, New York Giants 10

The Vikings finally found their formula for achieving offensive balance. It starts with moving Kirk Cousins around in the pocket, changing his launch points via rollouts and bootlegs so he can buy himself more time to make his reads and establish an explosive passing game via play-action. It also means utilizing running back Dalvin Cook in both the passing and rushing attack (218 yards from scrimmage). Minnesota did its damage through the air early against the Giants, so it could burn the clock later by running the ball. When the Vikings go against some of the league's best defenses, this will be the strategy so they don't become one-dimensional early. -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: vs. Philadelphia (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

This was a learning experience for quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones hadn't seen anything like the Vikings' defense, and he admittedly was "not good enough." It was his worst start yet, as Jones was sacked four times, threw an interception (probably fortunate there weren't a few more) and missed a pair of would-be touchdown passes to a wide-open Sterling Shepard. But this is the Giants' reality. Jones is a rookie quarterback, and with that comes ups and downs. Still, there were positives after he threw for 182 yards on 38 attempts. Coach Pat Shurmur saw toughness and poise. "That's why he's going to be a good player for a long time," Shurmur said. It's not easy to come away with that feeling in an 18-point loss. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: at New England (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

Philadelphia Eagles 31, New York Jets 6

The Eagles' defense was stifling. The Eagles' win over the Jets said more about the Jets (they're a mess), but Philadelphia took care of business, dominating on D to the tune of 10 sacks, 16 QB hits and two returns for scores. Still, Carson Wentz and the offense need to pick it up if the Eagles are to keep it going during a three-game road swing through Minneapolis, Dallas and Buffalo. -- Tim McManus

Next game: at Minnesota (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Jets have a lot of issues right now. Without quarterback Sam Darnold (mono), the Jets were noncompetitive on offense for a third consecutive week. With the Cowboys and Patriots up next on the schedule, the Jets are staring at the possibility of an 0-6 record. The offensive line was a mess, and replacement QB Luke Falk didn't help with his lack of experience and pocket presence. Darnold's eventual return will help, but the problems go beyond the quarterback position. -- Rich Cimini

Next game: vs. Dallas (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Carolina Panthers 34, Jacksonville Jaguars 27

The offensive line has been key. Ron Rivera got a game ball for becoming the winningest coach in Panthers history with 74 victories, and running back Christian McCaffrey also deserved one for collecting a franchise-record 237 total yards from scrimmage. But the man behind the scenes who should receive credit is offensive line coach John Matsko. He was without his Pro Bowl right guard (Trai Turner, ankle) and starting left tackle (Greg Little, concussion) but pieced together a unit that helped the Panthers to 285 rushing yards and gave up only three sacks. Rivera called the line's performance "awesome.'' Keep an eye on this team. It could be dangerous with this formula. -- David Newton

Next game: vs. Tampa Bay (9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday, London)

The Jaguars' inability to stop the Panthers' ground game (285 yards) was the reason for Sunday's loss. It wasn't like the Panthers disguised what they wanted to do, either: McCaffrey entered the game as the league's leader in rushing and yards from scrimmage. Missed tackles continue to be a problem, especially in one-on-one situations, and the Jaguars have to shore that up with Alvin Kamara and Le'Veon Bell on the schedule in two of the next three weeks. The Jags weren't gap sound on Sunday, but that should be an easy fix. -- Mike DiRocco

Next game: vs. New Orleans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Arizona Cardinals 26, Cincinnati Bengals 23

The Cardinals finally won a month into the season. They showed the ability to pivot into a run-heavy team led by 93 yards from dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray. But in reality, it was one bad team facing another. Something had to give, making it impossible to know if the Cardinals made any progress against the Bengals or if they were just better than another winless team. -- Josh Weinfuss

Next game: vs. Atlanta (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Bengals lack a consistent pass rush and red zone scoring, but they also continue to play poorly late. For the second time in three weeks, the Bengals didn't make enough plays in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati's losses can be split into two categories: overwhelming blowouts and tight losses. The defeat to the Cardinals is the third one in the latter category. "That's a hard one to swallow right there, when you think you got it in your grasp and you don't get it done," Bengals first-year coach Zac Taylor said. -- Ben Baby

Next game: at Baltimore (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Denver Broncos 20, Los Angeles Chargers 13

How will the Broncos build off their first win? Coach Vic Fangio's team gave him the game ball after its first win of the season, and Fangio promptly handed the ball to the player closest to him in the locker room -- linebacker Alexander Johnson. And though Fangio said the Broncos have shown they can "hang on'' for a victory, as they did Sunday against the Chargers, now it's about progress. The Broncos played a muscle-up game, but to turn this victory into something more, they can't go stale on offense for more than a quarter, as they did in the second half. They have no middle ground on offense right now -- it's either dominant or dormant. And with their Sunday-Thursday combination of games approaching (Tennessee, then Kansas City on a short week), the Broncos need a wire-to-wire effort from the offense if they are going to dig out from their difficult start. -- Jeff Legwold

Next game: vs. Tennessee (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

In his first game action, Chargers running back Melvin Gordon looked like someone who has missed more than two months of work. The Wisconsin product appeared out of sorts and had trouble finding any rhythm on offense running the football. The result was 31 rushing yards on 12 carries, for a paltry 2.6 per carry average. Without an effective running game, the Chargers struggled to move the ball. However, at 2-3, the Chargers will have a shot to get back to .500 by hosting the Steelers in Week 6 on Sunday night. -- Eric D. Williams

Next game: vs. Pittsburgh (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Green Bay Packers 34, Dallas Cowboys 24

The Packers can win big games on the road. They won exactly one road game last year -- and it didn't happen until Week 16 at the hapless Jets. Sunday's victory at Dallas not only put them at 2-0 away from Lambeau Field and 4-1 overall, but it gave them two road wins at two playoff-caliber teams in the Bears and Cowboys. With winnable home games coming up against the Lions and Raiders, they have a realistic shot at being 6-1 before they go to Kansas City on Oct. 27. What's the difference? "I like the vibe on the team," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "I think we're having a lot of fun." -- Rob Demovsky

Next game: vs. Detroit (8:15 p.m. ET, Oct. 14)

The Cowboys need to learn from Sunday's loss. Coming off consecutive defeats to New Orleans and Green Bay, quarterback Dak Prescott is not ready to alter what he believes the Cowboys are capable of doing the rest of the season. After five weeks, the Cowboys are 3-2, but losses to NFC playoff-caliber teams could come back to haunt them when it comes to playoff seeding or wild-card tiebreakers. "Definitely a lot of football to be played," Prescott said. "A lot of plays to be made, and we're not shy of making them. We're not backing down. We'll take this one on the chin. We're going to take the good, take the bad. We're going to learn from it, and hopefully, we'll look back at this and say this was a turning point or this was good for us." -- Todd Archer

Next game: at N.Y. Jets (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Seattle Seahawks 30, Los Angeles Rams 29

Russell Wilson is off to the best start of his career. His numbers rival what he did in the second half of the 2015 season, which is the best stretch of football he has played. Wilson has set new career highs through five games with 12 touchdowns (and zero picks), a 73% completion rate and a 9.0 yards per attempt average. Sure, the Seahawks were fortunate to escape with a win over the Rams, but they're 4-1 with extra rest before they play the Browns in Cleveland -- and they have a quarterback who is competing at an MVP level. That can mask some deficiencies around him. -- Brady Henderson

Next game: at Cleveland (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The offense was finally clicking. The Rams played their most complete game on offense, which could come as a surprise given the loss. Coach Sean McVay wasted no time involving running back Todd Gurley II early, which helped the production of the entire offense, allowing it to be less one-dimensional behind quarterback Jared Goff. Despite two consecutive defeats, the Rams should go into Sunday's division contest against the 49ers with a renewed confidence on offense. Defensively, they have some work to do. -- Lindsey Thiry

Next game: vs. San Francisco (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

BOSTON -- Celtics rookie Tacko Fall sat on the bench for the first three quarters of Sunday's preseason opener at TD Garden against the Charlotte Hornets hearing fans repeatedly chant his name.

But when the 7-foot-7 center finally got a chance to check into an NBA game for the first time early in the fourth quarter, he said feeling any pressure to deliver was the last thing on his mind.

"Pressure?" Fall asked afterward. "I feel like I'm in a dream.

"I'm in the Garden, playing with the Celtics and with all these players. There's no pressure. It's just a matter of going out there and having fun."

Fall and the Celtics did plenty of that in the fourth quarter. The UCF product finished with five points, three rebounds and two blocked shots in eight minutes of action as Boston emerged with a 107-106 victory over Charlotte.

"I feel like I did my job," Fall said. "I went in there, did what I need to do defensively and whenever [Celtics coach Brad Stevens] called my name offensively. Just stay patient, just kind of do whatever I was supposed to do.

"I was just trying to go out there and not try to do too much. I know with adrenaline pumping, sometimes you tend to try, but I was just trying to stay locked in the whole time."

As early as the first quarter, fans were continually calling out Fall's name, imploring Stevens to put him into the game. At one point in the second quarter, in the middle of one round of chants, Stevens went over to Fall and had a conversation about it, after which both of them were smiling.

"I just talked to Tacko about it," Stevens said. "Tacko is such a gracious guy, and it puts him in such a tough spot, right? He knows he doesn't want to put extra heat on me. Everybody wants Tacko. My kids are the same way, and everybody else. I think that's cool, and that's great. But I just hope people continue to appreciate him for what he is as a person and how hard he's working to try to make it to the NBA. Because he's a really good kid and he's really, really working hard, and I think he's going to be in the NBA for a long time."

"I told Coach, I was like, 'I saw it coming,'" Fall said. "But I was trying to just stay locked in n the game. It was my first NBA game ever; didn't know really when I was going to come in. If not, I was just trying to stay ready and just get ready to do my work whenever Coach called me in."

That did eventually happen in the fourth quarter, though, and Fall almost instantly rewarded the fans by picking the ball off the rim after a Tremont Waters miss and slamming it home with two hands, drawing a massive ovation. He received another one a short time later for swatting an attempted layup into the stands.

Meanwhile, the Celtics veterans on the bench were clearly enjoying the moment.

"It's fun," said point guard Kemba Walker, who also played his first game in a Celtics uniform -- and did it against the only team he had previously played for in his NBA career. "As soon as Coach Stevens called him, the ovation he got was just unreal. We all went along with it as well on the bench. We were so happy for him. The greatest thing about it is he's such a good person. He's such a good kid, great fun to be around; he works extremely hard. So he deserves that ovation. I'm super happy for him."

While Fall got all of the attention, the player who seems likely to beat him out for Boston's final roster spot, rookie guard Javonte Green, had a sensational performance in his 10:54 of court time -- all of which also came in the fourth quarter. Green went 7-for-7 from the field and finished with 15 points, four rebounds and an assist, in addition to slamming home several eye-popping dunks.

Green said afterward it was the first NBA game he had ever attended in person in his life.

"This was amazing," Green said. "This is my first NBA game that I've ever been to, even to watch or spectate. To play in front of people at the TD Garden was an amazing feeling. You just want to go out and play your hardest for the fans."

The one potential note of concern to come out of this game -- besides an ugly defensive performance overall -- was Gordon Hayward exiting the game in the third quarter with a left arm issue. He said he wasn't sure how he hurt his arm but that he was having trouble bending it or extending it after doing something to it in the first half.

"I don't know," Hayward said, when asked what happened to his arm. "It happened in the first half. It's hard to bend it or straighten it all the way. Then in the second, I thought it would loosen up, but it didn't really loosen up. Something happened in the first half, but we'll work on it."

Hayward had two excellent, explosive drives to the rim in the opening minutes of the game, something that was missing from his repertoire last season as he continued his recovery from leg and ankle injuries he suffered the season before.

The NBA said it hopes the league can help to unify people and cultural divides while maintaining an openness to a flow of ideas as it weighed in Sunday on the controversy surrounding Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey after he voiced support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

"We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable," the NBA said in the statement released Sunday night. "While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals' educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them."

China's official basketball association, headed by Hall of Famer and Rockets great Yao Ming, said earlier in the day that it would suspend cooperation with the team. Chinese state television and Tencent, a major media partner with ESPN and the NBA in China with a streaming deal that is worth $1.5 billion total over the next five years, then said they would not be showing Rockets games.

The Chinese Basketball Association said on its Twitter-like Weibo account that Morey had made "improper remarks regarding Hong Kong" to which it expressed its "strong opposition."

Morey's now-deleted tweet from Friday read: "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong."

"We have great respect for the history and culture of China," the NBA said in its statement, "and hope that sports and the NBA can be used as a unifying force to bridge cultural divides and bring people together."

In a statement tweeted Sunday, Morey attempted to clarify the matter.

"I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Rockets fans and friends of mine in China," Morey said in the statement. "I was merely voicing one thought, based on one interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and consider other perspectives."

It wasn't immediately clear if Morey's new tweets or the NBA's statement would be enough to salvage the various relationships. Chinese athletic apparel maker Li-Ning also released a statement, saying it was upset with Morey's tweet.

A statement posted on the league's Weibo account in China was translated to say the league was "extremely disappointed in the inappropriate comment."

"He has undoubtedly seriously hurt the feelings of Chinese basketball fans," the statement read, in language similar to what is sometimes seen in Chinese state media. The NBA later clarified it put out one statement -- in English.

China's relationship with the Rockets has been especially close because Yao played his entire NBA career with the team. Yao was appointed as the basketball association's president in February 2017, in what was presented as a step toward reform for an organization that had in the past been led by government bureaucrats.

"I have always appreciated the significant support our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided," Morey tweeted. "And I would hope that those who are upset will know that offending or misunderstanding them was not my intention. My tweets are my own and in no way represent the Rockets or the NBA."

The reactions to Morey's tweet underscores Beijing's extreme sensitivity about foreign attitudes toward the ongoing protests that have lately grown into violence in the semi-autonomous territory. China accuses foreign parties in the United States and elsewhere of encouraging the demonstrations.

On Friday night, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta denounced Morey's tweet, saying the Rockets are not a political organization.

Listen....@dmorey does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets. Our presence in Tokyo is all about the promotion of the @NBA internationally and we are NOT a political organization. @espn https://t.co/yNyQFtwTTi

— Tilman Fertitta (@TilmanJFertitta) October 5, 2019

Fertitta told ESPN's Tim MacMahon that he felt compelled, due to the reaction to Morey's tweet, to publicly clarify that the Rockets do not take political positions, but Fertitta stressed he has no issues with Morey.

"I have the best general manager in the league," Fertitta said. "Everything is fine with Daryl and me. We got a huge backlash, and I wanted to make clear that the organization has no political position. We're here to play basketball and not to offend anybody."

The statements from Morey and the NBA caught the eyes of lawmakers, including no fewer than three U.S. Senators -- Ted Cruz of Texas, Rick Scott of Florida and Brian Schatz of Hawaii.

"We're better than this; human rights shouldn't be for sale & the NBA shouldn't be assisting Chinese communist censorship," tweeted Cruz, who said he is a lifelong Rockets fan.

Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, a former U.S. Housing Secretary from Texas, tweeted "China is using its economic power to silence critics -- even those in the U.S."

The timing is particularly awkward for the NBA, whose players have often been outspoken on social issues in the United States. China has teams playing preseason games in the U.S. this week, the Rockets are about to play two games in Japan, and the Los Angeles Lakers -- with one of the biggest global sports stars in LeBron James -- and Brooklyn Nets are set to play Thursday in Shanghai and Saturday in Shenzhen, China.

Rockets star James Harden was contrite as he spoke standing with teammate Russell Westbrook at a practice in Tokyo on Monday.

"We apologize. You know, we love China, we love playing there," Harden said. "For both of us individually, we go there once or twice a year. They show us the most important love. We appreciate them as a fan base. We love everything there about them and we appreciate the support that they give us individually and as organization."

Nets owner Joe Tsai is a co-founder of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, and posted a 736-word open letter on his Facebook page late Sunday night saying Morey stepped on what he described as "a third-rail issue'' when it comes to China and Hong Kong.

"By now I hope you can begin to understand why the Daryl Morey tweet is so damaging to the relationship with our fans in China,'' Tsai wrote. "I don't know Daryl personally. I am sure he's a fine NBA general manager, and I will take at face value his subsequent apology that he was not as well informed as he should have been. But the hurt that this incident has caused will take a long time to repair.''

Fostering strong relationships with China has been a priority of the NBA for at least three decades. The NBA has a China office, just announced plans to add a gaming team in Shanghai to the NBA 2K League, and officials in both countries say as many as 500 million Chinese watched at least one NBA game last season.

Several NBA players -- including major current and former stars such as Stephen Curry and Kobe Bryant -- go to China annually to promote their individual brands, and the World Cup held in China earlier this summer saw countless fans attending in NBA jerseys.

The Rockets, largely because of Yao, have an enormous Chinese following. But after Morey's tweet, even the Chinese government's consulate office in Houston issued a statement saying it "expressed strong dissatisfaction'' with the team.

"We have lodged representations and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Houston Rockets, and urged the latter to correct the error and take immediate concrete measures to eliminate the adverse impact,'' the consulate general's office said in a statement Sunday.

The consulate did not specify what exactly it is seeking from the Rockets, and there was no immediate follow-up statement after Morey's attempt to clarify his thoughts.

The Communist Party's official newspaper, People's Daily, said in a commentary that Morey's position was "hurtful to Chinese basketball fans and is also an affront to the Chinese people.''

People's Daily also noted multinational corporations that likewise tested the line on Hong Kong have "paid a heavy price.'' Cathay Pacific lost two executives after China warned the Hong Kong airline that its employees would be barred from flying over or to the mainland if they joined the protests.

After being criticized by Chinese social media users, fashion brands Givenchy, Versace and Coach apologized for selling T-shirts that showed Hong Kong, as well as the Chinese territory of Macau and self-ruled Taiwan, as separate countries.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ST. LOUIS -- Though Cardinals manager Mike Shildt says they'll "evaluate" the situation, he's not running away from closer Carlos Martinez after the righty blew the save in a critical 3-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NL Division Series on Sunday.

Down 1-0, the Braves rallied for three runs in the ninth to take a 2-1 series lead on the Cardinals. Game 4 is Monday afternoon.

"I mean, I don't know exactly [Martinez's] save percentage, but it's about as good as anybody in baseball," Shildt said after the loss. "So that's his spot. He'll be in that spot [Monday], and I'll have full confidence in him."

Martinez gave up three runs on three hits and two walks -- one intentional -- as Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson tied the game with a two-out double that was followed by a two-run single by Adam Duvall. Both hits came off of sliders, Duvall's on a 0-2 pitch.

"There were some pitches that didn't go where they were supposed to go," Martinez said through the team interpreter. "I didn't have the best grip on the slider. I tried to get that pitch to do what it was supposed to do and I didn't get to it."

The big question is if the Cardinals could have seen this coming and if there is anything they can do about it as they face elimination. Martinez gave up two home runs in a Game 1, a 7-6 victory, but had only given up runs in one outing in September.

"If you look at -- he's bent, but he hasn't broke a lot," Shildt said. "He's been really, really good a lot. You look at his numbers. One of the big reasons that I'm sitting here and we're playing is Carlos Martinez and the job he did coming in for Jordan [Hicks]. We didn't miss a beat. He's been outstanding in that role."

Some might look at the decision to walk lefty-hitting catcher Brian McCann and put the lead run at first base as a mistake, but Shildt indicated going for the win -- and facing the righty Swanson -- trumped everything else.

"Consensus was that rather take a shot at Swanson, 0-for-6 [career] at that point with Carlos, clearly that's the go-ahead run you're putting on," Shildt explained. "But you have two outs, and we play to win. Play to win the game. Everybody felt like that was the best match up, including the guy on the mound."

Martinez added: "The situation called for that walk. McCann is a more veteran player than Dansby."

Swanson hit the first pitch from Martinez off the wall in left field, scoring pinch-runner Billy Hamilton from third base and setting up Duvall's two-run single.

"Everybody has a bad day," Martinez said. "Today was my turn. ... We still have [Monday] to get back into the series."

But will Martinez be in his same role? Shildt showed confidence in his closer while leaving the door open a smidge.

"We'll continue to evaluate it," Shildt said. Now we're in a do-or-die situation, and really looking forward to tomorrow's game, quite honestly. But guys have gotten us here, it's hard to look at them and say, 'Oh, you didn't do something well.' The proverbial, 'I've got your back until things don't go well.'

"But we've also got to recognize and evaluate what we see and compete in the moment. [I] had complete confidence that he was going to be able to make a pitch there to Swanson and it didn't happen."

WASHINGTON -- Patrick Corbin caused a Nationals disaster.

Pitching in relief in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, Corbin allowed six earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. The Washington lefty, who started Game 1 of the NLDS, took over for starter Anibal Sanchez in the top of the sixth with his team leading 2-1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. After allowing a leadoff single to Cody Bellinger, Corbin recorded consecutive strikeouts against Corey Seager and A.J. Pollock. But with two outs, the Dodgers put together a ferocious rally.

Pinch-hitter David Freese kept the inning alive with single, then veteran catcher Russell Martin followed with a two-run double. After pinch-hitter Chris Taylor drew a walk, Kike Hernandez plated two more runs with another double. Corbin intentionally walked Max Muncy, who'd gone deep in his previous at-bat, and then was lifted in favor of righty Wander Suero. The first hitter Suero faced, Justin Turner, blasted a three-run homer, giving L.A. an 8-2 lead.

"Just couldn't seem to get that third out there," said Corbin, who gave way to Suero after throwing 35 pitches and ended up taking the loss in a 10-4 defeat that puts Washington in a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-five series. "Just stinks. Coming in, we're up by one there, just trying to get through a clean inning there. Just left a couple sliders there, kind of spun out. Didn't have the usual break that I've had on them. It just stinks. I feel like I let these guys down. They did a great job scoring, getting the lead early, and Sanchez pitched a heck of a game. So it's tough."

"We were doing our job," added catcher Yan Gomes, "doing a great job of getting ahead and doing what we needed to do, and it's one of those things, man. They locked it in -- we tried to waste a couple pitches; they would either foul it off or not bite at all. They did a good job. Tip your cap to them. They had a great approach against Pat. We just weren't able to put them away."

Corbin's appearance marked the third time in four games this postseason that manager Davey Martinez has deployed one of his starters in relief. In Tuesday's 4-3 wild-card win over the Milwaukee Brewers, Stephen Strasburg threw three scoreless innings out of the pen and earned the victory. In Game 2 of the NLDS on Friday, Max Scherzer worked the eighth inning and helped the Nats to a 4-2 win that evened up the series at one game apiece. Though Corbin didn't fare as well as his fellow starters, Martinez has no regrets about the decision.

"I trust Pat," said Martinez. "He's been unbelievable all year. And I would do it again. I really would. He was the guy. I just feel bad for him, because he went out there, gave us everything he had."

In his Game 1 start, Corbin went six innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. His outing in Game 3 marked the first time in over two years that he worked in relief. On September 29, 2017, he pitched out of the bullpen for the Arizona Diamondbacks, his lone relief outing that season. In 2016, Corbin's 36 appearances included 12 games out of the bullpen.

"I feel like I got warmed up fairly quick," said the 30-year old southpaw. "Felt pretty good coming in, just couldn't get that third out there. I was in here doing what I would normally do to get loose, and I feel like I got loose fairly quick, and came in and was able to throw everything. The later the inning got -- the breaking ball, it was there early, and [I] just kind of left a couple up there."

Washington's propensity to use starters in relief stems from a regular season in which the Nats won 93 games despite an unreliable bullpen that posted a 5.66 ERA, the worst in the majors. Entering Friday's game against the Dodgers, the Nats bullpen had worked to a 5.00 ERA in the postseason.