Results from the Welsh Road Relay Championships, Northern Relays, Müller Para-Track Grand Prix, Great Bristol Half Marathon and more

Coverage of Geoffrey Kamworor’s world half-marathon record in Copenhagen can be found here, while day-by-day reports on European Masters Championships action in Italy can be found here.

Other recent highlights are below.

Welsh Road Relay Championships, Pembrey Country Park, September 15

Cardiff AC scored a senior race double at the Welsh Road Relay Championships, Alex Donald reports.

Swansea Harriers were the defending champions in both races but it was the teams from the capital city that were by far the strongest at the 52nd edition of the championships.

The event returned to Pembrey Country Park near Llanelli, hosting a trial trace for the ERRA National Road Relays for the first time and with competitors enjoying far better weather conditions than when torrential rain blighted the races 12 months ago.

The Cardiff women’s team enjoyed a gun to tape victory, led off by Lucy Marland who came home with a 90 second margin after the first leg. UK Inter-Counties champion Jenny Nesbitt was third off for the Cardiff team, comfortably fastest with a time of 19:11. Clara Evans enjoyed the glory leg in a time of 19:25 as the second fastest of the day.

Swansea Harriers cleared out the podium places with silver and bronze team medals.

It took their men’s team slightly longer to settle, taking the lead at the end of the second leg courtesy of British 50km record-holder Dan Nash. Jake Smith increased the lead on the penultimate leg, recording the fastest time over the 5.6km course in 16:48.

Ciaran Lewis was second fastest of the day on the final leg, bringing his team one step closer to taking the victory at the ERRA National Autumn Relays that they have been targeting.

Pontypridd Roadents were the silver medallists led by Paul Graham who was their fastest man and had led after the race outright on the first leg. Aberdare Valley AAC retained their bronze medals from last year.

The event also hosted the championships for masters with team victories going to Les Croupiers RC, Parc Bryn Bach RC, Pontypridd Roadents and Swansea Harriers.

Lloyd Sheppard was the fastest U17 of the day, leading his Cardiff team to victory just three seconds faster than Welsh 1500m record-holder Ben Reynolds. Nia Clatworthy was the quickest U17 woman, helping her Cardiff team to a substantial victory over second-placed Cardiff Archers.

Maldwyn Harriers were U15 boys’ victors with local club Carmarthen Harriers retaining their U13 boys crown. Cardiff took the remaining U15 and U13 girls honours.

Northern men’s 6- and women’s 4-stage Relays, Manchester, September 15

An overcast day saw Leeds men move up from second last year to take the title, but their women could not quite make it a double, Martin Duff reports.

After three successive third places it was Rotherham who moved through from fifth on the penultimate leg to take the title through Nicola Devine. Leeds and Lincoln Wellington finished in close order. However, it was Lincoln’s Abbie Donnelly who was quickest after taking the opening women’s stage.

Leeds’ men have now set their sights on the ERRA 6-stage championship next month as the only national event that they have not previously won. They had an easy run here as Lincoln Wellington, winners for the past two years, failed to put in an appearance.

It was Leeds’ Phil Sesemann who was quickest with a 19:22 split for the 6674-metre long double lap on leg four.

The day had begun with the young athletes’ events and the U13 events held over a three 3.51km stage.

Once again it was just Vale Royal who won two titles in the young athletes’ races. Holly Weedall helped them with a retention of their girls’ title as their boys made it an U15 double.

Müller Para-Track Grand Prix, Kirkby, September 14

An event co-organised by Paralympians Hannah Cockroft and Nathan Maguire gave athletes the chance to compete before World Para Athletics Championships team selection takes place.

Cockroft was among those racing and the multiple T34 world record-holder and global gold medallist finished second behind double T53 world champion Sammi Kinghorn in the 400m, 57.10 to 57.80, and in the 800m, 1:59.16 to 1:59.62.

Maguire clocked 1:42.57 to finish behind Richard Chiassaro with 1:41.99 in the men’s T54 800m.

Libby Clegg continued her comeback by clocking 13.81 for 100m.

Simplyhealth Great Bristol Half Marathon, September 15

Cardiff’s Matt Clowes and Winchester’s Annabel Gummow claimed victory, clocking 65:08 and 77:05 respectively.

Annabel Gummow from Winchester and District AC takes the win for the women in the @SimplyhealthUK #GreatBristolHalf!? pic.twitter.com/l2c04nc1uF

— Great Run (@Great_Run) September 15, 2019

Alex Carter was second in the men’s race in 68:37, while local athlete Harry Allen from Bristol West AC clinched third in 69:30.

Women’s runner-up was Jennifer Beckingham in 80:09, while Kate Drew was third in 80:38.

Almost 10,000 runners took part in the event.

Drei Zinnen Alpine Run, Italy, September 15

Britain’s Sarah Tunstall and Eritrea’s Petro Mamu won the penultimate race in the WMRA World Cup series.

Tunstall clocked 1:41:45 for the 17km course with 1300m of uphill climb to win in a course record ahead of Ireland’s WMRA World Cup leader Sarah McCormack with 1:46:21 and Swiss Victoria Kreuzer with 1:47:40.

Sarah Tunstall is back! Fighting with some injures after Glossglockner race, she's now planning to be selected for Argentina ?? World Champs and running in Smarna Gora ?? for World Cup's last Stage!@FastRunning @BritAthletics @mountainrunuk @EnglandAthletic @KeswickAC pic.twitter.com/6jC5dQ8rvQ

— WMRA (@WMRAmountainrun) September 14, 2019

Mamu improved his own course record with his time of 1:22:37 ahead of USA’s Joe Gray with 1:23:09.

Eritrea’s Filimon Abraham was third in 1:25:55, while Italy’s Francesco Puppi was fourth in 1:27:29 and Britain’s WMRA World Cup leader Andy Douglas fifth in 1:27:48.

Richmond RUNFEST, London, September 14/15

The action started with the Kew Gardens 10km which was won by Olympic marathoner Scott Overall in 30:02 and Lesley Locks in 36:31.

In the following day’s half-marathon, Paskar Owor and Tracy Barlow claimed victory thanks to their respective times of 71:35 and 76:49, with GB international Barlow placing seventh overall.

Marathon winners were 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist Chris Thompson in 2:30:09 and Lindy-Lee Folscher in 2:58:19.

?Congratulations to our marathon winners @Thommo10k and Lindy-Lee Foltscher, who not only take the crown today but have also won a trip to the @Cayman_Islands!! #marathon #runrichmond #richmondrunfest pic.twitter.com/XMYWIQbIxG

— RICHMOND RUNFEST (@RichmondRunFest) September 15, 2019

Marathon Grand Championship, Tokyo, Japan, September 15

Shogo Nakamura and Honami Maeda claimed victory as athletes raced for 2020 Olympic Games places.

Nakamura won by eight seconds in 2:11:28 ahead of Yuma Hattori, while Maeda took the women’s title in 2:25:15 ahead of Ayuko Suzuki’s 2:29:02.

Cape Town Marathon, South Africa, September 15

Celestine Chepchirchir set a course record of 2:26:44 to win ahead of Ethiopians Nurit Shimels (2:27:40) and Gete Mindaye (2:28:32).

Kenyans Edwin Kibet Koech (2:09:20) and Daniel Muindi Muteti (2:09:25) claimed a Kenyan one-two in the men’s race. Morocco’s Mohamed Ziani was third (2:09:29).

Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Poland, September 14

Konrad Bukowiecki broke the European under-23 shot put record with a throw of 22.25m.

Here is Konrad Bukowiecki smashing the European U23 shot put record at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Chorzow tonight. ? pic.twitter.com/8yo2gD0s6K

— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) September 14, 2019

Steven Gardiner won the 400m in 44.14 ahead of Britain’s Rabah Yousif with 46.02, while Allyson Felix won the women’s race ahead of Justyna Swiety-Ersetic, 51.47 to 51.54.

Scotland forward David Denton has been forced to retire from rugby on the advice of doctors.

The 29-year-old back row has been advised to quit following a concussion he sustained playing for Leicester Tigers in October.

"Of course, it is devastating that my rugby career is ending," Denton told the Scottish Rugby Union website.

The national team's coach Gregor Townsend said: "We're going to miss him with Scotland."

Zimbabwe-born Denton was capped 42 times for Scotland, making the move to Edinburgh in 2010 before spells at Bath and Worcester Warriors prior to his switch to Leicester last year.

He had not played since suffering the injury against Northampton 11 months ago.

"My reaction at the time my neurologist told me it was no longer a good idea to play rugby to be honest was a bit of relief," said Denton.

"This had been building up inside of me for four to five months.

"I knew there was a strong possibility this moment [having to retire] was coming.

"By the time I got to it, I had been through all the emotional highs and lows, so I was prepared for it."

Scotland head coach Townsend said it "seems to be the right decision to retire".

He said: "We were hoping taking some time out of the game would mean he would be available for selection in our World Cup training squad and when that didn't happen, we were hopeful he'd be back for next season, but again that's not happened."

Brain injuries a 'serious problem in rugby'

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English

Four years ago he was one of the stars of Scotland's World Cup.

He was terrific throughout the pool games, and terrific against Australia in that what-might-have-been quarter-final.

Denton was a big ball-carrying number eight - the kind of player Scotland could do with now. It's a great shame, he's had a lot of injuries.

But, it just adds to the rising number of retirements through concussion. These brain injuries are a serious, serious problem in rugby.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed he is the "best ever" player to feature in Major League Soccer after scoring a hat trick in LA Galaxy's 7-2 rout of Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.

The goals saw Ibrahimovic make history for Galaxy, breaking the franchise's single season scoring record having now scored 26 goals in 25 starts during the 2019 season. He takes the record from Carlos Ruiz, who netted 24 times in the 2002 season.

After breaking that record, Ibrahimovic said he is worthy of being labelled the best player in MLS history.

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"I think I am the best ever to play in MLS. And that, without joking," Ibrahimovic said.

The former Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan striker, who joined Galaxy on a free transfer from Manchester United in 2018, has now scored 48 goals in 51 appearances in MLS.

"It's good. I said from the first day I came that I'm not here for vacation," Ibrahimovic added. "I'm here to perform and show everybody what the game is about. I think the two years I've had here, I've done good things. Amazing things. Perfect things.

"I just have to keep doing, keep being in shape and help my team in the best way, and that is by scoring goals."

With four games to go in the regular season, the thrashing of Kansas City saw Galaxy climb into the playoff spots having fallen out of the top seven of the Western Conference after going four games without a win.

With the team back on track, coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto believes the performances of Ibrahimovic will be vital to the side in securing a spot in the post-season.

"I think it's not easy, because he's Zlatan. In big games, he appears," Schelotto said. "He appears every day, every game, every time, but especially in the moments that are very hard for his own team, and he is on the pitch. That is the reason he is Zlatan, obviously.

"I hope to keep going like today, and for sure we will win more points to get to playoffs. We need to go game by game. We can think about how many points we need to get to the playoffs. We need to rest tomorrow, practice during the week to win the next game with Montreal."

Ibrahimovic, too, said Galaxy are brimming with confidence heading into the final weeks of the regular season following the blowout victory.

"We need all the points we can get to get to the playoffs and today was a nice win," Ibrahimovic said of the team's performance. "To score a lot of goals, looking at the result, it might look easy, but it was not an easy game. We played against a good opponent and they play very good football. First half, both teams were playing good, and in the second we were stronger.

"If you look at the last game, we were unlucky with the decision of the referee also and that killed us a little bit. But today winning 7-2, hopefully we can get this confidence, hopefully we can bring this confidence with us to the next game. We show everybody that when we want, we can do it. Everyone should fear us as long as we come into the playoffs."

Star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored three goals and Sebastian Lletget added two, leading the LA Galaxy to a 7-2 win over visiting Sporting Kansas City Sunday night.

The blowout win gave the Galaxy's playoff hopes a boost and effectively put an end to any postseason aspirations for SKC also saw Ibrahimovic take over the record for most goals in a single season by a Galaxy player with 26. That's more than half of his team's 49 total goals.

The Galaxy, which trailed 1-0 before exploding for seven unanswered goals, shot upward from eighth place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference to fifth at the end of a weekend that saw the three teams in front of the Galaxy lose their respective matches.

Los Angeles (14-13-3) put an end to a four-match winless streak. They also might have stopped Sporting KC's streak of eight straight seasons in the MLS playoffs.

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SKC (10-13-7) is six points out of a playoff spot -- the top seven in the East and West get in -- with only four games left to play in the regular season.

The Galaxy drew even after a handball in the box in the 30th minute. Ibrahimovic's penalty kick was initially saved by Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia, but Ibrahimovic was the first one to the rebound, and he put it in to tie the score at 1.

Both teams had plenty of chances to break the tie until Joe Corona's header in the 48th minute. It was Corona's first goal of the season.

Ibrahimovic left-footed a shot from close range past Melia for a 3-1 lead in the 51st minute, and Uriel Antuna tallied in the 69th minute, his fourth of the season.

Rolf Feltscher had two assists for the Galaxy after Felipe Gutierrez opened the scoring with Sporting Kansas City's first goal of the match, in the 24th minute. Gutierrez added his second in the 86th minute.

Lletget scored his two goals two minutes apart, with the Galaxy ahead 4-1 and well in control. He has three on the season.

Gutierrez scored the game's final goal, but Ibrahimovic capped off the night in the 85th minute for Galaxy fans with a long strike from the wing just inside the box, then held aloft three fingers and stood on a sign board with his arms raised to the crowd.

Bangladesh have rung in a host of changes following the defeat to Afghanistan, including bringing back experienced pacemen Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam, for their third and fourth matches of the ongoing T20I tri-series at home, where Zimbabwe are the third team.

Soumya Sarkar, a regular with the team across formats, had a poor World Cup, and though he shone with bat and ball in the third ODI in Sri Lanka in late July, returns of 4 and 0 in the two tri-series games have led to his axing. Also going out were offspinner Mahedi Hasan, and pacemen Abu Hider and Yeasin Arafat, none of whom played any of the two matches - a win over Zimbabwe and the loss to Afghanistan.

Both those matches, as well as Afghanistan's win over Zimbabwe, were played in Dhaka, and now the action shifts to Chattogram for the second set of round-robin matches. Apart from Rubel and Shafiul, Bangladesh have drafted in Najmul Hossain, the offspinner, teenaged legspinning-allrounder Aminul Islam, and exciting young opening batsman Mohammad Naim.

Najmul, 21, has played two Test matches and three ODIs since making his international debut in January 2017, and was recently among the runs in both the one-dayers and the four-dayers on the Bangladesh Emerging Team's tour of Sri Lanka.

Aminul, 19, was also on that tour, but didn't do much of note. However, with Bangladesh looking for a wristspinner to complement their many fingerspinners, Aminul might get a chance in the two remaining group-stage matches to show his capabilities.

Like Aminul, Naim is uncapped at the international level, but is regarded highly in local cricket circles. A tall, left-handed opening batsman, 20-year-old Naim made a name for himself in last season's Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, scoring 807 runs in 16 games for Legends of Rupganj to finish second on the run-scorers' list.

Rubel Hossain, meanwhile, hasn't played a T20I since August last year and hasn't played any T20 cricket since February this year, but has likely been brought back to add some experience to the pace attack, which is also the case with Shafiul, whose last T20I appearance came back in October 2017.

Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mosaddek Hossain, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Taijul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Naim Shaikh, Aminul Islam, Najmul Hossain

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pac-12 Conference acknowledged an officiating error on the last play of Arizona State's 10-7 victory at Michigan State on Saturday.

The conference said Sunday night that the Sun Devils should have been called for leaping on Michigan State's missed field goal attempt as time expired.

"An Arizona State defensive player took a running start and leapt over the kicking team's line in an attempt to block the kick," the Pac-12 said in a statement. "In the process, he leapt into the frame of the body of an opponent. The penalty would have been 15 yards from the previous spot and an automatic first down. In this case, it would have been administered as half the distance to the goal and Michigan State would have been provided one untimed down."

Michigan State had a tying field goal in the final seconds negated for having too many men on the field, setting up a second attempt that Matt Coghlin hooked well left.

New England and San Francisco each put up 40-plus points on their way to 2-0 starts. Lamar Jackson had another huge game to keep Baltimore undefeated. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Jacksonville were among the teams that stumbled again and dropped to 0-2.

NFL Nation reporters give you what you need to know for every Week 2 game:

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Atlanta Falcons 24, Philadelphia Eagles 20

The Falcons showed up on defense. From Desmond Trufant's two interceptions, to Vic Beasley's sack, to Isaiah Oliver and Keanu Neal stopping Zach Ertz short of a first down to seal a victory, the defense played with much more energy and effort than it did against the Vikings. Atlanta forced Carson Wentz into a 61.3 passer rating. Of course, the Falcons benefited from early injuries to DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery, but you can't take away from the effort. Now they have to sustain that same energy going to Indianapolis. And they'll have some great mobile quarterback challenges ahead with Deshaun Watson and Marcus Mariota. -- Vaughn McClure

Next game: at Indianapolis (Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET)

The Eagles exited Atlanta banged up. The Eagles head home not only with a 24-20 loss, but with a number of injuries that could impact them as they turn their attention to Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. Receivers DeSean Jackson (groin) and Alshon Jeffery (calf) went down in the first half and didn't return. Tight end Dallas Goedert didn't play a snap after tweaking his calf before the game. Defensive tackle Tim Jernigan (foot) and running back Corey Clement (shoulder) also couldn't finish. This is the second-oldest team in the NFL. Talent is not the question with the Eagles, but whether they can make it to the finish line. Sunday's game will only heighten those concerns. -- Tim McManus

Next game: vs. Detroit (Sunday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m. ET)

Kansas City Chiefs 28, Oakland Raiders 10

The Chiefs won't need to score big to win every week. They controlled the second half against the Raiders with their defense, which appeared to make significant progress over the Week 1 game against the Jaguars. Between better pressure up front and coverage on the back end, Kansas City snuffed out every Oakland opportunity to climb back into the game. Perhaps the most encouraging stat for the Chiefs was they allowed 5.2 yards per Oakland passing attempt. If that keeps up, they'll improve significantly over last season. -- Adam Teicher

Next game: vs. Baltimore (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Raiders put up a fight ... for a quarter. Few outside the walls of Silver and Blackdom expected the rebuilding Raiders to actually beat the high-flying Chiefs on Sunday. But after last Monday night's exhilarating defeat of the Broncos and a good week of practice, throwing a scare at reigning league MVP Patrick Mahomes & Co. seemed doable. Such was the case ... for 15 minutes. After Oakland took a 10-0 lead, the wheels fell off and Mahomes took off in the second quarter, slicing and dicing an already suspect Raiders secondary. It was a bad taste to leave in the mouths of the Oakland faithful, what with the Raiders not playing again in the East Bay until Nov. 3. -- Paul Gutierrez

Next game: at Minnesota (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Los Angeles Rams 27, New Orleans Saints 9

A slow start for the L.A. offense. The Rams' defense started and finished fast against the Saints, but for a second consecutive week, the offense took a while to find a rhythm. With the exception of a 57-yard pass to receiver Brandin Cooks, quarterback Jared Goff struggled to develop connections with his go-to trio of receivers in the first half and the Rams were unable to score a touchdown. Goff, however, made adjustments in the second half and finished with 283 passing yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on a sneak. Goff and the Rams must find a way to start fast and develop a rhythm early in Week 3, as they prepare to play the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday Night Football. -- Lindsey Thiry

Next game: at Cleveland (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Woes for the Saints, who got "whipped up front." If quarterback Drew Brees misses any significant time because of his thumb injury, the Saints will need to do a better job of rallying in his absence than they did in a Sunday flop at Los Angeles. Backup Teddy Bridgewater was ineffective as his replacement. Coach Sean Payton, however, expressed confidence in Bridgewater and said he needed more support from an offensive line that got "whipped up front" by the Rams (the Saints rushed for only 57 yards), and committed way too many drive-killing penalties. There were also too many missed tackles by the defense in a game that really couldn't have gone much worse for New Orleans. -- Mike Triplett

Next game: at Seattle (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Chicago Bears 16, Denver Broncos 14

The Bears are lucky to be 1-1 this season. Chicago's last-second victory over the Broncos can't cover up the serious issues it has on offense, starting with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who despite completing a 25-yard pass to Allen Robinson to set up Eddy Pineiro's winning 53-yard field goal, finished the game 16-of-27 passing for 120 yards. The Bears are struggling to find any sort of rhythm on offense. Chicago can beat bad teams because of its superior defense, but its schedule gets much tougher beginning next month. -- Jeff Dickerson

Next game: at Washington (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 23)

An 0-2 start for Denver. The Broncos scratched and clawed but left their own stadium Sunday night 0-2 with nothing to show for it. And if they pout for too long, a trip to Green Bay will only add to the frustration. As coach Vic Fangio said: "They're 2-0 and have one of the all-time best quarterbacks ever, we've just got to get right back to work and get after it." Sunday's wild loss will test the resolve of a young team and new coaching staff, and the Broncos must reset quickly. The past two years, they have had difficulty ending losing streaks, and both seasons got away from them. This time Fangio's challenge will be to snap back a locker room that is feeling the sting of back-to-back disappointing losses. -- Jeff Legwold

Next game: at Green Bay (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Green Bay Packers 21, Minnesota Vikings 16

"We've got a lot of work to do." At some point, the Packers are going to need a complete-game performance from their offense. Perhaps they'll find it next Sunday against the Broncos in the second of three consecutive early-season home games. But given how the defense came through once again in Sunday's win over the Vikings at Lambeau Field, it hasn't been necessary on the way to a 2-0 start under first-year coach Matt LaFleur. "We're proud of how we started, but we're not proud of how we finished," said running back Jamaal Williams, whose 15-yard touchdown on the first drive sparked the Packers to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. As Aaron Rodgers said: "We've had a couple good quarters out of eight. We've got a lot of work to do." -- Rob Demovsky

Next game: vs. Denver (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Hindsight is always 20/20, especially when it comes to playcalling. Should Minnesota have called a run on first down from the 8-yard line in the fourth quarter after six previous runs set up a potential go-ahead score on the Vikings' second-to-last drive? Sure, but although the run game was effective and wearing down the Packers' defense, Kirk Cousins has to make a smarter decision than the throw that cost the Vikings their chance at beating the Packers. The biggest knock on Cousins has been an inability to consistently come through in big moments, and this giant red flag could rightfully hinder the confidence Minnesota has in its quarterback. Cousins needed to throw that ball away instead of trying to fit a tight-window throw to Stefon Diggs in double coverage. The decision-making on his part was inexcusable. -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: vs. Oakland (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Indianapolis Colts 19, Tennessee Titans 17

The Colts can't sugarcoat things anymore: They have a legitimate kicking problem. Veteran Adam Vinatieri missed two more extra points Sunday against the Titans. He has now missed an extra point in three consecutive regular-season games going back to last season. That's the longest streak of his 24-year NFL career. He has also missed an extra point in four of the past five games, which includes the playoffs, and he has missed a total of seven kicks in the past three games. Vinatieri left the locker room without speaking to the media. "You'll hear from me [Monday on the players' day off]," he said. -- Mike Wells

Next game: vs. Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

The Titans were given taste of their own medicine by a physical Colts defense. It was complemented by a potent Indianapolis rushing attack that produced 167 yards. The Titans struggled on third down (1-of-10) despite having Adam Humphries, a free-agent addition who was supposed to help. Quarterback Marcus Mariota said he has to get the ball to Humphries, so expect him to be a factor against Jacksonville. The defense allowed the Colts to convert on seven of 14 third-down opportunities and gave up a touchdown on the first possession for the second consecutive week. The Titans will need to get off to a better start against Jacksonville. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: at Jacksonville (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 19)

Detroit Lions 13, Los Angeles Chargers 10

How the Lions got back on track. It was a performance many Lions players said was not their best, but after a tie last week against the Cardinals in which they squandered an 18-point lead, Detroit will take this win. Offensively, there was a flow to things for the Lions. Receiver Marvin Jones said formations they saw from the Chargers on Sunday were worked on during the week, giving them comfort in situations when they have to have it. "It's like that through the whole week," Jones said. -- Michael Rothstein

Next game: at Philadelphia (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Why L.A. could be in further trouble. The Chargers' injury woes did not affect the outcome of this loss, but they could have an impact moving forward. They are already playing without four starters in safety Derwin James (foot), tight end Hunter Henry (knee), left tackle Russell Okung (pulmonary embolism) and Melvin Gordon (holdout). They lost another key player on Sunday in defensive playcaller Adrian Phillips, who's out indefinitely with a forearm injury. Facing AFC playoff contender Houston Texans in Week 3, the Chargers will have to figure out how to patch things up and get healthy enough to get back in the win column next week. -- Eric D. Williams

Next game: vs. Houston (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Seattle Seahawks 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 26

The Seahawks are 2-0 for the first time since their 2013 Super Bowl season. That matters much more than how ugly both of those victories were at times over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. They beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday despite 10 penalties, four first-half sacks of Russell Wilson and two lost fumbles, one of which set up an easy touchdown. No team should make a habit of trying to win games like that, but it's a good sign the Seahawks have been able to pull out two victories without anything close to their A-game. -- Brady Henderson

Next game: vs. New Orleans (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Big Ben, Conner go down for Pittsburgh. The Steelers lost more than the game against Seattle on Sunday afternoon -- they also lost two offensive and two defensive starters because of injuries. Pittsburgh finished with five injured players, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back James Conner. Although the holes created were significant, coach Mike Tomlin said: "We lost a number of guys in this game, but that wasn't the reason why we didn't win this game. We were fully capable with the guys that were on the field. We didn't make enough plays, to be quite honest with you. We didn't play clean enough, particularly in some moments. We've got to get better. We accept responsibility. We're not looking to make excuses." -- Brooke Pryor

Next game: at San Francisco (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Houston Texans 13, Jacksonville Jaguars 12

Houston's offense isn't cruising -- yet. The Texans scored 13 points Sunday, and quarterback Deshaun Watson said the offense is "still putting pieces together" after acquiring left tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills and running back Carlos Hyde before the start of the season. "It's going to take a little time," Watson said. "The whole offseason we've been working with other guys. ... Things are still clicking, and it's going to hit once the timing is right." The Texans' next chance to have a more cohesive offense will come next week against the Chargers, who allowed 13 points on Sunday in their loss to the Lions. -- Sarah Barshop

Next game: at L.A. Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

If you thought Gardner Minshew Mania was nuts last week, wait until this week. The rookie quarterback led the Jaguars on a late touchdown drive, and though the Jaguars' two-point try came up just short, the franchise has to be ecstatic about what Minshew showed Sunday at NRG Stadium. After an up-and-down performance through the first three and a half quarters, Minshew got hot late in the fourth and led the Jaguars on a 68-yard touchdown drive that included an 18-yard scramble on fourth-and-10. The Jaguars won't have Nick Foles until Nov. 17 at the earliest because of a broken collarbone, but Minshew (23-of-33, 213 yards) showed that he's more than capable of not only keeping the Jaguars' division hopes afloat but potentially stealing a few games. -- Michael DiRocco

Next game: vs. Tennessee (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 19)

Baltimore Ravens 23, Arizona Cardinals 17

The Ravens have the good kind of "conundrum." In the words of coach John Harbaugh, quarterback Lamar Jackson's ability to produce big plays with his arm and legs presents a "conundrum" for defenses. Jackson set a new standard for dual-threat quarterbacks, producing the most rushing yards (120) for a player who threw for more than 250 yards in the same game. He finished 24-of-37 for 272 yards passing and two touchdowns, including a 41-yard strike to Marquise "Hollywood" Brown in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Asked how he prefers his success, Jackson said, "I'd rather throw than run. I'd rather win, too." Jackson became the 12th quarterback in the Super Bowl era to begin a career 8-1 or better through nine starts. Jackson returns to Kansas City in Week 3, the site of his only regular-season loss. -- Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Kansas City (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

As in Week 1, the Cardinals' offense didn't find its rhythm until the fourth quarter. This time, however, it was too little, too late. On Sunday, the magic Kyler Murray showed a week ago didn't work against the Ravens. Arizona couldn't find the end zone for the first three quarters despite three trips inside the 5-yard line, all of which produced three field goals. An aerial offense led to Murray throwing for 349 yards and included 100-yard games for wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, which kept the Cardinals in a game they could've won until the final minutes. -- Josh Weinfuss

Next game: vs. Carolina (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Dallas Cowboys 31, Washington Redskins 21

Through two games, Jerry Jones said he has not seen Dak Prescott play better. The Cowboys quarterback has seven touchdown passes and has completed 82.2% of his passes in the Cowboys' first 2-0 start since 2015. "He's playing at a very high level right now," coach Jason Garrett said. "He's got a really good command of what we're trying to do and I think he's comfortable. And I think the guys are playing well around him. The offensive line has been outstanding the first couple of weeks, very comfortable in the pocket. And the guys around him are making plays. He and [Kellen Moore] are absolutely on the same page as to what we want to get to and how we want to get there." Up next is a Miami defense that has allowed an 80% completion rate with eight touchdown passes and no picks. Prescott's fast start might not slow down next week, either. -- Todd Archer

Next game: vs. Miami (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

The pressure is mounting on defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. The Redskins nearly fired him after last season, and through two games, his group has allowed 63 points and 911 yards. If things don't get better for his defense, it's easy to wonder about his future. Washington has a lot of youth on its defense and was missing two of its top three corners, plus end Jonathan Allen on Sunday. But as linebacker Jon Bostic said, "We'll never use that as an excuse. ... Everyone is in this league for a reason." The Redskins have not had a defense finish in the top 10 in yards or points allowed since 2009. You can blame Manusky or the players; but the organization has failed in its part, too. -- John Keim

Next game: vs. Chicago (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, Sept. 23)

New England Patriots 43, Miami Dolphins 0

The New England defense has dominated so far. The majority of the spotlight will go to receiver Antonio Brown's Patriots debut, but that shouldn't undersell how the team's defense continues to build in a way that could make it a challenger for the best unit in Bill Belichick's 20 years as coach. One week after stifling the Steelers and holding them to three points, the defense shut out the Dolphins while returning two interceptions for touchdowns. While the Dolphins aren't an offensive powerhouse, it is impressive nonetheless how quickly the Patriots' defensive script has been flipped. All offseason, the question was which coach would call the plays after Greg Schiano unexpectedly resigned in March. Now that seems like an afterthought as they shift their focus to next week's game against the Sam Darnold-less Jets. "They were spectacular. They have been playing great all preseason," quarterback Tom Brady said. "It takes some pressure off the offense." -- Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

The Dolphins' offense was on pace for its worst statistical performance in franchise history before garbage-time stats helped it avoid the record. There's not a lot of hope going forward the offense can turn it around, but after three Ryan Fitzpatrick interceptions (including two pick-sixes), it's worth wondering if the team should make a quarterback change to Josh Rosen. Coach Brian Flores said Fitzpatrick is the starter "right now," but Miami's offense has been bad and needs a spark from someone. -- Cameron Wolfe

Next game: at Dallas (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

San Francisco 49ers 41, Cincinnati Bengals 17

Cautious optimism for San Francisco. For the first time since 2012, the 49ers are 2-0, and they did it by going on the road to the Eastern Time zone and winning a pair of games by a combined 38 points. It's too early to start trumpeting these Niners as a playoff contender, but they needed a quick start to get there. Since the current playoff format began in 1990, teams that start 2-0 make the playoffs 61.3% of the time. That drops to 41.4% for 1-1 teams. "I felt like we really needed to start this season on a hot start," fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. "If we can go get another one next week, go into the bye week 3-0, there's really no words for that. That's such a huge thing." If the Niners can beat banged-up Pittsburgh, they'll be 3-0 for the first time since 1998. -- Nick Wagoner

Next game: vs. Pittsburgh (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Bengals defense can't "stop the bleeding." One week after a strong debut, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will understandably be the target of scrutiny after a historically bad outing as the Bengals surrendered 572 yards of total offense, the fifth-highest amount in franchise history. Poor tackling and execution were two of the defense's problems. Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap said they struggled with the amount of motion and misdirection the 49ers used and failed to create the necessary leverage at the line of scrimmage. It was one of the factors that led to the 24-point loss. "We played to their game plan, and we didn't stop the bleeding -- ever," Dunlap said. -- Ben Baby

Next game: at Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Buffalo Bills 28, New York Giants 14

Bills' road wins set them up for a run. The first team in NFL history to play the Jets and Giants on the road in consecutive weeks to start a season is now the first team to beat the Jets and Giants on the road in consecutive weeks to start a season, as the Bills have matched their road win total from last season. Buffalo scored on three consecutive drives of 75, 74 and 98 yards to give its defense an insurmountable lead. Most importantly, the Bills came out of an adverse situation unscathed and face a favorable stretch for the next month and a half. They draw the Bengals in Week 3, kicking off a string of five home games and a bye in the next seven weeks. "It's special because we have a young team and it's hard to win in this league," linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. "We're in a season where we can sustain some adversity." -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Cincinnati (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Frustration is starting to build for the Giants after their sixth 0-2 start in seven seasons. The defense has allowed nine touchdowns in two games, including three in the first half Sunday. "When you got time and get no pressure, I can't cover nobody for 10 seconds," cornerback Janoris Jenkins said. "Who can cover somebody for 10 seconds?" When outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter was asked about opposing quarterbacks having too much time and making it hard for the secondary, he responded: "S---, it's true. It takes all 11 [players]." Some players mentioned it's early, but star running back Saquon Barkley isn't a big believer in that. He wants the problems addressed immediately. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: at Tampa Bay (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20, Carolina Panthers 14

Sigh of relief for Tampa. The Bucs ended a seven-game road losing streak and managed to do something they haven't done much of in the past 10 years: come back from a deficit. From 2009 through Week 1 of 2019, they were 36-105 when trailing at any point in a game. Granted, they trailed by only three points -- when the Panthers hit their second field goal to make it 6-3 in the second quarter -- but for a team that has struggled to get out of its own way, this was an important step. And the Bucs needed a win with road games at the Rams and Saints looming after their Week 3 home date against the Giants. -- Jenna Laine

Next game: vs. New York Giants (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Carolina has big issues. The Bucs came up with a defensive game plan that worked to perfection: Pressure Cam Newton with blitzes, and shut down Christian McCaffrey knowing Newton no longer is a threat to run out of the zone-read. Newton was 0-for-10 passing under duress with three sacks. McCaffrey had 53 yards from scrimmage a week after having 209. He couldn't pick up a yard out of the Wildcat on the trick play from the 2-yard line that could have won it. Carolina has a lot of problems heading into road games against Arizona and Houston. Look for some shake-ups Monday. -- David Newton

Next game: at Arizona (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

STERLING, Conn. — Seven-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Mike Stefanik has died following a Sunday afternoon plane crash in Connecticut.

Stefanik was 61 years old. In total, he earned nine NASCAR championships during his legendary career.

NASCAR officials confirmed the news of Stefanik’s passing just after 8:15 p.m. ET.

According to Connecticut state police, an Aero Ultra-Light Aircraft Model No. 103 — a single-engine, single-seat plane — went down near the Connecticut-Rhode Island state line just after 2 p.m.

Stefanik had just taken off from nearby RICONN Airport, just across the state line into Rhode Island, when the accident occurred, according to WTNH News 8 in New Haven, Conn. He was preparing to return for a landing when he crashed into a wooded area adjacent to the airport.

Stefanik was initially transported to Backus Hospital for treatment, but was later life-flighted to a different hospital in Rhode Island, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Born in Wlbraham, Mass., on May 20, 1958, Stefanik became a short-track racing legend over the course of his lengthy career. He contested his first full-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season in 1987, driving to his first championship two years later on the strength of seven wins in 26 starts.

After a second title in 1991, perhaps Stefanik’s two most successful racing seasons ever came back to back in 1997 and 1998, when he won both the Modified Tour and NASCAR Busch North Series (now K&N Pro Series East) titles in the same year twice in a row.

Combined between those two years, Stefanik won 23 NASCAR modified races and six Busch North races, and Stefanik’s feat of four NASCAR championships in two years is a feat which remains unmatched to this day.

Following a less-than-stellar full-time campaign in the NASCAR Truck Series in 1999, Stefanik took most of the 2000 season off before returning to capture his fifth and sixth Modified Tour titles in 2001 and ’02.

Stefanik’s seventh and final NASCAR modified championship came in 2006 for veteran owner Eric Sanderson, but he continued to compete full-time on the Tour until his retirement following a part-time campaign in 2014.

The Massachusetts native’s 74 wins in 453 career NWMT starts is a modern-era record. His final victory came in 2013 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, driving Chris Our’s familiar red No. 22.

Following that victory, Stefanik’s emotion and pure passion for the sport was on full display, showing that even at 55 years old, he was just as determined to win as he had been in his early years.

“I’m playing it cool right now, but I’m freaking out inside,” said Stefanik after that Bristol victory. “This is a huge, huge win in my career. This is right at the top of the list, if not (at) the top.”

Stefanik’s national-series career never featured the same success that he had at the short track level, but he did have one top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 26 career Truck Series starts, which included Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. He also had one top 10 finish in 26 Xfinity Series races.

Stefanik was even a star indoors, picking up a three-quarter midget victory in Providence, R.I., in 2009.

“Seeing those fans cheer for me over the final laps meant a lot,” Stefanik said that night. “They were my home state fans, and it means a lot to me keep this Dunkin’ Donuts trophy in Rhode Island.”

Stefanik’s long list of accolades earned him a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame nomination pool starting in 2015, and he was one place away from being inducted into the 2020 class, falling just short of the five-man roster featuring Tony Stewart, Joe Gibbs, Buddy Baker, Bobby Labonte and Waddell Wilson.

Every win and every performance meant so much to Stefanik, and it is that immense passion he carried that will be missed across the racing community.

DODGE CITY, Kan. – The curtains came down on the inaugural season of the seventh-mile Little DCRP clay oval with a season-high count of 63 Micro Sprints and Karts on hand for Sunday afternoon’s finale.

Three drivers finished out championship seasons with feature wins on Sunday including Tanner Johnson in Winged A Class, Trey Zorn in Restricted A Class and Deek McRoberts Novice Junior Sprints.

Zorn’s win was his seventh in seven features, McRoberts made it six for seven and it was Johnson’s fourth win after topping the initial three features of the season.

Other Micro Sprint Car winners on Sunday included Shae Ricke in the Non-Wing A Class and Briggs Williams in in the Advanced Junior Sprint division. It was Williams’ third win of the year while Ricke snared his first win before nearly making it a two-win day after a rousing duel with Johnson in the Winged A Class main event.

Along with Jonson, Zorn and McRoberts, other Micro Sprint champions include Zak Moore in the Non-Wing A Class and Keenan Hernandez in Advanced Junior Sprints.

In Kart action Reise Ochs finished out the season with his third win in a row in the Junior Karts, Jaden Smith added his third win in Adult Karts and Trevor Smith picked up his second Open Outlaw Kart victory.

Little DCRP Kart champions include Caleb Crockett in Open Outlaw Karts, Gage Robertson in Adult Karts and Caleb Berthof in Junior Karts.