AP Sports

NFL trade deadline: Commanders acquire Lattimore; Lions get Za’Darius Smith; Steelers add Williams

The NFC East-leading Washington Commanders made a move to help them stay in first place. The Detroit Lions got their edge rusher. The injury-plagued Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers added receivers. Hours before the NFL’s trade deadline at 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday, the Commanders got four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the struggling Saints, three people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the deal. The NFC North-leading Lions kicked off deadline day by acquiring defensive end Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns.

Jerry Jones says Dak Prescott is likely headed to IR, but owner isn’t giving up on Cowboys’ season

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says quarterback Dak Prescott is likely to miss at least four games with a move to injured reserve because of his strained hamstring. Jones also says he isn’t giving up on the season as the Cowboys trade for Carolina receiver Jonathan Mingo. Prescott sustained the injury in the second half of a 27-21 loss to Atlanta. The Cowboys play NFC East rival Philadelphia on Sunday. Cooper Rush will replace Prescott. Rush is 5-1 filling in for the franchise QB. Jones says “there’s no question that Dak’s injury is a setback. But we’ve seen Cooper do it.”

The Commanders acquire 4-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the Saints

The Washington Commanders acquired four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints just before the NFL trade deadline. Washington sent third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to New Orleans and got a fifth back along with Lattimore. He becomes an instant upgrade for Washington’s secondary with the Commanders off to a surprising 7-2 start to the season. Trading Lattimore is the latest shakeup for the Saints after firing coach Dennis Allen following a seventh consecutive loss.

First College Football Playoff rankings set for reveal with host of unbeaten and 1-loss teams in mix

The College Football Playoff selection committee will release its first rankings of the season on Tuesday night. It is the first glimpse at how the 12-team bracket might look when it is finalized on Dec. 8. Oregon, which is undefeated and a unanimous No. 1 in the latest AP poll, is expected to get top billing. There are questions about how the committee will handle other unbeaten teams like, Miami, BYU and Indiana alongside some of the one-loss bluebloods like Georgia, Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney challenged at poll when out to vote in election

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — It has been a rough few days for Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. First, his Tigers fell at home to Louisville on Saturday night. Then, the longtime Tigers coach was challenged at his polling place when he went to vote on Tuesday. Swinney’s name is William and when he arrived, he was told that a William Swinney had already voted. Swinney explained the confusion was his eldest son, Will, had voted last week and locked the older Swinney out of the system. Officials had him fill out a paper ballot and told him there would be a hearing Friday.

Alex Ovechkin is scoring and helping teammates and the Washington Capitals are off to a hot start

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Alex Ovechkin is off to a hot start, and so are the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin is scoring at a pace that could get him past Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goals record this season. Ovechkin has five goals in his past four games and sits at 860 — 35 back of breaking a mark that once seemed unapproachable. The Capitals have won eight of their first 11 games with one of the most potent offenses in the league. They’re averaging more than four goals a game in a complete turnaround from last season when they struggled to scored.

Penn State police investigate cellphone incident involving Jason Kelce and a fan

Penn State University police are investigating an altercation between retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and a fan over a cellphone that occurred before the weekend game between the Nittany Lions and Ohio State. The police department’s incident log includes an entry registered Saturday in which an “officer observed a visitor damaging personal property.” Video shared on social media showed Kelce throwing the phone of a fan who heckled him while Kelce walked near Beaver Stadium before the game. The report listed the potential offenses as criminal mischief and disorderly conduct. Kelce later apologized for his behavior, saying he should not have greeted hate with hate.

Chiefs reach 8-0 with nail-biter against the Bucs, a game neatly summing up a season of close wins

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs reached 8-0 with their 30-24 overtime win over Tampa Bay on Monday night. It perfectly summed up the season to this point, which has been filled with nail-biters that have continually gone Kansas City’s way. Patrick Mahomes and Co. are winning by an average of 7.0 points per game, the smallest margin of victory by nearly half a point of 41 teams in NFL history that have won their first eight games. The Chiefs have been able to overcome miscues, turnovers and injuries to stay on track for a third straight Super Bowl title, something that has never been accomplished in the history of the league.

Jets trade wide receiver Mike Williams to Steelers for a fifth-round draft pick next year

Mike Williams struggled to establish a rapport with Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets. The Pittsburgh Steelers think the veteran wide receiver will fit in just fine with Russell Wilson and their offense. The teams announced Tuesday that the Jets agreed to trade Williams to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft, pending a physical. Williams struggled with production and building an on-field connection with Rodgers in his first season with New York. He became expendable when the Jets acquired Davante Adams from Las Vegas last month. He had 12 catches for 166 yards in nine games.

Browns trade DE Za’Darius Smith to Lions needing help with pass rush after Aidan Hutchinson’s injury

CLEVELAND (AP) — With their season in shambles, the Browns began looking toward the future and traded defensive end Za’Darius Smith to Detroit for a pair of draft picks. Cleveland sent Smith to the Lions along with a seventh-round pick in 2026 in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026. Smith gives the Lions experience and another rusher to offset the loss of Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his leg last month. Smith helped get Cleveland get to the playoffs last season and along with Myles Garrett gave the Browns one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. The 2-7 Browns also released defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson.