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5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints game — plus our Week 9 predictions

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

The Chicago Bears look to beat the New Orleans Saints at the Superdome for the first time since 1991 when the teams meet Sunday afternoon.Bears players have tried to focus on that task amid a tumultuous week at Halas Hall that included the firing of running backs coach David Walker. As kickoff approaches, here’s our snapshot look at the game.Player in the spotlightMontez SweatBears coach Matt Eberflus and defensive line coach Travis Smith both indicated Montez Sweat would be ready to play in the game after just two days of practice with the Bears. But how much Sweat plays after the Bears acquired him from the Washington Commanders for a second-round pick Tuesday remains a question.Smith called the new addition a “huge presence” and “a big, long, physical, disruptive athlete.”Given that the Bears have just 10 sacks this season, Smith obviously likes the boost Sweat should provide for the Bears pass rush. Sweat joins the Bears with 35 ½ career sacks ...

Ravens RB Gus Edwards on pace for career season in contract year: ‘I got a lot of football left in me’

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

When the Ravens began this season, questions abounded over the futures of running back J.K. Dobbins and inside linebacker Patrick Queen, both of whom are in their final year of their rookie contracts. Dobbins’ season is over after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 1, while Queen has picked up where he left off last season when he had a career- and team-high 117 tackles and figures to be richly rewarded somewhere.Then there’s Gus Edwards.The fifth-year running back is also in the final year of his contract, a two-year, $10 million extension he signed in 2021 and then restructured earlier this year. By reducing this season’s base salary from $4.38 million to less than $3.5 million, the salary cap-strapped Ravens were able to keep Edwards in Baltimore. Edwards, in turn, would have the chance to stick around to earn back the rest of the money in incentives.His response? Edwards leads the team in rushing with 105 carries for 426 yards and five touchdowns throug...

‘Horror’ of girl’s brutal field hockey injury from boy’s shot sparks gender debate

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

The “horror” of a field hockey player being struck in the face by a shot from a male on the opposing team has one local superintendent calling on the MIAA to revisit its guidelines that allow boys to play a girls’ sport.Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey is making the push after a male member on the Swampscott High girls’ field hockey team took a shot that hit the face of a female player competing for his regional district.The brutal injury, coming from a corner play in the third quarter during Thursday’s state tournament matchup in Swampscott, caused the D-R player to be treated at a hospital for what Runey described as “significant facial and dental injuries.”Males are allowed to participate on female teams in Massachusetts based on the state’s Equal Rights Amendment, according to the MIAA handbook.“I understand that the Mass ERA legislation is voluminous; and therefore, is very difficult to modify in total,” Runey said Friday in a letter to his sch...

Ex-SDSU football player sentenced to 180 days after child porn charge

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Former San Diego State University football player Nowlin Ewaliko was sentenced to six months behind bars for possessing child pornography."He's in therapy and he's remorseful and he just wants to get his life back together," Ewaliko's attorney Marc Carlos said. "He was a star football player, he was recruited D1 athlete, scholarship, he had a future ahead of him.""Counsel has been portraying the defendant as a victim, that is absolutely not what he is, he is not a victim in this case, in fact his conduct perpetuates this horrendous underground industry that targets child victims," said Ramona McCarthy, a deputy district attorney.Ewaliko did not have a criminal history prior to this charge.The charge against Ewaliko came during an investigation into a 17-year-old who accused several people of sexually assaulting her during an off-campus party in 2021. The District Attorney declined to file charges against anyone in that case. However, during the investigation, 10 se...

Man stabbed inside Toronto’s Madison Avenue Pub

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

Toronto police said a man was stabbed inside Madison Avenue Pub on Friday night.Officers were called to 14 Madison Avenue in the Annex at around 10 p.m. for reports of a stabbing.Investigators said a man was located and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.It’s confirmed the stabbing happened inside the bar, and that a suspect fled the scene on foot.Police are interviewing witnesses and are urging anyone with information to come forward.

15 UN peacekeepers in a convoy withdrawing from northern Mali were injured by 2 explosive devices

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Fifteen U.N. peacekeepers in a convoy withdrawing from a rebel stronghold in northern Mali were injured when vehicles hit improvised explosive devices on two occasions this week, the United Nations said Friday.U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said eight peacekeepers injured Wednesday were evacuated by air and “are now reported to be in stable condition.” He said seven peacekeepers injured by an IED early Friday also were evacuated by air. He did not give their conditions.Dujarric said the peacekeepers, who were withdrawing weeks earlier than planned because of growing insecurity, suffered two other IED attacks after leaving their base in Kidal on Oct. 31.JNIM, an extremist group with links to al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks, in which at least two peacekeepers were injured.Dujarric said the U.N. doesn’t know if the IEDs that hit the convoy had been there for a long time or whether the peacekeepers were deliberately targeted. The convoy i...

Two suffer serious injuries after 4-vehicle crash between Hutto and Taylor

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) -- Two people suffered serious injuries after a four-vehicle crash between Hutto and Taylor on Friday, a spokesperson for the City of Hutto confirmed to KXAN.At approximately 5 p.m., officials responded to the crash in the 11000 block of US-79, according to the Hutto Police Department.One person was taken to the hospital with critical injuries, and the other was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, police said.The crash remained under investigation Friday by Hutto PD.

High School Football Roundup: East Ridge continues Cinderella run to state

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

East Ridge 13, Minnetonka 10: East Ridge has now won as many games in the playoffs as it did during the entire regular season. And that has the Raptors in the state tournament.Tanner Zolnosky’s 8-yard scoring strike to Kyle Frendt with 4 minutes, 27 seconds to play in the fourth quarter put the sixth-seeded Raptors (4-6) on top for good.East Ridge’s other two scores were both field goals off the foot of Luke Ryerse. The Raptors have topped the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in its quadrant, and will get a date with top-seeded Lakeville South on Friday at St. Michael-Albertville.Lakeville South 30, Shakopee 13: Connor Cade ran for three scores, but the Cougars (9-1) opening score of the night came via a safety. And the first offensive points were on an 8-yard passing touchdown from Gaven Dean to Coltin Smith.Stillwater 49, Rochester Mayo 31: Stillwater (8-2) compiled 546 total yards of offense, experiencing success in both the air and on the ground.Nick Kinsey threw for 251 yards ...

Girls state soccer: St. Paul Academy blanks St. Charles in Class A finale

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

The St. Paul Academy Spartans won the girls Class A state soccer championship Friday night, taking down St. Charles 3-0.The first half was one of defenses, with just one goal being scored in the first 40 minutes. Sophomore Clare Ryan Bradley scored in the 31st minute, breaking the stalemate and sending her team into halftime with a 1-0 lead.The second half was more Spartan-sided. SPA dominated possession time for most of the half. Sawyer Danielson scored in the 62nd minute to give the Spartans a little breathing room, then gave them a little more with another goal in the 68th minute.Danielson, who scored two goals in Friday’s game on top of a hat trick on Wednesday in the semifinals, said it was important to stay out of her own head about the success she had the previous game.“I feel like this game I put a lot of pressure on myself to live up to how I played last game. So that was kind of hard at first,” Danielson said. “But I just needed to get out of my head, and, like, just...

Back to business, Gophers men’s hockey team holds off Bulldogs to snap three-game losing streak

Published Thu, 26 Dec 2024 17:29:11 GMT

After a week filled with noise and potential off-ice distractions, the Minnesota Gophers elected to put all of that aside and play dominant hockey. In workmanlike fashion, they built an early lead versus in-state rival Minnesota Duluth and kept the Bulldogs from barking, winning 5-1 to snap a three-game losing streak.Bryce Brodzinski scored twice — including the 50th goal of his Gophers career — while Cal Thomas, Oliver Moore and Rhett Pitlick also scored for Minnesota (4-3-0), which also snapped a four-game losing streak in their head-to-head series with the Bulldogs, which dates back to the 1950s. Justen Close had 14 saves for Minnesota in the win, but lost his bid for a third shutout of the season late in the game.“It wasn’t perfect, but all four lines contributed to an attack in the zone, and that led to tonight,” said Gophers coach Bob Motzko, who noted that players getting their first goals of the season naturally gets them going. “These are young guys ...