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Cardinals trade for Broncos pass rusher Baron Browning

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One day before the nfl trade deadline, the Cardinals sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for pass rusher Baron Browning.

The trade is pending a physical, the Cardinals announced.

“He plays with great enthusiasm,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “It’s got some pop and some crunch, some violence. So, nice addition by [general manager] Monti [Ossenfort]”.

Browning has played just five games at outside linebacker for the Broncos this season after a left foot injury in Week 2 left him on injured reserve for four weeks. He has seven tackles and no sacks this year, but is coming off seasons with 4.5 and 5.0 sacks, respectively. Browning was a third-round pick out of Ohio State in 2021.

Gannon said he “worked a lot” with Browning out of college, but he doesn’t know him personally. By that assessment, Gannon “really” liked Browning’s character and seriousness.

He fills a need for Arizona, whose pass rush has been decimated by injuries to BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck this season. Ojulari, who was expected to be one of Arizona’s starting outside linebackers, tore his left ACL during training camp, and Gardeck tore his right ACL two weeks ago in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers in ” “Monday Night Football.”

Having transitioned to outside linebacker from inside, Browning brings more versatility to Arizona’s pass rush. Gannon described him as a “complete” player. With Arizona playing the New York Jets on Sunday and then entering their bye week, Browning will have additional time to learn the Cardinals’ scheme.

“I’m sure the language will be very different for him,” Gannon said. “But establish a lead, a little bit of cover. It’s not crazy, crazy for us. But it will take some time.”

The Cardinals, coming off a season-high six sack performance in a win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, have 21 sacks this season, putting them on pace for 39, six more than last year .

In the Broncos’ outside linebacker rotation, rookie Jonah Elliss has been steadily gaining playing time (he has had his three highest snap counts of the season in the last five games) and Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper lead the Broncos in sacks with 6 and 5.5 respectively, Browning was on pace to reach the lowest playing time of his career.

In his five games this season, Browning had played an average of 24.4 snaps per game, or roughly just over half the snaps he averaged in games over the first three years of his career.

Browning will be an unrestricted free agent in March

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Viktor Gyokeres: the rise of the Sporting striker to become one of the best strikers in Europe

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Gyokeres’ breakthrough into the Brommapojkarna first team came as a teenager and he soon became a key member of the team, scoring 20 goals in 56 games.

“When he was 16, they were struggling in the Second Division and the first team coach came to me when all his forwards were injured,” Eklund continues.

“He said to me, ‘David, do you have any players who can play at that level now?’ I said, ‘I have Viktor.’ He is a good player; “He’s strong enough to play with older players and he’s working hard.”

“No one in Bromma thought about him. It took time, maybe two or three months, but then it started to settle. The coach called me and said, ‘wow.'”

Gyokeres’ move to Coventry in 2021, where he scored 39 goals, was a pivotal moment. He became the Sky Blues’ main man and developed a great understanding with coach Mark Robins, who once again overcame initial skepticism.

“He first arrived on loan for half a season and did well, but not all fans were interested in him returning the following season,” says BBC CWR’s Clive Eakin. “But Mark Robins clearly saw something in his and bought it permanently.

“From then on it was clear that it was something special. His ability to run at and through defenders. [stood out]. Every time he picked up the ball around the halfway line, you imagined his chances of passing and scoring. “He has strength and confidence in his finishing.”

The Premier League clubs were linked before Gyokeres joined Sporting. Instead, it was Manchester City manager Hugo Viana who took the opportunity to sign him, and the Swede’s reputation has skyrocketed ever since.

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Nintendo has lowered its Switch forecast after sales fell 31%

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Nintendo has lowered its sales forecast for Nintendo Switch by 1 million units, after reporting a 31% year-on-year sales drop.

In its latest earnings report for the three months ended Sept. 30, the Switch company said it had lowered its hardware sales forecast to 12.5 million for the fiscal year, down from 13.5 million, and lowered its outlook. operating profit by 10% (360 billion yen). 2.4 billion dollars).

Nintendo partly attributed the decline in hardware sales to a strong first half of the previous fiscal year, when the Super Mario Bros. movie boosted game sales and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released.

“There were no such special factors in the first half of this fiscal year,” he said, “and with Nintendo Switch now in its eighth year since its launch, unit sales of both hardware and software declined significantly year over year.”

The Switch is now more than seven years old and Nintendo has said it will announce its successor console before the end of March 2025.

Nintendo has lowered its Switch forecast after sales fell 31%

The company’s results for the first half of its current fiscal year report an operating profit of ¥121.5 billion ($798 million), representing a decline of 56.6% compared to the same period last year.

The company confirmed that it sold 4.72 million Switch consoles during the first half of the fiscal year, bringing the hardware’s all-time sales total to 146.04 million. The Switch has to exceed 154 million (Nintendo DS) and at least 160 million (PS2) to become the best-selling console in history.

In software (spanning April to September), Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door, released in May, sold 1.94 million units, while Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, released in June, sold 1.57 million units. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, which launched in late September, sold 2.58 million units in its first few days.

Nintendo has lowered its Switch forecast after sales fell 31%

Moving forward, the company released Super Mario Party Jamboree in October and plans to release Mario & Luigi: Brothership this week, followed by Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in January and a port of Xenoblade Chronicles X in March.

Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Tokyo-based gaming industry consultancy Kantan Games, told VGC that with a weaker software lineup than in previous years, the decline in sales of older Switch hardware was inevitable.


THE BEST SELLING SWITCH GAMES

*As of September 31, 2024 (compared to June 2024)

  1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 65.27 m (+1.37 m)
  2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 46.45 m (+0.60 m)
  3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: 35.14 m (+0.48 m)
  4. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 32.29 m (+0.24 m)
  5. Super Mario Odyssey – 28.50 m (+0.29 m)
  6. Pokémon Sword/Shield: 26.44 m (+0.09 m)
  7. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: 25.69 m (+0.4 m)
  8. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 21.04 million (+0.24 million)
  9. Super Mario Party: 20.98 m (+0.14 m)
  10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 17.77 (+0.16 million)

“Anyone who has followed Nintendo this year can’t be too surprised by the results,” he said. “We’re in a hit-driven business – without blockbusters, you can’t make sales that really move the needle for a company like Nintendo.

“It’s understandable that the company is keeping the big hitters for the next console, but I think even their adjusted forecast is still too optimistic. Look at the first quarter of 2025, for example, which only has one somewhat major release with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.”

Toto said the only positive surprise it could see was the jump in Nintendo’s digital sales, which increased from 50.2% to 56.3% year-on-year, contributing to an increase in its gross profit margin of 1.5%.

 

English clubs interested in Celtic winger Kuhn – gossip

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Several English Premier League clubs have already asked about Nicholas Kuhn after his excellent performances Celticvalued the German winger at more than 10 million euros. (Florian Plettenberg in X), external

Saint Mirren They are going to cancel the loan agreement to Kevin van Veen after the Groningen striker appeared in court last week over allegations of domestic abuse. (Scotland Sun), external

KilmarnockEdit manager Derek McInnes He insists he “loves” his time at Rugby Park but retains ambitions to take up the Scotland role in the future. (Scotland Sun), external

Liverpool Coach Arne Slot believes Scotland will be captain Andy Robertson He will soon regain his best form after admitting that the left-back is paying the price for missing most of the pre-season through injury. (Scottish), external

A £7m director’s loan will allow Cups to pay off its existing debt of £3.3m to Ann Budge’s company Bidco (1874) next year. (Scotland Sun), external

ranger hero Ally McCoist account Steven Gerrard would be welcome back at Ibrox but warns that the problems at his former club “go far beyond the manager at the moment”. (talkSPORT via Daily Record, external)

Expert Michael Stewart believes there is a bit of a needle between Philippe Clemente and Dujon Sterling – feel a “power struggle” between the coach and the player in Ranger. (The Scottish Social football Club), external

Plans for a new Dundee The training complex on the banks has been approved by the council. (The messenger, external – subscription)

Steve Clarke bristles at the suggestion that being relegated to League B of the Nations League might not be the worst thing for Scotlandsaying: “For me it’s pushing yourself to the higher sides every time.” (Glasgow Times), external

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Donnie Nelson’s lawsuit against Mavericks ‘dismissed with prejudice’

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DALLAS — Former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson’s lawsuit against the team was “dismissed with prejudice,” according to documents filed in Dallas County court last week.

Nelson notified the court Thursday that he will not file a lawsuit over his claims against all of the defendants, according to court documents.

The case was scheduled to go to trial on December 10.

Rogge Dunn, Nelson’s attorney, told ESPN that “the parties have reached a resolution of their dispute on confidential terms.” Former Mavericks governor Mark Cuban, now a minority owner of the franchise, declined to comment Monday.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in March 2022, Nelson claimed he was fired by the Mavericks in retaliation after reporting that then-majority owner Mark Cuban’s “right-hand man” allegedly sexually harassed Nelson’s nephew in a hotel room during the 2020 season. -Star weekend in Chicago.

Nelson alleged that talks with Cuban about an eight-figure contract extension came to an abrupt halt when he reported the allegation. Nelson, who originally joined the franchise as an assistant coach under his father, Don, in 1997, was ultimately fired in June 2021.

In their response to the lawsuit, the Mavericks denied that Nelson was unfairly fired and claimed that he threatened to reveal the sexual orientation of Cuban’s chief of staff if his contractual demands were not met. In the filing, the Mavericks accused Nelson of a “long-running scheme to extort up to $100 million” and cited “a number of factors,” including “poor job performance,” for his firing.

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Aus vs Pak – Matt Short: Pakistan may have to change tactics in Adelaide

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Pakistan’s insistence on bowling short on a fast, bouncy MCG pitch almost produced a famous hold-up, but the tactic may not be as successful in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval.

In a low-scoring thriller that evoked the heyday of the 50-over format, Pakistan’s pace attack led by speedster Haris Rauf troubled Australia with ferocious short-pitched bowling on a surface that remained true throughout.
A sizzling spell from Rauf enthused the pro-Pakistan crowd and turned Australia’s chase of a modest 204 before captain Pat Cummins once again calmly lifted his team over the line as the home side claimed a two-two victory. lands.

While the approach clearly rattled the Australian batsmen, with Rauf accounting for Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell on consecutive deliveries as he increased his pace, those fireworks are unlikely to be repeated at the traditionally batting-friendly Adelaide Oval on Friday. .

Bouncers can prove risky on a wicket known for its short boundaries on the wicket, in stark contrast to the vast expanses of the MCG.

“We saw Pakistan’s tactics [in Melbourne] The bowling is quite short,” Australia opener Matt Short told reporters on Tuesday. “But I think they might have to change that a little bit on this pitch with the shorter square boundaries which are completely opposite to the ‘G’s. “It’s always a good wicket to bat on.”

After making just one run off paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi, Short will relish returning to his BBL homeland where he has dominated in recent seasons for Adelaide Strikers.

“He’ll feel pretty comfortable opening the batting, that’s for sure,” Short said. “It’s my favorite course in the world to play on and I’ve played there a few times so I should be pretty familiar with it.”

It was not the start of the planned series for Short, who is vying to be David Warner’s permanent replacement in the over-50s format. He had entered the series with the inside running after opening in three of the last four ODIs in England and hitting a match-winning 30-ball 58 in the series decider in Bristol in a performance that showcased his great scoring capabilities. batting

“I came into this series with high aspirations of trying to cement my place in the team,” Short said. “I’m going to go out there and keep trying to be positive and play aggressive cricket. It should pay off at some point.”

With regular opener Travis Head on paternity leave, Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk have formed a new opening duo, although both fell inside the first four overs in the first game.

Fraser-McGurk, who also has his eyes on the vacant opener’s spot, hit 16 off 14 balls in a flurry befitting his ultra-aggressive style. While there may be some belief that Short should curb his approach to complement his daring opening partner, Australia’s hierarchy backs the all-out attack at the top of the order.

“The coaching staff gave us both license to be free and play our shots,” Short said. “Batting with Travis Head too, if you want.” [off] Then I let it go and do my thing.

“It’s similar with Jake. It probably didn’t go well for him last night, like it did for me, but if he sees them and hits them well then I probably won’t tell him much and just let it go. And I’ll just focus more on myself.

“The most important thing in a partnership is that if he is struggling a little bit, then you have to solve whatever the problems are. It’s really exciting to bat with him… it’s good to see him from the other end.”

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49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey returns to practice

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The Niners officially opened McCaffrey’s 21-day practice window on Monday afternoon, meaning he has three weeks to prove he’s ready to be activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster.

Sure enough, McCaffrey was on the practice field and warming up with his teammates during a roughly two-minute viewing period open to the media. For his teammates, McCaffrey’s return was a welcome sight, and one noted that McCaffrey’s fresh legs made him advance quickly compared to everyone else during a team drill.

“It’s an awesome feeling to see that 2-3 doing his extensive warm-up and a million high knees before practice,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “It was great to see.”

While McCaffrey and the 49ers will have time to see how he does in practice before including him in any games again, there has been optimism around the team that he will be available Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as long as this week goes well. .

For most of the last few weeks, the Niners have this week targeted McCaffrey’s possible return as he continued to work on the tendinitis that kept him out of the team’s first eight games.

Before San Francisco took its bye last week, coach Kyle Shanahan again suggested that McCaffrey would begin practicing on Monday, as long as his simulated practice work last week went smoothly.

“As long as everything goes well, hopefully we can get back to training next week,” Shanahan said on Oct. 28.

McCaffrey originally went on injured reserve on September 14 after dealing with tendinitis and a calf injury that began to hamper him in early August. While McCaffrey recovered from the calf issue, Achilles tendonitis persisted and eventually led McCaffrey to travel to Germany to meet with a specialist while the 49ers were in Los Angeles to play the Rams on September 22.

While backup Jordan Mason has fared well in McCaffrey’s place (Mason is third in the league in rushing yards per game (85.6) and sixth in yards per carry among running backs (5.1), the Niners have had problems finishing drives in the red zone. They rank 28th in the nfl in red zone touchdown rate, scoring on 48.6% of drives within the opponent’s 20.

McCaffrey scored 21 total touchdowns in 2023 on his way to Offensive Player of the Year honors.

“[You] “We could probably put him in any offense, it’ll make them better,” Williams said. “Obviously our offense is tailored to him and some of his strengths, so it’s definitely going to be a tremendous boost for us.”

Shanahan indicated last week that McCaffrey’s workload when he returns will also depend on what he looks like in practice.

“The expectation is to see how he is when he comes back and then evaluate him as he goes,” Shanahan said last week. “Of course, the hope is that everything will return to normal and be perfect. That’s what we all strive for, but you have to act intelligently and you have to evaluate it every day. See with our own eyes what he tells us “That will be something we are constantly working on.”

The 49ers also opened the practice window for offensive lineman Jon Feliciano on Monday. Feliciano has missed the first half of the season with a knee injury. Receiver Jauan Jennings (hip) and kicker Jake Moody (sprained right ankle) also returned to the practice field Monday and Williams offered some hope that linebacker Dre Greenlaw could have his practice window open soon as he continues to recover from the Achilles tear he suffered. at the Super Bowl in February.

“Definitely super happy for [McCaffrey] that he turned the corner and was able to go out and do what he loved again,” Williams said. “I even caught a glimpse of Greenlaw running with a helmet on. “For both of us, just seeing that got us going.”

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Aus A v Ind A: Scott Boland looks for chance to keep pressure on KL Rahul

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Final auditions for the vacant batting spot in Australia’s Test team will again dominate discussion in the second four-day A team fixture at the MCG, but fast bowler Scott Boland is eyeing the opportunity to keep the pressure on KL, member of the Indian test team. Rahul after flying out early to perform for India A.
Rahul, who played the first Test against New Zealand before being left out when Shubman Gill was fit, and reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel left India ahead of the rest of the Test group to feature against Australia A and get some practice in. game.
Rahul, who averages just 20.77 in Australia in five Tests despite a century at the SCG in 2015, could enter the fray for the first Test in Perth if Rohit Sharma misses the game due to personal reasons and Boland sees an opportunity. to leave a mark.

“I was lucky to play against him in a Test in India a couple of years ago, but it will be nice to play against him in our backyard,” he said. “He’s a world-class player, but I think we can get on top of him pretty early and hopefully stay on top of him for most of the summer.”

Like several Australian players, Boland highlighted India’s 3-0 loss to New Zealand, but cautioned how much needs to be read into it. The quick visitors did their damage in the first Test before the spinners took control in Pune and Mumbai to secure a famous whitewash.

“There’s a lot more bounce here, more seam,” Boland said. “The way they will structure their team will be completely different from what you see in India.”

Most of India’s Test team will not have a full game in Australia ahead of the first Test after the scheduled intra-team game with India A was converted to a match simulation in order to provide more flexibility in the preparation.

“I think sometimes when you play that practice match, we traveled with a team of 19 players and we were only allotted three days,” Rohit said. “And I don’t know how much workload we can do in those three days in terms of preparing everyone.

“So we, as management as well, feel that instead of having that, the match simulation where the batsmen can spend more time in the middle, batting in the middle, and then the bowlers can also bowl a lot of balls, “So that’s something we, as a team, feel more comfortable doing instead of playing a scrimmage because playing time isn’t an issue. “We’ve all been playing a lot of cricket, so it’s just about spending time in between.”

Boland is expected to be the quick reserve in the Test squad and is prepared to feature at some point with the belief that the big three who spent the entire summer at home last season were an “outlier” and reinforcements will likely be needed. .

Boland averages 12.21 in home Tests and previously admitted he was hoping for a chance last season that would only be denied by the durability of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, helped by none of the matches lasting five days.

He has been recovering from an injury earlier this season after a county deal with Durham was canceled due to a heel problem and bowled out 28 overs in the Sheffield Shield against New South Wales last month. Boland said he was under “a bit of a restriction” in terms of his overs in that match, but did not expect to be stopped for Australia A.

“It seemed like six long months between games,” he said. “I remember being on the field in the Shield game and I was very happy to be playing cricket again. “I haven’t had many injury breaks throughout my career so it was different going through all the rehabilitation.

“Fortunately [we’ve] I have very good physiotherapists and support staff at cricket Victoria. I was very lucky to be able to lean on them, because I rarely thought: ‘[are] Are any of these things getting better? But now everything has gone well and I feel very good.”

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76ers struggle to find balance between Paul George and Tyrese Maxey in uneven debut for nine-time All-Star

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With 4:22 left in the fourth quarter of Paul George’s Philadelphia 76ers debut against the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Tyrese Maxey missed a three-pointer that would have given his team a 116-106 lead. It was a worthwhile shot considering he’d already scored six of them in the game, and with so much time left on the clock, he probably figured he’d have a few more chances to add to his already eye-catching total of 31 points. the night.

That turned out to be the last field goal Maxey would attempt against Phoenix, with just one more point on the foul line down the stretch. Philadelphia’s seven-point lead in the final minutes evaporated in part because they couldn’t find the balance between George and Maxey.

George initiated the offense on five of Philadelphia’s final six half-court possessions, and while his teammates’ mistakes deserve most of the blame, the 76ers didn’t take a single point on any of them. That includes their final offensive possession of the game in which George attempted a long step-back 3-pointer that would have tied the game instead of getting behind the line for a potential game-winning attempt. He failed and Phoenix escaped with the victory.

It was a mixed debut overall for George, who was 4 of 14 from the field and scored 15 points for Philadelphia. He also had five rebounds and four assists in the 32-minute effort, and while he consistently managed to draw defensive help during those final possessions, a 76ers team still lacking another All-Star in Joel Embiid needed a little more from its new maximum. -Free agent with salary even as he recovers from the bone bruise that kept him out of his first five games.

Over time, the 76ers will figure out how to handle their offensive weapons in close games. Monday has the opportunity to serve as a teaching moment. But at 1-5, the 76ers are starting to dig a significant hole in the standings. The idea of ​​catching 8-0 Cleveland or 7-1 Boston is starting to seem unrealistic, and a possible sanction for Embiid after an incident Saturday in which he shoved a reporter could complicate matters even more.

Things won’t get any easier for the 76ers on the schedule either. They close this trip with a two-game road trip to Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers, and after a brief respite against the Hornets at home, they have a back-to-back against the Cavaliers and Knicks.

If the 76ers are going to survive this early stretch without Embiid, their process (as loaded as that word is in Philadelphia) must improve.

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Bucs HC gives baffling explanation for not attempting two-point conversion; Chiefs’ Andy Reid glad he didn’t

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought the Kansas City Chiefs to the brink of defeat, but were unable to take down the undefeated defending Super Bowl champions on Monday night. It wasn’t without a valiant effort, however, as Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense orchestrated a late touchdown to tie the game at 24 with 27 seconds left in regulation to help force overtime.

After Mayfield found wide receiver Ryan Miller for the fourth-quarter score, there was an argument for Tampa Bay to keep the offense on the field to go for the two-point conversion. Instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game, they would go for the lead, and possibly the win, right then and there. While some may have been clamoring for head coach Todd Bowles to make that aggressive decision, it didn’t appear to be under serious consideration.

“Very little,” he told reporters after the game when asked how much he thought about going for two. “We wanted to go to overtime. With the wet conditions on the field, we felt like we had to go to overtime.”

Meanwhile, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked if he was surprised by the Bucs’ decision to opt to tie the game.

“No,” Reid said. “But I’m glad he didn’t.”

According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, if Tampa Bay had opted for the two-point conversion, the team’s probability of victory would have been 41.2%. With the extra point, it was 42.8%. So looking at that data, it was the right decision, although by a very narrow margin. From a more tangible, game-level standpoint, the Bucs had just scored from the 1-yard line, which was likely their two-point play. If they didn’t trust their second, that changes the calculus.

On the other hand, the Chiefs had been attacking the Bucs defense in the second half, especially with the running game and on third down. Against a superior opponent on the road and the offense that had the KC defense on its heels on that drive, the momentum seemed to be in Tampa Bay’s favor to go for the win.

Bowles had different ideas, however, and the Bucs never touched the ball again as the Chiefs won the toss and marched 70 yards down the field for a game-winning touchdown.

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