PHILADELPHIA (AP) — On second thought, Doug Pederson would not have played for a tie. The Philadelphia Eagles lined up for a 59-yard field goal on fourth-and-7 with 19 seconds left in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. After a false start penalty on Matt Pryor, Pederson elected to punt instead of going for it on fourth-and-12 from the Bengals 46 or letting Jake Elliott attempt a 64-yarder. After thinking about it overnight, Pederson changed his mind. Pederson said Monday he should’ve called a pass down the field on fourth-and-12 instead of punting.

UNDATED (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson is expressing regret over his decision to punt and play for the tie after a penalty pushed his team back in the closing seconds of overtime. The Eagles tied the Bengals 23-23. But history says he did the right thing by playing to the odds and avoiding giving the Bengals a short field for a shot at their own game-winning field goal. Only a half dozen teams have reached the playoffs after losing their first three games. The Houston Texans in 2018 are the only team in the last 30 years to make it to the playoffs after going 0-3. Besides, the Eagles are only a half-game out of the NFC East lead with Dallas and Washington sitting at 1-2.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A third straight September collapse left the Philadelphia Phillies out of the postseason for the ninth straight season. Major changes could be coming. President Andy MacPhail and general manager Matt Klentak are clearly on the hot seat after failing to produce a winning record in any of their five seasons together. Manager Joe Girardi isn’t going anywhere after one season, but Phillies managing partner John Middleton is expected to take a hard look at a front office that hasn’t built a winner despite a payroll above $200 million. The Phillies went 1-7 in their final eight games to finish 28-32 in the pandemic-shortened season.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The arrival of rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes gives the Pittsburgh Pirates something to build on heading into 2021. The Pirates finished with the worst record in the majors during the truncated 2020 season, but Hayes looked like a cornerstone going forward after hitting .376 in 24 games. The starting rotation should get a boost next year with the return of Jameson Taillon from Tommy John surgery. There are bigger questions surrounding the bullpen and the future of right fielder Gregory Polanco. Polanco, who hit just .153 in 50 games, is scheduled to make $11.6 million next season.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jay Johnstone, who won World Series championships as a versatile outfielder with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers while being baseball’s merry prankster, has died. He was 74. His daughter, Mary Jayne Sarah Johnstone, says her father died last weekend of complications from COVID-19 and he also had suffered from dementia in recent years. In the 1981 World Series, Johnstone had a pinch-hit, two-run homer in Game 4 that rallied the Dodgers to an 8-7 win over the Yankees. 

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Hoosiers have lost top defender Marcelino Ball for the rest of this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The fifth-year senior played a crucial role at husky — part linebacker, part safety. Ball has been one of Indiana’s top defensive players since 2016 when he finished third on the team with 75 tackles. Coach Tom Allen says Ball will be replaced by Bryant Fitzgerald, a junior, who led the team with three interceptions in 2018 and had 27 tackles last season playing free safety. The Hoosiers open the season Oct. 24 by hosting Penn State.