NFL-SCHEDULE

Broncos end Cowboys’ six-game win streak

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Teddy Bridgewater threw for a touchdown and had a sneak for another, and the Denver Broncos stymied the NFL’s No. 1 offense when it mattered in a 30-16 victory over Dallas. Denver ended the Cowboys’ six-game winning streak.

Dak Prescott returned after missing a game with a strained right calf but couldn’t get the Cowboys moving until two meaningless late touchdowns. The Broncos made Prescott uncomfortable in their first game since trading star pass rusher Von Miller and with new team sacks leader Malik Reed inactive because of a hip injury.

Denver has won seven consecutive games in the series.

In other Week 9 NFL action:

— Jacksonville had the better Josh Allen on this Sunday, with the standout linebacker intercepting a pass, making a sack and recovering a fumble in a 9-6 upset of the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo’s star quarterback with the same first and last names turned the ball over three times, including twice in the second half. He didn’t have a second-half turnover in any game this season. The Bills lost for the second time in seven games. The Jaguars rebounded from a debacle at Seattle a week ago. Buffalo’s Allen completed 31 of 47 passes for 264 yards, with two interceptions and a fumble.

— Justin Tucker kicked a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in overtime to give the Baltimore Ravens a 34-31 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The AFC North-leading Ravens rallied from a 14-point third-quarter deficit and survived an acrobatic interception by Minnesota’s Anthony Barr on the first possession of overtime. Barr tipped Lamar Jackson’s pass and caught it out of the air, giving the Vikings the ball at their own 38, but Minnesota went three-and-out, and Baltimore drove into Tucker’s range again. It was another agonizing loss for the Vikings, who have not dropped a game all season by more than seven points.

— Mac Jones overcame two early turnovers and threw for 139 yards and a touchdown, J.C. Jackson returned one of three Sam Darnold interceptions for an 88-yard touchdown and the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-6 for their fourth win in the past five games. Rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson had 106 yards from scrimmage before leaving the game with a head injury and Damien Harris and Hunter Henry scored touchdowns as the Patriots improved to 4-0 on the road this season. Darnold had another miserable outing for Carolina.

— Xavier McKinney returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown early in the second half and picked off another errant throw by Derek Carr late as the New York Giants beat the Las Vegas Raiders 23-16. The Raiders fell to an NFL-worst 3-16 after a bye week over the last 19 years. New York’s Daniel Jones threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram and Graham Gano added three field goals. Filling in for the injured Saquon Barkley, former Raider Devontae Booker ran for 99 yards before leaving late with a hip injury. The Giants improved to 3-6 while the Raiders fell to 5-3.

— Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes, Nick Chubb ran for 137 yards and the Cleveland Browns capped a chaotic week by smashing Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 41-16. The Browns came in desperate for a win after dropping three of four. Their situation turned dramatic on Wednesday when star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was exiled for poor behavior and the team decided to release him. Cleveland got an early spark from Denzel Ward’s 99-yard interception return for a touchdown. Chubb scored twice and the Browns sacked Burrow five times and intercepted him twice.

— Matt Ryan hit Cordarrelle Patterson for a 64-yard gain with a minute to go, setting up Younghoe Koo’s 29-yard field goal as time expired, and the Atlanta Falcons defeated the mistake-prone New Orleans Saints 27-25. Ryan passed for 343 yards, connected twice with Olamide Zaccheaus for touchdowns and the veteran quarterback also ran for a score on a bootleg. Ryan’s second scoring pass gave the Falcons a 24-6 lead with 10:39 left in the fourth quarter. But the Saints rallied to briefly take the lead on Trevor Siemian’s 8-yard pass to Kenny Stills with 1:01 left.

— In the NFL’s most turnover-filled game in more than five seasons, the Miami Dolphins got 244 yards passing and a touchdown throw from surprise starter Jacoby Brissett on the way to beating the Houston Texans 17-9. The game between two teams that entered with 1-7 records and both on seven-game losing streaks lived up — or down — to its billing. The Dolphins and Texans combined for nine turnovers. Miami had five, Houston four, and somehow the Dolphins won anyway. It was Miami’s first win while committing at least five turnovers since Oct. 18, 1990. The Dolphins had been 0-21 in such games since.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Durant scores 31 points, Nets beat Raptors for 5th straight

TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Durant had 31 points, James Harden scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, and the Brooklyn Nets won their fifth straight game, beating the Toronto Raptors 116-103.

Blake Griffin had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Patty Mills scored 13 as Brooklyn’s Steve Nash earned the victory in his first trip north of the border as an NBA head coach. Harden narrowly missed his second straight triple double, finishing with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Fred VanVleet scored 21 points, OG Anunoby had 16 and Gary Trent Jr. scored 15 points for the Raptors, who have lost two straight after winning the previous five.

T25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL-POLL

Cincinnati holds on to No. 2 as Tide closes in

UNDATED (AP) — Cincinnati has held on to the No. 2 ranking by just four points over No. 3 Alabama in The Associated Press college football poll, and Oregon passed Ohio State to move up to No. 5.

Georgia is a unanimous No. 1 for the fifth straight week. Oklahoma, which had an open date, stayed at No. 4. Oregon moved up two spots to No. 5 after beating Washington 26-16. The Ducks jumped Ohio State at No. 6, taking advantage of Michigan State’s first loss of the season.

Notre Dame moved up a spot to No. 7, and the Spartans slipped three to No. 8 after losing at Purdue. Michigan stayed at No. 9 and Oklahoma State moved up one to No. 10.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-UMASS COACH FIRED

UMass fires coach Walt Bell after 2-23 record over 3 seasons

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts has fired coach Walt Bell after he went 2-23 over three seasons with the Minutemen. The 37-year-old Bell took over one of the toughest jobs in major college football in 2019, but showed few signs of turning it around.

UMass fell to 1-8 on Saturday, losing 35-22 to FCS school Rhode Island. The lone victory for UMass this season came against Connecticut. The Minutemen have not won more than four games in any season since moving up to FBS in 2012.

UMass has been playing as a football independent since 2016.

GOLF-MAYAKOBA

Hovland buries the field and repeats as winner at Mayakoba

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Viktor Hovland didn’t need any 18th hole dramatics this time. He repeated as winner at Mayakoba in Mexico and picked up the third title of his young PGA Tour career. The Norwegian star closed with a 67 to win by four shots over Carlos Ortiz.

Hovland had to make birdie on the final hole when he won in Puerto Rico in 2020 and at Mayakoba a year ago. This time, his lead was at least three shots during the entire back nine of the World Wide Technology Championship a t Mayakoba.

Ortiz made a 30-foot par putt to finish alone in second.

GOLF-PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Alker caps dream stretch by winning on PGA Tour Champions

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Steven Alker wasn’t even part of the PGA Tour Champions three months ago. Now he’s a winner and heading to the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Alker outlasted Jim Furyk to win the TimberTech Championship by two shots and qualify for the season-ending tournament next week in Phoenix. Alker birdied the final hole for a 68.

Alker had to qualify for his debut 12 weeks ago. He kept finishing in the top 10 to keep playing, and he cashed in on Sunday. Alker made $305,000. He now has nearly $900,000. That’s more than he made his entire PGA Tour career.

NBA-VACCINES

NBA to players, coaches, refs: Booster shots are recommended

MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is telling its players, coaches and referees that they should receive booster shots against the coronavirus, with particular urgency for those who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The league and the National Basketball Players Association said Sunday that those who received Johnson & Johnson shots more than two months ago should get a booster. The booster recommendation also was made for those who received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine at least six months ago.

The recommendations were obtained by The Associated Press.

The NBA said that in some cases, those who are vaccinated but elect to not receive a booster would be subjected to game-day testing again starting Dec. 1.

About 97% of NBA players were believed to be vaccinated when the season started last month. In the U.S., nearly 60% of the population — more than 193 million people — are fully vaccinated. More than 21 million have received a booster dose, and those numbers are soaring each day.

A small number of previously vaccinated NBA players have tested positive this season for COVID-19 and entered the league’s health and safety protocols.

TENNIS-PARIS MASTERS

Djokovic beats Medvedev for record 37th Masters title

PARIS (AP) — A day after ensuring he finishes No. 1 for a record seventh year, Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) beat No. 2 Daniil Medvedev (DAN’-ihl MEHD’-veh-dehv) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the Paris Masters final on Sunday for a record 37th Masters title.

Djokovic moved one clear of fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal for Masters trophies, and nine ahead of Roger Federer, the other tennis great with 20 majors.

It also gave Djokovic a record-extending sixth Paris Masters title and put him 6-4 up overall against the No. 2-ranked Medvedev, who is pushing hard to dethrone him in world tennis.

The veteran Serb had lost to Medvedev in straight sets in the U.S. Open final two months ago and had not played a tournament since.