Connect with us

Sports

Chargers make Aaron Rodgers look like a 41-year-old QB in defense-driven win

Published

on

Chargers make Aaron Rodgers look like a 41-year-old QB in defense-driven win

An end to the shutdown?

Not for the Chargers.

Their defense smothered the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 25-10 victory Sunday night, and limited Aaron Rodgers to a cosmetic touchdown at the end, intercepting him twice and sacking him three times — once in the end zone for a safety.

Advertisement
  • Share via

Sam Farmer breaks down what went right for the Chargers in a 25-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

Advertisement

“This one was won by strong, tough men,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Physicality and heart. I like the games of strategy and preparation, but this was one that came down to toughness and guts.”

Aaron Rodgers has thrown more touchdown passes than anyone on “Sunday Night Football,” yet the Chargers made him look every bit of his 41 years. The Steelers moved the ball and scored on their final possession, when the outcome had already been decided, but before that were 0 for 9 on third down.

Put bluntly by Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin: “We stunk it up tonight.”

Advertisement

The Chargers didn’t look especially crisp, either, and quarterback Justin Herbert took another beating behind an offensive line that has had 19 different combinations in 10 games. He was sacked five times — bringing his total to 11 in the past two games — and hit nine.

At one point in the second quarter, he was hit low from behind and lay on the turf for a moment before gingerly climbing to his feet. On the sideline, trainers taped both his ankles and he didn’t miss a snap.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert scrambles against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert scrambles against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Just got rolled up,” he explained. “A little bit of pain. But I thought we did a good job of talking about it on the sideline. I came off and felt like I was safe, comfortable to go back out there.”

Advertisement

The Chargers started slow offensively but began to gather a little momentum in the second quarter when Cameron Dicker kicked his first of three field goals, and Ladd McConkey scored on a 15-yard touchdown reception with 12 seconds remaining in the first half.

Pittsburgh was as cold as a Western Pennsylvania winter, even when cheered on by a SoFi Stadium full of fans. It was a black-and-gold takeover.

“We didn’t run the ball super effectively in the first half,” Rodgers said. “I missed some throws, for sure. At times guys were open and I didn’t hit them; other times, we just weren’t getting open. Just couldn’t put it all together.”

For the Steelers, that was a big letdown from the week before, when they handed the Indianapolis Colts just their second loss. In that game, Pittsburgh forced six Colts turnovers. Sunday night, the Chargers won the turnover battle, 3-0.

Chargers linebacker Bud Dupree dances after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.

Chargers linebacker Bud Dupree dances after sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Advertisement

Not only did the Chargers hang onto the football, but they grabbed some team records along the way. Most notable Keenan Allen, who set a club record in the waning moments of the game with his 956th career reception. He eclipsed the mark of Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates, his former teammate.

Allen spoke with Harbaugh on the sideline and suggested the play, which the receiver said would essentially be a guaranteed reception. He began to sprint from left to right across the formation before the snap, then caught a perfectly timed shovel pass as he ran past Herbert, turning upfield and collecting seven yards.

“He’s one of those guys who’s always open,” Herbert said of Allen. “Even when he’s covered he’s open.”

Dicker kicked a 59-yard field goal, tying a club record that he already shared. Khalil Mack, who corralled Rodgers for the safety, became the second player in NFL history with at least 35 sacks for three different franchises. The late Hall of Famer Kevin Greene was the only other player to do that.

Advertisement

The Chargers have won three in a row for the first time since their first three games. Their offensive line remains an issue, and the team surely will be working in the newly acquired tackle Trevor Penning for Sunday’s game at Jacksonville.

The special teams, which gave up a punt-return touchdown at Tennessee the week before, collected a muffed punt by Pittsburgh in the fourth quarter.

Harbaugh said the rumors of the demise of the Chargers offensive line and special teams were premature, praising both units. It’s clear, though, that Herbert’s protectors still have a long way to go.

As for the defense, however, that turned in a gem.

“The interior guys, the edge guys, everybody worked together,” linebacker Denzel Perryman said. “It was rush and cover, cover and rush. That’s how you get numbers like that.”

Advertisement

If the Chargers can keep getting to quarterbacks — and do a better job of protecting theirs — they have potential to be a headache in all the right ways.

Sports

Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to Miami attempted murder charge

Published

on

Antonio Brown pleads not guilty to Miami attempted murder charge

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge stemming from a May shooting in Miami.

Brown’s lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, said in an email that he has already filed a written not guilty plea to the attempted murder charge. Brown could be in a Miami courtroom as early as Wednesday morning for a bond hearing, Eiglarsh said.

Eiglarsh said Brown was simply protecting himself from a person he had problems with before.

 

Advertisement

 Antonio Brown attends his album release dinner at Panda on April 28, 2022 in New York City.  (Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

“The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim’s violent behavior. Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself,” Eiglarsh said.

The charge stems from an event in Miami in May, with the alleged victim just so happening to be the same person who waved a Palestinian flag during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance in February.

Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu was arrested in June on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interrupting a lawful assembly, revealing a link between the shooting incident and the Super Bowl.

TRUMP CONDEMNS ‘LUNATIC’ IN CHARLOTTE STABBING: ‘IF WE DON’T HANDLE EVIL, WE DON’T HAVE A COUNTRY’

Advertisement

Antonio Brown attends Friday’s at Red Martini Restaurant and Lounge on February 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Several videos on social media showed Brown getting into a fight with multiple people following matches at an Adin Ross boxing event in May. The popular streamer hosted a 10-match card sponsored by Stake, Kick and Brand Risk Promotions.

One video showed Brown appearing to fight in a parking lot as a crowd moved toward an alley. Then a gunshot appeared to ring out, sending spectators running in the opposite direction.

Brown admitted that he had “slammed” one person’s security guard. He said he told one of the officers that he hadn’t done anything. The Washington Post reported the next month that a warrant was out for Brown’s arrest.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts with Antonio Brown #81 during the second half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 26, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The former NFL star has had multiple legal issues in the past. He was sued in 2019 over allegations of rape and sexual misconduct, which he eventually settled with his accuser. He pleaded no contest to felony battery and burglary charges in June 2020. Brown was arrested again in 2023 over allegations of unpaid child support.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Sports

Combate Global MMA franchise to move production to Burbank from Miami

Published

on

Combate Global MMA franchise to move production to Burbank from Miami

In a small win for California’s film and TV industry, mixed martial arts franchise Combate Global will relocate production from Miami to Burbank.

The franchise, which will air on Spanish-language network Estrella TV after a six-year run on Univision, will film 20 live events at Estrella’s new networks studio, starting in February. That space seats 500 people and has been used to film the talent competition show “Tengo Talento Mucho Talento.”

The franchise wanted to relocate to Southern California because of the bigger media market, said Campbell McLaren, chief executive of Combate Global and co-creator of the UFC.

The move is expected to create about 60 jobs, and is estimated to have an economic impact of more than $1 million on an annual basis for the 20 shows, which is up from the eight produced this year, he said.

“It’s a bigger market, access to more talent, access to more behind-the-camera talent, access to more on-camera talent,” McLaren said. “We feel we’re making a big, big step.”

Advertisement

The move also allows the franchise to target the large Mexican American market in L.A. — Combate Global currently has its largest viewership in Mexico — as well as others who have not been as exposed to the mixed martial arts events, such as the Korean community. The sport’s Japan vs. Mexico nights have also been popular and could find broad appeal in in L.A., McLaren said.

“It’s a move to super serve our core audience,” he said. “We’re going to have real audience traction.”

The news comes as California tries to lure film and television productions back to the Golden State after many have relocated to other states and countries in search of more lucrative tax incentives.

Over the summer, state legislators bulked up the state’s film and TV tax credit program and agreed to more than double the annual amount allocated to it. So far, dozens of projects have been awarded tax credits, including 22 series and 52 movies. (Combate Global did not receive a tax credit because sports do not qualify for the program.)

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Eagles grind out low-scoring victory over Packers to win third straight game

Published

on

Eagles grind out low-scoring victory over Packers to win third straight game

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

It was another primetime slog for the NFL, but the Philadelphia Eagles don’t mind coming away with a 10-7 victory on “Monday Night Football.”

The Eagles improved to 7-2 on the season as they came off their bye week and earned a road victory. Meanwhile, the Packers have lost back-to-back home games to fall to 5-3-1.

It was the first time since the Houston Texans and New York Jets met on Dec. 23, 2023, that an NFL game was scoreless at halftime. And the final result was the same as the Denver Broncos-Las Vegas Raiders game on “Thursday Night Football,” which kicked off the Week 10 slate. 

Advertisement

Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

The Eagles finally broke through on the opening drive of the second half, as Jalen Hurts connected with Dallas Goedert on multiple passes to reach the red zone. The drive stalled after a delay of game on third-and-long, leading to a 39-yard Jake Elliott field goal.

Given how the game was going, a 3-0 lead felt much larger than usual. But the Eagles eventually found the end zone in the fourth quarter after Saquon Barkley caught a short pass near the line of scrimmage on third-and-7.

NFL FANS SKEWER BRONCOS-RAIDERS GAME AMID LISTLESS OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES

Barkley signaled to Hurts, knowing he had daylight if he could make one Packers defender miss. He hit a quick spin move, stayed in stride and sprinted down the left sideline. With A.J. Brown blocking in front, Barkley appeared to have a chance to score until his former New York Giants teammate Xavier McKinney brought him down after a 41-yard gain.

Advertisement

Just one play later, Hurts dropped back and took his first deep shot of the game — and it paid off. DeVonta Smith timed his jump perfectly, hauling in a 36-yard touchdown pass over Packers safety Evan Williams to make it 10-0 after Elliott’s extra point.

The Packers, who had been shut out despite multiple trips into Eagles territory, knew they had to respond. Jordan Love led an 11-play drive capped by Josh Jacobs’ six-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to three.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) is tackled by. Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun (53) in the second half at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025. (Jeff Hanisch/Imagn Images)

With momentum on their side, the Packers got the stop they needed to give Love one final chance. Starting at their own 10-yard line, Green Bay faced a crucial fourth-and-1 at its own 44. Jacobs fumbled under pressure behind the line, and Philadelphia recovered. Even if Jacobs had converted, an illegal formation penalty would have negated the play.

The Eagles chose to go for it on fourth-and-6 after forcing the Packers to use their timeouts. Though Brown appeared to have a chance at a game-sealing touchdown, Hurts’ pass was underthrown, giving Green Bay a slim chance for a last-second drive.

Advertisement

Love moved the offense just far enough to set up a 64-yard field goal attempt that would have been the longest ever made at Lambeau Field. But Brandon McManus missed badly, and the Eagles celebrated as frustrated murmurs echoed through the Green Bay crowd.

In the box score, Love — playing without tight end Tucker Kraft for the remainder of the season and losing receiver Romeo Doubs to injury midway through the game — finished 19-of-32 for 158 yards. Jacobs rushed for 75 yards on 21 carries.

DeVonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles catches a 36 yard touchdown pass against Evan Williams of the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on Nov. 10, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

For the Eagles, Hurts went 15-of-26 for 183 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 27 yards. Barkley was limited to 60 rushing yards on 22 carries but contributed the 41-yard catch-and-run that set up the score. Smith led all receivers with four receptions for 69 yards and the lone touchdown.

Advertisement

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending