#turnovers

#turnovers

Washington forced NFL MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes into two early interceptions. This was a massive positive that kept the Commanders firmly in the hunt, and potentially even in the early ascendancy if these chances were seized. Unfortunately, the offense failed to score a single point off these turnovers. And they eventually paid a heavy price. That did not go unnoticed by head coach Dan Quinn during his postgame assessment.

For me, we were complicating the game at times tonight. We got burned on it. We forced pucks when we didn't need to and turned them over. They came at us, and as we've talked about, they're a talented and good rush team. They capitalized on their opportunities. More than anything, that is what it boils down to. I felt like we were disconnected at times getting through the neutral zone. It cost us.

"We never lost faith," said head coach Danny Jones. "If we look at the scores of games, we're battling our (butts) off. We knew the football team that we were and what we were capable of, and it's wonderful to be able to put it together and to see it for four quarters on both sides of the ball. "We have one game left in the season. If we win, we're in the playoffs. I feel so good about whatever bracket they want to put us in, whether that's the D2 or the D3 bracket. I feel like the schedule we've played all year long, we're hardened and we're battle-tested and we're a physical football team."

PORTLAND Steph Curry nailed improbable shot after improbable shot on Friday night, but his expected excellence was not enough to overcome an inspired Blazers team that had spent the past 48 hours mired in controversy. The Blazers were led by acting head coach Tiago Splitter, who stepped into the role after Chauncey Billups was arrested on illegal gambling charges by the FBI on Thursday. The Blazers scorched the nets at the Moda Center, shooting 53.8% from the field. Curry scored a scintillating 35 points after scoring 42 the day before, but the rest of a mix-and-match Warriors lineup looked flat by comparison.

Four takeaways. That's where the bar has been set for Chicago's defense after pushing past an 0-2 start, which included one of the worst defensive performances in franchise history in a 52-21 loss at Detroit in Week 2. It's become a rallying cry for the Bears, who took the ball away four times against Dallas in Week 4 and four more times in Las Vegas one week later.

The eighth overall pick in June's draft checked in with 10:40 left in the second quarter, Brooklyn trailing by 14, and was immediately met by Toronto's swarming defense. The moment tested his composure, but Demin looked comfortable from the start - handling the ball with confidence, helping organize the offense and flashing his defensive instincts with an early block and a pair of sharp deflections.

In fact, Weaver, whose run defense is last in the NFL at 174.2 yards per game, said the run defense was so bad that there were times he wanted to "throw up" while watching the game tape of Panthers running back Rico Dowdle rushing for 206 yards in the Panthers' 27-24 win. "This guy was running, he was like a runaway freight train, just running downhill," Weaver said.

I should've picked it, first off,

Watching the 49ers celebrate after stopping the Rams on a game-deciding fourth-and-1 run Thursday night, I simply couldn't form an explanation for how the Rams had managed to blow what should have been an easy victory over their injury-riddled division rivals. It felt like the Rams could have done whatever they wanted on offense, and a limping Mac Jones' only reliable target was Kendrick Bourne on the 49ers' side.

Aided by Hill's good spirit in the wake of his tragic injury, the Miami offense responded well within the game against the Jets. Three plays after the scary scene, Waller caught his second touchdown to put the Dolphins up two scores. After the Jets narrowed the deficit thanks to a highlight-reel touchdown scramble by quarterback Justin Fields, Miami scored again, this time it was running back De'Von Achane.

Regardless, veteran wide receiver Diggs is remaining upbeat about the team. The last thing expected from such an experienced Head Coach as Vrabel was a team that was its own worst enemy, yet that's exactly what they've been. They've committed a huge number of penalties, allowed 12 sacks, and had costly turnovers, including five in the latest gift-wrapped loss to the Steelers.