Kiszla: Broncos didn’t win game for Sean Payton, they averted another crisis of grumpy coach’s making.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Kiszla: Broncos didn’t win game for Sean Payton, they averted another crisis of grumpy coach’s making. CHICAGO — When the Broncos had every right to quit on Sean Payton, proud NFL veterans Russell Wilson and Kareem Jackson stepped up to save this irascible, unlovable Denver coach from another crisis of his own making.After the Broncos came back from a 21-point deficit Sunday to beat the bad news Chicago Bears, 31-28, franchise owner Greg Penner graciously awarded Payton a game ball to celebrate his long-overdue first victory on the Denver sideline.“I don’t want to sugarcoat anything. We’re going to play a lot better teams on our schedule,” Payton said, remaining steadfastly true to his Coach Grumpypants nature.So let’s not sugarcoat it. Payton did not rally Denver against the league’s worst team. The Broncos won in spite of a coach who has been slow to embrace the players in Denver’s locker room as his guys.You might find Wilson so earnest as to be corny, so scripted as to be robotic and so past his prime as to not be worth anywhere near his big, fat contract extens...

Broncos fight back from brink to beat hapless Bears. Now comes the hard part. “We’re going to face a lot better teams”

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Broncos fight back from brink to beat hapless Bears. Now comes the hard part. “We’re going to face a lot better teams” CHICAGO — The grand opening for Sean Payton’s Denver rendition of “Club Dub” suffered delays and setbacks over the past three weeks.It was supposed to debut to rave reviews in early September, but the drywall wasn’t up yet.Then Washington came to town for the premiere and the sound system shorted out.By the time the Broncos flew home from South Florida, you might have thought the whole thing burned to the ground.But finally, the celebration arrived as the calendar flipped to October. In Payton’s hometown, no less. Delayed but not muted.It shouldn’t have been this difficult, really, to find reason to crank the locker room music on an autumn Sunday. But finally Denver did after a wild, 31-28 victory over the heat-seeking-turned-hapless Bears.“I’ve been lucky enough, the last five times I’ve been here, we’ve won,” said Payton, who mostly grew up just southwest of here in Naperville, referring back to his days as New Orleans’ head coach. “We’ve been in that locker room, talking and list...

Iron fire in Moffat County reaches 30% containment, minimal growth overnight

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Iron fire in Moffat County reaches 30% containment, minimal growth overnight Despite high winds Saturday, the Iron fire in northeast Colorado experienced minimal growth and continues to burn on just over 7,300 acres.The fire, located in Moffat County 18 miles northwest of Craig, sparked Friday morning and grew rapidly, reaching 6,500 acres in less than eight hours, according to the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.Gusty winds, receptive fuel bed, remote, and rugged terrain led to initial large fire growth, Moffat County officials said.The burn area is a mix of private ranch land and BLM land, according to Moffat County property records.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | 4 pedestrians killed by metro Denver drivers over weekend, putting Colorado on track for record-breaking state total Crashes and Disasters | Denver pedestrian struck and killed by driver on Colorado Boulevard Crashes and Disasters | Driver kills pedestrian in Littleton hit-and-run, police search for white Jeep Cherokee Crashes and Disas...

Multi-vehicle crash sends 7 to hospital in L.A. County

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Multi-vehicle crash sends 7 to hospital in L.A. County A multi-vehicle crash in Los Angeles County on Sunday sent seven people to the hospital, authorities announced.  Calls about the crash near Slauson and Alamo avenues in the neighborhood of Maywood came in just before 3 p.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed to KTLA.  At the scene, fire personnel found five vehicles involved in the collision with several victims trapped inside two of the cars. Of those wounded, authorities said three were taken to the hospital in critical condition, three with minor injuries and one person who suffered only moderate injuries.  It is unclear what led up to the crash or if alcohol and drugs might have been a factor. Authorities are continuing to investigate.  No information was provided on the age of the victims.  This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for additional updates.  

Photos: San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford receives multiple ovations from fans during last game of the season

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Photos: San Francisco Giants Brandon Crawford receives multiple ovations from fans during last game of the season Today’s game may have been San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford’s farewell not only to his team, but to professional baseball.“The main thing will be if I want to come back and play baseball next year,” Crawford, 36, said of his looming decision. “There were a lot of parts I didn’t enjoy, unfortunately. But that’s baseball. You fail a lot in this game. Failing isn’t very fun. That’s probably partially why I haven’t made a decision yet. This year is far from how I pictured it going, whether it was going on the IL or just not playing well. Not kind of how I pictured to go out. So that’s definitely a factor.”Crawford said he will consult with his family, who have accompanied him all the way, starting with his wife, Jalynne, ever since they met at UCLA. Their first-born, Braylyn, arrived two years into Crawford’s career. The nest has since grown to four, with a fifth on the way. All four kids threw ceremonial first pitches, with their dad crouched behind home plat...

Instant analysis: Undefeated 49ers top Cardinals behind McCaffrey, Purdy

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Instant analysis: Undefeated 49ers top Cardinals behind McCaffrey, Purdy SANTA CLARA — Three touchdowns by Christian McCaffrey put the undefeated 49ers’ fourth win in motion Sunday.But 35 minutes remained. Things stalled. The Arizona Cardinals rallied. The 49ers needed more.Sure enough, McCaffrey delivered with his fourth touchdown, and that fourth-quarter score vaulted the 49ers toward an eventual 35-16 win that secured a 4-0 record for only the fifth time in franchise history.The 49ers end their three-game homestand with its marquee attraction next Sunday night, when the Dallas Cowboys return to the site of their divisional-playoff loss, 19-12, on Jan. 22.McCaffrey nearly matched the franchise’s single-game touchdown record, but a potential fifth score was denied at the 2-yard line on a 2-yard run in the final minutes, and rather than give him the ball again, coach Kyle Shanahan called for a Brock Purdy sneak from inside the 1 to cap the scoring spree.“Honestly I had no idea until I came in here he had four touchdowns,” Shanahan said ...

Family of Sierra LaMar, Midsi Sanchez support Polly Klaas’ father on 30th anniversary of kidnapping

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Family of Sierra LaMar, Midsi Sanchez support Polly Klaas’ father on 30th anniversary of kidnapping SAUSALITO – For three decades, Marc Klaas has lived with the trauma of his daughter Polly’s kidnapping and murder, and through years of child advocacy, carried the burden of scores of families whose children vanished, too.On Sunday, the 30th anniversary of Polly’s abduction from her bedroom during a slumber party at her Petaluma home, Klaas said he is phasing out the foundation that backed crime legislation and helped 1,500 families across the country search for their missing children.The work has helped him heal, he said. But he’s 74 years old now, and it’s taken its toll. To think Polly would have been 42 today.“Dealing with your own deceased child is one thing, but then dealing with other people’s loss repeatedly over and over and over and over and over again, it just becomes a little overwhelming sometimes,” Klaas said in an interview from the living room of his Sausalito townhome. “I don’t want to die carrying other people’s burdens. I really don’t.”On S...

Ex-Charger Jerry Tillery ejected for late hit on LA QB Justin Herbert

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Ex-Charger Jerry Tillery ejected for late hit on LA QB Justin Herbert INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jerry Tillery was ejected for a late hit on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in the second quarter of their game Sunday.Tillery, a former teammate of Herbert’s, delivered a forearm shot to the quarterback’s upper body after he had stepped out of bounds at the end of a 3-yard scramble.The Chargers bench swarmed Tillery, surrounding him before he was ushered away by Raiders teammate John Jenkins.Tillery was subsequently ejected for unnecessary roughness, continuing a penchant for questionable sportsmanship by the five-year pro.A first-round draft pick by the Chargers in 2019, Tillery’s time in Los Angeles ended when he was waived midway through the 2022 season after making 10 1/2 sacks in 54 games and accruing a number of 15-yard penalties.Tillery signed with the Raiders and played the final eight games of the season, but his midseason move was best remembered for picking up a costly dead ball penal...

Losses piling up for Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow limited by calf injury

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Losses piling up for Cincinnati Bengals with Joe Burrow limited by calf injury NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Joe Burrow keeps playing, yet the NFL’s highest-paid player with the lightning quick release clearly isn’t himself. Blame the right calf strained back in training camp. The challenge for the Cincinnati Bengals is that they go as their quarterback goes.Burrow threw for just 165 yards Sunday, and the Bengals had to settle for a field goal the one time they got close to the Tennessee end zone as Cincinnati lost 27-3 to the Titans. “This was unacceptable …,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. “And I’ve got the confidence that we’ve got everything we need in this locker room to get right and get back on track next week. Disappointing this is not the expectation we had going into this game.”Cincinnati won the coin toss and drove down the field with Burrow completing his first four passes, playing from the shotgun and making quick tosses. Then he got lucky Titans safety Amani Hooker didn’t pick him off on second-and-goal.The Bengals got to the...

Gas can erupts into flames during NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:04:49 GMT

Gas can erupts into flames during NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — There was a fiery moment during the NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway when a gas can erupted into flames on pit road. Ty Gibbs pulled out of his pit stall Sunday with the gas can still dangling from his Toyota and the fuel can dislodged in the middle of pit road. It sparked when it hit the pavement and then caught fire. Other drivers had to swerve around the burning gas can as emergency workers waited until pit road was clear to approach the fire. They extinguished the flames and the race resumed. Gibbs was penalized for leaving his pit box with equipment. He finished 22nd. ___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racingSource