BEARS-PANTHERS
Newton, Olsen lift Panthers over Bears 31-24
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Cam Newton threw two touchdown passes to Greg Olsen and the Carolina Panthers’ defense forced four turnovers to overcome a 14-point deficit and defeat the Chicago Bears 31-24 on Sunday.
With the game tied at 24, Carolina’s Antoine Cason stripped Matt Forte of the ball and the Panthers’ Kawaan Short recovered at Chicago’s 23. Six plays later, Newton found Olsen on a slant route for a 6-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score with 2:18 left.
The Panthers sealed the win when Short sacked Jay Cutler and Charles Johnson recovered as the Panthers (3-2) snapped a two-game losing streak and reclaimed first place in the NFC South.
Newton was 19 of 35 for 255 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception. Olsen had six catches for 72 yards.
Cutler was 28 of 36 for 289 yards with two TDs, but turned the ball over three times for the Bears (2-3).
NASCAR-KANSAS
Logano wins at Kansas to advance in title race
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) β Joey Logano has grabbed the first berth in the next round of NASCAR’s championship race with a victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Logano’s win advanced him into the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, which begins after stops at Charlotte and Talladega. Four drivers will be cut from the 12-driver field after Talladega.
It puts the pressure on for some of NASCAR’s top drivers, many of whom had problems at Kansas. Six-time and defending champion Jimmie Johnson was in an early wreck, then Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne both hit the wall.
Logano teammate Brad Keselowski also hit the wall because of a tire problem, and Kevin Harvick made an unscheduled pit stop when he feared he had a tire problem.
HURRICANES-CAPITALS
Capitals beat Hurricanes 5-2 in preseason finale
WASHINGTON (AP) β Troy Brouwer and Brooks Laich each had a goal and an assist and the Washington Capitals beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 on Sunday in their preseason finale.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jason Chimera and Alex Ovechkin also scored for the Capitals (5-3). Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen each had two assists.
Jiri Tlusty had a goal and an assist and John-Michael Liles also scored for the Hurricanes (2-5), who lost forward Jeff Skinner early in the first period after a hit from Niskanen.
Skinner fell to the ice after taking Niskanen’s forearm to his head. Skinner was able to skate off, but Carolina announced Skinner wouldn’t return due to an upper-body injury.
Braden Holtby made 19 saves for Washington. Carolina’s Anton Khudobin stopped 33 shots.
SEC-FINES
SEC fines Ole Miss, Kentucky after fans rush field
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) β The Southeastern Conference has fined Mississippi and Kentucky after their fans stormed the field to celebrate victories.
The SEC fined Ole Miss $50,000 on Sunday because the school also was cited for similar violations in 2012 and 2013. Rebels fans rushed the field after a 23-17 victory over Alabama on Saturday.
Kentucky drew a $25,000 penalty for the celebration of a 45-38 upset of South Carolina. Kentucky also was penalized in 2006 and 2007, but drew a smaller fine because its last offense was more than three years ago.
SEC policy restricts access to areas of competition to coaches, athletes, officials support personnel and others with proper credentials.
Commissioner Mike Slive has discretion to impose fines for violations in all SEC sports. Penalties start at $5,000 for a first offense.
FALCONS-GIANTS
Beckham TD catch caps Giants rally vs. Falcons
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) β First-round draft pick Odell Beckham Jr. made his NFL debut a memorable one, catching a go-ahead 15-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning with 10:02 left to lead the New York Giants to a 30-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Fellow rookie Andre Williams scored on a 3-yard run to ignite the second-half rally that saw the Giants (3-2) come from 10-points down to win their third straight game.
Manning threw two touchdowns and Josh Brown added two late field goals.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 316 yards and a touchdown playing behind a banged-up offense line that held up until the very end. Atlanta (2-3) dropped its second straight.
