Sports Express | September 18, 2026 Allen's five TDs power Bills past Lions in new stadium debut

1. Allen's five TDs power Bills past Lions in new stadium debut

Source: Sportsnet

The Buffalo Bills christened their $2.1-billion new stadium with a 41-31 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, as quarterback Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more — his sixth career five-TD game. Allen finished 20 of 31 for 248 yards and added 69 yards rushing.

Allen scored the first touchdown at the new venue on a 1-yard plunge 5:51 in, and his second rushing score, a 2-yard run, was the 83rd of his career, tying Jim Taylor for 18th on the NFL's all-time list. Running back James Cook ran for 134 yards and sealed the win with a 1-yard scoring run with 2:50 left. The 30-year-old Allen grew emotional during the pregame U.S. and Canadian national anthems.

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2. UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick resigns

Source: WRAL

The University of North Carolina said Thursday that defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, the son of head coach Bill Belichick, is resigning effective Oct. 27 after an internal investigation found actions within the football program that showed 'a disregard for Carolina's values and standards of conduct.'

Steve Belichick has been on medical leave for more than a month; his resignation takes effect when that leave ends. Two weeks ago WRAL reported that outside investigators had questioned people about whether he used drugs on the job or provided drugs to at least one player. Lead investigator Nate Huff, a private lawyer, confirmed Thursday that the probe examined drug-related allegations and involved about 60 interviews, including with Bill Belichick. General manager Michael Lombardi resigned Sept. 3.

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3. Jets open camp without Hellebuyck as teammates call it heartbreaking

Source: TSN

The Winnipeg Jets opened training camp Thursday without star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who publicly requested a trade and was suspended by the team Wednesday night after failing to report. Teammate Kyle Connor called the news 'heartbreaking.'

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed that Hellebuyck actually asked for the trade during his exit meeting at the end of last season. The 33-year-old, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and former Hart Trophy winner, has five years left on the seven-year contract he signed in 2023, with an average annual value of $8.5 million. Cheveldayoff dismissed any notion of a 'gentleman's agreement,' saying 'a contract is a contract.'

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4. Ovechkin appears in ad for Putin's party; Latvia bars him from entry

Source: The Kyiv Independent

Russian hockey star Alexander Ovechkin, who has played for the Washington Capitals since 2005, said on Sept. 17 that he did not hesitate when asked to appear in a campaign ad for Russia's ruling party. 'I'm Russian, and I support my country,' he told reporters.

Ovechkin appeared in the video alongside key Kremlin officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, backing the United Russia party, which is de facto led by President Vladimir Putin and has supported the war against Ukraine. U.S. Republican Representative Joe Wilson condemned the ad in a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and Latvia's foreign minister announced Sept. 17 that Ovechkin and oligarch Umar Kremlev are barred from entering the country indefinitely.

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5. Former NBA player Michael Sweetney dies at 43

Source: NBA.com

Michael Sweetney, who played four NBA seasons with the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls after a standout college career at Georgetown, has died at 43. He died Wednesday at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center; the Knicks, Bulls and Georgetown all paid tribute.

Sweetney was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, playing for the Knicks from 2003-05 and the Bulls from 2005-07. He averaged 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 233 career games. At Georgetown he averaged a double-double in each of his final two college seasons and still ranks fifth in program history in career rebounds. He later served as an assistant coach at Yeshiva University.

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6. U.S. Olympic gold medalists shake up the NHL with trade requests

Source: The Globe and Mail

Since the U.S. won gold at the Milan Olympics in February, several members of that team have reshaped the NHL: three asked for trades and another was the subject of serious trade talk. Brady Tkachuk left Ottawa for Florida to play with brother Matthew, and Connor Hellebuyck could soon follow across the border after going public with his demand to leave Winnipeg.

Zach Werenski, still in Columbus, dismissed the idea that the team's group chat orchestrated the moves, saying the gold medal was a first taste of winning for many teammates, amplifying a desire to do it again. Dylan Larkin's future in Detroit remains in limbo; he has declined to say which teams he would accept a trade to.

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7. Kawhi Leonard opens up: son wanted a Toronto return, happy to defer to Barnes

Source: Toronto Sun

Back with the Toronto Raptors, Kawhi Leonard opened up in the latest episode of the team's behind-the-scenes show 'Open Gym,' titled 'The Return.' He said his son, born in Toronto during the 2018-19 championship season, kept asking his parents when they could visit the city again.

Leonard made clear the Raptors are Scottie Barnes's team: 'I'm not here to take over anything, I want to help your vision, help Scottie, I just want to win.' He also greeted Raptors legend Kyle Lowry, who announced his retirement. General manager Bobby Webster told Leonard on a call after completing the trade: 'Let's get you your third chip.'

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8. Emmitt Smith thinks Derrick Henry can break the all-time rushing record

Source: NBC Sports

At 32, Derrick Henry is playing like he's 22, with 13,163 career rushing yards. The man who holds the No. 1 spot — Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith — believes Henry can break the record.

'Oh yeah, I think it's possible,' Smith said. 'Derrick Henry is a bigger back. He takes great care of his body. He's in great shape.' Smith's record stands at 18,355 yards; Henry trails by 5,193, and would need to play at least four more seasons beyond 2026 — 84 more games — at an average of 61.8 yards per game to get there. He is just 97 yards behind Eric Dickerson.

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9. Australian athlete apologizes, forfeits Beijing win after racing while ill

Source: CBC

Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk, who sparked global outrage after soiling herself and continuing to race at a Hyrox event in Beijing, apologized Thursday and forfeited her win. 'I want to offer my sincere apology to the people of China, my fellow competitors, the spectators and the Hyrox organizers,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Looking back, I regret the decision to not have stepped off the track.'

Wietrzyk won the pro women's title in 1:01:23, about 45 seconds ahead of American Alyssa McElheny. Hyrox China announced Wednesday it was refunding entry fees to more than 1,000 affected participants. Sponsor Puma said there is 'no change' to its partnership with her.

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10. Chiefs' Travis Kelce reportedly among victims in Ponzi scheme

Source: CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was reportedly among the victims of a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme. He was not named in the indictment or judgment, but his name was briefly read in a St. Louis federal courtroom as one of more than 64 victims, according to a KMOV investigative reporter.

The defendant is Siddarth Jawahar, who founded an investment fund, Swiftarc Ventures Lab Fund, in which Kelce was identified as an investor in a 2021 Forbes article. Jawahar pleaded guilty in January to federal wire fraud and was sentenced this week to 11 years in prison plus three years of supervision, and ordered to pay more than $31 million in restitution.

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