usatoday--2020-10-04--White House doctor announced Trump is being treated with dexamethasone. Here's what we know about th

President Donald Trump 's condition has continued to improve since being taken to the hospital Friday due to symptoms from a COVID-19 infection , White House physician Sean Conley told reporters on Sunday .
Conley had previously said he was using a `` multi-prong '' approach to treat Trump .
He said Sunday that included the steroid dexamethasone in response to Trump 's blood oxygen level dropping twice .
An affordable , widely available steroid , dexamethasone has shown promise in improving survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients .
Although the British government has authorized its use among some patients , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be for less severe COVID-19 cases .
Further , it has not been peer-reviewed or replicated in other studies .
“ This is a significant improvement in the available therapeutic options that we have , ” said Dr. Anthony Fauci , the United States ’ top infectious disease expert .
What we know about the potentially lifesaving treatment : Usually prescribed as an oral or intravenous steroid , dexamethasone is a general purpose anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling drug used for a variety of conditions , said Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu , an infectious disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yale , in June .
Like other steroids , however , `` it is a non-specific treatment not necessarily targeting a single , specific pathway of inflammation or swelling , '' Ogbuagu says .
That has its drawbacks .
How is it used to treat COVID-19 patients ?
Generally , COVID-19 comes in two phases , explained Ogbuagu .
`` People get the virus , it replicates , and that 's the first phase of the illness , '' he said .
`` Afterward , around 10 days into the infection , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus . ''
These inflammatory chemicals can sometimes create severe COVID-19 complications , such as acute respiratory distress syndrome , which makes it difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream and reach organs .
Patients with severe COVID-19 complications saw significant benefits with dexamethasone in the United Kingdom study .
These patients took it for 10 days , either orally or via IV .
As of June , it had reduced deaths by 35 % in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20 % in those needing supplemental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help less ill patients .
Trump is receiving lots of medical care .
Some doctors wonder if it 's too much .
Ogbuagu notes that timing and selectiveness among patients is critical to ensure dexamethasone is properly used as a treatment for COVID-19 .
Early findings suggest COVID-19 patients who do not have severe symptoms , such as requiring a respirator , should not take dexamethasone .
`` The downside of steroids is that it 's not selective , '' Ogbuagu said .
`` It 's a double-edged sword that may hinder your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
He noted that some studies have found higher mortality rates in people who used steroids , since they inhibit the body 's immune response to the virus .
The World Health Organization and other organizations advise against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can impede clearing the virus .
Ogbuagu also says that steroids , in general , may cause some severe side effects , such as new or worsening diabetes , as well as psychosis or emotional disturbance .
What does it mean for the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who hold positions of stature to get more aggressive care because there ’ s pressure to give someone everything imaginable .
I would hope his physicians are being very deliberate in the treatment , ” said Dr. Russell Buhr , a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of California , Los Angeles .
That could explain why the president is receiving relatively aggressive treatment for someone whose physician described him as “ doing very well ” on both Saturday and Sunday .
But Buhr said that he does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reasons behind the care . ''

White House doctor announced Trump is being treated with dexamethasone. Here's what we know about the drug.
Show Caption Hide Caption Dr. Sean Conley goes through timeline of President Trump's illness Dr. Sean Conley goes through timeline of President Trump's COVID-19 illness, why he was brought to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. USA TODAY
President Donald Trump's condition has continued to improve since being taken to the hospital Friday due to symptoms from a COVID-19 infection, White House physician Sean Conley told reporters on Sunday.
Conley had previously said he was using a "multi-prong" approach to treat Trump. He said Sunday that included the steroid dexamethasone in response to Trump's blood oxygen level dropping twice.
An affordable, widely available steroid, dexamethasone has shown promise in improving survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
Although the British government has authorized its use among some patients, it remains unclear how beneficial the treatment may be for less severe COVID-19 cases. Further, it has not been peer-reviewed or replicated in other studies.
“This is a significant improvement in the available therapeutic options that we have,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease expert.
What we know about the potentially lifesaving treatment:
What is dexamethasone?
Usually prescribed as an oral or intravenous steroid, dexamethasone is a general purpose anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling drug used for a variety of conditions, said Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu, an infectious disease doctor and associate professor of medicine at Yale, in June.
Like other steroids, however, "it is a non-specific treatment not necessarily targeting a single, specific pathway of inflammation or swelling," Ogbuagu says. That has its drawbacks.
How is it used to treat COVID-19 patients?
Generally, COVID-19 comes in two phases, explained Ogbuagu.
"People get the virus, it replicates, and that's the first phase of the illness," he said. "Afterward, around 10 days into the infection, people start to produce antibodies and inflammatory reactions to the virus."
These inflammatory chemicals can sometimes create severe COVID-19 complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, which makes it difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream and reach organs.
Patients with severe COVID-19 complications saw significant benefits with dexamethasone in the United Kingdom study. These patients took it for 10 days, either orally or via IV.
As of June, it had reduced deaths by 35% in patients who needed treatment with breathing machines and by 20% in those needing supplemental oxygen. It did not appear to help less ill patients.
Trump is receiving lots of medical care. Some doctors wonder if it's too much.
Are there complications?
Ogbuagu notes that timing and selectiveness among patients is critical to ensure dexamethasone is properly used as a treatment for COVID-19.
Early findings suggest COVID-19 patients who do not have severe symptoms, such as requiring a respirator, should not take dexamethasone.
"The downside of steroids is that it's not selective," Ogbuagu said. "It's a double-edged sword that may hinder your body's ability to fight the virus."
He noted that some studies have found higher mortality rates in people who used steroids, since they inhibit the body's immune response to the virus.
The World Health Organization and other organizations advise against using steroids earlier in the course of illness because they can impede clearing the virus.
Ogbuagu also says that steroids, in general, may cause some severe side effects, such as new or worsening diabetes, as well as psychosis or emotional disturbance.
What does it mean for the president?
“It is common for people who hold positions of stature to get more aggressive care because there’s pressure to give someone everything imaginable. I would hope his physicians are being very deliberate in the treatment,” said Dr. Russell Buhr, a professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
That could explain why the president is receiving relatively aggressive treatment for someone whose physician described him as “doing very well” on both Saturday and Sunday.
But Buhr said that he doesn't “think we can speculate on the reasons behind the care."
Contributing: Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY, Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY.


usatoday--2020-10-05--Rams CB Jalen Ramsey, Giants WR Golden Tate fight at midfield after game

After the Rams topped the Giants 17-9 on Sunday , Los Angeles cornerback Jalen Ramsey met at midfield and fought with New York receiver Golden Tate .
As the game ended , the FOX television cameras showed Rams coach Sean McVay going to midfield to meet with Giants coach Joe Judge .
According to the Associated Press , both players took swings at each other almost immediately and then fell toward the turf as teammates attempted to break the two apart .
Earlier in the game , after Tate caught a pass in the left flat , Ramsey delivered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the ground .
DEMARCUS LAWRENCE : Cowboys player labels defense 'soft ' after giving up 49 points to Browns 'HE TURNED THE CORNER ON YOU ' : Colts QB Philip Rivers trash-talks Bears LB Roquan Smith NFL NEWSLETTER : Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox There may be more to the Ramsey-Tate feud .
According to the New York Post , Ramsey is the father of two of Tate 's nieces and he ended a relationship with Tate 's sister , Breanna Tate , during her pregnancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not happy at all with the disrespect that he ’ s shown towards my sister , and the things he ’ s done in the past , but I don ’ t really want to go too much into it , ” Tate previously told the New York Post .
Neither Ramsey nor Tate spoke with the media after the game .
“ Obviously we want to do our fighting between the whistles for 60 minutes , ” Giants coach Joe Judge said .
“ I have to talk to him .
Golden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want to have happen what did.
” Said Rams coach Sean McVay : `` I was shaking hands and , you know , I just kind of got in the middle .
Fortunately , got it broken up and nothing occurred from there.
” In the game , Tate caught four of six targets for 20 yards .
Ramsey posted five total tackles , including the tackle for loss against Tate .
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Rams CB Jalen Ramsey, Giants WR Golden Tate fight at midfield after game
Show Caption Hide Caption NFL Week 4 overreactions: Eagles make claim for beast of the NFC least SportsPulse: The first quarter of the NFL season is nearly in the books and it's the first time with confidence we think we know where everyone stands. Mackenzie Salmon "overreacts" to the biggest storylines from Week 4. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
After the Rams topped the Giants 17-9 on Sunday, Los Angeles cornerback Jalen Ramsey met at midfield and fought with New York receiver Golden Tate.
As the game ended, the FOX television cameras showed Rams coach Sean McVay going to midfield to meet with Giants coach Joe Judge.
According to the Associated Press, both players took swings at each other almost immediately and then fell toward the turf as teammates attempted to break the two apart.
Earlier in the game, after Tate caught a pass in the left flat, Ramsey delivered a big tackle in which he drove Tate into the ground.
DEMARCUS LAWRENCE: Cowboys player labels defense 'soft' after giving up 49 points to Browns
'HE TURNED THE CORNER ON YOU': Colts QB Philip Rivers trash-talks Bears LB Roquan Smith
NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox
There may be more to the Ramsey-Tate feud.
According to the New York Post, Ramsey is the father of two of Tate's nieces and he ended a relationship with Tate's sister, Breanna Tate, during her pregnancy last year.
“I’m not happy at all with the disrespect that he’s shown towards my sister, and the things he’s done in the past, but I don’t really want to go too much into it,” Tate previously told the New York Post.
Neither Ramsey nor Tate spoke with the media after the game.
“Obviously we want to do our fighting between the whistles for 60 minutes,” Giants coach Joe Judge said. “I have to talk to him. Golden is a competitive guy. We don’t want to have happen what did.”
Said Rams coach Sean McVay: "I was shaking hands and, you know, I just kind of got in the middle. Fortunately, got it broken up and nothing occurred from there.”
In the game, Tate caught four of six targets for 20 yards. Ramsey posted five total tackles, including the tackle for loss against Tate.
Following their game today, the Rams and Giants had a huge fight at midfield which included Golden Tate and Jalen Ramsey in the middle of it. pic.twitter.com/nq7A4Qphv1 — Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 4, 2020
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usatoday--2020-10-04--Opinion: Oklahoma's back-to-back meltdowns give it top spot in Misery Index

The College Football Playoff has created huge upside for fans of college football and nothing but trouble for the coaches trying to get there .
Before the Playoff , there were all kinds of ways to measure success that didn ’ t involve a national championship .
But now , it ’ s fairly clear-cut : You ’ re in or you ’ re out .
Oklahoma was used to being in , which is really good .
But in the Sooners ’ three consecutive trips to the semifinals under Lincoln Riley , some shortcomings have been exposed that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to close that last gap with the teams that are truly capable of winning a national title .
So when that doesn ’ t happen , it ’ s fair to ask why .
Why can ’ t Oklahoma tackle in space ?
Why do so many opponents seem to play with so much confidence against the Sooners ?
Why do all these blue chip prospects they get on defense play like average Joes ?
Oklahoma has signed 62 recruits rated as four or five stars by rivals.com in its last four recruiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it lost to 37-30 on Saturday , has signed three in the same span .
And the team it lost to the week before , Kansas State , has signed one .
AMWAY COACHES POLL : Georgia moves into tie with Florida at No .
3 You can ’ t expect Oklahoma to win every game where it has more talent , but these back-to-back meltdowns by the Sooners feel significant in a way that a one-off bad performance might not .
Instead of closing the gap with Alabama and Clemson , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just a year under adverse circumstances where a bunch of things are going wrong at once .
Or maybe there ’ s something more concerning .
But Oklahoma isn ’ t really a young team overall ; in fact , its defensive two-deep is loaded with experience .
This is the second year of Alex Grinch ’ s system , which should have pointed to some kind of improvement on defense .
Besides the quarterback position — and , to be clear , Spencer Rattler isn ’ t the problem here — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rebuild .
But that ’ s what the Sooners look like on the field .
The last two weeks , they haven ’ t been able to impose their will physically the way really good programs tend to do in close games .
It ’ s just kind of puzzling .
Though Riley stressed that Oklahoma isn ’ t really far away from being 3-0 , isn ’ t the point here that they shouldn ’ t have been close to being 1-2 ?
No reasonable person would consider it a failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma has done three years in a row , but Riley has set the bar at making it there .
If you fall short — and it appears they ’ ll fall short spectacularly — that ’ s a real fork in the road moment for a young coach who has received nothing but praise in his career .
But now there will be real heat for Riley from a fan base whose criticisms have been tepid .
After what it has seen so far this season , the angst meter is about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s why Oklahoma is No .
1 in the Misery Index , a weekly measurement of knee-jerk reactions based on what each fan base just watched .
FOUR MORE IN MISERY Texas : It is unclear whether the Longhorns ’ defense is worse than last year , but it 's certainly not better .
And that ’ s a problem when you ’ ve pinpointed defense as the problem , as Tom Herman did after last season , and replaced his coaches with a new staff that wins the offseason but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The narrative for Texas has not changed much .
TCU was better prepared and played harder than the Longhorns in a 33-31 win , which is the Horned Frogs ’ seventh in nine meetings since joining the Big 12 .
Despite some sloppy penalties and struggles in the red zone , TCU managed 457 yards of offense , which continues a trend that started the week before when Texas gave up 56 points to Texas Tech .
Texas has plenty of resources to throw at its problems , but it isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
And that ’ s going to really frustrated Longhorns fans , particularly this season , since it appears the Big 12 is going to be wide open .
When Oklahoma ’ s down like it is this year , the Longhorns should pounce .
But for all Herman ’ s coaching changes , the Sooners don ’ t appear to be in much better position to take advantage .
Auburn : Gus Malzahncan ’ t seem to break the cycle of a year or two of a competent offense followed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a fire drill .
And when it ’ s the latter , Auburn fans get mad , as they were after a 27-6 loss to Georgia .
Though it ’ s fair to wonder whether sophomore Bo Nix is really the guy to get Auburn back into SEC title contention down the road — he ’ s still kind of erratic and unsettled in the pocket — going 21-for-40 for 177 yards against Georgia was as much the product of an offensive line that got manhandled all night .
You can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat in this environment — the cost of replacing him and staff would be more than $ 20 million — but that idea is going to seep into the discourse soon if Auburn continues to be as inept on offense as it looked Saturday .
South Carolina : Will Muschamp 's in-game coaching was ripped to shreds by fans and media members alike during a 38-24 loss to Florida .
He decided to kick a field goal down by 24 points late in the third quarter and his offense seemed to operate with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by two touchdowns .
Muschamp is now 26-27 overall at South Carolina , and the general feeling is the team has leveled off at mediocrity .
Muschamp ’ s conservative coaching style and inability to hire a difference-making offensive coordinator have stalled the progress fans expected to see by now .
The Gamecocks should beat Vanderbilt next week , but likely will be underdogs in the next four after that .
Things could get ugly quick in Columbia .
Texas A & M : At 14-14 , with the ball and some momentum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fisher to put some real pressure on the Crimson Tide .
Instead , a vanilla series of three plays resulted in a punt , and in a blink , Alabama had expanded the lead to 28-14 .
That was pretty much that in Texas A & M ’ s 52-24 loss , a game that did not seem particularly stressful for Alabama because the Aggies did little to make it stressful .
Fisher is getting paid $ 7.5 million a year to at least be a nuisance to the Alabamas of the league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the meat of Year 3 , there is far more on-field evidence that Texas A & M is plateauing rather than threatening the best teams in the league .
UCF : Only a truly entitled fan base would be upset about losing five games over the last three seasons , but then again , we ’ re talking about a school that spent an entire summer crowning itself the national champion even though it had not won a national championship .
UCF is experiencing more disappointment lately than it did before , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 34-26 loss at home to Tulsa other than the Knights got outplayed by a pretty mediocre football team for the second year in a row .
UCF ’ s blowout wins over Georgia Tech and ECU are in the rear-view mirror and the the Knights are no longer the standard-bearer of the AAC .
Kentucky : There are a million stupid ways to lose football games , and at programs like Kentucky that have a history of near-misses , those moments become lore .
Moments like Saturday ’ s 42-41 overtime loss to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage .
Though it ’ s not the first or last time a team will lose because it missed an extra point in overtime , it felt uniquely Kentucky .
And though the stakes weren ’ t particularly high , it ’ s another layer of scar tissue on top of the lifelong struggle of caring about Kentucky football .
Middle Tennessee : Rick Stockstill has been coaching the Blue Raiders since 2006 and experienced a lot of success , including eight bowl games .
From 2015-18 , when his son Brent was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Middle Tennessee went 22-10 in Conference USA games and finished all four seasons with a winning record .
Since then , the Blue Raiders are just 4-12 overall and appear headed toward the C-USA basement after a 20-17 loss to Western Kentucky .
Even though Stockstill made the program relevant for a long time , this sudden downturn will inspire some calls for change .
“ Looks like it will be a race between Texas and OU for Urban Meyer ” - orangebloods.com “ So why does Gus not take the UGA game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AuburnUndercover.com “ No wonder Muschamp ’ s kid went to Georgia ” - TheBigSpur.com

Opinion: Oklahoma's back-to-back meltdowns give it top spot in Misery Index
Show Caption Hide Caption Florida Gators rise in the latest Amway Coaches Poll USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg breaks down the latest Amway Coaches Poll. USA TODAY
The College Football Playoff has created huge upside for fans of college football and nothing but trouble for the coaches trying to get there. Before the Playoff, there were all kinds of ways to measure success that didn’t involve a national championship. But now, it’s fairly clear-cut: You’re in or you’re out.
Oklahoma was used to being in, which is really good. But in the Sooners’ three consecutive trips to the semifinals under Lincoln Riley, some shortcomings have been exposed that would seem worth addressing in coaching and recruiting to close that last gap with the teams that are truly capable of winning a national title.
So when that doesn’t happen, it’s fair to ask why. Why can’t Oklahoma tackle in space? Why do so many opponents seem to play with so much confidence against the Sooners? Why do all these blue chip prospects they get on defense play like average Joes?
Oklahoma has signed 62 recruits rated as four or five stars by rivals.com in its last four recruiting classes while Iowa State, the team it lost to 37-30 on Saturday, has signed three in the same span. And the team it lost to the week before, Kansas State, has signed one.
AMWAY COACHES POLL: Georgia moves into tie with Florida at No. 3
You can’t expect Oklahoma to win every game where it has more talent, but these back-to-back meltdowns by the Sooners feel significant in a way that a one-off bad performance might not.
Instead of closing the gap with Alabama and Clemson, the Sooners are backsliding. Maybe it’s just a year under adverse circumstances where a bunch of things are going wrong at once. Or maybe there’s something more concerning.
But Oklahoma isn’t really a young team overall; in fact, its defensive two-deep is loaded with experience. This is the second year of Alex Grinch’s system, which should have pointed to some kind of improvement on defense. Besides the quarterback position — and, to be clear, Spencer Rattler isn’t the problem here — this wasn’t supposed to be a rebuild. But that’s what the Sooners look like on the field. The last two weeks, they haven’t been able to impose their will physically the way really good programs tend to do in close games.
It’s just kind of puzzling. Though Riley stressed that Oklahoma isn’t really far away from being 3-0, isn’t the point here that they shouldn’t have been close to being 1-2?
No reasonable person would consider it a failure to lose in the semifinals, as Oklahoma has done three years in a row, but Riley has set the bar at making it there. If you fall short — and it appears they’ll fall short spectacularly — that’s a real fork in the road moment for a young coach who has received nothing but praise in his career.
But now there will be real heat for Riley from a fan base whose criticisms have been tepid. After what it has seen so far this season, the angst meter is about to go to the next level. That’s why Oklahoma is No. 1 in the Misery Index, a weekly measurement of knee-jerk reactions based on what each fan base just watched.
FOUR MORE IN MISERY
Texas: It is unclear whether the Longhorns’ defense is worse than last year, but it's certainly not better. And that’s a problem when you’ve pinpointed defense as the problem, as Tom Herman did after last season, and replaced his coaches with a new staff that wins the offseason but still loses when the lights come on. The narrative for Texas has not changed much. TCU was better prepared and played harder than the Longhorns in a 33-31 win, which is the Horned Frogs’ seventh in nine meetings since joining the Big 12. Despite some sloppy penalties and struggles in the red zone, TCU managed 457 yards of offense, which continues a trend that started the week before when Texas gave up 56 points to Texas Tech. Texas has plenty of resources to throw at its problems, but it isn’t solving many of them year over year. And that’s going to really frustrate Longhorns fans, particularly this season, since it appears the Big 12 is going to be wide open. When Oklahoma’s down like it is this year, the Longhorns should pounce. But for all Herman’s coaching changes, the Longhorns don’t appear to be in much better position to take advantage.
Auburn: Gus Malzahn can’t seem to break the cycle of a year or two of a competent offense followed by a year or two where it looks like a fire drill. And when it’s the latter, Auburn fans get mad, as they were after a 27-6 loss to Georgia. Though it’s fair to wonder whether sophomore Bo Nix is really the guy to get Auburn back into SEC title contention down the road — he’s still kind of erratic and unsettled in the pocket — going 21-for-40 for 177 yards against Georgia was as much the product of an offensive line that got manhandled all night. You can’t realistically put Malzahn on the hot seat in this environment — the cost of replacing him and staff would be more than $20 million — but that idea is going to seep into the discourse soon if Auburn continues to be as inept on offense as it looked Saturday.
South Carolina: Will Muschamp's in-game coaching was ripped to shreds by fans and media members alike during a 38-24 loss to Florida. He decided to kick a field goal down by 24 points late in the third quarter and his offense seemed to operate with little urgency in the fourth when trailing by two touchdowns. Muschamp is now 26-27 overall at South Carolina, and the general feeling is the team has leveled off at mediocrity. Muschamp’s conservative coaching style and inability to hire a difference-making offensive coordinator have stalled the progress fans expected to see by now. The Gamecocks should beat Vanderbilt next week, but likely will be underdogs in the next four after that. Things could get ugly quick in Columbia.
Texas A&M: At 14-14, with the ball and some momentum, the opportunity was there for Jimbo Fisher to put some real pressure on the Crimson Tide. Instead, a vanilla series of three plays resulted in a punt, and in a blink, Alabama had expanded the lead to 28-14. That was pretty much that in Texas A&M’s 52-24 loss, a game that did not seem particularly stressful for Alabama because the Aggies did little to make it stressful. Fisher is getting paid $7.5 million a year to at least be a nuisance to the Alabamas of the league. Instead, as he gets into the meat of Year 3, there is far more on-field evidence that Texas A&M is plateauing rather than threatening the best teams in the league.
TRENDING TOWARD MISERY
UCF: Only a truly entitled fan base would be upset about losing five games over the last three seasons, but then again, we’re talking about a school that spent an entire summer crowning itself the national champion even though it had not won a national championship. UCF is experiencing more disappointment lately than it did before, and there was no obvious excuse for a 34-26 loss at home to Tulsa other than the Knights got outplayed by a pretty mediocre football team for the second year in a row. UCF’s blowout wins over Georgia Tech and ECU are in the rear-view mirror and the Knights are no longer the standard-bearer of the AAC.
Kentucky: There are a million stupid ways to lose football games, and at programs like Kentucky that have a history of near-misses, those moments become lore. Moments like Saturday’s 42-41 overtime loss to Ole Miss tend to reinforce the psychological damage. Though it’s not the first or last time a team will lose because it missed an extra point in overtime, it felt uniquely Kentucky. And though the stakes weren’t particularly high, it’s another layer of scar tissue on top of the lifelong struggle of caring about Kentucky football.
Middle Tennessee: Rick Stockstill has been coaching the Blue Raiders since 2006 and experienced a lot of success, including eight bowl games. From 2015-18, when his son Brent was the team’s starting quarterback, Middle Tennessee went 22-10 in Conference USA games and finished all four seasons with a winning record. Since then, the Blue Raiders are just 4-12 overall and appear headed toward the C-USA basement after a 20-17 loss to Western Kentucky. Even though Stockstill made the program relevant for a long time, this sudden downturn will inspire some calls for change.
TOTALLY REAL AND IRRATIONAL MESSAGE BOARD THREADS
“3rd best team in Oklahoma” - OUInsider.com
“Looks like it will be a race between Texas and OU for Urban Meyer” - orangebloods.com
“The game has passed Jimbo by” -TexAgs.com
“So why does Gus not take the UGA game and Bowl games seriously?” - AuburnUndercover.com
“No wonder Muschamp’s kid went to Georgia” - TheBigSpur.com


usatoday--2020-10-04--A shadowy figure, an 'ambush': Officers give jumbled accounts of night Breonna Taylor died

LOUISVILLE , Ky. — Police interviews of Louisville officers who were part of the failed drug raid that ended in Breonna Taylor 's death show their recollections were jumbled and at times mistaken .
Transcripts of the interviews were obtained on Friday by The Louisville Courier Journal of the USA TODAY Network and were part of the presentation to the Jefferson County grand jury in the Taylor case .
A Courier Journal analysis shows Louisville Metro Police investigators often failed to press the officers on inconsistencies in their statements .
The interviews were conducted by the department 's internal Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke down Taylor 's door shortly before 1 a.m. March 13 while searching for drugs and cash as part of a larger narcotics operation .
That search quickly went awry when Taylor 's boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , fired a shot , saying he thought someone was trying to break in .
Officers fired more than 30 rounds in response , striking Taylor six times and killing her .
The chaos of that night was reflected in the statements officers later gave to investigators .
The Courier Journal review also shows investigators did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what officers knew or did n't know about who and what they were shooting at in the apartment .
Because the case is still open , LMPD declined to comment .
Related : Listen to the recordings from the Breonna Taylor grand jury proceedings In one interview , Public Integrity Unit sergeants accept the disjointed recollection of Detective Myles Cosgrove — one of two officers whose rounds struck and killed Taylor — who said he vaguely remembered shooting at a `` distorted shadowy '' figure he said he saw inside Taylor 's home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor 's family , said the interviews were `` loaded with softballs . ''
`` When somebody gives you an answer that causes more questions , you have to ask those questions , '' he said .
`` They didn ’ t do it .
It ’ s almost like they were checking boxes.
” Attorney Steve Romines , who represents Taylor 's boyfriend , who has sued for false arrest , said the interviews show police took a conciliatory approach with their colleagues that they would never use with civilian suspects .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no way if it ’ s an ordinary citizen they conduct this investigation in any way close to this , '' Romines said .
`` They know that their statements are contradicted by one another , they know they ’ re contradicted by the evidence , yet they never even question them about it . ''
“ Sgt .
( Jonathan ) Mattingly and Det .
Cosgrove gave voluntary statements to both the PIU investigators and to the Attorney General ’ s investigators , ” their attorney , Kent Wicker , said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they answered every question asked to them , fully and truthfully.
” Two of the officers who fired their guns , Mattingly and Cosgrove , were not charged in Taylor 's death because Attorney General Daniel Cameron office told a grand jury they acted in self-defense after Walker fired at them first .
Ex-Detective Brett Hankison was charged with wantonly endangering three neighbors when some of his bullets went into their apartment next to Taylor 's .
He was fired in June for `` blindly '' firing into the apartment .
Cameron has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Hankison to have endangered her life .
Still , the police interviews present the first picture of what the officers saw and felt during those frenetic , harried minutes when gunshots rang out and an unarmed woman lay dead in her own home .
More on this : Grand jury recordings reveal chilling scene of chaos , misinformation Here 's what police officers told investigators — and what they were not asked : Interviewed 12 days after Taylor 's March 13 death , Cosgrove spoke of a “ distorted shadowy figure ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment .
In an hourlong interview he gave to the Public Integrity Unit , Cosgrove , who fired what the FBI later determined was the fatal shot , told Louisville investigators he shot at a `` distorted shadowy mask.
” In the March 25 interview conducted by Sgt .
Amanda Seelye and Sgt .
Jason Vance , Cosgrove made conflicting statements that were not challenged by either sergeant .
Cosgrove said at one juncture he never heard any gunfire , but at another point told Seelye and Vance he was “ deafened ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used a high-powered flashlight to illuminate the apartment but he was “ immediately overwhelmed with darkness.
” Cosgrove described how “ this darkness in front of me '' was `` followed by — and this is hard for me to explain — this distorted shadowy mask , this figurine , this figure in front of me that is just … coming and going due to the flash fog light.
” But the interviewers don ’ t ask him if the figure was male or female , Black or white , or if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than one .
They also don ’ t ask about the shot fired from the apartment , which Taylor ’ s boyfriend , Walker , had already told police he fired because he thought someone was breaking in .
In his account , Cosgrove described seeing “ vivid white flashes ” and “ blackness at the same time . ''
But Cosgrove responded clearly when attorney Steve Schroering , then his counsel , asked him at the end of the interview : “ At the time you were in that doorway with Mattingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your mind that your all 's lives were in danger ?
” “ Absolutely not , ” Cosgrove replied .
“ I knew for a fact that we were in danger of being killed or seriously injured . ''
Aguiar , who helped Taylor 's estate win a $ 12 million settlement with the city of Louisville for her wrongful death , said Cosgrove 's statement was too vague to say he acted justifiably , especially given that he fired 16 times .
`` If he couldn ’ t see , couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how can we say that you were justified ?
” Aguiar said .
Trump 's doctors say he could go home Monday : Other COVID-19 physicians say that seems early Hankison : ' I thought they were being executed' Hankison , the former detective fired in June , told investigators in a March 25 interview he was by the front door when officers broke it down and saw a person inside with “ an AR-15 or a long gun , a rifle-type gun.
” Immediately , he said , he realized officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the breezeway , toward the parking lot .
He described hearing “ rapid fire from — from like an AR-15 ” and seeing flashes .
No long gun was ever found , the department said .
And the investigation determined Walker was armed with a legally owned Glock 9 mm handgun that he fired once .
Police say that round hit Mattingly in the thigh , severing his femoral artery .
“ I thought they were just being executed , because I knew they were helping Jon ( Mattingly ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost under the impression at the time that they were either all getting sprayed with bullets or , as they were trying to move him out of that breezeway , he was shooting at us through the wall.
” “ My only option was to return fire , ” he said , “ and I did that to the muzzle flashes.
” Hankison said he could see “ muzzle flash , or I could see the intense , like , fire flashing through — and the curtains or blinds , I think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I could see it lighting up the room.
” He said he “ returned fire through that window ” and the flashing stopped .
Investigators did n't press Hankison on whether the flashes he saw came from fellow officers ' weapons , since Walker only fired once .
Related : Hankison pleads not guilty to charges related to Breonna Taylor shooting Hankison also stated he was “ 100 % sure ” the person inside was armed with a long gun : “ I ’ m kinda familiar with shotguns from hunting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a shotgun .
Um , one , ‘ cause shotguns don ’ t shoot that fast and don ’ t shoot with the same — the same percussion.
” He was not challenged on that point .
Investigators did ask where Hankison went before going to the Public Integrity Unit office .
He said he went to the hospital where Mattingly was .
But the interview gives no indication investigators pressed the former detective on anywhere else he may have gone .
Attorneys for Taylor 's family have argued Hankison was unaccounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers that he entered the apartment after the shooting — despite it being an active crime scene .
In the March 25 interview , Hankison told investigators he was involved in the search warrant execution because a sergeant had requested a K-9 dog at each location .
According to Hankison , his police dog stayed in the kennel inside his car as the search transpired .
He explained he didn ’ t “ know anything about the specifics of the investigation … other than they just needed a dog , which I have.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ large conference room before the search and told the warrants would be executed “ simultaneously or just after ” connected warrants elsewhere in the city , he said .
He also later stated he believed the no-knock warrant designation was sought “ because of the propensity for violence.
” However , he didn ’ t know if the home had kids or pets .
White House doctor announced Trump is being treated with dexamethasone : Here 's what we know about the drug .
Mattingly : 'We did n't do any of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first released in May by Commonwealth ’ s Attorney Tom Wine during a press conference , and his full interview with LMPD became public in July .
Mattingly described Taylor ’ s apartment being a “ soft target ” with minimal threats .
`` We did n't write ( the warrant ) , ” he told investigators .
“ We did n't do any of the investigation .
We did none of the background.
” But that has been called into question when an internal LMPD report found that months earlier , Mattingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Postal Service about any packages going to Taylor ’ s address for Jamarcus Glover .
Glover , Taylor ’ s ex-boyfriend , was the main suspect in the larger narcotics investigation that led police to her door .
Shively officers told Mattingly that Glover wasn ’ t getting packages at her South Louisville apartment .
But when investigators asked Mattingly on March 25 what he was told in the pre-operational briefing on March 12 , he said , “ their main target , ( Glover ) , had packages sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name , she held , possibly held , dope for him , received the packages and held his money.
” About 12 minutes into the interview , after recounting knocking on the door , being shot and getting out of the line of fire , Mattingly asked investigators if that ’ s all they needed from him .
Shawn Hoover : 'In my opinion , we were ambushed' From the start of the interview on March 13 , LMPD investigators told Lt. Shawn Hoover he was not the target of the criminal investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to have been taken from 4 to 4:50 a.m. in the aftermath of the shooting .
“ You don ’ t have to give us a statement at this time … if you don ’ t want to , ” they told him .
“ You still got ta do what ’ s best for you and what ’ s right for you.
” Hoover has been with LMPD for about 18 years and was the ranking officer on-scene at Taylor ’ s apartment during the warrant execution .
Of the seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the only one not under internal investigation for his role .
He recalled the night beginning with a briefing from Detective Wes Barton of the Place-Based Investigations unit , which conducted the investigation that led to the warrant at Taylor ’ s apartment and four other locations .
Officers knocked on Taylor 's door repeatedly and announced themselves , he said , before Hoover ordered them to use a battering ram .
From inside the dark apartment , Hoover said he immediately “ hears gunshots comin ’ outta that apartment.
” He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When he went down , he was goin ' down , he was returnin ’ fire while he was layin ' on the ground , '' Hoover said .
He dragged Mattingly away from the gunfire and tended to his bleeding leg for the next several minutes , he said , until police were able to get the injured sergeant into an ambulance .
See also : Witness who said police announced themselves changed story After Taylor 's boyfriend , Walker , left the apartment , Hoover said , “ none of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incident .
SWAT was the only one to go in there.
” “ So you guys never actually made entry ?
” an investigator asked .
“ We never made it in , ” Hoover said .
“ We were , in my opinion , we were ambushed .
They knew we were there .
I mean , hell , the neighbors knew we were there upstairs , you know , they were comin ’ out , see what was goin ’ on and they were , they were waiting.
” Investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of serving the warrant — a checklist to determine the possible danger inside .
Hoover said he thought so , but he didn ’ t see it .
“ I guess that ’ d be an error on me for not askin ’ that question , ” he said .
“ I assume they did it.
” Investigators noted that Hoover had been involved with serving “ umpteen ” warrants over his career and that he ’ d have a good idea of the risks in certain situations .
“ It sounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an approach of try to be more cautious and also tryin ’ to mitigate the higher risk that the no-knock caused , ” one asked him .
“ Would you say that you felt like it was safer for everybody to do it that way ?
” they asked .
“ I assumed somebody would come and answer the door , ” he said .
“ That was our intention .
… It ’ s after midnight .
You ’ re breakin ’ down somebody ’ s door and it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in bed , startled.
” Since Taylor 's death , Mayor Greg Fischer has said he wants to shift responsibility for investigations of LMPD shootings to the Kentucky State Police .

Andrew Wolfson, Tessa Duvall and Darcy Costello, Louisville Courier Journal

A shadowy figure, an 'ambush': Officers give jumbled accounts of night Breonna Taylor died
Show Caption Hide Caption Breonna Taylor case: Grand jury recordings of decision released A previous version of this video misstated the total length of recordings based on initial information provided by Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron. USA TODAY
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Police interviews of Louisville officers who were part of the failed drug raid that ended in Breonna Taylor's death show their recollections were jumbled and at times mistaken.
Transcripts of the interviews were obtained on Friday by The Louisville Courier Journal of the USA TODAY Network and were part of the presentation to the Jefferson County grand jury in the Taylor case.
A Courier Journal analysis shows Louisville Metro Police investigators often failed to press the officers on inconsistencies in their statements.
The interviews were conducted by the department's internal Police Integrity Unit roughly two weeks after officers broke down Taylor's door shortly before 1 a.m. March 13 while searching for drugs and cash as part of a larger narcotics operation.
That search quickly went awry when Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot, saying he thought someone was trying to break in. Officers fired more than 30 rounds in response, striking Taylor six times and killing her.
The chaos of that night was reflected in the statements officers later gave to investigators.
The Courier Journal review also shows investigators didn't ask follow-up questions that would pinpoint what officers knew or didn't know about who and what they were shooting at in the apartment.
Because the case is still open, LMPD declined to comment.
Related: Listen to the recordings from the Breonna Taylor grand jury proceedings
Taylor attorney: Interviews were 'loaded with softballs'
In one interview, Public Integrity Unit sergeants accept the disjointed recollection of Detective Myles Cosgrove — one of two officers whose rounds struck and killed Taylor — who said he vaguely remembered shooting at a "distorted shadowy" figure he said he saw inside Taylor's home.
Sam Aguiar, an attorney for Taylor's family, said the interviews were "loaded with softballs."
"When somebody gives you an answer that causes more questions, you have to ask those questions," he said. "They didn’t do it. It’s almost like they were checking boxes.”
Attorney Steve Romines, who represents Taylor's boyfriend, who has sued for false arrest, said the interviews show police took a conciliatory approach with their colleagues that they would never use with civilian suspects.
“I mean, there’s no way if it’s an ordinary citizen they conduct this investigation in any way close to this," Romines said. "They know that their statements are contradicted by one another, they know they’re contradicted by the evidence, yet they never even question them about it."
“Sgt. (Jonathan) Mattingly and Det. Cosgrove gave voluntary statements to both the PIU investigators and to the Attorney General’s investigators,” their attorney, Kent Wicker, said in a statement. “Both times, they answered every question asked to them, fully and truthfully.”
Two of the officers who fired their guns, Mattingly and Cosgrove, were not charged in Taylor's death because Attorney General Daniel Cameron office told a grand jury they acted in self-defense after Walker fired at them first.
Ex-Detective Brett Hankison was charged with wantonly endangering three neighbors when some of his bullets went into their apartment next to Taylor's. He was fired in June for "blindly" firing into the apartment.
'Protect Black women': Megan Thee Stallion sends powerful Breonna Taylor message on 'SNL'
Cameron has suggested Taylor died too "quickly" for Hankison to have endangered her life.
Still, the police interviews present the first picture of what the officers saw and felt during those frenetic, harried minutes when gunshots rang out and an unarmed woman lay dead in her own home.
Breonna Taylor case investigation: Daniel Cameron's statement Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron spoke about the grand jury's decision and outlined the findings. Michael Clevenger, Louisville Courier Journal
More on this: Grand jury recordings reveal chilling scene of chaos, misinformation
Here's what police officers told investigators — and what they were not asked:
Cosgrove: I fired at a 'distorted shadowy mask'
Interviewed 12 days after Taylor's March 13 death, Cosgrove spoke of a “distorted shadowy figure” he said he fired at in her apartment.
In an hourlong interview he gave to the Public Integrity Unit, Cosgrove, who fired what the FBI later determined was the fatal shot, told Louisville investigators he shot at a "distorted shadowy mask.”
In the March 25 interview conducted by Sgt. Amanda Seelye and Sgt. Jason Vance, Cosgrove made conflicting statements that were not challenged by either sergeant.
Cosgrove said at one juncture he never heard any gunfire, but at another point told Seelye and Vance he was “deafened” by it.
He also said he used a high-powered flashlight to illuminate the apartment but he was “immediately overwhelmed with darkness.”
Cosgrove described how “this darkness in front of me" was "followed by — and this is hard for me to explain — this distorted shadowy mask, this figurine, this figure in front of me that is just … coming and going due to the flash fog light.”
But the interviewers don’t ask him if the figure was male or female, Black or white, or if he saw only one person, or more than one.
They also don’t ask about the shot fired from the apartment, which Taylor’s boyfriend, Walker, had already told police he fired because he thought someone was breaking in.
In his account, Cosgrove described seeing “vivid white flashes” and “blackness at the same time."
But Cosgrove responded clearly when attorney Steve Schroering, then his counsel, asked him at the end of the interview: “At the time you were in that doorway with Mattingly, did you have any question in your mind that your all's lives were in danger?”
“Absolutely not,” Cosgrove replied. “I knew for a fact that we were in danger of being killed or seriously injured."
Aguiar, who helped Taylor's estate win a $12 million settlement with the city of Louisville for her wrongful death, said Cosgrove's statement was too vague to say he acted justifiably, especially given that he fired 16 times.
"If he couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t feel, how can we say that you were justified?” Aguiar said.
Trump's doctors say he could go home Monday: Other COVID-19 physicians say that seems early
Hankison: 'I thought they were being executed'
Hankison, the former detective fired in June, told investigators in a March 25 interview he was by the front door when officers broke it down and saw a person inside with “an AR-15 or a long gun, a rifle-type gun.”
Immediately, he said, he realized officers were poorly positioned, so he ran out of the breezeway, toward the parking lot. He described hearing “rapid fire from — from like an AR-15” and seeing flashes.
No long gun was ever found, the department said. And the investigation determined Walker was armed with a legally owned Glock 9 mm handgun that he fired once. Police say that round hit Mattingly in the thigh, severing his femoral artery.
“I thought they were just being executed, because I knew they were helping Jon (Mattingly),” Hankison said. “I was almost under the impression at the time that they were either all getting sprayed with bullets or, as they were trying to move him out of that breezeway, he was shooting at us through the wall.”
“My only option was to return fire,” he said, “and I did that to the muzzle flashes.”
Hankison said he could see “muzzle flash, or I could see the intense, like, fire flashing through — and the curtains or blinds, I think, were closed in that room also, but I could see it lighting up the room.”
He said he “returned fire through that window” and the flashing stopped.
Investigators didn't press Hankison on whether the flashes he saw came from fellow officers' weapons, since Walker only fired once.
Related: Hankison pleads not guilty to charges related to Breonna Taylor shooting
Hankison also stated he was “100% sure” the person inside was armed with a long gun: “I’m kinda familiar with shotguns from hunting as a kid and I knew it was not a shotgun. Um, one, ‘cause shotguns don’t shoot that fast and don’t shoot with the same — the same percussion.”
He was not challenged on that point.
Investigators did ask where Hankison went before going to the Public Integrity Unit office. He said he went to the hospital where Mattingly was.
But the interview gives no indication investigators pressed the former detective on anywhere else he may have gone. Attorneys for Taylor's family have argued Hankison was unaccounted for hours that night.
Hankison additionally volunteers that he entered the apartment after the shooting — despite it being an active crime scene.
In the March 25 interview, Hankison told investigators he was involved in the search warrant execution because a sergeant had requested a K-9 dog at each location. According to Hankison, his police dog stayed in the kennel inside his car as the search transpired.
He explained he didn’t “know anything about the specifics of the investigation … other than they just needed a dog, which I have.” A team was briefed in a large conference room before the search and told the warrants would be executed “simultaneously or just after” connected warrants elsewhere in the city, he said.
He also later stated he believed the no-knock warrant designation was sought “because of the propensity for violence.” However, he didn’t know if the home had kids or pets.
White House doctor announced Trump is being treated with dexamethasone: Here's what we know about the drug.
Mattingly: 'We didn't do any of the investigation'
Some comments made by Mattingly were first released in May by Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine during a press conference, and his full interview with LMPD became public in July.
Mattingly described Taylor’s apartment being a “soft target” with minimal threats.
"We didn't write (the warrant),” he told investigators. “We didn't do any of the investigation. We did none of the background.”
Breonna Taylor shooting: Kenneth Walker, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly speak Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine announced his office will move to dismiss all charges against Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend. Louisville Courier Journal
But that has been called into question when an internal LMPD report found that months earlier, Mattingly asked the Shively Police Department to check with the Postal Service about any packages going to Taylor’s address for Jamarcus Glover.
Glover, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, was the main suspect in the larger narcotics investigation that led police to her door. Shively officers told Mattingly that Glover wasn’t getting packages at her South Louisville apartment.
But when investigators asked Mattingly on March 25 what he was told in the pre-operational briefing on March 12, he said, “their main target, (Glover), had packages sent to (Taylor's) location, her name, she held, possibly held, dope for him, received the packages and held his money.”
About 12 minutes into the interview, after recounting knocking on the door, being shot and getting out of the line of fire, Mattingly asked investigators if that’s all they needed from him.
Shawn Hoover: 'In my opinion, we were ambushed'
From the start of the interview on March 13, LMPD investigators told Lt. Shawn Hoover he was not the target of the criminal investigation, according to the transcript, which seems to have been taken from 4 to 4:50 a.m. in the aftermath of the shooting.
“You don’t have to give us a statement at this time … if you don’t want to,” they told him. “You still gotta do what’s best for you and what’s right for you.”
Hoover has been with LMPD for about 18 years and was the ranking officer on-scene at Taylor’s apartment during the warrant execution. Of the seven officers who served the warrant, Hoover is the only one not under internal investigation for his role.
He recalled the night beginning with a briefing from Detective Wes Barton of the Place-Based Investigations unit, which conducted the investigation that led to the warrant at Taylor’s apartment and four other locations.
Officers knocked on Taylor's door repeatedly and announced themselves, he said, before Hoover ordered them to use a battering ram. From inside the dark apartment, Hoover said he immediately “hears gunshots comin’ outta that apartment.” He realized Mattingly had been hit.
"When he went down, he was goin' down, he was returnin’ fire while he was layin' on the ground," Hoover said.
He dragged Mattingly away from the gunfire and tended to his bleeding leg for the next several minutes, he said, until police were able to get the injured sergeant into an ambulance.
See also: Witness who said police announced themselves changed story
After Taylor's boyfriend, Walker, left the apartment, Hoover said, “none of us stepped foot in that apartment, with the incident. SWAT was the only one to go in there.”
“So you guys never actually made entry?” an investigator asked.
“We never made it in,” Hoover said. “We were, in my opinion, we were ambushed. They knew we were there. I mean, hell, the neighbors knew we were there upstairs, you know, they were comin’ out, see what was goin’ on and they were, they were waiting.”
Investigators asked if a risk-assessment matrix was done ahead of serving the warrant — a checklist to determine the possible danger inside.
Hoover said he thought so, but he didn’t see it.
“I guess that’d be an error on me for not askin’ that question,” he said. “I assume they did it.”
Investigators noted that Hoover had been involved with serving “umpteen” warrants over his career and that he’d have a good idea of the risks in certain situations.
“It sounded like you guys were usin’ more of an approach of try to be more cautious and also tryin’ to mitigate the higher risk that the no-knock caused,” one asked him.
Hoover agreed.
“Would you say that you felt like it was safer for everybody to do it that way?” they asked.
Again, Hoover agreed.
“I assumed somebody would come and answer the door,” he said. “That was our intention. … It’s after midnight. You’re breakin’ down somebody’s door and it’s dark, and if they’re in bed, startled.”
Since Taylor's death, Mayor Greg Fischer has said he wants to shift responsibility for investigations of LMPD shootings to the Kentucky State Police.
Follow Darcy Costello, Tessa Duvall and Andrew Wolfson on Twitter: @dctello, @TessaDuvall, @adwolfson.


usatoday--2020-10-05--Aerial view captures 'very active' Glass Fire in Napa Valley, California

The Glass Fire continued to rage in Napa Valley , California , in early October , destroying at least 17 @ @

Aerial view captures Glass Fire in Napa Valley, California
The Glass Fire continued to rage in Napa Valley, California, in early October, destroying at least 17 wineries.
CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, Storyful


usatoday--2020-10-04--Doctor makes baby giggle during shots

Doctor makes baby giggle during shots

Noah and his mother are n't a big fan of needles , but this doctor 's bedside manner puts everyone @ @ @

Doctor makes baby giggle during shots
Noah and his mother aren't a big fan of needles, but this doctor's bedside manner puts everyone at ease.
Humankind, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-04--Vice President Pence, second lady again test negative for COVID-19, White House says

Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence were again tested for COVID-19 on Sunday and received negative results , the White House said in a statement on Sunday .
The results are the third negative results the couple has received in the past week since President Donald Trump announced early Friday both he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus .
Since the president announced he and the first lady contracted COVID-19 , over a dozen White House officials and top Republicans have also tested positive for the virus .
Sunday 's results still do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A negative test means the person was not infected at the time of testing .
The virus ' incubation period can be up to 14 days , so a negative test earlier in that time frame is not definitive .
Rapid coronavirus tests like those used by the White House can also occasionally give false results .
Pence is expected to resume in-person campaigning this week with a stop in Arizona on Thursday , a day after he is set to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Salt Lake City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Sunday on NBC News `` Meet the Press '' that Pence is `` going to have a very full aggressive schedule as will the first family '' and that he had `` no concerns at all '' about it .
`` We 're in a campaign .
We have a month to go .
We see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris out there campaigning , '' Miller said .
Experts wonder why Pence – who is next in line to assume Trump 's powers if he is incapacitated – is not under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risking exposure to the virus amid a tenuous moment .
“ We have the president and first lady ill and the country is in a vulnerable situation , ” former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told USA TODAY on Friday .
“ We have to be very prepared to deal with the possibility that an adversary will seek to take advantage.
” More : VP Mike Pence claims he was with President Trump in Oval Office hours before debate

Vice President Pence, second lady again test negative for COVID-19, White House says
Show Caption Hide Caption Mike Pence claims he met President Trump hours before debate Vice President Mike Pence, at a debate watch event in Lititz, Pa., on Tuesday, says he met President Trump in the Oval Office just hours before. USA TODAY
Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence were again tested for COVID-19 on Sunday and received negative results, the White House said in a statement on Sunday.
The results are the third negative results the couple has received in the past week since President Donald Trump announced early Friday both he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus.
Since the president announced he and the first lady contracted COVID-19, over a dozen White House officials and top Republicans have also tested positive for the virus.
Sunday's results still do not guarantee the vice president is not infected.
A negative test means the person was not infected at the time of testing. The virus' incubation period can be up to 14 days, so a negative test earlier in that time frame is not definitive.
Rapid coronavirus tests like those used by the White House can also occasionally give false results.
Pence is expected to resume in-person campaigning this week with a stop in Arizona on Thursday, a day after he is set to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Salt Lake City.
Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller said Sunday on NBC News "Meet the Press" that Pence is "going to have a very full aggressive schedule as will the first family" and that he had "no concerns at all" about it.
More: Vice President Mike Pence to continue campaigning despite Trump COVID diagnosis
"We're in a campaign. We have a month to go. We see Joe Biden and Kamala Harris out there campaigning," Miller said.
Experts wonder why Pence – who is next in line to assume Trump's powers if he is incapacitated – is not under isolation. They say he could be risking exposure to the virus amid a tenuous moment.
“We have the president and first lady ill and the country is in a vulnerable situation,” former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told USA TODAY on Friday. “We have to be very prepared to deal with the possibility that an adversary will seek to take advantage.”
More: VP Mike Pence claims he was with President Trump in Oval Office hours before debate


usatoday--2020-10-04--White House Physician Dr. Conley provides timeline of President Trump's illness

Dr. Sean Conley goes through timeline of President Trump 's COVID-19 illness , why he was brought to Walter Reed @ @ @ @ @

Dr. Sean Conley goes through timeline of President Trump's illness
Dr. Sean Conley goes through timeline of President Trump's COVID-19 illness, why he was brought to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-04--'Ups and downs': Doctors say Donald Trump is improving while hospitalized; aides project image of ca

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump continues to improve in his battle against COVID-19 and could be discharged as early as Monday , a White House physician said Sunday , as White House aides sought to paint an image of business as usual despite uncertainty over the severity of the president 's condition .
Navy Commander and White House physician Sean Conley said doctors gave Trump supplemental oxygen on Friday , something he previously refused to discuss , after the president had a `` high fever '' and his oxygen levels dipped below 94 % .
He said Trump experienced another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not discuss treatment .
`` There are frequent ups and downs ... particularly when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day , '' said Conley .
`` If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today , our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House , where he can continue his treatment course . ''
Conley , seeking to clear up confusion from comments he made Saturday , said Trump has `` experienced two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oxygen saturation , but that has been treated with medication .
Conley was not specific about Trump 's exact oxygen levels and refused to say whether the president is in a negative pressure room , which hospitals sometimes use to help prevent airborne diseases from escaping and infecting other people .
Dr. Sean Dooley , who is also treating the president , said Trump was given the steroid dexamethasone on Saturday following his oxygen drop .
The World Health Organization recommends that drug only for `` several and critical '' cases .
Dooley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the steriod `` for the time being , '' The president also completed his second dose of the antiviral drug remdesivir on Saturday and will continue his five-day course of remdesivir .
Asked why he evaded questions on Saturday about whether the president received supplemental oxygen , Conley said he was trying to reflect the `` upbeat attitude of the president . ''
`` I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team , the president , his course of illness has had , '' Conley said , adding that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information that might steer the course of illness in another direction . ''
`` And in doing so , you know , came off ( like ) we 're trying to hide something , which was n't necessarily true , '' he added .
Throughout the weekend , the White House has sent mixed messages about Trump 's condition as he wrestles with the virus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans .
`` While not yet out of the woods , the team remains cautiously optimistic , '' Conley said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician and other doctors provided an update on Trump 's health at a news conference Saturday , an administration official – later identified by the Associated Press and the New York Times as chief of staff Mark Meadows – met with reporters and described the president 's condition earlier in the week as `` very concerning . ''
Meadows said `` the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care . ''
More : Anatomy of a White House response : Timeline of what officials said about Trump 's COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information must be complete , consistent , and accurate , '' said Jack Pitney , professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in California .
`` The White House has failed on all three counts .
Recklessness , worsened by incompetence . ''
At one point Saturday , Conley said that Trump 's case was `` 72 hours '' old , meaning he would have been sick on Wednesday , the day he hosted a fundraiser in New Jersey .
Conley later amended that comment , saying Trump – who was tested daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until Thursday night .
The president took that test after her learned that top aide Hope Hicks had been infected .
Conley issued a memo hours later on Saturday clarifying he should have said `` third day , '' that is Thursday night , Friday and into Saturday , rather than `` 72 hours . ''
Matthew G. Heinz , a hospital physician and internist from Tucson , Ariz. , noted that Conley side-stepped questions `` about any lung involvement revealed in CT scans or chest films '' involving Trump .
Heinz said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dexamethasone therapy in mild cases and that could mean the doctors see evidence of viral pneumonia in the president 's scans .
`` The American people deserve complete transparency about the health of our leader which are still being denied by Dr. Conley and his team , '' Heinz said .
`` It ’ s beyond galling for him to express regret for withholding information yesterday and then to walk away from the microphone after refusing to provide a clear response about findings chest X-rays and CT scans . ''
The president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday and predicted a quick return to the campaign trail , as new polls shows him losing ground to Democratic challenger Joe Biden .
Trump may be on the disabled list right now , `` but very , very shortly he ’ s going to be back in the game throwing 95-mile-an-hour fastballs , '' Steve Cortes , a Trump campaign adviser , said on Fox News Sunday .
Trump spent part of his day on social media .
In the mid-afternoon , Trump tweeted a thank you to supporters who gathered outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they really love our Country and are seeing how we are MAKING IT GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE ! ''
Trump and aides have defended his decision to campaign and host large events in recent weeks , despite the pandemic .
Many people have gotten sick after those events , particularly a Sept. 26 event in the White House Rose Garden in which Trump announced his new Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett .
Trump rarely wears masks ; the same goes for many of his aides and supporters who attend his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House use social media to convey the idea that Trump remains at work , even at Walter Reed Medical Center .
The White House sent out two pictures of Trump signing things Saturday – one in which Trump is wearing a suit jacket and another in which he is not – but the time stamps indicate the pictures were taken just ten minutes apart .
`` He ’ s obviously not working , but MAGA will tell how he ’ s working hard even when he ’ s in the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of political science at Pusan University in South Korea .
`` It ’ s all so predictable and insulting . ''
Trump also dictated a statement to his friend Rudy Giuliani , saying he felt fine and disputing negative news coverage of his condition .
“ I feel I could get out of here right now , '' Trump said , according to the statement Giuliani provided to The New York Post .
`` But they ’ re telling me there can always be a back-step with this disease .
But I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally . ''
More : Live updates on Trump and COVID-19 : 'Feeling much better ' in hospital video ; Biden gets tested again today ; brief acknowledgement on 'SNL' More : President Trump has COVID-19 : A timeline of his travels leading up to a positive coronavirus test This all comes a time when Trump is seen as struggling in his re-election race against Democrat Joe Biden .
Biden had a 51 % -41 % lead over Trump among adults who expect to vote , according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll also released Sunday gave Biden a lead of 14 percentage points .
That survey was conducted after their contentious first debate , but before Trump went into the hospital .
During a four-minute video he tweeted out Saturday , Trump said he is is `` starting to feel good '' and is `` doing well . ''
and predicted he would return to the White House soon .
`` I think I 'll be back soon , '' Trump said .
`` And I look forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way it was started . ''
Pitney , author of `` Un-American : The Fake Patriotism of Donald J. Trump , '' said the upshot is no one can be sure how well the president is .
`` Trump definitely has brief periods when he 's well enough to sign blank pieces of paper or talk for a few minutes , '' Pitney said .
`` That 's all we know for sure . ''
Conley said Sunday the bottom line is that the president is `` doing really well – he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If everything continues to go well , we 're going to start discharge planning back to the White House . ''

David Jackson and Courtney Subramanian, USA TODAY

'Ups and downs': Doctors say Donald Trump is improving while hospitalized; aides project image of calm
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump continues to improve in his battle against COVID-19 and could be discharged as early as Monday, a White House physician said Sunday, as White House aides sought to paint an image of business as usual despite uncertainty over the severity of the president's condition.
Navy Commander and White House physician Sean Conley said doctors gave Trump supplemental oxygen on Friday, something he previously refused to discuss, after the president had a "high fever" and his oxygen levels dipped below 94%. He said Trump experienced another drop in oxygen on Saturday, but did not discuss treatment.
"There are frequent ups and downs ... particularly when a patient is being so closely watched 24 hours a day," said Conley. "If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House, where he can continue his treatment course."
Conley, seeking to clear up confusion from comments he made Saturday, said Trump has "experienced two episodes of transient drops" in his oxygen saturation, but that has been treated with medication. Conley was not specific about Trump's exact oxygen levels and refused to say whether the president is in a negative pressure room, which hospitals sometimes use to help prevent airborne diseases from escaping and infecting other people.
Dr. Sean Dooley, who is also treating the president, said Trump was given the steroid dexamethasone on Saturday following his oxygen drop. The World Health Organization recommends that drug only for "severe and critical" cases. Dooley said the president will continue to receive the steriod "for the time being."
The president also completed his second dose of the antiviral drug remdesivir on Saturday and will continue his five-day course of remdesivir.
Asked why he evaded questions on Saturday about whether the president received supplemental oxygen, Conley said he was trying to reflect the "upbeat attitude of the president."
"I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude that the team, the president, his course of illness has had," Conley said, adding that he "didn't want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction."
"And in doing so, you know, came off (like) we're trying to hide something, which wasn't necessarily true," he added.
Throughout the weekend, the White House has sent mixed messages about Trump's condition as he wrestles with the virus that has killed more than 200,000 Americans.
"While not yet out of the woods, the team remains cautiously optimistic," Conley said in a memo late Saturday.
After Trump's physician and other doctors provided an update on Trump's health at a news conference Saturday, an administration official – later identified by the Associated Press and the New York Times as chief of staff Mark Meadows – met with reporters and described the president's condition earlier in the week as "very concerning."
Meadows said "the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care."
More: Anatomy of a White House response: Timeline of what officials said about Trump's COVID-19 battle
The differing messages drew criticism.
"During a crisis, public information must be complete, consistent, and accurate," said Jack Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in California. "The White House has failed on all three counts. Recklessness, worsened by incompetence."
At one point Saturday, Conley said that Trump's case was "72 hours" old, meaning he would have been sick on Wednesday, the day he hosted a fundraiser in New Jersey. Conley later amended that comment, saying Trump – who was tested daily – did not have a positive result until Thursday night. The president took that test after her learned that top aide Hope Hicks had been infected.
Conley issued a memo hours later on Saturday clarifying he should have said "third day," that is Thursday night, Friday and into Saturday, rather than "72 hours."
Matthew G. Heinz, a hospital physician and internist from Tucson, Ariz., noted that Conley side-stepped questions "about any lung involvement revealed in CT scans or chest films" involving Trump.
Heinz said it's unusual to use Remdesivir and dexamethasone therapy in mild cases and that could mean the doctors see evidence of viral pneumonia in the president's scans.
"The American people deserve complete transparency about the health of our leader which are still being denied by Dr. Conley and his team," Heinz said. "It’s beyond galling for him to express regret for withholding information yesterday and then to walk away from the microphone after refusing to provide a clear response about findings chest X-rays and CT scans."
Optimism from Trump's backers Sunday
The president and his supporters expressed optimism over his prospects Sunday and predicted a quick return to the campaign trail, as new polls shows him losing ground to Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
Trump may be on the disabled list right now, "but very, very shortly he’s going to be back in the game throwing 95-mile-an-hour fastballs," Steve Cortes, a Trump campaign adviser, said on Fox News Sunday.
Trump spent part of his day on social media. In the mid-afternoon, Trump tweeted a thank you to supporters who gathered outside the hospital: "The fact is, they really love our Country and are seeing how we are MAKING IT GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!"
Trump and aides have defended his decision to campaign and host large events in recent weeks, despite the pandemic.
Many people have gotten sick after those events, particularly a Sept. 26 event in the White House Rose Garden in which Trump announced his new Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Trump rarely wears masks; the same goes for many of his aides and supporters who attend his campaign rallies.
Seeking to reassure supporters, the White House use social media to convey the idea that Trump remains at work, even at Walter Reed Medical Center.
The White House sent out two pictures of Trump signing things Saturday – one in which Trump is wearing a suit jacket and another in which he is not – but the time stamps indicate the pictures were taken just ten minutes apart.
"He’s obviously not working, but MAGA will tell how he’s working hard even when he’s in the hospital," tweeted Robert Kelly, professor of political science at Pusan University in South Korea. "It’s all so predictable and insulting."
Trump also dictated a statement to his friend Rudy Giuliani, saying he felt fine and disputing negative news coverage of his condition.
“I feel I could get out of here right now," Trump said, according to the statement Giuliani provided to The New York Post. "But they’re telling me there can always be a back-step with this disease. But I feel I could go out and do a rally."
More: Live updates on Trump and COVID-19: 'Feeling much better' in hospital video; Biden gets tested again today; brief acknowledgement on 'SNL'
More: President Trump has COVID-19: A timeline of his travels leading up to a positive coronavirus test
This all comes a time when Trump is seen as struggling in his re-election race against Democrat Joe Biden.
Biden had a 51%-41% lead over Trump among adults who expect to vote, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Sunday (and conducted Friday and Saturday). An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll also released Sunday gave Biden a lead of 14 percentage points. That survey was conducted after their contentious first debate, but before Trump went into the hospital.
During a four-minute video he tweeted out Saturday, Trump said he is is "starting to feel good" and is "doing well." and predicted he would return to the White House soon.
"I think I'll be back soon," Trump said. "And I look forward to finishing up the campaign, the way it was started."
Pitney, author of "Un-American: The Fake Patriotism of Donald J. Trump," said the upshot is no one can be sure how well the president is.
"Trump definitely has brief periods when he's well enough to sign blank pieces of paper or talk for a few minutes," Pitney said. "That's all we know for sure."
Conley said Sunday the bottom line is that the president is "doing really well – he is responding."
He added: "If everything continues to go well, we're going to start discharge planning back to the White House."


usatoday--2020-10-05--NFL Week 4 winners, losers: Mike McCarthy's Cowboys plagued by same issues from Jason Garrett era

It 's crazy that we 're almost a quarter of the way through the 2020 NFL season , but that will be the case after Monday night 's doubleheader .
There are still three teams ( not counting the 0-3 Atlanta Falcons , who play Monday night ) searching for their first victory .
And perhaps no team is more disappointing than the Houston Texans .
To be fair , their schedule has been almost unfair after opening with matchups against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens .
But after falling to 0-4 , coach Bill O'Brien @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Elsewhere , the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks remained unblemished at a perfect 4-0 .
TAKEAWAYS:32 things we learned from Week 4 of the 2020 NFL season PRESCOTT AFTER COWBOYS ' LOSS : I would trade records for more wins Here are the Week 4 winners and losers : Let 's first say there are plenty of problems with this team .
The offensive line allows too many sacks .
Quarterback Carson Wentz has thrown as many interceptions ( seven ) in four games this year as he did in each of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their 25-20 victory against the San Francisco 49ers , the 1-2-1 Eagles are now in first place in the NFC East .
The lack of both depth and star power at wide receiver continues to be a problem .
The defense forced its first turnover of the season .
But the pass rush continues to be a strength after it recorded five sacks and thwarted a late comeback try .
In all , Philadelphia has some pieces it can build on .
And in an incredibly weak NFC East , that may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of performance Brees needed to quiet the critics who had been saying the 41-year-old New Orleans Saints passer was washed up .
To be sure , the numbers ( 19-of-25 passing for 246 yards with two scores and one interception ) .
were n't eye-popping .
Brees , however , aggressively looked to push the ball down the field in a 35-29 victory against the Detroit Lions .
There 's still plenty that New Orleans needs to clean up after falling into an early 14-0 hole and later letting the Lions creep back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was surgical on third downs ( New Orleans converted 10 of 14 ) and inside the red zone , where the Saints notched touchdowns on all four trips .
Consider that this was without star receiver Michael Thomas , who remains out with an injured ankle , and it 's a promising sign for New Orleans , which had lost two in a row before this .
Now , however , the Saints need to perform at this level against better competition .
This was easily the best game Beckham has had while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a 49-38 victory against the Dallas Cowboys , the wideout posted 154 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns , including the game-sealing score on a 50-yard touchdown run .
When Beckham is using his elite speed and athleticism to make defenders miss in the open field , he 's capable of scoring on any given play .
And he makes Cleveland 's offense that much more dangerous .
After bouts of inconsistency and slow starts with the Browns – he posted 155 total yards and one score in Weeks 1-3 this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that gets Beckham back on track .
Not only did he get his first NFL victory , a 33-25 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars , but the No .
1 overall selection also made history .
After completing 25 of 36 passes for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception , Burrow became the first rookie to ever throw for 300 or more yards in three consecutive games .
Burrow has now completed 65.5 % of his passes for 1,121 yards with six touchdowns and one interception this year .
He still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bengals coaches have to be very pleased .
In fact , he could 've had another score but a touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the first half was negated by penalty .
Cincinnati is still likely a few pieces away from contending for a playoff spot , but with Burrow , the Bengals at least appear to have the most important position in good hands .
Maybe Jason Garrett should n't have been the fall guy after all .
The Cowboys dropped to 1-3 in McCarthy 's first season at the helm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Browns at home .
Yes , Dallas ' defense is historically bad .
But the offense , McCarthy 's specialty , has its own significant flaws .
And perhaps even more concerning is that the self-inflicted errors that marred Garrett 's final seasons in Dallas — giving up big early leads , carelessness with the ball , ineffectiveness on third downs and questionable game-management decisions — are still very much a problem : Give Dallas credit for fighting back , but that 's exactly the issue with this team .
Cleveland dropped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , marking the first time since 1991 had posted as many points in the first half , per ESPN .
Dallas allowed 333 yards in the first half and 508 in the entire game overall , including a franchise-record 307 rushing yards .
The Cowboys have one of the most talented offenses in the NFL , but it will be wasted if the familiar problems and defensive ineptitude continue .
Nick Foles , it appears , wo n't solve the team 's poor quarterback play .
After starting in place of the benched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' offense may have actually taken a step back in a 19-11 loss against the Indianapolis Colts .
Foles completed 26 of 42 passes for 249 yards with one touchdown and one interception , though the score and a good chunk of the yardage total came late in the fourth with the game all but decided .
This showed that Chicago 's stagnancy may have much more to do with coach Matt Nagy 's game planning and play-calling .
Remember , this is a quarterback with whom Nagy has plenty of experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 29 % ) of third-down tries .
And the Bears ' run game was a non-factor , gaining only 29 yards .
Foles , for his part , also shares a lot of blame .
He missed plenty of throws and forced receivers to adjust to his passes .
The Bears are still 3-1 , but if a midseason collapse comes , it may not be all on the quarterback .
Everyone points to Lions coach Matt Patricia , New York Jets coach Adam Gase or Falcons coach Dan Quinn as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that may actually fall to O'Brien .
The Houston Texans dropped to 0-4 after another disappointing loss , this one 31-23 to the Minnesota Vikings , who entered the day 0-3 .
The Texans ' last-ranked run defense continued to get gashed , allowing 162 yards on the ground , including 130 to Vikings running back Dalvin Cook .
This is the first time Houston dropped to 0-4 since the 2008 season .
The offensive line ( 16 sacks allowed ) continues to be a problem , and quarterback Deshaun Watson is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make plays .
Making matters worse , O'Brien , who took over as the team 's general manager in June 2019 after the team fired Brian Gaine , traded the team 's first- and second-round draft selections to the Dolphins .
So if the slide continues , those will be two extremely valuable picks a Houston team with some big holes almost certainly will want back .
For the second time in as many weeks , the Arizona Cardinals ' offense sputtered in a disappointing loss that they were favored to win .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an early hole and simply could n't get back into it before losing , 31-21 .
Now , that 2-0 start that had Arizona looking like a potential wild-card contender seems so far away .
In the first half against Carolina , Murray completed 13 passes for just 54 yards and a score .
Overall , he finished 24 of 31 with three touchdowns but for only 133 yards .
That gave him an average of 4.29 yards per completion , the worst of all quarterbacks so far in Week 4 .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to last week 's loss against the Lions , the Cardinals have now converted just seven of 19 third-down attempts .
Murray missed on throws he usually makes and seemed to be hesitating .
Part of that was an offensive line that did n't let Murray feel comfortable in the pocket , but short , quick throws that got targets moving horizontally are n't going to be good enough .
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NFL Week 4 winners, losers: Mike McCarthy's Cowboys plagued by same issues from Jason Garrett era
Show Caption Hide Caption NFL Week 4 overreactions: Eagles make claim for beast of the NFC least SportsPulse: The first quarter of the NFL season is nearly in the books and it's the first time with confidence we think we know where everyone stands. Mackenzie Salmon "overreacts" to the biggest storylines from Week 4. SportsPulse, USA TODAY
It's crazy that we're almost a quarter of the way through the 2020 NFL season, but that will be the case after Monday night's doubleheader.
There are still three teams (not counting the 0-3 Atlanta Falcons, who play Monday night) searching for their first victory. And perhaps no team is more disappointing than the Houston Texans. To be fair, their schedule has been almost unfair after opening with matchups against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. But after falling to 0-4, coach Bill O'Brien is under pressure to turn things around.
Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks remained unblemished at a perfect 4-0.
TAKEAWAYS: 32 things we learned from Week 4 of the 2020 NFL season
PRESCOTT AFTER COWBOYS' LOSS: I would trade records for more wins
Here are the Week 4 winners and losers:
WINNERS
Philadelphia Eagles
Let's first say there are plenty of problems with this team. The offensive line allows too many sacks. Quarterback Carson Wentz has thrown as many interceptions (seven) in four games this year as he did in each of the last three seasons. But with their 25-20 victory against the San Francisco 49ers, the 1-2-1 Eagles are now in first place in the NFC East.
The lack of both depth and star power at wide receiver continues to be a problem. The defense forced its first turnover of the season. But the pass rush continues to be a strength after it recorded five sacks and thwarted a late comeback try. In all, Philadelphia has some pieces it can build on. And in an incredibly weak NFC East, that may be enough.
Drew Brees
This was exactly the type of performance Brees needed to quiet the critics who had been saying the 41-year-old New Orleans Saints passer was washed up. To be sure, the numbers (19-of-25 passing for 246 yards with two scores and one interception). weren't eye-popping. Brees, however, aggressively looked to push the ball down the field in a 35-29 victory against the Detroit Lions.
Drew Brees had his best downfield passing performance of the season, finishing 9/12 for 174 yards & TD (+22.4% CPOE) on passes of 10+ air yards.
First 3 Games (10+ Air Yards)
➤ 12/22, 249 yards, TD, INT (-7.4% CPOE)#NOvsDET | #Saints pic.twitter.com/hEaWEWf1XH — Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 4, 2020
There's still plenty that New Orleans needs to clean up after falling into an early 14-0 hole and later letting the Lions creep back into the game late. But Brees was surgical on third downs (New Orleans converted 10 of 14) and inside the red zone, where the Saints notched touchdowns on all four trips. Consider that this was without star receiver Michael Thomas, who remains out with an injured ankle, and it's a promising sign for New Orleans, which had lost two in a row before this. Now, however, the Saints need to perform at this level against better competition.
Odell Beckham Jr.
This was easily the best game Beckham has had while a member of the Cleveland Browns. In a 49-38 victory against the Dallas Cowboys, the wideout posted 154 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, including the game-sealing score on a 50-yard touchdown run.
When Beckham is using his elite speed and athleticism to make defenders miss in the open field, he's capable of scoring on any given play. And he makes Cleveland's offense that much more dangerous. After bouts of inconsistency and slow starts with the Browns – he posted 155 total yards and one score in Weeks 1-3 this year – this could be the game that gets Beckham back on track.
Joe Burrow
Not only did he get his first NFL victory, a 33-25 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the No. 1 overall selection also made history. After completing 25 of 36 passes for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception, Burrow became the first rookie to ever throw for 300 or more yards in three consecutive games.
Winning is fun — Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) October 4, 2020
Burrow has now completed 65.5% of his passes for 1,121 yards with six touchdowns and one interception this year. He still makes the occasional rookie mistake, but Bengals coaches have to be very pleased. In fact, he could've had another score but a touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd in the first half was negated by penalty. Cincinnati is still likely a few pieces away from contending for a playoff spot, but with Burrow, the Bengals at least appear to have the most important position in good hands.
LOSERS
Mike McCarthy
Maybe Jason Garrett shouldn't have been the fall guy after all. The Cowboys dropped to 1-3 in McCarthy's first season at the helm in Dallas in an embarrassing loss to the Browns at home. Yes, Dallas' defense is historically bad. But the offense, McCarthy's specialty, has its own significant flaws. And perhaps even more concerning is that the self-inflicted errors that marred Garrett's final seasons in Dallas — giving up big early leads, carelessness with the ball, ineffectiveness on third downs and questionable game-management decisions — are still very much a problem:
Give Dallas credit for fighting back, but that's exactly the issue with this team. Cleveland dropped 31 before the second quarter even finished, marking the first time since 1991 had posted as many points in the first half, per ESPN. Dallas allowed 333 yards in the first half and 508 in the entire game overall, including a franchise-record 307 rushing yards. The Cowboys have one of the most talented offenses in the NFL, but it will be wasted if the familiar problems and defensive ineptitude continue.
Chicago Bears
Nick Foles, it appears, won't solve the team's poor quarterback play. After starting in place of the benched Mitchell Trubisky, Foles and the Bears' offense may have actually taken a step back in a 19-11 loss against the Indianapolis Colts. Foles completed 26 of 42 passes for 249 yards with one touchdown and one interception, though the score and a good chunk of the yardage total came late in the fourth with the game all but decided.
This showed that Chicago's stagnancy may have much more to do with coach Matt Nagy's game planning and play-calling. Remember, this is a quarterback with whom Nagy has plenty of experience. Yet Chicago converted just four of 14 (29%) of third-down tries. And the Bears' run game was a non-factor, gaining only 29 yards. Foles, for his part, also shares a lot of blame. He missed plenty of throws and forced receivers to adjust to his passes. The Bears are still 3-1, but if a midseason collapse comes, it may not be all on the quarterback.
Bill O'Brien
Everyone points to Lions coach Matt Patricia, New York Jets coach Adam Gase or Falcons coach Dan Quinn as the head coaches under the most pressure, but that may actually fall to O'Brien. The Houston Texans dropped to 0-4 after another disappointing loss, this one 31-23 to the Minnesota Vikings, who entered the day 0-3. The Texans' last-ranked run defense continued to get gashed , allowing 162 yards on the ground, including 130 to Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.
This is the first time Houston dropped to 0-4 since the 2008 season. The offensive line (16 sacks allowed) continues to be a problem, and quarterback Deshaun Watson is always needing to buy additional time to make plays. Making matters worse, O'Brien, who took over as the team's general manager in June 2019 after the team fired Brian Gaine, traded the team's first- and second-round draft selections to the Dolphins. So if the slide continues, those will be two extremely valuable picks a Houston team with some big holes almost certainly will want back.
Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid offense
For the second time in as many weeks, the Arizona Cardinals' offense sputtered in a disappointing loss that they were favored to win. Against the Carolina Panthers, Arizona faced an early hole and simply couldn't get back into it before losing, 31-21. Now, that 2-0 start that had Arizona looking like a potential wild-card contender seems so far away.
In the first half against Carolina, Murray completed 13 passes for just 54 yards and a score. Overall, he finished 24 of 31 with three touchdowns but for only 133 yards. That gave him an average of 4.29 yards per completion, the worst of all quarterbacks so far in Week 4. His longest completion was 9 yards. Going back to last week's loss against the Lions, the Cardinals have now converted just seven of 19 third-down attempts. Murray missed on throws he usually makes and seemed to be hesitating. Part of that was an offensive line that didn't let Murray feel comfortable in the pocket, but short, quick throws that got targets moving horizontally aren't going to be good enough.
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