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Players Era Festival organizers betting big NIL is future of college tourneys
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Kobe Sanders scored 27 points, including five of six from the free throw line in the closing minutes, and Nevada pulled away late to beat Oklahoma State 90-78 for a fifth-place finish at the Charleston Classic on Sunday. Nevada's lone loss in its first six games came in the tournament's opening round when the Wolf Pack fell to Vanderbilt 73-71. The Cowboys never led in the contest and Nevada grabbed the lead for good on Justin McBride's tip-in with under 13 minutes left to take a 14-12 lead. Tre Coleman hit two free throws and Chuck Bailey II hit a late jumper to put Nevada up 40-33 at intermission. Abou Ousmane's tip-in at the 5:21 mark got the Cowboys within five, 75-70 but Brandon Love answered with a three-point play seconds later and the Wolf Pack pulled away. Tyler Rolison's 3 with 1:38 left pushed the lead to 84-73. Sanders hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from distance, and was 10 of 13 from the line with three assists and a steal to lead Nevada. Nick Davidson had 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting and Love was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and contributed 11 points. The Wolf Pack shot 33 of 56 from the field (58.9%), including 7 of 18 from beyond the arc. Marchelus Avery and Arturo Dean both came off the Oklahoma State bench to score 15 and 13 points, respectively. Robert Jennings II and Ousmane each scored 11 points. Both teams completed the November portion of their schedule. Nevada plays host to Washington State on Dec. 2. Oklahoma State plays at Tulsa on Dec. 4. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballTrudeau told Trump Americans would also suffer if tariffs are imposed, a Canadian minister says
NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago. The company forecasts shoppers will purchase $18.5 billion worth of goods using the third-party services for the period Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, with $993 million worth of purchases on Cyber Monday alone. Buy now, pay later can be particularly appealing to consumers who have low credit scores or no credit history, such as younger shoppers, because most of the companies providing the service run only soft credit checks and don’t report the loans and payment histories to the credit bureaus, unlike credit card companies. This holiday season, buy now, pay later users can also feel more confident if a transaction goes awry. In May, the CFPB said buy now, pay later company must adhere to other regulations that govern traditional credit, such as providing ways to demand refunds and dispute transactions. To use a buy now, pay later plan, consumers typically sign up with bank account information or a debit or credit card, and agree to pay for purchases in monthly installments, typically over eight weeks or more. The loans are marketed as requiring no or low interest, or only conditional fees, such as for late payment. Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm are three of the biggest buy now, pay later companies. But consumer advocates warn that shoppers who sign up for the payment plans using a credit card can be hit with more interest and fees. That's because individuals open themselves up to interest on the credit card payment, if it's carried month to month, on top of any late fees, interest, or penalties from the buy now, pay later loan itself. Experts advise against using a credit card to pay for these plans for this reason. Consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves because, for example, not paying full price up front leaves, in the shopper’s mind at least, more money for smaller purchases . They also caution consumers to keep careful track of using multiple buy now, pay later services, as the automatic payments can add up, and there is no central reporting, such as with a credit card statement. “Buy now, pay later can be an innovative tool for purchases you’re going to make anyway,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at financial services company LendingClub. “The challenge is that it does fuel overspending.” For merchants, that’s part of the appeal. Retailers have found that customers are more likely to have bigger cart sizes or to convert from browsing to checking out when buy now, pay later is offered. One report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York cited research that found customers spend 20% more when buy now, pay later is available. “The reality is that the increased cost-of-living and inflation have put more people in a situation where they’re already relying on revolving credit,” Elliott said. “The psychographics of ‘buy now, pay later’ may be different — people don’t think of it as debt — but it is.” If a consumer misses a payment, they can face fees, interest, or the possibility of being locked out of using the services in the future. Emily Childers, consumer financial expert for personal-finance technology company Credit Karma, said that internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates. “Young people are entering this holiday season already in the red,” she said. “And, based on what we’re seeing in the data, they’re continuing to bury their heads in the sand and spend.” The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.After rough start under coach Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks' defense has become a strength
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James “Wally” Brewster, former U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic, has denied recent speculation in Dominican media regarding his visit to Albania. In a statement, Brewster clarified that the trip was prompted by an American financial group’s interest in evaluating the potential expansion of Eco Building, a company specializing in innovative construction technology. His team conducted an on-site inspection to verify the technology’s effectiveness, a routine practice for his organization. Brewster noted that Dominican Housing Minister Carlos Bonilla was consulted for technical input due to his engineering expertise and was invited, along with other international representatives, to observe the project. However, he emphasized that no negotiations, agreements, or letters of intent were made with the Dominican government during or after the visit. Brewster also addressed reports from a London newsletter that linked the trip to stock manipulation, calling the claims inaccurate and unrelated to his activities. Lamenting the spread of misinformation, Brewster stressed the need for transparency and fact-checking to prevent misrepresentation of efforts aimed at exploring innovative solutions. He reaffirmed his commitment to integrity and rejected all baseless allegations, concluding, “These are the facts. Any other speculation is false.”None
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Down by two shots with two holes to play, Jeeno Thitikul knew exactly what was needed to capture the biggest prize in women's golf history. And another eagle-birdie finish — for the second straight day — made it happen. Thitikul claimed the record-setting $4 million first-place check by winning the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday. It's the biggest money prize in women’s golf history, bigger than even the winner’s shares in three of the four men’s major championships this year. “Today, standing here with the trophy, it's more than I can ask for,” Thitikul said. Thitikul shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and finished the week at 22 under, one shot ahead of Angel Yin (66). Yin had a two-shot lead walking to the 17th tee, only to wind up settling for the $1 million runner-up check. Yin — who missed the start of the season after breaking her leg over the winter — hardly sounded defeated after finishing second and more than doubling her 2024 earnings in four days. “I’m pretty awesome. ... I’ve learned that I just need to believe my myself and that’s what I did," Yin said. Brooke Henderson (66) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for eighth at 13-under overall. The win and the massive check came down to the 18th hole, Thitikul and Yin tied at 21 under after a back-and-forth day atop the leaderboard — both knowing a mistake would likely come at a $3 million cost. Both hit the fairway on 18. Thitikul’s approach was nearly perfect, stopping about 5 feet from the cup. Yin’s response stopped maybe 15 feet away, giving Thitikul the edge as they walked up the fairway. She was smiling broadly as she approached the green, almost as if she knew what was about to happen. Yin’s birdie putt just missed. Thitikul’s was dead center. And history was hers. Her plans for all that cash? “Definitely spend it,” Thitikul said. “That’s an honest answer, for sure. Definitely going to spend it for a little while.” She already had clinched a $1 million bonus this week through the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge, a competition based on how players score on a designated hole each week. In the end, it wound up as a whopping $5 million week for the 21-year-old from Thailand — and going 8 under on the Nos. 17 and 18 over the four days at Tiburon Golf Club made the difference. “All the hard work paid off,” said Thitikul, whose eagle-birdie close to Saturday's round pulled her into a tie for the lead with Yin going into Sunday at 15 under. It didn’t take long on Sunday for Thitikul to jump in front, with birdies on two of the first three holes to grab a two-shot edge. Her lead vanished with a two-shot swing on the par-4 fourth; Yin made birdie, Thitikul bogey. It seemed like Yin grabbed control on the par-3 16th. Her birdie putt from across the green — about 25 feet — rolled in for a two-shot lead with two holes to play. But her second shot at the par-5 17th missed the green right, and the door was opened for Thitikul. The eagle-birdie finish Saturday gave her hope. The eagle-birdie finish Sunday gave her so much more — even though, it turns out, the second shot on the par 5 wasn't one that she caught flush. It worked out anyway. “Just lucky enough,” Thitikul said. Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko (63) finished third at 17 under, her nine birdies coming in a 13-hole span. “I’m excited to be able to work hard this offseason and have another great 2025,” Ko said. Ruoning Yin (68) was alone in fourth at 16 under, and LPGA player of the year Nelly Korda (66) finished at 15 under along with Narin An (68). Ayaka Furue finished at 13 under, good enough to give her the Vare Trophy as the LPGA’s season-long scoring champion over Haeran Ryu. “I feel very happy to have this trophy in my hands,” said Furue, the first Japanese player to win the Vare. Lexi Thompson — a 15-time winner as a pro who plans to step away from full-time golf — finished at 2 under. It’s not clear how often Thompson plans to play in 2025 and beyond; that said, she returns to Tiburon the week of Dec. 9 for the Grant Thornton Invitational, where she’ll team with Rickie Fowler in the event featuring PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players. “I’m not going anywhere, guys.” Thompson said. “I’ll be back in two weeks.” There were two players who said they were retiring after Sunday’s round: Marina Alex, who shot 66 to finish at 12 under, and Ally Ewing, who closed with a 68 to wrap up the week at 11 under. “I’m happy to have ended on my best,” said Alex, a bottle of sparkling wine in her right hand, a bouquet of flowers in the other. Added Ewing: “I’ve been at peace with my decision. It’s just so nice to be able to share the walk with my family this week.” But in the end, the week belonged to Thitikul. And as the sun was setting over Tiburon on Sunday, she was ready for her offseason to begin with a well-deserved celebration. “Anybody hungry?” she asked. “I am.” With Sunday's check in her pocket, she can dine anywhere she wants for a while. ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf Tim Reynolds, The Associated PressStakeknife was widely reported to have been Freddie Scappaticci, who headed the IRA’s feared internal security unit, nicknamed the “Nutting Squad”. Scappaticci died on April 11, 2023, at the age of 77, having suffered a series of strokes. He had fled Northern Ireland after it was claimed he was the informer known as Stakeknife and lived in witness protection. A BBC investigative documentary revealed he is believed to have been involved in at least 17 murders. The interim Kenova Report found that in 20 years as a double agent, more lives were lost than saved through the work of Stakeknife. Army commander General Sir John Wilsey, described Stakeknife as “the golden egg” of military intelligence operatives. The files revealed the entire republican movement was shocked in 2003 by the revelation that the UK government had an agent placed so highly within the IRA. That year, both Irish and UK officials discussed precisely how widespread the damage was from the Stakeknife revelations. Officials at a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) in London discussed the fallout in May 2003. A steering note, written by an official at the government’s Anglo-Irish Division on May 19, 2003, details the topics likely to be discussed. Earlier that month, the UK government passed the necessary legislation to allow for the postponement of the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland. “The secretary of state has discretion to set a date for elections prior to November 15,” the file noted. The document added that, since a previous meeting at Farmleigh in Dublin on May 6 of that year, the political landscape had been “overtaken by the Stakeknife revelations and allegations”. “These have convulsed the republican movement already traumatised by the failure of its statements and clarifications to meet the standard of clarity required by both governments and the British decision to postpone elections,” it said. Bertie Ahern, the taoiseach at the time, indicated the previous week that “the Stakeknife controversy would be raised at this meeting”.
Gulf Coast Ultra Deep Royalty Trust sees $544,092 in stock sales by Neil Subin
A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record on the year's biggest day for online shopping Consumers in the U.S. are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to make the most of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon on Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation coined the term for the Monday after Black Friday in 2005. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people’s regular routine, Cyber Monday continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to steady discounts and a fair amount of hype. Several major retails actually started their Cyber Monday promotions over the weekend. Consumer spending for the online shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday provides an indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays. Supreme Court doesn't seem convinced FDA was unfair in blocking flavored vapes teen use increased WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Supreme Court justices didn’t seem convinced Monday that federal regulators misled companies before refusing to allow them to sell sweet flavored vaping products following a surge in teen e-cigarette use. The court did raise questions about an FDA crackdown that included denials on sales of more than a million nicotine products formulated to taste like fruit, desert or candy. The case comes a month before the start of the second Trump administration, which could change the FDA's approach after he vowed to “save” vaping. Can AI chatbots make your holiday shopping easier? Tired of thinking about what gifts to get everyone this year? Artificial intelligence chatbots might help, but don’t expect them to always give you the right answers. Scouring the internet for Cyber Monday deals may yield an encounter with more chattier iterations of the chatbots that some retailers built to provide customer service. Some companies have integrated models that allow shoppers to ask questions like “What’s the best wireless speaker?” Retailers hope consumers use these shopping assistants as virtual companions that help them discover or compare products. The technology is still in its infancy, though, and chatbots are prone to hallucinations, so most of the new tools sometimes get things wrong. Intel CEO Gelsinger retires; Zinsner and Johnston Holthaus named interim co-CEOs Struggling chipmaker Intel says in a surprise announcement that CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired. Two company executives, David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, will act as interim co-CEOs while the company searches for a replacement for Gelsinger, who also stepped down from the company’s board. The departure of Gelsinger, whose career spanned more than 40 years, underscores turmoil at Intel. The company was once a dominant force in the semiconductor industry but has ben eclipsed by rival Nvidia, which has cornered the market for chips that run artificial intelligence systems. Nvidia’s ascendance was cemented earlier this month when it replaced Intel on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another record NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Better drugs through AI? Insitro CEO on what machine learning can teach Big Pharma WASHINGTON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is changing the way industries do business. But executives in the pharmaceutical industry are still waiting to see whether AI can tackle their biggest challenge: finding faster, cheaper ways to develop new drugs. Despite billions poured into research and development, new medicines still typically take a decade or more to develop. Insitro is part of a growing field of AI companies promising to accelerate drug discovery by using machine learning to analyze huge datasets that could lead to new medicines. FTC opens Microsoft antitrust investigation that Trump administration must carry on or drop Antitrust enforcers with the Federal Trade Commission have opened a wide-ranging investigation into Microsoft’s business practices, starting off a big legal project that an incoming Trump administration must take up or abandon. The FTC is investigating Microsoft’s cloud computing business and related product lines such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, according to a person who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It’s the latest action of more than three years of aggressive antitrust enforcement shepherded by FTC Chair Lina Chan, who was elevated to lead the agency by President Joe Biden after he came into office pledging tougher scrutiny of monopolistic behavior by Big Tech companies. More than 3 million travelers screened at US airports in a single day. That's a record Travelers heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday are setting a record. The Transportation Security Administration says that it screened nearly 3.1 million travelers on Sunday, breaking the previous record by about 74,000. That mark was set on July 7, also a Sunday after a holiday, July Fourth. Hundreds of thousands of travelers were delayed or had their flights canceled. FlightAware says more 6,800 flights were delayed on Sunday, with the highest numbers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. General Motors to sell its stake in Lansing, Michigan, battery factory to LG Energy Solution DETROIT (AP) — General Motors has reached an agreement to sell its stake in a nearly completed electric vehicle battery plant in Lansing, Michigan. The company said Monday that it has a nonbinding agreement for the sale to joint venture partner LG Energy Solution of South Korea. The companies expect to close the sale by the end of March. Financial details were not released Monday, but GM said it expects to recoup its investment. The company has spent about $1 billion on the Lansing factory. GM says it will rely on joint venture factories in Warren, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee, to supply factories that make seven electric vehicles now on sale in the U.S.
In a year already chock-full of excellent remakes like Persona 3 Reload and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door , it’s impressive that I can still call Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake one of the best I’ve ever played. That’s not because it sets out to redefine the 1988 NES original like Square Enix did with Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth , but because of how it strikes a nearly perfect balance between faithfully sticking to the bones of Dragon Quest III while adding modern quality-of-life improvements and a beautiful new coat of paint that make it more fun than ever to explore and battle across its surprisingly dense overworld. Dragon Quest III is a true godfather of the RPG genre, and this immensely satisfying retelling so clearly spells out why it’s one of gaming’s essential works. HD-2D Remake is fundamentally the same adventure Dragon Quest III has always been, and it’s hard not to marvel at how well its original blueprint still holds up in 2024. This is as classic as JRPGs get – the genre boiled down to its absolute essentials of rock-solid turn-based combat, atmospheric caves and dungeons filled with monsters and treasure, and a straightforward story about good versus evil that asks you to fill in a lot of the gaps with your imagination. It evokes nostalgia for a bygone era of video games in the best ways while proving it still has the stuff to hang with the fancy, modern RPGs. Despite the unabashedly old-school design, it does manage to feel new thanks to its overhauled graphics, and Dragon Quest and the HD-2D style pioneered by Octopath Traveler are an absolute perfect combination. The enemy design is amazing, with highly-detailed sprites and animations that are a joy to look at. The late Akira Toriyama’s signature style is wonderfully realized here, and battles feel more dynamic with each enemy’s lively animations for attacking and defending. Towns are delightful to explore, with stunning castles, houses, and shops that are breathtaking to look at from the outside and adorable to poke around on the inside thanks to sharp attention to detail. The dungeons all look great, too, especially with the moody lighting emitting from your hero’s lantern. Finally, the overworld feels grand to march across, and it’s all backed up with an orchestral soundtrack that fits Dragon Quest’s lighthearted, adventurous mood to a tee. HD-2D Remake doesn’t just look gorgeous, as it has great battle and class systems to match. Apart from the Hero, whose class and spot in your party is locked in from the start, the composition of the other three spots is completely up to you, including their classes, names, and appearances. I outfitted my party with a Thief, a Priest, and my personal favorite: the all-new Monster Wrangler, who became stronger as I found and recruited friendly monsters across the world, which further incentivized exploration. It’s a ton of fun constructing your band of heroes, and I’m honestly considering a full replay where I try something entirely different given how many classes I didn’t take advantage of. There are also opportunities to reclass later in the story while retaining all the abilities your characters have learned thus far, adding even more important decisions to consider. It’s just a shame that the personalities of your party members are all silent, blank slates as a result of that mechanical flexibility. That’s the same as it was in the original, but it makes for an RPG journey that’s much more about character builds, combat, and exploration rather than relationships, camaraderie, and story. It’s completely understandable that Square Enix would stick with the old style in this instance, as it did with almost everything else, but it’s hard not to miss the wonderful personalities of my party in Dragon Quest XI or the Party Chat feature seen in most modern entries of the series by comparison. But as someone who vastly prefers a barebones story compared to an overbearing one, I still thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Quest III’s focus on engaging directly with its RPG systems. To that end, the battles themselves are fast-paced, fun, and occasionally quite difficult. Make no mistake – this is still very much a hardcore NES-era RPG, and you need to use a balanced mix of strong attacks, healing spells, and buffing/debuffing abilities to beat some of Dragon Quest III’s toughest bosses. There are some real nail-biting moments, especially later on in the campaign, and I loved using unorthodox strategies to barely squeak by fights I probably wasn’t ready for yet. Random encounters in both the overworld and dungeons are a constant factor, but they’re always enjoyable and drop essential experience points and gold, which you’ll need as much of as you can get to reach the end credits. But if nervewracking turn-based battles aren’t your thing, there’s no need to worry. I’m incredibly impressed by how flexible HD-2D Remake is as a whole. Apart from three difficulty options you can switch between at any time (Including the Dracky Quest option, where your characters essentially can’t die), there are a ton of ways to tailor the adventure to your specific playstyle. In combat, you can speed up battle animations to get through encounters faster or watch them at normal speed to really enjoy the detailed enemy animations. You’re also given complete control over how your party behaves: In classic Dragon Quest fashion, you can give individual orders to all four party members, or choose strategies for them to execute on their own, like focusing on healing, conserving magic, or going all-out against a tough foe. It’s honestly relaxing to set the whole party to autobattle when grinding for experience points before taking control back for yourself ahead of an important boss fight. Options like these ensure the great combat remains fresh across the roughly 30-hour adventure, even with multiple sessions of grinding. That’s partially because the Dragon Quest series is pretty good at making grinding for experience points entertaining, and this remake is no exception. If you’re a fan of the series, you know that Metal Slimes are the key to leveling up fast: Enemies with low spawn rates that drop way more experience points than the average bad guy. Discovering areas of the map where Metal Slimes are more likely to appear is exciting, and the rush of adrenaline that kicks in when you see one show up in a random encounter never gets old – like pulling a rare card from a Pokémon booster pack. Plus, apart from the occasional level grind session, Dragon Quest III’s pacing is impeccable. You’re always being ushered from one new location to the next, constantly exploring new towns and dungeons while encountering fresh foes from the huge set of over 150 enemy types. It rarely retraces any of its steps – except for one specific recurring boss I won’t spoil that admittedly rears its ugly head a few too many times. This remake also goes to great lengths to ensure you’ll never get lost or stuck. The Zoom spell lets you escape a tough situation to rest at an inn pretty much whenever you want, while objective markers clearly label what you need to do next to progress through the occasionally unclear and outdated main quests. However, if you want the classic Dragon Quest III experience, you can turn these quest markers off and discover everything for yourself by exploring and talking to townsfolk. It’s a great system that makes this aged RPG more approachable and playable than ever, while also preserving that original style for those who want it. It’s an ideal way to revisit a beloved adventure, and I love the pace at which this vast world slowly reveals its secrets to you piece by piece. While I was generally a big fan of Dragon Quest III’s old-school nature mixed with the HD-2D Remake’s modern improvements, there are a couple of places it could have gone a few extra steps. Inventory management is clunky, as each of your four party members only has access to their individual item bags in combat, meaning I spent a ton of time in menus transferring items from the party’s overall inventory to their individual pockets. Managing equipment comes with similar annoyances, where it’s just a bit harder than it should be to see how equipping something will impact each character’s stats. I eventually got into a rhythm of how to fiddle with these outdated menus, but it’s one place I wish had gotten more updating. (There are also just a few enemy designs that haven’t aged especially well, and probably would have been better left in the past.)Patriots turn their attention to the future after being eliminated from playoff contention FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots are focused on the future following their 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts . Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press Dec 2, 2024 2:54 PM Dec 2, 2024 3:05 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo stands on the field before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots are focused on the future following their 25-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts . The Patriots (3-10) were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss Sunday, meaning that this week’s bye in many ways will begin the process of the coaching staff and front office evaluating the roster for 2025. The good news is that this group has shown plenty of grit this season, playing seven games that were decided by one score. The bad news is that the Patriots are just 2-5 in those games. Though New England’s bye comes late in the season, coach Jerod Mayo said the timing is perfect for a team that is feeling the effects of its shortcomings . “A much-needed bye week, not only physically for the players but also mentally, just being able to hit the reset button and come back, put some good games together and continue to build for the future,” Mayo said. “That has to be our goal.” Tight end Austin Hooper said the seed that needs to be planted over the final four games is finding a way to limit the mistakes — namely penalties and trouble finishing drives — that have hampered the offense throughout the season. “We’ve got to execute at a higher level. We can’t beat a team before you stop hurting yourself,” Hooper said. “It’s not for lack of effort, just things that happen out there that get you scars in this league.” What’s working This was the most balanced performance by the offense this season, with 222 passing yards and a season-high 200 yards rushing. It shows progress under new coordinator Alex Van Pelt, which is something to build on over the final four games. What needs help Red zone efficiency. It continues to be the most glaring deficiency for the Patriots’ offense. They were 2 of 6 on Sunday and rank 30th in the NFL, scoring a touchdown only 44.7% (17 of 38) of the time inside the 20-yard line. Stock up TE Hunter Henry. He finished with seven catches for 75 yards, which is his seventh game this season with five or more receptions. He leads the team this season with 58 catches for 610 yards and continues to be a dependable option for quarterback Drake May as he navigates his rookie season. Stock down K Joey Slye. He made 3 of his 5 field-goal attempts, including a 54-yarder in the second quarter. Most of the conversation following the game was about his NFL record-long 68-yard attempt that came up short as time expired. But because of the 1-point loss, he was lamenting the 25-yard attempt he missed wide left just before halftime. “I take full responsibility for this,” Slye said. “Every point for this team matters with how we play complementary football with offense, defense and special teams. So, whenever I am out there, I have got to score points.” Injuries Henry left the game in the first quarter after a helmet-to-helmet hit. He was able to return in the second quarter and finished the game. Key number 7 — Number of penalties called on the Patriots, costing them 88 yards. Five penalties (four accepted) were called on the offensive line. That included one for holding on Mike Onwenu that nullified a touchdown run by Rhamondre Stevenson in the first quarter and forced New England to settle for a field goal. Next steps The Patriots have a bye this week. They visit the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 15. ___ AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Rams claim CB Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington Dec 2, 2024 3:25 PM Buccaneers are back to .500 and in position to control their playoff hopes down the stretch Dec 2, 2024 3:24 PM QB Josh Allen and coach Sean McDermott deserve credit in Bills latest AFC East-clinching season Dec 2, 2024 3:22 PM
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