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  • Seattle Seahawks lead New England Patriots at half time in Super Bowl LX

    It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.The Seattle Seahawks are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX. Bad Bunny Half Time ShowBad Bunny started his half time show as he emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.He started with his huge reggaeton hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party.Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.“Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”The strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.It gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.Ricky Martin performed “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy.Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “And my mother land, Puerto Rico.”He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium. Who needs offense? How ’bout those special teams?The game was expected to be a matchup of two stingy defenses.It was in the first half, and it was a very busy day for both special teams.The Patriots punted on five of their six drives. That counts a final possession that was just a one-play kneel down with 11 seconds left.Seattle got three field goals from Jason Myers.With JSN grounded, Seattle is clawing away on the groundThe Seahawks have settled for field goals but hold a two-score lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Jason Myers’ third conversion. He made a 40-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.It hasn’t been pretty for Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth in scoring in the regular season. Sam Darnold, who is fresh off his second straight Pro Bowl season, was nearly picked off by cornerback Christian Gonzalez on third down. Instead, the pass fell harmlessly to the turf for Darnold’s 13th incompletion of the first half. Darnold is 9 of 22 for 88 yards.The Seahawks continue to run the ball well, though. Kenneth Walker III has 94 yards on 14 carries, but 59 of those came on two runs. Otherwise, New England has done a solid job of slowing him down.Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the most yards receiving of any player in the NFL in the regular season, was targeted seven times and only caught one pass for 4 yards. Veteran Cooper Kupp has been Seattle’s best offensive player with four catches for 44 yards.New England has just 51 yards of offense in first halfNew England managed just four first downs, 51 total yards and converted only 2 of 7 third downs in the first half against the stingy Seahawks defense.The 51 yards are second-fewest in a first half over the last 35 Super Bowls — and the only team with fewer in that 35-year stretch was the Chiefs with 23 last season. The only time the Patriots had fewer was -19 against the Bears in Super Bowl 20.‘Backstreet’s back’ tonightTwo different advertisers have featured songs from the Backstreet Boys in their Super Bowl spots.T-Mobile showed the band singing a version of its 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” And cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase used a karaoke scroll of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”“By using ‘Everybody,’ we were signaling that crypto has moved past that early adopter phase,” Coinbase chief marketing officer Cat Ferdon told the AP ahead of the game. “It’s mainstream, it’s accessible and it’s for everybody.”Vrabel: Pats need to protect MayeDrake Maye was sacked three times and hit five times in the first half. Asked about his QB’s protection at halftime, New England coach Mike Vrabel said he need better protection from the whole offensive line.“From all sides,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a much better job.”Score alert: Seattle boots another field goalJason Myers connects for his third field goal of the first half, this one from 41 yards.Seahawks 9, Patriots 0The Pats’ O-line isn’t giving Maye much timeIf the Patriots are going to get anything going on offense, they’ll need to keep Drake Maye upright.Maye is first QB to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 vs the Giants.Maye is 5-of-7 passing for 39 yards.Kenneth Walker III is keeping Seattle movingWhile the Seahawks have struggled to throw the ball, Walker is finding holes and making the Pats pay.Walker ran for 55 of his 71 yards in the game on Seattle’s second scoring drive. It was the most in a single drive in the Super Bowl since Willie Parker had 75 — all on one run — for the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.Since reserve running back Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker has taken on the role of bell cow and run with it. Including the Super Bowl, Walker has run the ball 47 times for 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the playoffs.Walker continuing to dominate on the ground would buoy the Seahawks’ chances of hanging onto their lead.Injury updates for Seahawks, PatriotsBoth the Seahawks and Patriots have a pair of players dealing with injuries early in the second quarter.Linebacker Jahlani Tavai is questionable with a shoulder injury for the Patriots. Safety Ty Okada is also questionable while being looked at for a calf issue.Score alert: Seattle adds another field goalJason Myers connects from 39 yards.Seahawks 6, Patriots 0Seattle has found the weakness in New England’s O-lineThe Seahawks have made a meal on opposing offenses this season, blitzing weak points in offensive lines.Through the Patriots’ first two drives, the target has been rookie left tackle Will Campbell.It resulted in Campbell yielding a pair of sacks and helped contribute to two Patriots’ punts.Seattle’s ‘12s’ are bringing the noiseFrom the first play of the Patriots’ opening drive, the Seahawks’ fan base made its presence felt. Seattle’s “12s”, as the Seahawks’ passionate fan base is known as, made all sorts of noise at Levi’s Stadium shortly after New England took over on offense.Typically, Seahawks fans create a difficult environment for foes at Lumen Field. Today, they’ve taken over the home of one the Seahawks’ fiercest rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.Former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp makes an early impactSeattle’s opening drive was aided in large part by a 23-yard, juggling reception by Kupp along the sideline. Replays showed Kupp may have been bobbling the ball as he went out of bounds, but the Seahawks rushed the next play to preempt a review.Regardless, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense showed it can move the ball against the Patriots’ defense. Darnold completed 2 of 4 passes for 38 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 13 yards on three carries.Seattle’s offense slowed in the red zone, though, and failed to capitalize on a 1st and 10 at the New England 17-yard line.Score alert: Seahawks kick field goalJason Myers caps Seattle’s opening drive with a 33-yard field goal.Seahawks 3, Patriots 0Super Bowl 60 is underwaySeattle received the ball to start the game after New England won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The game opened under blue skies and 67-degree weather at Levi’s Stadium.The opening kick went for a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball at the 35.There have been only two times in the past 25 Super Bowls that the team that received the opening kick scored a touchdown on that possession. The Philadelphia Eagles did it three years ago when Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Devin Hester also returned the opening kickoff for a score for Chicago against Indianapolis in Super Bowl 41.

    It’s almost time to crown an NFL champion.

    After two weeks of hype and anticipation, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

    The Seattle Seahawks are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 at halftime of Super Bowl LX.

    Bad Bunny Half Time Show

    Bad Bunny started his half time show as he emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields, surrounded by jibaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.

    From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.

    He started with his huge reggaeton hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B was a guest at his pari de marquesina, a house party.

    Then he crashed through the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” played for a moment, clearly a celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the path for his Latin trap to go global.

    “Mi nombre Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he introduced himself to the crowd in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”

    The strings of his song “Monaco” played — then, a surprise Lady Gaga emerged at a wedding, singing her portion of “Die with a Smile,” her collaboration with Bruno Mars, joined by a salsa band.

    It gave Benito time for a fashion change — rocking a white suit like a classic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block party set where he took a shot with Tonita, owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club.

    Ricky Martin performed “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy.

    Behind him, jibaros in pavas climbed power towers that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing power grid. It queued up a moving performance of 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.

    Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga. That changed at the end of the set, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. “And my mother land, Puerto Rico.”

    He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium.

    Who needs offense? How ’bout those special teams?

    The game was expected to be a matchup of two stingy defenses.

    It was in the first half, and it was a very busy day for both special teams.

    The Patriots punted on five of their six drives. That counts a final possession that was just a one-play kneel down with 11 seconds left.

    Seattle got three field goals from Jason Myers.

    With JSN grounded, Seattle is clawing away on the ground

    The Seahawks have settled for field goals but hold a two-score lead heading into halftime thanks to kicker Jason Myers’ third conversion. He made a 40-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

    It hasn’t been pretty for Seattle’s offense, which ranked fifth in scoring in the regular season. Sam Darnold, who is fresh off his second straight Pro Bowl season, was nearly picked off by cornerback Christian Gonzalez on third down. Instead, the pass fell harmlessly to the turf for Darnold’s 13th incompletion of the first half. Darnold is 9 of 22 for 88 yards.

    The Seahawks continue to run the ball well, though. Kenneth Walker III has 94 yards on 14 carries, but 59 of those came on two runs. Otherwise, New England has done a solid job of slowing him down.

    Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had the most yards receiving of any player in the NFL in the regular season, was targeted seven times and only caught one pass for 4 yards. Veteran Cooper Kupp has been Seattle’s best offensive player with four catches for 44 yards.

    New England has just 51 yards of offense in first half

    New England managed just four first downs, 51 total yards and converted only 2 of 7 third downs in the first half against the stingy Seahawks defense.

    The 51 yards are second-fewest in a first half over the last 35 Super Bowls — and the only team with fewer in that 35-year stretch was the Chiefs with 23 last season. The only time the Patriots had fewer was -19 against the Bears in Super Bowl 20.

    ‘Backstreet’s back’ tonight

    Two different advertisers have featured songs from the Backstreet Boys in their Super Bowl spots.

    T-Mobile showed the band singing a version of its 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” And cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase used a karaoke scroll of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

    “By using ‘Everybody,’ we were signaling that crypto has moved past that early adopter phase,” Coinbase chief marketing officer Cat Ferdon told the AP ahead of the game. “It’s mainstream, it’s accessible and it’s for everybody.”

    Vrabel: Pats need to protect Maye

    Drake Maye was sacked three times and hit five times in the first half. Asked about his QB’s protection at halftime, New England coach Mike Vrabel said he need better protection from the whole offensive line.

    “From all sides,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a much better job.”

    Score alert: Seattle boots another field goal

    Jason Myers connects for his third field goal of the first half, this one from 41 yards.

    Seahawks 9, Patriots 0

    The Pats’ O-line isn’t giving Maye much time

    If the Patriots are going to get anything going on offense, they’ll need to keep Drake Maye upright.

    Maye is first QB to be sacked three times on the first four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 vs the Giants.

    Maye is 5-of-7 passing for 39 yards.

    Kenneth Walker III is keeping Seattle moving

    While the Seahawks have struggled to throw the ball, Walker is finding holes and making the Pats pay.

    Walker ran for 55 of his 71 yards in the game on Seattle’s second scoring drive. It was the most in a single drive in the Super Bowl since Willie Parker had 75 — all on one run — for the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seahawks in Super Bowl 40.

    Since reserve running back Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, Walker has taken on the role of bell cow and run with it. Including the Super Bowl, Walker has run the ball 47 times for 249 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the playoffs.

    Walker continuing to dominate on the ground would buoy the Seahawks’ chances of hanging onto their lead.

    Injury updates for Seahawks, Patriots

    Both the Seahawks and Patriots have a pair of players dealing with injuries early in the second quarter.

    Linebacker Jahlani Tavai is questionable with a shoulder injury for the Patriots. Safety Ty Okada is also questionable while being looked at for a calf issue.

    Score alert: Seattle adds another field goal

    Jason Myers connects from 39 yards.

    Seahawks 6, Patriots 0

    Seattle has found the weakness in New England’s O-line

    The Seahawks have made a meal on opposing offenses this season, blitzing weak points in offensive lines.

    Through the Patriots’ first two drives, the target has been rookie left tackle Will Campbell.

    It resulted in Campbell yielding a pair of sacks and helped contribute to two Patriots’ punts.

    Seattle’s ‘12s’ are bringing the noise

    From the first play of the Patriots’ opening drive, the Seahawks’ fan base made its presence felt. Seattle’s “12s”, as the Seahawks’ passionate fan base is known as, made all sorts of noise at Levi’s Stadium shortly after New England took over on offense.

    Typically, Seahawks fans create a difficult environment for foes at Lumen Field. Today, they’ve taken over the home of one the Seahawks’ fiercest rivals, the San Francisco 49ers.

    Former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp makes an early impact

    Seattle’s opening drive was aided in large part by a 23-yard, juggling reception by Kupp along the sideline. Replays showed Kupp may have been bobbling the ball as he went out of bounds, but the Seahawks rushed the next play to preempt a review.

    Regardless, quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense showed it can move the ball against the Patriots’ defense. Darnold completed 2 of 4 passes for 38 yards, and Kenneth Walker III ran for 13 yards on three carries.

    Seattle’s offense slowed in the red zone, though, and failed to capitalize on a 1st and 10 at the New England 17-yard line.

    Score alert: Seahawks kick field goal

    Jason Myers caps Seattle’s opening drive with a 33-yard field goal.

    Seahawks 3, Patriots 0

    Super Bowl 60 is underway

    Seattle received the ball to start the game after New England won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. The game opened under blue skies and 67-degree weather at Levi’s Stadium.

    The opening kick went for a touchback, giving the Seahawks the ball at the 35.

    There have been only two times in the past 25 Super Bowls that the team that received the opening kick scored a touchdown on that possession. The Philadelphia Eagles did it three years ago when Jalen Hurts scored on a 1-yard run in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Devin Hester also returned the opening kickoff for a score for Chicago against Indianapolis in Super Bowl 41.

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  • Anacostia High School closed after sewage spill floods boiler room, kitchen – WTOP News

    Anacostia High School students were dismissed early at noon on Monday due to a sewage spill that flooded the school over the weekend.

    Anacostia High School students were dismissed early at noon on Monday due to a sewage spill that flooded the school over the weekend.

    In a letter sent home to families on Monday, Principal Kenneth Walker wrote that while work was underway for DC Water’s Capital Improvement Program in the area, a water and sewage backup occurred, pumping raw sewage into the school and at least 10 nearby homes on Fairlawn Avenue SE.

    A spokesperson from DC Water told WTOP in an email that the incident occurred on Sunday “due to a pump malfunction during work on the Anacostia Main Interceptor.”

    We deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused and are providing temporary housing for affected residents while the cleanup is completed,” they said. “Additional steps are being taken to investigate and address the cause of the pump failure and prevent future issues.”

    Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tom Donohue said in a video on Facebook that at one point there was over six feet of raw sewage inside one of the school’s elevator shafts. He pointed out that the basement of the school flooded, as well as its cafeteria and kitchen.

    “This will be sanitized and cleaned. All the stuff that had touched boxes or anything that could have seeped the spores of the sewage will be thrown away. It’s a lot of work to do,” Donohue said.

    In the background of the video, Walker can be heard saying that students were to be evacuated and would receive their phones and eat lunch outside.

    The school was cleared to remain open on Monday with the kitchen and cafeteria out of service, but school leaders made the decision to dismiss students early due to “lingering odors in the building.”

    The school’s day care and after school services and activities were also canceled and closed. The school remained closed on Tuesday.

    At a community meeting on Tuesday night, Donohue confirmed to WTOP that Anacostia High families received word that students will return to classes but at nearby Kramer Middle School at 8:15 a.m.

    “This will be a significant shift in our learning environment, so we have worked alongside Kramer’s school leader, Principal (Katreena) Shelby, to plan and ensure a successful day for all our scholars,” Principal Walker wrote in an email Tuesday night.

    SERVPRO services were contracted to clean, disinfect and dry out the impacted areas of the high school. Walker added that contractors from the Department of General Services and officials from DC Water are using air scrubbers and dehumidifiers to “remove excess moisture … and mitigate odors in the building.”

    Once the cleaning and sanitization is complete, they will conduct air quality tests, Walker wrote.

    “We remain eager to return to our building as soon as we receive the all-clear to do so,” he said.

    Alan Salas, a project manager and civil engineer with DC Water, also spoke at the Tuesday night meeting, sharing information about the Fairlawn project. He said the pump failure is still under investigation.

    “That’s part of our planning, to make sure that nothing like this occurs. But it seems that we still don’t know what the issue was,” he said. “For some reason, those pumps didn’t turn on.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Ciara Wells

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  • A new kind of ‘living’ classroom opens at a DC high school – WTOP News

    A new kind of ‘living’ classroom opens at a DC high school – WTOP News

    Anacostia High School in Southeast D.C. already has a hydroponic classroom lab. Now, it has a hydroponic greenhouse as well.

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    A new kind of ‘living’ classroom opens at a DC high school

    Cutting-edge hydroponic gardening is about to grow at a high school in Southeast D.C.

    Anacostia High School already has a hydroponic classroom lab and now, it has a hydroponic greenhouse as well. It opened Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

    “Getting this greenhouse done required a lot of work, across many government agencies,” said Julie Lawson with the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment. “This is a way for us to create a more sustainable community.”

    With hydroponics, plants are grown in a nutrient solution instead of soil, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    The District partnered on this project with the school system, the University of the District of Columbia, Pepco and others.

    “This is just the beginning of an emerging partnership,” University President Maurice Edington said at the ribbon cutting. “Together, we are creating new pathways for students to explore STEM careers while addressing critical issues like food insecurity.”

    Anacostia High School Principal Kenneth Walker is excited about what students will learn.

    “This greenhouse will provide our students an invaluable hands-on experience, in particular in an area that’s recognized as a food desert,” Walker said.

    In addition to learning about science, the students will also sell what’s grown in the greenhouse helping relieve the food desert problem, and to develop business skills.

    Anacostia High School already has a hydroponic classroom lab, now it has a hydroponic greenhouse as well.
    (WTOP/Kyle Cooper)

    WTOP/Kyle Cooper

    Ribbon cutting for hydroponic greenhouse at Anacostia High School
    Anacostia High School hosted a ribbon cutting for the new hydroponic greenhouse on Oct. 24, 2024.
    (WTOP/Kyle Cooper)

    WTOP/Kyle Cooper

    Inside of hydroponic greenhouse
    In addition to learning about science, the students will also sell what’s grown in the greenhouse helping relieve the food desert problem, and to develop business skills.
    (WTOP/Kyle Cooper)

    WTOP/Kyle Cooper

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Kyle Cooper

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  • Running game having biggest impact in decades in NFL

    Running game having biggest impact in decades in NFL

    Derrick Henry was a bit amused by the premise of a question talking about the importance of passing in the modern NFL.

    “Is it a passing league?” he said jokingly. “I’m playing. But we (have) guys in the league that are running the ball well, that are efficient and been playing at a high level for an amount of years. So just credit to our RBs in the game. Just keep killing it.”

    Henry and his running back friends have been doing just that through the first half of the season with a big assist from a young generation of running quarterbacks such as Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields.

    While the big paydays and much of the attention goes to quarterbacks, receivers and other players who impact the passing game either by blocking or defending, there has been a bit of a renaissance when it comes to running the .

    With defenses keeping two safeties deep and playing with fewer defenders near the line of scrimmage to guard against the big play, and offenses more willing to take advantage of that, running the ball is having its biggest success in decades.

    Through the first nine weeks of the season, teams are combining for 241.4 yards rushing per game for the highest mark at this point of the season since 1987 when the league used replacements players for three games.

    The previous time it happened with real NFL players the entire time was in 1985 when Walter Payton, Marcus Allen and Eric Dickerson were among the game’s biggest stars.

    “It feels like there is a little bit of a change around the league where teams really are making a big emphasis and focus to run the ,” Seattle defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt said.

    There are five teams averaging at least 150 yards a game on the ground — one more than did it in the past three seasons combined.

    The Giants have used their success on the ground to be one of the league’s biggest surprises with six wins already on the strength of a healthy season from Saquon Barkley and using quarterback Daniel Jones in the running game.

    Atlanta has remained in contention in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year by capitalizing on the mobility of quarterback Marcus Mariota and backs such as Cordarrelle Patterson.

    “People know we want to run the ,” coach Arthur Smith said. “That’s what fires you up, and it won’t be that way every week. We’re going to have a challenge. We know how competitive it is. But when you can run the ball, when they know you’re going to run it, that speaks volumes about your guys.”

    Even teams that have dynamic options in the passing game have been using the run to great success to take advantage of how defenses play these days.

    The struggling Raiders had their biggest success offensively this season during a three-game stretch when Josh Jacobs rushed for 441 yards against defenses geared to stop Davante Adams.

    “You’ve got to be able to function and execute against whatever they do,” coach Josh McDaniels said. “If they’re going to try to protect the deep part of the field and not give up a bunch of big plays, I think that comes back down to execution and discipline for us. I mean, if you have to drive it 10 to 12 plays to score, then you’re going to need to be able to be disciplined enough to do that.”

    Perhaps no team has had as much success on the ground as the Bears, who have gotten a big spark on offense when they seemed to ditch the passing game and focus the offense around Fields and his ability to run.

    Chicago is averaging 195.4 yards per game on the ground, putting the Bears on pace for 3,322 yards — 26 more than the single-season record set in a 16-game season by Baltimore in 2019.

    But the Bears are averaging 243 yards rushing the past four games — becoming the second in NFL history to rush for at least 235 yards in four straight games. That feat was last accomplished by the 1949 Eagles when the sport barely resembled the modern version that took over when rules made passing easier in 1978.

    “I think we are just really maximizing our strengths and minimizes our weaknesses right now,” coach Matt Eberflus said.

    Fields set an NFL regular-season record when he ran for 178 yards last week against Miami, including an electrifying 61-yard touchdown.

    That was part of a record-setting week for quarterbacks, whose combined 801 yards rushing last week were the most ever in a week for the position. The 5,132 yards rushing by QBs are the most ever through nine weeks led by Jackson (635) and Fields (602).

    “He’s as fast as any skill position runner,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said after facing Fields. “Like he is really, really fast and he can cut and break tackles. There are a lot of running quarterbacks. This one in particular I think is very elite and adept at that.”

    While watching Fields run through his defense exasperated McDaniels, who even begged him to stop to no avail, the success on the ground has brought joy to other coaches.

    Perhaps none more than Seattle’s Pete Carroll, who endured criticism in recent years for not letting Russell Wilson pass more, but now has the top team in the NFC West thanks in part to rookie running back Kenneth Walker III and an offensive approach that suits Carroll’s style.

    “It’s always been important, it’s just been that other things drew the attention of the following and the media,” he said. “It was never of less significance because that’s how the game works.”

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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