DENVER (AP) — Election Day has come and gone. So has the trade deadline. The autumn leaves are mostly on the ground. The days are shorter, the nights longer. And yet here we are watching sloppy football across the NFL.
Week 10 looked a lot like Week 1, or even the preseason tilts chock full of NFL wannabes who may have made the play but not the cut.
The slate started with a Thursday night snoozer in which both the reeling Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) and the surging Denver Broncos (8-2) had more penalties (11) than first downs (10). The Broncos prevailed 10-7 — the same score the Eagles beat the Packers on Monday night to wrap up the wacky week — despite going three-and-out eight times thanks to a bevy of bad throws, dropped passes and, yes, yellow flags.
On Sunday, the Chicago Bears, who are accustomed to playing in wet, windy weather, dropped six of Caleb Williams’ passes in their 24-20 comeback against the New York Giants that cost Brian Daboll his job.
And in their 27-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Minnesota Vikings were whistled for a whopping eight false starts — at home, where these things generally don’t happen.
Except that it’s the NFL in 2025: cockeyed, confusing and chaotic.
The Patriots are atop the AFC East this late in the year for the first time since Tom Brady was throwing darts and dunks to Gronk instead of arrows and flowers from the broadcast booth and Bill Belichick was steamrolling NFL opponents instead of getting crushed in college.
The Colts are chasing their first AFC South title since Andrew Luck was QB in 2014, and the Broncos are alone atop the AFC West for the first time since 2015 when they won their last Super Bowl title.
The Seahawks are tied with the Rams at 7-2 atop the NFC West. They haven’t won their division since 2020 before Russell Wilson was traded and benched in Denver, chased out of Pittsburgh and demoted in New York.
The Broncos have been flagged 101 times this season, second only to Jacksonville's 102. Both teams have 83 penalties against them that were accepted. Seventeen by Denver were declined and one was offsetting.
“Certainly, it's a point of emphasis,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said.
Yet, the Broncos are tied with New England and Indianapolis at 8-2 for the best record in the league in this topsy-turvy season in which we're into November and the Kansas City Chiefs, winners of nine straight AFC West crowns, five of the last six AFC championships and three Super Bowls, are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.
The Vikings' eight false-start penalties against Baltimore were the most by a home team since the Buffalo Bills had nine against Cleveland on Oct. 11, 2009, according to Sportradar.
“Whatever was unearthed today needs to be corrected immediately,” coach Kevin O’Connell said after the Vikings’ eight false starts among 13 flags short circuited their comeback hopes against the Ravens
The eight false-start penalties also were the most in a game by any team since the Carolina Panthers at Seattle on Sept. 24, 2023, according to Sportradar.
Right tackle Brian O’Neill was flagged three times. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy and star receiver Justin Jefferson also were penalized. The quarterback and his offensive line struggled with snap counts, cadence and presnap adjustments, especially in the fourth quarter, when the Vikings had three false starts in the final 10 minutes.
Running back Aaron Jones said some Ravens defenders seized on the confusion by barking “Hut!” when McCarthy changed the play call or protection. Still, the friendly crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium should not have made it that problematic, he said.
“That’s what they get paid to do,” Jones said. “We’ve just got to lock in, especially when we’re playing at home.”
The Vikings, 14-3 in the regular season a year ago, fell to 4-5.
“It’s going to be tough to win games like that,” Jefferson said. “Go back to work and do the things that allow us to move forward, not backward.”
At five yards a pop.
With contributions from Associated Press Writer Brian Murphy in Minneapolis.
Behind the Call analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL during the season.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) appeals to the officials in the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
NEW YORK (AP) — Pete Alonso hit plenty of memorable home runs for the New York Mets.
This one came at their expense — and still earned him a curtain call in Queens.
Alonso launched his 300th career homer Tuesday night, a tying shot in the ninth inning against his former team, and Coby Mayo’s inside-the-park homer in the 11th sent the Baltimore Orioles to a 7-5 victory at Citi Field.
“There’s a lot of history here with me,” Alonso said after receiving a beer shower from his Baltimore teammates. “It doesn’t matter where and when, I just want to help the team win. I’m just really, really happy for us to come back the way we did.”
The Orioles were two outs from a defeat that would have dropped them four games behind Cleveland for the last American League playoff spot when Alonso hit a 414-foot solo drive off Kodai Senga to tie the score 3-all.
A pumped-up Alonso, who hit a club-record 264 homers for the Mets before signing with the Orioles last December, fired his bat toward the Baltimore dugout and shouted in excitement. He rounded the bases as the Citi Field crowd of 28,097 — down from 35,800 for the slugger's return Monday night — roared.
Fans chanted his name until Alonso emerged from the dugout for a curtain call. Then chants of “Fire Stearns” began, aimed at Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.
“Everyone in the dugout was saying go out there,” Alonso said. “And they were right.”
Said Orioles manager Craig Albernaz: “The dugout was fired up for Pete for a lot of different reasons. It was cool to get an acknowledgment from the crowd.”
The rare curtain call on the road continued an outpouring of support from Mets fans for Alonso over the past two nights — and apparently annoyed at least one of his former teammates.
“As the 2026 Mets, I know we have definitely underperformed. But we are — the guys in here work their (tails) off every single day and to have that kind of reaction to an opposing player — could be anybody — is crazy to me," said New York pitcher Sean Manaea, who started Tuesday night. "Again, I’ve got nothing but respect for Pete. But yeah, just never seen anything like that before.
“Pete’s not here," the veteran left-hander added. “He’s just not here. So, I know everybody loves him. He’s the man. But, yeah, he’s not here. So, to see the reaction from the fans like that, I don’t know, it’s just different.”
Alonso became the third player to hit his 300th home run against a team for whom he played in 1,000 or more games. Willie Horton hit No. 300 with Seattle against the Detroit Tigers in 1979, and Torii Hunter did so for the Tigers against the Minnesota Twins in 2013.
Alonso received a two-minute tribute video before the Orioles’ 2-1 win Monday night at Citi Field. He was showered with a thunderous ovation before his first at-bat minutes later, when he was accompanied to the plate by “Layla,” one of his walk-up songs, as “Welcome Back, Pete!” flashed next to his picture on the scoreboard.
He got standing ovations before each of his final three plate appearances as well on Monday, when rookie pitcher Jonah Tong was booed after walking Alonso in the third, and warm receptions prior to his first three at-bats Tuesday.
“I appreciate all the support for all the years I’ve been here, all the life I’ve lived here,” Alonso said Tuesday night. “Obviously, they’re recognizing that and they appreciate that. It’s a two-way street. Really appreciate it.”
Alonso was given his home run ball by the trio of Long Islanders — Michael Shaw, Nick Maldarella and Chris Makarius — who teamed up to catch the milestone drive, which caromed off the second deck of stands in left field and fell into the first deck.
“On the way here, we were saying we’re going to catch his 300th home run,” Maldarella said. “And sure enough, man. It’s crazy.”
Maldarella and Makarius said they each got a hand on it before sharing it with Shaw.
“Never leave a man behind,” Shaw said.
Alonso signed a bat and a ball for each fan in return. He also signed the shirts they were wearing — an Alonso Mets jersey for Shaw and Makarius and a Carlos Delgado shirt for Maldarella — and offered them tickets and batting-practice access at Camden Yards in Baltimore next season.
“Thank you, guys,” Alonso said to the trio outside the visitors' clubhouse. “You guys are so kind. Thank you so much.”
Alonso also posed for a group picture and for photos with each person individually.
“I mean, who doesn’t love Pete?” Shaw said.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso throws his bat after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso looks after his solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso reacts after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso hits a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Baltimore Orioles' Pete Alonso, center, acknowledges the crowd after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
