Ditka Gets Fired Up

Ditka, fined $20,000 by the Saints for directing obscene gestures toward fans after Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans at New Orleans, said he was ready to accept being fired by owner Tom Benson.

“I intend to honor [my contract] as long as they want me here,” Ditka said. “But I told Tom the moment he wants to make a change, I understand. Listen, you’re nobody until you’ve been fired. But if you’ve been fired twice, you’re really somebody.”

The Carolina Panthers’ 31-29 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday was their first by three points or fewer since Sept. 7, 1997, when they defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 9-6. It could be the start of a run for the Panthers, whose next three games are against the Lions (3-2), Atlanta Falcons (1-5) and Eagles (4-2).

“I think that was very important,” safety Mike Minter said. “We always were a team on the other end, getting beat by two points. . . . It feels good to be able to get it done.”

The Falcons, who play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night at Pittsburgh, have never won in the Steel City and have lost nine consecutive Monday night games, an NFL record.

If the St. Louis Rams beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, they’ll be 6-0 for the first time since 1985 as they head into a Halloween showdown against the Titans, who are 5-1 for the first time since 1991, when they were the Houston Oilers.