NW Sports from the AP

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — What started out as a mild concern for the Seattle Seahawks became a full-blown issue after losing to Detroit. If there had been one knock on the Seahawks’ impressive defense, it was the unit’s problems getting off the field on third down. Those problems were accentuated Sunday by what the Lions’ were able to do in a 28-24 win that left Seattle with a 4-4 record. The Lions converted 12 of 16 third downs, including six conversions of 8 yards or longer. According to STATS Inc., the Seahawks rank last in the NFL in allowing conversions on third-and-6 or more, giving up first downs 39 percent of the time.

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State coach Mike Riley has decided to go with junior Cody Vaz as his starter for Saturday’s game against Arizona State. Vaz had started two games for the No. 13 Beavers while starter Sean Mannion recovered from arthroscopic knee surgery. Mannion returned last Saturday to start against Washington, but threw four interceptions before Vaz replaced him in a 20-17 loss.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have appointed AEG Sports executive Chris McGowan as the team’s new president and chief operating officer. McGowan helped guide the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy as chief operating officer of AEG Sports. McGowan, who joins the Blazers on Nov. 12, succeeds Larry Miller, who left the Blazers in July to return to Nike.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners have hired Tim Kissner as their new director of international operations. The Mariners announced Kissner’s hiring yesterday. He worked the past two seasons as a crosschecker in the Chicago Cubs organization and before that spent 10 years with the Philadelphia Phillies. From 2008 to 2010, he was the Pacific Rim coordinator for the Phillies.