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Cosell believes 'there's a reason' Purdy went last in draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
“I will say this: When he came in this game -- and I saw it on TV and then I watched the tape -- you could see that he was comfortable,” Cosell said. “It wasn’t too fast for him. He’s a timing, rhythm player.
“I also thought Purdy did a really good job last week in a difficult situation against a defense with the Dolphins that shows a lot of pressure looks and makes it difficult to know who’s coming,” Cosell said. “... I thought he made a couple of big third-down throws where he understood exactly what he was seeing.”
Because it isn’t where a player is drafted that matters -- it’s what they do with that opportunity. | 2022-12-10T19:26:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brock Purdy picked last in 2022 NFL Draft for a reason, Greg Cosell says | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-picked-last-2022-185557022.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-picked-last-2022-185557022.html?src=rss |
The Cleveland Browns have frequently hosted tryouts throughout the season as they follow their own guardrail of churning the bottom of their roster. They have even signed a few players straight from tryouts to their practice squad, including safety Mike Brown who is set to make his third gameday appearance as a practice squad elevation. This week is no different, as the Browns tried out three players, including former starting defensive back of the Washington Commanders, Troy Apke.
Here we take a look at those three players and give their college and NFL background, and their athletic testing numbers. Could the Browns add one of these guys to the practice squad as well with five weeks to go in the 2022 season?
Browns tried out three yesterday. pic.twitter.com/N5kv7Et6dn
Browns tryout Troy Apke
Browns tryout Troy Apke. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest of the three names who tried out is Apke. A former fourth round pick of the Commanders, Apke started a total of nine games for them at both cornerback and safety. He, however, did not receive a contract extension after his rookie deal in Washington expired.
One reason Apke was drafted so highly, however, was because of his athletic ability. At the combine in 2018, Apke lit up the competition as he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash, leaped to a 41-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot-11 broad jump. His agility numbers were off the charts as well, as he did not test below the 94th percentile in any drill except the bench press.
Browns tryout Sage Doxtater. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
After releasing practice squad offensive tackle Will Holden with an injury settlement, the Browns may be looking to add another. One of two offensive tackles in for tryouts was Sage Doxtater, an undrafted free agent out of New Mexico State. Doxtater was both drafted into the Canadian Football League and signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints.
However, Doxtater was placed on the Injured Reserve by the Saints this summer and was later released. He does not have any testing numbers as he was not healthy enough to participate in New Mexico State’s pro day this past Spring.
Browns tryout Eric Smith. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports
An undrafted free agent from the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia, Eric Smith has had stays in the NFL with all of the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Arizona Cardinals. However, in that span, Smith has only appeared in four games throughout his NFL career.
He, however, does not have an enticing athletic profile. He does, however, have nearly 35-inch arms, which works to his advantage. His 40-yard dash fell in just the 39th percentile historically, and his explosiveness drills were just as poor. If Smith were to land on the practice squad, there is not a good chance of him seeing a gameday elevation.
Today, the Texas Longhorns take on Arkansas–Pine Bluff at the Moody Center at noon, broadcast on the Longhorn Network. The 3-7 Golden Lions have yet to beat a D1 team this season, though earlier on in their campaign, they got close to knocking off two separate Big 12 teams on the road – TCU and Oklahoma. Against TCU, APB lost at the end due to the late-game heroics of Mike Miles Jr., who hit a three with 0:51 left in the game to give the Horned Frogs a late lead which eventually held. | 2022-12-10T19:26:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | Browns host 3 for tryouts on Thursday including DB Troy Apke | https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-host-3-tryouts-thursday-182352131.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-host-3-tryouts-thursday-182352131.html?src=rss |
It’s very unusual for a team with a 5-7 record to be favored to beat a 10-2 foe. But that’s where the Detroit Lions find themselves in Sunday’s matchup in Ford Field against the Minnesota Vikings.
Dan Campbell’s Lions are favored by 1.5 points in Week 14, having won four of their last five games. Of course, the Vikings have been victorious in nine of their last 10 outings, a run that started with a Week 3 win over the Lions.
Campbell was asked about his thoughts on the strange situation of being favored over a team with such a superior record.
After a discourse on the illegality of NFL personnel betting on games, Campbell talked up the Vikings and the respect he has for their ability to keep winning.
“I go back to the fact, and I keep hitting this, our players have done a good job of, man, you always respect your opponent,” Campbell told reporters on Friday. “This team has won 10 games now, and it doesn’t matter how you did it. You won them, and you earned that. There is no, ‘Well, it was a fluke.’ That doesn’t exist in this League, and they are finding ways to win. They always have, and they’re where they’re at for a reason, and you cannot overlook that. So, they’ve been down, they’ve been up, and they always find a way. So, those teams, man, if you don’t have the respect for those teams, you’ll get buried by them.”
The second-year head coach doesn’t want to hear anything about the respect the Lions are getting from bettors, either,
“No, it’s the same people that – we were trash when we were 1-6, so it’s irrelevant. And if we don’t win this game, then it’s back to, ‘Oh, we’re not what we were. It’s a fluke, and blah blah blah.’ So, it’s all about the next game, right in front of us. That’s all we can worry about, and it’s about playing good football and knowing that it’s going to come down to the wire.” | 2022-12-10T19:26:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dan Campbell not worried about the Lions being favored over the Vikings | https://sports.yahoo.com/dan-campbell-not-worried-lions-183113903.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dan-campbell-not-worried-lions-183113903.html?src=rss |
The teams throwing most out of 11 this season — the Bengals, Buccaneers, Chargers — tend to lead with the pass, and the run game is an ancillary construct. Although, as our Laurie Fitzpatrick recently revealed, the Bengals are finding a dangerous balance these days.
That said, if you want dominant offensive balance out of 11 personnel, look no further than the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles, who are killing opposing defenses with it, run or pass.
In Week 12 against the Packers, the Eagles had the 20th-most rushing yards in a single game in pro football history with 363. Green Bay came into that game ranked 30th in run defense DVOA, so it made sense that head coach Nick Sirianni, offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, and run game coordinator/offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland went that way.
But what was really interesting? How often they ran the ball out of that lighter package. The Eagles ran the ball 36 times out of 11 personnel against the Packers for 252 yards, 131 yards after contact, and two of their three rushing touchdowns. Hurts ran 15 times out of 11 for 116 yards, which made him the NFL’s most productive runner out of 11, regardless of position.
Then, in Week 13 against a Tennessee Titans defense that ranked first in run defense DVOA through Week 12, the Eagles completely flipped the script. But they did so almost entirely out 11 personnel. 34 of Hurts’ 39 passing attempts, 27 of his 29 completions, and all three of his passing touchdowns came out of 11.
Hurts won NFC Offensive Player of the Week after each of those games.
So, whatever you have to offer on defense, the Eagles have ways to nuke it, and it’s going to look very similar before the snap. This speaks to modern offensive trends, and it’s a huge problem for the defenses that have to deal with it.
(All advanced metrics courtesy of Sports Info Solutions, Pro Football Focus, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).
Use your illusion.
There are all kinds of ways to attack defenses with personnel groups and formations, of course, but for the purposes of this article, let’s break it down to two concepts: The illusion of complexity, and the illusion of simplicity. The illusion of complexity arises in the modern game from play-callers like San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur. They will throw all kinds of formations at you, and run staple plays out of them.
“We want to have like plays, meaning, plays that start out looking the same that are different,” LaFleur said when the Packers hired him to be their head coach in January, 2019. “We also want to create what we call an ‘illusion of complexity,’ meaning we’re going to run the same concepts, but how many different ways can we run them?” LaFleur said. “Whether it’s out of 11 personnel, 12 personnel, 13 personnel, just to make it a little more difficult for the defense.”
Teams like the 49ers and Packers are more amorphous in their pre-snap looks. Sean McVay, since he became the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach in 2017, has directed a series of offenses in which one personnel grouping (11 personnel) rules the day, and you’ll see all kinds of stuff out of that.
“We might be running the same play, but the presentation of it looks different based on how we motion to it, how we create the final formation, what personnel grouping we’re doing it out of,” McVay said in 2021. “But it’s that illusion of complexity that I think you see a lot of the best offenses do year in and year out. And I think that’s one of the things we try to stay true to as well,”
It’s more the illusion of simplicity in McVay’s case, but you get the point.
In 2021, Sirianni’s first season as the Eagles’ head coach, his offense was more expansive from a personnel perspective. They ran 11 on 64% of their snaps (13th-most in the NFL), 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, three receivers) on 25% of their snaps (eighth-most in the league), and 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends, and one receiver) on 9% of their snaps, second-most in the league.
This season, in a Nigel Tufnel sense, almost everything goes to 11. The Eagles have bumped their 11 personnel rate to 71% (10th), while their 12 personnel rate has dropped to 20% (15th), and their 13 personnel rate has dropped to 7% (seventh).
With quarterback Jalen Hurts developing as a pure quarterback beyond the need for RPO training wheels and required help from play-action, Sirianni and his staff have decided to embarrass defenses with the frequent and cunning use of 11 personnel. They have the personnel, and the concepts, to wax your butt all over the field, run or pass, out of their own version of the illusion of simplicity.
Like a lot of the best things in life, Philly’s offense looks simple, and is anything but.
Running power out of passing personnel.
Let’s go back to the Packers game, where the Eagles blew Joe Barry’s defense right out of Lincoln Financial Field with power running concepts in passing personnel. Running back Miles Sanders had 13 carries out of 11 against Green Bay, gaining 95 yards and scoring a touchdown. Here’s the touchdown, a 15-yarder with 9:08 left in the first quarter, and the Eagles’ offensive line just demolishing Green Bay’s five-man front. Linebacker Quay Walker (No. 7) was late to fill the gap, which allowed left guard Landon Dickerson (No. 69) to get to the second level and erase him. Meanwhile, right tackle Lane Johnson (No. 65) pulled across to take out defensive tackle Jarran Reed (No. 90), and center Jason Kelce (No. 62) did just enough to keep nose tackle Kenny Clark (No. 97) out of the way.
As revealed in the intro, Hurts ran 15 times out of 11 for 116 yards against the Packers, which made him the NFL’s most productive runner out of 11 that week, regardless of position. I would count just four of those runs as quarterback scrambles; the Eagles have a nice package of designed run concepts for their young quarterback.
On this 28-yard Hurts run with 12:09 left in the first quarter, and the Eagles with third-and-6 at the Green Bay 34-yard line, Philly got a bit trickier with their pre-snap look. This time, it was a 2×2 set with running back Kenneth Gainwell motioning from the backfield to the flat, and the Packers showing Cover-1 (single-high man) with their response. Gainwell’s motion took Barnes out of the middle of the formation, and against a light box, Hurts knew what was up.
This season, Hurts has 11 runs out of 11 personnel and an empty backfield for 95 yards. So, one more thing your beleaguered defensive coordinator has to keep in mind.
Setting defenses up for the haymaker.
Moving to the Titans game last Sunday, and a completely different approach. Now, the Eagles had to design a game plan against the NFL’s best run defense, and a vulnerable secondary. Hurts had unleashed the deep ball before this season…
The Eagles now have a deep passing game, and the NFL should be afraid
…but he really went to work against the Titans. Hurts passed for a season-high 380 yards and totaled four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with no interceptions for a 130.3 rating in Philadelphia’s 35-10 win over Tennessee. It marked the most passing yards and highest passer rating of any quarterback in Week 13.
The numbers out of 11 personnel were similarly scary: As we mentioned in the intro, 34 of Hurts’ 39 passing attempts, 27 of his 29 completions, and all three of his passing touchdowns came out of 11.
This time, it was about matchups. And this did NOT favor Tennessee’s defensive backs.
The Eagles seem to be using a bit more pre-snap motion as the season goes along, and Hurts’ 34-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith with 12:11 left in the first quarter once again showed the positive effect. Sanders’ motion from left to right spread Tennessee’s Cover-4 defense, tight end Tyree Jackson’s crossing route just past the sticks brought safety Andrew Adams (No. 47) down from two-high, and Smith had a one-on-one on the deep post against cornerback Roger McCreary. As safety Kevin Byard (No. 31) had to stay to the defensive left side to deal with the passing strength of the formation, this was pitch-and-catch.
The Giants have next.
This Sunday, the Eagles have a pivotal NFC East matchup with the 7-4-1 New York Giants; it’s the first of two times these teams will face off in the next five weeks (there’s also the regular-season finale on Sunday, January 8), and Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is all too aware what he’s about to face.
“I think it’s the power and balance he has coming out of his cuts,” Martindale said this week, when asked why Hurts is so challenging as a runner. “So, he can get you running and when he sits down and makes a cut, he comes out of it with power, compared to a lot of guys. The thing that makes him so tough to go against, he’s still looking to get the ball downfield until that last second where he says, ‘No, I’m going to go’. It’s going to be a tough challenge for us.”
As for defending A.J. Brown, Martindale was even more gobsmacked.
“Whew, got any ideas? It’s like they’ve got T.O. [receiver Terrell Owens] back there playing again. He’s a problem. We went against him when he was in Tennessee and he’s a big physical receiver that you’d have to fight every play. I told [defensive backs coach] Jerome Henderson if [Brown] was a defensive player, he’d be an outside backer that’s how physical he plays at wide receiver.”
The Giants have blitzed more than any other NFL team this season with a 40.8% rate. This plays completely to type — when Martindale was the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator, the Ravens were at or near the top of the league in blitz percentage every year.
Against six or more pass-rushers this season out of 11 personnel, Hurts has completed nine of 18 passes for 151 yards, 85 air yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 115.7.
This season, the Giants have also played by far the most snaps of dollar personnel, with seven defensive backs. They have 54 snaps of dollar against the pass (the Las Vegas Raiders rank second with 28), and they have seven snaps of dollar against the run — where they’ve allowed 46 yards, and 42 yards after contact, on those seven carries.
So Martindale might be in a position to trim off everything about his defense that makes it different. Which is what the Eagles do to their opponents every week, with that all-too-dangerous illusion of simplicity.
What’s coming next after the snap? We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out. Most likely, it will be bad news for Big Blue.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Philadelphia Flyers - Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Vegas Golden Knights vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 12/09/2022 | 2022-12-10T19:27:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense has perfected the illusion of simplicity | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-offense-perfected-illusion-simplicity-180552603.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-offense-perfected-illusion-simplicity-180552603.html?src=rss |
The New York Giants (7-4-1) host the Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday in a key late-season divisional matchup.
Here are five storylines we’re following in Week 14.
A meaningful December game
The Giants’ goal before the season was to hopefully play meaningful football games come December. Well, here we are.
The Giants need to win to maintain their standing in the NFC Playoff picture. They are currently the sixth seed. They have not won since Week 7.
Philadelphia, the NFC’s top seed, can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a tie on Sunday against the Giants or a San Francisco loss combined with a Seattle loss.
Saquon is hurt
The Giants’ success on offense has centered around running back Saquon Barkley this season. If they are to knock the Eagles off their perch, he will have to have a signature game.
That may not be in the cards, however. Barkley turned up on the injury report on Friday with a sore neck.
“Week 14, his neck’s a little sore, so (we) put him on the injury report,” head coach Brian Daboll on Friday. “I think it’s just a long season, sore, so (we’ll) see where he is today. Probably limited today again, too.”
Barkley is currently listed as questionable.
Stopping the Philly run game
The Eagles have averaged 190.3 yards per game on the ground the past three weeks, second only to Las Vegas over that span. They are led by quarterback Jalen Hurts and running backs Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott.
Meanwhile, the Giants have been very lenient against the run, allowing 164.7 yards per game over their last three.
This is not a favorable matchup for Big Blue.
Where are the point going to come from?
The Eagles are second in the NFL in points per game (28.2). The Giants are averaging just 20.3 points per game this season.
The Giants have not scored more than 27 points in a game but have not scored less than 13. If they are going to win this game, they must find a way to put up points.
Or keep the Eagles out of the end zone. Philly is averaging 30.7 points per game over their last three, so that won’t be an easy task. The over/under is 44.5 points, so the oddsmakers are predicting a low-scoring affair.
Daniel Jones needs to shine -- now
The Giants are still waffling on whether Daniel Jones is their quarterback of the future. He can make a case for himself with a solid showing this week and an upset win.
Jones has not had what one would call an eye-popping year. He has passed for under 200 yards in eight of his 12 starts this season with 11 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Jones can supplement his passing effort by strategically using his legs.
On the ground, Jones has been effective averaging 43.5 yards per game and 5.7 per attempt.
He needs to shine in this game to lock down any chance of a contract extension.
Terrence Howard Reveals He's Retiring: 'This Is the End for Me'
Howard confirmed his decision during a red carpet event for 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters,' saying, "I’ve given the very best that I have as an actor."
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Pierre Engvall was suspended for a game without pay by the NHL for high-sticking Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi. | 2022-12-10T19:27:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants vs. Eagles: 5 biggest storylines for Week 14 | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-vs-eagles-5-biggest-175541213.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-vs-eagles-5-biggest-175541213.html?src=rss |
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones still has confidence in the offense, despite the unit’s struggles.
Jones has thrown for 1,963 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season. The quarterback has had an up-and-down year, as he has battled through injuries. The former Alabama star has been consistent since returning from a high ankle sprain he suffered earlier in the season. In his previous two games alone, he has thrown for three touchdowns with no interceptions.
New England’s offensive line has struggled a bit, giving up 32 sacks on the season. That is the 10th-most in the league, which is clearly a big problem for the unit.
Take for instance New England’s two contests against the New York Jets. The Jets were able to sack Jones 12 times over the two-game span. The Patriots are tied with Denver for last in the league in red zone touchdown percentage, per TeamRankings.com.
They hold a shockingly bad mark of 37.50%.
And yet, despite all of these issues, Jones remains confident in his offense to turn it around. However, finishing in the red zone is clearly something he wants to focus on more.
“I think we’ve just got to break the theme here and just keep working,” Jones said, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “That’s all you can do. Together, talk through things. At the end of the day, we’ve got to go out there and execute better. When you watch the film in those critical times and when we do that, we should be able to put the points up. … We’ve been able to move the ball, it’s just getting touchdowns is what we want.”
It will be intriguing to see what New England brings to the table for the game on Monday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Patriots offense is not fooling many, including Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who offered a blistering critique of the sputtering offense on Thursday. Even still, this matchup against the Cardinals could be an opportunity for the Patriots to finally get back on track.
Patriots’ Trent Brown upgraded on Friday’s injury report
New England's starting left tackle was limited Friday after missing Thursday's practice. | 2022-12-10T19:27:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Mac Jones wants to break the offensive theme for struggling Patriots | https://sports.yahoo.com/mac-jones-wants-break-offensive-175350451.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/mac-jones-wants-break-offensive-175350451.html?src=rss |
The injury may have been fake but the pain to the wallet of Cameron Jordan and other members of the New Orleans Saints organization will be real.
The NFL on Saturday revealed it had fined the Saints $350,000, head coach Dennis Allen $100,000, Cameron Jordan $50,000, and co-defensive coordinator $50,000, for the defensive end faking an injury during Monday night’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The alleged incident occurred midway through the fourth quarter on Monday’s game when Jordan took a knee and pointed to his lower leg. It forced an injury stoppage as Tom Brady looked to line up the Bucs offense on a fourth-and-10. Tampa punted the ball once play resumed.
The fines will be appealed. | 2022-12-10T19:27:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL hammers Saints with massive fines for faking injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-hammers-saints-massive-fines-181918125.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-hammers-saints-massive-fines-181918125.html?src=rss |
Not even the bye week can go right for the New Orleans Saints. The NFL has fined defensive end Cameron Jordan, head coach Dennis Allen, co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and the Saints organization for a combined $550,000 per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The fine is connected to a 3rd-and-17 play after aTampa Bay Buccaneers running back brought in a 7-yard reception from quarterback Tom Brady with over 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Jordan nearly closed in on a sack, and fell awkwardly while trying to make the play and was walking carefully down the field. He went down to a knee as the Tampa Bay punt team had begun to take the field but Brady waved them off, looking to keep the offense on to potentially go for it on fourth-and-long. As noted by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, Jordan didn’t return to the game until four plays into the next Buccaneers possession. This comes from the Monday night matchup that followed the Sunday afternoon meeting between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in which a Bengals defender clearly faked an injury to avoid taking a 12 men on the field penalty.
Per ProFootballTalk, the Saints will not be the only the only team to see this discipline warning “more to come.” It will be interesting to see if safety Jessie Bates III and the Bengals will receive similar fines and punishments.
As for the Saints, it looks like Jordan, Allen, Nielsen and perhaps the organization as a whole will be appealing the fines. In a season that has already been so disappointing for this team, adding this to the list feels a little bit like overkill by the league. It seems possible that the fines could end up being reduced thanks to the appeals, but it’s hard to imagine the NFL would stand down after issuing such a large sanction. | 2022-12-10T19:28:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL hits Saints with steep fines for allegedly faking injury vs. Bucs | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-hits-saints-steep-fines-184047085.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-hits-saints-steep-fines-184047085.html?src=rss |
The drop off for Brandin Cooks has been staggering.
The 29-year-old receiver has 44 catches for 520 yards and a touchdown through 10 games, all of which he has started. Cooks’ yards per game are down significantly from 64.8 to 52.0.
Ostensibly the Houston Texans’ passing attack was supposed to be better with Davis Mills getting all of the first-team reps going back to offseason workouts. However, the Texans have been among the worst in the NFL, ranking 27th in passing offense.
According to Seth Walder from ESPN, Cooks made their list as one of five “declining stars” in the 2022 season.
Cooks’ decline has been apparent in his production numbers. He dropped from 2.3 and 2.4 yards per route run in 2020 and 2021, respectively, to 1.8 this year. His fantasy managers are likely aware of the lack of production.
Cooks won’t be present in Week 14 as he will miss with a calf injury. The last time Cooks missed two games or more in a regular season was in 2019, his final year with the Los Angeles Rams. Cooks had a down year with 42 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns as the Rams finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. | 2022-12-10T19:28:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans WR Brandin Cooks considered a ‘declining star’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-wr-brandin-cooks-considered-175939872.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-wr-brandin-cooks-considered-175939872.html?src=rss |
Ohio State got the win over Rutgers on Thursday. It shouldn't have. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
It's official. No. 25 Ohio State's buzzer-beating win over Rutgers, the most thrilling ending of Big Ten men's basketball play so far this season, should not have counted.
The conference released a statement Friday admitting its officials missed a call at the end of Thursday's game, in which Buckeyes guard Tanner Holden made a 3-pointer as time expired to give his team a 67-66 win at home.
With five seconds left and down two points, Ohio State's Bruce Thornton got the ball after a missed Rutgers free throw. Strong defense by the Scarlet Knights forced Thornton toward the sideline with no chance at a quality shot, but the freshman "luckily" found Holden a few feet ahead near the sideline. One pass later, Holden blew the roof off the Schottenstein Center.
Unfortunately, you might notice in the following video that Holden was out of bounds when Thornton made the pass:
PANDEMONIUM pic.twitter.com/o4XR9iPc1b
The rules dictate that a player must not be the first person to touch the ball after coming in from out-of-bounds, which Holden clearly was. There was another video showing Thornton might have slightly stepped out of bounds as well.
The officials still gave Ohio State the win, improving its record to 7-2.
One day later, the Big Ten was admitting the shot indeed shouldn't have counted and its officials "missed the call." The conference said it had addressed the matter with both schools and the officiating crew, and will be giving its officials a refresher on the rules.
The Big Ten Conference has reviewed the officiating from The Ohio State University (OSU) and Rutgers University (Rutgers) men's basketball game on December 9, 2022, at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
During regulation play, an OSU student-athlete passed the ball to a teammate who had drifted out of bounds and returned to the court to complete the game-winning shot. The action of stepping out of bounds and being the first player to touch the ball after retuming inbounds constituted a violation of NCAA Rule 9, Section 3, Article 1. The play should have been stopped, and the ball ruled dead.
The officiating crew that was on the court is one of the best in country, but unfortunately missed the call. The Big Ten Conference takes officiating very seriously and has addressed the matter with both member institutions and the officiating crew. Additionally, the conference will be providing added education and rule reinforcement to our basketball officials.
That statement won't be any comfort to Rutgers, which was looking for back-to-back wins over ranked opponents. The Scarlet Knights beat then-No. 10 Indiana last Saturday.
They definitely aren't left alone. | 2022-12-10T19:43:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | Big Ten admits its officials should have called back Ohio State's buzzer-beater vs. Rutgers | https://sports.yahoo.com/big-ten-admits-its-officials-shouldnt-have-allowed-ohio-states-buzzer-beater-vs-rutgers-020154055.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/big-ten-admits-its-officials-shouldnt-have-allowed-ohio-states-buzzer-beater-vs-rutgers-020154055.html?src=rss |
Nov 30, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball against Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija (9) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Here is the latest news and possible return dates for Nets players...
Dec. 10 12:40 p.m.
The Nets have ruled the following players out for Saturday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers; Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Royce O’Neale, Seth Curry, TJ Warren, and Joe Harris.
Claxton also missed Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to his right hamstring tightness. O’Neale is being is listed as out due to personal reasons.
However, the rest of the bunch is being listed for injury management on the second night of a back-to-back.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn said following Friday night's win that he’ll be looking to get Durant some rest moving forward as his minutes are ‘adding up.’
“I’m not sure where he sits at. Him and Royce [O’Neal] are probably top five or seven [in the league] in minutes. I’m going to be honest with you. We will always be smart, short-term, long-term. I’ll see how they came from this game, but the minutes are adding up.”
On a positive note, Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) is expected to make his return to the team in Indiana.
The Nets ruled Nic Claxton (right hamstring tightness) out for Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
In 25 games this season, Claxton is averaging 11.8 points on 73 percent shooting. This is just the second game the 23-year-old has missed this season. Coach Jacque Vaughn confirmed that Claxton won't need an MRI and is not expected to be out long-term.
Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) will not be in the lineup Friday against Atlanta but is set to return this weekend, according to Vaughn.
Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) is no longer on the injury report and will return to the court Friday against the Atlanta Hawks after a four-game absence.
Over his last 10 games, Simmons has picked it up on both sides of the ball and has averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game.
The Nets will be without Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) on Friday, but head coach Jacque Vaughn said he is set to return this weekend. Watanabe last played against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 20, and could be back for Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers. He is averaging 8.1 points on 57.1 percent shooting from three-point range over 14 games this season.
T.J. Warren will make his Nets debut Friday night in Brooklyn against the Toronto Raptors, his
first appearance in an NBA game since Dec. 29, 2020.
"It's a surreal moment,” Warren said before the game. “It's been a long process – a very long run – and to be able to get to today, it means a lot. So I'm just super, super excited to beat all the obstacles all the uncertainty and unknowns.”
In his last full season with the Pacers, Warren averaged 19.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 67 games of the 2019-20 season. A stress fracture in his left foot kept him off the court.
Warren, 29, signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with Brooklyn this offseason.
Ben Simmons had already been ruled out for Wednesday night against Washington, and now the former No. 1 overall pick will miss more time.
The Nets announced that Simmons has been diagnosed with a left lateral upper calf strain, saying he will miss the next three games and will be reassessed at that point.
Simmons played just 11 minutes against the Magic on Monday before getting injured.
Though he’s had a rocky start to his Nets tenure, Simmons had been playing better as of late. In his last six games prior to the injury, Simmons averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.
The Nets also announced that Yuta Watanabe had an MRI on his strained right hamstring on Monday. He will continue to receive treatment and be reassessed in a week.
Ben Simmons will not play in Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards in Brooklyn, the team announced. The former No. 1 overall pick left Monday night's win over the Orlando Magic due to left knee soreness.
In addition to Simmons, the Nets will also be without TJ Warren (left foot), Yuta Watanabe (hamstring strain) and Alondes Williams (abdominal strain).
The Nets listed guard David Duke Jr. as questionable with a non-covid illness.
Ben Simmons was ruled out for the remainder of Monday's game against the Orlando Magic due to left knee soreness, the Nets announced.
Simmons logged just 11 minutes in the first half before heading to the locker room, as the team ruled him out at halftime. The former No. 1 pick recorded four rebounds and three assists before exiting the game.
After the Nets' win over the Magic, head coach Jacque Vaughn said that Simmons asked to be pulled out of the game and the team will take it "day-by-day" with his injury.
After a slow start to the season, Simmons has played better as of late, averaging 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists over his last 10 games. He scored a season-high 22 points against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 20 and then followed that up with a 20-point performance on Nov. 25 against the Indiana Pacers.
T.J. Warren hasn't played in an NBA game since Dec. 29, 2020, but the former Sun and Pacer is nearing his Nets debut.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Warren is targeting Friday's matchup vs. the Toronto Raptors as his first game with Brooklyn.
Warren, 29, signed a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the Nets this offseason. A stress fracture in his left foot has kept him off the court, but Warren averaged a career-best 19.8 points per game in his last full season in 2019-20.
The Nets announced Saturday afternoon that Yuta Watanabe will miss Sunday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Barclays Center with a nagging hamstring injury.
Sunday will be the fifth straight game Watanabe has missed with the ailment. The next game Watanabe can be back is Monday at home against the Orlando Magic.
While speaking with reporters prior to Friday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said Yuta Watanabe’s hamstring injury doesn’t appear to be too serious.
He added that the team will take a conservative approach with the small forward, but they aren’t worried the injury will linger.
“No setbacks for him. Not really worried that this is something that’s going to last for too long,” Vaughn said.
The sharpshooter has missed the past four games due to the injury. Watanabe has been one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the league this season, shooting 57.1 percent from behind the arc.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn revealed prior to Wednesday's game against the Raptors that Yuta Watanabe will miss at least the next two games with a hamstring injury.
Vaughn said that Watanabe had an MRI done while the team was in Philadelphia and it revealed the 28-year-old has a hamstring strain. Watanabe will miss the Raptors game and the Pacers game in Indiana on Friday.
The team will reassess when they get back to New York after Friday's game.
Nov. 20, 12:14 p.m.
The Nets cleared Kyrie Irving to play on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies after the point guard completed all of the team-issued prerequisites to return.
Irving was suspended from the team on Nov. 3 and has missed eight games over the last two weeks. He spoke to SNY's Ian Begley in an exclusive interview Saturday, formally apologizing for posting a link to a film containing antisemitic material and shared his message to the Jewish community.
“I just want to apologize deeply for all my actions throughout the time that it’s been since the post was first put up," Irving told SNY. "I’ve had a lot of time to think. But my focus, initially, if I could do it over, would be to heal and repair a lot of my close relationships with my Jewish relatives, brothers and sisters.”
The Nets issued a statement on Irving's return, per The Athletic's Alex Schiffer:
“Kyrie took ownership of his journey and had conversations with several members of the Jewish community. We are pleased that he is going about the process in a meaningful way.”
Additionally, center Nic Claxton missed Sunday's game due to personal reasons, and is expected to return to the team Monday, per Schiffer.
The Nets listed Nic Claxton (left eye contusion) and Seth Curry (left ankle injury management) as probable for Tuesday night's game at the Sacramento Kings.
Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and Yuta Watanabe (lower back contusion) are listed as questionable.
T. J. Warren (left foot) remains out, as does Kyrie Irving, who remains suspended.
Nic Claxton left Sunday's game at the Los Angeles Lakers with a left eye contusion.
Claxton started and scored eight points on a 4-for-4 mark from the field in 16 minutes.
After the game, a 116-103 Nets loss, Claxton told reporters that he plans to play in Tuesday's 10 p.m. game at the Sacramento Kings.
Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and Seth Curry (left ankle injury management) are out for the Nets' game at the Los Angeles Lakers, while Yuta Watanabe (left ankle sprain) is back.
The Nets entered Sunday in the second game of a back-to-back after Saturday's 110-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Against the Lakers, Brooklyn went with a starting five of Edmond Sumner, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, Royce O'Neale and Nic Claxton.
Nov. 9, 6:07 p.m.
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn spoke to media Wednesday prior to the team's matchup with the Knicks, and said that Yuta Watanabe (sprained left ankle) underwent an MRI and will hopefully return to the court soon.
"I'm missing Yuta, that's the first part of that timeline," Vaughn said. "He had an MRI today and good thing it's not severe, so hopefully next couple days get him to progress. We missed him in Dallas, we ended up playing Royce [O'Neale] 40 minutes because of that. So Yuta's really been a utility person for us and able to serve in a lot of roles."
Watanabe averaged 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 17.2 minutes this season over nine games before suffering the injury against the Mavericks on Monday.
Nov. 7, 10:44 p.m.
Nets wing Yuta Watanabe exited Monday's game at the Dallas Mavericks with an injury.
Watanabe suffered a sprained left ankle, according to Brooklyn, early in the second quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the contest.
Royce O'Neale entered for Watanabe at the second quarter's 9:15 mark and the Nets holding a 35-34 lead.
The Nets trailed the Mavs 53-50 at halftime.
In five minutes off the bench, Watanabe scored three points on 1-of-3 shooting from long range.
Through nine games, entering Monday's action, Watanabe averaged 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 17.2 minutes.
Nov. 7, 11:55 a.m.
Ben Simmons (knee) will return to game action on Monday when the Nets play the Dallas Mavericks, he told reporters.
Simmons said he "feels great" and thinks he will be limited to about 20 minutes during his return.
Simmons did not travel with the Nets for their games against the Wizards on Friday in Washington, D.C., and the Hornets in Charlotte on Saturday, and has missed four straight games.
Simmons is averaging 6.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists over 31.8 minutes per game over six contests this season.
Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn said after Friday's win against the Wizards that Joe Harris (ankle) and Seth Curry (ankle) will be available for Saturday's game against the Hornets in Charlotte.
Harris played Friday, but as he comes back from ankle surgery the team is being cautious with his minutes. Curry has been dealing with an ankle injury and has missed the last three games.
Oct. 31, 5:50 p.m.
The Nets announced that Ben Simmons is out for Monday's game against the Indiana Pacers due to left knee soreness.
The team hopes that Simmons will return to the court Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Prior to Monday's game against the Pacers, the Nets downgraded both Ben Simmons and Seth Curry.
Simmons was originally not on the injury report, but has seen been designated as questionable for Monday's game with what the team calls left knee soreness. Simmons did play in all six of Brooklyn's games this season, including 35 minutes in Saturday's loss to Indiana.
Curry, who has been dealing with an ankle injury that cost him the first week of the regular season, was downgraded from questionable to out. He's played in just one game this season, so far.
The team did report that this is a part of their injury management with Curry.
With tipoff approaching between the Nets and Pacers at Barclays Center, Brooklyn announced that guard Seth Curry is officially available to play.
Curry, who has been recovering from a left ankle injury, will look to help the Nets break a three-game losing skid, as they've started the season just 1-4.
Oct. 29, 11:10 a.m.
The Nets listed Seth Curry (ankle) as questionable for Saturday's game at home against the Indiana Pacers.
Curry has yet to play in a game this season as he recovers from a left ankle injury.
The 32-year-old did not commit to playing on Saturday, but plans to go through his pregame routine to see how he feels before tip-off, according to The Athletic's Alex Schiffer.
Seth Curry (ankle) traveled with the Nets for this week's two-game road trip but will not play in Monday's 8 p.m. matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies or Wednesday's 7:30 p.m. battle versus the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn head coach Steve Nash explained.
"(Curry) traveled and we're just monitoring him still," Nash told reporters Monday, via Brian Lewis the New York Post. "He's doing well. I'd say he's out for Wednesday, but we'll see whether Thursday, Saturday or the subsequent games. It's coming soon."
The Nets return to Brooklyn for a four-game homestand that starts with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Back-to-back 7:30 p.m. starts with the Indiana Pacers follow Saturday and Monday, before Tuesday's 7:30 p.m. finale versus the Chicago Bulls.
Prior to Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors, head coach Steve Nash gave an update on Seth Curry (ankle).
"Probably just needs a couple more practices," Nash said. "He's progressing, feeling good about it."
Nash believes that Curry will be able to travel with the team next week when they face the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks. It's yet unclear if or when he'll play on the upcoming trip.
Joe Harris (foot) is activated for Friday's game, but will come off the bench.
Joe Harris (foot) is being listed as probable for Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Harris was inactive for Wednesday's season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, even though the sharpshooter hoped to make his return for the first game of the season. The 31-year-old played in just 14 games last season before undergoing surgery.
Nets coach Steve Nash gave an update on Joe Harris' progress Wednesday prior to the team's preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
According to ESPN's Nick Friedell, Nash said that Harris (foot) is feeling better and progressing in the right direction. He also said that he's optimistic he'll be ready for the season opener. Harris also said he's optimistic he can play in the regular season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 19.
Harris underwent ankle surgery in November 2021 and had another procedure done in March 2022, and will look to get back on the court in almost a year.
To consistently chip well, take your hands out of the action.
T.J. Warren providing surging Nets with spark since returning from foot injury
Brooklyn Nets forward T.J. Warren has provided the team with a nice spark since returning from injury. The veteran forward contributed 14 points off the bench in Friday's win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Kyrie Irving with a deep 3 vs the Atlanta Hawks
Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets) with a deep 3 vs the Atlanta Hawks, 12/09/2022
Nets pick up sixth victory of homestand after 120-116 win over Hawks
Kings’ Keegan Murray breaking out of recent shooting slump in big way
De’Anthony Melton was an LA kid who rooted hard for the Clippers and not that other team in town. Melton sure had more fun beating the Lakers in Philly. Joel Embiid had 38 points and 12 rebounds, Melton scored a career-high 33 points off the bench and the 76ers recovered after blowing a nine-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation to beat Los Angeles 133-122 in overtime on Friday night.
Lawson Crouse scored his second goal with 13.5 seconds left in the third period and the Arizona Coyotes ended a 19-game losing streak to the Boston Bruins. | 2022-12-10T19:43:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Nets Injury Tracker: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving headline eight ruled out Saturday vs. Pacers | https://sports.yahoo.com/nets-injury-tracker-nic-claxton-023449179.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nets-injury-tracker-nic-claxton-023449179.html?src=rss |
Only moments after he submitted Jordan Leavitt for his third UFC win, and finish, in as many tries, Paddy Pimblett walked to the center of the Octagon to speak to the delirious crowd that jammed London's O2 Arena, his heart pounding, his mind racing.
Two days earlier, his friend, Ricky, took his own life, and Pimblett knew he had to do something.
And so, Pimblett did what he felt was right when he was interviewed by UFC Hall of Famer and broadcast analyst Michael Bisping. He spoke from the heart and didn't hide his emotions. It was a remarkable, gut-wrenching speech, hearing this young man talk of a life needlessly lost and the need to take mental health issues seriously.
If that were it, it would have been a huge win. But it wasn't, and even more good has come of Pimblett's off-the-cuff speech.
"To be honest, everything blew up on on media after I said it, and my social media and stuff went absolutely bananas," said Pimblett, who on Saturday will face Jared Gordon in the co-main event of UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. "But it's the messages that I got off people saying, 'Oh, cause you said that, I've reached out to someone and spoke. I haven't— I haven't tried to commit suicide because of what you said.' Like, stuff like that, it means more to me than any— winning any fight ever will."
"Paddy the Baddy" is a colorful and often outrageous character on social media, and he has the kind of style in which he'll say anything to anyone at any time. It's why he has 2.3 million followers on Instagram and has become one of the UFC's most bankable stars heading into the fight Saturday.
He's going to continue to speak out on mental health issues. He just created "The Baddy Foundation" to help feed hungry children and to assist those struggling with mental health.
Gordon, too, has taken a very public stance trying to assist those in desperate shape. Gordon once was a drug abuser whose heart stopped briefly before it was resuscitated. He spends a great deal of his free time trying to help people on the edge to overcome their addictions and their issues and return productively to society.
Hearing a stranger say you helped save their life because of something you said has to be an incredible feeling, and it's what motivates Pimblett to keep going.
Paddy Pimblett brings a 3-0 UFC record into his fight Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Jared Gordon in the co-main event of UFC 282. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
"Jared's got such an inspirational story, to be honest," Pimblett said. "I respect him so much as a human being. He's a brilliant man. Beaten through, coming through his addiction, what he's come through. And he was legally dead for two minutes as well, wasn't he? And then he came back to life. So it just shows you, he's got a purpose being here. And I think his purpose is to help former addicts, and to obviously help people as well, with mental health issues. That's one of the reasons I'm here, know what I mean? And like, I never thought I'd be making a speech like that after a fight. If that didn't happen with Ricky two nights before it, then I wouldn't have.
"But it's one of them things. Like, I mean, I said that and it came from the heart. It's just sort of that I was passionate about it as soon as I heard about it. Because obviously, it's so big in the UK, as well. But in Liverpool, especially, over the past couple of months, there's been multiple people kill themselves in my city, about my age. It's the biggest killer of men between 18 and 50. And no one speaks about it enough. And that's why I just thought I should speak about it. And I'm going to continue to speak about it, right up until I have no breath left in me."
The bully pulpit will get bigger for Pimblett as long as he keeps winning. He was elevated to the co-main event on Nov. 23, when the main event between then-light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka and former champion Glover Teixeira fell out because of an injury to Prochazka. The UFC elevated the co-main event between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev to the main event and made it for the vacant title because Prochazka vacated it knowing he'd be out for a year or so and didn't want to hold up the division.
The co-main always gets a lot of attention on UFC cards, but Pimblett insisted it was no big deal. He thrives on moments like this, when the world is watching and the pressure is on.
"I was the people's main event, anyway," Pimblett said. "You know that. I was what most people were buying the pay-per-view for and buying tickets to come and watch the show for. I'm the one that puts the bums on seats. That's basically it. The UFC knows my star power. And that's just the way it is. It's like, I've got more followers on Instagram than Bryce Mitchell, Ankalaev, Jan Blachowicz, and Jared Gordon, put together."
He's still developing as a fighter, though he dreams big as all stars should. He speaks of fighting ex-featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor one day in a bout he predicts will set a UFC record for PPV sales should it happen.
He's got to get past Gordon first, though that's no easy task. But Pimblett is as confident and self-assured as he is compassionate and, after taking a while to praise Gordon, says bluntly, "I think I'm better than him in every way."
If he proves it, he'll be 4-0 in the UFC and would enter 2023 with significant momentum. He's in no rush, he said, but will fight whomever the UFC matchmakers believe will make the best and most entertaining fights for him.
"I don't care whose name is on that contract," Pimblett said. "It doesn't matter if the champ's name's on there, or someone you've never heard of name's on there. It doesn't make a difference to me. I just signed the contract that I get given, and [I'll fight anyone]."
All the while, he'll be fighting for those who can't fight for themselves. And that makes him a champion long before he ever gets to fight for the belt.
Paddy Pimblett leaves the cage in tears after sharing a message about mental health in his post-fight interview after defeating Jordan Leavitt in July. (Photo by Kieran Riley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | 2022-12-10T19:43:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | Paddy Pimblett plans to use the bully pulpit fighting has given him to make a difference in the world | https://sports.yahoo.com/paddy-pimblett-plans-to-use-the-bully-pulpit-fighting-has-given-him-to-make-a-difference-in-the-world-164246215.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/paddy-pimblett-plans-to-use-the-bully-pulpit-fighting-has-given-him-to-make-a-difference-in-the-world-164246215.html?src=rss |
Suns guard Cameron Payne didn’t take too kindly Williamson's late game display.
“The game was over,” Payne said. “There wasn't any shot clock. They can hold the ball."
Zion: “That was a little out of character for me. But you gotta understand it, maybe you won’t. They sent my teammates home last year. … but that was out of character for me. If they did the same thing, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
"But you gotta understand it, maybe you won’t. They sent my teammates home last year," Williamson said. "… But that was out of character for me. If they did the same thing, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
"I don't know, I don't know, man," Paul said when asked why Alvarado went at him.
"I don't know, I don't know, man."
Chris Paul when asked why Jose Alvarado went after him after #Suns loss to #Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/yb6MlT6vjw
"Game was pretty much over and they kept playing. Feel like that was a little unsportsmanship. We don't really like that. We do the right thing and I feel like they should've did the right thing and they didn't. We don't take it well." Cameron Payne on #Suns-#Pelicans ending.
"He got something with C," Payne said. "He just tries to get at C."
And Deandre Ayton missed all of this as he left the court right after the game, but didn't take offense to Williamson's final dunk.
"It's a homecourt," Ayton said. "He's doing it for his fans. I don't take any of that stuff personal. I worry about postgame when it counts."
"Fun thing about it is we see them in a couple of days."
Deandre Ayton after #Suns loss to #Pelicans.
On dustup: "I ran off the court. I didn't see what happened."
On Williamson's 360:
"It's a homecourt. He's doing it for his fans. I don't take any of that stuff personal." pic.twitter.com/uCFrYmmwvE
The Pelicans (17-8) left the floor to a standing ovation while the Suns (16-10) dropped a third straight game on a night Devin Booker watched the game's last 1:50 from the bench with New Orleans up eight, 120-112.
"Just try to make the best decision for the team and for him," Williams said. "I didn't like the way he was running. Sometimes I've got to protect him. We'll find out what's going on."
Booker finished with just 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting. When asked if he was injured Booker said, "Yeah, there's something going on, we'll figure out it out."
When asked if it was his ankle or something else, Booker again said, "We'll figure it out."
The two sides already have recent history from last season’s highly contested opening round series Phoenix won in six. Alvarado got under Paul's skin, but Paul got the last laugh on his historic 33-point night on 14-of-14 shooting in Game 6 in becoming the first player in NBA history to make that many shots from the field without a miss.
"That stuff doesn't bother me at all," Williams said. "It's part of basketball. It wasn't that big of a deal. It was a bunch of guys out there yelling and screaming and not even pushing."
"That stuff doesn't bother me at all. It's part of basketball. It wasn't that big of a deal. It was a bunch of guys out there yelling and screaming and not even pushing."
Monty Williams on postgame dust up after #Suns 128-117 loss at #Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/292NzxRmo4
'I'm happy for her."
Torrey Craig on Brittney Griner returning home as he spoke at a July rally for her.
As for end of #Suns loss at #Pelicans:
"When you hate to lose as much as we do and then they do little things to egg you on at the end, kind of lights a fire under you." pic.twitter.com/GKwqsdwYSz
"We bumped them in the playoffs last year," Booker said. "It's probably a sore spot. I don't want to overreact. It's a lot of season left. I think we're in a position after last year where we obviously want to win the most games we can, but we have a bigger goal that we're trying to reach."
They’ll see each other in less than 48 hours Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Phoenix time in the same arena where Friday's outcome and postgame dustup is bond to carry over into the third matchup.
"For sure," Suns wing Torrey Craig said. "I think it will. If we weren't motivated, I think we definitely are now."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns loss to Pelicans ends with Zion Williamson's 360 dunk, drama
The Illinois sports betting numbers were published by Play Illinois.
#TheFinal5: The path forward on climate change
The authors of "The Big Fix" talk about whether it's too late to reverse the effects of climate change.
M&BR's Dennis Fithian is back with another episode of Good Afternoon, Michigan Football!Topics discussed include:- Lloyd Carr on this years team 00:00-:20- Dametrius “Meechie” Walker :21-2:26- Menu 2:27-3:39- ... | 2022-12-10T19:44:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | Phoenix Suns 128-117 loss to New Orleans Pelicans ends with Zion Williamson's 360 dunk, drama | https://sports.yahoo.com/phoenix-suns-126-117-loss-054807368.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/phoenix-suns-126-117-loss-054807368.html?src=rss |
They feared death like this the most. Stories of women who survived World War II but not the War with Russia
Nadia Bubliy from the village of Kam`yanka, Kharkiv Region, and Olha Trofymenko from Mariupol, Donetsk Region, never met each other. Yet their lives were similar. Both were 90 years old, both had survived World War II and the post-war famine.
President Joe Biden plans to announce at next week’s U.S.-Africa summit that his administration supports adding the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 nations, according to the White House. The African Union represents the continent’s 54 countries. “It’s past time Africa has permanent seats at the table in international organizations and initiatives,” the senior director for African affairs on the National Security Council, Judd Devermont, said in a statement Friday. | 2022-12-10T20:40:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brittney Griner back on U.S. soil after Russian prisoner swap | https://sports.yahoo.com/brittney-griner-back-u-soil-132856944.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brittney-griner-back-u-soil-132856944.html?src=rss |
Griner in ‘good spirits’ in US after Russian prisoner swap originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Customers flock to suburban taco shop after viral TikTok
(Reuters) -North Carolina's state treasurer on Friday called for BlackRock Inc Chief Executive Laurence Fink to resign or be removed from the top asset management firm, citing its focus on sustainable investing, but said public assets will stay with the firm. The statements from Dale Folwell are the latest from a U.S. Republican politician criticizing BlackRock and other top U.S. corporations embracing environmental, social or governance (ESG) factors to guide investment decisions. A division of Folwell's office, the North Carolina Retirement Systems (NCRS), has about $14 billion invested through BlackRock. | 2022-12-10T20:40:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | Griner in ‘good spirits’ in US after Russian prisoner swap | https://sports.yahoo.com/griner-good-spirits-us-russian-221907350.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/griner-good-spirits-us-russian-221907350.html?src=rss |
Cindy Crawford, Paris Hilton and tons of other celebs attended the Celine Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show.
Johnson Outdoors Inc (NASDAQ: JOUT) reported fourth-quarter FY22 sales growth of 18% year-on-year to $196.39 million, beating the consensus of $168.57 million. EPS of $0.95 beat the analyst consensus of $0.37. Gross margin contracted 620 basis points Y/Y to 34.9%, primarily due to increased material costs and inventory reserves. Operating expenses rose 1% Y/Y to $55.3 million. The operating margin was 6.8%, and operating income for the quarter fell 2% to $13.3 million. The company held $129.8 mi
Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz) with an and one vs the Minnesota Timberwolves, 12/09/2022 | 2022-12-10T20:41:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | UConn head coach Geno Auriemma shares his thoughts on Brittney Griner | https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-head-coach-geno-auriemma-041654787.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-head-coach-geno-auriemma-041654787.html?src=rss |
WNBA star Brittney Griner a generational talent on the court originally appeared on NBCSports.com
If you've ever had a one-night stand, then you know how frustrating they can be—especially if you're looking for a serious relationship. Maybe, you have great banter with someone at the bar and spend the night with them, all for them to ignore you the next day. Or perhaps, you meet someone on a first date, only to have them ghost you a week later. It turns out, some people simply aren't cut out for monogamy. And according to astrologers, that trait can often be determined by their zodiac sign. A | 2022-12-10T20:41:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | WNBA star Brittney Griner a generational talent on the court | https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba-star-brittney-griner-generational-221611298.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba-star-brittney-griner-generational-221611298.html?src=rss |
Stanford head coach David Shaw stands near the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against BYU in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vsquez)
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Stanford hired Sacramento State coach Troy Taylor on Saturday to replace David Shaw and lead a Pac-12 program that has fallen off dramatically recently, with three losing seasons in the last four years.
''The opportunity to lead the finest student-athletes in the country is truly a dream come true, and I would like to thank President (Marc) Tessier-Lavigne, Provost (Persis) Drell and (athletic director) Bernard Muir,'' Taylor said in a statement. ''I believe that Stanford football is perfectly positioned to become champions on the football field while maintaining our world-class reputation for academic excellence.''
''Troy is a proven winner who has experienced success at many levels of football,'' Muir said in a statement. ''Throughout our visits together he demonstrated an understanding of what makes Stanford special, and a deep desire to capitalize on our unique strengths. He possesses an incredible football mind and has a long history of caring deeply for the student-athletes he leads.'' | 2022-12-10T20:45:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | Stanford hires Sac State's Troy Taylor to replace David Shaw | https://sports.yahoo.com/stanford-hires-sac-states-troy-194010357.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/stanford-hires-sac-states-troy-194010357.html?src=rss |
Williams recalls 49ers' failed trade attempt for him in 2019 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Since being traded to the 49ers during the 2020 offseason by the now-Washington Commanders, Trent Williams has established himself as the NFL's premier left tackle.
But it turns out it took a couple of tries for San Francisco to strike a deal with Washington for Williams, the All-Pro recently revealed.
Williams shared with The Athletic's Tim Kawakami on "The TK Show" that although he wanted to be traded to the 49ers in 2019, coach Kyle Shanahan's estranged relationship with Washington owner Dan Snyder made things difficult.
"[Snyder] told me and my agent, 'Are you serious?' " Williams told Kawakami. "I think the 49ers had the best offer on the table at the time, I don't want to say what it was ... They had a high draft pick [and] a pretty good player on the board.
"[Washington] pretty much laughed at us, like, 'You think we're going to send you to Kyle out of all people?' And [the 49ers were] undefeated, and it just so happened they were playing the Redskins, or Commanders, that week."
Needless to say, the 49ers' initial offer for Williams was turned down.
"It was like, 'Yeah, we don't care what they're offering us at this point,' " Williams continued. " 'We're not going to do them a favor by sending you over there in the midst of what could be a Super Bowl season.'
"So that's why the trade didn't happen then."
But fortunately for the 49ers Faithful, Williams eventually made his way to San Francisco after the 49ers sent a 2020 fifth-round pick and 2021 third-rounder to Washington in exchange for the left tackle during the 2020 NFL Draft.
And that trade only happened thanks to some "wheeling and dealing," as Williams put it, by the trade acquisition himself.
"I had to go out and reach out on my own ... I was getting ready to go to Minnesota, the deal was pretty much locked in," Williams said.
Then, he called Shanahan.
"I'm like, 'Listen, man. I get what they were saying last year, but right now, the deal is about 80 percent done, and right now all I'm hearing is a fifth-round pick,' " Williams recalled. "So he was like, 'What?' He's like, 'Well, if that's the case, we can beat that by a mile.' "
And even despite the Los Angeles Rams getting in on the bidding war for Williams along with the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco ultimately emerged victorious after the lineman turned down coach Sean McVay.
"I had already had my eyes set to come [to the 49ers] and I said, 'Coach, maybe after the season or something, but for right now, I think the 49ers give me my best chance to succeed," Williams said. "Not only as a team, but as an individual player."
Williams certainly has succeeded since playing for San Francisco, and he became the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL after signing a six-year contract with the team following the 2020 season.
When all was said and done, Williams' trade story became a perfect example of the age-old phrase, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Tamari Key is expected to make a full recovery. | 2022-12-10T20:58:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | Trent Williams recalls 49ers' failed trade effort for him in 2019 NFL season | https://sports.yahoo.com/trent-williams-recalls-49ers-failed-202010609.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/trent-williams-recalls-49ers-failed-202010609.html?src=rss |
Olivier Giroud put France ahead in the 78th minute when he headed the ball off Harry Maguire’s shoulder and into the back of the net. England had a chance to tie just a few minutes later after Theo Hernandez bowled over Mason Mount in the penalty box.
It was a clear foul, though it wasn’t called on the field. After a video review, the referee was summoned to the monitor and granted the obvious penalty kick. But Harry Kane — who had scored on a penalty earlier in the second half — skied his spot kick over the crossbar in the 84th minute.
AL KHOR, QATAR - DECEMBER 10: Olivier Giroud of France celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match between England and France at Al Bayt Stadium on December 10, 2022 in Al Khor, Qatar. (Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
But an injury to Karim Benzema before the tournament opened the door for Giroud to take a starring role again and he’s grabbed it. As Kylian Mbappe has grabbed the attention of defenders and fans, Giroud has taken advantage of the opportunities he gets inside the penalty box.
France is the first team since Brazil in 1998 to make it to the semifinals of a World Cup after winning the previous one. If France beats Morocco in the semifinals on Wednesday and beats the winner of Croatia and Argentina in the final, it will be the first country to win back-to-back men’s World Cups since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. | 2022-12-10T21:19:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | World Cup 2022: Olivier Giroud's winner gives France a 2-1 quarterfinal win over England | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-2022-olivier-girouds-goal-gives-france-a-2-1-quarterfinal-win-over-england-210053422.html | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-2022-olivier-girouds-goal-gives-france-a-2-1-quarterfinal-win-over-england-210053422.html |
The performance looked different on the field, and it also felt different in the huddle.
According to Allen Lazard, there’s a “different feel” with Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love in 2022 compared to 2021, and the development manifested on the field during his performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12.
“When he came into that Eagles game, that last drive or two or whatever it was, it was just a different feel in the huddle than it was in the Chiefs game a year ago given the situation and everything. He’s grown tremendously on and off the field, and I’m excited to see him continue to grow,” Lazard told FOX Sports this week.
Against the Eagles, Love completed six of nine passes for 113 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown to Christian Watson. He led the Packers to 10 points on two drives and nearly got Green Bay back into the game against the team with the NFL’s best record.
Back in 2021, Love made an emergency start in place of Aaron Rodgers but threw for only 190 yards on 34 attempts as the Packers lost to the Chiefs 13-7 in Kansas City.
By all accounts, Love has taken a sizable step forward in his third NFL season, potentially putting himself into a position to start in Green Bay or elsewhere by next season.
For Lazard, the difference with Love is in consistency and confidence.
“This year, coming into the camp, it’s been a whole new Jordan Love,” Lazard said. “The first two years, you saw the foundation, you saw the athleticism, you saw the skill set and everything, but there was kind of an inconsistency I feel like. And I think that’s something he would say as well, throughout practices and the preseason games and camp and all that stuff. But this year, you just see the confidence, you just see the poise, you hear it in his voice in the huddle.”
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said everything looked “smooth” for Love in Philadelphia. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements believes the game has “slowed down” for Love because of his fundamental development.
“His footwork, rhythm and getting the ball off on time is where he’s gotten a lot better,” Clements said. | 2022-12-10T22:29:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Allen Lazard: ‘Different feel’ with Packers QB Jordan Love in 2022 compared to 2021 | https://sports.yahoo.com/allen-lazard-different-feel-packers-211711579.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/allen-lazard-different-feel-packers-211711579.html?src=rss |
Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (16) runs into the end zone for a touchdown as Lions cornerback Chase Lucas (36) tries to defend in the second half Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in Foxborough, Mass.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions place Chase Lucas on IR, elevate 2 from practice squad
If you're hoping for snow on the ground on Christmas of 2022, your chances may not be quite what you wish. | 2022-12-10T22:29:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Detroit Lions place Chase Lucas on injured reserve, elevate 2 from practice squad | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-place-chase-lucas-210719023.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-place-chase-lucas-210719023.html?src=rss |
A.J. Brown vowed to keep his hands to himself after the win over Pittsburgh earlier this season, but the star pass catcher has been fined again for a post-touchdown celebration.
After catching a dime from quarterback Jalen Hurts and falling out of bounds while hitting the front pylon, Brown put a “whooping” on the goalpost after the touchdown, explaining that he still loves the Titans, but had to punish them.
The score was eventually reversed and Brown scored on a deep ball over Kristian Fulton to give Philadelphia an early lead.
The NFL didn’t think Browns’ celebration was hilarious, fining the wideout over $13,000 for his antics.
#Eagles WR A.J. Brown was fined $13,261 for unsportsmanlike conduct for spanking the goal post with his towel after a TD catch in last week’s rout of the #Titans. The catch was reversed after review, but Brown scored again on the next snap.
Brown logged eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the win over his former club.
Brittney Griner returned to the United States Friday and was reunited with her wife nearly 10 months after her detention in Russia made the basketball star the most high-profile American jailed abroad and set off a political firestorm. Griner's status as an openly gay Black woman, her prominence in women's basketball and her imprisonment in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LGBTQ community heightened concerns for her and brought tremendous attention to the case. Russia's invasion of Ukraine after her arrest complicated matters further.
Steven Adams limped off the court in the fourth quarter during the Memphis Grizzlies win over the Detroit Pistons | 2022-12-10T22:30:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles’ WR A.J. Brown fined $13K for his ‘whoopin’ the goalpost celebration in win over Titans | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-wr-j-brown-fined-205731964.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-wr-j-brown-fined-205731964.html?src=rss |
Is a move to safety a possibility for Green Bay Packers’ corner Rasul Douglas? It may be something for the team to consider in 2023.
There’s no denying that Green Bay’s defense has been a complete and utter disappointment this season, and the play of their safeties is one of the main reasons. Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos were expected to form one of the most reliable safety tandems in the league. Instead, poor tackling and poor coverage have resulted in down years for both.
During the offseason, the Packers will face a tough decision regarding Amos. He is slowing down at this point in his career, and age is definitely a factor. Amos was a great signing back in 2019, but it may be wise to let him walk and sign elsewhere before he turns 30 in April.
Unfortunately, it won’t be that easy with Savage. Last April, Green Bay exercised his fifth-year option, which will be worth $7.9 million in 2023 and basically guarantees he will be back for another season.
One silver lining at safety has been newcomer Rudy Ford. When Savage moved to the slot for a week 10 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, Ford had a surprise performance of two interceptions. Since then, Ford has continued to make plays, with a forced fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles and a fumble recovery last week against the Chicago Bears.
Ford’s playmaking in an expanded role could factor into the team’s plans at safety, but they have to consider his long-term stability while finding someone to play alongside him. Savage could get another chance, even though nickel may actually be his best position. Green Bay can always address the safety position through the draft or free agency, but they may also have an answer already on the roster.
Given his build and ball skills, maybe Douglas is better suited for safety.
Following his Cinderella season in 2021, the Packers had no choice but to give Douglas another contract. Douglas excelled as an outside corner last season with a team-high five interceptions despite making his first appearance in Week 6. Unfortunately, this season hasn’t been as fruitful.
In 2021, Douglas allowed a reception percentage of 51.5, according to Pro Football Focus. That percentage has risen to 70.8 in 2022. Last season, his allowed passer rating was a staggering 46.3. However, that number has more than doubled to 103.8 this season. Penalties have also been an issue, as he ranks third among corners with seven.
Green Bay already tried experimenting with Douglas in the slot in an attempt to keep their best three corners on the field. Although, early on, it became clear that Douglas was better suited for the perimeter. Unfortunately, it took a season-ending injury to Eric Stokes in Week 9 for him to move back outside.
But even after moving back to his old spot, the Packers haven’t seen drastic improvement from Douglas. Between Weeks 10-13, Douglas has allowed a passer rating of 118.8 against his coverage. He also would have allowed two huge plays that could have been touchdowns if not for two penalties.
Those penalties, in particular, stand out. Both plays highlighted Douglas’ lack of foot speed, which can get him in trouble when matched up with faster receivers. It was especially noticeable when he was in the slot to start the season.
That said, where Douglas’ footwork and speed fail him, his ball skills and instincts help compensate. Aaron Rodgers likened Douglas to Charles Woodson for his ball skills and ability to read routes. Coincidentally, Woodson also made the switch to safety later in his career, and when you factor in Douglas’ size (6-2, 209 lbs), he would appear to have the skillset and build to make the same transition. It wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory for Douglas either, who played safety for the Philadelphia Eagles when they were hit with injuries.
Right now the Packers have minimal knowledge of what Douglas can offer at safety. He practiced there some during training camp but has yet to get a look in the regular season. Back in August, defensive coordinator Joe Barry expressed his confidence in Douglas being able to play anywhere in the secondary.
“He has such a great feel, he’s such an instinctual and aware player, you could put him anywhere on the back end, and he’d find a way,” Barry said.
Therefore, letting Douglas roam around the back end doesn’t seem a bad idea if you’re Green Bay. It’s something that should be explored prior to next season whether Barry is in charge or not since it doesn’t make sense to put Douglas back in the slot if Jaire Alexander and Stokes are both healthy. Those two appear to be the Packers preferred outside corners, which means Douglas will need to find a new position unless the team decides to part ways altogether. However, rather than losing a good player on defense, perhaps Green Bay should try to tap further into Douglas’ versatility and give him a real chance at safety. | 2022-12-10T22:30:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers should consider moving Rasul Douglas to safety in 2023 | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-consider-moving-rasul-douglas-210452982.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-consider-moving-rasul-douglas-210452982.html?src=rss |
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was reportedly fined for an incident that occurred late in last Thursday’s home loss to the Buffalo Bills.
After being sacked by Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa, Jones flicked a football in his direction that hit him, resulting in a $10,609 fine by the NFL, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Overall, it was a rough game for Jones and the Patriots offense, which only mustered 10 points and 242 total yards in the loss. Jones was especially frustrated with the offensive play-calling under Matt Patricia and could be seen shouting expletives on the sideline during the game.
#Patriots QB Mac Jones was fined $10,609 for unsportsmanlike conduct late in last week’s loss to the #Bills. Jones flicked the ball and hit A.J. Epenesa after a sack. No flag was thrown.
The Patriots hope to leave those frustrations in the rearview with the team preparing for a pivotal Monday night road game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14. | 2022-12-10T22:30:41Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots QB Mac Jones fined by NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-qb-mac-jones-fined-212416880.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-qb-mac-jones-fined-212416880.html?src=rss |
Ebukam knows 49ers' defense can't present openings for Brady originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers’ defensive line does not expect Tom Brady to give them many chances on Sunday.
And they know they cannot afford to give him the slightest opening, either.
“You got to be on your P's and Q's because he’s seen everything and done everything there is to do in this game,” 49ers defensive end Samson Ebukam said of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
“So he knows exactly where to put the ball and when to put it there. So we got to get to him fast because he’s not going to let you sack him. We have to be detailed and precise in everything that we’re doing.”
Ebukam explained that he and his teammates must be focused on executing assignments exactly how defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans draws it up.
“I got to do my eleventh of the job on every play,” Ebukam said. “The other 10 people are counting on me, because we’re going up against Brady. One person out of place is going to get exploited.”
Brady has been sacked only 18 times while attempting an NFL-high 524 passes this season.
While the Buccaneers’ offense ranks 27th in the league at 18.1 points per game, Brady still is playing at a high level with 16 touchdown passes and three interceptions.
He is coming off a game Monday night where he rallied the Bucs from 13 points down late in the fourth quarter to a dramatic 17-16 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
And the 49ers might have to line up on Sunday without defensive end Nick Bosa, the NFL’s leader with 14.5 sacks. Bosa is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.
“If he’s not able to go, that’s a big loss, for sure, because he’s a game-changer,” said Ebukam, who ranks third on the 49ers with 3.5 sacks.
“But we also have other people on the D-line who are game-changers as well. I definitely hope he’s able to go, but if not, we got his back, for sure.” | 2022-12-10T22:30:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Samson Ebukam knows 49ers' defense can't present Tom Brady with openings | https://sports.yahoo.com/samson-ebukam-knows-49ers-defense-213507972.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/samson-ebukam-knows-49ers-defense-213507972.html?src=rss |
If you’re looking for a bowl game to watch in Texas, you’ll have plenty from which to choose. The Lone Star State will play host to multiple teams over bowl season.
The No. 20 Texas Longhorns and No. 12 Washington Huskies will play in San Antonio in the Alamo Bowl. The Alamo Dome has become a second home for Texas in recent seasons. The 2022 game will mark the third time the team has played a postseason game there in four seasons.
The feature in-state game takes place in Arlington for the Cotton Bowl. No. 10 USC Trojans will battle the No. 16 Tulane Green Wave. Tulane defeated the Big 12 champion Kansas State Wildcats earlier this season and has history facing a Riley coached team.
Riley faced Tulane at Oklahoma last season in a performance he would probably rather forget. His team will need to guard against a letdown against a rapidly improving Tulane program.
Here are a handful of bowl games to watch in the state of Texas.
8:15 pm CT (ESPN)
Toyota Center (Frisco, TX)
Amon G. Carter Stadium (Ft. Worth, TX)
Jrca4460
Gerald Ford Stadium (University Park, TX)
8 pm CT (ESPN)
NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)
Alamo Dome (San Antonio)
1 pm CT (CBS)
Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX)
Noon CT (ESPN)
AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) | 2022-12-10T23:03:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bowl games to attend in the state of Texas | https://sports.yahoo.com/bowl-games-attend-state-texas-222043805.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bowl-games-attend-state-texas-222043805.html?src=rss |
The Ohio State football program is set to promote Keenan Bailey to tight ends coach according to an OSU spokesman. The move comes as a result of current tight ends/co-offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson accepting the head coaching position at Tulsa.
Bailey currently holds the title of senior advisor to the head coach and has been with the OSU program in a support role since 2016. He’s held several different positions but most recently worked alongside Wilson with the tight ends this past season.
A native of Pompano Beach, Florida, Bailey is an alumnus of Notre Dame where he was a recruiting analyst before joining OSU. He also spent his first year of college as an undergraduate assistant at Missouri. He has a degree in American Studies.
Sources: Ohio State expected to promote Keenan Bailey to tight ends coach. Bailey been at OSU for seven seasons and his latest title is senior advisor to the head coach.
Word has yet to come on who could replace Wilson as offensive coordinator, but we’ll continue to keep our ears open and eyes peeled for any news on that front.
Heisman Watch 2022: C.J. Stroud, other hopefuls odds after Week 12
Check out the scores from all the Super 25 High School Football action from around the country.
Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins appreciated the Pro Bowl experience, even though he's only done it once and will keep politely declining the invites
Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek suffered another groin injury on Dec. 3, but he's already back at practice and aiming to return on Tuesday. | 2022-12-10T23:04:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ohio State to promote Keenan Bailey to tight ends coach | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-promote-keenan-bailey-215000990.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-promote-keenan-bailey-215000990.html?src=rss |
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is doubtful for Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which resulted in former Oregon Ducks quarterback Anthony Brown getting activated from the practice squad to the active roster.
Presumably, this means Brown will serve as the backup quarterback to starter Tyler Huntley on Sunday, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Brown went undrafted after one season as the starting quarterback for the Ducks, eventually landing with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent.
He performed excellent during the preseason, to the point where Oregon fans questioned if Mario Cristobal held Brown and the team’s offense back last season.
The Boston College transfer stepped into a starting role with the Ducks in 2021, completing 64.1% of his passes while throwing for 2,989 yards and 19 touchdowns, along with seven interceptions.
Brown has yet to appear in an NFL game this season, but an injury or ineffectiveness (or perhaps a blowout) could lead to him making his debut on Sunday against the Steelers.
Kodai Senga free agency buzz: Mets still in play for Japanese pitcher after re-signing Brandon Nimmo | 2022-12-11T00:00:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Anthony Brown elevated to active roster for Baltimore Ravens | https://sports.yahoo.com/anthony-brown-elevated-active-roster-223638559.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/anthony-brown-elevated-active-roster-223638559.html?src=rss |
For the second week in a row, multiple Cowboys players have drawn monetary fines from the league for using AT&T Stadium’s Salvation Army kettle as a touchdown celebration prop.
Running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were hit this time, for their stunt during last Sunday’s fourth-quarter explosion of points against Indianapolis.
The NFL fined both players $13,261 for unsportsmanlike conduct, just a week after the Cowboys’ four tight ends were fined a grand total of $27,094 for playing Whac-A-Mole in the signature kettle after a touchdown on Thanksgiving Day.
They knew it was coming but the Salvation Army kettle celebration last week against the Colts cost Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott $13,261 apiece in fines from the NFL.
In the Week 13 win, Elliott scored on a four-yard end-zone plunge and proceeded to race to the kettle, motioning for Prescott to follow him. Elliott jumped into the kettle and hid as Prescott stood outside and cranked an imaginary handle. Then Elliott rose up like a jack-in-the-box and performed his customary “Feed Me” pantomime.
The celebration- like the tight ends’ Whac-A-Mole game previously- failed to draw a penalty flag during the game.
“I just had to come up with something to try to top the guys from last week,” Elliott told reporters following the 54-19 win. “I don’t know if we did. It’s kind of hard to beat the Whac-A-Mole.”
But Elliott continued to call attention to the charity over the next few days. The two-time rushing champ visited a Salvation Army warehouse on Wednesday to see the holiday gift-giving operation in action and presented a $50,000 check to help out.
The seventh-year veteran also took to Twitter, asking his followers to give by making their own $21 donations to match his jersey number.
“This is phenomenal,” a spokesperson said of Elliott’s contributions and celebrations, which started in his rookie season. “When he jumps into the kettle, people write us checks. It’s unbelievable. I don’t think he could have imagined in 2016 the ripple effect of this.”
Elliott explained that whether it’s through giving his own time on days off, encouraging fans to chip in themselves, using the recognizable red kettle during games to spotlight the organization’s holiday presence… or getting fined by the league for doing so, he’s happy to make the Salvation Army the star of the season.
“Definitely,” he said this week. “The things that The Salvation Army does around this community can’t be matched. Anytime we can bring awareness, anytime we can help them out, it means a lot.” | 2022-12-11T00:00:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott fined $13K apiece for latest red kettle celebration | https://sports.yahoo.com/ezekiel-elliott-dak-prescott-fined-221948371.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ezekiel-elliott-dak-prescott-fined-221948371.html?src=rss |
The Atlanta Falcons have yet to officially announce rookie Desmond Ridder as the starting quarterback, but it appears the team has added another QB to the 53-man roster.
As reported by ESPN’s Field Yates, the Falcons signed veteran quarterback Logan Woodside off of the Titans’ practice squad on Saturday.
The Falcons have signed QB Logan Woodside off of the Titans’ practice squad.
Woodside, 27, was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh round of the 2018 draft out of Toledo. He has appeared in 11 games over the last two seasons for the Titans, but he’s never started a game. For his career, Woodside has completed 1-of-3 passes for seven yards.
Woodside’s signing is a bit of a surprise, and you have to wonder how it coincides with the recent reports of Ridder taking over as Atlanta’s starting quarterback. The team has customarily dressed two quarterbacks this season, although TE Feleipe Franks is also a former QB.
The Falcons will get back to work next week in preparation for their NFC South showdown against the Saints in Week 15.
Falcons fans react to QB Desmond Ridder replacing Marcus Mariota | 2022-12-11T00:01:06Z | sports.yahoo.com | Falcons sign QB Logan Woodside off of Titans’ practice squad | https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-sign-qb-logan-woodside-230137678.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-sign-qb-logan-woodside-230137678.html?src=rss |
The Army-Navy game is the story. On Saturday, there was a story within the story on the Midshipmen’s lone touchdown in regulation.
Anton Hall Jr. took a handoff in the third quarter and ran 77 yards for a touchdown that gave Navy a 10-7 lead after the PAT.
Hall played high school football at Gulliver Prep in Florida, where he was a teammate of D’Sean Perry, one of the three Virginia football players killed in a shooting on the school’s campus last month.
Hall remembered Perry to ESPN in a story that ran shortly after the shootings:
Perry was skilled at pottery. His high school teammate, Anton Hall, Jr., was in the beginner’s pottery class next door to Perry’s advanced class. Perry would always wrap his project early then wander over to the beginner’s class and offer tips or start sketching out new designs. And, invariably, he’d start cracking jokes and have the rest of the class laughing hysterically. Hall is convinced Perry could’ve been a professional comedian. | 2022-12-11T01:14:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Anton Hall Jr. races 77 yards for Navy touchdown against Army | https://sports.yahoo.com/anton-hall-jr-races-77-234206604.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/anton-hall-jr-races-77-234206604.html?src=rss |
Army-Navy went to overtime for the first time in the 123 games the service academies played.
The annual game took place in Philadelphia on Saturday and one overtime wasn’t enough to settle the rivalry.
It took double overtime and Quinn Maretzki, a junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, kicked a 39-yard field goal to give Army a 20-17 victory. Maretzki had tied the game on a field goal with less than two minutes remaining.
Both teams used big plays in the first extra session.
Markel Johnson scored on a 25-yard run to put Army ahead 17-10.
However, Navy countered with its first — and only — pass completion of the day.
Xavier Arline connected with a wide-open Maquel Haywood for a 25-yard TD. The PAT sent the academises to the second OT session.
Navy had the ball first and Anton Harris Jr., who earlier scored on a 77-yard touchdown run, lost a fumble near the goal line.
That set Army and Maretzki up for his winning kick.
Pride is all that's left as Army, Navy square off in annual clash, with no postseason bowl awaiting. | 2022-12-11T01:14:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | Army defeats Navy in first overtime game in series history | https://sports.yahoo.com/army-defeats-navy-first-overtime-000647647.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/army-defeats-navy-first-overtime-000647647.html?src=rss |
Army and Navy's annual meeting is one of college football's best traditions and rivalries. They first met in 1890 and have met in every year since 1930. For over a decade, it has served as the bridge between conference championship weekend and bowl season.
Two rivals meeting who both run the triple-option lends itself to a quick moving, low scoring game. It's no surprise to see the under as a popular bet. Once you factor in the recent history and the streak, bettors were willing to ride the train until the wheels fell off.
Army and Navy delivered under bettors a bad beat on Saturday. (Edward Diller/Getty Images)
Saturday's meeting between Army and Navy started off like a lot of people expected. The first quarter finished scoreless. Eight of the first nine possessions of the game finished with a punt. In fact, the only touchdown of the first half came off a blocked punt. Still, the score was just 7-3 in favor of Army at halftime and under bettors were feeling good.
Though there was just 20 points scored in the game, suddenly, we were looking at overtime. And well, they don't call it "undertime."
Army got the ball first in overtime, and on the first play of the extra period, Markel Johnson broke through for a 25-yard house call. Under bettors needed Army to keep Navy out of the end-zone on their ensuing possession. That dream didn't last long.
On Navy's first play, Xavier Arline completed his first pass of the game, finding a wide open Maquel Haywood for the touchdown. Two plays in overtime resulted in two touchdowns. Suddenly, for the first time in 17 years, the over had hit in Army-Navy.
Navy’s Anton Hall Jr. lost a fumble at the goal line in the second overtime that helped set up Quinn Maretzki's game-winning 39-yard field goal as Army beat The Midshipmen 20-17 on Saturday night in the first OT game in the 123 games of the rivalry series. There wasn't much offense throughout the game until the waning moments of regulation when Maretzki kicked a 37-yarder with 1:53 left to tie the game at 10-all. Army’s Markel Johnson ran 25 yards for a touchdown on the first play of overtime for a 17-10 lead, and Navy matched the Black Knights when Xavier Arline tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Maquel Haywood that made it 17-all.
St. Thomas More quarterback Sam Altmann stepped in the shoes of LSU quarterback Walker Howard. Here's what he learned from his predecessor. | 2022-12-11T01:14:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bad beat: Overtime causes Army-Navy to go over the total for the first time since 2005 | https://sports.yahoo.com/bad-beat-overtime-causes-army-navy-to-go-over-the-total-for-the-first-time-since-2005-003532013.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bad-beat-overtime-causes-army-navy-to-go-over-the-total-for-the-first-time-since-2005-003532013.html?src=rss |
The Buckeyes have owned the Big Ten in football recruiting over the last couple of decades and it’s shaping up to be that way again in 2023, though there does seem to be a wee bit of momentum lost in comparison to the years leading up to the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Sep 5, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; A Indiana Hoosiers helmet sits on the ground while the players warm up before the game at Memorial Stadium. Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
Dec. 30, 2019; Santa Clara, California, USA; General view of the Illinois Fighting Illini helmet during the second quarter against California Golden Bears at Levi’s Stadium. Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
November 19, 2011; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartan helmet on the sideline during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Spartan Stadium. Michigan State won 55-3 to clinch the Legends division of the Big Ten. Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detailed view of Iowa Hawkeyes helmet on the sidelines in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
National Ranking | No. 5
Sidney Crosby with a Goal vs. Buffalo Sabres
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) with a Goal vs. Buffalo Sabres, 12/10/2022 | 2022-12-11T01:15:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Updated Big Ten football recruiting rankings ahead of the early signing period | https://sports.yahoo.com/updated-big-ten-football-recruiting-231916128.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/updated-big-ten-football-recruiting-231916128.html?src=rss |
Syracuse started the day by formally inducting coach Jim Boeheim and Dwayne "Pearl" Washington into the school's athletic Ring of Honor. In his 44th season leading his alma mater, Boeheim has never had a sub-.500 record in a season and coached the Orange into the postseason in all but three of his 44 seasons. Washington, who went from being a playground legend in New York City to being a star for Boeheim at Syracuse, passed away from cancer in 2016. | 2022-12-11T01:15:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Edwards’ double-double powers Syracuse past Georgetown 83-64 | https://sports.yahoo.com/edwards-double-double-powers-syracuse-233421587.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/edwards-double-double-powers-syracuse-233421587.html?src=rss |
Following the first conference victory of the season against Penn State, Michigan State returned home to face off against Brown of the Ivy League. While the Spartans got off to a slow start, they quicky shook it off to dominate the game, winning 68-50.
A common theme in 2022, Michigan State was led once again by Joey Hauser, AJ Hoggard and Tyson Walker, all three of whom finished in double figures.
Two milestones were also achieved on Saturday with Joey Hauser scoring his 1,000th career point, while Davis Smith, the son of Spartan legend Steve Smith, scored his first career points in a Spartan uniform.
Starting the game, and getting going was tough for the Spartans as the Bears really bogged down the pace to start the game. Just ten minutes into the game, Michigan State led a low scoring game 11-10. The next ten minutes told a different story.
MSU went on a 21-8 run over the course of the next ten minutes to go into the half with a 14-point lead, 32-18.
Both teams struggled to shoot the basketball in the first half, with MSU going 38.7% from the field and 30.8% from three, while Brown shot 23.3% from the field and 27.3% from 3.
The second half had no slow starts for MSU, the Spartans came out as hot as they left the first half, putting the game away quickly.
The Spartans built a lead greater than 20, and were able to bring in walk-ons Steven Izzo, Davis Smith and Nick Sanders, much to the crowd’s liking.
MSU ultimately took down the Bears 68-50.
Hauser led the way with 22 points, while Hoggard added 17 points and Walker had 10 points.
Michigan State will be back in action on Wednesday, December 21st against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at the Breslin Center at 6:30 pm EST. | 2022-12-11T01:15:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Michigan State basketball takes care of business against Brown | https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-basketball-takes-care-233308282.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-basketball-takes-care-233308282.html?src=rss |
PITTSBURGH (AP) Nelly Cummings scored a season-high 24 points, Federiko Federiko and Blake Hinson had double-doubles and Pittsburgh pulled away in the second half to beat Sacred Heart 91-66 on Saturday.
Pitt returned to the Petersen Events Center Saturday afternoon following a three-game road trip, and the Panthers immediately made themselves at home. For this year’s Pitt team, though, the familiarity of home means that Saturday’s game against Sacred Heart looked an awful lot like the Panthers’ wins over Alabama State, Fairleigh Dickinson and William & Mary, which is to say, they started off slow and kept an opponent from a low or mid-major conference in the game for the first 20 minutes before taking over in the second half. Such was the case on Saturday, as Pitt’s 9-0 start to open the game against Sacred Heart turned into a back-and-forth affair over the final 12 minutes of the first half and a slim five-point lead at halftime. | 2022-12-11T01:15:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pittsburgh pulls away in 2nd half to beat Sacred Heart 91-66 | https://sports.yahoo.com/pittsburgh-pulls-away-2nd-half-225114248.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pittsburgh-pulls-away-2nd-half-225114248.html?src=rss |
Caleb Mills scored 16 points and Cameron Corhen had nine of his season-high 15 points in the second half as Florida State rolled in its ACC home opener, 75-53 over Louisville on Saturday afternoon. Matt Cleveland added 12 points and eight rebounds for FSU (2-9, 1-1 ACC), which led by double figures and was comfortably in control in the second half. The Seminoles were also able to insert the Green Team in the final two minutes.
Gold prices rose on Friday despite an uptick in the dollar and U.S. bond yields as some investors still expect the Federal Reserve will slow the pace of rate hikes from early next year. Spot gold rose 0.5% to $1,798.40 per ounce, as of 1907 GMT. "The market seems to be focused on a light at the end of the tunnel, a point at which the Fed is done raising interest rates and based on that we've seen general support in gold," said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Future. | 2022-12-11T01:16:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Surging Wisconsin set to tackle improved Iowa | https://sports.yahoo.com/surging-wisconsin-set-tackle-improved-230244582.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/surging-wisconsin-set-tackle-improved-230244582.html?src=rss |
All-Pro Williams heaps praise onto 'pleasant surprise' Purdy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The 49ers’ new starting quarterback Brock Purdy has received plenty of compliments since rising to the challenge of stepping in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo.
But those words hit differently when they’re coming from one of the NFL’s best players, who also happens to be your teammate.
All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams recently gushed about the rookie signal-caller during an appearance on “The TK Show,” telling The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami that Purdy has exceeded expectations within the 49ers organization.
“Then you get Brock Purdy, which has been a kind of, I don’t want to say elephant in the room, but he’s been a pleasant surprise to everybody in the building when you think about getting the last pick of the draft, a quarterback who is somewhat undersized,” Williams said.
“From the minute he stepped in, I looked at him like, man, you can see the confidence spewing out of him. And it’s not arrogance, it’s just confidence from the first day he walked in.”
Williams echoed the sentiments of his teammates by explaining how Purdy took his role as scout-team QB very seriously before being thrust into a starting role. The self-assurance he showed against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13 was a direct result of how he acts during practice, Williams explained.
“I’ve seen him get after some scout team wide receivers; I’ve seen him get after some active wide receivers if they’re not running and doing what they’re supposed to do,” Williams said. “It’s just in him. It comes out before he even realizes, ‘Oh s--t, I might be yelling at Deebo.’
“For him, it’s just that competitive spirit … Part of you wants to be like, ‘Man, just relax, man. It’s just the scout-team reps.’ But then again, you understand how he got to this point.”
As the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, and with former third-string QB Nate Sudfeld in 49ers camp on a guaranteed $2 million deal, there was uncertainty as to whether or not Purdy would end up on San Francisco’s 53-man roster at all this season.
But Purdy’s impressive training camp and preseason led to the 49ers keeping him, along with Garoppolo and second-year pro Trey Lance, and cutting Sudfeld instead.
In Williams’ eyes, that move spoke volumes about the team’s feelings regarding Purdy.
“For us to have paid Sudfeld a pretty penny to be the backup, and for a guy to come in and impress the coaching staff as much as he did to unseat a guy who we basically paid to be in that position, I think it speaks to what everybody’s seen,” Williams said. “... If everybody would have seen what we’ve seen, then they would understand.
“Now, everybody gets to see it. It’s crazy how this game works and how the world works.”
RELATED: Williams recalls 49ers' failed trade attempt for him in 2019
The 49ers Faithful and the rest of the NFL world got to see Purdy in the first significant action of his young career against the Dolphins.
Now, he’s set to make his first NFL start against none other than Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
But based on Williams’ praise of Purdy, the 22-year-old is more than ready for the challenge.
Dysfunctional teams do dysfunctional things. The reverse is also true. The Titans showed they’re not dysfunctional this week by choosing to fire G.M. Jon Robinson the moment owner Amy Adams Strunk decided to do it. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to make hard decisions,” Strunk told Teresa M. Walker of the Associated [more] | 2022-12-11T01:31:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brock Purdy has been 49ers' 'pleasant surprise,' Trent Williams says | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-49ers-pleasant-surprise-001327451.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-49ers-pleasant-surprise-001327451.html?src=rss |
The New York Jets are clear underdogs for their Week 14 rematch with the Buffalo Bills in the sportsbooks. They are also clear underdogs in the eyes of the experts over at NFL Pick Watch, as well.
The Bills are a near-unanimous pick at the site to beat the Jets. A whopping 97% of the votes are swinging Buffalo’s way, the second-most popular pick among all the game. Only the Dallas Cowboys saw a higher percentage — not that you can get much higher than 97% — as 98% of the picks went in their favor as they take on the 1-10-1 Houston Texans.
The experts do think the Jets may keep it somewhat close, however, 67% of the experts are taking the Jets with the 10-point spread, compared to just 33% picking the Bills to cover.
We’ll find out Sunday if the Jets can pull the upset for the second time this season and score their first season sweep of the Bills since 2016, and if that 3% will have bragging rights for the week. | 2022-12-11T01:32:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | How the experts are viewing Jets vs. Bills in Week 14 | https://sports.yahoo.com/experts-viewing-jets-vs-bills-003633739.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/experts-viewing-jets-vs-bills-003633739.html?src=rss |
The 49ers have to handle their own business down the stretch, but we’ve reached the portion of the calendar where scoreboard watching is important since a win or loss by another team could dramatically swing the 49ers’ outlook on the season.
San Francisco won’t have it easy the rest of the way as they start rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy at quarterback. Their final five games begin Sunday with a showdown against the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Every win is paramount for the 49ers at this point, but they could get some help to take some of the pressure off down the stretch.
Here’s a look at the Week 14 games that could have an impact on the 49ers’ playoff push and how much each one matters on a 10-point scale (10 being the most crucial). We’ve also given a prediction for each contest:
The 49ers could find themselves in a wild card spot by season’s end, which would put them in a race with the Cowboys for seeding. Ideally they’ll win the division and won’t have to worry about that, but it’s certainly a possibility, and a Dallas loss would help San Francisco.
How much does it matter?
Cowboys 1,000,000, Texans 12
There’s still an outside shot the 49ers can climb over the Vikings into the No. 2 seed where they’d guarantee themselves an opportunity to host two playoff games should they get to the postseason and win in the wild card round. It’s going to take some doing, but San Francisco needs to win and get some losses from the Vikings starting this week.
© George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Giants fall into the same category as the Cowboys. They’re a team that could easily wind up on the outside looking in and battling for the No. 7 seed down the stretch. The 49ers would benefit from one of the teams hanging out in the wild card race to lose some games, so a Giants loss would be the preferable outcome.
It’s cut and dry. The 49ers need the Seahawks to lose. While San Francisco holds a one-game lead plus the tiebreaker going into the week, it’d be preferable if they could avoid going to Seattle on a short week either tied or holding just a one-game lead. Here’s the kicker though. If the 49ers win and Seattle loses, it sets up a scenario where the 49ers can clinch the division Thursday night. | 2022-12-11T01:32:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Week 14 schedule: Which games matter for 49ers? | https://sports.yahoo.com/week-14-schedule-games-matter-000943111.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/week-14-schedule-games-matter-000943111.html?src=rss |
The Heisman Trophy was awarded to USC’s Caleb Williams on Saturday night.
The Trojan’s quarterback completed the best season in the country following his offseason transfer from Oklahoma. Williams threw for 4,075 yards and 37 touchdowns, along with adding 372 yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground.
William’s won the award in a landslide over TCU’s Max Duggan and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
Eight of the last 10 Heisman winners played the quarterback position. Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith in 2020 was the last non-quarterback to take home the award.
Texas star running back Bijan Robinson finished No. 9 in the Heisman voting after an excellent junior season in Austin. Robinson totaled over 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season. He is the first Longhorn since D’Onta Foreman 2016 to finish inside the top 10 of the Heisman vote-getters.
The college football season provided many exceptional performances all over the nation. Here is an entire look at the 2022 Heisman Trophy results.
QB Michael Penix Jr, Wasjington | 2022-12-11T03:17:06Z | sports.yahoo.com | Final 2022 Heisman Trophy voting results | https://sports.yahoo.com/final-2022-heisman-trophy-voting-025841331.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/final-2022-heisman-trophy-voting-025841331.html?src=rss |
In a decision from the voters that wasn’t very surprising, Caleb Williams has been awarded the 2022 Heisman Trophy. With almost 50 total touchdowns and over 4000 passing yards, the former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback is the third player coached by Lincoln Riley to win the prestigous award.
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud was the preseason favorite, but as Williams rattled off more and more dominating performances, he pulled away as the obvious recipient. Stroud ended up finishing third in the final vote, with TCU QB Max Duggan taking second. Georgia QB Stetson Bennett finished fourth.
Whether there should’ve been players that don’t play QB invited to New York is a discussion for another day. Until then, congratulations are in order.
Congratulations to Caleb Williams and USC. The voters made the right decision. Williams was the best player in college football this season and arguably the most important position.
It’s ok to say that.
As for Lincoln Riley, this is what he does. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and now Caleb Williams have all won the Heisman trophy on his watch. Williams will probably be the first player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Williams took a risk when he chose to leave OU, and that risk paid off.
Can Dillon Gabriel put himself into contention for the award in 2023? Is the next Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner on his way to Norman? It’s going to be fun to find out.
Oklahoma tied for the most Heisman Trophy winners all-time | 2022-12-11T03:17:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Sooners QB Caleb Williams wins Heisman Trophy | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-sooners-qb-caleb-williams-025412375.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-sooners-qb-caleb-williams-025412375.html?src=rss |
Another USC quarterback is taking home college football’s most prestigious individual honor.
Caleb Williams was announced as this year’s winner of the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, beating out an impressive field of fellow signal-callers.
TCU quarterback Max Duggan finished second in the voting, followed by Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett.
A transfer from Oklahoma, Williams is expected to be the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Mountaineers were undefeated at home coming into the contest and continued that tonight against UAB | 2022-12-11T03:17:20Z | sports.yahoo.com | USC QB Caleb Williams wins Heisman Trophy | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-qb-caleb-williams-wins-020347057.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-qb-caleb-williams-wins-020347057.html?src=rss |
Report: Myers' Dubs deal expiring in June; talks on 'hiatus' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday night, citing sources, that Bob Myers' current contract expires at the end of June 2023 and a new deal hasn't been worked out yet.
Wojnarowski also reported, citing sources, that while Myers and the Warriors have had conversations about a contract extension, "those talks appear to be on hiatus."
Myers has been a member of the Warriors' front office since 2011 when he was hired as assistant general manager to Larry Riley. A year later, he was promoted to general manager, and in 2016, he added president of basketball operations to his title.
"We love Bob and hope he is here for a long time," Lacob told Wojnarowski on Saturday.
The upcoming offseason is shaping up to be a pivotal one for the Warriors. After re-signing Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole to four-year contract extensions just before this season, Draymond Green's status is the biggest question that needs to be answered.
The four-time NBA champion holds a $27.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season and if he exercises it to remain with Golden State, the team's payroll, including luxury tax penalties, would be an estimated $483 million, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
"I see the comments on our future," Myers told reporters Oct. 16. "I'm well aware of what the numbers are but what I would say to everyone is that's next season and this is this season and we can't play next season now."
RELATED: How Curry, Warriors' core helped Myers gain unique wisdom
If Myers and the Warriors are unable to work out a contract for next season and beyond, those roster issues will be someone else's problem to deal with.
Klay Thompson with a 2-pointer vs the Boston Celtics
Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) with a 2-pointer vs the Boston Celtics, 12/10/2022
Nearly 400 South Koreans adopted as children by families in the West have requested South Korea’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission investigate their adoptions through Friday’s application deadline, as Seoul faces growing pressure to reckon with a child export frenzy driven by dictatorships that ruled the country until the 1980s. The commission on Thursday said it decided to investigate 34 cases among the 51 adoptees who first submitted their applications in August, which could possibly develop into the country’s most far-reaching inquiry into foreign adoptions yet.
As her family, fans, and supporters alike celebrated the return of Brittney Griner to U.S. soil after the WNBA star […] The post Brittney Griner cut her locs to cope with Russia’s bitter cold: report appeared first on TheGrio. | 2022-12-11T05:05:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | NBA rumors: Bob Myers' Warriors contract expiring in June; talks on 'hiatus' | https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rumors-bob-myers-warriors-010121967.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rumors-bob-myers-warriors-010121967.html?src=rss |
USC quarterback Caleb Williams smiles after wining the Heisman Trophy on Saturday. (Todd Van Emst / Associated Press)
First, I'd like to say thank you. Thank you. This is really awesome. This is really awesome to be up here. So first off, I'd like to thank all the Heisman Trust, all the voters, the finalists that sit right here in front of me — C.J. [Stroud], Max [Duggan], Stets [Stetson Bennett]. You guys are unbelievable competitors. And I am so happy to be up here with you all. Knowing Stets from when I went to Georgia on my visits and him being my host, which is kind of funny that I'm up here with him now.
But we've all been through this journey these past couple of days together. And I may be standing up here today, but you all get to go to College Football Playoffs.
Guess you can't win them all.
Next, special shout out to my fellow Trojan Matt [Leinart], Cars [Carson Palmer], Mike [Garrett] for always supporting me since I've made this journey across the country to USC. But to now be a part of this historic fraternity is truly an honor. It's something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. While this may be an individual award, I certainly understand that nothing — and absolutely nothing — in this sport, nor life, is done alone.
I would like to thank our athletic director Mike Bohn and his wife, Kim, for being here today. Mike, I appreciate you for always and always making us the best student-athletes possible. My teammates and I greatly appreciate you and all you've done for USC.
Big dog, Coach [Lincoln] Riley. We committed to each other on two separate occasions, but with the same dream. As we say, and you've heard me say in the locker room, there can never be a great book or a great story without some adversity in it. So since our OU days, we've been through a lot. And even the sudden change in field from Norman, Oklahoma, to the University of Southern California, our dreams have not changed. They say you either change your dreams or change your habits, and I damn sure wasn't going to change my dreams. I'm glad you didn't change yours either. But we both know the job's not done.
Mama Riley [Caitlin Riley, Lincoln's wife], Sloan, Stella, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your family. And not only that, allowing him to coach me way more than he — he should probably be at home.
I'd like to thank all my USC brothers. I know we didn't finish the way we wanted to, but the culture bond that we formed will last forever. As I said, we do still have some unfinished business. A special shout out to this group. To the group that's here today, the offensive linemen. Stand up big guys, wherever you are. We're all here to celebrate our accomplishment. This doesn't happen without each one of you — Bobby [Haskins], Courtland [Ford], [Andrew] Vorhees, Gino [Quinones], Brett [Neilon], Dedi [Justin Dedich], Jonah [Monheim], Mason [Murphy]. Thank you. Thank you.
You had the courage to start a ninth grader in the toughest high school conference in the country. The Gonzaga experience both on and off the field helped to prepare me in more ways than you can imagine. Coach, you may not know this. But the Gonzaga motto that you drilled into us. "men for others," has helped inspire me to create the Caleb Cares foundation, which is all about giving back. So thank you, coach. Thank you, Gonzaga.
It is important to surround yourself with good people and a team that you can trust. Special thanks to Mama Judy, Cody and Phil. Now to my mentors, Coach Mar, Coach Russ [Thomas] and Coach Basha. I appreciate you for always holding me accountable as the man and as a football player and always speaking the truth to me, even when I don't want to hear. You taught me how to be a QB and not play the position of QB. You taught me how to look at myself in the mirror and like the man that's looking back.
And now, to the most important woman in my life. Thank you for always being my mom first. The woman behind the scenes who has a smile on her face and is willing to help others. You're an inspiration to me in many ways. To the old man over there, my dad, he always walks to the beat of his own drum. Thank you for showing me the way. You instilled a work ethic in me at a young age that I can't thank you enough for. From the training sessions and the late-night practices, even opening Athletic Republic so my guys and I could go train. You're always there for me making sacrifices in your life so I can achieve my dreams, which eventually became our dreams. It may seem to go unnoticed and unappreciated, but you mean the world to me. We're in this together and I wouldn't want it any other way.
That's where my journey started. And it's not the 4-year old kid that loved just going out there and running and tackling somebody and scoring touchdowns. The journey really started when I was 10. And the season ended and I had to turn my equipment in. And there's one thing that I vividly remember, is telling my dad in the car ride home that this is what I wanted to do for my career. I wanted to be a football player. I wanted to be a quarterback. I loved it. I loved everything about it. Fast forward a couple years later, I'm crying in a hotel room. And many of you have probably seen me cry after a loss. My team and I just lost the national championship and I didn't get the chance to play. My coach told me I was too small.
But the path hasn't always been easy. And this is me speaking to the 11-year-old out there who's watching right now, who was told you're too small, like they told me. Go out there, show them how big your heart is. To the seventh grader who was passed over on the team like I was, use that adversity to ignite your passion like I did. To the ninth grader out there who no one believes can make varsity, you can if you believe. To the 10th grader losing in the championship game but had belief that we were gonna come back and win down 20 in the first half. Always believe that there's one more Hail Mary up your sleeve. And to the college freshman who was fighting for a chance to contribute and get on the field with your brothers, your time is coming, keep going. And if you lose your bid to get to the College Playoffs, know that you will get through it like I did. And like I just learned. Back to work. The job isn't done.
The early setbacks that I encountered lit a fire, they started my journey. Your journey will be your own. Just keep believing and keep pursuing your goals. If you're willing to put in the work and surround yourself with positive people, you can achieve anything. I used to write down my goals in a journal and what used to just be words on a piece of paper has me standing here today. So everyone dreams really do come true.
In his first year of playing college football at USC, quarterback Caleb Williams has won college football’s top prize. Williams is the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. Already the recipient of plenty of hype regarding his NFL future, Williams can’t enter the draft until 2024. He becomes the first USC Heisman winner since running back Reggie Bush [more]
Oregon State lands Hawaii LB Leonard Ah You
PROMO: Join BeaversEdge.com and get 30 DAYS FREE!Oregon State's big recruiting weekend has started off strong as the Beavers on Friday afternoon landed Hawaii linebacker Leonard Ah You. The Kahuku (HI) native announced his commitment via Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. | 2022-12-11T05:13:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | 'Just keep believing.' Read Caleb Williams' full Heisman Trophy speech | https://sports.yahoo.com/just-keep-believing-read-caleb-030517136.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/just-keep-believing-read-caleb-030517136.html?src=rss |
Eight is enough … for now. USC hopes to have even more Heisman Trophy winners in the next decade under Lincoln Riley, but the future can wait. Right now, Riley has delivered USC a Heisman winner in his first season in Los Angeles. Caleb Williams was announced as the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday night in New York.
Caleb Williams joins Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004), and Reggie Bush (2005) as a USC Heisman winner.
It’s a night to celebrate Caleb Williams’ accomplishments. It’s also a night to pay tribute to the Heisman winners who have gone before Caleb, establishing a Heisman history at USC. Here are a few special facts about each of USC’s eight Heisman winners:
LEINART VOTING RESULTS
Jan 1, 2004; Pasadena, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Southern California Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart (11), wide receiver Mike Williams (1), tight end Gregg Guenther (44), fullback Brandon Hancock (40), and center Norm Katnik (62) celebrate in the endzone against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2004 Rose Bowl at the Rose Bowl. The Trojans defeated the Wolverines 28-14. Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Network
Matt Leinart finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting in three straight seasons.
Sophomore season: 6th
Junior year: 1st (Heisman winner)
Senior year: 3rd (Reggie Bush won)
OJ'S HEISMAN MILESTONE
Nov 18, 1967; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Southern California Trojans running back O.J. Simpson (32) carries the ball against the UCLA Bruins at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans defeated the Bruins 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports
OJ Simpson was the first-ever Heisman Trophy winner to attend junior college. He transferred to USC, and the rest is history.
MIKE GARRETT, THE WORKHORSE
Sep 1963; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Southern California Trojans running back (20) MIKE GARRETT during the 1963 season. Mandatory Credit: Photo By David Boss-USA TODAY Sports © Copyright David Boss
Mike Garrett was USC’s first Heisman Trophy winner, and the first player to average 25 carries per game.
CHARLES WHITE MASTERPIECE
Charles White ran wild in the 1980 Rose Bowl with 247 yards on 39 carries as USC defeated Ohio State, 17-16.
REGGIE BUSH IN 2005
Reggie Bush nearly doubled his rushing yard totals in his final season.
2004: 908 yards rushing
2005: 1,740 yards rushing
MARCUS ALLEN'S SPECIAL PLACE IN HISTORY
Marcus Allen has won a national championship (USC in 1978), the Rose Bowl (multiple times), the Heisman (1981), and the Super Bowl (XVIII, 1983 NFL season).
Reggie Bush didn’t have the central role Marcus Allen had in winning a Super Bowl, but he was part of a Super Bowl-winning team with the New Orleans Saints in the 2009 NFL season. Bush, like Allen, won a college national championship at USC and the Heisman Trophy. He was also on the 2003 USC team which won the Rose Bowl.
CARSON PALMER HEISMAN
Palmer’s Heisman in 2002 was the first for a Pac-10 school since Marcus Allen of USC won in 1981. Rashaan Salaam won the 1994 Heisman when Colorado was in the Big Eight Conference.
PALMER HEISMAN, PART TWO
Palmer’s 2002 Heisman was the first Heisman won by a player in the Pacific time zone since Marcus Allen in 1981. Ty Detmer of BYU was from the Mountain time zone, and Andre Ware of Houston was in the Central time zone.
CALEB WILLIAMS WINS ONE FOR D.C.
From Willie Wood to Cornelius Greene to Jonathan Ogden to Stefon Diggs to Chase Young, the D.C. area has had great football players. And now it has a Heisman Trophy winner. https://t.co/zVZMvZGnl9
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) December 11, 2022
CALEB'S TWO-SCHOOL JOURNEY, FROM OU TO USC TO HEISMAN NIGHT
Dec 29, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams (13) points downfield defended by Oregon Ducks safety Bennett Williams (15) in the first half of the 2021 Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Caleb Williams becomes one of a select group of players to play major college football at multiple schools and win the Heisman Trophy.
CALEB FOR THE PAC-12
Caleb Williams becomes the first Pac-12 Heisman winner since Marcus Mariota in 2014. We talked to Ducks Wire about Caleb and Marcus and how their Heisman seasons stack up against each other. | 2022-12-11T05:14:12Z | sports.yahoo.com | Special facts about all 8 USC Heisman Trophy winners | https://sports.yahoo.com/special-facts-8-usc-heisman-031006454.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/special-facts-8-usc-heisman-031006454.html?src=rss |
As the Cleveland Browns get set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals, it looks like one of their primary playmakers will be good to go. While he was listed as questionable with a hip injury, wide receiver Amari Cooper is expected to play according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In their first matchup this season, Cooper torched the Bengals for 131 yards and a touchdown on five catches. He sits just 170 yards shy of 1,000 yards on the season and is on pace for nearly 1,200 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Browns. They will need him to have a big game once again as they look to advance to 3-1 in the AFC North. | 2022-12-11T05:22:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | Browns get good news as Amari Cooper is expected to play vs. Bengals | https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-good-news-amari-cooper-044338538.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-good-news-amari-cooper-044338538.html?src=rss |
Lynch reveals what 49ers scouts liked about Purdy at Iowa State originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The 49ers are now on their third-string quarterback as the team turns to Brock Purdy to lead San Francisco against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
Despite Purdy being called "Mr. Irrelevant" after the 49ers selected the 22-year-old with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, general manager John Lynch says the franchise has confidence in the rookie quarterback.
Lynch appeared Friday on KNBR 680's "Murph & Mac," where he spotlighted Purdy's qualities that they saw in college football that he could translate to the NFL ahead of his first career start.
"Steve Slowik, who now is a pro scout in-house for us, was the area scout at Iowa State and just talked about how, along with Brian Griese, our quarterback coach, who had put a lot of work, how Brock had really been a part of a culture change at Iowa State," Lynch said.
"When they needed three points on a two-minute drive, he'd get the three points. When they needed the touchdown, he'd get the touchdown ... We had high grades his last year, maybe our grades were a little bit more over the place, but we had some people in the building very convicted on him."
The former Iowa State product flashed some of these qualities after coming in relief of Jimmy Garoppolo -- who suffered a broken foot -- and led the 49ers to a 33-17 win over the Dolphins.
During his time under center last week, Purdy completed 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception.
RELATED: Brock Purdy has been 49ers' 'pleasant surprise,' Trent Williams says
Purdy's first NFL start, one he is excited about, will be against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
It's not often a rookie can say they faced one of the best signal-callers to have ever played the game and Purdy can do so after his first start. | 2022-12-11T05:22:35Z | sports.yahoo.com | John Lynch reveals what 49ers scouts liked about Brock Purdy at Iowa State | https://sports.yahoo.com/john-lynch-reveals-49ers-scouts-050100619.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/john-lynch-reveals-49ers-scouts-050100619.html?src=rss |
The New England Patriots will be shorthanded for their game on Monday against the Arizona Cardinals. The team officially ruled out wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, cornerback Jalen Mills and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn.
Offensive tackle Trent Brown and Yodny Cajuste are listed as questionable to play in the game.
Brown is dealing with an illness, and Cajuste is dealing with calf and back injuries, per a report from Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar. The loss of those three in particular is difficult for the organization.
Meyers is the team’s top receiver and has been a key piece in getting New England’s offense moving. Wynn has struggled this season on the line, but not having him will only make things worse for an offensive front that is underperforming. Mills has 31 tackles and two interceptions on the season.
New England may have to rely heavily on the rushing attack against a Cardinals team that’s ranked 11th in the league with 110.8 rushing yards allowed per game.
Some good, old-fashioned ground-and-pound could lead the Patriots to the Promised Land in what should be a tough road trip in the desert, | 2022-12-11T05:22:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots rule out leading receiver and starting OT for Cardinals game | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-rule-leading-receiver-starting-033416246.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-rule-leading-receiver-starting-033416246.html?src=rss |
Brady-to-49ers in 2023 'fascinating,' in Papa's opinion originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Although Tom Brady has been around the NFL for over 20 seasons, the 45-year-old rarely has played against the 49ers in the Bay Area.
Despite Brady having the Bay Area as his No. 1 option back then, 49ers radio play-by-play announcer Greg Papa believes the idea of the veteran quarterback returning to his hometown next season is “fascinating,” considering the signal-caller is a free agent at the end of the season and San Francisco has question marks at the position.
“Isn’t it fascinating, though? Any other guy, you’d say, no, [but] this is the GOAT. This is Tom Brady. Now, the one thing that I wonder about and they would tailor the offense and they run a lot of shotgun now, but at his age. Could he make that stretch handoff and get out wide? His feet are they were great last year. A little slower this year.”
RELATED: 49ers' Kyle Shanahan on Tom Brady: 'What the hell was anyone ever thinking?' | 2022-12-11T05:22:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | Tom Brady-to-49ers for 2023 NFL season 'fascinating,' in Greg Papa's opinion | https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-brady-49ers-2023-nfl-023010205.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-brady-49ers-2023-nfl-023010205.html?src=rss |
It was a clear foul, though it wasn’t called on the field. After a video review, referee Wilton Sampaio was summoned to the monitor and granted the penalty kick. But Harry Kane — who had scored on a penalty earlier in the second half — skied his spot kick over the crossbar in the 84th minute.
Olivier Giroud celebrates after scoring France's go-ahead against England on Saturday. (Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Video review is used to check only potential penalty kicks. Since the contact on Kane was deemed to be out of the box, a free kick couldn’t be given. The options were either a penalty kick or no foul at all.
The loss is a massive disappointment for an England side that sees its streak of failing to win a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup continue. The Three Lions got to the final of Euro 2020 a summer ago before losing to Italy in penalty kicks. And they entered this World Cup as one of the favorites to win.
Soccer Journalist Grant Wahl Dies Unexpectedly in Qatar
Grant Wahl, an American sports journalist and outspoken critic of World Cup host Qatar's anti-LGBT policies, has died unexpectedly at the age of 48. | 2022-12-11T06:36:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | World Cup 2022: Olivier Giroud's winner gives France a 2-1 quarterfinal win over England | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-2022-olivier-girouds-goal-gives-france-a-2-1-quarterfinal-win-over-england-210053422.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-2022-olivier-girouds-goal-gives-france-a-2-1-quarterfinal-win-over-england-210053422.html?src=rss |
Caleb Williams talked for nearly 13 minutes in his Heisman Trophy speech Saturday night, after winning college football's top honor and stamping his name among the sport's all-time greats. The ESPN broadcast ran well past the end of the scheduled hour, but nobody was going to tell the USC quarterback to cut it short. Williams spoke movingly and at times emotionally about his finding his will at the age of 10 to be the best at his chosen craft, about how his parents, mentors and coaches helped him create and execute the plan to make that reality, of his relationship with USC coach Lincoln Riley and all they've been through and, finally, a message to any young person who aspires to chase a dream the way he did.
Top blocks from Utah Jazz vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Top blocks from Utah Jazz vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 12/09/2022
Police are sharing surveillance in the death of a 44-year-old man in November in the hopes of finding justice. | 2022-12-11T07:03:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley share thoughts with the media following 2022 Heisman Ceremony | https://sports.yahoo.com/caleb-williams-lincoln-riley-share-053223128.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/caleb-williams-lincoln-riley-share-053223128.html?src=rss |
Health authorities in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties are recommending that people wear masks in indoor public spaces as viral respiratory illnesses are circulating across the state and country.
Wilson a 1st-team all-American; Wilson, Waters 1st-team All-Big 12
Texas Tech defensive end makes FWAA all-America team, joins Red Raiders' safety on The Associated Press All-Big 12 team | 2022-12-11T12:42:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | It’s official: 13-year-old Charlie Woods is already outdriving Tiger | https://sports.yahoo.com/official-13-old-charlie-woods-214030592.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/official-13-old-charlie-woods-214030592.html?src=rss |
Yoo, dubbed the "Korean Bruce Lee" in his homeland -- was no match for Pacquiao despite being significantly taller and heavier.
He had suggested prior to the match that he may not be done with fighting, calling Sunday's bout a "very good stepping stone to come back".
Pacquiao, a multiple world champion who hung up his gloves with a 62-8-2 record after winning 12 major titles in eight weight classes, admitted: "I felt lonely when I retired from boxing."
Maya Hernandez, of Phelan, picked up the fourth national title of her amateur boxing career at the USA Boxing National Championships in Lubbock, Texas. | 2022-12-11T12:42:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pacquiao returns to ring for clash with South Korean YouTuber | https://sports.yahoo.com/pacquiao-returns-ring-clash-south-081706499.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pacquiao-returns-ring-clash-south-081706499.html?src=rss |
The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to class of 2024 wide receiver recruit Jaden Reddell. Georgia is one of the latest schools to offer the four-star prospect.
Jaden Reddell plays high school football for Raymore-Peculiar High School in Peculiar, Missouri. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound receiver has good size. Reddell is ranked as the No. 219 player in the class of 2024. He could also be considered a tight end due to his size. Reddell is the No. 11 player at his position and the No. 7 player in Missouri.
The four-star receiver has recently visited Alabama, Oregon, Ohio State, and Missouri. Jaden Reddell has recent scholarship offers from Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma.
The wide receiver/tight end recruit is excellent after the catch and has good speed. Reddell, who also plays basketball, is great at winning jump balls and has a large catch radius.
The Raymore-Peculiar star announced his scholarship offer from the University of Georgia via Twitter:
I am extremely blessed to have received an offer from the University of Georgia!! @coach_thartley @Rivals_Clint pic.twitter.com/tBFyWU1K6B
— Jaden Reddell (@JadenReddell) December 6, 2022 | 2022-12-11T13:12:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | UGA football offers 4-star WR Jaden Reddell | https://sports.yahoo.com/uga-football-offers-4-star-125157813.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/uga-football-offers-4-star-125157813.html?src=rss |
USC Trojans quarterback — and Washington, D.C. native — Caleb Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy on Saturday. The 20-year-old received 544 first-place votes, far ahead of TCU quarterback Max Duggan, who had 188 first-place votes.
Williams received 2,031 points, far ahead of Duggan’s 1,420 points.
Williams played high school football at Gonzaga College High School in D.C. and was a five-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, initially signing with Oklahoma. After head coach Lincoln Riley bolted for USC, Williams entered the NCAA transfer portal and followed Riley to Los Angeles.
In 13 games for the Trojans this season, Williams completed 66% of his passes for 4,075 yards, with 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Williams rushed for 372 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Williams has passed for 5,987 yards in two college seasons, with 58 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He has also rushed for 16 touchdowns.
He has one more season before he’s eligible to enter the 2024 NFL draft.
Legendary quarterback guru Tom House compared Williams to Patrick Mahomes, something Williams welcomed.
“It’s pretty cool, I’d say, just because everybody watches Patrick and sees all the cool things he can do,” Williams said, courtesy of Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio. “I always said even in high school that I don’t think there’s anything — obviously, he’s special, but I don’t think there’s anything that I can’t do that he’s doing out there. I think it’s really cool.
Plays like this are why Williams is compared to Mahomes.
Williams is already the frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. It’s doubtful Washington will be bad enough to have a chance at Williams but could you imagine the hometown hero in burgundy and gold?
It’s far too soon to speculate about Williams’ NFL future, but that shouldn’t stop Washington fans from dreaming. | 2022-12-11T13:12:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Washington D.C. native Caleb Williams wins the Heisman Trophy | https://sports.yahoo.com/washington-d-c-native-caleb-105758029.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/washington-d-c-native-caleb-105758029.html?src=rss |
Bear Necessities: How Jaylon Johnson is spending his bye week
The Chicago Bears are enjoying a much-needed (albeit late) bye week before their final four-game stretch of the 2022 season.
The bye week is usually a time to regroup, get healthy and prepare for the remainder of the season. For Chicago, they’re sitting at 3-10 where their season is all but over. Still, the bye week provides a chance to decompress before the final four games — and to take a step back from football.
“I won’t take the whole week, off but definitely not thinking about the game, not thinking about the season,” said cornerback Jaylon Johnson, via ChicagoBears.com. “Just kind of decompressing and separating from that and spending time with my daughter, spending time with my family. I’m going to stay in that moment. And then when I’m back, I’m back to business.”
The Bears have lost six straight games, and they face the toughest remaining strength of schedule over the final month with games against three playoff-bound teams in the Eagles, Bills and Vikings, as well as the Lions.
“I mean, the way I look at it is I can’t lose on the bye week,” Johnson said. “Just go 1-0 this week. So I mean I’m happy about that. I’m happy about winning something, being able to go back home, being off, relaxing, just gaining an edge mentally. For me, my family’s not out here. So being able to go back and see my daughter, that’s a win for me.”
The Bears return to action next Sunday when they host the top-seeded Eagles at Soldier Field in Week 15.
Bears WR N’Keal Harry feels like he has ‘a lot to prove’ in final stretch
Allen Lazard: ‘Different feel’ with Packers QB Jordan Love in 2022 compared to 2021. READ MORE ON PACKERS WIRE.
Vikings news roundup: Mattison fined, Darrisaw returns, scouting reports begin. READ MORE ON VIKINGS WIRE.
Dan Campbell not worri3ed about the Lions being favored over the Vikings. READ MORE ON LIONS WIRE. | 2022-12-11T13:12:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bear Necessities: How Jaylon Johnson is spending his bye week | https://sports.yahoo.com/bear-necessities-jaylon-johnson-spending-123546317.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bear-necessities-jaylon-johnson-spending-123546317.html?src=rss |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping to carry the momentum of last week’s dramatic comeback win over to this week’s road trip, as they head out west to face the San Francisco 49ers.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch, listen, and stream the Bucs’ Week 14 matchup:
Levi’s Stadium
Potential Ball Corporation ( NYSE:BALL ) shareholders may wish to note that the President, Daniel Fisher, recently... | 2022-12-11T13:12:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bucs vs. 49ers, NFL Week 14: How to watch, listen, and stream online | https://sports.yahoo.com/bucs-vs-49ers-nfl-week-121104329.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bucs-vs-49ers-nfl-week-121104329.html?src=rss |
After another wild comeback win last week over the New Orleans Saints, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be looking to remain above .500 when they take on the San Francisco 49ers on the road Sunday.
GOAT Homecoming
Growing up in the other Bay Area, Bucs quarterback Tom Brady was a die-hard 49ers fan, frequently attending games with his family.
“It was just a great time. There were so many great players, it was a great era of football and I loved the 49ers,” Brady said Thursday, recounting the days of Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice. Sunday, Brady returns to San Francisco to play for just the second time in his legendary 23-year career.
“I loved them through college, and then when they skipped over me six times, I started hating the 49ers, and that’s just the way it went down,” Brady continued, referencing his draft-day fall to the sixth round in 2000. As if he ever needed any extra motivation, this is one Brady will want badly.
Last year, the Bucs averaged just over 30 points per game, ranking second in the NFL as they won a franchise-record 13 games in the regular season. So far this year, the Bucs are averaging just 18 points per game, the sixth-worst mark in the league. They’ve scored more than 22 points just one in 12 games, and that was in a 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs back in Week 4.
Even in their two dramatic comeback wins against the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, those late heroics were necessary because the Bucs spent most of the game unable to move the ball or score any points. Despite the presence of Brady and a long list of talented playmakers, this unit continues to struggle, and facing a stingy 49ers defense this week won’t make things any easier.
At 6-6, the Bucs are still in first place in the NFC South, with a 1.5-game lead after Monday night’s epic comeback win over the New Orleans Saints. They’re currently the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff race, one spot behind the 8-4 49ers, who lead the NFC West for the time being.
Thanks to the sad state of their division, it’s plausible that Tampa Bay could lose their next three games, this one included, and still win the division by beating the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons to close out the regular season.
The 49ers are still trying to fight off the Seattle Seahawks for their division crown, so this game carries plenty of weight for both teams as they jockey for postseason position.
Both teams have some big names on the injury report this week, and many of them are still up in the air as it relates to their status for Sunday’s game.
For the Bucs, All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs (ankle/knee), Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle), and safety Mike Edwards (hamstring) are all listed as doubtful, while running back Leonard Fournette (foot), defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (foot), and cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (quad) are all questionable.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) is unsurprisingly among the three players already ruled out for the 49ers, while star pass rusher Nick Bosa (hamstring) is questionable. | 2022-12-11T13:13:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bucs vs. 49ers: Top storylines for Tampa Bay in Week 14 | https://sports.yahoo.com/bucs-vs-49ers-top-storylines-124733921.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bucs-vs-49ers-top-storylines-124733921.html?src=rss |
Jacksonville Jaguars v Los Angeles Chargers
It’s the Miami Dolphins vs LA Chargers tonight on NBC and Peacock. Live coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. ET with Football Night in America before the game kicks off at 8:20 p.m.
What channel, time is the NFL game tonight? TV, kickoff, live stream for Dolphins vs LA Chargers originally appeared on NBCSports.com | 2022-12-11T13:13:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | What channel, time is the NFL game tonight? TV, kickoff, live stream for Dolphins vs LA Chargers | https://sports.yahoo.com/channel-time-nfl-game-tonight-130058794.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/channel-time-nfl-game-tonight-130058794.html?src=rss |
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Denver Broncos in Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season.
It’s the first time these two AFC West opponents have faced off this season. The Broncos are looking to stop the bleeding against a Chiefs team with 13 consecutive wins against them. Kansas City is looking to get back into the win column after a disappointing loss the week prior. Who will emerge from this matchup victoriously?
Who: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
When: Sunday, Dec. 11, 3:05 p.m. CT
Where: Empower Field at Mile High Stadium – Denver, Colorado
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
Craig Wrolstad
Moneyline: Kansas City (-440), Denver (+343) | 2022-12-11T13:13:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs vs. Broncos Week 14: How to watch, listen and stream online | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-vs-broncos-week-14-124520524.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-vs-broncos-week-14-124520524.html?src=rss |
Matthew Stafford is out for the year with a neck injury, playing just nine games in his post-Super Bowl season. It’s been a frustrating year for everyone in the Rams’ building, but Stafford has remained engaged and present while out with injury.
He showed how great of a leader he is on Thursday night when he got on the headset to help talk Baker Mayfield through the final drive of the game, the game-winning drive to stun the Raiders.
“Really, what’s so impressive about Matthew is just being able to contribute and connect with his teammates, stay connected with his teammates in any way that he can. He was even on the headset on the last drive and making sure that he was able to add in a couple things that would be helpful to kind of relay specific information to Baker,” Sean McVay said Friday. “That tells you everything that you need to know about Matthew and who he is. So, I think sometimes being able to get a different perspective can be beneficial. Obviously, he would be better equipped to answer it, but his vantage point, his understanding, his ability to still be able to contribute in spite of I know he wants to be out there competing with his teammates. Has just continued to impress me with the man he is.”
Mayfield could use all the help with the playbook and calls that he could get, seeing as he was just claimed by the Rams two days prior to the game. So having Stafford in his ear, along with McVay, proved beneficial.
Stafford was also there on the sideline showing Mayfield some love after he led the Rams to the win.
Matthew Stafford showed love to Baker on his game-winning drive.
Respect 💯
(via NFL)pic.twitter.com/aH5T9Vlxha
Even though he’s injured, you can bet Stafford will do everything he can to help Mayfield prepare for the Rams’ final four opponents in 2022. | 2022-12-11T13:13:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Matthew Stafford was on the headset helping Baker Mayfield during final drive | https://sports.yahoo.com/matthew-stafford-headset-helping-baker-130047122.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/matthew-stafford-headset-helping-baker-130047122.html?src=rss |
Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season kicked off Thursday with the Los Angeles Rams defeating the Las Vegas Raiders, 17-16. But there’s still plenty of action to come this weekend.
Before Sunday night’s game between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers and Monday night’s matchup between the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, there’s a full slate of games Sunday on CBS and FOX.
Jets at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (RED)
Ravens at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET (GREEN)
Browns at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET (YELLOW)
Jaguars at Titans, 1 p.m. ET (ORANGE)
Chiefs at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET (BLUE)
Eagles at Giants, 1 p.m. ET (RED)
Texans at Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (BLUE)
Vikings at Lions, 1 p.m. ET (GREEN)
Buccaneers at 49ers, 4:25 p.m. ET (RED)
Panthers at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. ET (BLUE) | 2022-12-11T13:14:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL Week 14 TV coverage maps | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-week-14-tv-coverage-130024805.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-week-14-tv-coverage-130024805.html?src=rss |
Joe Gibbs (1981-1992) and his teams were 124-60 (.673) which is slightly less successful than George Allen’s tenure in Washington. However, in the 1980s, Gibbs produced four NFC Championship games, three NFC Championships, three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl victories. Joe Gibbs was an astonishing 11-3 in the playoffs in the ’80s.
Gibbs in 1981, lost his first five games and not one was a single-score game. Gibbs later said he feared he may not win an NFL game before he was fired.
I recall little Joe Washington having big games in RFK wins over the Patriots and Lions. In that Lions game, the lead changed hands six times when Mark Moseley won it with a field goal 33-31. Some may recall Mike Nelms with a 75-yard punt return touchdown in that Patriots win as well.
Washington turned it around in that ’81 season winning their final five games in RFK, finishing the season 8-8. RFK was buzzing as fans excitedly anticipated 1982.
From 1982 I’ll always recall Joe Theismann going deep to Charley Brown in the 13-9 win over the Eagles. I was present at RFK when Joe Theismann executed a great block, allowing Joe Washington to score. RFK went crazy on that play! Moseley kicked the game-winner in the snow in the 15-14 win over the Giants.
The ’82 playoffs at RFK were magical. Art Monk was injured, but Alvin Garrett was awesome, hauling in three Joe Theismann touchdown passes in the 31-7 victory over the Lions.
The next week, John Riggins rushed for 185 yards and bowed to the RFK crowd; Washington defeated the Vikings 21-7, and late, fans started chanting, “We want Dallas.”
The NFC Championship game against Dallas was so intense as RFK fans during warmups chanted, “we want Dallas.” Defensive end Dexter Manley knocked quarterback Danny White out of the game (literally), then rushed Gary Hogeboom, and tipped his screen pass, which Darryl Grant intercepted for a touchdown. To this day, I still believe that play and moment was the greatest experienced at RFK, as Washington defeated Dallas 31-17 to go to Super Bowl XVII.
The ’83 season saw Washington down 35-20, comeback to beat the Raiders 37-35 when Theismann found Washington in the end zone. The season finale at RFK was ugly when fans booed the Redskins, trailing the Giants 19-7. But the team recovered to win 31-22.
The Rams came to town for the playoffs and were crushed 51-7, and the 49ers were down 21-0. Washington held on to win 24-21 earning a trip to Super Bowl XVIII.
In 1984 at RFK, Washington crushed Dallas 34-14; Art Monk broke the single-season reception record (106) in one of the most exciting season finales, I recall, a 29-27 win over the Cardinals.
Joe Theismann on a 1985 Monday Night Football game brought RFK to a stilled silence when he suffered a career-ending compound fracture of the lower leg. Jay Schroeder’s first pass was a bomb to Art Monk as Washington came from behind to defeat the Giants 23-21.
#OTD in 1985, Lawrence Taylor ends the career of Joe Theismann with a vicious sack that breaks his leg on Monday Night Football. #TogetherBlue #WashingtonFootball pic.twitter.com/sg7s6Xceco
— Gershon Rabinowitz (@GershOnline) November 18, 2020
The most exciting 1986 win at RFK came when Washington trailed the Vikings 38-26, rallied to tie at 38-38, and then Gary Clark caught a short pass and ran down the left sideline for a thrilling 44-38 win. The most anticipated RFK game was the Giants game with both teams at 11-2, but the Giants won 24-14 and went on to win Super Bowl XXI.
In the 1987 NFC Championship game, Doug Williams had his worst day as a Washington quarterback. But Williams did find Gary Clark in the end zone for a 17-10 lead. The Redskins defensive stand inside the ten to end the game was epic as Joe Gibbs, knees on a towel, actually turned pale, later saying he thought he was going to pass out.
In 1988, Washington trailed Pittsburgh 29-20 late, but then Williams rallied the team with two scores for a 30-29 win as Williams passed for 430 yards. Later in the season, the Saints led at RFK 24-17, but Williams again led and Washington won 27-24.
What I have always remembered about RFK games in 1989 is the heart-breaking losses in the season’s first two games. Raul Allegre kicked a 52-yard field goal as the Giants won 27-24. The next week Washington led the Eagles 20-0. Gerald Riggs rushed for 221 yards, yet the Eagles rallied for a 42-37 win. | 2022-12-11T13:14:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Remembering Washington football at RFK Stadium in the 1980s | https://sports.yahoo.com/remembering-washington-football-rfk-stadium-115925564.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/remembering-washington-football-rfk-stadium-115925564.html?src=rss |
Not long after Bryce McGowens’ dream had been realized, he found himself in a dilemma.
Days removed from being selected in the second round of the June draft, McGowens was one of the newest members of the Charlotte Hornets and simply wanted to get some shots up at the team’s practice facility inside Spectrum Center. He pulled up in an SUV along with a few others on the Hornets’ summer league team, searching for the proper way to get in.
McGowens sought security clearance because it was after hours and the guard shed was empty, all so he could fire off jumpers and soak up the early stages of playing for the franchise he grew up watching growing up in South Carolina. It was clear the 20-year-old didn’t take this newfound opportunity for granted, immediately getting started on increasing his trajectory.
He doesn’t have a problem any more getting into the facility — or the Hornets’ lineup for that matter. In a season that’s gone anything but according to plan for the team, given a rash of injuries, the rookie guard has been a rare bright spot.
“There’s a lot of positives going forward and he’s right at the top of that list to me,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s got size, he has instincts, he has a feel for the game. But the biggest thing is he steps out there like he belongs. He’s poised, he’s smart.”
Clifford, unsolicited, brought up McGowens’ rapid growth.
“We had one game where he was in the film session and it was like, ‘Look at this,’ ” Clifford said. “It was all technique-based things that he had never done before in training camp that he’s doing every night now. He’s got to get bigger, stronger, more experienced, but he has a chance to be a really good player.”
Signed to a two-way contract that’s had him splitting time between Charlotte and Greensboro, injuries to Gordon Hayward and Cody Martin have opened the door for McGowens — and he’s walked right in, logging meaningful minutes in the Hornets’ past six games.
His averages of 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game during that span don’t really tell the story of his unexpected impact. He’s also shown he can get it done defensively with his wiry 6-foot-6, 185-pound frame, even swatting LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard’s shot on a fast break.
Unflappable should be his middle name.
“His poise, his demeanor, he doesn’t get rattled,” Kelly Oubre said. “No moment seems too big for him. He’s always ready. He comes out there and plays his game, is smooth. When I was his age, I was 100 miles an hour running through walls and banging my head against everything. So to see him in his mind frame right now as a rookie, it doesn’t emulate a normal rookie. He’s NBA ready and I feel like he’s going to be a star in this league.”
The Charlotte Observer caught up with McGowens to get his take on his recent play and what he has learned in his first six months of his tenure with the Hornets.
Roderick Boone: What it’s been like being on the floor for very important minutes?
Bryce McGowens: Really I feel like it just starts off with me wanting to be on the floor. It starts with walkthrough and me paying attention to film, doing whatever I have to do to stay on the floor. It really starts defensively, working hard to make sure I’m in the right places, being intelligent defensively and just working hard. That’s where I start off. That’s what I try to hold my hat on to try to stay on the floor. Whatever I have to do to help this team win and do to be on the floor, that’s what I’m willing to do.
RB: You mentioned wanting to be good defensively, you had a block on Kawhi. What was that like and how much do you value that part of your game?
BM: Really just using my length, my athletic ability and my IQ. to try to make plays on both ends, to try to hold my hat like I said and limit points for the other team.
RB: Did you ever think you would be able to say you blocked Kahwi?
BM: I would say it’s one basketball game. But just being able to be on the floor with those guys feels great. It’s just basketball, so I’m trying to make winning plays.
RB: Is that the main thing, figuring out you can play with these guys at this level, which is something you’ve done throughout your career?
BM: I would say experience. I feel the game of basketball every day is just another game. So I was able to come out and execute and just have fun with it like I’ve always been doing. I would say it’s just a blessing to be out there and be at this level.
Charlotte Hornets guard Bryce McGowens, right, shoots over Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. Charlotte won 117-116. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)
RB: You’ve shown that you can not only hit the jumper, but you also are aggressive attacking the basket. What about that part of your game? How does it help you?
BM: I feel like just having a good first step and me being able to use my athleticism to get to the rack. I’m going to finish one of these dunks. It’s coming. But I just try to get to the rack, try to get to the free-throw line.
RB: What have the veteran players on the team said to you about how you’ve been able to get it going?
BM: Yeah, really just continue to stay locked in defensively. That’s where it all starts. Just staying at it, working hard on defense.
RB: Terry Rozier mentioned you are sometimes one of the first people he sees in the gym. When you hear your teammates say things like that, how does it make you feel?
BM: It makes me feel great, just being able to hear from the older guys. They are guys that you have been watching your whole life. So just to be on the same floor, be with them and hear things like that, they push me. Just watching them, it pushes me to work harder to try to get to another level. | 2022-12-11T13:29:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | Searching for a bright spot in Hornets’ struggles? Look no further than Bryce McGowens | https://sports.yahoo.com/searching-bright-spot-hornets-struggles-104500060.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/searching-bright-spot-hornets-struggles-104500060.html?src=rss |
Canon Curry adorably says hello to Klay after Steph interview originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Steph Curry was all business after the Warriors' 123-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday night at Chase Center.
Canon Curry, on the other hand, just wanted to say hi to the star of the night, Klay Thompson.
Following the Warriors' impressive win in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals, Steph and Canon were holding hands as the reigning NBA Finals MVP was being interviewed while walking up the tunnel toward the locker room.
When Steph was done answering the question, that's when Canon stole the show.
"Hello, Klay Thompson," Canon said as the trio reached the locker room, getting a big laugh out of Thompson and everyone else close by.
Coming off a late-game blunder in the Warriors' loss to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, Thompson bounced back in a big way, leading all scorers with 34 points in the win over the Celtics.
Prior to Canon's adorable shout-out to Thompson, Curry provided a good recap of what the Warriors' 14th win of the season means.
"Proved we can play at a high level with the best in the league," Curry said. "Just got to keep putting it together night after night and get back to who we are. But this is a great win. We protected our home court and get ready to go on the road."
RELATED: Current Warriors dynasty 4-0 in initial rematch vs. Finals team they beat
Curry, Thompson and the Warriors now head out on a tough six-game road trip that takes them to Milwaukee, Indiana, Philadelphia, Toronto, New York and Brooklyn.
Canon won't go on the trip with the Warriors, but he'll likely be there waiting for them with a loud "Hello" when they get home in 12 days.
Steph Curry revealed which of his and wife Ayesha Curry's kids—Riley, 10, Ryan, 7, and Canon, 4—have gotten into sports, as well as shared what his family's support means to him.
A leading candidate for the NBA's Kia 2023 Most Valuable Player award, the St. Louis native has been dominating for Boston so far this season. | 2022-12-11T14:13:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | Canon Curry adorably says hello to Klay Thompson after Steph Curry interview | https://sports.yahoo.com/canon-curry-adorably-says-hello-061425569.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/canon-curry-adorably-says-hello-061425569.html?src=rss |
Morocco eliminated Portugal on Saturday in a 1-0 victory in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo was notably absent from the start of that match.
After the defeat, Portugal head coach Fernando Santos stood by the decision not to start Ronaldo, according to ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
"I don't think so, no regrets," Santos said. "I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets."
Ronaldo was subbed into the match in the 51st minute and took one shot in 11 touches during the 39 minutes he played. He was in tears exiting Portugal’s loss Saturday.
"If we take two persons that were the most upset it is Cristiano Ronaldo and myself,” Santos said. “Of course we are upset, but that is part of the job of the coach and the player."
At a news conference on the eve of Portugal’s Round of 16 matchup with Switzerland, Santos acknowledged that while he "really didn't like" Ronaldo’s reaction to the roster move, the rumors were false.
With it widely understood that this is likely the last World Cup match for 37-year-old Ronaldo, Santos attempted to shut down the speculation with a reminder of Ronaldo's contributions to Portuguese soccer.
“It is time we stopped with this conversation and the controversies. He celebrated all the goals that we scored," Santos said. “It is time for you to leave Ronaldo alone in acknowledgement of what he did for Portuguese football.”
The UFC ordered Ankalaev and Blachowicz to fight for the vacant belt and it appeared that Ankalaev had done enough to win. But the judges’ couldn’t agree and everyone was stunned by the outcome. | 2022-12-11T14:13:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | World Cup 2022: Portugal manager says he has ‘no regrets’ about benching Cristiano Ronaldo | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-2022-portugal-manager-says-he-has-no-regrets-about-benching-cristiano-ronaldo-210544202.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-2022-portugal-manager-says-he-has-no-regrets-about-benching-cristiano-ronaldo-210544202.html?src=rss |
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have some big names on this week’s injury report, but they should have one key player on each side of the ball in the lineup for Week 14.
Running back Leonard Fournette and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks are both expected to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Both players were limited by foot injuries in practice this week, and were listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report Friday.
Three men were arrested after breaking into a house, holding a woman at gunpoint, jumping into a car and forcing the couple in the car to drive them.
The Memphis Grizzlies started slow without Desmond Bane, but they have won their last four games. Now, bigger challenges await. | 2022-12-11T14:57:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | Report: Bucs RB Leonard Fournette, DL Akiem Hicks expected to play vs. 49ers | https://sports.yahoo.com/report-bucs-rb-leonard-fournette-135203247.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/report-bucs-rb-leonard-fournette-135203247.html?src=rss |
Back in February, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady retired after 22 legendary seasons in the NFL.
41 days later, he announced his return for a 23rd.
As he enters the homestretch of the 2022 campaign, Brady remains open to all possibilities beyond this season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
Despite the offensive struggles that have plagued Tampa Bay throughout the 2022 season, Brady hasn’t been the problem, clearly proving he’s still physically and mentally able to keep playing at a high level.
If he wants to keep doing so next year, the Bucs would gladly welcome him back, but there will be plenty of other teams jumping at the chance to sign him if he becomes a free agent again. | 2022-12-11T14:57:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Return (again) or retire (again): Tom Brady weighing all options for 2023 | https://sports.yahoo.com/return-again-retire-again-tom-140237202.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/return-again-retire-again-tom-140237202.html?src=rss |
The Seahawks are playing two games over the next five days and the results will have a real chance to shape how their season goes. This crucial stretch begins today at home against the Panthers, a team that they should beat.
What: Seattle Seahawks (7-5) vs. Carolina Panthers (4-8)
When: Sunday, Dec. 11 at 1:25 p.m. PT
Watch: The game will be broadcast on Fox in the blue areas on the map below.
Why: The Seahawks have a serious opening to win the NFC West following the season-ending injury to 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Winning today against Carolina and then on Thursday night against San Francisco would dramatically improve Seattle’s chances of winning the division and making the playoffs. | 2022-12-11T14:57:45Z | sports.yahoo.com | Seahawks vs. Panthers Gameday Info: How to watch or stream Week 14 matchup | https://sports.yahoo.com/seahawks-vs-panthers-gameday-watch-140040286.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/seahawks-vs-panthers-gameday-watch-140040286.html?src=rss |
It’s been awhile since many LSU fans have heard the name “Lindsey Scott Jr.”
This is a guy who arrived at LSU before Myles Brennan did.
The past seven years have taken Scott on a journey. His career began at LSU before he took the JUCO route. He was then back in the SEC at Missouri. He didn’t play there and transferred back to his home state, playing for Nicholls.
After a stint there, he’s now at Incarnate Word and he’s put on a show.
In Incarnate Word’s high-scoring FCS playoff win, Scott took center stage, totaling six touchdowns and leading the offense in a 66-point performance. The final score, 66-63, was the highest-scoring game in FCS playoff history.
Scott threw for 219 yards and ran for 166 more.
It’s nice to see Scott’s career getting an ending such as this. He’s a guy who wasn’t highly recruited but gave it a shot at a couple of SEC programs. He’s dealt with injuries but finally found solid footing.
Scott and UIW now advance to the FCS semifinals where they will face North Dakota State. | 2022-12-11T15:31:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former LSU QB takes center stage in FCS playoffs | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-lsu-qb-takes-center-150043791.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-lsu-qb-takes-center-150043791.html?src=rss |
Nikita Kucherov delivered one of the greatest NHL press conferences ever.
Jordan Binnington sees an opportunity
Speaking of Burke, he made headlines in 2002 when he was the Canucks' general manager. He first went off on the officials for what he considered poor officiating in a postseason series against the Detroit Red Wings. At one point Burke said, “Sedin is not English for ‘punch me’ or ‘headlock me in a scrum.'” Earlier he mentioned he was unaware that tackling was legal in hockey. Later, Burke would be fined US$30,000 for his remarks during the press conference, and he claims he was not notified of the fine but learned about it from the media. | 2022-12-11T15:45:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | NHL: 6 best press conferences of all time | https://sports.yahoo.com/best-nhl-press-conferences-of-all-time-143956743.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/best-nhl-press-conferences-of-all-time-143956743.html?src=rss |
Chaim Bloom opens up about losing Xander Bogaerts originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Chaim Bloom reportedly shared a stunned reaction after it was reported the San Diego Padres were signing Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract. But according to the Boston Red Sox' chief baseball officer, Bogaerts' departure didn't actually come as a surprise.
Bloom opened up about losing the homegrown shortstop in a candid conversation with MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo. Contrary to reports that suggested the Red Sox were close to a deal, he revealed the front office believes Bogaerts was a goner long before the Padres news.
“We had a good sense of where it was headed for some time before the deal was actually done,” Bloom told Cotillo. “I know what was reported, but that was definitely not what our impression was throughout the day and even the day before.”
Unsurprisingly, the Red Sox were simply unwilling to match the Padres' enormous contract offer. The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported the Red Sox offered Bogaerts six years and $160 million, though Bloom declined to confirm that figure.
“It got to a point to we just weren’t going to get to,” Bloom added. “That’s not to say that, emotionally, it wasn’t hard, but I don’t think there’s any sense in beating around the bush on that. The endpoint speaks for itself. We just weren’t going to get there.”
The Red Sox didn't just lose a four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. They lost a face of the franchise and a leader in the clubhouse. Without Bogaerts, the organization is left searching for its identity.
Bloom understands losing Bogaerts has ripple effects that go far beyond the club's performance on the field.
“He’s a really important person to everyone here and he’s important to the organization. From that standpoint, the fact he’s not going to be here anymore is hard,” Bloom said. “And that’s sad. I think anybody who sugarcoats that is being dishonest. Just because there are business decisions everyone has to make doesn’t mean that the emotional side or the personal side is any less.”
Since Bloom's arrival in late 2019, the Red Sox have parted ways with homegrown stars Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and now Bogaerts. Rafael Devers could be next as he's set to become a free agent after the 2023 season.
Bloom tells Cotillo the team may need to reassess how it approaches contract extension discussions with its prized players.
“I do think it’s fair to say that there are some things to think about there,” Bloom said. “Anytime you have a situation where you have a homegrown player who wants to be here and we want him here and it doesn’t happen, I think those are fair questions to ask and those are questions we certainly need to ask ourselves. We haven’t, as an organization, always found a way to come together in those situations. I think it’s something to think about and assess.”
You can read Bloom's full conversation with Cotillo here.
The Red Sox now are left with a significant void on the left side of their infield. They have five options to replace Bogaerts at shortstop before the 2023 MLB season.
Highlights from Xander Bogaerts' introductory press conference in San Diego
Newly-signed superstar shortstop Xander Bogaerts spoke to the media on Friday, Dec. 9, for his introductory press conference as a San Diego Padre. The former Boston Red Sox says he's excited to represent America's Finest City in the MLB.
Andrew Wiggins' 2022 NBA Finals should be Jonathan Kuminga's study guide
Andrew Wiggins gave the Warriors an idea of who he truly can be with his NBA Finals performance vs. the Celtics, and it can be key to Jonathan Kuminga.
Vandegrift improved to 14-1 and will play in its first state football championship game next week against DeSoto. The Vipers have won 14 straight. | 2022-12-11T15:45:06Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chaim Bloom opens up about losing Xander Bogaerts in free agency | https://sports.yahoo.com/chaim-bloom-opens-losing-xander-221700681.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chaim-bloom-opens-losing-xander-221700681.html?src=rss |
Kansas City Chiefs addition Brandon Williams has reason to feel at ease in his new surroundings.
That’s because Williams — a 6-foot-1, 335-pound defensive tackle that KC signed last week — has spent more than half his career with Chiefs assistant coaches.
During his first two years in Baltimore, Williams was with current Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, a senior defensive assistant and then a secondary coach from 2013-14. After that, Williams played under Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen from 2016-20; Cullen oversaw the Ravens’ D-line for those five seasons.
“I knew the defense I was gonna get myself into,” Williams said of his new team on Friday in the Chiefs locker room. “I knew what they ran. I knew Joe’s demeanor and how he ran the room. So it felt comfortable regardless.”
Williams, who was added to the Chiefs’ 53-man roster Thursday, replaces Taylor Stallworth, who was released by the team Tuesday.
The 10-year veteran Williams comes in during a time when the interior line has been inconsistent outside All-Pro candidate Chris Jones. Khalen Saunders has provided the most run-stopping ability, but he also struggled last week against Cincinnati and hasn’t played more than 50% of the snaps in any game this year.
Turk Wharton suffered a season-ending knee injury in October, while Derrick Nnadi and the just-released Stallworth are the lowest-graded players on the Chiefs 2022 defense per Pro Football Focus.
Williams, 33, was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018. He played 13 games last season for Baltimore and has earned the reputation as a run-stuffer throughout his career.
“Man, I’m here to facilitate in any way, shape or form,” Williams said Friday. “Like I told my dude over there (Chris Jones): ‘This is Chris Jones’ defensive line. I’m here to facilitate any way I can.’ They brought in me here to do a job, and I’m just prepared to do it.”
Born in Kirkwood, Missouri, Williams went to college at Division II Missouri Southern in Joplin. Though he grew up a St. Louis Rams fan, Williams said he remembers attending one home Chiefs game in college: a 2009 matchup against Denver when the Chiefs retired Derrick Thomas’ No. 58 at halftime.
Williams could get his first action for the Chiefs against the Broncos on Sunday at Mile High. He’ll also be wearing No. 66 — the same number he had at Missouri Southern.
Cullen said last week that Williams was a “heckuva player” when he had him in Baltimore.
“This time of year, you can never have enough valuable defensive linemen,” Cullen said. “So I think that had a lot to do with (his signing), and then the fact that I did have a relationship with him. He works his tail off, and so it’s an opportunity for him to come in and help us.”
Williams described the opportunity to join a playoff-bound team like the Chiefs — sitting at 9-3 — as “awesome.”
“They did a great job obviously during the season,” Williams said, “and I appreciate their work to allow me to come in and help them out, finish the rest of the way.”
Soccer journalist and Kansas City native Grant Wahl dies while covering Qatar World Cup
Grant Wahl was a renowned soccer journalist who attended Shawnee Mission East High School. | 2022-12-11T15:45:12Z | sports.yahoo.com | What new Chiefs addition — a Missouri native — hopes to bring to KC’s defensive line | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-addition-missouri-native-hopes-120000526.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-addition-missouri-native-hopes-120000526.html?src=rss |
Kendrick Perkins has candid take on Tatum's performance vs. Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jayson Tatum struggled against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, and it was one of the reasons why the Boston Celtics lost that series.
The superstar forward had a chance to show improvement Saturday night when the Celtics played the Warriors at Chase Center in the first matchup between these teams since June.
Unfortunately for the C's, Tatum didn't have a great game.
He scored 18 points on 6-of-21 shooting, along with seven rebounds, two assists and three steals in 40 minutes as the Celtics lost 123-107.
Ex-Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, speaking on NBC Sports Boston's "Celtics Postgame Live" following the loss, wants to see Tatum find other ways to impact winning when he's having trouble scoring.
"Jayson Tatum, we can harp on his offense, but we can also harp on the fact he's 6-foot-10, stupid athletic and that sometimes you gotta get in the trenches and muck it up a little bit," Perkins said.
"When we see Giannis Antetokounmpo and he begins to struggle offensively, guess what he does? He goes to the offensive glass, he starts jumping into the passing lanes, he goes out and gets 15 to 20 rebounds with four or five blocks. There are different ways to step up to the plate and have an effect on the game to get wins. Jayson Tatum looked spooked (Saturday night), and he talked about losing sleep after the Finals, he's definitely about to lose sleep until he plays Golden State again.
"You know what the narrative is about to be right now? No matter what he does from here, until they play Golden State again in Boston, they're going to keep saying, 'Oh, he isn't ready for Golden State'. He's going to have to change that."
Tatum averaged just 21.5 points per game versus the Warriors in the NBA Finals last season. He scored 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting in Game 6 of the series when Golden State clinched the championship in Boston.
The loss in the Finals clearly motivated Tatum all offseason, because the 24-year-old forward entered Saturday as arguably the leading candidate for league MVP. He's played awesome this season, highlighted by a career-high 30.5 points per game.
But there's no question Tatum needs to find ways to be more impactful at both ends of the floor against the Warriors. If the Celtics are going to break through and win Banner 18 this season, they may have to go through Golden State again to do it.
Current Warriors dynasty 4-0 in initial rematch of NBA Finals they won
Following the Warriors' win over the Celtics in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals, Golden State remains perfect in initial matchups against Finals opponents they beat a few months earlier.
Assist of the Night: Goran Dragic
Assist of the Night: Goran Dragic - December 10, 2022
Check out our top waiver wire suggestions as we head into the ninth week of the fantasy basketball season. | 2022-12-11T15:45:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Kendrick Perkins has candid take on Jayson Tatum's performance vs. Warriors | https://sports.yahoo.com/kendrick-perkins-candid-jayson-tatums-170659203.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kendrick-perkins-candid-jayson-tatums-170659203.html?src=rss |
The Giants face another enormous challenge this week as they try to complete the metamorphosis from feel-good story to playoff team down the stretch of this NFL season, hosting the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles Sunday in their biggest test of the year.
The Eagles (11-1) have the best record in the league and they’re good at just about everything. It will be the first of two meetings between the teams, who will also meet in the final game of the season in Philadelphia.
The Giants are 1-3-1 since wowing the football world with a 6-1 start, but they are still clinging to the sixth playoff spot in the NFC. But they also have the second-hardest strength of remaining schedule in the NFL with four of their final five opponents holding winning records. So they control their own destiny, but they must navigate a treacherous path.
It starts against a Super Bowl contender. Here are five things to watch as the Giants face the Eagles in Week 14:
Intra-division intel
Maybe the Commanders are good for something after all. Washington is the only team to beat the Eagles this season and the running game was key. Not that the Commanders rushed for an eye-popping total – it was just 152 yards – but it helped them play keep-away from Jalen Hurts and the high-octane Eagles’ offense. Washington held the ball for 40:24 in a 32-21 victory and rushed 49 times. Did they reveal a blueprint for Big Blue? Maybe.
The Eagles are very good at a lot of things, but stopping the run doesn’t rank amongst their best strengths. Their 1,415 rush yards allowed is 16th and opponents average 4.6 yards per rush is tied for ninth-most. Of course, the Giants will have to execute their run game and Saquon Barkley, who popped up on the injury report late in the week (neck), has totaled fewer than 70 yards in each of the last three games. And the Eagles smothered Derrick Henry last week in clobbering the Titans, holding him to 30 yards on 11 tries.
Take a pass
The Eagles have given up the fewest passing yards in football and have a ferocious pass rush capable of creating pressure without the blitz. So, yeah, it will be difficult for the Giants to crank up their passing game, though that isn’t really the way they operate, anyway. Still, there’s a lot to contend with here. The Giants are averaging 180.4 yards passing while the Eagles are allowing just 178.5 yards in the air and lead the NFL with 15 interceptions. Edge rusher Haason Reddick leads the Eagles with nine sacks and Javon Hargrave has eight.
Overall, Philly has five players with at least five sacks, including longtime nemesis Fletcher Cox (five). The Eagles have 13 sacks over the past three weeks and are second in the NFL with 42 overall. Daniel Jones is coming off an efficient performance against Washington (25-for-31, 200 yards), but his real efficiency this week may come from leaning on the run.
Warning – the Eagles quarterback you are going to see Sunday is vastly different from the one who had an awful game at MetLife Stadium last year in a 13-7 loss to the Giants. Hurts is now firmly in the NFL MVP race and has been the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for each of the last two weeks. He’s thrown 20 touchdown passes and only three interceptions and he’s also a dangerous runner. And he’s not the skittish non-passer he was in Week 12 last year when he was a career-worst 14-for-31 (45 percent) passing for 129 and three interceptions.
Still, maybe Brian Daboll, who knows Hurts well from when both were at Alabama together in 2017, can glean something from last year’s film to plague Hurts on Sunday. It’s a big if, though. A few weeks after his poor performance last year, Hurts led the Eagles to a 34-10 win over the Giants. He’s basically been ascending since.
Do take offense
The Eagles are the No. 2 scoring offense in the NFL at 28.2 points per game, trailing only the Chiefs (29.2). No team has scored more touchdowns than Philadelphia’s 44 and the Eagles are adept at the run and the pass and have the firepower for big plays.
Miles Sanders has rushed for 924 yards and nine touchdowns and Hurts has two terrific targets in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who each have 61 catches and are both on pace for 1,000-plus yards receiving. Brown could get there on Sunday – he’s only 50 yards shy – and has nine TD catches, fourth in the NFL. For comparison purposes, the Giants are allowing 21 points per game, 12th in the NFL.
When the Giants do turn to their passing game, we’ll be watching Darius Slayton, Jones’ favorite target, and hoping he’s matched up occasionally against excellent Philly cornerback Darius Slay. Why? To see if there really is a “ton” of difference between them (woof!).
Seriously, though, Slayton has emerged as the Giants’ top wideout in a season marred by receiver injuries. He leads the team’s wideouts with 33 receptions, 566 yards, 17.2 yards per catch and two touchdowns. Slay has three interceptions and 10 passes defended and forms a difficult corner duo with former Giant James Bradberry. | 2022-12-11T16:44:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | 5 things to watch as Giants face Eagles in Week 14 of 2022 NFL season | https://sports.yahoo.com/5-things-watch-giants-face-153321696.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/5-things-watch-giants-face-153321696.html?src=rss |
The Chicago Bears are 3-10 at the bye week, where their season is all but over after being eliminated from postseason contention. But there’s plenty to be optimistic about heading into the 2023 season, particularly what’s expected to be a busy offseason.
There’s plenty of change coming to this Bears roster in 2023, and general manager Ryan Poles will have eight draft picks (including what’s expected to be a top-three pick) and a good amount of salary cap space to build around quarterback Justin Fields, who’s emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting young QBs.
Chicago is slated to have the most salary cap space in 2023, and it’s not even close. According to Over The Cap, the Bears will have $124 million in cap space for 2023. The next closest is the Atlanta Falcons at $72 million.
Safe to say, Poles will have the opportunity to retool this roster and add some pieces around Fields on offense and fill some holes on defense. | 2022-12-11T16:44:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears’ 2023 salary cap update at the bye week | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-2023-salary-cap-bye-160122143.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-2023-salary-cap-bye-160122143.html?src=rss |
The Arizona Cardinals have had their fair share of offensive struggles this season. When they are at their best, they run the ball well. James Conner gets going and the threat of Kyler Murray’s running along with his actual running help the offense go.
Running the ball well against the New England Patriots this week on Monday night will be key.
The Patriots have allowed over 130 rushing yards in four of their six losses.
The Cardinals are 3-1 when they rush for more than 130. The only loss was the 25-24 loss they suffered two weeks ago.
James Conner rushed for 125 yards in the loss. The offense looked good for three quarters and they should have won the game.
The Patriots struggled with Bears quarterback Justin Fields and his mobility. He rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ loss to the Bears.
If Conner can find positive yards and Murray is able to wreak even a little havoc, the Cardinals will be in position to pick up a win. | 2022-12-11T16:44:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cardinals’ run game to be key vs. Patriots | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-run-game-key-vs-142452330.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-run-game-key-vs-142452330.html?src=rss |
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf is getting fined by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct the second time this season. A few weeks ago, Metcalf was fined around $30,000 for arguing a missed defensive pass interference in the Munich game.
On Saturday, Tom Pelissero at NFL Network reported that the league hit up Metcalf’s wallet again for over 10 grand. He was on a long list of players who were fined for unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 13.
Metcalf can afford it. His salary cap number for this year is $8,838,827 and the extension he signed over the summer had a $30 million signing bonus. | 2022-12-11T16:44:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | DK Metcalf fined by NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct again | https://sports.yahoo.com/dk-metcalf-fined-nfl-unsportsmanlike-160028071.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dk-metcalf-fined-nfl-unsportsmanlike-160028071.html?src=rss |
The Miami Dolphins will take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
This prime-time matchup means fans of the aqua and orange will have an opportunity to watch both the early and late games without having to keep an eye on their own squad.
Any time there’s a divisional matchup with two potential playoff teams, it’s going to make for some great theater.
The Bills currently lead the division with a one-game lead over Miami, while the Jets are just one game behind them.
A Jets’ win would put Miami in danger if they were to lose Sunday night, but it’s probably more advantageous than having the Bills continue to keep their lead or extend it.
The Chiefs are the second seed in the AFC, and the Broncos don’t have much of a chance to make the postseason.
If the Chiefs lose, Miami has an easier chance of grabbing one of the top spots in the playoff picture.
Jacksonville isn’t much better than Denver, when it comes to their record. Their chances of making the playoffs are slim, but the Titans look prime to win the AFC South despite firing their general manager in the last week.
A Tennessee loss, like a Chiefs loss, would make it easier for Miami to grab a top spot if they can win the East. | 2022-12-11T16:44:57Z | sports.yahoo.com | What Dolphins fans should be watching before Sunday night vs. Chargers | https://sports.yahoo.com/dolphins-fans-watching-sunday-night-155959827.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dolphins-fans-watching-sunday-night-155959827.html?src=rss |
Brian Daboll just told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio that Saquon Barkley will play today vs #Eagles. He was questionable with a neck injury.
After being questionable for most of the week with a neck injury, Giants star running back Saquon Barkley will be active for Sunday’s matchup against the Eagles.
Barkley’s 1,055 yards rank fourth in the NFL and first in the NFC. His eight touchdowns rank one behind Jalen Hurts and Miles Sanders, who each have nine and are tied for fifth in the NFL with Ken Walker III.
Barkley is also one of the top receiving backs in the NFL. Through 12 games this season, the former Penn State star has gained 241 yards on 40 receptions.
Spartans have shot 59.1% at the line in their last two losses, which have come by a combined eight points | 2022-12-11T16:45:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirms RB Saquon Barkley will play vs. Eagles | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-head-coach-brian-daboll-160636469.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-head-coach-brian-daboll-160636469.html?src=rss |
NFL schedule: Network and broadcast information for Week 14 Sunday, including Giants vs. Eagles, 49ers vs. Bucs
The the 1 p.m. ET wave, most of the country will see the NFC East-leading Eagles visit the Giants on FOX, while on CBS the Jets visiting the Bills will be seen in NFL markets without a game of their own in the window. The Buccaneers and Tom Brady visiting his boyhood team in the 49ers will be FOX's main offering in the late window, while CBS' lone game will be the Chiefs visiting the Broncos.
Eagles (11-1) at Giants (7-4-1), 1 p.m. ET, FOX | Live updates
Jets (7-5) at Bills (9-3), 1 p.m. ET, CBS | Live updates
Vikings (10-2) at Lions (5-7), 1 p.m. ET, FOX | Live updates
Browns (5-7) at Bengals (8-4), 1 p.m. ET, CBS | Live updates
Ravens (8-4) at Steelers (5-7), 1 p.m. ET, CBS | Live updates
Texans (1-10-1) at Cowboys (9-3), 1 p.m. ET, FOX | Live updates
Jaguars (4-8) at Titans (7-5), 1 p.m. ET, CBS | Live updates
Chiefs (9-3) at Broncos (3-9), 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Panthers (4-8) at Seahawks (7-5), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Buccaneers (6-6) at 49ers (8-4), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Dolphins (8-4) at Chargers (6-6), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Bye weeks: Bears (3-10), Commanders (7-5-1), Colts (4-8-1), Falcons (5-8), Packers (5-8), Saints (4-9).
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins look to rebound from a tough loss to the 49ers in Week 13. (Photo by Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports) | 2022-12-11T16:46:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL Week 14 Sunday viewers guide | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-schedule-network-and-broadcast-information-for-week-14-sunday-including-giants-vs-eagles-49-ers-vs-bucs-163035298.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-schedule-network-and-broadcast-information-for-week-14-sunday-including-giants-vs-eagles-49-ers-vs-bucs-163035298.html?src=rss |
The Houston Texans have designated their two players from the practice squad to be their standard elevations for Week 14’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at AT&T Stadium.
The Texans will elevate quarterback Jeff Driskel and receiver Jalen Camp to the game day roster.
Houston could especially use Camp as they are down their top two receivers in Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins. Cooks is out with a calf injury while Collins has a foot injury.
Camp was active in Week 9 on Thursday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles and caught one pass for seven yards as part of his 15 offensive snaps. | 2022-12-11T16:46:35Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans elevate QB Jeff Driskel and WR Jalen Camp from the practice squad | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-elevate-qb-jeff-driskel-144212279.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-elevate-qb-jeff-driskel-144212279.html?src=rss |
The Houston Texans may give all of their snaps at left guard to rookie Kenyon Green against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Texans downgraded guard Justin McCray to out and left him behind in Houston. McCray had been listed on questionable on Friday’s injury report with a hamstring injury.
Although McCray had not logged a start since Oct. 30 against the Tennessee Titans in a 17-10 loss at NRG Stadium, the 6-3, 315-pound interior offensive lineman had split time with Green at left guard, contributing with 22 and 29 snaps in the last two games.
Green has been active for 12 games this season, starting in 11 of them. | 2022-12-11T16:46:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans G Justin McCray out against the Cowboys | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-g-justin-mccray-against-143139640.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-g-justin-mccray-against-143139640.html?src=rss |
Dec 10, 2022; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the Long Island Sharks in the first half at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The UConn men’s basketball finished non-conference play with a resounding defeat of Long Island University on Saturday afternoon, but now the Huskies are preparing for a bigger test: conference play in the Big East.
UConn tied up their non-conference schedule going a perfect 11-0. This team is just the sixth in school history to go undefeated before starting conference play, which has certainly elevated the expectations of the No. 5 team in the country.
But despite expectations, coach Dan Hurley, in his fifth year with the program, is excited to start Big East play, especially with Andre Jackson Jr. and Adama Sanogo leading the team and keeping the team focused.
“Those two men, their daily approach, their work ethic, these guys set a tone in practice,” Hurley said after Saturday’s win. “Neither guy wants to be subbed out and each guy is an absolute ruthless competitor and that runs through your team. Two of your best players are putting so much pressure on everyone else to show up everyday unless they destroy them.”
That in-team competitiveness has helped underclassmen get ready for Big East play. Freshman center Donovan Clingan has benefitted from this competitiveness as his game has developed during non-conference play.
“Getting in the shape he got himself in, and when you play against Adama Sonogo everyday since June you’re going to improve a lot,” Hurley said with a laugh. “He’s playing against one of the best players in the country.”
Clingan and the rest of the Huskies will need that type of development as Hurley says that his team needs to be prepared to be involved in “dog fights” during Big East play. Especially this year with many of the teams playing at a high level.
“I do think overall it’s much better. The bottom is stronger, every game in conference play is so difficult because you know each other so well. It’s one of 20 and it’s a grind,” Hurley said. “We know our string of double-digit coasting to victory is about to turn into much different types of games. And we’re mentally preparing for that.”
Only one Big East team, Villanova, is going into the conference schedule with a losing overall record.
Last season, UConn went 13-6 in Big East play to finish third in the conference, but after such a hot start the Huskies are looking for more and the players are aware of the challenge ahead.
“We’re ready for the Big East challenge, it’s a second season,” UConn sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins said. “It’s tougher than the non-conference schedule. These guys have to come together collectively and do what we did the last 11 games and build off that.”
Alex Karaban, UConn’s redshirt freshman forward added, “From what we’ve seen from the other teams, they’ve played super competitive games. We know it’s going to be a challenge moving forward.”
“We have to come in with the same mindset we came in for the first 11 games, that we’re going to win this game,” Clingan said. “We just have to have the same defense, and keep sharing the ball.”
But despite the undefeated record, Hurley believes the best is still to come for his Huskies.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best yet,” he said. “Obviously you get Samson [Johnson] back and healthy because he’s a very important piece. It was great to see Nahiem [Alleyne] see the ball go in and get double figures. He’s an important player for us… I think there’s been a carelessness with the ball. There’s some positions where we have to play at a higher level.”
The Huskies start Big East play next Saturday against Butler. | 2022-12-11T16:46:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | UConn ready for 'dog fight' as Huskies prepare for Big East Conference play | https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-ready-dog-fight-huskies-235118445.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/uconn-ready-dog-fight-huskies-235118445.html?src=rss |
Jeremy Davis/Courtesy
It didn’t take long for Dylan Edwards to find a new college football team.
The star running back recruit from Derby committed to Colorado and Deion Sanders on Saturday after making a recruiting trip to Boulder, where he got an up-close look at what the Buffaloes had to offer.
He announced his decision on social media with a video of him wearing a Colorado football uniform standing next to Sanders. The caption read: “Let’s make it happen.”
Let’s make it happen…@DeionSanders @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/tdw48PhyDp
This appears to end a long recruiting saga for Edwards.
Edwards, one of the top football recruits in the state of Kansas, has been all over the map lately. The four-star playmaker originally committed to Kansas State over Nebraska and Oklahoma but changed his mind a few weeks later after Notre Dame expressed interest.
That led him to withdraw his commitment from K-State and change allegiances to the Fighting Irish. He remained committed to Notre Dame for several months, but he changed his mind again when Colorado hired Sanders away from Jackson State. One of his first coaching moves with the Buffaloes was to offer a scholarship to Edwards.
Sanders, who famously played baseball and football at the professional level, has serious pull with recruits. They call him “Coach Prime.”
Edwards thought enough of the offer to announce it on social media and then withdraw his commitment from Notre Dame earlier this week.
It seemed like Colorado was the clear front-runner to land his services, and he picked the Buffaloes on Saturday.
Edwards rushed for 1,764 yards and scored 33 touchdowns for the Panthers as a high school senior.
Nothing is final until early signing day on Dec. 21, but it appears as though Edwards will now try to build on those numbers with the Buffaloes, where he will play for one of the most famous coaches in the entire sport.
The Bulls posted their best offensive performance of the season in a 144-115 win over the Dallas Mavericks, which played without Luka Doni. | 2022-12-11T17:07:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | Derby recruit Dylan Edwards will play college football for Deion Sanders at Colorado | https://sports.yahoo.com/derby-recruit-dylan-edwards-play-021849319.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/derby-recruit-dylan-edwards-play-021849319.html?src=rss |
NEW YORK (AP) After Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the eighth player to do so for Southern California, he talked about how cool it will be to have his jersey retired at the school one day and to be able to take his place with other USC greats.
''But as of right now, I got a game in three weeks or so and getting ready to prepare for them, and I got a whole 'nother year or two into a USC,'' Williams said. | 2022-12-11T17:42:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Heisman 2023: Maye? Harrison Jr.? Who challenges Williams? | https://sports.yahoo.com/heisman-2023-maye-harrison-jr-154607190.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/heisman-2023-maye-harrison-jr-154607190.html?src=rss |
The New England Patriots look to move to 7-6 and keep their playoff hopes alive against a disappointing Arizona Cardinals team that is currently sitting at 4-8 on the season.
Monday Night Football will showcase two talented teams on paper that are underperforming expectations.
The Patriots are in a must-win situation each week as they try to sneak into the postseason. If they can get everything together now, the talent is there for them to potentially make a run.
This week is one of the most important games of Bill Belichick’s coaching career, post-Tom Brady. If the Patriots wind up losing this game, it would be likely they miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.
In order for the Patriots to win this week, a few things will need to happen. Let’s take a look at the keys to the game
1. Contain Kyler Murray
The Patriots have always had issues with mobile quarterbacks, and this week will offer a same challenge that they have yet to overcome. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will be looking to take advantage of the Patriots’ biggest weakness, which has been stopping playmakers just like him.
For New England to find success against Murray, who is one of the league’s best running quarterbacks, they’ll need to rely on athletic, hybrid defenders like Jabrill Peppers, Kyle Dugger and Mack Wilson Sr. to spy and contain him. If not, they run the risk of him scrambling around for extra time and forcing coverage breakdowns in the secondary.
Containing Murray is no easy feat, but it is the single most important key to this week’s battle.
2. Keep Mac Jones upright
Mac Jones has had no time to throw all season, and although the Cardinals’ defensive front is the worst in the league, the Patriots’ offensive line is just as bad.
The Patriots are still playing without offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn, and both Trent Brown and Yodny Cajuste are listed as questionable with injuries. So the team could once again be short-handed for this matchup.
Like any other quarterback in football, Jones’ best games have come when he’s had time to throw the football. If the Patriots offensive line can keep some continuity and keep him upright this week, the Patriots should be able to put some points on the board.
3. Capitalize on Red Zone opportunities
The Cardinals have the worst Red Zone defense in the entire NFL, and the Patriots have the worst Red Zone offense in the NFL. So this will be a battle between two bad red zone teams.
At the very least, it offers hope for the Patriots to find some answers for their struggles. If they can’t move the ball on the Cardinals, they’re going to have a difficult time moving it against any team. If they can protect Jones and capitalize when the field shortens, there will be very little reason to worry this week.
The Patriots will need every chance they can get to score points as their offense has been brutal all season, but Monday’s game offers a true chance for the team to get back to the basics and hopefully improve to 7-6.
While it's true that they're leveling up and looking for more adult presents, especially when it comes to tech gifts and video games, there's still plenty of room for fun toys and kid stuff, with items like fidget toys, award-winning toys and board games still high on their lists. For our list of the best gifts for teen boys, we have a mix of top-tested Good Housekeeping Institute favorites, editor's picks and best-sellers designed to nurture your teen's true interests. Whether you're looking for a small stocking stuffer or a big-ticket gift, something for a 15-year-old still getting the hang of high school or an 18-year-old heading off to college, we've got you covered with all the cool gifts for boys they could possibly ask for. | 2022-12-11T21:41:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | 3 keys to Patriots’ Monday night primetime matchup vs Cardinals | https://sports.yahoo.com/3-keys-patriots-monday-night-203023251.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/3-keys-patriots-monday-night-203023251.html?src=rss |
The Cleveland Browns have now dropped to 5-8 on the season after losing a sloppy game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Penalized nine times on the day for 98 total yards, the Browns far too often gave the Bengals extra possessions and shot themselves in the foot.
They have now called to 2-2 in the AFC North and will need a miracle to pull off an appearance in the playoffs this season. With four games to go, the best the Browns can now do is get to nine wins on the season and hope for the best.
Other than dashed playoff hopes, what stood out in this loss to the Bengals?
1st Down: The run game is broken and reaching the point of no return
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) hands off to running back Nick Chubb (24) in the first quarter of the NFL Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. The Bengals led 13-3 at halftime. Cleveland Browns At Cincinnati Bengals Week 14
It has been multiple weeks in a row, since the injury to starting center Ethan Pocic, that the Browns cannot get their ground game going. While they experienced lighter boxes against the Houston Texans to spring them free, this offensive line cannot get movement and is getting manhandled up front.
Today, the Browns ran the football 24 times, averaging just three yards per carry. It is extremely rare to see Nick Chubb, perhaps the best running back in the NFL, bottled up as significantly as he was today. Hjalte Froholdt is struggling at center, and the other four are not playing their best football either.
Pocic has to miss at least one more game before he can be designated for return, so it will be interesting to see if the Browns can get movement against the Baltimore Ravens on a short week this Saturday. This may be just the indication the Browns need to extend Pocic, who has played like a top-three center in all of football this season.
2nd Down: Deshaun Watson was much better, but not nearly good enough
After a rusty showing against his old team a week ago, quarterback Deshaun Watson was better today against the Bengals. However, mustering just one offensive touchdown on the day, he still has plenty of room to continue to get better over these next four weeks.
On the day, Watson finished 26-of-42 passing for 276 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. It still seemed as though the game was moving fast for him, but slower than it did a week ago. He even added another 33 yards rushing on the ground as the Browns look for answers to their run game.
Next week he will be tasked with going against the 12th-ranked passing defense of the Baltimore Ravens. This team is also sixth against the run in DVOA, meaning Watson will once again be asked to float the offense as the run game continues to soul-search.
Can he get incrementally back into the swing of things over these last four as the Browns do not have much to play for at this point?
3rd Down: Ja'Marr Chase dominates a soft secondary
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) scores a touchdown against Cleveland Browns safety John Johnson III (43) in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
After getting strapped up last season, and then missing the first appearance this season against the Browns, the Bengals’ All-Pro wide receiver, well, played like an All-Pro in this one. The connection between Burrow and Chase is a special one, as 10 of Burrow’s 18 completions went to his LSU teammate on the day.
Chase scored the first touchdown of the game, finishing with 119 yards and a touchdown on those 10 catches. He is one of the best receivers in the league for a reason, and it was only a matter of time before he left his mark against this Browns team. Luckily for the Browns next week, the Ravens do not have a receiver that instills much fear in a secondary.
4th Down: Myles Garrett is inching closer to the Defensive Player of the Year
Dec 11, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks to throw a pass under pressure from Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) in the second quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
While the outcome was not a pretty one on the scoreboard, Myles Garrett continues his race for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He finished this game with two sacks, three tackles for loss, and two passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.
He is now up to 12 sacks on the season in 12 games played. It cannot be taken for granted how truly generational it is to average a sack per game as consistently as Garrett does. This now puts him tied for third in the league in sacks.
Garrett gets double-teamed more than anyone else in the league, and still wins off the edge more than anyone else, as sack totals do not tell the full story. While not much has gone right this season, and not much went right today for the Browns, Garrett continues to be a dominant presence week in and week out.
Extra Point: What do we have to look forward to over next four weeks?
This season looks lost. And we knew there was a good chance of that when the news of the Watson suspension came down. However, the Browns have an opportunity to build real momentum heading into the offseason over these last four games. And who knows? Maybe nine games is good enough to sneak into a final playoff spot given how the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Chargers have been playing down the stretch.
The Ravens may also be without MVP-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson on a short week, meaning they may get Tyler Huntley again this Saturday. From there, the Browns wrap up the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints.
One thing the Browns have shown over the past few weeks, at least, is there is no quit in this team until the final whistle. This allowed them to come back and beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and even put them in a position to close the gap today (to no avail).
With that being said, there are some real issues this team has to figure out, and they will use the last four weeks to do so. There are highly-paid players in the secondary who could be fighting for a roster spot next season. There are coordinators on thin ice with a chance to patch up their standings, and there is a rapport that can continue to be built offensively.
Do not expect this team to stop churning their legs until the conclusion of Week 18. | 2022-12-11T21:41:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | 4 Downs: Browns now need miracle to make playoffs after ugly loss to Bengals | https://sports.yahoo.com/4-downs-browns-now-miracle-213309334.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/4-downs-browns-now-miracle-213309334.html?src=rss |
Hugh sigh of relief.
The Dallas Cowboys played their worst game of the season on Sunday. Favored by 17 points at home against the Houston Texans, Dallas looked absolutely horrible. They were discombobulated on both offense and special teams, putting the defense in hideous field positions throughout the game. The defense got absolutely no pressure and was confounded by the Texans dual-QB attack.
There were turnovers that started Houston drives at the Cowboys’ 27, 24 and amazingly at the four-yard line with a lead and just five minutes remaining. Somehow, the Cowboys pulled off the goal-line stand when the Texans failed on a fourth-down try. The Cowboys somehow got their act together, going on a 98-yard drive culminating in an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run on third and goal. Dallas would hold on for the 27-23 victory.
The team moved to 10-3 on the season and somehow kept pace with the Philadelphia Eagles who moved to 11-1 with a big win over New York.
Quarterback Dak Prescott somehow turned a horrible game into a deep-sigh victory, throwing for 73 yards and rushing for another 15 on the winning drive. It was his first game-winning drive of the season and 18th of his career as Dallas secured their fourth win in a row. He overcame two interceptions for the game, one a tip drill off of Noah Brown’s hands, another when his arm was hit in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys were fortunate to escape with a victory, but it counts the same nonetheless. They’ll next travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 15. | 2022-12-11T21:41:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | 98-yard drive saves Cowboys from upset, down Texans 27-23 | https://sports.yahoo.com/98-yard-drive-saves-cowboys-211659386.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/98-yard-drive-saves-cowboys-211659386.html?src=rss |
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has achieved an NFL milestone that few who play his position have ever accomplished in their careers.
With 34 receiving yards against the Denver Broncos on his first reception of Week 14, Kelce has now reached 10,008 career receiving yards. The 33-year-old becomes the fifth tight end in NFL history to hit 10,000 or more receiving yards in his career, joining Shannon Sharpe (10,060), Antonio Gates (11,841), Jason Witten (13,046) and Tony Gonzalez (15,127). Kelce needed just 87 receiving yards entering Week 14 to pass Sharpe for the fourth-most receiving yards all-time by a tight end in NFL history.
The craziest thing about this feat is the pace at which Kelce accomplished it. He hit the 10,000 receiving yards mark faster than any of Sharpe, Gates, Witten and Gonzalez. The next closest player (Gonzalez) needed 177 games played to reach 10,000 receiving yards in his career. Week 14 marked just the 140th career game played for Kelce. For the mathematically challenged, Kelce hit 10,000 career receiving yards 37 games quicker than Gonzalez.
Adding to Kelce’s impressive resume, he needed just 32 yards entering Week 14 to reach 1,000 career receiving yards for a seventh consecutive season. No other tight end in NFL history has more than four consecutive seasons of 1,000 receiving yards.
We’re watching the greatest tight end in NFL history, folks. Enjoy it while you can. | 2022-12-11T21:42:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs’ Travis Kelce fifth tight end in NFL history to hit 10,000 career receiving yards | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-travis-kelce-fifth-tight-212916132.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-travis-kelce-fifth-tight-212916132.html?src=rss |
The Detroit Lions are looking more and more for real each week, and may have solidified their place Sunday.
Jared Goff threw touchdown passes to three different receivers, the defense held its own and special teams executed a crucial fake punt, as the Lions kept their dim NFL playoff hopes alive with a resounding 34-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field.
Penei Sewell, the second-year right tackle, helped seal the win with a catch on third-and-7 after going in motion across the formation, on the first play after the two-minute warning. The 9-yard catch was his first NFL reception.
The Lions (6-7) have won five of six after starting the season 1-6, and visit the New York Jets (7-6) next Sunday (1 p.m., CBS). The Lions likely have to win out to make the playoffs, with games at Carolina, vs. Chicago and at Green Bay to finish the season. The Lions, ninth in the NFC, are two games back in the loss column of the seventh and final playoff spot.
Goff connected on scores of 41 yards to Jameson Williams, his first NFL catch, 48 yards to DJ Chark and 5 yards to Josh Reynolds. | 2022-12-11T21:43:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Detroit Lions pull out all the stops to beat Vikings, 34-23, keep dim playoff hopes alive | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-pull-stops-beat-211545538.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-pull-stops-beat-211545538.html?src=rss |
The New York Giants were defeated by the Philidelphia Eagles in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants were never really in this game as the Eagles got out to a 21-0 start. Things did not get any better throughout the game as New York would only score 22 points compared to another 27 scored by Philidelphia.
It is hard to have many positive takeaways from this blowout loss but one thing that has improved for Big Blue over the past two weeks is the team’s pass rush. This was especially headlined by second-year edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.
It has been a season filled with adversity for Ojulari as he missed the first two games of the season with an injury. Then he played in Weeks 3 and 4 before suffering another injury that held him out until Week 13.
However, here in Week 14, Ojulari showed out as he recorded four tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. Both of Ojulari’s sacks forced punts for the Eagles as he was a drive-killer on the day.
He was a force to be reckoned with outside for this New York defense and he helped try to contain a red-hot offense led by Jalen Hurts.
Azeez Ojulari with another sack. There is a positive. Has done nothing but produce when healthy this season.
Azeez Ojulari with his 2nd sack of the day. Well, at least one Giant will get a 'Kudos' on Monday morning. | 2022-12-11T21:44:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants vs. Eagles Player of the Game: Azeez Ojulari | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-vs-eagles-player-game-211420671.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-vs-eagles-player-game-211420671.html?src=rss |
The nerds, and the Lions, won on Sunday. Detroit beat the Vikings 34-23. There's nothing wrong with a team that was 10-2, and will undoubtedly be NFC North champions, losing a game on the road. But it brings back all the questions about whether the Vikings are legitimate.
The Vikings never really looked like the better team on Sunday. That says something about the Lions, who have won five of six and still aren't dead in the playoff race after a 1-6 start to the season. Detroit played well. But the Vikings didn't do much to slow them down, either. They were smashed for 464 yards.
Analytics don't like the Vikings and that's where the two sides square off. Nobody who enjoys advanced stats would try to take the Vikings' wins away from them or anything, but they'd tell you their run is unsustainable. You can't have a barely-positive point differential, an awful net yards per play and a DVOA ranking in the 20s and win like the 1992 Cowboys. That's not how it works.
There are plenty of fans who don't care about advanced stats. They'll break out the old Bill Parcells line, "You are what your record says you are," and that's that. Not that they're wrong necessarily. Nobody has raised a banner because they had a good great EPA (that's Expected Points Added ... don't worry, there's no quiz later).
The Vikings weren't going to win out, but Sunday was a bit troubling for their believers. Minnesota even had a huge play that could have lifted them to the win (dare we troll Vikings fans and say "upset win"? Nah). On a fourth-and-4 in the third quarter, Kirk Cousins found Adam Thielen for a 23-yard touchdown. Minnesota inexplicably decided to go for the two-point conversion then and didn't get it, but they had cut Detroit's lead to 21-13. Then the Lions went on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive and took back control of the game.
The biggest problem for the Vikings is the defense is cratering. They've allowed 400 or more yards in five straight games, the longest streak in franchise history according to Fox. In four of those five games their opponent has reached 450 yards. On the first touchdown of the game, the secondary let rookie Jameson Williams run wide open on a deep over route and nobody was around him when he caught a 41-yard touchdown. That set the tone for another miserable game from the Vikings defense.
The Lions weren't going to let the Vikings back in the game to win it, like they did early this season. On a third-and-7 just inside the two-minute warning, the Lions sent offensive tackle Penei Sewell in motion, and then threw to him. He was wide open and caught it for nine yards. Sewell's catch set up a game-clinching field goal. That's the dagger the Lions didn't use in the first meeting.
The Vikings have lost three times this season. They were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, perhaps the two best teams in the NFC. That added to the notion that despite their record, they were nowhere near being a Super Bowl contender. The Lions loss will make the detractors yell louder. The only way the Vikings can outrun those critics is to get back on a long winning streak. Analytics don't like their chances.
Trick or Treat Trevor: We're in a weird place with Trevor Lawrence. Some weeks he looks like a quarterback who can win NFL MVP in a year or two. Then the next week you wonder where that quarterback disappeared to.
When Lawrence is good, like he was Sunday or in a comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks ago, it's easy to buy into his upside. He reminds everyone why he was one of the most hyped prospects in many years coming out of Clemson. But stay tuned next week. Let's see if he can keep it going.
Tyler Huntley, then Anthony Brown and the gutty Ravens: Sunday might have been the most Baltimore Ravens-style win they've had in many years.
The Ravens were without Lamar Jackson, so Huntley started. Huntley left with an injury so undrafted Brown came in. And it didn't matter. The Ravens played good defense, ran the ball, Justin Tucker provided most of the points and they won a physical 16-14 duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens need to find ways to keep winning as their quarterback situation is in the air. The Cincinnati Bengals are still tied with them for first place in the AFC North. But the Ravens are getting it done somehow. That's what they do.
Buffalo Bills defense: The Bills didn't play their best offensive game on Sunday. It's hard against a New York Jets defense that is among the NFL's best. Cold, snowy weather didn't help.
But the Bills also have a fantastic defense. They pounded Jets quarterback Mike White, rarely allowed any substantial drives and handled New York in a 20-12 win. When the Jets had one final chance at the end to at least tie it, the Bills didn't allow a yard in a quick four-and-out.
The Bills might need to win out to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Whether they get a bye or not, they'll need to win some games when it's not easy, due to bad weather or facing a stellar defense that limits Josh Allen. Buffalo can win that way. That's what makes them dangerous.
New York Giants: It's hard to keep fooling 'em in the NFL if you're severely outmanned. The Giants did their best for the first half of the season.
We're seeing the Giants get exposed a bit the past few weeks. Nobody thought they were as good as their 6-1 record in late October indicated. Regression has come. The Giants are 1-4-1 since that start after an uncompetitive 48-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was the most points the Giants have ever allowed at home to the Eagles. The Eagles are one of the elite teams in the NFL, but a team with playoff hopes like the Giants should be able to show a little more life.
The Giants are still in the playoff mix but it won't be easy to stay in it. Their schedule down the stretch isn't easy. And their roster isn't very good. There is a lot to fix in the offseason.
Dallas Cowboys looking elite: The Cowboys won and that's the most important thing. Because you can imagine what would be said about them if they lost.
This is probably a one-off performance for the Cowboys. They have been good most of the season. But they were pretty bad on Sunday. We'll have to see if that was just a sleepy day against a bad opponent, or the first sign of a downturn. | 2022-12-11T21:45:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL Winners and Losers: Frauds? Maybe not, but Vikings loss will fuel the detractors | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-winners-and-losers-frauds-maybe-not-but-vikings-loss-will-fuel-the-detractors-211828797.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-winners-and-losers-frauds-maybe-not-but-vikings-loss-will-fuel-the-detractors-211828797.html?src=rss |
The Cowboys played badly for a majority of the game against the Texans. Late in the first quarter, quarterback Dak Prescott turned it over near his own red zone and it appeared the Texans would close the door on a gut-wrenching upset. With their back against the wall, the Dallas defense responded with a goal line stop and gave Prescott the ball with 98 yards to cross down three points.
Through all the miscues, Prescott stayed confident in his receivers and delivered into tight windows for tight end Dalton Schultz and wide receiver Noah Brown en route to the goal line. Prescott was a perfect 8-for-8 for 88 yards on the drive until the near-touchdown effort to wide receiver Michael Gallup, who was hit hard and lost control. On the next play, running back Ezekiel Elliott made up for the goal line denial early in the second half by breaking through and taking the lead.
Elliott’s touchdown saved Dallas from a massive upset and Prescott was miraculous with his back against the wall regardless of the struggles against an inferior opponent. The Texans had a hail mary attempt and the Cowboys ended the game with a second takeaway courtesy of the effort. | 2022-12-11T21:45:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | Prescott’s near-perfect drive, Elliott’s late score lead Cowboys to win | https://sports.yahoo.com/prescott-near-perfect-drive-elliott-212637379.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/prescott-near-perfect-drive-elliott-212637379.html?src=rss |
Early in the contest, Dobbins made his presence felt in a big way. Following a 17-yard punt by Pittsburgh, Dobbins took the first play of the drive for 44 yards before punching the ball into the end zone on the second play, capping off a two-play, 48-yard drive in 45 seconds. | 2022-12-11T21:45:41Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins scores TD following massive run on two-play drive | https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-rb-j-k-dobbins-202313620.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-rb-j-k-dobbins-202313620.html?src=rss |
The Cleveland Browns have scored their first offensive touchdown in two weeks as quarterback Deshaun Watson connects with tight end David Njoku from 12 yards out. This marks Watson’s first touchdown as a member of the Browns. Cleveland now trails the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 20-10 with one quarter to go in this ugly game.
Njoku came up with three big catches on the drive, including a clutch grab on a 4th down conversion. In his return after missing last week, Njoku has racked up 48 yards and a touchdown on five catches for the Browns.
With one quarter to go, the Bengals are attempting a field goal after the break to put them up by 13 points.
Paper chain featuring Zelenskyy is hung on Christmas tree in Tver, Russia
A paper chain featuring an image of Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been spotted on a Christmas tree in the centre of Tver, Russia. Source: Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian media outlet Details: Meduza has posted photographs of a Christmas tree decoration that features images of "enemies of Russia". | 2022-12-11T21:46:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Deshaun Watson throws first TD with Browns to David Njoku | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-deshaun-watson-throws-first-203007882.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-deshaun-watson-throws-first-203007882.html?src=rss |
The 2022 season revealed just how important the tight end is to the Oklahoma Sooners’ offense. Brayden Willis had a career year for the Sooners, leading Oklahoma with seven touchdown receptions in addition to career highs in receptions and yards.
After rotating with Jeremiah Hall and Austin Stogner, Willis got the opportunity to take on a full-time role at tight end for the Sooners. With Willis graduating and heading to the NFL, it’s Stogner’s turn to see a full complement of snaps as the presumptive starter at tight end in 2023.
In 2021, Stogner was seventh on the Sooners in targets with just 26. Jeremiah Hall led the H-Back rotation with 37 targets, 32 receptions, 334 yards, and four touchdowns.
As the lead guy in the position in 2022, Brayden Willis was fourth on the team with targets with 53, behind Marvin Mims, Drake Stoops, and Jalil Farooq. He was second in receiving yards with 445 yards and had 35 receptions. Willis had more than double the yards and six more touchdowns than Stogner did, who had to share time with Jaheim Bell at tight end.
Returning to Oklahoma, Stogner has a shot at replicating what Willis was able to do for the Sooners. He’s a dynamic receiver that can make plays over the middle of the field and in the red zone. His athleticism gives Dillon Gabriel a player that can win 50-50 matchups. The Sooners need to be able to attack the sticks and the middle of the field with more consistency in 2023. Stogner helps them do that.
In addition to what he’ll provide on the field, he’ll give the Sooners the opportunity to be patient with their two four-star tight ends, Kaden Helms and Jason Llewellyn. Helms and Llewellyn have a lot of potential, but we didn’t see much of them in 2022. If one of them can emerge and take significant snaps, that’s great, but if they aren’t quite ready, the Sooners have a solid floor with Stogner’s present.
The Sooners will have more transfer portal additions before they open the 2023 season, but bringing Austin Stogner back will turn out to be a great addition for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Braden Fiske is among the fastest rising names in the transfer portal and the Sooners are pursuing the talented lineman. | 2022-12-11T21:46:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | Adding Austin Stogner huge for the Oklahoma Sooners offense | https://sports.yahoo.com/adding-austin-stogner-huge-oklahoma-201805439.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/adding-austin-stogner-huge-oklahoma-201805439.html?src=rss |
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