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Here’s a quick look at the updated playoff picture:
With the Giants’ 20-12 victory over the Commanders on Sunday night, they jumped over Washington to the No. 6 seed, which means they’d face the 49ers in the first round while Washington heads to Minnesota to face the Vikings.
The other interesting twist is the scorching hot Lions pulling into a tie with the Seahawks and knocking on the door of a postseason berth. At 1-6 Detroit looked dead in the water, and now they’ve won six of seven and they’re firmly in the mix to be a factor come mid-January.
How those last few spots shake out will be interesting for San Francisco given the various challenges each team presents. With three games to go there are a slew of outcomes that could alter the 49ers’ postseason path. By the end of the season they could conceivably be facing any of the teams currently sitting at six and below.
While the intrigue over whether the 49ers will make the postseason is now gone, the bevy of outcomes as to their seeding and who they’ll play will make the end of this season a fascinating one to follow for San Francisco. | 2022-12-19T07:14:57Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFC Playoff Picture: How Week 15 games affected 49ers | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfc-playoff-picture-week-15-060054102.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfc-playoff-picture-week-15-060054102.html?src=rss |
Mike Tomlin is in his 16th season as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach. There has been one common factor in all of the first 15 seasons. The team has never finished below .500. This is a fact that Tomlin’s strongest supporters quote when those on the other side call for his job.
It is also a fact that hasn’t escaped the players. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was interviewed after Pittsburgh’s 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers and said it is important to the team to keep Tomlin’s streak alive.
In order for this to happen, Pittsburgh will need to win out. Next week the Steelers come home to take on the Las Vegas Raiders. Then it is back-to-back AFC North games to finish out the season. First on the road for a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens and then wrapping things up at home against the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh lost to Baltimore and Cleveland already this season.
We analyze Washington's 20-12 loss to the New York Giants.
KYIV (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin heads to Belarus on Monday, fuelling Ukrainian fears he intends to pressure his ally to join a new offensive, as Russian drones attacked Kyiv in the latest assault targeting key infrastructure, Ukrainian officials said. Officials in Kyiv have warned for months that neighbouring Belarus could join Russian forces and serve as a launching pad for a renewed ground attack on the Ukrainian capital. "Protecting our border, both with Russia and Belarus - is our constant priority," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after a meeting on Sunday of Ukraine's top military command. | 2022-12-19T07:15:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Steelers WR Diontae Johnson says keeping Mike Tomlin’s streak alive important to the team | https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-wr-diontae-johnson-says-064509796.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-wr-diontae-johnson-says-064509796.html?src=rss |
Week 15 of NFL action is underway and teams are giving that final push to try to book a spot in the 2022 NFL playoffs.
They were joined in Week 15 by the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota, San Francisco and Kansas City are the only teams to have locked up their divisions so far.
Entering Monday night's Packers-Rams game, here is the 2022 NFC playoff picture: | 2022-12-19T07:15:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | Which teams have clinched a berth in the 2022 NFL playoffs? | https://sports.yahoo.com/teams-clinched-berth-2022-nfl-234013471.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/teams-clinched-berth-2022-nfl-234013471.html?src=rss |
We've seen it happen before. A player who appears well-positioned to be a valuable fantasy add goes out and lays an egg when given extended minutes. Lakers center Thomas Bryant was in the spotlight Sunday night, filling the massive void left by the injured Anthony Davis. So, what did Bryant do? He played 33 minutes in the 119-117 victory, scoring 16 points (7-of-13 FGs) with 10 rebounds, two assists, and two 3-pointers, and his dunk with 7.4 seconds remaining proved to be the difference. While his rostered percentage has increased substantially over the last 48 hours, Bryant is still at 37% in Yahoo leagues. And with the Lakers facing a 4-3-4-3 schedule over the next four weeks (Davis will miss at least one month), Bryant's rostered percentage should be over 50% ahead of Monday's game in Phoenix.
Another Laker who proved to be a solid add was Austin Reaves, who filled in for late scratch Patrick Beverley (calf) and chipped in with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. However, Reaves did have to exit Sunday's game on two separate occasions after spraining his right ankle. He was on the court to finish the game (Lonnie Walker IV tweaked his left leg late and did not return), but that back-to-back is a bit concerning, especially with the Lakers traveling to Phoenix. Reaves is rostered in 19% of Yahoo leagues, and he'll be worth a look if cleared to play on Monday.
With P.J. Washington (personal reasons) back in the Charlotte starting lineup, McDaniels returned to the bench, and his time as an effective streamer appeared to be finished. But Terry Rozier exited Sunday's loss in Denver after playing 14 first-half minutes with a right hip contusion, which freed up additional minutes for McDaniels and Kelly Oubre. McDaniels played 20 minutes, scoring 14 points with five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and two 3-pointers. A player who appeared to be an automatic drop ahead of Sunday's game may have a new lease on life as the Hornets play in Sacramento Monday night. If Rozier sits, McDaniels will be worth a roll of the dice in deep leagues. And yes, it would be a gamble.
With Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins sidelined, much of the focus for fantasy pickups has been on the perimeter, and rightfully so. But Looney has emerged as another solid pickup based on his play in the Warriors' last two games. Two nights after finishing one assist shy of his first triple-double, Looney finished Sunday's win over the Raptors with 11 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and one blocked shot in 28 minutes. With that, he had another career first: double-doubles in consecutive games. But next week's schedule isn't great, which will limit how high Looney's rostered percentage will climb. The Warriors finish their road trip with a Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back against the Knicks and Nets, then host the Grizzlies on Christmas Day.
Boston played without Jayson Tatum on Sunday, as he was away from the team for personal reasons. As a result, Williams was back in the starting lineup for the first time in four games. Like many of his teammates, Williams didn't shoot well, going 4-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from the foul line, and he finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 31 minutes. Worth streaming when given a spot start, Williams is only a deep-league option when coming off the bench. And he won't have much value in Week 10, as the Celtics have a three-game week, and Tatum is expected back for Wednesday's game against the Pacers.
Rick Carlisle changed his starting lineup on Sunday, replacing the struggling Jalen Smith with Aaron Nesmith. And that adjustment may stick for a while, even though the Pacers lost to the Knicks. Not only did Nesmith score a career-high 23 points, but he also recorded his first career double-double (10 rebounds, one steal, and four 3-pointers) and played 31 minutes. Smith only played 11 minutes, accounting for nine points, two rebounds, one steal, and one blocked shot. However, similar to Looney and Williams, the upcoming schedule will impact how Nesmith is viewed in fantasy circles. The Pacers only play two games in Week 10 (at Boston on Wednesday and at Miami on Friday), limiting Nesmith's opportunities to build on Sunday's performance. Also, Chris Duarte returned from a sprained ankle and played 15 minutes, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds. Nesmith's performance was great, but there isn't much to be gained from adding him now.
Timberwolves guard D'Angelo Russell was back after a two-game absence, meaning a demotion to the bench for Rivers. While he should have been dropped, the few holdouts must have been pleased with Rivers' night. He played 26 minutes off the bench, scoring 14 points with four rebounds, one assist, and four 3-pointers as part of Minnesota's 150-126 win over the Bulls. With Russell back and Minnesota only playing three games next week, there isn't much value to be gained from adding Rivers now. However, the Timberwolves have the second game of their back-to-back to consider (Monday vs. Dallas). If Russell sits, Rivers will again have streaming appeal.
Gary Trent Jr. missed his second straight game on Sunday, meaning another start for Juancho Hernangómez. But this also meant more minutes off the bench for Malachi Flynn, who finished the 16-point loss to the Warriors with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steals, and four 3-pointers in 37 minutes. But those minutes were boosted by the fact that the Raptors were on the wrong end of a blowout (the final margin was a bit flattering). Hernangomez recorded a stat line of three points, four rebounds, one block, and one 3-pointer, and he hasn't been worth the trouble as a streamer. The Raptors will only play three games in Week 10, with the first scheduled for Monday night in Philadelphia, and O.G. Anunoby (hip, hand) is expected to return during one of those games. While Flynn would be worth considering in deep leagues for Monday, that may be it for him.
With Rudy Gobert (ankle) ruled out, Naz Reid was again the streamer of choice on the Timberwolves roster. But he only played 12 minutes in the first half of Minnesota's win due to tightness in his trapezius muscle. This meant a promotion for Knight, who, in 26 minutes off the bench, scored 16 points, with two rebounds, three assists, and one 3-pointer. As noted in the Rivers section, there's the second game of Minnesota's back-to-back to consider. If Gobert and Reid are available, there's no need to add Knight. But if one or both sit, that all changes. Keep an eye out for the Monday afternoon injury report.
Bradley Beal with an and one vs the Los Angeles Lakers
Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) with an and one vs the Los Angeles Lakers, 12/18/2022 | 2022-12-19T08:37:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Thomas Bryant comes through on Sunday | https://sports.yahoo.com/thomas-bryant-comes-sunday-062614607.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/thomas-bryant-comes-sunday-062614607.html?src=rss |
The Pittsburgh Steelers went with some old-school football on Sunday to beat the Carolina Panthers. Now that we’ve had a chance to dig into the stats, here are four numbers that really stood out.
0 targets for Pat Freiermuth
It was clear going in, tight end Pat Freiermuth wasn’t going to get a full load on Sunday. Freiermuth had been limited all week with a foot injury. But Freiermuth did play 36 offensive snaps but didn’t get a single target in the game. It’s the first time in Freiermuth’s career he has played a game and not had a catch.
Carolina's 21 rushing yards
The Panthers had been on a tear running the football. The previous week, against the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina rushed the ball 46 times for 223 yards. But the Steelers came in prepared and completely shut the run game down.
3.6 rushing yards for Najee Harris
There is a difference between an effective run game and an efficient run game. The Steelers weren’t terribly efficient running the ball at only 3.5 yards per carry as a team. But they were effective. Most of the best runs came on early downs and put the offense in an excellent position to control those all-important possession downs.
4 sacks for the Steelers defense
Going into Sunday’s game, the Steelers only had 31 sacks through 13 games. This is a team that has gotten 50+ sacks in five seasons straight. On Sunday, Pittsburgh started getting things back on track with four sacks of Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold. If the Steelers want to keep the streak alive, they would need to find a way to average five sacks per game over the next three. | 2022-12-19T08:46:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Steelers vs Panthers: 4 stats that stood out from the Pittsburgh victory | https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-vs-panthers-4-stats-074507249.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-vs-panthers-4-stats-074507249.html?src=rss |
“Just kind of get the trip out of us, run up and down a little bit,” Clifford said. “It’s tough. You know, I even feel it a little bit here. But listen, it doesn’t mean we can’t play well. We’ll get more acclimated here as we go on.”
Here’s the type of season it’s been for these Hornets: Even on a night when they finally had their starting lineup intact for the first time, the good health didn’t last very long. Terry Rozier sustained a right hip contusion late in the second quarter while diving to keep a loose ball in play and missed the second half, the latest blow for a team that’s had more than its share of ailments in the past three months.
“Look, it’s the way things have gone,” Clifford said. “Hopefully, it’s not serious. But one thing with him (is) he was in a lot of pain there. Hopefully we’ll know more (Monday) and hopefully we’ll get good news.”
So not only did the Hornets (7-23) extend their losing streak to eight games, they could be without Rozier for Monday’s matchup with Sacramento. The good news? At least they won’t have to contend with Jokic until mid-February when Denver heads to the Carolinas.
Jokic tortured the Hornets, becoming the first player to record 40 or more points, snatch 25-plus rebounds and also stockpile at least 10 assists in a game since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1968.
“He’s a monster in there,” Gordon Hayward said. “He’s just so tall and big, and he uses his body really well. He shoots it above his head and he’s a terrific passer. This year, I think more than ever, he’s been pushing in transition, he’s been running a lot more and that causes problems for your team.
“The rebounds, the big three that he hit, too. He’s back-to-back MVP for a reason, he definitely showed it tonight.”
Here are some key takeaways from Charlotte’s 19th defeat in its past 23 outings:
PJ Washington returned after missing Friday’s game due to the birth of his child, causing a shuffle in the Hornets’ rotation. Before Rozier’s injury, Washington’s reinsertion paired with Hayward logging a second straight game meant someone had to shift to the bench.
Once again, the Hornets had trouble keeping their hands to themselves and nothing much will change until they can stop giving opponents extra offensive opportunities. Charlotte amassed 26 fouls compared to 17 by Denver (18-11). | 2022-12-19T09:12:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | The Hornets have another key player injured. What we learned in Charlotte’s loss to Denver | https://sports.yahoo.com/hornets-another-key-player-injured-034514578.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/hornets-another-key-player-injured-034514578.html?src=rss |
The team basked in what they had accomplished after the game, both in their incredible comeback and winning their first NFC North championship since 2017 and first under head coach Kevin O’Connell.
The game was one that Vikings fans will only want to relive after halftime and the best way to do so is with the highlights. Check out all the best plays from the most epic comeback in NFL history! | 2022-12-19T10:17:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Relive the Vikings’ history making comeback vs. Colts | https://sports.yahoo.com/relive-vikings-history-making-comeback-100148690.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/relive-vikings-history-making-comeback-100148690.html?src=rss |
Detroit Red Wings (13-11-6) vs. Washington Capitals (16-13-4)
Where: Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
More:Not so merry, gentlemen: Onus on Detroit Red Wings to jolly up before Christmas
Game notes: The Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals meet in the nation's capital with history possibly taking place. Caps forward Alexander Ovechkin is one goal away tying Red Wings legend Gordie Howe for the second-most all-time NHL goals with 801. In 31 games, Ovechkin has 23 career goals against the Wings, the last of which came in a 3-1 Red Wings victory over the Capitals in November.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals: TV, radio, game info | 2022-12-19T11:09:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals: TV, radio, game info | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-red-wings-vs-washington-105515159.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-red-wings-vs-washington-105515159.html?src=rss |
The team basked in what they had accomplished after the game, both in their incredible comeback and winning their first NFC North title since 2017.
The question remains though: was it the best game in the history of the Vikings? At first glance, it’s definitely up there. We went back and found a few contenders that could also be considered
Vikings vs. Colts 9-28-1969
Jan 11, 1970; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp (11) in action against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl IV at Tulane Stadium. The Chiefs defeated the Vikings 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports
This game was more about the tremendous play of their quarterback than a competitive game. The Vikings put up 52 points along with 622 total yards but the day belonged to quarterback Joe Kapp. He threw for a monstrous 449 yards but most importantly tied the NFL record with seven touchdown passes. That record still stands today, as it is currently held by multiple players, including the likes of Peyton Manning and Nick Foles.
Brett Favre to Greg Lewis 9-27-2009
Nov 29, 2009; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre (4) passes against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter at the Metrodome. Vikings win 36-10. Mandatory credit: Bruce Kluckhohn USA TODAY Sports
After the Vikings got their first taste of what it had with Favre under center with a 2-0 record, this game ended up being the catalyst for that tremendous season. They were down 24-20 and driving for the winning touchdown. Favre maneuvered the pocket in a way only he could and fired a frozen rope to Greg Lewis in the back of the end zone for a beautiful touchdown. It won the ESPY for best play in 2010 and ended up springing the Vikings to a special season.
Randy Moss erupts on Monday Night Football 10-5-1998
5 Oct 1998: Wide receiver Randy Moss #84 and tackle Korey Stringer #77 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrate during a game against the Green Bay Packers at the Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Vikings defeated the Packers 37-24.
The 1998 season was loaded with special memories, but the biggest one is when Randy Moss made his name to the nation.
That fateful game had both teams heading into it undefeated and the Packers were coming off of back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Moss didn’t care. He only tortured the Packers for the first time but with 190 yards and two touchdowns on five catches. The game had a 37-24 final but it was mostly a dominant Moss that showed he was a true super freak.
The Miracle at the Met 12-14-1980
The first Minnesota Miracle was the Miracle at the Met where Tommy Kramer led the Vikings from down eight points to get the win with a hail mary to Ahmad Rashad.
In today’s game, that’s not a miracle, but in 1980 the two-point conversion didn’t exist yet. “Two Minute Tommy” led the Vikings to a tremendous comeback with a walk-off to Rashad. That win helped get the Vikings to the playoffs at the end of the Bud Grant era.
25[lawrence-related id=69948]
Adrian Peterson get 2,097 12-30-2012
Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball and is injured on the play during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Packers 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
A running back doesn’t have a 2,000-yard season often, but the 2012 season was special for Adrian Peterson. That final game against the Green Bay Packers wasn’t just so Peterson could potentially break the record set by Eric Dickerson with 2,105 yards, but a win would send the Vikings to the playoffs to play the Packers at Lambeau Field the next week. He put the team on his back as he rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries and provided an exciting week 17.
The Randy Moss moon 1-9-2005
The game will be forever known as the Moss moon, but it was also only the second time ever that the Packers lost a playoff game at home. The Vikings got up in this game 14-0 within the first five minutes and the last touchdown brought this glorious picture.
The backstory is simple. When the Vikings’ team bus would pull up to Lambeau Field, the opposing fans would moon them as they arrived. In his final game at Lambeau Field with the Vikings, Moss returned the favor with a fake moon. It was hilarious as a Vikings fan and with the right context, but Joe Buck couldn’t help himself, calling it a “disgusting act.”
Minneapolis Miracle 1-14-2018
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) makes a catch over New Orleans Saints free safety Marcus Williams (43) on his way to the game winning touchdown during the second half of an NFL divisional football playoff game in Minneapolis, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018. The Vikings defeated the Saints 29-24. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
What most people consider the best moment in Vikings history happened in the divisional round of 2018 against the New Orleans Saints. After jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first half, they got too conservative and squandered it, ending up down 24-23 with 25 seconds to go.
Nobody will ever forget the play “Buffalo right seventh heaven” which had Stefon Diggs running a deep corner route. He caught the ball on the sidelines but instead of talking him in bounds, Marcus Williams went for the jugular and missed, allowing Diggs to travel 61 brilliant yards for the walk-off touchdown.
Vikings comeback to beat Giants 12-17-1997
Sep 27, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham (7) in action against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Vikings defeated the Bears 31-28. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports
The most recent major comeback came at the hands of Randall Cunningham who was starting in place of an injured Brad Johnson. They went to New York to face the Giants and did not have a great first half. The Vikings got down 19-3 before launching a tremendous comeback that culminated with 10 points in the final 90 seconds to propel the Vikings to win 23-22 and give them a 16-point comeback victory.
Vikings 17-point comeback vs. Bills 11-13-2022
Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson intercepts a Josh Allen pass in the end zone. The Vikings came from behind to beat the Bills 33-30 in overtime.
Surprisingly enough, the Vikings played a game earlier this season that was on the same level as the Colts game. They Vikings were down in the second half by a score of 27-10 and ended up coming back to beat the Bills 33-30 in overtime.
Numerous plays happened that ended up making this game so memorable
Justin Jefferson’s insane catch on 4th and 18
Kirk Cousins firing a piss missile to Adam Thielen
The failed QB sneak
Josh Allen’s fumble
Patrick Peterson’s two red zone interceptions
The game was incredible and showed that the Vikings weren’t just a team who would “luck” into close wins, but rather a team who is incredibly scrappy and will fight to win every game.
Where does the Colts game rank?
Let’s be honest with ourselves. It’s arguably the best of the bunch. For the Vikings to have their 1,000th ever game be so memorable is arguably the most Vikings’ thing ever. Are there other games that could be included on this list? Absolutely! This is incredibly subjective and the Vikings have found themselves in some incredible games. However, it’s going to be hard to top the first-ever 33-point comeback. | 2022-12-19T11:49:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Was the Vikings’ comeback win vs. Colts the best game in team history? | https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-comeback-win-vs-colts-110533064.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-comeback-win-vs-colts-110533064.html?src=rss |
Texas basketball has been through more than its share of adversity this season. On Sunday, the team continued to deliver quality effort in a double-digit win over Stanford.
Stanford is not a very good basketball team this season. The squad fell to 4-7 on the season. Nevertheless, the Cardinal posed presumably a bigger challenge than the Rice Owls earlier in the week.
Timmy Allen, Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice led the charge for Texas offensively. Carr totaled 17 points while Allen and Rice each added 15 points of their own.
The Longhorns shot 45.2% from the field and 38.1% from three point range.
This Texas team has showed resilience since Rodney Terry took over as acting head coach. And while they haven’t been able to dominate opposition, there’s something to be said for taking the court and winning regardless of margin of victory.
Texas (9-1) will face the sneakily good Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns (10-1) on December 21 as they prepare for their New Years Eve conference opener with Oklahoma. | 2022-12-19T12:23:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texas basketball earns hard fought win over Stanford, 72-62 | https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-basketball-earns-hard-fought-120016586.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-basketball-earns-hard-fought-120016586.html?src=rss |
The Chiefs needed overtime to do it, but they were able to clinch their seventh consecutive AFC West title with a 30-24 victory over the Texans on Sunday.
After throwing three picks to keep the Broncos in the game last week, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a terrific day in Houston. He finished 36-of-41 passing for 336 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added five carries for 33 yards, including a 5-yard TD run.
He was so good that when Andy Reid was asked after the game about cleaning up penalties — the Chiefs had 10 for 102 yards in the contest — the head coach brought up Mahomes’ performance throughout the season, unprompted.
“You saw Pat and what he did. I mean, he took care of business today,” Reid said in his press conference. “He went back to work and worked on it. I mean, you’re talking about a guy that, if he’s not the MVP in the league, I’m not sure what’s wrong with them.
“But he cleaned it up and comes out, and we have almost 500 yards of offense, minus 100 of penalties. That’s a pretty spectacular day there. But that’s what he did. Great example of how you go back to the drawing board and make sure that you clean everything up.”
There are other players with an argument for MVP, like Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, and Josh Allen. But through 14 games, Mahomes certainly has a good case. He’s leading the league with 4,496 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. He’s completed 67.4 percent of his passes, has 8.1 yards per attempt, and a passer rating of 105.0.
If the Chiefs keep winning and end up as the AFC’s No. 1 seed, it may be hard to vote against him. But there’s still plenty of time for things to change.
Andy Reid: If Patrick Mahomes isn’t the MVP, I’m not sure what’s wrong originally appeared on Pro Football Talk | 2022-12-19T16:22:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Andy Reid: If Patrick Mahomes isn’t the MVP, I’m not sure what’s wrong | https://sports.yahoo.com/andy-reid-patrick-mahomes-isn-144005106.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/andy-reid-patrick-mahomes-isn-144005106.html?src=rss |
Typically, quarterback Justin Fields is the most exciting player on the field for the Bears. And while that was once again true in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, cornerback Jaylon Johnson also put on quite a show in his battle with Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.
Johnson had his best game of the season, notching three pass breakups on Brown in key situations that ended drives for Philadelphia. It was a back-and-forth battle, and it was exciting to watch two young studs go at it.
If you ask Johnson, the battle was a draw.
“I thought the matchup went really good,” Johnson said, via Brad Biggs. “To a certain extent, there’s not too much I can do. I know I was in position every play. Sometimes it’s just a good ball and then sometimes I won. I feel like the matchup was pretty even. Heck of a battle.”
Brown called Johnson a “great corner.” Adding, it was a “good battle today. Got a lot of respect for him.”
While Johnson had his best outing of the season, he still thinks he could’ve been better. Surely there are things Johnson wants back, but he said he made Brown “work for every catch.”
“I’m a dog, I’m a fighter, I’m a competitor,” Johnson said. “If you ask me, I still didn’t play up to my standards. I don’t give up big plays and I gave up a few. At the end of the day, it happens. (Shoot), I’m going to be in his face, I’m going to challenge him, I’m going to be there every time. Sometimes it goes my way.
Unfortunately, Johnson’s afternoon was cut short after he suffered a rib injury in the fourth quarter. Johnson said he was “hurting” after the game, and it sounds like his status for Saturday’s game against the Bills is in question.
But if Johnson can suit up against Buffalo, he’ll have another chance to prove himself against another top wideout in Stefon Diggs. | 2022-12-19T16:22:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears CB Jaylon Johnson made Eagles WR A.J. Brown ‘work for every catch’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-cb-jaylon-johnson-made-155536403.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-cb-jaylon-johnson-made-155536403.html?src=rss |
The Chicago Bears were defeated, 25-20, by the Philadelphia Eagles, dropping them to 3-11 on the season. But that wasn’t the biggest loss on Sunday.
Right guard Teven Jenkins suffered a scary neck injury during the first drive of the game. Jenkins, surrounded by his entire team, was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off the field. He was later taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus provided an “encouraging” update after the game, saying that “he was responsive” and was “moving his hands.” That was the only update Eberflus was provided at that time, but he’s sure to have further updates in the coming days.
Center Sam Mustipher explained his vantage point of the play.
“It looked like his neck got stretched out a little bit on the pull,” Mustipher said, via the Chicago Tribune. “From everything I’ve heard from everybody around the locker room, he’s doing well. He was moving his hands and talking on the field. In a situation like that, when somebody gets pulled off on a stretcher, that’s what you want to see.”
It was a scary situation that happened on the field. And considering everything Jenkins has been through since the offseason, you have to feel for the former second-round pick.
“All my prayers and wishes are out to him doing well,” left tackle Braxton Jones said.
Jenkins has been the Bears’ best offensive lineman this season, so his loss severely impacted the offensive line in this game. Chicago allowed six sacks on quarterback Justin Fields, including five in the first half. | 2022-12-19T16:22:55Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears players react to Teven Jenkins’ neck injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-players-react-teven-jenkins-143055063.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-players-react-teven-jenkins-143055063.html?src=rss |
The Chicago Bears (3-11) were defeated, 25-20, by the Philadelphia Eagles (13-1), which marked their seventh straight loss of the season.
Perhaps the Eagles were looking ahead of a Christmas Eve matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Or maybe the Bears defense really just showed up to play. But Chicago kept this game close through all four quarters, and they only lost by five to arguably the NFL’s best team. I know we’re not in the market for moral victories, but you have to take them at this point of a 3-11 season.
The Bears’ first offensive drive was a nightmare, which on the first four plays there were three penalties and two injured starters (Teven Jenkins and Equanimeous St. Brown). But Justin Fields saved us, just like he has throughout this terrible, no good 3-11 season, with an insane 39-yard run that was almost a touchdown. It did lead to a David Montgomery touchdown, and it’s important to note Chicago did lead at one point in this game (and only trailed 10-6 at halftime).
Fields has been the one saving grace during this disaster of a season, which has been more exciting than you’d think for a team sitting with 11 losses through 14 games. But that’s the magic of Fields, who continued to make magic out of nothing — down his top four receivers and best offensive lineman in Jenkins. Fields completed 14-of-21 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 119.5 passer rating. Oh, and once again, Fields made history. He not only broke the Bears’ single-season rushing record by a quarterback (surpassing Bobby Douglass), but he also broke the 1,000-yard rushing mark, joining Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the only QBs in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
Unfortunately, Fields was destroyed behind this offensive line. With Jenkins out, an already suspect offensive line was put into further disarray. Cody Whitehair and Alex Leatherwood didn’t have a good day at the office, combining for five sacks allowed (Whitehair, 3; Leatherwood, 2). With Chicago down four wideouts, rookie Velus Jones Jr. finally got an opportunity on offense. Unfortunately, he stood out in a bad way. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Jones fumbled on the ensuing possession, something he struggled with on special teams. Ultimately, the offense couldn’t capitalize on all three of Philly’s turnovers. Two of the three takeaways resulted in ensuing punts by Chicago while a Kyler Gordon fumble recovery, which set the Bears up on the Philadelphia 15-yard line, resulted in David Montgomery’s second touchdown.
The Bears defense came to play against the Eagles, and they kept arguably the NFL’s best offense in check for four quarters. It was nothing short of impressive, especially considering Philadelphia was dominating opposing defenses through the air and on the ground. For three-plus quarters, the Eagles were held to just 17 points. Chicago’s defense notched three takeaways on the afternoon, including two interceptions of Jalen Hurts, who had thrown just three picks all season. They also forced a fumble of Miles Sanders.
While the Bears only got to Hurts once for a sack — thank you, Joe Thomas — it was the young defensive backfield that shined. Rookie Kyler Gordon, returning to the lineup after missing two games, had his best game as a pro. Gordon accounted for two takeaways, including the first interception of Hurts and recovering a Miles Sanders fumble forced by Mike Pennel. Jaylon Johnson also had his best game of the season, battling Eagles wideout A.J. Brown. Johnson had three pass breakups in key situations, and he showed why he’s capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the league’s best. DeAndre Houston-Carson also had an interception on the afternoon.
It wasn’t a perfect outing by the defense — and Philadelphia did 421 yards of offense. But a bad Bears defense held a great Eagles offense to just 25 points, and ultimately gave Chicago a chance to win a game no one expected them to be in. That’s definitely not nothing.
It wasn’t a pretty day for the Bears special teams. The biggest blunder (or questionable call) came when Chicago opted to punt from Philadelphia’s 31-yard line instead of attempting a 49-yard field goal. Both Matt Eberflus and Cairo Santos said they agreed before the game that anything beyond 45 yards in the windy Soldier Field conditions was dangerous. Then there’s Santos, who’s been reliable since taking over in 2020, missing his fifth extra point of the season. Some other lowlights included illegal formation on the opening kickoff and the Bears’ field onside kick attempt. Trenton Gill’s booming 56-yard punt (that was downed inside the 5-yard line) was the highlight.
Yes, the Bears are sitting at 3-11. But the one thing that hasn’t wavered this season is this team’s effort and resiliency, as they’ve battled some top teams (who have much better rosters) and haven’t ever given up. Chicago went toe-to-toe with arguably the best team in the NFL — giving them a scare for four straight quarters — and only lost by five points. Eventually, the better roster won out. But the Bears made the Eagles work for it. It speaks to the culture Matt Eberflus has instilled in this team, where they’re never going to stop competing. It just reaffirms to me that Flus is the right guy for the job. Just wait until he gets an adequate roster to coach.
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump awaits the most serious blow yet from House lawmakers investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack — a possible recommendation that he be prosecuted just as he’s launching a comeback bid for the White House.Most Read from BloombergMusk Polls Twitter to Quit as Chief, Voters Leaning Toward YesTwitter Users Vote for Elon Musk to Step Down as CEOTruth Is Reasserting Itself Over Trump’s LiesTrump Gets a 45-Day Extension to Provide Details on His Wealth to VotersMessi May Not B | 2022-12-19T16:23:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears report card: How we graded Chicago in their Week 15 loss vs. Eagles | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-report-card-graded-chicago-152001169.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-report-card-graded-chicago-152001169.html?src=rss |
The Cincinnati Bengals could be a few days removed from clinching a playoff berth.
Currently the third seed in the AFC, the Bengals have sights on stealing the top overall seed in the playoffs.
Funnily enough before that, though, they can lock in a playoff berth on Thursday night thanks to the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets.
If the 7-7 Jets go down on primetime, the Bengals guarantee themselves a playoff spot, at a minimum. Currently only the Chiefs and Bills (both 11-3), the two teams in front of the Bengals in the standings, have locked in postseason tickets.
The Jets have lost three in a row amid quarterback turmoil and otherwise. The Jaguars have won three of their last four as Trevor Lawerence surges, so there’s a good chance the Bengals secure a playoff spot before they even take the field against the Patriots next weekend.
Officially securing is nice, of course, but the Bengals can still move around in the seedings based on results once locked-in, hence Burrow’s comments about winning out to secure the No. 1 seed. | 2022-12-19T16:23:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bengals can clinch playoff berth on Thursday night thanks to Jets | https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-clinch-playoff-berth-thursday-150002908.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-clinch-playoff-berth-thursday-150002908.html?src=rss |
The Denver Broncos defeated the Arizona Cardinals 24-15 on Sunday, but that victory marked just their fourth win of the season. Denver’s dismal 4-10 record explains why 18,423 fans didn’t even show up to the game.
Many of those 18,000-plus fans were unable to offload their tickets even at steeply-discounted prices. Fans searching the secondary market just before kickoff on Sunday could have found tickets for as low as $10.
The Broncos have had a season to forget, and Sunday’s showdown between Colt McCoy and Brett Rypien certainly wasn’t a marquee matchup, but that’s still an incredible price for a regular-season game in the NFL.
Denver fans who aren’t usually able to afford tickets to games at Empower Field at Mile High should keep an eye on the resale market leading up to the team’s season finale three weeks from now. After two upcoming road games, Broncos will host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 to close out the 2022 season. | 2022-12-19T16:23:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Broncos had 18,423 no-shows on Sunday despite resale tickets dropping as low as $10 | https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-had-18-423-no-150004895.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-had-18-423-no-150004895.html?src=rss |
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 15 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and it appears his 2022 season is over.
With just three games remaining and the Colts all but mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, there’s no viable reason for Taylor to finish out the season.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Taylor is still going in for more tests, but it’s “highly unlikely” he returns for the final three games.
Taylor has been battling a nagging ankle injury all season. It has been a frustrating campaign for the league’s reigning champion as he’s tried to stay on the field.
He first suffered the injury late in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans, forcing him to miss the following two games. He returned in Week 7 for two more games and then was inactive due to an ankle injury in Week 9.
Taylor returned in Week 10, averaging 114.5 total yards per game over the next four games leading into the Week 14 bye. He then suffered the injury Saturday against the Vikings when he was rolled up on while getting tackled.
It’s the wise move to rest Taylor. Playing him in these final three games would be meaningless and may only worst their chances at a better draft pick in 2023, which should be the main focus right now.
We’ll see how the Colts handle this situation, but the prudent move would be to shut Taylor down for the remaining three games while Deon Jackson and Zack Moss share the backfield reps. | 2022-12-19T16:23:24Z | sports.yahoo.com | Colts RB Jonathan Taylor ‘highly unlikely’ to return in 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-rb-jonathan-taylor-highly-154006373.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-rb-jonathan-taylor-highly-154006373.html?src=rss |
For nearly 30 years, former Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich was known for orchestrating the largest comeback in NFL history
After Saturday’s historic collapse by the team he coached just over one month ago, that torch has now been passed. The owner of the largest comeback in NFL history now belongs to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who helped erase a 33-point deficit in the final 24 minutes of the Week 15 game.
Even though Reich no longer holds the record, he made it a point to reach out to Cousins to congratulate him on the historic feat, according to Peter King of NBC Sports in his Football Morning in America column.
“Frank texted me to say, ‘Kirk, for 30 years, that moment has given me an opportunity to share many things about football and life, tell people about my faith, and now the torch has been passed to you.’ So it was a powerful text. I already had a great deal of respect for Frank but after that text it went through the roof. I took what he said seriously,” Cousins told King in an interview.
Reich confirmed the text he sent to Cousins, noting he understood the platform it gave him to inspire others in both football and life.
“Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to encourage lots of people because of that game—some with football lessons, some with lessons of spirituality. Maybe Kirk will be like me—maybe he’ll have 30 years of being able to use this as inspiration the way I was able to,” Reich told King in an interview Sunday.
It seems a bit poetic that Reich’s record was broken against the team he was the head coach of fewer than two months ago. There’s no doubt that Reich still roots for the players he used to coach, but this was simply another rock-bottom situation for an organization that has been laughing stock of the league for how they’ve handled the last month.
It will be interesting to see how the Colts regroup after this loss, but it’s not one that will be going away anytime soon. | 2022-12-19T16:24:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Frank Reich sent ‘powerful text’ to Kirk Cousins after historic comeback | https://sports.yahoo.com/frank-reich-sent-powerful-text-155800541.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/frank-reich-sent-powerful-text-155800541.html?src=rss |
The New York Giants snapped a four-game winless streak with Sunday night’s 20-12 victory over the Washington Commanders.
New York put themselves in prime position to capture a postseason berth with the win but there is a wide range of things we learned from Sunday’s win.
The culture change is real
When Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll took over as general manager and head coach earlier this year, they promised to change the Giants’ culture from the miserable, losing one of the past decade to a prosperous, winning one.
The victory on Sunday night went a long way in validating that message.
The Giants, 8-5-1 with three games remaining in the regular season, are guaranteed to finish without a losing record for the first time since 2016 and have a 90 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason.
They did it all with a roster filled with short-term free agents, unproven rookies, draft failures, and overpaid veterans.
Bravo, gentleman.
How about that Kayvon Thibodeaux?
Giants rookie outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux told reporters last week that “prime time likes me.”
He didn’t lie. In front of millions of national television viewers, the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft put on a show of dominance, the likes of which had not been seen by football fans in years.
Thibodeaux recorded 12 total tackles, including a strip sack in which he scooped up the fumble himself and scored, and a key game-saving tackle in the final minute.
“I think he has consistently improved throughout the year. I’ve said this before, I’m glad we drafted him,” Daboll said after the game. “I’m glad he is a part of the team. I think he has gotten better each week. He’s a big part of our defense.”
On the rookie’s performance on Sunday night, Daboll had this to say:
“I thought he gave obviously a lot of juice. That play that he made down there when they were backed up kind of changed the tide a little bit in the early part of the game. He is a very talented player and he played like it,” he said.
As for the ‘prime-time’ comment, Daboll was a bit more tempered in his response.
“I mean he’s played in two prime-time games in the NFL. We will kind of slow the roll on that one,” he said.
Just enough offense to win -- again
The Giants’ offense has been consistent all year, scoring no less than 13 points in any game and no more than 27. They are averaging 20.5 points per game and allowing 22.3.
On Sunday night, they held Washington to 12 points. When they hold opponents to 20 points or fewer the Giants are 7-0-1 this season.
When they allow more than 20 points, the Giants’ record is 1-5.
Their offense did not do all of the scoring on Sunday night, however. The Giants’ first score in the game was on defense but there were some positive signs.
The Giants won the time of possession 30:30 to 29:30 and converted on their only fourth down and red zone attempts.
The Giants put together an 18-play, 97-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that panned 8:35. It was their longest scoring drive in eight seasons.
Giants get some help
Yes, the officials gave the Giants a lot of latitude in this one, looking the other way on plays that could have drawn flags. That includes the game’s final competitive play where Giants’ defensive back Darnay Holmes was draped all over Commanders wideout Curtis Samuel in the end zone.
If a flag was dropped, it would have given Washington a first-and-goal on the one with 48 seconds remaining. Unless they also called a penalty on the hands to the face of Thibodeaux, in which case they would have offset (still, another Washington opportunity).
Of course, the Commanders would have needed to score both a touchdown and the ensuing two-point conversion just to tie the game.
NBC analyst Terry McAulay, a former NFL referee, believed a penalty should have been called on the play.
But, the official who counts, game referee John Hussey, disagreed. | 2022-12-19T16:24:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | What we learned from Giants’ 20-12 win over Commanders | https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-giants-20-12-win-155541098.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-giants-20-12-win-155541098.html?src=rss |
Hedges helped the Guardians win the AL Central. Pittsburgh went 62-100 this year in its fourth consecutive losing season. Hedges was selected by San Diego in the second round of the 2011 amateur draft.
Peeks of sunshine return today but it'll be blustery and cold with air temperatures in the 20s, wind chills in the single digits. Temperatures fall into the teens tonight then mid 20s Monday. There is a chance for light snow Monday night into Tuesday morning, then potentially a bigger system Wednesday night through Friday. That system will usher in the coldest air of the season for the start to the holiday weekend.
Canadian singer-songwriter Shirley Eikhard, who wrote Bonnie Raitt's 1991 hit ‘Something to Talk About,’ died on Thursday at the age of 67 due to complications from cancer. | 2022-12-19T16:24:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dustin Colquitt weighs in on Chiefs K Harrison Butker’s missed kicks | https://sports.yahoo.com/nets-star-kevin-durant-felt-215039830.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nets-star-kevin-durant-felt-215039830.html?src=rss |
Baker Mayfield engineered a 14-point comeback victory in his debut with the Rams two Thursdays ago. He returns to prime time Monday night, leading his new team into Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. While neither team is mathematically eliminated from the postseason, the game doesn't carry nearly the level of importance that many had hoped for the first time they saw this matchup on the schedule. With both teams essentially playing for pride with an eye on the future, it makes it a little more difficult to handicap. Green Bay hasn't been a favorite of this size since Week 6, and without Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, or Cooper Kupp, the Rams don't even resemble the team from the first half of the season. However, it's the only game on the schedule, and there is value at the current number. So let's dive into this Monday night matchup.
It's been a struggle for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this season. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Los Angeles Rams (+7) at Green Bay Packers
If you read any of my preseason predictions for the Panthers, you know I didn't expect much from the Rams after signing Mayfield. Also, Mayfield's magical comeback had more to do with Raiders coach Josh McDaniels' incompetence. My brain tells me Los Angeles has completely packed it in. However, my eyes see a team that has found a new purpose to finish the season strong. I won't pretend to know what to expect from the Rams, but I can't lay seven points with the Packers against any team with a pulse. And, if nothing else, the Rams now have a pulse.
Green Bay has failed miserably in the favorite role all season. Aaron Rodgers still owns the Bears, but against the rest of the league, he is 0-6 ATS as a favorite. The Rams have covered as underdogs in consecutive weeks against the Seahawks and Raiders. The foundation of Sean McVay's offense is the running game, and its lack of success has been the main reason for the offense's struggles. If there is one team that the Rams can get the running game humming against, it's the Packers. Green Bay has the league's worst rush defense, according to Football Outsiders DVOA metric, and ranks last in rush EPA allowed in non-garbage time situations.
Covering a seven-point spread is hard when the opponent can just hand the ball off to move the chains. A sustainable rushing attack allows the Rams to control the tempo and keep Mayfield out of third-and-long, when its pass protection can be exposed. The less they need Mayfield to do in this game, the better their chance of keeping it close. I love a road dog with a strong sustainable rushing attack, so I'm convinced the Rams are the correct betting side. I expect this one to come down to the final minutes, so the chance to capture the key number of seven is far too valuable to pass up against an underperforming favorite like Green Bay.
A.J. Dillion score anytime
Christian Watson score anytime
Ben Skowronek 4-plus receptions
Baker Mayfield 10-plus rushing yards
If you are putting together a parlay without Christian Watson, seek immediate help. Watson has been a touchdown machine, getting in the end zone seven times over his last four games. The Rams' secondary has been suspect on the road this year, allowing 272 yards per game, fourth-most in the NFL. We are also banking on A.J. Dillon, who has scored in two consecutive games, to keep getting fed in the red zone. On the Rams' side, Mayfield won't be afraid to use his wheels behind one of the worst offensive lines in football. Also, he looks Skowronek's way when he can get the ball out, targeting him eight times last week. Rounding out the final two legs of the parlay with an investment in Mayfield's rushing yards and his favorite target's receptions gets us over a 10-to-1 payout.
Stats provided by Football outsiders, PFF, Rbsdm (based on 90-10 WP), Teamrankings.com. | 2022-12-19T16:24:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL odds, betting: It's hard to trust the Packers as big favorites | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-odds-betting-its-hard-to-trust-the-packers-as-big-favorites-161338547.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-odds-betting-its-hard-to-trust-the-packers-as-big-favorites-161338547.html?src=rss |
The Green Bay Packers can eliminate the defending champion Los Angeles Rams from playoff contention and ensure the team’s trip to Miami on Christmas Day still means something with a win over the Rams on “Monday Night Football” from Lambeau Field.
The Packers can also take one giant step towards their own playoff elimination by losing as a home favorite to the Rams in primetime.
For all intents and purposes, Monday night’s showdown between the Packers and Rams is an elimination game.
At 4-9, the Rams are all but dead. Nothing will save this team, but a loss to the Packers would officially end it mathematically.
At 5-8, the Packers are hanging on by a thread, but Matt LaFleur’s team isn’t dead and can actually make things quite interesting with a 4-0 finish to the season.
Then again, the Packers are also living dangerously close to the edge. All it would take to eliminate the Packers from playoff contention before Christmas Day is a loss to the Rams and a Washington Commanders win over the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Eve. With just two results, the Packers would have nothing to play for come Christmas in Miami.
It’s hard to believe it’s come to this. The Rams won the Super Bowl last season. The Packers were the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Two seasons ago, the Packers hosted the Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. Entering the final game of Week 15 in 2022, the two teams have a combined nine wins and 17 losses.
Are you ready for some football? A Monday night party? It’s Packers and Rams in an elimination game from Lambeau!
‘We waited for an opportunity where he was far enough from the kids where we could enter the home,’ police chief says
The billionaire had said he would abide by the results.View Entire Post › | 2022-12-19T16:25:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers, Rams facing elimination game on “Monday Night Football” | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-rams-facing-elimination-game-150432495.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-rams-facing-elimination-game-150432495.html?src=rss |
The Seahawks are truly up against it heading into Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season. With three games left to play, their chances of making the playoffs have dwindled to a long-shot. According to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, Seattle only has a 27% chance of making the postseason.
Thursday night’s loss to the 49ers made the path a difficult one. That failure clinched the division for San Francisco, forcing the Seahawks to scrap for one of the NFC’s two wild card spots. At the moment, they are occupied by the 8-5-1 Giants and the 7-6-1 Commanders. They hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Giants but it’s unlikely that’ll matter. They have to hope Washington falls apart down the stretch.
Seattle’s other problem is that the Lions are now one of the hottest teams in the league. Detroit has won six of its last seven games and now has a 7-7 record, tied with the Seahawks. Thanks to their Week 4 victory Seattle is technically still in front, but the Lions have better odds (35% per NYT) to make the playoffs now.
As for their remaining opponents, the Seahawks are rightfully double-digit underdogs for Saturday’s game against the Chiefs. Then they have to face the Jets, who have a top-five defense this year. Their last game is against the Rams – who they beat a few weeks ago but the arrival of Baker Mayfield has given them some life. Given the way they’ve been playing lately, right now it’s conceivable the Seahawks could lose all three games.
Lafayette Jeff hosted a tournament on Saturday with more than 50 teams and 300 wrestlers. | 2022-12-19T16:25:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Seahawks now have a 27% chance of making the playoffs | https://sports.yahoo.com/seahawks-now-27-chance-making-151519241.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/seahawks-now-27-chance-making-151519241.html?src=rss |
HOUSTON — There have been many times this season that Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith could be criticized by fans and some sports analysts for his decisions.
In the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, he elected to end the game in a tie rather than go for the win.
Combine that with other questionable calls from the sidelines, and you end up with a 1-12-1 record.
In Houston’s 30-24 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, critics pointed out one coaching decision by Smith that made some scratch their heads in bewilderment. Many believe that the Texans’ record should dictate riskier calls by Smith, but in reality, coaches do not coach to their win-loss totals. They go as the game goes and get a natural feel for how the team is playing.
A deeper look into the questionable call will help clear up some confusion.
With a little over four minutes left in the second quarter, the Texans were leading the Chiefs 14-7. They faced a fourth-and-1 at midfield, and instead of going for it, Smith decided to punt the ball. The Chiefs’ punt returner downed the ball at the six-yard line, and after a holding penalty on Kansas City, the ball was placed at the three-yard line.
Many believe that Smith should have elected to go for it on fourth down since the team has long been out of playoff contention, and it could have boosted morale on the sideline, but football isn’t played that way.
What Smith observed was backup quarterback Jeff Driskel being held to one yard on third-and-2. Without the services of rookie running back Dameon Pierce and a backfield by committee, Smith decided to punt the ball.
“We had a lead, thought we were playing pretty good,” Smith said after the game about his decision. “I liked the position we were in. Backed them up a little bit. I would do the same thing again in that situation too.”
Smith also was watching how effective his defense had played in the last two series against the Chiefs.
Texans’ defensive lineman Mario Addison forced a fumble on Kansas City rookie running back Isiah Pacheco on the Chiefs’ second possession of the quarter to get Houston’s offense the ball back at Kansas City’s 22-yard line.
Two plays later, quarterback Davis Mills scored on a 17-yard run to give the Texans a 14-7 lead. Houston’s defense would come up huge on the Chiefs’ next offensive possession by holding them to a quick three-and-out.
With those two factors in mind, it is a no-brainer for the coach, who is also the defensive coordinator, to punt the ball away instead of risking not getting a first down. Making Kansas City’s offense, led by NFL MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes drive the field for a score, which they did, is the chance you take, especially with the way the defense was playing.
Smith may deserve a lot of criticism for how this season has evolved, and if you ask him, he will take full accountability for it, but on the fourth-and-1 play call, he was correct. | 2022-12-19T16:25:58Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans coach Lovie Smith made sound decision on fourth-and-1 against the Chiefs | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-coach-lovie-smith-made-155010444.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-coach-lovie-smith-made-155010444.html?src=rss |
It feels like forever ago that the Los Angeles Rams stunned the Las Vegas Raiders with a last-second touchdown at SoFi Stadium. That game opened Week 14, and the Rams are now closing out Week 15 on the road against the Green Bay Packers tonight.
The Rams are once again big underdogs in this one, coming in with the Packers being favored by 7 points. It’s expected to be a lower-scoring game in bitter-cold conditions at Lambeau Field, which actually suits the Rams and their above-average defense.
This is the Rams’ second straight prime-time game, with two more nationally televised games still to come in the next two weeks. Finding a way to watch Rams-Packers won’t be challenging, but we’ve got you covered just in case.
You’ll find everything you need to know below.
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers – Dec. 19, 8:15 p.m. ET
Forecast: Cloudy, 16 degrees, 2 mph winds
Odds: Rams +7, O/U 39.5
The ball New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit for his American League-record 62nd home run has sold for $1.5 million at auction. The price is the second highest paid for a baseball auction, according to Goldin Executive Chairman and Founder Ken Goldin. The home run ball was consigned to Goldin in November by Cory Youmans. He was sitting in the front row of section 31 in left field at Globe Life Field on Oct. 4 when Judge led off the second game of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Rangers and connected. | 2022-12-19T16:26:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | How to watch Rams at Packers: Time, TV and streaming info for Week 15 | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-rams-packers-time-tv-153033707.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-rams-packers-time-tv-153033707.html?src=rss |
The USC Trojans have a number of rivalries: against UCLA, against Notre Dame, against Pac-12 refs. Another rivalry: USC basketball versus free throws.
The Trojans have often lost to this particular rival. Previous Andy Enfield teams lost NCAA Tournament games (Providence 2016 comes to mind) due to late-game misses at the charity stripe. The Trojans have had a number of teams which hit below 68 percent at the foul line, leaving a lot of points on the court in winnable games which slipped through this team’s fingers.
Sunday against Auburn, USC was a new and reborn team at the free throw line, and it dearly mattered in a three-point (74-71) win for the Men of Troy.
USC needed every last one of its 22 made free throws in 27 attempts. The Trojans hit over 81 percent of their foul shots. Had they shot under 68 percent — 18 of 27 would have been a 66.7-percent clip — they probably lose this game. Coming up big at the foul line was an essential, not peripheral, part of this winning effort.
Boogie Ellis hit two free throws in the final seconds to provide the game’s three-point margin. He went 8 of 10 from the line. Kobe Johnson made all six of his free throws. Joshua Morgan had two ugly misses late, but he made his previous four tries and was 4 of 6. USC’s starting five went 22 of 26 at the free throw line. The reserves attempted only one foul shot and missed it.
USC, being without Vince Iwuchukwu, has a limited roster. This group is not as deep as it would have been with Iwuchukwu on the floor. In order to compensate for this deficiency, the Trojans have to max out at the free throw line and make sure they’re collecting points from every possible source. This is how this team can win 50-50 games and reach its goals for the current season. | 2022-12-19T17:41:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | USC conquers its old enemy against Auburn: free throws | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-conquers-old-enemy-against-153859653.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-conquers-old-enemy-against-153859653.html?src=rss |
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Monday that they acquired forward Dryden Hunt from the Colorado Avalanche. (Getty Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired forward Dryden Hunt from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Denis Malgin, the team announced on Monday.
Hunt has two goals in 28 games for Colorado this season. Undrafted, the 27-year-old has registered 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points in 193 career NHL games split between the Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Colorado Avalanche.
Hunt was picked up by the Avalanche on Oct. 20 after he was placed on waivers by the Rangers. He is in the second year of a two-year, $1.525 million ($762,500 AAV) contract.
Malgin registered two goals and two assists in 23 games with Maple Leafs in 2022-23. In 215 NHL games, the 25-year-old has 30 goals and 34 assists.
A fourth round selection by the Florida Panthers in 2015, the Swiss forward spent four seasons in South Florida before the Maple Leafs acquired him in exchange for forward Mason Marchment in February 2020.
He is currently signed to a one-year, $750,000 deal and is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. | 2022-12-19T17:45:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | NHL: Maple Leafs acquire Dryden Hunt from the Avalanche | https://sports.yahoo.com/maple-leafs-trade-denis-malgin-to-avalanche-for-dryden-hunt-171319802.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/maple-leafs-trade-denis-malgin-to-avalanche-for-dryden-hunt-171319802.html?src=rss |
Week 15 of the NFL season has featured some chaos, to say the least. We saw three games this weekend go to overtime, including the largest comeback in NFL history by the Minnesota Vikings. The Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills won their games on last-second field goals while the New York Jets missed a game-tying field goal attempt in the final seconds. In arguably the biggest regular season game to date this season from a playoff seeding perspective, the New York Giants, aided by some questionable officiating, pulled off a goal-line stand in the final minute to defeat the Washington Commanders. The cherry on top of course was the finish in Las Vegas, where the New England Patriots made one of the biggest mistakes you will ever see to hand the Raiders a victory and put a huge crimp in their own playoff chances.
Week 15 wraps up on Monday night with Baker Mayfield and the Los Angeles Rams heading to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are 7.5-point home favorites. In the meantime, let's take a look back at the wild weekend across the NFL from a betting perspective.
Entering Sunday's action, the Cincinnati Bengals were winners of five straight games. After a Baltimore loss on Saturday, Cincinnati had a chance to gain sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Bengals were 3.5-point road favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers entered the weekend in first place in the NFC South, but their 6-7 overall record was far from impressive.
Unsurprisingly, most of the betting action was on the Bengals. At BetMGM, 79% of all bets were backing Cincinnati to cover as a 3.5-point road favorite. By kickoff, the Buccaneers were the biggest need of the day for the sportsbook at BetMGM.
The game couldn't have begun any better for Buccaneers bettors and the sportsbook. Joe Burrow threw an interception on a tipped pass on the first drive of the game. Tampa Bay drove the ball inside the 5-yard line but settled for three points. After a Bengals punt, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers once again drove the ball downfield. This time, on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Buccaneers went for it and Brady found Russell Gage for a touchdown.
The Buccaneers defense forced another three-and-out and Tampa Bay had a chance to extend its lead, but Ryan Succop missed a 50-yard field goal. However, the defense once again stood tall and forced yet another three-and-out. This time, Brady took advantage and found Chris Godwin for another touchdown to extend Tampa Bay's lead to 17-0.
With under two minutes remaining in the first half, the Buccaneers were absolutely dominating the game. The Bengals had 36 yards of offense while the Buccaneers had 243. On the Bengals' first four offensive possessions, they had three 3-and-outs and an interception. Cincinnati was lifeless and it looked like the Buccaneers were going to roll to victory.
Still up 17-6, Brady threw an interception that set the Bengals up at Tampa Bay's 30-yard line. On fourth-and-3, the Bengals decided to go for it. Burrow was sacked for a 26-yard loss, but he was bailed out by a holding penalty on the Buccaneers defense.
#Bengals Joe Burrow takes a 26 yard sack, but is bailed out by a penalty. pic.twitter.com/7QVdi46DCi
The drive continued and Burrow found Tee Higgins for a touchdown. The Bengals went for two and didn't convert, so Tampa Bay still had a five-point lead. On Tampa Bay's next drive, Logan Wilson strip-sacked Tom Brady and set the Bengals up in the red zone. Burrow found Tyler Boyd for a touchdown and then successfully converted a two-point attempt to Tee Higgins. Suddenly, the Bengals went from down 17-0 to up 20-17.
Despite the collapse, the Buccaneers were still covering the spread as a 3.5-point underdog. That didn't last long though. On Tampa Bay's next drive, Leonard Fournette couldn't handle a handoff from Brady. The Bengals turned that turnover into another seven points as Burrow found Ja'Marr Chase to increase the lead to 10. On Tampa Bay's next drive, Brady threw yet another interception, but the Bengals couldn't turn that turnover into points. All in all, on the Buccaneers' first five offensive possessions of the second half, they had a fake punt go wrong, fumbled twice and had two interceptions. Not great.
The game settled down a little bit and the backdoor was still open for the Buccaneers if they could find the end zone. However, after a Tampa Bay punt, Burrow led a time-consuming 13-play, 62-yard drive that culminated in a Mitchell Wilcox touchdown reception with 2:21 left. In the final minute, Brady found Russell Gage for a touchdown, but it wasn't nearly enough.
It was an epic meltdown by the Buccaneers. Their offense gifted the ball to Cincinnati five times to open the second half. The defense couldn't bail them out. It ended up being a solid win for Bengals bettors, and there were a lot of them. However, the sportsbooks, who needed Tampa Bay to cover, were probably left wondering what they just watched.
The Las Vegas Raiders were on their way to doing Las Vegas Raiders things on Sunday. A week after blowing a 13-point lead in the final five minutes to a quarterback who was still learning his teammates' names, the Raiders once again had a two-score lead to defend. At halftime, the Raiders led the New England Patriots by a score of 17-3. Las Vegas closed as a 2.5-point home favorite.
Early in the second half, Derek Carr tried hitting Davante Adams with a swing pass. However, Kyle Dugger read the play and it resulted in an easy pick-six touchdown for the Patriots to cut the lead to seven. The Patriots then kicked two field goals to cut Las Vegas' lead to one. With 3:43 left in the game, Rhamondre Stevenson scampered for a 34-yard rushing touchdown. After a successful two-point conversion to Jakobi Meyers, the Patriots had a seven-point lead. Unfortunately for Patriots bettors, that wasn't the last we'd hear from Stevenson and Meyers.
The Patriots defense forced a three-and-out on Las Vegas' next possession. With 3:12 left, the Patriots had a chance to run out the clock and never give the ball back to the Raiders. A false start penalty put a damper on those plans, and with just over two minutes left, the Patriots sent the ball back to Las Vegas.
It looked like the Patriots defense was up to the task. It quickly forced a fourth-and-10 and were one stop away from sealing the game. However, Carr found Mack Hollins for a 12-yard gain to keep the game going. A few plays later, Carr found Keelan Cole for a 30-yard touchdown. On replay, it certainly looked like Cole's foot was out of bounds. You can judge for yourself.
However, the call on the field was touchdown and the replay officials determined there wasn't enough evidence for the call to be overturned. Suddenly, the game was tied. Even after the Patriots had a chance to get off the field and win the game on fourth down, and then the highly questionable touchdown call, the game was still tied. New England would have a chance to win the game in overtime, right?
With three seconds left on the clock, the Patriots decided to play for overtime, calling a draw play for Stevenson. Stevenson picked up about 25 yards as the Raiders were guarding against the Hail Mary pass. Just as he was about to be tackled and/or go out of bounds, he decided to lateral the ball to Jakobi Meyers. Meyers then decided to try to throw the ball across the field and backwards about 20 yards to his quarterback, Mac Jones. Chandler Jones intercepted the lateral and then stiff-armed Mac Jones en route to the end zone. It was a walk-off touchdown for the Raiders.
Obviously, with the game tied, there was zero reason for the Patriots to be lateraling the ball all over the yard. Patriots bettors felt good late in regulation before the Raiders' last drive. Despite the late score, they were gearing up for overtime. Instead, they were handed an epic loss.
Overall, in the six early games on Sunday, underdogs went 6-0 against the spread. Three underdogs won their games outright.
However, in less than 10 minutes of game time, Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes to give Jacksonville a 31-27 lead. The Cowboys answered with a Noah Brown touchdown with just over three minutes left to take a three-point lead. Dallas covering looked unlikely, but at least it had a chance to win the game. Jacksonville tried to answer, but Lawrence fumbled at midfield with 1:38 left. The Jaguars defense stepped up and forced a quick punt.
Jacksonville won the overtime coin toss, but was forced to punt on its first possession. Dallas just needed a field goal to win the game. A touchdown would have been gravy, especially for bettors who laid four points with the Cowboys. Instead, Rayshawn Jenkins corralled a deflection and returned an interception for a 52-yard walk-off touchdown.
Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs struggled as a 14-point favorite, needing overtime to beat the Houston Texans. Kansas City never came close to covering, so at least Chiefs bettors didn't need to deal with heartbreak.
The Detroit Lions closed as 2.5-point road underdogs against the New York Jets. With under five minutes left, Zach Wilson found C.J. Uzomah to give the Jets a four-point lead. On Detroit's ensuing possession, facing a fourth-and-1 near midfield, the Lions ran a play-action pass and found tight-end Brock Wright, who ran 51 yards for a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining.
The Jets got the ball back and quickly faced a third-and-19. Wilson found Garrett Wilson for 22 yards to move the chains. With 14 seconds left, New York faced a fourth-and-18. Wilson evaded pressure and threw across his body to Elijah Moore, who caught the ball but inexplicably ran backwards and almost ran the clock out. Thankfully for the Jets, he was down with one second left but Greg Zuerlein could not force overtime as he missed from 58 yards out.
The Steelers defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24-16 as a 2.5-point road underdog. It wasn't a great result for the Panthers as they try and find a way to somehow sneak into the playoffs. Even with the loss, the Panthers will win the NFC South if they win out.
Elsewhere, the Chicago Bears covered as an 8.5-point underdog against the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 25-20. In Desmond Ridder's first NFL start, he covered as a 4.5-point road underdog against the New Orleans Saints in a 21-18 loss.
Pray for Colts' moneyline bettors
Minnesota won the overtime coin toss and it had a chance to deliver the worst beat in NFL history to anyone who had the Colts getting 3.5 points. If Minnesota scored a touchdown, they would have covered the spread as a favorite. Fortunately for Colts bettors, they punted.
After a subsequent Colts punt, it looked like this insane game might end in a tie. However, Greg Joseph kicked a 40-yard field goal with seven seconds left in overtime to get the Vikings a three-point win.
Millions of Twitter users asked Elon Musk to step down as head of Twitter in a poll on the platform that the billionaire had created and promised to abide by. When the poll closed Monday, however, it wasn't clear if there would be a new leader for the social media platform, which has grown more chaotic and confusing under Musk's leadership with rapidly changing policies that are issued, then withdrawn or altered. The billionaire Tesla CEO Musk had attended the World Cup final Sunday in Qatar, where he opened the poll. | 2022-12-19T17:45:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL betting recap: Tampa Bay's collapse was a tough beat for the sportsbooks | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-recap-tampa-bays-collapse-was-a-tough-beat-for-the-sportsbooks-170659114.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-recap-tampa-bays-collapse-was-a-tough-beat-for-the-sportsbooks-170659114.html?src=rss |
Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings made history after mounting the biggest comeback in NFL history over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15. The Vikings rallied from a 33-0 halftime deficit to win in overtime, 39-36, which beat the previous 32-point comeback record set in January 1993.
After the game, Cousins received a text message from the man who not only led that comeback almost 30 years ago, but also the man recently fired as the head coach of the team Cousins had just beaten — Frank Reich.
“Frank texted me to say, ‘Kirk, for 30 years, that moment has given me an opportunity to share many things about football and life, tell people about my faith, and now the torch has been passed to you.'" Cousins told NBC Sports' Peter King. "So it was a powerful text. I already had a great deal of respect for Frank but after that text it went through the roof. I took what he said seriously.”
Reich confirmed the text to King and reiterated what he hoped Cousins would do with the story he can now share with others. He added that it was a little strange to watch his record be broken against the team that fired him a little over a month ago.
“Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to encourage lots of people because of that game –some with football lessons, some with lessons of spirituality," Reich told King. "Maybe Kirk will be like me – maybe he’ll have 30 years of being able to use this as inspiration the way I was able to.
“... It’s just a weird dynamic,” Reich said about seeing Cousins beat the Colts that way. “And it was weird to see the record go away. It’s strange – I thought I was going to be clinging to the record, and it’s sort of an honor to have the record. But I am happy it’s Kirk.”
Cousins' comeback was similar to Reich's
Reich orchestrated that come-from-behind victory during the wild-card round of the 1992 playoffs as the backup quarterback for the Buffalo Bills after Jim Kelly suffered a knee injury in the previous game. Reich led the Bills back from a 35-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers, 41-38, in overtime. The Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round with Reich under center before Kelly returned for the AFC title game and eventual Super Bowl XXVII loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Similarly to Cousins' comeback, Reich and the Bills trailed big at halftime. The Oilers built a 28-3 lead after two quarters and went up 35-3 in the third. But the Bills then unleashed a 28-point third quarter that featured three touchdown passes from Reich to receiver Andre Reed, which helped them cut the deficit to one score heading into the fourth. Another Reed touchdown gave the Bills their first lead of the game before the Oilers forced overtime with a field goal. The Bills got the ball first during the extra period, though, and won.
The Vikings, meanwhile, outscored the Colts 36-3 in the second half before they also won on a field goal in overtime. Cousins threw three of his four second-half touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying 64-yard pass to running back Dalvin Cook with 2:28 remaining in regulation. Neither the Vikings nor the Colts scored on their first overtime possessions before the Vikings nailed a last-minute field goal for the win.
Not Cousins' first big comeback
Oddly enough, this isn't Cousins' first time leading a team back from a huge deficit. The last team to win a game after a deficit of at least 24 points was Cousins' 2015 Washington squad that beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. Yes, it was the "You like that!" game.
Cousins received a similar message after that comeback win, too. He recently told Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer that then-Washington head coach Jay Gruden told him in 2015 that a performance like that "doesn’t happen to average people."
"That always stuck with me, that you gotta be uncommon to be able to do something like that," Cousins said. "And so I have the same thought going through my mind, that Jay texted seven years ago, after we won today.
Now, Cousins and Reich will forever be bonded by something few players accomplish in their NFL careers. Colts quarterback Matt Ryan, meanwhile, will forever remain the punchline of historic NFL collapses.
Kirk Cousins broke an NFL record in his comeback win over the Colts. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) | 2022-12-19T17:46:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | What Frank Reich, hero of the previous greatest comeback in NFL history, texted Kirk Cousins after he topped it | https://sports.yahoo.com/what-frank-reich-hero-of-the-previous-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history-texted-kirk-cousins-after-he-topped-it-170428490.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/what-frank-reich-hero-of-the-previous-greatest-comeback-in-nfl-history-texted-kirk-cousins-after-he-topped-it-170428490.html?src=rss |
The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC West in Week 15 thanks to a win over the Houston Texans.
Unfortunately, the Chiefs still weren’t able to capture the No. 1 seed. That belongs to the Buffalo Bills who beat the Miami Dolphins over the weekend, keeping their tiebreaker over K.C. for another week at least.
Here’s a look at the AFC playoff picture following Week 15 and heading into Week 16:
5. Baltimore Ravens (9-5) [wild card]
The Bills defeated the Chiefs earlier this season, giving them a playoff-seeding tiebreaker over the Chiefs. That’s why Buffalo is in the No. 1 spot. The chances of the Bills losing two of their last three games are slim, so the Chiefs will likely need to win out and hope for one more Bills loss to take the No. 1 seed. Buffalo’s biggest challenge remaining this season is its Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. | 2022-12-19T17:54:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | AFC Playoff Picture: Where Chiefs stand after Week 15 | https://sports.yahoo.com/afc-playoff-picture-where-chiefs-164553303.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/afc-playoff-picture-where-chiefs-164553303.html?src=rss |
The New Orleans Saints might have found themselves something in Alontae Taylor. The rookie draft pick out of Tennessee has looked the part, competing well against some of the NFL’s best receivers while carving out his niche in the New Orleans secondary.
“He’s playing outstanding,” said head coach Dennis Allen. Pro Football Focus credited Taylor with allowing just 3 receptions on 9 targets against the Falcons, with a season-high 4 incompletions forced and 3 pass breakups. One teammate who has been watching Taylor closely is Bradley Roby. The ninth-year pro has seen a lot of talented players come up during his 129-game career, and Taylor got on his radar quickly.
“I’m proud of him,” Roby said after Sunday’s win. He reflected on the rookie’s experience in training camp, when a preseason injury kept Taylor on the sidelines while Roby ran with the starters. His advice to Taylor at the time was reassurance: “When you get out there, you’ll make plays.”
Taylor has broken up 10 passes in 10 games this season but he’s still searching for his first career interception. What looked like a sure thing on Sunday got taken away from him after the officials went over the instant replay tape with a fine-toothed comb, ruling that even though Taylor had both hands on an intercepted pass he wasn’t holding it tightly enough to warrant possession of the catch. Ah, well, nevertheless.
It’ll be important that the Saints keep finding ways to get Taylor on the field once the secondary is back up to full strength. Marshon Lattimore has missed most of the season with rib and kidney injuries. Taylor hasn’t been cross-trained in the slot, but Roby has, so it’s possible the Saints could start Lattimore on one side and Taylor on the other with Roby covering the slot. That leaves Paulson Adebo as the odd man out, but he’s playing such up-and-down football that a reduced role might be what’s best for him.
But, hey, we’re putting the cart before the horse here. The Saints won’t have to tackle this problem until Lattimore is ready to return to the lineup. And he’s running out of time with just three games left on the regular season schedule, so stay tuned. In the meantime, Taylor is giving fans plenty to cheer for. | 2022-12-19T17:54:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Alontae Taylor keeps impressing his coaches and veteran teammates | https://sports.yahoo.com/alontae-taylor-keeps-impressing-coaches-172308435.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/alontae-taylor-keeps-impressing-coaches-172308435.html?src=rss |
The New England Patriots got embarrassed in a way that wouldn’t be believed possible if video evidence of their fourth-quarter meltdown against the Las Vegas Raiders didn’t exist.
If the outcome of Sunday’s game didn’t unnerve Patriots owner Robert Kraft, I don’t know what else it would take. They haven’t just looked bad, but they’ve looked utterly incompetent at times on the football field.
Yes, the truth hurts, but Kraft can no longer just grin and bear it. Now is the time to march right into coach Bill Belichick’s office and start making some demands. The Death Star has landed, and The Imperial March stopped playing a long time ago for the man once heralded as Darth Belichick by his contemporaries.
It would be easy to lay the blame at the feet of Matt Patricia, the former defensive coordinator that was suddenly handed the offensive play-calling sheet. We could even put the onus on the players. Long snapper Joe Cardona’s bad snap caused the blocked punt that setup and easy touchdown for the Raiders. And Meyers committed one of the worst turnovers in franchise history.
Belichick was the one that allowed the Patriots to try and get another offensive play off with only three seconds left in the game, instead of kneeling and taking the Raiders into overtime. He is the culprit behind the season-long offensive kerfuffle for handing Patricia the play-calling reins, along with making him the primary overseer of the struggling offensive line.
Patricia should hand over his offensive play-calling sheet at the end of the season, and the Patriots need to dedicate time to finding a legitimate offensive coordinator that can undo the regression this team helped cause for second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
Belichick has had ample time and opportunity to build his post-Tom Brady image of the Patriots, and so far, it has been a complete failure. Sure, they made the playoffs last season, but they were wiped off the face of the Earth in a 47-17 loss in the first round to the Buffalo Bills.
This Patriots team is spinning its wheels, and it’s no longer getting better with Belichick micromanaging everything. Who thought the day would come when the organization that delivered six Lombardi Trophies in less than two decades would be the laughingstock of the NFL? | 2022-12-19T17:54:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | Change should come from Robert Kraft with or without Bill Belichick | https://sports.yahoo.com/change-come-robert-kraft-without-165527019.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/change-come-robert-kraft-without-165527019.html?src=rss |
Has the curtain fallen on the Patriot Way? originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
How Thunder's Isaiah Joe found 3-point niche thanks to former teammate
Thunder fans have Daniel Gafford to thank, at least in part, for Isaiah Joe bringing much-needed rain to Oklahoma City.
Pitcher Kodai Senga can opt out of his contract with the New York Mets after the 2025 season if he totals at least 400 innings in the next three seasons. Senga, who is to be introduced at a Citi Field news conference on Monday, gets a $5 million signing bonus as part of a $75 million, five-year contract. There is a $15 million conditional team option for 2028 that the Mets could exercise if Senga does not opt out and has Tommy John surgery or a right elbow injury that causes him to go on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days. | 2022-12-19T17:55:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Has the curtain fallen on the Patriot Way? | https://sports.yahoo.com/curtain-fallen-patriot-way-164239587.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/curtain-fallen-patriot-way-164239587.html?src=rss |
The New York Giants got back on track as they defeated the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football.
The 20-12 victory was a hard-fought contest that looked like it could go either way the whole time. Nevertheless, New York stayed in control for most of the game and picked up a critical win for their playoff hopes putting them at 8-5-1 and currently in the second wild-card spot.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Giants in this win.
While the offense only scored 13 points in this contest it was enough to get the job done.
There was definitely a lot left on the board on Sunday for Big Blue but there were some key metrics of improvement compared to the last time out against Washington. Daniel Jones was not sacked once in this game compared to four times last game which allowed New York to put together long drives that drained the clock and the Washington defense.
Saquon Barkley also improved a lot in this game from the last as he only recorded 81 scrimmage yards and 3.5 yards per carry in Week 13 compared to 120 scrimmage yards and 4.8 yards per carry in Week 15. On New York’s last drive, Barkley put together multiple 10-plus yard runs that helped the Giants drain the clock and get a crucial field goal.
However, things were not all sunshine and rainbows for this offense as they tied a season-low in points scored. Jones also passed for only 160 yards on 32 attempts in this match as he failed to really open up this game through the air. And while no sacks were recorded, this offensive line committed several penalties and allowed a lot of pressure including four quarterback hits.
This offense will have an opportunity to improve next week against a Minnesota Vikings defense that ranks among the worst in the NFL.
This was arguably the best defensive performance of the season for Big Blue.
It was not perfect by any means as they allowed Washington to run all over them (159 rushing yards on 6.1 yards per carry) and hit several big plays, including a fourth-quarter 61-yard pass. However, New York made the necessary stops at the right time and held the Commanders to just 12 points.
On the other hand, the defense scored seven points of their own. This came on Kayvon Thibodeaux’s strip-sack that he scooped and scored. The fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft had a night as he recorded 12 tackles and three tackles for a loss to go along with his strip sack touchdown.
The rest of the Giants’ defense was also getting pressure on Taylor Heinicke as he was sacked a total of three times and hit eight. Heinicke also had two fumbles on the night, the second coming in the fourth quarter in the red zone.
Big plays like these were the reason why the Giants won the game. Specifically, on the last defensive drive of the game, New York was able to hold Washington at the one-yard line from scoring and potentially tying the game. This showed the heart of this defense as it hopes to continue its season by a week.
The Giants’ special teams unit played fairly well on Sunday.
In the return game, Richie James recorded 32 yards on two punt returns while Gary Brightwell brought his lone kickoff return attempt back for 21 yards. As for the punting game, Jamie Gillan had one of his better games of the year as he pinned the Commanders inside the 20-yard line three times on the night.
Graham Gano also had a perfect kicking performance as he made both of his extra points and his two field goals, the longest coming from 50 yards out.
The only blemish on the night was that New York allowed Antonio Gibson to return three kicks for 93 yards.
Brian Daboll deserves a ton of credit for having his team win a game that could possibly send the Giants to the playoffs for the first time in six years.
This team was fired up to play on Sunday and it showed as they forced turnovers and played with passion. Daboll’s in-game management definitely could use some work as he needs to improve on managing the clock and made a fourth-down call that looks great in hindsight but was definitely very questionable at the moment. Regardless, Daboll picked up his eighth career win and his first over a divisional foe.
As for the coordinators, it was not the best outing for Mike Kafka. Outside of the run game (and specifically Barkley), the Giants’ offense looked anemic. New York seemed to stay in their vanilla passing schemes the whole game and it was simply not getting the job done. The read-option was also not used that effectively as Jones only rushed for 35 yards on 10 attempts. The biggest problem for this offense, however, was their 20-percent success rate on third downs, which allowed Washington to stay in the game.
On the other side of the ball, Wink Martindale put up another masterclass with a severely undermanned personnel group. Knowing that his secondary was paper thin, Martindale got after the quarterback and did it well as Heinicke finished with only a 35.9 quarterback rating.
Martindale also had the Giants do what they have been all season which is being an amazing bend-don’t-break defense allowing an absurdly low 10-percent success rate on third downs. This defensive success will need to continue in Week 16 against a red-hot Vikings offense. | 2022-12-19T17:55:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants report card: How we graded Big Blue in Week 15 win | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-report-card-graded-big-165529674.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-report-card-graded-big-165529674.html?src=rss |
The Houston Texans had the entire game in their hands.
The defense had forced the Kansas City Chiefs to punt on the opening possession of overtime, tied 24-24. The next score would win the game at NRG Stadium in Week 15.
Facing a first-and-10 at the Houston 13-yard line, quarterback Davis Mills scrambled to the left side for a pickup of a couple yards. However, defensive end Frank Clark punched the ball out from behind, defensive back Willie Gay recovered, and the Chiefs scored the game-winning touchdown on the very next play.
“Yeah, it was tough,” Mills said after the 30-24 loss Sunday. “Just caught a quick gain. They covered it pretty well. Just zone dropped into the windows, and I figured I could pick up a couple of yards with my legs. Defender made a really good play, punched it out and it was a fumble.”
Mills had been safe through the air completing 12 passes on 24 attempts for 121 yards and two touchdowns. The second-year signal caller also scored a 17-yard touchdown earlier in the game. If not for Mills’ big plays, Houston wouldn’t be in a position to take Kansas City down to the wire.
Nevertheless Mills acknowledged an eternal truth about football.
“Obviously got to protect the football there,” said Mills. “Very critical situation in the game when all you need is a field goal down in overtime and after the defense made a big-time stop to get them off the field and get us the ball back.”
While Mills admitted that he was “disappointed” with the outcome, he was complimentary of how the rest of the team played against the Chiefs.
Said Mills: “I thought our guys fought hard and put us in the situation to win the game, offense, defense and special teams. We just have to find a way to finish it.”
Houston drops to 1-12-1 on the year and is on target to finish with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
State Street Global Advisors Chief Investment Strategist Michael Arone joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss recession expectations, inflation, investor sentiment, and the outlook for the Fed. | 2022-12-19T17:56:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | QB Davis Mills explains fumble on Texans’ final offensive series against the Chiefs | https://sports.yahoo.com/qb-davis-mills-explains-fumble-165024107.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/qb-davis-mills-explains-fumble-165024107.html?src=rss |
Here is a break down of a handful of unlikely heroes whose stock is rising in the thick of the fantasy playoffs, including K.J. Osborn, Zack Moss and Royce Freeman. However, are they worth starting going forward?
K.J. Osborn - WR, Vikings
Osborn played by far the best game of his career as the Vikings pulled off the largest comeback in NFL history against the Colts. He set career-highs in receptions (10) and yards (157) for a single game. His previous best was 91 yards, so he certainly picked the best time to have his best day. The 16 targets he saw in Week 15 obviously won't be the norm as we don't expect Kirk Cousins to throw 54 times every game, but we do expect Cousins to trust Osborn more down the stretch. Osborn has now scored in two straight games and the Vikings face the Giants, Packers and Bears as they fight for seeding in the NFC playoff race. Osborn is set to be a fantasy football playoff hero this season.
Zack Moss - RB, Colts
Coming into Week 15, Moss was merely a cast off from a crowded Bills' backfield brought over to the Colts to serve as Jonathan Taylor's backup. Heading into Week 16, in the thick of the fantasy playoffs, he's all of a sudden in a spot of relevancy. Moss entered the game and rushed 24 times for 81 yards after Taylor left with an ankle injury. It was first reported that Taylor's injury is “nothing major”, but he suffered a high ankle sprain and with the Colts now sitting at 4-9-1 it's likely he's done for the season. Moss has a favorable remaining schedule that includes the Chargers, Giants and Texans. Deon Jackson, who went 13/55/0 and caught a touchdown pass in Week 15, is also worth an add to lesser extent.
Royce Freeman - RB, Texans
Not Rex Burkhead, not Dare Ogunbowale, but Royce Freeman led the Texans backfield in Week 15! After being brought up fresh from the practice squad, Freeman carried the ball 11 times for 51 yards against the Chiefs. While his stock is on the rise, you'd have to be bottom of the barrel-desperate to start him or any Texans running back going forward. Despite out-producing his back mates, Ogunbowale still played 47% of snaps to Freeman's 38%, Burkhead checked in at 16%. In Week 16, the Texans will face the Titans who represent one of the elite run defenses in the NFL, it's a scary matchup, but like I said, you may not have a choice but to roll with a guy like Freeman.
Rachaad White - RB, Buccaneers
You may need to fade White for the rest of the fantasy playoffs. It's just become too risky to start him at this point. Outside of scoring a touchdown, there isn't much hope for solid production. At the core of the problem is the Bucs' offense as a whole. They stink. Another issue keeping White from his ceiling is the steady presence of Leonard Fournette who out-snapped White 57% to 42% respectively. Since his 100-yard rushing game in Germany, White has failed to reach 65 rushing yards in four straight games. With the Bucs' remaining schedule (Cardinals, Panthers, Falcons) not posing a real threat, there's hope, but in a true 50/50 split where White is not the primary pass-catching back, Fournette may be the better play down the stretch.
Marquise Brown - WR, Cardinals
We were already worried about the Cardinals' receivers coming into Week 15 with the loss of Kyler Murray for the season, now we're seeing it. Brown has failed to have a solid game since returning from injury. He has not topped 50 receiving yards in three straight games despite seeing eight targets in all of them. It's clear that opportunities aren't the problem, but rather the type of opportunities he's getting. Furthermore, there's always going to be a capped ceiling when you're playing second fiddle to DeAndre Hopkins. It'll be tough to trust Brown any further in the playoffs against a Buccaneers' team fighting for their lives in Week 16. Only start Hollywood if you're forced to, don't get cute.
I promise you that putting Meyers here has nothing to do with that backwards lateral/interception(?) he threw to Chandler Jones on the final play to lose the game. Although it was funny (for anyone outside of the Patriots' organization and fan base), what's not funny is that you can't rely on Meyers in the fantasy playoffs right now. The Patriots' passing game just isn't consistently in rhythm enough to trust any player on that offense besides Rhamondre Stevenson. In fact, the Patriots' offense would probably be the worst in the league if Stevenson didn't exist. Meyers hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 8 and hasn't gone over 65 receiving yards since Week 5. Silly me for not putting him in this portion of this column sooner, fade any receiver Mac Jones has to throw to. | 2022-12-19T17:57:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | Stock up, Stock Down: Osborn, an unlikely hero | https://sports.yahoo.com/stock-stock-down-osborn-unlikely-172312742.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/stock-stock-down-osborn-unlikely-172312742.html?src=rss |
An announcement that Oregon Duck fans have been dreading officially has come, with 5-star quarterback Dante Moore reportedly de-committing from the Ducks and instead flipping to the UCLA Bruins.
Moore, who has been committed to Oregon since July, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 3 overall player in the 2023 class. He has been locked in with the Ducks for months, but a visit to Los Angeles in early December put the notion into place that he might be wavering on his decision.
In the end, there are numerous factors that likely went into Moore’s decision to flip schools. Chief among them may be former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham’s decision to leave the Ducks to take the head coaching job with the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Was it a clear path to starting as a true freshman that convinced Moore to flip to Chip Kelly and the Bruins? That may seem less likely now that former Kent State QB Collin Schlee transferred to UCLA over the weekend. It’s impossible to say for sure, but this is certainly a tough one to swallow for Duck fans.
Where the Ducks go from here at the QB position is unclear, but it’s now time for Oregon fans to hope as hard as they can that Nix returns for the 2023 season. | 2022-12-19T18:03:04Z | sports.yahoo.com | BREAKING: 5-star QB Dante Moore to decommit from Oregon, flip to UCLA Bruins | https://sports.yahoo.com/breaking-5-star-qb-dante-172932375.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/breaking-5-star-qb-dante-172932375.html?src=rss |
Throughout the bowl season so far, ESPN’s staff updated its takeaway tracker following the conclusion of each postseason game. Writer Alex Scarborough offered his take on what the nation saw in Las Vegas between the Gators and Beavers on behalf of his crew, as noted below.
A week after signing a six-year deal worth $30.6 million, Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith led his team to a dominating triumph over Florida, securing the Beavers’ first 10-win season in 16 years and their first-ever victory against an SEC opponent. It was a balanced, all-round effort for Oregon State, which threw for 189 yards and rushed for 164 yards — 107 of which came from junior running back Deshaun Fenwick. The defense allowed only 1.2 yards per rush. A 40-yard field goal by Adam Mihalek with less than a minute remaining avoided the shutout and extended the Gators’ streak of scoring in games to 436. — Scarborough
The loss sunk the program to its second-straight sub-.500 season at 6-7 since the 1978 and 1979 seasons — the latter being the Swamp’s nadir following a 0-10-1 campaign in head coach Charlie Pell’s first season. The good news, based on that historical trend, is that brighter days are ahead in Gainesville… or at least, they should be.
In the early '90s, Gabrielle Carteris and Alfonso Ribeiro were on two of the biggest shows on TV. Carteris starred as Andrea Zuckerman on Beverly Hills, 90210, while Ribeiro played Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As TV actors, they were both invited to take part in a 1991 special full of celebrities. But while the two stars got along just fine, Carteris has revealed that producers told her explicitly not to get too close to Ribeiro during filming.The 90210 alum told the story durin | 2022-12-19T18:03:17Z | sports.yahoo.com | Here’s ESPN’s takeaway from Florida’s Las Vegas Bowl loss | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-takeaway-florida-las-vegas-161957636.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-takeaway-florida-las-vegas-161957636.html?src=rss |
Florida football’s recruiting efforts are back in high gear now that the early signing period has arrived, and while the focus is currently on the remaining prep prospects in the 2023 class, Billy Napier and Co. continue to push forward into the more distant the future as well.
The gang got some good news on Sunday afternoon when four-star safety TyShun White announced his top 13 schools on his personal Twitter account, which included the Orange and Blue among the baker’s dozen of options. True to form, he also has donned the moniker of the “bagel” which was featured in his tweeted image.
Thanks To All Who’s Helped Me In This Process and counting with me on this journey! All Praises To God🧎🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/vVFVaoczWD
— TyShun White “Ty” (@Thecautionchild) December 18, 2022
The other schools included on the list are the Florida State Seminoles, Michigan State Spartans, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas A&M Aggies, South Carolina Gamecocks, Virginia Tech Hokies, Colorado Buffaloes, Texas Longhorns, Auburn Tigers, North Carolina Tar Heels, Michigan Wolverines and Tennessee Volunteers.
White is ranked No. 244 overall and No. 22 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 262 and 24, respectively. Interestingly, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine still gives the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets a 26.2% chance of landing him with Auburn and Virginia Tech behind in second and third place at 15.5% and 13.3%, respectively. | 2022-12-19T18:03:23Z | sports.yahoo.com | Gators make top 13 for this 2024 blue-chip safety | https://sports.yahoo.com/gators-top-13-2024-blue-165747294.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/gators-top-13-2024-blue-165747294.html?src=rss |
Travis Hunter is on the move.
Hunter was the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the class of 2022 and made major headlines when he backed off his longtime commitment to Florida State by signing to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State on national signing day.
Now with Sanders off to Colorado, Hunter has entered the transfer portal. Hunter’s name officially popped up in the portal on Sunday night, a day after Jackson State lost an overtime heartbreaker to NC Central in the Celebration Bowl, the HBCU national championship.
Hunter caught four passes for 47 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-tying score as time in regulation expired. That catch sent the game to overtime, but JSU ended up falling 41-34.
Hunter played both ways for Jackson State and finished his freshman season with 20 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions as a defensive back and 18 catches for 188 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver.
Jackson State cornerback Travis Hunter, pictured at the Celebration Bowl against North Carolina Central on Saturday, entered the transfer portal on Sunday. (AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr. )
After his lone season at JSU, Hunter immediately becomes arguably the most coveted player on the transfer market. Many assume he will follow Sanders to Colorado.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Hunter admitted that he very well could join Sanders in Boulder. However, he wants to gauge all of his options to determine the best fit.
“Yes, I have entered the transfer portal and I don’t know what I’m going to do next. I’m just trying to look for a new home. I want to take my time with this decision and weigh my options out. I don’t want to rush into nothing,” Hunter said. “Everybody wants me to follow Coach Prime. I want to follow Coach Prime, too, but I need to know if it’s a fit for me. If it’s a fit for me, I’ll go. If it’s not a fit for me, I’m not going.”
Colorado is the favorite here, but schools like Georgia and USC could also be options, according to Rivals analyst Woody Wommack. Hunter is from Suwanee, Georgia.
“I’m not saying I’m committing to Colorado right now or I’m never going to do it. I’m just letting you know it’s not in my plan as of right now to just go jump and be on the team,” Hunter said. “I’m weighing my options out. I don’t know what’s next. I’ve been thinking about this since coach announced he was leaving. After talking with my family, the best decision for me was to enter the transfer portal.”
Hunter is one of many Jackson State players to enter the transfer portal since Sanders announced Dec. 3 he was leaving for Colorado. Included in that group are Sanders’ sons Shadeur and Shilo. Shadeur was JSU’s starting quarterback for the past two seasons while Shilo was a starting safety. | 2022-12-19T18:03:30Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jackson State's Travis Hunter, former No. 1 recruit, enters transfer portal; will he follow Deion Sanders to Colorado? | https://sports.yahoo.com/jackson-states-travis-hunter-former-no-1-recruit-enters-transfer-portal-will-he-follow-deion-sanders-to-colorado-170800920.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jackson-states-travis-hunter-former-no-1-recruit-enters-transfer-portal-will-he-follow-deion-sanders-to-colorado-170800920.html?src=rss |
The buzz: The Cardinal senior played in 27 games across four years at Stanford, including 24 over the past two seasons. The Colorado native was named to the 2022 watch lists for both the Rimington and Outland awards.
LB Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska)
The buzz: The Nebraska native started seven games as a true freshman for the Cornhuskers in 2022. He appeared in 10 games, recording 54 tackles (36 solo) with one sack (against Michigan) and one fumble recovery. He set a career-high with 10 tackles against the Wolverines, before topping it the following week with 12 against Wisconsin. According to Pro Football Focus, Hausman was tied for eighth in tackles among all Power Five freshmen.
OL Myles Hinton (Stanford)
The buzz: The former Cardinal appeared in nine games this season after starting nine in 2021. He entered Stanford as a U.S. Army All-American in 2020 and a four-star recruit, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings. He was rated the No. 74 player in the country and No. 6 at offensive tackle. In his first season in Palo Alto, he was named an outstanding freshman in the Cardinal program. He’ll arrive in Ann Arbor with two years of eligibility, thanks to the NCAA’s COVID waiver for the 2020 season. His older brother, Christopher, played three seasons for coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, and father Chris was a seven-time Pro Bowler with the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons over 13 seasons from 1983-1995.
The buzz: Bowman transferred in from Texas Tech prior to the 2021 season with hopes of competing for the starting job, but was beat out by both Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy (as the backup). Bowman, who spent his time in maize and blue mostly working mop-up duty, completed eight of 11 passes (72.7%) for 69 yards, with one touchdown and one interception across four games in two seasons. Prior to that, he started 16 games across three years for the Red Raiders and completed 67% of his passes for 5,260 yards, 33 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
The buzz: All had three catches for a combined 36 yards before back issues shut him down for 2022. He is expected to recover fully from the back surgery performed in October. All had a career year in 2021, catching 38 passes for 437 yards (11.5 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. He caught a career-high 10 passes for 98 yards in the Wolverines' lone regular season loss, 37-33, to rival Michigan State in East Lansing.
Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara looks to pass against Colorado State during the first half on Saturday, Sept. 3 , 2022, in Ann Arbor.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football transfer portal tracker: Who's coming, who's going
Following a weekend visit to Florida State, Casey Roddick made it official: He is coming to Tallahassee. Roddick made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday night. The Colorado transfer offensive lineman played in 42 games and started 30 games. | 2022-12-19T18:03:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Michigan football transfer portal player tracker: Who's coming, who's going | https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-transfer-portal-player-172927261.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-transfer-portal-player-172927261.html?src=rss |
"Hi, I'm Kodai Senga of the New York Mets. I'm very happy and excited to be in the Big Apple and join such a great team," Senga said.
"I'm very honored and excited to have the fans to choose number 34 for me and I hope to live up to the highest of their expectations," Senga said through a translator.
Senga then gave a "Let's go Mets" to the audience and explained what made him choose New York and what he wants fans to know about him.
"He really felt that the Mets really showed they wanted him here," Senga said through a translator. "And also the opportunity to pitch with such great veteran pitchers, as well."
The 29-year-old said that pitching with and learning from Mets aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander is very exciting, adding that they are two "legendary pitchers" who everyone in Japan knows.
Additionally, Mets manager Buck Showalter previously met with Senga and spoke very highly of him, and the righty joked that Showalter had "a really intimidating face" at first, but that he soon realized he could be comfortable around a manager with a good sense of humor.
During his 11 seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, Senga earned three All-Star appearances and helped the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks win five Japan Series championships. Making MLB has been a main goal of Senga's for a long time, and he told reporters what it's like to have reached this point in his career.
"He was definitely very excited when he finally learned he had the chance to come over here," Senga said through a translator. "And he's still full of excitement going into the season, as well.
"He's been playing in Japan for a long time, wanting to play here, that was his big goal. So he just wants fans to understand and know that he's very blessed to play here and play in the States. Of course, he still does want to put up good numbers, as well."
Senga was asked what he knows about New York City and what he likes about his new home, saying that he's looking forward to learning more about the city.
"He had the chance to come out to New York about a month ago," Senga said through a translator. "At this point in time, he doesn't really know too much about New York, except for the fact there are a lot of people and it's a very exciting place to be."
Senga said that a couple of Mets teammates reached out to him, including closer Edwin Diaz direct messaging him on Instagram. The starter is also known for a special pitch called the "Ghost Fork," and said that he perfected it with lots of "practice." He then noted that he's spoken to the San Diego Padres' Yu Darvish over the past few years and has received great advice from the veteran Japanese pitcher.
"For the last few years he's been in contact with Yu Darvish, and he's given him a lot of good advice," Senga said through a translator. "Every time he did speak to Darvish and other pitchers as well, it gave him more excitement to come over and pitch in the States."
Kodai Senga introduces himself to New York, shares excitement about joining the Mets
Starting pitcher Kodai Senga introduced himself to the New York media on Monday, and shared his excitement about joining the Mets and moving from Japan to Major League Baseball, saying he’s happy to be “in the Big Apple” and to be joining a “great team.”
Kyrie Irving gives praise to the guys around him and Kevin Durant for being there to make the team great | 2022-12-19T19:17:16Z | sports.yahoo.com | Kodai Senga on why he chose Mets, excitement to come to MLB | https://sports.yahoo.com/kodai-senga-why-chose-mets-172641549.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kodai-senga-why-chose-mets-172641549.html?src=rss |
On the ninteenth SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Randy Moss sticking it to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
The Vikings went into Thanksgiving Day with only one loss and their rookie wide receiver played with a massive vengence.
Prior to the NFL draft, Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones told Moss that he was going to draft him when his pick came around. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, he went back on his word and selected pass rusher Greg Ellis instead.
When that happened, Moss took it personally and he circled that fateful Thankskiving Day on his calendar. He wanted nothing more than to stick it to the team that misled him.
The Vikings ended up being the ones that benefitted from that mistake and Moss showed them why on Thanksgiving afternoon.
It didn’t take long for Moss to make an impact, and while it was easier because Deion Sanders was out for the game, I don’t think that mattered because Moss was on a mission. He only caught three passes for 163 yards but they all went for touchdowns, including two in the first quarter.
The performance is still one of the best that the NFL has ever seen on Thanksgiving Day and it earned him a turkey leg from the great John Madden.
He was good two years later when the Vikings returned to Dallas on Thanksgiving where they won once again, but nothing will ever top that 1998 game. | 2022-12-19T19:25:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | 25 SKOL’s of Christmas: Vikings’ Randy Moss torches the Cowboys | https://sports.yahoo.com/25-skol-christmas-vikings-randy-190819957.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/25-skol-christmas-vikings-randy-190819957.html?src=rss |
Bears quarterback Justin Fields has emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting young players, and people are certainly taking notice.
Fields had another record-setting performance against the top-ranked Eagles defense, where he set Chicago’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback and eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season, joining Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the only quarterbacks to accomplish the feat.
“I’m going to improvise, try to do whatever I can to put as much points on the board as possible,” Fields said after the game.
Fields completed 14-of-21 passes for 152 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 119.5 passer rating. He added 95 rushing yards on 15 carries. What was most impressive was how Fields managed to dazzle despite being down his top four receivers and best offensive lineman (Teven Jenkins). Not to mention, all while coming under immense fire (to the tune of six sacks) by a dominant Philly front.
Here’s what Bears and Eagles players and coaches had to say about Fields after his performance in Week 15:
Eagles CB Darius Slay
Eagles EDGE Haason Reddick
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni
Bears WR Byron Pringle
“Justin impresses the world,” Pringle said. “That’s no question about Justin. You never know what you’re going to get. I grew up watching Michael Vick, and he can move just like him. You never know. Justin can throw it, he can run it, he can beat you. He’s strong. He’s a strong individual when he’s running the ball.”
Bears HC Matt Eberflus
“He can get from zero to 60 really fast, so I think that’s what makes him a little bit different,” Eberflus said. “Some guys are shifty. I think he’s more of a power cutter when you look at him, and he can really put the gas on pretty fast.”
Bears TE Cole Kmet
“That’s pretty impressive when you can rush like that, and a lot of those coming from ad-lib and whatnot,” Kmet said. “The way he’s able to run through arm tackles and all those things down the field is pretty cool. When you’ve got a guy like that, he’s always fighting, and you know you’ve got a chance.” | 2022-12-19T19:26:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | What the Bears, Eagles are saying about Justin Fields after Week 15 | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-eagles-saying-justin-fields-183212034.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-eagles-saying-justin-fields-183212034.html?src=rss |
"That's something Joe [Schoen] and I will talk about, not just about Landon, but with all the individuals we do each week. We haven't had the chance to sit down and discuss those things. But certainly that topic, amongst probably a bunch of other ones like they do each week come up, we'll talk about it."
Collins signed to the Giants on Oct. 6 and has been activated from the practice squad for three games this season, including Sunday's win at Washington. New York must now decide if they will sign Collins to the active 53-man roster for the remainder of the season since the NFL only allows teams to elevate players three times in the regular season before signing them.
It was Collins' first game since Week 8 at Seattle, as the 28-year-old recorded three tackles while filling in at linebacker, despite his prior seven years experience at safety. The Giants have struggled to find consistent play from the inside linebacker position this season, but Collins showed he could fill that role by making a big tackle for loss against the Commanders' Brian Robinson and then stuffing Curtis Samuel on a crucial third down.
The Giants drafted Collins with the No. 33 pick in the second-round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Alabama, as he spent the first four years of his career in New York before signing a big deal with Washington in 2019. Collins made three Pro Bowls with the Giants, and could find himself on the active roster for the rest of the season based on his recent play as the team continues to fight for its playoff berth.
The Jaguars are trying to win the AFC South and their bid will have to unfold without the assistance of left tackle Cam Robinson. Head coach Doug Pederson said at his Monday press conference that Robinson is probably going to miss the rest of the season after hurting his knee in Sunday’s win over the [more]
Brian Daboll talks clutch win in Washington: 'Proud of the way the guys competed' | Giants Post Game
In this Giants post game news conference, head coach Brian Daboll was proud of how hard his team competed on Sunday night in their big win on the road in Washington, 20-12. | 2022-12-19T19:27:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants to discuss signing Landon Collins to 53-man roster | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-discuss-signing-landon-collins-184657139.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-discuss-signing-landon-collins-184657139.html?src=rss |
Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels has been on the right side and wrong side of a game-ending lateral sequence for the New England Patriots.
When speaking on the comparison between the Miami Miracle in 2018 to the Patriots’ recent lateral blunder, McDaniels admitted he was happy to be on the right side of a miracle play this time around.
“Better feeling on this side, for sure,” McDaniels said at the post-game conference, via MassLive’s Nick O’Malley. “…I mean, again, the weird thing is, I know that wasn’t probably the design of that play. I’m assuming it wasn’t. But once Rhamondre pitched, it became that way.”
There was only three seconds left in the game, and the Patriots made the decision to run one final play instead of kneeling and taking the tied game into overtime.
After running into a group of defenders, Stevenson pitched the ball backwards to wideout Jakobi Meyers, who then committed the ill-fated turnover in another pitch attempt that closed out the game.
The Miami Miracle came when the Miami Dolphins beat the Patriots after a pass from then-quarterback Ryan Tannehill was lateralled twice, before eventually ending up in the hands of Kenyan Drake, who ran the ball into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
An argument could be made that the play against the Raiders was the worst of the two blunders. There was no need for the Patriots to even call a play in that situation with the game tied and going into overtime.
But then again, a mistake of that magnitude is par for the course for what has already been a nightmare season. | 2022-12-19T19:27:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Josh McDaniels commented on Raiders’ Miami Miracle comparison | https://sports.yahoo.com/josh-mcdaniels-commented-raiders-miami-175758035.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/josh-mcdaniels-commented-raiders-miami-175758035.html?src=rss |
The Miami Dolphins have been tested by some really talented wide receivers in recent weeks, as they’ve faced Stefon Diggs, Mike Williams, Keenan Allen and Deebo Samuel in the last three games alone.
Heading into a Week 16 matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, they’ll be tasked with slowing down rookies Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs as well a veteran Allen Lazard.
One wideout that they won’t be seeing this weekend is Sammy Watkins, as Green Bay waived the wideout on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Watkins had appeared in nine games this season, recording 13 receptions for 206 yards.
The trio of Watson, Lazard and Doubs will likely still be a test for Miami’s secondary that’s been hampered by injuries this season.
Jenna Ortega of Netflix's smash hit show "Wednesday" appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon in a sheer black dress, metal corset, and shaggy haircut. | 2022-12-19T19:28:30Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers waive veteran WR before matchup with Dolphins | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-waive-veteran-wr-matchup-174852725.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-waive-veteran-wr-matchup-174852725.html?src=rss |
On Sunday, Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks didn’t exactly commit to Sam Darnold as his team’s starting quarterback for Week 16. But he did today.
A little less than 24 hours after Carolina’s 24-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilks confirmed that Darnold will be under center against the Detroit Lions this coming Saturday. This’ll mark the fifth-year passer’s fourth start of the season.
“Yes, he will be the starter,” Wilks replied when asked of his plans by Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer.
Wilks also gave a bit of a critique on Darnold’s performance in the defeat.
“I thought Sam made some good throws yesterday,” he said. “Couple of throws, I felt like, we had an opportunity to get out there a little quicker and a chance to have a touchdown—particularly the deep one to Terrace [Marshall Jr.] down their sideline. And then also the one we got the PI on on our sideline in the end zone. He and I spoke this morning. He realized he needs to get it out there a little quicker.”
Darnold got 23 passes out in Week 15—completing 14 of them for a season-high 225 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver DJ Moore. He also has yet to commit a turnover over his three starts in 2022. | 2022-12-19T19:28:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | Panthers to start Sam Darnold in Week 16 vs. Lions | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-start-sam-darnold-week-185729705.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-start-sam-darnold-week-185729705.html?src=rss |
''I've been the one seed and (been) knocked on my (rear) and won it from the fifth seed,'' coach Mike McCarthy said. ''So, like I said, we're not supposed talk about that until we get to 11 wins and we're not there yet.
''We just got to keep our head down and keep working, and we'll react properly to this. It's a very accountable locker room.''
''If we would have won right there on the field goal, I don't think that necessarily changes the lull in the third quarter, the bad things that happened in this game,'' Prescott said. ''We've got to move on. It's not like that puts us in a better position or not.'' | 2022-12-19T19:29:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | Postseason path all but set as Cowboys back into playoffs | https://sports.yahoo.com/postseason-path-set-cowboys-back-181121427.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/postseason-path-set-cowboys-back-181121427.html?src=rss |
The Minnesota Vikings have a history of bringing in players from the Canadian Football League, more specifically quarterbacks.
Bud Grant did so with Joe Kapp and they brought it Bo Levi Mitchell in 2018 but ended up parting ways when he came in with the intention of winning the starting job.
The Vikings are looking to potentially do the same thing. 3 Down Nation’s Justin Dunk is reporting that the Vikings brought in CFL star quarterback Nathan Rourke for a workout and a visit.
Here is what Dunk had to say about Rourke.
“The 24-year-old is coming off a sensational season in the CFL during which he completed 78.7 percent of his pass attempts for 3,349 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran the football 39 times for 304 yards and seven scores, becoming the first quarterback to win the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian award since 1980.
The six-foot-two, 209-pound passer was a three-year starter at Ohio University from 2017-2019 where he threw for 7,457 yards with 60 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He also recorded 425 carries for 2,634 yards and 49 scores along the ground but received a small amount of NFL interest coming out of the NCAA.”
A native of British Columbia, Rourke is a dual-threat quarterback that has a bright future ahead of him and is looking to make the jump to the NFL. Multiple teams have already brought him in for a visit, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. The last quarterback to make the jump successfully from the CFL to the NFL and have sustained success was Jeff Garcia, who started for multiple teams over a long NFL career.
The Vikings do need a backup quarterback for next season and Rourke could end up being the future if they think he has that kind of future, which if his CFL performance has told us anything, it’s that he does. | 2022-12-19T19:29:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Report: Vikings bring in CFL star QB Nathan Rourke for a workout | https://sports.yahoo.com/report-vikings-bring-cfl-star-183150870.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/report-vikings-bring-cfl-star-183150870.html?src=rss |
Capitals to activate Kuemper from IR, will sit vs. Red Wings originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
ARLINGTON, Va. — Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper received clearance from the team’s medical staff Monday to return to game action, allowing them to activate him off Injured Reserve. He will back up Charlie Lindgren for Monday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Kuemper, 32, suffered an upper-body injury on Dec. 3 against the Calgary Flames. He landed on IR a week later, leaving Lindgren as the Capitals’ primary option in net for the greater part of December. Lindgren has thrived in the role, making seven starts with a 6-1 record and earning the NHL’s First Star of the Week award.
“The fact that he got a chance to run here a little bit, he’s taken advantage of it and played extremely well,” head coach Peter Laviolette said of Lindgren at morning skate Monday. “He’s focused. You just gotta love the way he works. He works hard every day in practice, he carries himself like a pro and he’s played really good. Defense has been good in front of him, but there’s always opportunities that make it to the net and he’s been really strong for us.”
Lindgren will make his eighth straight start Monday, sending Kuemper to the bench as he eases back into playing. Prior to his injury, Kuemper was a workhorse goalie for the Capitals starting 20 of their first 26 games. His next chance to start will be Thursday on the road against the Ottawa Senators.
Ryan Lindgren with a Goal vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Ryan Lindgren (New York Rangers) with a Goal vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 12/17/2022
(San Jose Sharks) with a Goalie Save from San Jose Sharks vs. Calgary Flames, 12/18/2022 | 2022-12-19T19:47:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Capitals to activate Darcy Kuemper from IR, will sit vs. Red Wings | https://sports.yahoo.com/capitals-activate-darcy-kuemper-ir-172200340.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/capitals-activate-darcy-kuemper-ir-172200340.html?src=rss |
It appears that Bo Nix is focused on having fun one more time in 2023.
Nix, a former three-year starting quarterback at Auburn, announced Sunday that he plans to return to Oregon for his final season of eligibility.
The change of scenery was good for Nix, as he reunited with former offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham in Eugene. He would set career-bests in passing yards with 3,389, passing touchdowns with 27, rushing yards with 504, and rushing touchdowns with 14.
The decision to return to Oregon will boost his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy, as he was considered a front-runner during a brief period in 2022. He will also have another opportunity to lead the Ducks to the College Football Playoff. Oregon was on the cusp of earning a spot in the top four before two November losses to Washington and rival Oregon State derailed their chances.
Nix has elected to use the free season of eligibility that he and so many other athletes received due to the COVID-ridden season in 2020. In four full seasons as a starting quarterback, Nix has passed for 10,640 yards and 66 touchdowns, while adding 1,373 yards of rushing and 32 scores. | 2022-12-19T19:52:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bo Nix spurns NFL, will play one more season at Oregon | https://sports.yahoo.com/bo-nix-spurns-nfl-play-182836686.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bo-nix-spurns-nfl-play-182836686.html?src=rss |
''It's the ultimate team award,'' Dykes told AP. ''It's indicative of literally everybody in our office, coaches, players, everybody, because more so than ever in college football it is truly a team effort.''
''It's not always like this and I've been on both ends and so something like this probably means more to me than it might somebody,'' Dykes said. ''I've been 1-11 and I've been fired. I've been kind of on top and then on bottom, too. I'm always thankful for those bad times because it really truly does make you appreciate the good times more.''
''Sometimes it's more about the chemistry of things and trying to get the chemistry of those rooms right as opposed to necessarily adding talent,'' Dykes said. ''That part of it, I think, is really overlooked. Just the chemistry and creating competition and all that.''
''We really had no expectations whatsoever when the year started,'' Dykes said. ''We thought we had a chance to be pretty good, but we just gained confidence every week and we had some kids that really were tough and like to compete, and that made everything so much better.''
''One of a kind, for sure,'' Dykes said. | 2022-12-19T19:52:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | TCU's Sonny Dykes named Associated Press coach of the Year | https://sports.yahoo.com/tcus-sonny-dykes-named-associated-171839287.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tcus-sonny-dykes-named-associated-171839287.html?src=rss |
Chip Kelly coaches UCLA against USC on Nov. 19 at the Rose Bowl. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
His commitment two days before national signing day boosted the Bruins’ 2023 recruiting class from No. 31 to No. 22 nationally in the 247Sports rankings. Moore’s change of allegiance came one day after Oregon quarterback Bo Nix announced he was returning for the 2023 season and less than a month after Moore's primary recruiter with the Ducks, offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, left to become Arizona State’s head coach.
Image source: Getty Images There are certain expenses that tend to be burdensome at pretty much every stage of life. And healthcare is one of them. Whether you're in your 30s or in your 70s, you never know when you might need money to cover a sudden medical bill. | 2022-12-19T19:52:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | UCLA lands commitment from Dante Moore, the highest-rated quarterback in school history | https://sports.yahoo.com/ucla-lands-commitment-dante-moore-190646814.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ucla-lands-commitment-dante-moore-190646814.html?src=rss |
Auburn suffered its second loss of the season on Sunday, falling to USC, 74-71 at Galen Center in Los Angeles.
Auburn got solid production from Johni Broome, who led the team in all major categories with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Freshman Tre Donaldson also had the best game of his young career by scoring 10 points.
How did the loss to the Trojans affect their recent position in the KenPom rankings? The Tigers dropped in several categories but remain among the nation’s best in a few areas.
Next up will the second, and final, stop of the west coast trip, as Auburn visits Washington on Sunday in Seattle. The Huskies are 9-3, with wins over Fresno State, Seattle, and Colorado.
Auburn’s loss to the Trojans drops them from No. 21 to No. 23. The Tigers are the fourth-highest rated SEC team, with Tennessee leading the conference at No. 4. The win boosted USC to No. 71 in the overall rankings.
Auburn drops one place to No. 54 in adjusted offensive efficiency, with the Tigers expecting to score 108.6 points per 100 possessions.
Another solid defensive game keeps Auburn in the top-15 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Auburn is projected to only allow 89.7 points per 100 possessions. Arkansas, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and Tennessee also have a place in the top-15.
Auburn suffers a drop in adjusted tempo, as they are forecasted to have 70 possessions over the span of 40 minutes.
Washington overview
After falling to Gonzaga on Dec. 9, the Washington Huskies have won two-straight games ahead of Wednesday’s date with Auburn. Washington holds a 9-3 record, and is No. 90 in the latest KenPom ranking. | 2022-12-19T20:00:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | How Auburn’s loss to USC affects its’ latest KenPom ranking | https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-loss-usc-affects-latest-190146521.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/auburn-loss-usc-affects-latest-190146521.html?src=rss |
Florida basketball got back on the winning track last Wednesday with a neutral-court win over the Ohio Bobcats in Amalie Arena, Tampa. The victory represented a much-needed bounce-back from a whipping at the hands of the UConn Huskies who still remain undefeated through 12 games.
While Todd Golden’s team looked a lot better in its most recent outing it was clearly a result of facing an under-matched team. Nonetheless, the Gators came out strong and were relentless until the final horn, giving the fanbase some hope that better days are ahead.
The USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll for Week 7 of men’s college basketball action was released on Monday afternoon and the Orange and Blue remained voteless dating back to the Nov. 14 update. However, six Southeastern Conference schools are currently ranked in the top 25, led by the Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 8), followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 10), Tennessee Volunteers (No. 11), Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 15), Kentucky Wildcats (No. 16) and Auburn Tigers (No. 24).
Next up for the Gators are the Oklahoma Sooners who come to Gainesville on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a late-night tangle. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
West Virginia has addressed a pressing need through the transfer portal with a commit from Kent State WR Ja'Shaun Poke.
Let’s say you’re a dude getting shot down cold by a girl sometime in the next decade or so. Chances are her snow-cone chilly catchphrase will come straight from Blackpink. Chances are you won’t know what just hit you, even though chances are she’ll add in a killer little hip-flip, with matching head-fake and hand … LONG STORY SHORT: IT’S A BLACKPINK WORLD! Read More » The post LONG STORY SHORT: IT’S A BLACKPINK WORLD! appeared first on SPIN.
Costco's products are some of the most-talked-about grocery items on the internet. Remember, for example, its signature Cauliflower Crust Pizza that took Reddit by storm? Or the Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream people were gushing over?Then there are items that stand out purely because they're so . . . intriguingly weird. And Zappala's Baked Chocolate Chip Ricotta, which is making rounds on social media again, is one of them. The cheese has captured the interest of shoppers because it contains an | 2022-12-19T20:01:34Z | sports.yahoo.com | No changes to Florida basketball’s status in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll | https://sports.yahoo.com/no-changes-florida-basketball-status-185906868.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/no-changes-florida-basketball-status-185906868.html?src=rss |
Savion Herring
Lionel Messis and Tom Bradys come and go. But Tiger Woods's staying power makes him the world's most popular athlete.
Navy promoted defensive coordinator Brian Newberry to head coach on Monday, replacing Ken Niumatalolo, the winningest coach in school history who was fired a week ago. Newberry, 51, has been leading the Midshipmen defense since 2019. “It is a great honor and privilege to lead this program,” Newberry said in a statement. | 2022-12-19T20:02:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Tennessee football’s 2022 transfer portal tracker | https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-football-2022-transfer-portal-184315221.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-football-2022-transfer-portal-184315221.html?src=rss |
Despite being the Philadelphia Flyers leading scorer, Kevin Hayes has found himself in John Tortorella's doghouse on a few occasions this season. (Getty Images)
On Saturday, Philadelphia Flyers’ forward Kevin Hayes was listed as a healthy scratch for their game against the New York Rangers. On top of sitting out the game, the team’s top points scorer—with 29 points in 31 games—has been benched three times already this season.
The centreman is enjoying his best offensive spell since his arrival in Philadelphia, but the Flyers have had an abysmal start to their campagain. They currently have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and the fourth-worst goal differential in the league, forcing head coach John Tortorella to consider some drastic action.
"I'm never gonna say there's a benefit to being benched. I’m sorry. I don't think I should have been benched, but it's not my decision," the 30-year-old told reporters on Monday. "He's a coach. I'm a player. He makes the lineup, he wants the best team on the ice to ultimately win, & that's what he went with."
Hayes’ strong scoring output has not made him immune to defensive-zone errors. That all came to a head when he was moved to the wing with Noah Cates taking his spot up the middle. Tortorella explained the swap by saying he preferred Cates’ defensive responsibility compared to Hayes’ -12 plus-minus ratio—amongst the worst in the league.
If Hayes’ time in the City of Brotherly Love is seemingly coming to a close, a $7.1 million cap hit along with a limited no-trade clause makes him a difficult player to move. That’s why insider Elliotte Friedman offered the idea on his podcast 32 Thoughts that Hayes could see his contract bought out at the end of the season, allowing both parties to move on.
This would be a significant burden off the Flyers' shoulders, who would have a cap penalty of $2.25 million in the first year, followed by $4.75 million in each of the next two years, and $1.6 million for the three final years.
Hayes' best season in the NHL came in 2016-17 with the New York Rangers, in which he tallied 17 goals and 49 points in 76 games. | 2022-12-19T20:48:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | NHL: Flyers, Kevin Hayes could be headed towards buyout | https://sports.yahoo.com/flyers-kevin-hayes-could-be-bought-out-in-offseason-190132365.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/flyers-kevin-hayes-could-be-bought-out-in-offseason-190132365.html?src=rss |
It's not like the Pro Bowl vote matters much. It's not even the Pro Bowl anymore, it's the "Pro Bowl Games" because the football game itself has been replaced. And fan votes aren't the best measure of anything.
But Tua Tagovailoa getting more votes than anyone else? That's unexpected.
Tagovailoa topping the fan vote says a few things. First and foremost, Dolphins fans did a good job voting. Also, Tagovailoa's story has apparently resonated with fans. Tagovailoa was criticized often through his first two seasons, written off by many as a draft bust. That proved to be premature. The Dolphins built a good offense around Tagovailoa, most notably trading for Hill, and he has had an excellent season. In 12 games, he has 3,238 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. He suffered a scary concussion early in the season but has come back strong.
Tagovailoa is having a good season but the consensus is that Hurts, Mahomes and Josh Allen have been better than him, and perhaps Joe Burrow as well. There's nothing wrong with having a top-five season at quarterback, it just makes those 306,861 votes a bit surprising.
It would be a pretty big deal for Tagovailoa to make the Pro Bowl, in many ways. Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald pointed out that the salary on Tagovailoa's fifth-year option, which the Dolphins will clearly pick up barring something unforeseen, jumps from a projected $22 million to $28 million if he makes the Pro Bowl. That's not a bad bonus. | 2022-12-19T20:48:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | In a surprise, Miami's Tua Tagovailoa gets more Pro Bowl votes than any other player | https://sports.yahoo.com/in-a-surprise-miamis-tua-tagovailoa-gets-more-pro-bowl-votes-than-any-other-player-194621501.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/in-a-surprise-miamis-tua-tagovailoa-gets-more-pro-bowl-votes-than-any-other-player-194621501.html?src=rss |
Mike White might miss a second game for the New York Jets while he continues to recover from "multiple" rib fractures, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Doctors still haven't cleared White to play before the Jets' Week 16 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday night, per Rapoport.
White initially suffered the injury in the Jets' Week 14 loss to the Buffalo Bills after a big hit from linebacker Matt Milano. White missed a few snaps but finished the game. While the Jets expected White to be ready for Week 15, doctors wouldn't medically clear him to play because of the severity of his injuries, so the team turned back to 2021 No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. The Jets dropped their third consecutive game in a 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Prior to being ruled out for Week 15, White reportedly talked with "almost 10 doctors" in an effort to get cleared for the game. But the location of White's fractures on his chest reportedly "makes the area really vulnerable," he told reporters last week.
"I'm always going to try to fight like hell to be out on the field with my guys," White said. "It's frustrating but it's part of football, part of life that you got to deal with and be there for your guys in other ways."
Jets head coach Robert Saleh didn't go into details about White's status when he spoke to reporters Monday, only that White is "still going through evaluation." Saleh also remained coy when pressed on if a healthy White would start over Wilson against the Jaguars.
"We'll get the clearance first," Saleh said. "That's something I've got to talk to the offense staff about. We'll see what happens. I'm not prepared to answer that.
"There's more scans to see how much he's healed," Saleh added. "There was talk that they felt like a week would show more healing, some callous, if you will, to get on the field. That's something he would have to get from another doctor and still be able to talk to our doctors about it, too. So there are a lot of hurdles he would have to go through [to start]."
The Jets benched Wilson for White for Week 11 following an abysmal performance against the New England Patriots and kept him inactive for the next three games with White installed as QB1. White soundly beat the Chicago Bears but failed to orchestrate wins over the Minnesota Vikings and Bills. The Jets then decided to promote Wilson to No. 2 quarterback over veteran Joe Flacco for Week 15.
When White was unexpectedly ruled out by doctors before the Lions game, Wilson returned as the starter and completed 51.4 percent of his passing attempts for 317 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It was Wilson's best offensive performance since a Week 8 loss to the Patriots. The Jets still lost, in part, because of Wilson's mistakes.
Despite the ambiguity at the quarterback position, Saleh insisted Wilson will still have a role to play in the Jets' future even after another loss.
White is 1-2 as a starter but has a 62 percent completion rate and averages 317.3 passing yards per game with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Wilson, meanwhile, is 5-3 as the starter but is completing just 54.9 percent of his passes, has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions and is averaging only 199.5 passing yards per game. Oddly enough, White's Jets averaged only 1.1 points more per game than Wilson's – 21.6 vs. 20.5.
Thursday night's showdown will be a pivotal game in both the Jets' and Jaguars' postseason aspirations. If White is healthy, Saleh will have an intriguing decision that will undoubtedly affect both the Jets' 2022 season as well as its long-term future at the position.
Mike White's availability is a huge question mark ahead of Week 16. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | 2022-12-19T20:48:48Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jets QB Mike White dealing with 'multiple' rib fractures, not yet cleared to play Thursday night vs. Jaguars | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-qb-mike-white-dealing-with-multiple-rib-fractures-not-yet-cleared-to-play-thursday-night-vs-jaguars-200033052.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-qb-mike-white-dealing-with-multiple-rib-fractures-not-yet-cleared-to-play-thursday-night-vs-jaguars-200033052.html?src=rss |
When the Minnesota Vikings trailed 33-0 early on Saturday, there wasn't a sign that we were in for one of the wildest sports weekends ever.
By the time it was over, we had multiple walk-off touchdowns, the greatest comeback in NFL history, officiating controversies, a zany game-ending play by the New England Patriots that will go down as one of the most memorable ever and ... something else ... oh right, a World Cup final that is on a short list of greatest soccer matches ever and possibly greatest sporting events ever.
And it all started so innocuously in Minnesota.
After that, Kirk Cousins and the Vikings exploded. They scored touchdowns on four of their next five possessions. There were even officiating fiascos in which Vikings cornerback Chandon Sullivan had two fumble return touchdowns nullified. The second one was egregiously bad, as officials ruled a play dead when Colts running back Deon Jackson wasn't close to being down. It didn't matter. The Vikings got a great game-tying touchdown on a screen pass to Dalvin Cook and then won in overtime.
This is the 103rd season of NFL football and no other team has come back from trailing by 33 points or more to win. We'll remember that game.
The Baltimore Ravens-Cleveland Browns game in the middle of Saturday was a dud, but hopefully you switched over to see North Carolina basketball tie Ohio State at the buzzer and win in overtime instead. It really was a great sports weekend.
Hopefully you got some sleep before France versus Argentina.
It's hard to judge the greatest game or match in all sports history, but the 2022 World Cup final wouldn't be a bad choice. Kylian Mbappé scored three times, each with France trailing and including one late in extra time to tie the match 3-3. Lionel Messi scored twice. When Argentina won on penalty kicks, Messi had cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players ever. Mbappé had made his case for the greatest player right now. That match had it all.
In the early games we had two overtime touchdowns, one from the Kansas City Chiefs and another from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars' pick-six beat the Dallas Cowboys, capping a big comeback and an amazing breakout performance from Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Chiefs' walk-off winner was for the AFC West title. Also, the Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets with a 51-yard catch by tight end Brock Wright on fourth-and-inches just after the two-minute warning. The Jets missed a field goal to tie it on the final play. That win might end up getting the Lions back in the playoffs for the first time in six years.
In the late games, the Tennessee Titans tied the Los Angeles Chargers in the final minute, only to have the Chargers quickly drive down for a game-winning field goal with four seconds left. We also had the Cincinnati Bengals rally from a 17-0 deficit — "What's so special about that?" the Vikings ask — to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady was 89-0 in home games when he led by 17 or more, until Sunday. It was a weekend for comebacks.
And then it got really weird. We remember Jim Marshall running the wrong way, Leon Lett's Thanksgiving gaffe in the snow, Dwayne Rudd taking his helmet off to cost the Browns a win, and we will forever remember the Patriots inexplicably lateraling it back to Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones, who stiff-armed Patriots quarterback Mac Jones into oblivion and returned the gift for one of the weirdest walk-off touchdowns ever.
Poor Nikola Jokic. On Sunday night, the Denver Nuggets center had 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first NBA player to post a 40-25-10 line since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968. On any other weekend, we would have noticed.
There were crazy comebacks and five walk-off winners in the NFL (and that doesn't count the Chargers winning with four seconds left). We had a historic number of close games.
There were two global soccer superstars combining for five goals in a World Cup final that was an all-time classic. We had some good college hoops, college football bowl games, and a back-to-back NBA MVP putting up a stat line we haven't seen in 54 years.
If you're a serious sports fan, you might have needed to call in sick on Monday, just to recover from it all. | 2022-12-19T20:48:55Z | sports.yahoo.com | Wildest sports weekend ever? NFL madness and an all-time great World Cup too | https://sports.yahoo.com/wildest-sports-weekend-ever-nfl-madness-and-an-all-time-great-world-cup-too-163157474.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/wildest-sports-weekend-ever-nfl-madness-and-an-all-time-great-world-cup-too-163157474.html?src=rss |
Canadian rapper Drake has been involved in the sports world for years now. He's best known for being a superfan of the Toronto Raptors, but he's also friends with plenty of athletes and is often seen at all manner of sporting events. He's developed a reputation as a bit of a jinx or mush, as teams and players he associates with often start to struggle.
With the explosion of sports betting, it's no surprise that a man Drake's means has dabbled in throwing money at games. On Sunday, it was reported that Drake bet $1 million on Argentina in the World Cup Final. Argentina won the game, but Drake lost his bet.
Drake bet the regular time line
If you're not used to betting soccer, it can be a bit confusing. In most sports, you can bet on either team to win the game. If the game goes to overtime, whichever team wins in overtime is the winning side of the bet. In the rare event there's a tie in football, moneyline wagers are refunded.
When betting on soccer, there are three options when betting pregame. You can bet on either team to win or the "regular time" part of the game to end in a draw. In the knockout rounds of tournaments, if the game goes to extra-time, "draw" is the winning bet.
Obviously, odds are different as a result. Before the World Cup Final, both Argentina and France were +175 to win in regular time. The draw paid out at +200. When Kylian Mbappe scored two late goals for France to force extra time, the draw ended up being the correct side. Any wager on Argentina or France was a loser.
Drake bet on Argentina to win the game in regular time. That's why his $1 million bet would have paid out a profit of $1.75 million. As soon as the game went past 90 minutes and stoppage time, his bet was a loser, no matter what happened in extra time.
Of course, there's also a different market where you can bet on "team to win the Cup." In that market, Argentina was -125 to win the World Cup while France was a +100 underdog. If Drake bet this market instead, his $1 million wager on Argentina would have paid out $800,000 in profit. While that's quite a lot less than the $1.75 million he would have won in his bet, at least this wager would have won.
Unfortunately for Drake, sometimes being right takes too long.
Drake lost $1 million on Sunday, despite betting on Argentina. (Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Drake has a history with sports betting
While the Argentina wager is Drake's latest foray into sports betting, it certainly wasn't his first.
Drake bet on the Los Angeles Rams to win Super Bowl LVI and Odell Beckham Jr. to score a touchdown in the game. He won $559,000 on those two bets.
He lost $275,000 when he bet on Jorge Masvidal to defeat Colby Covington at UFC 272 back in March.
In early April, he lost $80,000 betting on Duke to beat North Carolina in the Final Four. He made that back and then some later in the month when he profited $184,000 off a $78,000 wager on Drake London to be the first receiver selected in the 2022 NFL draft.
Drake had a nice payday when the Golden State Warriors won the NBA's Western Conference this past season, profiting nearly $650,000 on a $159,000 wager.
One of his more impressive wins came in May when he hit a three-leg parlay featuring three Game 7s across two sports. He had the Dallas Mavericks beating the Phoenix Suns, the New York Rangers beating the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Calgary Flames beating the Dallas Stars. The $309,000 parlay paid out nearly $2.7 million.
Beth Hoeing, principal of Southwestern Elementary School in Indiana, can be seen dressed as the "Elf on the Shelf" in different locations around the building.
Former Alabama TE makes decision regarding his future
Jahleel Billingsley spent three seasons at Alabama before transferring to Texas. He recently declared for the 2023 NFL draft, according to On3's Matt Zenitz. | 2022-12-19T20:49:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | World Cup betting: Drake bet on Argentina, but still lost $1 million | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-betting-drake-bet-on-argentina-but-still-lost-1-million-191512496.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/world-cup-betting-drake-bet-on-argentina-but-still-lost-1-million-191512496.html?src=rss |
The Chicago Bears suffered several critical injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it sounds like they’re close to getting back one key player on offense just in time for Christmas.
Running back Khalil Herbert is designated to return from injured reserve and he’s returning to practice this week. Herbert has missed the last four games with a hip injury.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Herbert is “cleared and ready to go,” an indication Chicago could have another key playmaker back for quarterback Justin Fields.
Herbert has been one of the most productive running backs in the NFL this year. While he’s split reps with David Montgomery (limiting his rushing yardage), Herbert has the highest yards per rush average of qualifying running backs at 6.0 yards per carry.
Through 10 games, Herbert has rushed for 643 yards on 108 carries for four touchdowns. He also has six catches for 62 yards and a score. Before landing on IR, Herbert was Chicago’s second-leading rusher behind Fields.
Top Dolla Comments On Botched SmackDown Spot, Mark Henry Chimes In
WWE Superstar Top Dolla, a member of the team Hit […] | 2022-12-19T20:57:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears RB Khalil Herbert expected to return from IR this week | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-rb-khalil-herbert-expected-191512241.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-rb-khalil-herbert-expected-191512241.html?src=rss |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Andy Reid insisted that the Kansas City Chiefs were ''fired up'' after their win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
''I mentioned it to the team, you can't in today's world - the NFL - you can't go by the record. Everything is so close, the parity, and you're off by like a fingertip catch or maybe a penalty or a turnover. It's just one thing,'' Reid said. ''It has never been where there have been so many close games as there are now that have been determined by one score.
''The tape tells you the story,'' he added. ''You put on the tape. We knew it was going to be a battle. We felt that going in. Like I said, a well-coached team with good players. It was important that we kept going through four quarters.''
''It's not our identity. It's not what we want,'' Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon acknowledged. ''But along the course of the season, things happen. It's not pretty. It's not the nicest. But we find a way to win and that's all that matters.''
''Obviously we know we have a lot to work on, to clean up at least with the turnovers and the penalties,'' Patrick Mahomes said, ''but you have to celebrate. We still won the AFC West, and you have to enjoy that. I told the guys to do that. Enjoy it for a plane ride home tonight. We've got a short week this next week, so enjoy it and we'll get right back to it.''
''You've got to work your fundamentals and techniques,'' Reid said, ''and you've got to trust them when you're out there.''
Snow mostly misses KC area Monday. But a second storm this week may pack more punch
A second more powerful winter storm system is expected to move into the Kansas City area Wednesday, along with an arctic blast that will bring wind chills as low as 40 degrees below zero. | 2022-12-19T20:58:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs continue to squeak by against league's lowly teams | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-continue-squeak-against-leagues-192828707.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-continue-squeak-against-leagues-192828707.html?src=rss |
The NFL has tallied the votes after the conclusion of Pro Bowl Games fan voting.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes finished No. 3 overall with 271,541 votes and TE Travis Kelce finished No. 5 overall with 248,279 votes. The Chiefs finished fifth overall in total Pro Bowl Games votes behind the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers.
A total of four players were AFC leaders at their respective positions in the final tally of votes, including Kelce, LB Nick Bolton (136,342), C Creed Humphrey (133,683), and KR Isiah Pacheco (117,314). Remember, fan voting is only one-third of the voting process tallied. Votes from NFL coaches and players will count toward the other two-thirds of the vote.
Last season, Humphrey was the leader for the AFC at the center position when fan voting concluded, yet he was snubbed of Pro Bowl selection. Hopefully, this year will be different for Humphrey and others, but we’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out. AFC and NFC rosters won’t officially be announced until Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 8:00 PM ET on NFL Network.
Should Bolton, Humphrey and Pacheco be chosen, it would mark their first career Pro Bowl selections. For Mahomes, it would be his fifth consecutive year with a Pro Bowl. For Kelce, it would be his eighth consecutive year heading to the Pro Bowl.
The 2023 Pro Bowl Games is a new week-long format featuring various skill competitions. It will culminate in a 7-on-7 AFC vs. NFC Flag Football game on Sunday, February 5 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. | 2022-12-19T20:58:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | Final update on Chiefs players in Pro Bowl Games fan voting | https://sports.yahoo.com/final-chiefs-players-pro-bowl-204326416.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/final-chiefs-players-pro-bowl-204326416.html?src=rss |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) No matter what happens in the AFC South over the next three weeks, there's little doubt the Jacksonville Jaguars are poised to be factors in the division - and maybe the conference - for years to come.
They have the coach. They have the quarterback. They have the chemistry. They have young talent that's figuring out how to handle adversity and win close games - vital traits in a league in which games are often decided by one play or one possession.
It's the fifth notable losing streak broken this season for a team that had won a league-low four games combined over the past two years.
''It feels good to kind of prove ourselves,'' veteran guard Tyler Shatley said. ''That's big time for us.''
Added receiver Christian Kirk: ''We're here to flip the script. This new regime ... we're all here for one common goal and to make this thing the way we want to make it.''
Winning the AFC South would be a huge next step in Jacksonville's turnaround. The Jaguars play at the New York Jets (7-7) on Thursday night before finishing with division games against Houston (1-12-1) and tumbling Tennessee (7-7).
''It's just having that confidence and knowing that we can do it,'' Shatley said. ''That's how it was in '17. You get a couple of wins and you're like, `All right, we are a good team.' We truly believe that this year and it's starting to show.''
Travis Etienne fumbled when he ran into guard Brandon Scherff's backside during the team's opening possession. Lawrence had the other two: an interception that ended his streak of consecutive passes without a pick at 204 and a fumble near the end of regulation. He rebounded nicely from both.
Slow starts have plagued the Jaguars in their past six games, but they've come from behind to win four of those. Nonetheless, the team would like to eliminate those early deficits moving forward.
5 - number of losing streaks Jacksonville has ended in Pederson's first season. The Jaguars snapped a 20-game skid in cross-conference games, an 18-game road skid, a 14-game road skid against AFC South opponents, an eight-game road skid at the Titans and a five-game road skid at the Chargers. Ending another - a nine-game slide to rival Houston - remains a possibility in two weeks.
A home's value is dependent on multiple factors, those that are tied to the property and external circumstances, like the state of the economy and capital markets. Holiday Spending: Get Top...
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said on Monday that veteran offensive tackle Cam Robinson is likely to miss the team's final three games with a knee injury. | 2022-12-19T20:58:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jaguars have AFC South in sight, for this season and beyond | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-afc-south-sight-season-195834813.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-afc-south-sight-season-195834813.html?src=rss |
The Jacksonville Jaguars moved cornerback Gregory Junior to the active roster on Sunday after he spent the first 15 weeks of the season on the practice squad.
Junior was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, becoming the first player ever from Ouachita Baptist University to be drafted. In preseason, he recorded 12 tackles, but was waived at the end of August and added to the practice squad.
The Jaguars have got stellar play this season out of cornerback Tyson Campbell and mostly reliable performances from Darious Williams. The rest of the position group has struggled, though.
Jacksonville is still without Shaquill Griffin, who landed on injured reserve earlier this season with a back injury. The other cornerbacks on the active roster are veterans Tre Herndon, Tevaughn Campbell, and Chris Claybrooks, as well as seventh-round rookie Montaric “Buster” Brown.
The Jaguars waived safety Tyree Gillespie to make room for Junior on the roster.
Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Cellebrite DI Ltd. ( NASDAQ:CLBT ) by taking the... | 2022-12-19T20:58:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jaguars move 6th round pick Gregory Junior to active roster | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-move-6th-round-pick-201536941.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-move-6th-round-pick-201536941.html?src=rss |
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson is “probably lost for the year” after suffering a meniscus injury Sunday, according to coach Doug Pederson.
Robinson, 27, suffered the injury in the fourth quarter on a go-ahead touchdown play when Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons fell into the side of his right leg.
“I hate it for him, he’s played extremely well this season,” Pederson said Monday.
“He’s gonna miss some time.”
Coach Pederson with an update on Cam Robinson. pic.twitter.com/uzbE61nUHG
Robinson was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and played last season on the franchise tag. The Jaguars retained him again with franchise tag in 2022 and then re-signed him to a three-year, $54 million deal in April.
In 14 games this season, Robinson was credited with allowing just four sacks in 913 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
With Robinson out of action, the Jaguars will turn to Walker Little to fill his shoes at left tackle. The 2021 second-round pick made three starts last season as a rookie and competed with Jawaan Taylor in training camp and preseason for the starting right tackle role. | 2022-12-19T20:58:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jaguars OT Cam Robinson likely done for year with meniscus injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-ot-cam-robinson-likely-194846690.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-ot-cam-robinson-likely-194846690.html?src=rss |
On draft night, his chosen walk out song to shake Roger Goodell’s hand was, appropriately, “California Love” by 2Pac and Dr. Dre. Goff was, no doubt, confident he would find his NFL glory in a state where you never find a dance floor empty.
That certainly includes Sunday, when one fourth-and-inches with 1:51 remaining, Goff hit tight end Brock Wright for a 51-yard catch and run touchdown to give Detroit a 20-17 victory over the New York Jets. The victory pushed the Lions to 7-7 on the season and put them in excellent position to challenge for a playoff spot no one saw coming.
There is nothing in football better than winning the Super Bowl and Goff will probably always wish he stayed with the Rams and won one there. That isn’t how life worked out though.
Maybe fans and media weren’t sure if Goff would be a Lion long-term — and who knows, maybe he won’t — but he never acted like it. If Detroit looked like a demotion to others, he certainly never behaved that way.
Detroit has two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft and the selection that arrives via the Rams could be in the top five. The long held thought was that the Lions should use it on a potential franchise quarterback, but this draft may prove short of sure-things at that position.
In some ways though, considering the challenges, it might be even better. | 2022-12-19T20:59:12Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jared Goff could have pouted when the Rams jettisoned him. Instead he's led the Lions to the brink of the playoffs | https://sports.yahoo.com/jared-goff-could-have-pouted-when-the-rams-jettisoned-him-instead-hes-led-the-lions-to-the-brink-of-the-playoffs-204721909.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jared-goff-could-have-pouted-when-the-rams-jettisoned-him-instead-hes-led-the-lions-to-the-brink-of-the-playoffs-204721909.html?src=rss |
Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. decided they had unfinished business at Alabama, even if it won't include another shot at a national championship
''Everybody says it's like the business part of it, but when you love the game of football you always have that competitor part of it,'' said Anderson, who has won several national awards. ''Me just being at home with training and sitting down watching the game, I would be feeling so bad or not feeling great about myself, just the competitor in me.''
Playing without quarterback Anthony Richardson and All-America guard O'Cyrus Torrence - among others - Florida lost to Oregon State 30-3 i n the Las Vegas Bowl.
Young, who won the 2021 Heisman Trophy and has passed for 3,007 yards with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, said playing in the Sugar Bowl ''was a pretty clear-cut decision for me.''
''I take pride in being a leader on this team,'' said Young, who missed the Texas A&M game and most of Arkansas with a shoulder injury and didn't have nearly the potent weapons at wide receiver he did the year before. ''It's something that `s really important to me. It means a lot. I have another chance to go out there to be a leader, to play with my brothers. That's not something I can pass up.''
''You know, it's kind of interesting that people opt out of playing for their team, and the way you create value for yourself is to play football,'' Saban said. ''That is the best way you can create value for your future. ... You know, I hear guys all the time say, `I'm going to get ready for the NFL.' Well, what do you mean? Getting ready for the combine? A lot of the things that you do at the combine are not even relevant to what you do on the football field.''
''That was never anything in my mind,'' he said. ''I've been playing three years here, some of the hardest football in my life, SEC football. If I had that same mentality going into my freshman year, I probably wouldn't standing up here right now, because I'd be worrying about getting hurt.'' | 2022-12-19T21:40:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Alabama's Young, Anderson sticking around for Sugar Bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/alabamas-young-anderson-sticking-around-192044877.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/alabamas-young-anderson-sticking-around-192044877.html?src=rss |
Highly-touted quarterback Dante Moore officially flipped his commitment from Oregon to UCLA, just days before the early signing period begins on Wednesday.
Ducks Wire has more on this developing story.
Moore originally committed to Oregon back on July 8, choosing the Ducks from over 40 other offers. However, after Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham — Moore’s main recruiter — left the program the head coaching job at Arizona State, rumors began swirling that Moore was going to look elsewhere.
Moore carries a five-star rating in the 247Sports Composite and is ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in one of the best QB classes in recent memory.
In his time at King (Detroit), Moore finished runner-up for the Michigan Gatorade Football Player of the Year award in both 2021 and 2022.
The 2023 class is getting juicy folks, especially out West. Stay tuned for more. | 2022-12-19T21:41:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | Five-star quarterback Dante Moore flips commitment from Oregon to UCLA | https://sports.yahoo.com/five-star-quarterback-dante-moore-203823548.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/five-star-quarterback-dante-moore-203823548.html?src=rss |
How Kings fans surprised Monk in debut Sacramento season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Malik Monk wasn't sure what to expect when he signed a two-year deal worth $19 million with the Kings in June.
He made plenty of visits to Golden 1 Center across five previous NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers, but one thing about Kings fans still has surprised him in his debut season.
"They're still there every day, yelling, screaming," Monk said on The Ringer's "Bill Simmons Podcast" last week. "The fans surprised me. That's one thing that surprised me about the city is how loyal the fans are. Everywhere I go, they've been telling me, 'We've been Kings fans for this long, so glad that you're bringing light to the team.'
"Things like that, man. They all just bought in just like we are. We're just trying to turn everything around."
Simmons, who has grown to be a bit of a Kings Twitter heel over the years with occasional odd trade proposals, vowed to attend a game in Sacramento this season, praising Golden 1 Center for having "an energy that you can feel in the TV."
When he visits, Monk warned Simmons to be prepared to take in some noise.
"It's loud," Monk said. "It gets real loud in there."
Sacramento (16-12) owns a winning record on Dec. 19 for just the second time during their 16-year playoff drought, the other being a 16-14 mark after 30 games of the 2018-19 campaign. Sacramento ended that season 39-43, in ninth place in the Western Conference and nine games out of a playoff spot.
This season feels different. The positive vibes surrounding Monk and the Kings are for real.
Although the franchise is receiving well-deserved love this season for bold trades by general manager Monte McNair, energetic coaching from Mike Brown and, of course, the viral sensation that is the Kings victory beam, the fans have been through it all.
The glory days of Mike Bibby, Peja Stojaković and Chris Webber. Rumors of the franchise relocating from Sacramento. The construction of Golden 1 Center. The 16-year playoff drought. And now, the 2022-23 "Beam Team," a group of players tasked with sustaining a newfound winning culture for a full season in front of a fan base that deserves a winner more than most. | 2022-12-19T21:41:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | How Kings fans surprised Malik Monk in debut season at rowdy Golden 1 Center | https://sports.yahoo.com/kings-fans-surprised-malik-monk-155537397.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kings-fans-surprised-malik-monk-155537397.html?src=rss |
With the NBA season closing in on Christmas Day, several teams around the league are hitting their stride and are riding some lengthy winning streaks, as result.
The New York Knicks currently have the longest streak in the league at seven games, while the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic are right behind them at six games. The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are also surging with four-game win streaks each, respectively.
To make further sense of it all, Rookie Wire took a look at the NBA and ranked each team from worst to first. We come back each week and provide our latest assessment of the best teams and those that are rising.
LaMelo Ball is back in the lineup, but that has been just about the only bright spot for the Hornets these days. The group has lost eight straight and continues a six-game road trip Monday in Sacramento. With the Clippers, Lakers, Trail Blazers and Warriors coming up, it is hard to project when the losing streak could end.
The Wizards own the longest active losing streak in the NBA at 10 games and are in the midst of a six-game road trip. The good news is Bradley Beal is back from a six-game absence and the team played much better with him back on Sunday. We’ll see if his return can help turn things around.
The Pistons have lost five out of their last six games with their lone win coming against the struggling Hornets. The team has been getting strong production from rookie Jalen Duren of late, though. He is averaging 9.2 points, 13.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists over his last six games.
San Antonio bounced back from an 11-game losing streak by winning three straight. They have since dropped back-to-back games, including a 10-point decision to the Heat in Mexico City on Saturday. They begin a three-game road trip Monday in Houston.
The Bulls have dropped four straight games, including an absolute drubbing by the Timberwolves on Sunday. Minnesota set a franchise record for points in a game with the 150-126 win as the Bulls gave up the most points in regulation since Nov. 3, 1982 (152, vs. Detroit). In other words, things are not great in the Windy City.
For more coverage on the Bulls, visit Bulls Wire
The Rockets had a great two-game stretch by knocking off the Bucks and Suns. They held both teams to under 100 points for the first time this season and looked great on both ends of the floor. Those two games offered a glimpse of what the Rockets can become when the ball is moving and guys are locked in.
For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire
Don’t look now but the Magic have their first six-game winning streak since March 14-26, 2019. They just knocked off the Celtics in back-to-back games in Boston and also have wins over the Hawks, Raptors (twice) and Clippers in that span.
Their recent run followed a nine-game losing streak as they became just the fourth team in history to have a six-game winning streak after such a skid. Credit to Jamahl Mosley and his coaching staff for keeping the team engaged and locked in through the ups and downs this season.
PLAY THE SONG ON REPEAT pic.twitter.com/nsx7FUw1dA
The Thunder snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday with a win over the Grizzlies. Surprisingly, they managed to get the dub without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the lineup. He has been on a complete tear this season, though, and recently tied a career-high of 42 points in a loss to the Mavericks.
For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire
The Raptors are riding a season-high five-game losing streak after falling to the Warriors on Sunday. They have a couple of close losses in that span, including a last-second defeat to the Nets on Friday after Kyrie Irving drained the game-winning shot. They begin a three-game road trip Monday in Philadelphia.
The Pacers have lost four out of their last five games and appear to be coming back to Earth a bit after a strong start out of the gate. The team is still young and learning to close out games, but has still been among the early surprises this year. Expect Indiana to hang around in the play-in race this season.
The Hawks have lost five out of their last seven games and haven’t been particularly great on defense over that span. Case in point: They gave up 50 points to the Magic in the first quarter on Wednesday. The group has dealt with some injuries so it may not be time to panic. At least, not yet.
The Heat have won five out of their last six games, including four straight. They staged quite a comeback on Wednesday after trailing the Thunder by seven points with 4:01 to play. Tyler Herro then dropped a career-high 41 points on Thursday to beat the Rockets and Jimmy Butler had 26 points to lead Miami to a win over San Antonio on Saturday in Mexico City. It looks like the Heat are finally in a groove.
The Lakers will be without Anthony Davis for at least one month due to a right foot injury. The setback could cost the Lakers a chance at staying afloat in the West, but the team has managed to win two straight as LeBron James has led the way so far. Relying on a soon-to-be 38-year-old James on a nightly basis may not be the best strategy, but the King has proven to be superhuman countless times before. We’ll see if he can do it again.
For more coverage on the Lakers, visit LeBron Wire
The Timberwolves are coming off of a dominant performance over the Bulls on Sunday in which they won, 150-126. Their 150 points were a franchise record for a single game as it was the first time since 1982 the Bulls gave up that many points in regulation. Minnesota has a couple of matchups upcoming versus the Mavericks before hitting the road for four games.
We’re not going to overreact to the Knicks‘ winning streak. We’re not going to overreact to the Knicks’ winning streak… But the team has the longest active winning streak in the NBA at seven games and is four games above .500 for the first time this season. They have a tough upcoming stretch (vs. Golden State, vs. Toronto, vs. Chicago, vs. Philadelphia) but each of those games are at the Garden. We’ll see if they can keep it going.
The Mavericks are 2-4 over their last six games and are coming off an overtime loss to the Cavaliers on the road. They continue to be a wreck on the road after dropping to 3-10 away from Dallas. However, newcomer Kemba Walker dropped 32 points in that loss, a sign that his addition could be huge for the team this season.
Sacramento recently wrapped up a six-game East Coast road trip with a 3-3 record after defeating Detroit on Friday. Domantas Sabonis has recorded at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in three straight games. They now have 10 out of their next 12 at home, giving them plenty of opportunities to Light the Beam.
The Clippers look to be gaining some momentum after winning four out of their last five games. Paul George registered his fourth career triple-double on Wednesday and appears to be in a groove on the court right now. They have one more game at home on Wednesday before hitting the road for five games.
Jordan Poole erupted for 43 points on Sunday in a win over the Raptors, which was just the Warriors‘ second win over their last seven games. The group will now be forced to move on without Stephen Curry, who will miss some time with a shoulder injury. They will need other players to step up in the meantime, which has been easier said than done for them this season. They have two more games on the road before returning to the Bay for an eight-game homestand.
For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire
Utah posted a couple of strong wins over New Orleans last week to snap its seven-game road trip. The team is seemingly getting strong contributions up and down the roster on a nightly basis with a different player stepping up each game. The Jazz are maintaining ground in the West and are eighth entering play on Monday.
The Trail Blazers are trending upward again after winning six out of their last eight games. Damian Lillard recently moved into eighth place on the all-time 3-point list and will likely become the Trail Blazers’ all-time leading scorer on Monday (Clyde Drexler, 18,040 points), cementing himself as the likely best player in team history. With Lillard performing at an All-Star level, Portland is looking to be one of the top teams in the West.
We already know Nikola Jokic is a freak on the court, and Sunday further proved that after the two-time reigning MVP posted a ridiculous stat line. He had 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Hornets to become the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to reach those numbers in a game. He is averaging 34.4 points, 14.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 blocks over his last five games.
The Suns got back to their winning ways after a five-game losing streak and have won two straight after Devin Booker dropped a season-high 58 points on Saturday in a win over the Pelicans. Phoenix has three more home games before beginning a six-game road trip on Christmas Day in Denver.
The Sixers have won four straight and are a season-high four games above .500. The wins have each come at home as they have three more games on their current seven-game homestand. Joel Embiid is continuing to lead the way for Philly after averaging 34.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.4 blocks over his last eight games. With the Raptors, Pistons and Clippers on deck, Philly could continue their winning ways.
For more coverage on the 76ers, visit Sixers Wire
The Pelicans have lost three straight games since going on a seven-game win streak. They dropped back-to-back decisions to the Jazz and followed that up with a four-point defeat on the road to the Suns. They will look to get back on track Monday with the Bucks, who they went 1-1 against last season.
Brooklyn is tied for the second-longest winning streak in the NBA at six games as it is 10-1 over its last 11 games. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons continue to gain chemistry on the court as the Nets are finally playing like the team many thought they could be. The group is looking to be the real deal at the moment under head coach Jacque Vaughn.
For more coverage on the Nets, visit Nets Wire
The Cavaliers improved to 5-0 in overtime this season after holding on against Dallas on Saturday. Donovan Mitchell has led the team in scoring in each of their last four games and is averaging 32 points on 42.5% shooting from 3-point range over that span.
Boston Celtics (22-9)
The Celtics got a huge addition to the lineup with the return of Robert Williams III. However, the team has struggled a bit of late after losing four out of its last five games, including back-to-back contests to the Magic. Boston has looked to be the best team in the NBA all season long so we’re nowhere near hitting the panic button yet.
For more coverage on the Celtics, visit Celtics Wire
The Grizzlies saw their seven-game win streak end on Saturday to the Thunder, but the team looks to be performing at a high level at the moment. Jaren Jackson Jr. is playing like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the early going after tying a franchise record with eight blocks on Monday. Ja Morant also put up his third triple-double of the season on the week. Memphis is rollin’ right now and is in first place in the West after its recent run.
Milwaukee Bucks (21-8)
The Bucks took over first place in the East after a two-game slide from the Celtics. They have gone 3-2 over their last five games and are coming off a 123-97 victory over the Jazz on Saturday. Milwaukee picked up the win without Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee soreness) and Khris Middleton (knee soreness). They begin a five-game road trip in New Orleans on Monday and will look to keep their strong play going.
Margot Robbie looks incredible with a curly fringe of corkscrew bangs in the new Barbie teaser trailer, dressing as the original barbie from 1959.
Nike shares tick downward ahead of its earnings report due out tomorrow. | 2022-12-19T21:41:24Z | sports.yahoo.com | NBA Power Rankings: Knicks riding 7-game win streak; Nets, Magic surging | https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-power-rankings-knicks-riding-200003629.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-power-rankings-knicks-riding-200003629.html?src=rss |
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integra Resources Corp. (“Integra” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: ITR; NYSE American: ITRG) is pleased to announce the publication of its second annual Sustainability Report (the “Report”) covering the Company’s commitments, activities and performance at the DeLamar Project, located in southwest Idaho. “Integra is proud to publish our second annual Sustainability Report, highlighting the Company’s firm commitment to our core values of Int
New York, Dec. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A resolution calling on the Iranian government to end its discrimination of minorities in Iran, including of the Baha’i community, Iran’s largest non-Muslim religious minority, has been approved by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The resolution was first passed by the General Assembly’s Committee on Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues, also known as the Third Committee, in November. The resolution, introduced by Canada and 50 co-sponsors | 2022-12-19T22:11:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ole Miss enters last tune-up before SEC play vs. North Alabama | https://sports.yahoo.com/ole-miss-enters-last-tune-205948527.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ole-miss-enters-last-tune-205948527.html?src=rss |
This team had questions surrounding a litany of positions on offense, including quarterback and offensive line, and the defense hasn’t been up to the Steelers' standard in recent seasons. Still, they sit at 6-8 fresh off a win against the Carolina Panthers and Tomlin has this team, once again, overperforming the sum of its parts. Tomlin isn’t a perfect coach, and his streak of 15 straight seasons without a losing record to start his head coaching career is probably going to end, but he’s showing again that he can get a solid season out of just about any group of players around him.
Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett were dueling for the starting quarterback position and it was reasonable to expect the Steelers to bottom out this season. Yet somehow, they're two games out from wild-card contention with three weeks left in the season. Getting there would be pretty difficult, considering they'd have to win out, but it’s worth marveling at the job Tomlin's done in objectively difficult circumstances. This is by no means a Super Bowl contender or even a particularly good team, but they have that Tomlin trademark of being able to scrape out enough wins to call it a quality season.
The Steelers need to win out to avoid Mike Tomlin's first losing season in his 16th year in charge. That doesn't mean he's done a bad job this year. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Being able to get a productive season out of this group changes the scope of what this Steelers' rebuild might look like. It’s a brand new era of players as they continue to move on from the Ben Roethliserger years and forge a new version of the Steeler brand. Tomlin has continued to show his value and versatility as a coach by keeping this franchise competitive and relevant. In a league where offensive coaches tend to be the favored coaching prospects for young quarterbacks, the success of a guy with a defensive background like Tomlin will keep him employed for another year. There’s a value in strong stability from top to bottom in an organization, and that can be as beneficial to a quarterback as any hotshot offensive mind.
Tomlin has been Pittsburgh's head coach since 2007 and still hasn’t reached 100 career losses, with a 160-93-2 career record. The Steelers have flown under the radar this season, but their head man has the franchise pointing in the right direction once again. | 2022-12-19T22:20:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Mike Tomlin's doing yet another admirable job with the Steelers, even on the brink of his first losing record | https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-tomlins-doing-yet-another-admirable-job-with-the-steelers-even-on-the-brink-of-his-first-losing-record-211415550.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-tomlins-doing-yet-another-admirable-job-with-the-steelers-even-on-the-brink-of-his-first-losing-record-211415550.html?src=rss |
There's a real chance, given the quality of those three opponents, that the Patriots could go 0-3 during that stretch and finish the season with a 7-10 record. If that scenario plays out, the Patriots could end up with a top 15 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Here's the current 2023 NFL Draft order for teams not in a playoff spot.
A major snowstorm may be brewing throughout parts of the U.S. in the days leading up to Christmas. | 2022-12-19T22:28:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | 2023 NFL Draft order: Updated list of first round picks after Week 15 | https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-draft-order-updated-213735305.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-draft-order-updated-213735305.html?src=rss |
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) Chicago Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins has been released from the hospital and was seeing specialists Monday, a day after he was carted from the field with a neck injury during a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Coach Matt Eberflus called the news ''encouraging,'' though he had few details about the extent of the injury. He said Jenkins was released from the hospital on Sunday and was seeing specialists to ''double-check and cross-check everything.''
''We'll see,'' Eberflus said. ''We'll see. I don't know yet. I don't know. All those injury reports will come out tomorrow or we'll know more as time goes. But that's where it is right now.''
''He is cleared, ready to go, like we said last week, he's got all his jumps, his speed. He's been cuttin'. He's been movin'. He looks great. We're excited about his return.''
Chicago residents yearning for a snowy white Christmas are likely to get more than they hoped for, as meteorologists are looking at a possible “near blizzard,” with snow and subfreezing winds that could remind residents of the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard. The National Weather Service’s Chicago office on Monday released a forecast that predicted the strong possibility of snow, strong winds and ... | 2022-12-19T22:28:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears' Jenkins out of hospital after injuring neck in game | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-jenkins-hospital-injuring-neck-204552105.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-jenkins-hospital-injuring-neck-204552105.html?src=rss |
DENVER (AP) The Denver Broncos have found success again - with backup quarterback Brett Rypien steering the offense.
''It doesn't matter if it's on national television or if it's not,'' said Hackett, whose team recorded its first victory since Oct. 30 in London against Jacksonville. ''It's about us being able to execute, going out there and doing some good things.''
''You can't get bored with 3-yard runs, 2-yard runs,'' said Murray, who received a game ball for his performance, which included a 10-yard touchdown. ''It's easy to get discouraged. You have to trust it. It's a mentality. You have to believe in it and those big ones will come. That was a big part of it, too. We trusted the run game and that opened up the rest of the offense.''
''The defense is crazy (good),'' said receiver Jerry Jeudy, who had seven catches for 76 yards. ''Just crazy good.''
''This game is tough,'' said guard Dalton Risner, who briefly left with a left arm ailment. ''You have to be able to enjoy every single win, I don't care what your record is at. For us to put it together this week and get a win like that, that's really big for us so we're going to enjoy it.''
''It has been a weird year, but my confidence never wavers,'' Simmons said. ''I have a bunch of great guys in the locker room that are always confident in my abilities and what I can do. I have the utmost confidence in myself.''
''I wanted a hat trick, and I wanted to get (AFC) Defensive Player of the Week,'' Williams said. ''I think they might give it to Justin.''
Brandon McManus connected from 52 yards, but was wide right from 38. On his Twitter account after the game, he summed up his feelings on missing the short kick and concluded his post with ''terrible.'' | 2022-12-19T22:29:29Z | sports.yahoo.com | Broncos end 5-game skid behind Rypien; Wilson set to return | https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-end-5-game-skid-205521514.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-end-5-game-skid-205521514.html?src=rss |
CLEVELAND (AP) Barring unforeseen and illogical developments, the Cleveland Browns aren't going to the playoffs.
Last week, Myles Garrett expressed confidence his teammates would keep scrapping in both a ''spoiler'' role and until they're mathematically eliminated.
''It was never in doubt, the fight and the guys we had in this locker room,'' Garrett said after the win Saturday. ''I wasn't worried about the heart they would bring to that field because I see it every single day. I know how much this means to them.
''I know our record is not where we want it to be, but we still have those guys who will play 100% and give everything towards the game they love.'' | 2022-12-19T22:29:35Z | sports.yahoo.com | Browns still showing fight, grit amid faint playoff chances | https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-still-showing-fight-grit-201627338.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/browns-still-showing-fight-grit-201627338.html?src=rss |
INDIANPOLIS (AP) Jeff Saturday still believes the Indianapolis Colts made the right calls in Saturday's inexplicable loss at Minnesota.
''I wouldn't change any of it,'' Saturday said of his decisions. ''It is what it is, you've got to get it. The game is over if we get it. I'll never back down from that call, I can assure you. I loved where we were. I felt that was how we were going to close the game out and unfortunately, we didn't.''
''He's an awesome coach, filling in, doing the best he can,'' Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly said. ''I thought the challenges he put out there were awesome, and he's got our back 100%. I love the guy.'' | 2022-12-19T22:29:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | Colts continue to seek answers after historic collapse | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-continue-seek-answers-historic-211145690.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-continue-seek-answers-historic-211145690.html?src=rss |
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is sacked by Detroit Lions linebacker Romeo Okwara during the second half at MetLife Stadium, Dec. 18, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Jets running back Michael Carter comes down with a catch against Lions safety DeShon Elliott (5) and safety Kerby Joseph (31) during the third quarter Dec. 18, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions piling up road wins, need 2 more to secure playoff spot | 2022-12-19T22:30:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | Detroit Lions pile up road wins in playoff chase; how they'll fill DeShon Elliott void | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-pile-road-wins-215503872.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/detroit-lions-pile-road-wins-215503872.html?src=rss |
Asante Samuel, a former New England Patriots two-time Super Bowl champion and Bill Belichick player, is beginning to question the very legacy of his former head coach.
The former All-Pro cornerback was once considered by many as one of the best defensive backs in football. And yet, despite playing his best years under Belichick, he refuses to put the legendary coach on a pedestal as the greatest of all time.
Following the Patriots’ humiliating loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Samuel questioned Belichick’s legacy, particularly the years without Tom Brady, in a social media post.
He asked, “Will Belichick be considered one of the greatest ever if he can’t win without Brady?!”
Some will say the Brady over Belichick argument will always be a thing until the Patriots coach proves he can win without the greatest quarterback of all time.
Brady left New England and won a Super Bowl in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Belichick’s Patriots have yet to win even one playoff game.
Others might argue none of that even matters given Belichick’s complete body of work. Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that not everyone, including former players, view the Patriots coach as the undisputed all-time great. | 2022-12-19T22:30:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Patriots Super Bowl champ questioning Bill Belichick’s legacy after loss to Raiders | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-patriots-super-bowl-champ-212504565.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-patriots-super-bowl-champ-212504565.html?src=rss |
For the third time during the 2022 regular season, the Green Bay Packers have signed running back Patrick Taylor from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
His latest activation came Monday as the Packers signed Taylor to take the roster spot of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who was released. The second-year running back will be available for the Packers on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams.
Taylor, an undrafted free agent out of Memphis, has gone through an up-and-down season in terms of status. He’s been released three times, signed to the practice squad three times, elevated to the gameday roster three times and signed to the 53-man roster three times.
Most recently, the Packers elevated Taylor for Week 13 against the Bears.
Appearing in 10 games, Taylor has played seven offensive snaps and 96 on special teams in 2022. He has carried one time for six yards (one first down) and made two special teams tackles.
Taylor will serve as the No. 3 running back behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
Packers, Rams facing elimination game on "Monday Night Football"
While Wisconsin is the state equivalent to Buddy the Elf, our neighbors to the south are (unsurprisingly) a bunch of Grinches and Scrooges.
Recession risk: ‘You have to respect the business cycle,’ strategist says
SoFi Head of Investment Strategy Liz Young joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss how the latest Fed comments impacted market sentiment, the risk of a recession, why valuations need to come back down, and more. | 2022-12-19T22:30:45Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers sign RB Patrick Taylor to 53-man roster for third time in 2022 | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-sign-rb-patrick-taylor-212447038.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-sign-rb-patrick-taylor-212447038.html?src=rss |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Panthers need to win three games against teams with non-winning records to capture the NFC South.
Yet, the Panthers didn't lose any ground in the terrifically unspectacular NFC South as the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8) surrendered an early lead and lost Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals. That leaves the Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints tied for second place one game back at 5-9.
It's anybody's division at this point, but the Panthers control all of the tiebreakers.
''We're going to take pride in this and shake back this week,'' center Bradley Bozeman said. ''We are going to bring it into practice and see where we end up in a week.''
''We've got to worry about trying to get ourselves right to win a football game,'' Wilks said. ''I don't want anybody in this building talking playoffs.''
The kicking game. Eddy Pineiro, last week's NFC special teams player of the week, followed up by going 3 for 3 on field goal attempts Sunday, including a 52-yarder. He has now made 14 straight field goals and 10 of 11 extra points since a disastrous outing in a 37-34 overtime loss the Falcons in which he missed two kicks - one field goal and one extra point - that would have won the game. Pineiro is having a career year in Carolina, converting 93.3% of his field goals since taking over for the injured Zane Gonzalez. That's third best in the league.
Third-down production. After Sunday's loss, Wilks opened his news conference by saying ''third down was horrendous, to say the least, on both sides.'' And he's right. The Panthers converted just four of 11 third-down opportunities on offense, while the defense allowed the Steelers to convert 12 of 16 chances.
Panthers fans. Sure, the Steelers always travel well. But Sunday was a massive showing of support as at least 75% of the fans at Bank of America Stadium were wearing Pittsburgh's black and gold colors. The crowd was a sea of ''Terrible Towels'' and their noise actually made it tough at times for Darnold to hear at the line of scrimmage, particularly near the end of the game. | 2022-12-19T22:30:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Panthers remarkably control own playoff destiny even at 5-9 | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-remarkably-control-own-playoff-220353884.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-remarkably-control-own-playoff-220353884.html?src=rss |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee Titans are facing their biggest challenge of Mike Vrabel's five seasons as head coach.
''We have to come to work,'' Vrabel said. ''We all have a job to do. We have to excel at it. We have to do our job better. And we have to continue to find ways to not hurt ourselves in all three phases.''
''It don't look like we're a team right now that's going to beat anybody, so we've got to find a way to get back to work and beat Houston,'' Byard said. ''That's all we can really do at this point.''
Billy Napier and Co. continue to push hard on the recruiting front, earning a top mention from this coveted 2024 blue-chipper.
Detroit Weather: Quiet now - late week storm brewing
The week starts quiet, but we're tracking a massive late week winter storm that could bring rain, snow and high winds. | 2022-12-19T22:31:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | Titans' 4-game skid biggest challenge of Vrabel's tenure | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-4-game-skid-biggest-203342515.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-4-game-skid-biggest-203342515.html?src=rss |
The Florida Gators have already lost a ton of talent to the transfer portal and NFL draft, but one of the biggest remaining questions for the team following a Las Vegas Bowl is what the future holds for wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
The NFL draft is calling, but Pearsall could return for his final year of eligibility if he thinks he can boost his draft stock. Pro Football Focus gave Pearsall the highest marks of any receiver on the team this season. He also ranks fourth in the SEC at publishing time.
With Justin Shorter NFL-bound, Florida could use Pearsall’s return to help guide the incoming freshman class, but the decision is entirely up to him. Pearsall didn’t go too deep into his thought process after the Las Vegas Bowl, but it sounds like he’s still making a decision.
“There’s a lot of aspects that go into that,” Pearsall said. “I’m still thinking about it and I’m being patient with it. I love being here and that’s a really important aspect for me and my decision. I love coach and all my teammates, so I’m proud of these guys.”
Pearsall said he was proud of quarterback Jack Miller III specifically despite a rough performance in the bowl game, but Florida’s transfer activity could help him decide whether he stays or not. The Gators have emerged as a serious contender for Coastal Carolina transfer Grayson McCall, and landing an elite transfer in the portal could give Pearsall the arm he needs to show off for NFL scouts as a premiere receiver in the SEC.
Gator Nation will be following Pearsall’s activity closely until he makes a decision. Keeping him for another year would be a huge boost to what could be a very inexperienced offense. | 2022-12-19T23:22:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Florida’s top wide receiver still deciding between draft and returning | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-top-wide-receiver-still-222100545.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-top-wide-receiver-still-222100545.html?src=rss |
Another member of Mark Dantonio’s last recruiting class has officially transferred. Michigan State football defensive end Michael Fletcher announced on Monday that he will be transferring to Appalachian State.
Fletcher spent three seasons with the Spartans, and had drummed up some excitement in his freshman year after getting three sacks in just four games. However, he hasn’t recorded a sack since that first year.
Committed to the rock 🪨 pic.twitter.com/WzGr3Zybi1
— LIVE⁵ (@bigmike810_) December 19, 2022 | 2022-12-19T23:22:39Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Michigan State football defensive end transfers to Appalachian State | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-michigan-state-football-defensive-230439543.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-michigan-state-football-defensive-230439543.html?src=rss |
Louisville recently hired away former Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm for a homecoming of sorts to be its next head coach. And Brohm is wasting no time in bringing in a little more Big Ten flavor to the Cardinals program. On Sunday, former Penn State defensive lineman Rodney McGraw announced he is committed to the Louisville program as his next stop out of the NCAA transfer portal.
“Thank you to Penn State for an awesome 2 years,” McGraw said in a brief social media post on his Twitter account. “I’m happy to announce that I am 100% committed to The University of Louisville. I can’t wait to get on campus and get to work.”
McGraw announced his entry into the NCAA transfer portal in early December following the conclusion of Penn State’s regular season. As previously confirmed, McGraw will have three years of eligibility remaining to use at Louisville.
Mcgraw is the second former Penn State player in the transfer portal to commit to an ACC school in as many days. Quarterback Christian Veilleux announced on Sunday he is transferring to Pitt. | 2022-12-19T23:22:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Penn State defensive lineman announces transfer detsination | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-penn-state-defensive-lineman-220627178.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-penn-state-defensive-lineman-220627178.html?src=rss |
Sophomore offensive lineman Andrej Karic announced his commitment to Tennessee on Monday.
“Recruitment closed,” Karic announced.
The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Karic played for Texas from 2020-22.
He played in 26 games, starting five contests, for the Longhorns.
In 2022, Karic played in 12 games on the offensive line and as a blocking tight end. He started three contests at tight end this season.
Karic played at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas.
His transfer comes ahead of the early signing period for the Vols’ 2023 recruiting class. The early signing period will take place Wednesday-Friday.
Urinary tract infections during pregnancy | Woman's Doctor
Anyone can get a urinary tract infection, but what if you're pregnant? Bacteria causes most UTIs, which are most common in women. And, pregnant women are at increased risk, according to Dr. Robert Atlas, who leads obstetrics and gynecology at Mercy Medical Center. A few of the symptoms can include an urge to urinate that doesn't go away; a burning feeling when urinating or urinating often. | 2022-12-19T23:23:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texas lineman transferring to Tennessee | https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-lineman-transferring-tennessee-223536536.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-lineman-transferring-tennessee-223536536.html?src=rss |
It was lightning in a bottle. The 70th Academy Awards in 1998 served as a high-water mark for the annual telecast that the Oscars have struggled to match for over two decades. And it wasn’t only because of the “king of the world” moment. With an estimated 87.5 million viewers tuning in for part or all […] | 2022-12-19T23:51:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | MLB: What Blue Jays' Chris Bassitt hopes to bring to rotation | https://sports.yahoo.com/bassitt-mlb-blue-jays-toronto-rotation-2023-season-beyond-224722853.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bassitt-mlb-blue-jays-toronto-rotation-2023-season-beyond-224722853.html?src=rss |
Reds pitcher Tom Browning delivers a pitch in the fifth inning of the Reds' 3-2 victory over the Padres on May 9, 1994 in San Diego.
The Reds sweep pitcher Tom Browning off his feet after striking out the Dodgers' Tracy Woodson for the final out of his 1-0 perfect game on Sept. 16, 1988.
Browning completed his Reds career with a 123-88 record, ranking 12th in franchise history in wins, and a 3.92 ERA across 300 appearances (298 starts). He made three postseason starts during the Reds’ title run in 1990, including Game 3 of the World Series, an 8-3 win over the Oakland A’s. Browning famously left the stadium during Game 2 of the World Series when his wife went into labor with one of their five children and he didn't tell manager Lou Piniella. The Reds put out a radio bulletin asking him to return to the ballpark as the game went into extra innings.
Harvey Guillén Was Told His Size & Sexuality Would Hurt His Career
“I’m great in the body I’m in. You can take it or leave it but I’m not going anywhere,” the actor said.
Capital Allocation Trends At Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) Aren't Ideal | 2022-12-19T23:51:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tom Browning, Mr. Perfect, dies at 62 | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-cincinnati-reds-pitcher-tom-214946968.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-cincinnati-reds-pitcher-tom-214946968.html?src=rss |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts suffered a sprained right shoulder and his status for Philadelphia's game at Dallas is uncertain, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.
''Feel good, listening to my Anita Baker, gave me some sweets on the plane ride home, watch the tape, learn from it and move forward,'' he said. ''It wasn't the first time I've been slow, won't be the last. I didn't play a really physical game.''
''When things are looking a certain way on the field or maybe it's not what we want it to be, we stay together and we find a way to fix it,'' Hurts said. | 2022-12-20T00:00:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | AP source: Eagles QB Hurts suffers sprained right shoulder | https://sports.yahoo.com/ap-source-eagles-qb-hurts-215939530.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ap-source-eagles-qb-hurts-215939530.html?src=rss |
Head coach Robert Saleh provided injury updates on a few players as the Jets begin their quick preparations for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday to kick off Week 16 of the NFL season.
There was some positive news on defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who missed Sunday’s game with a calf injury and his absence was certainly felt during the game. Saleh feels “very optimistic about Thursday” in regard to Williams’ availability.
“It was probably more wishful thinking, hoping that he would wake up on Sunday and be ready to roll,” Saleh said when asked how close Williams was to playing Sunday. “It just wasn’t, at the same time, we feel very optimistic about Thursday. Obviously, he’s got to do a couple of things, but he’s better than 50/50 this week.”
A few other players will be questionable for Thursday. They include wide receivers Jeff Smith (knee) and Corey Davis (concussion), running back Zonovan Knight (ankle) and safety Lamarcus Joyner (hip). Saleh said Knight’s “arrow’s pointing up” and that they “feel very confident” that Davis “should be able to roll on Thursday.”
Denzel Mims (concussion) and Brandin Echols (quad) will be out.
Then there’s the guy everyone is wondering about: quarterback Mike White. Saleh said White “is still going through evaluation”. When asked if he will start if he’s healthy, Saleh said, “We’ll get the clearance first, that’s something I’ve got to talk to the offensive staff about. We’ll see what happens. I’m not prepared to answer that one.”
Added Saleh when asked what White has to go through before he’s cleared for contact: “I think that’s going to be more with him and, again, all the different opinions he’s getting outside the building with regards to getting more scans. A lot of doctor talk, I’m not going to get into it here, but there’s more scans to see how much he’s healed. There was talk that they felt like a week could show some more healing — some callus, if you will — that will allow him to get on the field, but again, that’s something that he would have to get from another doctor and still be able to talk to our doctors about, too. So, there are a lot of hurdles he would have to go through.”
Saleh also defended Zach Wilson and said he “did a lot of really good things” on Sunday and was non-committal one way or the other on his starter Thursday. | 2022-12-20T00:00:42Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jets provide injury updates, Quinnen Williams ‘better than 50/50’ this week | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-injury-updates-quinnen-williams-223327826.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-injury-updates-quinnen-williams-223327826.html?src=rss |
Kerby Joseph is having a heck of a rookie season for the Detroit Lions. The third-round safety from Illinois is getting enough acclaim for his playmaking ability that he topped all NFC safeties in fan voting for this season’s Pro Bowl honors.
Joseph surged to the top with 104,581 votes, as tabulated by the NFL. He wound up being the only Lions player to lead the NFC at any position in the fan voting.
It’s a great nod, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Joseph will be in the Pro Bowl weekend. From the NFL’s media release on how players are chosen for the Pro Bowl,
Roster selections are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 Pro Bowl players. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its top athlete teams.
There is no longer an actual Pro Bowl game. The league instead shifted it to a series of more fun and fan-friendly competitions and activities. | 2022-12-20T00:00:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | Kerby Joseph got the most fan votes for the Pro Bowl of any NFC safety | https://sports.yahoo.com/kerby-joseph-got-most-fan-230913716.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/kerby-joseph-got-most-fan-230913716.html?src=rss |
Rivera will 'think about' QB change if offensive issues persist originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Taylor Heinicke will once again start at quarterback for the Commanders when they take the field in Week 16 against the 49ers, Ron Rivera confirmed Monday.
However, Rivera's tone when discussing the position indicated that Heinicke's grasp on the top job is now quite tenuous.
"[We are] sticking with Taylor and what we're trying to establish," Rivera initially answered when asked in a press conference about the possibility of benching Heinicke and inserting Carson Wentz.
But in his next breath, the coach admitted such a move could soon happen if Washington's offense continues to flail when it comes to scoring.
"It is something, though, that obviously is talked about out there and it is something, to be quite frank, I do have to think about at some point," he said. "But if we can get back on track and play the way that we've played and do things that we've done, then we'll stick with where we are."
Rivera's club fell to the Giants 20-12 in a nationally-televised game Sunday night that dramatically altered the franchise's playoff fortunes. While Heinicke did connect with Jahan Dotson on a pretty touchdown as well as a 61-yard deep ball in that matchup, the signal-caller fumbled twice and oversaw a unit that once again faltered in the red zone.
According to Rivera, he and Heinicke engaged in a conversation following the loss where he emphasized to the passer that he must be better at capping off possessions with end zone trips as opposed to field goals or, even worse, turnovers. Rivera also apparently wanted to be direct with Heinicke as speculation about the 29-year-old's starting status continues to grow.
"As long as I'm open with him and he understands where I'm coming from, I think we both get the messaging," Rivera said.
During his time with the general media, Rivera explained how Heinicke can go about executing more efficiently down near the goal line.
"When your initials are taken away, you've got to quickly come back to the other side and when the space is condensed and it's reduced, it's one of those things that you've got to do it quickly and get through it quickly," Rivera said. "A couple of times, he's kind of waited a little bit to try and give the guy an opportunity to get to a window... We've got to keep that clock in his head going."
Sunday was the first contest that Wentz has been active for since breaking his finger in a Week 6 victory over the Bears. Immediately afterward, Rivera flatly denied the notion that he considered making a halftime switch to Wentz.
"Going into the second half, scoring early, it would've been hard for me to make a change right there," Rivera said in a later one-on-one interview with NBC Sports Washington's JP Finlay. "Once we got that score, I felt like, 'Here we go, here it comes.'"
Yet Washington's head man was less dismissive of such talk the day after, suggesting that Heinicke better come out strong in San Francisco versus a very talented defense or else potentially prepare for a trip down the depth chart. A return to the formula the club used with Heinicke during its midseason resurgence would undoubtedly do Heinicke and the overall operation some good.
"I think we can run the football and we can run the football downhill and off of that, we can be a play-action team, a bootleg team, a physical, up-front team," Rivera said. "It gives our offensive line an opportunity to fire out and not have to catch as much. We've seen that that has been successful and we have to continue on that kind of mentality." | 2022-12-20T00:01:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ron Rivera will 'think about' a QB change if offensive struggles persist | https://sports.yahoo.com/ron-rivera-think-qb-change-211000697.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ron-rivera-think-qb-change-211000697.html?src=rss |
HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Texans haven't been embarrassing in their past two games as they were the previous two.
Still, the improvement hasn't equaled a win as the Texans (1-12-1) are mired in a nine-game skid, their longest since dropping the final 14 games of the 2013 season.
''There are some positives to build on,'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''That's what I expect the guys to do. I expect them to show up and fight like that throughout. Eventually, you've got to get over the hump.''
On Sunday the Chiefs (11-3) got the ball first in overtime but were forced to punt after Patrick Mahomes was sacked by Blake Cashman on third down. Mills fumbled on a scramble on Houston's first play, and it was recovered by Kansas City's Willie Gay on the Texans 26.
''It's tough,'' said rookie tight end Teagan Quitoriano, who had a TD reception Sunday. ''It feels like no matter how hard we try, the football gods are against us. But we're just going to keep coming to work and come back next week hungry.''
Mills had 124 yards passing with two touchdowns against the Chiefs. Driskel had just two throws for 8 yards, but the wrinkle seemed to help keep Kansas City's defense off-balance.
Houston has done a lot of things well in the past two weeks, but isn't content with simply improving and must find a way to finish. Smith said he talks often with his players about being able to make the big play when the game is on the line, and he hopes they'll be able to do that in these last three games.
''At this level moral victories aren't really a thing,'' Driskel said. ''We go into every game, expecting to win, thinking we're going to win the game ... and we just got to figure out a way to do that.''
Though Mills and Driskel working together has helped improve Houston's offense, the turnover by Mills in overtime sealed another loss. He'll have to take better care of the ball for the Texans to end their skid.
502 - Houston allowed the Chiefs to pile up 502 yards Sunday. It's the second time this season the Texans have allowed more than 500 yards after giving up a season-high 517 in a tie with the Colts in their opener.
The Texans will try to end this dreadful season on a positive note as they return to AFC South play for the remainder of the season. They visit Tennessee on Saturday before hosting Jacksonville on New Year's Day and ending the season at Indianapolis Jan. 8. | 2022-12-20T00:01:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Texans improve, but come up short as skid reaches 9 games | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-improve-come-short-skid-225954173.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-improve-come-short-skid-225954173.html?src=rss |
A day after the Jacksonville Jaguars made a statement, coming back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Dallas Cowboys with an overtime pick six.
Among the many excited to talk about the dramatic win was Jaguars legend Fred Taylor, who was a special guest on ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith, Ryan Clark, and Cowboys legend Michael Irvin.
After much of the conversation turned to discuss the failures of the Cowboys defense, Dak Prescott, and Dallas coaches, Taylor made sure to end the talk by setting the record straight.
“We’re talking about the Dallas Cowboys, but I don’t want to give them that type of credit because my team played lights out yesterday,” Taylor said. “It isn’t as much about the Cowboys as it is about the Jaguars. They showed up to play. … Cowboys, the only credit you deserve is that big fat L you get to cash in today.”
What the @Jaguars have been able to accomplish the past two weeks speaks to the resiliency of the staff and players. Taking down a faltering division leader In the @Titans and fighting to the very end to beat the @dallascowboys shows this team is trending in the right direction
— Fred Taylor (@FredTaylorMade) December 19, 2022
Taylor, 46, spent 11 seasons with the Jaguars after he was drafted by the team in the top 10 of the 1998 NFL Draft. He recorded 11,271 rushing yards, 2,361 receiving yards, and 70 touchdowns with the Jaguars before finishing his career with two seasons with the New England Patriots.
In November, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Taylor is a semifinalist for induction for a fourth straight year.
Soon there will be a new place to grab a bite at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
(Bloomberg) -- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that a Hindu group linked to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi draws inspiration from Adolf Hitler, setting off the latest verbal spat between the two often hostile neighbors.Most Read from BloombergMusk Polls Twitter to Quit as Chief, Voters Leaning Toward YesTwitter Users Vote for Elon Musk to Step Down as CEOMessi May Not Be Soccer’s GOAT for LongJustin Bieber Urges Fans Not to Buy His Own ‘Trash’ Merchandise at H&MTech’ | 2022-12-20T00:01:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | Watch: Fred Taylor joins ESPN’s First Take to talk Cowboys’ ‘big fat L’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-fred-taylor-joins-espn-231029080.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-fred-taylor-joins-espn-231029080.html?src=rss |
The early signing period hasn’t technically opened up in college football just yet, but the Oregon Ducks were able to take advantage of a new rule and make a big addition to the roster on Monday.
It was announced by the team that 4-star EDGE commit Teitum Tuioti, a hometown star at Sheldon Hich School in Eugene this past season, will be joining the team and practicing with the Ducks leading up to the Holiday Bowl. Tuioti will sign with the Ducks officially on Wednesday, but a new rule from the NCAA allows the recruit to join the team early and work with them through bowl preparation, though he won’t be eligible to play in the game.
Tuioti, the son of Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti, stands at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and is rated as the No. 1 player in Oregon, and No. 211 overall player in the nation. He has been committed to the Ducks since July of 2022.
Teitum Tuioti’s Signing Day Profile
The Ducks certainly have a need at the EDGE position after losing D.J. Johnson this offseason, and they are expected to try and fill that spot in the transfer portal this offseason. While Tuioti offers some nice size and talent at the position, it’s hard to say whether or not he will be able to crack the starting lineup in 2023. The fact that he is getting with the team early on and getting involved in bowl game preparation is a major bonus, though, and will undoubtedly give him a leg up when his freshman year rolls around. | 2022-12-20T01:01:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ducks announce addition of 4-star EDGE Teitum Tuioti | https://sports.yahoo.com/ducks-announce-addition-4-star-003519886.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ducks-announce-addition-4-star-003519886.html?src=rss |
Texas A&M Aggies cornerback Smoke Bouie has entered the transfer portal football program. Bouie was previously committed to Georgia.
Bouie ranked as the nation’s No. 68 player and the No. 7 player in Georgia in the class of 2022. Bouie played for Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, Georgia.
The former four-star recruit visited Georgia’s campus before an upcoming dead period for NCAA football recruiting.
Smoke Bouie joins over 20 Aggies in the transfer portal. Texas A&M finished the class of 2022 recruiting cycle with one of the best recruiting classes of all-time, but the Aggies and Jimbo Fisher had a disappointing 5-7 season. Now, Texas A&M is seeing a large portion of its roster enter the transfer portal.
During Bouie’s freshman season, he recorded four total tackles and played in seven games for the Aggies. Bouie announced that he would be entering the transfer portal via Instagram.
Georgia football has the second-ranked recruiting class of 2023 in the country. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs are always looking to improve the roster. Georgia has seen a lot of defensive backs enter the transfer portal in recent seasons, so it would not be surprising for Georgia to seek an experienced option, like Smoke Bouie, from the transfer portal.
Georgia Tech not only opens next season with Louisville in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the Cards are now one of the | 2022-12-20T01:01:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | Former Georgia football commit Smoke Bouie enters transfer portal | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-georgia-football-commit-smoke-235053469.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/former-georgia-football-commit-smoke-235053469.html?src=rss |
CONWAY, S.C. (AP) Cam Fancher threw for two touchdowns and Marshall held off UConn's second-half rally to close the season with a fifth straight win, 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Monday.
UConn: The Huskies had won a total of seven games the past five seasons - they didn't play during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season - yet looked revived much of the year in Mora's debut season. UConn has some blocks to build with for next season, especially in the run game where they averaged just under 200 yards per game.
Fendi just launched its latest series of home decor and lifestyle accessories, joining the Fendi...
Suns guard Damion Lee, the NBA's current second-best in 3-point percentage (47.8%), spoke during Monday's Suns-Lakers pregame media availability. | 2022-12-20T01:01:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Marshall holds off UConn 28-14 at Myrtle Beach Bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/marshall-holds-off-uconn-28-232149976.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/marshall-holds-off-uconn-28-232149976.html?src=rss |
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