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There’s been a growing sentiment over the past several years that mid-level bowl games don’t hold the same meaning that they used to; that games outside of the College Football Playoff or a New Year’s Six Bowl lack some of the luster. A lot of this has to do with players increasingly opting out of the games in lieu of the NFL Draft, or entering the transfer portal once the regular season is over, leaving a handful of depleted rosters to play on a big stage.
After watching the Oregon Ducks in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday night, though, it feels like the anti-bowl sentiment needs to take a rest for the time being. The Ducks entered the game with a depleted roster, a major offensive coach missing, and found a way to come back from 10 points down in the 4th quarter and beat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 28-27 in the end.
They showed heart, grit, and toughness. The Ducks showed that this wasn’t a meaningless game.
It won’t go down as one of the best bowl wins in Oregon history, but it acts as a major mile-marker in Dan Lanning’s career in Eugene. He completed his first season with the Ducks on top, notching a 10-win year and going 1-0 in the postseason.
There are a lot of takeaways that we have from this game, from personnel, to scheme, to future outlook. Let’s get into it. Here are our biggest takeaways from Oregon’s 28-27 Holiday Bowl win:
Bucky Irving is Elite
When you talk about the best running backs to ever play for the Oregon Ducks, a long list of names will come up. He may not be there just yet, but I have a feeling that Bucky Irving may enter that conversation before all is said and done.
Irving had one of his best career games on Wednesday vs. North Carolina, rushing 13 times for 149 yards and 2 TD, averaging 11.5 yards per rush with a long of 66.
It’s been made clear over the past few months that the Ducks have something special in Irving, with his ability to absorb contact and remain agile out of the backfield. He is a hard runner who almost never goes down on first contact, and he turns in highlight plays week after week. Check out this 66-yard TD run he had in the Holiday Bowl:
BUCKY. GONE. TOUCHDOWN!
66 yards to the house and Oregon leads 14-7! @BuckyIrving #GoDucks x @HolidayBowl pic.twitter.com/gXW6u6t5XL
With Irving, Noah Whittington, and Jordan James currently on the roster, plus Dante Dowdell coming next year, the Ducks are absolutely loaded in the backfield. With all of that competition for the rock, it may be hard to see Irving putting of the stats that would have him in the all-time great conversation at Oregon, but anyone who has seen him play can tell that he is downright special. He also has two years of eligibility remaining, so never say never.
Bo Nix's Health was an Issue
Coming into this game, one of my biggest questions was about the health of QB Bo Nix and how much his injured ankle might slow him down, if at all. At the end of the regular season, he was extremely hobbled, which hindered his ability as a dual-threat passer and impacted Oregon’s offense greatly.
That looked to still be the case in the Holiday Bowl. While Nix was still able to move around a bit against North Carolina, he just didn’t look exactly right. Often times he would go to the ground rather than taking on contact, and he was not a huge threat as a rusher, running for only 6 yards on 5 attempts. Even some of his passes were off, as his accuracy suffered potentially due to an unstable plant leg. Nix finished going 23-for-30 for 205 yards and 2 TD, but a good potion of that came on the final drive of the game.
It looks like Nix got out of the game without causing any more damage to the ankle/foot which is always positive, but Oregon fans will certainly be looking forward to a 100% healthy Nix once again in 2023.
Stretching the Field Works
Before we’re off the Bo Nix topic of conversation, we should touch on the playcalling and the unwillingness to stretch the field through the passing game. One of the things that made Oregon’s offense tick in 2022 was the reintroduction of the deep passing game, with Nix often airing it out to guys like Troy Franklin, Kris Hutson, and Dont’e Thornton. That wasn’t there in the first three-quarters of the Holiday Bowl, seemingly leaving Eugene with former offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.
The Ducks had just three chunk plays in the passing game on the night, two of which came in the fourth quarter: a 30-yarder to Chase Cota and a 28-yarder to Terrance Ferguson. The attempts brought on good results, though, with a pair of defensive pass-interference penalties going against North Carolina on deep shots to Troy Franklin.
The Ducks were obviously dealing with an offensive coordinator shake-up, and the play-calling in 2023 won’t look the same as it did tonight. I just hope that Will Stein was watching closely. It’s obvious how impactful stretching the field can be for the Ducks when you have a running game as good as they do.
Defensive Flaws Remain
Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Kobe Paysour (8) Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
While the final result was a thrilling victory, much of this game was met with frustration from the fans as the Ducks’ defense continued to struggle, particularly on late downs. All season long, Oregon was among the worst teams in the nation when it came to 3rd and 4th-down defense, continually failing to get off the field and instead allowing opponents to keep drives alive.
That was no different against North Carolina, who was 6-for-15 on 3rd down, but 4-for-4 on fourth down. Several times the Ducks were able to get Drake Maye into a disadvantageous position on 3rd down, but they could rarely finish the job and force a punt; the Tar Heels had just three punts on the night. Meanwhile, North Carolina converted third downs of 16 and 14 yards.
There are a lot of things that need to get fixed this offseason for the defense, but late-down efficiency is arguably among the most important.
Improved Pass Rush
Despite struggling to do so for most of the season, the Ducks did a really good job of establishing a pass rush against North Carolina. They ended up with 2 sacks and 4 QB hits, keeping Maye relatively uncomfortable in the pocket and often forcing him outside to try and make a play. While Maye, the talented dual-threat QB that he is, was able to succeed with his legs, it was still encouraging to see Oreogn’s defensive line get a good push in the trenches and get the QB to the ground a couple of times.
Field Condition is Inexcusable
One of the biggest worries about bowl games anymore is the injury risk that they pose for players. That’s why you often see guys choose to opt-out of the games in attempts to keep their health and get ready for the NFL draft rather than risk injury in a postseason game.
Let’s try not to make things more dangerous for the guys who chose to play in the game, shall we?
The Holiday Bowl was held in Petco Park, a baseball stadium in San Diego. Videos before the game showed that the field turf might have been a little worse for the wear.
As you would imagine, once players started running and cutting on the grass, it got a lot worse.
This is the turf in the 2nd quarter of a bowl game between two 9-win teams… what the hell @HolidayBowl pic.twitter.com/sIf6D4igCJ
— Caroline McCain Hendrickson (@ccmccain) December 29, 2022
After 3Q: more sand pic.twitter.com/JZSDe9mJzH
The grounds crew ended up pouring sand in the divots throughout the game, trying to make it playable, but it was clear that the conditions were unsafe throughout the night. Fortunately, there didn’t appear to be any major injuries, but that doesn’t change the fact that this was an unreasonably risky situation for players who chose to play in this game and should not be allowed to happen again.
Keith Brown and Mase Funa Stepped Up
Leading up to this game we spent a lot of time wondering if any young players would step up into the spotlight and take advantage of some of the playing time in front of them. The two who stood out the most weren’t young players at all, but guys who served valuable roles throughout the season while remaining out of the spotlight.
Mase Funa and Keith Brown were invaluable in this game. Funa finished with a tie for the team-high in tackles (7), 1 sack and a pair of tackles for loss, earning the Defensive MVP award when all was said and done. Brown was also a maniac in this one, with 7 tackles and one QB hit.
Love to see how dirty Keith Brown's jersey is. He has been all over the field tonight, playing one of the best games of his career.
Funa announced after the game that he will be returning for the 2023 season, and we know that Brown will be back as well. They made the case on Wednesday night to be among the best defensive players for the Ducks’ defense next year.
Jordan James Shines Bright
It turns out that true-freshman RB Jordan James is more than just a goal-line back, huh? While James had been serving mainly as Oregon’s short-yardage bruiser this year, totaling 4 TD on the year, he was given an opportunity to get out and run in the Holiday Bowl, and he looked good doing it.
James only had three carries, but he took those and rushed for 27 yards with runs of 16 and 13 yards, respectively. Bucky Irving obviously shouldered much of the workload, but James gave a nice glimpse of what he can do in a bigger role going forward.
Empty Red Zone Trips
It’s been an underlying problem throughout most of the year in Eugene, and it showed up a bit on Wednesday night once again; the Ducks tend to struggle when they get into the red zone.
There were three times against North Carolina where Oregon got inside the Tar Heels’ 30-yard-line and was unable to put points on the board; once they missed a field goal from the UNC 29, once they threw an INT on the UNC 16, and another time they turned it over on downs from the UNC 26.
Despite those three empty trips to the red zone, the Ducks were, fortunately, able to win the game in the end thanks to a thrilling comeback in the final minutes of the game. We are going to talk more about things that need to improve for Oregon next season in the coming days, but the red-zone offense is certainly on that list.
The Brandon Dorlus Question
To be honest, I didn’t expect Brandon Dorlus to play in this game. He has yet to make an official announcement about whether or not he will return to Eugene for the 2023 season, but I figured he would go the way of Noah Sewell and Christian Gonzalez, opting out of the bowl game and declaring for the draft.
Instead, Dorlus suited up for this one and had a really nice game, with 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, and 1 pass breakup.
None of this means that he will for sure come back to Oregon for next season, but I’m more willing to believe that he will after seeing him play in this game than I was a week ago. We should find out in the coming days. | 2022-12-29T19:52:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | 10 major takeaways from Oregon’s 28-27 comeback victory over North Carolina | https://sports.yahoo.com/10-major-takeaways-oregon-28-135528040.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/10-major-takeaways-oregon-28-135528040.html?src=rss |
Fans, we’re just a few days away from a shot at redemption. Nothing can fully take away the sting of a loss to Michigan, but a win over No. 1 Georgia on Saturday night in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl could certainly ease the pain a bit.
Of course, this will be no easy task. The Buckeyes are playing the Bulldogs in their home away from home, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Being just a little over an hour’s drive from Athens this will be the third time this season that UGA has played on this turf. Everything seems to be set for Georgia to make another title run and not many are giving Ohio State much of a chance.
But the games aren’t played on paper. Anyone can talk a good game, but once the pads are on and toe meets leather … anything can happen.
And just in case you aren’t already amped up enough for the Bucks vs. the Dawgs and a shot to play for a national championship, the good people at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl have dropped a hype video guaranteed to bring goosebumps. Give it a look below. It’ll be well worth the minute and 30 seconds of your time.
𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓. 💥⏳@OhioStateFB vs. @GeorgiaFootball#CFAPeachBowl | #GoBucks #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/NZp0Cnx23T
If you’re not ready to run through a wall after watching, you might want to check for a pulse.
The game against No. 1 Georgia in the CFP semifinal takes place on December 31 at 8 p.m. EST. Be sure to check out our preview and prediction to get you ready for the big game. | 2022-12-29T19:53:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl drops epic hype video for Ohio State vs. Georgia | https://sports.yahoo.com/chick-fil-peach-bowl-drops-154347712.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chick-fil-peach-bowl-drops-154347712.html?src=rss |
After the second-half meltdown against Michigan on Thanksgiving weekend, not many are giving Ohio State much of a chance of knocking off the defending national champions, but we’ve seen this before (Alabama in 2014, Clemson in 2020, and Miami in 2002).
Can the Buckeyes shock the world and pull off the upset in Mercedez-Benz Stadium, or will it be another disappointment to bookend the lackluster effort vs. Michigan?
Here at Buckeyes Wire, we believe this should be one whale of a game, and give you five reasons why Ohio State can take care of business and take home the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl trophy on New Year’s Eve.
So, let’s get to it …
Talent Equality
Big Ten football and big game expert predictions and picks for Week 12
Nov 12, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Kamryn Babb (0) celebrates scoring a touchdown with quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
There are three teams many consider as having the most talent in college football this season. There’s Alabama which didn’t quite put things together this season, defending champion Georgia, and Ohio State. We used to be able to put Clemson in that category but we’ve seen a bit of a decline in personnel the last couple of years.
Those three teams have recruited among the top more consistently than other programs and it means they have stockpiled talent to continue to play at a high level and be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
That means OSU can go toe-to-toe talent-wise with Georgia, just like it can with anyone else. These two teams have been vying for the same players coming out of high school and bump into each other often in recruiting circles, and now it’ll happen on the field Saturday night.
The talent is there to spring the upset, we’ll just have to see if the execution, motivation, and gameplan match.
Ohio State's Passing Attack
Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) celebrates a first down in front of Michigan Wolverines defensive back DJ Turner (5) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
The last time we saw Georgia play, it was giving up over 500 passing yards against an LSU team that is ranked just the 37th-best at slinging it around this year. Georgia has a very, very good defense — some would say the best in the country — but there are some opportunities throwing the ball and that’s where Ohio State’s bread has been buttered in 2022.
OSU’s offense has sputtered a little down the stretch at times through the air, but anytime you have C.J. Stroud, Marvin Harrison Jr., and the rest of the receiving corps (not to mention Cade Stover at tight end), there’s going to be an ability to move the ball and score points.
Ryan Day and staff can’t abandon the run, but you can bet the game plan will center around moving the ball down the field by cashing in air miles on Saturday night. There should be plenty of success in doing so.
We’ve seen it before. Just when Ohio State thought its season was dead after losing to Michigan on November 26, it was given life with USC’s loss to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship game and the opinion of the College Football Playoff Committee.
There’s something about getting a second life after thinking all goals were off the table. We saw the same thing from Georgia last year, and in some ways got to see Ohio State do similar things in 2014 when it squeaked into the first CFP. The type of scenario we’re looking at for Ohio State can often result in renewed focus, great preparation, and an attitude of “us against the world.”
I’ll be really surprised if Ohio State doesn’t show up in this one and at least make this thing an entertaining and interesting game with renewed life.
Lessons Learned from the Michigan Game
Odds for Ohio State and Michigan meeting in CFP national championship
Michigan wide receiver Cornelius Johnson (6) tries to make a catch against Ohio State cornerback JK Johnson and safety Lathan Ransom (12) during the second half Nov. 26, 2022, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Georgia has a similar makeup as Michigan, just with better talent. The Bulldogs like to lean on the running game and then pick spots through the air. It’s all centered around stout defensive play.
Ohio State spent almost all of its game planning, scheming, and efforts toward stopping the run vs. the Wolverines, and it resulted in big plays through the air that put OSU in comeback mode. It all felt like going too far against a team’s strength in return for giving up too much on the back end.
I don’t think you’ll see the same type of deal against Georgia. The scheming and playcalling will be a little more balanced on defense, and there won’t be so many big plays. In some ways, the contest against Michigan was a good primer for this game, and while Ohio State failed that test miserably in the second half, it will have learned from it and made adjustments.
Remember, OSU outplayed Michigan in the first half and just didn’t cash in on opportunities that could have made the flow of the game very, very different.
A Healthier Ohio State
We know Ohio State will be without TreVeyon Henderson because of a season-ending surgery, but Miyan Williams will be back and healthy, despite dealing with a stomach bug. Tackle Matthew Jones has also been practicing and will be close to — if not — 100%. Apparently, tight end Cade Stover was also playing hurt, so he’ll be an important weapon that’s more effective against an aggressive Georgia front.
OSU also had a banged-up secondary throughout the season, and having a healthy Cam Brown, Jordan Hancock, Denzel Burke, etc. can only help in terms of putting a lid on the passing game that was torched by the colors of maize and blue.
Ohio State is still going to be without Henderson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but it’ll look more like midseason OSU than the M.A.S.H. unit we saw down the stretch.
Time to Prepare
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day reacts to the early signing day
Nov 19, 2022; College Park, Maryland, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day takes the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports. Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Lost in all the disappointment of this year and the two-straight losses to Michigan is the fact that Ryan Day and his staff have been very, very good when given extra time to prepare for an opponent. Since taking the whistle from Urban Meyer, Day has a 5-1 overall record when given more than one game week to prepare.
The lone loss was the one to Clemson in 2019, but you could easily make the case that Ohio State got the raw end of some breaks in that one and outplayed the Tigers with a very good game plan.
So, what are the scores and who did Day and OSU beat during that run? It’s pretty impressive actually:
Win, 52-3
Clemson (CFP Fiesta Bowl)
Loss, 23-29
Clemson (CFP Sugar Bowl)
Win, 49-28
vs. Utah (Rose Bowl)
vs. Iowa
vs. Georgia (CFP Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)
TBD?
Now, that’s enough to be a trend, so you have to like the ability of the OSU staff to put together a plan to be successful and productive. We’ll see how it all plays out on New Year’s Eve. | 2022-12-29T19:53:36Z | sports.yahoo.com | Five reasons Ohio State can beat Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/five-reasons-ohio-state-beat-171432327.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/five-reasons-ohio-state-beat-171432327.html?src=rss |
Before they officially join the team in Gainesville, several of Florida’s signees from the class of 2023 will participate in high school All-Star games in January.
Nearly half the class will play in the Under Armour All-American game on Jan. 3, including five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, four-star offensive lineman Roderick Kearney, three-star lineman Knijeah Harris and four-star receiver Eugene Wilson III on the offensive side of the ball. Hopefully, Rashad and Wilson can link up at some point during the game to give Gators fans a preview of the dynamic connection headed to Hogtown.
On defense, four-star defensive linemen Kelby Collins and Will Norman will join four-star safety Jordan Castell, four-star defensive back Sharif Denson and four-star cornerbacks Ja'Keem Jackson and Dijon Johnson on the field. With a bevy of defensive departures hitting the Gators this offseason, those players should have a decent shot at early playing time.
Then there’s the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7. Four-star Running back Treyaun Webb and four-star defensive lineman Kamran James will represent Florida during their final appearances at the high school level. Webb is a polished product despite splitting carries his senior year, so there’s not much to learn about him, but the staff and fans should get a clearer picture of where James stands as he competes against some of the top players in the country.
It’s almost time for the class of 2023 to transition to the next phase of their career, but it’s always nice to see these players get one last nod of recognition for their dominance at the prep level. | 2022-12-29T19:53:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | Which Florida signees are participating in All-Star games? | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-signees-participating-star-games-192505911.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-signees-participating-star-games-192505911.html?src=rss |
If it had been up to Jim Harbaugh, he’d be coaching the Minnesota Vikings right now, not leading Michigan into the College Football Playoff.
After finally beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten a year ago, Harbaugh did all he could to get back to the NFL, where he starred as a quarterback and once led San Francisco to the Super Bowl as a head coach. He even flew to Minneapolis expecting a job offer.
It didn’t come, a humbling dismissal and one Harbaugh couldn’t easily spin into a positive, although he tried.
He stated he was returning to his alma mater “with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind” and vowed to stay as long as Michigan would have him.
“This will not be a reoccurring theme every year,” Harbaugh told the Detroit Free Press. “This was a one-time thing.”
Whatever awkwardness existed last February melted away during a 13-0 season this fall.
Michigan didn’t just beat Ohio State (again) and win the Big Ten (again) and reach the playoff (again), they looked even stronger in doing it. The Wolverines enter Saturday’s semifinal against TCU in Arizona as a 7.5-point favorite. A rematch from last year with Georgia, or last month with Ohio State, hangs in the balance.
The Wolverines could realistically win the national championship, something that seemed ridiculous to state just two years ago when they were coming off a 2-4 season and Harbaugh’s pay was cut nearly in half.
So, now the question for the 59-year-old is what does he really want for the rest of his career?
NFL jobs are opening now — Denver just fired Nathaniel Hackett. Despite Harbaugh's promises, does he want to go back to the pros?
A year ago, he explained his interest in Minnesota by saying that he’s still haunted, and motivated, by the close Super Bowl loss. You get that close to the ultimate prize, and you want another chance.
Or is he truly entrenched in the college game. He also originally came to Michigan as a sort of stopgap. The program he played for had fallen on hard times under Rich Rodriguez and then Brady Hoke, who went a combined 24-32 in Big Ten play.
Jim Harbaugh (R) hugs quarterback J.J. McCarthy Michigan beat Ohio State 45-23 to clince the Big Ten East. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Harbaugh’s initial task was to right the ship, restore some semblance of balance against Ohio State and win the league again. It took a bit longer than expected — this is his eighth season in Ann Arbor — but mission accomplished.
U of M is an elite program again. Which is why he owes the school nothing.
This is a new crossroad, though. Harbaugh could go back to the NFL at some point and with some team, or he could switch from trying to restore the Wolverines to trying to set up a powerhouse for the years to come.
“It's really biblical,” Harbaugh said a few weeks ago. “No man knows the future. I can't make any vows of what's going to happen or what's not gonna happen.”
Harbaugh always talks in an unusual manner, so that shouldn’t be taken as a foot-out-the-door kind of quote. Most of those closest to him expect he will remain at Michigan, perhaps for the rest of his career.
“I think that people think we have done a good job and are pleased with the job that we have done here at Michigan,” Harbaugh said. “They are going to be very happy to learn that I will be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023.
“And for those people that don't approve of the job we have done or would rather see somebody else coaching here, I think they will be most likely disappointed to learn that I will be back coaching the Wolverines in 2023."
The recent success didn’t deliver on the recruiting front for the Class of 2023, but it should pay off in the long run. The one rub against Michigan — and Harbaugh — is that while it draws some exceptional players, it lacks the depth of true five-star talent that other national contenders boast.
If you are going to swim in those waters, that’s generally where you need to be.
Harbaugh, though, has brought the program back to front-of-mind status. Big wins. Big exposure. Lots of NFL draft picks who are having success. Ann Arbor has always been a phenomenally appealing place to attend college and play ball.
The program expects a huge recruiting haul for the Class of 2024, led by five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Additionally, the transfer portal has proven to be ideal for Michigan. What factors heavily in the decision-making of 17-year-olds — proximity to home, relentless attention from the head coach, weather, etc. — doesn’t necessarily matter to 20-to-22-year-olds who want playing time, top-line coaching and NFL development.
You could argue Michigan’s most valuable player is center Olu Oluwatimi, the Outland Trophy winner who arrived this year as a graduate transfer from Virginia. And whatever shortcomings Michigan's high school recruiting featured at last week’s signing day were made up for with seven transfers, including five who are expected to start next fall.
Michigan is 25-2 the last two seasons, so it’s nearly impossible for the program to get better, but it is reasonable to suggest that Harbaugh is ideally positioned in the modern system of the sport to maintain something close to this level. He’s a pro coach who is used to a fluctuating, plug-gaps, roster.
The NFL will always hold a measure of appeal, but a lengthy, successful run here does too. No man knows the future, as Harbaugh likes to say, but that seems more fun than trying to rebuild the Broncos. | 2022-12-29T19:53:55Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jim Harbaugh's future: Chase the Super Bowl dream ... again ... or continue building Michigan into a national power? | https://sports.yahoo.com/jim-harbaughs-future-chase-the-super-bowl-dream-again-or-continue-building-michigan-into-a-national-power-152021360.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jim-harbaughs-future-chase-the-super-bowl-dream-again-or-continue-building-michigan-into-a-national-power-152021360.html?src=rss |
If you want to talk about exciting bowl games that live up to the hype, it’s hard to look past the Holiday Bowl matchup between the Oregon Ducks and North Carolina Tar Heels.
What was a solid start for Oregon slowly unraveled throughout the second and third quarters, leading to a comeback attempt from QB Bo Nix that saw the Ducks erase a 10-point deficit and end up winning the game in the final minute, 28-27.
The victory gave Dan Lanning and the Ducks 10 wins for the 2022 season, which was Lanning’s first as a head coach. It also gave Oregon their first bowl game victory since January 1, 2020, when Justin Herbert and the Ducks defeated the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl.
After the game, morale was high for Oregon players and coaches, who met with the media to discuss. Here are some of the most notable quotes from Dan Lanning, Bo Nix, and others following the win:
Lanning: “What a fun group to share a stage with right now. I’m thrilled and excited for our team. North Carolina is a great team. They fought. That was a game that came down to the very last second, as we all know. We talked about it going into the game that we played 720 minutes of football this season, and we had to play 60 more, and we played all 60 of it. So couldn’t be more proud as a testament to our players and how hard they work. In the coaching profession, there’s none better man than Mack Brown. You hope that you can just coach long enough to halfway resemble what he has done as a head coach, so I have ultimate respect for him and their program and what they’ve done. Real proud of our players to be able to cap this season off. We talked about coming in tonight and really finishing the season with not a period, but an exclamation point, and I would say that was an exclamation point.”
Offense Clicking Late
Question: What clicked for the offense late that allowed a pair of touchdown drives in the 4th quarter?
Bo Nix: “Our defense did a great job of continuing to give us the ball back. And I think in a game like that, I mean, they had a really good offense, so they could have scored a little bit more. And our defense did a great job of stopping them and giving us the ball back several times. Finally there at the end we got a few drives together, and we went down and scored, and I couldn’t be more proud of Chase and everything that he has done for the team and just battling through injuries, being there for each and every one of us. It’s only right that he caught that last one.”
Comeback Mindset
Question: What was your mindset after trailing 24-14?
Lanning: “Yeah, all we needed was time on the clock. You can’t worry about the past, and you really can’t worry about the future. You have to be in the present. I thought our team did a good job of being in the present. I thought our players made great adjustments. Some of those drives where we stalled out and didn’t get a first down, our guys believed we’re going to get a stop and have an opportunity to do it again. That’s what it came down to. You talk about phenomenal players making great plays down the stretch. That’s what you saw. They took every fourth down. They took every yard, took every inch, took every ounce of effort that our guys had to finish the way they needed to finish.”
Detailing the TD Drives
Question: What does it take for this offense to dig deep and get those late TD drives?
Nix: “It takes 11 guys to buy in and believe in that drive. And when you are down by I believe it was 10 points, you need to score there. So we knew what we had to do to go down and do that, and we did. Play after play we made sure we went down. There in the second drive we executed and had some explosive plays. T-Ferg had that long one to set us up. We get to the fourth and two, fourth and manageable, and it’s just who wants it more on that specific play and who’s willing to compete until the final whistle. Just, again, you give credit to every single guy on that offense. You give credit each guy that played a part. Each guy that went out on the field tonight. You can tell they were playing for more than just themselves. Just going back to Bucky’s long touchdown run, that was another Alex Forsyth check, so I have to give him a shout-out on that one. Alex has been incredible for us. It starts up front with those guys. Two drives at the end of the game. It starts up front with protection to get us going. Obviously, the skill guys do the rest.”
Defensive Stops
Question: With the late stop on 3rd down to hold UNC to a field goal, what did you see on that play?
Mase Funa: “Just a defense you have 11 moving parts and everybody did their job to make that happen. It wasn’t just on the play, it was on that whole drive. Focusing on just doing their job and doing simple better and that’s what we did. We executed and it came down to who wanted it more.”
Defense Stepping Up
Question: How impressive was this late showing from the defense with all of the opt-outs and transfers missing?
Lanning: “First off, Drake is as talented a quarterback as you are going to go against. The other is sitting right here. He is a hell of a competitor. He is a hell of a quarterback. You have to give a lot of credit to him. He had a good night. I think the one thing that I have to give our players credit for is we were going to play with the guys that came on this trip. The guys that are here, that’s who we are going to play with. If you are here, you are good enough because you’ve been working your tail off. There were guys on the field tonight that haven’t played a snap for us or played limited snaps for us all season. For me to see a guy like Micah Roth. Roth never made an impact on this team when his role has been limited all season, but when he gets in there, he does his job and executes at a high level and to do it with a level of belief that everybody on the field believed he would do his job. Those are moments that are exciting for me. Every chance the ball got snapped and every chance we got a stop, you know, you saw every guy walk off the field with belief in what’s about to happen next. So that’s exciting to see that happen.”
Question: With the INT at the end of the first half, how did that kind of shift the momentum and change things?
Nix: “I was ticked off. I was mad I put my team in that position. It wasn’t a great play on my part. It put us behind. At the end of the day it goes back to the 11 guys. In this case the 22 guys who were out there playing. Playing for one another. If one of us falls down, they pick us up. You get to the fourth quarter, and anything can happen in that close of a game. So I just give credit to our team. They didn’t quit. Could have easily kind of tanked at that moment. Bowl games sometimes happen that way. Guys start falling apart and start to not want to play, but that wasn’t us tonight. We continued to battle and fight. All it takes is one guy to start doing that. It kind of trickles away. Not a single one of us did that, and it just speaks to leadership of the team. Starts with Coach Lanning and goes down to each player. Just saw a bunch of guys out there battling and just competing.”
Question: What does it mean to you to have this group of players as your first team?
Lanning: “I can’t thank the guys in this locker room enough. It’s really easy when there’s change and transition. Especially for some of these guys change they didn’t pick. Some of them change they did. It’s really easy to buckle up. Especially when you talk about the adversity we saw early in the season when it didn’t go our way. But this group has never stopped and never wavered. You know, Mase knows what it’s like to be a championship father because he sees it every single day in our program from our coaches and he does it himself. He operates the way that’s necessary. Chase has a certain level of pride in the way that he attacks the field because he knows what it means to wear the O because he grew up wearing it. Bo being a husband. Bucky being a teammate, the son, the player. Every piece that he is for this team. I can’t speak enough on as a coach, I coach for the relationships. I love to win, but we have relationships on this team. Everybody says blood is thicker than water. I sure love these guys. Maybe not true blood, but I share blood with these guys. These guys are my family. They’ll forever be my family and they’ll forever be part of my first team here as a head coach, and for that I’m forever grateful.”
Mase Funa Future
Question: Have you decided about your future if you will return to Oregon or if this was your last game?
Funa: “Oh no, I’m coming back.” | 2022-12-29T19:54:14Z | sports.yahoo.com | Notable quotes from Dan Lanning, Bo Nix after Oregon’s thrilling Holiday Bowl comeback victory | https://sports.yahoo.com/notable-quotes-dan-lanning-bo-142739477.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/notable-quotes-dan-lanning-bo-142739477.html?src=rss |
FILE - South Carolina coach Shane Beamer goes out to talk to his team during a time out against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. No. 19 Notre Dame faces 20th-ranked South Carolina in the Gator Bowl. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) No one should expect Notre Dame and South Carolina to look - or probably play - like they did late in the regular season.
''With opt-outs, you don't know. You don't know what you're going to see,'' Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said Thursday. ''We'll have an idea. We'll have the base concepts that they do on offense and defense and special teams, but we obviously have to prepare for some different wrinkles and things we haven't seen.''
''I think he's ready to roll,'' Freeman said. ''You talk about a guy that hasn't played football for probably Week 2 to Week 12. He had some time where he wasn't on the practice field. He's been magnificent in practice. He's done a great job of leading the offense.''
''There are guys that made plays in those games that are here in Jacksonville now,'' he said.
''You don't want to overhaul things too much,'' Irish offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. ''But you got to push other guys and spots to step up and make critical plays. . But it will be a little different. Mike is a hell of a player.''
Notre Dame can make quarterback Tyler Buchner’s return to the starting lineup in Friday’s Gator Bowl a whole lot easier if it can run the football with consistency. The No. 21 Irish (8-4) struggled to do so in Buchner’s first two starts of the season, which resulted in him leading Notre Dame in carries (24), rushing yards (62) and rushing touchdowns (2) in the losses to Ohio State, 21-10, and Marshall, 26-21. The left shoulder injury that required surgery and sidelined him for Notre Dame’s final 10 games of the season was sustained on a designed read option that Buchner kept himself. | 2022-12-29T19:54:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | Notre Dame, South Carolina will look much different in bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-south-carolina-look-172419190.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-south-carolina-look-172419190.html?src=rss |
The Holiday Bowl was a fascinating game from start to finish in a beautiful venue, Petco Park. Yes, the home of the San Diego Padres hosted the game, the first Holiday Bowl played since 2019. The last two games were canceled due to the pandemic.
Oregon had a massive advantage coming in with Tar Heels WR Josh Downs not playing as he prepares for the 2023 NFL draft. Still, it was expected to be a good game, and for most of the night, it looked like North Carolina was going to win.
Then, with just 24 seconds left, Ducks QB Bo Nix connected with Chase Cota on a six-yard touchdown to tie the game, and the extra point was good — doinked off the upright and through — to get the 28-27 victory for the Ducks.
On fourth down and with the game on the line, Nix delivered, and the Ducks edged out North Carolina in one of the best bowl games of the season.
Nix finished 23-of-30 for 205 yards, a pair of scores and an interception. Mar’Keise Irving ran wild with 149 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries.
Tar Heels QB Drake Maye, an early contender for the 2023 Heisman Trophy, finished with 206 yards and three touchdown passes in a tough loss.
Dan Lanning’s first season in Eugene ends with 10 wins and a thrilling bowl game victory. The Ducks were up 14-7 early in the second quarter, but North Carolina scored 17 unanswered points to take a 24-14 lead late in the fourth quarter.
The Ducks rallied late and escaped with a gritty victory. It felt like the Holiday Bowl again, back in our lives after a three-year absence.
Bo Nix CLUTCH 🤯
He finds Chase Cota for the go-ahead touchdown in the Holiday Bowl 🏈pic.twitter.com/EuYQn438wg
Another ridiculous throw from Drake Maye. Add it to the collection
pic.twitter.com/Qnr2DowwEF | 2022-12-29T19:54:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pac-12 Holiday survival: Oregon squeaks by North Carolina on last-second Bo Nix touchdown | https://sports.yahoo.com/pac-12-holiday-survival-oregon-134100034.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pac-12-holiday-survival-oregon-134100034.html?src=rss |
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud throws while being pressured by Notre Dame safety DJ Brown during the second quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia, Ohio State meet in Peach Bowl: Four keys to playoff victory | 2022-12-29T19:54:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | Peach Bowl keys to victory: How Georgia and Ohio State will win College Football Playoff semifinal | https://sports.yahoo.com/peach-bowl-keys-victory-georgia-120439044.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/peach-bowl-keys-victory-georgia-120439044.html?src=rss |
The biggest of stages are set and the College Football Playoff will finally be played come Saturday.
Michigan and TCU will faceoff at 4 p.m. ET and Ohio State will try its hand against Georgia afterward at 8 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on ESPN.
The Wolverines and Horned Frogs are in a unique situation. The Big 12 and Big Ten don’t have meetings too often, other than if it happens in bowl games, but that’s beside the point. On Saturday Michigan and TCU will meet on the gridiron for the first time in the program’s history.
Michigan has had a surreal year going undefeated in the regular season and then beating Purdue in the Big Ten Championship. TCU had a really great year going 12-1 with a loss against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship.
We are going to preview both sides of the ball and our staff will predict the outcome of the game.
TCU 6th (40.3 points per game)
Michigan 5th (13.4 points allowed per game)
TCU 57th (25 points allowed per game)
Michigan 93rd (210.5 yards per game)
TCU 25th (273 yards per game)
Michigan 22nd (191.8 yards allowed per game)
TCU 83rd (235.6 yards allowed per game)
Michigan 6th (243 yards per game)
TCU 64th (149.4 yards allowed per game)
Michigan 3rd (277.1 yards allowed per game)
TCU offense vs. Michigan defense
With TCU playing in the Big 12 there is a giant misconception about its offense. If you don’t watch the Horned Frogs play offense, you assume they are like any other Big 12 team — air raid.
But like the stats show, TCU is just as efficient running the football as it is throwing the ball with Heisman finalist, Max Duggan.
So let’s start off with the Heisman runner-up. Duggan has had an incredible season and is considered the ‘heart and soul’ of the Horned Frogs’ offense. The baffling thing is he didn’t start the year. No, Chandler Morris began the season as the starter, but a knee injury quickly put Duggan as a starter — he never looked back. He threw for 3,321 yards this season, was the Big 12 leading touchdown thrower with 30, and only gave away four interceptions.
Staying with the passing game, Duggan has a hefty amount of playmakers to throw the football to. TCU will have four receiver looks and on the outside, it has 6-foot-4 Quentin Johnston and 6-foot-5 Savion Williams. Johnston is slated to be a high first-round NFL selection this upcoming April. The physical specimen led the team with 53 receptions for 903 yards and five touchdowns. While Williams is extremely tall, he was fourth on the team with 29 receptions but did tie for second on the team with four touchdowns.
The Horned Frogs have two slot guys that have serious speed and could be daunting for the Wolverines. Taye Barber, the 5-foot-10 receiver, was second on the team with 593 yards on 34 receptions while hauling in four scores. Derius Davis, the other 5-foot-10 slot receiver, was tied with Johnston with five touchdowns caught.
How can Michigan defend four receivers? The Wolverines have the playmakers that can get it done. The maize and blue have had a resurgence from their secondary in the second half of the year against better competition. The leader of the pack is freshman Will Johnson who had two interceptions in the Big Ten Championship game against Purdue. According to PFF, Johnson leads the team with an 88.4 coverage grade — elite status. The Wolverines have a pair of shutdown safety play with Makair Paige (81.0) and Rod Moore (80.6). Both DJ Turner and Mike Sainristil have been solid all season. Out of the starters, Turner leads Michigan by allowing 46.9% of targets thrown his way to be caught.
But if Michigan can limit Duggan and the passing attack, the Wolverines will need to be leary of the TCU run game. Kendre Miller was fourth in the Big 12 with 1,342 yards and was second with 17 rushing touchdowns. Of course, Duggan is a dual-threat quarterback and he ran for 404 yards and six scores on the ground.
The Wolverines have been as good as anyone stopping the run game this year. Michigan has the No. 6 run defense for a reason. Kris Jenkins and Mazi Smith lead the team with 29 and 25 run stops, respectively, and have been a force in the middle. When you look at the Wolverines’ run defense grades, Mike Sainristil leads the team from his nickel position with an 89.7 grade. Kris Jenkins and Junior Colson are right behind with an 81.3 grade, and Mason Graham has an 80.1 grade.
One thing that seems to hinder the TCU offense has been its inability to score in the red zone. The Horned Frogs are the 80th-ranked red zone team scoring points 81.8% of the time. The Michigan defense has a chance to improve upon its 32nd-ranked red zone defense allowing teams to score 79.3% of the time.
Michigan offense vs. TCU defense
The Michigan offense has been cooking lately. In the past five games, the Wolverines have scored: 52, 34, 19, 45, and 43 points.
Obviously, losing a Heisman-contending running back is never easy after Blake Corum was injured in the Illinois game, but sophomore Donovan Edwards has made filling the void seamlessly. In the past two games, Edwards has run for 216 and 185 yards against Ohio State and Purdue, respectively. In that stretch, he also ran in three touchdowns on the ground while two of them were long ones against the Buckeyes.
CJ Stokes has made for a nice change of pace back this season gaining 273 yards and Kalel Mullings has turned into a bulldozer for short-yardage attempts after scoring two touchdowns against the Boilermakers. Like Duggan, J.J. McCarthy is not only elite throwing the football but can make plays on the ground. He is fourth on the team with 254 yards and third on the team with four touchdowns.
According to PFF, TCU is a middling team stopping the run. Pro Football Focus ranks the Horned Frogs as the 54th-ranked run defense giving them a 78.8 grade as a team. While linebackers Johnny Hodges (61.4) and Jamoi Hodge (69.6) do not have good run defense grades, they do lead the team in run stops with 25 and 24, respectively. TCU allowed more than 150 yards on the ground eight times this season while giving up more than 200 twice.
Going back to McCarthy, Michigan fans are starting to really see why he was a highly touted five-star quarterback. He had his shining moment against Ohio State when he was asked to shoulder the load when Corum wasn’t able to continue. In that game, the maize and blue had to establish the pass to get the run game working — a reversal. This year, he has thrown for 2,376 yards, 20 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Wolverines don’t have any 1,000-yard receivers, but they do have playmakers for McCarthy to get the ball to. Ronnie Bell leads the team with 56 receptions and 754 yards while hauling in three scores. Cornelius Johnson has been the touchdown threat for Michigan catching six on the year and he is second on the team with 469 yards. As we all know, Jim Harbaugh likes his tight ends and Luke Schoonmaker and Colston Loveland should both be a part of the gameplan against TCU.
It’s been noted several times, but the Horned Frogs run a 3-3-5 scheme and it’s something Michigan does not have familiarity going up against. Playing in the Big 12 conference, five defensive backs are paramount to stop the aerial assault. TCU has the 2022 Jim Thorpe winner in Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. He allows just 37.1% of targets thrown his way to be caught and has compiled three interceptions this season. On the other side, Josh Newton is a force too. Newton led the Horned Frogs by allowing a meager 34.4% of targets thrown his way to be caught and he also had three interceptions. Both of those guys will be players to watch against Bell and Johnson.
One area to watch on this side of the ball is the turnover battle. Michigan is one of the best teams — ranked third — for not turning the ball over. The Wolverines have gifted the ball away seven times all year. But the TCU defense has forced turnovers 19 times this season — not a high number. But with the Horned Frogs playing a lot of defensive backs at once, it will be interesting to see how the Michigan offense will adapt.
The storyline going into this game is the TCU offense against the Michigan defense. The Horned Frogs have one of the best offenses in the country led by Heisman runner-up Max Duggan. On the flip side, the Wolverines have one of the stingiest defenses in the country — especially against the run.
There is no denying the Wolverines are the more talented team. The Horned Frogs have talent, especially on offense and in the secondary on defense, but Michigan has talent all across the board. It feels like Michigan should be able to stay true to its identity on offense and get the ground game working against TCU’s 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
I believe as long as the Wolverines don’t get greedy or incompetent by turning the football over, Michigan should be able to come out on top by controlling the pace of play and doing what it wants on offense.
Donovan Edwards has at least 150 yards on the ground
J.J. McCarthy throws two touchdown passes
Max Duggan throws two interceptions | 2022-12-29T19:55:05Z | sports.yahoo.com | Preview and Predictions: Michigan football vs. TCU | https://sports.yahoo.com/preview-predictions-michigan-football-vs-160459688.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/preview-predictions-michigan-football-vs-160459688.html?src=rss |
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — On Saturday, all eyes will be on the two College Football Playoff semifinal games, and in the first matchup between Michigan football and TCU, the challenge for either team will come when the Horned Frogs are on offense.
The strength-on-strength matchup pits TCU’s vaunted offensive attack, led by Broyles Award-winning offensive coordinator Garrett Riley — the younger brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley — and the Wolverine defense, which ranks No. 3 in the nation in yardage per game and No. 4 in the country in scoring defense.
We met up with Riley at TCU’s portion of the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl media day and he shared what he’s seen from the Michigan defense on film.
“Very talented, I think they play extremely well together, which is kind of one of the first things that jumps out on tape,” Riley told WolverinesWire. “I think the secondary are very strong. And obviously, up front, their front seven, they do a great job. So I mean, they’re very, very solid and well-coached, you could tell. They’re in position a lot of times and they’ll challenge your guys defensively. I think they expect for them to make one-on-one plays, and you see it happen out there on the perimeter and on the edge.
“So it’s gonna be a fun matchup. And we obviously expect to make those plays on offense.”
TCU wide receivers mixed on evaluating Michigan football's secondary
TCU players all believe one thing: the Michigan defense is 'physical'
Football games tend to be won in the trenches, and while TCU is loaded at the skill positions, it will need to be stout up front given what the Wolverines present on the defensive line.
For Riley, he believes Michigan’s attack starts with Mazi Smith and Kris Jenkins and works outwards from there.
“They are very strong in the interior,” Riley said. “And they certainly provide some pass rush and can be active on the edge as well. And so I think that’s going to be the big thing is just throughout the game — who can kind of get stronger as the game goes on and who doesn’t? To me, it’s kind of strength on strength, to be honest. But I think that’s gonna the real key just as the game goes on, who gets stronger.”
Given how multiple Jesse Minter’s defense has been this year, how does one dig in to figure out what Michigan is going to do?
Naturally, the inclination, if you’re TCU, would be to look at the Maryland, Ohio State, and Purdue games, which Riley says was the onus of his study. But, he says he also spent a lot of time looking at the games where the offensive style of Michigan’s opponent was wildly dissimilar from the Horned Frogs’ attack.
“We look at it all, especially when you have this much time, when you can,” Riley said. “You’re always gonna err on looking at people that you think are maybe a little bit more similar to yourself, and how they react to a style like that. So I mean, yeah, you’re always gonna kind of look at that first. But, like I said, when you have this much time, you’re able to look at everything a little bit more than what you typically would.”
Michigan and TCU are set to kick off at 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday. | 2022-12-29T19:55:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley breaks down Michigan football defense | https://sports.yahoo.com/tcu-offensive-coordinator-garrett-riley-180017044.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tcu-offensive-coordinator-garrett-riley-180017044.html?src=rss |
We are getting close to game day. The 2023 Cotton Bowl is approaching. Now that the immediacy of the emotions following the Pac-12 Championship Game has faded away, it’s easier to focus on this game and embrace it as the significant occasion it is.
This is the Cotton Bowl. It’s not the Granddaddy Of Them All — the Rose Bowl — and it’s not the College Football Playoff, but it’s still a big deal.
The Cotton Bowl is America’s fifth-oldest bowl game. It is one of the four major bowl games with a long history in college football, joining the Rose, Sugar and Orange. (The Sun Bowl was also founded in 1935, carving out a place as America’s oldest second-tier bowl game.)
The great moments in college football postseason history belong mostly (not entirely) to four games. The Fiesta Bowl became the fifth really big postseason event in 1987, when Penn State beat Miami for the national championship, but over the course of the past 85 years, the Cotton Bowl has been a central — not peripheral — source of supremely significant college football moments. USC gets to be part of that story in its matchup against Tulane on Monday.
On our new podcast, producer Ian Hest helps us preview the 2023 Cotton Bowl: USC versus Tulane in Arlington. | 2022-12-29T19:55:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Trojans: Wired podcast previews the 2023 Cotton Bowl: USC vs Tulane | https://sports.yahoo.com/trojans-wired-podcast-previews-2023-143155927.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/trojans-wired-podcast-previews-2023-143155927.html?src=rss |
Here’s our TV guide for the huge sports weekend. USC football plays in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane. USC basketball has its first two-game Pac-12 road trip of the season, a crucial pair of games in the Pacific Northwest. There’s the College Football Playoff on Saturday, the other big bowl games, and the NFL’s next-to-last regular-season slate of games.
Here’s all the information you need:
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30: SUN BOWL
Kickoff at 2:10 p.m. Eastern, 11:10 a.m. Pacific
TV network: CBS
Commentators: Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30: GATOR BOWL
Kickoff at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 p.m. Pacific
Commentators: Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30: ORANGE BOWL
Kickoff at 8:05 p.m. Eastern, 5:05 p.m. Pacific
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30: USC BASKETBALL
Trojans at Washington
10 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Pacific
TV network: ESPN2
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30: PAC-12 BASKETBALL
TV network: Pac-12 Network
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31: SUGAR BOWL
Kickoff at noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific
Commentators: Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, and Tom Luginbill
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31: COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL NUMBER ONE
Commentators: Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31: COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINAL NUMBER TWO
Commentators: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1: FEATURED NFL EARLY GAMES
Dolphins at Patriots on CBS, 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Pacific
Panthers at Buccaneers on FOX, 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Pacific
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1: USC BASKETBALL
Trojans at Washington State
3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1: FEATURED NFL LATE GAMES
49ers at Raiders on FOX, 4:05 p.m. Eastern, 1:05 p.m. Pacific
Jets at Seahawks on FOX, 4:05 p.m. Eastern, 1:05 p.m. Pacific
Vikings at Packers on CBS, 4:25 p.m. Eastern, 1:25 p.m. Pacific
Rams at Chargers on CBS, 4:25 p.m. Eastern, 1:25 p.m. Pacific
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1: PAC-12 BASKETBALL
UCLA at Washington
MONDAY, JANUARY 2: USC FOOTBALL
Trojans vs. Tulane
Commentators: Mark Jones, Robert Griffin III, Quint Kessenich
MONDAY, JANUARY 2: ROSE BOWL
Kickoff at 5 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Pacific
MONDAY, JANUARY 2: MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
TV networks: ABC, ESPN, ESPN2
Commentators: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
OTHER TV NOTES
Sunday Night Football on January 1: Steelers at Ravens on NBC, 8:20 Eastern, 5:20 Pacific
ReliaQuest Bowl on January 2: Mississippi State vs. Illinois on ESPN2, noon Eastern and 9 a.m. Pacific
Citrus bowl on January 2: LSU vs. Purdue on ABC, 1 p.m. Eastern and 10 a.m. Pacific
Duke’s Mayo Bowl on December 30: Maryland vs. North Carolina State on ESPN, noon Eastern and 9 a.m. Pacific
Music City Bowl on December 31: Iowa vs. Kentucky on ABC, noon Eastern and 9 a.m. Pacific
Pac-12 basketball on December 31: Arizona at Arizona State on FOX, 2 p.m. Eastern and 11 a.m. Pacific
College basketball on December 31: No. 2 UConn at No. 22 Xavier on FOX, noon Eastern and 9 a.m. Pacific
Premier League Soccer on December 30: West Ham vs. Brentford on USA Network, 2:30 p.m. Eastern and 11:30 a.m. Pacific
Premier League Soccer on December 31: Three matches on USA Network and NBC, beginning at 7 a.m. Eastern and 4 a.m. Pacific | 2022-12-29T19:55:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | TV info for college football bowl games, USC football, and Trojans basketball on New Year’s Weekend | https://sports.yahoo.com/tv-college-football-bowl-games-180641983.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tv-college-football-bowl-games-180641983.html?src=rss |
Newly named UAB head football coach Trent Dilfer has had an accomplished career in the sport of football.
He played 13 NFL seasons where he threw for 113 touchdowns, and led the Baltimore Ravens to a championship in Super Bowl XXXV. He now takes on a new role, leading a college football program.
He, like Hugh Freeze, had three weeks to maintain UAB’s 2023 class following the departure of Bryant Vincent, who served as interim head coach for the Blazers following the sudden retirement of Bill Clark in June. The Blazers were able to reel in the No. 98 recruiting class of the 2023 cycle after the early signing period ended, signing five players from the state of Alabama. The Blazers’ class was the third-best from Alabama, trailing Alabama and Auburn, and beating out Troy, South Alabama, and Jacksonville State respectively.
Following the end of the early signing period, Dilfer stated that he wants UAB to be a strong candidate for in-state talent. He even stated his goal of out-recruiting in-state programs, such as Auburn.
“We’re looking for the best players in Alabama,” Dilfer said following the early signing period. “If they go to the University of Alabama, that’s awesome. But we’re going to be the next best option.”
If Bryan Harsin were still the head coach at Auburn, I could definitely see this goal being realistic. After all, Harsin missed out on the opportunity to land Quinshon Judkins, the Pike Road running back who rushed for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman at Ole Miss in 2022.
Harsin also did not give four-star safety Sylvester Smith the time of day, he also failed to close the deal on four-star defensive lineman Keldric Faulk. Luckily, Hugh Freeze and staff worked hard over a three-week span to keep those top products from Alabama within the borders.
Dilfer will work hard to make that dream a reality. But if Freeze and company continue to recruit in-state talent at a high level, it will be quite a climb. It will be a battle to keep an eye on. | 2022-12-29T19:56:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | UAB head coach Trent Dilfer aims to out recruit Auburn | https://sports.yahoo.com/uab-head-coach-trent-dilfer-190027774.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/uab-head-coach-trent-dilfer-190027774.html?src=rss |
Austin Woods, a lead defensive analyst at USC, is expected to become the new offensive line coach at Incarnate Word, per Bruce Feldman on Twitter.
Woods 30, was an offensive lineman and starting long snapper at Oklahoma (2010-13), finishing his career as a team captain on the 2013 Sugar Bowl-winning Sooner team. He was a 3-time (2011-13) Academic All-Big 12 first teamer. While at Oklahoma, he beat cancer (Hodgkin’s lymphoma) following chemotherapy treatments in the summer and fall of 2012.
Austin Woods joined the USC staff in January of 2022 as an analyst working with the defense. He is now heading to Incarnate Word with USC graduate assistant Conner McQueen.
Woods followed Riley to Los Angeles in January of 2022, and less than a year later, he is leaving for his first on-field coaching gig.
Woods and McQueen’s last game with USC will be in the Cotton Bowl versus Tulane.
The Cotton Bowl will kick off at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on January 2, live on ESPN.
SOURCE: USC lead defensive analyst Austin Woods is expected to be the new O-line coach at Incarnate Word. Woods played OL at OU for Kevin Wilson and Lincoln Riley, and was a team captain for the Sooners. The Texas native coached on both sides of the ball at OU.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Emanuel Miller had 20 points with 10 rebounds, and No. 18 TCU extended its winning streak to nine games with a 103-57 victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Mike Miles Jr. added 21 points as the Horned Frogs (11-1) hit triple digits in scoring for the first time since a 100-63 win over Tennessee Tech on Nov. 13, 2017. Damion Baugh had 13 points for TCU, which started the same five players in consecutive games for the first time this season, including big men Eddie Lampkin and Chuck O'Bannon. | 2022-12-29T19:56:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | USC defensive analyst Austin Woods leaves to become a position coach at FCS school | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-defensive-analyst-austin-woods-111744325.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-defensive-analyst-austin-woods-111744325.html?src=rss |
Therefore, when USC met Tulane in the 1932 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Rose Bowl was still the only bowl game in existence. It was not just the only show in town; it was the only show in college football’s postseason.
9-1 USC faced 11-0 Tulane in the Arroyo Seco on Friday, January 1, 1932. A crowd of 75,562 gathered to watch the game.
USC and Tulane played a scoreless first quarter before the Trojans scored the only points of the first half on a five-yard touchdown run by Ray Sparling with 9:34 left in the second quarter. USC built on its 7-0 halftime lead by scoring 14 points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter. Halfback Erny Pinckert, an All-American who earned Rose Bowl MVP honors, scored on two touchdown runs of over 22 yards — 30 and 23, to be precise.
USC had a 21-0 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Tulane managed to score two touchdowns, but each conversion failed. USC was able to preserve a two-possession lead in the game’s final 17 minutes and earn a 21-12 win.
USC coach Howard Jones won the second of his five Rose Bowl championships. Tulane finished its season 11-1, the second-best record in any season in the history of the school. Only the 1998 team — which went 12-0 — finished with a better record.
Here are a few game highlights: | 2022-12-29T19:56:21Z | sports.yahoo.com | USC vs Tulane: The 1932 Rose Bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-vs-tulane-1932-rose-140511387.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-vs-tulane-1932-rose-140511387.html?src=rss |
Wednesday was a strange day on the Kayshon Boutte front for LSU.
After his surprise decision on Dec. 5 to forgo the opportunity to go pro and return to the Tigers in 2023, Boutte reversed course and declared for the NFL draft. Earlier in the day, LSU announced that Boutte would not play in the Citrus Bowl vs. Purdue on Jan. 2 but was still enrolled in spring classes.
Boutte returning to LSU in 2023 always felt a bit too good to be true. The junior was considered one of the top receiver prospects in college football entering the season after a monster campaign in 2021 that was cut short due to injury after six games.
He never developed a strong connection with Jayden Daniels this fall and his production dropped, though he still had 538 yards and two touchdowns on 48 catches.
Getting Boutte back in an already talented receiver room would have given the Tigers one of the top corps in college football, but the outlook is far from bleak, even without him.
Though the team loses role players Jack Bech (transfer portal) and Jaray Jenkins (NFL draft), the Tigers will return leading receiver Malik Nabers, who had a breakout campaign as a true sophomore. He finished with 63 catches for 854 yards and two touchdowns, and he should be Daniels’ favorite target once more.
LSU also brings back Brian Thomas Jr., who only had 330 yards on 27 catches but found the end zone four times, and Kyren Lacy, a Louisiana transfer who saw an increased role down the stretch. Chris Hilton Jr. should also return to the group after missing much of the 2022 season with a shoulder injury.
That doesn’t even take the new additions into account. LSU landed one of the top receivers in the transfer portal in Aaron Anderson, a former five-star recruit who was once committed to the Tigers. Anderson made a minimal impact as a true freshman at Alabama in 2022, and the New Orleans native has returned to his home state.
We also can’t forget the pair of recently signed top-100 prospects in Jalen Brown and Shelton Sampson Jr., who could each make an impact as true freshmen in 2023.
There’s no way to sugarcoat Boutte’s loss. He’s one of the game’s most talented receivers at this level, and his departure will hurt. But this is a receiving corps that certainly has the talent and depth to handle that loss.
Daniels should have no shortage of targets in the passing game next fall.
The Connecticut Office of the Inspector General announced it is launching an investigation into the death of a man in police custody in South Windsor. Kevin Doherty, 55, of Boston, was arrested by South Windsor police on Dec. 23 on family violence charges and was being held on $250,000 bond, according to the inspector general's office. Dispatchers noticed Doherty "in apparent distress in the South Windsor Police Department holding facility" around 12:20 p.m. on Monday, according to the inspector general. | 2022-12-29T19:56:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | Where Kayshon Boutte’s departure leaves LSU’s receiver group in 2023 | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-kayshon-boutte-departure-leaves-174407469.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/where-kayshon-boutte-departure-leaves-174407469.html?src=rss |
Sid the Kid's standout season hasn't been matched in nearly 20 years, but nobody will ever touch Super Mario's records.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has produced some of the sport's greatest stars.
One of the three major junior leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has been a launchpad for several future greats, such as Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby and countless others. Here's a list of the most dominant individual seasons in QMJHL history.
The Magnificent One's reign began in the QMJHL.
The entire season was a masterclass in dominance from Lemieux. The Laval Voisins forward scored a mind-blowing 133 goals, setting the all-time Canadian Hockey League record. Along with 149 assists, Lemieux's 282 points remain (an absurd 4.03 points per game) another CHL record and 31 points clear of the next best season.
Lemieux was so head and shoulders above his competition that the next best points tally was Jacques Goyette's 170. That's a 112-point gap! Lemieux deservedly won four QMJHL trophies and was the CHL Player of the Year for 1983-84.
In the 1970-71 season, "The Flower" led the Quebec Remparts to the Memorial Cup with 130 regular-season goals in only 62 games – the best goals-per-game average ever in a season. With 79 assists, Lafleur's 209 points put him ahead of teammate Michel Briere who came second on the charts with 144 points (51 goals and 93 assists).
As is often the case, Larouche's heroics also bolstered the rest of the team. Fellow Epervier Michel Deziel finished second in scoring that season at 227, with 92 goals and 135 assists.
Behind the two impressive Sorel Eperviers on the scoring leaderboard in 1973-74 was Cloutier. The Quebec Remparts forward finished third with 216 points, but Cloutier's contribution was enough to power his franchise to a second consecutive Memorial Cup final. Cloutier’s points total that season ranks fifth all-time.
During this season, Crosby scored 168 points with 66 goals and 102 assists playing for the Rimouski Oceanic. Next best was the forward's teammate Dany Roussin at 116 points (54 goals and 62 assists). Nobody in the QMJHL has matched that output since.
The year prior, Crosby ended his rookie season with 54 goals and 81 assists. The performances won him the Jean Béliveau Trophy for having the most points in the league. In fact, for the 2003-04 season, Crosby was adjudged the league's player of the year and won the top scorer and top rookie awards, becoming the first QMJHL player to win all three major awards.
Since then, "Sid the Kid" has established himself as one of the greatest players ever. The Pittsburgh Penguins legend has won three Stanley Cups, two MVPs, two scoring titles, two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup.
His 43 wins led Moncton to the Atlantic Division title. And with a 2.01 goals-against average, Riopel bested Martin Houle's 2.32 mark to set a new league record. His .931 save percentage is also a single-season best among goalies who played a minimum 30 games.
Before the 1980-81 season, it's crucial to look back at Hawerchuk's previous season. In those times, Toronto-born QMJHL players were rare. Hawerchuk, a Toronto native, broke out with a rookie of the year performance of 103 points. The playoff MVP led the Cornwall Royals to the Memorial Cup title.
The Creed Brothers vs. Veer Mahaan & Sanga Set For WWE NXT New Year’s Evil 2023
The Creed Brothers (Brutus & Julius Creed) will finally face […] | 2022-12-29T19:56:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Most dominant QMJHL seasons ever: Sidney Crosby cracks top 10 | https://sports.yahoo.com/most-dominant-qmjhl-seasons-of-all-time-sidney-crosby-mario-lemieux-among-top-10-players-180834764.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/most-dominant-qmjhl-seasons-of-all-time-sidney-crosby-mario-lemieux-among-top-10-players-180834764.html?src=rss |
Pelé, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. “All that we are is thanks to you," his daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram. Widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest players, Pelé spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents as the game’s most prolific scorer with Brazilian club Santos and the Brazil national team. | 2022-12-29T19:56:53Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pelé, transcendent soccer superstar and Brazilian ‘national treasure,’ dies at 82 | https://sports.yahoo.com/pele-transcendent-soccer-superstar-and-brazilian-national-treasure-dies-at-82-190426625.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pele-transcendent-soccer-superstar-and-brazilian-national-treasure-dies-at-82-190426625.html?src=rss |
I don’t always use the first person for the Four Verts columns, but I would like to for this one. J.J. Watt announced that he was going to retire after the season, bringing one of the greatest careers in the history of the NFL to a close. Watt will be an easy first-ballot Hall of Famer in a few years, securing his gold jacket and spot in Canton long ago while he was racking up defensive player of the year awards with the Houston Texans.
Here’s how I would personally describe Watt’s importance to my generation of football players and football consumers. I played defensive line all throughout my playing days and there were two guys that all of us tried to emulate: Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt. Those guys have the standard for dominant, hand-in-the-dirt defensive linemen in this era of football. Hours of YouTube videos watching Watt and his ability to affect plays without making a tackle. The block destruction, swim moves, the timing on pass breakups and interceptions near the line of scrimmage.
At his peak, he was a flawless player — and he’s going to go out by having a vintage performance on national television against the Buccaneers. Watt’s peak was so damn good that he’s a surefire Hall of Famer despite not really playing at that level since 2018. Watt had 69 sacks in a 64-game stretch from 2012-2015 including 20-sack seasons in 2012 and 2014. Also in 2012, Watt managed an insane 39 tackles for loss.
Longevity does matter to a degree in debates on who is better between Watt and Donald, but Watt’s peak stretch of play seriously might be the best defensive player of all time. He is absolutely in that Reggie White and Lawrence Taylor tier when it comes to the most dominant players in NFL history.
As elite as he was on the field, he was even more incredible off of it. Watt’s work with charity is well known and he played a major role in helping Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey back in 2017. It’s hard to reach that level of stardom without having any real slip-ups or controversies away from the field.
Salute to Watt, a player who encompassed everything possible from an elite defensive linemen and gave to others during his time away from football. It’s hard to leave a better legacy than the one he did.
Hopefully this isn’t a jinx, but the current AFC playoff picture is shaping up for a kick-ass tournament on their side of the NFL. All seven teams that are currently in line for a playoff spot have spent portions of this season being must-watch teams. The Bills, Chiefs, Bengals, Ravens and Chargers have already clinched their spots for the postseason. For now, the Jaguars and the Dolphins are in the driver's seat to make it, too. If the current AFC playoff field stands, here’s what the opening weekend would look like.
No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs vs No. 7 Miami Dolphins
No. 3 Cincinnati Bengals vs No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers
No. 4 Jacksonville Jaguars vs No. 5 Baltimore Ravens
There is an interesting shift here from where the NFL has been over the past decade or so. All of these AFC teams have franchise quarterbacks that are 27 years old or younger, and just about all of them have had sustained stretches of elite play at some point in their careers. The idea that this is just the start of a new highly competitive era in the AFC adds to the potential intrigue.
The Raiders, man. What a season, meant in the absolute worst way possible. The Raiders went all-in on top end talent to try and close the gap between themselves and the Chiefs by trading for Davante Adams, signing Chandler Jones and re-signing Maxx Crosby. Even though the rest of their roster was a little flimsy, there was reason to believe that their core of good-to-elite talent would be able to overcome that to a degree and allow the Raiders to be one of the top teams in the NFL.
Ha! Not even close, bud. This has been the season from hell and now, Derek Carr’s time with the Raiders appears to be over and Josh McDaniels is only going to be the head coach next year because this franchise has had too much turmoil over the past few seasons. This is an extreme drop-off from where the Raiders thought they were going to be. This team almost beat the Bengals in the playoffs a year ago and now they’ve committed to starting former Patriots backup Jarrett Stidham the last two games. Carr is going to leave the team for the remaining two weeks of the season in an obvious white flag wave on this season and, partially, this era of Raiders football.
What happens next will be interesting. If the NFL draft were held today, the Raiders would have the ninth overall pick, which might make it difficult for them to get the top quarterback on their board. They simply cannot enter the 2023 season without making a major move at the quarterback position if this truly is the end for Carr and the Raiders. Adams will likely still be on the Raiders' roster next year, unless they’re willing to eat dead cap space in a trade and fully commit to a teardown. Tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow have contracts that are much easier to move, but do the Raiders really want to start from scratch here?
The AFC West isn’t going to get easier anytime soon. Patrick Mahomes is still Kratos from the God of War series in a Chiefs uniform. Justin Herbert isn’t very far behind from where Mahomes is on the ability to carry an offense. Denver still has a young, talented core on defense that’ll be tough to score on for years to come. The Raiders have to consider the possibility that taking this step to remove Carr from the roster will trap them even further in no man’s land over the next few years. As of now, this team is way far behind the Chiefs and Chargers for the foreseeable future.
Regardless of what happens with Carr, McDaniels and their other big-name pieces, this can’t be the 2022 season that the Raiders expected to have. It’s been about as bad as a season can possibly go and it’s altered the future of the entire franchise.
The College Football Playoff kicks off this weekend, and there’s a big time NFL draft matchup happening when the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Of course, that’s to be expected when two programs who recruit at this level face off, but there’s a unique opportunity to watch several players who will be selected in the top half of the 2023 NFL draft directly face off against each other. Particularly when it comes to the Buckeyes’ explosive offense taking on a rugged Bulldogs’ defense.
According to Tankathon’s preliminary NFL draft rankings, each of these teams have a handful of players projected to be selected within the top two rounds of the NFL draft that are going to play in this game. For Ohio State it’s quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and defensive lineman Zach Harrison. Georgia’s projected top-64 picks are defensive tackle Jalen Carter, cornerback Kelee Ringo, offensive tackle Broderick Jones, tight end Darnell Washington and safety Chris Smith.
Georgia's Jalen Carter could be the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 NFL draft. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Carter and Stroud are the biggest names here, with both players currently in contention to be the first overall pick in next year’s draft. Carter has been the single most destructive force in college football since returning from an ankle injury and Stroud has been one of the most prolific passers in the country over the past two seasons. Johnson likely won’t see many one-on-one opportunities against Carter in this game, but Johnson doesn’t need to go against Carter at this point to prove his worth as a prospect. He’s a bonafide left tackle prospect for the next level and projects as a Day 1 starter.
Stroud can buy himself a lot of goodwill as far as his draft evaluations go if he can pass this test with flying colors. Stroud has struggled at times when he’s been asked to be the primary playmaker for Ohio State’s offense and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is elite at forcing quarterbacks into mistakes. Stroud has a chance to settle in as the top quarterback prospect with a strong performance and, unfortunately, be the new face of the Texans.
The most crucial matchup between Ohio State’s offense and Georgia’s defense comes between Ringo and a wide receiver who isn’t eligible for the draft just yet: Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison is so damn good that he would easily be a top-five pick in this year’s draft and is one of the best wide receiver prospects of the past decade. Size, speed, route-running, balance, ability to win at the catch point — there’s really nothing this guy can’t do. It’s unclear if Ringo will be shadowing Harrison for the game or if Georgia will keep Ringo on the left side of the field, but Harrison and Ringo battling will be a major storyline to this game. | 2022-12-29T20:53:30Z | sports.yahoo.com | An ode to J.J. Watt; Raiders skid into worst-case scenario; and Georgia-Ohio State offers a mini-NFL draft preview | https://sports.yahoo.com/an-ode-to-jj-watt-raiders-skid-into-worst-case-scenario-and-georgia-ohio-state-offers-a-mini-nfl-draft-preview-202342125.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/an-ode-to-jj-watt-raiders-skid-into-worst-case-scenario-and-georgia-ohio-state-offers-a-mini-nfl-draft-preview-202342125.html?src=rss |
The NFL and college football worlds were thrown for a loop when it was reported on Thursday by ESPN college insider Pete Thamel that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is considered a finalist to be the next team president/CEO of the Chicago Bears. The Bears are searching for a replacement for Ted Phillips, who announced over the summer he will retire early in 2023 after serving as the team’s president and CEO since 1999.
Shortly after the news broke, both the Bears and the Big Ten Conference have released statements regarding the reported interest of Warren.
Statement from the Chicago Bears
Nov 8, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Chicago Bears helmet is seen on the field before the Bears play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears released a statement via ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Statement from the Big Ten
Oct 11, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, US; Big Ten Conference commissioner Kevin Warren speaks to the media during the Big Ten media days at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
The Big Ten also released a statement via Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde: | 2022-12-29T20:53:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears and the Big Ten release separate statements regarding Kevin Warren | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-big-ten-release-separate-203551015.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-big-ten-release-separate-203551015.html?src=rss |
The Chargers’ defense should soon be getting some reinforcement.
On Thursday, Los Angeles designated edge defender Joey Bosa for return from injured reserve. Bosa has spent most of the regular season on IR after sustaining a groin injury that required surgery in Week 3.
Bosa can begin practicing with the team as soon as Thursday, opening a 21-day window in which he participates in all team activities without counting against the 53-man roster.
He may be activated during those three weeks, at which point he would be eligible to play in the Bolts’ remaining games, including the playoffs.
Getting the four-time Pro Bowler is enormous for a defense that has finally gotten into stride in the past three games.
During the first two games of the season, Bosa and his partner-in-crime Khalil Mack combined for 5.5 sacks, 20 quarterback pressures, and 13 hurries. | 2022-12-29T20:54:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chargers’ Joey Bosa designated to return from injured reserve | https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-joey-bosa-designated-return-195146333.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-joey-bosa-designated-return-195146333.html?src=rss |
With the 2022 NFL season near its close, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s name is once again coming up in talks surrounding the offseason head-coaching carousel.
Bieniemy has interviewed for 15 NFL head-coaching jobs since the 2019 NFL offseason. Each time he’s been passed over for another candidate, but this time around things could be different for Bieniemy. In a recent article from ESPN insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, they suggest that Bieniemy has been a popular name during the early talks centered around this head-coaching cycle:
Speaking to media members on Wednesday, Chiefs HC Andy Reid weighed in on Bieniemy’s head-coaching candidacy. He praised the NFL for their offseason accelerator program, citing it as something that could be important for Bieniemy in the future.
“Yeah so, the league actually did that for the assistants, some of the assistant coaches that had potential opportunities to become head coaches,” Reid said. “I thought they did a nice job of that this offseason, getting together with the owners. To me, that was the difference, (it was) more of a casual setting. Not, ‘I have to hire this guy right now.’ Get to know them. I appreciated that. I thought that was a good thing for (Offensive Coordinator) Eric (Bieniemy). I know what he can do. I’ve said it 100 times. I haven’t changed my opinion on that.”
Bieniemy too thought the setting of the accelerator program was beneficial. While he’s entirely focused on the Denver Broncos and Week 17, he spoke a bit on the benefit of the accelerator program with reporters on Thursday.
“I thought the league did a heck of a job with the accelerator program this spring,” Bieniemy said. “It was great to be a part of that. Obviously, it was a number of coaches and a number of personnel people. It was a great experience. I thought it went well, but right now, that took place in the spring and I’m where my feet are. The only thing I can control is today — and it’s situational football day. It’s third down day, so we’ve got to make sure we get back on track.”
As the team prepares for Denver, Reid is reminded that this is the latest team with a head-coaching vacancy. It’s a potential opportunity for Bieniemy in the future, but Reid is hoping that his offensive coordinator ends up elsewhere.
“So, I hope he gets an opportunity,” Reid said of Bieniemy. “I’d rather not have it at Denver, but I hope he gets an opportunity.” | 2022-12-29T20:54:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy again the subject of head-coaching buzz | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-oc-eric-bieniemy-again-204522418.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-oc-eric-bieniemy-again-204522418.html?src=rss |
The last month has not been kind to Chicago Bears wide receivers. Since late November, they have been without Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown, and N’Keal Harry for an extended period of time. Now, Dante Pettis is the latest player to pop up on the injury report.
According to Dan Wiederer of The Chicago Tribune, Pettis suffered an ankle injury during Wednesday’s practice. Although he was listed as a limited participant, his status could be in doubt this weekend when the Bears face the Detroit Lions.
Bears WR Dante Pettis injured his ankle in Wednesday's practice, which threatens to further deplete an already very thin WR corps for Sunday's trip into Ford Field.
Claypool and St. Brown did not practice yet again and could be in danger of missing another game in a row and Mooney has been out for the season due to a broken ankle suffered in late November against the New York Jets. If Pettis were to miss, the top Bears receivers would be Harry, Byron Pringle, and Velus Jones Jr.
Pettis, the former 2018 second-round pick, has been the team’s third or fourth receiving option all season long. Playing in all 15 games, Pettis has 17 catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns, the most of any Bears wide receiver this season. He’s also the team’s primary punt returner, averaging 9.7 yards per return this season.
More information will be available following Thursday’s injury report but it’s possible the Bears are down yet another player in the passing game for Justin Fields. | 2022-12-29T20:54:20Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dante Pettis is the latest Bears WR to be dealing with an injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/dante-pettis-latest-bears-wr-185444032.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dante-pettis-latest-bears-wr-185444032.html?src=rss |
Does McGlinchey receive enough credit for 49ers' success? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers had opportunities in the fourth quarter of their 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders on Saturday to blow it open.
They reached the Commanders’ 10-yard line twice. But two false-start penalties on third downs contributed to the 49ers settling for short field goals. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey was the player called for the infractions.
Those unforced errors partly overshadowed what was an otherwise strong game for the fifth-year player. His pancake block on veteran linebacker David Mayo helped spring Ray-Ray McCloud for a 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
McGlinchey has not allowed a sack in the past seven games, per Pro Football Focus. He has allowed just eight pressures during that stretch, as the 49ers own an eight-game win streak with two games remaining in the regular season.
Does McGlinchey receive too much criticism for his mistakes while his contributions toward an NFC West title go mostly unappreciated? Perhaps, but McGlinchey realizes that is part of the deal.
“I think that’s something I’ve had to learn and accept about this gig. I think when you’re picked high and you’re playing for a franchise with the standard of excellence like the 49ers, you need to be as good as you can be. And those kinds of things come with the territory.”
The 49ers won the coin toss for the No. 9 spot in the 2018 NFL Draft over the then-Oakland Raiders, a team that also had its sights set on McGlinchey.
McGlinchey might receive more scrutiny because the 49ers selected him over such Pro Bowl players as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Tremaine Edmunds, Derwin James and Vita Vea.
The Raiders traded back five spots and selected tackle Kolton Miller. While Miller, like McGlinchey, has never received Pro Bowl recognition, the Raiders showed their appreciation to him with a three-year, $54 million extension after the 2020 NFL season.
Meanwhile, the 49ers picked up the fifth-year option for McGlinchey, paying him $10.88 million for this season. His future with the club is up in the air with him scheduled for unrestricted free agency in March. McGlinchey, 27, figures to be an attractive option for any of the large number of teams determined to upgrade their offensive line this offseason.
It has not always been a smooth ride for McGlinchey. He is playing the best ball of his career while also owning up to his errors.
“Every mistake I’ve made, I deserve criticism for,” he said. “I’ve made some bad ones, for sure. But I’ve also played some really, really great football.
“I’ve learned that the only way to get better is by blocking that stuff out and accepting it as part of the job and just continuing to move forward and play as good as you can. I’ve done that to a pretty good degree this year and the last couple of years.”
According to Pro Football Focus, McGlinchey is ranked as the 49ers’ third-best pass protector this season behind Trent Williams and center Jake Brendel, and behind only Williams as a run blocker.
McGlinchey’s improved play can largely be traced to his physical condition. He had a knee condition that he managed over the past couple seasons. When it gave out last season, he underwent an extensive procedure that sidelined him for the final nine games of the regular season and the team’s entire postseason run.
"I was obviously not as healthy as I am now, but I felt I was playing really good ball last year and I was on my way to doing a great job," McGlinchey said. "But it got cut short, and that’s the way football is.
“I’m here again, and we have another opportunity.”
McGlinchey believes he has settled into a solid routine and mental approach to the game. He refers to his “journey” toward playing at a more consistent level.
But with every game comes new challenges, such as going up against Raiders Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby on New Years Day.
“Just because I played well last week or the 15 weeks prior, doesn’t mean that things happen the way you want them to happen every week,” McGlinchey said. “You got to go earn it every single time -- got to keep improving.” | 2022-12-29T20:54:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | Does Mike McGlinchey receive enough credit for 49ers' NFC West title? | https://sports.yahoo.com/does-mike-mcglinchey-receive-enough-191500357.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/does-mike-mcglinchey-receive-enough-191500357.html?src=rss |
PHILADELPHIA (AP) No matter the quarterback, the Eagles are trying to finish as the top team in the NFC. Knocking off the New Orleans Saints will get Philadelphia all the spoils of the No. 1 seed.
''If we don't handle what we can control, then it doesn't even matter,'' Saints quarterback Andy Dalton said. ''So for us, the mindset is: We've got two left, let's go win these next two games and see what happens.''
Added offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton: ''We're obviously excited for the challenge that Philly's going to present.''
The Eagles return home after three straight road games with the hope the next time they hit the road, it's for the Super Bowl. They finish against the Saints and New York Giants, then could play up to two homes games in the playoffs - as long as they get the No. 1 seed.
''If Jalen is ready to play, he'll play, but we have to have a plan for both of those guys,'' offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said.
''It will be sweet if we can go out there and get this win, and then once we're making the draft pick later we can say to ourselves, well, that really did help us out,'' Sirianni said.
''We made a decision, a business decision, and then you move forward with that,'' said Allen, a former defensive coordinator who still oversees and calls the defense. ''You don't really look back and play the what-if game. It was something that we felt like was the best thing for our team at that point in time and and then we moved forward.'' | 2022-12-29T20:54:40Z | sports.yahoo.com | Eagles try to strengthen playoff spot; Saints play for one | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-try-strengthen-playoff-spot-203740748.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-try-strengthen-playoff-spot-203740748.html?src=rss |
Less than two weeks ago, Josh Dobbs was the third-string quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Signed to the Detroit practice squad earlier in the season, Dobbs got plucked off the unit on December 21st, signed to the active roster of the Tennessee Titans.
Having been in Nashville for less than two weeks, Dobbs is now the starting quarterback for the Titans. With Ryan Tannehill injured and rookie Malik Willis really struggling, Dobbs will take over as the starting quarterback for Tennessee’s critical game on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
Despite his lack of time with the team, Dobbs was judged to give the Titans a better chance to win than Willis, who threw two picks in the final two minutes of TEnnessee’s Week 16 loss to the last-place Texans. It seems like a desperate move by Vrabel and the Titans, who have lost five games in a row and fallen out of the lead in the AFC South.
A person familiar with the situation says that the Tennessee Titans will start Joshua Dobbs at quarterback Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys instead of rookie Malik Willis. The Titans' third-round pick out of Liberty, WIllis had been expected to make his fourth start with veteran Ryan Tannehill among eight declared out for this game. Instead, the Titans will start Dobbs, whom they signed off Detroit's practice squad Dec. 21, the person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
While the hearing is not the end of the legal battle, the judge did not substantially alter an order that prevents release of the Chatfield records. | 2022-12-29T20:54:52Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ex-Lions QB Josh Dobbs will start for the Titans | https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-lions-qb-josh-dobbs-190842671.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-lions-qb-josh-dobbs-190842671.html?src=rss |
Five potential landing spots for Raiders’ QB Derek Carr in 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
So, since we don’t know exactly what the Raiders are planning to do with Carr, let’s take a look at five teams that make sense as potential landing spots, regardless of how he ends up there.
Nico Hischier with a Goal vs. Boston Bruins
Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils) with a Goal vs. Boston Bruins, 12/28/2022 | 2022-12-29T20:54:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | Five potential landing spots for Raiders’ QB Derek Carr in 2023 | https://sports.yahoo.com/five-potential-landing-spots-raiders-193000131.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/five-potential-landing-spots-raiders-193000131.html?src=rss |
So will the New Orleans Saints face him on Sunday? We’ll just have to wait and find out, but everything Hurts and his coaches have said thus far suggests he’ll have a shot at suiting up. The Eagles need just one more win to clinch the top NFC playoff seed and everything that comes with it (homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and a first-round bye), and knocking off the Saints would improve the first-round selection Philadelphia is getting from New Orleans in the 2023 NFL draft. Hurts and the Eagles should be plenty motivated to put their best players on the field.
Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew wasn’t able to get the job done last week in relief of Hurts against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys, though he completed 24 of 40 pass attempts for 355 yards with 2 touchdown passes and as many interceptions (he added 5 rushing yards, including a crucial short-yardage touchdown run, though he fumbled twice in that game). Hurts would certainly help their chances.
The Saints haven’t been able to guard him in each of their last two trips to Philadelphia, with Hurts doing as much damage through the air (completing 24 of 54 attempts for 314 yards and a touchdown pass) as on the ground (gaining 175 yards and scoring 3 touchdown runs) while leading his teams to wins of 24-21 and 40-29 margins. He’s a challenging opponent to cover thanks to his big arm and running ability. We’ll see if he can go on Sunday, but returning to practice like this is an important first step.
Winter storm in Buffalo: Officials concerned warmer weather could lead to flooding
There are new concerns in Buffalo, New York, that warmer weather could cause the more than four feet of snow that fell to melt, leading to potential flooding. | 2022-12-29T20:55:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jalen Hurts returns to Eagles practice while managing throwing shoulder injury | https://sports.yahoo.com/jalen-hurts-returns-eagles-practice-195413851.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jalen-hurts-returns-eagles-practice-195413851.html?src=rss |
The Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) meet the Los Angeles Rams (5-10) in Week 17 of the 2022 regular season.
The Chargers are coming off a 20-3 victory over the Colts to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2018.
Los Angeles’ win came behind a dominant defensive effort that resulted in seven sacks and three interceptions. It was an uneven offensive performance, but two rushing touchdowns from Austin Ekeler put them on top.
Meanwhile, the Rams crushed the Broncos on Christmas Day, winning by the score of 51-14. Cam Akers rushed for three touchdowns, while Los Angeles’ defense sacked Russell Wilson six times and picked him off three times.
The last time the Chargers and Rams met was in 2018. The Rams won 35-23. This will mark the first time the two teams play each other in a regular season game in SoFi Stadium.
Sunday’s contest will begin at 1:25 pm PT and be televised on CBS.
Pel, the Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became one of the most commanding sports figures of the last century, died Thursday. He was 82. | 2022-12-29T20:55:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL betting: Point spread, over/under for Chargers vs. Rams in Week 17 | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-point-spread-over-191930825.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-betting-point-spread-over-191930825.html?src=rss |
Oddsmakers picking Patriots to knock off Dolphins in pivotal Week 17 clash
The New England Patriots might be banged up, but the thought of the Miami Dolphins playing without their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, has shifted the sports betting line in favor of the home team.
Tipico Sportsbook currently has the Patriots pegged as three-point favorites in a rematch of the regular season opener. New England actually put up a better fight than the 20-7 score indicates in the first meeting, particularly when the Dolphins’ only offensive touchdown in the game came on a busted passing play that went for 42 yards to Jaylen Waddle.
Miami will be rolling out Teddy Bridgewater as the starting quarterback on Sunday with Tagovailoa currently in concussion protocol.
Granted, that’s a major advantage for the Patriots. However, Bridgewater is a great backup quarterback with more than enough weapons to challenge the vaunted Patriots defense. Waddle and Tyreek Hill facing a defensive backfield that could be without Jalen Mills, Marcus Jones and Jack Jones could be a big problem.
The continued question marks surrounding New England’s offense will also ensure that Miami has a fighting chance.
This will be a must-win game for the Patriots as far as the playoffs are concerned. If they win, they’ll still control their own postseason destiny. But a loss would effectively eliminate them from contention.
It’s do-or-die at this point. | 2022-12-29T20:56:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | Oddsmakers picking Patriots to knock off Dolphins in pivotal Week 17 clash | https://sports.yahoo.com/oddsmakers-picking-patriots-knock-off-195347055.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/oddsmakers-picking-patriots-knock-off-195347055.html?src=rss |
It was a rough performance for a Green Bay Packers offense in Week 1 against Minnesota that would include them scoring just seven points while averaging 5.3 yards per pass, going just 1-for-3 in the red zone and 3-for-9 on third down, among other disappointing offensive numbers.
However, where they were able to find some success, which led to them moving the ball in the second half, was in the run game. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon finished with 92 rushing yards, averaging 6.2 yards per rush. In part, this level of production may have been helped by a Vikings’ defense that had a three-score lead and was protecting against the big pass play, but nonetheless, the run game should be an important factor for the Packers this Sunday.
Over the last six games, the Green Bay offense has really begun to find its groove, ranking as one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL by DVOA during that span, and their success on the ground has been a key part of that. In the four games where the Packers scored at least 24 points, Jones and Dillon rushed for over 550 yards at greater than five yards per rush. In the two games against Tennessee and Detroit that included just 26 combined points, the Green Bay running backs barely broke 100 rushing yards and averaged less than three yards per attempt. The Miami game was the exception to this, with the run game struggling to get going, yet the Packers still put up 26 points. A lack of attempts for Aaron Jones, a blitz-heavy Dolphins defense, and a struggling secondary would factor into those results on the ground.
But for the most part, the Packers’ ability to put up points and success on the ground have gone hand in hand.
This is a Vikings’ defense that ranks slightly below league average, allowing 4.4 yards per rush this season. Minnesota also ranks below the league average in ESPN’s run-stop win rate and run-defense DVOA.
Vikings’ defensive coordinator Ed Donatell runs a version of the Vic Fangio-style defense, meaning like Green Bay, Minnesota uses a heavy dose of cover-2. They also don’t blitz all too often either, which is where Aaron Rodgers has been very good this season. If executed properly, cover-2 will help take away the big passing play and force Rodgers and the Packers offense to be patient, taking what’s available underneath or relying on the check-down option.
The Rams did this close to flawlessly against Green Bay, and it helped keep the passing game in check. Afterward, Rodgers would even mention how it can be frustrating going against this style of defense. However, one of the better ways to attack cover-2 is through the run game. In that same game, Jones and Dillon rushed for 126 yards, with Jones averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Hopefully, success on the ground against Minnesota will force them to come out of that two-high shell, which then should open up opportunities in the passing game. On top of that, success on the ground can often mean controlling the clock, which also means keeping Justin Jefferson on the sidelines. If the Packers can’t move the ball on the ground consistently, it’s likely going to result in the offensive line having to regularly contend with Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter in pass protection, along with the offense as a whole having to put together long scoring drives through the air, something this group just hasn’t been very good at this season
Having Christian Watson available will be important for the run game’s success as well. He did not practice on Wednesday after suffering a hip injury in Miami. Without that big play ability on the outside, defenses have played the Packers much more aggressively this season, including a lot of cover-1 and press coverages, with the Detroit and Dallas games being prime examples of this. This can then make moving the ball on the ground more challenging.
Green Bay is also going to need their offensive line as healthy as possible–and some good news from Wednesday is that both David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman were at practice. There is the chance that the Packers have their preferred starting five available for Sunday, and that would be a far cry from the unit we saw on the field in Week 1, which included Jake Hanson and Royce Newman on the right side.
This is a Vikings’ secondary that is allowing 7.5 yards per pass attempt this season, the second most in the NFL, so in all likelihood, there will be opportunities to exploit that part of the defense. I’m also not naive; yes, this is a Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers’ led offense, so the passing game is going to be a big part of the game plan. But with that said, a productive run game has often been a catalyst to the overall success of the offense, and against this Minnesota defense, the opportunity to move the ball on the ground should be there. Green Bay just needs to take advantage of it. | 2022-12-29T20:56:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | Packers will have to duplicate run game success vs. Vikings | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-duplicate-run-game-success-192927743.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-duplicate-run-game-success-192927743.html?src=rss |
In less than two NFL seasons, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has now built up a reputation for being a dirty player. And it all started last year with Brian Burns.
The Carolina Panthers defensive end, who was on the receiving end of a highly questionable ankle twist from Jones in 2021, was asked about the passer’s latest incident—where he dropped suspiciously low for a block on Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple this past Saturday. So, add that one to the highlight reel . . .
But Burns told reporters, in a clip courtesy of team beat writer Sheena Quick, that he doesn’t believe the low hit was too egregious.
“I don’t know,” Burns said with a shrug. “I think he was trying to draw a penalty. Push ’em back or something. I don’t think it was nothin’ crazy, but . . . “
He was then asked about the comparisons between the block and the ankle grab. Burns didn’t seem too interested.
“Oh, um . . . I don’t know,” he replied softly.
Jones, who didn’t face any consequences from his injury to Burns, has since been fined by the league for his play on Apple.
As far as his relationship with Burns, Jones stated back in August—when the two teams got together for joint practices—that they’re cool now.
“Yeah, I’ve talked with Brian,” Jones said with a smile. “We already made up at the Pro Bowl and everything’s good. He’s a great player. And I just love watching him on the field—how he can speed-rush, he’s got good power. He’s just a great football player. And he really doesn’t like to talk. He just keeps getting after it and getting after it. I’m kinda the same way. Yeah, we’re definitely friends now. So it’s all good.” | 2022-12-29T20:56:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Panthers DE Brian Burns doesn’t think Mac Jones’ block on Eli Apple was dirty | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-brian-burns-doesn-t-203044152.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-brian-burns-doesn-t-203044152.html?src=rss |
The seven-year-old elephant in the room has been addressed.
On Thursday, ESPN’s David Newton asked Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo about 2015’s infamous battle between former New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and cornerback Josh Norman—who rejoined the team earlier this week. And McAdoo, who was the offensive coordinator for Beckham and Big Blue at the time, had a few words.
“I just remember it got pretty wild, right?” he said. “It was a competitive ball game. They jumped on us early, we battled back and they found a way to win it in the end—the Panthers did. I love me some Panthers now.
“Yeah, it was a battle. It was competitive. I probably don’t wanna say a whole heck of a lot about it, but it was physical. It was one of those deals where sometimes competition pushes you to do things maybe you don’t necessarily wanna do, on both sides. But it ended up being a pretty good ballgame.”
That ballgame ended in a 38-35 victory for the then 14-0 Panthers. The win, also, was somewhat marred by the continuous and excessive physicality between Norman and Beckham—who received three unnecessary roughness penalties throughout the afternoon.
A few months later, NFL owners approved the new two-strikes rule—in which a player is automatically disqualified from a game after accumulating two unsportsmanlike conduct infractions. Yep, the “Odell Beckham rule.” | 2022-12-29T20:56:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Panthers OC Ben McAdoo recalls infamous Josh Norman-Odell Beckham Jr. battle | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-oc-ben-mcadoo-recalls-185542857.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/panthers-oc-ben-mcadoo-recalls-185542857.html?src=rss |
The Los Angeles Rams have struggled across the board in a lot of areas this season, except when it comes to defending the run. Even though this season hasn’t gone according to plan, the Rams boast one of the best run defenses in the NFL and are among four teams who have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher.
The Rams are tied for the fourth-fewest rushing yards per attempt (4.0) and the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game (104.5) this season. The closest a running back came to eclipsing 100 rushing yards in a game against the Rams this season was in Week 14 when Josh Jacobs had 99 yards on 27 attempts.
This season, the @RamsNFL defense ranks tied for fourth in opponent yards allowed per rush (4.04).
The Rams are one of four teams that have not allowed a single rusher to eclipse the 100-yard mark all season (Ravens, Vikings, 49ers). pic.twitter.com/8RaeU6emG6
The fact that the Rams own one of the best run defenses despite all of the injuries they’ve endured is a testament to how good of a defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is. It also helps when you add an All-Pro linebacker like Bobby Wagner to the middle of the defense.
Just a season ago, the Rams finished with the sixth-best run defense while giving up 103.2 rushing yards per game. With two games remaining against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams have an opportunity to conclude this year with a better run defense than they had in 2021. | 2022-12-29T20:56:50Z | sports.yahoo.com | The Rams boast one of the best run defenses in the NFL this season | https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-boast-one-best-run-203250024.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-boast-one-best-run-203250024.html?src=rss |
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remained away from Miami Dolphins meetings on Thursday, yet another indicator that his latest concussion will keep him sidelined for this weekend's trip to face the New England Patriots and possibly even longer.
''Everyone has their opinion,'' Taulia Tagovailoa said. ''My brother, I know he works hard. I know he has a family now. I want my brother to be safe, but at the same time I know that he has a love and a passion for football. I feel like he is going to make the right decision. The biggest thing is staying safe, so that is something he has to pray on. I know when it comes down to it, he will make the right decision.''
''I just feel like he's not going to stop playing football,'' Taulia Tagovailoa said. ''I feel like every opportunity he has, he is going to try to play. I don't know, it's just `go until the wheels fall off.'''
Four days later, he got hit again during a Thursday night game at Cincinnati and was taken off the field on a stretcher. As he lay on the turf, his fingers displayed what's known as the ''fencing response'' that typically indicates a serious neurological issue. That time, he was placed in the concussion protocol, as some argued should have happened after the hit in the Buffalo game.
''I would just say there was enough information there that we thought it was important for him to be able to go see the doctor,'' Miami quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell said Thursday, noting that he did not notice something being off during Sunday's game.
''I don't think we can even answer that question right now,'' Bevell said. ''I think it's truly a day-to-day deal and then see how he's reacting, see what the medical professionals are the ones that have say. That's not a question I'll be able to answer.''
''I want him to always be safe, but at the same time play the game that he loves and do what he loves to do and see him happy,'' Taulia Tagovailoa said. ''In life I feel like we all have to make those tough decisions, regardless of what he feels like doing at the moment. There are lot more years and a lot of more time too, because he's still young.'' | 2022-12-29T20:57:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | Tagovailoa's return still very unclear, even to his brother | https://sports.yahoo.com/tagovailoas-return-still-very-unclear-200337035.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/tagovailoas-return-still-very-unclear-200337035.html?src=rss |
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) Two weeks after ending the Green Bay Packers' three-year reign as NFC North champions, the Minnesota Vikings have a chance to give their division rival's playoff hopes a devastating blow.
''We're building each week,'' Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb said. ''And with every win, that snowball effect continues to grow, and we've just got to find a way to put ourselves in position to give ourselves a chance.''
''Vikings-Packers week, so everything is on the board,'' Vikings running back Dalvin Cook said. ''It's time to go play some ball. I don't care if it was Week 20, it's time to go play some ball and live out this dream Vikings-Packers rivalry.''
''You can tell they're playing with a lot of confidence,'' Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. ''They're going out there, they're competing at a high, high level. Obviously one of the best teams in the league, so we're going to have to play at our best and prepare at our best to give ourselves a chance because they've just been so consistent throughout the entire course of the season.''
The Packers have their own pass-rushing Smith in Preston Smith, who isn't related to Za'Darius. Preston Smith has a team-high 8+ sacks, including three in his last two games. | 2022-12-29T20:57:41Z | sports.yahoo.com | Vikings have opportunity to hinder Packers' playoff hopes | https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-opportunity-hinder-packers-playoff-204259947.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/vikings-opportunity-hinder-packers-playoff-204259947.html?src=rss |
The initial sign that the Vikings’ fortunes this season would be very different from a year ago came 5 minutes, 43 seconds into their regular-season opener against Green Bay.
The Packers got the ball at their own 25-yard line after the Vikings scored a touchdown on a 10-play, 78-yard drive on the opening possession. Green Bay saw an opportunity to tie it quickly as Aaron Rodgers launched a deep pass down the right side for rookie wide receiver Christian Watson. Watson had gotten behind veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson and would have scored easily — if he had caught that perfectly thrown ball.
Instead it went through his hands at the Minnesota 31 for an incompletion and the Packers ended up punting in a 23-7 loss at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The sign this provided ran deeper than a simple incompletion. For a Vikings fan base that spends much of its time fearing the worst, Watson catching the ball would have been even more traumatic. That’s because Watson had been selected with an early pick in the second round that Green Bay obtained in a draft-weekend trade from the Vikings.
Nonetheless, at the time it appeared to be a lucky break. Nearly four months later, it’s clear it was much more. The NFL is a flawed and weird league in which there are very few dominant teams and a combination of luck, skill and good timing is needed for success.
Turns out Watson’s drop was the first indication these Vikings would be very different from the Mike Zimmer-led teams that missed the playoffs the past two seasons. First-year coach Kevin O’Connell and his team have defied so many of the analytics and traditional statistics that scream the Vikings should be an average to slightly above average team.
But the Vikings will play their penultimate game of the regular season Sunday at Lambeau Field with a 12-3 record, the NFC North already wrapped up and a chance to strengthen their hold on the second seed in the conference. That first win over the Packers is the only one for the Vikings that didn’t come by one score.
Sunday’s game will come one day short of it being exactly a year since the Vikings visited Lambeau. If there was any question about the decision to replace Zimmer as coach, the move became a certainty after a 37-10 loss to the Packers that ended Minnesota’s playoff chances.
While the Packers had clinched their third consecutive NFC North title, the Vikings had to watch Sean Mannion start at quarterback after Kirk Cousins was placed on the COVD-19 list two days before the game. In many ways that game perfectly summarized the Vikings’ miserable 7-9 season in which they tied an NFL record by playing in 14 one-score games but only won six of them.
There had been fear since training camp that Cousins’ decision not to get the COVID vaccination would sideline the quarterback at the worst possible time and that turned out to be the case. Mannion had missed time on the COVID list during the week and looked awful. Kellen Mond, a third-round pick in 2021, got a chance and also struggled.
After the game Zimmer was asked if he wanted to see Mond play in the regular-season finale against the Bears? “Not particularly,” he responded. Why? “I see him everyday.”
Cousins, whose only other missed start since joining the Vikings in 2018 came because Minnesota had its playoff position clinched in 2019, watched his team lose on television. “It was hard because Sean was out with COVID all week of practice, so he’s going in to start the game and he hadn’t gotten the chance to really practice either,” Cousins said. “It was just a difficult time and kind of, was really part of a difficult couple of years around that.”
Those difficult years are now a memory. Cousins has tied the NFL record by leading eight fourth-quarterback comebacks this season under O’Connell and the misery of 2020 and ’21 has given way to a far more upbeat coach and team atmosphere in 2022.
What could make this season even more enjoyable?
A victory over the Packers. That would return the favor of last season by all but ending Green Bay’s playoff hopes. A Packers (7-8) win improves their postseason chances to 56 percent, a loss drops those odds to 2 percent. The Vikings also are looking to sweep Green Bay for the first time since the 2017 season.
The fact the Vikings could pretty much put a dagger in the Packers’ season by doing so would only make it that much sweeter.
Alan Borsuk sees nine major issues for education in the coming months. | 2022-12-29T20:58:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | Zulgad: One year later, Vikings get opportunity to turn the tables on arch-rival Packers | https://sports.yahoo.com/zulgad-one-later-vikings-opportunity-194933394.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/zulgad-one-later-vikings-opportunity-194933394.html?src=rss |
The Florida Gators are still on the outside looking in of the NCAA Tournament field, according to Joe Lunardi of ESPN’s latest bracketology update.
As conference play begins, Florida has a chance to rejoin the bubble, but it’s been a few weeks since the Gators have been considered even a borderline playoff team. With a 7-5 record, it’s easy to see why Florida isn’t garnering much support from Lunardi. The Gators have an 0-5 record against Quadrant 1 teams and are 7-0 against Quadrant 3 and 4 teams. In other words, they lose to good teams and beat the teams they are supposed to.
For other teams, those results may be encouraging, but Florida’s an SEC team that’s expected to compete at a high level. Speaking of SEC teams, seven programs in the conference are included in Lunardi’s bracket predictions.
Auburn, Florida’s only opponent before the next bracketology update, is a No. 6 seed in the West Region. A win, or even a close loss, could propel Florida to rejoin the bubble. After that, Florida faces teams from the bottom half of the conference, which wouldn’t be near as big a win as one over the Tigers.
If the Gators want to rejoin the playoff conversation, it needs to put up a statement performance on Wednesday against Auburn.
A 14-year-old male was shot in Montgomery late Monday afternoon. He died of his injuries two days later.
It was a back-and-forth contest between Auburn and Florida in Neville Arena on Wednesday, but the Tigers hung on late for a 61-58 win. | 2022-12-29T20:58:15Z | sports.yahoo.com | Florida still outside the NCAA Tournament bubble in latest ESPN bracketology update | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-still-outside-ncaa-tournament-220108479.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-still-outside-ncaa-tournament-220108479.html?src=rss |
By Nick Whalen, RotoWire
As of Dec. 29, not a single rookie – not even Banchero – ranks inside the top 130 in nine-cat, per-game value. If you look at total value, which takes into account games played, a handful of rookies – like Walker Kessler, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason – are on the cusp of the top 100, but it’s due almost entirely to the fact that they’ve barely missed any time.
The No. 1 overall pick has been far and away the most productive rookie in the 2022 class, so it’s no surprise he’s the heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year (-714 at BetMGM as of Dec. 29). Despite averaging 20.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 threes and 1.5 combined steals/blocks per game, Banchero checks in at 135th in nine-cat, per-game value.
At this stage in his career, Mathurin is a more impactful real-life player than fantasy player, as he ranks well outside the top 200 in nine-cat. That's thanks in large part to a poor field goal percentage (41.5% FG) – not uncommon for rookie guards – combined with a low assist rate and virtually no defensive contributions (0.7 steals/blocks combined).
Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin has plenty of fantasy upside, but for now, he's a more impactful real-life player. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
After underachieving for most of the season, the Los Angeles Chargers’ defense is peaking at the right time. The Bolts have won three straight games and clinched their first playoff berth since 2018, mainly because the defense is finally putting everything together. In Monday night’s 20-3 win over Indianapolis, Los Angeles had a season-high seven sacks, picked off Colts quarterback Nick Foles three times, and didn’t allow a third-down conversion in a game for the first time in 12 seasons. | 2022-12-29T21:24:01Z | sports.yahoo.com | Fantasy Basketball Rookie Report: Checking in at the halfway mark | https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-rookie-report-2022-class-disappointing-near-the-halfway-mark-194722596.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-rookie-report-2022-class-disappointing-near-the-halfway-mark-194722596.html?src=rss |
LAS VEGAS (AP) Kyle Shanahan remembers being impressed with Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham at the 2019 Senior Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers coach knows little else about Las Vegas' new starter.
''He can make every throw similar to Carr,'' Shanahan said. ''But he hasn't been out there a lot, so hopefully we'll confuse him (and) make it tough for him.''
''He's prepared like he's playing every week since he's been in the NFL,'' McDaniels said. ''Giving him a full week of seeing how this affects his preparation, his practice, his performance on Sunday, I think is a good starting point for him. But I expect him to be ready to go like he's always been.''
''Especially when you're up against a team like this in the cold, you've got to run the ball,'' Jacobs said after the game.
''Hell, I wasn't real excited after the game either, and so I think the reality is you're allowed to be frustrated,'' McDaniels said. ''JJ expressed his feelings, and it is what it is. You're going to have that at times. But I've said this a number of times: I love the guy and I think he stands for the right things. He wants to help us win, and he should, and he has.''
''I told the truth,'' Jacobs said. ''If people felt some type of way about it, I don't really care.''
''It's not really hostile with us,'' Niners tackle Mike McGlinchey said. ''But I know it gets hostile between San Francisco natives and Oakland natives. It's a very passionate rivalry. It's something that you don't see often because of the way the conferences align. But certainly a lot of smack talking between locals in the Bay Area.''
The game features two of the best edge rushers in the NFL in San Francisco's Nick Bosa and Las Vegas' Maxx Crosby. Bosa leads the league with 17+ sacks, while Crosby ranks first with 19 tackles for loss.
''He's as good of a player as we faced all year,'' McGlinchey said said of Crosby. ''He certainly presents a lot of problems for a lot of people. ... He's probably as close to the guy that we got as we'll see. It's going to be a fun task.''
''I was just trying to really earn a role in special teams at first, and then as stuff happened, obviously got a little more opportunity,'' Masterson said. ''But I'm still trying to earn (a role) every day.'' | 2022-12-29T22:39:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | 49ers' top-ranked defense major challenge for new Raiders QB | https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-top-ranked-defense-major-213905304.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-top-ranked-defense-major-213905304.html?src=rss |
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn presided over a unit that played about as poorly as a team could against the run in Detroit’s 37-23 loss in Carolina on Christmas Eve. Glenn didn’t shy away from stating the obvious in his weekly press briefing on Thursday.
“Obviously, not a good week for us defensively, and I’m talking about defensively overall,” Glenn said. “That’s in the run game and the pass game, but most noticeably in the run game and execution, technique, assignment, just a number of things involved in that situation, and we talked about them.”
Coach Glenn continued,
“We had a really good practice yesterday. We’re going to have a good practice today, and we’re going to move forward because that’s the one thing that we’ve been pretty good at is playing run defense dating back to the Giants game. So, this was very uncharacteristic of our players to have a game like this, and I don’t expect a game like this to ever happen again.”
The lack of in-game adjustments was something many fans and commentators found frustrating. Glenn pushed back against the need to make sweeping changes during the game. When asked if he had any regrets about how he handled the in-game decisions, Glenn had this to say,
“Not at all. Not at all. Obviously, as a coach, the first thing you look at is yourself, but when you’re just playing down-safety defense, when that’s been the talk the whole week as far as stopping the run because we know exactly who they are. As a coach, we’re always going to look at ourselves, and we’re always going to be in the fight with the players.
We’re never going to separate ourselves as far as, ‘Players, it’s on you, and coaches, we’re out of it.’ So, obviously, we have some issues with that as far as what we want to do, but man, the technique and execution and just assignment has got to be better.”
The Panthers ran for a team-record 320 yards, with RBs D’Oonta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard each setting career-highs in the process. The Lions get a very different type of challenge in Week 17 with QB Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears.
Fields ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first matchup, a 31-30 Lions win back in Week 10. Glenn has his defense as ready as they can be for stopping Fields,
“He is the X-factor for that team, and it shows all over the tape. The number one thing that we’ve learned is how strong this player is, and we had him wrapped up a couple times in that game,” Glenn stated. “We missed a tackle on him, and listen, he’s an athletic player. He’s going to make some plays. I mean, that’s just the crux. He’s going to do that. The things that we have to do is be able to eliminate the big plays that he’s able to make.”
WATCH - Woody has a report on the Lions as they get back to work for Sunday's game against Chicago
The Lions returned to the practice field with the idea of turning the page from Carolina and focusing on beating the Bears. | 2022-12-29T22:40:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | Aaron Glenn: ‘I don’t expect a game’ like Lions’ loss to Panthers ‘to ever happen again’ | https://sports.yahoo.com/aaron-glenn-don-t-expect-210004582.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/aaron-glenn-don-t-expect-210004582.html?src=rss |
For all the ups and downs (mostly downs) of the Chicago Bears’ 2022 campaign, their impressive ability to run the ball with Justin Fields, David Montgomery, and Khalil Herbert has been nothing short of spectacular to watch on Sundays. They currently lead the NFL in total rushing yards, and with contributions from Darrynton Evans, Trestan Ebner, and their various speedy receivers, the team has a real chance to break their single-season franchise rushing yardage record over the next two weeks.
They’ll need to average just under 150 rushing yards per game to accomplish this herculean feat, but with the talent at their disposal and lack of an established passing game, they just might be able to make it happen. Justin Fields has rushed for over 100 yards in two contests this season and has gone for more than eighty yards in four others.
Coupled with Montgomery and Herbert, Fields has a legitimate shot to help lead the Bears to a win in Week 17 with Chicago’s ground game playing a featured role when they take the field. Head coach Matt Eberflus knows that his team isn’t in contention for the playoffs and that setting a new high over a long-held franchise record could be the lipstick on this pig of his first season at the helm of the Bears organization.
The previous franchise-best mark for rushing yards in a season was set by the 1984 Bears team led by legendary running back Walter Payton, who rushed for 1,684 yards, the second-most in a single season in his career.
Though they won’t have the benefit of an all-time great running back to help push them over the 279-yard threshold in these final games, Fields’ abilities should serve the Bears well as they look to break this record. The end is in sight for Chicago’s season, and setting this high-water mark would be their most impressive team accomplishment to date. | 2022-12-29T22:40:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | Bears are just 279 rushing yards away from setting single-season franchise record | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-just-279-rushing-yards-212301227.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-just-279-rushing-yards-212301227.html?src=rss |
The Indianapolis Colts (4-10-1) and New York Giants (8-6-1) are preparing for a Week 17 matchup at MetLife Stadium.
While the Colts don’t have much to play for other than their pride, the Giants can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Sunday. The Colts have lost five in a row since Jeff Saturday’s first surprising win of his interim tenure.
Those in the blue section of the TV coverage map, courtesy of 506 Sports, will get the game on CBS. | 2022-12-29T22:41:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | If you’re in the blue, you’ll get Colts vs. Giants on TV | https://sports.yahoo.com/blue-ll-colts-vs-giants-220602854.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/blue-ll-colts-vs-giants-220602854.html?src=rss |
The Denver Broncos have signed running back Tyler Badie off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad, the team announced Thursday.
Badie (5-8, 197 pounds) played college football at Missouri, rushing 513 times for 2,740 yards and 23 touchdowns in four seasons (46 games). He also hauled in 126 receptions for 1,149 yards and 11 more touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield in college.
Badie was selected by the Ravens in the sixth round of this year’s NFL draft. After failing to make Baltimore’s 53-man roster this summer, he was signed to the team’s practice squad, where he spent the first 16 weeks of his rookie season in the NFL.
Badie now becomes the fourth running back on Denver’s active roster, joining Latavius Murray, Marlon Mack and Chase Edmonds. The Broncos also have Tyreik McAllister available on the practice squad.
Denver had an open spot on the 53-man roster before signing Badie, so the team did not need to make a corresponding move to make room for the new running back on the active roster. | 2022-12-29T22:41:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | Broncos sign RB Tyler Badie off Ravens’ practice squad | https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-sign-rb-tyler-badie-214531152.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-sign-rb-tyler-badie-214531152.html?src=rss |
The Arizona Cardinals announced some roster moves earlier in the week to get ready for practice. Among them, they signed former Green Bay Packers long snapper Hunter Bradley to the practice squad, presumably to take over for Aaron Brewer. Brewer was placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
They brought in another long snapper, according to the NFL transaction report Thursday.
They brought in Joe Fortunato, who also was long snapper for the Packers. He played in one game for the Packers in 2021.
Fortunato is 6-5 and 240 lbs. His NFL experience is just the one game last season for the Packers. | 2022-12-29T22:41:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cardinals work out another long snapper | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-another-long-snapper-220345868.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cardinals-another-long-snapper-220345868.html?src=rss |
ATLANTA (AP) At 36, Colt McCoy is savoring every opportunity to play for the Arizona Cardinals, especially after teammate J.J. Watt's plans to retire were announced this week.
''This season hasn't gone the way we wanted to,'' McCoy said. ''We know we've only got two more cracks at it. I think for us and a team, and for me as an older player, I'm thankful that I'm cleared and can go out there. We're going for one goal - that's to win the game.''
''I think we're growing each and every week,'' Ridder said. We wanted to get up and over these humps and find our way on an uphill climb. Obviously, we haven't done that, but you see at practice that guys are showing up every single day ready to work. Guys want to come compete every single day. That's something to be grateful for.''
''This is an important game for us, we need to play well, and we need to go win,'' Smith said. ''We need to finish this out right, we need to win and then we need to go into the offseason, and we'll have areas to address there but this week is the most important thing for us professionally and for every guy in that locker room.''
WATT'S GOODBYE
''I'd much rather go out playing good football, knowing that I could still play,'' Watt said.
''He's been a big part of our team and his role continues to expand,'' Smith said. ''He's a fun player to work with and coach. I still think it's pretty impressive that a guy can do that''
It's no secret the Cardinals are in a bit of disarray at the moment.
They're suffering through a disappointing 4-11 season, general manager Steve Keim is on medical leave and Murray, their franchise quarterback, is out for the season with torn ligaments in his knee.
The only real storyline is if fourth-year coach Kliff Kingsbury will get to return for a fifth. He's got a 28-35-1 record during his tenure in Arizona.
Kingsbury has remained stoic despite the tough season, saying he's not worried about his job security.
''We just talked about sticking together,'' Kingsbury said, adding he was ''proud of the effort'' against Tampa Bay.
''I don't know. I've been thinking about that for two weeks,'' Ridder said. ''Trust me, I've been thinking.''
The second-to-last trading session of 2022 was a good one, as stocks surged across the board. + The S 500 closed up 1.7%. + The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 345 points, or 1.1%. + The Nasdaq Composite rose 2.6%. + The 10-year Treasury yield dipped to 3.833%. + Crude oil futures fell 0.7% to settle at $78.40 [Read our full markets roundup here.](https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-stocks-markets-dow-update-12-29-2022-11672313210) | 2022-12-29T22:41:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cards veteran McCoy, Falcons rookie Ridder in QB spotlight | https://sports.yahoo.com/cards-veteran-mccoy-falcons-rookie-210108994.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cards-veteran-mccoy-falcons-rookie-210108994.html?src=rss |
Less than 24 hours ago, the Raiders put out their first injury report of the week. The news on it was Rock Ya-Sin was back at practice for the first time in a month. It was short lived as Ya-Sin is now headed for injured reserve, ending his season.
The veteran’s exit goes right along with the Raiders’ plans to shift to seeing what they have in several young players as they finish out the season.
Amik Robertson and Tyler Hall have gotten the bulk of the snaps alongside Nate Hobbs in Ya-Sin’s absence.
Hall in particular has played quite well, especially last week in Pittsburgh despite the loss to the Steelers. If he keeps playing as he’s played of late, the Raiders may give him a shot at a starting job next season.
Ya-Sin was acquired in trade with the Colts this offseason. He is in the final year of his rookie contract, which means if he is not re-signed, he will hit free agency this offseason.
Shares in Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery and AMC Networks were among the top gainers in a so-called “Santa Claus rally” at the end of a rough year for media and tech stocks. The tech-heavy Nasdaq finished the day up 2.6% to finish at 10,478.09, but it remains on track for its worst year since 2008. […] | 2022-12-29T22:41:51Z | sports.yahoo.com | Day after return to Raiders place CB Rock Ya-Sin on injured reserve | https://sports.yahoo.com/day-return-raiders-place-cb-212841714.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/day-return-raiders-place-cb-212841714.html?src=rss |
The Cincinnati Bengals figure to be right in the game against the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football” in what looks like one of the best games of the season.
But nobody told ESPN’s Week 17 simulations that.
The simulations machine has decided that the Bengals will take a massive 37-9 loss to the Bills. It’s one of several strange predictions the simulations make this week, such as the Chargers hanging 49 on the Rams and the Raiders smacking around the 49ers.
It’s just a simulation machine, so not the biggest deal in the world. But the oddsmakers have kept this as a very close line for a reason. The writeup underneath the simulation, at least, still predicts the Bengals to win the division and take the AFC’s third seed.
There’s also a ton at stake during the game, as the Bengals can clinch the AFC North with some help and also stay in the running for the AFC’s top seed. | 2022-12-29T22:42:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | ESPN simulation projects Bengals to get absolutely destroyed by Bills on MNF | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-simulation-projects-bengals-absolutely-212134316.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-simulation-projects-bengals-absolutely-212134316.html?src=rss |
HOUSTON (AP) The Houston Texans haven't had much success against anyone over the last three seasons.
But no matter how bad things have been, the one thing they've been able to count on is beating the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Mired in another terrible year, Houston (2-12-1) enters Sunday's game against Jacksonville (7-8) looking to extend its winning streak in the series to 10 games.
The Jaguars have won three in a row overall to leave them in the hunt for their first AFC South title since 2017. This week's game has no bearing on the division race, as it will come down to next week's regular-season finale against the Titans. But Jacksonville would still like to end the skid against Houston.
The Jaguars haven't notched a win in the series since a 45-7 victory on Dec. 17, 2017.
''Our mindset is let's not lose any more this season,'' Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. ''That's what we've got in front of us. That's what we have to do if we want to get to where we want to be.''
''We are aware of some of the success we've had in the past,'' he said. ''I wish the past could help you, but it really can't. It's going to come down to this game, different teams. A lot has changed this year between the two of us. But history, yes, we do.''
''It's hard to beat a team once,'' he said. ''We've beaten the Jaguars nine times in a row as this point. We're excited for the opportunity to make it 10.''
''You look at the way we played the first game, especially watching the tape this week going back through it, it's like some of that stuff is hard to watch,'' Lawrence said. ''Offensively and personally didn't play near my best, and we just left a lot out there.''
''Tons of confidence in Walker,'' offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. ''He's got a job to do and we expect him to do it at a high level.''
''I think I've progressed,'' he said. ''We talked about it ... being benched made me go back and reflect on what I was doing the first half of the season versus how I can perform now. Step my game up - I think I've done that.''
''We've had a lot of firsts this season, which obviously has been good,'' Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson said. ''I don't put a lot of stock in those types of things. ... I've just got to make sure our guys are in the right mind space this week and ready for this football team. ... That's something that the coaches may talk about, but I don't mention that with the players.'' | 2022-12-29T22:42:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jaguars look to snap 9-game skid against Texans on Sunday | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-look-snap-9-game-212110544.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-look-snap-9-game-212110544.html?src=rss |
The rivalry between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers is a contentious one both between the fans and the organization. Bragging rights are huge for both sides and the Vikings currently have them after a 23-7 win over the Packers in week one.
In that game, wide receiver Justin Jefferson torched the Packers to the tune of nine receptions for 184 yards and a touchdown. Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander called that performance a fluke.
“He don’t jump into no supersuit, get dressed and go outside, you hear me? I don’t either sometimes, but he human is what I’m saying. We ain’t putting too much on him, he’s a really good receiver by the end of the day. I’m a really good corner, we’ve got really good corners, we’ve got really good linebackers you know, d-line whatever it is. You don’t want to put too much focus on that one person cause, like, the first game that was a fluke.”
Could it have been a fluke? Possibly, but I think Jefferson setting a ton of records over the next 14 games nullifies that argument. Maybe Alexander is just bitter that his defensive coordinator didn’t trust him enough to follow Jefferson. That isn’t a fluke. | 2022-12-29T22:43:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jaire Alexander calls Vikings’ Justin Jefferson’s Week 1 performance “a fluke” | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaire-alexander-calls-vikings-justin-221453345.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaire-alexander-calls-vikings-justin-221453345.html?src=rss |
DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Lions put themselves in the playoff picture by being one of the NFL's hottest teams, winning six of seven and barely losing to Buffalo during a surprising and successful stretch.
''The adversity we've been through this year is much greater than one loss,'' said Lions quarterback Jared Goff, referring to the team's 1-6 start. ''We know how to bounce back from things like this, and I think we will.''
''Getting down in the dumps about things, it's not going to solve any sort of issue,'' Chicago tight end Cole Kmet said. ''Also, I do think there's a lot of promise here. You see kind of the pieces that we've got here, you can see where we can go with this. So there is real optimism.''
''If you look at how he is progressing during the course of the year with all the different lineups up front, all the different receiver lineups, with losing (Khalil) Herbert for quite an extended period of time, I think he has done well,'' Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. ''You know he has improved his game, and we are excited to see where these last two games are gonna go.''
This week's episode breaks down a bad game for a lot of Lions, previews the Bears matchup and stops moving the goalposts on the Lions' rebuild | 2022-12-29T22:43:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | Lions host Bears, needing win to keep playoff hopes alive | https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-host-bears-needing-win-213246324.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-host-bears-needing-win-213246324.html?src=rss |
There is a new member of the Detroit Lions practice squad. The team announced it has signed offensive tackle Jarrid Williams to the practice squad on Thursday.
Williams, 25, was last with the Philadelphia Eagles on that team’s practice squad. He was released by the Eagles in November after spending the offseason and first part of the year on their practice squad. He’s an undrafted rookie who played collegiately at Houston and then Miami as a transfer student.
Williams fills the opening created when the New York Giants signed LB Jarrad Davis to their active roster earlier this week. He rejoins former Eagles teammate Kayode Awosika, who the Lions signed earlier this season from the Philadelphia practice squad. | 2022-12-29T22:43:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Lions sign OL Jarrid Williams to the practice squad | https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-sign-ol-jarrid-williams-222947514.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-sign-ol-jarrid-williams-222947514.html?src=rss |
Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who owns a 4-0 career record versus the Patriots (including a Week 1 win in Miami), won't play in this Week 16 matchup because he's been placed in the concussion protocol. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will start. Even though Bridgewater has plenty of starting experience, he's only thrown 60 passes over four appearances for the Dolphins this season.
The stakes couldn't be higher for the Patriots on Sunday. If they win their final two games -- Week 17 versus the Dolphins and Week 18 at the Buffalo Bills -- they'll secure the No. 7 seed and third wild card playoff spot. If the Patriots lose to the Dolphins, they'll be eliminated from playoff contention.
Which way are experts leaning in this Patriots-Dolphins matchup? Here's a roundup of Week 17 picks.
FiveThirtyEight's model: Patriots have a 67 percent chance to win | 2022-12-29T22:43:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL Week 17 picks: Roundup of expert predictions for Patriots vs. Dolphins | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-week-17-picks-roundup-211451048.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-week-17-picks-roundup-211451048.html?src=rss |
How will Robert Kraft address Bill Belichick after the season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear before the 2022 NFL season he was none too pleased with his team's three-year postseason drought. Bill Belichick and Co. have yet to win a playoff game in the post-Tom Brady era and they could be eliminated from postseason contention as soon as this Sunday.
It's unfamiliar territory for the Patriots under the Kraft/Belichick regime. After two decades of dominance, New England has become a middling team that lacks an identity and has no real sense of direction. Those are issues Belichick will be tasked with fixing this offseason in order to return to relevance in 2023.
Kraft has mostly given Belichick free reign throughout his tenure as head coach, but he may be forced to step in after another year without a playoff victory. How would he approach Belichick in a conversation about the team's future this offseason? The Athletic's Mike Sando joined our Tom E. Curran to discuss on a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.
"I think Bill's approach is a little bit more like, 'Hey, look, we both know this is not what we want. What's your plan?' (Kraft could) defer to the coach, 'Hey, you're the man, what's the plan?' And then hear what he has to say," Sando said. "Maybe they've had these conversations already. I doubt it. In-season would be surprising.
"But see what he says, and if his diagnosis is similar to yours, then there's not a lot to talk about. But I think the interesting thing would be of course if he didn't really think there was anything broken and then you're in a situation where as an owner, I think you need to press a little bit and maybe try to get a little more detailed answers. Because I think we can all see from the outside that the offense is broken."
Curran offered insight of his own on how he expects the Krafts to approach Belichick in the offseason.
"Because Belichick has been allowed to and has the right to operate his galaxy the way he sees fit, the Krafts have given him the latitude to do that," Curran said. "As a result, they don't want to be looking over his shoulder now that things are going sideways, even though they allowed him to make decisions that are certainly dubious in hindsight. But there's still the 'OK, we don't want to turn him into an armadillo if we go in there, but we need an explanation.'
"My understanding is, from conversations that I've had, that's exactly what they plan to do. He doesn't seek a lot of outside counsel, Bill Belichick. And the Krafts have made it pretty obvious over the course of time that Bill has earned that and they allow him that."
Also discussed in the episode: Sando discusses his article, "Robert Kraft’s Hall of Fame credentials and what’s next." How do Spygate and Deflategate impact Kraft’s HOF candidacy? And do all signs point to Bill O’Brien returning? | 2022-12-29T22:43:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Patriots Talk: How will Robert Kraft address Bill Belichick after the season? | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-talk-robert-kraft-address-205200007.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/patriots-talk-robert-kraft-address-205200007.html?src=rss |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Kansas City Chiefs are perhaps the most stable franchise in the NFL these days, led by a coach in Andy Reid who commands league-wide respect and a quarterback in Patrick Mahomes who is in the mix for a second MVP award.
''They played us tough this last one. They gave us everything that we could ask for,'' said Mahomes, who nevertheless led the Chiefs (12-3) to a 34-28 victory in Denver three weeks ago. ''We have to go out and play our best ball. If you look at the tape, you see the talent that they have and how hard they play.''
''He actually worked for (Ravens coach) John Harbaugh for a number of years,'' Reid said. ''One of the top special teams coaches in the NFL and a good football coach, period. But a tremendous special teams coach. Good guy.''
''He's a fine man. He's been so gracious with my family over the years,'' Rosburg said of Reid, who was Harbaugh's mentor in Philadelphia. ''He's a model for all coaches. We should all aspire to be like Andy Reid.''
''I could list them, and you all know them,'' Rosburg said of the Chiefs' playmakers. ''Who would sign up for this? You get to coach in the National Football League? OK, here are the Kansas City Chiefs. Here I am, choose me.''
The priority for the Broncos is fixing Wilson, who was brought in at a high cost (three players, four prime draft picks to Seattle) and signed to a five-year extension with about $165 million in guarantees. But this version of Wilson has been head-scratching: He's on pace for career worsts in touchdowns, completion percentage and sacks.
''I believe in myself at the highest level,'' Wilson said. ''It's not going to happen this year, but the mission is still the same and that's to help bring Super Bowls to Denver. That's the goal.''
Rosburg makes five different Broncos coaches for safety Justin Simmons since he was taken in the third-round of the 2016 draft. If owner and CEO Greg Penner wanted his opinion on, say, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero getting a shot at the head coaching job, Simmons would gladly give it. Denver's defense has been one of the best in the league until a clunker last weekend in a 51-14 loss to Baker Mayfield and the Los Angeles Rams.
''I just want to win,'' Simmons said. ''When stuff like this happens like with Coach Hackett, I think about what I could've done better to help keep his job stable. Whatever it is, whoever it is, I just want to win.'' | 2022-12-29T22:44:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | Stable Chiefs face reeling Broncos in midst of playoff push | https://sports.yahoo.com/stable-chiefs-face-reeling-broncos-211039514.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/stable-chiefs-face-reeling-broncos-211039514.html?src=rss |
The Rangers are benching the first overall pick in 2020 for a crucial game against the Lightning as Lafrenière's NHL struggles trudge on. (Getty)
Blais is in, GG says. Laf is out. Discuss.
— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) December 29, 2022
"I want him to be better," Gallant told USA Today when asked to explain Lafrenière’s demotion on Wednesday. "He's got some chances to play with good people and he's played well at times, but it's the inconsistency."
Lafrenière averaged 16:59 of ice-time over his first 14 games, coinciding with two goals and five points, but has seen his workload decrease significantly lately, dropping to 13:46 of ice-time per game since Nov. 10. It also doesn’t help that he's put up just three goals and 12 points during that span.
"I was rusty," Lafrenière said following Tuesday night’s 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals. "I didn’t play my best game. I’ll try to be better in the future."
"I don't think about it too much," Lafrenière said. "It’s not something that you’ve got to focus on. You’ve got to focus on just your play and trying to get better."
MSP arrest driver speeding upwards of 100 mph on metro Detroit streets
© Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK The Indiana high school football powerhouse Carmel has produced dozens of Division 1 players over the years. The Greyhounds are sending three players to West Lafayette as a part of Purdue's 2023 recruiting class.
When you have an international best seller that was on the NYT list for 42 weeks and then made into a multi-Oscar-nominated Swedish film that became the third-most successful in the history of that country Ingmar Bergman called home, you might wonder what the need was for an English-language American remake. The answer is a […]
Panthers get some much-needed positive injury news as they try to turn around season
Paul Maurice has argued it’s hard to actually judge this iteration of the Florida Panthers right now -- no matter how underwhelming their start -- because of the rash of injuries they sustained the last month, highlighted by multiple extended absences for Aleksander Barkov. | 2022-12-29T22:52:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | NHL: Rangers bench Alexis Lafrenière amid ongoing struggles | https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl-rangers-alexis-lafreniere-healthy-scratch-vs-lightning-211944870.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl-rangers-alexis-lafreniere-healthy-scratch-vs-lightning-211944870.html?src=rss |
We know all focus and attention is on the happenings in Atlanta right now, but the Ohio State basketball team continues to go through the early part of its 2022-2023 schedule, and it took care of business on a rare Thursday afternoon game against Alabama A&M by a winning score of 90-59.
Things were closer than expected midway through the contest, and in fact, the Buckeyes went into the locker room at halftime up just 36-33 due to a spurt by the Bulldogs.
Ohio State took control in the second half though behind a better defensive effort and better shooting. Twelve players total scored for the Buckeyes (welcome back Eugene Brown), with three players finishing in double figures.
Brice Sensabaugh continued his separation and revelation as Ohio State’s best scoring option. The freshman poured in another 21 points to lead all scorers. He also grabbed six rebounds. Justice Sueing contributed 18 points and freshman point guard Bruce Thorton tossed in 12.
The Buckeyes were solid in the stats that seem to point toward victory. OSU outrebounded Alabama A&M 42-30, won the turnover battle (10 to 17), and shot 52.7% from the floor to the Bulldogs’ 38.7%.
With the win, Ohio State improves to 9-3 on the season and will now turn its attention to the Big Ten campaign that will start in earnest at Northwestern on New Year’s Day. | 2022-12-29T23:04:46Z | sports.yahoo.com | Ohio State basketball takes down Alabama A&M in nonconference tune up | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-basketball-takes-down-221003213.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-basketball-takes-down-221003213.html?src=rss |
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers don't have to sort through a bunch of potential tiebreaker scenarios to know what they need to do to win the NFC South and host a first-round playoff game.
''We know what this game entails,'' Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks said. ''There is no reason to talk about it.''
''We understand what the game means. Trying to win a division is not easy,'' Bucs coach Todd Bowles echoed.
''They need it and we need it, so it's essentially a playoff game,'' Bowles added. ''Our playoff games started last Sunday when we won (in overtime at Arizona), so this Sunday will be the same.''
''I'm not in Tom Brady's head, but he definitely remembers this game,'' Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson said. ''We both know what's on the line.''
''The important part is it's something that's earned. There's nothing given. There's nothing you really take for granted,'' Brady said of having another opportunity to clinch a playoff berth.
''Every year is something different. I think obviously this year ... we've dealt with some injuries, a lot of different lineup changes, some tough games, a lot of tough calls, close calls,'' the 45-year-old quarterback added. ''But we have an opportunity now to do something really positive. ... It's a big challenge. It's a great opportunity. You don't take it for granted.''
D'Onta Foreman paced the ground attack with 165 yards rushing and a touchdown, while Chuba Hubbard ran for 125 yards. Those totals were career highs for both players. The Panthers' offensive line completely dominated the line of scrimmage, freeing the backs for seven runs of 20 yards or more and an average of 7.4 yards per carry.
''That's been the key to our success this season,'' Foreman said. ''When we've run the ball well, we've won games. When we haven't, we've lost.''
Former Bucs coach Bruce Arians, who helped recruit Brady to Tampa Bay before leading the Bucs to a Super Bowl title two years ago, will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor on Sunday.
Brady said he's happy for the retired coach, noting Arians was ''a big reason why I came here.''
''He's very deserving. He's had an amazing coaching life and journey,'' Brady said. ''He's been around some great players, some great coaches. He's really built a winning foundation here, which is pretty spectacular.''
Wilks believes Norman, who hasn't played this year, could step in a play as a backup to Taylor this week if needed.
Tampa Bay's Ryan Succop has made 85.3% of his attempts.
Colerain Township police are searching for the suspect in a fatal shooting near Stone Creek Towne Center from Wednesday night. | 2022-12-30T00:22:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brady, Bucs take aim at NFC South title against Panthers | https://sports.yahoo.com/brady-bucs-aim-nfc-south-224858467.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brady-bucs-aim-nfc-south-224858467.html?src=rss |
Here’s a sentence you probably didn’t plan on reading this season: The Carolina Panthers are now 3-1 with Sam Darnold starting under center and are just two wins away from the NFC South crown.
The fifth-year quarterback was steady once again in his latest win, where he helped pace the Panthers to a 37-23 upset over the Detroit Lions. He and the offense just seemed to overwhelm the white-hot visitors throughout the afternoon—setting franchise records in total yards and rushing yards for a single game.
Oh, and Darnold, who executed the offensive game plan rather well, wasn’t left out of the stat party either. He completed 15 of his 22 attempts for a season-high 250 yards and a touchdown, which translated into his best passer rating ever as a Panther (121.4), while adding a rushing score as well.
This Sunday, he will likely need to be just as good against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—who are still stacked with talent on both on offense and defense despite their disappointing campaign. Although they did it against a third-string quarterback, the Bucs were able to lock down the Arizona Cardinals and Trace McSorley in a tough defensive win last week—and if offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo doesn’t trust Darnold and use him creatively, a similar result could happen to the Panthers.
As for Darnold himself, he will need to maintain his current run of confident and secure football—as he hasn’t recorded a single turnover in any of four outings. He has been particularly good about knowing when to throw the rock away and where to put deep balls to avoid costly turnovers—something that almost spoiled his career with the Panthers last year.
His recent meshing with McAdoo is a promising sign that more creative play-calling will be coming in what is essentially a playoff matchup for Carolina. And if he can execute and continue his career revival, the Panthers have an excellent shot of taking home the division crown under possible rebirth for Darnold.
Week 17 projection for Darnold: 19-of-25, 220 passing yards, two total touchdowns | 2022-12-30T00:23:19Z | sports.yahoo.com | What to expect from Panthers QB Sam Darnold’s Week 17 start vs. Buccaneers | https://sports.yahoo.com/expect-panthers-qb-sam-darnold-230012951.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/expect-panthers-qb-sam-darnold-230012951.html?src=rss |
Both the Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons are struggling at this stage of the season. The Cardinals have lost five straight and seven of their last eight games, while the Falcons are mired in a four-game losing streak and have dropped six of their last seven.
However, the Falcons have one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL, which poses problems for Arizona’s defense.
The Cardinals are 0-10 this season when their opponents rush for at least 100 yards as a team.
The Falcons are No. 3 in the NFL in rushing, averaging 160.8 yards per game. They are fourth in yards per carry at 4.9.
They are led by rookie Tyler Allgeier, who has 817 yards on 4.9 yards per attempt, a player who will run through defenders and shows effort in every attempt.
He is complemented by Cordarrelle Patterson, who also averages 4.9 yards per carry and has 635 yards and six touchdowns.
As a team, they have failed to reach 100 yards only once this season.
The Cardinals are 12th in rushing defense, allowing 114.3 yards per game. However, they allow the 10th-highest average per attempt at 4.6 yards. | 2022-12-30T00:23:26Z | sports.yahoo.com | Falcons’ rushing attack to challenge Cardinals’ defense | https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-rushing-attack-challenge-cardinals-233242480.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/falcons-rushing-attack-challenge-cardinals-233242480.html?src=rss |
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) The New York Giants aren't treating the Indianapolis Colts like a team that has won four games all season and has lost eight of its last nine.
''The last six games, they've been up at the end of the third quarter,'' Daboll said. ''They're only down by two to Dallas, 21-19. That's the NFL; every team's good.''
''We are all aware what's at stake and what we can accomplish but you can't get lost in that,'' running back Saquon Barkley said. ''You have to keep focused on the main thing. I know the record doesn't say it but they are playing well.''
''I think every single guy knows the situation that we're in,'' he said. ''You have two games left and you're not guaranteed anything in this league. This team has two games together left. After that, it will never look the same. We'll go out there and give it our best.'' | 2022-12-30T00:23:32Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants would clinch playoffs with win over skidding Colts | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-clinch-playoffs-win-over-222429101.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-clinch-playoffs-win-over-222429101.html?src=rss |
Oct 30, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Giants cornerback Adoree Jackson (22) celebrates following a fumble recovery against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) joins Jackson at left. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
EAST RUTHERFORD — The Giants sure seem headed to the postseason, barring a colossal collapse. Don’t worry. The appropriate wooden objects were knocked upon the completion of that sentence.
And for many, this success-starved franchise simply reaching the playoffs is enough of an accomplishment in Year 1 of the Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll Era. For others, though, it’s not.
Making the postseason is good. Making your presence felt once in is better.
The likelihood of the latter looks a heckuva a lot better now than it did before this week began.
Cornerback Adoree Jackson and safety Xavier McKinney are back at practice. They have a chance to play, Daboll said.
The magnitude of that cannot be undersold.
It’s truly remarkable what the Giants have accomplished this year considering the lack of talent on this roster. Unfortunately, those limitations are a big reason their strong start has deteriorated. The Giants are still in prime position to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016, but they’re in that position almost entirely because of their 7-2 start. They’re limping to the finish line. The Giants have just two wins since the calendar turned to November.
Injuries have played a large part in these recent sputters. The impending returns of Jackson and McKinney will go a long way in flipping the script.
The Giants followed a very similar script to wins earlier in the season. There are country ranchers with a higher ceiling than New York’s offense, but Daboll and coordinator Mike Kaftka are self aware enough to realize this. They’ve mastered the art of keeping (the majority of) games close into the fourth quarter, trusting in their ability to out-coach and out-scheme the opposition.
The offense was afforded the opportunity to tread water, though, because of their defense. Wink Martindale’s unit was the one area the Giants didn’t lack talent. They, when healthy, had players up front in Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. They had rushers in Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux. The secondary had talent, too, with McKinney, Jackson and Julian Love. The linebackers were and are troublesome (Landon Collins, Jaylon Smith), but the ability of those in front and behind them allowed Martindale ample opportunities to hide their deficiencies.
Then McKinney injured himself during the bye. Then Jackson hurt himself returning a punt.
The defense has allowed an average of 26 points per game since Week 10. The defense allowed an average of 19.625 points per game the first nine weeks of the season. The former per-game average, over the course of a 17-game season, would rank 29th. The latter would rank sixth.
“It just sucks not being able to play with them,” Jackson said. “That’s the most frustrating part in the eyes of a competitor and the eyes of an athlete — wanting to be out there.
“I’m out there itching and working to get back out there. So, that’s how I look at it regardless of the situation that may play out. It’s always frustrating not being out there.”
Those injuries by themselves aren’t backbreaking. The defense just needed to lean on their offense until they healed up. Unfortunately, when the offense is already leaning on the defense, well, both groups collapsed. There’s no denying Jackson and McKinney were the two most costly.
Jackson had 51 tackles, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and two recoveries in the 10 games before his injury. ProFootballFocus graded him out with a 72.2 mark. McKinney had 38 tackles, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and a sack before going down. He didn’t grade out as well (56.3) analytically, but his impact in the secondary cannot be undersold.
Daboll isn’t committing to either player returning for Sunday’s game against the Colts, and it seems a bit more likely Jackson plays than McKinney. But the two are on track to return by Wild Card weekend. The Giants punch their ticket there with one more win.
A rematch with Minnesota in the Wild Card round is a distinct possibility. It took a 61-yard field goal for the Vikings to move past New York a week ago — and that was with both the team’s best cornerback and safety watching from the side.
You like New York’s chances with both of them back. Not just to make the postseason, but some noise once in there.
Bella Thorne was a staple on the Disney Channel for many years, but the “Shake It Up” star apparently almost lost her job when she was 14. During Tuesday’s episode of Emily Ratajkowski’s “High Low With EmRata” podcast, Thorne opened up about many instances where she felt she was sexualized as a young girl. “One […] | 2022-12-30T00:23:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants getting healthy just in time to potentially make some playoff noise | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-getting-healthy-just-time-230210476.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-getting-healthy-just-time-230210476.html?src=rss |
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) The New York Jets' ground game has been grounded.
''Teams are stacking the box and daring us to throw it and beat them that way,'' coach Robert Saleh said. ''Usually, that comes with the weather. It's a lot harder to throw the football this time of the year than it is earlier in the year. You've got to earn the right to back them off.''
''The running game takes all 11,'' offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. ''It takes, obviously, a good plan, but it also takes a mentality from every single guy - me calling enough runs, me calling the runs at the right time, giving enough runs that keeps the defense off balance.
''It's not high school. You can't just run the same run over and over and over. It's just been a magnitude of things.''
''They're going to keep battling, I know that,'' LaFleur said of the offensive line. ''It's been a whirlwind of different guys in there, but any guy that we have in there, we feel confident is going to get the job done. They've got another opportunity this Sunday to get that done.''
''If you can't run the ball, there's only one other way to move the ball,'' said quarterback Mike White, who'll start Sunday at Seattle after missing two games with broken ribs. ''I think if we do move the ball, then they won't get to sell out so much on the run - and that's when the run game comes to life. Especially in this offense, everything intertwines and works together.''
''I keep preaching to the guys: We have ran the ball,'' LaFleur said. ''There was a point in the season where we were a running team, and we were doing a lot of good things in the run game, and that's kind of fallen off in the last month.
''As you can see, when you're not running the ball what can happen. It hasn't been good, and it starts with me, but we plan on getting that fixed.''
''Does Mike help that? We'll find out,'' Saleh said. ''But at the end of the day, we're in playoff-type football. Crappy weather, you've got to be able to run the football.'' | 2022-12-30T00:23:59Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jets look to get sputtering ground game running again | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-look-sputtering-ground-game-230135348.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jets-look-sputtering-ground-game-230135348.html?src=rss |
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots: Game predictions, picks, odds
The Houston Texans haven’t had much success against anyone over the last three seasons. But no matter how bad things have been, the one thing they’ve been able to count on is beating the Jacksonville Jaguars. | 2022-12-30T00:24:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots: Predictions, picks and odds for NFL Week 17 matchup | https://sports.yahoo.com/miami-dolphins-england-patriots-predictions-231713310.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/miami-dolphins-england-patriots-predictions-231713310.html?src=rss |
CINCINNATI (AP) This was the dream scenario for the NFL's schedule-makers: Two of the league's hottest teams and flashiest quarterbacks facing off on the final Monday night of the season in a game thick with playoff drama.
The prime-time game in Cincinnati also marks the first meeting of quarterbacks who are both just 26 but already superstars - Josh Allen of the Bills and the Bengals' Joe Burrow.
''Everybody who watches Josh, there's no secrets about why he's so good,'' Burrow said. ''He's fun to watch, runs around, makes plays, makes throws nobody else can make. He's just an exciting player.''
''This is what you work so hard throughout the body of the season is to come down the stretch here and play these games,'' Bills coach Sean McDermott said. ''We've got a lot of respect for the Bengals. They're the defending AFC champions and represented the AFC in the Super Bowl. And came within a whisker of winning that game, right?''
''This team hasn't backed down from anybody yet,'' Taylor said.
''I think in the past we've obviously seen what it's like to have to go on the road and win playoff games,'' he said. ''But it is important for us to get that home-field advantage, to get the crowd at home, the cold weather games. Not a lot of people want to come to Buffalo in late January, early February. So we're going to take one game at a time. We've got our eyes on Cincinnati right now.''
A storm last month led to the Bills losing two days of practice when their ''home'' game against Cleveland was relocated to Detroit on Nov. 20. After beating the Browns, the Bills then held one practice before returning to Detroit five days later to beat the Lions on Thanksgiving. | 2022-12-30T00:24:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | Playoff positioning at stake when Bills and Bengals tangle | https://sports.yahoo.com/playoff-positioning-stake-bills-bengals-231413459.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/playoff-positioning-stake-bills-bengals-231413459.html?src=rss |
The Tennessee Titans will be severely depleted when they play the Jacksonville Jaguars in the de facto AFC South championship game next week.
On Thursday, the Titans placed quarterback Ryan Tannehill, pass rusher Bud Dupree, and linebacker Zach Cunningham on the injured reserve, likely ending the season for all three players and guaranteeing they won’t play in Week 18.
Tannehill recently underwent ankle surgery, but was reportedly hopeful to return in time to play against the Jaguars, although ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that plan never had much of a chance..
Both Dupree and Cunningham were injured in the Titans’ 19-14 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. After the pair of linebackers sat out all three practices this week, they were ruled out for Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
It looked as though the Titans were keeping players out to rest up for a Week 18 game that will decide the AFC South champion, regardless of Week 17 results. In addition to ruling out Tannehill, Dupree, and Cunningham, Tennessee is also keeping Jeffery Simmons out against the Cowboys and is likely to keep running back Derrick Henry out too.
The Titans started third-round rookie quarterback Malik Willis in three games so far this season, but reportedly plan to roll with sixth-year veteran Joshua Dobbs on Thursday. Tennessee signed Dobbs off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad last week.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The Tennessee Titans effectively ended veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill's season by placing him and two others on injured reserve Thursday. Tannehill last played Dec. 18 in a loss at the Los Angeles Chargers where he finished the game despite re-injuring his right ankle in the first quarter. The Titans (7-8) already had declared Tannehill out Wednesday for Thursday night's game with the Dallas Cowboys. | 2022-12-30T00:25:00Z | sports.yahoo.com | Titans place Ryan Tannehill, Bud Dupree, Zach Cunningham on IR | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-place-ryan-tannehill-bud-231719510.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/titans-place-ryan-tannehill-bud-231719510.html?src=rss |
ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman won a couple of Super Bowl rings about 30 years ago while quarterbacking the Cowboys, and he obviously still feels a lot of warmth for the franchise that got him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So it’s curious that Aikman has been advocating for Payton to take center stage in the Denver Broncos head coach search.
“The Broncos can’t take a chance on anybody,” Aikman said during Monday night’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers, reflecting on Denver’s botched experiment with first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The Broncos own a 2023 first round pick from the San Francisco 49ers (via their Bradley Chubb trade with the Miami Dolphins) plus multiple early-round selections in the 2024 draft, so they can match almost any trade offer from other teams. Aikman added, “Sean Payton is in the driver’s seat.”
Well, that last part is Aikman’s opinion — probably. All reports on Payton’s own interest in opportunities around the league have him focused on the Los Angeles Chargers (and franchise quarterback Justin Herbert) or a long-awaited teamup with Tom Brady (possibly happening in New Orleans, though the Saints have backed Dennis Allen). The Broncos have made it known that they like Payton a lot, but so do many other teams. What’s unclear is whether the feeling is mutual.
But why is Aikman keeping attention focused on the Broncos when his old Cowboys team has been linked to Payton on-and-off for much of the last decade? Veteran head coach Mike McCarthy has built a good staff and a competitive roster to surround quarterback Dak Prescott with a talented supporting cast, but it still feels like another one-and-done playoff journey would coax Jerry Jones into giving Payton a call. Wouldn’t that be an upgrade?
Maybe hypothetically. It’s easy to see why Aikman wants Payton in Denver, not Dallas. His Cowboys have spiraled over the years from one head coach to the next: going from Dave Campo (15-33 as Dallas’ head coach) to Bill Parcells (34-30) to Wade Phillips (34-22) to Jason Garrett (55-60) and now, Mike McCarthy (29-19, and counting). McCarthy has won at least 11 games in each of the last two seasons and kept the Cowboys in the middle of the playoff picture, while none of his predecessors ever achieved back-to-back seasons with 10 or more wins. From where Aikman seems to be standing, Dallas finally has its coach, and they don’t need to rock the boat just because of bad luck in the playoffs.
There could be a simpler solution here. For one thing, the Broncos gig is actually available, and Payton is said to be on their watch list. For another, McCarthy is very much active as the Cowboys head coach, and Aikman isn’t about to publicly (and prematurely) call for his dismissal with a replacement in mind. That’s bad business and wouldn’t exactly help his relationship with the Jones family. | 2022-12-30T00:25:13Z | sports.yahoo.com | Troy Aikman, noted Cowboys homer, implores Sean Payton to consider Broncos job | https://sports.yahoo.com/troy-aikman-noted-cowboys-homer-224232723.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/troy-aikman-noted-cowboys-homer-224232723.html?src=rss |
From spearheading the “beautiful game" to helping Brazil win three World Cup titles, Pelé embodied greatness in his sport. The incarnation of the country’s style and elegance on the field, Pelé began enchanting Brazilian fans as a teenager. No players have gotten close to replicating Pelé’s success with the national team.
Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth. “Before Pelé, ’10′ was just a number,” current Brazil forward Neymar wrote following the soccer great's death Thursday at the age of 82. Pelé changed everything. | 2022-12-30T00:25:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pelé was the greatest players' greatest player | https://sports.yahoo.com/pele-was-the-greatest-players-greatest-player-234324459.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pele-was-the-greatest-players-greatest-player-234324459.html?src=rss |
The Cardinals Pro Bowler announced Tuesday this will be his final NFL season
Mr. Luketa was calling because he learned of Watt's retirement while still under the effects of anesthesia from wisdom tooth surgery. His one request: a signed jersey from Watt at the end of the season.
Watt's recollection of the events"
"I posted the tweet yesterday and then I just kinda put my phone down because I knew it would be crazy ... I'm scrolling through it and there's this number that I don't recognize that FaceTimes me. I'm like 'I'm not going to answer a FaceTime that I don't know.' So I just let it go to voicemail, and then I get a text from that number. It's a voice memo. I'm like 'Who is this number?"
"So I play the voice memo — I wish I could play it so bad. I wish so bad. I'm gonna ask him. I'm gonna ask him if I can later, because I don't want to now. It is incoherent. Complete incoherence. I'm like 'What the hell is this?' I literally thought it was distorted from the phone. Ten seconds later, a picture comes through, and it is Jesse Luketa, our rookie outside linebacker, and he has cotton balls in his mouth.
"He just got his wisdom teeth out. He was high off his ass. He has no clue what he's doing. In the message it says, 'J.J., I just heard you're retiring, all I want is a jersey at the end of the season.'"
Luketa himself confirmed Watt's story on Wednesday.
True Story! 😂 https://t.co/6QdZ15HLgg
In case you're not familiar with Luketa, he is an outside linebacker the Cardinals drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. In his final season at Penn State, Luketa posted 61 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and one interception in 12 games. | 2022-12-30T01:54:56Z | sports.yahoo.com | J.J. Watt's favorite story from retiring features a Cardinals rookie 'high off his ass' on anesthesia | https://sports.yahoo.com/jj-watts-favorite-story-from-retiring-features-a-cardinals-rookie-high-off-his-ass-on-anesthesia-003645043.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jj-watts-favorite-story-from-retiring-features-a-cardinals-rookie-high-off-his-ass-on-anesthesia-003645043.html?src=rss |
Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day yells from the sideline during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the College Football Playoff National Championship against Alabama at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, in Indianapolis. Georgia won 33-18.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When was Ohio State football's last win against an SEC opponent? | 2022-12-30T01:55:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | By the numbers: When was Ohio State football's last win against an SEC opponent? | https://sports.yahoo.com/numbers-ohio-state-footballs-last-110556735.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/numbers-ohio-state-footballs-last-110556735.html?src=rss |
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) Brandon Staley didn't know Sean McVay when McVay interviewed him to be the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator in 2020.
''There's not too much time to talk on the phone. When you do have time, you're talking to your family most of the time,'' Staley said. ''It's great to have those types of allies and those people that know you well.''
''I certainly wouldn't be here without him. There's a lifelong friend there,'' Staley said. ''At the same time, we're great competitors, even though we're good friends. This game is going to be about competition.''
''He had a drive, motivation, love, and passion for the game that's as strong as anybody I've been around. So, tremendous respect,'' McVay said.
''I think it's about a shift in perspective,'' said McVay, who is 2-3 in the regular season and playoffs against his former assistants. ''It doesn't mean that this doesn't wear on you. ... I think it's about controlling what you can and when you haven't been through those types of things before.''
Baker Mayfield will attempt to lead the Rams to a third victory at SoFi Stadium since he joined the team off waivers from Carolina. He has completed more than 69% of his passes in three games in McVay's offense, with 571 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception. A strong effort against the Chargers would bolster Mayfield as a valuable commodity when he hits free agency in March - something that seemed unlikely only a month ago.
Those numbers could continue to trend upward over the next two games. The Rams have the league's 31st-ranked offense while the Broncos - who host the Chargers in Week 18 - are 25th. | 2022-12-30T02:06:18Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chargers' Staley faces Rams, former boss McVay for 1st time | https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-staley-faces-rams-former-002943666.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-staley-faces-rams-former-002943666.html?src=rss |
It's not like the Dallas Cowboys wore green or bright orange on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans. The uniform they wore was familiar.
But it was a first for a franchise that takes its uniform very seriously.
The Cowboys came out in white jerseys and white helmets. It's similar to the throwback look they like to wear on Thanksgiving, but it was the first time the Cowboys wore a white helmet with their normal star on it according to Helmet History.
The Cowboys wore a white version of their classic helmet on Thursday night. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) signs autographs before Thursday's game. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the tunnel prior to a game against the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
It was sharp, but a bit jarring. The Cowboys revealed their "arctic" uniforms over the offseason, and it is a good look. Yet, there are certain uniforms in sports that really shouldn't be messed with too often. There aren't many of those iconic, timeless uniforms in the NFL, but the Cowboys have one.
What do we think on the Cowboys' all-white "arctic" look, yay or nay? | 2022-12-30T02:06:31Z | sports.yahoo.com | Dallas Cowboys break out a helmet look they've never used before for game vs. Titans | https://sports.yahoo.com/dallas-cowboys-break-out-a-helmet-look-theyve-never-used-before-for-game-vs-titans-015222228.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/dallas-cowboys-break-out-a-helmet-look-theyve-never-used-before-for-game-vs-titans-015222228.html?src=rss |
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero had a shot at a two-game tryout.
''I don't want to get into too much of the details,'' Evero said when asked why he passed on the opportunity. ''We just all agreed that the best thing for this team moving forward was for me to continue to work with the defense. I'm fully invested there. I think that's where I could have the best value for this team.''
''He's a hell of a player,'' Evero said of Mahomes, who threw three touchdown passes and three interceptions in Kansas City's 34-28 win at Denver in Week 14.
Evero described the aftermath of Hackett's firing on Monday as ''hard.'' They've long been good friends and were teammates in college at UC Davis. Hackett's tenure with Denver lasted 15 games as the offense sputtered under quarterback Russell Wilson.
''I hold him in high regard,'' Evero said of Hackett. ''I thought he did a great job here. There's a lot of adverse situations and things that didn't work our way. But at the end of the day, this is what we signed up for, and we have to live with these consequences when we have these type of results. But there are very few people - aside from my wife - in this world that I respect more.''
''My feeling is if that had happened to me with another close friend of mine in my career, I hope I would have done the same thing,'' Rosburg said. ''But it's not an easy thing to do. I think he should be recognized for the magnanimous act that he did. Frankly, there are a lot of people who want to be standing up here. He's highly qualified and he deserved the opportunity to say, `Yes.' He chose to say, `No.'''
''One of the brightest minds I've been around and one of the best leaders,'' Simmons said. ''I think he would be at the top of the list for that.''
''That's not what any of us expected,'' said Evero, who was the secondary/pass game coordinator for the Rams last season when they won the Super Bowl. ''We can't take it back now.''
NOTES: The Broncos practiced Thursday in pads and on a field that had been cleared of about a foot of snow. ''I used to work road construction - this is better,'' Rosburg said of being a coach. ... Rosburg didn't disclose who would be calling the offensive plays. ''Maybe I'll call a play or two, to enhance my resume,'' Rosburg cracked. ... Among those who didn't practice Thursday were TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring) and OLB Randy Gregory (knee). WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle) was limited. ... Jeudy defended Wilson having an office in a post on social media. ''I'm just tired of reading things about my boy and making it seem like, `Oh, he's not a good teammate,''' Jeudy explained after practice. | 2022-12-30T02:06:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Evero passes on Broncos' interim job, has head coach desire | https://sports.yahoo.com/evero-passes-broncos-interim-job-005458988.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/evero-passes-broncos-interim-job-005458988.html?src=rss |
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney has returned to practice after missing seven games with a broken left hand sustained during the team's bye week.
''Man, I want to get back big time,'' McKinney said. ''The coaches know that, and the trainers know that. They know that I really want to get back and I'm kind of running out of patience here.''
''In this league, you're going to have ups and you're going to have downs,'' McKinney said. ''I've been saying that from the jump, though. This league is a roller coaster, so you've got to be able to adjust throughout the season. Obviously, injuries happen. We're going to have our ups and our downs and that's what happened.''
''Like I said, we've been working just trying to get back out there with our team,'' McKinney said of Jackson potentially coming back with him. ''We've still been present and been in meetings and doing the little things still, so it's been good. It'll be good when we're both back.'' | 2022-12-30T02:07:03Z | sports.yahoo.com | Giants S McKinney returns to practice after missing 7 games | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-mckinney-returns-practice-missing-234639161.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/giants-mckinney-returns-practice-missing-234639161.html?src=rss |
''There's really not much more to be said - it's Pittsburgh Steelers week,'' said Chris Horton, Baltimore's special teams coordinator. ''I think everyone understands what that means around here.''
''We're going to focus on the things in our control, and that's our preparation, and then what we do inside the stadium on Sunday night,'' Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. ''We acknowledge all those scenarios and things exist. But all of those scenarios and things have existed since September 11, since we started the season. Every time you step on the field, there's high urgency.''
''Lamar is doing well. He's working hard, getting his rehab done,'' offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. ''The sooner we can get him back, the better. Especially heading into the playoffs, (we'd) love to get some work in before then, but you can't rush Mother Nature. We have to make sure he's right.''
''I didn't see big eyes, I saw sure eyes,'' Tomlin said. ''I saw guys that understood what was at stake and guys that look prepared to go do it.''
''I don't know that (the Baltimore loss) was a fork in the road, if you will, for our run defense,'' Tomlin said. ''More than anything, I thought we had a bad day. I think our run defense has been really solid over the second half of the year. It wasn't reflected in our play that day.''
''I think it's just guys playing for one another, bending but not breaking, and just trusting that at the end of the day, we're going to make something happen,'' Smith said. ''We believe that, and we believe in each other.''
It has been a wild, four-year ride at TCU for quarterback Max Duggan. A season that could have turned out much differently for TCU (12-1) without Duggan, the fourth-year senior who has taken nearly every snap since coming on in the second half of the opener after Morris sprained his knee. | 2022-12-30T02:07:41Z | sports.yahoo.com | Pittsburgh a playoff long shot entering matchup with Ravens | https://sports.yahoo.com/pittsburgh-playoff-long-shot-entering-003706905.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/pittsburgh-playoff-long-shot-entering-003706905.html?src=rss |
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) Quarterback Jarrett Stidham called getting the opportunity to start his first NFL game ''a dream come true'' even if the circumstances weren't ideal and the opponent Sunday owns the league's top defense.
''He's getting the chance of a lifetime,'' defensive end Maxx Crosby said of Stidham, ''and I'm going to be his biggest fan.''
''I can't thank him enough for everything he's helped me with personally and professionally,'' Stidham said. ''Him and his wife both have been very supportive and very welcoming to me and my wife here and our time together. He's just a great human being and obviously a great football player, too. He's obviously been here for a long time. I'm just going to try and go out there and play the best that I can and I know how.''
''You're not going to get any better unless you do it against the best,'' Stidham said. ''So it's going to be a great challenge for us as a team. They're good in all three phases, and it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm super excited about it.''
''It's been great,'' Stidham said. ''Coming in the offseason, obviously, that was good, having a good understanding of what was going on. But every week this year, just tried to prepare with whatever the game plan is and be as prepared as possible to go and play.''
''I think he's ready,'' tight end Darren Waller said. ''I think he's going about it in a way that's unique to him. Not trying to be anybody else, not trying to be too rah-rah or too loud. He speaks when he feels like he needs to speak and jokes with guys. He has the personality to go out there and do well.'' | 2022-12-30T02:07:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | Raiders QB Jarrett Stidham has NFL 'dream come true' | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-qb-jarrett-stidham-nfl-011702187.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-qb-jarrett-stidham-nfl-011702187.html?src=rss |
McKee managed to throw for 2,947 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a completion percentage of 62.0 this year. The year prior, he completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 2,327 yards, 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Neither stat line is eye-popping by any means, but he was a part of a not-so-great team, and often appeared as the best player on a rough Cardinal squad.
Given how his predecessor has faired in Houston, it could send off a warning signal to the other 31 teams to avoid a similar pitfall in McKee, though it is worth nothing they are quite a bit different as physical prospects.
The Times-Union looks back at Jacksonville and Northeast Florida sports from July to September 2022, including Cameron Smith's near surf-turf double. | 2022-12-30T03:45:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | 2023 NFL draft sleeper alert: Stanford QB Tanner McKee | https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-draft-sleeper-alert-031011606.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-nfl-draft-sleeper-alert-031011606.html?src=rss |
"I think we've got to look at Bill's actions here too," Breer said. "Conventional wisdom says that you do everything you can in a quarterback's first year, three years, to bring him along and create the right environment around him. Have they really done that? Like, they rolled the dice with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia. At every opportunity Bill's had this year to say 'he's unequivocally my starter,' Bill's failed to do that both earlier in the year and more recently. So what we've seen is Bill continuing to push, and push, and push Mac. Well, if that's the way that he's treated him in Year 2, and the performance hasn't been there, shouldn't we be led to believe that maybe in Year 3 he takes that to another level and brings in another person? | 2022-12-30T03:45:16Z | sports.yahoo.com | Breer: Why it could make sense for Patriots to sign Baker Mayfield | https://sports.yahoo.com/breer-why-could-sense-patriots-020100192.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/breer-why-could-sense-patriots-020100192.html?src=rss |
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill had a broad smile on Thursday, not just because of how his unit has performed over the past three games.
''I have a big smile on my face any time somebody mentions Joey. I know what it brings to this team,'' Hill said.
''Feeling confident, feeling good,'' Bosa said. ''I'm going to take it one day at a time and let the coaches decide on that.''
''I came in saying that I was feeling as good as I was in a long time, but it's been a long time since I've been able to feel good and push things the way I want to,'' he said.
''You know that he is going to be able to get to the quarterback with his pass rush, take some of the chips off of Khalil that he has been experiencing all year,'' Hill said of Bosa. ''He's able to move guys around to different spots and try to free up some guys. He opens up a lot of things for different people on this defense. That's when you want things clicking because you know they have to account for all 11.'' | 2022-12-30T03:45:22Z | sports.yahoo.com | Chargers' Bosa returns to practice for 1st time in 3 months | https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-bosa-returns-practice-1st-014744630.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/chargers-bosa-returns-practice-1st-014744630.html?src=rss |
The Rams' Cobie Durant (14) celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown against the Broncos, his second interception of the game. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams' Cobie Durant returns an interception for a touchdown against the Broncos in the fourth quarter. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“He's one of those guys that just has a knack for making plays,” coach Sean McVay said, adding, “He's got a great play energy and swagger, and those are the things that you could feel during the course of the game and it pops on the tape as well.”
“He’s done nothing but go out there and absolutely shine and show some of that brilliance that he showed in training camp,” Morris said. “He's out there and he's just kind of been able to be flexible and … move like a vet.”
Though multiple shots were fired, a 19-year-old woman died from a single gunshot wound in the crime, police said.
He was transported to Southside Regional Medical Center | 2022-12-30T03:45:28Z | sports.yahoo.com | When it comes to Rams' bright spots, picks keep pointing to Cobie Durant | https://sports.yahoo.com/comes-rams-bright-spots-picks-020120594.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/comes-rams-bright-spots-picks-020120594.html?src=rss |
The less time you have been with a team the better on Thursday Night Football.
Baker Mayfield led the Los Angeles Rams to an unlikely victory over the Las Vegas Raiders a couple of weeks ago after arriving with the NFC West team two days earlier.
On Thursday, Joshua Dobbs started and played well for the Tennessee Titans against the Dallas Cowboys.
Dobbs was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 draft.
He hadn’t started a game until facing the Cowboys. In the second half, the former University of Tennessee star threw his first NFL TD pass.
The play was good for 7 yards and went to Robert Woods. After the PAT, the underdog Titans trailed, 17-13.
Through three quarters, Dobbs had completed 14-of-24 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown. | 2022-12-30T03:46:02Z | sports.yahoo.com | Drafted in 2017, Joshua Dobbs throws first NFL TD pass | https://sports.yahoo.com/drafted-2017-joshua-dobbs-throws-033504848.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/drafted-2017-joshua-dobbs-throws-033504848.html?src=rss |
McDaniels praises Shanahan's creativity in 49ers scouting report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Kyle Shanahan has a reputation as one of the NFL's best offensive minds, and this season the 49ers coach has shown he can adapt to any quarterback under center.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels recently praised Shanahan's offensive capabilities, noting that the 43-year-old puts his players in the proper position to succeed.
"He's a creative guy," McDaniels said in the latest edition of the Raiders' "One-on-One" series. "He's really good with the quarterback, does a lot of things that challenge you.
"Schematically gets his players to really execute at a high level. They play fast; they're physical. They're aggressive. They do a lot of the right things to win the game."
Shanahan's creative mind might explain the success of quarterback Brock Purdy, who stepped into the 49ers' offense and hasn't looked like a rookie since taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13.
"He's a mature, young guy," McDaniels said. "He was coming out, played a lot of football, and he has a presence about him and you can tell that he's really grasped their offensive system."
While Purdy isn't playing like a rookie, he does have talented weapons to help lighten the load on offense. Over the last few weeks, the Iowa State product has developed chemistry with George Kittle while also relying on Christian McCaffrey and the running game.
"You got to try to get [Kittle] early and you can't give him a bunch of space," McDaniels said. "If he gets into space, this guy is like Earl Campbell running with the ball. I mean, he's physical, he's aggressive, he's big, he's strong, he's very difficult to tackle.
"... [McCaffrey] is a unique player in the league. They're kind of in a world of their own here. He's got almost 80 catches and he's a really good runner. So you got to basically treat him as a receiver when he's out of the backfield. And clearly he's really dangerous with the ball in his hands."
RELATED: Kyle Shanahan, 49ers unfazed by Raiders' Derek Carr-Jarrett Stidham QB change
The 49ers and their bevy of offensive weapons will attempt to beat the Raiders on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium as they fight with the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC's No. 2 seed.
Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee is a name fans should keep an eye on leading up to the 2023 NFL draft | 2022-12-30T03:46:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | Josh McDaniels praises Kyle Shanahan's creativity in 49ers scouting report | https://sports.yahoo.com/josh-mcdaniels-praises-kyle-shanahans-025655983.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/josh-mcdaniels-praises-kyle-shanahans-025655983.html?src=rss |
'Avatar: The Way of Water' crossed $1 billion, halfway to the mark James Cameron said it needed to break even. It will have to overcome 2 hurdles to do it.
James Cameron said his "Avatar" sequel needed to be one of the biggest movies ever to succeed. China and the film's staying power will be key. | 2022-12-30T04:58:27Z | sports.yahoo.com | Plaschke: LeBron James hints at wanting to leave Lakers. They should let him | https://sports.yahoo.com/column-lebron-james-hints-wanting-211017627.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/column-lebron-james-hints-wanting-211017627.html?src=rss |
North Carolina coach Mack Brown stayed to answer more questions outside the interview room at Petco Park when he paused to congratulate Oregon coach Dan Lanning and three players as they filed into the room.
When quarterback Bo Nix walked past, Brown told him, “I didn’t want the ball in your hands, that’s why I should have gone for it on fourth-and-2.”
Brown lamented kicking the 19-yard field goal that put them ahead 24-14 in the fourth quarter. It left an opening for the Ducks to win. Nix eventually completed the game-winning touchdown pass with just 19 seconds left to beat the Tar Heels 28-27 in the Holiday Bowl.
It was a heartbreaking ending in an otherwise well-played game for Carolina.
Here’s what we learned from UNC’s loss:
Turf woes
Brown talked with stadium and bowl officials prior to the start of the game about the condition of particularly one spot on the field. Petco Park, home to Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres, had to be reconfigured for football with new turf laid down.
An area between what is normally the pitchers mound and first base was particularly troublesome. The grounds crew, throughout the game during stoppages, sprinkled dirt on that area to try and keep it dry.
Both teams missed field goal attempts in the first half, and Brown said UNC kicker Noah Burnette slipped on his kick because of the soggy turf.
“It was very dangerous and it was just on one end,” Brown said. “I don’t know if it was a hole in the tarp, but it was so soggy… of everything this week, that was the only thing that that needed to be fixed and changed because I’m not sure they would have let an NFL team play.”
Alley fighters
Last season’s loss to South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl was more disappointing to Brown because the team lacked effort overall, and he said they didn’t come ready to play. He had no such qualms with the way the Tar Heels fought on Wednesday.
Considering the personnel losses from players entering the transfer portal — including three starters in the secondary — Carolina had a number of players filling roles for the first time this season.
Even receivers coach Lonnie Galloway was calling plays for the first time due to former offensive coordinator Phil Longo leaving to take the same position at Wisconsin.
“As a head coach you want to know who you go in an alley with if you think you’re going to get jumped,” Brown said. “Who is going to fight for you? Those two (Drake Maye and Cedric Gray) and a bunch of other guys on this team fighting their guts out to keep me upright, man. That’s basically what it is when you are out there on the field. I wouldn’t trade them for anybody in the country. Not anybody in the country.”
Quarterback battle never materialized
Maye and Nix might very well be positioned next season to battle among the Heisman Trophy contenders, but both were held relatively in check during this matchup.
Maye never completed more than two passes in a row, and he was held to 206 yards passing. That was the cost of having so much change from the ACC championship game until now.
“We’re playing freshmen wide receivers — we got Doc Chapman out there, he hadn’t played any,” Brown said. “Andre Greene got to play only because the NCAA gave him an extra game because freshmen that played in four could play in five because we were so thin. Poor Drake has new receivers running out there he hasn’t even thrown to in the middle of the Holiday Bowl.”
Nix passed for 205 yards and had the game’s only turnover with a second quarter interception. Until leading the final drive, it was the Ducks’ running game, which accounted for 209 yards, that was more effective.
UNC swiped momentum vs. Oregon at the Holiday Bowl with the craziest interception you've ever seen. | 2022-12-30T04:58:33Z | sports.yahoo.com | Here’s what we learned from UNC football’s 28-27 loss to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl | https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-unc-football-28-27-175305791.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/learned-unc-football-28-27-175305791.html?src=rss |
The Raiders don’t pose many problems defensively with one major exception. Defensive end Maxx Crosby has ascended into the upper echelon of NFL pass rushers during his four very productive seasons in the league.
Sometimes teams and players will talk up opponents with hyperbole and exaggeration, but 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy wasn’t doing that when he placed Crosby up with some of the NFL’s other elite pass rushers.
“He’s one of the best players we faced all year,” Purdy told reporters Thursday in a press conference. “I think Kyle might have mentioned earlier in the week that [Los Angeles Rams DT] Aaron Donald and this guy probably present the most problems.
“He presents problems rushing the passer. He presents problems in the run game. He rushes the passers as well as most of those elite edge rushers in the league. He presents a unique style. He’s hard to get his hands on and in the run game, he’s kind of like [Arizona Cardinals DL] J.J. Watt a little bit in that he can swim around blocks and still make plays. It’s not only that he’s really talented and really good, it’s unconventional, so you don’t see it every week and that does create issues for whoever has to block him, so you have to come up with plans and things you want to try to limit the amount of opportunities he has to exhibit all that stuff.”
Crosby posted 10.0 sacks as a rookie, 7.0 the following year, 8.0 last year, and now has a career-high 11.5 sacks this season. He also leads the league with 19 tackles for loss and has played 96 percent of the Raiders’ defensive snaps.
He is a big, relentless defensive lineman who can wreck the 49ers’ offense despite all the advantages San Francisco will have on offense.
If the 49ers can limit Crosby, they’ll be able to move the ball at will. If Crosby has a big day though, it could prime the Raiders for a pretty sizable upset. San Francisco may not see Crosby much, but he’s absolutely a name to be keenly aware of. | 2022-12-30T05:22:11Z | sports.yahoo.com | Brock Purdy places Raiders DE Maxx Crosby in conversation with Aaron Donald, JJ Watt | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-places-raiders-maxx-044018760.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/brock-purdy-places-raiders-maxx-044018760.html?src=rss |
The short week really isn’t kind to anyone, and it wasn’t to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17. Traveling to Tennessee to face a team that was sitting a large percentage of key players, Dallas’ win was never really in doubt, but they certainly weren’t at their most sharp. The club had three turnovers in the first half that allowed the game to still be close at the half, and the kind of domination one might expect from playing a QB who had only been on the opponent’s team for eight days never materialized.
Still, ugly games are more the norm than the aberration on Thursday Night Football, and the Cowboys were still able to come away with a double-digit win. Dak Prescott connected with TE Dalton Schultz for touchdowns on two separate occasions, leading the Cowboys to a comfortable 27-13 victory.
The win was Dallas’ 12th of the season, giving them back-to-back dozens for the first time since doing so four times in a row in the early 1990s during their dynastic run. Schultz was joined by another stellar effort from WR CeeDee Lamb, who caught 10+ passes for the second consecutive game and 100 yards for the third straight.
Dallas’ win keeps pressure on the Philadelphia Eagles, who still need to win a game in order to lock up the NFC East. The Eagles play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. | 2022-12-30T05:22:37Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cowboys escape Tennessee with 12th win of 2022, beat Titans 27-13 | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-escape-tennessee-12th-win-041841359.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-escape-tennessee-12th-win-041841359.html?src=rss |
The Dallas Cowboys are still alive in the race for the NFC East championship.
The Cowboys defeated the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football, 27-13, to keep the heat on the Eagles.
The Birds play the Saints on Sunday at the Linc and would win the NFC East title if they down New Orleans or the game ends in a tie.
If the Eagles hope to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC they need a win or they need a tie and a loss or tie by the Vikings.
The Eagles won the division from 2001-04. Since their win in 2004, no NFC East team has managed to repeat as a division champion.
The Cowboys won the NFC East in 2021.
North Carolina Police Accuse Parents Of Withholding Information About Missing 11-Year-Old Girl
North Carolina police allege the parents of a missing 11-year-old girl are withholding information about her disappearance, in a new video posted on social media by the Cornelius Police Department on Tuesday. “We know everyone has questions,” Capt. Jennifer Thompson said. “We also have a lot of questions, and are doing everything we can, with proper legal authority, to get those answers. This is a serious case of a child whose parents clearly are not telling us everything they know.” Madalina Co | 2022-12-30T05:22:43Z | sports.yahoo.com | Cowboys topple Titans, remain alive in bid for NFC East title | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-topple-titans-remain-alive-043025382.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-topple-titans-remain-alive-043025382.html?src=rss |
A few teams could see their playoff hopes come to an end in Week 17.
The Detroit Lions will be eliminated with a loss to the Chicago Bears and a Washington Commanders win over the Cleveland Browns.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers will miss the playoffs if they lose to the Minnesota Vikings and either the Lions defeat the Bears or the Commanders get a win over the Browns.
Should the Commanders lose to the Browns, and the Lions and Packers both win, Washington will be eliminated from playoff contention.
The Carolina Panthers need to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to have a chance at the playoffs.
The 6-9 New Orleans Saints enter the weekend with their NFC South division title hopes still alive, but they'll need a win over the Philadelphia Eagles to have any shot at the postseason.
The Seattle Seahawks' postseason dreams will come to an end with a loss to the New York Jets along with a Commanders win over the Browns. The Jets, however, also need a victory to keep their season alive.
The Jets' division rival New England Patriots will be eliminated with a loss to the Miami Dolphins.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the playoffs with a loss to the Baltimore Ravens coupled with a victory by either the Jets or Patriots.
The Las Vegas Raiders need a win over the San Francisco 49ers to stave off elimination. | 2022-12-30T05:23:25Z | sports.yahoo.com | Full list of NFL teams eliminated from 2022 playoff contention | https://sports.yahoo.com/full-list-nfl-teams-eliminated-190900408.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/full-list-nfl-teams-eliminated-190900408.html?src=rss |
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be first place in the AFC South after Week 17, regardless of their result against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Jacksonville is now a half-game up on the Tennessee Titans after the latter lost its sixth straight game on Thursday. The Titans’ 27-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys dropped the team to 7-9 on the year. With the Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans all set to play Sunday, the AFC South standings now look like this:
The Jaguars currently own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Titans, so they’ll maintain their lead over Tennessee even if both teams have 7-9 records after Week 17.
But if the Titans manage to even the series with a win in Week 18, the second tiebreaker is divisional record. Tennessee would be 4-2 in AFC South play if it beat Jacksonville next week, better than the Jaguars’ 2-4 or 3-3 record.
As such, the Titans’ loss to the Cowboys didn’t do anything to alter the AFC South race. It did, however, guarantee that the Jaguars will enter the matchup as the division leader. | 2022-12-30T05:23:38Z | sports.yahoo.com | Jaguars’ lead in AFC South grows with 6th straight Titans loss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-lead-afc-south-grows-041809639.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/jaguars-lead-afc-south-grows-041809639.html?src=rss |
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is showing support for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is slated to miss Sunday’s game due to being in concussion protocol.
It was announced on Wednesday that backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will be starting in his place.
Tagovailoa has thrown for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He performed well when the Patriots faced him in the season opener on September 11. He went 23-of-33 on the afternoon, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback also completed 69.7 percent of his passes.
Jones showed his support for the Dolphins quarterback, as he met with the media on Thursday, per NESN’s Dakota Randall.
The Patriots will look to defeat Miami on Sunday and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Miami still has several playmakers available, including their two top receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. New England will have their work cut out for them, as they look to remain in the playoff hunt. | 2022-12-30T05:23:44Z | sports.yahoo.com | Mac Jones showed support for former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa | https://sports.yahoo.com/mac-jones-showed-support-former-042531941.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/mac-jones-showed-support-former-042531941.html?src=rss |
While the mistakes are aplenty in Nashville, quarterback Dak Prescott and tight end Dalton Schultz continue to connect for big plays when it matters. The pair started off the second half with a touchdown and elected to do the same to start the fourth quarter.
On a 2nd-and-7 at the Titans 10-yard line, Prescott lobbed one up and Schultz ripped it down in the corner of the endzone to make it a 24-13 game in Tennessee. The franchise-tag tight end hasn’t been the touchdown scorer some expected him to be but he’s got seven catches for 56 yards and two scores on the road. After the latest grab, Dallas holds a 24-13 lead with under 12 minutes to play.
Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz as the Dallas Cowboys beat the banged-up and resting Tennessee Titans 27-13 on Thursday night for their sixth win in seven games. The Cowboys (12-4) posted their first back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994 and 1995, when Dallas won its last of the franchise's five Super Bowl titles. Fans were chanting “Let's go Cowboys!” throughout the game.
The league didn't come down as hard as some expected on the principles in the incident.
Golden Ocean Group (GOGL) closed the most recent trading day at $8.82, moving +0.46% from the previous trading session. | 2022-12-30T05:24:09Z | sports.yahoo.com | WATCH: Cowboys stretch lead as Prescott-Schultz for second TD | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-cowboys-stretch-lead-prescott-035345097.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-cowboys-stretch-lead-prescott-035345097.html?src=rss |
THE RUSH will be back on Monday. Until then, stay safe, Happy New Year and don’t forget to check out our previous episodes here.
Mississippi State women's basketball opens SEC play on Thursday with a trip to Vanderbilt. MSU is looking to score a win before the schedule picks up.
In the latest trading session, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) closed at $38.31, marking a +1.14% move from the previous day. | 2022-12-30T06:28:49Z | sports.yahoo.com | Mbappe, Ronaldo and other soccer stars mourn Pelé I The Rush | https://sports.yahoo.com/mbappe-ronaldo-and-other-soccer-stars-mourn-pele-i-the-rush-050916566.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/mbappe-ronaldo-and-other-soccer-stars-mourn-pele-i-the-rush-050916566.html?src=rss |
Utah stays undefeated in Pac-12 play with road win over California
Utah men's basketball beat Cal, 58-43, to improve 10-4 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play. Branden Carlson and Lazar Stefanovic each scored 11 points in the win.
Behind a double-double from Omar El-Sheikh and stout defense, the Arkansas State men’s basketball snapped a 10-game home win streak for Old Dominion and opened Sun Belt Conference play with a 60-57 win at Chartway Arena Thursday night. Winners of four-straight games, A-State moves to 9-5 overall and improves to 22-10 in Sun Belt Conference openers all-time. The loss snaps a four-game win streak for Old Dominion and drops the Monarchs to 8-5 overall. | 2022-12-30T06:37:24Z | sports.yahoo.com | Utah stays undefeated in Pac-12 play with road win over California | https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-stays-undefeated-pac-12-051750574.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/utah-stays-undefeated-pac-12-051750574.html?src=rss |
At full strength for once, the Hornets (10-26) had enough firepower to hold off the Thunder late. It certainly didn’t feel like the same team they had been trotting out in front of their own fans since October.
“Totally different,” PJ Washington said. “Everybody is coming back, everybody is getting into a rhythm. Things are about to turn for us. Everybody is back playing together, so it feels good being on the court with everybody.”
Even if it came in their 16th home game of the season.
“Yeah, that’s crazy,” Washington said with a laugh. “Nah, that’s insane.”
Here are some key takeaways from the Hornets’ streak-busting victory:
Williams is thrilled for his newfound opportunity.
“It felt great,” Williams said. “That was my first time at home playing at home, being in front of the crowd. I just got into a rhythm early and continued to do that on both sides of the ball. But it felt really good to play for sure.”
“Just taking what the defense gave me,” Ball said, “letting the game just break down and come to me easy. So, I’m just taking what the defense gave me.”
JT Thor picked up some of the extra minutes in the second half and struggled mightily. The second-year forward misfired badly on all three shot attempts and was a liability at times, unable to contribute anything of significance. With Oubre hurting, the Hornets may have to find someone capable of giving them key production from the wing stepping in at a moment’s notice.
“This has been since early in the year,” Clifford said. “If you’ve noticed, they’ve tried everything. He’s had it bandaged different ways, different fingers together. And the problem is when he gets hit hard it’s super sore. So, the only way for it to get better is to rest it, which obviously he doesn’t want to do. So, hopefully, he’ll be OK. But again, this isn’t something that just happened. He’s been playing with this all year.”
Hornets vs Thunder Betting Forecast
Yahoo Sports looks at the latest betting information as the Charlotte Hornets host the Oklahoma City Thunder | 2022-12-30T06:46:06Z | sports.yahoo.com | Home sweet home. What we learned in the Hornets’ win over Oklahoma City | https://sports.yahoo.com/home-sweet-home-learned-hornets-023954774.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/home-sweet-home-learned-hornets-023954774.html?src=rss |
Clemente Almanza Sports Writer, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.
Dec. 30—The Charlotte Hornets were looking for the knockout punch with a minute to go.
In 22 seconds, the Hornets were able to balloon their lead from four points to nine points. That mini-run capped off the Hornets' 10th win of the season as the Thunder fell, 121-113.
Ball led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. P.J. Washington's monster second half saw him score 19 of his 25 points. Williams — the rookie center — had his best game of the season as his seven-foot frame took advantage of the thin Thunder frontcourt with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Here are three other thoughts from the Thunder's eight-point loss.
The Hornets did a good job at limiting Gilgeous-Alexander's damage inside the paint and not allowing him to go the free-throw line with ease with a 5-of-7 night from the charity stripe.
Next Game: The Thunder return home to play its annual New Year's Eve game in a matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. CT. | 2022-12-30T06:46:08Z | sports.yahoo.com | OKC Thunder: Thunder struggle to contain LaMelo Ball in 121-113 loss to Hornets | https://sports.yahoo.com/okc-thunder-thunder-struggle-contain-050100486.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/okc-thunder-thunder-struggle-contain-050100486.html?src=rss |
Zak Hanshew
Mark Williams (5%): That's right, fantasy managers. It's Mark Williams time in Charlotte! The rookie big man was certainly giving off “good vibrations” in Thursday's win as he logged career highs across the board with 17 points (7-of-7 FG, 3-of-5 FT), 13 rebounds (four offensive), two assists, two steals and two blocks across 21 minutes.
Naughty Nick Richards, who missed the last two games due to an ankle injury, was upgraded to available for this one but ultimately got slapped with a DNP-CD as Williams was promoted to the backup center role behind Mason Plumlee. Though he came off the bench behind Plumlee, Williams played only five fewer minutes than the starter.
After not appearing in an NBA game since October 28, Williams came on strong over two games prior, averaging 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks across 17 minutes per contest, good for a per-game fantasy ranking of 101 over the last week.
Williams has been pegged as a “silly season hero” by many in the fantasy community, but Charlotte's season is going down the tubes quickly, so “silly season” may start much earlier for the Hornets than for other teams.
Williams was a force to be reckoned with at Duke, averaging 11.2 points, 7.4 boards and 2.8 blocks in his sophomore season before turning pro and landing with the Hornets. It doesn't make sense for the lottery-bound Hornets to continue giving Mason Plumlee starts and meaningful minutes, so we're hoping that this is Williams' coming out party and he sticks in the rotation. He only needs minutes in the low 20's to be relevant in 12-team fantasy leagues. It's music to our ears singing the praises of Marky Mark and the Dunky bunch, so make sure to prioritize adding him off the waiver wire.
Immanuel Quickley (33%): Quickley handed out a career-high 15 dimes in Tuesday's loss to Dallas and promptly followed up that performance with a career-high scoring bonanza in Thursday's loss. Quickley has logged better than 30 minutes per game across his last five outings, and he's played a total of 94 minutes over his last two games. For a young player to get so many minutes on a Tom Thibodeau-coached team is certainly worth noting, and IQ has got our attention. Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett are out, meaning Quickley should continue to see big minutes moving forward. Make sure you add him quickly (see what I did there?) because his rostered percentage is about to skyrocket.
Others worth adding: Alec Burks (24%), Quentin Grimes (46%), Jeremy Sochan (36%), Derrick White (48%), Rui Hachimura (19%), Saddiq Bey (64%), Jalen Williams (32%) | 2022-12-30T06:46:10Z | sports.yahoo.com | Time for Marky Mark and the Dunky Bunch! | https://sports.yahoo.com/time-marky-mark-dunky-bunch-054053036.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/time-marky-mark-dunky-bunch-054053036.html?src=rss |
Kim Barnes Arico secured her 500th career victory on Wednesday night in Lincoln as Michigan defeated Nebraska, 76-59. More importantly, Michigan improved to 12-1 on the season and 2-0 in Big Ten play. It was an electric start for Michigan as the Wolverines jumped all over the Cornhuskers in the game's opening minutes. | 2022-12-30T06:53:47Z | sports.yahoo.com | NFL playoff picture entering Week 17: Cowboys alive for NFC East title, three teams can clinch divisions | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-playoff-picture-entering-week-051951359.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-playoff-picture-entering-week-051951359.html?src=rss |
Crosby, a fourth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Bosa, who the 49ers took No. 2 overall, are two of the league's top defensive ends.
And while there might be some competition between them, there's certainly no bad blood.
"It's funny, because both fanbases always talk about -- for some reason ever since my rookie year, the Niners being from the Bay and Oakland as well, automatically people created this beef between me and Nick," Crosby told reporters Thursday. "People send me stuff all the time, like Niner fans coming at me saying I suck, and I'm like, 'Damn, I don't know what I did to y'all, I've never even played against y'all.'
"But yeah, they always go back and forth about me and Nick, but it's funny. Me and Nick have been boys ever since my rookie year. We talk all the time."
Despite the wide gap between them in the draft, Bosa and Crosby both have produced at high levels so far -- though Bosa missed a majority of the 2020 NFL season with a torn ACL, and Crosby has dealt with his share of injuries as well.
Since 2019, Bosa has recorded 42.0 sacks compared to Crosby's 36.5. Bosa, this season's Defensive Player of the Year front-runner, leads the NFL with 17.5 in 2022 -- a career high -- and Crosby's 11.5 sacks have him tied for ninth in the league.
"Seeing what he's done, his career has been incredible," Crosby said of Bosa. "We came in together in the same draft, so watching him and seeing what he does gives me inspiration, because I want to be the best and he pushes me. I see him, what he's doing, and I'm like, 'OK, you're doing that. I've got to keep going hard.'
"I've got a ton of respect for him. He's a great dude."
Crosby said he's proud of Bosa for his NFL success and that the 49ers star has lived up to every expectation of being a high draft pick.
"Their defensive end in Crosby is playing as probably the second-best defensive player in the league, at least that I've seen this year," Shanahan said of Crosby, leaving his obvious opinion of who is No. 1 up to reporters' imaginations. "I think he's been unbelievable, so they got some guys who can wreck games, and you better be on your stuff regardless."
Crosby didn't take Shanahan's 'second-best' comments as a slight.
"It definitely drives me, but obviously he's got to defend his guy as well, so I totally understand that," Crosby said. "Coach Shanahan is a great coach, great dude. I met him in the combine process, I met with him and the Niners staff, so I got a ton of respect for them, and just putting me in that conversation is special, for sure."
As the 49ers and Raiders prepare to face off Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, Crosby is looking forward to going up against his friend Bosa -- and a San Francisco team he has plenty of respect for.
"It's not a coincidence they're doing well," Crosby said. "For me personally, I love playing against the best, so I definitely look forward to it."
Broncos need to get their house in order if they want to lure top head coach candidates | You Pod to Win the Game
Yahoo Sports Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein discuss the Broncos search for a new head coach after the firing of Nathaniel Hackett after less than one full season. Charles to talked to a possible candidate who said there are red flags when it comes to the Denver job. Hear the full conversation on the You Pod to Win the Game podcast. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen. | 2022-12-30T06:53:54Z | sports.yahoo.com | Raiders' Maxx Crosby shuts down made-up Nick Bosa beef, says they're 'boys' | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-maxx-crosby-shuts-down-060516132.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-maxx-crosby-shuts-down-060516132.html?src=rss |
He tried to return in the second half, but after two rushes netted just 6 yards, remained on the sideline. His usual backup, Donovan Edwards, was out that day with a hand injury and the available running backs struggled. CJ Stokes and Isaiah Gash combined to run 18 times for 44 yards; the Wolverines squeaked out a 19-17 win but not without great concern about the status of the backfield moving forward.
Michigan running back Donovan Edwards (7) runs for a touchdown against Ohio State during the second half at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
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Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) voted MVP celebrates the 43-22 win against the Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
"I mean, everybody already knew what I’ve been capable of doing since I came in here," Edwards said with a laugh at Fiesta Bowl media day Thursday, just more than 48 hours before No. 2 Michigan (13-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and No. 3 TCU (12-1, 9-0 Big 12) are set for kickoff. "Nobody is surprised at what I’m able to do.
"We lost a lot with Blake Corum," coach Jim Harbaugh told the Free Press on Thursday. "There was a whole, one-two punch that we had with Blake but I think Blake is so great that when Donovan was out, Blake took it all on his shoulders. With Blake out, Donovan has been able to take two games pretty much all on his shoulders.
Michigan running back Donovan Edwards (7) scores a touchdown against Purdue during the second half of the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
It's a lesson U-M wide receiver coach Ron Bellamy learned long ago.
Bellamy was Edwards' head coach at West Bloomfield High School. Prior to that, he Edwards as a third-grade quarterback for the West Bloomfield Panthers.
West Bloomfield running back Donovan Edwards is flanked by Tyrice Grice, left, and head coach Ron Bellamy after surgery to repair his broken leg Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018.
That didn't always come in the form of back pats and compliments. On more than one occasion, Bellamy would get after Edwards. Most often it was football related, but sometimes it was just life.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates with running back Donovan Edwards (7) after winning the Big Ten Championship Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022.
He expressed similar sentiments about his father. He believes there aren't many men in his father's generation who would step up to the plate and raise two boys on their own and for that "I respect my dad with everything in me."
Michigan running back Donovan Edwards (7) runs past Ohio State safety Lathan Ransom during the second half Nov. 26, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Jim Harbaugh explains how Donovan Edwards 'saved our team' | 2022-12-30T07:50:07Z | sports.yahoo.com | How Donovan Edwards, propelled by faith, 'saved' Michigan football's season | https://sports.yahoo.com/donovan-edwards-propelled-faith-saved-223051534.html?src=rss | https://sports.yahoo.com/donovan-edwards-propelled-faith-saved-223051534.html?src=rss |
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