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AFC Championship: Bengals at Chiefs

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – In the playoffs, there’s no passer like Patrick Mahomes at home.

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Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Bengals in the AFC Championship game Sunday in a repeat of the 2021 title game that sent Joe Burrow and Cincinnati to the Super Bowl. But there’s a significant twist.

Mahomes plans to play with a sprained right ankle and has lost three games in a row to the Bengals, including 27-24 on Dec. 4. His health and the groundswell of support for Burrow has the Chiefs as the underdog in the playoffs for the first time in Mahomes’ career.

Mahomes has been at his best on the big stage with 32 touchdowns (28 TD passes, four rushing) and three interceptions in 10 career home playoff starts.

The tug of war for bettors has been evident since Sunday night, when most books had the Chiefs as favorites — by 2 or 3 points — only to see the Bengals favored by 2 as a consensus by midday Monday. But with Mahomes’ status firmed up by the Chiefs and video evidence to support, the public forced a wild swing that had Kansas City favored by a point.

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Burrow, mind you, is 19-5 against the spread in his last 24 games as an underdog. Cincinnati is 9-0 in its last nine as an underdog.

As of Friday morning, the Chiefs were a 1.5-point favorite and a low money line to win outright (-118 at FanDuel). By Sunday, the spread went to (-2).

The initial sprain forced him out of the Chiefs’ divisional playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. He returned to the game with limited mobility, completing 22 of 30 passes for a season-low 195 yards with two touchdowns and was not sacked.

He’s 9-3 in 12 career playoff games with 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Mahomes said the injury isn’t as severe as his 2019 high ankle sprain or a toe injury two seasons ago, when he finished the season in a Super Bowl defeat at the hands of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. The difference will be in physical limitations on his right ankle and plant leg throwing from the pocket.

Cincinnati has a 10-game winning streak and its most recent loss was to Cleveland on Halloween. Burrow would tie Russell Wilson for most wins (six) by a quarterback in their first three seasons if he can knock off the Chiefs again.

“He’s got an edge to him,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Burrow. “I like that in our quarterback.”

He hasn’t been intercepted in his past three playoff games. In three starts against the Chiefs, Burrow has nine TDs (one rushing), one interception and a combined passer rating of 121.

 

NFC Championship: Niners at Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – San Francisco QB Brock Purdy emerged out of nowhere to become just the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first two postseason starts.

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However, a bigger prize looms on the horizon when the San Francisco 49ers play in the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four seasons, visiting the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Purdy will be striving to lead the second-seeded 49ers to their second Super Bowl appearance in the past four seasons. His rise from the 262nd and last pick in the NFL draft to unbeaten in seven career starts is becoming legendary stuff.

Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens in 2008-09 and Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets in 2009-10 are the other rookies to win their first two playoff starts.

“He doesn’t care if he messes up,” 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel said. “If he does, he’s going to go full speed and we’ll talk about it at the end of the day.

“I have seen him grow throughout the whole year from zero snaps to being the starter of this team.”

Philadelphia’s defense, which ranked second in total defense (301.5 yards per game) in the regular season, will be the best Purdy has faced. Counting the postseason, the Eagles have racked up 75 sacks, third most in NFL history. The only two higher outputs came from the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

Also part of the equation is the raucous Philadelphia crowd, which will provide noise.

“In these games, it all comes back to communication,” Purdy said. “How can you operate smoothly, get in and out of the huddle, get the play off in the right way and make sure everybody is on the same page. It’s definitely a big emphasis this week.”

The Eagles feature NFL MVP finalist Jalen Hurts at quarterback, an elite runner who has turned into a strong thrower. Hurts passed for 22 touchdowns and rushed for 13 during the regular season.

Hurts threw for two scores and ran for one as Philadelphia routed the New York Giants 38-7 in the NFC divisional round.

The 49ers led the NFL in total defense (300.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (16.3 points per game). San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa (NFL-high 18.5 sacks) is a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“They’re really good across the board,” Hurts said. “It starts out with their front seven and then adding a really good defensive back group. They fly to the ball at every position and they’re well-coached. We have a task in front of us and a really big challenge.”

The Eagles are in the NFC title game for the first time since the 2017-18 season when they went on to win the Super Bowl.

Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings and BetMGM, where the line opened at 2.0 but shifted with the Eagles drawing 76 percent of the spread-line bets and 85 percent of the money. The line is moving to 3.0 points in most shops.

The line had moved to 3.0 points by Saturday at BetRivers, where Philadelphia covering was drawing more than twice as much action (28.3 percent) than any other play among the two conference championship games (Bengals +1.0, 12.4 percent).

This will be only the second game of the season in which San Francisco enters as the underdog. BetRivers reported the 49ers have covered in nine consecutive games against NFC opponents and are 13-6 ATS this season.

PROP PICKS
Purdy Over 0.5 INTs (-140 at DraftKings): All three sports books are offering the same prop, with the potential payout slightly better at DraftKings as of mid-day Saturday. Purdy hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 17 and has 59 pass attempts through his first two playoff games without committing a turnover. But the Eagles’ defense can bring pressure from any angle, with four players registering double-digit sacks. Purdy is still a rookie, and under pressure he has a tendency to spin out of the pocket and will force the occasional ball downfield – and Philly’s defense rarely lets opportunities slip away.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Anytime TD (-120 at BetMGM): This has been the most popular NFC prop at several sportsbooks. McCaffrey missed practice time with a calf injury this week but has vowed to play. When he plays, McCaffrey typically finds the end zone — including at least once in eight consecutive games entering Sunday.

Over 46.5 Total Points (-110 at BetRivers): It’s easy to lean Under given the strength of these two defenses. But that inclination hasn’t played out over the course of the season, with the sports book reporting these are two of only six teams to hit the Over in more than half of their games. Good defenses also create short fields, which create scoring opportunities. And both offenses have plenty of offensive firepower to take advantage.

Eagles WR A.J. Brown Over 68.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at BetMGM): The Giants didn’t do much right defensively last week other than hold Brown to 22 yards on a trio of catches. That has been the exception to the rule, with Brown topping 68.5 yards in the six games leading up to the Eagles’ playoff opener. He will draw a difficult matchup with Charvarius Ward likely tracking him most of the game, but Ward proved vulnerable to another big, physical wideout in Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf two weeks ago.

Hurts Anytime TD (+118 at BetRivers): This has been the second most popular NFC prop at the sportsbook, drawing 3.1 percent of the total tickets and the second most money. Hurts has six rushing touchdowns in his past five games, including one last weekend as the Eagles have increasingly relied on his legs with opponents also having to respect Philly’s ground game near the goal line.

INJURY REPORT
49ers: QB Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) was officially ruled out. McCaffrey (knee) and fellow RB Elijah Mitchell (groin) missed multiple practices this week but are expected to play. McCaffrey is expected to play while Mitchell was listed as questionable along with CB Ambry Thomas (ankle). Coach Kyle Shanahan said Charles Omenihu (oblique), who was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence earlier this week, would play if healthy.

Eagles: MLB T.J. Edwards (ankle) was the only player listed as limited in Friday’s practice and Philadelphia is expected to have everyone available.

PREDICTION
Purdy has been unflappable in winning his first seven career starts, including a pair of playoff games. He also hasn’t faced a defense the likes of the Eagles, who will bring a slew of different looks and pressure from all angles. The 49ers’ defense is equally impressive, but Philly capitalizes on a turnover or two and takes advantage of shorter fields to win a tight contest throughout. –Eagles 26-23

DSD PREDICTION: McCaffrey gets it done and the 49ers team defense holds Hurts and Philly down. 49ers 21-17

It’s Gonna Be Hot Stuff in Buffalo

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Pro Bowl quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals were slated to have their epic confrontation earlier this month.

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But Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest emergency in the first quarter of that Monday Night Football game postponed their battle after only nine-plus minutes of play.

Instead, the two talented, young – future of the NFL – quarterbacks, will have their first official duel on a much bigger stage when the second-seeded Buffalo Bills entertain the third-seeded Cincinnati Bengals in an AFC Divisional playoff game today..

Burrow guided the Bengals to the Super Bowl last season and Allen craves a similar run for the Bills. Burrow is the first Cincinnati quarterback to win playoff games in consecutive seasons while Allen is aiming to steer Buffalo into the AFC Championship Game for the second time in three seasons.

Both teams are red hot: The Bengals have won nine straight games and the Bills have prevailed eight consecutive times.

“It feels like two deserving teams,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said of the matchup. “Buffalo is one of the greatest environments to play in in all of football. I’ve been there many, many times and it’s a fun environment.

“It’s a worthy playoff environment and so our guys are going to be juiced up and ready to go.”

The Bengals were the surprise team last season when they crashed the Super Bowl and lost to the Los Angeles Rams. Now they are part of a tough trio of AFC contenders along with the Bills and top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

“We’re in a great spot,” Burrow said. “We have great leaders in the locker room and Zac puts us in the right mindset to create positions to go and succeed. We have the utmost faith in each other to go make plays to win the game.”

Meanwhile, Buffalo has won 13 of its last 14 home playoff games after posting a 34-31 victory over the Miami Dolphins. The Bills were up 17-0 before sloppy play — they committed three turnovers — allowed the Dolphins back in the game.

“You can’t try to eliminate every single turnover and play scared,” Allen said. “We’re aggressive. We want to score touchdowns. That’s the gist of it.”

Sunday’s matchup comes 20 days after the matchup in Cincinnati in which Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter after tackling Bengals wideout Tee Higgins. He was administered CPR on the field and taken to a nearby hospital and the game was later postponed.

Hamlin has made a miraculous speedy recovery as the teams reunite for the playoff showdown.

“I’m sure it’s gonna be a little bit emotional,” Allen said of facing the Bengals. “I will say that I’ve got so much respect for the Bengals, their staff, their organization, and their players after everything that transpired. The way that we came together and kind of talked with them — they were extremely open to the whole concept of not continuing the game and making sure that we were OK.”

Also of note is that the Bills are playing in the division round for the third straight season. They went 1-1 the past two campaigns.

“We’ve been here before,” Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said. “We’ve got good experience in the divisional round. We’re grateful for that. … So, it’s the next game on our radar. And we’ve got to prepare for it.”

PROP PICKS
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase Anytime TD (+135 at DraftKings): Chase has been the fourth-most popular Anytime TD scorer among the four games this weekend, and offers by far the biggest potential payout among the top five at the sportsbook. Chase has scored at least one touchdown in eight of 13 games this season, including six of his past eight. Buffalo ranked 26th against the pass during the regular season while allowing an average of 258.1 yards per game, and struggled to contain Dolphins rookie quarterback Skylar Thompson last weekend.

Over 49 Total Points (-110 at BetMGM): Not only are these two of the hottest teams in the league going head-to-head, it’s two of the most potent offenses in the league. Of concern with this prop are the injuries along Cincinnati’s o-line – down three starters. But Buffalo’s defense has also been vulnerable in recent weeks. The expectation here is that Burrow and Allen are trading punches for four quarters and that every offensive opportunity will need to be maximized.

 

Sunday Night: Cincinnati Bengals Have QB Edge Over Injured Baltimore Ravens

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CINCINNATI – (Staff report by Field Level Media) – With the oft-injured injured Lamar Jackson out, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly plan to use both backup quarterbacks during Sunday night’s AFC wild-card game against the host Cincinnati Bengals.

Multiple reports said the Ravens will deploy the unusual strategy with Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown, despite challenges with each.

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Huntley, 24, is dealing with tendinitis in his right shoulder as well as a wrist injury. He was listed as questionable on the official injury report.

As a starter in his career, Huntley is 3-5. His injured shoulder hampered his performance this season, with Huntley completing just three passes of at least 20 yards in four starts.

When asked at Friday’s practice if he’s ready to return to the field, Huntley reported he has “no nerves.”

Just excited to get back out there after missing one week,” Huntley said. “It’s a privilege to go out there and play football and I appreciate it.”

Meanwhile, the Ravens’ other backup quarterback, Brown, 24, is an undrafted rookie who’s made only one career start, last Sunday’s 27-16 loss to the Bengals. In that game, he threw for 286 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.

The two QBs have different strengths, with Brown the better passer while Huntley is more proficient at using the same run-oriented offense as Jackson.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh has been tight-lipped about the situation, declining to name a starter after Friday’s practice.

“We’ll see when the time comes,” Harbaugh said.

Jackson, who was ruled out for a sixth straight game with a left knee injury, “suffered a PCL Grade 2 sprain, on the borderline of a strain 3” and his knee “remains unstable,” according to Jackson’s own tweet on Thursday.

The Ravens enter Sunday night’s matchup against the defending AFC champion Bengals as a heavy underdog.

–Field Level Media

TL’s New Year’s Sports Notes | Jan. 1 ’23

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – I had a dream. No, I’m not ripping-off the historic civil rights speech of August, 1963 by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because I really had a dream this week. It was nowhere near as visionary as Dr. King’s speech and its plot was not prophetic. In fact, the dream speaks as much of times gone by but it might illustrate hopes for the future.

I rarely remember my dreams. They are always as clear as Cristal Brut Champagne upon my awakening, but then, the scene and story is gone in an instant. Some say it’s what those who suffer from dementia or amnesia experience everyday of their lives. That complex and fragile human brain of ours, it’s as frightening as it is amazing.

Tuesday, I awoken fresh from a scene of a major motion picture being played out with only once screen in the world, in my sleepy but active mind. I was at the airport and ready to board a plane, a connection home from being on Air Force One where I sat with former First Lady Michele Obama. President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama were attending to other things as we (an NBA entourage) returned from staging another international exhibition game and a series of Basketball without Borders clinics.

The location wasn’t clear but from the mood on AF1, it was quite a successful trip.

We were all in the present, but the scene invoked personal memories of days of future past, days that don’t seem possible with recent foreign relations gone so bad between the United States and China and with Russia versus the countries of the free world. Not all that long ago, we experienced great days of government diplomacy side-by-side with sports diplomacy.

Ping pong diplomacy began in the very early 1970s and continued until 1972 when thenUSA President Richard Nixon made a trip to China in an attempt to establish relations and gain leverage toward negotiating a peace settlement in Viet Nam. The NBA joined the effort in 1979 when the then-Washington Bullets – the reigning NBA champions – accepted an invitation from China’s leader Deng Xiaoping to play two summertime exhibition games in Shanghai and Beijing. The trip came just months after then-USA President Jimmy Carter made efforts to ease tension in the region. The Bullets/Wizards celebrated the effort 30 years later with a return to China spearheaded by franchise governor Abe Pollin.
NBA China Games of 2004 (Getty Images)

The NBA continued its efforts for international relations with multiple players association summer trips to conduct clinics and the NBA reciprocating with a full month-long training effort with the 1985 NBA China Friendship Tour, a combination of practices led by Red Auerbach, Pete Newell, Ed Badger and Bill Blair, along with a full schedule of scrimmages featuring the Chinese National Team against NBA clubs,  including an early glimpse of a rookie named Michael Jordan, during training camps.

Now, with Russia at war with Ukraine, it seems impossible and so long ago that the NBA was helping young basketball players representing the then-USSR National Team mature inviting six players to attend the Atlanta and Los Angeles summer leagues to team-up with franchise owner Ted Turner’s Atlanta Hawks in the summer of 1987, a few months before the NBA staged its first McDonald’s Open exhibition in Milwaukee with the same USSR National Team, Tracer of Milan (Italy) and the host Bucks.

In 1988, it was the Hawks, once again, furthering the Glasnost efforts of Russia’s with the late Mikhail Gorbachev a few years before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and eventual independence for Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia in the Baltics, along with dozens of other break-away countries, many with basketball players who once competed for the USSR.

It seemed the NBA’s version of glasnost was paving the way for Soviet glasnost and players such as Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciulionis, Alexander Volkov, Sergei Bazarevich, Yaroslav Korolev and Andrei Kirilenko found there way to NBA rosters soon after. Volkov, the minister of sport for the Ukraine, is now enlisted in the army and fighting for his country.
When Lithuania gained independence, they fielded a Bronze Medal team at the Olympics Games in Barcelona, Spain (file photo)

By 2001, the NBA and FIBA (the International Federation for Fasketball) worked together to reunite the provinces which made up the former country of Yugoslavia – a national team that played as one in the 1988 McDonald’s Open in Madrid, Spain. During that time, a war tore apart Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Macedonia. The 2001 Basketball without Borders camp reunited the young campers with NBA players who had not competed together since the 1990 FIBA Worlds.

A year later, the same concept worked to bring together players from Greece and Turkey, at a July 4-7, 2002 camp staged in Istanbul.

By 2004, it was back to China for the historic NBA China Games with 7-4, No. 1 draft pick Yao Ming playing for the Houston Rockets. By 2006, the LA Clippers played a pair of games in Moscow, an exhibition now impossible to imagine.

When you total it up, the NBA has played 155 exhibition games against international teams and 33 regular season games outside the US and Canada. There’ll be another this season when the Bulls and Pistons head to Paris on January 19th.

The 188+ games certainly spread the basketball gospel around the world, helped fuel enough talent to make-up 25% of the NBA’s players while driving the league’s television and consumer products to a global audience of fans.

Looking back at Tuesday’s dream, one can only hope it was the return trip of a world peace conference rather than merely a basketball game or clinic. But as Dr. King said in his famous speech, “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you, my friends, we have the difficulties of today and tomorrow.”

With just a little help of a bouncing basketball, unrealistic as it is, the wish for 2023 is for WORLD PEACE to ring throughout the Continents this New Year.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As WABC-TV great Roger Grimsby might say … some general and sports business notes to bring in the New Year of 2023.

LOOK BACK AT 2022 FROM WWYI: Here’s just a few key things we were writing about in 2022:

January 2022:

  • Jan. 2 – Happy New Year
    • Lucky “7” DIGGIES of Sports
    • Fix/Six for MLB
  • Jan. 9 – Beijing ‘22
    • NBA LaunchPad ‘22
    • Willie O’Ree Jersey Retirement
  • Jan. 16 – FIBA InterContinental Cup
    • NLL Records (Dan Dawson)
    • SONY Open – PGA Tour
  • Jan. 23 – Tribute to NYI No. 9 – Clark Gillies – RIP
  • Jan. 30th – Tom Brady Retired from NFL (only to return)

February 2022

  • Feb. 6 – 10th Year Anniversary of Linsanity
    • Jose Paneda Won National Sports Media (1st ever Hispanic)
  • Feb. 13 – Bruins G Tuukka Rask Retired
    • LA Rams vs Cincy Bengals Super Bowl Preview
  • Feb. 20 – MLB Lockout Becomes Reality – No Spring Training
    • Greatest Voices in Rock History
    • March Madness Preview
  • Feb. 27 – Russia Invaded Ukraine; Ex-ATL Hawks forward Volkov off to War

March 2022

  • March 6 – PGA TOUR Player Impact Program
    • Brittney Griner Detained in Russia
  • March 13 – BIG EAST Tourney at MSG
    • Winningest Coaches (Gregg Popovich Joins List)
  • March 20 – “Winning Time” Loses
    • Jerry West defended from Coast-to-Coast
  • March 27 – March Madness
    • Move4Heather – Efforts to Raise $ for Cs Veep Heather Walker

April 2022

  • April 3 – Baseball is Back
    • *Coach K Retires from Duke
  • April 10 – Red Sox Home Opener/Boston Marathon
    • The Masters
  • April 17 – Sox Fans Hit Panic Button (They were correct!)
    • Kareem Enters Full Time Writing Gig
  • April 24 – Grim Reaper Hits NHL: Gillies, Bossy and LaFleur – RIP
    • Rumble Ponies!

May 2022

  • May 1 – Team Bullpen Perfect Games
    • Lefty vs The PGA Tour
  • May 8 – NBA Playoffs – NO More Bubble
    • Run for the Roses
  • May 15 – Big Bob Lanier – RIP
    • Sox in Basement
  • May 22 – SBJ Sports Business Awards
    • Anniversary of Jeffrey Goldberg’s 2019 Johns Hopkins speech

June 2022

  • June 5 – Boston’s Al Horford leads Celtics; Seeks Ring
    • Pro Sports Franchises = $2-$4 billion+
  • June 12 – Steph Curry/Coach Bob McKillop
    • NHL Stanley Cup to Colorado
  • June 19 – GS Warriors earn 2022 NBA Championship
    • PGA Tour vs. LIV golf rivalry and plot thickens
  • June 26 – 50th Anniversary of Title IX
    • SCOTUS Turn USA sports upside down

July 2022

  • July 3 – NBA Salary Cap – “Damn the Pandemic, Full Speed Ahead”
    • Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
  • July 10 – Red Sox Season At the Half
    • Greg “The Shark” Norman in Shark-Infested waters with LIV
  • July 17 – MLB All-Star Game
    • The Open
  • July 24 – Baseball Hall of Fame Inductions
    • JJ Reddick Doubles Down on knucklehead viewpoint/ “Plumbers and Firemen” comment
  • July 31 – State of Boston Sports Report
    • MLB Trade Deadline

August 2022

  • August 7 – Bill Russell Passes; NBA Mourns
    • MLB Mourns passing of the great broadcaster Vin Scully
  • August 14 – Serena Williams – The GOAT At the US Open
    • 20 Year Impact of the USA Basketball Dream Team
  • August 21 – NWSL franchises Approach $100m value
    • PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs Come down to the Final
  • August 28 – Red Sox 2022 Season is In the Dumps
    • Russian athletes blocked from Competitions

September 2022

  • September 4 – LIV in Boston
    • Boston College Football Season Lost in Week 1 (Rutgers wins at The Heights)
  • September 11 – Basketball Hall of Fame Inducts Manu Ginobili, others
    • Dick Ebersol Tribute at Basketball Hall of Fame
  • September 18 – Sports for Fun Weekend
    • Suns’ team owner Robert Sarver fined $10m and suspended
  • September 25 – The ‘window” to win a title
    • Robert Sarver of Phoenix meet Ime Udoka of Boston – Bye-bye

October 2022

  • October 2 – Ranking of NFL Fan bases
    • Various Basketball Halls of Fame / FIBA
  • October 9 – BC’s Red Bandana Legacy
    • Sports and Rock’s Most Underrated
  • October 16 – NHL Season Preview
    • Brentford futbol and “Hey Jude”
  • October 23 – Memories from 1969
    • NBA Preview and Predictions (Yes, GS was in there)
  • October 30 – NBA Discipline & Players, Teams
    • Dustin Johnson Pocketed $18m

November 2022

  • November 6 – College Basketball Preview
    • Houston Astros – World Series Champions
  • November 13 – MLB Free Agent Market
    • RIP – Jane Gross/Fred Hickman
  • November 20 – Giving Thanks in Sports
    • Willett’s Point NYFC Project – Good Luck in the Muck
  • November 27 – Sports Acronyms
    • MLB Free Agency Signings Begin

December 2022

  • December 4 – College Football Playoff Set
    • World Cup Preview – Qatar Concerns
  • December 11 – WNBA’s Brittney Griner Return to USA
    • BC vs BU Ice Hockey Rivalry
  • December 18 – Massachusetts Sports Gambling – Lawmakers Keep Waiting
    • Minnesota Vikings Record NFL Comeback
  • December 25 – Merry Christmas | Shelby Strother Message\
    • NBA Franchise Valuations
    • Record cold weather for NFL weekend

*STORY of the YEAR 2022 – The Retirement of Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski

BIG EAST Goes All-Access

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NEW YORK – (Staff report from Official BIG EAST news announcement) – Xavier and St. John’s will play at Carnesecca Arena on Wednesday in an important, start of the conference regular season BIG EAST game, but the contest also will be broadcast as the BIG EAST’s All-Access Game on FOX Sports.

The All-Access Game will be telecast Wednesday on FS1 at 9 pm (ET). Xavier coach Sean Miller and St. John’s coach Mike Anderson will wear live microphones, giving viewers the chance to hear directly from the sidelines and locker rooms from tipoff through the final whistle with virtually no interruption. Miller is in the first season of his second stint as Xavier’s head coach. Anderson is in his fourth season at the Johnnies’ headmaster.

Xavier moved into the Top 25 national polls this week. The Musketeers are tied for No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and No. 25 in the USA Today poll. They own a 10-3 overall record and a 2-0 BIG EAST mark. St. John’s is 11-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Commercial-free presentations allow FOX Sports cameras and microphones to capture behind-the-scenes conversations not typically available to a television audience, including instant access to team huddles and locker rooms.

Play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler and analyst Jim Spanarkel will be on site to help navigate all of the live audio for the viewer.

NFL Desk: Fully Charged

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INDIANAPOLIS – (Staff and Field Level Media Wire Report) – Quarterback Justin Herbert passed for 235 yards and RB Austin Ekeler ran for two touchdowns to help the Los Angeles Chargers clinch a playoff berth with a 20-3 win against the host Indianapolis Colts Monday night.

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With their third straight victory, the Chargers (9-6) qualified for the postseason for the first time since the 2018 season.

Nick Foles took over as the starter at quarterback for Indianapolis this week and finished 17-for-29 for 143 yards and three interceptions. He was also sacked seven times.

Matt Ryan was benched after the Colts blew a 33-0 halftime lead on Dec. 17 in a 39-36 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Indianapolis (4-10-1) was held to 173 total yards in its fifth straight loss.

The Chargers did not record a first down on their first three drives, but they marched 70 yards on 13 plays on their fourth and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Ekeler with 8:41 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers intercepted two passes in the first quarter, including one by All-Pro safety Derwin James, who had missed the previous two games with a quad injury.

James was involved in a helmet-to-helmet tackle on Ashton Dulin with 5:19 left in the first half. James was disqualified from the game and Dulin was later ruled out with a concussion.

Chase McLaughlin capped the drive with a 46-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 with 4:21 left in the half.

Cameron Dicker booted a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chargers a 10-3 halftime lead.

Asante Samuel Jr. intercepted the third pass for Los Angeles on its first defensive series of the second half, and the Chargers cashed that in with a 21-yard field goal by Dicker for a 13-3 lead with 6:01 left in the third quarter.

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Ekeler scored on another 1-yard run to extend the lead to 20-3 with 8:20 left in the game.

The Colts played without running back Jonathan Taylor, the leading rusher in the NFL last season, who was put on injured reserve last week after sustaining a high ankle sprain early in the loss to Minnesota.

–Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk

NFL Sports Desk: Christmas Round-Up

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MIAMI – (Staff and wire Service Report) – Green Bay veteran QB Aaron Rodgers completed 24 of 38 passes for 238 yards, a touchdown and an interception to lead the Packers to a 26-20 comeback win over the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day.

Green Bay (7-8) won its third consecutive game and kept its NFC playoff hopes alive. The Dolphins (8-7) dropped their fourth in a row but still would clinch an AFC wild-card berth if they win their last two games.

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Jaire Alexander, De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas each had fourth-quarter interceptions of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to help the Packers put the game away.

Tagovailoa threw a career-high three interceptions in a game, completing 16 of 25 passes for 310 yards and an 84-yard touchdown to Jaylen Waddle.

Buccaneers 19, Cardinals 16 (OT)

Ryan Succop capped a four field-goal performance by drilling a 40-yarder with 3:41 remaining in overtime to lift Tampa Bay to a victory in Glendale, Ariz.

Tom Brady completed 32 of 48 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown to rookie Rachaad White for the Buccaneers (7-8), who remained one-game ahead of the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints atop the NFC South.

James Conner rushed 15 times for 79 yards and a touchdown for the Cardinals (4-11), who have lost five in a row. Trace McSorley completed 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards and an interception in his first career start.

Rams 51, Broncos 14

Rams oft-injured running back Cam Akers ran for three touchdowns, and newly acquired, journeyman QB Baker Mayfield connected with Tyler Higbee for two more and Los Angeles thoroughly embarrassed Denver in Inglewood.

Akers ran for 118 yards on 23 carries, becoming the first Los Angeles running back to crack the 100-yard mark this year. Mayfield picked apart the Broncos (4-11) to the tune of 24-for-28 passing for 230 yards.

It was a season-high point output for the Rams (5-10), who led 31-6 at the half and never looked back. Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was 15 of 27 for 214 yards and three interceptions in his first game back after missing one game due to a concussion.

–Field Level Media

NBA Sports Desk: Christmas Round-Up

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston forward Jayson Tatum posted his fifth straight 30-point game, leading the Boston Celtics with 41 en route to a 139-118 Christmas Day win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

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Tatum and Jaylen Brown (29 points) combined for 70 points in a game for the eighth time in their careers. Tatum added seven rebounds, five assists and three steals as Boston won back-to-back games.

Derrick White, Grant Williams and Al Horford also scored in double figures, helping Boston shoot 19 of 39 from 3-point range. Marcus Smart handed out eight assists.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a team-high 27 points, while Jrue Holiday finished with 23, Brook Lopez scored 16 and Massachusetts native Pat Connaughton added 15 on four 3-pointers in Milwaukee’s third straight loss.

Nuggets 128, Suns 125 (OT)

Nikola Jokic had 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists, Aaron Gordon added 28 points and 13 rebounds and host Denver beat Phoenix in overtime.

Jamal Murray scored 26 points for the Nuggets, who have won four straight. Denver trailed by eight midway through the final period before rallying.

Landry Shamet tied his career high with 31 points for Phoenix, which lost its third game in a row. Deandre Ayton had 22 points and 16 rebounds and Chris Paul amassed 17 points and 16 assists, but Devin Booker exited due to a groin injury in the first quarter.

76ers 119, Knicks 112

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid had 35 points and eight rebounds, James Harden added 29 points and 13 assists and Philadelphia defeated host New York at Madison Square Garden..

Georges Niang contributed 16 points and De’Anthony Melton had 15 for the Sixers, who won their eighth in a row without injured guard Tyrese Maxey.

Julius Randle led the Knicks with 35 points and eight rebounds while Jalen Brunson added 23 points and 11 assists. Brunson went to the locker room with 3:59 left in the fourth quarter with an undisclosed injury and sat out the remainder of the game on the bench.

Mavericks 124, Lakers 115

Luka Doncic scored 32 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out nine assists, and Dallas outscored visiting Los Angeles by 30 points in the third quarter to take control in a Christmas Day win.

The Lakers held a 54-43 lead at halftime behind LeBron James’ strong start, but they gave up a season-high 51 points to the Mavericks in a pivotal third quarter. James went on to finish with 38 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Christian Wood had 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals, and Tim Hardaway Jr. shot 6 of 14 from beyond the arc en route to 26 points for the Mavericks.

Warriors 123, Grizzlies 109

Jordan Poole bombed in a team-high 32 points before getting ejected and the short-handed Golden State Warriors outgunned the foul-plagued Memphis Grizzlies 123-109 on Sunday in San Francisco in a highly anticipated rematch of the Western Conference semifinals.

Playing without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors still managed to outscore the Grizzlies 54-27 from 3-point range en route to their 13th home win in 15 attempts this season.

–Field Level Media

NFL Sports Desk: Dec 24th Round-Up

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Field Level Media) – Brett Maher kicked a go-ahead, 48-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining to lift the Dallas Cowboys to a 40-34 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, preventing the Eagles from clinching in the NFC East and securing the conference’s top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Cowboys (11-4), who trailed 27-17 with nine minutes left in the third quarter, got the ball back one play after Maher’s field goal when Anthony Barr recovered Miles Sanders’ fumble on Philadelphia’s 21-yard line with 2:07 to go.

Maher’s 26-yarder — his fourth field goal in as many tries — made it 40-34 with 1:41 left. The Eagles (13-2) turned the ball over on downs when quarterback Gardner Minshew’s pass on fourth-and-10 from the Cowboys 19-yard line fell incomplete in the end zone with 19 seconds remaining.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott went 27 of 35 for 347 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Ezekiel Elliott ran for 55 yards and a score on 16 carries. CeeDee Lamb had 10 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns for Dallas, which has won five of its past six games.

Steelers 13, Raiders 10

Kenny Pickett hit George Pickens on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 46 seconds remaining, and host Pittsburgh kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Las Vegas during an emotional night.

The last-minute victory was earned four days after the death of former Steelers great Franco Harris and one day after the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” when Harris caught a deflected pass and scored the game-winning touchdown during the final minute of a 1972 playoff game against the Raiders.

In his return after missing last week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers because of a concussion, Pickett was 26 of 39 for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Najee Harris had 53 yards rushing on 16 carries for Pittsburgh (7-8), while Pat Freiermuth had seven catches for 66 yards. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was 16 of 30 for 174 yards and a touchdown but threw three interceptions. Las Vegas (6-9) could be eliminated from playoff consideration as early as Monday.

Ravens 17, Falcons 9

Tyler Huntley threw Baltimore’s first touchdown pass in a month and the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone as the hosts won their 10th game and secured a playoff berth.

Starting for the third consecutive game with Lamar Jackson nursing a knee injury, Huntley connected with wide receiver Demarcus Robinson for the Ravens’ first TD pass to a wide receiver since Week 3. Huntley completed 9 of 17 passes for 115 yards and rushed for 26 yards. Gus Edwards had 99 rushing yards and J.K. Dobbins contributed 59 for the Ravens (10-5).

Atlanta (5-10) managed field goals in the second, third and fourth quarters and lost despite outgaining the Ravens 327-299. Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had 218 yards passing and completed 22 of 33 passes, highlighted by seven connections with rookie wideout Drake London for 96 yards.

Panthers 37, Lions 23

D’Onta Foreman ran for 165 yards and Chuba Hubbard racked up 125 yards on the ground as Carolina got back on track by trouncing Detroit in Charlotte, N.C.

Foreman, Raheem Blackshear and quarterback Sam Darnold all scored rushing touchdowns as the Panthers (6-9) won for the third time in their last four games and remained within a game of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers’ quest for the divisional title will take them to road games against Tampa Bay and New Orleans to close the regular season.

Amid frigid conditions for Carolina’s home finale, Darnold threw for a touchdown as part of his 15-for-22 day with 250 yards through the air. DJ Moore made five catches for 83 yards and a score. Jared Goff threw three TD passes to Shane Zylstra for the Lions (7-8), but the result was damaging to Detroit’s wild-card aspirations. Goff finished 25-for-42 for 355 yards. DJ Chark made four catches for 108 yards.

Bills 35, Bears 13

Devin Singletary and James Cook combined for 205 rushing yards and each ran for a touchdown, Josh Allen had three total TDs and visiting Buffalo topped Chicago to clinch the AFC East title.

Buffalo (12-3) prevailed during a frigid afternoon at Soldier Field, stretching its winning streak to six while earning the franchise’s third consecutive division crown. The Bears (3-12) lost their eighth straight.

The Bills overcame two interceptions and a fumble to outgain the Bears 426-209. Chicago was unable to hold on after taking a 10-6 lead into halftime.

Saints 17, Browns 10

Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill each ran for a touchdown and visiting New Orleans shut out Cleveland in the second half to cruise to a win.

Neither team passed the ball effectively as the game was played in single-digit temperatures with winds gusting to about 30 mph. Hill and Kamara scored their touchdowns in the third quarter as the Saints (6-9) held the Browns (6-9) to 33 yards in the frame.

The Seahawks (7-8) lost for the fifth time in their past six games to remain just below the playoff line in the NFC. Geno Smith was 25-of-40 passing for 215 yards for Seattle, with one touchdown and one interception. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 107 yards on 26 attempts and DK Metcalf had seven catches for 81 yards.

Vikings 27, Giants 24

Greg Joseph hit a 61-yard field goal as time expired to lead Minnesota to a win over New York in Minneapolis.

Kirk Cousins went 34-of-48 passing for 299 yards and three touchdowns, Justin Jefferson caught 12 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown and T.J. Hockenson caught 13 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns for Minnesota (12-3).

Daniel Jones went 30-of-42 passing for 334 yards in defeat for the Giants (8-6-1). Saquon Barkley rushed for 84 yards and a score and Isaiah Hodgins caught eight passes for 89 yards and a TD.

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Bengals 22, Patriots 18

Joe Burrow threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns and Cincinnati survived a second-half comeback to down New England in Foxboro.

After trailing 22-0 in the third, New England (7-8) clawed its way back to within 22-18 with 6:02 left after Jakobi Meyers caught a 48-yard TD pass. The Patriots had a chance to take their first lead with 59 seconds left to play, but Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled at the Cincinnati 8-yard line to seal the win for the Bengals (11-4), who clinched a playoff berth on Thursday when the Jets lost to Jacksonville.

Burrow completed 40 of 52 passes with a pair of picks, one of which was returned for a 69-yard TD by Marcus Jones. Tee Higgins had eight grabs for 128 yards and a TD, while Trenton Irwin had two receiving scores. For New England, Mac Jones (21-for-33 passing) threw for 240 yards and two TDs. Kendrick Bourne had six catches for 100 yards and a TD and Meyers finished with six receptions for 83 yards.

Texans 19, Titans 14

Davis Mills’ 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with 2:52 left led Houston to a 19-14 win over Tennessee in Nashville, Tenn.

The outcome snapped a nine-game losing streak for Houston (2-12-1) and sent reeling Tennessee (7-8) to its fifth straight loss. Derrick Henry rushed for 126 yards and a score for the Titans, who fell into a first-place tie in the AFC South with Jacksonville.

Mills finished 17 of 28 for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception, throwing for 69 yards on the winning drive. Houston’s defense came up with two stops to secure the win. Christian Harris intercepted Malik Willis at the Texans 42 with 1:39 remaining and Jalen Pitre picked off a Hail Mary pass in the end zone on the game’s last play.

49ers 37, Commanders 20

Brock Purdy connected with George Kittle for two touchdown passes and San Francisco stretched its winning streak to eight games with a victory over Washington at Santa Clara, Calif.

NFL sack leader Nick Bosa had two more to raise his season total to 17.5 and forced a fumble for the 49ers (11-4). Purdy completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for San Francisco. Kittle caught six passes for 120 yards and has four scoring receptions over the past two games.

Taylor Heinicke was 13-of-18 passing for 166 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for Washington (7-7-1) before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Carson Wentz entered for the first time since a Week 6 finger injury and completed 12 of 16 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown.

–Field Level Media