National Sports

By KRISTIE RIEKEN – AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans certainly didn’t look like a playoff team in a rout by the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday. With just one game left until the playoffs begin, the AFC South champions know they’ll have to get much better to be competitive in the postseason.

By The Associated Press Green Bay (11-4) at Minnesota (13-2) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, Fox BetMGM NFL odds: Packers by 1. Against the spread: Packers 9-6, Vikings 10-4-1. Series record: Packers lead 66-59-3. Last meeting: Vikings beat Packers 31-29 on Sept. 29, 2024, in Green Bay. Last week: Packers beat Saints 34-0, Vikings beat Seahawks

By The Associated Press Carolina (4-11) at Tampa Bay (8-7) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX. BetMGM Odds: Buccaneers by 8. Against the spread: Panthers 7-8, Buccaneers 9-6 Series record: Panthers lead 25-23. Last meeting: Buccaneers beat Panthers 26-23 in OT on Dec. 1, 2024, in Carolina. Last week: Panthers beat Cardinals 36-30 in OT; Buccaneers

By AP SYDNEY (AP) — Organizers say two sailors have died in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race due to wild weather conditions.

By WILL GRAVES – AP Sports Writer Andy Kotelnicki likes to tinker. It’s just kind of his way. The Penn State first-year offensive coordinator is wary of growing stagnant. No matter how deep into the season it gets, there’s always time for a new wrinkle, a new play, anything to give an upcoming opponent a

By AP WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been shown a red card for the third time this season. The Portugal midfielder was sent off against Wolverhampton in the Premier League on Thursday after receiving a second yellow in the 47th minute. The score was 0-0 at the time and United

By JOHN ZENOR – AP Sports Writer Georgia Tech knocked off two Top 10 teams while Vanderbilt toppled then-No. 1 Alabama. The two opponents in Friday’s Birmingham Bowl have each taken highly ranked teams into multiple overtimes. They’re also led by mobile quarterbacks who throw few interceptions. There’s a reason that Vandy coach Clark Lea

By The Associated Press Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at New England (3-12) Saturday, 1 p.m. EST, NFL Network BetMGM NFL odds: Chargers by 4 Series record: Patriots lead 27-16-2. Against the spread: Chargers 10-5, Patriots 6-8-1. Last meeting: Chargers beat Patriots 6-0 on Dec. 3, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. Last week: Patriots lost to Bills

By NOAH TRISTER – AP Sports Writer Now Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens can rest a bit. They’ve certainly earned it. Baltimore’s 31-2 rout of Houston on Wednesday capped a sweep of a grueling stretch of three games in 11 days. Baltimore looked like a Super Bowl contender while handling the Giants, Steelers and

By AP ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions are bringing back Teddy Bridgewater to give the team a veteran backup quarterback for their playoff run. Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that the team signed Bridgewater as another backup with second-year player Hendon Hooker behind starter Jared Goff. The Lions have clinched a playoff

By DAVE SKRETTA – AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs earned a much-deserved extended rest after their Christmas Day rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, which capped an unbeaten stretch of three games in 11 days and clinched them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. That extended rest?

By AP EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — A supporter was arrested for allegedly racially abusing a player during a Scottish Premiership match between Edinburgh rivals Hearts and Hibernian on Thursday. The incident occurred while a video review was taking place for Hibs’ 10th-minute opening goal of the team’s 2-1 win. The player receiving abuse from a

By MARK ANDERSON – AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Southern California opened its season at Allegiant Stadium with a victory over LSU that set up the Trojans for early contention for the College Football Playoff, but instead will end the year where they started. Texas A&M also had high hopes for a playoff

By WILL GRAVES – AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — The decorations outside Acrisure Stadium suggested Christmas. The play on the field by the home team hinted at another holiday entirely. Groundhog Day. Like Bill Murray in the iconic movie — set about 90 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh in Punxsutawney — it’s not that the

By AP LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The successor to Ruben Amorim at Sporting Lisbon lasted just six weeks. João Pereira, who was hired on Nov. 11 following the departure of Amorim to Manchester United, was fired on Thursday and has been replaced by Rui Borges from Vitoria de Guimaraes. Pereira had three spells at Sporting

By STEPHEN HAWKINS – AP Sports Writer FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Navy coach Brian Newberry grew up only a few miles from the University of Oklahoma campus, and the first college game he attended as a kid was to watch the Sooners. His parents still live in his childhood home in Moore, Oklahoma. Now

By STEPHEN WHYNO – AP Hockey Writer The Detroit Red Wings fired coach Derek Lalonde on Thursday and named Todd McLellan as his replacement, a major change by general manager Steve Yzerman more than a third of the way through another disappointing season in the place known as “Hockeytown.” The move the day after Christmas

By The Associated Press Detroit (13-2) at San Francisco (6-9) Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN/ABC BetMGM NFL odds: Lions by 3 1/2. Against the spread: Lions 10-5; 49ers 5-10. Series record: 49ers lead 40-28-1. Last meeting: 49ers beat Lions 34-31 in NFC title game in Santa Clara, Calif., on Jan. 28, 2024. Last week: Lions

By AP DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Red Wings fire coach Derek Lalonde, name Todd McLellan as his replacement.

By The Associated Press Atlanta (8-7) at Washington (10-5) Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC BetMGM NFL odds: Commanders by 4 Against the spread: Falcons 7-8; Commanders 9-6 Series record: Washington leads 18-10-1 Last meeting: Commanders beat Falcons 24-16 on Oct. 15, 2023, at Atlanta. Last week: Falcons beat Giants 34-7; Commanders beat Eagles 36-33. Falcons:

By AP CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Miami coach Jim Larrañaga is retiring effective immediately, AP source says.

By TERESA M. WALKER – AP Sports Writer Joey McGuire grew up on the Texas-Arkansas border with his family season-ticket holders for the Razorbacks, a team known locally as the Hogs. The number for his first landline telephone as a teenager literally ended in 1464 — or 1HOG. McGuire is now wrapping up his third

By The Associated Press Dec. 27 1953 — The Detroit Lions edge the Cleveland Browns 17-16 for the NFL championship. Doak Walker’s extra point, following a 33-yard scoring pass, is the difference. 1959 — The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 31-16 in the NFL championship. Three field goals by Pat Summerall give the

By The Associated Press Dec. 27 1953 — The Detroit Lions edge the Cleveland Browns 17-16 for the NFL championship. Doak Walker’s extra point, following a 33-yard scoring pass, is the difference. 1959 — The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 31-16 in the NFL championship. Three field goals by Pat Summerall give the

By The Associated Press Dec. 31 1961 — Paul Hornung, on leave from the Army, scores 19 points to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 37-0 win over the New York Giants for their seventh NFL championship. Green Bay’s Bart Starr throws three touchdown passes in the first title game ever played in Green

By AP MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep pulled out of Australian Open qualifying and a tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday because of pain in her knee and shoulder, the latest interruption of her comeback from a drug suspension. Halep posted on social media that she was feeling

By AP UNDATED (AP) — No. 14 Gonzaga meets No. 22 UCLA in the lone matchup of AP Top 25 teams for the Christmas holiday week. Both teams will be returning to action a week after their previous games. Gonzaga is coming off a win against Bucknell while UCLA is coming off a loss to

By AP PHOENIX (AP) — Kansas State will try to rebound from a difficult finish to the regular season as it faces Rutgers in the Rate Bowl. The Wildcats were once in the thick of the Big 12 race, but lost three of their final four games as their offense faltered. Kansas State is certainly

By AP UNDATED (AP) — No. 14 Gonzaga meets No. 22 UCLA in the lone matchup of AP Top 25 teams for the Christmas holiday week. Both teams will be returning to action a week after their previous games. Gonzaga is coming off a win against Bucknell while UCLA is coming off a loss to

By AP TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Leavitt has led No. 10 Arizona State from a three-win season a year ago to spot in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against No. 7 Texas in the New Year’s Day Peach Bowl. While running back Cam Skattebo has been the Sun Devils’ turbocharger, Leavitt has been the