Category: Sport

  • 2025-2026 NHL season: How to watch tonight’s hockey games, schedule, where to stream and more

    We’re halfway through the 2025-26 NHL season, and as of now, it’s impossible to determine who’s going to come out on top. The Florida Panthers, who have been playing in pursuit of a three-peat Stanley Cup victory, are holding a respectable position in the Atlantic division, but lost 5-1 in this year’s Winter Classic against the New York Rangers. Also keeping this season interesting is the fact that there have also been several major trades and roster changes lately, and plenty of rumors and reports of possible trades to come.

    The upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics will also throw the season into a bit of chaos, as the league takes a break for nearly three weeks in February, allowing NHL players to compete in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. (You can check if your favorite players will be playing for Team USA here.)

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    Here’s what to know about how to watch the NHL, and find out some key dates as we head into the back half of the 2025-2026 season.

    How to watch NHL games in 2026

    Image for the mini product module
    Image for the mini product module

    Dates: Oct. 7, 2025-April 16, 2026

    TV channels: ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, truTV

    Streaming: ESPN, DirecTV, HBO Max and more

    How long is the NHL season?

    The 2025-26 NHL season began on Oct. 7 and the regular NHL season runs through April 16, 2026.

    Will the 2025-26 NHL season take a break for the Olympics?

    For the first time since 2014, NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics. That means the NHL season will break from Feb. 6-Feb. 25 so that players can compete in Italy. Team USA will be exclusively comprised of NHL players including Matt Boldy, Kyle Connor, brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, and more (a complete list is available here.) NHL players will also be playing for several other national teams including Canada, Sweden, Finland and Germany.

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    What channel are NHL games on in 2025?

    This season, NHL games will air across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, TNT, TBS and truTV.

    How to watch NHL games without cable

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    Image for the small product module
  • Steelers’ DK Metcalf ‘can’t say anything’ on fan incident and suspension, ready to join team for playoffs

    Receiver DK Metcalf returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday after serving a two-game suspension for a confrontation with a fan in Detroit during a Week 16 matchup with the Lions.

    As could be expected, reporters covering the team were eager to ask Metcalf about the incident that led to his two-game penalty and voided a guarantee on $45 million in future earnings. However, the seven-year NFL veteran said nothing about the altercation nor its consequences.

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    [Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]

    “I can’t say nothing about what happened,” Metcalf responded to the third question regarding the confrontation.

    In all, Metcalf was asked about the fan incident six times. His lawyers surely approved his refusal to answer. Yet he acknowledged that he was surprised that his appeal of the suspension was unsuccessful.

    Finally, Metcalf was asked how he felt about returning to the team and said he was excited to be back at the Steelers’ headquarters and with his teammates. Metcalf’s colleagues also missed him and attempted to include him in the on-field and locker room celebrations of winning the AFC North through FaceTime. The receiver had texted his fellow players earlier in the day.

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    “We were playing so we could get DK back and we did,” Calvin Austin III told Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein. “He’s our leader. He’s our energy. He’s the guy.”

    The Steelers split the two games Metcalf missed, winning Sunday’s regular-season finale over the Baltimore Ravens, 26-24, to win the AFC North and claim the conference’s final playoff berth. However, Pittsburgh’s passing attack certainly missed the big-play threat that Metcalf provides.

    In Week 17 versus the Cleveland Browns, tight end Pat Freiermuth led the offense with three receptions for 63 yards. Against the Ravens on Sunday night, Austin led the team’s wideouts with 55 yards on three catches. Metcalf averaged nearly four receptions in his 15 games for Pittsburgh. More importantly, he averaged 57 yards per game and 14.4 yards per catch. As a result, quarterback Aaron Rodgers averaged 231 passing yards in the Steelers’ final two games without his top receiver.

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    “My teammates gave me another opportunity to come back,” Metcalf said, via the Associated Press. “So just big shout-out to them.”

    Metcalf has played in four career postseason games (all with the Seattle Seahawks), totaling 26 receptions for 451 yards and 5 touchdowns, averaging 17.3 yards per catch.

    The No. 4-seeded Steelers host the No. 5 Houston Texans for a wild-card playoff matchup Monday. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

  • NBA surprises, Jaylen Brown’s MVP case & Warriors trouble with Wosny Lambre + Hawks talk & Draft Class with David Lee

    Subscribe to The Kevin O’Connor Show

    KOC is joined by Wosny Lambre to break down Jaylen Brown’s standout performance this season, proclaiming himself the ‘best two-way player in the game’ and his career of proving people wrong. Is he having an MVP-caliber year?

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    Next, they discuss the Suns’ victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the keys the Suns’ victory and OKC being on track to now win “only” 68 games. Should OKC make a trade to avoid complacency?

    Plus, they analyze which teams should trade for Michael Porter Jr., whether the Nuggets can survive without Jokic and trades the 76ers should consider. The duo breaks down the current state of the Golden State Warriors. What moves must they make to become legitimate contenders?

    Plus, David Lee joins to discuss what’s going on in Atlanta, whether the Hawks should trade for Anthony Davis and what the Hawks should do with Trae Young. Then, it’s time for Draft Class as David & KOC share this week’s Lottery Lessons and Weekly Movers.

    (0:29) Jaylen Brown MVP?

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    (12:14) Suns beat Thunder in comeback fashion

    (28:51) Michael Porter Jr. trade suitors

    (31:41) Gordon & Braun return for Nuggets

    (34:26) Nuggets @ Sixers tonight

    (42:10) State of the Warriors

    (55:53) State of the Hawks

    (1:18:28) Draft Class with David Lee

    Dec 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown reacts after making a three point basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at the TD Garden. Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

    Dec 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown reacts after making a three point basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at the TD Garden. Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

    (Brian Fluharty)

    🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

    Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

  • Giants’ Russell Wilson played through undisclosed torn hamstring prior to being benched for Jaxson Dart

    New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson revealed that he played through an undisclosed torn hamstring before being benched for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Wilson told reporters that he tore his hamstring before Week 2’s 40-37 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

    “I played that [Week 2] game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice — the last play of practice. And I had a grade two [tear]. I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what. I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training. And, you know, kept it quiet, just trying to get treatment on it and just knowing that I probably couldn’t run from the goal line to the 10-yard line if I wanted to, but I feel like, you know, I got to play this game.”

    Wilson said the Giants were unaware of his injury.

    Despite the injury, Wilson had his best game as a Giant against the Cowboys, going 30-for-41 for 450 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. In the following game, he struggled against the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing for 160 yards and two interceptions.

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    Dart was named the Giants’ starter in Week 4. He finished his rookie season with 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Giants finished the season 4-13.

    Wilson spent the early part of his benching behind Dart before the team elevated Jameis Winston to the top backup role. The 37-year-old Wilson finished the season with 831 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

    The Giants were Wilson’s third team in three seasons, following one year with the Steelers and two with the Broncos after leaving Seattle. Despite his age and recent struggles, Wilson said he wants to continue playing next season.

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    “I’m not blinking,” Wilson said when asked about his future. “I know what I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again. I just want to be ready, be as healthy as possible, and be ready to play ball.”

  • NFL power rankings, final edition: Seahawks soared past expectations while others fell hard

    AFC East: Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets
    AFC North: Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers
    AFC South: Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans
    AFC West: Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers

    NFC East: Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders
    NFC North: Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings
    NFC South: Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    NFC West: Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks

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    The Seattle Seahawks weren’t expected to win the NFC West this season. They weren’t even a serious consideration. They had the same BetMGM betting odds as the Arizona Cardinals to win the division.

    The Seahawks were just 3-2 through five weeks, with tough late home losses to the 49ers and Buccaneers. There were signs the Seahawks could be a good team early in the season. But nothing that indicated they’d lose only one more game the rest of the regular season and be the clear No. 1 team in the NFL by the end of it.

    One of the themes of this season was that there were many good teams (which we can see in one of the deepest playoff fields in recent memory) but perhaps no great one. Maybe the Seahawks, with three losses by a combined nine points, will be remembered as a great team if they win three more playoff games, including Super Bowl LX.

    Their defense is stellar, and was at its best in a huge Week 18 win against the 49ers. The Seahawks held the 49ers to 173 yards, the fewest San Francisco has had in a regular-season game under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Seattle’s offense had some issues but still finished third in points scored, eighth in yards gained and 10th in offensive DVOA. Sam Darnold gets criticism but over the last two regular seasons his teams are 28-6. That’s remarkable, even if he struggles to get proper respect.

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    The Seahawks aren’t used to getting an inordinate amount of respect. They began this season with low outside expectations, considered one of many overlooked teams that weren’t close to being a Super Bowl contender. By the end of the season the Seahawks weren’t just a Super Bowl contender. They were the deserving Super Bowl favorite.

    The Raiders were supposed to be competitive this season. That’s why Pete Carroll was brought in. Instead, they were the worst team in the NFL. That’s why Carroll was fired after one year. The Raiders never seem to have a plan, and it’s hard to trust them to make the right hire to help whichever quarterback will be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. But the Raiders announced Tom Brady will be involved, which satisfies Mark Davis’ desire to have recognizable names associated with his team.

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    The Jets being blown out again in Week 18, and finishing without a single interception on defense, which set an NFL record, sums up a miserable season. Aaron Glenn had a bad roster to work with, but the first-year head coach also didn’t do much with it. The Jets have to start the offseason by figuring out their quarterback problem, but that’s far from the only issue New York has to fix. This rebuild might take a while.

    The Cardinals actually started this season 2-0. Kudos to the Cowboys for being the only team Arizona beat after that. The horrific finish to the season cost Jonathan Gannon his job. It was interesting that general manager Monti Ossenfort was retained, given that it could be a deterrent to head-coaching candidates and it’s not like Ossenfort has done a great job building the roster. After that disaster of a season, the Cardinals’ opening might be the most unattractive in this cycle.

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    Cam Ward had the Titans off to a fast start in Week 18 before suffering a shoulder injury on a touchdown run. The good news is that injury shouldn’t affect much of his offseason. Ward was making progress in the second half of the season. Of his six best games of the season, in terms of passer rating, five came after the Week 10 bye. Now the Titans need to find the right head coach to get the most out of Ward.

    There has been talk of Jaxson Dart’s long-term viability as the Giants’ quarterback, but did he really play below expectation? He was reasonable as a rookie, with some ups and downs. A final passer rating of 91.7 was more than acceptable. Had the Giants gotten the first overall draft pick — which would have been the case if they lost either of their last two games — then maybe there would be a reasonable debate. With the fifth pick, it seems smarter to build around Dart and get injured players like Malik Nabers back to full health.

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    What went wrong with the Commanders goes beyond Jayden Daniels starting and finishing only five games all season. The roster was the oldest in the NFL and it looked that way, as many aging stars failed to play up to their prime level. The defense became one of the worst in the NFL. None of the team’s 2025 draftees, aside from seventh-round draft pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt at running back, had a positive impact. A rebound in 2026, even with a healthy Daniels, isn’t a guarantee.

    The Browns didn’t show enough progress for ownership and fired Kevin Stefanski, a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. Stefanski should be one of the hottest names in this coaching cycle, while the Browns might struggle to attract the best candidates. The one thing Browns ownership can sell to candidates is youth. Cleveland became the first team since the 1970 merger to have rookie leaders in passing yards (Shedeur Sanders), rushing yards (Quinshon Judkins), receiving yards (Harold Fannin Jr.) and tackles (Carson Schwesinger), according to Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano.

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    The Dolphins were competitive for a while, then lost three of their last four and the losses were by 13, 24 and 28 points. It’s not a great way to go into the offseason, and the offseason will be messy with the team looking for a new general manager and likely parting ways with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It was a lost season and far from a guarantee to be better in 2026.

    The Chiefs lost to the Raiders in Week 18, a fitting end to a season we’ll remember as either the end of their dynasty or a strange pause in the middle of it. The Chiefs should bounce back if their luck in close games gets better, but everything is cloudy until timetables emerge on Patrick Mahomes’ recovery from knee surgery. It’s hard to project anything for Kansas City with that hanging over the franchise.

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    This is a massive offseason for the Bengals. They have to make sure Joe Burrow wants to be around, then build the roster around him. Cincinnati has more salary cap space than you’d think (seventh-most in the NFL at the moment, according to Spotrac) and the 10th pick of the draft. Fixing an offensive line and entire defense in one offseason is almost impossible, but that’s the mission.

    The Saints should feel better than you’d assume for an 11-loss team. They got better as the season went on, which was a good sign for first-year head coach Kellen Moore. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough got in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation for his strong play, and looks like he could be a long-term answer at the position. There’s a lot of work to be done in the offseason but it was a positive second half to the season, which included a four-game winning streak.

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    Dak Prescott had one of the most honest answers you’ll hear from a player after the Cowboys’ finale, in which he said (correctly) that the Cowboys’ losing record wasn’t his fault. “One of the first seasons, if not the first of my career where I can’t directly correlate my play to the wins, the loss, or the end of the season or overall success of the season,” Prescott said. “So that makes it frustrating.” The translation: The defense needs to be better to support an offense that was pretty good. He’s not wrong.

    When the Colts were 7-1, it seemed impossible that they could finish below .500. It wasn’t all Daniel Jones’ injury — the decline started before that — but that was the death blow. The Colts are bringing back head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard, which is fair after how the season started. The big question will be how to handle the Jones situation, as he attempts to come back from a torn Achilles. Jones is a free agent.

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    The Buccaneers didn’t get the help they needed to win the NFC South, but they didn’t deserve to win the division after losing seven of eight before a season-ending win over Carolina. It was a team built to win now, so finishing under .500 and missing the playoffs is a massive disappointment. Baker Mayfield’s severe slump over the last half of the season is what needs to be figured out and fixed over the offseason.

    The Ravens needed just a 44-yard field goal to win the division. Don’t blame Tyler Loop for missing it; this was a terrible season for the Ravens from beginning to end. There were plenty of chances to win Sunday night before Loop’s missed field goal, and countless chances before Week 18 to play like a playoff-level team. The Ravens’ 8-9 record was well earned. And now the Ravens have to deal with some fascinating offseason decisions, especially after firing longtime head coach John Harbaugh.

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    The Falcons’ hot finish, winning four in a row, including one over the Rams, ultimately looked even worse for head coach Raheem Morris. We could see in that stretch that the Falcons were better than their 8-9 record. Atlanta cleaned house, firing Morris and GM Terry Fontenot. Team owner Arthur Blank clearly wasn’t happy with the direction of the team and wasn’t beholden to keeping the status quo after a late winning streak, which is a positive sign. The results simply weren’t good enough given the talent on hand.

    Only two teams finished in the top 10 of DVOA in offense, defense and special teams: The NFC’s No. 1 seed Seahawks, and a Lions team that missed the playoffs. Detroit was third overall in DVOA. If you’re looking for the team everyone will be picking for a rebound in 2026, this might be it. The Lions still have plenty of talent, which makes a lost season even more frustrating.

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    Winning five in a row to end the season is a positive and also a reminder of what might have been, had Minnesota’s quarterback play been even average. The Vikings’ approach at quarterback will be watched closely. Perhaps just as important will be if defensive coordinator Brian Flores returns. He should get some head-coaching interviews, and he could conceivably leave as a coordinator elsewhere since his contract is up.

    Usually, being the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record would be a muted accomplishment. For Carolina, it’s worth celebrating. The Panthers hadn’t won the NFC South since the 2015 season and had six straight double-digit loss seasons. While it’s hard to say Carolina has arrived, especially with a -69 point differential, winning the division is an important accomplishment. Even if the playoff stay might not be a long one.

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    The Aaron Rodgers story is amazing. Only Tom Brady has had any level of success at age 42 among quarterbacks throughout NFL history. Rodgers delivered not one, but two go-ahead drives in the final minutes to help earn a division title for Pittsburgh. He went 11-of-14 passing for 133 yards in the fourth quarter. If that was Rodgers’ final regular-season game, it was a deserving send-off. Rodgers’ final season — if he retires — could have gone a lot worse, based on history.

    Had you told someone after Week 2 that the Packers would finish with fewer than 10 wins, it would have been unbelievable. After Green Bay’s hot start, offensive lineman Rasheed Walker said he thought the team could go undefeated. That proclamation was ridiculous, but it wasn’t outlandish to think the Packers could be the NFL’s best team this season. They weren’t close. And the defense without injured Micah Parsons seems unlikely to lead a long playoff run.

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    The Chargers going 11-6 with their injury issues, especially on the offensive line, is a testament to Jim Harbaugh. If the Chargers can somehow get defensive coordinator Jesse Minter back and also get their offensive tackles healthy, this team will be a popular Super Bowl pick next season. As is, the Chargers are a very good No. 7 seed and not an easy matchup for the Patriots in the first round. It also helps that the Chargers got some key players a week of rest.

    The Bills are the AFC’s most interesting team. They have the best player in the field, quarterback Josh Allen. They have won five of six, including wins over the Steelers and Patriots, and came a 2-point conversion away from six in a row with another quality win against the Eagles. But it’s not like the Bills don’t have deficiencies, with an inconsistent defense and very little for Allen to work with in the passing game. The Bills could win the Super Bowl or be one-and-done.

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    Should the Eagles have played for the No. 2 seed? The Eagles didn’t know the Bears would get upset in Week 18, opening up the possibility of taking the second seed. But a road of facing the Packers, rather than the 49ers, and then hosting a potential wild-card game against the Bears instead of going to Chicago, would have been much easier. The Eagles played backups and lost to the Commanders, when a win would have gotten them the second seed. We’ll see if the rest is more valuable than the difference in seed, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

    In the finale, the Bears were terrible for three quarters in a game they were trying to win, against a Lions team that was eliminated a week earlier. They rallied in the fourth quarter but still lost. That’s not good. The Bears had a successful season but that gets completely overshadowed if they lose to the Packers, their biggest rival, in their first playoff game. There’s a lot of pressure on the Bears this week. Let’s see how they handle it.

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    The Texans were oddly unconcerned about winning Sunday, when a victory would clinch the fifth seed and a much easier first-round matchup against the AFC North champs (which ended up being the Steelers). They won anyway, with Davis Mills leading what could be an important game-winning drive after the Colts took a late lead. The Texans can still make a run as a wild-card team, especially considering they’re favored to win on the road in their playoff opener.

    The 49ers were one win in Week 18 from the No. 1 seed, and fell all the way to No. 6 and a road wild-card weekend game against Philadelphia, the reigning champs. It won’t be easy to bounce back from that disappointment. The question is how the 49ers’ offense responds. The Niners had a great December, were absolutely shut down in the finale by Seattle and now they face another top-five defense in Philadelphia. It was a successful season given the injuries San Francisco dealt with, but there’s a danger of a very sour ending.

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    Are the Jaguars the hottest team in the NFL? They’ve won eight in a row, the longest current winning streak in the NFL other than the Texans, who have won nine in a row. Trevor Lawrence is playing the best ball of his career after an adjustment period to Liam Coen’s offense. The defense has been very good at making big plays. No matter what happens in the playoffs, this has been a huge growth season for a franchise that needed something good to happen.

    In the finale, the Rams trailed a terrible Cardinals team late in the third quarter before rallying. This was a good season and the Rams are a Super Bowl contender (especially with an advantageous wild-card weekend matchup at Carolina), but there were some troubling signs in the final few weeks. Getting Davante Adams back will be a huge help. The Rams are as dangerous of a wild-card team as we’ve seen in a while, assuming the mini-slump late in the season was an anomaly.

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    It’s hard to imagine a better regular season for the Patriots. Mike Vrabel could win NFL Coach of the Year and Drake Maye might win MVP. The Patriots are set there for a long time. The roster got plenty of improvements last offseason and still has room to grow in 2026. They overtook the Bills for the AFC East title, and it will be hard for Buffalo to take it back. A trip to the Super Bowl is obviously possible, but no matter what happens in the playoffs, this was a phenomenal season in New England. It might be the start of something big.

    The Broncos are a bit of an odd case. It’s hard to win 14 games in an NFL regular season. Getting the No. 1 seed in the AFC was an important and impressive accomplishment. Taking the AFC West from the Chiefs was the goal and they pulled it off. Yet, what’s the Broncos’ true level? They had a lot of close wins and some days on offense like Week 18, when they didn’t score an offensive touchdown, that make you wonder if they’ll be the latest No. 1 seed to get beat in their playoff opener. The Broncos should get more respect for what they’ve done this season, but it’s also fair to point out the shortcomings.

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    The Seahawks’ comeback against the Rams in Week 16, in what was probably the NFL’s best game of the regular season, could end up changing the history of this entire season. The Seahawks got the No. 1 seed after that victory and are two home wins from Super Bowl LX. It will be very hard to beat Seattle given how good its defense is. Imagine how different Sam Darnold will be viewed if he wins a Super Bowl title. And a championship is certainly on the table for this Seahawks team.

  • Phillies hire Don Mattingly as next bench coach after run with Blue Jays

    Don Mattingly has officially landed in Philadelphia.

    The Phillies announced Monday that Mattingly had been hired as the team’s next bench coach, something that had long been expected after his departure from the Toronto Blue Jays.

    Mattingly will replace former bench coach Mike Calitri, who moved into a new role as a major-league field coordinator.

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    Mattingly spent last season with the Blue Jays, who hired him ahead of the 2023 season. He served as the team’s bench coach and offensive coordinator and helped Toronto reach the 2025 World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Blue Jays 4-3 to win their second straight title.

    Mattingly said ahead of the season that he thought it would be his last with the organization.

    “My job is really just to be another set of eyes and ears for [manager Rob Thomson],” Mattingly said, via MLB.com. “Be managing along in the game, try to stay ahead a little bit — I know it gets busy and fast at times when you’re thinking about your pitching, then you’ve got a pinch-hit situation and all those things get fast. So, really just try to be another set of eyes, try to stay ahead with him and just try to lighten the load for him.”

    Mattingly has managerial experience as well. He led the Dodgers to three straight NL West titles while running the team from 2011 to ’15, and then he spent seven seasons managing the Miami Marlins. Mattingly led the team to the playoffs in 2020, ending a 17-year drought, and he won NL Manager of the Year honors that season.

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    The Phillies went 96-66 last season, the third under Thomson, and reached the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The Dodgers knocked the Phillies out in the NLDS 3-1.

  • Lions coach Dan Campbell grades his season as a ‘freaking F’ after missing playoffs

    Dan Campbell graded his performance this season in a way that only he could.

    “Not good enough. We didn’t get in, we underachieved,” Campbell said on Monday, one day after the Lions’ season officially ended.

    “So, not good. I’d give myself a freaking F.”

    While that’s harsh — and a little unfair, considering it could have been a lot worse — it’s easy to understand why the Lions head coach feels that way.

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    The Lions, who beat the Chicago Bears 19-16 on Sunday afternoon after Jake Bates hit a late field goal, finished the season at just 9-8. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and were eliminated from postseason contention after their loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17.

    That’s quite the fall-off from the last two seasons. The Lions went 15-2 last year and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they went 12-5 the year before and reached the NFC championship game.

    [Get more Lions news: Detroit team feed]

    The Lions opened the season winning four of their first five games, but they completely fell off after that. The team failed to win consecutive contests after that, and then entered Sunday’s game having lost five of their last seven to drop well out of the NFC North race.

    “It’s hard to believe that this is it,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a hard pill to swallow watching these teams in the playoffs. But I think you’ve got to watch them. You’ve got to force yourself to do it because that’s a drive to want to be there, be a part of it.”

    Campbell just wrapped up his fifth season with the Lions. Even though they’ll be watching from home, he’s responsible for leading the team to the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time since the mid-1990s and the only stretch of consecutive seasons with double-digit wins in franchise history.

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    Campbell hasn’t yet revealed what changes, if any, he will make with the coaching staff this offseason. He said he’d need a few days to think about that, at least. The Lions also hold the No. 17 pick in the draft in a few months.

    While the end of the season was disappointing, Campbell doesn’t think the team needs anything close to a full reset this offseason. In his eyes, they are right there.

    “Now, we fell short this year and look, we all acknowledge that. I know I acknowledge that. It’s bitter. It’s a bitter taste,” Campbell said. “I mean it feels good to win yesterday, but ultimately, it’s frustrating.

    “But we’ve got nobody to blame but ourselves. But I really don’t believe we’re that far off. There’s a couple of things we can do, and I just want to make sure we go after it. I’m not saying we weren’t hungry, but let’s get that hunger back and we’re going to bring in some guys to compete.”

  • Transfer portal: Texas RB Quintrevion Wisner heading to Florida State

    Former Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner will get a fresh start in Tallahassee, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He’s headed to Florida State after spending three years in Austin.

    After rushing for career-high 1,064 yards and five touchdowns in his sophomore year, Wisner rushed for 597 yards and three touchdowns last season.

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    Wisner led the team in rushing yards in both seasons. He’ll have one season of eligibility remaining.

    With quarterback Thomas Castellanos declaring for the draft and running back Gavin Sawchuk hitting the portal, the Seminoles will be without last year’s two leading rushers. Wisner has a chance to fill that gap.

  • Transfer portal: Former Oklahoma QB Michael Hawkins headed to West Virginia

    Former Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has committed to West Virginia, ESPN reported.

    Hawkins and his brother Maliek Hawkins, a cornerback, are both expected to play for Rich Rodriguez in Morgantown next season.

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    Hawkins played in nine games across two seasons for the Sooners. He threw for 950 yards and nine touchdowns. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

    Maliek Hawkins has four seasons of eligibility left. He had previously been a top recruit himself.