The AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Houston Texans on Monday night, in what could end up being Aaron Rodgers’ final NFL game. The Steelers clinched the AFC North in the final game of the regular season, beating the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 after Baltimore kicker Tyler Loop missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired.
Ben Fawkes gathers quotes from oddsmakers for all the games and our team of NFL handicappers provides their favorite wagers on the game.
“This game has bounced back between 3 and 3.5. At 3.5, we’ve seen Steelers money and more Texans money at 3. As long as game doesn’t land on 3, everyone should be fine. Currently, a small decision to the under. I don’t think this game touches 40 on the total.” — Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata
“We usually see Steelers action come in on game day, but leading up to it I don’t think anyone is exited to bet on them. Texans defense has been lights out, and that’s driving the action here, coupled with money on the under. Lowest total on the board. Aaron Rodgers’ last hurrah will probably drive some action. We’re still at 39.5 on the total.” — Joey Feazel, head of NFL trading at Caesars Sportsbook
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Best bets
Matt Jacob: Here’s something that might surprise you: The Texans have more playoff victories in the last two years (two) than the Steelers have in the last nine years (zero).
Yep, since losing the AFC championship game to New England following the 2016 campaign, the Steelers have dropped five consecutive postseason contests.
Another perspective: The two wild-card victories that Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud recorded in the 2023 and 2024 match the number of playoff wins that Aaron Rodgers has posted since 2017.
This, of course, is not the main reason why Stroud and the Texans are solidly favored to defeat Rodgers and the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Monday night. No, the main reason is because Houston is a legit Super Bowl contender (15-1 odds) and Pittsburgh (50-1) is not.
The Texans enter the playoffs on a nine-game winning streak, which is part of the team’s 12-2 run since opening the season 0-3. Conversely, the Steelers needed to win four of their final five games — the last one on a missed field goal as time expired — just to sneak into the tournament.
Back to Rodgers: The 41-year-old will be facing the NFL’s No. 1 total defense, No. 2 scoring defense and No. 6 pass defense. Number of times in 17 games that Houston’s stop unit allowed more than three touchdowns: three.
During the regular season, Rodgers and the Steelers faced six of the top 12 scoring defenses. They averaged 17.3 points and went 2-4 SU and ATS.
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Not only that, but Pittsburgh faced just five playoff teams in 2025.
The results:
31-17 home loss to Seattle
21-14 win at New England (the Patriots committed five turnovers)
35-25 home loss to Green Bay
25-10 loss at the Chargers
26-7 home loss to Buffalo
By comparison, the Texans won their final three games against playoff teams, toppling the Jaguars (36-29), Bills (23-19) and Chargers (20-16).
Bet: Texans -3.5 (-102)
Michael Fiddle: After a two-game suspension, DK Metcalf returns to the Steelers — a piece the team so desperately needs.
During Metcalf’s absence, the Steelers were reliant on Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kenneth Gainwell and Pat Freiermuth to be the team’s top target options. There were moments where the veteran wide receivers were literally explaining to their teammates what to do after a play call; a rare sight for a Week 18 game.
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While Rodgers was able to get the passing game going against the Baltimore Ravens, most notably after Kyle Hamilton left with an injury, the Texans defense is a different beast. One of the best and most physical cornerbacks in the NFL (Derek Stingley Jr.) is coming to Pittsburgh. Having Metcalf instead of the less physical options previously mentioned is essential to winning this matchup. Rodgers will need to lean on Metcalf in both short and long routes. I also expect a few deep shots to be taken down field to Metcalf, as he can create separation and finish plays.
The market has already bet the receiving yards up for Metcalf from the low 50’s to the middle to high 50’s, while BetMGM still hangs a beatable number. Bet on Metcalf to have a revenge performance when the Steelers need him most.
Bet: DK Metcalf over 50.5 receiving yards (-115)
Matt Russell: Of the many things I don’t trust within either offense, Woody Marks being used as some sort of bell-cow running back might be atop the list.
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At 3.6 yards per carry and just two rushing touchdowns this season, it’s not like the Texans are relying on his efficiency. Plus, the rookie may have hit something of a wall physically, missing much of Week 15 and all of Week 16. At least, for Marks’ contribution sake, the Steelers are vulnerable to large chunks of yardage on the ground. Between that, the possibility that the Texans move the ball through the air with ease and the snail-like pace the Steelers play at when they have the ball (which limits possessions for the opposition), there might not be enough running plays for Marks to accrue 15-plus carries.
Throw in the possibility that Texans have been saving Nick Chubb for some crucial postseason carries, and we’ll take the under here at even-money.
Nebraska transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola committed to Oregon on Monday, according to ON3’s Pete Nakos. Raiola spent his first two seasons at Nebraska, where he went 13-8 as a starter.
Last season, Raiola threw for 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts before a broken fibula ended his year. As a true freshman, Raiola set the Nebraska freshman passing record with 2,819 yards and had 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The 20-year-old quarterback saw his completion percentage jump from 67.1% as a freshman to 72.4% in his second year.
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Rumors about Raiola’s transferring from Nebraska emerged after his brother, Dayton, de-committed from the school in November. Dylan Raiola announced his decision to transfer in December.
Before joining Nebraska, Raiola was one of the most highly touted quarterback recruits coming out of Buford High School in Georgia. Raiola flipped his commitment from the University of Georgia to play at Nebraska under head coach Matt Rhule.
Raiola leaves a place where he had family ties. His father, Dominic, played at Nebraska before his 14-year NFL career. His uncle, Donovan Raiola, was also the offensive line coach at Nebraska before being let go in December.
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This season, the Ducks advanced to the semifinals of the College Football playoffs before Friday’s 56-22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers. Sophomore quarterback Dante Moore led Oregon this past season, throwing for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Despite having a breakout season, Moore struggled against the Hoosiers. Moore went 24 of 39 for 285 yards, 2 touchdowns and had three turnovers. The Indiana game and Moore not turning 21 until May opened the door for him to return for his redshirt junior year. Moore has yet to announce whether he will return to the Ducks or declare for the 2026 NFL draft.
Raiola’s commitment to Oregon does not necessarily mean Moore will declare for the draft. Oregon signed Moore and Dillon Gabriel in 2023, with Moore redshirting behind Gabriel before starting this season.
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If Moore decides to forego the NFL draft, there is a possibility that Raiola can sit and develop for a year, a rarity in college football today.
Coming off their second consecutive 7-6 season, UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea and freshman quarterback TJ Lateef are expected to compete to replace Raiola at Nebraska.
Leavitt is a huge get for new LSU coach Lane Kiffin, who hadn’t added a marquee quarterback but was reportedly in the running for several top transfers at the position.
The former Arizona State quarterback entered the transfer portal after a 2025 season that was derailed by an ankle injury. He appeared in just seven games and was 145-of-239 passing for 1,628 yards and 10 TDs with three interceptions.
Leavitt led Arizona State to the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2024. He was 216-of-350 passing for 2,885 yards and 24 TDs to just six interceptions while also rushing for 443 yards and five touchdowns. The Sun Devils beat Iowa State in the Big 12 title game before losing to Texas in the College Football Playoff.
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Leavitt transferred from Michigan State to Arizona State after the 2023 season. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
He’ll now join an LSU team that is looking for a fresh start under Kiffin after going 34-14 in three-and-a-half seasons with Brian Kelly as head coach.
Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU just before the Rebels made the College Football Playoff was one of the biggest stories of the season as coaches bounced back and forth from the schools during an Ole Miss run to the semifinal. The Rebels’ loss to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday brought some finality to the saga.
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Now, Kiffin and his LSU coaching staff can move forward — with a new quarterback in Leavitt.
Kiffin and the Tigers had actually also added Elon transfer QB Landen Clark on Monday morning shortly before Leavitt’s commitment. Additionally, LSU has reportedly added nine wide receivers from the portal as the Tigers retool the offense for Kiffin’s system.
🏈 NFL All-Pros: Rams QB Matthew Stafford, picked over Patriots QB Drake Maye, headlined the NFL’s All-Pro first team, which included three unanimous selections in Browns DE Myles Garrett, Rams WR Puka Nacua and Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
⛳️ Koepka seeks return: Three weeks after stepping away from LIV Golf, five-time major winner Brooks Koepka has applied for reinstatement to the PGA Tour. The question now is whether there will be any punishment for such players wishing to return.
🏈 Texas lands top transfer: Former Auburn WR Cam Coleman has committed to Texas, giving the Longhorns the top-ranked player in the transfer portal, per On3. Follow our transfer portal tracker until the window closes on Jan. 16.
🏒 Youth brawl under investigation: A viral brawl that broke out between two “mites” teams (ages 8 and under) during the intermission of an AHL game on Saturday is under investigation by the Atlantic Amateur Hockey Association, which is calling the incident “staged.”
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🏈 A Wild Card Weekend to remember
Josh Allen showing love to Bills Mafia. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Was that the most exciting weekend of playoff football… ever? The first five games of the Wild Card Round delivered four game-winning touchdowns scored in the final three minutes and four games decided by fewer than five points, the most ever in a single round. There were also a whopping 12 fourth-quarter lead changes, which is not only the most in a single round but the most ever in a single postseason (!!!).
Jacksonville — The Bills went into Duuuval and came away with their first road playoff win since 1992 courtesy of Josh Allen’s game-winning TD with just over a minute left. Final score: Bills 27, Jaguars 24.
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Elite company: Buffalo is just the fourth team ever to win a playoff game in six consecutive seasons, joining the Cowboys (1991-96), Patriots (2011-18) and Chiefs (2018-24).
Caleb Williams and the Bears are moving on. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Chicago — The Bears’ magical season continued on Saturday with an incredible comeback win over the Packers. They scored 25 points in the fourth quarter for a 31-27 victory that marked their first over Green Bay in the playoffs since 1941, one week after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The comeback kings: Before Chicago’s victory, NFL teams were 3-158 all-time in the postseason when trailing by 15+ points entering the fourth quarter. Just another day in the life of Da Bears, who’ve won an NFL-record seven games this season in which they trailed with two minutes left.
Colby Parkinson celebrates after his spectacular game-winning grab. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Back and forth: This was one of two games this weekend (along with Bills-Jags) to feature four lead changes in the fourth-quarter, tied for the most in a playoff game in NFL history.
The Niners stopped the Eagles’ repeat bid in its tracks. (Matt Rourke/AP Photo)
Philadelphia — The 49ers have been winning all season despite a never-ending stream of injuries to star players. Sunday was no different as they beat the defending champion Eagles, 23-19, after George Kittle tore his Achilles in the first half.
Play of the game: The Niners scored in the fourth quarter on a trick play TD thrown by WR Jauan Jennings, whose talent as a passer should come as no surprise. He was once a four-star dual-threat QB recruit ranked ahead of Sam Darnold, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.
Stefon Diggs runs off the field celebrating the victory. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Foxborough, Massachusetts — Well, they can’t all be thrillers, right? The Patriots capped off the weekend with a workmanlike 16-3 win over the Chargers, who managed just 207 total yards against New England’s smothering defense.
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Herbert falters again: Maybe it’s a shaky offensive line or myriad other factors, but Justin Herbert is now 0-3 in his postseason career with just two TDs against five turnovers as he yet again failed to play anywhere near the level he performed during the regular season.
🏈 Can Miami stop this Indiana freight train?
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti hoists the trophy after winning the Peach Bowl. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
After their 56-22 semifinal beatdown of Oregon, the Indiana Hoosiers — yes, the Indiana Hoosiers — are one victory away from completing an undefeated championship season.
From Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wolken:
The air horn at Mercedes-Benz Stadium blasted for the first time Friday night after just 11 seconds. It’s a distinct, piercing sound with a unique local story, ringing through the sky here after every touchdown.
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This city began to sprout up from the ground nearly two centuries ago because it is where the Western & Atlantic railroad made its last stop. With a stake hammered into the ground, they originally called it Terminus — the end of the line.
Since erecting this modern football palace nine years ago and adding the train horn to commemorate how it all began, nearly every great college football team has come through Atlanta on its way to a national title.
But none have embodied that sound quite like Indiana. Sleek and efficient, powerful and unrelenting, the Hoosiers are barreling down the tracks like a locomotive running late for a date with destiny, blowing that horn as a warning to any creature in its path.
Hey, after 139 years of mostly bad Indiana football, what’s another 10 days to become the most mesmerizing national champion we’ve ever seen?
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Perhaps the Jan. 19 national championship game against Miami will become something other than a Hoosier coronation. But after Indiana’s tour de force through the College Football Playoff, rarely have we encountered a college football team that looks and feels more inevitable than this one.
Macclesfield players celebrate with supporters after the victory. (Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
The magic of the FA Cup was on full display on Saturday when Macclesfield FC, a semi-pro side in the sixth tier of English soccer, pulled off the biggest upset in the tournament’s 154-year history.
Giant killers: Macclesfield beat Crystal Palace, 2-1, in the third round of the FA Cup, becoming the first non-league club to knock out the defending champions since 1909.
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Palace, currently 13th place in the Premier League, are 117 spots ahead of the Silkmen, who sit in 14th place in the sixth-tier National League North.
What they’re saying: “It still doesn’t feel real,” said first-year manager John Rooney, who played for the Silkmen last season before retiring and whose older brother is, yes, English legend Wayne Rooney. “I spoke before the game about having a bit of hope in the FA Cup, but did I really believe it? Probably not. It’s mad to say but I thought we were deserved winners on the day. I thought we were incredible.”
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts (L) and Paul Dawson scored Macclesfield’s two goals. (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Upward trajectory: The Silkmen — named for the town’s reputation as the center of Europe’s silk industry in the 18th and 19th centuries — were formed just over five years ago as the successor to Macclesfield Town, a 150-year-old club that was liquidated amid mounting debts in 2020.
They started in the ninth tier but have earned promotion three times in their first four seasons to reach the sixth tier. For reference, that’s one level below where Wrexham FC sat when Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney swooped in and bought the club five years ago.
And they are still very much at the level where their captain, Paul Dawson, who scored their first goal, could be found pulling pints behind the club bar after the game. Non-league football at its finest.
An emotional victory: The stunning result was dedicated to Ethan McLeod, Macclesfield’s forward who tragically died in a car crash last month. “I was thinking about it when the final whistle went, Ethan was here,” Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, who scored the second goal, said after the game.
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💯 Big numbers
Vanderbilt sophomore Mikayla Blakes (R) ranks second in the nation in scoring at 24.9 points per game. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
🏀 33-0
Vanderbilt is the nation’s only school with both basketball teams still undefeated, and the 11th-ranked men (16-0) and seventh-ranked women (17-0) have both matched the best starts in program history.
Plus: Add in the football team’s historic season, and the Commodores’ top three programs are a combined 42-3 this academic year.
🏈 $5,589
Ticket prices for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Miami are through the roof. As of Saturday morning, the cheapest ticket on GameTime was over $3,500 (including fees) and the average ticket price was $5,589 — more than double the average price of last year’s title game.
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What might the crowd look like? The game is at Hard Rock Stadium where Miami plays its home games, so expect to see lots of Canes fans. But don’t sleep on Hoosier Nation! Indiana has the largest living alumni base of any school in the country, and their fans took over Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for Friday’s Peach Bowl.
(Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
🎾 22 titles, 22 cities
With his victory in Brisbane to open the 2026 season, Daniil Medvedev has now won 22 ATP titles… in 22 different cities. He’s never won the same tournament twice, and he’s running out of events to win.
The full list: Sydney, Winston-Salem, Tokyo, Sofia, Cincinnati, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Paris, London, Marseille, Mallorca, Toronto, New York, Los Cabos, Vienna, Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Miami, Rome, Almaty, Brisbane.
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🎿 84th victory
Two weeks after officially qualifying for the Olympics, 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn notched her second World Cup downhill victory of the season, and 84th of her career. That puts her two shy of matching Ingemar Stenmark for the second-most ever behind Mikaela Shiffrin (106).
What she’s saying: “Whatever I want to do, I can do it. And that’s an amazing feeling because my body hasn’t always been responding that way to me in the past,” said Vonn after Saturday’s win in Austria. “So now it’s a whole other ball game … and I try to enjoy every single second I’m out here because it’s just so fun to go fast.”
📺 Watchlist: Monday, Jan. 12
The Terrible Towels will be out in full force tonight. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
🏈 Texans at Steelers
Wild Card Weekend concludes tonight in Pittsburgh (8:15pm ET, ESPN/ABC), where the AFC North champions host the red-hot Texans, who won nine straight games to close out the regular season.
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Speaking of streaks: The Steelers have won 23 consecutive Monday night home games (!!!), which is hard to believe but we promise it’s true. The last time they lost on Monday night at home? Oct. 14, 1991.
More to watch:
🏀 NBA: Celtics at Pacers (7:30pm, Peacock) … The last-place Pacers (8-31) are on pace for the worst season in franchise history.
🏒 NHL: Hurricanes at Red Wings (7pm, ESPN+) … The top two teams in the East face off in Detroit.
🏀 Unrivaled: Mist vs. Phantom (7:30pm, TNT); Laces vs. Lunar Owls (8:45pm, TNT)
Pats fans have tasted plenty of postseason success. But one fan base has enjoyed even more. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
The Patriots notched their 38th playoff win on Sunday night, breaking a tie with the Packers for the second-most of any franchise.
Question: Which team ranks first with 40 playoff wins?
Answer at the bottom.
🍿 Top plays: Weekend edition
(Minnesota Women’s Hockey)
🏒 Assist of the year: Minnesota Gophers superstar Abbey Murphy broke the internet with a mind-bending assist, flipping the puck into the air, batting it through a defender’s legs, then dishing it to her teammate for the goal.
🎾 Stan the Man: Stan Wawrinka hit an absolutely gorgeous backhand down the line at the United Cup. 40 years old, still got it! Tennis is going to miss this man when he retires at the end of the year.
We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Things always slow down post-New Year’s. Even in fantasy basketball, apparently. Not that we didn’t have an exciting week in the NBA, but we didn’t have much fireworks when it came to high scores in, well, High Score. We did get a few superstars returning to fantasy glory by making it into the perfect lineup for Week 12. Let’s take a look at the top-six scorers from last week and how they got it done.
Here are the top performances overall by position from Week 12. (Taylor Wilhelm)
(Taylor Wilhelm)
More on the top performers
Luka Dončić, guard: Dončić was the top scorer in what would be considered a down week for high scores. We normally see plenty of 70s and a few scores even higher each week. That wasn’t the case; perhaps teams are cracking down on defense or it was a random off week. We are also without Nikola Jokić, who remains sidelined.
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Nonetheless, in a losing effort at the Spurs, Dončić was really the only Laker to show up (LeBron James didn’t play), which led to a 38-10-10 triple-double and the top score of the week.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard: After looking like a juggernaut early in the season, the Thunder have come back down to earth lately. Thankfully, the Jazz love ceding high scores to opponents this season. So last Wednesday, we saw SGA go off for 46 points in 42 minutes in an OT win over Utah. The free-throw merchant got to the line 19 times and drained 17 from the charity stripe for his highest point total since the second game of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, frontcourt: The Greek Freak returned from a lengthy absence at the end of 2025 and has been putting up consistent numbers since. But we haven’t really seen an elite ceiling from Giannis. Even after this 70-point fantasy performance on Sunday versus the Nuggets, the Bucks lost despite Denver missing both Jokić and Jamal Murray. Antetokounmpo was two boards shy of a triple-double with 31 points and 11 assists, plus three stocks. You’ve got to think Milwaukee, fighting to get into playoff position, will need to ramp up the minutes for Giannis. It feels like we’re close to seeing one of those gaudy 40-20 type of games from him. With only two tough games this week (vs. MIN, at SAS), however, we may need to wait another week to see that ceiling.
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LeBron James, frontcourt: Welcome back, LeBron! Well, not back back. He’s been playing since missing all of October and parts of November. But this was easily his best week of the fantasy basketball season. LeBron posted 63 fantasy points and then 64 points on efficient scoring and peripheral stat production. It looked a lot like early-Lakers LeBron out there. James is resting here and there; he sat on the second of L.A.’s back-to-back last week. But with the Lakers missing key players to injury still, LeBron will be tasked with more scoring alongside Dončić.
Cooper Flagg, frontcourt: Flagg has been flashing his ceiling more lately with the Mavericks dealing with injuries left and right. Big man Anthony Davis sustained ligament damage in his left hand and is expected to miss multiple months. Dallas could throw in the towel on the season soon, which would only allow for Flagg to get more usage and minutes. In a losing effort to Utah (of course), Flagg came two assists shy of a triple-double with 26-10-8, plus four stocks. His motor is always going to elevate his floor, averaging over 2.0 stocks per game this season.
Jamal Murray, utility: The Nuggets really can’t shake the injury bug, eh? Murray has tried to keep Denver afloat while three-time MVP Jokić is sidelined but the sharpshooter is also dealing with multiple injuries himself. That held Murray out for three of four games last week. Luckily for High Score fantasy managers, Murray was still able to post 22 points, eight rebounds and a career-high 17 assists in a win over the Celtics on Wednesday. He was ruled out on Sunday due to an illness and ankle injury. We’ll see if Murray can get on the court with the Nuggets playing four games this week: a Tuesday-Wednesday back-to-back, and a Saturday-Sunday B2B.
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Cade Cunningham, utility: Cade started off the week great with his 67 points in a win over the Knicks last Monday. Unfortunately, he didn’t play again the rest of the week, being held out due to a wrist injury. The Pistons continue to lead the Eastern Conference and have good depth to withstand these minor injuries. The problem is that it makes it easy to rest stars like Cunningham. This could be another tough week for Cade managers as Detroit has just two games.
Ohio State wideout Quincy Porter and Alabama defensive end Keon Keeley both reportedly committed to Notre Dame on Monday. Porter and Keeley were both five-star prospects coming out of high school.
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Keeley confirmed his decision to On3.com. Porter’s commitment was reported by On3.com.
Porter comes to Notre Dame after seeing limited snaps as a freshman. He played in just five games with Ohio State this season, hauling in four catches for 59 yards. Keeley has more experience. After being limited to just six games as a freshman. Keeley played in 13 games with Alabama this season. He notched 16 combined tackles, including three sacks, as a sophomore.
The Irish have been relatively quiet in the transfer portal to this point, only securing commitments from DBs Jayden Sanders (Michigan) and D.J. McKinney before the additions of Porter and Keeley.
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Despite going 10-2 this season, Notre Dame was left out of the CFP. It was a last-minute decision by the committee, as Notre Dame was ranked higher than Miami all season before the bracket was released. Notre Dame wasn’t happy about that decision, with athletic director Pete Bevacqua threatening the ACC over its willingness to push Miami into the CFP.
Following Saturday night’s victory over rival Green Bay, Chicago Bears’ first-year head coach Ben Johnson intensified the rivalry by shouting, “F*** the Packers,” in the locker room shortly after sending them back to Wisconsin with a loss for the second time this season.
When asked about his locker room outburst (which energized his team) by Chicago reporters, Johnson did not back down or retract his words. He stands by his verbal outburst directed at the entire Green Bay organization and feels no remorse.
“This is a rivalry. The city of Chicago, Green Bay — it needs to be a rivalry.”
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“There’s a rivalry that exists between these two teams,” Johnson said. “Something that I fully recognize and I’m a part of. Yeah, I just … I don’t like that team.”
In his first year as head coach, Johnson is already reshaping Chicago’s culture and has defeated the Bears’ biggest rival two out of three times this season. Both victories over Green Bay occurred in Chicago, with the most satisfying one coming Saturday, ending the Packers’ season. All three matchups were decided by seven points or fewer, with the closest being the Bears’ wild-card win over the weekend, 31-27.
For a long time, this rivalry was heavily skewed in favor of the Packers. However, in just one season with Johnson as head coach, quarterback Caleb Williams’ development, and the players they’ve assembled, there’s been a power shift in the NFC North. The Bears are now just one win away from reaching their first NFC title game since 2010.
Johnson has arrived in Chicago determined to uphold this rivalry, and it was even evident during the postgame handshake between the coaches. Each time these teams met this season, the handshake was quick, and on Saturday, Johnson’s seemed more like a drive-by than a greeting. No pleasantries are being exchanged between these rivals.
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For Johnson and the Bears, the Packers rivalry will be on hold until next season, as they prepare for their divisional round game against the visiting Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The Bears will face a tough challenge against first-team All-Pro quarterback Matthew Stafford and an offense that can be just as explosive, if not more so, than Chicago’s.
The Green Bay Packers lost in devastating fashion on Saturday, but got some positive news two days later. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons said Monday that he could return from his torn ACL in time to play in the team’s Week 1 game next season.
Parsons said a Week 1 return was a possibility, though added that Week 3 or Week 4 was a more realistic date for his return. He said he’s been told he’s “flying” through his rehab.
Parsons’ comments on his return read:
“There’s a timing standpoint they want. But I don’t think I’ll be on IR, I’ll say that, to start the season. I think lofty, I’d be saying Week 1. But realistically, probably like Week 3 or Week 4. Just to make sure and just getting back into football, just practicing hard and getting ready to sustain taking my body through what I go through.”
He added that he’ll need to find a way to simulate the intensity of a game during practices so that he can feel like himself once he’s activated next season.
Despite some rumors suggesting LaFleur’s job was in danger, the Packers reportedly want to work out an extension with the head coach. Parsons was fully supportive of that decision, giving LaFleur a vote of confidence Monday.
The Packers will eagerly await Parsons’ return next season. Without the star pass rusher, the team went 0-5 down the stretch. The team’s typically excellent defense crumbled without Parsons, giving up at least 30 points in three of its last five games. Over that stretch, the Packers also experienced two fourth-quarter collapses against the rival Bears. In addition to the team’s wild-card loss to Chicago, the Packers also lost in Week 16 thanks to an onside kick recovery, fourth-down touchdown and then an overtime score by the Bears. It was a highly disappointing development for a team that started the year 9-3-1.
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With Parsons and — presumably — LaFleur back, the Packers will once again be considered a contender in a suddenly tough NFC North. Parsons was on his way to setting a few new career-highs in his first season in Green Bay, and things might have gone differently down the stretch had the star remained healthy.
The Packers will hope Parsons can keep up his strong play next season, and that his presence leads to the deep playoff run the team failed to accomplish during his first year with the franchise.
Michigan had its chance to overtake Arizona. Now, at least for the moment, that door seems closed.
Here’s everything you missed in the 10th week of the regular season, and the latest Associated Press poll.
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Michigan goes down, finally
Just seven days ago, Michigan was a single point away from matching Arizona atop the college basketball world. Now, the Wildcats are once again the clear No. 1 team in the country.
Arizona improved to a perfect 16-0 this past week and remained ahead of the rest of the sport in the national poll while the Wolverines finally fell off after a historically dominant start. Michigan fell for the first time this season on Saturday when Wisconsin stunned the Wolverines 91-88 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines blew a 14-point lead in the first half, and gave up 54 points in the second period, to drop their first game of the season. The loss also came days after Penn State just barely missed a potential buzzer-beater that would have pulled off an even bigger upset over the Wolverines.
As a result, Michigan fell two spots in this week’s poll to No. 4. That paved the way for Iowa State to jump to No. 2, which is the highest ranking in school history. The Cyclones matched Arizona at 16-0, and are one of just five undefeated teams left in the sport. Nebraska, Vanderbilt and Miami (Ohio) — which is still sitting just outside of the national rankings — are the others.
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UConn survived a scare at Providence and escaped with an overtime win on Wednesday, and then picked up its 12th straight win over DePaul on Saturday. That moved the Huskies up to No. 3. Purdue, which won its seventh straight on Saturday when it beat Penn State, then rounded out the top five behind Michigan.
Michigan has already proven itself as a dominant force in the Big Ten, if not the country this season. But the past week was not a good one for the Wolverines.
How far will Vanderbilt go?
The Commodores matched their best stat in school history on Saturday when they beat LSU, which got them to a perfect 16-0 on the season. They beat Alabama last week, too, in what was easily their best test of the year so far.
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And, Vanderbilt is incredibly balanced. They are ranked inside the top 11 in both offensive and defensive efficiency ratings in the Ken Pomeroy Ratings, while earning five Quad 1 wins already — all but one of which were by double digits. A lot of that credit belongs to point guard Tyler Tanner, who is averaging team-highs 17.3 points and 5.4 assists per game while shooting just shy of 41% from behind the arc.
Those wins moved the Commodores up a spot to No. 10 in this week’s poll.
Vanderbilt has several major tests in front of it, including against No. 19 Florida on Saturday, before No. 17 Arkansas awaits next week. The Commodores will have to take on Tennessee twice before the end of the season, too.
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While an undefeated run almost certainly isn’t possible, Vanderbilt is suddenly a legitimate threat in the SEC. With a few more quick wins, the conference may end up running through Nashville come March. For a team that was projected to finish 11th in the standings entering the year, that is clearly something very few saw coming.
Games to watch this week
All times ET | * denotes neutral site
Tuesday, Jan. 13
No. 16 Virginia at No. 20 Louisville | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 No. 2 Iowa State at Kansas | 9 p.m. | ESPN
Wednesday, Jan. 14
Iowa at No. 5 Purdue | 6:30 p.m. | BTN Arizona State at No. 1 Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | FS1
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Saturday, Jan. 17
No. 16 Virginia at SMU | 12 p.m. | TBD No. 19 Florida at No. 10 Vanderbilt | 2 p.m. | TBD No. 17 Arkansas at No. 21 Georgia | 4 p.m. | TBD No. 11 BYU at No. 15 Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | TBD
AP Top 25
The full Associated Press men’s basketball poll from January 12, 2026.
There was a time for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade LeBron James, as soon as they made their deal for Luka Dončić, when it was clear — before they ever played a game together — that redundancies in their games, especially on the defensive end, would prevent them from contending for an NBA championship.
We have seen no evidence to the contrary, other than a 23-13 record to start the season, which is good for fifth in the Western Conference, as close to the play-in tournament as they are a home playoff seed.
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Behind the record is a grim tale. They are the first team ever to compile that record while posting a net rating below zero (-0.7), and they are the only team in the top eight of either conference with a negative net rating. By that metric, they fall between the Charlotte Hornets (14-25) and Memphis Grizzlies (17-22).
The numbers have not been pretty for the Lakers when LeBron shares the court with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
(Luke Hales via Getty Images)
If not for a 13-1 record in clutch games, the Lakers might be out of the playoff race entirely. There can be no doubt the presence of Dončić and James together has benefited them in that regard, since those two just know how to win close games, and the Lakers can hope for them to do the same in the playoffs.
And they may be right to do so. The thought of facing Dončić, James and Austin Reaves in a best-of-seven playoff series is a terrifying proposition for opponents from an offensive standpoint, though as a trio they have scored only 112.2 points per 100 possessions, or the equivalent of a bottom-five offense.
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Defensively, they are atrocious as a trio, allowing 119.5 points per 100 possessions, roughly the same defensive rating as the nine-win New Orleans Pelicans. They are not much better as a team on the year. The addition of center Deandre Ayton, a former No. 1 overall pick, has made no impact on that end whatsoever.
“We doing s***,” Marcus Smart recently said of the Lakers’ defense. “We’re being real s***ty right now, and it’s showing. … Every team goes through it trying to figure it out. You just pray that it happens early and we can fix it before it’s too late. But there’s really no defense, no scheme we can do when we’re giving up offensive rebounds in crucial moments like we are, or guys are getting wherever they want on the court.
“And there’s no help, there’s no resistance, there’s no urgency,” added the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. “So, it’s tough. And [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] is right. There’s really nothing he can do. It’s on us.”
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In fact, any combination of Dončić, James and Reaves is a problem, save for one notable exception …
LINEUP COMBINATIONS
OFF RTG
DEF RTG
NET RTG
Doncic-James-Reaves
108.9
118.7
-7.4
Doncic-James, no Reaves
117.5
119.6
-2.1
Doncic-Reaves, no James
124.5
110.3
+14.2
James-Reaves, no Doncic
121.6
124.2
-2.5
What does this chart tell us about the Lakers? It tells us they have no shot, mathematically, of competing, if James is on the floor. It is not realistic to think they will compete without James, either. They cannot bench one of the game’s greatest-ever players — and his max salary — and hope to win.
So, what to do? They could consider trading James again, as they did last season, when the Golden State Warriors reportedly came calling in an effort to pair the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with Stephen Curry.
Of that deal ever coming to fruition, James’ agent, Rich Paul, said recently, “It’s not going to happen.”
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Nor is it likely James is traded anywhere else.
“Tricky,” one league source described the process of trading James at this point. To say the least.
Not impossible, though, even if James owns a no-trade clause.
James is 41 years old, and his $52.6 million salary expires at season’s end. He is still averaging 22-6-7 on 51/32/71 shooting splits, but his advanced metrics are at their worst since his rookie season in 2003-04. He recently missed a game against the San Antonio Spurs with both right sciatica and left foot arthritis.
He may still be able to touch rarified air for a stretch, but to think he can do it over the course of a series, or four of them, for that matter, is too much to ask. Every other team understands that as well. What team a) imagines itself a 41-year-old LeBron James away from a title and b) can give up enough to satisfy the Lakers’ asking price and still have enough left over to contend? Good luck discovering one.
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Oh, and James would have to approve the deal, which he might, if it were to give him another shot at a ring.
There is another avenue for the Lakers to take: Reinforce the roster around Dončić and James. They have a bunch of mid-tiered contracts, along with their 2031 first-round draft pick, to package for an upgrade. That is probably not enough to cure what ails the Lakers, unless they include Reaves in the deal, and even that likely would not be enough to get them in a conversation for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Barring a move on that scale, the Lakers are in trouble. No one piece changes their fortunes. More likely, building a contender around Dončić will take an overhaul of the roster. That they will not do this season.
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Most likely, Lakers executive Rob Pelinka will make a move on the margins for someone to complement Dončić, James and Reaves, and the underlying issue — building a defense around that trio — will remain.
“Pelinka may be in trouble,” the source said. “He will do less than people want.”
That is the case for most teams, to be fair. Constructing a contender overnight is hard. But that is what the Lakers have tried to do ever since acquiring Dončić. They have tried to serve two masters — the 26-year-old face of their franchise and a 41-year-old James, who is desperate to win again before he retires.
That has not worked. We knew it would not work. And yet here we are, still trying to fix the problems we anticipated. It is time now, as it was a year ago, for the Lakers to choose a direction, and it is the obvious one: Put everything in their power behind building around Dončić, not James, even if that means letting an all-time great walk for nothing at the end of the season. The final alternative? Mutually parting ways.
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For, if you cannot build a championship-caliber defense around Dončić, James and Reaves, and they do not want to trade Reaves in a last-ditch effort to build around James, what other choice do they have? His $52.6 million salary, as of now, can surely be better spent elsewhere in free agency over the summer.
This is the conundrum the Lakers have forced themselves into: Carry James as a detriment to the roster, trade him for little of value in return, or let him walk for nothing. It would be a disappointing end for an all-time great’s tenure in Los Angeles, though maybe it was always the most likely one for a 41-year-old.
