Nippon Professional Baseball has seen multiple elite pitchers make the transition to the major leagues and experience immediate success. Los Angeles Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto carried his team to a World Series win in 2025, and Chicago Cubs standout Shota Imanaga contended for the Cy Young award as a rookie in 2024.
There have been far fewer hitters to successfully make that transition in recent years, but the Toronto Blue Jays are betting Kazuma Okamoto can reverse that trend after reportedly agreeing to a deal with the Japanese third baseman, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Okamoto, 29, comes to the majors after a fantastic season with the Yomiuri Giants in which he hit .327/.416/.598 with 15 home runs in 69 games. He missed time due to a left elbow injury, which limited his numbers. In the seven seasons prior to 2025, Okamoto averaged 33.1 home runs and 138.5 games played per season, so he has proven to be productive and durable.
Okamoto, a third baseman, brings an excellent plate approach to the majors. He typically hits for a high average, with a double-digit walk rate and prodigious pop. He’s able to do all that despite a fairly low strikeout rate, making him a pretty complete hitter.
Some of his numbers could regress in the majors, though it’s worth noting that Okamoto set some career highs on offense last season despite offense being down across NPB. Some of his excellence came thanks to improved numbers against velocity, per FanGraphs, a critical skill for any player coming to MLB.
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Two things could hold Okamoto back in the majors. The first is his age. He will be 30 in June, and there’s an argument to be made that he’s already in the declining phase of his career. He might have only a few seasons of strong production left before his skills more naturally erode.
The second involves the recent track record of star hitters from NPB joining the majors. There hasn’t been a large sample in recent years, with just Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and Boston Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida. Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, of course, though it’s impossible to compare him to other players given his two-way value. While Suzuki has established himself as a solid middle-of-the-order bat on a good team, Yoshida has struggled to find his footing in the majors.
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That said, Okamota has experience excelling against major-league players, albeit in an incredibly small sample. He was a force in the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Team Japan, posting a 1.278 OPS in the event, per MLB.com. He played a key role in Japan winning the event, homering off Team USA pitcher Kyle Freeland in the championship game.
Prior to the start of the 2025 MLB season, Okamoto and the Yomiuri Giants faced off against the Cubs as Chicago prepared to open its season in Tokyo. Okamoto went 2-for-3 against the Cubs, with two RBI and a strikeout.
With the Blue Jays, Okamoto will be out to prove that success can continue in a larger sample.
Jared Verse was scared of both being called for a penalty and what his coach’s reaction would be after flashing the peace sign at the Atlanta Falcons’ bench during his 76-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown Monday night.
The Los Angeles Rams linebacker wasn’t flagged on the play, nor was he chewed out by Sean McVay after the touchdown during their 27-24 loss to the Falcons.
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Verse, the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, was fined by the league, however, with the NFL announcing Saturday it is docking him $11,593 for “unsportsmanlike conduct [taunting].”
The NFL has fined players for using the peace sign before, with the gesture falling under unsportsmanlike conduct.
Clemson’s seven wins this season were its fewest since it went 6-7 in 2010, Dabo Swinney’s second year as full-time head coach. Swinney is hitting the reset button, and he’s reportedly bringing back the offensive coordinator who helped turn the Tigers into an ACC juggernaut.
After moving on from Garrett Riley, Clemson is hiring Chad Morris as its next OC, according to multiplereports. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Saturday that the deal is nearing completion and pending Board of Trustees review on Monday.
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Morris served as the Tigers’ OC and quarterbacks coach from 2011-14. During that span, Clemson rattled off the first four of its 12 consecutive double-digit-win seasons.
Before that stretch, the Tigers hadn’t won more than nine games in a season since 1990. From 2011-13, Morris oversaw a Clemson offense that featured quarterback Tajh Boyd, who’s worked as an offensive assistant on Swinney’s staff since 2021.
Boyd won ACC Player of the Year in 2012. That season, he threw for 3,896 yards and 36 touchdowns, plus he rushed for 514 yards and 10 scores, and the Tigers averaged 41 points per game to the tune of an 11-2 record, punctuated by a Chick-fil-A Bowl win over LSU.
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In 2014, Morris’ final go-around during his first stint as Clemson’s OC, quarterback Deshaun Watson teased his potential. While the Tigers were riddled by injuries that season — Watson notably played on a torn ACL while Clemson snapped a five-game series losing streak to in-state rival South Carolina in the regular-season finale — they still won 10 games, and Watson hinted at what was to come.
Morris left for a head-coaching job at SMU, and the Watson-led Tigers made the national title game the next season. The year after that, they won it all.
As co-offensive coordinators, Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott filled the void left by Morris. Ironically, Elliott eventually became the Virginia head coach and just led the Cavaliers to their first-ever 11-win season with Morris’ son, Chandler, quarterbacking the team.
Between 2015-19, Clemson reached four national title games and emerged as the final team standing in the College Football Playoff twice, first with Watson in 2016 and then with Trevor Lawrence in 2018.
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Since, Clemson has fallen short of the promised land. Morris will be tasked with developing the Tigers’ next quarterback.
They’ve received mixed results at the position over the past five seasons. DJ Uiagalelei had a roller coaster Tigers career before making stops at Oregon State and Florida State. Cade Klubnik piloted Clemson to a pair of ACC championship victories, the second of which vaulted the Tigers into last season’s College Football Playoff. He entered this season with Heisman Trophy expectations and then regressed.
Baylor signing the 21-year-old has not been a popular move, to say the least, and that bore out as the Bears faced TCU on the road in Nnaji’s first game in college. Wearing a No. 50 jersey that didn’t even have his name on it yet, he was greeted with loud boos.
The boos continued every time Nnaji touched the ball, including when the 7-footer scored his first career points on a putback dunk midway through the first half.
Nnaji finished the game with 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting with 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 turnovers in 16 minutes off the bench. Baylor lost 69-63 lowering its record to 10-3.
Nnaji is a Nigerian national who began his organized basketball career in the Hungarian leagues before joining Barcelona in 2020. Since being drafted in the NBA, he has been loaned out twice to teams in Spain and Türkiye, while his NBA rights have been traded to the Charlotte Hornets, then the New York Knicks. He has yet to play in the NBA.
By nearly any definition of the world, Nnaji is a professional basketball player, and yet the NCAA cleared him to play for Baylor. The decision outraged numerous big names in college basketball, both for the line that has been crossed and the confusion about the ever-changing rulebook that let him do it.
“I wish we had rules and they were clarified before the year, but I said the other day, we’ve gone from the NCAA with all these rules … and now we have money involved, we’re a professional league and we have no rules.
“Usually, you get money involved and become professional, you get more rules. And we have no caps, we have no contracts, we have no rules. I’m not complaining, I’m just saying this is what it is. And every school operates on different rules, different interpretations.”
Just weeks after their crushing Game 7 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, it was the Blue Jays who executed the first big move of the offseason by signing right-hander Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million deal, an enormous commitment that still stands as the largest contract given to a free agent this winter. That turned out to be just the start of Toronto’s efforts to strengthen its pitching staff, as two more considerable deals followed in December, with another starter in Cody Ponce (3 years, $30M) and one of the top relievers available in Tyler Rogers (3 years, $37M).
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But for all Toronto accomplished early in the offseason on the mound, monumental questions remained about its plans to fill out its position-player group, particularly in the wake of homegrown star Bo Bichette reaching free agency. Such speculation was driven by not only the question of whether the Blue Jays would retain Bichette but also the franchise’s newfound status as one of the league’s biggest spenders, making the Jays potential suitors for several of the top free-agent bats on the market. That includes the top position player available, outfielder Kyle Tucker, who reportedly paid a visit to Toronto’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida, in early December, and another premium infielder in Alex Bregman, whose decision will massively impact the division rival Red Sox.
Meanwhile, the signing deadlines mandated by the 45-day posting windows for the top Japanese free agents drew closer, offering a deadline to spur action on the free-agent market. As it turned out, the teams involved in the pursuit of these three NPB stars — slugger Munetaka Murakami, right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai and, finally, Okamoto — remained uncertain until the very end of their posting processes. The rebuilding Chicago White Sox stunned first by landing Murakami on a two-year deal. Then the contending Houston Astros swooped in to sign Imai on a similar short-term pact. As Okamoto’s deadline neared, reports consistently identified the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates as most involved in his market, but based on the opaque nature of the previous two postings, it seemed only right that a mystery team would surface at the final hour for Okamoto.
Sure enough, the Blue Jays emerged as that mystery team, securing a fascinating addition that raises further questions about the club’s offseason strategy. At first glance, before contemplating his exact role on the roster, Okamoto is a natural fit for Toronto as an advanced hitter who has paired strong contact skills and power production throughout his illustrious NPB career. He’s the style of slugger that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette have long embodied for Toronto and that helped define the club’s surge to the 2025 division title and a magical run through October. That Toronto, amid its search for offensive reinforcements, would be attracted to Okamoto comes as no surprise.
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But how exactly Okamoto fits on Toronto’s roster is a challenging question to answer, considering how much unfinished business the Blue Jays seem to have this winter, not to mention the position players already on the roster. Team context aside, most talent evaluators consider Okamoto viable at third base, though unlikely to be a plus defender at the hot corner at the major-league level and likely profiling better at first base long term. Okamoto also has some experience in the outfield, having made 68 starts in left over the course of his NPB career.
For the Blue Jays, the obvious place to begin is acknowledging that even if scouts view first base as Okamoto’s ideal spot on the diamond, that will not be an option for him anytime soon; Guerrero’s presence means first base in Toronto is about as spoken for as any single position in the entire league. It’s also worth noting that at-bats might be hard to come by at DH — at least in 2026 — with veteran star George Springer under contract for one more year and Toronto surely preferring to limit his exposure to the outfield as he enters his age 36-season.
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As such, the only logical conclusion at this stage is that Toronto is comfortable with Okamoto at third base, and a realistic path to playing time in the outfield exists as well. For the 2025 Jays, third base was largely occupied by Addison Barger and Ernie Clement, with Clement earning the bulk of the reps in the postseason. Both players shined in October, affirming that they could be core pieces of the Jays’ offense moving forward. Each player has also demonstrated defensive versatility, with Clement capable of bouncing around the infield and Barger’s rocket arm and athleticism proving ultra-valuable in right field.
That flexibility should open the door for Okamoto to be the primary third baseman, with Barger spending more time in right and Clement perhaps moving to second base in the event that Bichette departs (with Andrés Giménez sliding to shortstop). There could also be at-bats available in the outfield for Okamoto, perhaps as a right-handed complement to Nathan Lukes in one of the corner spots. How the switch-hitting Anthony Santander — entering his second year as a Blue Jay after a total failure of an introductory campaign — fits into the equation is another worthwhile question at this juncture, particularly if Toronto pursues another outfield addition such as Tucker.
The addition of Okamoto would seem to take Toronto out of the market for Bregman, but a reunion with Bichette could still be in store, as could an agreement with Tucker, thanks in large part to the versatility of some of the incumbent position players — and as a response to some of those players’ weaknesses. However it shakes out, it’s clear that Toronto valued Okamoto highly enough to bring him into the fold and figure the rest out later. That’s a refreshing strategy in an era when so many risk-averse teams are acting with extreme caution at this time of year.
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And while his fit on the roster remains to be seen, Okamoto joining Toronto is unquestionably an enormous organizational victory for the Blue Jays following their ill-fated pursuits of Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki the past two offseasons. Toronto has not been shy about its intentions to expand its footprint internationally, and adding a player who starred for the Yomiuri Giants, one of the most prominent and historically successful teams in NPB, is a solid step in that direction. While there have been a few Japanese players to appear for the Blue Jays over the years, including affable utilityman Munenori Kawasaki and left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, just once in the franchise’s history has it signed a player directly from NPB: right-handed pitcher Shun Yamaguchi, whose transition to MLB was upended by the pandemic, making his lone season in 2020 particularly challenging.
More broadly, and however Toronto proceeds from here, adding Okamoto is a bold reminder of the Blue Jays’ fresh status as one of baseball’s certified behemoths. Cease’s deal alone makes Toronto the top spender in free agency this winter, but remove his mega-deal completely, and the Blue Jays’ combined commitments to Cease, Rogers and Okamoto ($127M) still place them third in MLB in free-agent spending, behind Baltimore and Philadelphia, the only two other teams to hand out nine-figure contracts this winter.
All together, it’s a remarkable display of aggression and urgency in the wake of the franchise’s devastating near-miss at a championship, and it’s a welcome follow-up in financial investment after the $500 million extension bestowed on the face of the franchise in April.
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A punch line in previous offseasons after coming up short in pursuit of top free agents, the Blue Jays have definitively flipped the narrative. Adjust your expectations accordingly — because Toronto might just have another splash (or two) coming before Opening Day.
A two-pronged Carolina Panthers rushing attack that came into Saturday ranked 11th in the NFL in yards per game was washed away by the Tampa rain during an NFC South showdown that the Buccaneers won 16-14.
Even so, running back Rico Dowdle cashed a $1 million incentive in the third quarter.
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Dowdle, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second straight season last month, needed only 7 total yards versus the Bucs to earn an additional seven figures, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He finished the game with 10 yards on seven carries.
After mustering only 6 yards in the first half, during which he averaged a putrid 1.2 yards per carry, Dowdle finally hit his mark in the second half.
Those elusive 7 yards saw the sixth-year pro amass 1,350 yards from scrimmage this season. He entered the matchup with 277 receiving yards and added 20 on two catches in Saturday evening’s defeat.
In his NFL breakout, he reached the 1,000-yard rushing milestone in his fifth season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and then signed a one-year, $3 million deal with Carolina.
Dowdle was nowhere near those numbers Saturday with the division on the line. His offense was out of sync. The elements didn’t help.
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That was especially true on a head-scratching fourth-quarter play, in which Dowdle slipped on what appeared to be a flea-flicker pitch.
The ball didn’t make it back to quarterback Bryce Young, and Tampa Bay ended up recovering the fumble inside its own 30-yard line with a 16-7 lead in hand.
The Panthers (8-9) now need the Atlanta Falcons to defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in order to qualify for the playoffs.
We’ve made it to Week 18 in the NFL season, which means we’re close to Black Sunday and Monday, the colloquial term for all the head coach firings that inevitably take place once the season ends.
Two head coaches, the Tennessee Titans’ Brian Callahan and the New York Giants’ Brian Daboll, have already lost their jobs. How many more will join them?
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We’re taking the temperature of the coaches on or approaching the hot seat all week.
Here’s the names to know on the NFL’s coaching hot seat as the regular season ends. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
Feeling the most heat
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders
Record with team: 2-14, first season
Why he might get fired: Carroll was supposed to bring stability to the franchise, but it’s been more losing under the 74-year-old former Super Bowl winner. The Raiders haven’t won since Week 6, the offseason trade for Carroll’s preferred QB Geno Smith hasn’t yielded much, the offensive and special teams coordinators were both fired in November, and there was a late-season dispute with Maxx Crosby over the star pass rusher being placed on injured reserve. None of this reflects well on Carroll, who may be in over his head trying to fix a franchise where the rot goes much deeper (and higher). Multiple reports indicate he’ll be one-and-done.
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Why he might be safe: There was a reason Carroll was hired. He is almost 40 games over .500 for his NFL career, and that’s counting this season’s debacle. Also, Mark Davis has paid out a lot of money for failed coaches over the past few years, and maybe he doesn’t want to shell out for Carroll, too. Still, it’s hard to find a great reason to stick with Carroll, given his age and the Raiders’ need for an organization-wide reset.
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Record with team: 46-58 (including playoffs), sixth season
Why he might get fired: The Browns had their fourth losing record in six years under Stefanski, as well as a second straight year picking in the top seven of the draft. The cataclysmic Deshaun Watson trade is partly on Stefanski, who recruited him in the spring of 2022, and for all of Stefanski’s offensive acumen, none of the 13 (!) quarterbacks who’ve started under his watch has proven to be the long-term solution. Reports indicate the Browns are leaning toward moving on, though they’re also leaning toward keeping general manager Andrew Berry.
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Why he might be safe: Stefanski has done quite a bit with limited talent, especially on offense, and team owner Jimmy Haslam might give him a chance to actually develop a highly drafted QB. Stefanski has also been to the playoffs twice and maintains a steady demeanor, win or lose. He has won NFL Coach of the Year twice, and it’s not like this would be an attractive opening for this cycle’s top candidates.
Raheem Morris, Atlanta Falcons
Record with team: 16-18, second season (this stint)
Why he might get fired: Morris hasn’t been flat-out bad. Atlanta finished the season winning four straight, which helps Morris’ case, but the Falcons have regressed overall this season and the operation feels shaky under his watch. While he might end up a fall guy alongside general manager Terry Fontenot, who oversaw an all-in 2025 that included trading away the team’s first-round pick this spring, Morris also hasn’t made a strong case for himself.
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Why he might be safe: As mentioned above, the Falcons’ current mess is more on Fontenot. That doesn’t mean Morris is blameless — the McVay tree magic that Atlanta doubtlessly sought by bringing him in along with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson hasn’t materialized — but it also means team owner Arthur Blank might give him another year.
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals
Record with team: 15-35, third season
Why he might get fired: Gannon was hired in part to toughen up Arizona’s defense, and that hasn’t really happened. This year’s unit is 26th in EPA per play allowed, 27th in success rate allowed, and in general hasn’t taken a step forward despite 17 of Gannon’s 28 draft picks being on that side of the ball, including six of seven last spring. It’s hard to say the Cardinals are demonstrably better than they were when Gannon was hired.
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Why he might be safe: Kyler Murray is the biggest question lingering over the franchise, and Gannon might be winning more with better QB play. Perhaps team owner Michael Bidwill gives him a chance to prove it. He did have the Cardinals on an upward trajectory through his first two seasons. Reports indicate Arizona is leaning toward keeping Gannon.
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Record with team: 35-34 (including playoffs), fourth season
Why he might get fired: The story of the McDaniel era (thus far) is starting with a bang and petering out, both in the micro and macro. He made the playoffs his first two seasons (including a hallowed 70 burger against the Broncos), but lost six of the last seven in 2022 and four of his last six in 2023. Since then, his motion-heavy, speed-oriented offense has been less effective against the league as a whole, and off-field issues (including players reportedly running out defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles last season) suggest McDaniel doesn’t have much command of the locker room.
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Why he might be safe: Tua Tagovailoa’s limitations and concussion concerns have limited the Dolphins, and if they don’t bring him back next season, the salary cap hit would be so big that team owner Stephen Ross might decide it’s worth keeping McDaniel around one more year to get out from under it.
Has the team owner’s backing
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets
Record with team: 3-13, first season
Why he might get fired: The Jets have been largely non-competitive, and that’s not what anyone expected in Glenn’s first season. He earned respect as a Pro Bowl player and the Lions’ defensive coordinator the past few seasons, but the Jets’ defense has regressed, the quarterback play has been bad, and the Jets were big-time sellers at the trade deadline. Justin Fields was benched in November and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was fired in December. There aren’t many more heads to roll here.
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Why he might be safe: At the league meetings in October, team owner Woody Johnson was candid that the Jets’ problems were at QB, not with Glenn. That carries a lot of weight, and Johnson’s stance reportedly hasn’t changed. The Jets also have five first-round draft picks in the next two drafts, and there’s ample opportunity for Glenn to reshape the franchise in his image.
Established guys under pressure
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
Record with team: 193-123 (including playoffs), 18th season
Why he might get fired: The Ravens have been surprisingly mediocre this season, and it can’t all be attributed to Lamar Jackson’s injuries. Their defense has yo-yo’d between outright bad and competent, and some of Harbaugh’s in-game decisions have drawn scrutiny. Harbaugh has failed to get back to the Super Bowl with a two-time MVP quarterback in Jackson, and there’s a general sense that a breath of fresh air at head coach might be good for the Ravens.
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Why he might be safe: Harbaugh has had only two losing seasons, and the stability he brings the organization is valuable. If he’s not back, it won’t be because he became a bad coach overnight.
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Record with team: 200-125-2 (including playoffs), 19th season
Why he might get fired: A few weeks ago, fans were chanting “Fire Tomlin” during a blowout loss to the Bills. Then the Steelers took control over the AFC North and all was forgotten. But a loss to the 4-12 Browns, when Pittsburgh had a shot to clinch the division, forced a winner-take-all game against the Ravens in Week 18. Would a loss in that game, and no playoff berth, restart the talk about the Steelers and Tomlin both needing fresh starts?
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Why he might be safe: Tomlin is a very good coach and to the chagrin of many Steelers fans, has had unending support from ownership. The Steelers value continuity, so they wouldn’t make a rash decision on Tomlin’s future. And it seems even more unlikely they’d make a move if the Steelers win the AFC North in the season finale.
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record with team: 36-36, fourth season (including playoffs)
Why he might get fired: Despite winning Saturday against the Panthers, the Bucs didn’t get the help they needed from the Saints on Sunday and were eliminate from the playoff race. Bowles’ Buccaneers lost seven of eight entering Week 18. The downturn came as they got healthier, which was confusing. There were some bad losses, and for a coach without a great career record, maybe there isn’t a reason to believe things will be decidedly better in 2026.
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Why he might be safe: Bowles was on the verge of his fourth straight division title, albeit in a mediocre NFC South. This is the only season he hasn’t made the postseason in Tampa.
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
Record with team: 57-65-1, seventh season (including playoffs)
Why he might get fired: The Bengals have missed the playoffs three straight seasons in Joe Burrow’s prime. Some of that can be attributed to Burrow’s injuries, but the Bengals’ deficiencies in protecting Burrow have contributed to his injuries. And the team around Burrow, particularly the defense, hasn’t been very good in a few years. Burrow expressed earlier this season that he wasn’t having fun, and while he has not pinned that on Taylor, the Bengals need to figure out what changes need to be made to keep Burrow happy.
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Why he might be safe: One run to the Super Bowl is doing a lot of the heavy lifting on Taylor’s résumé. That came during the 2021 season. That has carried the reputation of the Bengals being annual contenders in the AFC, if Burrow could just stay healthy. Also, this is the Bengals, and they’re not going to want to pay someone who isn’t coaching for them anymore.
The interim head coaches
Mike Kafka, New York Giants (interim)
Record with team: 2-5
Why he might not get the job: It’s hard to point to the Giants’ record after Kafka replaced Brian Daboll and get excited. He has fired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox since taking over, which is the type of chaos that doesn’t look great on an interim coach, either.
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Why he might get the job: Kafka has been mentioned as a future head coaching candidate in previous years, for his work as an offensive coordinator. And while the team’s record hasn’t been good, there have been close losses to good teams in that stretch.
Mike McCoy, Tennessee Titans (interim)
Record with team: 2-9
Why he might not get the job: It was a forced arrangement after the team realized Brian Callahan needed to be fired. McCoy at least had some head-coaching experience. Hiring an interim with only two wins wouldn’t go over well with the fan base.
Why he might get the job: The Titans have played better late in the season, even if it hasn’t resulted in many wins. But it would be stunning if the Titans settled on McCoy after another miserable season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ season rests on whether a 6-10 New Orleans Saints team can get a win on Sunday.
The Buccaneers did this to themselves. They lost control of the NFC South with a defeat last weekend. But all they could control was beating the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, and Tampa Bay responded with just their second win in their last nine games. They beat the Panthers 16-14 on a wet field in a game that wasn’t pretty from either side, but not much from the NFC South has been impressive this season.
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Carolina scored with 2:27 left, but the Panthers had only a few seconds left after the Buccaneers punted, and didn’t get a miracle score to win.
The NFC South champion will be 8-9. If the Atlanta Falcons beat the Saints on Sunday, the Panthers win the division. A tie in the Saints-Falcons games clinches the division title for Tampa Bay.
“I might not even watch, to be honest with you,” Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said postgame about the Falcons-Saints game. “I might just see how it ends up. It’s on us for that being our reality. We had an opportunity to take it. Now we have to leave it in someone else’s hands.”
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The Saints won’t be at full strength. Star receiver Chris Olave was ruled out with a blood clot in his lung. But the Buccaneers can’t complain if the Saints don’t come through for them; they had plenty of chances to win in the second half of the season and put the division away. Now all they can do is wait and hope.
“I never thought I’d see a day where I’m rooting for the Saints,” longtime Bucs linebacker Lavonte David told reporters.
Bucs take lead in rainy first half
The rain was the big story of the first half.
Neither offense operated smoothly in a downpour. The Panthers especially struggled. They ran just 18 plays and had just 79 yards in the first half. But a mistake by Mayfield, which have been plentiful in the second half of the season, kept Carolina in the game. Mayfield never saw Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom in underneath coverage and threw an interception right to him. Rozeboom returned it to the Tampa Bay 19-yard line, and even a struggling Panthers offense could cash in on that. Bryce Young hit Tommy Tremble for an 8-yard touchdown pass, which cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 10-7.
The Buccaneers dominated most of the rest of the half. When the Panthers got into Buccaneers territory just inside of the two-minute warning of the first half, Young threw an interception to Tampa Bay cornerback Jacob Parrish. A nice play by Mayfield to get the ball to Cade Otton for a 22-yard gain set up a field goal just before the end of the half. That gave the Buccaneers a 13-7 halftime lead.
The Buccaneers hadn’t played great but they were much better than the Panthers. But a scant six-point lead at halftime in the unpredictable weather conditions didn’t seem very comfortable.
Panthers can’t generate much offense
It was a game with plenty at stake but it was sloppy on all sides. The officiating wasn’t clean either, with the crew missing some calls and making many other questionable ones.
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There was no scoring in the third quarter as both teams struggled to maintain drives. Finally the Buccaneers got a field goal less than a minute into the fourth quarter to take a 16-7 lead. The Panthers then had their longest drive of the game up to that point, but an inexplicable attempt at a flea flicker ended up in a fumble when Rico Dowdle slipped as he flipped the ball back, and the Buccaneers recovered. That blooper summed up the game, and the NFC South as a whole this season.
The Buccaneers had a field goal blocked after that to keep Carolina’s hopes barely alive. Young hit Tetairoa McMillan for 40 yards on a desperate fourth-down heave to get inside the 10-yard line, and then Jalen Coker made a contested catch touchdown with 2:27 left. The extra point made the score 16-14. The flubbed flea flicker really haunted Carolina at that point. The Buccaneers got a first-down pass from Mayfield to Otton at the two-minute warning to practically seal the win.
It was a showcase for a flawed division. The Buccaneers or Panthers will be just the fifth team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. The last one was the 2022 Buccaneers, who made it at 8-9 in Tom Brady’s final season. The Buccaneers and Panthers have shown repeatedly this season they aren’t playoff-level teams. But someone has to make it from each division. They’ll even get to host a game next weekend.
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On Sunday, we’ll find out which of these teams will make the playoffs. One of them has to make it. Those are the rules.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off the Saturday slate in Week 18.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was a magician in Saturday’s game, escaping the pocket before getting the ball into his receivers’ hands or scrambling on pivotal possessions. Mayfield was 16-22 for 203 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception.
Most of Mayfield’s big-time throws were delivered to tight end Cade Otton. Otton finished with seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, sealing the win after converting a crucial third down late in the fourth quarter. Bucs running back Bucky Irving had 85 yards on 26 carries.
The Panthers’ comeback attempt fell short, despite crucial throws from Bryce Young down the stretch. Young finished 24-35 for 266 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception. His biggest plays came on the final touchdown drive, where he converted on 4th and 8 before throwing a touchdown pass to Jalen Coker.
As he’s been all season, Young’s favorite target was rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan had four catches for 85 yards.
Baker Mayfield’s pass to Cade Otton leads to a first down and runs the clock down to under 30 seconds before they punt. The Bucs lead 16-14 late in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers have 18 seconds left to score.
Tarohn Finley
The Panthers are not out of the game. Bryce Young’s touchdown pass to Jalen Coker cuts the Buccaneers’ lead to two points. The Panthers were put in position to score after Young’s deep pass to Tetairoa McMillan on fourth down.
The Buccaneers lead the Panthers 16-14 late in the fourth quarter.
Tarohn Finley
Tarohn Finley
The Panthers take possession late in the fourth quarter after blocking the Bucs field goal.
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The Bucs get the ball back after a Panthers fumble on a botched flea-flicker. Before the fumble, the Panthers were in scoring position.
The Bucs lead the Panthers 16-7 in the fourth quarter.
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Chase McLaughlin’s third field goal of the day puts the Bucs up by nine in the fourth quarter. The Panthers have gone scoreless so far in the second half.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is 12-17 for 146 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception.
Mayfield’s favorite target has been tight end Cade Otton, who has five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Bucs running back Bucky Irving has 19 carries for 66 yards.
Tarohn Finley
Panthers running back Rico Dowdle is $1 million richer after Week 18’s game against the Buccaneers. Dowdle needed seven yards to collect $1 million. Dowdle has rushed for 10 yards on six carries. He can collect another $250,000 if he scores a touchdown.
The Bucs lead the Panthers 13-7 in the third quarter.
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The Panthers went scoreless in the team’s first possession of the second half after a missed field goal. The Buccaneers take possession close to midfield early in the third quarter.
Tarohn Finley
Tarohn Finley
The Buccaneers got off to a fast start, scoring 10 points on their first two possessions. The Bucs had 40 plays compared to the Panthers’ 18. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is 10-15 for 130 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception.
Mayfield’s favorite target has been tight end Cade Otton, who has four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Emeka Egbuka have combined for two catches for 34 yards, while Bucs running back Bucky Irving has 14 carries for 49 yards.
An interception by Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom shifted the momentum, and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young capitalized by connecting with tight end Tommy Tremble for a touchdown.
Young is 7-11 for 75 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception. Young already has more yards than he had in last week’s 27-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has failed to get going so far. He has 5 carries for 5 yards. Panthers’ Tetairoa McMillan has been the best rookie receiver on the field, leading the team with 25 receiving yards on two catches.
Tarohn Finley
Tarohn Finley
What a play for Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield! Mayfield throws a pass midair to tight end Cade Otton.
Mayfield and Otton connected earlier on a touchdown. Mayfield is 10-15 for 130 yards, 1 touchdown and an interception.
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The Panthers were driving down the field before Bucs cornerback Jacob Parrish stopped Carolina’s momentum with an interception.
Panther quarterback Bryce Young threw a ball that floated in the air long enough to allow Parrish to step in front of wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. That was the rookie cornerback’s second interception of the season.
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The rain slowed down the Bucs’ offense. The drive was almost lost on a muffed punt. Bucs quarterback extended the drive after scrambling for a first down before sliding on the slippery field.
Mayfield followed up his first down by nearly close-lining running back Sean Tucker on a misfired handoff.
On the next play, Mayfield loses grip of the ball when trying to throw. The Bucs punted the ball to the Panthers.
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Panthers finish off Christian Rozeboom’s interception with a touchdown by tight end Tommy Tremble. The Panthers had two quick punts before their scoring possession.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-7 for 46 yards and a touchdown. The Bucs lead the Panthers 10-7 early in the second quarter.
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The Panthers are in the red zone after an interception by linebacker Christian Rozeboom.
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At the end of the first quarter, the Bucs lead the Panthers 10-0. The Panthers had a quick three-and-out in their first drive after a penalty set the team back on offense.
Penalties on defense extended the Bucs’ second drive. The Panthers have three penalties so far for 23 yards.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 3-5 for 27 yards. All three of Panthers running back Rico Dowdle’s carries finished behind the line of scrimmage.
The Bucs have the ball in the second quarter after a quick Carolina possession.
Tarohn Finley
Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin scores a field goal to put the team up by 10 late in the first quarter.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield led the way, going 6-8 for 79 yards and a touchdown. Bucs running back Bucky Irving has six carries for 26 yards.
With the Panthers down nine points in the fourth quarter, they reached the Tampa Bay 20-yard line and had a real chance to cut the deficit to less than a field goal. That’s when head coach Dave Canales, the team’s offensive play-caller, decided to get tricky.
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On 1st-and-10, Carolina attempted a flea-flicker with running back Rico Dowdle. Had it worked, quarterback Bryce Young likely would have had an open man in or near the end zone. It did not work, though, as the rainy conditions made Dowdle slip and fumble while turning around to toss the ball back.
The Buccaneers recovered and proceeded to shave six minutes off the game clock.
The Panthers scored a touchdown on their next drive, set up by a 40-yard pass from Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan that gave Carolina first-and-goal, but the Bucs bled away almost the entire remaining clock on their next drive.
“It was an aggressive call. Knew they were gonna play us in single high right there, and we just — Rico slipped on the exchange and we took a shot right there. I like the call. I like the opportunity that it presented us right there in the red zone to take advantage of it, and we didn’t get that done.”
Some fans had issues with Dave Canales’ decision to call a flea-flicker in the rain on the verge of the red zone in a potentially division-deciding game for the Panthers. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
The Houston Rockets got 64 seconds from Alperen Şengün on Saturday. They can only hope they don’t get even less in their next several games.
The All-Star center exited Saturday’s 110-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks after rolling his right ankle while rebounding, roughly one minute into the first quarter. He soon limped to the bench then left for the locker room.
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The Rockets initially announced him as questionable to return with an ankle sprain, then downgraded him to out.
The Rockets lost the game 114-110, with back-up center Clint Capela posting 8 points on 4-of-8 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.
The injury could interrupt a career year for Şengün. After making his first All-Star Game last year, he entered Saturday averaging career highs in points per game (22.6), while leading the Rockets in rebounds (9.3) and assists (6.7). He is a major reason why Houston is off to a 21-11 start, good for fourth in the Western Conference.
Şengün has a history of injuries with that ankle, as his breakout 2023-24 season ended early due to a grade 3 sprain sustained in March. The Rockets will likely know more about this injury on Sunday, if imaging is needed.
