The NFL is heading to France. The league announced Monday that it will play a regular-season game in Paris, France for the first time ever.
The New Orleans Saints will take part in the contest, though the league did not announce their opponent.
The contest will take place in Stade de France, which has held UEFA, FIFA and rugby matches.
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In addition to that, the NFL also announced it would return to Spain in 2026. The Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders played the first-ever NFL game in Spain in 2025.
The league announced a multi-year partnership with the country, meaning the league will likely play multiple games in Spain over the next couple years.
The 2026 game will be played at Bernabéu Stadium, which hosted the Commanders and Dolphins this season. That contest, which took place in November, went to overtime, with the Dolphins picking up a narrow 16-13 win over the Commanders. The NFL has not announced which teams will take part in the Spain game in 2026.
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With the announcements, the NFL now has eight international games on its schedule for the 2026 season. The league will play one game in Australia, one game in Brazil, one game in Germany, three games in the U.K., one game in France and one game in Spain. The NFL has confirmed the Los Angeles Rams are one of the teams that will play in Australia and the Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the teams playing in London. The league also announced the Saints will be one of the teams playing in Paris. But the NFL has not announced additional teams for its international games next season. The NFL has also not announced dates or times for any international game in 2026.
The league first started playing international games in 2007, when the Dolphins faced the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium in London. Since then, the league has essentially had at least one international game in every season, though no international games took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
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The NFL has made an attempt to expand the countries in which it holds games, with Brazil, Ireland and Spain all being added to the mix since 2024. In 2026, the league will add France to its ever-growing list.
For the so-far brief entirety of 2026, Lakers superstar Luka Dončić had posted the highest score week-to-week … until we reached the end of January. Scoring seems to be on an upswing with a few 80+ point performances this past week. We hadn’t seen that in over a month. We also saw the return of Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, so it’s only a matter of time before he gets his name back in this article. We’ll be waiting patiently for a vintage ceiling triple-double from Joker.
In the meantime, let’s go over the Yahoo High Score perfect lineup from Week 15:
Week 15 High Score Perfect Lineup.
(Taylor Wilhelm)
More on the top performers
Luka Dončić, guard: We were one slate away from Luka topping this lineup for the fourth straight week. Instead, he came up two points short but did manage his highest fantasy point total since Dec. 18. With NHL legend Alex Ovechkin in attendance, Dončić dropped a 37-point triple-double with 11 rebounds, 13 assists and 3 steals in a blowout win over the Wizards in D.C. on Friday. Luka should have another opportunity to make this lineup with the Lakers facing the Nets, Sixers and Warriors in Week 16.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard: Volume scorers like Shai aren’t always the top options for High Score. But when the Thunder guard takes the time to dish it out, he generally reaches a ceiling. SGA combined the two in a win over the Nuggets on Sunday with 34 points and 13 assists, plus 5 rebounds and 3 stocks to get into the No. 2 slot at guard. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 30+ points in six of the past eight games. The reigning MVP and Finals MVP has some work to do to win his second straight scoring title by overtaking the guy above him in this story.
Jarrett Allen, frontcourt: This is the man who dethroned Dončić from another week on top. Allen made easy work of an inexperienced Trail Blazers frontcourt on Sunday, scoring a career-high 40 points with 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 stocks to throw up 85 fantasy points as our highest scorer of the week.
Jalen Johnson, frontcourt: January was a down month for Johnson, at least based on what we had grown accustomed to seeing from the budding star in ATL. His average scoring dropped by nearly 5.0 points from December to January, when he posted 21.3 points per game over 15 games. This is surprising given the Hawks dealt PG Trae Young to the Wizards in early January. But Johnson was able to end the month on a high note with a 33-point triple-double, plus 14+ rebounds in four of the past six games.
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Victor Wembanyama, frontcourt: Injuries have made it a very tough fantasy season for Wemby managers who invested so highly in the phenom. The Spurs’ big missed time earlier in the campaign and was eased back into action. Wembanyama is still on a minutes restriction of sorts, averaging 27.7 minutes per game in the month of January. That has given him a much lower floor while limiting his ceiling, which got all the way up to 80 points at the start of the season. Still, he showed what he can do even in limited minutes, with 28 points, 16 rebounds and 7 stocks in a win over Houston last week.
Alex Sarr, utility: Sarr makes his first appearance in the perfect lineup and has been benefiting (like Johnson) from the Young trade. Not because Young has lifted the Wizards offense up, but because the point guard hasn’t been able to stay on the court. He’s sidelined until after the All-Star break, which has opened up more opportunity for Sarr. The young forward was able to post 8 stocks to go with 29 points and 12 rebounds to get over the 70-point mark last week.
Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna are attacking midfielders in the Bundesliga. Both are 23. Over the years, they have seen their U.S. national team stock rise and fall like a bank of elevators. Both have high World Cup aspirations.
With coach Mauricio Pochettino’s roster decisions less than four months away, Tillman and Reyna find themselves on divergent paths.
Meanwhile, Reyna ended an empty month unavailable for the second consecutive weekend because of muscle issues. Before the injury, he had played just 26 minutes for Mönchengladbach since the Bundesliga returned from winter break.
It’s a critical time for players jockeying for World Cup roster berths. Performances on the club circuit are heightened. Players need to not just solidify playing time but perform well when they are on the field. Pochettino and his staff are watching closely.
There is a good chance both Tillman and Reyna will make the cut this summer. Tillman’s current form demonstrates what he can bring to the national team, while Reyna is coming off a stirring performance in his long-awaited return to the U.S. program in November.
Injuries and limited playing time have slowed Gio Reyna’s momentum at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
(Rene Nijhuis/MB Media via Getty Images)
Pochettino, of course, would prefer to see both hitting their stride before the World Cup. Right now, only Tillman is raising his game.
“He hasn’t had the consistency we would have expected, but he’s a player, without consistent playing time, who came to us in November and performed at a very good level,” Pochettino said of Reyna. “It is a similar situation [now]. We’re taking him into account for the decisions we’ll make in March and then for the World Cup.”
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Over the weekend, Tillman was confident and polished with the ball, scoring in the 33rd minute for his fourth Bundesliga goal and sixth overall.
In his first season at Leverkusen, Tillman was sidelined for weeks in the fall with a hamstring injury — a setback suffered in U.S. camp in October that kept him off the U.S. squad in November. Since returning, he has made 11 starts in all competitions, including Wednesday’s Champions League gem against Villarreal.
“It’s about time I scored more often,” Tillman said.
Conversely, Reyna remains in Mönchengladbach’s shadows. Since the U.S. camp in November, he has started four times and come off the bench four times. Overall, he has made 13 Bundesliga appearances for 399 minutes, with four starts, no goals and no assists.
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Elsewhere in Germany, center back Noahkai Banks returned from a yellow card suspension to make his 14th Bundesliga start in four months, logging 90 minutes in Augsburg’s 2-1 comeback victory over second-to-last St. Pauli. Midfielder James Sands went the distance for St. Pauli, which is winless in six straight.
Wing back Joe Scally (17th start) played 84 minutes in Mönchengladbach’s 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.
Because of a calf injury, forward Damion Downs missed Hamburg’s 2-2 home draw with first-place Bayern Munich.
In the second division, left wing John Tolkin made his 18th start in Holstein Kiel’s 2-1 home loss to last-place Greuther Fürth.
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England
Forward Patrick Agyemang’s terrific first season at Derby County continued with a 66th-minute header during a 5-0 stroll at Bristol City — his third goal in four matches and ninth in the second-tier Championship. He is second on the team in scoring.
Unbeaten in four straight, the seventh-place Rams are two points behind Wrexham for the last promotion playoff berth. It’s been 18 years since they last played in the Premier League.
The top of the English Championship features Americans on clubs heading in opposite directions: Coventry City forward Haji Wright and Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris.
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After squandering a second-half lead, Coventry City fell at Queens Park Rangers 2-1 and dropped level on points with Middlesbrough, which won at struggling Norwich City 1-0. Both remain on pace to earn promotion to the Premier League, though three clubs are within striking distance.
Wright entered in the 71st minute for Coventry, which is 2-4-1 over seven matches. Morris played 90 for Middlesbrough, which has won five straight as it seeks a return to the top flight for the first time since 2017.
Left back Antonee Robinson went 71 minutes in Fulham’s 3-2 loss at Manchester United, a heartbreaker after the eighth-place Cottagers overcame a late two-goal deficit.
Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards (90 minutes in his 20th Premier League start) was part of a 1-1 draw at 10-man Nottingham Forest — a result that stopped a three-game losing streak across all competitions but extended the Eagles’ winless drought to 12. They have not won a league game since Dec. 7 and have tumbled to 15th place.
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Midfielder Brenden Aaronson (71 minutes in his 17th Premier League start) and Leeds were on a 4-1-6 run in all competitions before getting buried at home by front-running Arsenal 4-0.
Italy
Few if any U.S. players have enjoyed a better winter than midfielder Weston McKennie, whose sterling play continued with a goal and unquestionable influence in the playmaker’s role during Juventus’ 4-1 domination at Parma.
McKennie (74 minutes) scored with a sweet side volley in the 33rd minute — his fourth goal in eight matches over all competitions — and sent a header off the crossbar in the second half. Fourth-place Juve, which is 14-2-5 overall since Oct. 29, is within a point of Napoli and two of AC Milan.
Gazzetta dello Sport gave McKennie high marks and said he was “still excellent.”
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After a rare start mid-week in the Champions League, midfielder Yunus Musah remained on the bench for Atalanta’s 0-0 draw at Como — his second consecutive Serie A no-show. He’s made just three league starts all season.
Forward Christian Pulisic and AC Milan had the weekend off ahead of Tuesday’s match at Bologna.
In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann and sixth-place Cesena continued to lose ground in the promotion chase, losing at Avellino 3-1 to extend its rut to 1-4-1.
France
Striker Folarin Balogun’s scoring slump reached five matches — and eight of nine — but he assisted in the 33rd minute of Monaco’s 4-0 romp over Rennes before leaving early in the second half with hamstring tightness.
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Winger Tim Weah went 80 minutes in third-place Olympique Marseille’s 2-2 draw at Paris FC, setting up next Sunday’s showdown at Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain.
With Tanner Tessmann manning central midfield, Olympique Lyonnais won its 10th straight in all competitions, 1-0 over Lille, to pull even on points with Marseille, which is ahead on goal differential.
Defender Mark McKenzie played 90 minutes for the 15th time in his 18 league appearances as Toulouse drew at home with Auxerre 0-0 for its second straight clean sheet.
Spain
Midfielder Johnny Cardoso started for the third consecutive La Liga match as third-place Atletico Madrid played to a 0-0 draw at Levante, increasing its unbeaten run in league play to six (4-0-2).
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Days after his transfer from Orlando City was finalized, right back Alex Freeman was in uniform but didn’t play in Villarreal’s 2-2 draw at Osasuna.
Netherlands
In a battle of the Eredivisie’s top clubs, right back Sergiño Dest played 73 minutes in first-place PSV Eindhoven’s 3-0 rout of second-place Feyenoord, improving to 18-1-2 with a plus-39 goal differential. PSV forward Ricardo Pepi remains out with a fractured forearm.
Scotland
In the Premiership, center back Auston Trusty‘s red-card suspension left him watching Celtic’s 2-0 victory over Falkirk. He has been exceptional of late in the Europa League, scoring in consecutive matches.
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Mexico
In Liga MX, winger Alex Zendejas resumed training this past week but remains absent from Club América’s matchday squad. Between the muscular injury, the club’s early Apertura playoff elimination and the winter break, he has not played since Nov. 29.
They say the NFL Draft starts in Mobile, and so can fantasy football. With the current college landscape and players staying in school longer than ever, the Senior Bowl talent has gotten better with each passing year. Seahawks guard Grey Zabel was the practice MVP last season, Quinyon Mitchell was the star the year before, who shined this past Saturday to raise their NFL Draft stock? Football analyst Joel Smyth breaks down the future fantasy rookies who were Senior Bowl winners.
WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
Projected Draft Round: Second
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Fields will become one of the top drafted WRs this April, an outlook that was cemented after his Senior Bowl week. Following four years at Virginia, Fields transferred to Notre Dame for his final season. His raw production dipped slightly, but Fields played a vital role in the Notre Dame offense, which is more known for its run game.
At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he is a deep-threat playmaker who averaged 17.5 yards per reception last season. Yes, his contested-catch ability is a strength, but unlike many young, big wideouts, he does not rely solely on his size. This practice week gave him a chance to showcase his strong route running skills, reliable hands and the versatility NFL teams look for. I would love to see the Notre Dame WR land in with Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas as his new X receiver, or a team in need such as the Saints or Giants.
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Projected Draft Round: Third
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Nussmeier, the Senior Bowl MVP, passed for 57 yards to go with a rushing touchdown. His interception came on an accurate throw deep over the middle that went through his tight end’s hands. Nussmeier was receiving top-10 NFL Draft hype last summer, which has since cooled off, but he looks like another NFL QB taken out of LSU after this week of practice.
Now back healthy, Nussmeier looked much more like himself after struggling in his final two games of the season. An interesting storyline to watch will be the temptation for New Orleans to take Nussmeier, whose father is the team’s offensive coordinator. The Saints made Doug Nussmeier a first-time offensive coordinator for his former NFL team, which he played QB for in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
Projected Draft Round: Fifth
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Washington’s best season came against the best competition. After pedestrian numbers at Buffalo and New Mexico State, Washington transferred to Arkansas for his fifth year, posting nearly 1,300 yards on great efficiency. In his four matchups versus top-25 opponents, Washington averaged 125 yards per game, leading to his draft stock rising into the better half of Day 3.
NFL offenses have relied on Day 3 RBs to handle bellcow volume, and Washington is even more capable to handle a bigger workload than the average player at 6-foot-2, 223 pounds. In recent history alone, Chase Brown, Bucky Irving and Kyren Williams have gone from Day 3 selections to workhorse backs.
RB Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma
Projected Draft Round: Seventh
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Ott needed a positive Senior Bowl experience more than almost anyone this past week after a senior season that fell short of his production at California Berkeley. Following two incredible campaigns for the running back, Ott was plagued by injuries and moved onto Oklahoma for a new start.
His draft stock heavily slipped until this last week, where Ott looked healthy and produced in key moments. The senior RB’s pass blocking was noted by several scouts, a crucial factor of a rookie running back’s playing time, especially those drafted in later rounds.
WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
Projected Draft Round: Fifth
Coleman played for his third team in as many years in 2025, bringing in 66 receptions for the Missouri Tigers, after catching 74 as a junior at Mississippi State. Although consistency was his strength in 2024, it was the opposite story for the senior WR this past season.
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Coleman had a season low of four receptions in 2024, catching 5+ targets in 11 out of 12 games. However, after another transfer, Coleman failed to have consecutive weeks of 5+ receptions following the first month of the season, including three games under five total receiving yards. The strengths come after the catch and his versatility, as both a playmaker out of the slot and as a long-time punt returner.
WR Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll
Projected Draft Round: Sixth
The Senior Bowl gives opportunities for draft hopefuls to shine, especially for those who may not face quality competition as frequently. Montgomery set a school record with 119 receptions, but the opponents John Carroll faces are usually not stocked with NFL talent.
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Montgomery showed last week in practice that he’s more than a product of his competition. His path is nothing short of absurd. After playing college basketball at LSU, Montgomery eventually shifted to football as a walk-on at Houston. He had never worn shoulder pads, had no high school football experience and is now in line to be drafted into the NFL. The talent is there, and it can be an amazing coaching opportunity for an NFL WR coach.
RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
Projected Draft Round: Seventh
Coming off a National Championship, Black could’ve chosen to stay on the sidelines, and nobody would blame him. Instead, he straps back up and gets right back to work. The former James Madison RB who followed his head coach to Indiana saved his best for last. In IU’s last five games of the season, Black had 60+ rushing yards in every contest, adding five rushing touchdowns. Keep in mind, these were against defenses such as Ohio State, Oregon and Miami as part of a committee backfield.
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He won’t be the dominant bellcow in the league, but that doesn’t mean the Hoosier RB can’t continue to be a significant contributor as a role player. He looked the part one more time in Mobile, including putting his receiving chops on display, and can sneak into being a Day 3 pick this April.
If Matthew Stafford wants to return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, he’ll have a job waiting for him. Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday that he “absolutely” wants Stafford back next season, but will give the quarterback some time to decide if he still wants to play football.
McVay expressed as much Monday, saying he wants Stafford back as long as “that’s something that he wants to do.”
McVay’s comments shouldn’t come as a major surprise considering Stafford’s numbers in 2025. The 37-year-old led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He’s considered the favorite to take home the MVP award once its announced.
But there’s at least some uncertainty over whether Stafford — who is signed with the Rams through the 2026 NFL season — will return for next season. While McVay angrily dismissed the idea immediately following the Ram’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship, the quarterback said he would take some time to think things over.
McVay said Monday the team would “respect [Stafford’s] timetable.” McVay added there was no specific date set for Stafford to make that decision.
The Stafford-McVay pairing has been incredibly successful since the Rams traded for the former Detroit Lions quarterback. Since joining the Rams, Stafford has led the team to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team back in 2021. Stafford has made two Pro Bowls and was selected to the first-team All-Pro team once with the Rams. He’ll likely add an MVP award to his list of accomplishments with the team before long.
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Given his success in the NFL, there’s not much else Stafford needs to accomplish before he calls it a career. He already ranks sixth all time in passing yards and seventh all time in passing touchdowns. Combine that with his Super Bowl win — and probable MVP award — and Stafford has a pretty strong case for the Hall of Fame if he never plays another down in the NFL.
But walking away from the game right now could prove difficult. Stafford just had the best season of his career and was able to take the Rams on a deep playoff run. The temptation to try and win one more ring might prove too strong, especially with Stafford showing little to no signs of decline in 2025.
What separates an Olympic figure skating routine from a glide over the ice? Music, of course. Music is the backbone of every Olympic performance, the foundation of the magnificent choreography of every routine. But suddenly, with just days to go before the start of the Milan Cortina Olympics, music is very much at the center of figure skating’s first controversy of the 2026 Games.
Just days before the Olympics begin, Spain’s Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté announced via Instagram that his short program music, which he’d been skating to for months, cannot be used due to “copyright clearance issues.” It’s a massive blow to Guarino Sabaté’s dreams, given that he’ll apparently need to devise an entirely new routine to a cleared song with just days of preparation. But it also illustrates the fragile, complicated state of music licensing for skating performances.
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“Finding this out last Friday, so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing,” Guarino Sabaté wrote. “Nevertheless, I will face this challenge head-on and do everything I can to make the best of this situation.”
Licensing issues in figure skating are a relatively new phenomenon, because most routines prior to the mid-2010s used instrumental, classical, copyright-free public domain music. In 2014, the International Skating Union (ISU) permitted skaters to use songs with lyrics in their routines as part of an overall move to help skating appeal to a wider audience.
Team USA’s Amber Glenn, for instance, will be skating to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” in her short program, while ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates will perform their rhythm dance routine to a selection of Lenny Kravitz songs. “Quad God” Ilia Malinin has skated to the music of Ed Sheeran, while Maxim Naumov has performed routines using songs from artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Queen. Familiar, relatable music helps audiences connect with skaters on a deeper, more personal level; the ISU’s decision to permit the use of lyrics in songs has paid off in some spectacular, moving routines.
Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate of Spain competes in the Men’s Free Skating during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026. (Photo by Yuan Tian/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But copyrighted music also brings the added burden of public performance legality into play. After the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, American pairs skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier were served with a lawsuit for the alleged unsanctioned use of Heavy Young Heathens’ “House of the Rising Sun” in their routine. The suit, which also named NBC for broadcasting the performance, was settled later that year for an undisclosed amount.
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In response, the skating community has attempted to quell similar issues before they reach the litigation stage. U.S. Figure Skating has worked with the music performance rights organizations ASCAP and BMI to help coaches, choreographers and skaters clear their music for performance.
A 2024 U.S. Figure Skating memo laid out in stark legalese the obligations of performers and their teams to clear music for public performance: “To comply with applicable copyright laws, it is strongly recommended that all music being used for competitions, shows, training, and other background or intermission music being utilized during a U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned or approved event, program, or activity is 100% cleared by BMI, ASCAP, or a combination of the two,” the memo reads. “Further, it is strongly recommended that the coach, choreographer, athlete, and/or parent/guardian only use music for competition that is 100% cleared as described above.”
The result is that while skaters may now use a wide range of songs without fear of triggering a lawsuit, not every song is viable. Alysa Liu, for instance, one of the United States’ medal hopefuls, had begun choreographing a routine to an orchestral cover of a Lady Gaga song she’d found on YouTube — “ a random person on YouTube made it, like, 10 years ago,” she said recently — only to abandon it after learning that the use of the song would be a copyright violation.
“Initially my idea was to have, like, an orchestral version, but, like, they’re only YouTube versions,” Liu said. “We were actually choreographing to the orchestral version. Competition comes around, [and her team said], No, we can’t risk it.”
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Adding to the challenge is the fact that music licensing is incredibly complex, depending on whether the music is being performed in a public space, broadcast or livestreamed, or used as the basis for choreography. All of these elements can require separate licenses, and each one can trigger a lawsuit if the proper rights aren’t obtained.
Katherine Hill, Glenn’s free skate choreographer, notes that rights issues are generally handled “pretty early in the process” after selecting a potential song. “We’re trying our best to make sure that approvals are there,” she told Yahoo Sports. “You want to make sure that boxes are checked. It’s definitely part of the conversation.”
ISU requires skaters to clear their songs through a variety of means, including ClicknClear, a music licensor. This is where Guarino Sabaté’s issue comes into play. “I followed all required procedures and submitted my music through the ISU ClicknClear system back in August, and I competed with this program the entire season,” he wrote.
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“We are not at liberty to discuss specific cases,” ClicknClear CEO Chantal Epp told Yahoo Sports in a statement, “but in general, it is a condition of participation at Olympic events that all athletes obtain the necessary authorizations and consents before using music to accompany their performances.”
The challenge for Guarino Sabaté is that skaters spend months honing and refining their choreography to a specific song. “Figure skating is unique because skaters not only are judged on athletic prowess, they are also judged on the intangibles,” Hill says. “How can I make an audience feel? What do I want them to feel? How can I portray emotion non-verbally, and how can I interpret this music?”
Music remains a key element of any figure skating program, but copyright law could pose an obstacle as tricky as any that a skater faces on the ice.
Giving McVay and Snead new deals was an obvious decision considering their ongoing success and another appearance in the NFC title game. Although they didn’t reach the Super Bowl this year, the Rams had a strong season, winning 12 games and just missing out on playing in Super Bowl LX. Over the past three years, McVay’s team has won at least 10 games each season.
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This duo has built a consistent winner, leading the Rams to two Super Bowls, capturing one, and remaining playoff contenders in the NFC most years since McVay became head coach in 2017. The players and personnel may have changed, but McVay and Snead’s leadership has remained constant.
In McVay’s nine seasons, the Rams have had only one down year, finishing 5-12 in 2022, mainly because quarterback Matthew Stafford missed eight games due to injury. Under McVay, the Rams have achieved double-digit wins in seven seasons and reached the NFC title game three times, including two Super Bowl appearances.
Snead has been closely aligned with McVay, providing the players who have helped shape the franchise. He has been with the team since the St. Louis days, joining in 2012. His influence is evident in the many successful deals he’s made over the years.
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The most notable moves during Snead’s tenure include trading for Matthew Stafford during the 2021 offseason and drafting future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Snead has also made numerous other shrewd moves, like selecting Puka Nacua in the fifth round, but acquiring Stafford and Donald stand out as his top achievements.
Despite playing in what many would call the toughest division in football, the NFC West, McVay and Snead have been able to present a consistent winning team that should be in contention in the conference for many years to come, especially if Stafford returns and continues to play like a Hall of Fame quarterback.
Nothing has changed at the top of the national rankings yet again, but Nebraska’s rise has taken a big hit.
Here’s everything you missed in the 13th week of the regular season, and the latest Associated Press poll.
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What happens now for Nebraska?
Well, the dream run for the Cornhuskers is over.
Nebraska entered last week as one of just three undefeated teams left in the country after a program-best 20 straight wins to open the season. That all came crashing down.
Michigan snuck past Nebraska 75-72 on Tuesday, thanks to a huge layup from Trey McKenney down the stretch that finally allowed the Wolverines to pull away for good. Illinois then pulled away in the second half to grab a 78-69 win in Lincoln on Sunday, avenging an earlier loss at home. That marked Nebraska’s second straight loss.
As a result, the Huskers dropped four spots down to No. 9 in this week’s poll.
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The top four spots in the poll this week were largely unchanged. Arizona held onto No. 1 after reaching 22-0, which made it one of just two undefeated teams left. No. 22 Miami (Ohio) is the other. Michigan jumped UConn into No. 2 after its win over Nebraska, and then Duke held on at No. 4.
Illinois moved up four to No. 5 after its win at Nebraska, which marked its highest ranking since 2020.
While it’d be easy to just write Nebraska off based on the program’s history, we’ll learn a lot about the team over the next two weeks. The Huskers will travel to Rutgers later this week before hosting No. 12 Purdue next week — which marks their last ranked matchup of the season. A win over the Boilermakers is critical to proving they belong in the conversation at the top of the Big Ten race. Fair or not, another quick loss opens the door there immediately with the tournament right around the corner.
Is Kansas back on track?
It might be time to start taking Kansas seriously as a threat to win the Big 12 again.
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The Jayhawks, after a few rough losses earlier this season, rolled past A.J. Dybantsa and BYU on Saturday in what was their fifth straight win. A blowout win over then-No. 2 Iowa State started that win streak, too.
The Jayhawks now sit at 16-5 on the season and moved up three spots to No. 11 in this week’s poll ahead of Monday night’s matchup with No. 13 Texas Tech.
But a lot of Kansas’ success hinges on star Darryn Peterson, who dropped 18 points in 20 minutes against the Cougars before leaving early in the second half due to apparent cramps. That game was just his 11th of the season due to injury.
This final stretch isn’t going to be easy, either. Kansas will have to take on Arizona twice, No. 7 Iowa State again in Ames and No. 8 Houston all before the end of the season next month. If Peterson isn’t available, or simply not at full strength, it may be hard for the Jayhawks to actually ride this momentum they’ve built over the last two weeks.
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But Kansas is back in position. After the start it had, that’s all it could ask for at this point in the season.
When the New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 to win their 11th AFC championship, it guaranteed that Super Bowl LX would feature a previous matchup.
Both NFC finalists, the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, have already lost Super Bowls to the Patriots, with the Rams having lost twice. The Seahawks claimed their fourth NFC title with a 31-27 win over the Rams, setting up the 10th instance of a Super Bowl redux.
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Many of those games are widely considered classics that produced some of the most memorable moments in the game’s history. Let’s take a look at how they unfolded.
Matchups are listed in chronological order of the second meeting.
Steelers vs. Cowboys
First meeting: Super Bowl X, Steelers 21, Cowboys 17
The Cowboys were in their 11th season but had already tasted success with a win in Super Bowl VI and plenty of heartbreak, notably losing the Ice Bowl and Super Bowl V. The Steelers began play in 1933 but had made only three playoff appearances in that span.
The Steelers prevailed, punctuated by a pair of circus catches from Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann — including the iconic “Levitating Leap.” Swann also had an acrobatic toe-tapping sideline grab to set up a Pittsburgh field goal. The Steelers put the game away on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw, launching a dynasty that would culminate in Pittsburgh becoming the “Team of the ‘70s.”
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Second meeting: Super Bowl XIII, Steelers 35, Cowboys 31
Fittingly, two of the winningest teams of the 1970s met for a second time in four years with a championship on the line. This matchup featured more points, but more of the same with the Steelers climbing out from an early deficit and controlling the second half. Perhaps most memorable was a dropped touchdown in the third quarter by Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith, prompting the legendary Verne Lundquist to exclaim on the Dallas radio broadcast: “Bless his heart, he’s got to be the sickest man in America!”
Third meeting: Super Bowl XXX, Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
It took 17 years, but the Cowboys finally got revenge and capped their own dynasty in the Arizona desert. Dallas got out to an 13-0 lead but by the third quarter, the Cowboys saw that advantage whittled down to 20-17 thanks to some daring play-calling from Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher. But when Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell inexplicably threw right into the waiting arms of Cowboys defensive back Larry Brown while driving for the lead, Pittsburgh’s fate was sealed. Dallas turned Brown’s pair of picks into 14 points and he won the game’s MVP award.
There have been plenty of rematches in the Super Bowl, which have led to some of the best games and plays in the history of the league. (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports)
Miami vs. Washington
First meeting: Super Bowl VII, Miami 14, Washington 7
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The Dolphins completed the first 17-0 campaign in NFL history, still the only undefeated single season of the Super Bowl era in a dominant performance. In fact, Miami came within one rather infamous special teams gaffe of producing the only shutout in Super Bowl history.
But it wasn’t to be as a late field-goal attempt from Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian sparked one of the more bizarre sequences you’ll ever see. The kick was blocked and picked up by Yepremian, who then tried to throw a pass but the ball slipped out of his hand before he could propel it forward. Then, further compounding the situation, Yepremian hit the ball vertically similar to a volleyball pass, but that was plucked from the air by Mike Bass and returned 49 yards for Washington’s lone score.
Second meeting: Super Bowl XVII, Washington 27, Miami 17
The Dolphins led 17-10 at halftime and 17-13 with 10:01 remaining in the fourth quarter when veteran fullback John Riggins took a handoff from fellow future Hall of Famer Joe Theismann on a fourth-and-1 from the 43-yard line, immediately shed a tackle and rumbled down the left sideline for what would be the game’s decisive score. Washington shut out Miami in the second half and Riggins earned the game’s MVP award.
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It was also Miami’s final game without a certain cannon-armed, Canton-bound quarterback named Dan Marino on the roster, as it selected the University of Pittsburgh signal-caller later that spring.
49ers vs. Bengals
First meeting: Super Bowl XVI, 49ers 26, Bengals 21
The 49ers and their coach arrived in Detroit (er, Pontiac) Michigan, with a lot to prove. The franchise had gone just 3-5 in the postseason in 34 years in operation and Bill Walsh was looking to vindicate himself after being passed over for the Bengals’ head coaching job several years earlier. Both succeeded and launched a dynasty in the process.
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The most memorable sequence came in the third quarter with the Bengals on the 1-yard line looking to cut the deficit to 20-14. The 49ers’ defense held, punctuated by linebacker Dan Bunz’s outstanding open-field tackle that is part of so many Super Bowl highlight reels.
Dan Bunz, making the tackle, and the 49ers held on a memorable goal-line stand in Super Bowl XVI. (Photo by Tony Triolo /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
(Tony Triolo via Getty Images)
Second meeting: Super Bowl XXIII, 49ers 20, Bengals 16
A three-quarter slog turned into a fourth-quarter classic. Cincinnati’s Stanford Jennings ran back a kickoff 93 yards to break a 6-6 stalemate with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The 49ers quickly answered with a Joe Montana-to-Jerry Rice 14-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes later. After Jim Breech added a field goal with 3:20 remaining in the game to put the Bengals up 16-13, the 49ers were set up on their own 8-yard line. Montana engineered a 92-yard drive in under three minutes and hit John Taylor in the back of the end zone with 34 seconds remaining — with game MVP Rice serving as a decoy on the play — for the winning score.
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The game marked the end of Bill Walsh’s Hall of Fame coaching career as he retired days later.
Cowboys vs. Bills
First meeting: Super Bowl XXVII, Cowboys 52, Bills 17
It’s easy to forget that the Bills actually held a 7-0 lead in this game late in the first quarter. Then, right after Jay Novacek tied the game on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman, the floodgates broke. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Charles Haley sacked Jim Kelly, who lost the ball. Jimmie Jones scooped up the fumble and returned it 2 yards for the go-ahead score. By halftime it was 28-10 following a pair of Michael Irvin touchdown catches and the rout was on.
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Despite the resounding victory, the searing memory of many (non-Cowboys) fans was Bills wide receiver Don Beebe chasing down Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett, who was on the verge of scoring a 49-yard fumble return touchdown. But on the doorstep of the end zone, Lett inexplicably held the ball out allowing Beebe to bat it out of his hand for a touchback. The score would have set a Super Bowl record for points that would still stand today if completed.
Troy Aikman (8) and the Cowboys beat the Bills two straight years in the Super Bowl, the only consecutive rematches in the game’s history. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
(Focus On Sport via Getty Images)
Second meeting: Super Bowl XXVIII, Cowboys 30, Bills 13
The only consecutive Super Bowl rematch saw the Bills — playing in their fourth straight Super Bowl — take a 13-6 lead into halftime. But defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt’s elite defense littered with talent like Charles Haley and Ken Norton Jr. shut out the Bills in the second half to send Buffalo home empty-handed yet again.
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Patriots vs. Giants
First meeting: Super Bowl XLII, Giants 17, Patriots 14
Randy Moss’s arrival in New England in 2007 resulted in Tom Brady’s first MVP award, a perfect regular season and the first 18-0 record in league history. But the NFL’s second undefeated season of the Super Bowl era was not to be.
You know where we’re going with this.
Down 14-10 with 1:15 remaining and facing third-and 5 from his own 44-yard line, Eli Manning dropped back and quickly found himself in the grasp of both Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green. Referee Mike Carey crucially let it play out as Manning escaped and heaved the ball downfield in the direction of wide receiver David Tyree, who was well-covered by Rodney Harrison. Tyree — who had caught a 5-yard touchdown earlier in the quarter — leapt and pinned the ball to his helmet with one hand and came down with the catch.
Somehow, some way, David Tyree caught it. (Photo by Karl Mondon/MCT/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
(MCT via Getty Images)
Moments later Plaxico Burress caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Manning for the go-ahead score that denied the Patriots immortality.
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Second meeting: Super Bowl XLVI, Giants 21, Patriots 17
A game that unfolded like a three-act play saw the Giants get out to a 9-0 lead only for the Patriots to score 17 unanswered points for an eight-point lead midway through the third quarter. But coordinator Perry Fewell’s defense held the rest of the way. Lawrence Tynes hit a pair of midrange field goals late in the third quarter to keep the Giants within striking distance.
Down 17-15 with 3:46 remaining, Manning guided an 88-yard drive capped by a 6-yard Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown run with just under a minute remaining to claim a second Super Bowl victory against the dynastic Pats.
Patriots vs. Eagles
First meeting: Super Bowl XXXIX, Patriots 24, Eagles 21
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After three straight NFC championship defeats, Philly finally made it back to the Super Bowl. But the Eagles ran into the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick buzzsaw.
The Eagles, like many, didn’t see Deion Branch coming. The Patriots’ third receiving option caught 11 passes for 133 yards in crucial drives during a back-and-forth affair in Jacksonville. Whether Donovan McNabb, um, regurgitated in a late-game huddle, as is lore, is irrelevant. The Eagles’ comeback fizzled, despite a late Greg Lewis touchdown reception, and the Patriots claimed their third Lombardi Trophy.
Second meeting: Super Bowl LII, Eagles 41, Patriots 33
“You want Philly, Philly?”
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Just before halftime, Nick Foles asked that question of head coach Doug Pederson and added to Super Bowl lore. On the ensuing play, Foles caught the trick-play pass from tight end Trey Burton — one he’d actually caught in high school in Texas.
Nick Foles’ trick-play receiving touchdown was a defining play of one of the NFL’s greatest games. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham’s strip-sack of Tom Brady with 2:16 to go just may have saved the day for the Eagles, who almost literally could not stop Brady and the Patriots’ offense.
In one of the most explosive offensive performances in Super Bowl and league history overall, Foles won the MVP despite Tom Brady passing for 505 yards in defeat. The game featured the most combined yards of any game NFL game ever with 1,151 as well as the fewest combined punts (just one, from Philadelphia’s Donnie Jones). The Patriots’ 33 points were the most by a Super Bowl-losing team.
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Patriots vs. Rams
First meeting: Super Bowl XXXVI, Patriots 20, Rams 17
The most improbable Super Bowl result ever — the Rams entered as 14-point favorites — launched yet another dynasty. We don’t have to tell you, but this Tom Brady guy was kinda good. So was Adam Vinatieri. The all-conquering, nearly unstoppable Rams “Greatest Show on Turf” offense ran smack into Bill Belichick and Romeo Crennel.
The Rams were grounded by the likes of Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi and current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. And, as is lionized by NFL Films, Vinatieri kicked a walk-off 48-yard field goal — two weeks after his winning kick vs. the Raiders in the divisional-round “Tuck Rule Game” — to win it all.
Adam Vinatieri’s walk-off field goal to end Super Bowl XXXVI kicked the Patriots into a dynasty. (Photo by John Biever /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
(John Biever via Getty Images)
Second meeting: Super Bowl LIII, Patriots 13, Rams 3
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One of the less-eventful Super Bowls (note the score) was punctuated by a Sony Michel touchdown run with seven minutes to go.
Most notably, it was the last Super Bowl victory for the Belichick-Brady union, which had enjoyed, mostly, a two-decade dynasty.
Chiefs vs. 49ers
First meeting: Super Bowl LIV, Chiefs 31, 49ers 20
The 49ers really thought they had their league-tying sixth title. And they should have. But then, as he would continue to for years to come, Patrick Mahomes happened.
The Niners led 20-10 late in the third quarter. In football that’s an eternity, and the Chiefs proved it en route to their first title in 50 years (another comparative eternity) by scoring 21 unanswered points to shock San Francisco.
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Second meeting: Super Bowl LVIII, Chiefs 25, 49ers 22
This Mahomes guy is pretty good. Jake Moody booted a 53-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 19-16 with just 1:53 to play. But Mahomes, as he so many times in the postseason, guided a drive to set up a Harrison Butker tying field goal as regulation time expired. Then, after Moody hit a go-ahead field goal with 7:22 to go in overtime, the Chiefs reached the 49ers’ 3-yard line with time dwindling down. Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for a touchdown pass, Hardman’s lone score of the season, with three seconds remaining to again dash San Francisco’s hopes of a sixth Lombardi trophy.
Chiefs vs. Eagles
First meeting: Super Bowl LVII, Chiefs 38, Eagles 35
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After the Eagles tied the game at 35-35 on a Jalen Hurts sneak and a 2-point conversion with 5:15 to play, Mahomes engineered another masterpiece. The Chiefs mounted an 11-play drive that took all but 11 seconds off the clock, with the key play coming on a Mahomes 26-yard scramble that set them up on the Eagles’ 15-yard line. Many in Philadelphia will remember a defensive hold on James Bradberry a few plays later, but Kansas City was already on the doorstep.
Second meeting: Super Bowl LIX, Eagles 40, Chiefs 22
Perhaps still smarting from their defeat two years prior, the Eagles left no doubt this time around and denied the Chiefs what would have been a historic Super Bowl three-peat. Philadelphia held Mahomes and Co. scoreless for nearly three quarters. It wasn’t until Xavier Worthy’s 24-yard touchdown catch with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter that the Chiefs got on the board. By then it was 34-7, with MVP Hurts having accounted for all three of the Eagles’ offensive touchdowns (one rushing, two passing) and birthday boy Cooper DeJean returning a wayward Mahomes pass 38 yards for a pick 6.
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Patriots vs. Seahawks
First meeting: Super Bowl XLIX, Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
In perhaps the most-scrutinized Super Bowl coaching decision of all time, Pete Carroll and Darrell Bevel threw a slant from the 1-yard line rather than hand the ball off to Marshawn Lynch again.
After the Patriots took a 28-24 lead just before the two-minute warning, Russell Wilson drove the Seahawks 79 yards thanks in large part to a 31-yard pass to Lynch and a 33-yard circus grab by Jermaine Kearse that set them up at the Patriots’ 5-yard line. Following a 4-yard Lynch rumble, Malcolm Butler made an incredible break on a Wilson pass intended for Ricardo Lockette and made the game-saving interception with 20 seconds left.
Legendary commentator Derek Rae joins Christian and Alexis for a wide-ranging conversation on soccer, culture, and storytelling. From his upbringing in Scotland to his deep connection with German football, Derek explains how his love for languages and history shaped his broadcasting career—and why getting players’ names right is about far more than phonetics. He shares a powerful story about the real impact correct pronunciation can have on players and their families.
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Derek also takes listeners behind the scenes of how he became the voice of EA FC, revealing what the audition process was like, how the opportunity came together, and what it means to be recognized worldwide through a video game. Along the way, he reflects on the evolution of soccer media, iconic broadcasting moments, and the responsibility that comes with being a trusted voice of the sport.
Finally, the conversation dives into the global game itself. Derek breaks down the cultural differences between MLS and European leagues, explains why Germany has become such fertile ground for American players, and offers thoughtful insight into the unique identity of soccer fandom in the United States. It’s a smart, funny, and deeply human conversation with one of the most respected voices in the game.
Timestamps:
(2:00) – Why pronouncing player names correctly is important to Derek Rae
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(10:45) – Derek Rae’s soccer origin story
(15:00) – How Europeans currently perceive MLS
(23:45) – Is Germany the best place for Americans to develop?
(35:00) – Is 2026 the year where the US becomes a real soccer country?
