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Good Morning,
No amount of snow could stop Bills Mafia from a playoff party against Pittsburgh, and the Bucs put the exclamation point on an epic Eagles’ collapse. The NFL Playoffs are down to eight as the stage is set for a week full of storylines. Super Bowl LVIII is just 26 days away.
Letter Rip! |
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The Playoff Pick 'Em Leaders | Congrats to the top-20 in this week's NFL Playoff Pick ‘Em! No one hit 6/6 correct picks in Wild Card Weekend. Players who hit 5/6 are moving on, and 14 of 26 players who correctly picked 4/6 games are advancing due to tiebreaker scenarios. These 20 are still playing into next weekend (detailed email invite coming soon). 6 Wild Card Leaders (5/6 Picks)
Kaleb Owens, Sheri Flay, Stein Rafto, Melvin Graham, Binyamin Kloor, Melissa Cutler
14 Also Advancing (4/6 Picks) Greg Donahue, Randy Tobe, John Ginter, Chris Hutson, Jason Wall, Cedric Rawls, Elwood Colson, Victor Matoush, Chad Neumann, Jerry Jensen, Terrance Walker, Rick Hanson, Colin Ahrens, Lacey Boven |
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Bills & Bucs Surge in Wild Cards |
Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images |
Josh Allen (Bills) & Baker Mayfield (Bucs) Exert Dominance Over Steelers & Eagles (Respectively) to Round Out Wild Card Weekend
The last two Wild Card games were nothing but momentum-makers for the home squads on Monday. After significant snow postponed the Bills-Steelers clash, Buffalo was ready to roll, and they did. In the nightcap, the Bucs and Baker Mayfield flexed on the wounded Eagles to put Philly out of their misery. Both victories weren’t just wins, but huge confidence-boosters as the playoffs go deeper. By the end of the Wild Card round, the Green Bay Packers were the only road team to pull off an upset. Eight teams remain. But first, let’s revisit last night’s beatdowns.
AFC: Bills Beat Up Steelers (31-17)
All Bills, all night! The snowstorm in Buffalo made for an iconic scene on Monday night at Highmark Stadium. As fans trudged through piles of snow to find their seats, the Bills made sure they got their money’s worth. Buffalo jumped out to a 21-0 lead on the Steelers in the first half thanks to a crucial interception in the end zone and a 52-yard touchdown scamper from QB Josh Allen. Allen was a force, accounting for all four of Buffalo’s TDs (21/30, 277 yards, 4 TDs). Pittsburgh eventually woke up and put points on the board to keep the score from getting out of hand. They even pulled with seven (24-17) with just over 10 minutes to play, but the Bills answered with a 7-play, 70-yard TD drive to ice it. It’s Bills-Chiefs next Sunday for a thrilling rematch and a crack at the AFC Championship Game.
NFC: Bucs Banish Wounded Eagles (32-9)
Baker Mayfield, take a bow! Just one year after Tom Brady’s retirement, the Bucs and Baker have found their rhythm. The once-soaring Eagles limped into Tampa Bay last night without WR A.J. Brown and the weight of five losses in six games, and it got worse. Philly hung around in a 16-9 game into the third quarter, but the wheels came off down the stretch. Mayfield was a star as he carved up the Philly defense (22/36, 337 yards, 3 TDs). Those numbers included at least five dropped passes to open receivers. Tampa Bay sacked Jalen Hurts for a safety (18-9) and notched consecutive touchdown drives (32-9) in the final 17 minutes of the game. Remember, the Eagles were once 10-1 and atop the NFL. Now, they're going home. It’s Baker's Bucs heading to Detroit next weekend for a showdown with the Lions.
Divisional Round (Schedule) AFC: Texans at Ravens (Sat. 4:30 pm ET, ESPN)
NFC: Packers at 49ers (Sat. 8:15 pm ET, FOX) NFC: Buccaneers at Lions (Sun. 3:00 pm ET, NBC) AFC: Chiefs at Bills (Sun. 6:30 pm ET, CBS)
Read More ESPN: Watch: Bills & Steelers Fans Dig Through Snow to Find Seats B/R: Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Leaves Presser When Asked About Future
Yahoo! Sports: 10-1 to 1-And-Done: Eagles’ Unbelievable Collapse is Complete
CBS Sports: Look Ahead to NFL Divisional Round, 2024 NFL Playoff Bracket |
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The Biggest Stars of MLK Day |
Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images |
The Best Performances of Monday’s NBA Slate Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Monday marked one of the NBA’s cherished traditions with 22 teams in action for MLK Day games throughout the afternoon and evening. Players across the league wore warm-up shirts and other gear with MLK quotes, and tribute videos to honor Martin Luther King were held throughout the league. Other sports found their own ways to honor MLK, but the holiday is an extra special occasion in the NBA.
On the court: Warriors’ forward Draymond Green made his return after a 16-game suspension, but a few other players had days to remember.
Joel Embiid (41 Points, 10 Rebounds)
Joel Embiid is making his case for MVP once again. Embiid (41 points, 10 rebounds) logged his 17th straight 30-point game in another double-double as the 76ers beat the Rockets (124-115). He has Philadelphia currently 3rd in the East race.
Kyrie Irving (42 Points) & Tim Hardaway (41 Points)
Kyrie Irving continues to carry the Mavericks in the absence of Luka Doncic, but he had some help from Tim Hardaway Jr. on Monday. The Mavs held off the Pelicans (125-120) with a 4th-quarter spurt, and Irving was clutch when it mattered. The duo of Irving (42) and Hardaway Jr. (41) combined for 83 points.
Trae Young (36 Points, 13 Assists, 6 Rebounds)
Atlanta hasn’t played great as of late, and Trae Young had been in a bit of a slump, but he caught fire on Monday in a showdown with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. Young tallied 36 points with six 3s in a torching performance. It was his highest-scoring outing in 2024. |
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Osaka's Grand Slam Return | Photo: Shi Tang / Getty Images |
Naomi Osaka Impresses But Falls to #16 Caroline Garcia (6-4, 7-6) in First Slam Action Since ’22 U.S. Open
To give a negative report on Naomi Osaka’s opening-round loss at the Australian Open would be a disservice. The once-dominant star made her return to grand slam action on Monday nearly a year and a half after taking a break from tennis. She looked impressive at times, but ultimately fell to a worthy opponent, Caroline Garcia, in straight sets.
Osaka's Road Back: It’s been a question-filled 18-month hiatus for Osaka ever since the 2022 U.S. Open. She’s a two-time winner of the Australian Open, but she stepped away from the sport for mental health reasons, and, eventually, to start her family. Osaka gave birth last July, which makes her January 2024 return nothing short of extraordinary. There’s no loser here, just another step in the process. She was once seen as "next" after Serena Williams approached the end of her career. Osaka captured four slams before the age of 24. Win or lose in the remaining slams this calendar year, we’re just happy to see her swinging once again. Round 2 action in Melbourne starts today.
Women’s Singles (1st-Round Highlights)
#1 I. Swiatek def. S. Kenin (7-6, 6-2)
#6 O. Jabeur def. Y. Starodubtsewa (6-3, 6-1)
#16 C. Garcia def. N. Osaka (6-4, 7-6) Men’s Singles (1st-Round Highlights) #9 H. Hurkacz def. O. Jasika (Straight Sets)
#11 C. Ruud def. A. Ramos-Vinolas (Straight Sets)
#27 F. Auger-Aliassime def. D. Thiem (5 Sets)
Upcoming Australian Open Schedule *2nd-Round Action Starts This Morning
Read More
ESPN: Naomi Osaka Eyes Quick Return to Play After Early Australian Open Exit Guardian: Andy Murray Crashes Out of Australian Open 1st Round in Straight Sets |
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UConn Ascends to #1 for 1st Time Since 2009 in Week of Top-10 Shakeups
Both NCAA basketball polls had been locked tight for much of the holiday break, but things changed on Monday. Just three teams (out of 20) in both the men’s and women’s top-10 stayed in the same ranking after major top-10 losses in both sports. The UConn men’s team holds the No. 1 spot for the first time in 14 years (2009), but South Carolina's (women) undefeated season continues.
Men’s AP Top-10 1. UConn (15-2) | ↑3 2. Purdue (15-2) | ↓1 3. Kansas (14-2) | — 4. North Carolina (13-3) | ↑3 5. Houston (14-2) | ↓3 6. Tennessee (12-4) | ↓1
7. Duke (13-3) | ↑4 8. Kentucky (12-3) | ↓2 9. Baylor (14-2) | ↑5 10. Memphis (15-2) | ↑3
Full Men’s AP Top-25 Women’s AP Top-10 1. South Carolina (15-0) | — 2. Iowa (17-1) | ↑1 3. Colorado (15-1) | ↑2 4. NC State (15-1) | ↑2
5. UCLA (14-1) | ↓3 6. USC (13-1) | ↑3 7. Kansas State (17-1) | ↑5 8. Stanford (15-2) | —
9. UConn (14-3) | ↑4 10. LSU (16-2) | ↓3
Full Women’s AP Top-25 |
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🏈 Michigan’s Championship Parade
One week after Michigan won its first CFB championship in 26 years, it was time for a parade. Temperatures were well below freezing on Monday in Ann Arbor, but that didn’t stop the Michigan faithful from celebrating the triumph. (FOX Sports)
📺 NBC’s Peacock Victory Lap
After holding NFL fans hostage, Peacock set the record for the most-streamed sports event with 23 million paying to watch Chiefs-Dolphins on Saturday night. NBC bragged about it, and fans didn’t want to hear it. (Sports Illustrated)
🏀 NBA Trade Deadline Buzz
The 2024 NBA trade deadline is fast approaching (Feb. 8). Which moves will impact the landscape of the NBA heading into the 2024 playoffs? And what deals will affect teams looking to rebuild ahead of the draft in July? (ESPN) |
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🎾 Australian Open Full Upcoming Match Schedule 🏀 NBA Nuggets at 76ers (7:30 pm ET, TNT) Kings at Suns (9:00 pm ET, League Pass) Thunder at Clippers (10:00 pm ET, TNT) 🏒 NHL Kraken at Rangers (7:00 pm ET, ESPN+)
Maple Leafs at Oilers (9:00 pm ET, ESPN+) 🏀 NCAA
M: #2 Purdue at Indiana (7:00 pm ET, Peacock) M: Florida at #6 Tennessee (7:00 pm ET, ESPN) M: #3 Kansas at Oklahoma State (9:00 pm ET, ESPN)
W: Wisconsin at #2 Iowa (9:00 pm ET, Peacock) |
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