The Buffalo Bills returned the opening kick-off against the New England Patriots for a touchdown in their first play since Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest.

Nyheim Hines 96-yard kick return came in an emotionally charged game in Buffalo, with Hamlin taking to social media to confirm he was watching on ahead of the game.

Hamlin has shown improvement across the week, though he remains in critical condition, ahead of the Bills' final regular season game on Sunday.

Ahead of kick-off at Highmark Stadium, the 24-year-old took to social media to wish the best of luck to his team-mates as they prepared for their last game before the playoffs.

"Game day," he tweeted. "Nothing I want more than to be running out [of] that tunnel with my brothers.

"God [is] using me in a different way today. Tell someone you love them today! Let's go."

Players warmed up in shirts sporting Hamlin's number three ahead of kick-off, with tributes on and off the field from players and supporters wishing messages of good luck to the safety.

Sean Payton confirmed he has had a conversation with the Denver Broncos about their vacant head coach position.

Payton left his role with the New Orleans Saints at the end of last season, having compiled a record of 152-89 during his 15 seasons in charge, which saw him lead them to a first Super Bowl title in franchise history in the 2009 campaign.

His departure was quickly viewed as the start of a sabbatical rather than a retirement, with Payton regarded as a top head coaching candidate this offseason.

It was reported the Broncos, who fired Nathaniel Hackett following their Christmas Day defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, had asked the Saints, who still retain the rights to Payton's contract, for permission to speak with him.

Asked about his contract status as part of his role as a studio analyst for FOX Sports, Payton said: "I have two years left on a contract with New Orleans, so 23 [this upcoming year] and 24, so because of that, any team that would want to enquire and speak with me, they can do so, they just need permission from the Saints.

"Down the road, if that's something that materialises into anything else, then there would be compensation required, much like a player trade.

"Denver's the first team. I was able to have a conversation with their owner, and that's kind of protocol.

"The interview process can't officially begin until the 17th of this month, so that's really where it's at."

The Broncos are in a difficult position, having traded two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant to acquire nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, who has subsequently endured the worst season of his career.

Pressed on whether the quarterback is the most important thing with any potential new team, Payton replied: "It's really about the triangular relationship. Ownership, front office, head coach.

"When we went to New Orleans, the quarterback was unsettled at that time. I think ownership and the functionality of the front office is most important."

Tyson Fury's camp have sent a draft contract to Oleksandr Usyk and his team to sign, with co-promoter Frank Warren reaffirming plans for a March bout.

The Briton and the Ukrainian look set to hold an undisputed world heavyweight title fight in two months, with apparent progress between both parties on an agreement.

Usyk defended his WBA-Super heavyweight, IBF, and WBO belts against Anthony Joshua in August last year, while Fury completed a trilogy bout with Derek Chisora in December.

Now, Warren reveals the papers are in the hands of Usyk and his entourage, with the promoter hopeful a deal can be struck soon.

"We've sent them a draft contract, that's where we're at," he told talkSPORT Fight Night. "It's got to be sorted out very quickly because time is against us."

No location has been agreed on yet for any fight, with Fury able to command huge audiences in his native United Kingdom and Usyk having enjoyed a major Saudi Arabia payday.

Warren stressed no call had been made, simply adding: "[It will be] wherever the most money comes from.

"Nothing is in place from anywhere outside the UK. We know what it can generate in the UK, but if it goes elsewhere, then that depends on what the numbers are.

"I know a lot of people complain about it, and I agree it should be at Wembley. I'd love to see it there.

"But Muhammad Ali and George Foreman went and fought in Zaire, then you had the Thrilla in Manila, you had the big fights in Jamaica.

"They went where the money was, and these guys will do the same thing."

LeBron James has expressed his frustration at the lack of trade movement for the Los Angeles Lakers following the 136-134 victory against the Sacramento Kings.

A fifth consecutive win saw the Lakers improve to 19-21, a game back of the 10th seed Utah Jazz, who occupy what would be the final place in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

That is still well below the expectations that surround James and the Lakers franchise, and their inactivity in the market has raised eyebrows, as has the apparent reluctance to trade the 2027 and 2029 first-round picks that some feel can be used to improve the roster.

With the February 9 trade deadline on the horizon, James made it clear his patience on the matter is waning, telling the Athletic: "I play the game. I worry about who's in the locker room. I can't do nobody else's job.

"Listen, you guys know. It's not rocket science. I'm doing what's best for my guys in the locker room. That's all I can worry about.

"Y'all know what the f*** should be happening. I don't need to talk."

The Lakers were reportedly considering trading Russell Westbrook and both first-rounders to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield but elected to wait for a deal that would have a greater impact upon the team.

Despite the loss of key players and poor early-season form, the Lakers sit just two wins off sixth place and are 7.5 games adrift of Western Conference leaders the Denver Nuggets.

Mikaela Shiffrin equalled Lindsey Vonn's record for the most Alpine Skiing World Cup victories by a woman with her win in Kranjska Gora on Sunday.

The American moved level with her compatriot by prevailing in the giant slalom in northwestern Slovenia, winning by a margin of 0.77 seconds.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Shiffrin, who has won four overall World Cup titles, is now just four wins shy of the overall wins record held by Ingemar Stenmark.

Shiffrin led by 0.24 seconds after the first run and stretched her advantage on the second, finishing ahead of Federica Brignone in second and Lara Gut-Behrami in third.

"I was so nervous this run, I have a rash on my face because I was so nervous," said Shiffrin.

"Maybe it was because of the 82, I don't know, I just really wanted to ski it well and I did. I can't believe it.

"It was a fight. But it was pretty amazing conditions and I got a report from the coaches and they were like, 'It's really attackable, so just go for it.

"I've been in this position before and I've given it away and today I wanted to fight for it.''

Shiffrin's 82 wins have come in 233 races compared to 395 for Vonn.

The 27-year-old, who debuted in the World Cup at the age of 15, will get the chance to break the record in Tuesday's slalom under the lights in Flachau, Austria.

Shiffrin heads into that race with a 419-point lead in the overall World Cup standings.

A six-time gold medallist at the Alpine World Ski Championships, Shiffrin will look to add to that tally next month in France. Two golds would give her the second-most all-time for men and women behind only Christl Cranz. She has 11 medals overall, four short of Cranz's record tally of 15.

The Buffalo Bills have guaranteed Damar Hamlin's full contract after he was placed on injured reserve, reports state.

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest in the Week 17 clash against the Cincinnati Bengals, which will not resume, and was administered CPR on the field before being rushed to hospital.

In an update on Saturday, the Bills stated Hamlin had excellent neurological function but remains in critical condition, while the player himself took to social media to express his gratitude for the support he has been given.

With Hamlin being placed on injured reserve, his split rate was due to fall from $825,000 to $455,000 but the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has stated the Bills have ensured he will receive the full amount, despite not being on the active roster.

The Bills have reportedly worked out an agreement with the NFL and the NFLPA in order to be able to do so.

On Sunday, the Bills' final regular season game against the New England Patriots will include a special acknowledgement for the medical staff pregame and '3' hats on the sidelines.

Hamlin, who remains at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, will watch the game from his hospital bed.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has hit out at "adverse reaction" to the announcement that Andretti and General Motors are joining forces in a bid to enter Formula One.

Andretti, partnering with GM's Cadillac brand, announced their desire to become the 11th team on the grid on Friday.

There are hurdles to overcome, however, the biggest being a reported $200million fee that would be split among existing teams as consolation for the reduced amount they would receive in shared revenue.

Any addition would not occur to 2026 at the earliest, a year where Audi will make their bow having completed a takeover of Alfa Romeo/Sauber, but Ben Sulayem has noted some of the negative responses.

"It is surprising that there has been some adverse reaction to the Cadillac and Andretti news," he posted on Twitter.

"The FIA has accepted the entries of smaller, successful organisations in recent years. We should be encouraging prospective F1 entries from global manufacturers like GM and thoroughbred racers like Andretti and others.

"Interest from teams in growth markets adds diversity and broadens F1's appeal."

America is a targeted area of growth for F1, with Miami joining the list of venues last year and the addition of Las Vegas in 2023.

Novak Djokovic battled back from match point down to win his first tournament of the year with a thrilling victory over Sebastian Korda in the final of the Adelaide International 1.

The 35-year-old certainly did not have it all his own way as the American gave a brilliant account of himself, but Djokovic had the nous to get his 92nd tournament win over the line 6-7 (8-10) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

During a gruelling encounter that lasted three hours and 11 minutes, there was precious little to separate them with only three breaks of serve in total.

Two of those came in the first set. Korda had the initial advantage, a gorgeous backhand down the line punishing a stranded Djokovic, but he instantly hit back as his opponent found the net with what looked a routine shot.

The subsequent tie-break was similarly neck-and-neck until a Djokovic slice went long and then he put another return into the net to hand Korda the set, the Serbian venting his frustration at his team at the interval.

Korda then had the opportunity to win the championship towards the end of the second set, but Djokovic worked the situation bravely before a smashed volley emphatically saved him, with another tie-break soon arriving.

Djokovic surged into a 6-1 lead and eventually grasped his third set point, and from then on there only looked like being one winner, with the 21-time grand slam champion pouncing on his first break point in the decider to take the win.

This tournament was of course Djokovic's first in Australia since being deported ahead of the 2022 Australian Open due to his unvaccinated status.

Upon his return to the country where he has won nine grand slams, Djokovic was feeling the love.

"It's been an amazing week and [the fans] made it even more special. For me to be standing here is a gift, definitely," Djokovic said in the trophy ceremony.

"I gave it all today and throughout the week in order to be able to get my hands on the trophy.

"The support that I've been getting in the past 10 days is something that I don't think I've experienced too many times in my life, so thank you so much [to] everyone for coming out every single match."

Success ensured Djokovic levelled Rafael Nadal (92) for fourth-most men's singles titles in the Open Era, with only Ivan Lendl (94), Roger Federer (103) and Jimmy Connors (109) winning more.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson believes their AFC South title win was made all the sweeter by the team's turbulent past couple of years.

The Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans 20-16 at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday to clinch the AFC South and a first playoffs spot since 2017, a year on from finishing bottom.

That made them only the fifth team since the merger in 1970 to record the league's poorest record one season and then win the division the next year, with the Miami Dolphins the last to achieve it in 2008.

The Jaguars began the 2021 season with five defeats that took their losing streak to 20, the third-longest in NFL history, and in December of that year they eventually fired coach Urban Meyer following a string of scandals and controversies.

Meyer was dismissed while the Jags held a 2-11 record – they finished the season at 3-14, but Pederson has helped transform their fortunes.

It has not been straightforward for the 9-8 Jags though, whose hard-fought victory over the Titans ensured they had recorded both five-game losing and winning runs this season.

"This game tonight kind of symbolises our season," Pederson said. "There were some struggles, there were some highs and lows, but in the end, we had the victory.

"I'm so proud of the guys for the way they have all season long just hung together through the face of adversity.

"Obviously, to be in this position, to be the AFC South champion, and just to know the journey that it took us to get here... it's just a step in the direction that we want to go.

"I want it to be sustainable. I just don't want to be like, 'OK, you were the 2022 champs and not in 2023'. You want to be competing for this division every year.

"But it makes it special just because of the way these guys battled and kind of what they've been through in the last two years."

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has undoubtedly played his part after a disappointing first season.

The 23-year-old became only the third Jags QB in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season, helping the franchise dig their way out of a hole when they found themselves at 2-6 in October.

"Nobody ever lost faith," he told ESPN. "Everyone believed in one another. We never started pointing the finger. We lost five straight, and we just got tighter. After the bye week, we started correcting some things and started rolling. It's cool to see a team come together like we have, and we're just excited to get another opportunity next week.

"It's hard to sum up this season and what we've been able to do. To get an opportunity to go play in the playoffs. Sounds great. Sounds really, really good."

Taylor Fritz claimed the deciding victory as the United States stormed into an unassailable 3-0 lead over Italy in the United Cup final.

Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe paved the way for Fritz to be the hero with their victories over Martina Trevisan and Lorenzo Musetti earlier in Sunday's final in Sydney.

While Musetti retired hurt while trailing 6-2, WTA world number three Pegula dispatched Trevisan in straight sets, carrying on the form that saw her defeat Iga Swiatek in the USA's semi-final win over Poland.

And Fritz ensured that the inaugural United Cup went his nation's way with a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-6) win over Matteo Berrettini, who clawed back the first championship point but was unable to prevent his opponent taking the second.

"It's great. It’s amazing for the team to win this event. We came in with really high hopes, or at least I did, for the event," said Fritz, who is ranked ninth in the world by the ATP after winning three titles in 2022.

"I was really happy to be in that position to clinch the match."

There were jubilant scenes as the USA team rushed to celebrate with Fritz, though Tiafoe was perhaps slightly overzealous.

"Just the emotions when you win and everyone comes running at you, it’s amazing," Fritz said. "I don’t know if you saw the replay but Frances basically headbutted me!"

Aryna Sabalenka warmed up for the Australian Open by winning her first WTA title since May 2021 as she beat Linda Noskova in the Adelaide International 1 final on Sunday.

Sabalenka lost in all three of her final appearances in 2022, but she began 2023 in emphatic fashion and crowned a fine week with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) triumph.

Noskova, who at 18 years and 43 days old became the youngest finalist of a WTA 500-level or above event since 2008, looked up for a scrap as both players threatened to break in the early stages.

But Sabalenka soon took the initiative with the match's first break to go 4-2 up thanks to a ferocious backhand, and she subsequently cruised to seal the set.

The teenager kept things tighter for much longer in the second and went close to tying the match as she found herself 5-4 up and at deuce.

But a tiebreak beckoned, and Noskova's pair of double faults helped Sabalenka open a 5-1 lead, eventually seeing out the win at the second time of asking with a powerful serve that gave her young opponent too much to do.

Sabalenka clinched her success without dropping a single set over the course of the week, something she will hope provides a springboard as she aims to improve on her previous best at the Australian Open, where she reached the fourth round in 2021 and 2022.

Coco Gauff won the third WTA title of her career as she warmed up for the Australian Open by sweeping past Rebeka Masarova in the final of the ASB Classic.

The 18-year-old was too good for Masarova throughout in Auckland, easing to a 6-1 6-1 victory in just an hour and 15 minutes on Sunday.

Gauff forced a break point in Masarova's first service game, and though the Spanish-Swiss player was able to rescue it, she was not so lucky in her next two as her ruthless opponent won the first set with back-to-back breaks.

That theme continued in the second as unforced errors from Masarova, who won just two out of 15 points on her second serve (13.3 per cent), saw Gauff break again immediately.

The American was then forced to save break points on her own serve but did so impressively as she rescued all 10 against her in the contest.

Masarova was able to get on the board again after saving another two break points, but that was as good as it got, with ultimately Gauff romping to victory in front of an impressed New Zealand crowd.

"It's been a great week for me, despite the rain," Gauff said, referring to tournament's frequent weather disruption, which also delayed the final and forced a pause at the end of the first set.

"It's my first title on hard [court] since I was 15, so I'm happy to do well on a surface that I love.

"It gives me a lot of confidence [ahead of the Australian Open]. You're never sure how your first week is going to go, but it's been a great week."

The Los Angeles Lakers are "trending in the right direction" after beating the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, according to coach Darvin Ham.

An awful start to the season saw them lose 10 of their first 12 games, but the Lakers' form has evened out and their 136-134 win over the Kings made it five victories in a row to move them on to 19-21 for the campaign.

LeBron James posted 37 points as well as eight rebounds and seven assists as the visitors secured their latest win at Golden 1 Center.

Ham pointed to his team's struggles earlier in the season – including two defeats to the Kings – as partly responsible for their recent upturn, saying after the game the Lakers are "trending in the right direction and learning from our mistakes." 

He added: "A couple of months back we'd have lost a game like this, and back then sitting here with you guys in post-game pressers telling you as much as it hurt, we need to go through this process, we need to learn, trial by fire.

"All those experiences are causing us to be more conscious on offense, not just throwing away possessions late in the game.

"At the end of the day, everything we have gone through this season I think has been a huge education for us."

Thomas Bryant, who scored 29 points along with claiming 14 rebounds, also praised his team-mates for their resilience.

"It says a lot about the confidence, the strong resiliency that we try and bring each and every night out," the former Washington Wizards center said.

"I know each and every last one of those guys are proud of each other out there."