The Boston Celtics rode another impressive performance from MVP candidate Jayson Tatum to a 107-99 home win against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, improving their league-best record to 29-12.
Boston also boast a 16-5 home record, and while they have been the NBA's best offense for most of this season, it was their defense getting the job done against the Bulls.
After holding their opponent to under 100 points only four times from their first 37 games this season, the Celtics have now accomplished the feat in two of their past three outings.
While part of the Bulls' offensive issues boiled down to DeMar DeRozan leaving with a quadriceps strain, the Celtics were also able to hold the red-hot Zach Lavine to 40 per cent shooting (10-of-24), despite his otherwise impressive figures of 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Jayson Tatum was clearly the Celtics' best player, scoring a game-high 32 points on 10-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Grant Williams chipped in 20 points (eight-of-15 shooting) and eight rebounds off the bench.
Tatum's 30.8 points per game has him sitting fifth in the league, while his field goal percentage of 47.2 is the highest since his rookie year (47.5 per cent).
The loss for the Bulls snaps a three-game winning streak, and leaves them 10th in the Eastern Conference at 19-22.
Nuggets remain top of the West
The Denver Nuggets had no issue dealing with the visiting and LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers, defending home court with a 122-109 triumph.
It was another playmaking masterclass from reigning back-to-back MVP and arguably the greatest playmaking center in the history of the sport, with Nikola Jokic dishing a game-high 16 assists, grabbing 11 rebounds and finishing a perfect five-of-five from the field for his 14 points.
He handed lead-scoring duties to Jamal Murray for the night, and he delivered with a season-high 34 points on 13-of-29 shooting, leaving the Nuggets tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the top seed in the West at 27-13.
Russell Westbrook continues to build his case for Sixth Man of the Year, contributing 25 points (10-of-21 shooting), seven rebounds and seven assists off the Lakers' bench.
Brunson heroics not enough for the Knicks
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 44 points as his side went down 111-107 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brunson shot 15-of-30 from the field, hitting all 10 of his free throws, but a 38-point final quarter from the Bucks saw them claw back from a deficit that reached 17 points in the third period.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was solid by his standards with 22 points (six-of-15 shooting), 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, while offseason signing Joe Ingles impressed off the bench with 17 points (six-of-14 shooting) and five assists.
The Georgia Bulldogs are the first back-to-back National Champions in the College Football Playoff era (since 2014) after hammering the TCU Horned Frogs 65-7 on Monday.
There were ominous signs early as Georgia quickly forced a TCU punt on the opening possession, before marching down the field in five plays to open the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run from quarterback Stetson Bennett.
TCU tried to make a game of it, scoring their only touchdown of the contest in the first quarter with a short-range quarterback run of their own from Max Duggan, but the Georgia defense went up a level and shut things down the rest of the way.
Bennett rushed for his second touchdown and threw two more to open up a commanding 38-7 lead at half-time, and they continued to pile on after the break, with two more touchdown passes.
In his second consecutive National Championship win, former walk-on Bennett completed 18 of his 25 passes for 304 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers.
His top weapon was sophomore tight end and future first-round draft pick Brock Bowers, who reeled in seven catches for 152 yards and a score as he showed exactly why he is considered the best tight end in college football.
The Bulldogs have now won 26 games in a row with two championships across the past two seasons.
Interim Indianapolis Colts head coach Jeff Saturday declared he is gunning for the permanent role after getting a taste of coaching at the highest level.
Saturday made headlines when he was hired to take over following the firing of Frank Reich, having never been a head coach at any level previously.
After a stirring win during his first week in charge, the Colts went on to lose the next seven in a row to close the season, including a Week 18 failure against the Houston Texans, who came into the contest with the worst record in the league.
When speaking to reporters on Monday, he pushed back on the notion that the Colts' 1-7 record under his watch was an accurate representation of his ability to lead a successful team.
"When you say 'eight-game audition', it was an eight-game audition with half an offensive staff [and] boundaries," he said.
"It's an eight-game audition with the hand you're dealt, right? How do you deal with that? Hopefully, I've shown my leadership.
"I wish we were better than 1-7. Everybody in that locker room and everybody here, it makes all our jobs a lot easier if you win, right? Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. I'm not dissuaded by that."
He said if he were to land the role for next season, he would take the franchise in "a different direction and a different vision that I'm carrying through – one that's my own that I can implement and move forward with".
When asked how far away he believes the Colts are from being a good football team, he said "Not nearly as far as y'all think".
"I've seen some articles here recently, so I can assure you [there have been] a lot of shots fired," he said. "I don't think we're nearly as far as you guys believe we are."
ESPN is reporting Colts owner Jim Irsay called Saturday "an outstanding candidate", while defensive leader Shaquille Leonard said he felt Saturday did "a phenomenal job" and earned the respect of the locker room.
The Colts have reportedly requested to interview Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as well as their offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the head coaching role, along with Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Running back and free-agent-to-be Josh Jacobs would like to remain with the Las Vegas Raiders if the team is willing to offer him a contract he deems fair.
The Raiders drafted Jacobs late in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft but declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract last offseason.
Jacobs on Monday stated that he is not looking to leave the Raiders.
"For me, it's got to make sense, but this is obviously where I want to be," Jacobs said a day after securing the 2022 NFL rushing title, finishing the season with 1,653 yards on the ground.
"Coming in, I remember sitting down with [defensive end] Maxx [Crosby] and all these guys and talking about the Raiders organisation and the culture and wanting to be part of the change.
"I still feel that way so, hopefully, I'll be back."
While Crosby, a fourth-round pick in 2019, received a four-year, $99million extension last offseason, the Raiders’ new regime of general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have attempted to distance themselves from the decisions made by Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock from 2018-21.
Jacobs responded, however, with a career-best year, tallying over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns.
"I mean, I guess it feels good," Jacobs said of his individual accomplishments this season. "I don't really feel no different. Obviously, it's a testament to the team and the guys that helped me along the way. So that's definitely dope to be able to experience it with them. But for me, personally, it's just, whatever. For real."
McDaniels, meanwhile, recognised that Jacobs’ performance stood out during an otherwise disappointing year for the Silver and Black.
"Obviously J.J's performance was a huge bright spot for us,” McDaniels said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him as a person and as a player and he kind of embodies all the things that we want a Raider to be.
"Dave and I have talked about that; J.J. and I have had private conversations about those kinds of things. I think all that will play out in due time. But love him and would love to have him continue to be a Raider."
LeBron James will not feature for the Los Angeles Lakers in their game at the Denver Nuggets on Monday after being listed as out with ankle soreness.
James has been in excellent form for the Lakers as they continue to recover from a desperate start to the season that saw them lose 10 of their first 12 games.
The 38-year-old is averaging 29.1 points per game, along with 8.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists, as the Lakers have improved from 2-10 to 19-21, including winning their last five.
They have averaged 125.8 points per game during that win streak, last winning five in a row while averaging at least 125 points in the 1987-88 season.
After scoring a combined 90 in wins at the Atlanta Hawks (47) and Charlotte Hornets (43), James missed the victory against his former team the Miami Heat on Wednesday with an ankle problem, before returning to score 25 against the Hawks on Friday and 37 against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
However, the Lakers listed their star man – the Western Conference Player of the Week – as out again ahead of Monday's clash in Denver, citing left ankle soreness.
James is 20-20 against the Nuggets. He does not have a career losing record against any team.
In the 2022 NFL season, there have been few stories as remarkable as that of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who heads into the postseason with a golden opportunity to become the first rookie quarterback to lead a team to Super Bowl glory.
Purdy has been a revelation since being thrust into the spotlight as the starting quarterback in the wake of the fractured foot suffered by Jimmy Garoppolo in the Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
This was supposed to be Trey Lance's team in 2022, but with the third overall pick in 2021 removed from the equation with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, there are pertinent questions asking if it is now Purdy's for the long term, and they are merited given how he has performed in an extraordinary start to his career.
Belying his status as the last pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy has confidently piloted one of the best offenses in football, with the 49ers averaging a league-leading 33.6 points per game since he became the full-time starter.
In addition to Purdy ensuring the 49ers beat the Dolphins following Garoppolo's first-quarter departure, he has since won each of his first five starts, helping the NFC West champion Niners finish the regular season on a 10-game winning streak.
With the 49ers' win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, in which he threw three touchdowns, Purdy became the third rookie quarterback to win his first five starts, following Ben Roethlisberger (won first 13 starts in 2004) and Mike Kruczek (first six in 1968).
He is the third player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes in each of his first five starts, joining Dan Marino and Billy Volek, while he is only the second rookie with at least two touchdown throws in six consecutive games. The other was Justin Herbert in 2020.
Purdy's passer rating over his first five starts of 119.0 is second only to Kurt Warner (131.4) in 1999. Though Warner was not a rookie, he went on to lead the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title, winning Super Bowl MVP in the process.The support system for Purdy as he looks to make league history is excellent. San Francisco's offense is stacked with playmakers, with the addition of Christian McCaffrey to a group that already included Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle having a transformative impact on Kyle Shanahan's attack.
San Francisco's plethora of weaponry is a significant reason why Purdy went into Week 18 ranked fourth among quarterbacks with at least 100 plays in expected passing situations in Efficiency Versus Expected (EVE). Prior to the blowout of the Cardinals, Purdy was averaging 1.47 yards over expected in anticipated passing situations.
With a defense led by Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Nick Bosa establishing itself as the NFL's best, the 49ers went into Week 18 ranked first overall in EVE.
By that measure, the 49ers are the best team in the NFL, but history is firmly against Purdy having success in his quest to guide them to a sixth Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Nineteen rookies have started in the playoffs in the Super Bowl era, posting a 9-19 record across 28 games.
While no rookie quarterback has lifted the Lombardi, the performances of a selection of those to have entered the heat of the postseason battle in their first season offer a glimpse into what may lie ahead for Purdy, as he prepares to start his playoff career against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
Ben Roethlisberger (2004)
Roethlisberger may be the best parallel we can draw for Purdy given their shared place in the NFL history books.
The Pittsburgh Steelers great enjoyed an entirely different draft experience in 2004, playing the role of frustrated spectator until the 11th pick as the famous Eli Manning-Philip Rivers saga took its course.
Roethlisberger made the San Diego Chargers and New York Giants initially look foolish for not valuing him higher, helping a juggernaut Steelers team to a 15-1 record and the number one seed in the AFC.
Yet his first postseason proved a difficult one for Big Ben, with Roethlisberger completing only 57.4 per cent of his passes for 407 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, recording a passer rating of 61.3.
Three of his five picks came in the AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots, whose opportunistic defensive performance inspired them to a third Super Bowl appearance – and ultimately a third Super Bowl title – in four seasons.
Purdy has the benefit of having the league's premier defense on his side, and the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles would appear to be the only team in the 49ers' way who possess the capability to pose him problems akin to those Roethlisberger experienced back in January 2005.
The NFL has changed significantly since Bill Belichick's defense denied Roethlisberger a chance at history, but the Steelers' Conference Championship game woes of 18 years ago are a scarcely needed reminder of the value of protecting the football.
Purdy, who has 13 touchdowns to four interceptions, has done a largely impressive job in that sense, and if he continues in the same manner, the 49ers will be excellently positioned for a deep run. If the Niners do fall short, Purdy may take heart from Roethlisberger's second season, which saw him lead the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks.
Joe Flacco (2008) & Mark Sanchez (2009)
Flacco and Sanchez are also decent examples that could be a guide to how Purdy's playoff journey may go.
Unlike Purdy, they were both highly drafted quarterbacks, but they are comparable in that they had the benefit of supporting casts built for January success. Both made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
Flacco did not have to do much to get to that point with the 2008 Baltimore Ravens. Across his three postseason games, Flacco completed just 44 per cent of his passes for 437 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, giving him a passer rating of just 50.8.
Yet the Ravens were able to succeed by leaning on a third-ranked defense and a fourth-ranked run game, taking the pressure off Flacco. Indeed, Baltimore gave up just 19 points across the first two rounds of the playoffs. It was only when the Ravens faced a top-ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense in the title game that Flacco's shortcomings as a rookie proved decisive.
A year later, Sanchez fared better with the New York Jets, hitting on just over 60 per cent of his passes for 539 yards, four touchdowns and a pair of picks, posting a passer rating of 92.7.
Though his numbers were better, the formula was the same, the Jets riding Rex Ryan's dominant defense and a ground attack that led the NFL in yards per game to the Conference Championship.
Flacco went on to enjoy one of the great postseason runs in the 2012 season in leading the Ravens to glory, beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl, but Purdy will have designs on comfortably surpassing Sanchez's achievements following the electric start to his career.
He has thrived throwing the ball to the intermediate area of the field. On throws between 10 and 20 yards, Purdy has a delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball 83.7 per cent of the time. That is second only to Andy Dalton (85.6) among quarterbacks with at least 20 such attempts.
But with McCaffrey, Samuel and Elijah Mitchell giving the 49ers arguably the most versatile backfield in the NFL, one in which both McCaffrey and Samuel are threats to run the ball, catch it out of the backfield or line up in the formation as a receiver, San Francisco can significantly ease the pressure on Purdy by leaning on the ground game and short checkdown throws that always have the potential to be turned into big plays.
On top of that, the defense, which finished the season with the second-best success rate (35.9 per cent) in the league, has consistently shown its ability to put the team on its back despite some signs of vulnerability in recent weeks.
Purdy's early success points to him having a career superior to that of Flacco and Sanchez, but the 49ers could manage him in much similar fashion to how they were handled in the playoffs in his first postseason experience.
Russell Wilson (2012)
One of the best rookie quarterback performances in the playoffs came from a player who was previously the thorn in the 49ers' side with the Seahawks.
Wilson won the Super Bowl in only his second season, but the groundwork for that run was laid during a superb rookie year.
The Seahawks star was excellent in his first postseason, completing 62.9 per cent of his passes for 572 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He posted a passer rating of 102.4, leading the Seahawks to a win over Washington at FedEx Field in the Wild Card round before falling short against the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional round.
Wilson had the benefit of a full regular season under his belt and was a better athlete than Purdy is at that point in his career.
Yet the 49ers will hope the repetitions Purdy has to his name in calmly leading them through the stretch run will be enough for him to perform at a level akin to that of Wilson, albeit with expectations of significantly better results.
Cautionary tales
As the overall record indicates, starting a rookie quarterback in the playoffs typically ends badly. Matt Ryan threw two interceptions in his postseason debut in 2008 and Dalton was picked off three times as he and the Cincinnati Bengals suffered Wild Card round heartache in 2011. Andrew Luck led the Colts to the playoffs in 2012, but his postseason bow saw him post a passer rating of just 59.8.
Robert Griffin III's sole playoff appearance in 2012 ended in a knee injury as he was beaten by Wilson and the Seahawks in a battle of the rookies, while in 2018 Lamar Jackson was confounded by a Los Angeles Chargers defense that frequently deployed seven defensive backs to hold the dual-threat in check and restrict him to a completion percentage of 48.3.
Mac Jones was the last rookie to start a playoff game, doing so last January, but was intercepted twice in trying in vain to help to the Patriots keep up with a Buffalo Bills team that blew them away 47-17.
Even if Purdy maintains his stellar level of play, there is a chance that, in the lottery of the postseason, it still may not be enough.
Indeed, Dak Prescott threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in his playoff debut in the 2016 Divisional round and still came up short as he was outdueled by Aaron Rodgers in a 34-31 thriller.
That game serves as a perfect illustration as to why the playoffs are a different animal. The stakes go up, and the standard can also rise to a point where a player's best is often not good enough. In a Wild Card game against a Seahawks team he had little issue beating in the regular season, it will soon become apparent whether Purdy has what it takes to give this Cinderella quarterback story a fairytale ending.
Damar Hamlin has been discharged from hospital in Cincinnati and has been allowed to return to Buffalo to continue his recovery, his doctors have confirmed.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals last Monday and had been in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
In an update provided by Dr William Knight IV and Dr Timothy Pritts on Monday, it was confirmed Hamlin had not only been discharged from the hospital after showing sufficient recovery but was also doing physical therapy, walking and tolerating a regular diet.
The 24-year-old has been moved to a hospital in Buffalo for further steps and tests as part of his recovery.
Knight and Pritts addressed the media from the UC Medical Center, saying: "We are thrilled to share that Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and returned to Buffalo.
"He is doing well and this is the next stage of his recovery.
"Since our last update to you, Damar has met a number of key milestones – he has been excavated, gone through a weaning of his oxygen, he has been up with physical therapy and occupational therapy, walking the unit, tolerating a regular diet, meeting with his family and many members of the care team who wanted to see how he was doing, all so he could return to Buffalo."
Hamlin took to Twitter on Monday to also confirm the news, writing: "Headed home to Buffalo today with a lot of love on my heart.
"Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling. The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world [and] more. Bigger than football!"
It was confirmed by the doctors Hamlin's next steps would include "an ongoing series of tests and evaluations" to try to determine the cause of the incident.
The doctors also stated it was too early determine any conclusions around Hamlin's football career, saying: "It is entirely too premature to discuss not only his career but his day-to-day recovery. He still has a little ways to go in terms of his ongoing recovery. We're thrilled with where he is today; he's up, he's walking around, has an amazing sense of humour."
Knight and Pritts commented on Hamlin watching the Bills' win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, joking that after a particularly exciting play he had "set off all the alarms in the ICU".
Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has called time on his 50-year coaching career.
Pees announced his retirement on Monday after the Falcons failed to make the playoffs, finishing the season with a 7-10 record.
The 73-year-old worked for seven college programs and four NFL franchises, finishing in Atlanta after spells with the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans.
Pees is one of eight defensive coordinators in NFL history to coach in a Super Bowl with two different teams, playing his part in New England and Baltimore's runs to one of the biggest events in sport.
His retirement comes less than a month after he was taken to hospital ahead of the clash against the New Orleans Saints after being involved in an on-field collision.
Pees had been with the Falcons since coming out of retirement following the hiring of Arthur Smith two years ago.
Falcons head coach Smith said of Pees: "You appreciate all the work and the sacrifice.
"We all get paid to do this and we're lucky as hell, but there are sacrifices you have to make. Dean's a guy who has coached at every level and had success.
"He has impacted a lot of lives and he has impacted the game."
Kliff Kingsbury has paid the price for a dismal 2022 Arizona Cardinals season.
Kingsbury was fired on Monday after the Cardinals ended the campaign with a 38-13 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers that consigned them to a 4-13 record.
The head coach had entered 2022 with his future seemingly secure, agreeing a contract extension that would keep him in Arizona through the 2027 season.
That deal came on the back of an 11-6 campaign in 2021 as the Cardinals made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
But even in that promising season, the Cards faded after a 7-0 start, losing in the Wild Card round to NFC West rivals and eventual Super Bowl champions the Los Angeles Rams.
Late-season struggles were a consistent theme throughout Kingsbury's four-year tenure, which coincided with first overall pick Kyler Murray's arrival in Arizona.
Kingsbury had to deal with a series of injuries in 2022, including to quarterback Murray, but the team were never in playoff contention and lost their final seven games.
The franchise will now be looking for a new coach and also a general manager.
Steve Keim, whose contract matched Kingsbury's in length, had been in the position since 2013 but took an indefinite, health-related leave of absence last month.
He will not be returning, as the Cardinals confirmed his departure alongside Kingsbury's.
"We have announced that head coach Kliff Kingsbury has been relieved of his duties," a statement from the franchise read. "In addition, general manager Steve Keim has decided to step away from his position in order to focus on his health.
"The team wishes them well and thanks both of them for their contributions."
The Brooklyn Nets have confirmed that Kevin Durant has sprained the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee, and he will be "reevaluated in two weeks."
Durant sustained the injury with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter of the Nets' 102-101 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday when Jimmy Butler fell into him after having his shot blocked by Ben Simmons.
The 2014 NBA MVP briefly stayed in the game but headed for the locker room when the Nets called a timeout 30 seconds later.
Brooklyn confirmed the result of scans on Monday, posting on Twitter: "Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with an isolated MCL sprain of the right knee. The injury occurred during the third quarter of last night's game at Miami. Durant will be reevaluated in two weeks."
Durant injured the MCL in his left knee in January last year, missing approximately a month and half while rehabbing, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said of his latest issue: "There's optimism Durant will miss less time than he did with a six-week absence last season".
The 12-time NBA All-Star is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists this season and will hope to be back soon for a Nets team that has rallied after a slow start to be 27-13 and second in the Eastern Conference.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy believes they have yet to play to their full potential despite entering the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak.
The Niners clinched the second seed in the NFC playoffs on Sunday as they thrashed the Arizona Cardinals 38-13 in their regular-season finale.
San Francisco will face arch rivals the Seattle Seahawks in the opening Wild Card round matchup on Saturday, in which they are heavy favourites having swept the Seahawks in the regular season.
The 49ers' winning streak has been made all the more remarkable by the fact much of it has come with Purdy, who began the season as their third-string quarterback, under center.
Purdy came in for Jimmy Garoppolo, who had been enjoying the best season of his career after replacing the injured Trey Lance in Week 2, when Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in the first quarter of the Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
The seventh-round rookie, the last pick in this year's draft, has since won all five of his starts, across which the 49ers have averaged an NFL-leading 33.6 points per game.
Yet alarmingly for the Seahawks and any future 49ers playoff opponents, Purdy still sees room for them to grow.
"I feel great. I feel like everyone else is feeling great," Purdy told a post-game press conference. "When you're on a roll, you're on a win streak, you feel like, man, the groove and how we're playing together, it feels really good when we're on it.
"I think a lot of us are real with ourselves too though. I feel like we still haven't played to our full potential yet.
"And so, we look at it as a challenge, but we're also excited because it's like, man, if we do play to our full potential, what else could we do?
"So, those are the kind of things that we ask ourselves every day and we're excited about. But I'm excited moving forward for being on a win streak."
The Cleveland Browns have fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods following their disappointing 2022 season.
Woods was hired in 2020 when Kevin Stefanski took over as head coach, and their partnership quickly produced results as the Browns reached the Divisional round of the AFC playoffs in Stefanski's first season.
But the Browns have since failed to replicate their success of 2020 and followed up an 8-9 2021 campaign by going 7-10 in 2022.
The Cleveland defense fared well in 2021, finishing 13th by points allowed and fifth by yards allowed.
Those numbers dropped off significantly in 2022, with the Browns 20th by points allowed and 14th in yards allowed.
A significant problem area for the Browns was giving up explosive plays. They conceded 65 plays of 20 yards or more; only 10 teams allowed more.
The Browns also struggled to defend the run, giving up 135.2 yards per game on the ground, with Cleveland ranked 25th in that regard.
"I'd like to thank Joe for his hard work and dedication in his three seasons as our defensive coordinator," Stefanski said.
"I will always have the utmost respect for Joe, the person and the coach.
"Unfortunately, we didn't perform up to our standards enough this season, and we all share in that responsibility.
"We all wish Joe and his family the best in the future."
Quay Walker has apologised for shoving a member of the Detroit Lions' training staff in the Green Bay Packers' season-ending loss on Sunday.
Needing only to win to reach the playoffs, the Packers suffered a surprise 20-16 defeat to the Lions at Lambeau Field.
Walker was disqualified on the Lions' go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter after pushing a trainer as he attempted to tend to Detroit running back D'Andre Swift.
Former Packers running back Jamaal Williams scored his second rushing touchdown three plays later to put the Lions up for good, with Aaron Rodgers then intercepted on the next drive, allowing Detroit to kill the clock and Green Bay's hopes of an unlikely Super Bowl run.
Walker's show of ill-discipline was not his first of his rookie year, the first-round pick having also pushed a member of the Buffalo Bills' practice squad on the sideline after a play in the Packers' Week 8 loss.
In a post on Twitter, Walker wrote: "I want to apologise publicly about what happened Sunday night. I reacted off of my emotions again and take full responsibility of making another stupid decision.
"Since then I've questioned myself on why did I do what I did when the trainer was doing his job!! I was wrong!!
"I understand I have to face everything that comes with the decision I've made and I'm definitely paying for it now.
"Also to explain my frustration in the tunnel. I wasn't upset about being kicked out, I just knew I messed up again and was wrong for what I did and couldn't believe I did it again.
"To the Detroit Lions and to the entire training staff including the person I did that to. I'm sorry."
Guyana is set to build a new squash facility to enhance the country’s ability to host future international tournaments.
The new facility, which will also have doubles courts for the first time in the country's history, will be built at the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown and is funded by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport at the approximate cost of G$65 million, and should be ready for usage within six to eight months.
Minister Charles Ramson Jr. made this announcement on Saturday and members of the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) and national players welcomed it with cheers after he further indicated that construction is to commence on January 9.
In detailing some of the plans, the minister revealed the building would cost approximately G$25M while the internal fittings for the courts are about G$40M.
To fast-track the process, the plan is to begin the installation of equipment at an appropriate point during construction so as not to wait until the building is finished to commence inputting the internal fittings.
Noting it is a joint effort between the National Sports Commission (NSC) and GSA, the minister firmly believes the completion of this facility will place Guyana in good standing to host Central American and Caribbean (CAC), and Pan American Championships in the near future.
“Once it is completed, we will be able to put our bids in of hosting senior games, and all of the sports we have identified as core sports, for which squash is one of them, we are looking to have the larger Championships being held here,” Ramson Jr. told the gathering.
According to Ramson Jr., the aim is to host the Senior Pan American Championships which would be a “big achievement” for Guyana and it will increase the competitive pool.
“It is important we set our targets early about what we want to do and take all of the sports and sports in general,” he lamented.
There is also the “unquantifiable factor” of inspiring the next generation to represent Guyana by being able to see top-level athletes compete in Guyana, and ideally, create a winning culture.
Additionally, Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, who had touted the construction of the courts in July as Guyana prepared to host the Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships, noted its importance that infrastructural development is vital to support the developing Sport Academies.
“This shows that we are doing exactly what we said we would do. I know we are speaking about squash but other disciplines will be able to have this sort of support from the government,” Ninvalle expressed.
Owen Verwey, GSA President, expressed similar by stating, “I am very much impressed that we have moved from the stage of speaking to now seeing implementation in a real form, that does not always happen but where we are going with the reality, is going to take us to a much higher level.”
Adorning that Guyana’s squash has done tremendously well within the Caribbean, this facility will help them make an impact at the international level, and it boosts their capacity to do more intense training.
Meanwhile, the minister said the works on the tennis court will soon be completed and construction will continue on the home for badminton and table tennis, with the foundation already being laid.
The National Racquet Centre opened in November 2011.
Brandon Staley defended his decision to play his starters in the Los Angeles Chargers' Week 18 game with the Denver Broncos, insisting they managed their roster "to the best of their ability" despite wide receiver Mike Williams suffering a back injury.
Following the Baltimore Ravens' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Chargers were locked into the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs ahead of the meeting with the Broncos.
Yet Staley kept quarterback Justin Herbert in the game until the fourth quarter as the Chargers' starters played the majority of a meaningless contest, which they lost 31-28.
Williams left the game with back spasms, though initial X-rays were negative, offering hope the problem will not impact his participation in Saturday's Wild Card round game with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But Staley rejected criticism of how he managed the game, saying: "There's only 48 guys that you can choose from and these aren't easy decisions.
"Hindsight is perfect for everybody on the outside, but these games are not easy to manage.
"They're not, because you don't have that many players. We did it to the best of our ability.
"We were trying to compete in the game and we only have 48 guys on the team that are active for the game.
"So we wanted to make sure that they went a good ways in this football game and competed at a high level and then when we felt like it was right for them to get out of the game, then that's what we were going to do, slowly phase them out so that we could get ready for next week."
Bill Belichick has confirmed he will continue as head coach of the New England Patriots for a 24th season in 2023.
Turning 71 in April, Belichick has been at the helm since 2000, guiding the Patriots to six Super Bowl rings and establishing the franchise as a dominant force in the NFL.
However, Belichick's Patriots have posted a losing record in two of three seasons since Tom Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, having previously not had a losing season since his first year in charge.
Defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 18 saw the Patriots miss out on a playoff spot for the second time in three years but work ahead of the 2023 season is set to begin, with Belichick set to remain in his post.
"Our record is around .500, which is what it has been right around this year. With that, there have been some good things and some not so good things," he told reporters.
"Nobody is satisfied with that, it's not our goal, and we need to improve on that. All of us, there is accountability everywhere, starting with me, the coaching staff, the players, each unit, there are things that we will all address, and that process will start later today.
"We'll begin to turn the page and move on, to start to do the things we need to do to improve our team, to be competitive, and get better results.
"We haven't started that yet, we're still in the wake of yesterday's game. I'm sure there will be different aspects to that, as we evaluate everything, to have a stronger team in the future."
Petra Kvitova defeated Elena Rybakina in the pick of the first-round matches at the Adelaide International 2 on Monday.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova hit 21 winners to 12 unforced errors on her way to a 6-3 7-5 win against reigning SW19 champion Rybakina in a match lasting 87 minutes.
Belinda Bencic, a defeated finalist in this tournament in 2021, also advanced with a 6-3 6-4 win against former world number one Garbine Muguruza to maintain her positive form.
Fellow seeded players Beatriz Haddad Maia and Danielle Collins beat Sorana Cirstea and Karolina Pliskova respectively to book their places in the last 16.
At the Hobart International, favourite Marie Bouzkova saw off Jacqueline Cristian 7-6 (7-2) 6-3, while Lauren Davis defeated Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-2 in an all-American clash.
David Goffin got off the mark with his first victory of 2023 with a straight-sets win over fifth seed Alexander Bublik in round one of the Auckland Open.
The Belgian lost both matches at the inaugural United Cup last week, but he saw off Bublik 6-3 6-4 in 74 minutes to reach the last 16 in New Zealand.
Another seeded player fell at the first hurdle on Monday as Adrian Mannarino lost 6-4 7-6 (7-4) to J.J. Wolf.
Richard Gasquet advanced with a 6-3 6-1 win over wild card Kiranpal Pannu, while Jenson Brooksby beat Fabio Fognini 6-7 (2-7) 6-1 6-3 and will now face Diego Schwartzman.
At the Adelaide International 2, fifth seed Dan Evans suffered a 7-5 7-5 defeat to Mackenzie McDonald.
Fellow seeds Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Miomir Kecmanovic overcame Brandon Nakashima and Kyle Edmund respectively.
J.J. Watt feels he could not have had a better farewell from the NFL after his final game for the Arizona Cardinals.
The defensive end registered two sacks in his final career appearance, a 38-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, receiving a standing ovation when he was removed from the action in the final two minutes of the game.
An official stood between the 49ers center and quarterback Josh Johnson, holding off play to allow Watt to have his moment, which continued the tributes for the 33-year-old.
In a team meeting on Saturday, Arizona defensive line coach Matt Burke played a six-minute video tribute to the three-time Defensive Player of the Year – which included messages from his family, alongside the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
J.J's youngest brother, T.J., was the first to appear in the video and sparked tears, before both he and Derek Watt made significant contributions in the Pittsburgh Steelers' season-ending win over the Cleveland Browns.
"I absolutely lost it. I was bawling like a baby, and I didn't stop until long into the night," he told reporters.
"I mean, the highlight videos are great, all the plays are cool, but when you hear from the people in your life that are important, from my family, from my friends, and then you hear from people you have the utmost respect for, team-mates, coaches, opponents, it hit me in a different way that I never expected.
"There's no way to explain what it feels like to anybody because the love that I have for them, the pride that I have for them.
"How much fun I have watching them, and then they walk in wearing my jerseys and T.J. gets whatever he had [a half-sack], Derek scores a touchdown.
"I mean, I wanted to win today, but for our family, I couldn't ask for a better send-off.
"I want to thank the 49ers, that was very classy, and their fans, they didn't have to do that. I appreciate them doing that, that was better than I could have expected certainly from that standpoint.
"[I] had my wife and son here and my parents here, I'm thankful and grateful, and I'll always remember it that's for sure."
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