Eddie Jones leaves behind a legacy of "misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises" following his dismissal as England coach, says Clive Woodward.
The Australian was sacked nine months out from the Rugby World Cup after overseeing the nation's worst calendar-year record for over a decade, winning just five out of 12 Test matches.
With Jones having led England to the final of the last tournament in Japan in 2019, the Rugby Football Union's (RFU) decision represents a major gamble so close to next year's competition in France.
But Woodward, a frequent critic of Jones over a difficult year, feels he has paid the price for his distractions since defeat to South Africa in Yokohama.
"He's a much better coach than he has shown over the past three years," he wrote in the Daily Mail. "He is a shadow of the Jones I competed with and whose first years with England were so successful and rightfully applauded.
"He became completely focused on the 2023 World Cup and that was a costly error. He lost focus of simply winning the next game and allowed himself to get distracted
"What will [his] legacy be? The semi-final victory over New Zealand was his best performance, but unfortunately, he will be remembered for the misguided rhetoric and unfulfilled promises.
"I don't think history will remember this period of English rugby too kindly."
Leicester coach Steve Borthwick, who steered his side to the Premiership Rugby title last term, has been tipped as a likely successor to Jones in charge of England.
But Woodward says that, if selected, the RFU must allow him to put his own stamp on the team, including bringing his Tigers assistant Kevin Sinfield, the former rugby league playmaker, into the fold.
"If it is Steve Borthwick who comes in, then we've all got to get behind him and I wish him all the best," he added. "He must be given the full support and resources to ensure there are no excuses.
"He must be allowed to bring in his own team, and if I was him, I would bring Kevin Sinfield over from Leicester. The players will have a second chance and there is enough talent out there to go and win next year’s World Cup."
South Africa winger Sbu Nkosi says he has been "curled up in a ball" amid his disappearance, after the World Cup winner was found "safe and sound".
The Bulls, Nkosi's domestic team, confirmed the 26-year-old had been found after discovering his whereabouts on Monday, with the club having had no contact with the player since mid-November.
Nkosi, a member of the Springboks team that claimed victory at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, was not revealed to be missing publicly until his team confirmed they had filed a report over the weekend.
But now he has revealed he has been staying with family, disclosing he has taken time away to deal with mental health struggles.
"I'm a lot better," he told News24. "There's obviously a lot to speak about that I can't say out loud, but my condition is improving.
"It's just been a whole lot of mental pressure. It's been building up for a couple of years now.
"There's too much to go into: the expectations, the fact that by choosing to take care of myself right now, there are people I'm letting down, and that also hurts me.
"There's a lot, but I'm at a point where I need to prioritise the person before the rugby player right now. I just needed time. I've basically been curled up in a ball with my dad, and he's been managing my mental state daily."
Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone revealed he met with Nkosi on Monday, and said the club would provide their full support to the winger over the coming period.
"We were thrilled to find Sbu and incredibly relieved to see that he was alive," he said in a statement. "Equally, we were saddened to see him in the state that he was in.
"I am however confident that we are in a good position to provide Sbu with the support he needs and that we should acknowledge his incredible courage to even say to us, that he is not okay.
"We are lucky today but tomorrow, our intervention may be too late and that is not something we want to see become a reality."
England have sacked head coach Eddie Jones following a review of recent performances, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has announced.
Jones had been in charge since becoming England's first foreign coach in November 2015 and was due to end his long reign after the Rugby World Cup next year.
However, on the back of a disappointing Autumn Nations Series, the RFU has decided to make a change just nine months before the tournament gets under way in France.
"I am pleased with much that we have achieved as an England team and I look forward to watching the team's performance in the future," said Jones in a statement.
"Many of the players and I will no doubt keep in touch and I wish them all well in their future careers."
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said after last month's 27-13 loss to South Africa at Twickenham that results "are not where we expect them to be".
England have endured their worst calendar year since 2008 in terms of results, having won just five of their 12 Tests.
The Red Rose were booed off the field after losing to the Springboks at Twickenham, but Australian Jones remained bullish at the time and said he "does not care what other people think".
Despite a 2022 to forget, Jones bows out with a record of 59 wins from his 81 Tests at the helm, with a win rate of 73 per cent – the best of any head coach in England's history.
Next on that list is Jack Rowell (72 per cent), followed by Geoff Cooke and Clive Woodward (both 71 per cent), the latter having regularly called for Jones to be dismissed.
Jones led England to their first Grand Slam in 13 years in 2016, then won the tournament again in 2017 and 2020, while also reaching the 2019 Rugby World Cup final - which was won by South Africa.
He won his first 17 games with England, which was part of an 18-game win streak overall, the joint longest of any Tier 1 nation.
Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick, one of Jones' former assistants, is considered the favourite to land the job, while Richard Cockerill will run the men's performance team on an interim basis.
Aaron Judge remains the New York Yankees' top priority in free agency, says general manager Brian Cashman, as they look to tie down the 2022 American League MVP.
The four-time All-Star has spent his entire MLB career at Yankee Stadium, but failed to agree a new long-term deal ahead of last season, instead penning just a short-term contract.
With the 30-year-old out of contract, his options are open after a season that saw him shatter the single-season American League home run record with 62.
Cashman says owner Hal Steinbrenner has met with Judge over his future, and hopes they will be able to convince the outfielder to re-sign with them sooner rather than later.
"We'd love to have our player back," he said. "We would love to continue to call him our player every step of the way as he follows what looks like a career path that will lead him to [Hall of Fame home] Cooperstown.
"I appreciate being in a position to have a conversation with a player of Judge's magnitude The ownership here has allowed us to stay in the game on a big-ticket item.
"That's great. I'm sure there's a lot of teams that would love to have access to a player of his calibre but can't participate because the asks are going to be so immense."
Cashman acknowledged there are risks to waiting on Judge's call, both for whoever may otherwise sign him and how it will shape the Yankees going forward.
But he believes the wait will be worth it if they can bring him back into the fold, adding: "It's not like we've missed time in my opinion.
"I understand the longer things go, the more at risk you are. It's easier if we are driving, but we're not driving it."
The Green Bay Packers still want Aaron Rodgers to play on next season, says general manager Brian Gutekunst, despite the quarterback's cryptic words over the weekend.
The former Super Bowl champion is in the middle of a three-year contract that runs through the 2024 season, having spent his entire professional career in Wisconsin.
But following Sunday's 28-19 win over the Chicago Bears, Rodgers cast doubt over the subject of his future, stating: "There has got to be mutual desire on both sides."
Amid their bye week, Gutekunst said no discussions have taken place over the 39-year-old's next steps, but stressed they still want the veteran to remain on their books.
"That's an offseason-type kind of decision, but surely, yeah," he stated. "We want all our guys back. We made a big commitment to [Rodgers] this offseason, so that was obviously something that was really important to us.
"But like we've talked about in the past, this is something we'll sit down with him after the season, and it will be something we do together and move forward that way.
"We don't talk about those things during the season very often. We just talk more about our team when we speak. Certainly, that'll be something we get to.
"We went through something in the offseason where it was a very big commitment on our part. It wasn't certainly for one year. B we really haven't had any conversations about that stuff during the season."
Rodgers' comments come amid a difficult season for the Packers, who have posted a 5-8 record and are on the cusp of elimination from playoff contention.
Their next game comes against the Los Angeles Rams in just under a fortnight, with the team facing a fight to recover their campaign.
James Harden said he was "all over the place" on his return from injury but vowed to improve once he finds his rhythm for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2018 MVP winner was back in the starting line-up having missed 14 straight games after suffering a tendon strain in his right foot on November 2, with Philly going 4-5 in his absence.
However, his comeback failed to yield an upturn as the 76ers went down 132-123 to Harden's former team the Houston Rockets following double overtime.
Harden contributed 21 points but was just 4-of-19 from the field, missing all eight attempts inside the three-point arc. He also chalked up four rebounds and seven assists.
Philly coach Doc Rivers said Harden would be on a minutes restriction, but he still racked up 39. However, the 33-year-old said it was difficult to find fluidity.
"I didn't play well, but I've got to be better and I will," Harden said.
"I was all over the place. I'm not used to it, but I'm not making any excuses. I have to do better."
Harden added that he had to fight his cause to play as much as he did in overtime.
"I had to fight to stay on the court just because there was a certain plan in place before the game started,'' Harden said.
"But once you go out there as a competitor you want to try to win."
The 76ers are on a three-match losing streak and sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 12-12 record. They next face the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.
Kawhi Leonard was delighted to be the hero of a grandstand finish as he marked his return from injury with the winning shot in the Los Angeles Clippers' 119-117 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday.
Having sat out the last six games with a sprained right ankle, the two-time NBA champion returned to the court alongside fellow All-Star Paul George, with both playing a crucial part at the Spectrum Center.
It was George who led the way with a team-high 19 points, but Leonard seized the last-gasp heroics after sinking an 18-foot jumper with 1.4 seconds on the clock to claim the win.
The small forward, who missed the entirety of last season with a torn ACL, delighted in his moment of triumph on the floor afterwards, stressing his passion for the sport has not diminished during his time on the sidelines.
"It felt good to be back," he stated. "I love this game of basketball. I don't think anybody loves playing more than me.
"Maybe [people love] watching [more]. But I love this game, and it gives me joy when I am able to play.
"That ending is great, [in] that I was able to make that shot. We're [leading by] nine, eight points pretty much the whole game. I would rather close it out than have to [grind it] out like that."
George was full of praise for his team-mate too, focusing on his return rather than his own after he set up Leonard for the game-winning shot.
"Any time you see Kawhi going to the spot, that's where he is comfortable," he added. "That's where we are comfortable. I wanted to get it to him right there, and he took it home with his shot."
With both players having seldom lined up together this year, head coach Ty Lue is hopeful their return can help drive the Clippers higher this season, with the team sixth in the Western Conference.
"Those guys on the floor, it's going to cause teams to double-team," he stated. "[It will make] teams do some things they're not used to doing, and we're going to get open shots. [We] just continue building off this."
Tom Brady added to his own NFL record for career game-winning drives, pulling another rabbit out of his hat to deliver an unlikely 17-16 win against the New Orleans Saints on Monday.
Brady's Bucs had only mustered three points in the first 55 minutes of the 60-minute contest, but produced two clutch touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter to salvage a gutsy win.
He delivered the first touchdown pass to Cade Otton with three minutes remaining, and after getting the ball back 30 seconds later, the two-and-a-half minutes on the clock was more than enough to march down again and find Rachaad White with three seconds to spare.
Brady now has 56 game-winning drives in his career, two more than Peyton Manning in second-place.
It was a crucial win for the Buccaneers, who are now 6-6 and one game clear atop the insipid NFC South.
After the victory, Brady reflected on the rollercoaster of emotions after his initial game-winning touchdown pass to Chris Godwin was negated by a holding penalty.
"Just like we drew it up," he said with tongue-in-cheek to open his press conference.
"It was great. Great route by Rachaad, great catch. [Offensive coordinator] Byron [Leftwich] made a great call.
"We thought we threw the touchdown to Chris – I thought I threw it in a quarter-second. I was like 'how was there a hold? I caught it and threw it'.
"That put us back to the 15 [yard line], but we still found a way. It was a great team win.
"We've been pretty good in no-huddle and two-minute drills. A lot of games come down to those type of plays – and our guys made them. Our guys made the plays this week."
Since arriving in Tampa Bay ahead of the 2020-21 season, Brady has faced the Saints three times at home, and this is both the first win, and the first time the Buccaneers have been able to score a touchdown in any of those games.
"They're a hard team to beat, and I'm glad we won," he said. "They've got a great defense, they played us very physical, like we thought.
"We made some mistakes in there, but we made enough plays in the end to win.
"I wish we could score more points against them, they make it really hard. They've got a really good scheme, really good players, they cover well, rush well, really good linebackers.
"Tough game, but a great win."
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles was thrilled with the result, pointing to his team's "guts".
"They showed guts, they showed grit and they played well together," he said. "It was a complete team effort.
"The defense got the ball back, the offense cashed it in. We got it back one more time, they cashed it in one more time. It was a good team effort."
Next up on their schedule is the San Francisco 49ers, who present a golden opportunity for a win since it will be the first start at quarterback for third-stringer Brock Purdy after Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending injury on Sunday.
Brady played his last college game at Michigan four days after Purdy was born.
The Boston Celtics kept their terrific season rolling on Monday when they utilised a dominant third quarter to defeat the Toronto Raptors 116-110 away from home.
Boston were led by Jayson Tatum, who finished with 31 points on 11-of-24 shooting, hitting five of his 10 three-point attempts while adding 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in his 39 minutes. He helped his side outscore the Raptors 35-18 in the third period, turning around a six-point deficit at halftime.
The 24-year-old is enjoying the best season of his career, averaging a career-high 30.7 points per game while shooting a career-best 48.1 per cent from the field, all while attempting a career-high 9.3 three-pointers per game.
Tatum was supported well by running-mate Jaylen Brown, who chipped in 22 points (nine-of-22 shooting), eight rebounds and eight assists, while reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart posted 18 points (seven-of-14) and seven assists.
While the Celtics were the best defensive team in the league this past season when they went to the NBA Finals, this campaign it has been all about their offense.
Scoring 120 points per 100 possessions, they are two-and-a-half points clear of the second-ranked Phoenix Suns (117.5), and they are getting it done by shooting a league-best 40.2 per cent from the three-point line.
Their win against the Raptors was their 21st game with at least 110 points, helping them to a league-best record of 20-5, while no other team has more than 17 wins.
Harden's rough return to Houston
Playing against his former team, James Harden returned for the Philadelphia 76ers after five weeks on the sidelines, but had a rough outing in a 132-123 double-overtime loss to the Houston Rockets.
Harden, who won the 2017-18 league MVP while playing for the Rockets, scored 21 points, dished seven assists, snagged four rebounds and plucked two steals, but he shot a dismal four-of-19 from the field.
His step-back three-pointer tied the game at 108-108 with 90 seconds remaining in regulation, ultimately forcing overtime, before back-to-back MVP runner-up Joel Embiid fouled out in the first extra period, leaving the 76ers short-handed for the second overtime.
Last year's second overall draft pick Jalen Green was strong for the Rockets, scoring 27 points on nine-of-20 shooting with seven assists, while this year's third overall pick Jabari Smith Jr added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander carries the Thunder
Arguably the breakout star of the season so far, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on the floor yet again in a 121-114 win on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.
The 24-year-old is currently third in the NBA in scoring at 31.1 points per game, and that figure got a bump after he put up 35 points against the Hawks, hitting 10-of-22 from the field and all 15 of his free throws.
Of the four other players averaging at least 30 points per game this season (Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum) none are attempting fewer than Gilgeous-Alexanders 3.0 three-pointers per game, and none are shooting better than his 92.4 per cent from the free throw line.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 45-year-old quarterback showed he still has some magic left in the tank as Tom Brady delivered an unlikely 17-16 home win against the New Orleans Saints on Monday.
Brady's offense struggled all game, and they trailed 16-3 with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, before the seven-time Super Bowl champion conjured some more of his famous late-game heroics.
He mounted a 10-play, 91-yard drive in just over two minutes, with a one-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cade Otton cutting the margin to 16-10.
Just 31 seconds later he had the ball back after the Buccaneers' defense forced a punt, thanks in large part to a sack from Carl Nassib, giving Brady two-and-a-half minutes to produce another game-winning drive.
Having broken the record for most game-winning drives in the final five minutes or overtime earlier this season, Brady added one more – the 56th of his career – but not without some controversy first.
With 19 seconds remaining, Brady found receiver Chris Godwin for a five-yard touchdown pass that seemingly won the Bucs the game, but a flag for offensive holding negated the play, and meant Brady would have to now figure it out from the 15-yard line.
A nine-yard completion to Godwin got him back down to the six-yard line, and from there, on third-down, he found backup running back Rachaad White leaking out of the backfield to reach the endzone with three seconds on the clock.
Brady ultimately completed 36 of his 54 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and the win improved the Buccaneers' record to 6-6 – giving them sole possession of first-place atop the underperforming NFC South.
The Philadelphia Phillies and shortstop Trea Turner have agreed to an 11-year, $300million contract, bolstering the lineup and infield of the reigning National League champions.
Turner will be reunited with former Washington Nationals teammate Bryce Harper, and joins a potent lineup that also includes Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Rhys Hoskins.
With his combination of power and speed, Turner had become one of the top prizes for this offseason’s free agency period and was also being pursued aggressively by the San Diego Padres, according to ESPN.
Turner is expected to become the Phillies' primary shortstop, likely moving touted rookie Bryson Stott to second base.
Turner, 29, is the fourth shortstop in MLB history to sign a contract with a total value of at least $300 million, following Francisco Lindor, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Corey Seager.
A two-time All-Star, Turner hit .298 last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers with 21 home runs, 39 doubles, a career-high 100 RBI and 27 stolen bases.
Since his first full season in the majors in 2016, Turner leads the MLB with 228 stolen bases, and his 85.1 per cent success rate on steals leads all players with at least 100 attempts over that span.
Turner has a career .302 batting average and .842 OPS, tallying 124 home runs, 586 runs scored and 230 stolen bases since his debut in 2015.
His new contract comes as a part of a flurry of deals from the MLB winter meetings, being held in-person for the first time since 2019.
Over $1billion in total contracts have been agreed to so far this offseason, including the blockbuster deal that landed former New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom with the Texas Rangers for up to six years and $222m.
The Mets responded by signing Justin Verlander to a two-year deal worth nearly $87m.
The Dodgers, who retained Clayton Kershaw on a one-year, $20m deal, but lost Turner, will look to be key players in the rest of free agency.
Outfielder and American League home run champion Aaron Judge remains the top free agent on the market, but the Dodgers could look to replace Turner at shortstop with Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa or Dansby Swanson.
Odell Beckham Jr implied there is a strong chance he will be signing with the Dallas Cowboys after being spotted with Cowboys players at a Dallas Mavericks game on Monday.
Beckham, 30, has not played since last season's Super Bowl, where he caught a touchdown in the Los Angeles Rams' 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
His contract expired after that game, and he opted to take his time this season before choosing where he would like to play, waiting to see who would emerge as a Super Bowl contender.
The Cowboys are 9-3 this season and boast arguably the best defense in the NFL, with only the San Francisco 49ers having a case for a superior unit.
Essentially a lock for the playoffs now, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has spoken publicly about meeting with Beckham and trying to convince him to bolster the team's receiving corps, where things get relatively shallow after top option CeeDee Lamb and capable number-two Michael Gallup.
At the Mavericks game, ESPN reporter Tim McMahon claims to have asked Beckham what the Cowboys' chances are of signing him, and he replied "it's a good possibility".
The Washington Wizards will be without Bradley Beal for at least a week after it was revealed on Monday that he had suffered a hamstring strain.
The injury occured in the first quarter of the Wizards' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, with Beal exiting after only three minutes of action.
Beal, 29, is second on the Wizards' franchise leaderboard for total points scored, with his 14.643 career points for the team that drafted him third overall in 2012 trailing only Elvin Hayes (15,551). Based on his scoring average this season, he will overtake Hayes' record in 42 more games.
He is averaging 22.9 points and 5.4 assists per game this campaign, shooting a career-high 52.2 per cent from the field, although the Wizards are 7-11 in the 18 games he has featured in.
Sporting an 11-13 record overall, the Wizards will need Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma to run the show in Beal's absence, with the team stating he has been ruled out of their next three games and will be re-evaluated in one week, although it is far more likely his return will be closer to two weeks.
James Harden will return to the Philadelphia 76ers starting line-up on Monday after five weeks on the sideline recovering from a right foot tendon strain.
The 10-time All-Star and six-time First Team All-NBA honouree missed 14 games after suffering the injury on November 2, with his team going 4-5 in the nine games he has featured in, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds.
His absence did not kill the 76ers' season, as they went 8-6 without him, thanks in large part to the stellar play of Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton in expanded roles.
For the month of November, Maxey averaged 22.4 points and 5.6 assists per game – similar to his stats with Harden in the side – but Milton took a massive step up, going from two points per game in October up to 14.2 points, 4.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
Despite Harden's return, the 76ers will remain a man down as Maxey has now missed two weeks with a similar foot injury, and is expected back at some point in the next 10 days.
Monday will be Harden's second time playing against his former team the Houston Rockets since joining the 76ers. In the 2017-18 season, Harden became the first Rocket since Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94) to be named league MVP.
Trae Young made it clear he is not happy that details about friction between himself and Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan became public, but insisted things were "all good".
A report from The Athletic's Shams Charania detailed an incident where McMillan had not approved Young's decision to skip a team shootaround to focus on treatment for his minor shoulder injury.
It is said to have resulted in an ultimatum, with McMillan telling Young he would have to come off the bench if he wanted to play against the Denver Nuggets on Friday, with the 24-year-old two-time All-Star instead deciding to not show up altogether.
The Hawks officially attributed Young's absence to his shoulder injury, before the report brought new information to light, prompting McMillan to call the whole fiasco a "miscommunication".
The report also included a line citing anonymous sources saying "it's the latest situation that has caused many people within the Hawks to question Young's leadership approach" – pointing to similar friction between Young and former head coach Lloyd Pierce as a main factor behind his departure.
In his first media appearance since the news broke, Young said he was frustrated it all became public.
"It's hard for people who don't know the full situation to understand it," he said on Monday. "Like I said, it's a private matter made public, which was unfortunate. If it stayed private it probably wouldn't have been as big of a deal.
"It's unfortunate. My job and my goal is to win a championship, and that's all I'm focused on.
"When you're an outside guy like [reporters] are, and you don't understand a private matter and private situation, you should probably stay on the outside.
"It's unfortunate that everybody has to understand and know a little bit of the details that went on inside. I mean, inside here we're all good.
"If you've got any more questions about that you can talk to somebody else about it. That's all I've got to say about it."
The Hawks ended up with an impressive win against the Nuggets, with rookie A.J. Griffin taking advantage of his opportunity in the starting line-up to score a career-high 24 points.
Ohio State star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba vowed to make "an even bigger impact" when turning professional after declaring for the NFL Draft, though he will miss the College Football Playoff.
A hamstring injury has limited Smith-Njigba, one of the most decorated players in college football and the country's top wide receiver draft prospect, to just three outings this season.
The 20-year-old hoped to be fit for the December 31 clash against Georgia in the College Football Playoff but will be sidelined after consultation with the doctors.
That means the wide receiver has played his last game for Ohio as he confirmed he will put his name forward for the 2023 NFL Draft, which starts on April 27.
"I want to be out there competing with my brothers more than anything," Smith-Njigba told ESPN on Monday.
"Ohio State means the world to me. Watching from afar will be difficult, but I will be cheering my guys on and praying we get [the win].
"The decision to turn pro was made after I was unable to come back on multiple occasions during the season and the doctors determined I would be unable to participate in the playoffs."
Smith-Njigba posted a Big Ten record with 1,606 receiving yards on 95 receptions while playing alongside 2022 first-round draft picks Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave last season.
A fine individual campaign included a remarkable Rose Bowl performance, in which he recorded 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns.
Smith-Njigba has failed to hit similar heights in 2022, managing just five catches for 43 yards after battling with a hamstring issue – much to his frustration.
"More than you could imagine," he said of his struggles amid an injury-plagued year. "The season was tough, and I did everything I could to help my team and get back on the field.
"Sometimes things don't work out how you planned, but my faith in God has given me the strength to focus on my health and the next challenge.
"I'm going to have an even bigger impact in the NFL than when I played at OSU. I'm a playmaker who helps my team win and nothing has changed.
"My game both physically and mentally has only improved. The NFL is going to get a better version of me, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to show everyone that I still am [the best wide receiver]."
Sportswear giant Nike has cut ties with Kyrie Irving, having initially suspended its relationship with the Brooklyn Nets guard after he shared antisemitic material on social media.
Irving missed eight games after his decision to share a social media link to a book and film featuring antisemitic tropes led the Nets to suspend him last month.
The 30-year-old returned to the court on November 21 following a lengthy remediation process which attracted criticism from many onlookers.
Irving's signature endorsement agreement with Nike – who manufacture his signature brand of "Kyrie" sneakers worn by many players across the NBA – was initially set to expire in October 2023.
The company suspended its sponsorship deal with Irving in the immediate aftermath of the social media post, saying it was "deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation".
Nike subsequently cancelled the release of its "Kyrie 8" sneaker, and the company has now confirmed its relationship with Irving has come to an end.
In a one-line statement provided to ESPN, Nike said: "Kyrie is no longer a Nike athlete."
In a subsequent tweet, the seven-time NBA All-Star said: "Anyone who has even spent their hard-earned money on anything I have ever released, I consider you family and we are forever connected."
University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson has played his final game for the team after declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Richardson announced his decision on Monday, while also stating he would not play for the Gators against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
His confirmation for the draft sees him join a strong quarterback pool, which also includes the likes of Ohio State's CJ Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Alabama's Bryce Young.
In a lengthy social media post, Richardson said: "After much prayer, consideration, and speaking with my family, I have decided to forego the upcoming bowl game and my remaining years of college eligibility to enter the 2023 NFL Draft.
"As I take my next step in this journey, I will always be a Gator and strive to make Gator Nation proud."
Richardson has completed 176 of 327 passing attempts this season, resulting in 2549 yards for 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Those numbers will be appealing across the NFL, where a number of franchises are expected to be in the hunt for a quarterback after what was considered to be a weak draft class for the position in 2022.
Prior to Joe Burrow's arrival in 2020, the Cincinnati Bengals were an NFL punchline. In the third season of what looks set to be a storied NFL career, he has helped them turn one of the most fearsome teams in the league into their own personal punching bag.
Ok, that may be going a little far. However, after their thrilling 27-24 win in Week 13, it is clear the Bengals are the dominant team in a rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs, who they have now defeated in three successive games including their remarkable AFC Championship Game triumph last season.
That dream run to the Super Bowl was one that looked difficult to replicate, especially after the Bengals made an 0-2 start to the season with defeats to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys.
But the concern from that early disappointment has long since dissipated, with Burrow once authoring an increasingly impressive follow-up to his outstanding 2021 campaign.
Continually perfect placement
He reached a highpoint for the 2022 season on Sunday by once again outduelling Patrick Mahomes in an undulating thrill ride in Cincinnati, exhibiting the accuracy that defined the Bengals' unexpected 2021 ascension.
The former number one overall pick delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.1 per cent of his pass attempts, according to Stats Perform data, his superb ball placement helping him complete 25 of his 31 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. Burrow also opened the scoring with a rushing touchdown.
While the final stat line in terms of yardage may not be eye-popping, Burrow averaged 9.23 yards per attempt, his precision as a passer ensuring the Bengals maintained offensive efficiency that is critical against the Chiefs.
Burrow ended the game with a completion percentage of 80.6, over five per cent higher than his expected completion percentage of 75.4.
And yet, even in a game where Burrow was deadly accurate, the Bengals averaged 8.7 yards per pass play and Ja'Marr Chase had 97 yards on seven catches on his return from injury, it could be argued the Bengals did not fire on all cylinders.
Though they moved the ball well, the Bengals went three of seven in the red zone, with Tyler Boyd committing a crucial drop on a would-be touchdown on third down in the third quarter, and Burrow regularly had to make plays with his legs when pass protection that has improved this season broke down.
Normally such missed opportunities as the Bengals had inside the 20-yard line would be fatal against the Chiefs and the most feared quarterback of his generation, but since Burrow returned from the knee injury that prematurely ended his rookie year to reassume command of the offense in 2021, he and Cincinnati have become experts in finding a way to prevail against any calibre of this opposition.
On this occasion versus the Chiefs, it was success in finding balance that saw them navigate a path to a win over the team that entered Week 13 as the AFC's number one seed.
Yin and Yang
Cincinnati's passing game was complemented by a ground attack that took advantage of Kansas City's vulnerability defending the run.
Backup running back Samaje Perine averaged five yards per carry, with the efforts of the offensive line aiding him in putting up 3.29 yards before contact per rush, the sixth-most among backs with at least 10 carries in Week 13.
More critical, though, was the fourth-quarter defiance of the defense, which, despite struggling to get Mahomes off the field, came up with two crucial stops when the Bengals needed them most.
Germaine Pratt forced and recovered a fumble from Travis Kelce on a 19-yard reception to set up a go-ahead touchdown for the Bengals, on which Burrow found a wide-open Chris Evans after Boyd redeemed himself with a key third-down catch, and Joseph Ossai – who missed all of his rookie year due to injury – showcased his pass-rushing prowess and his motor to bring down Mahomes for a sack on third and short, ending the Chiefs' subsequent drive and forcing a long game-tying field goal attempt that Harrison Butker pushed wide right.
That gave Burrow the chance to kill the game in the final minutes and, after a second-down sack that appeared as if it might give the Chiefs one more chance, he extinguished any lingering Kansas City hope with one final display of his elite marksmanship.
Under pressure from Derrick Nnadi, Burrow calmly delivered a perfect ball to Tee Higgins over the middle as the Bengals ran a slant-flat concept, his throw delivered with the timing and anticipation to dart into the grasp of Higgins and defeat the excellent coverage of rookie Joshua Williams, ensuring Cincinnati picked up a first down on third-and-11 and ended the ball game.
Since Week 6, when the Bengals set off a run that has seen them win six of their past seven games, Burrow leads the NFL in completion percentage (72.3) and passing touchdowns (16), while he is third in yards per attempt (8.55), showcasing the kind of form that lifted the Bengals to the Super Bowl last season.
While he was both devastatingly accurate and efficient in Sunday's engrossing victory, it was a Bengals performance that, a week on from a hard-fought 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans, further demonstrated they do not necessarily need Burrow to carry the entire burden of their hopes on his shoulders.
Against Kansas City, the Bengals used a balanced offensive approach to win the time of possession battle – Cincinnati limiting the Chiefs' opportunities by holding the ball for over four minutes more than their high-powered opponents – and delivered defensive stops in the crucial moments.
But such key plays may not have borne fruit had Burrow not answered the bell with an unstoppable throw to Higgins when it was all on his shoulders.
There is the talent on the Bengals' roster that Burrow doesn't have to do everything, but approaching the end of his third season as pro, the overwhelming evidence is that he can.
This latest win over the Chiefs does indeed represent the zenith of 2022 for Burrow and the Bengals to this point. The exciting thing for Cincinnati, though, is that, for as much as he impressed, it was not Burrow's best performance of the season.
The ceiling for the Cincinnati offense is higher than what the Bengals produced in Week 13, and the fact they weren't required to reach it to knock off Kansas City once more should offer substantial encouragement to the reigning AFC champions, and terrify the rest of the conference looking to usurp them.
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