Baker Mayfield says "everything does happen for a reason" after his dream start to life at the Los Angeles Rams.

The former first overall draft pick started the season with the Carolina Panthers, having been waived with a dismal 1-5 record for the campaign.

Picked up by the Rams in the midst of a quarterback injury crisis, Mayfield unexpectedly led the Super Bowl holders to a comeback win against the Las Vegas Raiders in his first game for the team.

Ahead of Monday's match with the Green Bay Packers, the 27-year-old has acknowledged it has been an unusual start to life in California, but suggested his move offered a second chance after his Panthers frustrations.

"Refreshing is an interesting way to put it, considering how stressful last week has been," he said.

"But in the end, everything does happen for a reason. I'm thankful for the group that is here."

Though tasked with leading the Rams against the Raiders, Mayfield was able to call on veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford for advice throughout the match.

Head coach Sean McVay was impressed with the latter's contributions, highlighting his crucial impact in helping his new team-mate keep focused on the game.

"He was even on the headset on the last drive," he added. "He was able to add in a couple of things that would be helpful to Baker.

"That tells you everything that you need to know about Matthew and who he is. I think sometimes being able to get a different perspective can be beneficial."

Emma Raducanu is working with a new coach as she heads towards the 2023 season, reports said on Friday.

The 2021 US Open winner, who turned 20 in November, has had a growing list of coaches and is seeking the right formula to make an alliance successful.

She has turned for now to German Sebastian Sachs, a 30-year-old who previously worked with Victoria Azarenka, as a member of the Belarusian's team, before becoming the main coach of Julia Goerges and latterly Belinda Bencic.

Olympic champion Bencic recently appointed Dmitry Tursunov, who had been working with Raducanu, and Sachs has headed in the opposite direction by joining up with the British youngster.

As well as Russian former ATP top-20 player Tursunov, Raducanu has had coaching spells under the tutelage of Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz and the Lawn Tennis Association's Iain Bates in the past two years.

Raducanu and her team have yet to formally announce Sachs' role, but reports have indicated he has been with her this week in Abu Dhabi. Her management have yet to confirm whether this is a trial or a full-time appointment.

The one-time grand slam winner had a match on Friday against Ons Jabeur at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition event, losing 5-7 6-3 10-8 to the 2022 Wimbledon and US Open runner-up.

After parting company with Raducanu, Tursunov said getting the best out of the Briton would be "minimum a one-year project but... probably a two-and-a-half-year project to be on the safe side", and reasoned that her game remained "very raw".

"It's going to take some time, but as I said to her and to pretty much everyone on her team: I think you just need to have one voice and just try that for a bit," Tursunov said.

Raducanu has not reached a final since her dazzling Flushing Meadows victory, and she finished the 2022 season at 76th in the WTA rankings.

Brittney Griner intends to play in the WNBA next season, having returned to the United States following her release from a Russian prison.

Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17 for bringing under a gram of cannabis oil into Russia in vape cartridges.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist said she made an "honest mistake", while her lawyers argued she was using cannabis for medicinal purposes and was unaware cannabis oil was outlawed in Russia.

Griner was subsequently jailed for nine years for drug possession and drug smuggling with criminal intent, but she was released in a prisoner exchange that saw convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout return to Russia last week.

In a statement posted to her Instagram account on Friday, the eight-time WNBA All-Star confirmed she plans to play for the Phoenix Mercury in 2023.

"It feels so good to be home! The last 10 months have been a battle at every turn," Griner said.

"I dug deep to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that helped keep me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone for your help.

"I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury this season.

"In doing so, I look forward to being able to say 'thank you' to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon."

In her social media post, Griner also thanked those who had advocated for her release, including "the Phoenix Mercury, the players of the WNBA and my entire WNBA family", as well as US president Joe Biden.

When announcing Griner's return, Biden said the 32-year-old had been "unjustly detained" and described the conditions she endured as "intolerable".

The Phoenix Mercury suffered a first-round exit in the WNBA Playoffs in August and are set to begin their 2023 campaign against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 19.

Greg Norman has vowed to remain with LIV Golf despite Rory McIlroy's criticism, adding the door remains open for the world number one to defect down the line.

In addition, the double major champion revealed the Saudi-funded breakaway tour has held discussions with Justin Thomas, though he did not say whether the two-time PGA Championship winner would switch his allegiance.

Since its inception in 2021, LIV Golf has sparked a bitter civil war in the sport, with McIlroy and Tiger Woods launching stinging rebukes against Norman and his allies.

There were calls earlier this month for the Australian to quit, with the pair suggesting reconciliation could be on the table if he was to stand down.

But Norman says he will resist such calls, telling Bunkered magazine: "Rory and Tiger have no idea what they're talking about. None whatsoever.

"I have got the full support from my chairman. There has never been one thing to suggest otherwise. They're trying to bait me into a public back-and-forth. I'm not going down that childish path.

"You're already seeing LIV is a leader. The PGA Tour and DP World Tour, they're followers. They've basically copied our homework."

Norman did suggest that McIlroy would be welcomed with open arms if he was to change his tune though, while praising Thomas for his conduct in not criticising LIV Golf after he was approached to join.

"Our door is open for everybody," he added. "We're not the PGA Tour. We're not like that. We exist for the players, so we will always have an open door, whether that's for Rory or Jordan Spieth or Justin Thomas or whoever. 

"We talked to JT [Thomas], we sat down with him and gave him the full presentation. If you notice, he's not said much negative about what we're doing, presumably because he knows it and understands it."

Doctors with the New York Jets will not clear quarterback Mike White from his rib injury, forcing the team to turn back to Zach Wilson as the starter under center this week.

White suffered an unspecified injury to his ribs during last week’s 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

After undergoing treatment and practising all week, he had planned to play in Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, but he will instead be held back by the team’s medical staff.

On Thursday, White was asked by reporters if he had any doubts that he would be starting on Sunday, and replied: "No, no, none at all."

Speaking on Friday, however, Jets coach Robert Saleh said: "Mike White, who is an absolute warrior and has been doing everything he can this week to find another option to get him on the football field, to find someone who will clear him for contact, has exhausted every measure he can because he wants to be out there for his team-mates."

With White ruled out, the Jets turn to Wilson, who has been inactive for the last three games after being benched.

Wilson has started 20 games for the Jets since being selected No. 2 overall out of BYU in 2021. New York are 8-12 in those games, and Wilson has completed just 55.6 per cent of his passes, with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

The 7-6 Jets remain in the playoff hunt in the AFC but are looking to end a two-game skid on Sunday when they host the Lions, who have won five of their last six games and are also fighting for a playoff spot at 6-7.

Christian McCaffrey reflected on riding a "wild rollercoaster" this season after he helped the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in just his eighth game with the team.

All-Pro running back McCaffrey joined the 49ers in a blockbuster trade from the Carolina Panthers back in October.

His arrival has served as a catalyst for a surge from San Francisco that has seen them win seven successive games to move to 10-4 and clinch the division title for the first time since 2019, despite losing top two quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance to injury and being forced to turn to rookie Brock Purdy.

McCaffrey was the focal point of the attack as the 49ers sealed the NFC West with a 21-13 road win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

He rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and added another 30 yards receiving on six catches.

The former eighth overall pick finds himself in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt, having been traded from a Panthers team that started 1-5.

Asked about his campaign, McCaffrey said: "It's hard to put into words. It's been a wild rollercoaster, and obviously we still have a lot more left.

"But it's nice to be able to celebrate this one with an amazing group of guys, and I'm just so fortunate to be a part of this team."

While the 49ers enjoyed raucous celebrations and sported their division title hats and t-shirts, they still have many more mountains to scale in pursuit of an elusive sixth Super Bowl title.

"This isn't our final goal by any means," head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

"I'm very proud of our team and what we accomplished throughout the year to get to this.

"Our goal is to get into the tournament [the playoffs], and we accomplished that today, but now it's all trying to set that up to be the best situation we can and hopefully get some of our guys back, too, in the process."

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll "cannot fathom" playing without wide receiver Tyler Lockett after he suffered a broken index finger.

Lockett sustained the injury on the final offensive drive of the Seahawks' 21-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.

The win clinched the NFC West for 10-4 San Francisco and served as a further dent to Seattle's hopes of securing a Wild Card berth at 7-7.

Seattle's prospects of reaching the postseason now appear to be further diminished by the loss of the former first-team All-Pro and two-time second-team All-Pro Lockett.

The Seahawks are still deciding how to treat the injury, with surgery an option for Lockett, who could return in two weeks, according to Carroll.

"There's a couple different ways that they can do the surgery," Carroll said. "One of the ways gives him a chance to be back.

"Remember [running back] Rashaad Penny... had an injury similar, very similar.

"So they've already floated that thought and they're going to talk about all the options and all that and we're going to love him up and take care of him. Whatever the right thing to do to take care of him, we're going to do.

"I can't fathom playing without Tyler. I got a chance to hang with him, just to try to express what it's like to be working with a guy like this for so long.

"He's such an incredible player. He's not in tremendous pain. He's got a broken hand.

"You feel sorry for him, but he's such a magnificent football player and a member of the team and member of the community and our area and our fans ... that we're gonna miss the heck out of him for whatever he misses."

Since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2015, Lockett has racked up 7,031 receiving yards and 53 receiving touchdowns, which are tied for the seventh-most in the league in that span.

The Seahawks visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Eve before finishing their regular season with games against the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.

Kyle Shanahan described Brock Purdy as 'the most poised rookie I've ever had" after he fought through injury to help the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in Thursday's 21-13 win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Purdy, who was the last pick of this year's NFL Draft, started his second consecutive game after taking over following the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the second game in a row, Purdy did not commit a turnover, finishing with 17 completions from 26 attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

He also helped star tight end George Kittle have his best game of the season, catching four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, after entering the contest with only four touchdowns in 11 games.

With the victory, the 49ers clinched the NFC West and at least one home playoff game, improving their record to 10-4 on the back of a seven-game winning streak.

Purdy was questionable during the week due to oblique and rib injuries, but 49ers head coach Shanahan believes his young quarterback levelled up in the eyes of the locker room as he battled through it.

"It was definitely another level," he said. "It was another level for me, just watching someone do it. 

"The injury he had last week, and for him to be ready to go today – and you could tell in pre-game warmups there were a number of things that were really tough for him. We had a number of plays we weren't going to call today because of where he was at.

"So for him to be able to play, let alone play the way he did… this team had a lot of respect for him before this game, but they have a lot more now.

“He's definitely the most poised rookie I've ever had. He's been like that since he got here. From what I hear about him in college, he was very similar, starting as a freshman. He's been great, he was poised all week even when he was unsure about whether he could go or not.

"I think that was uneasy for him, because he didn't know what to expect until he got in the game.

"Under our circumstances, we didn't have any other options, or choices. We were going to see how long he could last, and we were ready to go with [backup quarterback] Josh [Johnson], but he got comfortable, and got better as the game went on – it was pretty unbelievable."

Purdy himself did his best to deflect a lot of the positive sentiments towards his team-mates, particularly injured quarterbacks Garoppolo and Trey Lance.

"It's special and everything, but honestly, I'm just another component," he said. "I'm another piece to this team, in terms of a guy coming in, just doing what [is asked of him]. 

"I'm the quarterback, I have to make decisions. I trust in how the coaches teach me throughout the week, and I just try to get the ball out to the guys on time.

"Honestly, man, I don't think Jimmy and Trey get enough credit for what they've done. I'm just now coming on the scene where these guys have been here, throughout the offseason for Trey, and Jimmy coming in and leading these guys, and winning.

"So, for me to come in, I just want to continue what they got rolling. So a big credit to Jimmy and Trey for what they've done, especially in the quarterback room, for the team, and I'm just trying to do my part in terms of where we're at now in the season."

Boris Becker is set to tell his story to German television on Tuesday after the tennis legend was released from prison.

The 55-year-old was sentenced to two and a half years in jail at the end of April for breaking insolvency laws.

It was news that 21-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic, who was previously coached by Becker, said left him "heartbroken" for his close friend.

Becker, who won six singles grand slams, served just eight months of his jail sentence. It was confirmed on Thursday by his lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, he has returned to his native Germany, where he is not subject to any restrictions.

Now Becker is poised to speak about his experiences, shining a light on a shocking fall from grace.

The former world number one was found guilty of hiding £2.5million worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts when he was declared bankrupt in 2017.

He will appear on the Sat.1 channel in a prime-time slot, with editor-in-chief Juliane Essling telling dwdl.de: "Boris Becker is perhaps the greatest hero of German sport. We all know the unbelievable highs and downfalls in his life. Boris Becker is familiar to us.

"Sat.1 will not talk about him – but with him. I am pleased that Boris Becker has given us his trust for the first and only interview worldwide after what may have been the most difficult time in his life."

Becker lived in London before being sent to prison but could be prevented from returning to live in the UK.

He does not have UK citizenship and the Home Office has confirmed any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.

He covered tennis in a broadcasting career before he was sentenced, being a regular presence on the BBC during Wimbledon, the tournament he won three times, including s spectacular triumph as the age of 17 in 1985.

The business end of the NFL season is here as the playoff picture starts to emerge.

You can tell things are getting interesting as this weekend sees three Saturday games, meaning football fans can stretch out their weekend viewing even further.

Saturday sees the Minnesota Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts, the Baltimore Ravens visit the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills taking on the Miami Dolphins.

Sunday's action includes a clash in the NFC South where no team seems to want to finish first, but the winner of the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints will leave themselves with an inexplicable chance to do so.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers behind a selection of Week 15's games.

Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (10-3)

While the Vikings have been having a far better season than the Colts, they are just 7-18-1 all-time in the series between the two (including playoffs). It is the Vikings' worst record against any single opponent.

Indianapolis entered their bye week with a 54-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, in which they were outscored by 33 points in the fourth quarter (33-0), the largest point differential in a single fourth quarter in NFL history.

Matt Ryan needs 125 passing yards to reach 3,000 for the 13th consecutive season, which would make him the eighth QB in NFL history to accomplish the feat, joining Philip Rivers as the only two to do so without a Super Bowl victory.

Justin Jefferson set a franchise record with 223 receiving yards on 11 catches against the Detroit Lions. Jefferson is up to 4,516 career receiving yards, the most of anyone in NFL history in a player's first three seasons (next most being Randy Moss with 4,163).

Miami Dolphins (8-5) @ Buffalo Bills (10-3)

The Bills have a five-game winning streak at home against the Dolphins, tied for their longest of all-time. This is just one game shy of matching Buffalo's longest home win streak against a divisional opponent (twice against the Colts and once against the New England Patriots).

The Dolphins lost 23-17 to the Chargers last week, posting a season-low 127 passing yards. Miami's 10 completions in the game were their fewest since Week 13 of 2015 (nine).

Tyreek Hill had a 57-yard fumble return touchdown and 60-yard receiving touchdown last week, and leads the NFL with four plays of 50 or more yards this season. Hill had four total plays of 50 or more yards in his last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sean McDermott is 9-2 (.818) in his career as a head coach against the Dolphins, the best record by any head coach with at least eight games against Miami all-time. Only two coaches have 10 or more career wins against Miami (Bill Belichick, 26, and Marv Levy, 15).

Atlanta Falcons (5-8) @ New Orleans Saints (4-9)

The Falcons' three-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their last game was Atlanta's 10th game this season decided by six points or fewer, tied for the most in franchise history (also in 1995, 2015 and 2017).

Cordarrelle Patterson is one of three players in NFL history to average 5.0+ yards per rush and 9.0+ yards per reception over his career (minimum 400 rushes and 200 receptions), along with Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell.

The Saints have held their opponent to fewer than 300 net passing yards in 22 consecutive games, tied with the Bengals for the second-longest active streak in the NFL (after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 27).

Chris Olave has had at least 40 receiving yards in all 12 games of his career thus far, the second-longest streak by any NFL player to begin his career in the Super Bowl era behind fellow Saints player Michael Thomas (19).

Elsewhere...

Panthers QB Sam Darnold has won both of his starts this season and has not thrown a pick in either. He has now won seven straight starts dating back to 2020 in games where he has not thrown an interception, tied for the third-longest active streak among QBs (Jimmy Garoppolo 16, Jalen Hurts 13, Joe Burrow 7), and will look to extend it against the Steelers.

The Dallas Cowboys will have to find a way to stop Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. Since November 1, Lawrence has the highest completion percentage in the NFL among players with at least 100 attempts (71.8). On the season, the Jaguars are 5-2 when he completes at least 70.0 per cent of his passes compared to 0-6 when he does not.

The Las Vegas Raiders will look to bounce back against the New England Patriots after blowing a 13-point lead with fewer than four minutes remaining in their 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. Over the last 40 seasons, the only other time the team had lost a game it led by 13+ points with four minutes or less remaining was in Week 3 of the 1993 season to the Cleveland Browns. 

Tom Brady was 34-for-55 for 253 yards last week, the 11th time in his career he has attempted at least 55 passes. His teams are now 3-8 in such games, with wins in 2002 against Chicago, 2015 against Buffalo, and Week 9 of this season against the Rams. The Buccaneers (6-7) will hope he can guide them to a much-needed W against the Bengals.

Rafael Nadal on Friday revealed long-time coach Francis Roig is no longer on his team.

Former player Roig has been working with the legendary Spaniard since 2005, helping him win a record 22 grand slam titles.

Roig's long spell on the Nadal team has now come to an end, with the world number two announcing that his compatriot has taken on a "new project."

He wrote on social media: "I wanted to inform you that Francis Roig is leaving the team. Francis has been an important person in my career and I am very grateful to him for all these years of work and friendship.

"When we started working together I was a child and together with my uncle Toni, we started on the circuit.

"Francis is a great coach who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to get better and better. I only have words of gratitude and I wish him all the luck in the world in his new project."

Toni Nadal left his nephew's coaching team at the end of the 2017 season and is now working with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Carlos Moya was appointed as Nadal's coach following Toni Nadal's departure.

Bernard Laporte has been told he must stand down as president of the French Rugby Federation after his corruption conviction, reports said on Friday.

Former France coach Laporte had signalled an intention to remain at the helm of the federation (FFR), but the organisation's own ethics committee has decided he must go.

According to French newspapers Le Parisien and L'Equipe, the ethics committee has served Laporte with an injunction insisting he vacates his post.

Should Laporte not follow the instruction to leave office, the ethics committee would reportedly have the power to take control of the FFR disciplinary commission and impose sanctions on the 58-year-old president.

"We could not stay outside this situation," said the ethics committee, quoted by Le Parisien. "But it took time for the members to come together, far from the media tumult, to make a decision in calm and serenity."

Laporte stepped down from his role as vice-chairman of World Rugby on Tuesday as an act of "self-suspension" after he was given a two-year suspended prison sentence.

That came after an investigation which examined a number of decisions that favoured Mohed Altrad, the president of Top 14 side Montpellier, including the award of a shirt sponsorship deal for the France national team to Altrad's construction business.

Laporte, who was France's head coach between 1999 and 2007, was also hit with a €75,000 fine and a two-year ban from involvement in rugby by the Paris Criminal Court on Tuesday.

The ban from rugby activities is suspended pending the outcome of Laporte's planned appeal; however, France's sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera and the French National Rugby League have this week both called for Laporte to be replaced.

France will host the Rugby World Cup next year.

Oudea-Castera said it would be inappropriate for Laporte to remain in charge "at a moment as decisive for French rugby as the home stretch before a Rugby World Cup where France will receive nations from all over the world".

George Russell has faith Mercedes will be much more competitive next season, believing they "just got it wrong" this year.

The Silver Arrows had won eight consecutive constructors' championships heading into 2022, also taking the drivers' title in seven of those seasons – including six for Lewis Hamilton.

But Russell's move to Mercedes coincided with a dismal year for their car, unable to match the pace of Max Verstappen's Red Bull.

Mercedes were third in the constructors' championship, with Russell fourth in the driver standings and Hamilton down in sixth.

That is not a theme Russell expects to continue into 2023, however, confident Mercedes are still capable of producing a title-winning car.

"They haven't forgotten how to build a fast race car," Russell told BBC Radio Norfolk. "We just got it wrong this year.

"We got the philosophy wrong. We went down a route which turned out to be the wrong route.

"Sometimes it takes you a long time to dig yourself out of that hole. Now I feel we've dug ourselves out of that hole and we're building on top of that.

"We are a step behind Red Bull and Ferrari and we've got a lot of catching up to do – but we're definitely going to be in a much stronger position from race one next year than we were this year."

Russell ended his wait for a first career win at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix in the penultimate race of the year, but he is hungry for more.

"When you join a team like Mercedes, you're expecting victories," he said. "I felt ready to fight for race wins and championships this year, but you've just got to manage your expectations.

"You've got to change those sights slightly, and it's been really intriguing for me this year, seeing how the team deal with this situation.

"I'm here for the long haul, and even though I wanted victories and [to be] fighting for that championship in 2022, as a team these struggles are going to set us up for the coming years.

"I hope I look back in 10 years' time and say the 2022 season was a positive one in the journey."