Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn feels his side's focus on court matters alone is key to their form, after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving set up a ninth win in a row.
The pair posted 32 points each in a remarkable double act to ensuring a 125-117 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, which gave the Nets their longest winning streak since 2006.
It marks a sharp contrast from the early season blues the Nets suffered from, with Irving banned for a post that supported anti-semitism and prior head coach Steve Nash dismissed amid poor form.
Vaughn credits the turnaround to keeping his players tightly trained on their performances rather than matters away from the court, indicating that discipline has been the secret of the success.
"I am a simple person," he said. "[I] really try to keep things simple. We stripped our playbook down a little bit, we are simple in what we do.
"[We] have our guys play extremely free of mind. I think there's something important in that if you're going to ask your guys to play hard."
Durant concurred with his coach's assessment, noting the Nets feel like they are in a better headspace under Vaughn's command, while suggesting outside forces were played up in the media.
"To be honest, I think we've always been about ball," he added. "Everybody has a platform, so there are many voices speaking [about] what we do inside our locker room
"I think that's the noise that you hear. But from us, we've always been about the game. We struggled early on, we were always focused on playing basketball."
Arizona Cardinals star defensive end JJ Watt has announced his football career is ending.
Watt posted to Twitter on Monday that Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the first NFL game his son attended but also his final NFL home game.
"Koa's first ever NFL game," Watt wrote. "My last ever NFL home game."
Already eliminated from the playoffs, the Cardinals play their final two games on the road – at the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday and at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.
"My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude," Watt wrote. "It's been an absolute honour and a pleasure."
One of the NFL's most feared pass-rushers early in his career, the 33-year-old Watt battled through injuries in the past few seasons and revealed in October he was playing through a case of atrial fibrillation.
A first-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2011, Watt is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time first-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection.
The future Hall of Famer led the league in sacks in 2012 and 2015, and his 111.5 career sacks rank fourth among active players. His 9.5 sacks this season are his most since recording 16 in 2018.
Novak Djokovic made a low-key arrival in Australia on Tuesday and can expect a warm welcome from tennis fans a year on from his deportation drama, according to grand slam boss Craig Tiley.
Tiley, tournament director at the Australian Open, said he was confident the public would respond positively to the 21-time major winner who was thrown out of the country ahead of the last Melbourne Park event.
In early January this year, Australian's then immigration minister Alex Hawke determined Djokovic should be removed from the country "on health and good order grounds" and "in the public interest".
Djokovic had been granted a medical exemption to enter Australia, despite not being vaccinated, only for border officials to block him upon his arrival, setting in motion a saga that dominated the lead-up to the championship.
There had been concerns Djokovic would be banned from the country for the next three years, as that is the punishment that usually comes with a deportation order, but instead he has been welcomed back.
Australia's border entry rules changed in July, with travellers no longer obliged to provide evidence of vaccination status.
On Tuesday, Tiley said Djokovic had arrived in Adelaide, with local media also reporting he had quietly entered the country.
The Australian Open begins on January 16, with Djokovic due to compete in the first of two Adelaide International tournaments before then, from January 1-8.
Djokovic was kept in a detention centre on his arrival last year, but this time the 35-year-old Serbian can expect all the trappings that come with his status as an all-time tennis great.
"He finished 2022 playing the best tennis, he does want to get to equalling the current record held by Rafa," said Tiley at a press conference, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. "He has a goal to be the greatest of all time."
Djokovic has nine Australian Open men's singles titles, the most of any player.
Should he scoop another, he would move alongside Rafael Nadal on 22 slams, the most singles majors won by a man. Nadal won the Australian Open in Djokovic's absence last year.
Tiley thinks Djokovic has achieved enough in his career for last January's sorry soap opera to be set aside, saying: "I have a great deal of confidence in the Australian public.
"We're a very well-educated sporting public, particularly those who come to the tennis, they love their tennis, they love seeing greatness, they love seeing great athleticism, great matches.
"And I have a lot of confidence that the fans will react like we hope they would react and have respect for that."
Ahead of his journey Down Under, Djokovic had said: "I'm just glad to have a chance to start there.
"After obviously what happened earlier this year, hopefully, I can have a decent reception there, and that can help me play some good tennis."
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has not thought about how the team will handle their quarterback situation in 2023 following rookie Brock Purdy's stunning emergence.
The Niners claimed their eighth straight win on Christmas Eve as they eased to a 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders to improve to 11-4 on the season.
Purdy, the last pick in this year's draft, has been the starting quarterback for the last three games, having come in and replaced Jimmy Garoppolo following his injury in the first quarter of the Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Since quarterback starts were first tracked in 1950, Purdy is only the second player to begin his career 3-0 as a starter while throwing multiple touchdown passes in each game. The other is Kurt Warner, who did so in 1999 after stepping in for the injured Trent Green and went on to lead the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The 49ers and Purdy have ambitions on lifting the Lombardi Trophy at the end of this campaign, and it is that goal Shanahan is entirely focused on, not a quarterback decision that figures to be one of the dominant storylines of the offseason.
Garoppolo will become a free agent at the start of the 2023 league year in March, leaving Purdy and Trey Lance — who was the 49ers’ starter before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 — as the two quarterbacks on the roster.
San Francisco traded three first-round picks for the right to acquire Lance with the third overall selection in 2021, but he has started only four games in two seasons and it may be difficult to demote Purdy from the starting role if he continues to thrive and the 49ers enjoy a deep playoff run.
But asked if he had thought about how he will approach the quarterback issue in the offseason, Shanahan told reporters on Monday: "No, I didn't even know what year it is after this season is over, so I'm trying to think about how to get him ready for Wednesday [practice].
"That's a great question, but honestly, I don't look ahead like that. We have a number of big games in front of us."
Purdy averaged 10.64 yards per pass attempt in throwing for 234 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against Washington despite still dealing with an oblique injury.
Assessing Purdy's display, Shanahan said: "I thought Brock played well, really well. He was smart with the ball.
"There were a couple situations that were tight, where there was an unblocked player and the play was almost there and I thought he just did a great job not doing anything stupid in some tough situations also.
"He's shown that he's willing to let a rip at all times and there were a couple times in the game that they got an unblocked guy right to him and he made a couple great decisions just to take the sack, so I was really impressed with how Brock played just talking to him here the last two days.
"He got out healthy again and I think that should continue healing up and I think he should be even a little better this week with more health."
Tom Brady will take his time when considering retirement, after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback's very brief exit prior to the 2022 season.
The 45-year-old announced his retirement from the NFL in February before a dramatic U-turn just forty days later.
With just two games remaining of the regular season – though the Buccaneers lead the NFC South and can clinch the division title with victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars – retirement questions are once again orientating around the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, Brady's future remains up in the air but he has learned not to rush into a decision after this year's experience.
"Well, I think next time I decide to retire, that's it for me. So, whenever that day comes, we'll figure it out," he told the Let's Go! Podcast.
"You know, I think what I really realised last year was you gotta be really sure to do that [announce retirement].
"And for me, you know, a lot of people have kind of gone through this situation. I'm going to take my time whenever that time does come."
Should he continue, Brady could decide to remain with the Buccaneers or may choose a new team for the twilight years of his career, with an array of teams having been touted as potential destinations.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley has hailed his side for clinching a playoff berth but made it clear it is "just the beginning" for the team.
A first playoff spot for the Chargers since 2018 was clinched with a 20-3 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, marking only the second venture into the postseason since the franchise returned to Los Angeles from San Diego.
However, Staley has his sights set on more significant goals as he looks to steer the Chargers all the way to Super Bowl glory – something that has evaded the franchise in their history, having made only one appearance in 1994 when they suffered defeat against the San Francisco 49ers.
"It's just the beginning; this is not our final goal," he told reporters.
"I'm really proud of how this season has gone for our football team and what we've been able to demonstrate to make it into the postseason. That's what I'm most proud of, not that we did it but how we made it, what it took for us to get in, but this is just the beginning for us.
"The reason why we're here is because of the men on our football team. We've got the make-up to withstand the type of season that we've had. We wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the toughness of our football team.
"For far too long, people have talked about the talent and organisation but that's ultimately not what gets you where you want to go. You have to prove your toughness, and that's what we've proven so far this year.
"Our season is not over. We have two more games against really good teams and we need to play our best football so we not only get into the playoffs but so that we can make a run to a Super Bowl championship, which is what we want."
The Chargers' playoff berth is the first of Justin Herbert's career and, while he was proud of the achievement, he backed the defense for their performance and believes there is more to come from his side of the team.
"We've dealt with our fair share of adversity. The story of the day was the defense, stepping up and getting those stops in. There's plenty of room for improvement with our offense but it's a good sign of things to come," he said after the game.
"Some games that didn't go our way last year, but we were able to learn from that and fix it. I think the guys in the locker room deserve that. They've worked so hard and earned it. I think the Chargers operation have done a great job in the past few years."
Dwayne Casey felt his Detroit Pistons side "threw in the towel" as they squandered a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes to lose 142-131 to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The NBA-worst Pistons were on course for just a ninth win in 36 games this season until the Clippers rallied in Monday's contest at Little Caesars Arena.
Paul George scored 32 in the Clippers' overtime triumph, with Terance Mann hitting a tying jumper with five seconds left in regulation to deny the Pistons.
"We were down 15 points in the third quarter, fought our way back, got the lead and had a comfortable lead with three minutes left," Pistons coach Casey said.
"They threw in the towel. We must learn how to win that game. I'm proud of the way we put ourselves in a position to beat one of the best teams in the West, but we didn't get it."
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue took action with his side 126-112 down by pulling his starters.
A line-up of Luke Kennard, Amir Coffey, Nicolas Batum, Moses Brown and Mann finished the fourth quarter with a 16-2 run in an unlikely turnaround.
"You have to give those guys credit for staying ready," Lue said. "They came out and played with some urgency.
"Amir and Moses hadn't played in the game, so for them to come in and produce like the way they did was huge."
The Clippers had lost their previous 417 games in which they had trailed by 14 points or more with three minutes remaining prior to Monday's comeback against the Pistons.
Isaiah Stewart, who scored 21 points, says the blame is on the Pistons' players rather than the coaching staff.
"They took their starters out, and we thought the game was over," he said. "We had the lead and we didn't finish the game. That's completely on us, not the coaches."
The Clippers (20-15) are fourth in the Western Conference, while the Pistons (8-28) are bottom of the East.
The Brooklyn Nets now own the NBA's longest active winning streak after extending it to nine games with Monday's 125-117 road victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Making it even more impressive is the fact that the Cavaliers came into the contest with the third-best home record in the league at 16-3, but had no answer for the Nets' offensive firepower early.
Brooklyn built a 65-49 lead at half-time, and despite a big performance from Cavs point guard Darius Garland down the stretch, the Nets were never truly threatened.
Kevin Durant (10-of-18 shooting) and Kyrie Irving (11-of-19) had 32 points and five assists each for the Nets, while Ben Simmons finished with nine rebounds, eight assists, three steals and one block to go with his four points.
T.J. Warren continues to shine off the bench since returning from a long-term injury, contributing 23 points (nine-of-14), eight rebounds and two steals.
Garland was clearly the Cavaliers' best, scoring 46 points (14-of-20) with eight assists, while it was the first time this season Donovan Mitchell has had consecutive games of 15 points or fewer.
The win improves the Nets' record to 22-12 after beginning the campaign 1-5, leapfrogging the Cavaliers (22-13) into the Eastern Conference's third seed.
Clippers complete miraculous comeback
The Los Angeles Clippers came from 14 points down with under three minutes remaining to defeat the Detroit Pistons 141-132 in overtime.
Detroit led 126-112 with 2:52 on the clock before the Clippers launched a 16-2 run from that point to force the game to overtime, and their momentum carried into the extra session, winning it 14-3.
With Kawhi Leonard sitting out the first leg a back-to-back, Paul George was the unquestioned leader, and he delivered with team-highs in points (32), assists (11) and steals (three).
The Clippers have now won six of their past eight to improve their record to 20-15.
Heat spread it around against the Timberwolves
The Miami Heat beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-110 despite not having a single player cross the 20-point barrier.
Eight of the Heat's nine players scored between seven and 19 points in the absence of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, led by Max Strus' 19 on seven-of-12 shooting.
Tyler Herro was effective as a playmaker with eight assists, but struggled with his shooting, missing all eight of his three-pointers.
Kyle Lowry picked up the slack as the Heat's best player, finishing with 18 points (eight-of-16), nine assists and no turnovers, as well as a steal on the final play to deny the Timberwolves a chance to tie the game.
The Los Angeles Chargers' defense dominated Indianapolis Colts quarterback Nick Foles in his first start of the season to collect a 20-3 victory and book the first playoff berth of the Justin Herbert era.
Herbert, the sixth overall pick from the 2020 NFL Draft, has already been anointed as part of the next great wave of quarterbacks, but is yet to taste postseason action after going 7-9 as a rookie and 9-8 last year.
With a playoff spot on the line with a win on Monday, the Chargers' defense played inspired football, sacking former Super Bowl champion Foles seven times while also intercepting three passes.
The Colts' only points came from a field goal in the second quarter, but they remained in the game at half-time as Austin Ekeler scored the Chargers' only first-half touchdown to lead 10-3.
After Cameron Dicker's second field goal made things a two-score game in the third period, Ekeler rumbled in for his second one-yard touchdown of the contest early in the fourth quarter to blow out the lead.
With his two touchdowns, Ekeler now owns the outright league-lead with 16 combined trips to the endzone – 11 rushing and five receiving. He handled 16 carries for 67 yards with his two scores, while adding four catches for 12 yards.
It was not Herbert's best game, completing 24 of his 31 passes for 235 yards and an interception, but he had a strong connection with receiver Keenan Allen, who had 11 catches for 104 yards.
Defensively, superstar pass-rusher Khalil Mack was one of six Chargers to register at least one sack, while Michael Davis, Asante Samuel Jr and Derwin James Jr collected the interceptions.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones made it clear his intention was not to hurt anybody, but defended his low hit on Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple that resulted in an $11,139 fine.
The play occurred as the Bengals' defense scooped up an incomplete pass and began to run it back for a touchdown, but unaware that the whistle had been blown and the play was dead, both teams acted as if the ball was live.
During the return, Jones positioned himself in Apple's path and dropped at the knees to take him out of the play, with numerous pundits and Apple himself calling it a "dirty play".
"I thought it was a dirty play," Apple said. "He's done that before – I've seen it."
When asked about it by radio station WEEI on Monday, Jones explained the situation as simply being part of the game, saying he did not know the play had been stopped.
"I went down in front of him to kind of get in the way to stop him from slowing down Tyquan [Thornton], who obviously could make the tackle there," he said.
"So just kind of went down in front of him, trying to stop a fast guy from getting to another fast guy. It's a split-second decision and there's a lot that goes into it.
"You're out there trying to compete, it's a physical game, so I was just trying to help the team win.
"I have all the respect for Eli and the Bengals. They played a great game. So, there's no hard feelings and definitely no intention to hurt anybody on that play.
"I get hit a lot, too. We're all out there playing hard – it's just part of the game."
The Sacramento Kings have potentially avoided a costly absence after a report on Monday that two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis will attempt to play through his thumb injury.
According the The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sabonis suffered a fractured ligament in his right thumb – his non-shooting hand – and will make himself available for Tuesday's home game against the Denver Nuggets.
Sabonis, 26, is leading the league in rebounding with a career-high 12.4 per game, while setting a new personal best with a 61.2 per cent field goal percentage, and his 6.7 assists per game also ties his career-high.
It has been an impressive first full season with the Kings after being acquired during the middle of last campaign, playing in each of Sacramento's first 31 games to propel them to a 17-14 record – placing them sixth in the Western Conference.
They are on pace to make their first playoff appearance since 2006, which is currently the league's longest postseason drought.
For years, the New England Patriots have been the model NFL franchise. They have represented consistency, discipline and, above all else, good coaching.
As they head into the final two weeks of the 2022 season, it is hard to think of three qualities that are less representative of this version of Bill Belichick's team.
The Patriots are still in the mix to reach the playoffs this season and may yet sneak is in as a Wild Card for the second successive season.
But their 2021 campaign ended with the Patriots being blown out by the Buffalo Bills, and all the signs point to this season coming to a conclusion in similar circumstances.
Indeed, any veneer of the Patriots as a postseason contender who could cause problems for the AFC's elite has been emphatically removed by a pair of dramatic finishes that both produced agonising defeats for New England.
The Patriots followed up their last-gasp defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Jakobi Meyers' inexplicable failed lateral with another heartbreaking finale that saw Rhamondre Stevenson fumble the ball into the arms of the Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell.
Those successive losses leave the Patriots at 7-8 and, while they are still only a game behind the 8-7 Miami Dolphins, their consecutive failures over the course of the past two weeks in situations where New England would normally thrive are significant enough to raise significant questions about the direction of a team whose success saw them established as the NFL's modern dynasty.
Most of those questions surround the offensive side of the ball. Last year, the Patriots let the draft board come to them and selected quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall, and looked to have themselves a steal as the former Alabama signal-caller impressed in helping New England to the playoffs.
But a failure to adequately replace offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has been succeeded by the bizarre combination of Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, has seen Jones fail to take the next step and the New England attack fail to deliver the explosive production needed to truly compete in a very competitive AFC.
According to Stats Perform's advanced data, Jones has actually been more accurate than his rookie season. He delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 80.1 per cent of his pass attempts in 2021, and that rate has increased to 82.1 per cent in 2022.
Yet Jones has thrown just nine touchdowns after tossing 22 last season, his struggles in that regard reflective of the Patriots' overall problems in punching the ball into the endzone, which they have done on only 15.4 per cent of their offensive drives, scoring six points on 26 of their 169 offensive series.
Their inability to turn possessions into touchdowns is in part a product of their lack of investment in the offensive skill positions. The Patriots rank 21st in win rate in pass coverage matchups, the starting wide receiver triumvirate of Meyers, Nelson Agholor and DeVante Parker unsurprisingly failing to consistently create the separation required for Jones to build a productive rapport with his receivers.
The Patriots' offensive issues are as much a failure of scheme as they are of personnel. Theirs is an offensive system that does not play to the strengths of Jones, who came from an offense built around the run-pass option at Alabama.
In 2022, the Patriots have used RPOs on just 1.3 per cent of their pass game snaps, below the average of 2.8. On top of that, they have eschewed the opportunity to capitalise on the influence of a run game defenses have committed at least eight men into the box to guard against 50.1 per cent of the time by leaning on the play-action pass.
The Patriots have used play-action on 9.87 per cent of pass plays, well shy of the league average of 13.3 per cent, limiting the easy buttons for Jones in an attack that is too reliant on the pure dropback game.
New England's offense has run a dropback concept 42 per cent of the time in 2022, nearly 11 percentage points above the average of 31.4 per cent, with the Patriots' primary reply to defensive aggression being a screen game that is overused and predictable. Screen passes have made up 16.3 per cent of New England's passing plays, with the league average being 9.9 per cent.
This static and ineffective offense is not only wasting the second year of Jones' development, but also an excellent season from the Patriots' defense, which ranks sixth with a Success Rate of 36.8 per cent.
The Patriots have two extremely productive pass rushers in Matthew Judon (15.5 sacks) and Josh Uche (11.5) and have pieced things together effectively in the back seven with a mix of rookies, veterans and emerging playmakers such as third-year safety Kyle Dugger, who serves as a tribute to Belichick's ability to develop talent on that side of the ball.
Belichick's defensive genius remains and it is undoubted, but in 2022 it is being cancelled out by the lack of offensive talent and a scheme that does little to elevate its young quarterback.
Jones is obviously a long way from being Tom Brady, and the talent on this Patriots roster is nowhere close to that of the New England teams he helped steer to six Super Bowl titles, yet Belichick has a quarterback and a group that can at be a threat to do damage in the postseason. Belichick excels at making teams into more than the sum of their parts, but it's hard to argue against the fact that, through negligence on the offensive side of the ball, he has missed an opportunity to do that this season.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was placed in the NFL concussion protocol on Monday and his status for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots is in question.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel announced the injury on Monday a day after Tagovailoa played all of Miami’s 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
"It was something he met with doctors today and discussed some symptoms," McDaniel said.
It's uncertain if Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, but McDaniel said he had the symptoms to justify being placed in the league's protocol.
If Tagovailoa is not cleared, Teddy Bridgewater will get the start in the Dolphins' extremely important game at New England.
The Dolphins are 8-7 after Tagovailoa threw three interceptions in Sunday's setback at the hands of the Packers and have lost four in a row and own the tiebreaker over the 7-8 Patriots for the final playoff spot in the AFC.
Tagovailoa missed two October games after suffering a concussion in Miami's 27-15 Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was hospitalised after being whipped around and flung to the ground by the Bengals' Josh Tupou, causing his head to snap back onto the turf.
He then laid flat on his back with his hands in front of his face while his fingers bent at awkward angles in a 'fencing response' caused by a traumatic blow to the brain.
The Dolphins were heavily criticised for having Tagovailoa on the field for that game four days after what transpired in a 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills.
After being pushed to the ground by linebacker Matt Milano, Tagovailoa's helmet slammed into the turf. He managed to get back on his feet quickly, but after shaking his head and looking woozy, he appeared to lose his balance as he stumbled back to the ground.
He went to the locker room to be assessed by the team's medical staff, with the Dolphins announcing a head injury that made him questionable to return.
He only missed three snaps, however, returning for the start of the third quarter – a decision that prompted the NFL and National Football League Players Association to conduct a joint review of how the decision was made to allow Tagovailoa to return.
McDaniel maintained, however, the proper protocols were followed and that Tagovailoa was cleared by the team and the independent neurologist.
The neurotrauma consultant who evaluated and cleared Tagovailoa was later fired by the NFLPA.
Mike White will return as starting quarterback for the New York Jets in the Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
White has been sidelined for the past two games due to a rib injury suffered during the defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, with the Jets losing the two games since as part of a four-game losing streak that has hindered their playoff push.
However, first reported by the New York Post, White has been cleared by doctors and will be back to lead the offense in Sunday's road trip against the Seahawks – in which both teams will essentially be in must-win mode as they seek to clinch a Wild Card berth.
His return provides a welcome boost for the Jets, who saw last year's second overall pick Zach Wilson continue to struggle when placed back in as starter in last Thursday's defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wilson was benched for practice squad quarterback Chris Streveler in the second half of that loss.
In order to clinch a spot in the postseason, the Jets must win against the Seahawks and in their following trip to face the Miami Dolphins, but they also require at least one defeat from the New England Patriots from their two remaining games.
The Jets sit at 7-8 for the year and have not had a winning season since 2015 (10-6), while their last playoff appearance came 12 years ago.
The Denver Broncos have fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett after under a year in charge.
A 51-14 Christmas Day defeat to the Los Angeles Rams left the Broncos 4-11 on the season, the joint-third worst record across the NFL, with Denver set for their seventh consecutive losing season.
Former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Hackett was hired in January for his first head coach position and was expected to produce improvements to a struggling offense, which saw quarterback Russell Wilson added to its ranks in March in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
However, performances have been disappointing, with the Broncos' points-per-game average of 15.5 standing as the lowest in the NFL.
The Broncos were thrashed 51-14 by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, a result that proved the final straw.
In a statement, owner and CEO Gregg Penner said: "Following extensive conversations with George Paton and our ownership group, we determined a new direction would ultimately be in the best interest of the Broncos.
"This change was made out of respect for everyone involved and allows us to immediately begin the search for a new head coach.
"We recognise and appreciate this organisation's championship history and we understand we have not met that standard.
"Our fans deserve much better and I can't say enough about their loyalty during such a challenging stretch for our team.
"Moving forward, we will carefully evaluate every aspect of our football operations and make whatever changes are necessary to restore this franchise's winning tradition."
The Broncos finish the season with a road trip to face the Kansas City Chiefs and a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly hopeful right tackle Lane Johnson will be fit for the playoffs after being ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with an abdominal injury.
Johnson was replaced by Jack Driscoll after suffering the injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 40-32 defeat against the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia's second loss of the campaign.
A report from ESPN's Adam Schefter said Johnson had undergone an MRI scan that revealed a torn tendon in the abdominal area, and he is not expected to play any further part in the Eagles' final two regular season games.
However, with Philadelphia having clinched a playoff spot, the NFC East leaders hope to have the four-time Pro Bowl OT available for a postseason run.
With Johnson starting all 15 of the Eagles' games this season, his setback represents another concern for a side already nursing an injury to starting quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts.
The Eagles boast the NFL's best record at 13-2, and another victory would be enough for them to clinch the NFC East, the conference's top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Wales lock Will Rowlands confirmed he will miss the Six Nations with a shoulder injury.
The Dragons second row is set to return in April after undergoing surgery on the injury sustained during Wales' Autumn Nations clash with Argentina last month.
Rowlands will be a big miss for his nation, who begin their campaign against Ireland on February 4 before concluding against France six weeks later.
A string of impressive performances in 2022 saw the 31-year-old named player of the year by the Welsh Rugby Writers Association (WRWA).
"The shoulder is OK, It is frustrating, but [the recovery] is just slow and steady," he told the Scrum V Live programme. "Hopefully, I will be involved back in rugby in April time."
Rowlands, who is reportedly set to join French side Racing 92 after leaving the Dragons at the end of this season, is also doubtful for the World Cup in September due to not fulfilling the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) selection criteria.
The policy states players playing their domestic club rugby outside Wales must have earned 60 or more caps to remain eligible for selection, thus rendering the 23-cap lock unavailable to Warren Gatland.
Leonard Fournette revealed he has been playing through a Lisfranc injury as he sent a message – which he later deleted – to his critics.
Fournette is one of a number of players whose performances have been scrutinised in a season in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a disappointing 7-8.
But that record crucially has the Bucs top of the NFC South after the running back led his team to a vital overtime win over the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Day.
Fournette contributed 162 yards from scrimmage, leading Tampa Bay in both carries (20 for 72 yards) and receptions (nine for 90 yards).
And the 27-year-old revealed his commitment to the Bucs in a Twitter post on Monday, although he soon deleted the message.
"I hate when people be on here just talking, saying I'm out of shape etc," he wrote.
"Do y'all understand I'm playing with a Lisfranc in my foot every week? Can barely push off my foot but through the Grace of God I'm going to keep proving y'all wrong."
Fournette has the backing of quarterback Tom Brady, who said after the 19-16 win: "He ran really hard and was on a mission.
"He ran through arm tackles, ran hard, caught the ball well, pass protected well.
"This team has a lot of resiliency. We fight hard. 7-8 is not where we want to be, but got a chance at a championship game next week."
Russell Wilson conceded his inaugural season with the Denver Broncos has not been what he hoped for, though he made it clear that the necessary team improvements start with himself.
The quarterback threw three interceptions as the Los Angeles Rams ran out 51-14 victors on Christmas Day, leaving the Broncos 4-11 this year – the joint-third worst record across the NFL.
Wilson has struggled to perform following his mega trade from the Seattle Seahawks, with a pass completion of 60.1 per cent standing as the lowest-ever mark of his career.
Meanwhile, he has thrown a touchdown in just 2.9 per cent of his throws – again the worst record of his career.
Though the 34-year-old is not the only player to have disappointed this season, Wilson has vowed to "keep fighting" and remains confident of better displays in future campaigns.
"A lot needs to happen. I have to play to the standards that I know how to play to," he said, via Mike Klis of KUSA. "And I've been playing to my whole career. I'll never let a moment like tonight define me.
"We're at a low moment right now. I don't fear low moments because I know every time, I've always come out the other side. All I know how to do is keep fighting, keep battling.
"The reality is, it's been a storm. It's been a storm all year. It's not what we hoped for, not what we dreamed for. But it doesn't mean it's going to end that way for years to come. We got to change it, and it starts with me."
The Broncos travel to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, before concluding their season at home to the Los Angeles Chargers.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
