January 13, 2025 4:36 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jayden Daniels ran for a critical first down to set up Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field goal that clanged off the right upright and went through as time expired, and the Washington Commanders beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in an NFC wild-card game for the franchise’s first playoff win in 6,945 days. Daniels became the third rookie quarterback in three years to win a playoff game. The Commanders will face the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions in the divisional round. Daniels threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers missed several opportunities and the veteran quarterback committed a critical turnover in the fourth quarter.
January 13, 2025 4:30 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes in his first game since a late-season concussion, Dallas Goedert threw three stiff-arms on a rugged touchdown catch and the Philadelphia Eagles rode their NFL-best defense to a 22-10 wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers. Hurts threw for a modest 131 yards but played with no hesitation as he came back from a three-week layoff after a concussion in December. The NFC East champions will host a divisional round game against the winner of Monday night’s game between Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams next week.
January 13, 2025 4:37 am
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes, James Cook scored on a 5-yard run and finished with 120 yards rushing, and the Buffalo Bills leaned on a balanced offensive attack in a 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in a wild-card playoff game. The Bills methodically wore down the Broncos by scoring on six of their first seven drives in building a 31-7 lead in an outing where they finished with a 23-minute edge in time of possession. The five-time AFC East defending champion Bills advanced to the divisional round for a fifth straight postseason, and will face the third-seeded Baltimore Ravens next Sunday night. The seventh-seeded Broncos were outclassed in their first playoff appearance since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2015.
January 13, 2025 4:34 am
Pittsburgh women’s coach Tory Verdi had a simple second-half message Sunday for his team, which was getting absolutely blown out at home against SMU. “I kept saying ‘fight,’” he said. His team responded — in record fashion. The Panthers — down by 32 points in the first half, still down by 31 at intermission — tied an NCAA Division I women’s basketball record for biggest comeback, rallying to stun SMU 72-59 behind 22 points from Mikayla Johnson and 21 from Khadija Faye.
January 12, 2025 6:17 am
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns in a flawless first half, Derrick Henry scored twice while leading Baltimore’s devastating running game, and the Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14 to advance to the second round of the AFC playoffs. The Ravens move on to face either Buffalo or Houston after jumping out to a 21-0 halftime lead and holding on against their AFC North rivals. Baltimore had a 19-2 advantage in first downs in the first half, when the Ravens produced touchdown drives of 95, 85 and 90 yards, Henry ran for 186 yards, and Baltimore outrushed the Steelers 299-29. It was the most yards rushing allowed by Pittsburgh in a playoff game.
Pittsburgh’s season ends with five straight losses, two of which came in Baltimore. The ending was a familiar story for the Steelers, who have lost six consecutive playoff games. The last three times they’ve been in the postseason, they’ve fallen on the road in games that have exemplified the gap between Pittsburgh and the conference’s true contenders. “They were the better group today. That was obvious,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “The X factor was Lamar’s unique talents. It seems like every time we got him behind the sticks, he made up for it.”
January 12, 2025 6:30 am
HOUSTON (AP) — Eric Murray returned one of Justin Herbert’s career-high four interceptions for a touchdown, C.J. Stroud threw a TD pass and the Houston Texans rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in a wild-card playoff game. It’s the second straight year Stroud and the Texans (11-7) won in the first round after they beat Cleveland last season. Herbert threw just three interceptions in the regular season and had never thrown more than two in a game before facing a Texans secondary led by AP All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, who grabbed two Saturday. Texans get 2 points on blocked extra point return vs. Chargers, 1st in NFL playoff history
January 12, 2025 6:14 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Shane Pinto scored two special teams goals in the first period, Leevi Merilainen stopped 30 shots and the Ottawa Senators beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-0. Pinto beat Alex Nedeljokvic on the power play just over five minutes into the game then added a short-handed goal in the waning moments of the opening frame as the Senators won for just the second time in their last eight games. Tyler Kleven, Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle also scored for the Senators. Claude Giroux added three assists as Ottawa won its sixth straight over Pittsburgh.
January 12, 2025 6:19 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Reyne Smith knocked down a career-best seven 3-pointers and Louisville defeated Pittsburgh 82-78, the sixth straight win for the Cardinals. The loss snapped Pittsburgh’s 15-game home win streak that included eight wins over Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Pitt had won its last five meetings with Louisville.
January 11, 2025 4:32 am
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Quinshon Judkins ran for two touchdowns before Jack Sawyer forced a fumble by his former roommate and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers that he returned 83 yards for a touchdown with 2:13 left as Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl. The 13-2 Buckeyes advance for a shot at their sixth national title. Their semifinal victory came in the same stadium where they were champions in the debut of the College Football Playoff as a four-team format. Now they have the opportunity to be the winner again in the debut of the expanded 12-team field when they play Notre Dame on January 20.
January 11, 2025 4:39 am
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens are hoping the regular season was just a preview of what Derrick Henry’s impact could be in the playoffs. After rushing for 1,921 yards — including a career-high 5.9 per carry — Henry is ready to help Lamar Jackson lead a dynamic Baltimore offense into the postseason. The Ravens host Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Like Jackson, Henry hasn’t been to a Super Bowl and has reached the AFC title game only once. He returns to the playoffs after missing them the past two seasons with Tennessee.
