Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown was caught reading "Inner Excellence" on the sideline of the team’s wild-card playoff win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Jim Murphy’s book on sharpening one’s mental skills took the top spot on Amazon’s bestseller list as of Monday morning. It was ranked 523,497th going into the game. Eagles fans also helped out by leaving positive reviews on the book’s Amazon page.
"AJ Brown recommended this book, so I’m looking forward to reading this. Fly Eagles Fly," one Eagles fan wrote.
"After seeing AJ Brown reading this book on the sidelines during the playoff game against the Packers, my wife and I researched it a bit and both bought a copy. I can't wait to start reading it," another review read, according to Fox 29 Philadelphia.
"I always revert back to the beginning of the book," he said. "It states if you can just have a clear mind and remember that nothing else matters, clear conscience, nothing matters negative or positive. You're willing to take risks. It also says if you're humble, you can't be embarrassed."
The full title of Murphy’s book is called "Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life."
The author was briefly a minor league infielder with the Chicago Cubs. He then became intrigued by the idea of training baseball players how to have confidence under pressure, according to The Associated Press.
Things skyrocketed from there.
Brown added that he usually has the book with him during games. He said Sunday night was the first time he was caught.
Latin music star Bad Bunny impressed the pro wrestling world when he battled Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight at WWE Backlash in 2023 and came out to a raucous crowd in Puerto Rico.
It wasn’t the first time Bad Bunny had been in a WWE ring – he made several appearances for the company in 2021 – and he’s hoping it’s not his last.
The music star told Rolling Stone he wants to compete in the ring again.
"I want to do it one more time," he told the magazine in an interview published Monday. "I want to put my life at risk in the ring. I felt like I didn’t risk it enough in the ring, and I want to do it. I want to scare my mother. When? I don’t know.
"We stay in contact with the people at WWE, we’re always paying attention to what’s going on. But when, I don’t know. I hope there’s a time where I can really get ready, like I did the last few times. And I’d love to take more time to get ready physically.
"But man, just like in music, I do this to get better and to do something different. Sometimes, I say, ‘I’m going to quit everything and just do wrestling full time.’ I feel like in wrestling, I just go sporadically as a celebrity. I’m going to go full time and be a heel. That’s what I’d love. I was always a fan of the villains more than the good guys."
Bad Bunny’s entrance into the 2023 match was one of the more celebrated moments from that year.
It’s unclear where he would fit in any upcoming storylines but with WrestleMania season upon wrestling fans, anything could truly happen.
The Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy reportedly decided to part ways after the two sides failed to agree to a contract extension.
McCarthy and the Cowboys couldn’t agree on contract length and with the one-time Super Bowl champion head coach’s deal set to expire this week, the two sides will separate, the NFL Network reported Monday.
McCarthy is reportedly expected to have interest from other teams. The Chicago Bears were rumored to have requested an interview with McCarthy but were denied. Now, McCarthy could interview with the Bears or other teams.
ESPN reported the New Orleans Saints were also expected to have interest in McCarthy.
He became the head coach of the Cowboys before the 2020 season, taking over for Jason Garrett, who had spent 10 years at the helm. Though McCarthy went 6-10 in his first season, he saw some success when the team was healthy.
Dallas was 12-5 and won two division titles from 2021 to 2023. The team made the playoffs each year but failed to get back to the NFC Championship, which has eluded them since they last won the Super Bowl in 1995.
The Cowboys saw Dak Prescott’s 2024 season end early and the team couldn’t recover. The Cowboys were 7-10.
It’s unclear who the Cowboys will target now. Team owner Jerry Jones has made his ambitions very clear about winning another Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Eagles defense took a hit on Monday as linebacker Nakobe Dean reportedly suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
Dean left Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers on crutches after suffering a left-knee injury in the second quarter. He limped off of the field and was then carted to the locker room.
The NFL Network reported that an MRI revealed the worst.
The Eagles selected Dean in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played all 17 games in his rookie year and missed a majority of the 2023 season with an injury.
He bounced back in 2024 to become a starting linebacker. He started in 15 games, recording 128 tackles and three sacks. He also had an interception, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. He emerged as a top defensive player on the team.
Dean missed the final two games of the regular season with an abdominal injury.
Philadelphia will host either the Minnesota Vikings or Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round next weekend.
"We’re definitely playing for him out there," Eagles linebacker Oren Burks, who filled in for Dean on the defense, said after Sunday's game. "We’re going to miss him. We don’t know what the situation is, but this is a next man-up mentality."
A Texas man was arrested for allegedly stalking and sending sexually violent messages to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, was charged with stalking threatening sexual battery or death, FOX 59 reported, citing court documents. The charge is considered to be a Level 5 felony.
Lewis allegedly sent Clark sexually violent messages through his X account. One message said he had been driving around her house multiple times and encouraged her "not to call the law just yet." He also allegedly spoke of going to a Fever game and sitting behind the bench.
Authorities talked to Lewis about the messages on Jan. 8, according to the station. He reportedly told authorities he was going to Indianapolis for vacation and downplayed the number of messages he sent to the WNBA sharpshooter.
Thomas told authorities the messages weren’t threatening and called it a "fantasy-type thing" and a "joke."
Clark reportedly alerted authorities to the messages and said she had become fearful over the words sent to her.
"t takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said, via FOX 59. "In doing so, the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence."
The arrest of Lewis came nearly a month after an Oregon man pleaded guilty to stalking UConn Huskies women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers.
Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, was arrested in August and was found with an engagement ring and lingerie while walking near Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. He said he intended to marry Bueckers.
"Hi everybody, I'm going to make this short and sweet. I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing," Fury said. "It's been a blast, I've loved every single minute of it, and I'm going to end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless everybody, see you on the other side."
It was not clear why Fury mentioned Turpin. The Englishman was an 18th century highway robber and horse thief.
"The Gypsy King" suffered back-to-back defeats against Usyk. He lost via split decision back on May 18 and then lost via unanimous decision on Dec. 21. Both fights took place in Saudi Arabia. Fury lost multiple heavyweight championships in his initial loss to Usyk.
Fury’s last win came against Francis Ngannou via split decision.
If this is truly it for Fury, he will retire with a 34-2-1 record with 24 knockouts. The Usyk losses were the only two blemishes on his record. The draw came against Deontay Wilder in 2018.
He previously announced his retirement before his 34th birthday in August 2022 and was back in the ring two months later.
Frank Warren, a boxing promoter who worked with Fury, told BBC he did not speak with Fury before his retirement.
"If that's what he wants to do, that’s great. He’s done everything he can do. Probably been the best British heavyweight of his generation by far," Warren told BBC radio. "Two-time world champion, two closely fought fights against Usyk. He’s got plenty of money, got his wits about him, got a lovely family."
Boxing fans were hoping Fury would be able to finally fight Anthony Joshua in a battle of two of Britain’s best fighters of this generation. However, at least for now, that will not happen.
Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley had the backing of a ton of bettors to score a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in their wild-card playoff game on Sunday evening.
Barkley had the ultimate opportunity, but proved that not only was he the best running back in the NFL during the 2024 season, but he was also the smartest.
He took a handoff with 1:09 left in the game and ran it for 17 yards. He had a wide-open field in front of him and could have scored if he wanted to, but decided to slide to eventually kill the rest of the clock and secure an Eagles victory.
An anytime touchdown bet on Barkley was the most popular pro of the day at BetMGM, according to Yahoo Sports. He was -119 to score a touchdown and the third most-popular leg of parlays at ESPNBet, the network reported.
Regardless, Barkley said stats didn’t matter at that point.
"Stats don’t matter. The only stat that matters is the win," he said, via Pro Football Talk. "Whether we throw for 400 yards, rush for 400 yards or win 3-0, I don’t give a f---, to be honest. I just want to win."
Barkley added that it wasn’t "tempting" to score but rather it was more important to get the first down and stay down.
There are not too many basketball players taller than Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, but the Los Angeles Lakers legend may have met his match in a recent social media video.
O’Neal posted a TikTok skit onto his account on Saturday. He was seen arguing with a man shorter than him and then turning around to find the 7-foot, 9-inch tall Florida Gators center Olivier Rioux standing behind him.
"Pick on someone your own size," O’Neal captioned the video.
Rioux made O’Neal look like a guard instead of a dominating center. The 15-time All-Star was listed at 7-foot-1 during his playing days.
Rioux was considered to be the world’s tallest teenager when he committed to Florida. Rioux was the Guinness World Record holder for tallest teenager, standing at 7 feet, 5 inches as a 15-year-old. He stood 6 feet, 1 inch at age 8; 6 feet, 11 inches by sixth grade; and reached 7 feet during the summer before entering seventh grade.
Rioux has since had another growth spurt, gaining four inches in the last two years, according to Ball Is Life.
Rioux said previously he wears a size 20 shoe on his Instagram bio. He says his older brother is 6 feet, 9 inches; his dad is 6 feet, 8 inches; and his mom is 6 feet, 1 inch. He played high school ball at the IMG Academy and was a three-star prospect.
The Canadian has yet to appear in a game for the Gators, as he decided to redshirt his freshman year.
Jesse Palmer had the best view of one of the College Football Playoff games this month, being in the broadcast boost for the Peach Bowl between No. 4 Arizona State and No. 5 Texas.
The Longhorns were big favorites, and each of the previous games of the playoff were not particularly close - so, the pressure was on the Sun Devils.
They ultimately delivered a classic, as the Longhorns needed double-overtime to get to the semifinal. However, Palmer himself still thinks there needs to be "some tweaking" to the seeding format.
"I think conference champions should get in. I don't think they should be given an automatic bye, though, in the quarterfinal. It just felt like to me, just as a fan of college football, watching Oregon play Ohio State and watching Georgia play Notre Dame, those felt like semifinal matches to me and not necessarily quarterfinal matches," Palmer said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
"Now Arizona State, to me, is one of the greatest stories this year in all of college football. A team that was 3-9 last year and went through all the NCAA sanctions and everything they had to go through, remarkable year, Cam Skattebo easily one of the best players in college football … It was incredible how well they played. They belonged on the field with Texas. No doubt about it … I still think there's some tweaking needed in the College Football Playoff format, but if you just look at Arizona State specifically as that team specifically, they're easily talented and nothing good enough to get to the semifinal, no question."
Ultimately, Texas dropped their semifinal matchup to Ohio State on Friday night, but Palmer says Quinn Ewers faced plenty of uphill battles throughout the year.
"I give Quinn Ewers a ton of credit. It's so hard as a quarterback not to look over your shoulder. There’s so much hype surrounding Arch Manning when he showed up, right? And Arch Manning played so well in the two and a half games that Quinn Ewers was injured, and then all of a sudden, midway through the season, they lose to Georgia. There were a lot of people that wanted a quarterback switch," Palmer said.
Palmer dealt with a similar situation at Florida, where he was on the same roster as Rex Grossman and top recruit Brock Berlin.
"I'm sitting there thinking to myself, ‘If I throw an interception, or we lose a game, I'm gonna lose my job.’ And to Quinn Ewers’ credit, he's just put his head down, he just keeps playing," Palmer said.
Now, the national championship is a week away, and the NFL playoffs are underway. The viewing parties are on, and that is why Palmer has partnered with Helluva Good Dips to make sure football fans are eating well this time of year.
"This is my favorite time of the year. It's a time to get with friends and family and watch the big games, and I'm excited to be parting with Helluva Good to really raise and take the big game experience of viewing party to the next level," Palmer said. "Helluva Good dips are a staple in my house, they have been for a long, long time and certainly at viewing parties as well. And it won't be any different this year. College Football Playoff, the big game coming up in the NFL. There's going to be chips, dips, and beer. So there's that there's not a better combination than that."
The dip brand has partnered with Harpoon Brewery to make a French-onion flavored beer, which is right up Palmer's alley.
"This is like Jimmie Johnson, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin in the Super Bowl," Palmer quipped. "French-onion dip is my favorite Helluva Good dip, so that's that part, and it just so happens that Harpoon IPA is my favorite flavor in beer, and this is kind of like a combination of the two. And when people try this, they're going to be blown away. It's incredible."
In a couple of months, the chips, dip and beer will be back for the NFL Draft, where at the moment, it seems that Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward will be the top-two selections. A lot can change, but Palmer does not see anyone else sneaking into those picks, and teams will have to be aggressive if they want a quarterback.
"Shedeur is unbelievably athletic. I'd say he's unbelievably accurate and probably a bit more dangerous from the pocket. Cam is a guy that’s a bit better off-schedule, but I think is just a natural passer and has the X-factor…" Palmer said. "There may be some movement and some ammo needed to to move up to get to get snag one of those guys."
LSU Tigers standout wide receiver Kyren Lacy was arrested and booked into a Louisiana jail on multiple charges on Sunday.
Lacy was charged with negligent homicide and hit-and-run driving with serious injury or death, according to online jail records. Both charges are felonies. He was also charged with reckless operation with accident.
LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said last week the school had "no comment at this time out of respect for the legal process."
The star athlete was involved in a crash on Dec. 17, 2024 that left a 78-year-old retired U.S. Marine dead and injured two others, according to WAFB-TV.
The 24-year-old was allegedly driving recklessly – speeding and passing in a no-passing zone – when another motorist who was swerving to avoid Lacy crashed head-on into another vehicle.
Lacy fled the scene of the crash without his involvement or aid, Louisiana State Police said. The football player declared for the NFL Draft two days later. He did not play in the Tigers’ Texas Bowl victory against Baylor on Dec. 31.
An arrest warrant was issued for Lacy last week.
He had 58 catches for 866 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games for LSU during the 2024 season.
Ryan Pellum, a former Oregon Ducks wide receiver, was arrested on assault with a firearm charges on Friday for allegedly pistol-whipping a person in California on Christmas Day.
Pellum, whose full name is Ryan Tristan Chance Taylor, was arrested in Springfield over the incident that took place in Long Beach, California, according to The Oregonian. The school declined to comment to the paper because he was no longer a part of the football program.
He was accused of hitting a person with a 9 mm pistol, the paper reported. The alleged victim reportedly needed stitches from the incident. Pellum was also accused of firing the weapon.
As authorities arrested him, The Register-Guard reported that he told officials he was aware of the warrant for his arrest.
Pellum was a four-star recruit out of Long Beach Millikan. He went viral in June 2023 when he used his son to choose which school he was going to attend. He decided to choose USC at the time but switched his commitment.
He ended up playing four games for the Ducks in 2024 before he decided to enter the transfer portal. He appeared on special teams for Oregon, making one punt return.
Pellum is the nephew of former Oregon Ducks linebacker and defensive coordinator Don Pellum. He chose to play football using his last name instead of his given name, according to The Oregonian.
NFL officials missed a blatant holding penalty in the wild-card playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen looked to score on third down and ended up taking a sack because his receivers were covered. However, a replay showed that Broncos defensive back Patrick Surtain II was holding onto Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid during the play.
While NFL fans let their opinions fly on social media, head referee Bill Vinovich was seen going over to the Bills’ bench to talk to Allen. It occurred right after the penalty was missed.
"I wasn’t happy with what was going on, and I was yelling a little bit, and he said, ‘Don’t be yelling.’ So my bad. Sorry," Allen said of the interaction after the game, via Pro Football Talk.
Luckily, the missed call did not affect the game too much.
Allen was 20-of-26 with 272 yards and two touchdown passes. James Cook ran for 120 yards and a touchdown. Buffalo won the game, 31-7.
"I don’t think there was one certain thing over another. We just wanted to come out and execute well," Allen said. "At the end of the day, we just wanted to come out and play our best football, and I feel like we did that today."
Buffalo has advanced to the divisional round for the fifth straight season. The Bills will play the Baltimore Ravens in a matchup between two NFL MVP favorites – Allen and Lamar Jackson.
"This is what everyone’s been waiting for, right?" Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. "So it’ll be a nice week and everyone will be looking forward to it, and they’re a great football team. I mean they handled us pretty good the first go around, and they’re certainly playing well."
Sydney Thomas rocketed to social media fame toward the end of 2024 when she went viral as a ring girl during Jake Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson.
With an increase in popularity, Thomas also had to deal with some strangeness. She revealed in a recent podcast interview that a college football coach from the SEC slid into her direct messages.
"It was from another SEC football team coach. And they just DM’d me, ‘Roll Tide,’" she said on the "Like a Farmer Podcast" when asked about the "craziest DM" she received.
"So I'm not going to say what coach it was, but they’re an Alabama fan, now at least. We’ll let everyone else figure that out for themselves, who it was."
She never revealed who the coach was, so, for now, the secret is safe with the University of Alabama student.
Thomas gained thousands of followers on social media since she was seen at the Tyson-Paul fight back in November. To cap off the year, she wrote a "love letter" to 2024 in a post on Instagram.
"A love letter to 2024… a year of love, growth, discovery, and change. going into 2025 here is my little reminder to you- count your blessings and hold your people tight," she wrote.
"We are so blessed to be here today. love hard, hug harder, and appreciate everything and everyone. life is such a beautiful thing, and it’s most valuable parts are free."
American tennis star Coco Gauff sent a message to Los Angeles residents dealing with the devastating wildfires plaguing the area over the last week.
Gauff defeated Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday. She then wrote some words of encouragement on the camera lens near the court.
"Stay strong LA," she wrote. "Thank you firefighters!"
The blazes in Los Angeles have killed at least two dozen people, with the death toll expected to rise each day.
Gauff is looking for her second career Grand Slam title after winning the WTA Finals in November. Her best finish at the Australian Open came last year when she reached the semifinals. However, she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
The 2023 U.S. Open winner wore a Marvel-inspired bodysuit and skirt as she cruised to the win over Kenin.
"I knew going in it was going to be difficult, but you know I’m happy with how I played," she said of the one-hour, 20-minute win over Kenin, who at No. 81 is a much tougher opponent than her ranking suggests.
"I mean (I) could serve better, but like on that side I was struggling to see the ball," Guaff said, pointing to one baseline on the main show court that was bathed in sun. "So I’m just happy that I was able to manage through that."
The NBA announced that home games for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers would resume on Monday, after both teams had games originally scheduled for Saturday postponed due to the wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
The Lakers will host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles while the Clippers will host the Miami Heat at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, south of the Palisades fire.
The Clippers said at practice Sunday that the league had given the green light for Monday's game. The Spurs said they were told that Monday's matchup with the Lakers would be played as scheduled.
Saturday's games in Southern California, in which the Lakers were initially scheduled to host the Spurs in the first of two consecutive games between the two teams and the Clippers' home game against the Charlotte Hornets, were postponed in response to the fires. The Lakers also had a game previously scheduled for Thursday against the Hornets pushed back.
"I pray this nightmare ends soon!" Lakers star forward LeBron James wrote Saturday on the social media platform X.
The Spurs had to change hotels due to fire concerns after arriving in Los Angeles, while the Heat arrived on Saturday night as scheduled.
The Lakers and Clippers also are both scheduled to host games on Wednesday, when the Lakers play host to the Heat and the Clippers play the Brooklyn Nets.
"When people are losing their homes, kids are losing schools, losing lives, it’s very difficult to approach the game of basketball because life is bigger than basketball," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. "Hopefully we can bring some kind of joy with the game coming back tomorrow and some togetherness and try to put some smiles on people’s faces in tough times."
Clippers' guard Terance Mann plans to search through a storage unit he keeps for useful items he intends to donate.
"I just want to give a lot of clothes, some money, shoes, whatever I can," he said. "I’m going to go help people out and donate and drive around and do what I can do to help."
Some members of the Clippers organization were forced to evacuate their homes during the fires. The team was on the road when the fires began, and star forward Kawhi Leonard left the team in Denver to help his family in Pacific Palisades evacuate.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said his family's rental home in Pacific Palisades burned on Tuesday night, destroying most of their belongings.
"I was not prepared for what I saw," Redick said Friday. "It’s complete devastation and destruction. I had to go a different way to the house, but I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone."
The Lakers announced a donation drive for their upcoming games, starting Monday. The team has urged fans to bring new, in-the-package items to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank’s relief efforts.
The team's UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo will be used as a drive-thru donation center starting Tuesday, with essential non-food items listed as priorities, but packaged food items are also welcomed.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, which is the players' union, announced on Friday a $1 million donation for immediate relief to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and other organizations working to provide assistance to the victims and recovery efforts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yesterday — 12 January 2025Latest Sports News Today on Fox News
This game will forever be known as the "Divisional Doink" for the Washington Commanders, as Zane Gonzalez’s field goal to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, 23-20, got a little help from the goal post.
Getting the ball with 4:41 left to play in the fourth quarter after the Bucs tied it with a field goal at 20 apiece, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense were methodical with their drive, knowing that burning the right amount of clock could end in a game-winning field goal at the buzzer.
There were a few crucial plays on the drive to keep it alive, including Daniels finding Dyami Brown, who scored the game’s first touchdown, for a 21-yard on 3rd-and-6 to continue owning the ball. Then, with 55 seconds left, Daniels was able to run for four yards on third-and-2 from Tampa Bay’s 19-yard line, icing the chance to end the game.
When Gonzalez stepped into that kick from 37 yards out, it started immediately going to the right, and every Bucs fan at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay was hoping it wouldn’t split the uprights. But when it rang off the right goalpost, it went through for the three points and the victory to move on to the Divisional Round.
This is the first playoff win for Washington since 2005, and it came from another gutsy performance by the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Daniels has solidified his role as the team’s franchise quarterback with a tremendous regular season, but he didn’t fold under playoff pressure on the road against a Bucs team that demolished the Philadelphia Eagles on their home turf just a season ago in the same round.
Daniels, though, was calm and collected, going 24-for-35 for 268 yards with two touchdown passes, including one to Terry McLaurin which came after quite easily the most pivotal moment of the game.
The Bucs’ defense got a fantastic fourth-and-goal stop to turn the Commanders over on downs on their own three yard line. But just four plays later, Baker Mayfield botched what appeared to be a fake handoff to rookie receiver Jalen McMillan. The ball hit McMillan’s arm and went to the floor.
It was the Commanders who recovered on Tampa Bay’s 11-yard line, and Daniels made the Bucs pay with a five-yard pass to McLaurin on fourth-and-2 to take the lead.
The Bucs weren’t able to cash in on another red zone trip on the ensuing drive, opting to kick a game-tying field goal on fourth-and-3 from Washington’s 14-yard line. But they wouldn’t see the ball again thanks to Daniels and his offense.
Mayfield was just 15-for-18 for 185 yards with two touchdowns, while Bucky Irving rushed for 77 yards on 17 carries. Mike Evans had the team’s first touchdown as part of his seven-catch, 92-yard day.
Meanwhile, Brown and McLaurin each had 89 receiving yards on the night.
The Commanders will have a tough task in the Divisional Round, as they will be heading to Detroit to face the No. 1-seeded Lions as their No. 6 seed is lower than the No. 4 Los Angeles Rams and No. 5 Minnesota Vikings, who play the final wild card game on Monday night.
Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels was cut and bloodied in the second quarter of his playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Commanders called a timeout with 11:16 left in the half. The NBC broadcast showed a cut below the quarterback’s right eye. Blood streaked down his face as the team’s medical staff tried to get him cleaned up.
Daniels came back out for 3rd-and-3 and was able to find wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus for a first down. Three plays later, Daniels put Washington on top with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Dyami Brown. Washington took a 7-3 lead with 9:26 left in the quarter.
He was treated on the sidelines after the touchdown drive.
It was Daniels’ first playoff game of his career, and he appeared to be as cool and as poised as he’s been all season long.
Washington hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2005 season. That game was also against the Buccaneers. Mark Brunell led Washington to a 17-10 win over Chris Simms and the Buccaneers. Clinton Portis had a rushing touchdown and the late Sean Taylor had a 51-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
It’s the Commanders’ first playoff appearance since 2020. They won the NFC East that season with a 7-9 record.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown raised eyebrows on Sunday night during the team’s playoff win against the Green Bay Packers with what he was doing on the bench.
In the fourth quarter, Brown was on the bench sitting between his teammates when the FOX broadcast caught him pulling out a book to read.
"I haven’t seen too many people read books, but I have seen a quarterback eat a hot dog," Tom Brady remarked, in reference to former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez’s own viral moment during his playing days.
The broadcast then happened to catch the title of the book: "Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible life." The book was written by Jim Murphy.
"Whether you’re an athlete or entrepreneur, single mother or father of five, you’ll find exercises, techniques and tools in this book that will improve every area of your life," the description of the book reads. "Your life will take on new meaning as you move beyond the pursuit of happiness to a life of purpose and fulfillment."
Brown said after the game he brings the book to the sidelines each week.
"It gives me a sense of peace," he said, via NFL Network. "That's a book I bring every single game. My teammates call it a recipe. … It's got a lot of points in there. A lot of mental game."
Golf great Stewart Cink and PGA Tour coach Matt Killen are both quoted in support of Murphy’s book, according to its Amazon page.
"My #1 tip for success: Read ‘Inner Excellence’ by Jim Murphy," Cink is quoted as saying.
"I read the first version of ‘Inner Excellence’ six times. I recommend all my clients read it," Killen is quoted as saying.
Philadelphia won the game, 22-10. Brown had one catch on three targets for 10 yards.
The Philadelphia Eagles are flying through to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, as they beat the Green Bay Packers, 22-10, in their wild card game on Sunday night.
The Eagles will await their opponent in the Divisional Round, as both the Washington Commanders-Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams-Minnesota Vikings games need to be played.
This was not a game to remember for Green Bay, and it started on the opening kickoff when Keisean Nixon fumbled after a hit by Oren Burks, leading to an Eagles recovery on the 28-yard line.
Just three plays later, Jalen Hurts, who got through concussion protocol after missing the team’s final two games, had all the time in the world in his pocket before firing a dart to Jahan Dotson for his first touchdown of the season.
Now, while that was all the offense the Eagles got in the first half other than a Jake Elliott field goal later in the first quarter, Jordan Love and the Packers just never found a rhythm.
The first two offensive drives ended in punts, and trying to get something positive going, Love launched a ball deep down the right sideline intended for Dontayvion Wicks, but it was instead intercepted by Darius Slay.
That was Love’s first of two interceptions in the first half, as Zack Baun jumped a route ran by Malik Heath and picked him off late in the second quarter. And to add insult to injury, the Packers’ first true drive into Eagles territory ended in Brandon McManus missing a 38-yard field goal – his first career miss in the postseason.
But when the second half began, a 10-0 game wasn’t a big enough lead for the Eagles to say the game was in the bag. The Packers were able to finally get on the board when their opening drive of the half ended with a field goal made this time, though they certainly wanted seven points instead.
Philadelphia, though, quickly responded with a touchdown drive that was capped by an angry catch-and-run by tight end Dallas Goedert for 24 yards, as he stiffed armed Carrington Valentine multiple times as he tried to tackle him down the sideline.
With a 16-3 deficit, the Packers were in desperation mode even with it being the third quarter because they couldn’t get anything going offensively. That’s where Josh Jacobs, their workhorse starting running back, answered the call.
On second-and-10 from Philadelphia’s 32-yard line, Jacobs bulldozed his way through multiple Eagles players, throwing them to the ground and rushing to the goal line where it looked like he had gotten in to close the gap. Replay review would spot him down at the one, but the Packers would give it right back to him to bust into the end zone to make it 16-10 with more than enough time to rectify previous mistakes.
But as the Eagles have been doing all season, they answer in the face of adversity, and they kicked a couple field goals and forced two turnovers, including Love’s third interception of the game, to ice their victory.
Looking at the box score, Hurts was 13-for-21 for 131 yards with two touchdowns, while Saquon Barkley led the game with 119 rushing yards on 25 carries. And though he didn’t get in the end zone, DeVonta Smith was the leading receiver in the game with four catches for 55 yards.
Love was 20-for-33 for 212 yards with his three interceptions, while Jacobs rushed for 81 yards on 18 carries. He lost receivers Jayden Reed, who had four catches for 46 yards, and Romeo Doubs in this game due to injury. Packers center Josh Myers was also seen carted off the field, as injuries piled up at the wrong time.
As those in Southern California continue to deal with wildfire devastation, NFL legend Tom Brady is doing his part to help out the relief efforts.
Brady partnered with Gopuff to deliver $250,000 of free water to those impacted by the wildfires.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power continues to send out alerts saying that unsafe water is in the area due to fire-related toxins in tap water.
So, customers of Gopuff, which has thousands of employees, 160-plus BevMo! Stores and a corporate office in California can use the code "CAStrong" at checkout to have fresh, and free, still water delivered up to $10.
Also, 30% off essentials, including food, batteries, electrolytes and more, is being offered by the company that also announced a donation of $150,000 worth of essentials last week.
"Our hearts are with the thousands and thousands of people impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles," said Yakir Gola, Gopuff co-founder and co-CEO, in a statement. "We are extremely grateful for first responders’ round-the-clock efforts to keep our communities safe and for our team leaders’ tireless efforts to support our employees in the area.
"To do our part to support first responders and anyone who’s impacted locally, we’ve partnered with Tom Brady to give away $250K worth of water to those in the LA area and will continue to monitor the situation and support however we can."
Brady joined Gopuff in June 2024 in a multiyear strategic partnership in which he said he would be hands-on with the instant commerce leader.
"Since my first time using Gopuff, I’ve been amazed by how fast and seamless the deliveries are, offering so many different options right at your fingertips," said Brady in an official press release of the partnership announcement. "I’m excited to be working with the Gopuff team to continue to drive innovation and help create an even better experience for their customers."
California authorities have confirmed a new death toll of 16 as the wildfires continued to rage around Los Angeles on Sunday. Thousands have lost their homes as first responders continue to try to get control over the flames.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has invited President-elect Donald Trump to visit California amid the wildfires and fighting over budget decisions. The governor has faced criticism for approving a budget that slashed $100 million in firefighting and fire prevention funding.
Newsom did issue an executive order on Sunday to remove some regulatory hurdles and procedures to accelerate rebuilding homes and business faster.
