After playing much of the last two seasons firmly in the shadow of Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey is starting to find some time in the spotlight.
Heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the visiting Indiana Pacers, Giddey is playing the best basketball of his young career.
The second-year guard has scored 20 or more points in three consecutive games, including a 28-point performance in Sunday’s win at Brooklyn, which matches a career high. Giddey has scored at least 20 points in eight of his last 12 contests.
Over the last nine games, Giddey is shooting 52.7 percent from the floor, raising his season percentage to 47.9 after shooting just under 42 percent as a rookie.
Giddey’s improvement has lifted the Thunder as a whole.
The Thunder comes into Wednesday’s game on a three-game winning streak, with all three victories coming on the road. Oklahoma City has also won three consecutive home games.
Indiana comes into the game on a season-long, four-game losing streak.
Pacers center Myles Turner returned for Monday’s loss at Milwaukee after missing three games with back spasms.
Turner finished with 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting in 36 minutes.
While Turner is working his way back in, the Pacers remain without guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has missed the last three games with a sprained elbow and knee bruise. Haliburton figures to miss several more games.
The Pacers have struggled, especially late in games, without Haliburton.
During the recent stretch without Haliburton, Indiana has allowed 125 points per game and is averaging 15.3 turnovers per game.
The Pacers have been outscored by an average of 8.3 points in the fourth quarter of the three games without Haliburton.
Wednesday’s meeting is the first of two between the teams this season. The Pacers have won three consecutive games in Oklahoma City.
The Miami Heat lost their last game when a comeback didn’t wipe out a very slow start.
The New Orleans Pelicans lost their last game after running out of gas in the fourth quarter.
Both teams will be looking for a more consistent performance when they meet Wednesday in New Orleans.
Miami never led Monday against the host Atlanta Hawks and fell behind by as many as 26 points in the first half. The Heat got as close as seven points in the third quarter and remained in striking distance for part of the fourth before falling, 121-113.
The Heat welcomed back from injury starters Tyler Herro (15 points) and Caleb Martin (seven points). They’re still missing another starter — Kyle Lowry, who’s day-to-day and is on the road trip that concludes Saturday in Dallas.
The Pelicans are still waiting to welcome back three of their injured starters — Brandon Ingram (toe), who hasn’t played since November; Zion Williamson (hamstring), who has missed the last seven games; and Herbert Jones (back), who has missed the last three. Jones seems to have the best chance of the three to play Wednesday.
New Orleans finished 2-3 on its longest road trip of the season when it fell at Cleveland 113-103 on Monday. The Pelicans led by three points after three quarters but got outscored 35-22 in the fourth even though the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell sat out the final period after straining a groin.
Cleveland took control with a 16-2 run to start the fourth quarter as New Orleans didn’t make a field goal until the period was more than halfway over.
With the other starters out, New Orleans had to lean on Valanciunas and CJ McCollum, who had 25 points.
The Memphis Grizzlies will look to match their franchise-record win streak Wednesday night when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Grizzlies reached the 30-win mark and extended their winning streak to 10 games Monday with a 136-106 home victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Memphis posted its second in-season, double-digit winning streak in franchise history, behind last season’s franchise-record 11-game winning streak. It is the longest active streak in the NBA and the league’s second double-digit winning streak of the season, behind the Brooklyn Nets’ 12-game streak.
Memphis enters Wednesday scorching hot from the field after shooting 53.1 percent overall and 43.2 percent from 3-point range in Monday’s win. The Grizzlies also tied the franchise record with their third straight game of at least 130 points.
Ja Morant had 29 points and seven assists, and Desmond Bane finished with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead the Grizzlies.
A spectacular one-handed dunk from Brandon Clarke over Phoenix forward Dario Saric midway through the fourth quarter highlighted the day for Memphis.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. Tyus Jones tallied eight assists to just one turnover for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies are the first team since the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers to score at least 115 points in each game of a 10-game winning streak. They are just the fourth franchise in NBA history to accomplish the feat, also joining the Denver Nuggets (1982, 1983) and the Boston Celtics (1959).
The Cavaliers are back on the road after claiming a 113-103 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday afternoon.
The Cavaliers, who were 2-3 on their recently completed road trip out West, trailed by seven late in the third quarter. But they recovered quickly in the final 12 minutes for the win.
The Cavaliers’ biggest challenge Wednesday might not be the Grizzlies, but instead coming up with a plan if star guard Donovan Mitchell can’t play.
Mitchell strained his left groin with five minutes left in the third quarter of Monday’s game and is listed as doubtful for Wednesday. If he is unavailable, Cleveland is likely to turn to some combination of Caris LeVert, Lamar Stevens, Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro to fill the scoring void.
Fellow star guard Darius Garland picked up the slack Monday, with three of his five 3-pointers coming in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Garland was just 5 of 14 from the floor through the first 36 minutes but got hot down the stretch — going 4-for-8 in the fourth, including 3-for-4 from long distance. He finished with a game-high 30 points and 11 assists, adding six boards and a steal in the win.
Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds while Evan Mobley supplied 19 points and eight boards.
The silver linings are becoming increasingly difficult for the Houston Rockets to locate amid their avalanche of losses, with the latest coming on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
The Rockets’ 140-132 setback extended their losing streak to 11 games. Houston has dropped 16 of 17 games since opening a seven-game homestand in mid-December with back-to-back wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
The Rockets also will carry a nine-game home losing skid into their tilt against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
There was a glimmer of positivity on display against the Lakers. Twenty-year-old Turkish center Alperen Sengun enjoyed the best game of his two-year career, posting a career-high 33 points along with 15 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
Sengun shot 14 of 17 from the floor (82.4 percent) and was so overwhelmingly dominant that the Lakers switched veteran LeBron James, a six-time All-Defensive Team selection, on Sengun in an attempt to slow his rampage.
In the midst of their constant losing, the Rockets have struggled with the decision to run their offense through Sengun, whose passing skills continue to gain renown across the league. Among the six Rockets who have logged 1,000-plus minutes this season, Sengun is second only to point guard Kevin Porter Jr. with his 17.9 percent assist rate.
And while Sengun has recorded more than six assists only four times this season, it was his efficiency as a scorer on Monday that resonated.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas, asked what was working for Sengun, replied, “Everything. It was his post-ups, it was his elbow catches, it was the pick-and-rolls — he was really good in the pocket. Our guys did a good job of finding him in the pocket. He was finishing those with his soft, soft touch. He was making plays for his teammates.
Of course, the offensive end wasn’t the problem for Houston against the Lakers. During their losing skid, the Rockets have a minus-15.8 net rating, far and away the worst in the league. Their defensive rating, last in the league over the previous 11 games at 123.9, remains leaky.
The only team ranking below the Rockets in offensive rating this season is Charlotte, which dropped its fifth consecutive game on Monday, a 130-118 home loss to the Boston Celtics. The Hornets were without rotation players Gordon Hayward (hamstring), Cody Martin (knee) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (hand) but are hopeful that Hayward and Martin will return sometime soon.
LaMelo Ball leads the Hornets with 24.0 points and 8.4 assists per game this season. Terry Rozier (20.8) and Oubre (20.2) have also been consistent scoring threats when available.
Due to their struggles and inability to maintain leads in the fourth quarter, the New York Knicks hold the dubious distinction of being the only team with a winning record but a losing mark at home.
In the last month, the Knicks own five losses when leading after three quarters, and they hope to bounce back from the latest collapse Wednesday night when they host the Washington Wizards.
New York is 15-7 over its past 22 games and 7-5 at home in that span. Overall, New York is 11-12 at home and even some of those wins featured struggles down the stretch.
On Monday, the Knicks held a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter but took a 123-121 overtime home loss to the Toronto Raptors after blowing a 10-point lead in the final nine-plus minutes of regulation.
The loss to Toronto occurred a week after the Knicks wasted a 17-point lead in a 111-107 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Besides failing to close out Toronto and Milwaukee, the Knicks also held leads going into the fourth quarter at home before falling to Chicago on Dec. 23, Philadelphia on Dec. 25 and at Dallas on Dec. 27.
Besides the recent losses, the Knicks also blew a 14-point lead at home to Portland on Nov. 25 and a 23-point lead at home to Atlanta Nov. 2 as they began the season with 13 losses in 23 games.
RJ Barrett led the Knicks with 22 of his 32 points after halftime, including a game-tying dunk at the end of regulation. Brunson added 26 but was 4-of-16 in the second half and overtime and missed a game-winning 3 at the end of the extra period.
Washington is facing the Knicks for the second time in three games. On Friday, the Wizards nearly erased a 15-point deficit in the final 8 1/2 minutes before New York held on for a 112-108 win.
Washington has lost five of six following a five-game winning streak Dec. 23-Jan 1. The Wizards are also 7-6 in their past 13 since ending a 10-game skid last month.
In Monday’s 127-118 home loss to the Golden State Warriors, former Knick Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points but struggled in the fourth when the Wizards were outscored 34-25 and allowed the Warriors to shoot 61.9 percent. Kyle Kuzma was held to 16 on 5-of-20 shooting after scoring 40 against New York on Friday.
The Wizards played without Bradley Beal (left hamstring) and he is expected to miss his sixth straight game Wednesday. Washington is 10-14 with Beal in the lineup and its players are optimistic the record will improve when the star guard returns.
Until Beal returns, Monte Morris will likely remain as the starting point guard. He was held out Friday due to a hamstring injury but returned Monday to collect 17 points and 10 assists.
Winner Selected by Fan Vote on nfl.com/voting/rookies/rookie-of-the-year
The National Football League today announced the six finalists for the 2022 PEPSI ZERO SUGAR NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR award.
2022 PEPSI ZERO SUGAR NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
PLAYER
POSITION
TEAM
Sauce Gardner
Cornerback
New York Jets
Aidan Hutchinson
Defensive Lineman
Detroit Lions
Chris Olave
Wide Receiver
New Orleans Saints
Kenneth Walker
Running Back
Seattle Seahawks
Garrett Wilson
Wide Receiver
New York Jets
Tariq Woolen
Cornerback
Seattle Seahawks
Through the end of the voting period on Friday, February 3, fans will be able to learn more about the Rookie of The Year finalists on NFL and Pepsi social media channels.
The 2022 PEPSI ZERO SUGAR NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR award winner will be recognized during Super Bowl Week in Arizona and presented with a specially designed, Pepsi Zero Sugar-themed trophy.
The six finalists were selected for their outstanding performances this season. Each week, six nominees were chosen for the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Week and fans voted for the winner on NFL.com. Those results were used to help determine the finalists.
A closer look at the finalists:
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner led the NFL in passes defensed with 20, the most by a rookie since 2015, and was one of two players to record at least 75 tackles and 15 passes defensed in 2022. He became the first player since 2000 to record at least one pass defensed in each of his first seven career games and was one of four players to record at least one pass defensed in 12-or-more games this season.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson led all rookies with 9.5 sacks this season and became the first rookie since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least nine sacks and three interceptions (three). He also became the fourth player since 1982 with at least nine sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries (two) in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer RICHARD DENT (1990), JOEY PORTER (2002) and OTIS WILSON (1985). In Week 2, Hutchinson recorded three sacks at 22 years and 40 days old and became the fourth-youngest player since 1982 to record three sacks in a game, trailing only VERNON MAXWELL (21 years and 321 days old in Week 2, 1983), NICK BOSA (22 years and four days old in Week 8, 2019) and GREG TOWNSEND (22 years and 24 days old in Week 13, 1983).
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave led all rookies with 69.5 receiving yards per game, ranked second in receiving yards (1,042) and tied for second in receptions (72) in 2022. Olave became the third New Orleans rookie ever with at least 1,000 receiving yards, joining MARQUES COLSTON (1,038 receiving yards in 2006) and MICHAEL THOMAS (1,137 in 2016). He led all rookies with 12 games with 50-or-more receiving yards, tied for the third-most such games ever by a rookie, trailing only MICHAEL CLAYTON (14 games in 2004) and TERRY GLENN (13 in 1996).
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker led all rookies with 1,215 scrimmage yards, 1,050 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns and became the second Seattle rookie ever with at least 1,000 rushing yards, joining CURT WARNER (1,449 in 1983). He led all rookies with five games with at least 100 rushing yards, the most such games by a rookie running back since 2018 (SAQUON BARKLEY – six).
New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson led all rookies and set rookie franchise records with 83 receptions for 1,103 receiving yards. He had at least 75 receiving yards in eight games this season, the most such games of all rookies, and was one of two rookies to record two receiving touchdowns in more than one game this season.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen tied for the league lead with six interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), tied for second with three fumble recoveries and ranked tied for fourth with 16 passes defensed this season. He became the first rookie since 2000 and first player since 2016 (MARCUS PETERS) with at least six interceptions and three fumble recoveries in a season. From Weeks 3-6, Woolen became the third rookie since 2000 with an interception in four consecutive games, joining JAIRUS BYRD (five consecutive games in 2009) and JOE HADEN (four consecutive games in 2010). Additionally, in Weeks 5-6, he became the first rookie since 1970 to record both an interception and opponent fumble recovery in consecutive games.
This is the 22nd year with Pepsi as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL and the 21st year that Pepsi will present the NFL Rookie of the Week and NFL Rookie of the Year award.
The following are the NFL transactions for Tuesday, January 17. Transactions will be published each day after they are circulated to NFL clubs. This public version will include waiver requests, assignments via waivers, terminations, free agent signings, reserve list and practice squad additions and deletions, and trades.
WAIVER SYSTEM TRANSACTION
TERMINATION VIA WAIVER SYSTEM
TAMPA BAY
Russell, J.J.
LB
Memphis
RESERVE LIST ADDITIONS
KANSAS CITY
Edwards-Helaire, Clyde
RB
Louisiana State
Status Changed to Reserve/Injured; Designated for Return (Also see OTHER TRANSACTIONS/COMMENTS)
Fortson, Joe
TE
Valdosta State
Status Changed to Reserve/Injured; Designated for Return (Also see OTHER TRANSACTIONS/COMMENTS)
The future is now and, at the same time, the future is very bright.
Look no further than this week’s Divisional Playoffs presented by Intuit TurboTax, where 29-year-old DAK PRESCOTT is the oldest starting quarterback remaining in contention for Super Bowl LVII. In fact, the average age of the eight starting quarterbacks this week is 25 years and 278 days. That’s the youngest group since the league began Divisional Playoffs with the 1970 merger. All eight starting quarterbacks in the Divisional Round are under 30 years old, just the second time that’s ever happened (it also occurred during the 2004 postseason).
In the AFC, all four starting quarterbacks – JOSH ALLEN (26 years, 246 days on gameday), JOE BURROW (26 years, 43 days), TREVOR LAWRENCE (23 years, 107 days) and PATRICK MAHOMES (27 years, 126 days) – are under 28. In either conference, that’s only happened twice previously, in the AFC Divisional Rounds of 1984 (MARK MALONE, DAVE KRIEG and Pro Football Hall of Famers JOHN ELWAY and DAN MARINO) and 2020 (Allen, Mahomes, LAMAR JACKSON and BAKER MAYFIELD).
And credit the college scouting and coaching staffs of the remaining organizations that have drafted and developed the core of their rosters. Looking at the final eight teams, from Prescott and EZEKIEL ELLIOTT in 2016 to BROCK PURDY, the final selection in 2022, each of the past seven drafts are well represented in this week’s Divisional Round.
This week’s Divisional Round also features the well-rested KANSAS CITY CHIEFS and PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, the respective No. 1 seeds in the AFC and NFC. But beware: Since the beginning of the 2018 playoffs, No. 1 seeds in the postseason are a combined 7-8 (.467) with zero Super Bowl victories over the past four years.
For a seventh consecutive season, at least two teams have advanced to the Divisional Playoffs that missed the postseason the year before, including JACKSONVILLE and the NEW YORK GIANTS this season. Could one of those teams continue a remarkable march?
Storylines abound. The countdown is on. Strap in for one of the best weekends of the year.
The NFL’s Divisional Playoff schedule:
Saturday, January 21
AFC
Jacksonville Jaguars (10-8) at Kansas City Chiefs (14-3)
4:30 PM ET
NBC, Peacock, Universo
NFC
New York Giants (10-7-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
8:15 PM ET
FOX, FOX Deportes
Sunday, January 22
AFC
Cincinnati Bengals (13-4) at Buffalo Bills (14-3)
3:00 PM ET
CBS, Paramount+
NFC
Dallas Cowboys (13-5) at San Francisco 49ers (14-4)
6:30 PM ET
FOX, FOX Deportes
The Starting 11 entering the 2022 Divisional Playoffs…
1. STAY IN YOUR SEAT: Twelve of the last 13 postseason games have been within one score in the fourth quarter, including five of six Wild Card contests last week.
Four of the six 2022 playoff games so far, and 11 of the last 13 postseason contests dating to the start of the 2021 Divisional Playoffs, have been decided by seven points or less. Eight of those 13 have been separated by no more than three points.
Eight of the last 13 playoff games have also been decided in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime.
And, teams have scored the winning points on the game’s final play in six of the past 13 NFL postseason contests.
2. NUMBER OF THE WEEK – 4: The number of teams over the past five postseasons (2017-21) that finished last or tied for last in their divisions and rebounded with a berth in their conference championship games. Both JACKSONVILLE and the NEW YORK GIANTS can join that group this week. The four previous teams to accomplish it: The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers in 2021, and the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
Since the 1970 merger, 20 teams have reached their conference championship games after finishing in last place (or tied for last) in their divisions the previous season, including eight that reached the Super Bowl: The 1981, 1988 and 2021 Cincinnati Bengals, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 2001 New England Patriots, the 2003 Carolina Panthers, the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles.
3. ROAD SWEET ROAD: Road teams in NFL Divisional Playoff games have won four of the last five games, dating to Tampa Bay’s win at New Orleans in the last contest of the 2020 Divisional Round.
4. SPOTLIGHT – INDIVIDUAL MATCHUPS: Recently named Associated Press All-Pros will match up on Saturday night when the NEW YORK GIANTS (10-7-1) visit the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (14-3) at Lincoln Financial Field (8:15 PM ET, FOX, FOX Deportes).
When Philadelphia has the ball, the Eagles’ All-Pro center JASON KELCE draws Giants All-Pro defensive lineman DEXTER LAWRENCE. Then, when the Giants have possession, look for Philadelphia’s All-Pro linebacker HAASON REDDICK lined up across from New York’s All-Pro offensive tackle ANDREW THOMAS.
What’s more, in San Francisco on Sunday, look for 49ers All-Pro tackle TRENT WILLIAMS in a battle against Cowboys All-Pro linebacker MICAH PARSONS, while All-Pro guard ZACK MARTIN anchors a Dallas offensive line tasked with stopping San Francisco All-Pro defensive lineman NICK BOSA.
5.SPOTLIGHT – TEAM MATCHUP: Also in that Sunday Divisional Playoff finale, when DALLAS (13-5) squares off with SAN FRANCISCO (14-4) at Levi’s Stadium (6:30 PM ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), the teams will tie an NFL record by meeting in a ninth postseason game. The only other pairs of teams to meet nine times in the NFL playoffs are the Cowboys and Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, and the 49ers and Green Bay Packers.
San Francisco’s BROCK PURDY is expected to become the 10th rookie quarterback to start a Divisional Playoff game since the 1970 merger, the first since the Cowboys’ DAK PRESCOTT met the Packers in the 2016 playoffs. The list started with Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO in 1983. Since 1970, only four rookie quarterbacks have started in a conference championship game: SHAUN KING in 1999, BEN ROETHLISBERGER in 2004, JOE FLACCO in 2008 and MARK SANCHEZ in 2009.
Cowboys quarterback DAK PRESCOTT last week became just the fifth player in NFL history to register four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the same postseason game, joining AARON RODGERS, TOBIN ROTE, MATT RYAN and Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING. He also became the first player in the Cowboys’ rich postseason history to reach both 300 passing yards and four touchdown passes in a playoff game.
6. STREAK SPEAK: Chiefs running back JERICK MCKINNON has scored a touchdown in six consecutive games. His nine receiving touchdowns this season matched the highest mark by a running back in the Super Bowl era, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (nine touchdown receptions in 2001), CHUCK FOREMAN (nine in 1975) and LEROY HOARD (nine in 1991).
When KANSAS CITY (14-3) hosts JACKSONVILLE (10-8) on Saturday (4:30 PM ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo), the Chiefs’ ANDY REID (35 postseason games entering this week) will tie Pro Football Hall of Famers TOM LANDRY (36) and DON SHULA (36) for the most postseason games by an NFL head coach. Only BILL BELICHICK (44) has more. The Chiefs are 7-2 over their last nine postseason games under Reid, including a Super Bowl LIV victory.
In winning their Wild Card game last week, the Jaguars erased a 27-0 deficit, the third-largest comeback victory in NFL postseason history. The only two greater comebacks were Buffalo’s 1992 Wild Card win over the Houston Oilers (32 points) and the Colts’ 2013 Wild Card win over Kansas City (28).
Jacksonville is the first NFL team since the 1991 Dallas Cowboys to select first in an NFL Draft and win a playoff game in the same season.
7. DID YOU KNOW?: Jacksonville quarterback TREVOR LAWRENCE is 41-0 on Saturdays since his sophomore season in high school. He was 3-0 on Saturdays over his final three years at Cartersville (Ga.) High School and 36-0 in three seasons at Clemson (his two college losses were on Monday and Friday). He’s also 2-0 so far in his NFL career (each of the last two Saturdays). Lawrence and the Jaguars face a third consecutive win-or-go-home Saturday game this week.
8. UNDER-THE-RADAR STORYLINE: Buffalo has gotten tremendous postseason production from wide receiver GABE DAVIS, who in last week’s win recorded six catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. In his previous postseason game, at Kansas City in the 2021 Divisional Playoffs, Davis caught eight passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns. Davis is the first player in NFL history to reach 300 receiving yards and five touchdowns over two consecutive postseason games.
When CINCINNATI (13-4) clashes with BUFFALO (14-3) on Sunday at Highmark Stadium (3:00 PM ET, CBS, Paramount+), quarterbacks JOE BURROW and JOSH ALLEN will meet officially for the first time. Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, became the first quarterback ever chosen first overall to start a Super Bowl within his first two seasons. Allen, meanwhile, enters Sunday’s game as just the second player ever to reach 300 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in three consecutive postseason games, joining MATT RYAN.
On his clutch, 98-yard touchdown return in the fourth quarter of last week’s Wild Card win, Bengals defensive end SAM HUBBARD reached a maximum speed of 17.43 miles per hour, according to Next Gen Stats. Hubbard covered 123.6 yards, the most on a touchdown by a player carrying a football during the 2022 season.
Cincinnati is attempting to become just the eighth team since the 1970 merger to begin a season 0-2 and still advance to its conference championship game. With a win Sunday, the Bengals would join the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, 1996 and 2001 New England Patriots, 1998 New York Jets, 2003 Philadelphia Eagles, 2007 New York Giants and 2014 Indianapolis Colts as teams that lost their first two games and advanced to conference championship games.
9. TREND TIME: Since the Eagles captured consecutive division crowns in 2003 and 2004, the NFC East has had a different champion each of the past 18 seasons (2005-22). It’s the longest stretch ever without a repeat division winner.
This season’s NFC East champion, PHILADELPHIA (14-3), hosts the NEW YORK GIANTS (10-7-1) on Saturday night (8:15 PM ET, FOX, FOX Deportes). Along with the DALLAS COWBOYS, three teams from the NFC East have advanced to the Divisional Playoffs, the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams and realigned into eight divisions in 2002 that a single division has placed three teams in the Divisional Round. The last Divisional Round with three teams from the same division was 1997, when Green Bay, Minnesota and Tampa Bay represented the old NFC Central.
In each of the prior two seasons in which the Eagles have earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed, they’ve advanced to the Super Bowl (2004 and 2017).
In last week’s win, Giants quarterback DANIEL JONES became the first player in NFL history to reach both 300 passing yards and 75 rushing yards in a postseason game.
The Giants’ BRIAN DABOLL is bidding to become just the 15th rookie head coach since the 1970 merger to lead his team to a conference championship game. However, only one coach has done it over the last 10 years (2012-21): Green Bay’s MATT LAFLEUR in 2019.
10. THIS WEEK IN NFL HISTORY: Jan. 17, 1993 (30 years ago) – In the NFC Championship Game at Candlestick Park, STEVE YOUNG guides San Francisco on a nine-play, 93-yard drive, culminating in a 5-yard touchdown pass to JERRY RICE. The march cuts the Dallas lead to 24-20 with 4:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Faced with whether to run time off the clock in conservative fashion or push the ball downfield, Dallas head coach JIMMY JOHNSON tells offensive coordinator NORV TURNER he wants to score. So, on the ensuing play from scrimmage, Turner calls “896 F Flat.” When TROY AIKMAN reads blitz at the line, he realizes ALVIN HARPER on a post route is his best option. Harper races 70 yards to the San Francisco 9-yard line, setting up a Cowboys touchdown that cements a 30-20 victory and a berth in Super Bowl XXVII, the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl title under owner, president and general manager JERRY JONES.
11. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: San Francisco’s BROCK PURDY (selected with the 262nd and final choice of the 2022 NFL Draft) isn’t the only late-round gem who will be in action at this week’s Divisional Playoffs. Other notable “Day 3” selections drafted and developed by their teams expected to make significant contributions this week:
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Matt Boldy to a seven-year, $49 million contract ($7 million average annual value) that goes through the 2029-30 season.
Boldy, 21 (4/5/01), has recorded 29 points (12-17=29), 125 shots, five power-play goals (PPG) and 15 power-play points (PPP) in 42 games with Minnesota this season. He ranks second on the Wild in shots and fourth in scoring, goals, PPG and PPP for the season. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound native of Milford, Mass., has recorded eight multi-point games and two multi-goal games during the 2022-23 campaign, both fourth-most on the team.
Boldy owns 68 points (27-41=68), eight PPG, 32 penalty minutes (PIM) and a plus-17 rating in 89 career games during two NHL seasons (2021-23). In the first 50 NHL contests, he recorded 44 points (17-27=44), the third-highest total recorded by an active U.S.-born player through 50 career games. Boldy reached the 50-point mark in his 60th career game and the 25-goal mark in his 74th career game, becoming the second-fastest player to reach either milestone after debuting with the Wild. The left-shot forward was selected by Minnesota in the first round (12th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft.
Minnesota travels to play the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6 p.m. CT, broadcasted on Bally Sports North and KFAN 100.3 FM.
