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The NFL finalized its schedule for the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday evening after results from the late-afternoon window put most of the final puzzle pieces into place.
The Los Angeles Chargers, by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 34-20, finished the season 11-6 and secured the No. 5 seed in the AFC over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chargers' AFC West fo es from Denver took care of business against a resting Chiefs team, winning 38-0 to lock up the conference's seventh and final bid.
The Steelers, who lost four straight games to end the regular season, must face the rival Baltimore Ravens for a third time in the AFC's No. 3 vs. No. 6 game. The teams split their season series but the Ravens won the AFC North by two games.
On the NFC side, the Los Angeles Rams lost 30-25 to the Seattle Seahawks, pushing them behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the pecking order. Tampa Bay, which clinched the NFC South earlier in the day by beating the Saints 27-19, took over the No. 3 seed and the Rams settled for No. 4.
The following is the schedule for the first round of the NFL postseason. The only determination left to make will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC. That will go to the loser of the Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions game on "Sunday Night Football" as the winner claims the NFC North crown, the top seed and the first-round bye.
Saturday, Jan. 11
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 4 Houston Texans (10-7), 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5), 8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video
Sunday, Jan. 12
No. 7 Denver Broncos (10-7) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (13-4), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 7 Green Bay Packers (11-6) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX
No. 6 Washington Commanders (12-5) at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), 8 p.m. ET, NBC
Monday, Jan. 13
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings OR Detroit Lions at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7), 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
More must-reads:
- Commanders flaw exposed in blowout preseason loss to Ravens
- Browns GM makes wild statement on team's quarterback situation
- The '2024-25 NFL rushing touchdown leaders' quiz
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Angry Mike Vrabel vows to find 'rats' within Patriots organization who leaked major news
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn't mad about how the backups performed in the team's 42-10 preseason loss to the New York Giants. He was angry that someone had leaked the news that wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk would need season-ending shoulder surgery. When asked if he had anything to add to the reports that Polk would miss the season, Vrabel didn't give the media anything aside from his unvarnished feelings. "I'd like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. So, we'll figure that out," he added in a news conference on Thursday. Coaches and reporters are hardly the best of friends on a good day. Often, a coach will deflect if they don't want to add fuel to a report the team hasn't made official, but usually they won't deflect and promise to get the "rats" providing this information. NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news ahead of the Patriots' preseason finale against the Giants. According to Schultz, the decision for Polk to undergo surgery was made to ensure the 2024 second-round pick would be healthy for the 2026 season. Polk dealt with health issues throughout the offseason. It was during the second quarter of New England's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders that he took a nasty hit on a one-yard run, leading to the shoulder injury that will sideline him for 2025. Last season, Polk had a tough rookie debut, catching just 12 receptions for 87 yards and recording two touchdowns. The hope for 2025 was that he could redeem himself and become a reliable enough target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Expectations for Maye are much higher now with the return of Tom Brady's old offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Without Polk to run routes, though, the already-thin wide receiver room is nearly devoid of talent behind veteran receiver Stefon Diggs. The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. However, Diggs has brought some unwanted attention to the team through his offseason antics and is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his time with the Houston Texans. While Patriot fans should feel some hope in the direction of the team under Vrabel — a former defensive star for New England during the dynasty years — this roster is still in the midst of a rebuild. And with such a troubled roster, losses may pile up, and the team's relationship with the media could worsen if another season feels like a waste. So, Vrabel being upset by Polk's injury is fair, but what doesn't feel fair is to single out Patriots staff and players who are potentially talking to reporters as hostile to the organization. It's perhaps not surprising that Vrabel is willing to voice his frustrations, as he's shown no fear when breaking up practice scrums. Still, it's the job of any journalist to build relationships with staff and team members to gain reliable sources who can help them accurately report the news. While the "rats" moniker for those in the building talking to NFL insiders and the New England sports media will be swallowed up by all the other headlines as Week 1 nears, it's notable that Vrabel's time as head coach in New England is already off to a contentious start.
Winners and losers from Packers' dominant preseason win over Seahawks
The Green Bay Packers have completed their last preseason game before the start of the NFL regular season, doing so in dominant fashion against the Seattle Seahawks. With a final score of 20-7, the Packers got the final word after the two teams had several brutal fisticuffs on Thursday’s joint practice. The team had several players star in their roles during their final auditions before roster cuts on Tuesday, but while Saturday’s game was all Green Bay, several players also missed their chance to leave a lasting impression. Winner: Ty’Ron Hopper impresses with several splash Plays Any Green Bay Packers fans who watched Saturday afternoon’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks are now familiar with the name Ty’Ron Hopper. The second-year linebacker out of Missouri was all over the field, making several impressive plays. He finished with three tackles, a sack, and some good plays in coverage as well. Additionally, he had a forced fumble on a fourth-down play where Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe had achieved enough yardage to move the chains, but found himself unable to hold onto the ball. Hopper was not a name getting a lot of attention entering camp, but there’s no chance of him not making the roster following an excellent preseason. With starters Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, and Isaiah McDuffie cemented as the top three ‘backers for the team, Hopper appears to firmly have his hands on the reins for the fourth spot. Winner: Kalen King makes his presence felt Kalen King may have been an outside shot to make the roster a few weeks ago, but it seems like many think the former Penn State star has done enough. King ran with some of the Green Bay starters on defense during the opening periods of the game and had several important contributions. None stands out more than his fumble recovery, which was one of four turnovers forced by the team on the afternoon. In addition to the fumble recovery, he had a strong tackle on Jalen Milroe as the Seattle quarterback scampered towards the end zone, which resulted in no gain. While the secondary remains an area of concern for the Pack, King looks like he may have done enough to ensure he is a part of it entering the season. Loser: Rookie Anthony Belton still has a lot to learn Rookie offensive tackle Anthony Belton has certainly had his struggles this preseason. Just a week after being called for five first-half penalties against the Indianapolis Colts, Belton continued to show up with some poor moments against Seattle. Although he was only called for one false start on Saturday afternoon, head coach Matt LaFleur was seen ripping into Belton during the late first half. Later, it was revealed that LaFleur was upset with Belton’s stance on a third–down play where the team was hoping to secure field goal position. Belton will likely not be counted on for many snaps on offense this upcoming season. He clearly has a way to go before he can develop into a reliable player. Loser: Sean Clifford fails to impress in third-string QB battle King certainly had a strong day, but for another Penn State alum, it was more of a struggle. Reserve quarterback Sean Clifford did not have his best outing in limited action. Clifford finished 6-9 passing, but managed only 19 yards. He had multiple inaccurate balls on some shorter throws that many would expect him to convert. Competing with Clifford for the last quarterback spot is Taylor Elgersma, who had a better day. He went 6-8 for 33 yards. Even though both QBs did not do much of note against Seattle, Elgersma has had a much better preseason overall. In fact, his QB rating was over double of that of Clifford’s entering the final preseason game. Saturday’s contest was a chance for Clifford to rebound, and he failed to take advantage of the opportunity. One other advantage that Elgersma has is that he is four years younger than Clifford. Despite Clifford being just a second-year pro, he is already 27 years old. Theoretically, Elgersma has more room to grow if he was kept around.
Mets manager confirms veteran pitcher done for the season due to 'pretty significant' injury
The New York Mets announced that Frankie Montas has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 22) due to a UCL-related injury in his right elbow. Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A to take Montas’ spot on the active roster. Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Montas’ UCL injury is “pretty significant,” via Mike Puma of the New York Post. Mendoza went on to confirm that Montas will not pitch again in 2025. It’s the latest setback in what was been a brutal inaugural season for Montas in Queens. The right-hander signed a $34M guarantee with the Mets during the winter but has produced just 38 2/3 innings of work for the team so far. A lat strain suffered at the outset of Spring Training left Montas to open the season on the injured list and he did not make his season debut until June 24. After throwing five scoreless innings in his first start of the year, Montas pitched to a ghastly 7.85 ERA over his next six starts with an 18.2% strikeout rate and a whopping seven home runs allowed. Those brutal results led the Mets to move Montas to the bullpen earlier this month, where he’s surrendered four runs (two earned) on four walks and six hits (including a home run) while striking out just three. Altogether, Montas has posted a 6.28 ERA and a 5.31 FIP during his time with the Mets with an 18.0% strikeout rate and a 7.9% walk rate. It’s a deeply disappointing outcome, and now it’s an open question when Montas will next be available to pitch. The Mets have made no announcements about the right-hander’s timeline for return, nor offered any indications about the severity of the injury. Of course, many fans will wonder about the possibility of Tommy John surgery, which is often required to repair a pitcher’s UCL once damaged. Such a procedure (or even a less invasive internal brace procedure) would likely cost Montas not only the remainder of this year but also the entire 2026 season. With that being said, some UCL injuries are possible to address via rehab. That’s a path that Braves hurler Grant Holmes opted to take earlier this month as he deals with a partial UCL tear, though even Holmes’s rehab process has brought his 2025 campaign to an abrupt end. While the details of Montas’ prognosis and timeline for return won’t be clear until the Mets make an announcement offering more information, the club will be without the right-hander for at least the immediate future. Given the fact that Montas’ performance was poor enough that he was bumped from the rotation earlier this month, perhaps that’s not too massive of a blow. Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Clay Holmes remain in the club’s rotation and have recently been joined by top prospect Nolan McLean. Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman remain in the minors already on the 40-man roster as potential depth options behind that group, and well-regarded prospect Brandon Sproat has a 4.24 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A this year. Replacing Montas on the roster is Brazoban, who began his career in the majors with Miami back in 2022 but has served as an up-and-down relief arm for the Mets this year. It’s a role he’s performed quite well in, with a 3.83 ERA and 4.14 FIP across 51 2/3 innings of work spread between 3 starts and 41 relief outings. Brazoban figures to take up Montas' mantle as the club’s long reliever going forward.
Green Bay Packers: Matt LaFleur Takes Notice of Tucker Kraft’s Transformation After TE’s Award
Kansas State HC defends controversial fourth-down call, blames field conditions in Ireland
Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay providing drama atop Tour Championship leaderboard
ATLANTA -- Tommy Fleetwood is still in position to win his first PGA Tour tournament — one of the biggest — but he's sure making it interesting. Fleetwood lost his lead at the Tour Championship after hitting it in the water on the par-3 15th hole in the third round of the FedEx Cup playoff finale at East Lake Golf Club on Saturday. He ended up making double bogey to fall to 14-under par. At the same time, Patrick Cantlay made the second of two straight birdies on the 17th hole to move to 15-under and take the lead that Fleetwood had enjoyed all day, at times by as many as three strokes. At the end of the day, Fleetwood overcame the mishap and he and Cantlay stand tied for the lead at 16-under going into Sunday's final round. Fleetwood (67) bounced back from the water ball with a birdie on the 16th hole to move back into a tie with Cantlay at 15-under. Cantlay (64) answered back with birdie on the 18th to move to 16-under. Fleetwood then birdied the 17th and parred the 18th. Cantlay, the 2021 FedEx Cup champion, birdied the final three holes and four of the last five. Russell Henley (69), who shared the second-round lead with Fleetwood, is third at 14-under. Keegan Bradley (63) is fourth at 13-under. Scottie Scheffler is still lurking. The world's No. 1 golfer and leader in the FedEx Cup point standings started the third round five shots back of Fleetwood and Henley. He trended in the wrong direction with bogeys on the first two holes. However, birdies in five of the next eight holes righted his round. He stands in fifth at 12-under (66). Bradley added suspense with big drama inside the tournament. The U.S. Ryder Cup captain stands at 13-under to move into serious contention. His round included an eagle from the fairway on the par-5 sixth hole and ended with three straight birdies. Bradley has six captain's picks to make for the Ryder Cup team on Wednesday. The question is whether he should choose himself, becoming the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963. That year's international competition was also played at East Lake. "I was so tired Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday," said Bradley, who admitted to being preoccupied with Ryder Cup decisions and strategy this week. "I was really just truthfully trying to get through this week. This is a bit surprising, but just I really played spectacularly today. I'm really proud of this round." Fleetwood is close enough to taste his first PGA Tour victory -- again. His near misses have been well documented. He entered the Tour Championship fifth in the points standings, the highest-ranked player in the 30-player field without a win. In the past two weeks, he has finished tied for fourth and tied for third in the playoff events, the St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship. Fleetwood also has seven top-10 finishes this year and a total of 30 top-fives without a victory. Rain fell throughout the day, necessitating the preferred lie rule for the third straight day, but play was never in jeopardy of being halted. Scoring was up significantly in the third round after two days of record scoring. In the first two rounds, a tournament record was set with 13 rounds of 64 or better, reached after just 36 holes. Only Bradley and Cantlay went that low on Saturday. In the first two rounds, only five players shot over par. On Sunday, nine players did so. --Chris Vivlamore, Field Level Media
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