Jalen Hurts leaves with a concussion as the Eagles' winning streak ends at 10
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) -- Jalen Hurts has been ruled out of the Philadelphia Eagles' game at the Washington Commanders with a concussion. Hurts' head bounced off the ground at the end of one run, and Frankie Luvu hit him in the helmet at the end of another early in the first quarter. Hurts went to the blue medical tent on the visiting sideline and was replaced at quarterback by Kenny Pickett. After trying to return to the game, Hurts was escorted back to the tent and then down the tunnel to the locker room. Pickett threw a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception after as the Eagles went up big early in the game.
Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson lead surging Vikings past Seahawks 27-24
SEATTLE (AP) -- Sam Darnold connected with a well-covered Justin Jefferson with 3:51 left for his third TD pass of the game, and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC. Jefferson finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and two TDs as the Vikings won their eighth straight. If they can beat Green Bay and Detroit to close out the season, they will earn the top seed in the conference and a first-round playoff bye. The Seahawks have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak and fell one game behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.
Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24 as Baker Mayfield and the Bucs lose control of their playoff fate
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Cooper Rush threw a touchdown pass, Brandon Aubrey kicked two 58-yarders among four field goals and the Dallas Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 26-24, costing Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers control of their playoff fate. The end of a four-game winning streak left the Bucs even with Atlanta atop the NFC South with two games remaining, but the Falcons have the tiebreaker. A three-year playoff run for the Cowboys ended when they were eliminated from postseason contention before the prime-time kickoff. Mayfield was in position to lead a rally from a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes when the Cowboys' DaRon Bland stripped the ball from Rachaad White to seal the win.
College playoffs looks for good matchups after snoozy first round of blowouts
The average final score over the first week of the College Football Playoffs: Winners 36, Losers 17. This bold, new experiment was supposed to bring more programs from more parts of the country into the loop of a largely regional sport that had been dominated by about a half-dozen teams for the last decade. Instead, it will take another 10 days to find out if "more" really means more -- or if more just means more blowouts before arriving at what we had before -- a group of four contenders battling it out for a title that only they had any realistic chance to win.
After beating Tennessee, Ohio State will finally get its rematch with Oregon
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State players had been thinking about a rematch with Oregon long before the Buckeyes crushed Tennessee in a first-round playoff game. Their first chance to avenge the Oct. 12 loss to the Ducks looked to be the Big Ten championship game, but that slipped away when the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and gave up their spot in the title game. Now, by virtue of Saturday night's 42-17 win over Tennessee, the Buckeyes will see the Ducks again in a quarterfinal game on a grand stage -- the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
Tyreek Hill says drops against 49ers were a result of lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) -- Tyreek Hill has not shied away from accountability during one of the least productive seasons of his nine-year career. On Sunday, after a poor performance in Miami's 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Hill was candid about the reason for a puzzling decline in his connection with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season. Hill caught just 3 of 7 targets for 29 yards and a touchdown and had several drops, including one on third down that went through his hands on Miami's opening drive. He said the drops were becuase of a lack of practice reps with Tua Tagovailoa.
Dallas Cowboys make owner Jerry Jones proud after being eliminated from the playoff chase
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys were officially eliminated from the playoff contention before kicking off their game. They then went out and made owner Jerry Jones proud, with a 26-24 victory Sunday night over the playoff-chasing Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There have been lingering questions about the future of coach Mike McCarthy with him being on an expiring contract. The Cowboys won for the fourth time in their last five games, all since a five-game losing streak. Jones says McCarthy just won't let his team not think they're playing for the Super Bowl out there. The Cowboys are 7-8 with two games remaining.
Texans WR Tank Dell released from hospital, headed back to Houston after severe knee injury
HOUSTON (AP) -- Texans receiver Tank Dell has been released after an overnight stay in the hospital and was traveling back to Houston on Sunday after sustaining a severe knee injury in Saturday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Coach DeMeco Ryans provided the update Sunday, but didn't have many details beyond his return to Houston. "Right now, we still will be evaluating to see where he is," Ryans said. "He's still meeting with doctors to see what's next for him. But it is a significant knee injury."
Penn State beats Louisville 3-1 to make Schumacher-Cawley 1st female coach to win volleyball title
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Jess Mruzik made 29 kills with a .315 hitting percentage, and Katie Schumacher-Cawley became the first female coach to win a NCAA volleyball championship as Penn State defeated Louisville 3-1 in the final. The Nittany Lions (35-2) earned their record eighth national championship and first since 2014 under the third-year coach, who has led the team while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that was diagnosed in September. Schumacher-Cawley has nonetheless conducted practices between treatments, a determined and emotional journey that provided a rallying point for players and garnered widespread support. Penn State completed its mission by winning 25-23, 32-34, 25-20 and 25-17.
Facing hometown Canucks 'a bit surreal' for Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Macklin Celebrini grew up dreaming about playing NHL hockey at Rogers Arena. On Monday night, that dream will become a reality for the 18-year-old San Jose Sharks center said. Said Celebrini: "It's pretty surreal." Raised in North Vancouver, Celebrini was picked first overall in the June draft. He has 11 goals and 12 assists in his first 24 games. His father, Rick Celebrini -- the director of sports medicine and performance for the Golden State Warriors -- took a few days away from the NBA team's trip to be in Vancouver and take in the game with 50 or 60 family and friends.