Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 for their ninth consecutive victory. The Vikings are 14-2. They set up a final-week showdown in Detroit next Sunday night for both the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC. Jordan Love’s only touchdown pass for the Packers came with 2:18 left to pull the Packers within two points. Darnold responded with two completions for first downs to seal the game.

Jayden Daniels dazzles again as Commanders clinch a playoff spot by beating Falcons 30-24 in OT

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Washington Commanders clinched a playoff spot by beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 in overtime. Jayden Daniels ran for a season-high 127 yards and threw for 227 and three touchdowns to make the postseason in his rookie year in the NFL. He outdueled fellow top-10 draft pick Michael Penix Jr. in a game each had an interception. The Commanders can move up to the sixth seed in the NFC if they win at Dallas next weekend. The Falcons lost control of their playoff chances and now can only get in if they beat Carolina and Tampa Bay loses to New Orleans in Week 18.

Falcons run out of time to control their path to the playoffs after mismanaging the clock

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have run out of time to control their path to the playoffs after mismanaging the clock multiple times in an overtime loss at the Washington Commanders. Coach Raheem Morris declined to use all three of his timeouts in the first half and two more in the second. Morris defended most of how he handled the situations other than saying it was reasonable to second-guess not taking a timeout near the end of regulation. Riley Patterson’s 56-yard field goal attempt fell short as time expired, sending the game to overtime.

LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA’s all-time scoring leader

When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career.

All smiles as Djokovic and Kyrgios treat crowd to flashy shots in doubles win

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Exchanging smiles, laughs and flashy shots, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios have teamed up in doubles as they both returned to the court in preparation for the Australian Open. The two former Wimbledon final opponents reached the second round of the Brisbane International with a 6-4, 6-7 (4), 10-8 win against Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies. It was Kyrgios’ first match in 18 months due to wrist and knee injuries, while Djokovic missed the season-ending ATP Finals last month with an unspecified injury. They had the crowd on their feet several times at Pat Rafter Arena, including when Djokovic flicked an around-the-net backhand winner during the first set.

NFC’s No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18

The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final game of the regular season when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser becomes the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Lions hold the tiebreaker if the teams enter with identical records and play to a tie. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18.

Thompson-Herro fight leads to ejections of multiple players and coaches in Heat’s victory in Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the floor to trigger an altercation that resulted in six ejections in the closing minute of Miami’s 104-100 victory over Houston on Sunday. Thompson and Herro became entangled with Miami about to inbound the ball leading 99-94 with 35 seconds left. Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and tossed him, with referee Marc Davis describing it as Thompson “body slams Herro.” Herro, Thompson, and Udoka were ejected, as were Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green, and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan.

JuJu Watkins scores 31 points to propel No. 4 Southern California past No. 23 Michigan 78-58

LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins scored 31 points , making 13 of 14 free throws, and No. 4 Southern California beat No. 23 Michigan 78-58 in the Trojans’ Big Ten home opener. Watkins had five rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks. Kiki Iriafen added 18 points for the Trojans, who improved to 12-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. Watkins and Iriafen combined to score USC’s first 16 points in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines were led by Jordan Hobbs with 19 points. She rattled off 14 points in a row in the second quarter to leave Michigan trailing by three at halftime. The Wolverines fell to 10-3 and 1-1.

Analysis: Victory over the Colts was a giant loss for the Giants because they lost the No. 1 pick

The New York Giants lost by winning. A rare victory — 45-33 over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday — knocked the Giants out of control for the coveted No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. So much for Sheduer Sanders’ Giants-themed cleats unless New York trades up to get the Colorado quarterback. The Giants dropped from first to fourth in the draft order with the Patriots moving up to No. 1. Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward won’t be around if New York has to settle for the fourth pick. That’s why Giants fans were angry after witnessing the team’s first win at MetLife Stadium this season.

Chip Kelly returns to the Rose Bowl, this time as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator

The Rose Bowl between eighth-seeded Ohio State and top-seeded Oregon in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal has many subplots for Chip Kelly. The game in the venerable stadium is a homecoming for Kelly, who resigned from UCLA in February after six seasons to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. With Kelly calling the plays, Ohio State is 11th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 36 points per game, and 32nd in total offense at 427.3 yards per game. Kelly also was Oregon’s head coach for four seasons and had a 46-7 record before leaving for the NFL in 2013. Kelly is winless in six games against the Ducks, including a 32-31 loss in Eugene in prime time Oct. 12.