ew Page 30 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

C.J. Stroud, Texans chase playoffs, encounter reeling Raiders
As the Houston Texans keep climbing, their playoff hopes are following suit.,The Texans have won six straight games as they prepare to host the skidding Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. ,Houston (9-5) has vaulted to within one game of the Jacksonville Jaguars for the AFC South lead and a game ahead of t...

Cards, Falcons riding backup QBs down stretch of frustrating seasons
Neither the Atlanta Falcons nor the Arizona Cardinals have the record they thought they would have at this point of the season.,Ahead of their meeting in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, the teams are also not using the starting quarterbacks they assumed they would have.,Atlanta (5-9) is led by 37-year-o...

Soaring Jaguars brace for test against AFC-leading Broncos
The Denver Broncos were considered an AFC front-runner entering the season. The Jacksonville Jaguars were not remotely on that radar.,And yet both teams find themselves as division leaders with three weeks left in the regular season ahead of Jacksonville's trip to face Denver on Sunday.,The Broncos ...

Defenses present challenges for young Vikings, Giants QBs
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart knows that he is in for a challenge Sunday against the visiting Minnesota Vikings and their aggressive defensive coordinator, Brian Flores.,What does Dart see when he studies film of Flores' defense?,"Just chaos," Dart said. "Chaos -- just trying to disguise d...

NFC North roots for Steelers, Aaron Rodgers against desparate Lions
Not everyone is rooting for the Lions to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but most NFC contenders are on the black-and-gold bandwagon this week. ,Detroit (8-6) sits in the tenuous No. 8 spot looking up at the NFC seven-team playoff field with three regular-season games remaining and the fate of at l...

Rookie QBs in spotlight for Jets-Saints Week 16 meeting
The New Orleans Saints have gotten a lift since turning to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough as a starter., ,The New York Jets (3-11) are hoping to get a lift from rookie quarterback Brady Cook when he makes his second start against the Saints on Sunday in New Orleans., ,The Saints (4-10) have won two...

Cowboys face must-win game against surging Chargers
The Dallas Cowboys are well aware of the task they are facing with three regular-season games remaining.,The Cowboys must win all three and have the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles lose all three of theirs or Dallas will miss the playoffs for the second straight season.,First up is not being el...

Dolphins change QBs while Bengals don't ahead of matchup
The Miami Dolphins are making a change at quarterback while the Cincinnati Bengals maintain they are not as the teams prepare to face each other on Sunday afternoon in Miami Gardens, Fla.,The Dolphins (6-8), who were eliminated from playoff contention with a 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on ...

Playoff berth within Bills' grasp in matchup vs. hapless Browns
The Buffalo Bills look to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season on Sunday when they visit the Cleveland Browns.,The Bills (10-4) also have an eye on first place in the AFC East after overcoming a 21-point deficit in a 35-31 victory over the New England Patriots (11-3) last Sunday...

Devils edge Golden Knights on Jesper Bratt's shootout goal
Jake Allen made 36 saves and also stopped all three shootout tries to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night in Las Vegas.,Connor Brown scored a goal and Jesper Bratt scored the game-winner in the shootout for New Jersey, which moved into the sec...

Sharks out to extend win streak, avenge recent loss to Stars
The Dallas Stars are off to one of the NHL's hottest starts, but forward Matt Duchene still sees room for improvement heading into a road game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.,"We win a lot of games by a goal, or even two goals, but I think we can do a better job of continuing to end g...

Flames, Kraken hoping to claw back into playoff conversation
The Seattle Kraken have watched the advantage of their strong first six weeks of the season disappear thanks to a lengthy losing skid.,Now the Kraken are searching for something to spark a rebound as they kick off a four-game road trip against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.,Seattle arrives in Calga...

Blazers hope to build on win over Warriors as they host Kings
The Portland Trail Blazers have won just two of their past eight games but are aiming to ride the momentum of their last contest.,Portland withstood a full assault from Stephen Curry to beat the Golden State Warriors for the third straight time this season. Now they turn their focus to the visiting ...

Thriving despite key injuries, Magic and Nuggets face off
The Orlando Magic have dealt with significant injuries, yet still sit tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. They will have to continue without key players when they open a tough four-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.,Orlando's Paolo Banchero recently returned fr...

Frustrated Warriors, Suns look to get right
The Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are coping with a stocking-full-of-coal holiday season.,Each has lost two in a row and four of six as they prepare for the first of a home-and-home set in Phoenix on Thursday. They will play Saturday in the Bay Area.,The Warriors' 136-131 loss at Portland o...

Lakers looking to ratchet up defense as they take on Jazz
Defensive deficiencies have caused the Los Angeles Lakers some headaches in recent games ahead of Thursday's clash with the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.,The Lakers had given up 120 or more points in four of five games before edging Phoenix 116-114 on Sunday. Even in the victory over the Suns, Los An...

Mavs' Cooper Flagg looking to add more wins to resume as Pistons visit
Cooper Flagg established an NBA record. Typical of the Dallas Mavericks' 2025-26 season, it came during a loss.,The 18-year-old Flagg, the top pick in the June draft, became the youngest player to score 40 or more points in an NBA game. Yet his 42-point outing still wasn't enough to secure a victory...

Giants QB Jaxson Dart: Being treated like a RB 'nothing new'
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart shrugged off comments from the Washington Commanders ahead of the teams' matchup last week, saying they viewed the rookie as a running back.,As seen on the televised docuseries "Hard Knocks," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said of Dart, "The (Giants) QB, he's a ru...

Reports: Nationals hiring Ani Kilambi to GM role
The Washington Nationals are hiring 31-year-old Ani Kilambi as their new general manager, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday.,Kilambi has spent the last four years as assistant GM for the Philadelphia Phillies, leading the club's research departments and the club's use of data througho...

Spurs can bring momentum from NBA Cup into clash with Wizards
The San Antonio Spurs will look to parlay the momentum from a runner-up finish in the NBA Cup and a healthy roster into continued success when they host the Washington Wizards on Thursday.,The Spurs head home for a brief respite after a 124-113 loss to New York on Tuesday in the NBA Cup final in Las...