Harrison Smith stays in the moment with the Vikings, as his 14th season winds down By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press EAGAN, Minn.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Harrison Smith's 14th year as a steadying presence and energizing force in the secondary for the Minnesota Vikings has hardly been smooth.
The undisclosed health-related matter that sidelined him during training camp was a major setback to his conditioning, putting him in catch-up mode for most of the first half of the season. The Vikings defense was more vulnerable than usual over those early games, too.
Then with the offense struggling through the developmental process with quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings stumbled through November to drop to 4-8 and precipitate their elimination from playoff contention.
But lately?
“I’ve been playing football a long time,” Smith said after Minnesota's victory over the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day , “and I have not had fun like that in my whole career.”
Smith received the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for that performance in his 206th regular-season game, after logging three passes defensed, two tackles for loss, one sack and one interception. He last won that award in 2018.
With career totals of 21½ sacks and 39 interceptions, Smith is just the second player in NFL history to hit those marks, behind Pro Football Hall of Fame member Ronde Barber, who had 28 sacks and 47 interceptions. Smith is also one of four players all time, with Barber, Brian Dawkins and Charles Woodson, to total at least 50 tackles for loss, 100 passes defensed and 200 regular-season games played. Smith (202) also trails only Jim Marshall (270) and Mick Tingelhoff (240) on the team’s all-time list for career starts.
Following the interception against the Lions, Smith was feted on the sideline in a circle of his teammates. He was the recipient of multiple ovations from the U.S. Bank Stadium crowd. Afterward, as Smith tried to sum up what that experience meant to him, his voice cracked several times before he had to pause to compose himself.
“The fans here have never experienced a Super Bowl. They always show up, and for them to keep showing up ... it just shows how much they love the team, how much they love everything that goes into it," Smith said. “We’re out of the playoffs, and everybody shows up in white. They do their part, and one of these days they’ll get it.”
The scene sure felt like a farewell. But so did Smith's emotional postgame remarks after the Vikings were ousted from the playoffs last season.
Could he envision himself returning for a 15th year?
“I can’t speak on that right now. I’m a very much in-the-moment type of guy,” Smith said.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, who has forged a close relationship with the six-time Pro Bowl safety, has made no secret of his desire to keep Smith in place.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has turned over some of the play-calling and decision-making to Smith on the field before and after the snap, and an increased emphasis on blitzing in recent weeks has paid plenty of dividends.
"He has an unbelievable feel of the system. He has an unbelievable feel of what ‘Flo’ and the defensive staff really want to do, and he’s out there playing a game within the game,” O’Connell said. “It’s been spectacular to watch. It’s been awesome from my perspective to watch what he’s able to do at this point in his career mentally, and then physically he’s making a lot of plays as well.”
What's in the future for Flores?
The uncertainty about next season for the defense stretches beyond Smith, with other expensive veterans facing the possibility of being released for cost savings with the Vikings projected to be well over the salary cap approaching the 2026 league year.
Then there's Flores, whose contract will soon expire, making him a free agent. Though his landmark discrimination lawsuit against the NFL that’s still in the court system nearly four years later continues to loom over any interviews he gets for head coach openings, there's also an opening for another club to try to lure him away with a break-the-bank offer for a lateral move.
O'Connell said this week that he doesn't anticipate such a scenario playing out and hopes to have him as long as he can before he's hired again as a head coach.
“I love Minnesota. I love this team. I love working for and with K.O.," said Flores, who was head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-21 and joined the Vikings in 2023. "This place has shown me a lot of love, and I show them right back, and so I don’t know how much more there is to it. From a football standpoint, it fits. There’s always a, let’s call it, business part of this. But the football all lines up. We’ll just see where it all goes.”
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Saints receiver Chris Olave expected to miss season finale at Atlanta after being hospitalized By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints leading receiver Chris Olave had to be hospitalized for treatment of blood clot in his lung, a person with knowledge of his health situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke with the AP on Thursday on condition of anonymity because it's a health matter.
Olave is expected to miss the club's regular-season finale at Atlanta on Sunday. The game is meaningless for the Saints and Falcons. However, if the Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday, they would need New Orleans to beat or tie Atlanta to win the NFC South.
“He obviously is navigating that with our medical staff,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said after Thursday's practice without getting into specifics about the receiver's diagnosis. “Fortunate for Chris they were able to get ahead of this and identify something and make the necessary steps to build a plan moving forward.”
Olave caught eight passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in a victory last week at Tennessee, and has had the best season of his career.
Olave’s 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns are all career highs.
His success also has come one year after head injuries sidelined him for the last half of last season.
Olave has played in 16 games this season and as of earlier this week appeared on track to play 17 games in a season for the first time in his career. But he missed practice on Wednesday with what the team listed as an “illness.”
On Thursday, the severity of his ailment became more clear.
Still, he posted an upbeat message on social media from his hospital bed.
“Thank you God for everything!,” Olave wrote. “Life is full of unexpected twists and turns and I'm grateful to experience it.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed.
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Cam Ward provides rare QB stability for the Titans by starting every game as a rookie By TERESA M. WALKER AP Sports Writer The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cam Ward has been sacked 55 times so far this season.
Yet, the No. 1 overall draft pick has been available for every game and taken every offensive snap during his rookie season for the Tennessee Titans.
On Sunday in Jacksonville, Ward will start his 17th game, giving the Titans the kind of stability at quarterback rarely seen over the past three decades.
How rare?
This will be just the seventh season a quarterback started every game since this franchise arrived in Tennessee in 1997.
Only Chicago and Cleveland have had fewer seasons with three each in that span in the NFL. Philadelphia is at seven with Jalen Hurts pushing that to eight if he starts Sunday.
Caleb Williams could make that four by starting with Chicago trying for the NFC's No. 2 seed.
“It’s something that I don’t take lightly because every time you step on the field you never know when it could be your last down,” Ward said Wednesday. “So I’m blessed ... it’s God and my O-line that’s keeping me healthy the entire way and I know they’re going to keep on doing it.”
Steve McNair started every game for the then-Tennessee Oilers in 1997 and 1998 and again in 2002 for the renamed Titans. Matt Hasselbeck started all 16 games in 2011, and Ryan Tannehill started every game in both 2020 and in 2021 when the NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season.
Ward is the franchise's first rookie quarterback to throw for at least 3,000 yards in a season. Left guard Peter Skoronski said they all know Ward has taken some hits and called it impressive that the quarterback has been on the field for every offensive snap.
“In the NFL, availability is critical,” Skoronski said. “So to have that, especially at your most important position, I think is huge. It speaks to his toughness, his mentality.”
Ward also has put together four straight games with two touchdown passes and hasn’t been picked off once in the past three. He now has 15 TDs with seven interceptions for a 1.3% interception rate, which would break Tannehill's team record of 1.5% in 2020 among qualifying quarterbacks.
The rookie's 537 pass attempts are second in franchise history only to Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon, who threw 655 in 1991 and 584 in 1990.
Better yet, Ward is why four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons keeps telling people he doesn't want to leave the Titans.
“I see the competitive nature, I see the growth as a rookie of Cam,” Simmons said. “I can see where he could take this franchise. So, I’m looking forward to continuing to end the season the right way and we’ll see how next year goes for us.”
New Orleans defensive end Chase Young also sees greatness ahead for Ward.
He sacked Ward last week and took the ball away for a touchdown. He also saw Ward just miss converting a fourth-and-10 while falling, flicking the ball to a teammate for a 17-yard completion that was wiped out by replay showing his knee touching the ground first.
“I ain’t gonna lie, he’s got a Mahomes feel to him when he’s out there," Young said. "Being able to extend plays while still having his eyes down the field. He’s a phenomenal young quarterback.”
Coaches have raved about Ward's work ethic since early this offseason. Wide receiver Chimere Dike, selected as a Pro Bowler as a return specialist last week, said Ward wanted to meet at 5 a.m. back in the spring. Dike said getting up that early wasn't easy. Ward wouldn't take no for an answer.
“Discomfort breeds growth," Dike said of the early sessions. "When you’re in an uncomfortable situation doing stuff that you don’t want to do, usually you know you get better from it.”
Ward now has four or five notebooks filled with information learned from playing 11 of the NFL's 12 stingiest defenses — two inside the AFC South in the Jaguars (12-4) and Houston.
Titans interim coach Mike McCoy says he's seen improvement each week from the rookie.
"It’s only going to make things easier for him moving forward,” McCoy said. “I think he’s done a great job week after week of learning and understanding what we’re trying to accomplish. He’s got a really bright future.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow and AP Sports Writers Andrew Seligman and Dan Gelston contributed to this report.
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Joe Burrow hoping to see change propel the Bengals back into the postseason in 2026 By CHARLIE GOLDSMITH Associated Press The Associated Press CINCINNATI
CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow is in unfamiliar territory.
For the first time in his NFL career, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is preparing for a Week 18 start knowing that no matter what, the season ends on Sunday.
Burrow was injured in 2020 and ‘23. The Bengals made it to the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC championship game in ’22 along with being in contention for a playoff spot up until the last game in 2024.
“Obviously, you want to win a Super Bowl, you want to win MVPs, you want to be in the playoffs every year,” Burrow said. “My goals at this point are just going out and playing as good as I can and continuing to improve, finding ways to continue to be great and continue to find self improvement.”
The Bengals (6-10) close out the season on Sunday at home against the Cleveland Browns (4-12). While the Bengals defense has struggled this season, Burrow also missed more than half of the season because of a toe injury that required surgery.
During the offseason, as Burrow works to get stronger, the front office will also need to strengthen the roster. Burrow said that he has a great line of communication with the front office and ownership.
“I think my job is to No. 1, play as well as I can. No. 2, continue to improve, and No. 3, be the conduit between coaching staff, front office and the locker room,” Burrow said. “Relay feelings that players have, relay sentiments in the locker room because coaches and front office, they aren’t down there every day and they don’t understand a lot of the things that go on in the locker room. I think (as a) quarterback, your job is to relay some of those things.”
Following three years where the Bengals have missed the postseason, Burrow said that there will need to be some changes for the Bengals to get back to contention in the AFC.
But unlike last season, when he stumped for re-signing players such as Tee Higgins and Mike Gesicki, Burrow is speaking more in generalities.
“We want to be competing for championships every year,” Burrow said. “We don’t want to be in the spot we are in now, so something’s got to change, whether it’s players we have continuing to improve and get better and play championship-caliber football, or bringing in guys that will or whatever it may be.”
Right now, Burrow’s main focus is preparing for a vaunted Browns’ defense and preparing for one of the top pass rushers in Myles Garrett. Burrow has been sacked 11 times by Garrett in nine meetings.
Garrett is one sack away from setting the single-season record for sacks. While that presents a big challenge, the Bengals also have one of their best offensive lines in years. Because of the development of right tackle Amarius Mims and left guard Dylan Fairchild, the Browns will see a much-improved Bengals’ offensive line than what they faced in Week 1.
“I think they’re playing exponentially better than they were at the time,” Burrow said. “I know they’re excited about the challenge, but I know (the Browns’) front is tough to deal with, starting with (Garrett). They have a lot of other guys, too, that can be very challenging to handle up front. I know they’re excited for it.”
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Packers to start QB Clayton Tune in regular-season finale at Minnesota The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Clayton Tune will start at quarterback for Green Bay in its regular-season finale Sunday at Minnesota with the Packers intending to rest Jordan Love as he prepares for the playoffs.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday that Love has cleared concussion protocol , but isn’t expected to play against the Vikings (8-8). Green Bay (9-6-1) already is locked into the NFC’s No. 7 playoff seed, so Sunday’s game has no postseason implications.
Love hasn’t played since taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter of a 22-16 overtime loss at Chicago on Dec. 20.
Love said he's doing enough in practice that he shouldn't feel rusty when he starts the Packers' playoff opener.
“I think the only thing as a quarterback that you’re not simulating is getting hit,” Love said. “So, yeah, you go through training camp and it’s the same situation getting yourself ready for Week 1 where you’re not playing any games. It’s the same deal, but you can simulate it.”
Malik Willis played the rest of the Bears game and started the Packers’ 41-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, but he’s dealing with injuries to his shoulder and hamstring. Love practiced fully and Willis was limited in Wednesday’s practice.
The Packers also signed Desmond Ridder to their practice squad on Wednesday, giving them one more option. LaFleur said there’s a possibility Ridder could be active for Sunday’s game.
“Clayton Tune’s going to start, and then as far as the backup, we’re kind of working through that process right now,” LaFleur said. “Malik’s dealing with a hamstring. Obviously just got Desmond Ridder in here. We’re kind of taking it a day at a time.”
Tune signed with Green Bay’s practice squad before the season. The Packers signed Tune from their practice squad to their active roster Wednesday.
“Any time you get an opportunity to play in an NFL game, it’s a huge blessing,” Tune said. “So (I'm) just excited for the opportunity to go out and play and trust the training that I’ve put in for the last however many weeks it’s been.”
Tune, 26, entered the Ravens game in the fourth quarter and went 1 of 4 for 8 yards with an interception. He appeared in 13 games and made one start with the Arizona Cardinals, who selected him out of Houston in the fifth round of the 2023 draft.
He has gone 15 of 27 for 78 yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns. In his lone previous start, he was sacked seven times as the Cardinals gained just 58 total yards in 27-0 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 5, 2023.
“I would say I’m obviously more experienced, been around the game more,” Tune said in regard to how much he's grown since that start. ”Obviously seeing more looks, seeing more defenses, so I would say I’m obviously a better player just from being in the NFL for two years longer, but just I’ve seen it before and I kind of know what to expect now that I’ve got a start under my belt."
LaFleur also said newly acquired cornerback Trevon Diggs “potentially” could play against the Vikings. The Packers claimed Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday.
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Baltimore's Lamar Jackson says he's playing Sunday at Pittsburgh: 'A hundred percent' The Associated Press OWINGS MILLS, Md.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Lamar Jackson says he's expecting to play when the Baltimore Ravens take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh for the AFC North title Sunday night.
“A hundred percent,” the star quarterback said. "I'm going to be out there."
Jackson returned to practice Wednesday and was a full participant, but he didn't talk with reporters at the podium until Thursday. He said he's feeling good after missing last weekend's game at Green Bay because of a back injury.
That was the fourth game this season Jackson has missed, the first three because of hamstring problems. Jackson addressed some of the skepticism that's come his way lately regarding his willingness to play through pain.
“I never quit on my team before. I never quit anything to be honest with you," Jackson said. "I don't know where that noise came from.”
Jackson said he believes he has a good relationship with coach John Harbaugh and “absolutely” wants to be in Baltimore.
The Ravens need a win this weekend to make the playoffs after they entered the season as a popular Super Bowl pick.
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'I know who I am.' Steelers' Connor Heyward proving he's far more than Cam Heyward's little brother By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — There's a legacy that comes when your last name is Heyward, and you play football for a living.
Especially when you do it in Pittsburgh.
Connor Heyward has known this basically his entire life. The Steelers tight end/fullback grew up hearing the stories about his father, former NFL running back and University of Pittsburgh great Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. He watched from afar as older brother Cam evolved from a first-round pick by the Steelers in 2011 into one of the best defensive tackles of his generation.
It's a lot to live up to. Particularly when what you do on the field is hard to define.
Connor Heyward doesn't bulldoze opposing linebackers as his dad did. He doesn't overwhelm offensive linemen on the way to the quarterback — and maybe one day the Hall of Fame — like his brother.
There's no one more aware of this than the 26-year-old who has spent the past four seasons trying to show that his roster spot isn't merely the result of the name on the back of his jersey.
“I always feel like I have something to prove,” Heyward said. “Whether that’s to myself or just my peers, teams we’re competing against, just showing them that I belong.”
Even now, after being selected as an alternate to the Pro Bowl as a fullback for the first time, Heyward is hardly ready to exhale and say he's arrived. While he points out he's stuck it out longer than most sixth-round picks, all it takes is one search of his name on social media to make sure the chip on his shoulder never leaves.
There were times, particularly earlier in his career, when the online vitriol directed his way that he was the NFL's version of a nepo-baby would get to him.
“You can’t hide from that,” he said. “You see it. It sucks."
A ‘true football player’
He wasn't the only one who noticed. Asked if he thinks it's hard for Connor to be his little brother, Cam Heyward nodded.
“He gets a s—- ton,” of criticism, said the older Heyward, a seven-time Pro Bowler and the NFL's 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year . “I kind of walked in here with it myself, being my dad’s son. (Connor's) just got it both ways. He’s got to deal with both (me and my dad). And it’s not always easy, but I think he’s answered it and he’s on his way.”
And he's done it by being himself. At 6-foot and 230 pounds, he is hardly the biggest, the strongest or the fastest player on the field. Yet Heyward has consistently found a way to be impactful whenever — or wherever — he lines up.
He's a fixture on special teams but is just as comfortable taking the snap from center in the Steelers' version of the “tush push” (dubbed the ‘Pittsburgh Plunge’ in honor of a ride at a local amusement park), something he does when he's not running routes at tight end, setting up at fullback and clearing space for Kenny Gainwell and Jaylen Warren.
“He is a true football player,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “It’s unfortunate to see he doesn’t get the respect that he deserves outside the building, but everyone in the building knows what he can do.”
And as a result, everyone in the building is fine asking Heyward to do a lot, including the kind of dirty work that rarely makes its way to a highlight package but stands out in the team's film room.
“The more we put on his plate, the more he executes," Freiermuth said. “It's awesome.”
Which makes the moments when the ball is in Heyward's hands feel earned, not given. Last week against Cleveland, the Steelers unveiled their latest wrinkle on the “Pittsburgh Plunge” by having Heyward take the snap and race to his right for 29 yards to help set up a field goal.
Heyward has learned there is no pleasing everyone. That no matter what he does, it will never be enough for some. He'd be lying, however, if he said he doesn't get some small level of satisfaction out of having his mentions go silent, at least for a little while.
“It’s not like, ‘Shut up,’ but it’s, like, ‘I told you so,’” Heyward said. “And sometimes it's just to yourself, like just that reassurance that you sometimes need.”
A tightening bond
Heyward will be a free agent this offseason. It seems almost a given he's done enough for the Steelers — who have long reserved spots on the roster for players willing to do what Heyward so capably does — to earn a contract to return.
If he sticks around, it would give him a chance to spend perhaps one final season alongside Cam, who will be entering the last year of his current contract and turns 37 in May.
Connor Heyward described Cam as “like a dad to me,” while growing up, thanks in part to their 10-year age gap. That has shifted during their time together in Pittsburgh, where Cam has become the big brother careful not to overstep his bounds and Connor has turned into the self-described “cool uncle” to Cam's and wife Allie's three kids.
It's telling of how comfortable they are with each other that Connor never asked the team to move his locker, which has been a stall or two over from Cam's during the entirety of his career.
Asked why he never bothered to move — it's worth noting that former Steeler brothers/teammates Nick and Nate Herbig and Trey and Terrell Edmunds had lockers on opposite sides of the room — and Connor points to the demands of their lives away from the facility that make getting together during the season difficult.
Those quiet moments together have been invaluable, and render all the noise that comes with being considered the “other” Heyward just that: noise.
Yes, if he were somewhere else, maybe there'd be a little less hate sent his way. But there also wouldn't be the same sense of family. It's a trade-off he will happily deal with.
No, he's not his dad. No, he's not his brother. That doesn't make him less than. It just makes him different.
“I’m glad I'm here in Pittsburgh,” Connor Heyward said. “I'm glad to continue to build off what I’ve started and what Cam has done. I know who I am.”
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Versatile safety Quentin Lake agrees to a 3-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer The Associated Press LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a three-year contract extension with Quentin Lake, the do-it-all defensive back who has become a key component of their defense over the past four seasons.
The Rams announced the deal Thursday with Lake, an Orange County native and a sixth-round pick out of UCLA in 2022. The team simultaneously designated Lake to return from injured reserve after a six-game absence with an elbow injury.
“It’s something that you dream of,” Lake said after practice. “I think the coolest thing about it was seeing the reaction from my teammates. When you have people yelling and screaming, congratulating you, coming up saying, ‘Well deserved,’ it makes you feel good.”
The son of former Pittsburgh Steelers star Carnell Lake seized a prominent role on the Rams' defense in 2023, and he currently serves as a team captain and defensive signal-caller. Depending on the situation, Lake can be seen lining up as a slot cornerback, a run defender in the box or a patrolling safety at the back of the defense.
In perhaps the greatest measure of the Rams’ esteem for Lake, he has become the first defensive draft pick to get a contract extension with the Rams since retired superstar Aaron Donald , who was drafted in 2014.
“I’m glad everything worked out,” Lake said. "It’s been in the works a long time, but I didn’t want that to be any type of distraction for me going on the field and playing.”
Lake has 160 tackles, four sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception over four seasons in Los Angeles.
Lake still doesn't expect to play this Sunday when the Rams (11-5) host the Arizona Cardinals (3-13), but the team is optimistic he will return for the postseason. He returned to practice to get an extra week of conditioning and acclimation to the Rams' current defensive setup.
Lake had surgery on his dislocated elbow in November, and his steadying presence has been missed by the Rams' defense, which had been one of the NFL's best this season. Los Angeles has ranked just 28th in scoring defense, 29th in yards allowed per play and 26th in big plays allowed over the past five weeks.
The Rams are headed to the playoffs for the third straight season despite losing back-to-back games for the first time this year. Lake has 23 tackles in three career playoff games.
Lake is the second key player on the Rams' defense to sign a three-year extension during the season. Linebacker Nate Landman, the free-agent signee who has seized a leadership role with a standout effort in his first season with Los Angeles, was rewarded with a $22.5 million deal in November .
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Oregon-Indiana headed for a rematch, Ole Miss to play Miami as college football's final four is set By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer The Associated Press MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — When Indiana met Oregon in October, the game served as the best test yet of whether the Hoosiers were a one-year wonder or a program that was here to stay.
They met that challenge with a double-digit win that snapped Oregon's 18-game home winning streak. Next week comes a rematch with a trip to the national title game at stake.
A pair of Big Ten blowouts in Thursday's quarterfinals — Indiana 38, Alabama 3 and Oregon 23, Texas Tech 0 — set up Oregon-Indiana, Part 2 in the national semifinals at the Peach Bowl next Friday.
“Why would it be too big for them? Because the name's ‘Indiana?’” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said after his team passed its latest big-time test.
Indiana was the only team of the eight with first-round byes in the two-year history of the playoff to win their quarterfinal.
The other semifinal will feature Miami against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl next Thursday. It will be a matchup between Hurricanes QB Carson Beck and the Rebels, who are now 2-0 since the abrupt departure of coach Lane Kiffin . The sixth-seeded Rebels (13-1) rallied from nine points down at halftime to beat Georgia 39-34 Thursday in the Sugar Bowl.
The top-seeded Hoosiers (14-0) opened as a four-point favorite in their rematch with No. 5 Oregon (13-1), according to the BetMGM Sportsbook. The Ducks closed as 7.5-point favorites in the October meeting that Indiana won 30-20. This blowout win over the Crimson Tide might have been Indiana's most impressive performance since the win at Oregon.
In that one, Ducks defensive back Brandon Finney, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery against Texas Tech, returned an interception for a touchdown to tie the game at 20 early in the fourth quarter. But Indiana answered with a touchdown drive, an interception and a field goal for a double-digit win over the previous season's Big Ten champion.
The most intriguing matchup in this game isn't hard to find.
Quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza of Indiana Dante Moore of Oregon are projected as the top two picks on many 2026 draft boards. Mendoza is trying to join a rarified list of quarterbacks (among them, Jameis Winston, Cam Newton and Matt Leinart) who have won the Heisman and the national title in the same season.
“It's going to be a great matchup, and all respect to them,” Mendoza said of the Ducks. “I've got to get the game plan and got to get to watching film now.”
Oregon is coming off a defensive domination of Texas Tech. The Ducks created four turnovers that led to 13 points. Moore, meanwhile, was held in relative check, throwing for 234 yards and no scores.
“We go back look at this game, say ‘What did we do really well?’” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “Let's go to the doctor, let's figure out what kind of medicine we have to take for the next game. I think that's always the best indicator of what you have to do when you start to analyze what you have in front of you.”
Ole Miss and Miami meet for first time since 1951
The 10th-seeded Hurricanes, who beat Ohio State on New Year's Eve, haven't faced Mississippi since 1951. But this is a matchup steeped in the modern-day realities of college football.
Beck, the Miami quarterback, played at Georgia last season, but an injury in the SEC title game ended his season and sent his draft stock plummeting.
Looking for a change of scenery, Beck bolted for Miami and the reported $4 million NIL deal it offered. It was the first seismic move in the 2025 transfer portal.
Over in Oxford, the drama of Kiffin's departure for a job at SEC-rival LSU overshadowed the best season in program history, but didn't stop the chase for for a title.
“We've got a great group of people in the building," said coach Pete Golding, who took over for Kiffin. “We've got a lot of guys going through a lot of things but they've been here for the kids all the time and it's a special group of kids.”
Going against Beck will be Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, who led Division II Ferris State to the national title last year. He is now two wins away from taking the Rebels to a Division I crown.
“Our grit,” he said when asked how Ole Miss has overcome its obstacles this year. “We just want to win, play football and have fun with our brothers. Ever since fall, this was our goal.”
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Browns' draft class poised to accomplish rare milestone despite 4-12 record By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer The Associated Press BEREA, Ohio
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Shedeur Sanders has commanded most of the attention and national spotlight when it comes to the Cleveland Browns rookie class.
However, all seven players in Cleveland's 2025 draft class have seen significant playing time this season.
Going into Sunday's finale at Cincinnati, the Browns are on pace to be only the second team in the Super Bowl era to have rookies lead the team in passing, rushing and receiving yards.
The only other team to have achieved that is the 1968 Buffalo Bills, who went 1-12-1 and lost the final eight games of the season. The Browns are 4-12, a one-win improvement from 2024.
“They don’t approach it like rookies. This is not a group where I’ve had to be chasing them around the building to get them to do something or their focus is not where it needs to be," coach Kevin Stefanski said.
"Forget how good of players they are, this is as diligent a group of workers that I’ve ever been around. And I think that’s a testament to these players. I think it’s a testament to (general manager) Andrew (Berry) and crew identifying these players. I think it’s a testament to their coaches and how they develop them. This is a group that loves to work, loves to compete, loves to be out there with their teammates and is willing to do anything that they have to do.”
Second-round pick Carson Schwesinger, the linebacker and 33rd overall pick, leads NFL rookies in tackles (156) and tackles for loss (11). He is also the first rookie since Detroit's Aidan Hutchinson in 2022 to have at least 2 1/2 sacks and two interceptions.
Schwesinger has played in all 16 games despite playing through a pair of injuries. He suffered a high ankle sprain during a Week 8 game at New England and played through a calf injury last week.
“I think, for me, whether it’s good or bad, I tend to do the best when I don't think about the attention. I think when you try to focus on stats or awards or things like that, it takes away from why I’m really playing this game and what I love to do,” Schwesinger said about possible offseason accolades.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz also lauded Schwesinger's toughness and his ability to continue to play well.
“I think some of the plays that I think he’s played the best are plays that you guys might not notice, because he’ll take something away in the passing game or he’ll play perfectly in the run game and somebody else will make the play. Really a cement block for our defense and I think defensive rookie of the year,” Schwartz said.
Mason Graham, the fifth overall pick, has also excelled on the defensive line. The defensive tackle has seven tackles for loss, tied for fifth among rookies, along with 45 tackles and half a sack.
Sanders is 2-4 and averaging 207 passing yards per game in his six starts. He has played behind a makeshift offensive line, but has also had to adjust after losing his top two playmakers the past two weeks.
Running back Quinshon Judkins, who was selected just after Schwesinger as the 36th pick, suffered a broken leg during the second quarter against Buffalo on Dec. 21. He finished the season with 827 rushing yards, fifth most by a Browns rookie in a season, along with seven touchdowns. Both are third among NFL rookies.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr., a third-round pick, leads league rookies in receptions (72), is tied for second in receiving scores (six) and fourth in receiving yards (731).
However, Fannin is questionable for Sunday because of a nagging groin injury that first occurred in practice on Dec. 26.
Running back Dylan Sampson, who was selected in the fourth round, picked up some of the slack in last week's win over the Steelers with 27 rushing yards. He also has three games this season with at least 50 scrimmage yards. Sampson's 66-yard touchdown catch on a screen pass at Las Vegas in Sanders' first NFL start is the Browns longest play of the season.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel went 1-5 in six starts. The third-round pick had a passer rating over 80 in four of his starts, but struggled with throwing the deep ball.
“It is unique with how many of us are contributing, but it’s not even something we think about at this point in the season,” Sampson said. “We're trying to wrap this season up and just continue to make it strides and growing in this league.”
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