Sports

ATLANTA — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s superstar freshman receiver, sounded downright giddy at the possibility of seeing single coverage on Monday night. Notre Dame has a terrific secondary, and typically relies on that group. It led the nation in passing efficiency defense. But it hasn’t seen a group of receivers like the ones belonging to … Read more

DETROIT — Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns in a flawless performance by Washington’s dazzling rookie, and the Commanders stunned the Detroit Lions 45-31 on Saturday night to reach the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the Super Bowl 33 years ago. The sixth-seeded Commanders (14-5) were nearly double-digit underdogs against the … Read more

Travis Kelce looks on after the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Texans in the AFC divisional round on Jan. 18, 2025. Getty Images If Travis Kelce is indeed making his final playoff push, the decision will be his and not Father Time’s.  With speculation swirling that a slowed-down Kelce might be tempted to walk away … Read more

Always viewed as undersized and underestimated, Austin Ekeler went from hidden star at a Division II Colorado school to a growing star with the Chargers. (Photo by Kirk Irwin / The Associated Press; Photo illustration by Tim Hubbard / Los Angeles Times) He arrived as the underdog — undrafted but hardly unloved by the Chargers … Read more

OKLAHOMA CITY — In Ziaire Williams, the rebuilding Nets took a flier on a former lottery pick as a salary dump. He’s an athletic floor-running defender whose jumper has been his weakness. But if he can keep shooting the way he has lately, their gamble might come good. “He’s done a great job in the … Read more

Decidedly not how they drew it up. The Commanders are going to have to play a near-perfect game to usurp the Lions in Detroit on Saturday night and punch a ticket to the NFC championship game. How exactly journeyman quarterback Marcus Mariota fits into that plan remains to be seen. Feels like Marcus Mariota probably … Read more

Even on a night when their offense was nearly non-existent, the Rangers’ continued their recent winning ways. And it was almost entirely because of Igor Shesterkin, who was not only perfect in regulation and overtime, but in the shootout of Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden. He stopped all three … Read more

Sabrina Ionescu and Kayla McBride’s Unrivaled debuts Saturday were the first time they played a competitive basketball game since the WNBA Finals.  It has been almost three months since the Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime to claim the franchise’s first title. But McBride still feels jabs of heartbreak when she thinks about losing … Read more

NFL fans were mortified by controversial officiating when referees levied an unecessary roughness penalty on the Texans in the third quarter of Saturday’s AFC divisional round game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who were 23-14 victors.  Even analyst Troy Aikman and rules expert Russell Yurk, on the call for ESPN, were in disbelief at … Read more

ATLANTA — At the time, they were two quarterbacks preparing for the biggest season of their lives.  Riley Leonard and Will Howard, the soon-to-be starting quarterbacks at Notre Dame and Ohio State, attended the famed Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State over the summer. They were roommates, getting ready for the pressure cooker of big-time … Read more