Texans, Patriots, 49ers, Bills, Bears and Rams advance to NFL's divisional round
Houston’s stingy defense knocked Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the NFL playoffs, sending the Texans to the divisional round to complete wild-card weekend. The Texans sacked Rodgers four times, scored two defensive touchdowns and held Pittsburgh to 175 yards in a 30-6 victory on Monday night. It was Houston’s 10th straight win and the franchise’s first on the road in the playoffs. Houston will face New England on the road next Sunday. Buffalo will play at Denver in the other AFC divisional game. In the NFC, Seattle hosts San Francisco and Chicago hosts the Los Angeles Rams.
Texans stifle Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers 30-6 for franchise's 1st road playoff win
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Houston Texans have secured their first road playoff win in franchise history, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6. The Texans held Pittsburgh to 175 yards of offense and scored a pair of defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Houston stretched its winning streak to 10 games and advances to play New England in the division round. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud endured a shaky night, turning it over three times, though he did throw a touchdown pass to Christian Kirk. Aaron Rodgers passed for 146 yards and threw a pick-6 on what could be the final throw of his 21-year career.
Brooks Koepka returns to PGA Tour under stiff financial penalty just 5 weeks after leaving LIV Golf
HONOLULU (AP) — Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour five weeks after leaving LIV Golf. The tour has informed players that Koepka will be allowed to return with a stiff financial penalty. He’s agreed to a $5 million charity donation. He also will have no access to the PGA Tour’s equity program for five years and cannot get FedEx Cup bonus money in 2026. The tour puts that value at upward of $50 million depending on Koepka’s performance. Koepka plans to return at Torrey Pines in two weeks. The program is only available to Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith.
Supreme Court takes up culture war battle over transgender athletes in school sports
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams. The culture war cases come from Idaho and West Virginia, among the first of the more than two dozen Republican-led states that have banned transgender athletes from girls' and women’s teams. The justices are evaluating claims of sex discrimination lodged by transgender people versus the need for fair competition for women and girls, the main argument made by the states. Lower courts ruled for the transgender athletes who challenged the state bans, but the conservative-dominated Supreme Court might not follow suit.
Clippers star James Harden passes Shaquille O'Neal for 9th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list
LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden has passed Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. The Los Angeles Clippers guard made a 3-pointer early in the third quarter on Monday night against the Charlotte Hornets. That pushed his career total to 28,598 points in his 1,187th regular season game. O’Neal had 28,596 points in 1,207 games over 19 years. Harden entered the night averaging 25.6 points per game for his highest average since the 2019-20 season when he won the last of three straight league scoring titles. Wilt Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points in 1,045 games over 14 years.
Columbus Blue Jackets fire coach Dean Evason, hire Rick Bowness to replace him
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired coach Dean Evason and named Rick Bowness as his replacement. Evason is the first NHL coach fired this season. General manager Don Waddell announced the abrupt change Monday with his team sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference 45 games in. Bowness turns 71 on Jan. 25. Evason was just past the midway point of his second season in charge of the Blue Jackets. Waddell's first order of business upon becoming GM was to fire then-coach Pascal Vincent and put Evason behind the bench.
NASCAR's 'Chase' returns: What fans need to know about the 2026 format
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR has announced a return to its original championship format, known as "The Chase," starting in 2026. The new system will feature a 10-race format with the top 16 drivers, without eliminations every three races. The driver with the most points at the finale in Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8th will be the champion. This change comes after fan complaints about the current system, which included eliminations and a winner-take-all finale. NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell says the new format aims to reward performance and honor the sport's history. The focus is on consistency and aggressive racing.
Real Madrid gets rid of Xabi Alonso and promotes B team manager Álvaro Arbeloa
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid has replaced coach Xabi Alonso with B team manager Álvaro Arbeloa to no surprise. They were teammates at Madrid, Liverpool and Spain. Madrid says Alonso left by mutual agreement capping a tumultuous stint that lasted less than eight months. The midfield great arrived in May under high expectations as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement. The announcement comes a day after Madrid lost to Barcelona 3-2 in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Arizona strengthens hold on No. 1 in AP Top 25; Vanderbilt cracks top 10
Arizona has tightened its hold on the top spot in The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll after Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin. The Wildcats received 60 of 61 first-place votes. Iowa State moved up to No. 2, followed by UConn, Michigan and Purdue. Nebraska moved up two spots to No. 8 to match its highest-ever ranking set in February 1966. Vanderbilt hit No. 10 for its first top-10 ranking since the 2011-12 preseason poll. No. 19 Florida, No. 22 Clemson, No. 23 Utah State and No. 25 Seton Hall were the new additions to the poll. Kansas, SMU and UCF fell out.
UConn unanimous No. 1 as South Carolina climbs to No. 2 in AP Top 25 women's basketball poll
South Carolina climbed to No. 2 in the latest AP women's basketball Top 25. The reshuffle follows a week where four of the top 10 teams lost. UConn is No. 1. LSU and TCU jumped into the top 10, with LSU moving to No. 6 after beating Texas. Texas dropped to fourth, while No. 5 Vanderbilt has its highest ranking since 2002. Maryland and Oklahoma fall out of the top 10, and Alabama, Notre Dame, and Illinois entered the poll. The SEC leads with nine teams in the Top 25.
