Category: Sports

MCCLAIN, HUNTER WOULD BE A DEVASTATING DUO

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FREEZE DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT AT AUBURN

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NIL HAVING SUCH A BIG IMPACT

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GEORGIA KEEPS LOADING UP

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ONE FINAL THOUGHT ON THE 2023 FIVE-STAR QUARTERBACKS

TAMPA, Fla. — Dak Prescott was clinical as the Dallas Cowboys took care of business on the road against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday in the final game of the opening round of the playoffs.

The Buccaneers were able to get the best of the Cowboys in the season opener, 19-3, but Prescott’s five total touchdowns and a dominant defense was too much in the 31-14 wild-card matchup.

The Cowboys will travel to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox) in the divisional round.

Dallas Cowboys

The Tom Brady curse? Over.

The eight-game playoff losing streak on the road? Done.

Monday’s thumping of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended Brady’s personal seven-game winning streak against the Cowboys and gave Dallas its first road playoff win since the 1992 NFC Championship Game.

It was the Cowboys’ most complete performance this season since the 40-3 demolition of the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 20, and it might be the jolt the team needs to make it back to a Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

Since that win over the Vikings, the Cowboys were chasing that kind of performance and struggled in wins against the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, while losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in overtime. Now the Cowboys will look to build on this after getting over the first hurdle.

QB breakdown: Prescott kept assuring everybody the interception thing would end. It’s not clear if anybody believed him, but Prescott believed it. He set a postseason record by running for a touchdown and throwing a touchdown in his fourth straight playoff game. He joined Troy Aikman (Super Bowl XXVII) and Roger Staubach (1975 NFC Championship Game) as the third Cowboys QB with four TD passes in a playoff game. His confidence grew steadily. His second touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz was a thing of beauty, scrambling to his left and throwing across his body to the tight end to give the Cowboys an 18-0 lead. In his four previous playoff games, Prescott had at least one interception in three of them. It wasn’t that he just played mistake-free. He made big plays in key moments.

Buy breakout performance: The defense looked like the defense from the beginning of the season when opponents couldn’t crack 20 points in six of the first seven games. Micah Parsons was a nuisance and saw more action at off-the-ball linebacker than he had over the second half of the season. Safety Jayron Kearse had the first red zone interception of Brady’s career in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers couldn’t run the ball, which is far different than when these teams met in the opener when they had 152 yards on the ground. The Niners will present more of a challenge with running back Christian McCaffrey, receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle and rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, but this has to raise the group’s confidence.

Troubling trend: Kicker Brett Maher was as consistent as he could be in the regular season. He missed just three extra points. He missed four on Monday. And that comes on the heels of missing his one and only point-after attempt in the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders. His first two misses were sliced to the right. His third was hooked the left. His fourth went off the top of the right upright. According to Elias, Brett Maher is the only player in any NFL game since 1932 to miss four extra points in one game, regular season or playoffs. So there’s that. Do the Cowboys need to look at a kicker as they move into the divisional round of the playoffs?

Underrated statistic to know: At one point in the first half, Prescott had 11 straight completions, which broke the Cowboys’ postseason record, previously set by Troy Aikman in Super Bowl XXX against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Elias. — Todd Archer

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There will be no second shot at the 49ers and no eighth Super Bowl ring this season for Brady.

Monday marked Brady’s first loss to the Cowboys and was just the third time that his team was eliminated in the wild-card round of the playoffs, with the last loss coming on Jan. 4, 2020, in a 30-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans in his last game with the New England Patriots. Brady had gone 2-0 in wild-card rounds with the Buccaneers the last two years.

With Brady set to become an unrestricted free agent, general manager Jason Licht will make every effort to re-sign him this offseason, and they will give him all the time he needs to make a decision — one that will be heavily influenced by family given his desire to be close to his children. But his status will determine whether they are in a ‘win-now’ mode or forced to rebuild.

There are also questions about the coaching staff. Todd Bowles is expected to be back as coach in 2023, but this wasn’t the staff he assembled. Might there be changes? Brady will want to hear what their plan is for next year.

QB breakdown: Despite the return of Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen, who missed the entire regular season with torn ligaments in his knee and gave the whole team a jolt this week, Brady was pressured heavily, and the offense looked out of rhythm. The offensive line couldn’t block Micah Parsons, and as a result, Brady had not completed a pass of 10 or more yards in the first half. Brady completed 35 of 66 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The interception came at the beginning of the second quarter on when Brady tried to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone, but safety Jayron Kearse was able to pick it off. Brady said he just didn’t put enough on the the attempt. It was Brady’s first interception in the red zone in 409 pass attempts. Brady’s first touchdown pass came at the end of the third quarter, finding wide receiver Julio Jones along the left sideline for a 30-yard touchdown, and his second — which was set up by an onside kick recovery by Giovani Bernard — came with 2:04 left in the game to Cameron Brate on an 8-yard score.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Even with their entire starting secondary back, the Bucs’ disguised coverages weren’t enough to fool Prescott. Their pass rush struggled to keep him in the pocket, and they couldn’t cover the Cowboys’ tight ends.

The first touchdown to a tight end was a 22-yard throw to Dalton Shultz. Prescott held off safety Mike Edwards, who had one of his roughest games as a Buccaneer. It was set up by a roughing the passer call on defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. Then on fourth-and-goal from the 1, the Bucs sold out to stop the run with linebacker K.J. Britt losing contain and Prescott running a bootleg into the end zone untouched.

Prior to that, the Bucs had a completely blown coverage on a 35-yard reception by tight end Jake Ferguson.

Prescott found Schultz once more on an 11-yard touchdown — with Edwards out of position once again — thrown on the run with 27 seconds left to go. CeeDee Lamb also slipped through for a score after lining up in a trips left formation with Schultz and Noah Brown. Lamb was unaccounted for and ran wide open for an 18-yard touchdown reception.

Underrated statistic to know: Brady’s 66 pass attempts were the most of his career in a playoff game, and his 31 incompletions were the most for him in a playoff game. — Jenna Laine

“We were on the limit all day long,” Vidaor said. “We backed off green speeds from high elevens [on the stimpmeter, a device that measures green speeds] and dropped the speed down to the mid tens. It’s an exposed golf course, and we need to be careful because there’s no shelter at all.” Vidaor and his team slowed the speeds by cutting the greens less often than usual, and watering them to allow the grass to grow overnight. Typically, tournament golf is played at a minimum speed of 11 to test players. The reduction of the speeds at Yas Links last year was a reflection of how severely the wind was blowing, which could cause balls to drift from their paths once putted.

Barring conditions like the ones last year, Vidaor said he didn’t expect to change much in this year’s setup. Citing Hatton’s criticism last year, he said, “Eighteen is most unusual, but I think it’s a great par 5. It’s a three-shotter, which in the world of tournament golf, you don’t get very often these days.” He added that the course’s designer, Kyle Phillips, intended for it to play this way. Vidaor, who is a fan of Phillips’s work, said “I love a par 5 where par is a good score. Nothing wrong with that.”

One of the real differences at Yas Links compared with most DP World Tour courses is its strain of grass, paspalum. Often used on seaside courses or in hot climates, it’s a drought-resistant turf that can thrive in adverse conditions, such as when sea mist falls on it. Bermuda grass, which is also often used in hot climates, can often get “grainy,” Vidaor noted, which affects shots on and around the greens, as that grain can have a grabbing effect on the ball. Paspalum, by contrast, lacks that.

Also unique to Yas Links is that paspalum is the only turf grass on the property, which is slightly unusual in today’s modern agronomy at golf courses. Most courses have one type of fairway grass to account for the wear and tear of golf carts, while the greens will feature another type of grass to account for the best pure roll, as well as for the climatic conditions. The uniform quality of the course makes for a beautiful presentation, but also a uniform playing surface. “The consistency throughout the course was stunning,” Pieters said.

Vidaor said that also came from controlling the mowing heights, where the grass on the greens was cut to 1.6 millimeters and the grass on the tees was cut to 3.5 millimeters. Fairways were at 6.5 millimeters. All this means that even in the desert in winter, the balls are going to move very fast and the course will have an immaculate appearance.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Flanked by security personnel and members of his traveling entourage, Novak Djokovic strode briskly through a near-empty Tullamarine Airport, his eyes fixed on the white tiles shining underneath his feet. A KN95 mask concealed a large portion of his face, but there was still no hiding the utter dejection.

The 2022 Australian Open was just hours from kicking off, yet the reigning men’s champion, and then-world No. 1, was preparing to depart Melbourne on an Emirates flight bound for Dubai, before jetting back home to Serbia.

Djokovic had just been embroiled in an 11-day legal battle in which he attempted to have his Australian visa reinstated following its cancellation. The unvaccinated tennis star ultimately failed in his bid, and Djokovic was deported and effectively handed a three-year ban from the country, with Australian immigration law preventing him from reapplying for a visa until at least 2025.

For one of the few occasions in his professional career, Djokovic left Melbourne a defeated man. He hadn’t played a single minute on court, yet he appeared more drained than in the immediate aftermath of any of his nine Australian Open titles.

“It’s one of those things that stays with you for, I guess, the rest of your life. You can’t forget those events,” Djokovic explained. “It was not easy for me, for my family, team, or anybody who is close to me.”

Later, he told 9News Melbourne: “It was so big in the media that I just could not fight it. I was drawn into a storm in media worldwide that was related to anything to do with COVID and the vaccine. Everything got out of hand and then I was labelled as this or that. I became the villain of the world, which is obviously a terrible place to be in as an athlete. I stayed for several weeks at home, didn’t really go around too much. I just hoped the situation would calm down.”

Djokovic’s ignominious exit was met with support among the majority of Australians, in particularly Melburnians who were subject to strict lockdowns throughout 2021. There had been a feeling among locals that Djokovic would be receiving preferential treatment by the Australian government if he were able to take part in the Australian Open, which could have sparked further public outrage.

Much has changed over the past 12 months. Australia, like many nations, has dropped its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for foreign arrivals. And, just as crucially for Djokovic, his three-year ban was reversed in November, with Australian immigration minister Andrew Giles confirming Djokovic would be granted a temporary visa to enter the country and compete in the 2023 tournament, to which the Serbian star declared: “I could not have received better news.”

Not only does it offer Djokovic the chance to draw even with Rafael Nadal for the most major wins in men’s tennis history, but there is an opportunity for redemption. An opportunity to win back fans. Last year’s dramatic deportation saga was just another incident in what has been a checkered recent past for Djokovic, and his reputation has seemingly taken beating upon beating.

In January 2020, shortly after his triumph at Melbourne Park, the tennis world was thrust into a near five-month hiatus as COVID-19 began wreaking havoc around the globe. In an effort to remain fit, Djokovic proposed the idea of an exhibition-style tournament in his home region of the Balkans. The ATP gave it the green light, allowing it to take place between June and July.

The event, dubbed the “Adria Tour,” promptly came under heavy criticism for the lack of social-distancing protocols at stadiums, with thousands of fans seen mingling without face masks. A video also circulated showing Djokovic and a host of other tennis stars partying at the Lafayette Cuisine Cabaret Club in Belgrade. Days later, Djokovic and wife Jelena announced they had both contracted COVID-19. The remainder of the event was canceled immediately.

A few months later, with the dust of the Adria Tour finally settled, Djokovic arrived in New York as the overwhelming favorite for the US Open. The absence of Roger Federer and Nadal meant Djokovic was one of just three Grand Slam champions — along with Andy Murray and Marin Cilic — in the entire men’s draw. It was his tournament to lose.

But Djokovic’s name again made headlines for all the wrong reasons following his fourth-round match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta. After dropping his serve in the 11th game of the opening set, and falling behind 5-6, Djokovic took a spare ball out of his pocket and slapped it firmly behind the court, striking a linesperson in the throat. Djokovic immediately raised his arm to signal his lack of intent before rushing over to assist. Nevertheless, it left tournament referee Soeren Friemel with little choice but to disqualify him from the event and strip him of the $250,000 prize money he would have received for reaching the last 16.

By the time January 2021 rolled around, when Djokovic was boarding that flight out of Australia, his reputation was at an all-time low. The question everyone has been pondering ahead of this year’s tournament was just how would he be received.

It was only ever going to go one of two ways. Djokovic could have returned to Australia holding a severe grudge with the country, government and people over what he believed was mistreatment in 2022. He could have shown little remorse for how last year unfolded and even looked to bait crowds during his matches. And while it might have made for enthralling viewing, Djokovic said it wasn’t the right path to take. “If I do hold the grudges [and] if I’m not able to move on, I wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Instead, Djokovic orchestrated a public relations masterstroke. He opted out of the United Cup in Sydney in favor of the Adelaide International, quietly dipping his toes into the waters before flying to Melbourne for a charity match.

He squared off against local hero Nick Kyrgios in an exhibition on the eve of the Australian Open — one that sold out in just 58 minutes. Djokovic received rapturous applause as he made his highly anticipated return to Rod Laver Arena, the court where he has enjoyed the vast majority of his professional success. He endeared himself to the Australian public by laughing and joking alongside Kyrgios, high-fiving ball kids and interacting with fans, before speaking highly of the country.

“It’s great to be back here in Australia. This is the court and the stadium where I created the best memories of my professional tennis career,” he said. “I was very emotional coming into the court. I didn’t know how that was going to go after the events of last year. I’m very grateful for the kind energy and reception, love and support I got.”

Melbourne is a multicultural metropolis, a city in which more than 30,000 Serbian Australians call home. Djokovic will almost certainly be boosted by the ever-present crowds of vocal Serbian supporters for every match he plays inside Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic opens his Australian Open campaign Tuesday evening against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena. He will again strut his stuff on center court, where he looks to extend his streak of singles wins on Australian soil to 35 matches.

That road to redemption starts now.

TAMPA, Fla. — After the Dallas Cowboys won their first road playoff game in 30 years on Monday night, owner and general manager Jerry Jones sees some similarities between his teams of the 1990s and today.

“It’s like a hunting dog,” Jones said following the 31-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “We have tasted what you need to realize it’s there and it will cause you to grow. … I saw that happen to our championship teams and I saw us take guys that certainly had the goods but they not necessarily had the experience of having it happen to them. But our teams of the ’90s did come on and get better and better and grow.”

Before Monday’s win snapped an eight-game road playoff losing streak, the Cowboys’ most recent road playoff victory was the 1992 NFC Championship Game that jumpstarted a dynasty that won three Super Bowls in four years.

Also before Monday, the Cowboys had never beaten Tom Brady (0-7).

And now the Cowboys can look for some revenge on the San Francisco 49ers, whom they will meet in the divisional round Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The Cowboys had their 2021 season ended by the Niners in the wild-card round at AT&T Stadium when Dak Prescott was unable to spike the ball in time for one last shot at a game-winning touchdown.

“Hey, I know we’re all looking forward to it,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “This is how it goes. This is how it’s supposed to be whether you manifest it or whatever your belief is. The league can humble you but it can also put you in position to have opportunities to resolve some things, let’s just say.”

Having snapped the road playoff losing streak and the Brady curse on Monday, the Cowboys will have a chance to end another run of playoff losses: Since the creation of the divisional playoff round in 1970, the Cowboys’ current six-game losing streak in that round is the longest all-time. The only other team with at least a five-game losing streak ever in that round was the Kansas City Chiefs, who lost five straight between the 1995 and 2016 seasons.

The Cowboys have a number of players remaining on the roster from the 2016 and 2018 teams that lost to the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

“Anytime you get eliminated by someone, you want another crack at them the next year,” All-Pro right guard Zack Martin said. “So it should be a great atmosphere out there in San Francisco and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Cowboys will head to California with two fewer days of rest than San Francisco. The Niners advanced to the divisional round with a win Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. The Cowboys will not arrive back in Dallas until early Tuesday morning.

Jones said the shorter week is not unfair to the Cowboys.

“What are we going to do about it? I mean the game is set,” McCarthy said. “So we’ll be there. I can promise you that.”

To Jones, the Cowboys will be a different team than the one that played against the Buccaneers.

“We’ve got a team here that has enough skill, in my opinion, to go win it,” Jones said. “And now we have some experiences that will build the intangibles. And so I think we gained on it tonight.”

CINCINNATI — Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams is week-to-week with a dislocated left kneecap, coach Zac Taylor said on Monday.

Williams went down in the second quarter of the team’s 24-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild-card playoff game. He was initially ruled questionable before he was downgraded to out and missed the entirety of the second half.

Taylor didn’t indicate if Williams will be available for this weekend’s divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. “Hard to tell,” Taylor said.

The Bengals finished the win over their AFC North rivals with three reserve linemen in starting spots. Jackson Carman, the team’s second-round draft pick in 2021, was active on Sunday for only the fourth time this season and finished the game at left tackle.

“I thought he did a nice job, especially being thrust in there,” Taylor said. “He’s gotta practice both sides during the week. He’s practiced a lot of guard this year as well. I thought given the opportunity that he had, against a tough defensive line, I thought he handled it really well.”

Hakeem Adeniji made his second official start at right tackle in place of La’el Collins, who is on injured reserve with a torn ACL in his left knee. Max Scharping started at right guard against Baltimore after Alex Cappa suffered a left ankle injury in the team’s Week 18 victory over the Ravens.

Late Sunday night after Cincinnati’s playoff win, Cappa was spotted wearing a protective boot on his left ankle and using a push scooter to maneuver around the locker room. Taylor also said Cappa’s status for the playoff game against the Bills was week-to-week but said he saw some progress.

“I saw him curling a towel in there with his toes and he looked good,” Taylor said. “It seemed like that was progress when I walked in. That was exciting for the room.”

Cincinnati surrendered four sacks in the playoff win over the Ravens. During the Bengals’ eight-game win streak that stretched from Week 9 to the end of the regular season, Cincinnati never gave up more than two sacks. Taylor said the sacks incurred against Baltimore were for various reasons and not indicative of the offensive line’s overall performance.

“They were all a little bit different,” Taylor said. “But we feel good about it. The line certainly gave us plenty enough to win that game. We’ll keep working to improve.”

With the January transfer window now open around Europe, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!

TOP STORY: Newcastle plan raid for Chelsea trio

Newcastle United are considering a triple swoop for Chelsea stars Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, according to the Telegraph.

Newcastle are keen to bolster their midfield options this January, even more so after star man Bruno Guimaraes picked up an injury that could rule him out for the next couple of weeks.

Gallagher, 22, is believed to be the Magpies’ main target.

All three Blues players have found regular minutes difficult to come by this season under Graham Potter, and that situation seems unlikely to change following recent arrivals at the west London club.

Chelsea have so far added Mykhailo Mudryk, Andrey Santos, David Fofana and Joao Felix (loan) to their attacking options this month.

Of the three players on Newcastle’s wanted list, Chelsea seem most willing to part with Ziyech, 29, probably because they have to lose two non-homegrown players from their Champions League squad. However, they’re concerned about letting Gallagher and Loftus-Cheek, 26, leave with so many injuries to other midfielders at the club.

Newcastle also are reportedly considering moves for Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay and Wolverhampton Wanderers lynchpin Ruben Neves.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

PAPER GOSSIP

– Memphis Depay‘s lawyer has responded to rumours that there have been negotiations between the Dutch player and Internazionale, according to Fabrizio Romano. Sebastien Ledure, Depay’s representative, denied that any discussions had taken place between Barca and the Italians, saying, “It’s not a possibility we are discussing.” Instead, Atletico Madrid remain favourites to land the 28-year-old in January.

– Pablo Sarabia is set to be revealed as a Wolves player this week, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Spanish player spent last season on loan at Sporting CP from Paris Saint-Germain, with whom he scored 21 goals in 45 games. Such form was rewarded with more playing time in the French capital, and he has played 18 games in all competitions for the Parisians. Wolves are expected to pay €5 million up front for the 30-year-old in a 2½-year deal.

– Newcastle United are looking to pip Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus to the signing of right-back Malo Gusto, according to Footmercato. The 19-year-old defender was sensational for Lyon last season, and he is considered one of the most promising right-sided full-backs in Europe. Newcastle are said to be ready to make a proposal to both the club and player about a move at the end of the season. Lyon are unlikely to do a deal for Gusto in January, but with just one year remaining on his current deal from the summer, it’s likely that a bid of €30 million would be enough for the French side to part with their rising star.

– Ivan Fresneda‘s representatives have been in England talking to both Newcastle and Arsenal, according to Sky Sports. Real Valladolid are reluctant to give up their promising right-back but are prepared to let him go if either club makes the right offer. Newcastle have been watching the 17-year-old this season, while Arsenal have expressed an interest in Fresneda, the youngest player to feature in LaLiga in 2022-23. His pace has been a valuable asset, and his performances have seen a growing number of clubs monitor his progress.

– After missing out on Mudryk to Chelsea, Arsenal are now turning their attentions to Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Moussa Diaby, according to Transfermarkt’s Manuel Veth. The 23-year-old has scored six times and added three assists for Leverkusen this season, and the former PSG star also has been linked with Newcastle. He is contracted until 2025 to the German side, who are believed to value him at around £100 million. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is still keen to strengthen his attacking options despite missing out on long-term target Mudryk, and Diaby could fit the bill.

HONOLULU — Sunday was supposed to bring a resolution to the Cormani McClain saga, but the day McClain had said he would sign came and went and his situation is still up in the air.

For Miami signees Francis Mauigoa and Riley Williams, they are just like the rest of the Hurricanes fans, waiting patiently for the situation to resolve itself.

“I haven’t been talking to Cormani lately,” said Mauigoa, who is in Hawaii with Williams participating in this year’s Polynesian Bowl. “I’m just hoping the best for him. If he chooses to stay with us then that will be awesome. If he chooses Colorado or any other school then I hope the best for him.”

Both Williams and Mauigoa said McClain has always kept to himself during the recruiting process and isn’t as active in group texts or other forms of communication with the Class of 2023 commits and signees.

“He’s been silent lately,” Mauigoa said. “He’s just doing his own thing. I kind of give him his own space so he can figure stuff out on his own.”

Williams echoed that sentiment, saying it’s hard enough to make a college decision as a recruit and pressure from other prospects doesn’t help the process.

“At the end of the day, being a highly-ranked recruit, you just have to do what’s best for you,” Williams said. “If he doesn’t see a fit at Miami and wants to go somewhere else then all power to him.”

Mauigoa, who also strongly considered schools like Oregon and Tennessee, said he understands why playing for Deion Sanders at Colorado is an attractive option for McClain.

“I get it if he goes to Colorado,” Mauigoa said. “If I was a cornerback I would go to Colorado.”

Ultimately, McClain’s situation should resolve itself by the time Signing Day is over in February and Mauigoa said he won’t hold any ill will toward McClain.

“We don’t really force people to come if they don’t want to come,” he said. “If you don’t want to be great with us then so be it. If you wanna go be great somewhere else then that’s good, too.”

Mauigoa and Williams are both flying straight from Hawaii back to Miami and start classes in Coral Gables on Monday.

Jim Harbaugh will return as Michigan coach for the 2023 season after talking with teams about a potential return to the NFL for the second straight year.

University president Santa Ono tweeted Monday that he spoke to Harbaugh, who confirmed he would return for a ninth season at his alma mater. Ono, who took over as president in October, said he communicated the news to athletic director Warde Manuel.

“I love the relationships that I have at Michigan — coaches, staff, families, administration, president Santa Ono and especially the players and their families,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “My heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy, happy.’ Go Blue!”

Harbaugh last week interviewed via Zoom with the Denver Broncos about their head-coaching vacancy. He also had a conversation with Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper about the team’s coaching job, although it was not characterized as an interview, a league source told ESPN’s David Newton.

Harbaugh called the Broncos on Monday to inform them he was remaining at Michigan, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Last week, Ono released a statement saying that he had “very positive and constructive conversations” about Harbaugh remaining at Michigan. Harbaugh, who had reiterated his intent on remaining Michigan’s coach while also leaving the door open to an NFL return, followed by saying he appreciated Ono’s support for himself and the team.

He has guided Michigan to back-to-back Big Ten championships, wins over archrival Ohio State and the team’s first two CFP appearances. The 59-year-old is 74-25 as Michigan’s coach after starring at quarterback for the Wolverines before an NFL career.

Harbaugh, who went 44-19-1 as the San Francisco 49ers coach with a Super Bowl appearance and three NFC Championship Game appearances, interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings head-coaching vacancy last February. After not receiving an offer, Harbaugh returned to Michigan, saying he told Manuel that he would no longer pursue NFL opportunities. Rumors of an NFL return have surfaced throughout Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan, but he had not formally engaged with pro teams until the past two years.

After Michigan went 2-4 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the school revised Harbaugh’s contract, cutting his salary by about $4 million and making it less expensive to fire him. Last February, Harbaugh received a new five-year contract that increased his salary to more than $7 million and included several performance-based bonuses.

Harbaugh’s return comes amid an NCAA investigation into alleged violations during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period. Among the alleged infractions is a Level I violation for Harbaugh not complying with or misleading NCAA investigators. Level I violations are the most serious and could carry a multigame suspension for the coach, according to sources.

Michigan has had several prominent players return for the 2023 season, including running back Blake Corum, offensive linemen Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter, wide receiver Cornelius Johnson and defensive lineman Kris Jenkins, who announced his return earlier Monday.

Harbaugh is 132-52 overall as a college head coach at Michigan, Stanford and San Diego.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — While some have expressed uncertainty about the future of Lamar Jackson outside the Baltimore Ravens‘ facility, his teammates strongly supported their starting quarterback after Monday’s final team meeting of the season.

A day following the Ravens’ 24-17 wild-card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the players expressed optimism that Jackson would be back in Baltimore next season and said he did everything he could to return from a knee injury.

“You can’t let a guy like him go,” Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell said. “There’s always some new, exciting kid that has potential to go out there and be great. But this is a business of ‘for sures’ and ‘knowns,’ and you know who Lamar Jackson is. I think it’s in the best interest of the Ravens organization to give him a long-term contract and make him ‘the guy.’”

Jackson’s contract situation is the biggest storyline for the Ravens and perhaps the entire NFL. Jackson and the Ravens can now resume negotiations on a long-term deal after suspending talks at the start of the regular season.

Now, Baltimore will have to decide whether to reach a long-term deal with Jackson, put the franchise tag on him or look to trade him. After Jackson finished out the fifth-year option of his rookie deal this season, the Ravens have less than two months to work on a contract extension before they have to use the franchise tag on him in early March to keep him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

“In my mind, I know he’s going to be here,” Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “He’s a competitor. He wants to win. This is his team, and this is his offense. The money is not the most important thing with Lamar. He really wants to win, contrary to popular belief.”

Jackson missed the last six games with a sprained PCL in his left knee, and the Ravens struggled mightily on offense without him. Baltimore failed to score more than 17 points in a game during Jackson’s absence.

Some NFL analysts, including former quarterback Michael Vick, suggested that Jackson should put on a brace and help Baltimore in the postseason.

“The outside world, and all the different narratives that people paint in their minds, sometimes it’s humorous,” Campbell said. “Lamar Jackson is a guy who loves the game of football, and I truly believe he worked as hard as he could to give himself a chance to play.”

Said Baltimore safety Chuck Clark: “He’s not healthy. You’ve seen him barely walking here. You can’t force somebody to play.”

Jackson’s durability has become a major issue. Dating to Week 15 of 2021, he has been sidelined for 10 of Baltimore’s past 22 games.

Last Thursday, Jackson tweeted the severity of his injury, writing that he “suffered a PCL Grade 2 Sprain on the borderline of a strain 3.”

“When you do this at a high level, you know if you can be effective or not,” Stanley said. “I trust Lamar.”

Last week, Ravens wide receiver Sammy Watkins implied to The Washington Post that Jackson would be back on the field if not for a contract standoff with the team. On Monday, Watkins clarified his remarks, saying, “If a guy is hurt and can’t play, he shouldn’t be out there. I was just very selfish in saying, ‘Shoot, I hope he plays, and I hope he hobbles out there.’ It was nothing personal. He said something to me the other day. We laughed about it.”

Jackson did not travel with the Ravens for their wild-card game in Cincinnati. He’s been dealing with an illness, a source said.

Jackson did not walk into the locker room Monday during the hourlong media availability.

“I hope that he’s going to be back. That’s my guy,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “I have nothing but love and respect for No. 8 as a person, as a player and as a friend.”

But Shang, once the world’s top-ranked junior, is the youngest member of a promising new wave that includes Wu Yibing, 23, and Zhang Zhizhen, 26.

All three were in the main draw this year in Melbourne. It is the first time three Chinese men have played singles in the same major in the Open era, which began in 1968.

On Monday, while Shang was breaking through on Court 13, Wu was on adjacent Court 14, playing grinding rallies with Corentin Moutet of France before losing in five sets.

Wu, who also trains at IMG Academy, reached the third round of last year’s U.S. Open, where Zhang lost in the first round. Now Shang, a dynamic left-hander who looks like the most promising talent of the group, has joined them at this level.

“Now we have three players in the top 200, and I’m happy that I’m one of them,” Shang said. “The other two are like older brothers to me and have been on the tour a lot longer than me. We do practice a lot, and we do speak about how the game is right now and how we can push forward to a higher ranking. For me, each step is a learning step right now. I’m in a young stage of my career, only my second year playing professional tennis. So, for me, it’s just watching how they do things, like we’ve also watched Li Na and how she did things.”

Shang wears an earring in his left ear.

“That’s something my dad had for a long time,” he said. “When I was around 10 years old, I was like, ‘I want to be like dad,’ and so we went to get it together. I’ve had it for a long time.”