People charge their mobile devices at a Street Charge station in the Brooklyn Borough of New York.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
The FBI recently warned consumers against using free public charging stations, saying crooks have managed to hijack public chargers that can infect devices with malware, or software that can give hackers access to your phone, tablet or computer.
“Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers,” a tweet from the FBI’s Denver field office said. “Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead.”
The FBI offers similar guidance on its website to avoid public chargers. The bulletin didn’t point to any recent instances of consumer harm from juice jacking. The FBI’s Denver field office said the message was meant as an advisory, and that there was no specific case that prompted it.
The Federal Communications Commission has also warned about “juice jacking,” as the malware loading scheme is known, since 2021.
Consumer devices with compromised USB cables can be hijacked through software that can then siphon off usernames and passwords, the FCC warned at the time. The commission told consumers to avoid those public stations.
As Denver faces a rising crime rate, growing homeless encampments and dizzying housing costs, voters on Tuesday are expected to whittle down an unusually large and divergent field of 16 candidates for mayor — including a former boxer, an investment banker, a state lawmaker and a former Crenshaw Mafia Gang member.
The fear that undergirds the wide open race is clear. Denver — the fast-growing, relatively young, business and tech hub of the U.S. Mountain West — is tumbling toward a fate similar to that of other major cities.
“The San Franciscos or the Portlands or Seattles … have not been able to turn the tide on things like homelessness and affordable housing and public safety,” said candidate Mike Johnston during a recent debate.
Johnston, a former state senator, is among candidates seeking the political post as Denver’s CEO, a position that has become a stepping stone for ambitious politicians.
The tower from the Denver City/County Building, center, is flanked by a high rise office tower on one side and a crane on the other to combine pieces of the past, the present and the future Friday, March 24, 2023, in downtown Denver.
David Zalubowski / AP
Former Mayor John Hickenlooper launched a successful gubernatorial campaign, which propelled him into the U.S. Senate, where he now represents Colorado. Going back further, after his tenure as Denver mayor, Frederico Peña went on to become U.S. Energy Secretary under former President Bill Clinton.
Current Mayor Michael Hancock, who’s run the city since 2011, can’t run again due to term limits.
The election likely won’t be decided until a June 6 runoff. Whoever wins will inherit a city that boasts a large aerospace and tech industry, six professional sports teams, a proud beer culture, and one of the fastest growing economies in the country. Denver and the broader metro area has nearly doubled in population in the last three-decades — reaching roughly 3 million people in 2021.
The future mayor will also inherent a city experiencing a rise in gentrification, the highest crime rate in decades, and an increased rate of homelessness that grew by over 12% in the preceding two years — as well as an unprecedented surge in opioid overdoses that reached 473 deaths in 2021.
Most candidates are registered Democrats or unaffiliated, and range from state representatives to activists and people from disparate industries, including investment banking and professional boxing. Core disagreements have emerged between progressive and more moderate Democrats, especially when it comes to rising homelessness, police funding, rent control and what are often called ” safe injection sites,” where people can use drugs under supervision to prevent overdoses.
The question of whether to enforce Denver’s camping ban, which is aimed at curtailing homelessness and a legacy of Hancock’s administration, has divided the contestants. Most candidates, including Johnston and Kelly Brough, president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, said they would enforce the ban.
Those who wouldn’t enforce it include candidate Leslie Herod, a Democratic state representative, and Lisa Calderón, executive director of an organization that helps women run for public office.
Two bills moving through the Colorado Legislature have also split candidates. The pieces of legislation would give municipalities, including Denver, the power to impose rent control and allow safe injection sites. Both proposals have left candidates split along roughly the same lines as they fall on a spectrum from moderate to progressive.
Whoever pulls ahead in the race will hold the reigns to a city that’s both grown and suffered in recent years, as Denver becomes an increasingly popular place to live and important part of the western United States.
Austin, Texas cooled the fastest over the last year as the housing market descended from its … [+] pandemic-era boom.
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The tide has turned as housing markets in tech hubs and pandemic migration hot spots are cooling more rapidly than other parts of the country as the tech sector falters and mortgage rates remain elevated, according to a recent survey.
The Redfin analysis found that Austin, Texas cooled the fastest over the last year as the housing market descended from its pandemic-era boom. The Fed started hiking interest rates to combat inflation, leading to an increase in mortgage rates a year ago. Austin is followed by Seattle; Phoenix; Tacoma, Washington; and Denver. Las Vegas, Stockton, California; San Jose, California; Sacramento and Oakland, California round out the top 10.
Seattle had the third-biggest drop off in home buying demand.
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When push comes to shove, high rates, low supply and tech layoffs dampen demand in West Coast hubs
Measures of home buying demand and competition dropped off quickly in tech centers, including Seattle, San Jose and Oakland. The typical San Jose home sold for just 0.6% above its asking price in February, compared with 12% aboveasking price a year earlier—the biggest percentage-point drop off in the country. Seattle had the third-biggest drop off, going from 8% above asking price to 1% below during the last year. Pending home sales declined 40% year over year in Seattle, and they were down 38% in San Jose.
Redfin asked its agents to share how big a role the surge in tech layoffs, the shaky stock market and banking turmoil are playing in the cooldown, and found that coastal hubs are cooling quickly for a combination of reasons. Some reported that layoffs and precarious tech stocks are deterring buyers. Others attribute the slowdown mainly to other factors, including super-low inventory. San Jose and Oakland are among the five U.S. metros where new listings are dropping off fastest.
Home prices in Silicon Valley rose quickly for many years, especially during the pandemic, pricing … [+] out residents who didn’t work at Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft or any other tech company.
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Housing markets in tech hubs are cooling quickly for several reasons
Topsy-turvy tech stocks. Tech stocks fell more than 30% in 2022, though they have ticked up a bit since then. Shaky tech stocks hit the Bay Area and Seattle hard because buyers employed in the tech industry often use stock proceeds for down payments.
Tech layoffs. Layoffs in the tech industry, concentrated largely in the Bay Area and Seattle area, are widespread. Shelley Rocha, a Redfin manager in the Bay Area, said some buyers have bowed out of their search or canceled contracts because they have lost their jobs or are worried about losing them. Other agents say layoffs and dwindling tech job prospects are preventing some first-time buyers from entering the market at all.
Low inventory. There are plenty of Bay Area and Seattle residents who aren’t put off by the prospect of layoffs and a rocky stock market. But the limited number of homes coming on the market is tamping down demand from them, too.
Pandemic home price increases are unsustainable. Home prices in tech hubs rose quickly for many years, especially during the pandemic, pricing out residents who didn’t work at Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft or any other tech company. Now that tech is struggling and mortgage rates are high, an even bigger portion of local residents are unable to afford homes.
High mortgage rates. Mortgage rates are sitting around 6.4%. Is this a good thing? No, because it’s more than double the record low of 3% that was common in late 2020 and early 2021. That has driven up monthly housing payments substantially in expensive markets. The typical Seattle home buyer pays $4,210 per month with today’s 6.4% rate, versus around $3,200 a year ago at a 3.5% rate.
Still-high home prices. Home prices are falling in the Bay Area and Seattle, but they’re still high, largely because of limited inventory. The typical San Jose and Seattle homes sell for $1,250,000 and $710,000, respectively, compared with the $386,000 national median. High mortgage rates are exacerbating the expense, pushing out many would-be buyers.
It’s worth noting that while these markets cooled quickly from February 2022 to February 2023, some agents are now noticing competition on fairly priced homes as mortgage rates decline from their peak and supply remains low.
“I’m seeing bidding wars on homes that are priced fairly and accurately, and the overall market looks strong this week,” said San Jose Redfin agent Laxmi Penupothula. “Overpriced listings are the ones sitting on the market.”
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which lent money to a lot of Bay Area startups, is having a mixed impact on the local housing market (the bank collapsed in March, after the time frame of the data in this report). Redfin agents report that uncertainty around the stability of the banking and tech industries is exacerbating nerves in some buyers and sellers. But the bank’s failure—along with turmoil surrounding other banks—caused the Fed to raise interest rates only modestly last week, which has already brought mortgage rates down and could help bring some buyers back.
The New York metro area (ranked #66 in terms of markets cooling fastest) is also likely to feel the impact of banking turmoil because so many of its residents work in the financial sector. Nearly one in five finance jobs in the U.S. are in New York, and finance is the highest-paying industry in the city. Banking instability could dampen home buying demand in the area as finance workers worry about their industry.
Pandemic boomtowns go from hot spots to not-so-hot spots
Austin soared in popularity in 2021 and early 2022 as an influx of out-of-town remote workers moved in from expensive coastal areas, taking advantage of historically low mortgage rates..
But now, measures of home buying competition and demand in Austin are dropping off fast. Its total supply of for-sale homes rose 140% year over year in February, the second-biggest increase in the U.S. (only North Port, Florida had a bigger increase). Pending sales dropped 40%, and just 16% of homes went under contract within two weeks of hitting the market in February, down from 38% a year earlier.
The surge of affluent home buyers pushed up local home prices, and the subsequent rise in mortgage rates priced out even more local residents. Even though Austin’s median price per square foot fell 13% year over year in February, the biggest drop of any major U.S. metro, it’s still higher than it was two years ago and the income needed to buy a home there remains far higher than what the typical local earns.
The story is similar in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento, also magnets for remote workers leaving expensive areas for more affordable homes and sunnier weather. Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento are all mainstays on Redfin’s list of most popular migration destinations and quickly went from relatively affordable to not-so-affordable—at least for existing residents—during the pandemic.
Now housing markets in those boomtowns are doing an about-face as rates rise. Tech troubles are also contributing to dampened demand in these areas because many remote workers are struggling with layoffs and the prospect of them. The Bay Area and/or Seattle are among the top origins for homebuyers moving to Austin, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Sacramento.
The increasing portion of home sellers dropping their asking price illustrates just how much some of these markets have cooled. In Phoenix, 70% of for-sale homes had a price drop in February, compared with 21% a year earlier—the second-biggest uptick in the U.S. It’s followed closely by Denver, where 37% of homes had a price drop in February, compared with 13% a year earlier.
Las Vegas and Phoenix are also among the places that have seen the biggest upticks in sellers offering concessions to woo buyers over the last year.
Parts of Connecticut, upstate New York and the Midwest are holding up best amid a shaky housing market
Among the homes that are selling in Hartford, Connecticut, more are going under contract within two … [+] weeks
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Hartford, Connecticut is holding up best, according to the analysis. The housing market there isn’t necessarily hot—pending sales dropped 16% year over year in February and new listings also dropped by double digits—but other metrics show that there’s still competition for homes. Among the homes that are selling, more are going under contract within two weeks than a year earlier and the median price per square foot is up 8%.
Next comes Milwaukee, followed by two other Connecticut metros and two upstate New York metros: New Haven, Bridgeport, Albany and Rochester. Lake County, Illinois; McAllen, Texas; Wilmington, Delaware; and Chicago round out the top 10.
Homes in all those places are relatively affordable; nine of the 10 have a median sale price below the national median (Bridgeport is the exception). That means the uptick in mortgage rates doesn’t make as big of a dollar difference in monthly housing payments as it does in expensive areas.
DENVER (AP) — Outraged Denver students and parents demanded better school security and pushed for tighter firearm controls Thursday, a day after a 17-year-old student shot and wounded two administrators at a city high school beset with violence.
More than 1,000 students rallied at the Colorado Capitol to push gun reform legislation, while school board members endorsed the district superintendent’s abrupt reversal of a policy that had banned armed officers from Denver schools.
The shooting at East High School near downtown occurred as administrators were searching for weapons on suspect Austin Lyle, who fled from the scene and was found dead Wednesday night in the mountains southwest of Denver. He died from a self-inlflicted gunshot wound, the Park County coroner said.
Educators for decades have grappled with how to keep students safe as violence has intensified, and the Denver shooting stoked an immediate backlash among parents who said security was too lax.
The uproar echoed community outrage after other school shootings — from last year’s unchecked rampage by a gunman in Uvalde, Texas, who killed 19 elementary school children and two adults, to January’s shooting of a Virginia teacher by a 6-year-old student. The tragedies underscore a chronic problem: keeping guns out of schools even as they proliferate in the community.
“We’re scared to go to school,” East High School sophomore Anna Hay said during Thursday’s rally at the Capitol. “We want to have these legislators look us in our eyes when they tell us they won’t pass gun legislation.”
As Wednesday’s shooting unfolded, Hay heard sirens from emergency vehicles and had a sinking realization that the danger was real. “Watching your friends and the fear in their eyes … it’s the worst feeling in the world,” she said.
The Colorado shooting was one of at least four at or near a school this week in the U.S. On Monday, a 15-year-old was arrested in the fatal shooting of a student outside of a Dallas-area high school, on Tuesday a student was hurt in another Dallas-area school shooting and on Wednesday two teenagers were killed and another wounded in a shooting near a North Carolina middle school.
East High School parent Steve Katsaros said putting police into schools was just part of the solution. He also wants the campus closed to outsiders and a ban on students wearing hooded sweatshirts so they can be more easily identified following disruptions.
“This place is a ticking time bomb,” Katsaros said.
The administrators who were shot were unarmed, said Denver schools spokesperson Scott Pribble. Experts say putting civilian administrators in charge of searching a student for weapons was a mistake. Such tasks should be left to trained, armed school resource officers fitted with body armor, said Mo Canady with the National Association of School Resource Officers.
Parents converged on the 2,500-student East High School campus following the shooting to voice frustration officials were not protecting their children. East High School in recent weeks experienced a spate of lockdowns and violence, including the killing of 16-year-old Luis Garcia, who was shot while sitting in a car near school. The violence prompted students to march on the Capitol earlier this month.
Denver is one of many communities in the U.S. that decided to phase out school resource officers in the summer of 2020 amid protests over racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd by police. The shift away from an armed presence in schools followed concern that officers disproportionately arrest students of color.
Meanwhile, shootings in the nation’s schools have increased dramatically, from fewer than 100 annually over the last several decades to 303 last year, said David Riedman, founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database.
“This year is on pace for 400 shootings,” Riedman said. “There’s pretty much an incident every single school day.”
The Denver shooting happened just before 10 a.m. in an office area as Lyle was undergoing a search as part of a “safety plan” that required him to be patted down daily, officials said.
One of the wounded administrators remained hospitalized in serious condition Thursday and the second was treated and released, said Denver Health spokesperson Heather Burke.
In response to the shooting, two armed officers will be posted at East High School through the end of the school year. Other city high schools will each get an officer, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero said.
A state lawmaker voiced concern about the swift change in policy, citing research that shows having police in schools is associated with more suspensions and expulsions for students of color.
“In order to provide some sense of safety they are going to an extreme that is safe for a certain population and extremely unsafe for another,” said Democrat Rep. Lorena Garcia.
Another East High School parent, Dr. Lynsee Hudson Lang, said she was open to having police in schools, but suggested it was an insufficient response to a multi-faceted problem. Lang wanted other strategies considered, like setting up a secure perimeter around the school and evaluating if students are “emotionally safe enough” to attend classes.
In Nevada, activists have renewed calls for less police in schools after an officer in Clark County last month was caught on video slamming a Black student to the ground. The debate over resource officers comes almost a year after leaders in the district declared a hard line on fights in schools.
Lyle had transferred to East High School after being disciplined and removed from a high school in nearby Aurora because of unspecified violations of school policies, according to officials.
The teenager was facing a firearm charge at the time of the shooting and officials at East High School were aware of the charge, Marrero confirmed Thursday during a news conference. But Marrero said the district does not turn away students with struggles.
“We are obligated to provide a free and adequate education for all students,” he said. “We failed Austin.”
The administrator who usually searched Lyle was absent on the day of the shooting and Marrero speculated that may have played a role.
Daily searches of students are rare, said Franci Crepeau-Hobson, a University of Colorado Denver professor specializing in school violence prevention. She said there should be community input into whether officers should be installed in schools and access to firearms needs to be addressed.
“Firearms are now the leading killer of youth in this country between homicides, suicides and accidents,” said Crepeau-Hobson. “This is what’s killings our kids.”
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Associated Press reporter Rio Yamat contributed reporting from Las Vegas. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
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Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
A male student shot two school administrators at a high school in Denver on Wednesday, and the victims were taken to area hospitals, officials said. Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said the student fled the scene after the shooting at East High School.
One victim was in critical condition and one was in serious but stable condition, Thomas said.
Both of the victims are men, Thomas said. The two administrators were searching the student in the morning and “a handgun was retrieved and several shots were fired,” the chief said. The student was not identified because he is a juvenile, the chief said, but authorities know who he is.
“We don’t have any sense of where he is,” the chief said, adding that investigators were trying to speak with people who may know where he may have gone.
Police haven’t recovered the gun used in the shooting, Thomas said. Authorities were searching his home for evidence.
Mayor Michael Hancock described the student as an African American male wearing a hoodie with an astronaut on it. The mayor said the student was armed and dangerous.
“We will find that suspect, and we will hold that suspect accountable for his actions,” Hancock said.
Paramedics were able to “immediately” tend to the wounded men because they were already at the school to treat a student’s allergic reaction, Hancock said.
Students were being released early and the school wouldn’t be open for the rest of the week, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero said.
Two women hug following a shooting at Denver’s East High School on March 22, 2023.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
The student was searched at the beginning of every school day under a “safety plan,” Thomas said. Officials didn’t provide details about the circumstances that led to the daily searches.
The searches were conducted in a secluded office area at the front of the school away from students, Thomas said. A weapon wasn’t found on the student in previous searches, the chief said.
Two armed officers would be assigned to the school until the end of the school year, Marrero said. In a statement, Hancock noted that school resource officers had been removed from the school system, and he called for their return.
“Removing them was a mistake and we must move swiftly to correct it,” the mayor said.
CBS Colorado reports that the shooting happened just a little over a month after 16-year-old Luis Garcia was shot near East High School. He died weeks after the shooting.
According to Denver Public Schools, 10 guns were confiscated from students in Denver schools between the start of the school year and February.
Parents wait for students to be walked out after two administrators were shot and wounded after a handgun was found during a daily search of a student at Denver’s East High School March 22, 2023.
A Senate committee has abruptly delayed its vote scheduled for Wednesday to consider President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, further holding up the long-awaited nomination.
It’s not yet clear why the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s vote to consider Phil Washington’s nomination on Wednesday has been delayed. His pick was first announced by Biden eight months ago and has since faced continued resistance from Republican members of Congress over a number of issues, including his slim aviation-related credentials and his potential legal entanglements.
Washington Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, the chairwoman of the committee, announced that the vote is “moving to a future date pending information that members have been seeking.” She also underscored that the committee “will have this debate in the future,” contending that Washington is qualified for the job.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the leading Republican on the Senate Commerce committee, said during the panel’s executive session Wednesday, “I am glad to hear that the committee is considering delaying consideration of the nomination of Phil Washington. Phil Washington has been before this committee for some time now. And I think every member of this committee knows that Mr. Washington is not qualified for the position for which he is nominated.”
The White House is continuing to stand behind Washington following the vote delay.
“The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and the president’s nominee, Phil Washington, has the right qualifications and experience for this role,” a White House official said in a statement to CNN. “He has led the Denver International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, managed large transportation safety organizations, and served as a command sergeant major in the military. This is a role with a key safety mandate and Mr. Washington’s nomination has been pending for months. We continue to urge the Senate to move swiftly on his confirmation.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s scrapped vote, a steady stream of groups lined up for and against Washington.
Aviation worker unions, former transportation secretaries on both sides of the aisle, Denver-based Frontier Airlines and the family members of crash victims who died on Ethiopian Air Flight 302 all endorsed Washington.
Former Department of Transportation officials who served at the agency during the Trump administration signed onto a letter to the president expressing their opposition to Washington’s confirmation.
Cruz and Missouri Rep. Sam Graves, the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, have both expressed their opposition to Washington’s nomination.
The FAA has been operating without a permanent administrator for a year.
In that time, the agency has contended with several problems that have plagued travelers and the airline industry, such as recent near-collisions involving airliners, crucial staffing shortages and malfunctions of aging technology that have cause major air travel disruption.
Washington, the current CEO of the Denver International Airport, has held leadership roles at municipal transit organizations, including in Denver and Los Angeles, focused on bus and rail lines. He also led the Biden-Harris transition team for the Department of Transportation. Prior to his work in transportation, Washington served in the military for 24 years.
While Washington has worked in transportation-related positions since 2000, he had no experience in the aviation industry prior to joining the Denver airport in 2021 – a major concern among committee members.
Since being nominated, Washington has also faced questions about being named in a search warrant issued as part of a political corruption investigation in Los Angeles, along with other potential legal entanglements. Republicans have also questioned whether Washington, an Army veteran who left the military in 2000 after more than 20 years of service, would be statutorily considered a civilian – a requirement in order to serve as the FAA chief.
If he’s not considered a civilian, he would need a waiver from Congress permitting him to lead the agency. And Republicans in both the House and the Senate do not support granting Washington a waiver.
This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
President Joe Biden’s embattled pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration is scheduled for his confirmation hearing before Congress on Wednesday morning amid a series of challenges for the agency.
Phil Washington is expected to get grilled by senators on issues that have emerged since he was nominated last summer and explain why he’s qualified to lead an agency that urgently needs to address a slew of complex challenges.
The hearing for Washington, whose lack of aviation experience and legal entanglements have raised concerns on Capitol Hill, comes after a year of the FAA operating without a permanent administrator. In that time, the agency has contended with several problems that have plagued travelers and the airline industry, such as recent near-collisions involving airliners, crucial staffing shortages and malfunctions of aging technology that have cause major air travel disruption.
Washington, whose nomination was first announced by Biden nearly eight months ago, will appear before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET.
Washington, the current CEO of the Denver International Airport, has held leadership roles at municipal transit organizations, including in Denver and Los Angeles, focused on bus and rail lines. He also led the Biden-Harris transition team for the Department of Transportation. Prior to his work in transportation, Washington served in the military for 24 years.
While Washington has worked in transportation-related positions since 2000, he had no experience in the aviation industry prior to joining the Denver airport in 2021. Since his nomination last summer, Washington has faced questions about his limited experience and, in September, was named in a search warrant issued as part of a political corruption investigation in Los Angeles.
According to a questionnaire given to the commerce committee ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, Washington wrote that though his name was mentioned in the search warrant along with several other names, no search was ever executed on him or his property, nor was he questioned about the matter.
Washington’s name was also recently mentioned in a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month. Benjamin Juarez, a former parking director at the Denver Airport, alleges that the city permitted intolerable working conditions and that he faced ongoing threats to his job, Axios reported. Juarez’s attorney says he contacted Washington, who was leading the airport, at least twice for help and did not receive a response.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, the ranking Republican on the committee, has asserted that Washington failed to disclose his naming in the lawsuit involving his work at the Denver airport. Republicans have also questioned whether Washington, an Army veteran who left the military in 2000 after more than 20 years of service, would be statutorily considered a civilian – a requirement in order to serve as the FAA chief.
If he’s not considered a civilian, he would need a waiver from Congress permitting him to lead the agency. And Republicans do not support granting Washington a waiver.
A GOP aide on the Senate commerce committee told CNN that Cruz and Senate Republicans expect to raise all these issues – including his legal entanglements, his lack of experience, his management and his possible ineligibility – during Wednesday’s hearing.
They’ll also focus on Washington’s efforts to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion in the vendor and contractor process as well as leading efforts “to make it harder and more expensive to drive in Los Angeles to force people to use mass transit instead in order to save mankind from climate change,” according to the aide. Specifically, the aide referenced Washington’s work to pursue a policy which charges drivers for using congested roadways during peak hours.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in January that he would push to confirm Washington.
“There is no doubt about it: it’s time to clear the runway for President Biden’s choice for FAA administrator, Phil Washington. With recent events, including airline troubles and last week’s tech problem, this agency needs a leader confirmed by the Senate immediately,” Schumer said in a statement following a computer system failure that triggered the delay of more than 12,000 flights. “I intend to break this logjam, work to hold a hearing for Mr. Washington, where he can detail his experience and answer questions and then work towards a speedy Senate confirmation.”
The FAA is a sprawling and complex safety, regulatory and operational agency, tasked with regulatory oversight of all civilian aviation in the US.
It’s been without a permanent administrator for about a year, when the Trump-nominated Stephen Dickson stepped down midway through his five-year term. Billy Nolen, the agency’s top safety official, was named acting director in April.
The agency has a professed focus on safety, but agency leadership is ultimately responsible for steering its focus as its mission gets wider – with responsibilities expanding to include establishing the federal approach to private space launches and regulating drones – even as longstanding aspects of the aviation industry continue to grapple with major challenges.
A failure of the 30-year-old NOTAM, or Notice to Air Missions, system led to the first nationwide airplane departure grounding since the 9/11 attacks, showcasing just one way aging industry technology is being stretched beyond its limits by increased volume. Now, the FAA is planning to dramatically accelerate replacing the safety system.
Another FAA computer system failed earlier this year when it was overloaded, leading to delays in Florida. And the agency has struggled to modernize parts of air traffic control, with a 2021 Transportation Department Office of Inspection General report citing difficulties integrating the FAA’s multi-billion dollar Next Generation Air Transportation System project due to extended delays.
There have been recent near-collisions on US runways, prompting federal safety investigators to open multiple inquiries. Air traffic control is staffed at the lowest level in decades, according to industry experts. And key roles at US airlines pared down amid the Covid-19 pandemic have not ramped up to meet current outsized travel demand.
In February, Nolen, the acting chief, ordered a sweeping review of the agency in the wake of recent aviation safety incidents. That review is expected to include a major safety meeting this month.
Another challenge is the FAA’s evolution in how it handles oversight following the Boeing 737 MAX crashes.
Congress created reforms to the FAA’s oversight in a late 2020 law but critics say the agency has been slow to implement changes.
A House Transportation committee investigation into 737 MAX certification found the model of oversight used then “creates inherent conflicts of interest that have jeopardized the safety of the flying public.” The report also concluded senior FAA officials overrode decisions of FAA experts.
The agency is also still trying to resolve an 5G interference issue.
The next generation of cell phone technology can interfere with devices on aircraft that determine how far above the ground the aircraft is – the radar or radio altimeter.
FAA says it brought its concerns to the administration at the time when the Federal Communications Commission was developing plans to auction this portion of spectrum. But now the FAA is trying to play catch up while wireless carriers agreed to voluntarily pause rolling out their new tech around airports.
A Denver city council member who uses a wheelchair faced a difficult situation this week when he participated in a political debate at a venue that did not have full accessibility, prompting him to drag himself onto its stage.
Chris Hinds, who is running for reelection, said he has received apologies from the venue for the incident.
“I felt like a circus monkey. I felt exploited,” Hinds told CNN Thursday.
When Hinds arrived for the Monday debate, which was held at the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance facility’s theater in Denver, he was told organizers intended to carry him onto the stage. Hinds found the idea both humiliating and impractical.
“My wheelchair weighs 400 pounds. I’m about 200 pounds. That’s 600 pounds they wanted to try to lift,” Hinds said.
Organizers asked Hinds if he could raise himself onto the stage’s floor so they would only have to lift his chair, he said. Video shows Hinds, who is paralyzed from the middle of his chest down, shifting himself from the chair’s edge to the edge of the stage floor, and then using his arms to pull his legs onto the stage.
He then struggles to sit upright until someone brings him a chair to lean on, the video, which Hinds provided, shows.
Hinds was reluctant to try to get onstage without his wheelchair, he said, but felt he had no choice because candidates in Denver must forfeit public campaign funds if they decline to participate in an official debate.
“My thought process was, I have to participate in this debate or end my campaign,” Hinds said.
Eventually, organizers agreed to allow the debate to take place on the main floor of the theater at the foot of the stage, where he could sit in his wheelchair. Video shows him sliding himself back off the stage’s edge to his wheelchair.
In a written statement, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s executive director Malik Robinson publicly apologized to Hinds.
“I deeply regret it took this incident to elevate the urgency for this change and we are committed to ensuring that no one experiences lack of access to the stage again,” Robinson said.
Hinds says he also received an apology from the office of the county clerk, who organizes the debates, and says he is satisfied with their response.
Hinds pointed out that many people with disabilities continue to struggle with lack of access more than 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. When he became the first person in a wheelchair elected to the council, the chambers where they hold meetings were not wheelchair-accessible, nor were the restrooms at City Hall, he said. That was quickly rectified after he was elected, he said.
“I sure hope that we can use this as a teaching moment to understand why it’s important for democracy to be representative of all the people, including people with disabilities,” he said.
A petition created for Travis and Jason Kelce’s mum Donna to do the ceremonial coin toss before Super Bowl LVII on Sunday has already gained over 170,000 signatures and is still rising; Donna: “I would [do it], if the two of you say I would not be a distraction”
Last Updated: 07/02/23 6:19pm
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Donna Kelce stops by to give her sons Travis and Jason some cookies during their interview on Opening Night of Super Bowl LVII.
Donna Kelce stops by to give her sons Travis and Jason some cookies during their interview on Opening Night of Super Bowl LVII.
Travis and Jason Kelce will become the first brothers to play against each other in Super Bowl history when the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off in Arizona on Sunday – and their mum has become a minor celebrity as a result.
On ‘Opening Night’ of Super Bowl week, Donna Kelce delivered cookies for her boys on stage while they spoke to the media, decked out in a half Chiefs, half Eagles jersey.
There has also been a petition created for Donna to do the ceremonial coin toss before Sunday’s game, which has already gained over 170,000 signatures and is still rising.
“‘Here’s the thing,’ Donna began saying. When asked about the possibility on her son’s New Heights podcast, she said: “There are so many legends and people that have their blood, sweat and tears on that field… I don’t think that’s the right place for me to be.
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“Would I be a distraction out there for you guys? That’s what I would worry about.
“I would [do it] if the two of you say I would not be a distraction… and you’ll be focussing on the game plans.”
Travis then responded, saying, “You’re in,” before jokingly adding: “I’ll tell [NFL commissioner] Roger [Goodell].”
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The Super Bowl LVII countdown is on in Arizona ahead of Sunday’s game between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Super Bowl LVII countdown is on in Arizona ahead of Sunday’s game between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
The two brothers have each won a Super Bowl previously, with Jason’s Eagles triumphant five years ago, beating the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII, while Travis and the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV – their first of three Super Bowl visits in four years.
‘I would sure love to get this one over his head’
When asked about the matchup at Opening Night, Jason said: “We’re always rooting for each other.
“I always want him to do well, but I would sure love to get this one over his head and have at least something over top of Trav.”
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Travis and Jason Kelce, who will face each other in Super Bowl LVII, discussed on MNF when they had their last ‘fist fight’ when growing up.
Travis and Jason Kelce, who will face each other in Super Bowl LVII, discussed on MNF when they had their last ‘fist fight’ when growing up.
Travis, meanwhile, said of what it was like growing up and competing against his older brother: “What he did do is he gave me a cool perspective on how to beat somebody that’s better than you.
“I kind of got to learn the mind games at a different level as a younger kid, so he’s helped me get to where I’m at without a doubt.
“But he got the majority of the wins for sure.”
Watch Super Bowl LVII – Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles – live on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event from 10pm on Sunday, February 12, with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Christian Wilkins and Efe Obada among the guests joining Neil Reynolds and Hannah Wilkes for 90 minutes of build-up to the big game.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Sean Payton is bringing an old-school style sown by his mentor Bill Parcells and steeped in discipline and accountability as he takes over as the Denver Broncos’ new head coach.
One thing that means is that Russell Wilson will no longer have his own entourage at the team’s headquarters as he did this past season.
Payton was introduced as the franchise’s 20th head coach Monday and he was asked in an informal gathering with reporters afterward about Wilson’s personal QB coach being on the premises in 2022, when Wilson suffered through the worst statistical season of his career.
“Yeah, that’s foreign to me,” Payton said. “That’s not going to take place here. I mean, I’m unfamiliar with it. But our staff will be here, our players will be here and that’ll be that.”
Members of Wilson’s support team having access to the building was one of many perks allowed the quarterback last season by general manager George Payton and rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired Dec. 26.
Given Payton’s stance on that matter, Wilson might also have to surrender his extra parking spaces and private upstairs office.
We also could see less of his globetrotting jaunts on social media and maybe his teammates will have to make do without the air hockey and gaming chairs that were part of Hackett’s conversion of the reporters’ workroom into a splashy players arcade a year ago.
The new head coach is all business, concerned not with creature comforts but about changing a losing culture that has permeated the franchise.
The Broncos surrendered their first-round pick, No. 29 overall, in the upcoming draft to the New Orleans Saints in order to sign Payton to a five-year deal worth around $18 million a year.
Payton has some unfinished business at his old job in broadcasting before diving into the task of turning around a franchise that has floundered under first-time head coaches Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Hackett during a seven-year playoff drought.
Payton said he’ll work the Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in his final week as an analyst on Fox NFL Kickoff.
“I’m picking the Eagles,” Payton said. “We never want anyone in our division to win anything, right?”
Payton made a point of not piling on the former regime, but he did have this to say when asked about his game management skills: “I don’t anticipate the crowd having to count down the 30-second clock” as it did in Hackett’s home debut.
Fans mocking counting down the seconds led Paton to lure longtime assistant Jerry Rosburg out of retirement to handle those duties for Hackett, who also gave up play-calling duties later in the season.
Rosburg coached the final two games after Hackett’s dismissal when Wilson finally played like the nine-time Pro Bowler he is, something Payton mentioned Monday when asked about helping Wilson bounce back in 2023.
“I think the No. 1 job for us as coaches in evaluating our players is what are the things that they do really well and then let’s try to put them in those positions. At least that’s a starting point, and I think it’s important to highlight their strengths and minimize any weaknesses,” Payton said.
“None of us want to be at a karaoke bar with a song we don’t know the words to,” Payton said. “So, how do we get them comfortable and highlight their strengths? And that’s the process that’s going to begin right now as I’m learning about every one of these players, not just Russell.”
Payton invoked Parcells’ “law and order” mantra when talking about his coaching philosophies.
“You come in with your standards but you’re not coming in indicting anyone else’s,” Payton said. “… You really knock the rearview mirror off the automobile. We’re just looking forward.”
Payton went 161-97, including playoffs, in 15 seasons in New Orleans before stepping down last year when Drew Brees retired. He took over a moribund Saints team that had gone 3-13 in 2005 and led them to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the NFC championship game in his first season with the Saints.
As to whether a similar turnaround can be expected in Denver, Payton said, “I think it’s realistic for our fanbase to expect a completely different type of culture. And I think it’s realistic for them to expect us to win.”
To what degree, who knows?
“I know this: the work has started,” Payton said. “I kind of use this term, you know, a little bit more anonymous donors this season. Just know that we’re working. But a little bit less visibility on social media and all those other things. We’re going to get to work. And ultimately, it’s how we do in the fall.”
CEO and co-owner Greg Penner, who led the Broncos’ head coaching search that included eight candidates, said when he asked around the league about Payton, attention to detail was one attribute that kept coming up.
To that end, Payton, who also interviewed for the openings with the Texans, Panthers and Cardinals, acknowledged that his wearing an orange tie on television recently was by design.
“Like this pocket tissue I’m wearing right now has an angle going upwards if you can see it,” Payton said. “And so this morning when I put it on, that’s kind of symbolic about the direction we’re heading.”
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A look at the journey the Kansas City Chiefs have taken to reach Super Bowl LVII
A look at the journey the Kansas City Chiefs have taken to reach Super Bowl LVII
The Kansas City Chiefs are back in another Super Bowl – their third in the last four years – but how did they get there?
With the retirement of record seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady still fresh in the memory, the man who looks to be the greatest challenger to his throne as the ‘GOAT’, Patrick Mahomes, gets the chance to add a second ring to his collection at Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona on Sunday.
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That said, not only are the Eagles a fearsome opponent standing in their way, but there are injury concerns over the Kansas City star QB heading into the big game.
Here, we take a look back on the Chiefs’ road to Super Bowl LVII…
What went right?
The Chiefs once again proved themselves to be the elite of the NFL, particularly on offense, owning the No 1 unit in points per game (29.2), yards per game (413.6) and passing yards per game (297.8).
Kansas City’s 14-3 regular-season record not only wrapped up a seventh-straight AFC West divisional title, but it also secured them the No 1 seed in the conference for the third time in their dominant present-day stretch.
Kansas City Chiefs 2022 season (14-3)
Week
Opposition
Result
1
@ Cardinals
W 44-21
2
vs Chargers
W 27-24
3
@ Colts
L 17-20
4
@ Buccaneers
W 44-31
5
vs Radiers
W 30-29
6
vs Bills
L 20-24
7
@ 49ers
W 44-23
8
BYE
9
vs Titans
W 20-17 (OT)
10
vs Jaguars
W 27-17
11
@ Chargers
W 30-27
12
vs Rams
W 26-10
13
@ Bengals
L 24-27
14
@ Broncos
W 34-28
15
@ Texans
W 30-24 (OT)
16
vs Seahawks
W 24-10
17
vs Broncos
W 27-24
18
@ Raiders
W 31-13
Highlights from the year include a 44-21 thumping of the Cardinals, in Arizona, on the opening day of the season to signal their intent, while they edged out Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 in a thriller a week later.
Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were comfortably put away 41-31 in Week Four, as were the San Francisco 49ers 44-23 in Week Seven – both huge road victories against major NFC contenders.
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Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers from Week Seven of the NFL season
Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers from Week Seven of the NFL season
The victory over the 49ers would kickstart a run of 10 wins across 11 games to close out the season, with only a defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals sandwiched in between.
But the Chiefs would ultimately have the last laugh, with star quarterback Mahomes gaining revenge for that defeat, and for his three total losses in three career games to Joe Burrow and the Bengals, with their 23-20 victory in the AFC Championship game over the same opponents to book their Super Bowl spot.
Kansas City Chiefs 2022 regular season rankings
Offense
Defense
1st
Total
11th
1st
Passing
18th
10th
Rushing
8th
1st
Scoring
16th
1st
DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average)
17th
1st
EPA/play (Expected points added)
15th
What went wrong?
As usual, not a great deal. Although there was the odd hiccup along the way, none more bizarre and unaccounted for than the 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three – a team which would ultimately end the season a dreadful 4-12-1.
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Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three of the NFL season
Highlights of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Indianapolis Colts in Week Three of the NFL season
Also, a 24-20 loss at home to the Buffalo Bills in Week Six that dropped the Chiefs to 4-2 on the year would hint towards a possible changing of the guard in the AFC, with Buffalo earning a second-straight regular-season win at Arrowhead (and after having pushed Kansas City all the way in an incredible overtime finish to their divisional round match-up in the playoffs the previous year).
But, while the Bills and the Bengals – who would themselves defeat the Chiefs in Week 13 – threatened to steal Kansas City’s throne, neither were able to deliver the decisive blow, with Buffalo bested by Cincinnati in the divisional round this time, before they themselves were undone in the AFC title game by Mahomes and co.
And a banged up Mahomes and Chiefs offense, at that. One of the biggest concerns going into Super Bowl LVII this Sunday is certainly the health of Kansas City’s star quarterback, who picked up a high ankle sprain in their divisional round win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Watch the moment Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes picked up an ankle injury in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Watch the moment Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes picked up an ankle injury in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars
He has not looked the same since, limping his way through the subsequent one-and-a-half outings, only serving to make his sensational match-winning performances in those wins over the Jags and the Bengals all the more impressive.
Wideout Mecole Hardman has already been ruled out of the Super Bowl due to injury, while JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney were also banged up against the Bengals, weakening Mahomes’ receiving corps, with progress to be monitored this week.
Star names
Starting with the most obvious selection of them all, Mahomes, of course. The 27-year-old is favourite to win a second league MVP title this season in just his fifth year as a starter in the NFL.
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A look at some of the best plays from Mahomes this season, in his bid to grab his second league MVP award
A look at some of the best plays from Mahomes this season, in his bid to grab his second league MVP award
Mahomes set a new record for the most offensive yards (5,614) in NFL history this season – breaking down as 5,250 passing yards, 358 rush yards and six receiving. He also led the league in passing TDs during the regular season, with 41, six greater than Josh Allen (Bills) and Burrow (Bengals) tied for second on 35. And Mahomes did it all despite the team trading away his best receiver too, with Tyreek Hill moving to the Miami Dolphins in the offseason.
Mahomes has at least retained the comfort blanket Travis Kelce on offense, with the superstar tight end notching his seventh-straight 1,000-yard season, finishing 2022 with 1,338 yards along with a career-high 12 TDs.
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A look at the best plays this season from the most impressive tight end in the NFL, Travis Kelce
A look at the best plays this season from the most impressive tight end in the NFL, Travis Kelce
Also, following on from last week’s AFC Championship game, only one quarterback and receiver duo have connected for more postseason touchdowns than Mahomes and Kelce’s 13 (Brady and Rob Gronkowski with 15).
Also, look out for seventh-round rookie Isaiah Pacheco, who has added a real spark to this Kansas City offense since his introduction midway through the season, averaging over five yards per carry, while defensive tackle Chris Jones is the standout from an underrated defense, having equalled his career high of 15.5 sacks this season.
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Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs
Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs
Kansas City are 5-0 in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs with Mahomes at quarterback. Though, having said that, this particular victory against the Jaguars to open their playoff run almost came without their star QB at the helm.
Mahomes missed most of the second quarter due to the injury he sustained to his right ankle, but ultimately returned to finish 22 of 30 passing for 195 yards and two touchdowns, while back-up quarterback Chad Henne also threw a scoring pass in his absence.
Kelce’s 14 receptions (for 98 yards), meanwhile, tied for the third most in NFL postseason history, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling also adding a touchdown catch for Kansas City.
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Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game
Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game
The Chiefs had never before hosted a single Conference Championship game in franchise history, but are now coming into the Super Bowl off the back of hosting a fifth in a row, with Mahomes and co this time getting the better of the Bengals in a repeat of last year’s AFC title game which they lost.
Despite being hampered by his injured ankle, Mahomes threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns in the contest and the Chiefs’ star QB also helped set up the game-winning field goal on a crucial five-yard scramble for a first down with 12 seconds left.
As he crossed the sideline, Mahomes was shoved when already out of bounds by Cincinnati defender Joseph Ossai, resulting in a 15-yard penalty to further aid Harrison Butker’s game-winning kick to break a 20-20 tie after another epic battle with the Bengals.
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The Kansas City Chiefs are presented with the AFC Championship as Kelce sounds off on their opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals
The Kansas City Chiefs are presented with the AFC Championship as Kelce sounds off on their opponents, the Cincinnati Bengals
Super Bowl pedigree
Despite their dominance over the past five seasons – appearing in five-straight AFC Championships – since Mahomes became the starter at QB in Kansas City, it has thus far translated into just one Super Bowl title over that span.
They lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy on their first visit to the Super Bowl in 50 years when they beat the 49ers to cap the 2018 season, with Mahomes named MVP after engineering a comeback from 20-10 down midway through the fourth quarter.
Mahomes and the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV to wrap the 2019 season
They have made it all the way to the Super Bowl on four occasions in total, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the first-ever Super Bowl to be played, back in the 1966 season, before triumphing over the Minnesota Vikings three years later.
After their Super Bowl LIV win over the Niners to break the drought, the Chiefs missed the chance to go back-to-back as they were beaten by Brady and the Bucs in the big game following the Covid-disrupted 2020 season.
Tom Brady got the better of Mahomes in Super Bowl LV, preventing the Kansas City Chiefs from claiming back-to-back titles
The concern for the Chiefs would be that, much like he is heading into this game, Mahomes was hobbled by injury in that game, making it easier for Tampa Bay’s ferocious pass rush to get after him and limit his explosive Chiefs offense to only nine points.
With the Philadelphia Eagles, and their own hugely-intimidating defensive line full of monsters, awaiting in Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes’ ability to still deliver enough magic moments despite his ankle injury will prove key to deciding the outcome of the game.
Watch Super Bowl LVII – Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles – live on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event from 10pm on Sunday, February 12
San Francisco’s win over Dallas was their 12th-straight this season, the 49ers booking a third NFC Conference Championship appearance in four years, while also knocking the Cowboys out of the playoffs for a second year in a row; watch Championship Sunday live on Sky Sports NFL
Last Updated: 23/01/23 3:49am
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates with quarterback Brock Purdy after scoring his crucial go-ahead touchdown
Christian McCaffrey ran in the go-ahead touchdown as the San Francisco 49ers eked out a 19-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys in a hugely absorbing divisional round clash, booking a third NFC Championship appearance in four years.
Story of the game
Robbie Gould also kicked four field goals for the 49ers, while rookie seventh-round QB Brock Purdy completed 19 of 29 passes for 214 yards as the 49ers book their trip to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in next Sunday’s title game.
George Kittle also had five catches for 95 yards – including an incredible one-handed circus grab off his helmet to help set up McCaffrey’s crucial score – as San Francisco won a staggering 12th-straight game this season.
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San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle made an astonishing one-handed catch that bounced off his helmet!
San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle made an astonishing one-handed catch that bounced off his helmet!
Dak Prescott was 23-of-37 passing for 206 yards, one touchdown and two first-half interceptions for the Cowboys, who were knocked out of the playoffs for the second year in a row by the 49ers.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a second interception of the first half against the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a second interception of the first half against the San Francisco 49ers.
Prescott tied for the regular-season lead with 15 interceptions, though his first half picks didn’t prove as costly as they perhaps could have, with the 49ers failing to find the end zone and building only a 9-6 advantage at the break.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Cowboys 0-3 49ers
Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal
SECOND QUARTER
Cowboys 6-3 49ers
Dak Prescott four-yard TD pass to Dalton Schultz (failed extra point)
Cowboys 6-6 49ers
Robbie Gould 47-yard field goal
Cowboys 6-9 49ers
Robbie Gould 50-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Cowboys 9-9 49ers
Brett Maher 25-yard field goal
FOURTH QUARTER
Cowboys 9-16 49ers
Christian McCaffrey two-yard rushing TD (extra point)
Cowboys 12-16 49ers
Brett Maher 43-yard field goal
Cowboys 12-19 49ers
Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal
Of greater concern to Dallas was the injury to running back Tony Pollard, who was carted off the field and wouldn’t return after picking up a high ankle strain late in the first half.
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The Dallas Cowboys took the lead after a Dalton Schultz TD grab, but Brett Maher then missed with another extra point attempt.
The Dallas Cowboys took the lead after a Dalton Schultz TD grab, but Brett Maher then missed with another extra point attempt.
Dallas head earlier taken a 6-3 lead on a Prescott four-yard TD toss to tight end Dalton Schultz with nine and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter. On the ensuing extra point attempt, San Francisco’s Samson Ebukam used his left hand to block Brett Maher’s kick, his fifth such miss this postseason.
Maher was, however, successful with two second-half field goals, one to tie the game up in the third quarter after Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled a punt return to set Dallas up with superb field position deep inside the San Francisco half.
The 49ers again regained the lead on the very first play of the fourth quarter, courtesy of McCaffrey’s two-yard TD run to cap a 10-play, 91-yard drive.
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Christian McCaffrey ran in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys.
Christian McCaffrey ran in what proved to be the game-winning touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys.
Maher’s second FG from 43 yards moved the Cowboys back to within four of their hosts, but another lengthy 49ers drive, this one capped with Gould’s fourth field goal of the game, restored their one-score advantage with only three minutes left and Dallas failed to threaten to find the end zone in the final exchanges.
Stats leaders
Cowboys
Passing: Dak Prescott, 23/37, 206 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Ezekiel Elliott, 10 carries, 26 yards
Receiving: CeeDee Lamb, 10 catches, 117 yards
Dalton Schultz, five catches, 27 yards, 1 TD
49ers
Passing: Brock Purdy, 19/29, 214 yards
Rushing: Elijah Mitchell, 14 carries, 51 yards
Christian McCaffrey, 10 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: George Kittle, five catches, 95 yards
What’s next?
We have our final four for the Conference Championship games next Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL.
Firstly, the 49ers travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the NFC title game (Kick-off, 8pm), while the Kansas City Chiefs then host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC (Kick-off, 11.30pm), with the winners progressing through to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona on February 12.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
Fans shows support for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin
Is there a storybook ending to the tale of the 2022 Buffalo Bills? The disruption phase of every traditional narrative arc continues to linger, and now the Cincinnati Bengals await as the next Big Bad on their quest to Super Bowl riches and resolution.
The NFL has little time for supposed fate, and yet a cocktail of Mother Nature, near-tragedy, A-lister injury, a three-decade-long wait for Lombardi redemption and all the inbetween nuances of football’s any given Sunday-any given snap mantra threaten to merge as the perfect imperfect finale.
As an on-field product Sean McDermott’s side persist to test the boundaries of full throttle every-down aggression, the face of which has been quarterback Josh Allen and an unerring belief in his mutant arm and ability to decapitate a defense no matter the circumstance.
They have become quintessential movie theatre football at both ends of the spectrum, from climactic deep-ball haymaker to one-too-many fearlessness. They teeter on the edge of chaos, more often than not though out-weighing sloppiness with devastating execution. And the NFL loves them for it.
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January 22, 2023, 7:00pm
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There was 1.54 on the clock in the second quarter of their Wild Card win over the Miami Dolphins, the Bills facing a third-and-eight in the wake of a sack generated by the 256th Josh Boyer blitz of the day. Ken Dorsey’s reply was to dial up and disguise a quads concept (four receivers aligned to one side of the field), Khalil Shakir mirroring Gabe Davis’ curved inside release into an out before subtly transitioning to a post-route downfield; Allen had already wound up (granted, he needs little wind up) and dunked on an exposed secondary with the most Allenest of moonballs to meet the path of his receiver, only for the rookie to fumble a would-be 54-yard catch and likely walk-in touchdown.
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Highlights of the the Miami Dolphins’ clash with the Buffalo Bills in the Super Wild Card game
Highlights of the the Miami Dolphins’ clash with the Buffalo Bills in the Super Wild Card game
The Bills had been up 17-6; it would have been game out of sight against a Skylar Thompson-quarterbacked Miami, who instead closed within three points by half-time before taking the lead on a fumble return immediately after the break and forcing back-to-back punts as Allen whiffed an easy third-and-seven completion to a crossing Shakir having missed an open Davis on his endzone-bound out-and-up pattern.
It was frenetic, Orchard Park could not settle, it was ‘what next?’ Bills football.
The Boyer blitz was unrelenting as he elected to throw every available Miami body at blunting the story’s main character. That he resorted to daring Allen to beat him was – while potentially a blueprint to luring 2018 Allen-esque mistakes against Cover 0/1 – testament to the ‘only so much you can do to slow him’ potency he has developed under center.
Buffalo’s superpower is their never-ending bucket of splash plays with which to snatch back momentum should it ever leave them. For every erratic Allen quirk a retaliating masterpiece is to be expected. They found a way again.
Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano were burning up the turf as they flew from tackle to tackle, Leslie Frazier barely flinched on the sideline while stylishly rocking the slanted beanie hat to leave his headset ear exposed, Allen was starting a new club as the only quarterback in the league willing to pick a fight with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam was plotting his heroic game-icing fourth-and-six pass breakup. On the edge, high-charged Bills football.
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Watch the best plays from an incredible 2022 season by Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen
Watch the best plays from an incredible 2022 season by Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen
Staring down a challenge has become part of their identity, They have needed it more than ever this year. And here they still are.
On Sunday, they face the Bengals for the first time since Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during their Week 17 Monday Night Football matchup. Harrowing scenes had seen Bills players and personnel being consoled on the field as they watched, and said their prayers, while medical staff administered CPR to their team-mate and brother, before taking a knee together at mid-field as Hamlin was transported to local hospital in Cincinnati and placed in intensive care overnight.
It prompted a league-wide outreach of support as the nation held its breath for the 24-year-old, who by Thursday had been reported to have opened his eyes and displayed remarkable progress before doctors removed his breathing tube on the Friday as Hamlin was able to talk with Bills players and coaches over FaceTime.
A draining week made for emotional scenes that weekend when the Bills hosted the New England Patriots in their regular season finale, Orchard Park playing stage to a flood of No 3 shirts and hats in tribute to Hamlin as Allen and co. dedicated the performance to the second-year safety, who would encapsulate his staggering improvement by tweeting a picture of him watching on from his hospital bed.
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Nyheim Hines scores an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots
Nyheim Hines scores an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots
The rest was storybook stuff. On the opening play of the game, returner Nyheim Hines would punch the open lane and tear away for a 96-yard touchdown from kickoff to the sound a raucous Bills mafia. He would do it again in the third quarter, this time bouncing through multiple would-be tacklers to race home for a 101-yard score as a fired up city erupted once more. As if it the script could not get any better, Hines’ opener marked the team’s first return touchdown in three years and three months. A reminder: Hamlin wears No 3.
“If you want the truth, it was spiritual,” said Allen. “It really was. Bone-chilling. It was special.”
Fully-fledged magic could yet reach greater heights as John Brown proceeded to celebrate his 42-yard touchdown catch on the next drive by gifting the ball to one of the Bills trainers responsible for saving Hamlin’s life on the field that night.
To focus on football when football had temporarily lost all meaning or importance was a glowing reflection of an already tight-knit family that now had something else to galvanise them. And it hasn’t been their only obstacle.
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A look at some of this season’s best plays from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
A look at some of this season’s best plays from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow
In November, seven feet of snowfall in just 24 hours resulted in the Bills having to fly to Detroit for a relocated home matchup against the Cleveland Browns, before returning home and then heading back to Detroit to face the Lions on Thanksgiving four days later.
They battled treacherous conditions again in December when another snowstorm left players having to dig out their cars, the more pressing concern being the loss of at least 39 people in the area. The Bills have since surprised local resident Jay Withey with Super Bowl tickets in reward for his efforts in saving 24 people during the storm by breaking into a school to provide shelter.
Elsewhere away from the field, 2022 saw the Bills position themselves at the forefront of support for the local community following a racist shooting that resulted in the death of 10 black people in a supermarket in May, before rallying around tight end Dawson Knox in the wake of the death of his younger brother Luke in August.
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The Buffalo Bills family show support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots
The Buffalo Bills family show support for Damar Hamlin ahead of their game against the New England Patriots
On the field, many people’s pick for the Super Bowl was dealt a setback in Week Two when star defensive back Micah Hyde suffered a season-ending neck injury, before Hall of Fame-bound edge rusher Von Miller was also ruled out for the year with a knee injury picked up on Thanksgiving.
Four straight Super Bowl defeats from 1990-1993 remain an unyielding point of reference. So too does the Kansas City Chiefs breaking Bills hearts with 13 seconds left in last year’s Divisional Round matchup after Buffalo had spent the best part of a year devising a plan for Patrick Mahomes on the back of their AFC Championship Game defeat.
Allen attempts throws of 20+ yards at a preposterous rate and plays with interception fire like few others, while the Bills defense has itself been among the most susceptible to downfield bombs-away passes all year. They are box office, with some story to tell.
In Joe Burrow they meet a master of narrative demolition. But can anybody thwart these charged up Bills?
The NFL playoffs continue on Sky Sports this weekend, with divisional round double-headers on both Saturday and Sunday night; watch Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL from 8pm
The NFL playoffs and continue on Sky Sports on Sunday with a triple-header of Super Wild Card Weekend action – starting with Dolphins @ Bills, followed by Giants @ Vikings and Ravens @ Bengals; watch live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm, Sunday
Last Updated: 15/01/23 3:07am
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Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Wild Card playoff game.
Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Super Wild Card playoff game.
Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns and ran in another as he starred on his first career playoff start, leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks to start Super Wild Card Weekend on Saturday.
Story of the Game
The 49ers – the NFC’s No 2 seed and riding a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs – trailed by a point at half-time as a stubborn Seattle outfit led 17-16 at the break. But a stirring second half showing by San Francisco, in which they scored 22 points in the space of 12 minutes at one point, secured their passage through to the divisional round.
The 49ers will now host the Minnesota Vikings next weekend, should they beat the New York Giants in their wild card clash on Sunday. If the Giants win, it will instead be either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Dallas Cowboys who travel to San Francisco.
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A look at San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s best plays from his stunning NFL playoff debut
A look at San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy’s best plays from his stunning NFL playoff debut
Purdy, who was taken with the very last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, completed 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards, the rookie QB overcoming some early jitters to put in a hugely accomplished display.
Christian McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 119 yards and had a touchdown grab to see San Francisco into an early 10-0 lead, while Deebo Samuel had six receptions for 133 yards and a blistering 74-yard catch and run for a score as the Niners streaked clear of the Seahawks in the second half.
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San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga said his team’s performance was ignited after tempers flared when Johnathan Abram appeared to twist Deebo Samuel’s ankle.
San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga said his team’s performance was ignited after tempers flared when Johnathan Abram appeared to twist Deebo Samuel’s ankle.
Seattle QB Geno Smith was 25-of-35 passing for 253 yards with two touchdowns, both to DK Metcalf – one a 50-yard stunner to see the Seahawks into the lead for the first time. But he also had an interception late in the second half, while he lost a fumble in the third quarter which is the point at which the game turned.
Metcalf had 10 catches for 136 yards and those two TDs, while rookie running back Kenneth Walker also found the end zone, in the second quarter, as he earned 63 yards on 15 carries.
Scoring summary
FIRST QUARTER
Seahawks 0-3 49ers
Robbie Gould 34-yard field goal
Seahawks 0-10 49ers
Brock Purdy three-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey (extra point)
SECOND QUARTER
Seahawks 7-10 49ers
Kenneth Walker seven-yard TD run (extra point)
Seahawks 7-13 49ers
Robbie Gould 33-yard field goal
Seahawks 14-13 49ers
Geno Smith 50-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf (extra point)
Seahawks 14-16 49ers
Robbie Gould 46-yard field goal
Seahawks 17-16 49ers
Jason Myers 56-yard field goal
THIRD QUARTER
Seahawks 17-23 49ers
Brock Purdy one-yard TD run (extra point)
FOURTH QUARTER
Seahawks 17-31 49ers
Brock Purdy seven-yard TD pass to Elijah Mitchell (two-point conversion)
Seahawks 17-38 49ers
Brock Purdy 74-yard TD pass to Deebo Samuel (extra point)
Seahawks 17-41 49ers
Robbie Gould 31-yard field goal
Seahawks 23-41 49ers
Geno Smith three-yard TD pass to DK Metcalf (failed two-point conversion)
Trailing 17-16 to start the second half, the 49ers immediately drove 75 yards down the field in 13 plays, with Purdy scoring on a one-yard plunge. And they wouldn’t look back from there.
With the Seahawks driving deep into 49ers territory, Smith was sacked by Charles Omenihu for a seven-yard loss, with the ball squirting loose and being recovered by Nick Bosa at the 30-yard line.
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The San Francisco 49ers’ defense finally proves too much for the Seattle Seahawks as their pressure forces Geno Smith to fumble which is recovered by Nick Bosa.
The San Francisco 49ers’ defense finally proves too much for the Seattle Seahawks as their pressure forces Geno Smith to fumble which is recovered by Nick Bosa.
San Francisco then stretched ahead by two scores off the back of the turnover as Purdy escaped the rush and threw a seven-yard TD to running back Elijah Mitchell, with a two-point conversion to George Kittle following.
Just over three minutes later, Samuel turned on the turbo jets to take his TD 74 yards all the way to the house and effectively end the game.
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San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel turns on the turbo jets on this sensational 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown!
San Francisco 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel turns on the turbo jets on this sensational 74-yard catch and run for a touchdown!
Robbie Gould, who kicked four field goals in the contest, fired one through the uprights from 31 yards after Smith was picked off immediately after Samuel’s score.
Seattle and Metcalf would at least find the end zone once more for a consolation TD with just under two minutes remaining but then the Niners ran out the rest of the clock to book their spot in the divisional round and knock out their great NFC West divisional rivals.
Stats leaders
Seahawks
Passing: Geno Smith, 25/35, 253 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Receiving: Deebo Samuel, six catches, 133 yards, 1 TD
What they said… ‘Purdy looked like Frank Tarkenton’
49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy: “We came out and had some momentum and Seattle did a good job tracking back.
“It’s playoff football; everyone is going to play their best from here on out. When our offense and defense are doing their thing, we’re hard to beat.
“We’ve got a goal of winning the whole thing. We’re in a tournament, so anything can happen. I’ve got such a great team, O-line, receivers, defense, across the whole board. It’s not a one-man show, I’m very blessed.”
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praises his team-mates after his team’s dominant win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the playoffs.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy praises his team-mates after his team’s dominant win over the Seattle Seahawks in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll: “We chased him all over the place and he [Purdy] looked like [former Minnesota Vikings QB] Fran Tarkenton out there.
“Down 10-0 on the road with the fans going nuts, we did a great job to bounce right back. We were in it right to the end of the third quarter.”
What’s next?
The NFL playoffs continue on Sunday, live on Sky Sports NFL, with a Super Wild Card Weekend triple-header.
The Buffalo Bills first host the Miami Dolphins (kick-off, 6pm), before the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants do battle at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis (kick-off, 9.30pm). The evening wraps up with the Baltimore Ravens’ visit to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football (kick-off, 1.15am).
The wild card round then concludes on Monday night as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host ‘America’s Team’, the Dallas Cowboys, live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am early on Tuesday morning.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens are still practicing without Lamar Jackson.
Thursday, however, included one significant development — an update from the star quarterback’s Twitter account.
“Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries. I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process,” Jackson tweeted. “I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.
“I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give a 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance.”
Jackson hasn’t practiced since injuring his knee in a Dec. 4 win over Denver. He missed the final five games of the regular season, and now the Ravens face the prospect of playing their postseason opener at Cincinnati without him Sunday night.
Tyler Huntley started four games in Jackson’s absence, then was held out of the regular-season finale last weekend — which was also at Cincinnati. Anthony Brown played quarterback in that game, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.
Huntley has been dealing with shoulder issues, and he was limited at practice Wednesday. On Thursday, he did do some throwing in the portion of practice open to reporters. That’s what passes for good news with the Ravens these days, although the team did list Huntley as limited again.
Running back Gus Edwards (concussion) and receiver Tylan Wallace (hamstring) were also limited. Long snapper Nick Moore (illness), center Trystan Colon (illness) and cornerback Brandon Stephens (illness) did not practice.
___
Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
The best stats from Week 18 in the NFL; Tom Brady sets new completions record but returns first losing season of his career; Nyheim Hines becomes just the 11th player in NFL history to have two kick-off return TDs in same game; Rams return worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion
Last Updated: 10/01/23 6:19pm
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A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
Sky Sports statistician – and big Buffalo Bills fan – Benedict Bermange picks out the best stats the NFL has to offer from Week 18, including Patrick Mahomes setting a new record for the most total yards in a season and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin avoiding a losing season for a record 16th-straight year…
The Kansas City Chiefs claimed the No 1 seed in the AFC with their win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes ending the season with the most total offensive yards in NFL history – comprising of 5,250 passing yards, 358 rushing yards and six receiving yards. Also, 28 of Mahomes’ 41 touchdown passes were to either running backs or tight ends this season, equalling the NFL record set by Y.A. Tittle of the Giants in 1963.
Most total offensive yards in NFL history
Player
Team
Year
Yards
Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs
2022
5,614
Drew Brees
Saints
2011
5,562
Peyton Manning
Broncos
2013
5,446
Tom Brady
Buccaneers
2021
5,397
Patrick Mahomes
Chiefs
2018
5,369
The Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South division title with victory over the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night – the first time the team has secured five successive wins since Weeks 8-12 of the 2005 season. The 2022 Jaguars join the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals and 2020 Washington Football Team as the only teams to reach the playoffs having started the season 2-6. The Jaguars also managed to score 10 points in the fourth quarter against the Titans, despite having -1 total yards.
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Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Highlights of the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 of the NFL season.
Tom Brady set new NFL records both in pass attempts (733) and completions (490) for the 2022 season, but suffered his first career defeat in 12 games against the Atlanta Falcons. Despite winning the NFC South, Brady also suffered his first losing season as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ending 8-9. But Brady will take solace in the fact that his career record is 7-0 against their opponents on Super Wild Card Weekend of the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys.
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Nyheim Hines returned the opening kick-off to score for the Buffalo Bills in front of an emotional home crowd showing support for Damar Hamlin.
Nyheim Hines returned the opening kick-off to score for the Buffalo Bills in front of an emotional home crowd showing support for Damar Hamlin.
The Buffalo Bills clinched the No 2 seed in the AFC with victory over the New England Patriots, with Nyheim Hines becoming just the 11th player in NFL history to have two kick-off return touchdowns in the same game. The last player to achieve the feat was Leon Washington for the Seattle Seahawks against the Chargers in 2010.
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Nyheim Hines scored an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots.
Nyheim Hines scored an incredible second kick-off return touchdown for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots.
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears to end the season with a record of 13-4 despite conceding more points than they scored this season. Their -3 point differential is the worst in NFL history by a team with a winning percentage of at least .750 in a season.
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Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings’ clash with the Chicago Bears in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Bears will have the No 1 overall pick in 2023 NFL Draft – the first time the franchise will have the first pick since 1947. On that occasion, they selected running back Bob Fenimore, who ended his NFL career with just one touchdown.
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Highlights of the Cleveland Browns’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Cleveland Browns’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have missed out on a playoff spot, due to the Miami Dolphins’ late win over the New York Jets, but head coach Mike Tomlin has now finished each of his first 16 seasons in charge with a winning percentage of .500 or better, the longest such start to a career by any head coach in NFL history.
Most consecutive seasons for a head coach without a losing record
Head coach
Team
Seasons
Streak
Mike Tomlin
Steelers
2007-2022
16
Marty Schottenheimer
Browns and Chiefs
1984-1997
14
Don Shula
Colts and Dolphins
1963-1975
13
Curly Lambeau
Packers
1921-1932
12
George Allen
Rams and Washington
1966-1977
12
The Steelers have now had 19 successive ‘non-losing’ seasons, the joint-second longest streak in NFL history. The only longer streak is the 21-year stretch of the Cowboys from 1965 to 1985.
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Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the New York Giants’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 of the NFL.
The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the No 1 seed in the NFC with victory over the New York Giants – their 14th win of the season. On both previous occasions when they have won at least 13 games in a regular season. They reached the Super Bowl – in 2004 and 2017. The Eagles led the NFL with 70 sacks this season, the first team since the 1989 Vikings to have that many in a single season.
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Jason Myers’ field goal to end regulation hit the post, but he made up for it in overtime to ultimately clinch a playoff place for the Seattle Seahawks.
Jason Myers’ field goal to end regulation hit the post, but he made up for it in overtime to ultimately clinch a playoff place for the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks snuck into the playoffs with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams, coupled with defeat for the Green Bay Packers to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. Quarterback Geno Smith set franchise records for completions, pass attempts, completion percentage and passing yards. Running back Kenneth Walker led all rookies this season with 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. In addition, Tariq Woolen led all rookies with six interceptions.
Worst records by defending Super Bowl champions in NFL history
Team
Year
Record
Win percentage
Rams
2022
5-12
.294
49ers
1982
3-6
.333
Broncos
1999
6-10
.375
Giants
1987
6-9
.400
The Rams clinched the worst record by a defending Super Bowl champion in history, ending their season at 5-12. No other reigning champ had ever lost more than 10 games. The San Francisco 49ers and Giants played in strike-shortened seasons.
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Highlights of the Arizona Cardinals’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Highlights of the Arizona Cardinals’ clash with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 of the NFL.
Brock Purdy led the 49ers to a 10-straight win and became just the fourth rookie quarterback to win each of their first five starts. The others were Mike Kruczek and Ben Roethlisberger – both with the Steelers, in 1976 and 2004 respectively, and Dieter Brock of the 1985 Rams.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
The final NFL Sunday of the regular season sees the Patriots travel to the Bills, needing a win to book a playoff spot; the Eagles can clinch the NFC No 1 seed with a home win over the Giants and the Packers host the Lions as part of a ‘wild card’ battle – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm
Last Updated: 08/01/23 1:53am
Isiah Pacheco celebrates his rushing touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs as they secured the No 1 seed in the AFC
The Kansas City Chiefs secured the No 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs with a 31-13 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night.
Story of the Game
Given the NFL’s decision to cancel the Monday night game between Buffalo Bills (12-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field, the Chiefs knew coming into Saturday’s contest that a win would clinch the top seed in the conference.
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A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
A penalty for holding denied the Kansas City Chiefs’ a touchdown on their ‘carousel’ trick play, but they scored on the very next play anyway!
There was a moment’s applause held for Hamlin ahead of the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, with players from both sides seen in ‘Love For Damar’ t-shirts, showing their support.
The Chiefs then wasted no time in getting out in front in the game, as Patrick Mahomes hooked up with receiver Justin Watson for a 67-yard reception on just the second play from scrimmage before the QB then threw a short touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon three plays later.
Ronald Jones, Kadarius Toney and Isiah Pacheco each tacked on TD runs for the Chiefs, while Harrison Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal, as the visiting side put up 31 on Las Vegas.
“Getting that bye, it’s like winning a playoff game,” Mahomes said after the game. “Now we just have to focus on watching tomorrow and then this next week to see who we play and come out with out best football.”
The Chiefs defense repeatedly harassed Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham, particularly in the first half, as they sacked him four times – one of which led to a fumble – and picked him off once.
Stidham, making just his second NFL start after the Raiders benched Derek Carr, threw for 219 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 50 yards.
The Raiders (6-11) trailed 14-3 early in the second quarter when they drove 74 yards to the Chiefs two-yard line. However, consecutive incompletions on third and fourth down by Stidham saw them turn the ball over on downs.
Kansas City then drove 98 yards on 12 plays, capping the series with an 11-yard score from Kadarius Toney. Stidham fumbled on the Raiders’ next possession and, two plays later, Butker kicked a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of the first half to see the Chiefs up 24-3.
Las Vegas opened the third quarter with a 13-play drive but had to settle for a Daniel Carlson 38-yard field goal.
Pacheco scored early in the fourth quarter for KC, while the Raiders finally found the end zone for nothing more than a consolation score midway later in the fourth as Stidham found Hunter Renfrow for an 11-yard TD.
Passing: Jarrett Stidham, 22/36, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Josh Jacobs, 17 carries, 45 yards
Receiving: Davante Adams, five catches, 73 yards
Hunter Renfrow, seven catches, 63 yards, 1 TD
What’s next?
Live NFL
January 8, 2023, 5:00pm
Live on
The New England Patriots (8-8) need to win to ensure a playoff place in the AFC as they travel to the Buffalo Bills (12-3) on the final NFL Sunday of the 2022 regular season – live on Sky Sports NFL from 6pm.
The game will be the Bills’ first following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field during their game against the Bengals on Monday night. Hamlin tweeted on Saturday for the first time since, saying he was “thankful for everyone who has reached out and prayed”.
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Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell, Phoebe Schecter and Jeff Reinebold reflect on an emotional week following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Neil Reynolds, Jason Bell, Phoebe Schecter and Jeff Reinebold reflect on an emotional week following the cardiac arrest suffered by Damar Hamlin on the field in the Bills’ game against the Bengals on Monday night.
Following the action in Buffalo, we head to Philadelphia for the Eagles‘ (13-3) season-ender against the New York Giants (9-6-1) – kick-off, 9.25pm. The home side need to win to wrap up the No 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-advantage through the playoffs. The Giants, meanwhile, are already assured of the No 6 seed in the NFC.
Live NFL
January 8, 2023, 9:15pm
Live on
Live NFL
January 9, 2023, 1:10am
Live on
Rounding off the Sunday evening triple-header, we join our friends at NBC for Football Night in Americaand a massive game at Lambeau Field as the Green Bay Packers (8-8) host the Detroit Lions (8-8) – kick-off, 1.20am, Monday. The Packers clinch a playoff spot with a win, while a Lions victory would see them claim the last remaining wild card place in the NFC, provided the Seattle Seahawks lose their earlier game to the Los Angeles Rams.
As well as the live action over on Sky Sports NFL and Main Event, you can keep up-to-date with the events in all of the other games via NFL RedZone on Sky Sports Mix (from 6pm) as playoff places are won and lost on the final day of the regular season.
Sky Sports NFL is your dedicated channel for NFL coverage through the season – featuring a host of NFL Network programming. Don’t forget to follow us on skysports.com/nfl, our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL & Sky Sports – on the go!
Buffalo Bills statement on Damar Hamlin: “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”
Last Updated: 05/01/23 4:03pm
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin has shown “remarkable improvement” in the last 24 hours but remains critical after suffering a cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Buffalo Bills said on Thursday.
Hamlin collapsed after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins midway through the first quarter of Monday’s game and underwent CPR for approximately 10 minutes before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the statement said.
“While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.
“We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hamlin opened his eyes on Wednesday night and has been able to grip the hands of those with him.
The Bills had stated earlier on Wednesday that Hamlin was showing signs of improvement but remained in critical condition in the ICU.
An incredible league-wide response has seen coaches and players pay tribute to the 24-year-old, whose toy drive GoFundMe page set up in 2020 as part of his Chasing M’s Foundation has seen donations eclipse an initial target of $2,500 by reaching upwards of $7m.
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“The outpouring of support for Damar across the nation has been amazing,” said Hamlin’s representation Agency 1 Sports on Thursday. “Thank you for the calls, messages and emails.
“Damar has made substantial improvement overnight. We are so thankful for all of the first responders, doctors and hospital staff and every one who has played a role in this process.
“Please continue to pray for Damar and we will provide updates as they are available.”
This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.
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