Welcome to the postseason, Cleveland. Cleveland? The Browns ended their string of non-playoff seasons on Sunday with a tighter-than-expected 24-22 victory over archrival Pittsburgh, which sat many of its starters. Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999, made the playoffs in 2002, and then, zilch. Until now. “It’s a moment I’ll never forget,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “But we’re not satisfied. We expected to be here.” The NFL’s two longest playoff droughts have been snapped with the advancements of Tampa Bay and Cleveland, both 11-5. The Buccaneers, who downed Atlanta 44-27, already were in and secured the fifth seed in the NFC, setting up a visit to the sub-.500 NFC East winner, Washington (7-9). Tampa Bay’s last trip to the postseason was 2007.
Navigating high school amid the pandemic is a workout as intense as anything a coach can dish out. Pershing County’s student athletes are currently playing a waiting game, not sure when sports will resume or what they will look like when they do. However, Pershing County coaches haven’t stopped coaching. Lee Houston and Jesse Canchola hold scrimageless basketball practices in the open gym after school.
From the rested in Kansas City and Pittsburgh to the relieved in Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles, the field for the Super Bowl chase is set. There are some powerhouses and some pretenders — and a team with a losing record. The reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs (14-2) and Green Bay (13-3) earned each conference’s lone bye in the expanded playoffs. And no, adding a third wild-card entrant is not why a 7-9 club will be playing next weekend. Washington “earned” that spot by winning the abysmal NFC East that displayed in the finale of the regular season why NFC Least has been so appropriate a moniker. So while New York Giants fans scream that Eagles coach Doug Pederson didn’t truly play to beat Washington on Sunday night, it should emphasized that the Giants went 6-10, a record more in line with relegation than reward.
When Ohio State upset Alabama in the semifinals of the first College Football Playoff on the way to the Buckeyes’ last national title, it seemed like the start of budding postseason rivalry between the two traditional powers. Instead, Clemson became the Crimson Tide’s nemesis and the biggest challenger to Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty over the next five years. Six years later, Ohio State and Alabama meet again, the Tide still rolling and the Buckeyes again looking for an upset. After the SEC champion Crimson Tide rolled past Notre Dame 31-14 in a Rose Bowl played deep in the heart of Texas, the No. 3 Buckeyes of the Big Ten beat Clemson 49-28 in the other CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on Friday night behind Justin Fields’ six touchdown passes. How Fields is feeling will be the main story line heading into the title game. He took a hard short to the side in the second quarter against Clemson, but managed to play through the pain.
Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t expected to take another snap this season for the San Francisco 49ers as a pair of high ankle sprains derailed most of his campaign. Despite the lost season, the 49ers remain publicly committed to Garoppolo as their quarterback for 2021, even tough he has remained healthy only once in three seasons as starter.
The winter sports season was scheduled to begin with practices and tryouts allowed to begin on Jan. 2, and contests permitted as early as Jan. 14. Indeed, regular practices and try-outs for the winter season sports of skiing and flag football were permitted to begin this Saturday with competitions to follow as scheduled. These practices and competitions are to be in compliance with the guidance issued for these sports. However, per Emergency Directive 034 issued by Governor Sisolak on Oct. 2, 2020, neither unmodified practice nor competition in the winter season sports of basketball or wrestling are permitted.
Sarah Fuller was a goalie on the Vanderbilt women’s soccer team when a chance at history tapped her on the shoulder. The Commodores football team was down a kicker because of COVID-19 issues, so coach Derek Mason reached out to soccer coach Darren Ambrose to see if Fuller might be a good option. Turns out she was.
Whatever the New Year brings sports-wise, PCHS athletes will rise to the occasion. Thanks to their coaches, they’ve had plenty of opportunities to train. Now, it’s a waiting game. Typically, Pershing athletes stay in shape through competing. Unlike larger school districts, Lovelock does not have clubs or training facilities. That’s why, at PCHS, the coaches expect everyone to play two or three sports, not just one. In the fall, they may play football, soccer or volleyball. Next, come the winter sports – basketball and wrestling. Finally, baseball, softball and track follow in the spring.
Frustration boiled over for star J.J. Watt after the Houston Texans dropped their fourth straight game on Sunday. Samaje Perine ran for two touchdowns, including a 3-yard score late, to give the Cincinnati Bengals their first road win in more than two years with a 37-31 victory over the Texans.
The last time Alabama and Notre Dame played each other, it was a BCS championship blowout won by the Crimson Tide. The last time Clemson and Ohio State faced off — just last year — they played one of the best semifinals in the College Football Playoff’s 6-year history.
Auburn hired Boise State’s Bryan Harsin as its head coach on Tuesday, luring him away from his alma mater and into the powerful Southeastern Conference. The 44-year-old Harsin is 69-19 with three Mountain West titles in seven seasons at Boise State, but winning in the SEC affords greater chances for playoff berths and national titles.
Nevada coach Jay Norvell had plenty of reasons to be emotional as he challenged his team before it took the field in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. And his players responded. Carson Strong threw for 271 yards and five touchdowns, Devonte Lee and Toa Taua each rushed for over 100 yards, and Nevada’s defense recorded eight sacks for the first time in 17 years as the Wolf Pack beat Tulane 38-27 on Tuesday.
“So, what did you do during the pandemic?” One day, our descendants will inquire. Kylee Fuller and Tavis Hunt will have a ready answer. The two soccer girls recently completed the workout required of the Mustangs football team. They earned custom backpacks for their efforts. “Tavis and I started doing the workouts just for fun to see what it was like,” said Kylee. “During soccer, we’d see the boys running around to every station. After we worked out for one day, we decided we should do it every day and complete the required days in the football workout.” “Kylee and Tavis completed all 28 workouts, so I wanted to reward them even though they play on the soccer team,” said coach Mike Brooks.
Seven years into its existence, the postseason system that replaced the Bowl Championship Series is starting to produce levels of frustration, and in some cases contempt, among fans and competitors that ultimately crushed the BCS. Texas A&M is upset about not making the final four. Indiana is mad about being left out of the New Year’s Six. Group of Five teams are more disrespected than ever as it has become abundantly clear they are not even given serious consideration for the College Football Playoff.
The Nevada football team placed a school-record 15 players on the 2020 All-Mountain West team, led by sophomore quarterback Carson Strong earning Offensive Player of the Year honors, the league announced Tuesday. Strong is the first sophomore to ever win the league’s top offensive honor. He is the second Wolf Pack player to take home one of the Mountain West’s top “Of The Year” awards in school history, joining Toa Taua, who was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2018.