The 36-year-old was a passenger in a Lexus SUV that collided with a stationary truck on a major expressway near Lagos on Monday.
Joshua’s close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele died in the crash. Their funerals will take place at a London mosque on Sunday.
Joshua was taken to hospital and was discharged on Wednesday.
Driver Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was charged at Sagamu Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Police sources told the BBC the charges included causing death by dangerous driving.
The defendant was granted bail of 5m naira (£2,578) and remanded pending his bail conditions being met. The case has been adjourned until 20 January.
Joshua, who was born in Watford, has family roots in Sagamu – a town in Ogun state, near the crash site.
The 2012 Olympic champion was on his way to visit relatives for New Year celebrations in the town at the time of the collision, a family member told the BBC.
The boxer had been spending time in Nigeria after his recent victory over American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on 19 December.
Garo Ohannessian is known as a “lifer” at AGBU, an Armenian K-12 school in Canoga Park. He’s been there from the start and now he’s making a name for himself in high school basketball with his three-point shooting skills.
He set a school record making 13 threes and finishing with a career-high 45 points in a Dec. 30 win over Brawley.
When the Chargers lost to Houston, it foreclosed on some options for them. The division race and bid for the No. 1 seed were out the window. Now, this finale is about getting out of Denver healthy and prepared for the playoffs.
Still on the table, though, is a chance for an unblemished record in AFC West play. The Chargers swept Las Vegas and Kansas City, and posted a 23-20 victory over the Broncos in Week 3.
This is a more polished and confident Denver team than earlier in the season, however, and the Broncos since have won 13 of 14.
The AFC’s No. 1 seed is Denver’s to lose, so if they beat the Chargers, the road to the Super Bowl will go through the Mile High City.
How the Chargers can win: With Justin Herbert sitting out, the Chargers’ path to winning shifts dramatically. The emphasis will be on ball control, field position and avoiding mistakes. Trey Lance’s mobility becomes a weapon if the Chargers lean into it, using the run game, designed quarterback movement and play-action to keep Denver’s pass rush zeroing in. The Broncos are vulnerable to explosive plays when teams stay patient and force them out of their comfort zone. If the Chargers can establish even a modest run game, it opens opportunities downfield off misdirection and play-action. Defensively, Los Angeles must do what it’s done best under Jim Harbaugh: limit big plays, force long drives and make Denver settle for field goals. If the Chargers protect the ball and avoid penalties, they are capable of keeping the game close into the fourth quarter, and in a low-possession game, that’s all they need.
How the Broncos can win: Denver’s formula is simple and familiar: play clean, disciplined football and force the Chargers into a low-scoring game, which is much easier with a backup at quarterback. The Broncos have thrived in tight games by limiting mistakes, relying on their pass rush and letting their defense control tempo. They lead the league in sacks and consistently generate pressure without blitzing, which will be especially important against a Chargers offense starting Lance. If Denver can stop the run early, force Lance into obvious passing situations and avoid costly penalties, it can dictate the game. Bo Nix doesn’t have to be spectacular. He just needs to protect the ball and take advantage of short fields. The Broncos are comfortable winning games 20-17 or 23-20, and they will be happy to be in one of those with the Chargers.
There have been good weeks and bad weeks for the Lakers this season.
Ahead of Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they were trending downward after losing four of their last five games.
The Memphis game turned into a microcosm of that trend, with the Lakers building leads through effort and intensity only to see them crumble behind less-inspired play.
In the end, standout performances from Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped the Lakers surge late and hold on for a 128-121 win at Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic and James made sure the 15-point lead the Lakers held before it dissolved by the end of the third quarter wasn’t completely achieved in vain. Doncic made 17 of 20 free throws in scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
They got help from Jake LaRavia, who scored 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting in addition to nine rebounds and stellar defense. Marcus Smart had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Jaxson Hayes scored 12 points off the bench.
The Lakers improved to an NBA-best 11-0 when within five or fewer points of their opponent heading into the final five minutes.
“I think we have a lot of people that closed the game, especially (me), when LeBron, he took over today,” Doncic said. “(Jarred Vanderbilt) hit a big shot. Jake hit a big shot. Jaxson had a big dunk. So, it’s just everybody.”
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes dunks over Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) and center Jock Landale (31) in the fourth quarter Friday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It was a group effort that helped the Lakers seal the win in the fourth quarter. It also marked the first time since March that Doncic and James scored at least 30 points in the same game.
“It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive. Obviously, Luka did a great job of getting to the free-throw line. … He made a step-back three, a big-time shot there.
“Myself, just trying to sprinkle in a little bit here, a little bit there. Just trying to be consistent and be super efficient with my play. So we worked well off each other today and we led the group.”
The Lakers (21-11) went down 110-109 in the fourth quarter before going on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.
The teams will meet again here Sunday night.
“We made some big-time plays offensively and we were sharing the ball, and guys made some big-time shots,” James said. “Vando’s three, Jake’s three on the other side of their bench at the end of the shot clock, Jax had a big-time dunk down the middle. So, those are key moments. And then defensively, we were able to get a couple shots, get a couple rebounds. That allowed us to kind of start pushing the lead up.”
Vincent update
Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) missed his seventh straight game, but Redick said the team hopes he can practice Saturday and that if he does, it will “be modified.”
Redick said Vincent will not play Sunday against the Grizzlies, but the hope is that he can play either at New Orleans on Tuesday or at San Antonio on Wednesday.
“We’ve got to get him exposure to live play, and with the travel day on Monday, that’s gonna be tough,” Redick said.
Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek says tennis did not need the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka as the women’s game “stands on its own”.
Women’s number one Sabalenka and male player Kyrgios faced off in a highly publicised exhibition in Dubai a week ago.
Kyrgios won the match – played on a modified court designed to provide a level playing field – in straight sets.
But Swiatek says tennis has come a long way since the original ‘Battle of the Sexes’ between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973 which highlighted the women’s game fighting for legitimacy and prize money.
“I haven’t watched [Sabalenka v Kyrgios] because I don’t watch stuff like that,” the world number two said.
“I think for sure it attracted a lot of attention. It was entertainment, but I wouldn’t say that had anything to do with social change or any important topics.
“I think the name was just the same as the one from the Billie Jean King match in ’73. That’s it. There were no more similarities because I feel like women’s tennis stands on its own right now.
“We have so many great athletes and great stories to present, we don’t necessarily need to compare to men’s tennis.
“Honestly, there doesn’t need to be any competition.”
Swiatek said the mixed-team United Cup – which got under way in Australia on Friday – is a better way to celebrate men’s and women’s tennis.
Ties at the United Cup comprise of one men’s and one women’s singles match and a mixed doubles.
“Events like this one, United Cup, brings tennis together, and WTA fans and ATP fans can watch this event with so much excitement,” she said.
“Seeing also singles players that usually don’t have space to play mixed doubles together, playing these kind of matches, I think this is actually what makes our sport much more interesting and better.”
Emma Raducanu and Billy Harris are representing Great Britain at the tournament and play their first game against Japan in Perth on Sunday.
Some clubs eschew the host family approach in favour of a boarding system, in which players live together in dormitories on club property, the most famous being Barcelona’s La Masia.
“There are strengths and weaknesses to both models,” says Sam Bayford, Brentford‘s academy head of safeguarding.
“The reason we went with our model is that we want to give the players a real break, a geographical and psychological separation rather than living with and sleeping next to the lads they’ve been training with all day.”
Adolescence is a key time for personal, physical and technical development in young footballers – done right, the management of an academy player’s living situation can propel them forwards.
From age 15 Theo Walcott spent two years living at Darwin Lodge, a boarding house run by Southampton until 2010, which the former England international credits with underpinning his successful career.
Walcott lived at the Lodge alongside players like Adam Lallana, Nathan Dyer, and Leon Best, and shared a bedroom with five-time Champions League winner Gareth Bale.
“Being around the other players all the time I found really hard at the start,” the former Arsenal winger tells BBC Sport. “But the environment was built to be like you were in a proper home.
“When you have a lot of good players in the same age group around each other constantly every day, you can feed off each other, always willing to do well together.
“People would act silly sometimes. You would come home and the lights would all be off and you’d know you were in trouble because Gareth and a lot of the other players would be waiting with their underpants on their head and batter you with pillows! You’d have to dart to your room but luckily I was quick.
“Put us all together in a room even now, it’s like we saw each other yesterday.”
Danila Yurov scored twice, Quinn Hughes had four assists and the Minnesota Wild beat the Ducks 5-2 on Friday night.
Kirill Kaprizov, Yakov Trenin and Nico Sturm also scored for the Wild, who earned a point for the fifth straight game (3-0-2). Filip Gustavsson stopped 26 shots.
Minnesota is 22-4-4 in its last 30 games, and 8-1-2 since acquiring Hughes, the 2024 Norris Trophy winner, in a blockbuster with Vancouver on Dec. 12.
Yurov put the game out of reach when he redirected Hughes’ shot past Dostal for a 4-1 lead 3:21 into the third. Sturm’s shot from the left circle made it 5-1 with 4:58 left.
Dostal made eight saves during a pair of penalty kills in the first seven minutes of the second, but he caught an unlucky break when the Wild scored on a double-deflection to take a 2-0 lead at the 8:10 mark.
Hughes, one of eight Minnesota players named to Winter Olympic teams Friday, sent a shot from the blue line that hit Trenin’s stick and Yurov’s right skate before trickling into the net.
The Ducks grabbed some momentum when Mason McTavish’s faceoff swipe from the left circle landed on the stick of Sennecke, whose snap shot beat Gustavsson stick-side to cut the lead to 2-1. Sennecke leads NHL rookies with 13 goals.
But Minnesota pushed it to 3-1 with 5:15 left in the second when Trenin took a pass from Hughes in the right circle and rifled a shot past Dostal.
Minnesota took advantage of Alex Killorn’s tripping penalty, needing only nine seconds to score on the power play for a 1-0 lead 5:39 into the first. Dostal blocked Hughes’ slap shot from the point, but Kaprizov banged a shot past Dostal after a scramble in front of the net for his 24th goal.
Up next for the Ducks: at Washington on Monday night.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Morez Johnson Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including 17 in the first half, and No. 2 Michigan beat No. 24 USC 96-66 on Friday night.
Roddy Gayle Jr. added 12 points for the Wolverines (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten), and Will Tschetter, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason each scored 10.
Michigan is off to its best start since it won 17 straight games to start the 2018-19 season.
Jaden Brownell scored 16 points and Ezra Ausar added 15 for the Trojans (12-2, 1-2), whose only previous loss was by eight points against Washington on Dec. 6. Chad Baker-Mazara, who came into the game averaging 21 points, was hampered by early foul trouble and finished with 12 points on three-of-11 shooting.
Michigan starting guard Nimari Burnett was helped from the court with 16:25 left after falling during a battle under the basket. He went down to the floor and appeared to be bleeding above his eyebrow and holding his ankle. He sat on the bench the rest of the night.
The Wolverines bolted out to an 11-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced six early turnovers. USC got within five points twice in the first half and Michigan responded with a 32-19 run to build a 49-31 halftime advantage.
With a week to go before opening the Trinity League with a showdown against St. John Bosco at home, Santa Margarita continued its preparation Friday night, defeating defending state Open Division champion Eastvale Roosevelt 65-49 at JSerra.
The Eagles are 18-2 and have one final tuneup Saturday against Fairfax at St. Francis before facing the Braves on Jan. 9.
Santa Margarita almost lost a big lead in the second half before prevailing. The Eagles led 16-2 to start the game. Drew Anderson had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kaiden Bailey added 14 points and Brayden Kyman 13.
St. Francis 58, Fairfax 41: The Golden Knights (15-2) received 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks and eight assists from center Cherif Millogo.
Seattle Rainier Beach 75, Mater Dei 67: Former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior Tyran Stokes had 26 points for Rainier Beach in Arizona. Zain Majeed led Mater Dei with 28 points.
Servite 76, Rolling Hills Prep 72: The Friars picked up a good nonleague victory before opening Trinity League play.
Campbell Hall 61, Arcadia 54: The Vikings picked up their biggest win of the season. Ean Britt finished with 21 points. Christian Rogers had 15 points.
Inglewood 112, St. Paul 57: Jason Crowe Jr., averaging 43.9 points, scored 50 points in the win at Morningside.
Redondo Union 89, Santa Barbara 54: Chace Holley scored 41 points for the Sea Hawks (15-3).
Calabasas 66, El Camino Real 49: Johnny Thyfault had 17 points for Calabasas.
La Mirada 68, Crespi 57: The Matadores (11-6) helped their Southern Section Open Division playoff hopes by knocking off the Celts. Jordyn Houston had 17 points.
Girls basketball
Ontario Christian 100, Carondelet 49: There’s no slowing down 16-0 Ontario Christian. Tatianna Griffin had 32 points and 11 rebounds. Kaleena Smith added 29 points.
Brentwood 73, Thousand Oaks 50: The Eagles handed Thousand Oaks its second loss of the season. Reena White scored 21 points.
Troy 59, Sonora 42: Lexi Joko scored a career-high 26 points for Troy in a league opener.
Tyrone manager Malachy O’Rourke says that Peter Harte is ‘probably not going to commit’ to the Tyrone cause ahead of the 2026 season, while Rian O’Neill looks set to sit out the 2026 campaign for Armagh.
O’Rourke was speaking after the Red Hands opened their campaign in the Dr McKenna Cup with a 2-13 to 0-17 win away at Armagh.
Mattie Donnelly who was also a part of the 2008 All-Ireland minor winning side with Harte, contributed 1-2 on the night.
“I think Peter, at this stage, is probably not going to be able to commit, unfortunately. Peter has given so much service to the county, he’s a brilliant role model for all the boys, he’ll be missed greatly,” O’Rourke told BBC Sport NI.
“We’re never going to close the door on him, and I definitely don’t want to close the door on him.
“So, if it was the case that he got a wee bit of breathing space later on in the year and he was able to come back, well, then the door will always be open for him.
“But, at this stage, he’s not able to give the commitment. So, we’ll just have to move on in the short term without him, and we’ll see how things go.”
With the conveyor belt of underage success coming through in Tyrone at the minute, including last year’s U20 and minor All-Ireland winning sides, the experience of the 35-year-old would be beneficial for the county.
“Both on the field and off the field, just the way he conducts himself, the way he trains, the way he prepares for training, and everything about him is just what you want in a panel,” O’Rourke continued.
“And it’s great. We’ve so many young lads coming through who, I suppose, in many ways, are learning to trade at this level.
“And the more fellas like Peter that they can learn from, the better. Maybe there will be some chance that he’ll be back to us later on in the year. But, at this stage, I’m not sure that’s going to be the way it turns out.
“But, Peter certainly owes nobody anything. He’s had a tremendous career. Even last year when he was in with us, he was brilliant to work with.”
O’Rourke also confirmed that Darragh Canavan should be available for selection ahead of Tyrone’s National Football League opener at home to Kildare on 24 January.
“All the boys that weren’t involved tonight were all training earlier on today, and Darragh included,” the Tyrone boss confirmed.
“They were all out in the field. So, everybody was training. Everyone was at different stages.
“But, no, we’d be hoping that they’ll all be back and be in contention for the start of the National League.”
While Littler cruised through, there was no such luck for Van Veen as he beat his idol Anderson in a remarkable match.
It began with the Scot winning the first set against the darts with a 104 average, but any thoughts that Van Veen, 23, might be overawed in his first world semi-final were quickly forgotten as he hit a 10-darter to start the second set.
A stunning average of 113.35 saw him level it at 1-1 with a 117 checkout and was a taster of what was to come in the sets that followed.
Anderson started the next with a 144 checkout but Van Veen hit back once more, hitting six perfect darts to start the deciding leg on his way to an 11-darter.
Somehow, the fifth set took the match to another level again. First, Anderson broke with a 10-darter and hit a 170 checkout to go 2-0 in legs, and a leg from making it 3-2.
Instead, Van Veen made it 4-1 after a 170 checkout of his own forced a deciding leg. He won it and averaged 111.46, while Anderson was left wondering how he had lost a set in which he averaged 117.44.
The 55-year-old’s resilience shone through, though, and with the crowd behind him, he won the next two sets to make it 4-3 and pile the pressure on his younger opponent – who had missed four darts to make it 5-2.
But while both players showed signs that the unrelenting nature of the contest was taking its toll, Van Veen held firm, got himself 5-3 up and then finished strongly with a 13-darter to clinch his place in the final.
“To be in the World Championship final is not even a dream coming true because I wasn’t able to dream about this,” Van Veen, who had not won a match at the World Championship prior to this event, told Sky Sports.
Bob Chesney’s initial UCLA football staff is going to have a familiar feel to anyone who follows James Madison.
After hiring offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, the new Bruins coach also is bringing along five other assistants who helped the Dukes reach the College Football Playoff: offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Smith, cornerbacks coach Eddie Whitley Jr., safeties coach Anthony DiMichele, defensive line coach Sam Daniels and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Canan. While most of the assistants will retain their titles, Whitley now will coach defensive backs and Daniels defensive ends with the Bruins.
Chesney is retaining two UCLA assistants in safeties coach Gabe Lynn and running backs coach A.J. Steward, with Lynn transitioning into a role coaching nickel backs. Chesney also is bringing in another assistant with Big Ten experience in Legi Suiaunoa, the former Michigan State defensive line coach who will fill the same role with the Bruins.
Vic So’oto will be the Bruins’ linebackers coach after spending the last four seasons at California in a variety of roles. A former NFL linebacker who spent two seasons as USC’s defensive line coach, So’oto took a job as Cal’s outside linebackers coach in 2022. The next season he added the role of special teams coordinator to his title before becoming the Golden Bears’ co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach last season.
Rounding out Chesney’s staff is wide receivers coach Colin Lockett, who spent last season in the same role at New Mexico. Lockett has plenty of experience on the West Coast after serving as a graduate assistant at Oregon in addition to being a defensive backs quality control coach at Washington and a graduate assistant at San Diego State. Lockett also knows the Southern California high school recruiting scene well after spending three seasons as a defensive backs coach at St. John Bosco High.
Steward also offers deep connections throughout the West after previously working at Kansas, Baylor, Oregon State, Arizona, Brigham Young and Rice. Suiaunoa and Steward overlapped at Oregon State for two of Suianoa’s six seasons as an assistant with the Beavers.
In another nod to continuity, Chesney is hiring Chris Grautski, his director of athletic performance at James Madison, to become head strength coach at UCLA.
“In organizing our first-year staff, it was imperative that we find coaches who fit a mold unique to UCLA football that will allow for immediate success,” Chesney, who is expected to complete his staff soon, said in a statement. “This group possesses a great blend of competency, diversity and passion, and a track record of winning. Our infusion of West Coast ties will be essential in elevating UCLA’s brand, not just in Southern California, but across all of college football. Most importantly, this coaching staff will create an environment of competition and toughness that will challenge our student-athletes to become their absolute best on and off the field.”
Most of Chesney’s hires have strong ties to their boss.
Canan has been part of Chesney’s staff for more than a decade, starting at Assumption College in 2014 before following Chesney to Holy Cross, James Madison and now UCLA. Smith spent five seasons working under Chesney at Holy Cross before leaving to become an assistant offensive line coach with the NFL’s New York Giants in 2023 and later rejoining Chesney at James Madison in 2024.
Whitley has the distinction of having worked for both Chesney and predecessor Curt Cignetti as part of Whitley’s six seasons at James Madison, which made him the longest tenured coach on the Dukes’ staff this season.
DiMichele has worked alongside Chesney for the last four seasons after joining his staff at Holy Cross in 2022 and following him to James Madison. Daniels was a newcomer to Chesney’s staff when he was hired before the 2024 season at James Madison, his alma mater.
The Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Rose Bowl game easily could have gone to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. The Indiana quarterback finished the game with more touchdown passes than incompletions , threw for 192 yards and spread the ball to three teammates on scoring plays during their 38-3 rout of Alabama.
Instead, the sportswriters and broadcasters awarded center Pat Coogan and the rest of the offensive line. After it was announced, the biggest celebration came from Mendoza, who jumped with excitement, smiled from ear to ear and pumped his fist as he swarmed his center with the rest of his teammates.
Just another assist from a leader.
“We work really hard every single day because not only do we enjoy football, we also enjoy winning,” said Mendoza, who completed 14 of 16 passes. “And we know what that takes. So every single day we’re always going to put our best foot forward.”
Coogan was the first offensive lineman to win the award since Norm Verry won it for USC in 1944.
“It’s all a credit to my teammates and my coaching staff for just believing in me and the ability to make my calls and diagnose a defense and fully entrusting in me and my abilities,” Coogan said.
Against the Crimson Tide, Indiana had its love for the game fully displayed on both sides of the field. The defense held Alabama to a field goal and 23 rushing yards while forcing two fumbles and recovering one.
The crucial recovery came as the Tide approached Hoosiers territory as the second quarter was coming to a close. With Indiana ahead 10-0, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson ran on third and seven toward Indiana’s 40-yard line. Instead of gaining a first down, Simpson fumbled on a hit by Hoosiers cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. On its next drive, Indiana scored to make it 17-0.
Ponds earned the Defensive MVP award for his pivotal hit and thanked defensive coordinator Bryant Haines for their preparation.
“He did a good job scheming [Alabama],” Ponds said. “He knew what they liked to run, their tendencies and stuff like that.”
The coaching staff set the standards for Indiana and it all started with head coach Curt Cignetti, Coogan said.
“The complacency factor, the [fear] to death of complacency, the never-ending journey of improving, taking it day-to-day, taking each day as the most important day in the history of the program,” he said. “It all starts with [Cignetti], and he makes sure all of our eyes are focused forward and we’re all thinking alike as he always says.”
Cignetti called the game a great team victory for Indiana against an opponent with great tradition and history, but there’s still football to be played.
Up next, the Hoosiers go up against Oregon at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Jan. 9. This will be the Big Ten teams’ second meeting this season.
“Good to have another rematch against Dante Moore and a great Oregon team next week,” Mendoza said.
It’ll be the third time Mendoza faces the Oregon quarterback. The first time they met was in 2023 at the Rose Bowl, when they played for Cal and UCLA, respectively. Mendoza came out victorious 33-7.
In October, they matched up again, this time with their current teams. Again, the Hoosiers quarterback came out on top, 30-20.
But can lightning strike twice in a season?
“It’s very hard to beat a really good football team twice,” Cignetti said. “There’s no doubt about that.”
Indiana will take its unblemished record to Atlanta to face Oregon and hope the Hoosiers’ chemistry carries them to Miami Gardens for a shot at the national championship.
“We are efficient because we have good players with high character,” Cignetti said. “They’re great team guys and really good leaders, and they listen and they buy in.”
Tight end Tyler Higbee is on track to return on Sunday for the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
Safety Quentin Lake will be back for the playoffs. Star receiver Davante Adams also could be held out till then.
The Rams, coming off consecutive losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons, might appear to be limping toward their seventh postseason appearance in nine seasons under coach Sean McVay.
But a team that was regarded by many as the class of the league midway through the season should be at or near full strength when they play an NFC wild-card game next weekend.
“We’re getting healthy at the right time,” McVay said Friday.
Lake agreed.
“The league and the world kind of knew where we were at when we were at full strength,” Lake said. “We’re getting guys back at the right time and I feel like we’re going to hit our stride at the right time.”
The Rams, who at one time were seeded No. 1 in the NFC, are currently seeded No. 6.
If the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, and the Rams defeat the Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Rams will climb to No. 5.
Regardless, McVay reiterated Friday that starters would play against the Cardinals, though how much remains to be seen.
Several starters are questionable because of injuries, including running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum because of ankle injuries and left tackle Alaric Jackson because of a knee injury that kept him out of last Monday’s loss to the Falcons.
Right guard Kevin Dotson, who also sat out against the Falcons because of an ankle injury, will not play Sunday, and his status for the wild-card round remains uncertain.
The Rams also at some point will make a decision regarding veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein. The 11th-year pro has been on injured reserve since mid-November. Warren McClendon Jr. has played well in his place, but Havenstein would give McVay flexibility if Jackson were injured and McClendon moved to the left side.
The Rams’ 27-24 loss to the Falcons did not result exclusively because of injuries, but the holes left by missing starters were apparent and in some cases glaring.
Veteran tackle D.J. Humphries struggled in Jackson’s place, and guard Justin Dedich is not as big and strong as Dotson. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson ran roughshod through a defense that was missing Lake.
Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson, right, blocks Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson during a Rams win on Dec. 14.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
“There is a reason why those guys that have been missed are starters,” McVay said, speaking generally, “because they give us the best chance to play at the optimum levels.”
Rams tight ends have played well during Higbee’s absence, but McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford are eager for the 10th-year pro’s return.
Higbee caught 20 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in nine games before he was injured during a Nov. 16 victory over the Seahawks.
He is looking forward to getting back into the flow on game day.
“Just try to be myself, bring the energy, bring the physicality and try to make some plays when it’s my turn,” Higbee said.
Stafford has deftly utilized tight ends Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson. Now he said he will welcome back Higbee, “the ultimate team player,” who helps bind teammates.
“Everybody calls him a glue guy,” Stafford said, “probably an understatement.”
Lake, a team captain, also brings more than talent to the field, which the Rams formally recognized this week when they awarded him a three-year extension that includes more than $25 million in guarantees.
Lake has been sidelined since suffering a left elbow injury that required surgery. He began practicing this week, and said he would be ready for the playoffs.
“The doctor was saying, ‘You came back pretty fast, but if you feel good and you have all the strength and range of motion, go ahead and cut it loose.’
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Adams sat out the last two games because of a hamstring injury, but he still leads the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.
Adams was limited in practices this week.
“We want to make sure that we’re getting everything ready to roll and being smart with him because of the position that he plays and the stress that that hamstring takes with some of the different things that we activate with him,” McVay said.
Star receiver Puka Nacua is among those happy to see Higbee, Lake and Adams on the practice field again.
“It’s fun to have all those guys out there,” he said. “I’d say their presence is definitely missed.”
The Galaxy could be without Riqui Puig for a second straight season, with the team confirming Friday that the midfielder will undergo a second surgery Saturday to repair the torn ACL that caused him to miss all of 2025.
Puig, 26, tore the ligament in his left knee in the 2024 MLS Western Conference final with Seattle. A week later the Galaxy won its sixth league title. But playing without Puig in 2025, the team stumbled through the worst season in franchise history, winning just seven games.
Puig, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, returned to training with the Galaxy in the fall. But the Galaxy said he had a setback in his recovery after returning to Spain for the holidays. After consulting with the club’s medical staff and outside specialists, the Galaxy and Puig agreed to a second surgery.
The timeline for Puig’s return will not be determined until after the operation, but losing him for any amount of time will be another significant blow for the team since last year’s performance proved Puig is the Galaxy’s most irreplacable player.
Puig had career highs for goals (13) and assists (15) in 2024, when he also led the league in touches and passes, helping the Galaxy set an MLS record with four players scoring 10 or more times. Without him, the team’s possession-based attack suffered, scoring 23 fewer goals and seeing just one player, winger Joseph Paintsil, reach double figures in scoring.
The Galaxy did not place Puig on the season-ending injury list last season, hoping he would return at some point. If doctors determine he is unlikely to play this season, it’s unlikely the team would make the same mistake since shelving Puig would open up a designated-play spot. Puig, who made $5.78 million last season, the eight-largest contract in MLS, is signed through 2027.
Before the Puig news the Galaxy had enjoyed a productive offseason, acquiring Jakob Glesnes, a former MLS defender of the year, in a trade with the Philadelphia Union and signing defender Justin Haak to a free-agent contract.
Alan Shearer was one of Cushin’s first heroes, but his idol as a kid was a Toon player who stopped goals, rather than scored them.
“I first went to St James’ when I was very young, but my first proper memory was against Stoke in 2008,” he explained. “We were 2-0 up at half-time, and I remember being on the concourse at half-time and thinking how great it was to be a Newcastle supporter.
“That didn’t last long – we ended up throwing the game away, conceding a couple of late goals and drawing 2-2 – but it was watching Shay Given pull off some big saves that day which made me want to be a keeper.
“Everyone else looked the same, wearing the same shirts, and it was just that one player, the goalkeeper, standing out. You are the last line of defence and you can be the hero, and I always liked that gamble – if it went wrong it was my fault, or I could be the reason why we get the points.
“I was quite keen on that, and then I suppose that transitioned into me being a musician, where it is my name on the poster. I guess I’ve always liked the attention!”
Cushin’s career between the sticks saw him play in the youth team for non-league Newcastle Benfield, but he has had to hang up his gloves to focus on playing the guitar.
“It was a sad day when I had to stop playing, but it came after I’d spent some time in the studio with Noel Gallagher, and I realised I couldn’t afford to carry on as a keeper and risk breaking my fingers,” he added.
“So I always say it was Shay who inspired me to put the gloves on, and Noel who told me to take them off again!”
Chris Sutton and Andrew Cushin were speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.
The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat – we simply asked the tool to ‘predict this weekend’s Premier League scores’.
Rory McIlroy claims United States captain Keegan Bradley could have used his platform to rein in abusive crowd behaviour at last year’s Ryder Cup, but did not take the opportunity.
Europe defeated the US 15-13 at Bethpage Black to retain the trophy and become the first away team to win the event since 2012.
Yet they did so in the face of relentless heckling in New York, with Northern Ireland golfer McIlroy’s wife Erica hit by a drink thrown by an American fan and “horrific” abuse directed towards them both and their young daughter Poppy.
“We knew going to New York that we were going to get a lot of stick, a lot of abuse,” said McIlroy, while appearing on The Overlap., external
“Look, I don’t care if people are saying whatever they’re saying to me.”
McIlroy said he was able to brush off a Bethpage MC joining in with an expletive-led abusive chant about him, while she warmed up the crowd, saying that was “nothing compared to the other stuff we heard”.
“Erica, my wife, would say she’s a grown woman, she’s strong, she can handle that. But then when it starts to get into your family, I heard stuff about my daughter that I couldn’t even repeat here. It’s horrific,” McIlroy said.
The world number two added: “Keegan and I have talked about this. You have to play into the home-field advantage, absolutely.
“But during the competition on Friday night and Saturday night, after the stuff that we heard on the course, there was an opportunity for either Keegan or some of the team-mates to be like: ‘Let’s just calm down here. Let’s try to play this match in the right spirit.’
“Some of them did that, but obviously Keegan had the biggest platform of the week in being the captain. I feel like he could have said something on that Friday or Saturday night, and he didn’t.”
Traditional powers Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama exit the College Football Playoff along with Texas Tech. Upstarts Indiana, Ole Miss, Miami and Oregon continue on.
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has insisted he wants to “fight with his team” and see out his contract at the club, following reported interest in former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
