Howdy, I’m your host, Austin Knoblauch, filling in for Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.
From Gary Klein: Tyler Higbee is not prone to tears.
“I’m not a big crier,” he said.
But the Rams veteran tight end got choked up this weekend after his wife put together a montage of video clips showing the ninth-year pro enduring through his comeback from injuries.
Higbee watched the video once Saturday night and several times before Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, Higbee’s first in 11 months following knee and shoulder surgeries.
“I did get a little emotional,” Higbee said.
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Emotions — Higbee’s, teammates and Rams coaches and staff — exploded after Higbee caught a pass and dove across the goal line in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead touchdown in a 19-9 victory at MetLife Stadium.
“Almost passed out just from being so hyped,” Higbee said.
Higbee’s play was the biggest in a game that featured another 100-yard rushing effort from Kyren Williams, a fumble forced by safety Kam Curl and a defense that kept Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers mostly at bay as the Rams extended their winning streak to four games.
The Rams are now 9-6 and remain atop the NFC West heading into Saturday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
The Cardinals (7-8), who lost Sunday to the Carolina Panthers, have been eliminated from playoff contention, but can play the role of spoiler against a Rams team that has rebounded from a 1-4 start and is on the verge of making the playoffs for the sixth time in coach Sean McVay’s eight seasons.
ALSO: Kyren Williams’ running makes Rams a threat in the postseason, if they make it
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UCLA BASKETBALL
UCLA’s Dylan Andrews reacts after losing control of the ball during a loss to North Carolina on Saturday.
(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
From Ben Bolch: Success in March, when the games matter most, is rooted in strong guard play.
Fortunately for UCLA, this is still December.
That means the Bruins have plenty of time to resolve what might be their biggest issue. His game-winning shot against Oregon notwithstanding, Dylan Andrews has regressed since emerging as one of the top point guards in the Pac-12 over the final months of last season.
A bottoming out came Saturday during No. 18 UCLA’s 76-74 loss to North Carolina at Madison Square Garden in the CBS Sports Classic.
Andrews missed five of six shots and finished with more turnovers than assists, including the critical turnover in the final minute that allowed the Tar Heels to complete their comeback from a 16-point deficit. Andrews took an inbounds pass in one corner of the backcourt and immediately had the ball slapped out of his hands and off his leg out of bounds.
AUTO RACING
Racing fans embrace while one holds an American flag during the final day of racing at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
From Kevin Baxter: The final day of racing at Irwindale Speedway was both a party and a wake, one that began just after high noon Saturday and ended just before Sunday started.
There were funereal speeches — eulogies, if you like — tears and sadness. But there were also beach balls, cheers, flags and fireworks. In between there was racing — a lot of racing — with more than 140 drivers taking to the track in almost anything that had wheels and an engine before the final car crossed the finish line just before midnight.
Irwindale has long been home to the weird, wacky and wonderful, from trailer and figure-8 races to all-female demolition derbies and RV auto soccer. It was where drifting got its start in the U.S., the wide, banked asphalt track perfectly suited for what has become one of the fastest-growing racing series in the country. And it was where a radio-controlled car hit a world-record speed of 111 mph.
The track is — was? — historic and iconic so its closing after a quarter-century is another blow in what has been a long, slow decline of auto racing in the region.
BOXING
Manny Pacquiao stands between promoter Bob Arum, left, and trainer Freddie Roach after winning a WBO welterweight title fight against Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas in November 2009.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
From Bill Dwyre: Manny Pacquiao has been elected to boxing’s Hall of Fame. And the sun will rise in the East.
There was never a doubt. The only question was when he would stop fighting and become eligible. On June 8, in Canastota, N.Y., Pacquiao will be honored by a sport that never knew what a hit it had when it allowed him into a ring 26 years ago. Before he finally got out and announced his retirement, he had competed from 108 pounds — when he was a street urchin in the Philippines trying to scrape together money for food for his family — to 154 pounds. He won titles in eight weight classes. Nobody else has done that.
He is 46 now, still 5-foot 5-inches, still close to fighting weight and still a lefty fireplug. He finished with a pro record of 62-8-2, including 39 knockouts. As an amateur, he went 60-4. That’s a lot of hitting, and a lot of getting hit. Yet as recently as a year ago, he was trying to drum up a match against Mario Barrios, a decent fighter. That the fight never happened might be proof that God is a boxing fan.
KINGS
Kings center Samuel Helenius unleashes a shot during the second period of the game against the Capitals in Washington on Sunday.
(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Aliaksei Protas scored twice and the Washington Capitals beat the Kings 3-1 on Sunday night.
Jakub Vrana also scored and former Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois had two assists en route to the win, which puts the Capitals back atop the Eastern Conference standings.
Logan Thompson made 25 saves to advance to 13-2-2.
Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings, who have dropped three of the last four and lost a back-to-back set for the first time this season. They finished 3-2-2 on their road trip, which began Dec. 10 with a win over the Islanders.
DUCKS
Ducks players celebrate a goal scored by Isac Lundestrom in the second period of a 5-4 comeback win over Utah on Sunday.
(Bethany Baker / Associated Press)
From The Associated Press: Mason McTavish was the only scorer in the shootout and the Ducks rallied from a three-goal deficit, beating the Utah Hockey Club 5-4 on Sunday.
Robby Fabbri scored twice and Isac Lundestrom and Brett Leason added goals for the Ducks, who won for the third time in four games after a five-game skid. Lukas Dostal finished with 21 saves.
A diving Fabbri got his second goal with 7:25 left in the third, when he sent the puck trickling through goalie Jaxson Stauber’s legs, giving Anaheim a chance to erase its deficit and force overtime.
Clayton Keller had two goals and two assists. Barrett Hayton and Logan Cooley also scored and Stauber made 26 saves for Utah, which had its four-game winning streak halted.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1933 — Montreal’s Howie Morenz scores his 251st goal to become the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader. Morenz’s goal caps the Canadiens’ 3-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
1951 — Norm Van Brocklin’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Tom Fears in the fourth quarter gives the Los Angeles Rams a 24-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns for the NFL title.
1962 — Tommy Brooker kicks a 25-yard field goal 17:54 into overtime, giving the Dallas Texans a 20-17 victory over Houston for the AFL title.
1972 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 on Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception,” in an AFC Divisional playoff game. On 4th-and-10 on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds remaining and no time outs. Terry Bradshaw, under pressure, throws a pass over the middle to Oakland’s 35-yard line which is deflected by Oakland’s Jack Tatum. Running back Franco Harris catches the deflection at the Raiders’ 43-yard line and runs down the left sideline for a touchdown.
1978 — Bryan Trottier has five goals and three assists to lead the New York Islanders to a 9-4 victory over the Rangers. Trottier sets an NHL record with three goals and three assists in the second period.
1982 — Chaminade, an NAIA school, beats top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 center Ralph Sampson, 77-72, for one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. The game is played at Honolulu’s International Center in front of 3,383 fans.
1996 — Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions rushes for 175 yards in a 24-14 loss to San Francisco to finish with 1,553 yards for the season. It’s Sanders’ third straight season with at least 1,500 yards rushing, a first in the NFL.
2007 — The New England Patriots set an NFL record with their 15th win, the best start in league history, with a 28-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins 28-7.
2007 — Chris Johnson sets an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards, and Ben Hartman kicks a 34-yard field goal as time expires to give East Carolina a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl.
2008 — The Boston Celtics set a franchise record with their 19th consecutive victory, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 110-91. The Celtics improve to 27-2 — the best start for a two-loss team in NBA history. The 19-game winning streak breaks the Celtics record set in 1981-82.
2012 — New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 34-31 overtime win at Dallas. Brees, with 4,781 passing yards, becomes the first player in NFL history to record at least 4,500 yards in three consecutive seasons.
2013 — Andrew Luck throws for 205 yards to break a single-season rookie record, and his touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne late in the fourth quarter puts Indianapolis in the playoffs with a 20-13 win over Kansas City. Luck, with 4,183 yards, surpasses Cam Newton’s year-old record of 4,051 yards passing by a rookie in the second quarter.
2022 — Washington Capitals center Alex Ovechkin scores two goals to move past Gordie Howe on most NHL career goals list in 4-1 win over visiting Winnipeg Jets.
Compiled by the Associated Press
And finally
It’s every college football fan’s favorite time of the year — transfer portal season! Keep track of the players joining and leaving UCLA and USC in our handy NCAA portal tracker here.
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.