A 1-5 record before setting foot in front of the Green Monster is not what Red Sox Nation waited all winter to see. The San Diego Padres will do their best to add to the misery, but at 2-4 things haven't gone that much better for the Friars record wise.
At leading prediction market Kalshi, more than $47 million has been staked this season on what are known as NFL announcer mention markets, where users trade on the probability of what the play-by-play broadcaster or color analyst will -- or will not -- say during games. Since September, the average amount risked on NFL announcer mention markets has grown more than seven times, from less than half a million per game at the start of the season to $3.55 million on the AFC and NFC championship games
After 18 weeks of the NFL regular season, the moment is almost here. The Super Bowl represents the pinnacle of pressure. For the athletes that take the field, it's the moment they've been waiting for. The culmination of years of preparation for that one game. There is little margin for error and the moment is unforgiving. Yet, the psychological demands of Super Bowl game day aren't as unique as we think.
With the Kansas City Chiefs failing to qualify, this year marks the first postseason without Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning since the 1998 campaign. Manning reached the playoffs in 1999, while Brady joined the ranks two years later. Mahomes had been in the playoffs each season since 2018, but he tore his ACL in a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The defeat eliminated Kansas City from postseason contention, and the Chiefs finished 6-11.
Instead, with the Seahawks trailing 28-24 and 26 seconds to play, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell with the authorization of coach Pete Carroll called for a quick slant pass from quarterback Russell Wilson to wide receiver Ricardo Lockette. New England safety Malcolm Butler got there first with an interception at the 1. The Patriots (15-4) won their fourth of six Lombardi Trophies under coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
The New England Patriots got good news on that front when it comes to Drake Maye's banged-up throwing shoulder. Lindsay Jones reported that Maye not only practiced in full on Wednesday, but took every first-team rep. That's a good sign that Maye, after taking most of last week off, will be about as close to 100 percent as possible entering his 21st game of the season.
The day's early offering was decided by snow and an ill-fated decision by Broncos coach Sean Payton before the weather took over and dominated both sides for the rest of the game. If you're a 49ers fan, it's impressive and depressing at the same time. Impressive because your team somehow won 13 games and would likely be pretty competitive with either the Patriots or Broncos. Depressing because they aren't even in the same stratosphere with the Seahawks and Rams.
The wide receiver has played out of his mind this season. He roasts every defensive coverage and has morphed into a three-level threat: beating man-coverage quickly off the snap, showing fearlessness to attack the middle of the field and stretching away from deep coverage. Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, has channeled the entire Seattle offense through his star receiver. Smith-Njigba lines up everywhere: out wide, in the slot, in the backfield. From any of those looks, he's a matchup nightmare.
He's been balling, Hawkins said of Woodson, who led the NFL with 30 postseason tackles. I'm so proud of him, especially to see his growth throughout the season and knowing him since he was a freshman in college. Coming into this league, starting off the jump as a rookie. I'm proud of him. I respect the hell out of him. He's my brother.
