(Minneapolis, MN) — Jordan Howard ran for 109 yards and two touchdowns as Bears beat the Vikings 24-10 to close out the regular-season in Minnesota. Tarik Cohen added a rushing TD for Chicago, who eliminated Minnesota from the postseason. The Bears finished with a 12-and-4 record to earn the three-seed in the NFC playoffs. They host the sixth-seed Eagles in the Wild Card round next Sunday.
(Nashville, TN) — After starting the season 1-and-5, the Indianapolis Colts are going to the playoffs. Indy beat Tennessee 33-17 on Sunday in Nashville to clinch the final Wild Card slot in the AFC. Andrew Luck threw for 285 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the win. Marlon Mack added 119 yards and a score on the ground as Indy upped its record to 10-and-6. The Colts visit the Texans on Saturday to open the postseason.
(Undated) — The NFL playoffs are set and Wild Card action kicks off on Saturday. Houston will host Indianapolis and Dallas welcomes Seattle to open the Wild Card round. The Ravens battle the Chargers on Sunday, while the Bears host the defending champion Eagles. The Saints, Rams, Patriots and Chiefs each earned first-round byes. Super Bowl 53 kicks off in Atlanta on February 3rd.
>>Jets Fire Head Coach Bowles
(Undated) — The New York Jets aren’t waiting for Black Monday. The Jets have fired head coach Todd Bowles after four seasons. New York finished just 4-and-12 this year, its third consecutive season reaching double-digits in losses. The Jets, who were just 24-and-40 under Bowles, haven’t made the playoffs since 2010.
>>Bucs Fire HC Koetter
(Tampa, FL) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are firing head coach Dirk Koetter [[ cutter ]]. Multiple reports confirmed the move shortly after Sunday’s loss to Atlanta. The Bucs finished at 5-and-11 this season for the second straight year. They went 19-and-29 in Koetter’s three seasons as head coach.
>>Miami HC Richt Retires, Temple’s Diaz Takes Job
(Miami, FL) — Miami Hurricanes head coach Mark Richt is retiring and a replacement has already been found. The 58-year-old announced his decision on Sunday and will step down after three years with the Hurricanes. Richt went 26-and-13 at his alma mater. Former Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz will take over as head coach. Diaz accepted the head coaching job at Temple on December 13th, but has decided to return to Coral Gables following Richt’s sudden retirement.
>>UCLA Fires HC Alford
(Los Angeles, CA) — The UCLA Bruins are moving on from men’s basketball coach Steve Alford. Multiple reports state UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero has decided to terminate Alford. The Bruins had lost their last four games, punctuated by a 73-58 loss to Liberty at home on Saturday. Alford led UCLA to a 124-and-63 record in his five-plus seasons at Westwood.
(Toronto, Ontario) — Kahwi [[ kah-WHY ]] Leonard scored a game high 27 points to lead the Raptors to a 95-89 win against the Bulls in Toronto. Lauri Markkanen’s [[ LAU-ree MARK-a-nin ]] posted 18 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, who slipped to 10-and-27. Bulls rookie Wendell Carter, Junior also recorded a double-double, with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Chicago hosts the Magic Wednesday night.
