LANDOVER, Md. – Were it not for the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs, the AFC would run through the Pittsburgh Steelers at the moment. 

Occupying first place in the AFC North, the Steelers are about to enter their most brutal stretch of the season, with all six divisional games set for the final eight weeks. Having seven wins in the bank is an insurance policy that leaves margin for error but shouldn’t make anyone in Pittsburgh overly comfortable. The latest triumph, a 28-27 road victory Sunday over another first-place team in the Washington Commanders, was a reminder why. 

‘It was enough for us to win today,’ Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said of his team’s offense. ‘And we’ll get back in the lab because we’ve got a real hot opponent next week, so we’ll see.’

As Tomlin said, the Steelers did enough Sunday to beat the Commanders. Will the same kind of performance next week be enough to cling to the AFC North lead and hang with the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson, the ‘hot opponent’ to whom Tomlin was referring? 

Quarterback Russell Wilson, in his third start with the team, finished 14-for-28 for 195 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He was aided by receiver George Pickens, who had five catches for 91 yards and a touchdown – an acrobatic snag. Making his Steelers debut, Mike Williams caught a 32-yard touchdown on his lone target from Wilson. Williams, who was acquired at the deadline last week in a deal with the New York Jets, didn’t need to know the Pittsburgh playbook front to back to make an impact; it was a classic “moon ball” from Wilson, whose reliance on the deep pass and vertical passing game has been evident through three games as the Steelers’ starter.  

All things Steelers: Latest Pittsburgh Steelers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘I’ve seen it a few times on highlight shows,’ Tomlin said of Wilson’s high-arching passes. ‘It’s a little better in person.’

Can the Steelers’ offense “moon ball” its way to the playoffs? The Cleveland Browns withstanding, the AFC North is again one of the league’s more difficult divisions. Neither the Cincinnati Bengals nor Ravens defend the pass exceptionally well. Entering Sunday, the Steelers had the fourth-hardest schedule remaining (based on winning percentage) in the NFL. The weighted second half for the Steelers is one reason Tomlin inserted Wilson, signed during the offseason, as the starter after six weeks – even though Justin Fields had the team at 4-2 while Wilson recovered from a calf injury he suffered during training camp and later aggravated.

Fields threw for more than 250 yards once – Wilson did it in his first two starts before the Steelers went on their bye last week. Wilson is now 3-0 under center for the “Black and Gold.” Much of the offense has been under center with a heavy emphasis on play action.

‘That’s what they do,’ Commanders defensive back Noah Igbinoghene said. ‘They got Russell Wilson. They got George Pickens. They got Williams as well. Those are deep-ball guys. Those are fifty-fifty guys.’

On balls that traveled more than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage against Washington, Wilson was 3-for-7. Two went for touchdowns, and all but one were passes to the left. Despite his inefficiency, the Steelers had four plays that went for more than 20 yards – none were runs and one was a screen pass to Jaylen Warren.

‘I’ve been trying to tell you guys all year they make plays when called upon, and that’s just the mindset and idea,’ Tomlin said of the Pittsburgh receiving corps. ‘Their efforts make it real, and so, keep watching.’

At halftime, though, Wilson had 48 passing yards on 15 attempts, and his longest completion went for 16 yards. On third-and-14 late in the third quarter, Wilson again looked deep for Pickens again and threw into the awaiting arms of safety Jeremy Chinn. 

‘I could’ve made a couple more throws,’ Wilson said. ‘The (interception), I was trying to give him a chance, and you try and launch it down there to him. And most of the time it works, and that time it didn’t, but it was really a long punt. So it’s, ‘All right, let’s go.”

Wilson said Tomlin talked to the Steelers at the end of last week about being in the moment during the upcoming critical stretch.

‘Sure enough, we were able to do that,’ Wilson said.

Tomlin and the Steelers deployed a dose of gamesmanship by lining up and forcing the Commanders to jump offsides on fourth-and-1 to ice the game with 62 seconds left on the clock. 

With Warren and Najee Harris, along with some Cordarelle Patterson, the Steelers are committed to the running game under first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Washington held Pittsburgh to 3.3 yards per rush on 43 attempts, though.

Pickens proved to be the X-factor, and Wilson called him ‘special – one of the best receivers in the NFL.’ All Wilson has to do, he said, is put the ball in his vicinity and give him a chance.

‘You know he does a great job of beating guys on the routes,’ Wilson said. ‘George has just been really showing up in special ways. I just got so much confidence in who he is, the competitor that he is. His practice habits. He continues to grow, and he’s just a warrior out there in how he prepares.’

Having an offensive sparkplug like Pickens and defenders such as Cam Heyward (two sacks), T.J. Watt (two tackles for loss with a pass breakup) and Alex Highsmith (who left late with a gruesome-looking ankle injury) is another luxury afforded to Tomlin and his staff as they determine this team’s ideal quotient of complementary football. 

Seven of the Steelers’ points came on tight end Pat Freiermuth (three catches, 17 yards) 3-yard touchdown catch with 10:18 left in the second quarter. Pittsburgh took advantage of a short field (14 yards) after Washington punt returner Olamide Zacchaeus muffed his second punt of the day. 

That was some form of karmic payback from a series earlier when the team faked a punt that would have been successful had the completely uncovered James Pierre caught a pass from the up man in the Steelers’ punt formation.

‘I own that. I’ll do it again,’ Tomlin said. ‘But we didn’t execute it. So it was a bad idea.’

That is the type of aggression Tomlin said he will not back away from. Teams such as the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys have been derided for declaring themselves “all in” with little to show for it. In typical Steelers fashion, they actually pushed a lot of chips to the middle but kept quiet about it. 

Everything about the 2024 Steelers — from coaching decisions to the ways Wilson delivers the ball to his receivers — has an air of all or nothing to it. In that way, Tomlin has exactly what he hoped for.

This story has been updated to include a new video.

Joey Logano won the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship race Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

The 34-year-old won his third career Cup title, adding to the championships he won in 2018 and 2022. Logano became the 10th driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win three or more championships.

Logano retook the lead in the midway point of the final stage and held off his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, who was aiming to win his second consecutive Cup title. The victory was Logano’s fourth of the season and the 36th of his Cup Series career.

The championship was also the third in row for Team Penske after Logano’s title in 2022 and Blaney’s championship last year.

‘I love the playoffs. I love it,’ Logano said after climbing out of his car. ‘What a Team Penske battle there at the end. I had a good restart and was able to get in front of (Blaney). He had a lot of long-run speed, and it was all I had there to hold him off.

‘We have three of them, and that’s really special. What a team effort to fight through today. We had a little bit of adversity throughout the race. … I don’t know if I’m the best driver, but I’ve got the best team. We’re a mentally tough team that can make things happen when it matters.’

Blaney tried everything he could to track down and pass his teammate, but eventually ran out of laps. He finished as runner-up in the season’s final race for the second year in a row.

‘Couldn’t quite get there,’ Blaney said in an interview with NBC immediately after the race. ‘Tried really hard to do so but the restart didn’t really work out. … If we’re going to race somebody, I’m happy it was (Logano) for the championship.”

Championship contender William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports finished third, followed by 2021 champion Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and the final championship contender, Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, in sixth.

‘We just didn’t have enough, but I’m really, really proud of our team,’ Byron said. ‘We fought hard. It was a great strategy there in the final stage to do something different, but we just didn’t have enough.”

Logano nearly missed a chance to race for the title earlier in the playoffs. Following the second-round elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it appeared that Logano would be the first driver eliminated until he became the lucky recipient of Alex Bowman’s disqualification. That gave him the final spot in the Round of 8, and Logano capitalized immediately, winning the first race of the third round at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to become the first driver to clinch a berth in the 2024 championship race.

USA TODAY Sports covered all the action in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race. Scroll below for highlights and results from Phoenix Raceway:

NASCAR Championship Race results

Here at the Top 10 finishers from the NASCAR Cup Series Championshp Race at Phoenix Raceway:

Joey Logano, Team Penske, winner
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, 0.330 seconds behind
William Bryon, Hendrick Motorsports, -5.119 seconds
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, -7.169 seconds
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, -9.752 seconds
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, -11.068 seconds
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, -11.372 seconds
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, -11.824 seconds
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, 15.567 seconds
Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, -21.531 seconds

Most championships in NASCAR Cup Series history

With his victory today, Joey Logano became the 10th driver to win at least three Cup titles. Here are the drivers with the most championships in NASCAR Cup Series history:

7 championships: Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson

4 championships: Jeff Gordon

3 championships: Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart, Joey Logano

Joey Logano retakes lead in NASCAR Championship race

Joey Logano used an aggressive restart to take the lead in the NASCAR Cup Series Champioship race. Logano had restarted fifth behind championship contender William Byron and his two Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, as well as Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell. But Logano passed everyone and pulled out to a more than 1 second lead over Byron, with Larson third, Blaney fourth, Bell fifth and Tyler Reddick sixth.

Pit road calls, crash shake up NASCAR Championship race

William Byron was the last of the Championship 4 drivers to pit under green, coming down pit road on Lap 247 of 312– 12 laps later than Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick. Byron came back on the track behind the other title contenders, but would have finished the race with fresher tires.

A few laps later, however, Zane Smith, running 28th, crashed into the wall on Lap 250 to bring out the caution. With the yellow flag back out, Blaney, Logano, Reddick and Christopher Bell came back down pit road to refuel and take new tires. Those three will now restart behind Byron with a little more than 50 laps remaining in the race.

NASCAR championship contenders racing up front in final stage at Phoenix

With less than 100 laps to go in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, the championship contenders all run in the Top 6. Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, William Byron run second through fourth, respectively, while Tyler Reddick runs sixth.

Christopher Bell leads the race with 86 laps to go.

Ryan Blaney wins Stage 2 of NASCAR Championship race

Reigning series champion Ryan Blaney passed race leader Christopher Bell with seven laps remaining in the second stage to lead the field in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Bell finished second, while Joey Logano, seeking his third Cup title, finished third – making a late charge on the leaders. Championship contender William Byron finished Stage 2 in fourth, and Tyler Reddick, the final Championship 4 driver, finished 10th.

Nineteen cars were on the lead lap when the stage ended, and all cars hit pit road for fuel and tires to begin Stage 3.

NASCAR Championship 4 drivers make green-flag pit stops

As the second stage of the NASCAR Championship race hit the midpoint, drivers began coming down pit road under green for fuel and tires. Ryan Blaney and his No. 12 Team Penske Ford team had the best pit stop among the championship contenders, and he runs second behind Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell. Championship 4 driver William Byron runs third, with Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick also in the Top 10.

Three of four NASCAR championship contenders running in Top 5

Christopher Bell took the lead from Chase Elliott on the restart to begin Stage 2 of the NASCAR Championship race. Title contenders Ryan Blaney, William Byron and Joey Logano run third through fifth, respectively. The final Championship 4 driver, Tyler Reddick, runs 10th through 25 laps of the second stage.

Joey Logano wins opening stage of NASCAR Championship race

Team Penske’s Joey Logano led the final 50 laps in the 60-lap opening stage of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, a good start to his championship campaign. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell closed in on Logano in the final laps but could not get close enough to attempt a pass.

All four title contenders finished in the Top 7, with Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron in fourth, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in sixth and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick in seventh. Blaney passed Reddick for position on the final lap of the opening stage.

Chase Elliott finished the opening stage in fifth but won the race off pit road, and will restart first.

Joey Logano leads in opening stage of NASCAR Championship race

Joey Logano took the lead over pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. on a Lap 10 restart and has continued to hold it with 20 laps remaining in the opening stage. Among the other championship contenders, William Byron runs fourth, Tyler Reddick sixth and Ryan Blaney seventh.

Ty Gibbs crashes to bring out early caution in NASCAR Championship race

Moments after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race began, the caution flag came out for a crash on Lap 2. Ty Gibbs slid hard into the outside wall coming out of Turn 1. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was in 12th position at the time, and no other cars were involved.

Gibbs was checked and rleased from the infield care center, ending his barely before it began.

Green flag waves to start NASCAR Cup Series Championship race

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway has officially begun. Martin Truex Jr., in his last full-time race race, leads the field from the pole. Championship 4 driver Joey Logano is also on the front row. The race is 312 laps, barring overtime.

What time does the NASCAR Championship race start?

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race starts at 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Championship race on?

NBC is broadcasting the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET (noon local).

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Championship race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race can be live streamed on the NBC Sports website, the NBC Sports app and Peacock. The race is also available to stream on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

Joey Logano incurs penalty before NASCAR Championship race

Championship contender Joey Logano faces a disadvantage in Sunday’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Logano’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford failed pre-race inspection twice on Saturday, resulting in NASCAR penalties. Logano’s car chief Tommy Ellis was ejected and will not be able to participate in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, and the team lost its choice of pit-stall selection.

Logano is one of four drivers racing for the 2024 Cup Series title. Teammate Ryan Blaney, Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick are the other contenders in the Championship 4 field, and their cars passed inspection on their first try.

Who is starting on the pole in the NASCAR Championship race? 

In his final race as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, Martin Truex Jr. will start on the pole in Sunday’s race in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Also starting on the front row, championship contender Joey Logano, in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. 

Among the other championship contenders, William Byron is starting eighth in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Tyler Reddick is starting 10th in his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, and Ryan Blaney is starting 17th in his No. 12 Team Penske Ford. 

What is the lineup for the NASCAR Championship race?

Car number in parentheses; (P)=playoff driver

1. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota

2. (22) Joey Logano (P), Ford

3. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet

4. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

5. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet

6. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota

7. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota

8. (24) William Byron (P), Chevrolet

9. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford

10. (45) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota

11. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford

12. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford

13. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet

14. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota

15. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet

16. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet

17. (12) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford

18. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota

19. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota

20. (51) Corey LaJoie, Ford

21. (10) Noah Gragson, Ford

22. (31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet

23. (84) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota

24. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford

25. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet

26. (16) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet

27. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford

28. (71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet

29. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota

30. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet

31. (15) Kaz Grala, Ford

32. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford

33. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford

34. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet

35. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford

36. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet

37. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet

38. (66) Chad Finchum, Ford

39. (4) Josh Berry, Ford

40. (50) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet

What is the weather forecast for the NASCAR Championship race? 

Ideal race conditions for drivers and fans alike. The National Weather Service is calling for sunny skies with a high of 81 degrees in Avondale, Arizona, with a slight east northeast wind becoming calm in the afternoon. 

How many laps is the NASCAR Championship race? 

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race is 312 laps around the 1-mile oval at Phoenix Raceway for a total of 312 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps;  Stage 2: 125 laps;  Stage 3: 127 laps. 

NASCAR Championship race odds: Who’s favored to win? 

According to BetMGM, defending series champion Ryan Blaney is the favorite to win Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race (through Saturday night): 

Ryan Blaney, +250  

Joey Logano, +250  

William Byron, +425  

Christopher Bell, +750  

Martin Truex Jr., +850  

Kyle Larson, +1000  

Tyler Reddick, +1300  

Ross Chastain, +1300  

Chase Elliott, +1600  

Denny Hamlin, +2500  

Which drivers will race for 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship? 

Team Penske put two drivers – Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney – in the Championship 4, while Hendrick Motorsports has William Byron and 23XI Racing has Tyler Reddick. 

Blaney is the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, while Logano won titles in 2018 and 2022. Byron and Reddick are each seeking their first Cup championship. 

Get more information, career and season statistics on all four championship contenders here. 

Who won the most recent NASCAR Cup races at Phoenix? 

Christopher Bell led 50 laps, including the final 41, before cruising to a win over Chris Buescher by 5.465 seconds on March 10, 2024. 

And one year ago in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, Ross Chastain led 157 laps, including the final 31, before holding off Ryan Blaney by 1.230 seconds. Since Chastain was not a Championship 4 driver, Blaney’s runner-up finish was enough to win the 2023 title. 

Which drivers have won NASCAR Cup Series championships under this playoff format? 

The current playoff format was adopted in 2014, and Kevin Harvick won his first championship while also winning the final race of the year. Under this current format, the season champion also won the championship race every year except 2023, when non-playoff driver Ross Chastain won the final race and Ryan Blaney finished second to win his first NASCAR Cup Series title. 

Here are the NASCAR Cup Series champions since 2014 and their finish in the season’s final race: 

2014: Kevin Harvick (won at Homestead-Miami Speedway) 

2015: Kyle Busch (won at Homestead) 

2016: Jimmie Johnson (won at Homestead) 

2017: Martin Truex Jr. (won at Homestead) 

2018: Joey Logano (won at Homestead) 

2019: Kyle Busch (won at Homestead) 

2020: Chase Elliott (won at Phoenix Raceway) 

2021: Kyle Larson (won at Phoenix) 

2022: Joey Logano (won at Phoenix) 

2023: Ryan Blaney (runner-up at Phoenix) 

Who won NASCAR Cup Series playoff races in 2024? 

Sept. 8:  Atlanta Motor Speedway. Winner: Joey Logano  

Sept. 15:  Watkins Glen International. Winner: Chris Buescher  

Sept. 21:  Bristol Motor Speedway. Winner: Kyle Larson  

Sept. 29:  Kansas Speedway. Winner: Ross Chastain 

Oct. 6:  Talladega Superspeedway. Winner: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 

Oct. 13:  Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Winner: Kyle Larson 

Oct. 20:  Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Winner: Joey Logano 

Oct. 27:  Homestead-Miami Speedway. Winner: Tyler Reddick 

Nov. 3:  Martinsville Speedway. Winner: Ryan Blaney 

Nov. 10:  Phoenix Raceway, NBC, 3 p.m. ET 

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 9-0 for just the third time in franchise history, but not without an incredible finish against a familiar foe.

Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal blocked a would-be game-winning field goal by Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz with 1 second remaining to secure a 16-14 victory. The 9-0 mark ties the franchise record for best start to a season, with Kansas City having posted the same record in 2003 and 2013.

“I was really praying for something to happen. That moment is so heavy,’ said Chenal, who also blocked a kick in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl 58 win over the San Francisco 49ers. ‘There’s a second on the clock. They’re going to kick a field goal, and you feel the weight of the moment.”

Since 2016, only one other team – the 2020 Pittsburgh Steelers – has posted more than eight wins before suffering its defeat.

Kansas City did not lead in the game until kicker Harrison Butker gave the team its final edge by kicking a 20-yard field goal with 5:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. After driving 43 yards on the ensuing drive, the Broncos looked poised to seal the win on Lutz’s 35-yard attempt, but Chenal was part of a larger group that broke through the line to keep Kansas City’s unblemished mark intact.

All things Chiefs: Latest Kansas City Chiefs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘As a coach, you hurt for your players,’ Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the game, which dropped his team to 5-5.

The Broncos built their advantage off two second-quarter Bo Nix touchdown passes: one to Devaughn Vele and another to Courtland Sutton. But Travis Kelce helped the Chiefs claw back before halftime, hauling in a 2-yard score that tied him with Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for the most career touchdown receptions in franchise history (76).

The Chiefs will push for a 10-0 start next Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

This story has been updated to include new information and a new video.

Jared Goff was on the verge of changing his name to ‘Jared Goof’ against the Texans on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ until he wasn’t.

In typical Lions fashion, the team staged an improbable comeback in a wildly entertaining Week 10 contest in Houston. While Goff was definitely part of the problem, he made sure to be part of the solution. The team erased a 16-point halftime deficit, shutting out the Texans in the second half to win 26-23 and improve to 8-1 on the season.

Goff tossed three first half interceptions, adding two in the final 30 minutes, with a few more close calls along the way. Still, the resilient Goff managed to lead his team to victory when it mattered most. It was an uneven performance that won’t win any awards anytime soon, but the quarterback also won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

Detroit became the first team since the 1970 Colts to win after erasing a deficit of at least 15 points while throwing five or more interceptions. History doesn’t stop there, however. While Goff probably won’t appreciate throwing a personal record of five interceptions in a single game, he did become the first quarterback to win with that many INTs since Matt Ryan led the Falcons to a 23-19 win over the Cardinals on Nov. 18, 2012.

Here’s a breakdown of Goff’s historic day.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Jared Goff stats vs. Texans

Here’s a look at Goff’s stats from the Lions’ wild 26-23 comeback victory over the Texans:

Completions/Attempts (%): 15/30 (50.0%)
Passing yards: 240
Passing TDs: 2
Interceptions: 5
Passer rating: 59.7

While Goff has played some clunkers over his career, his performance against the Texans was more of the exception than the rule since he arrived in Detroit. With three first half interceptions, Goff’s stats drew a sharp contrast for a player that had been on a roll as of late.

Completing just 50 percent of his passes, the Lions’ signal caller put forth his worst game of the season by far. Over the last six games, he completed at least 70 percent of passes in each of them, including the game in which he didn’t throw an incompletion against the Seahawks on Sept. 30.

Despite Goff setting a career-high for the most interceptions he’s thrown in a game, that still wasn’t enough to send the Lions home without a victory. When it mattered most, Detroit’s quarterback marched the team into field goal range, setting up kicker Jake Bates with an opportunity to win the game.

Bates would knock through the field goal, improving the Lions’ record to 8-1 and successfully changing the narrative on Goff’s evening. Instead of questions being posed about a sudden turnover problem following a wonky performance, it’s a story of triumph and resilience for a team that just doesn’t quit.

As the saying goes, winning fixes everything.

Jared Goff’s most interceptions in a game

Goff set a career-high for most interceptions in a game against the Texans on Nov. 10, 2024. He tossed five interceptions to the Houston defense and flirted with a few more throughout the game, but surpassed his previous high of four that was set on Dec. 9, 2018 as a member of the Rams.

NFL record for most interceptions in a game

The record for the most interceptions thrown in a game belongs to Jim Hardy. The Chicago Cardinals quarterback managed to throw eight of them to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 24, 1950. Hardy’s team would go on to lose the game 45-7 as Hardy completed just 12 passes in the Week 1 opener. As the story goes, the Chicago Cardinals would later leave for St. Louis before eventually landing in Arizona as the franchise we know today.

As for the most interceptions thrown in a game during the 21st century, that honor belongs to Ty Detmer, who finished with seven for the Detroit Lions against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 23, 2001.

The Miami Marlins are hiring Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager, multiple reports said Sunday.

McCullough, 44, had been with the Dodgers in a variety of roles since 2014 but has prior managing experience in the Toronto Blue Jays’ minor league system from 2007-2014.

He compiled a 402-357 record across various stops in the Gulf Coast League, Class-A and Advanced-A levels.

While with the Dodgers, he overlapped with Gabe Kapler, the former Philadelphia and San Francisco manager who’s now Miami’s assistant general manager.

McCullough is credited with improving Shohei Ohtani’s running game — he became the first player to have a 50-50 season in 2024, with 59 stolen bases and 54 home runs. McCullough pitched to Mookie Betts in the 2023 Home Run Derby, when Betts described him as his ‘favorite coach ever.’

Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.

McCullough and the Dodgers won the World Series last month.

DODGERS WIN WORLD SERIES: Celebrate with this commemorative coffee table book!

The Marlins are replacing Skip Schumaker after the sides parted ways at the end of a 62-100 season.

As a player, McCullough played catcher in the minor leagues in the Cleveland organization. He did not reach the majors.

Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum waited a week to deliver ‘the most FIRE’ interception celebration, and he delivered with an ode to an Olympics icon.

After he picked off Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones in the fourth quarter of the 12-7 victory, Bynum did a dance impression like Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn, the Australian breakdancer who went viral during the 2024 Paris Olympics for her routine. Bynum hit all of the signature moves, finishing it off with the kangaroo pose as his teammates watched on.

It was a celebration Bynum had been plotting for a few days. Last week, he posted on social media that he had a celebration ready after he missed out on one in the win over the Indianapolis Colts last week. When someone posted that Bynum has stepped his game up ‘purely by his desire to do an elaborate celebration,’ the safety said ‘literally.’

The celebration came at a coincidental time; earlier in the week, Gunn announced she is retiring from competitive breaking after her ‘upsetting’ experience in the Olympics. Hopefully she at least enjoyed seeing Bynum pay tribute.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

All things Vikings: Latest Minnesota Vikings news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame resume includes six NBA championships, six Finals MVP awards, five league MVP honors, two Olympic gold medals and more. But he came up short Sunday in his bid to add a NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Jordan’s 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick finished sixth in the NASCAR Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, the fourth of the four contenders for the 2024 title. 23XI Racing is co-owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing. 23XI Racing, pronounced twenty-three eleven in honor of Jordan’s legendary No. 23 jersey and Hamlin’s iconic No. 11 car, was founded in 2020.

‘It was good year for us,’ Reddick said after the race. ‘Won in the right moments, just hoping for a little bit more of that magic today and wasn’t meant to be.”

Despite Reddick’s sixth-place finish in the season’s finale race, the No. 45 Toyota driver will finish fourth in the final standings.

Reddick spoke before the race about Jordan’s impact during his 2024 championship chase and what it meant to drive for him.

‘Probably the biggest thing was just be able to do it for Michael,’ Reddick told NBC Sports. ‘For me when he talks about racing and basketball are different but the mindset you have to have as a competitor, there are similaries there. There’s a lot of things he’s been able to talk to us about, help us with, and really be impactful each time he’s had the opportunity to talk to us about those things.

‘Even in just casual conversation in the hauler before a race, he has a way of really just getting us all motivated and excited for what lies ahead. … He really cares about (NASCAR). You can hear it in his voice when he talks about it, see it in his demeanor; he’s really locked in to what’s going on.’

The 28-year-old Reddick earned his first Championship 4 berth following a win at Homestead–Miami Speedway in October, using a spectacular last-lap pass to win the playoff race. Jordan was on hand for the victory and was all smiles on pit road as Reddick took the checkered flag to secure what seemed liked an unlikely win down the stretch.

“Oh, man, he just let go. He just went for it and I’m glad,” Jordan said. “Little kid drove his ass off… I’m proud of him.”

In addition to Homestead, Reddick secured victories at Talladega Superspeedway in April and Michigan International Speedway in August.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

While chaos was the order of the day around college football, the Week 11 results did provide one measure of clarity. Oregon is still No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, and this time it’s unanimous.

The Ducks, who took care of business at home against Maryland, claim all 55 first-place votes this week. Ohio State is back up to No. 2 after blanking Purdue.

The next two spots still belong to the SEC, with No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Tennessee each moving up two positions. Penn State is back in the top five following a solid bounce-back win against Washington.

Indiana, 10-0 for the first time in program history, vaults four places to No. 6, its highest ranking ever. The Hoosiers will get at least another week to enjoy that ranking, as they have an open date before heading to Ohio State for a huge showdown in the Big Ten. Notre Dame climbs to No. 7, and BYU gains a spot to No. 8 after rallying to edge Utah in the wee hours.

Alabama is back in the top 10, climbing to No. 9 after its demolition of LSU. Georgia tumbles eight places after losing to Mississippi but holds on to the No. 10 position, its lowest ranking since Dec. 6, 2020. Curiously UGa still finishes ahead of No. 11 Mississippi by 10 poll points despite Saturday’s result in Oxford. Miami (Fla.) also takes an eight-position hit dropping to No. 12 after its first loss of the season at the hands of Georgia Tech. SMU and Boise State are tied at No. 13.

Army, the only other unbeaten squad, is up to No. 17, its highest ranking since USA TODAY Sports began administering the coaches poll in 1991. South Carolina joins the poll at No. 23, and No. 24 Louisville returns.

Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt are this week’s dropouts.

(This story was updated to change a video and add a gallery.)

It may have ended in a victory, but a mini scuffle broke out on the San Francisco 49ers’ sideline during the team’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After kicker Jake Moody missed his third field goal of the time, receiver Deebo Samuel got in the face of the special teams unit. He grabbed the neck of long snapper Taybor Pepper before before his hand made contact with the facemask of Moody.

Despite the low moment on the day, Moody did recover from his three misses by kicking a 44-yard field goal as time expired to give the 49ers their second-straight win, marking the first time the team has won consecutive games this season.

49ers players reveal what happened on Deebo Samuel incident

It appeared as though a fight were going on, but according to the three people involved in the scuffle, it was just a matter of trying to get things on the right page, with the long snapper trying to have his kicker’s back.

All things 49ers: Latest San Francisco 49ers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

‘(Samuel) was telling (Moody) to lock in,’ Pepper told reporters after the game. ‘We know what our job is. We got us.’

The receiver admitted he ‘got out of character a little bit’ as he was ‘frustrated in the heat of battle,’ but he added he didn’t say anything out of line. Samuel said he would talk to Moody about it and they would be able to move past it. Samuel suggested it may have inspired him prior to kicking the winning score.

‘I think he had a little dog in him, a little motivation to go out there and make a field goal,’ Samuel said.

However, Moody said an apology isn’t needed from Samuel.

‘It’s an emotional game and stuff like that happens all the time. We just move past it. We won, so that’s all that matters,’ he said. ‘Heat of the moment, it happens. I do got to make those kicks at the end of the day, so that’s all I’m focused on.’

The win likely helped ease the tension going on within the 49ers. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he didn’t see the incident occur but he is ‘not too worried’ about it.

Younghoe Koo had one of the best games of his career in the Atlanta Falcons’ 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.

Fittingly, their Week 10 rematch between the two NFC South foes featured one of his worst outings as a pro.

Koo made just 1-of-4 field goal attempts in the Falcons’ 20-17 loss to the Saints. It marked the first time in his career that he missed three field goals in a single game.

Despite Koo’s struggles on Sunday, Falcons coach Raheem Morris offered the 30-year-old kicker support after the defeat.

‘I’ve got all the confidence in the world [in Koo],’ Morris told reporters during his postgame news conference. ‘He’s one of the best kickers in this game. He’s done it for a long time. He had an off day. It happens a bunch of times. Like, shooters shoot. We went out there and took a shot today and didn’t make it.’

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Koo’s ‘off day’ extends beyond his performance Sunday. He is just 2-of-7 on field goals in his last three games and has missed at least one attempt in each of those contests.

But Koo was particularly bothered by his performance against the Saints, especially since he missed a game-tying, 46-yard kick with 6:43 left in regulation.

‘It’s not the standard that we have, or I have for myself,’ Koo said of his performance after the game, per ESPN. ‘This game is fully on me. I’ll take that and yeah, that’s not OK. I think we were playing well enough to win the football game, especially this one, and I let the team down and I don’t take that lightly. It’s one of the lowest points as a kicker.’

Koo’s stats back that up. His three misses dropped his season-long field goal percentage of 70.8%, his worst since he went 3-of-6 (50%) over four games with the Los Angeles Chargers as a rookie in 2017.

Koo was released after his poor start with the Chargers and didn’t get another chance to kick in an NFL game until 2019. He is drawing upon that experience as he looks to re-establish himself as a trustworthy kicker.

‘It doesn’t really matter what you have done in the past,’ Koo said. ‘The next … kick has to be the [best] one. And I’ve just got to move on.’

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.