The Houston Texans are headed to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, but are losing more and more players along the way.

Every win comes at a price and the wild-card win over the Chargers might’ve cost them Joe Mixon.

The do-it-all running back for Houston was a late addition to the injury report this week, clouding his status for the weekend matchup in Kansas City. The Texans already have dealt with plenty of issues at the receiver spot this season, only adding more to Mixon’s plate.

While there is cause for concern, it would be fairly surprising if the running back was sidelined considering the importance of the game.

Here’s the latest on Mixon ahead of the Texans’ trip to Kansas City.

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Joe Mixon injury update

Mixon is officially listed as questionable with an ankle injury for Saturday’s division-round game against the Chiefs.

The Texans’ running back was a late addition to the injury report on Wednesday after being limited. His downgrade to a non-participant on Thursday makes this one to watch going into the weekend.

Houston hasn’t said whether it’s a new injury or simply precaution with their workhorse running back, adding to the mystery for Saturday. Mixon previously missed three games earlier in the season with an ankle injury.

It’s not uncommon for teams to give players some much-needed rest this time of year, but it’s unclear if that is the case for Mixon.

While being added to the report midweek is typically cause for concern, it’s hard to envision Mixon not playing in a playoff game. The real concern, however, would be the possibility of aggravating the issue during the game.

Already thin at receiver, Houston would be looking at a steep hill to climb against the two-time defending champion Chiefs if Mixon can’t play.

Texans RB depth chart

Here’s a look at the Texans’ running back options should Mixon be sidelined on Saturday:

Dameon Pierce
Dare Ogunbowale

Joe Mixon stats

Mixon has been a workhorse for the Texans this season, his first in Houston. The running back has carried the ball 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground while adding 36 receptions, 309 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Who are the Texans playing in playoffs?

The Texans will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

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There’s been a stunner at the Australian Open, and it came from an American teenager.

Qualifier and 19-year-old Learner Tien beat No. 5-ranked and three-time Australian Open finalist Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (8), 1-6, 7-6 (7) for the biggest win of his young career.

After capturing a two-set lead, Tien appeared to be slipping when Medvedev mounted a rally to tie it and take it to the decisive fifth set. However the teen stayed composed and secured match point off a return from Medvedev that went out of bounds, capping off the major victory in a nearly-five hour match as the clock nearly hit 3 a.m. in Melbourne.

‘I’m just really happy to get a win. I know I made it a lot harder than maybe it could have been, but whatever,’ Tien said in his on-court interview after the victory.

With the win, Tien became the second-youngest American man to reach the third round at the Australian Open after Pete Sampras did it in 1990 at 18 years old.

What to know about Learner Tien

A native of Irvine, California, Tien was a successful juniors player before he become a professional.

He won the 2022 and 2023 USTA Boys’ 18s National Championships, which got him wild-card entries into the 2022 and 2023 US Open at the ages of 16 and 17, respectively. He made it to the junior finals of 2023 Australian Open and US Open and played a semester of college tennis at Southern California for the 2022-23 season before opting to turn pro. From May to July, he went on a 28-match winning streak.

Heading into the tournament, Tien was 0-3 in Grand Slam appearances and is currently ranked 121st. He beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the opening round of the tournament before pulling off the upset against Medvedev. Now Tien will face Corentin Moutet in the third round.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is back from his fractured left fibula and resuming his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record.

Ovechkin, 39, had missed 16 games after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He returned on Dec. 28 and scored goals in five of his first nine games back.

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Washington captain has 21 goals this season, with 37 games left.

If he doesn’t reach the record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:

How many career goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 874 career goals.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin need to pass Wayne Gretzky?

Ovechkin needs 21 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 21 goals and 12 assists in 29 games. Factoring in the 16 games he missed, that is a 47-goal pace, putting him on pace to break the record this season.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

Ovechkin scored the game’s lone goal in overtime to give the Capitals a 1-0 road victory over the Senators. Ottawa goalie Leevi Merilainen became the 179th different goaltender Ovechkin has scored on, breaking a tie Ovechkin was in with Jaromir Jagr for the top mark in NHL history.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?

The Capitals play Saturday, Jan. 18, vs. Pittsburgh. Ovechkin has 42 goals in 77 regular-season games against the Penguins.

Alex Ovechkin goals in 2024-25

Oct. 19: 1 vs. New Jersey
Oct. 23: 1 vs. Philadelphia
Oct. 29: 2 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Oct. 31: 1 vs. Montreal
Nov. 2: 1 vs. Columbus
Nov. 3: 1 vs. Carolina
Nov. 6: 1 vs. Nashville
Nov. 9: 2 vs. St. Louis
Nov. 17: 3 vs. Vegas
Nov. 18: 2 vs. Utah
Dec. 28: 1 vs. Toronto
Dec. 29: 1 vs. Detroit
Jan. 2: 1 vs. Minnesota
Jan. 4: 1 vs. N.Y. Rangers
Jan. 11: 1 vs. Nashville
Jan. 16: 1 vs. Ottawa

Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown

Even strength: 552, third overall

Power play: 317, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 61, a record

Game winners: 134, second overall, one behind Jaromir Jagr’s record

Multi-goal games: 177, second overall

Goalies scored against: 179, a record

Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall

20-goal seasons: 20, tied for second

30-goal seasons: 18, a record

40-goal seasons: 13, a record

Alex Ovechkin empty-net goals

Ovechkin has a record 61 empty-net goals, but Gretzky is up there, too, with 56. Ovechkin passed Gretzky in that category last season.

Alex Ovechkin goals per season

Season: Goals, career total

2005-06: 52, 52
2006-07: 46, 98
2007-08: 65*, 163
2008-09: 56*, 219
2009-10: 50, 269
2010-11: 32, 301
2011-12: 38, 339
2012-13: 32*, 371
2013-14: 51*, 422
2014-15: 53*, 475
2015-16: 50*, 525
2016-17: 33, 558
2017-18: 49*, 607
2018-19: 51*, 658
2019-20: 48*, 706
2020-21: 24, 730
2021-22: 50, 780
2022-23: 42, 822
2023-24: 31, 853
2024-25: 21, 874

*-led league in goals that season

NHL’s top goal scorers all-time

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 874 goals in 1,455 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

20. Sidney Crosby, 604 goals in 1,318 games

21. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games

The stars shine bright in Dallas.

More often than not, it’s also how the Dallas Cowboys conduct business — the franchise searches far and wide for the biggest names in the NFL. America’s Team would have it no other way … especially in a coaching search.

After their parting of ways with Mike McCarthy, it comes as no surprise that everyone is trying to keep up with what Jerry Jones’ team will do. There’s the potential big splash (see: Colorado head coach Deion Sanders). There’s the homegrown talent, like Kellen Moore. There’s the outside-the-box pick, like Jason Witten. There’s the more conventional route, like Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier.

The list will almost certainly grow over time as the team looks to steal headlines and, eventually, win games with their next hire. Anything goes deep in the heart of Texas, which makes for an exciting coaching search to follow.

Here’s the latest on the Cowboys’ search for a new head coach.

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Cowboys head coach search rumors, news, updates

This section will be updated as interviews occur and relevant news about potential candidates becomes available.

Kellen Moore a top candidate for Cowboys’ HC

Date: Jan. 16
Report: Ian Rapoport, NFL Network

On Thursday, the Cowboys officially requested to interview Moore, the current Eagles’ offensive coordinator. He formerly held the same title in Dallas before the sides mutually agreed to part ways following the 2022 season. In the four seasons that Moore coached the offense, it finished in the top-10 three times.

Moore, undrafted out of Boise State, played for the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017 before transitioning into the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2018. He was then given the OC responsibilities from 2019 to 2022 and was a holdover from Jason Garrett’s staff to McCarthy’s.

Rapoport said Moore is considered a ‘top candidate’ for the job and that his familiarity with the organization makes this potential partnership one to keep an eye on.

Deion Sanders would ‘almost certainly’ accept Cowboys’ job if offered

Date: Jan. 16
Report:Ed Werder, Dallas’ WFAA-TV

Sanders was initially believed to be a long shot, but the noise is getting too loud to ignore. Jones is reportedly enamored with the idea, according to Werder, meaning the rumors will continue to swirl until the search is over. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Thursday that Sanders approached Colorado’s athletic director, Rick George, on Tuesday about additional money for NIL and his staff, but was met with resistance. Sanders, who played for the Cowboys, previously said he had no interest in coaching in the NFL. That seems to have changed in recent weeks.

Robert Saleh to interview this week

Date: Jan. 15
Report:Todd Archer, ESPN

Saleh, the former Jets coach, is set to interview for the Cowboys’ job this week. The former 49ers’ defensive coordinator seems likely to land a job for 2025, whether that is as a coordinator or head coach.

Cowboys request interview with Seahawks’ Leslie Frazier

Date: Jan. 15
Report:Todd Archer, ESPN

Frazier is also slated to interview for the Dallas gig. He comes with plenty of experience, serving previously as the head coach in Minnesota and more recently as the Buffalo defensive coordinator before spending last season in Seattle.

Jason Witten was seen as potential heir apparent to Mike McCarthy

Date: Jan. 14
Report:Jane Slater, NFL Network

Witten was reportedly floated as a potential heir apparent in negotiations with McCarthy, who opted to pursue other opportunities, according to Slater. Jones thinks very highly of Witten, but it’s unclear whether he will be a head coaching candidate. The former Cowboys’ tight end doesn’t have any NFL or college coaching experience, but has been the head coach at Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas, since 2021.

Cowboys coaching candidates

Here is a look at who the Cowboys have interest in or requested to interview thus far:

Deion Sanders, Colorado head coach
Robert Saleh, ex-Jets coach
Leslie Frazier, Seahawks assistant head coach
Kellen Moore, Eagles offensive coordinator

Major League Baseball lost one of its trademark personalities.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced that longtime team play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker, who gained national fame with his appearances on ‘The Johnny Carson Show’ and his role as broadcaster Harry Doyle in the ‘Major League’ movie franchise, died Thursday at 90 years old.

The Uecker family said in a statement Uecker had been in a private battle with small cell lung cancer since early 2023. The team called it ‘one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.’

Uecker had been the radio play-by-play voice of the Brewers since 1971, a run of more than 50 years that made him an indelible part of the MLB experience in Milwaukee and throughout the country. Uecker was a player before his broadcasting career, and eventually a comedian, actor and corporate pitchman who became ubiquitous on television and movie screens during the 1980s and 1990s.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Uecker’s influence spans generations and genres. Here’s more on the legendary life of this broadcasting legend, his crossover into the world of acting and movies and the best moments from his career:

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Bob Uecker: ‘Mr. Baseball’ with Johnny Carson

Uecker first crossed over into the mainstream on ‘The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,’ beginning in 1971. Carson gave Uecker the nickname, ‘Mr. Baseball’ during Uecker’s first appearance and it stuck throughout Uecker’s career. Uecker was reportedly invited on the show more than 100 times with his self-deprecating humor and deadpan delivery turning him into one of Carson’s regular guests.

Bob Uecker’s ‘Major League’ star turn and acting career

Uecker’s popularity as an entertainer and broadcaster, helped by Carson’s seal of approval, eventually led to an acting career. Uecker’s biggest role was as Harry Doyle, the quick-witted, sarcastic (and sometimes-inebriated) broadcaster of the Cleveland Indians in the ‘Major League’ film franchise who was even more outlandish than Uecker. Some of Uecker’s most famous quotes from the movie are still recited today, more than 35 years after the original film’s theatrical release in 1989.

In addition to various cameo appearances playing himself since then, Uecker was a regular cast member of the sitcom ‘Mr. Belvedere. Uecker played the father and sportswriter George Owen in the the TV show, which aired from 1985-1990. Uecker also hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1984 and starred in a number of national television advertising campaigns, most notably for Miller Lite.

Bob Uecker, Andre the Giant and WWE’s Wrestlemania

Uecker’s broad base of appeal also took him inside the world of pro wrestling, where he played a role in a couple memorable Wrestlemania moments and earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Uecker first served as the ring announcer for the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match at Wrestlemania III at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan in 1987. A year later at Wrestlemania IV, Andre the Giant choked out Uecker for mouthing off to him during a backstage interview and produced an image still replayed now.

Bob Uecker’s broadcasting career

Uecker’s broadcasting career began at WSB-TV in Atlanta in 1969 as part of the Braves’ broadcast booth. He was named to the broadcast booth in Milwaukee by former Brewers owner and MLB commissioner Bud Selig in 1971. It was the franchise’s second season after moving from Seattle.

Uecker remained with the team for 54 years until his death Thursday. He is the fourth-longest tenured broadcaster in major-league history, behind only Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin of the Los Angeles Dodgers (67 and 64 years, respectively) and the still-active Denny Matthews of the Kansas City Royals (56 years). Uecker’s best-known Brewers-related catchphrase was ‘Get up! Get up! Get outta here! Gone!’ when a Milwaukee player hit a home run.

In what became Uecker’s final season broadcasting games for the team in 2024, the Brewers won the National League Central before losing to the New York Mets in a wild-card series. First-year Brewers manager Pat Murphy offered a toast to Uecker when the team celebrated its division title in September.

“There is no one who epitomizes being a champion like this man does … What an example for us to be with every single day,’ Murphy said in the champagne-soaked locker room.

Uecker also served as a color commentator for national MLB broadcasts produced by ABC and NBC during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and teamed with Bob Costas and Joe Morgan to call the World Series.

Uecker’s broadcasting earned him the prestigious Ford Frick Award in 2003 for his contributions to the game, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of receiving the honor.

Bob Uecker: MLB career stats, accomplishments

Uecker’s playing career often bore the brunt of his jokes.

He signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1956 after serving in the Army and made his Major League debut with the club in 1962. He hit .200 over his six seasons playing catcher with the Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals, where he won a World Series as Tim McCarver’s back-up behind the plate in 1964.

‘I was once named minor league player of the year,’ Uecker once cracked. ‘Unfortunately, I had been in the majors for two years at the time.’

(This story was updated to add a new video.)

For many non-baseball fans, Bob Uecker, who died Thursday at age 90, was first and foremost, a hilarious actor.

His humor shone through in many Miller Lite commercials and a starring role in the TV series ‘Mr. Belvedere.’ But when Uecker was able to combine baseball and the big screen, magic happened.

His role as play-by-play broadcaster Harry Doyle in the movie ‘Major League’ combined all of Uecker’s talents into one unforgettable performance.

Perhaps the greatest part of the Harry Doyle story is that most of Uecker’s lines in the movie were ad-libbed, giving him the opportunity to be his authentic, spontaneous self (which also included a few random profanities).

Opening Day in Cleveland

As the announcer for the lowly Cleveland Indians, Harry Doyle instantly shows how bad things are for the home team, drinking on the job to help dull the pain.

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‘Listen to the roar of this crowd,’ Doyle says as he holds the microphone to capture the sound of a nearly empty stadium. ‘Yessir, they love this club here in Cleveland!’

‘Juuuuuuust a bit outside!’

Doyle’s words meshed perfectly with the movie’s physical comedy – in particular the pitching adventures of Rick ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen.

There may not be a more often-quoted baseball phrase than Doyle’s ‘Juuuuuuust a bit outside!’

‘That looked like the Terminator … only slower’

Harry Doyle chronicled Vaughn’s many ups and (mostly) downs, with this one scene allowing him to rattle off as many ‘tater’ words as possible, while also remarking, ‘That baby is definitely going away for the winter.’

‘Nobody’s listening anyway’

Harry bemoans the fact that in yet another Indians loss, they only got ‘one (expletive) hit.’

‘The Indians win it!’

Somehow, this ragtag team manages to come together and actually become a winner. And Harry leads the celebration.

Losing takes it toll in ‘Major League 2’

Uecker was so popular in the role that he returned five years later to reprise the role in 1994’s ‘Major League 2’ (and again in 1998’s ‘Major League: Back to the Minors’).

In this scene, Harry’s just had enough.

(This story was updated to add a new video.)

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The team requested to interview Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, according to multiple reports.

Moore, 36, began his coaching career in Dallas as a quarterbacks coach in 2018, immediately pivoting after wrapping up his playing days with the team from 2015-17. He was elevated to offensive coordinator a year later and remained in the role after Mike McCarthy was hired as the new head coach in 2020.

Other than 2020, the year in which quarterback Dak Prescott was lost for the season in October to a compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle, the Cowboys finished in the top six in scoring in each year Moore was at the helm. Still, he and the Cowboys ‘mutually agreed to part ways,’ according to the team, following a 2022 season that again ended in playoff disappointment with a divisional-round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, with McCarthy taking over play-calling duties.

After a one-year stop with the Los Angeles Chargers, Moore took over the Eagles’ attack this past offseason. Philadelphia, which will face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in the divisional round, ranked second in scoring and first in rushing, with running back Saquon Barkley becoming just the ninth player to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season.

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After the team announced its split with McCarthy on Monday, Jones spoke with former Cowboys great and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders about the opening. The team also plans to interview former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh and Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier, according to multiple reports.

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State Farm Insurance, long a stalwart of Super Bowl advertising, is pulling a commercial from next month’s big game following the devastating California wildfires.

The move comes one year after its spot was deemed best in show by voters in USA TODAY’s Ad Meter spot, winning the annual competition with a spot featuring Hollywood legends Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The 60-second spot, ‘Like A Good Neighbaa,’ plays off Schwarzenegger’s thick Austrian accent and his subsequent inability to pronounce the insurance company’s longtime tagline.

It also featured imagery of Schwarzenegger in several disaster hero roles, including lugging a pair of dogs to safety as a house burns in the background.

‘State Farm, its agents, and employees are all focused on helping customers impacted by the Southern California wildfires in the midst of this tragedy,” State Farm said in a statement released to USA TODAY and other news media outlets. ‘Our claims force is the largest in the industry and we are bringing the full scale and force of our catastrophe response teams to help customers recover – whether they are on the ground in LA or across the country.

‘Our focus is firmly on providing to support to the people of Los Angeles. We will not be advertising during the game as originally planned.’

The wildfires that have devastated the Altadena and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods of Los Angeles have now killed at least 25 and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 residences and businesses. More than 200,000 residents were forced to flee their homes and at least 82,000 residents are still under evacuation orders, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday.

Large insurers like State Farm have an understandably massive task ahead while residents wrestle with what’s being termed an ‘insurance crisis’ amid reluctance to insure properties in endangered areas. The area potentially faces disaster in another form should significant rain fall on the area in coming weeks, turning hilly, scorched terrain into potential mudslides.

Fox, which will broadcast the Feb. 9 Super Bowl from New Orleans, has already sold out its inventory of ads and finding a replacement for State Farm’s slot will not be a challenge. The cost for a 30-second ad is reportedly around $7 million.

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