CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy – Ashley Farquharson became the second American woman and first in 12 years to win an Olympic medal in luge Tuesday, Feb. 10.

She finished third in the women’s single event at the Cortina Sliding Center with a time of 3:31.582. This bronze performance tied the best finish in program history, as the United States’ only other medal in women’s luge was Erin Hamlin’s bronze in 2014.

Farquharson, 26, has been sliding since age 11. She got into the sport because of an after-school program at Ecker Hill Middle School in Park City, Utah. Given the city’s unique relationship with winter sports, Farquharson was surprised to learn later in life that people outside her hometown knew so little about luge.

“Park City has something like 50 athletes competing in these Games, which could be a country in itself,” she said Friday. “So it’s special to be a part of, and I consider myself very lucky.” 

Steely German Julia Taubitz, a two-time world champion, won gold at 3.30.625, and didn’t finish with a run of below 52.730. Latvia’s Elina Bota won silver by finishing at 3:31.543 over her four runs.

Farquharson entered Tuesday’s final two of four runs in fifth place but powered into third with a time of 52.877 seconds in the third run and held her spot with a 53.909 in her fourth.

American Emily Fischnaller, whose husband, Dominik, has already won bronze in men’s singles, had a rocky final run after surging to fifth after the third fun to finish 12th at 3:33.035.

Summer Britcher, expected to be the favorite of the three Americans, had a start error in Round 1 and wall knock Round 2 and finished 3:33.553.

Germany’s Merle Fraebel was in position to win silver after two runs but was doomed by a poor start that led to a rocky third run. She finished eighth at 3:32.172.

Reach USA TODAY Network sports reporter Payton Titus at ptitus@usatodayco.com, and follow her on X @petitus25.

SANTA CLARA, CA − For the second time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions − and, no surprise, parked atop the final power rankings for the just-finished NFL campaign. A cohesive, talented team left no doubt Sunday, throttling the New England Patriots 29-13 to claim the Lombardi Trophy.

“It’s unbelievable. To be in this place, it’s hallowed ground,’ Seattle receiver Cooper Kupp said following his team’s Super Sunday rout.

‘We had such a connected group. Every single person to a man would say the special thing about this group is how connected we are. A belief in each other, a genuine love for each other to see the guy next to you succeed and that made all the difference in the world.”

And all the difference in the power rankings, the Seahawks lingering near the top for most of the season but never No. 1 … until now. And ‘now’ − always an odd interregnum as some teams finish up while others are other significantly moving ahead into the 2026 offseason − always makes for a compelling power rankings soup in mid-February. So here they are, with Super Bowl 60 and the 2025 season complete … and so much more set to happen soon (previous rank prior to Week 18 in parentheses):

1. Seattle Seahawks (2): They began the season ranked 14th on this list − which is to say I viewed them as playoff-caliber coming off head coach Mike Macdonald’s encouraging maiden season. But did I foresee QB Sam Darnold, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the ‘Dark Side’ defense − mostly − cruising to immortality a few months ago? Nope. That said, I caught up to Seattle quicker than most. Over the second half of the regular season, they spent six weeks ranked at No. 2 and three at No. 3. Before the playoffs began, I thought they had the best chance to win Super Bowl 60 − and they did so by beating three playoff teams that boasted a combined 44 victories. But seeing the Seahawks up close and personal in recent weeks truly illustrated what a talented, united, complementary, grounded collective this was. And while Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and playoff hero Rashid Shaheed are pending free agents − along with several members of the secondary − Seattle seems to have the salary cap space to largely run it back in 2026 and possibly improve given its quotient of young, ascending stars.

2. Los Angeles Rams (1): They’d held the top spot in the power rankings since Week 10, and I’d had them holding off the Seahawks at No. 2 since Week 16. LA was maybe a play away from securing the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed along with the bye and home-field advantage that came with it. The Rams were still maybe just a play away from winning the NFC title at Lumen Field in a captivating NFC title game − which was really the de facto Super Bowl. But though they had the league’s best offense in 2025 and its best player in MVP Matthew Stafford (called that in Week 7, btw), the Rams buckled a bit defensively down the stretch and were constantly undermined by their special teams − factors that ultimately left them that play away, and decidedly behind Seattle. But no one else was better this season.

4. Denver Broncos (6): They ended K.C.’s nine-year AFC West reign and earned the conference’s top playoff seed before being undone by QB Bo Nix’s divisional round ankle injury − and even that barely kept Denver from reaching Super Bowl 60. Some slight upgrades on offense could propel this team further in 2026.

5. New England Patriots (3): This is going to feel like hot-take territory. It’s not intended to be. But let’s be honest for a minute − a team that went 14-3 in the regular season only beat one opponent that finished with a winning record, and the Pats caught the Bills early on but ultimately split with them. And despite winning three playoff games on the way to a berth in Super Bowl 60, New England had a very favorable path that included the decimated Chargers, mistake-prone Texans and Nix-less Broncos, whom they were fortunate to survive. And the Patriots’ inability to generate virtually any offense over the past month very much caught up to them against an elite opponent like Seattle. All that said, let’s celebrate what this team accomplished, reclaiming the AFC East crown from Buffalo and becoming the first NFL team to finish a season 9-0 on the road. Also, the Pats have the capacity to make more significant roster improvements this offseason. But the bar moving forward for a team that massively exceeded expectations, similar to Washington a year ago, will be much higher in 2026 − maybe loftier than it reasonably ought to be.

6. Buffalo Bills (11): This was supposedly supposed to be their postseason − and maybe it would have been had QB Josh Allen played just a touch better in a memorable overtime loss at Denver, one that cost Buffalo its Super Bowl shot and former coach Sean McDermott his job. New boss (and former OC) Joe Brady likely won’t be afforded much margin for error, even as the rookie head coach learns the ropes of his new role − while his built-to-win-now team moves into a new stadium amid ownership’s clearly expected move closer to the organization’s first Lombardi Trophy.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (4): They’ve got some personnel issues to figure out, LB Devin Lloyd, RB Travis Etienne and most of the starting secondary headed for free agency. They also need to figure out the optimal role for WR/CB Travis Hunter after an injury-curtailed but disappointing rookie season. Still, hard not to be bullish on this squad following the quantum leap it made in Year 1 under rookie coach Liam Coen and revitalized QB Trevor Lawrence.

8. Los Angeles Chargers (9): What is this team capable of with two All-Pro-caliber offensive tackles, a healthy running back room and Mike McDaniel taking charge of QB Justin Herbert and the offense? Can’t wait to see.

9. San Francisco 49ers (5): Fantastic season from coach Kyle Shanahan and Co., their rash of injuries unable to undercut them until their resounding playoff loss at Seattle. But while you’d want to be optimistic about a squad getting LB Fred Warner and DEs Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams, among others, back in 2026, when will TE George Kittle regain his form following the Achilles tear he suffered in the playoffs? And how does All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey respond from shouldering a league-high 413 touches? The Niners also remain mired in a meat grinder of a division.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (10): They’ve never missed the playoffs under coach Nick Sirianni, whose alternating pattern would suggest Philly is on track to reach Super Bowl 61. But a team that had its share of offensive drama − again − in 2025 is undergoing fundamental changes with the arrival of rookie coordinator Sean Mannion, 33, and departure of longtime O-line guru Jeff Stoutland.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (26): That team that cratered to 6-11 and lost QB Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL? So 2025. We’re looking forward to what a tarnished dynasty might manage … with an ax to grind … and a healthy Mahomes who will doubtless return with a vengeance … and maybe another year of a revitalized Travis Kelce … and a top-10 draft pick … and maybe a significant move or two in free agency … once Mahomes and the club agree to necessary recalibration of his contract.

13. Houston Texans (7): They obviously have a Super Bowl-caliber defense. But it’s very much worth wondering, as we move forward, if they have a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback.

14. Detroit Lions (18): A year ago, the overriding question was how they’d hold up after losing both of their coordinators to HC gigs. Asked and answered. But the offense should get a bounce with newly hired coordinator Drew Petzing coming aboard, and the defense should get a bounce with a healthy secondary.

15. Baltimore Ravens (14): They’ve got their new coach, and Jesse Minter was a highly coveted assistant − and one who knows this organization well. But, like Brady, Minter must adapt to the HC learning curve on the fly with a team that’s positioned to win in a significant way. And, if it’s going to get better positioned, near-term decisions need to be made financially with Pro Bowl C Tyler Linderbaum, a pending free agent, and all-universe QB Lamar Jackson, whose $74.5 million cap hits the next two years could hold Baltimore back if not redressed.

16. Cincinnati Bengals (20): Look who’s suddenly the model of stability in the AFC North, Zac Taylor the lone holdover head coach. And maybe the Bengals are about to lose free agent DE Trey Hendrickson, who didn’t contribute much in 2025 anyway, but they’re also about to have more than $50 million in cap space − and what a difference that might make to this beleaguered defense, which has been among the league’s worst during Cincy’s three-season playoff absence.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (22): Are the days when 8-9 was sufficient to win the NFC South gone? Maybe, maybe not. But the Bucs need to take a hard look in the mirror following their stunning late-season collapse.

19. Minnesota Vikings (17): They (quietly?) finished the season on a five-game winning streak − and 9-8 will get them into the playoffs if they relocate to Fort Lauderdale and that aforementioned NFC South. But they sent a loud and clear message with their belated firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who didn’t retain Darnold or Daniel Jones a year ago and has left a playoff-caliber team in jeopardy given the swirling questions about its not-so-easily remedied quarterback situation.

20. Dallas Cowboys (19): Expect another winter, spring (maybe) and summer (maybe?) of contractual handwringing as Jerry Jones decides what to do with WR George Pickens, RB Javonte Williams, several other pending free agents and a bloated salary cap.

21. Washington Commanders (28): It would be easy to explain away their issues due to QB Jayden Daniels’ injuries. But they were getting thumped regularly even when he was on the field late in the season. A team that made so much headway with a veteran influx in 2024 needs to take a hard look at its roster construction now.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (13): Maybe a lot of Steel City locals got their wish, but something will be lost here with Mike Tomlin’s departure. Something else also might be lost with QB Aaron Rodgers once again needing to make a decision about whether to extend his career. And, regardless, maybe Mike McCarthy is a good enough coach to keep this franchise in the playoff friend zone − which is where ownership seemingly wants to stay despite Pittsbugh’s latest postseason debacle − but a hard reset seems warranted here … even if it’s unlikely to be forthcoming.

23. New Orleans Saints (23): Spearheaded by rookie QB Tyler Shough, they were arguably the NFC South’s best team from December on despite their last-place finish (which was only two wins shy of the first-place logjam).

24. Indianapolis Colts (21): Presumably, they’ll re-sign QB Daniel Jones and try to replicate their first-half success from 2025 … which could be problematic as he rehabs from a torn Achilles and the team tries to rehab after the Jaguars and Texans blew past it.

25. Tennessee Titans (24): Looking for a team that could make a big jump in 2026? Armed with high-end draft picks, more than $100 million in cap space and, seemingly, his first franchise quarterback, new HC Robert Saleh might finally be in position to spark a franchise revival.

26. New York Giants (29): John Harbaugh underachieved in Baltimore at the end of his tenure, even his former owner admitting as much. Now under the Big Apple’s spotlight, Harbaugh had better find the other end of the spectrum in 2026 − especially with the young talent on this roster.

27. Atlanta Falcons (16): They played much better down the stretch last season … with QB Kirk Cousins in the lineup. Sure seems like he’s headed for another lineup in what could be the latest domino to fall amid the latest organizational reboot.

28. Cleveland Browns (25): Newly hired coach Todd Monken inherits a Pro Bowl quarterback. What could possibly go wrong?

29. Las Vegas Raiders (31): Newly hired coach Klint Kubiak likely inherits Heisman Trophy QB Fernando Mendoza and … uh. What could possibly go wrong?

30. New York Jets (32):Newly hired OC Frank Reich inherits … uhhh. A bounty of draft picks, cap space and a sound offensive line are nice. But these are still the quarterback-killing Jets − what could possibly go wrong?

32. Arizona Cardinals (30): Maybe they can fool the Jets into trading for QB Kyler Murray amid what’s probably going to be a tough existence in the NFC West, where the other three teams all won at least 12 games in the 2025 regular season before each adding at least one playoff victory. Good luck to (the other) Coach LaFleur.

For NFL playoff teams, the start of a new calendar year represents a continuation of a marathon push for a Super Bowl title. For those that didn’t qualify for the postseason, January and February often signify a mad scramble to reconfigure coaching staffs.

This winter’s NFL coaching carousel defied all expectations, as what many thought would be a relatively muted period for change ended up being one defined by upheaval at every turn. In all, 10 teams ended up changing leadership at head coach, with the last vacancy officially filled when Klint Kubiak confirmed after the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl 60 win that he would be taking the Las Vegas Raiders’ top job.

There’s still additional fallout to come from remaining coordinator and positional assistant hires, but here are the biggest winners and losers of this year’s coaching moves so far:

Winners

New York Giants

When the Giants fired Brian Daboll in early November, there didn’t appear to be a candidate for whom it would be worth rushing to the front of the line. Maybe Jeff Hafley or Lou Anarumo would make sense, given their local ties, but neither one seemed particularly well-suited to take over a franchise building itself around Jaxson Dart. Then, John Harbaugh emerged as one of the most in-demand established entities on the open market in years.

At the very least, Harbaugh should be able to install some baseline competence for an organization that already has a good number of building blocks in place. Outside of a 2022 playoff appearance that quickly proved to be an aberration, the Giants have done very nearly a decade without a dependable foundation, let alone any discernible form of progress. Most of all, though, it had to feel good for an organization that hasn’t been able to shake its standing as an also-ran to actually be picked by a top-tier head coach.

Baltimore Ravens

Might this be the rare coaching split that works out for both sides? While Harbaugh is being embraced in New York, Baltimore looks fully ready to take on a new chapter with Jesse Minter, who was the most highly sought-after candidate of all the first-time coaches.

Minter is bound to be unfairly measured against Mike Macdonald, who spent 2022-23 as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator before becoming head coach of the Seahawks and leading the organization to its second Super Bowl victory. While his departure and ascension in Seattle surely amplified some remorse for Baltimore’s fan base, the focus should be on the bright defensive mind the organization currently has rather than the one who went elsewhere. Minter has drawn rave reviews for his schematic prowess as well as his communication skills, and he should even out a Ravens defense prone to volatility. He’s also compiling an impressive staff, with former Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver taking on the same role for the organization for which he played. Installing 29-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle as the person responsible for helming a Lamar Jackson-led attack does come with a good deal of risk, but the Sean Payton protege could give the unit considerable upside.

The LaFleur family

Who’s got it better than the Harbaughs? Possibly only the LaFleurs, the NFL’s newest brotherly pairing in the head-coaching ranks. Matt not only managed to hang onto his position leading the Green Bay Packers despite a late-season unraveling, but he also landed a multiyear contract extension. Meanwhile, young brother Mike landed his first head-coaching gig leading the Arizona Cardinals, filling the league’s last remaining vacancy once Kubiak unofficially accepted the Las Vegas gig. The two teams aren’t set to meet in 2026, so a sibling rivalry grudge match will have to wait at least another year … unless Mike pulls off a Coach of the Year-caliber feat and sets up a postseason showdown.

Mike McCarthy

Getting a second NFL head-coaching position is far from a guarantee for those who reach the pinnacle of their profession. Getting a third is almost impossibly rare. Yet here’s McCarthy, again taking the reins to one of the league’s most storied franchises in the Pittsburgh Steelers after previously guiding the Packers and Dallas Cowboys.

It’s fair to wonder whether the 62-year-old is the proper figure to lead Pittsburgh out of the Mike Tomlin era, with the organization intent on clinging on to whatever competitive fibers remain. But there’s no doubt that this might have been it for McCarthy, who sat out last year and was not in the running for any other jobs after the Giants and Tennessee Titans made their hires. Still, this move was about more than power or status for the Pittsburgh native, who became emotional at his introductory news conference when talking about all that had led him to this return home. Maybe McCarthy can defy expectations similarly to how he did in Dallas, where he compiled three consecutive 12-win seasons. Regardless of what happens from here, however, McCarthy must consider himself a winner merely by arriving at this point.

Tom Brady

Losing unquestionably exasperated Brady, who remains the NFL’s modern-day standard-bearer for greatness. But in his first full season as a minority owner of the Raiders, Brady was subjected to levels of incompetence that the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback had only seen from a handful of opposing sidelines throughout his career.

Can Kubiak be Brady’s Kyle Shanahan? Like the San Francisco 49ers coach, Kubiak has established himself as an upper-echelon play-caller after coming from a storied football family. The Raiders also had to mirror their former Bay Area counterparts in waiting for Kubiak’s hire until after the Super Bowl. Landing him seems like a significant milestone for a franchise that’s been stuck in perpetual relaunch mode since the Jon Gruden debacle. There’s a good amount of work to be done before Las Vegas can even reach a level of respectability that’s been absent for years. Yet with Kubiak in the fold and a partnership with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza waiting in the wings, Brady shouldn’t have to shuffle along with the same level of hopelessness that dogged the franchise throughout last fall.

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Cam Ward

The No. 1 pick last April became the latest victim of organizational misalignment when he was paired with coach Brian Callahan, who was fired 10 games into his second season with the Titans. Now, the quarterback should have a far more auspicious setup entering Year 2 under Robert Saleh.

Many expected the Titans to center Ward’s development in their search. Though they prioritized experience and overall vision ahead of play-calling ability, the team still afforded the signal-caller something that had been absent in his initial NFL acclimation: stability. As a rookie, Ward often reverted to his devil-may-care habits to compensate for a team that didn’t prop him up in any facet. That should change considerably under Saleh, who is sure to build out a formidable pass rush and a defense that will deter shootouts. The hiring of Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator should also allow Ward to indulge his aggressive tendencies without tilting overboard, as the play-caller pushed Josh Allen and Jaxson Dart to embrace their identities as dynamic playmakers.

Bijan Robinson

Raheem Morris, Robinson’s former coach, repeatedly called him ‘the best player in football.’ The All-Pro running back’s new coach with the Atlanta Falcons could help that become a more widely shared sentiment. Kevin Stefanski’s final few years with the Cleveland Browns obscured how adept he is at crafting a run game, but his wide-zone scheme should equip Robinson with ample opportunities to reel off the explosive gains that the ball carrier has been seeking to take his game to the next level. With the outlook behind center still shaky for Atlanta, Robinson should remain the centerpiece of the offense yet still be afforded a wider variety of looks with the ball in his hands, even after leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 2,298.

Mike McDaniel

After the stretch run of his time with the Dolphins provided no real path forward, McDaniel learned a vital lesson for all second-chance coaching hopefuls: Sometimes it’s better to wait for a better opportunity to arise. McDaniel bowed out of consideration for several top jobs to take the Chargers’ coordinator position, taking the step toward what could be a much more desirable landing spot in 2027.

Beyond the mere entertainment factor at play, McDaniel pairing up with Jim Harbaugh should prove immediately fruitful. That seems especially likely for Justin Herbert, who should be afforded many more easy looks than he was in a 2025 season in which he led the league in pressure rate (43.3%), according to Next Gen Stats. And so long as the offensive line isn’t waylaid by a comparably calamitous run of injuries as it suffered last year, a more dynamic rushing attack should surge to new heights. With a little distance from the Dolphins’ dysfunction, too, McDaniel may see his appeal as a coaching candidate tick upward.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Though his maiden voyage as an NFL head coach was overshadowed by the debuts of Ben Johnson in Chicago and Mike Vrabel in New England, Liam Coen still struck it big in Jacksonville with a nine-win improvement. A staff that achieves that kind of turnaround typically would be raided by less successful organizations, and a few sniffed around offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Yet with both returning, the Jaguars will enter 2026 as one of just eight teams not to have a change at head coach or either coordinator spot. That continuity could prove vital as Jacksonville searches for a way to push to the front of an AFC contending class that currently lacks any true heavyweights.

Harold Fannin Jr.

Todd Monken’s hire sparked some skepticism from Browns fans distressed not only with the endpoint of the team’s search but also a process that saw at least three candidates withdraw from consideration. Regardless of how things go from a macro perspective, Monken’s arrival ensures that Fannin’s stock should only surge even higher after a stellar rookie season for the third-round pick. In Monken’s three-year tenure as the Ravens’ play-caller, Baltimore led the NFL in tight end touchdowns with 38. Fannin has already demonstrated extensive versatility as a receiver, a trait that Monken is sure to prize as he takes over an offense with few dependable pieces.

Losers

Cleveland Browns

Leave it to Cleveland to somehow stumble even in an attempt to wipe the slate clean. Jim Schwartz loomed over the team’s search as a desired holdover, but the defensive coordinator didn’t entertain sticking things out with the new regime after losing out to Monken for the top job. Now the Browns will be attempting to run his system while scouring an already settled landscape for someone to direct it. Monken seemed to downplay Schwartz’s impact a good deal prior to the coach’s resignation, saying, ‘When I was preparing for the Cleveland Browns, I wasn’t trying to chip Jim Schwartz. I was chipping Myles Garrett.’ This unit, however, is far from a perpetual motion machine, and there’s a good chance for substantial regression after the group allowed the fourth-fewest points of any team last season.

As for Monken, maybe his adaptable approach and play-calling acumen will promote actual progress for a franchise that has been rudderless offensively for the last two years. But the Browns are certainly going out on a limb in expecting a 60-year-old first-time coach to have the staying power necessary to pull off this turnaround. And while Cleveland brass praised Monken for his ‘direct, demanding, and detail-oriented leadership style,’ it’s easy to see how that same blunt approach could become a point of contention if things don’t coalesce quickly.

New York Jets

How does a team end up in this section without firing its head coach? Start by parting ways with the offensive coordinator a full three weeks after Black Monday. While replacing Tanner Engstrand is a fully justifiable move for Aaron Glenn, it made no sense to arrive at the decision a good deal after many of the top available replacement options had been accounted for. That left Gang Green to settle for 64-year-old former Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich, who couldn’t get things in order in the latter spot the last time he was entrusted with getting an offense off the ground floor.

That wasn’t the only problem area for the Jets, who also fired eight other assistant coaches from Glenn’s handpicked inaugural staff. Rather than bring on an experienced hand to oversee the severely undermanned defense, Glenn opted to take on play-calling duties and hire first-time defensive coordinator Brian Duker. There’s nothing from his disastrous debut season that would suggest that adding more to Glenn’s plate as head coach is a palatable idea. If the Jets don’t show some signs of progress early in 2026, many might wonder why the team kept enough faith in this regime to avoid the type of one-and-done reset that helped set the Patriots straight.

Sean McDermott

In a cycle where almost every possible firing materialized, McDermott’s dismissal following a narrow AFC divisional-round playoff game loss still feels a bit surreal. Yes, Buffalo losing its perch atop the division to the Patriots was dispiriting, as was the inability to take advantage of a postseason field without Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. But McDermott managed to take the Bills to the playoffs eight times in nine seasons despite being severely hamstrung in key areas of the roster. Ultimately, however, owner Terry Pegula sided with Brandon Beane in determining a path forward, promoting the general manager to president of football operations before replacing McDermott with offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Jettisoned so late in the search process for other teams, McDermott never had much of a chance to find a foothold with an immediate landing spot. Instead, he’ll take off 2026 and figure to be the most proven candidate on the open market next January. By then, other franchises might come to covet a track record that was insufficient in Buffalo.

Nick Sirianni

At first, it seemed as though the Philadelphia Eagles coach seemingly averted a full-on staff crisis with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio staving off retirement – at least for now. Then offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland – a legitimate titan in the assistant coaching ranks – announced he would not be returning to the organization in 2026. With that departure, Sirianni looks to be on even shakier ground than when the offseason first opened. Maybe 33-year-old offensive coordinator Sean Mannion will prove to be a quick study as a first-time play-caller. But Philadelphia needed a much sunnier outlook to put its failed Super Bowl repeat bid to bed, and it doesn’t seem like the storm clouds are dissipating any time soon if this trajectory holds.

Diversity in hiring

Of the 10 head-coaching openings, only one was filled by a minority candidate: Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent. The offensive coordinator ranks haven’t been much kinder, with Bieniemy and McDaniel – who is biracial – being the lone exceptions. With the likes of Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores again being denied the second chances that have come more easily for many of their peers, this was an especially discouraging development in a cycle that once seemed as though it might be more open than recent ones. Said the Fritz Pollard Alliance in response: ‘Progress is possible when intention is matched with accountability.’ Seems as though there’s significant work to be done on at least one of those fronts in the NFL’s ownership ranks.

Dan Quinn

After the Washington Commanders went all-in last offseason in an attempt to capitalize on their surprising NFC championship game run, it was no surprise that the organization responded to its deflating follow-up by making changes. Discordant visions for the offense precipitated the split with coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s dismissal seemed bound to happen after Quinn stripped him of play-calling duties during the season. Yet while other organizations turned to steadier hands, Washington is counting on a pair of upstarts to pull the franchise out of the muck.

New offensive coordinator David Blough jumped two rungs in being granted the position after having only served as assistant quarterbacks coach for two seasons. While he’s a familiar and trusted voice for Jayden Daniels, entrusting him with at least a critical third season for the former Offensive Rookie of the Year is a massive leap of faith. The gamble on the other side of the ball isn’t quite as large, with the highly regarded Daronte Jones aligning with Quinn in having a heavy emphasis on takeaways following his time under Flores in Minnesota. Still, given Washington’s rampant personnel deficiencies throughout the unit, this is a considerable ask for someone whose lone experience as a defensive coordinator was at LSU in 2021. If the Commanders are to reassert themselves as a legitimate contender in the NFC, Quinn might have to carry a disproportionate load for a relatively inexperienced staff.

Michael Penix Jr.

Maybe Stefanski can help stabilize things for the Falcons quarterback, whose first two seasons have been defined by volatility. Still, an offensive approach that relies on being under center and attacking the middle of the field clashes with Penix’s predilection for operating from the shotgun and working the sidelines. Atlanta’s systemic overhaul of its football operations suggests there’s little buy-in for the existing setup, and new president of football operations Matt Ryan stopped short of committing to Penix serving as the starter for the 2026 season. The surprise No. 8 pick in 2024 should get the chance to prove himself as he works his way back from yet another torn anterior cruciate ligament – the third of his career dating back to college – but patience is probably at a premium for an organization desperate to end its postseason drought.

Justin Verlander is a Detroit Tiger again, hoping to lead his original team to a third trip to the World Series.

Verlander, the 266-game winner who will celebrate his 43rd birthday this month, agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers, the club announced Feb. 10.

That presumably wraps up a Tigers off-season that finished with plenty of fireworks: The three-year, $115 million agreement with left-hander Framber Valdez, Tarik Skubal’s historic $32 million arbitration victory and now Verlander.

The presence of Skubal, set to become a free agent this season, Valdez, Jack Flaherty and 2025 All-Star Casey Mize ensures the Tigers won’t need to lean on Verlander for much more than 150 innings. He’s made no secret that he’d like to get to 300 wins, yet playing for an offense-poor club in San Francisco last season, posted a 4-11 record with a 3.85 ERA.

He finished particularly strongly, with a 1.96 ERA and 3.72 fielding independent pitching over his last seven starts.

The Tigers would take that. They reached the 2006 World Series in Verlander’s rookie year, and again in 2012, when they were swept by the San Francisco Giants. Last year, Detroit blew a 14-game lead and lost the division title to Cleveland, yet advanced to the American League Division Series as a wild card, losing a five-game thriller to Seattle.

Perhaps an old hand can help nudge them over the top.

CORTINA, D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Well, that’s an upset. Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin finished fourth in the Alpine team combined, missing the podium by 0.06 seconds.

Johnson gifted Shiffrin a slight lead, winning the downhill portion of the event by 0.06 seconds for a time of 1:36.59. Shiffrin led at the first timing interval of the slalom, but then looked progressively slower. She finished 15th out of 18 with a time of 45.38, a full second slower than Germany’s Emma Aicher, who won the slalom run. That’s a shocking gap for someone who has won the first seven World Cup slaloms and finished second in the other.

Johnson and Shiffrin finished with a combined time of 2:21.97. But, Americans did take home a medal. Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan upstaged their Olympic champion teammates for the bronze medal with a combined time of 2:21.91. Austria’s Ariane Raedler (1:36.65) and Katharina Huber (45.01) won gold with a time of 2:21.66. Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (1:37.33) and Emma Aicher took silver in 2:21.71.

Johnson and Shiffrin, who have been good friends since they were kids, won the team combined at last year’s world championships, when the event made its debut. It was not certain if they’d be paired up again for the Olympics because U.S. Skiing uses previous results to create the teams, and Lindsey Vonn is higher in the downhill standings than Johnson.

But Vonn broke her left leg in a crash during the Olympic downhill and Johnson won gold in the race, ensuring she and Shiffrin would team up together again.

‘It’s been something that I’ve wanted ever since they announced this event,’ Johnson said of being paired with Shiffrin. ‘To be able to have a moment where you win a gold medal with one of your best friends is not something that a lot of people get to experience in their life and it’s really cool.’

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MILAN — Officially, Russia is banned from the Olympics because Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. At the 2026 Winter Games in Milano Cortina, there will be no Russian flags, no Russian anthems and no Russian national colors incoporated in the competition. (The same holds true for Belarus, which has supported Russia in the war.)

But there will be athletes with Russian and Belarussian passports competing as ‘Individual Neutral Athletes,’ or AINs for short, if they meet specific conditions. That contingent will include 13 Russians and seven Belarussians, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Jan. 29.

If any of the AIN athletes were to win gold, a wordless anthem commissioned by the IOC would play. And none of the them will be allowed to participate in the Opening Ceremony Feb. 6. The IOC used the same procedure for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

How do ‘neutral’ athletes qualify?

Russia and Belarus were banned from competing in the Olympics for violating the Olympic truce. The truce stems from a tradition of laying down arms to allow athletes to compete in peace. But now athletes have an avenue to compete even if their own countries have been banned.

At the request of the IOC, the international federations in each sport determine whether to allow Russian athletes to compete in their events. That resulted in opportunity from some and bans from others.

Next comes the screening process. A panel created by the IOC reviews the athletes’ activity and posts on social media. Any public support for the war against Ukraine or ties to the war is supposed to disqualify athletes.

Athletes from team sports are not eligible to compete.

Who blocked the Russians

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) did not offer Russians a chance to qualify as through the neutral athlete pathway.

‘I agree with and support the IBSF’s decision,’ Elana Meyers Taylor, a five-time Olympic medalist, told NBC. ‘Sport should be used to promote peace and fair play, and we need to stand firm against those that don’t support those values.’

Athletes from banned countries are barred from playing in team sports, so the World Curling Federation and the International Ice Hockey Federation had no decision to make regarding the Milano Cortina Games.

The Russians fought back through the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn bans from the International Ski and Snowboard Federation and International Luge Federation. The International Biathlon Union has fought to maintain its ban of the neutrals

The International Skating Union and International Ski Mountaineering Federation allowed Russians a chance to qualify as neutrals.

Impact of the bans

For Russia, the bans began with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Olympics for state-sponsored doping. So-called ‘clean’ Russian athletes got to compete.

More than 200 Russians participated at the 2022 Winter Olympics and they won 32 medals, including five gold. Four days after those Olympics ended Jan. 20, Russia invaded Ukraine.

The subsequent ban was far stricter.

Under ‘Individual Neutral Athletes’ screening process, 15 Russians competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and two won medals. Belarussian gymnast Ivan Litvinovich was the only neutral athlete to win a gold with his victory in the men’s trampoline.

Will Russian athletes compete in ice hockey and ice skating?

NHL players will compete in the Olympics for the first time since 2014 but Russian stars such as Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin won’t be on the ice. Russian and Belarussian athletes are excluded from competing in team sports because their countries are banned. Russian figure skaters have won gold and silver in the women’s singles in the past two Olympics. But this year only one Russian woman figure skater, Adeliia Petrosian, has qualified as an Individual Neutral Athlete.

Which Russian athletes will compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Alpine skiing (2): Yulia Pleshkova, Simon Efimov
Cross country skiing (2): Savelii Korostelev, Daria Nepryaeva 
Figure skating (2): Adeliia Petrosian, Petr Gumennik
Luge (2): Daria Olesik, Pavel Repilov.
Short track speedskating (2): Ivan Posashkov, Alena Krylova
Ski Mountaineering (1): Nikita Filippov
Speed Skating (2): Kseniia Korzhova, Anastasiia Semenova

How are Ukrainians responding?

In December, the International Luge Federation withdrew eligibility of three Russian athletes whose neutrality came under question, according to the Associated Press. But that didn’t end the controversy when days later other Russians competed in a World Cup event in Lake Placid, New York.

Ukrainian luger Anton Dukach told reporters he doesn’t think any Russian athletes should be allowed to compete.

 ‘They are not neutral,’ Dukach said. ‘They are supporting the war against Ukraine, against civilians, against family members, against me.’

Two Russian lugers will compete in the Games.

On Dec. 10, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation granted neutral status to two Russian cross country skiers. That same day, a group called Base of Ukrainian Sports (Ukrsportbase) used its X account to accuse one of the skiers of having ‘illegally visited annexed Crimea, where she participated in training camps.’

Ukrsportbase’s mission: ‘We inform about Ukrainian sports and the criminal support of Russian aggression by athletes outside of politics.

Hockey fans have had Feb. 10 circled on their calendars since the 2026 Winter Olympics women’s hockey schedule was released.

The USA women’s national hockey team will face off against Canada in a preliminary matchup on Tuesday, marking the latest edition of the nations’ rivalry and a possible preview of the gold-medal match.

‘It’s going to be a dog fight,’ forward Hannah Bilka said after USA’s 5-0 shutout of Switzerland. ‘They’re a really strong team. It seems like all those players are super experienced, but at the same time we’re a really energetic group. Yeah, so it’s going to be a really good game.’

The Canadians will be without captain and five-time Olympian Marie-Philip Poulin, who exited Canada’s 5-1 win over Czechia in the first period due to a lower body injury suffered on an illegal hit.

Canada and USA have met in all but one gold medal match since the women’s event was added to the Olympic program at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games. The American and Canadian women each have seven Olympic medals, but Canada has the edge with five gold medals, compared to two for Team USA.

However, the tide has appeared to turn in the Americans’ favor. Team USA is riding a six-game win streak over the Canadians, including an overtime win in the 2025 World Championship and a sweep of Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series, something neither team has done in the tournament’s six-year history.

American captain Hilary Knight is one goal away from setting the U.S. Olympic all-time scoring record and one point away from tying Jenny Potter for the most career Olympic points in U.S history.

USA TODAY Sports is on the ground in Milan and is providing live updates from the showdown between USA and Canada. Follow along:

End of first period: USA 2, Canada 0

The first period belonged to the Americans, who thoroughly dominated and kept the Canadians on defense a majority of the time. The U.S. women are outshooting the Canadians 11-4 and have already built a 2-0 lead heading into the second period. Team USA could be leading by more, but they were unable to convert on a power play opportunity after Canada’s Blayre Turnbill was called for an illegal hit. 

USA goal: Hannah Bilka scores

Team USA recorded a Sportscenter-worthy goal to extend its lead to 2-0 over the Canadians. Caroline Harvey connected with Abbey Murphy, who found Hannah Bilka in front of the net with an insane pass. Bilka found the back of the net at the 17:18 mark for her second goal of the 2026 Winter Olympics. USA 2, Canada 0

Midway through first period

USA leads 1-0 and leads 9-2 in shots.

USA power play

Blayre Turnbull is called for an illegal hit. Canada kills it off.

USA goal: Caroline Harvey scores

Caroline Harvey got the Americans on the board early in the first period at the 3:45 mark. Harvey buried a perfect pass from Haley Winn that to give USA a 1-0 advantage over Canada. It marked Harvey’s second goal of the 2026 Winter Olympics. She also has three assists. USA 1, Canada 0

Game underway

USA’s Aerin Frankel vs. Canada’s Ann-Renee Desbiens in net. It’s the second consecutive start for Desbiens. Frankel was rested on Monday.

What time is USA women’s hockey vs. Canada today?

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 10
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Location: Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

Puck drop between the U.S. women’s hockey team and Switzerland is set for 2:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 10 from Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.

Where to watch USA women’s hockey vs Canada today

TV channel: USA Network
Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympic App | Peacock

USA Network will broadcast Monday’s U.S. women’s hockey Group A matchup against Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a TV login).

You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics ice hockey scores, results today: Monday, Feb. 10

This section will be updated as games are finished

Group B (Women’s): Japan vs. Sweden | 6:10 a.m. | Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com | Sweden 4, Japan 0
Group B (Women’s): Germany vs. Italy | 10:40 a.m. | Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com | Germany 2, Italy 1
Group A (Women’s): United States vs. Canada | 2:10 p.m. | USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com
Group A (Women’s): Finland vs. Switzerland | 3:10 p.m. | USA Network (starting at 5 p.m.), Peacock (digital only) and NBCOlympics.com

Team USA lines vs. Canada

USA is swapping the left wing on the top two lines.

Team Canada lines vs. USA

What USA-Canada game means for the standings

The 3-0 USA has nine points and the 2-0 Canadians have six points heading into the game. If the USA wins in its final game in group play, it clinches the top seed in Group A. Canada would win the group if it wins in regulation. If the Canadians win in overtime, Canada’s rescheduled game against Finland on Feb. 12 would come into play.

Marie-Philip Poulin injury update

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin has been ruled out of Canada’s preliminary round matchup against the United States on Tuesday due to a lower body injury suffered in the team’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday, Team Canada confirmed to USA TODAY Sports hours ahead of puck drop at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan at 2:10 p.m. ET.

Poulin, 34, is listed as day-to-day.

Poulin took a shoulder from Czechia’s Kristyna Kaltounkova in the first period and hit the boards hard. The five-time Olympian appeared to be visibly shaken by the hit and remained down on her hands and knees for several moments. Poulin skated to the bench, but avoided putting any pressure on her right leg while leaving the ice and grimaced in pain on the bench.

U.S. women’s hockey roster for 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

Here is the full U.S. women’s hockey roster for the Milano Cortina Olympics:

Goaltenders: Ava McNaughton; Aerin Frankel; Gwyneth Philips.
Defenders: Lee Stecklein; Cayla Barnes; Caroline Harvey; Megan Keller; Rory Guilday; Haley Winn; Laila Edwards.
Forwards: Kirsten Simms; Kelly Pannek; Grace Zumwinkle; Hayley Scamurra; Britta Curl-Salemme; Hilary Knight; Tessa Janecke; Hannah Bilka; Joy Dunne; Alex Carpenter; Kendall Coyne Schofield; Taylor Heise; Abbey Murphy.

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MILAN — The Canadian women’s hockey team is gearing up for its toughest matchup of the 2026 Winter Olympics and the reigning champions will be without their trusted leader.

Captain Marie-Philip Poulin has been ruled out of Canada’s preliminary matchup against the United States on Tuesday due to a lower body injury suffered in the team’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday, Team Canada confirmed to USA TODAY Sports hours ahead of puck drop at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan at 2:10 p.m. ET.

Poulin, 34, is listed as day-to-day.

Poulin took a shoulder from Czechia’s Kristyna Kaltounkova in the first period and hit the boards hard. The five-time Olympian appeared to be visibly shaken by the hit and remained down on her hands and knees for several moments. Poulin skated to the bench, but avoided putting any pressure on her right leg while leaving the ice and grimaced in pain on the bench.

Kaltounkova received a two-minute penalty for an illegal hit.

Poulin tried to return to the ice during the Canadian power play, but she appeared to be unstable on her feet and returned to the bench less than a minute later in visible pain. The broadcast showed her heading back to the dressing room and she didn’t return with the team following the intermission. She exited the victory with one assist.

Tuesday’s matchup against the USA was supposed to be Canada’s final preliminary matchup in Group A play, but the Canadians will now play Finland on Feb. 12 after the matchup got rescheduled due to a norovirus outbreak among the Finnish team. 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.

LIVIGNO, Italy – After his third and final run, U.S. freestyle skier Alex Hall knew he’d be waiting on fate.

But he didn’t wait on the judges. He’d fallen in that last try. Hall knew his only score that counted was his second score, and he also knew that score wouldn’t be enough for him to repeat as Olympic gold medalist in men’s slopestyle.

But the silver? Maybe.

Norway’s Birk Ruud had posted a first-run score of 86.28 that was slightly better than Hall’s second run (85.75), which was slightly better than the 85.15 that New Zealand’s Luca Harrington picked up in the third run to jump into position for the bronze. It was close, delicately balanced.

After Hall, there were six skiers (not counting Ruud) left to go who could change any of that.

At the bottom of the hill, Harrington welcomed Hall into limbo with an embrace. Theirs was a position unique in freestyle skiing, emblematic of the odd coupling of their sport into a medal-driven atmosphere like an Olympics:

These two, basically, had to root for friends and colleagues to fail.

As natural as that sounds to any world-class competition, freestyle skiing isn’t like that. At least, it doesn’t wish to be.

‘It’s like a weird, mixed emotion,” Hall said. ‘You don’t want to celebrate when someone doesn’t land, but in some regard, you are happy that maybe you have a better chance at the podium now. But I think I can speak for everyone: We’re always rooting for each other.’

Hall personifies the spirit of his sport well. Because he’s a cool guy. Laid-back. He’s known as an elite freestyle skier who doesn’t take competition all that seriously. He just likes to ski.

After winning his second Olympic medal (and – spoiler – he did end up winning that second Olympic medal in this Feb. 10 competition in Livigno), Hall shrugged off the buildup by saying, ‘The four years in between (Olympics), it didn’t ever feel like there was a day where I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve really got to go train so I can get this medal. I’ve got to go train so I can beat this person.’ It’s just ‘I’m just going to go ski.’

‘I like skiing.’

In freestyle skiing, athletes like Hall root for ‘progression’ of their sport. They want to see and experience something cool, especially in a setting like the X Games or Olympics.

What they don’t do is root for failure (or God forbid, someone getting hurt attempting these crazy flips and twists on skis) just so they win.

‘That’s so rare in a sport,” said Hall, praising the mentality. ‘That’s what’s so cool about freeskiing. Like, yeah, I’m at the bottom (of the hill), and I’m hanging in there, hopefully going to get a medal. But we’re all still rooting for each other, and we’re so hyped when people do good runs.’

Yes.

This was still the Olympics, though.

Six competitors left to go.

Harrington and Hall kept it light. They chatted, joked, looked at phones and warmly greeted peers arriving at the base of the hill as, one after another, none hoisted the duo out of their places.

Two to go. This guy fell. Hall knew he’d at least have a medal.

One to go. That guy fell, too.

So Hall had a silver, combined with his gold from Beijing, and Harrington teared up to learn that he’d won the bronze in what was ‘probably the most emotional moment of my life,” he said.

‘He started crying. I was so happy for him,’ Hall said of Harrington. ‘Like I was starting to cry. I didn’t even care about my medal, really. I was so stoked for him. It was just a cool moment. Harrington teared up to know he’d be taking home a bronze medal.’

As for Hall? Soon as it ended, he got his congratulations, too, as well as a hug from U.S. teammate Grace Henderson, who was watching and cheering Hall alongside other American skiers.

‘I’ve got a gold. It’s nice to have a silver now, too,’ he said. ‘Like the collection is sweet, you know? … The scoring was so close. It could have gone anyone’s way today, and that’s both the curse and the beauty of freestyle skiing.

‘You get to do exactly what you want, but it is a judged sport.’

Such is life, right?

Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social

New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell broke his media silence with a significant revelation on Feb. 10.

After leaving the Patriots’ locker room after the Super Bowl without talking to members of the media, Campbell spoke to reporters a couple of days later. According to Mark Daniels of MassLive, the first-year offensive lineman said he tore a ligament in his knee during the season.

Campbell said he played at less than 100% during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run but also said it was not an excuse for his struggles down the stretch.

Campbell missed all of December after landing on injured reserve with a knee injury he sustained in a Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Campbell had to be carted to the locker room after the injury, and he landed on injured reserve the following week. After missing the minimum four games on IR, Campbell returned for Week 18 and the playoffs.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft allowed 14 pressures against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60, according to Next Gen Stats. That was the most allowed by a single player in any game during the 2025 season, including the playoffs.

Next Gen Stats also attributed 29 total pressures allowed to Campbell over the course of the Patriots’ playoff run, which is the most of any player since 2016, the beginning of the Next Gen Stats era.

In the days after the Super Bowl, more than a handful of current and former offensive linemen took to social media to analyze Campbell’s struggles. Several pointed to a lack of solid base/foundation in his stance, which could be chalked up to the knee injury he was still recovering from.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said on Feb. 10 that he and the team have no plans to move Campbell to the interior after his rough outing.

‘Will’s 22 years old. He’s our left tackle,’ Vrabel said. ‘He’ll get better and get stronger. (There were) moments where he played well, moments where he blocked a guy. There’s plays he’d like to have back; we’re not moving him to guard or center or tight end or anywhere else.’