AP Sports SummaryBrief at 12:09 p.m. EST

New England hires former Patriots Super Bowl champ Mike Vrabel as its next coach The New England Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.

The move comes after Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo after the teams season finale victory over the Buffalo Bills to finish 4-13 in his lone season as coach.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also interviewed for the job.

But Vrabel, a fan favorite during eight seasons as a player in New England where he was a member of its first three Super Bowl winners and an inductee into the teams hall of fame in 2023, was the preferred candidate.

Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin end season on 5-game skid and make another early playoff exit BALTIMORE (AP) Unable to reverse the negative momentum of a late-season fade, the Pittsburgh Steelers disappeared from the playoffs with a humbling loss to their fiercest rival.

Pittsburgh was eliminated by the Baltimore Ravens, who rolled to a 28-14 victory on Saturday night.

It was the Steelers fifth straight loss, including a four-game skid to end the regular season.

Pittsburghs strength this season was its defense.

The unit was consistently effective in shutting down the run and notched 33 takeaways, tied for the NFL lead.

In this game, however, the Steelers were trampled by star running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Texans get 2 points on blocked extra point return vs.

Chargers, 1st in NFL playoff history HOUSTON (AP) Houstons DAngelo Ross returned a blocked extra point for two points in the fourth quarter of the Texans wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

It was the first such play in NFL postseason history.

The play came after Ladd McConkey scored on an 86-yard reception early in the fourth quarter.

Cameron Dickers extra point attempt was blocked by Denico Autry.

Dicker tried to knock the ball down, but it bounced off his hands and Ross grabbed it and returned it for the score that pushed Houstons lead to 25-12.

The NFL began awarding two points for an extra point returned to the end zone in 2015.

Notre Dame OL Anthonie Knapp won't play against Ohio State in CFP championship game Notre Dames Anthonie Knapp has been ruled out of the College Football Playoff championship game against Ohio State with an ankle injury.

Coach Marcus Freeman said Sunday that Rocco Spindler is on track to play.

The offensive linemen were hurt in the second quarter of the Irishs semifinal win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday, adding to the long list of injuries theyve dealt with as theyve won 13 straight games on their way to playing for their first national title since 1988 in Atlanta on Jan.

20.

Tottenham avoids massive FA Cup shock by beating 5th-tier Tamworth after extra time Tottenham has endured the humiliation of being taken to extra time by Tamworth, an opponent nearly 100 places lower in English soccers pyramid, before winning 3-0 and avoiding one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history.

Four days ago Spurs beat Premier League leader Liverpool 1-0 in the English League Cup semifinals but their team of established internationals toiled against a group of part-time players whose main jobs included bricklaying, selling zippers and being a financial advisor.

Fifth-tier Tamworth forced extra time with the score 0-0, only for the hosts to concede an own-goal then strikes by Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson to disappoint the majority of the 3,700 fans inside the tiny stadium called The Lamb.

Hady Habib becomes the first man representing Lebanon to win a Grand Slam singles match MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Hady Habibs history-making run at the Australian Open will continue.

The first man to represent Lebanon in a Grand Slam singles tournament became the first to win a match by defeating Bu Yunchaokete of China 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (6) on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Habib won three matches in qualifying rounds just to get into the field of 128 players.

Now hell be one of the 64 to make it into the second round after his victory on Day 1 at Melbourne Park.

Habib, who is ranked outside the top 200, was born in Houston, Texas; his father is Lebanese.

Habib went to Texas A&M University.

He represented Lebanon at the Paris Olympics last year.

Lauren Macuga wins a World Cup super-G race with Lindsey Vonn 4th on stellar day for US ski team ST.

ANTON, Austria (AP) On a stellar day for the United States ski team, Lauren Macuga got her first World Cup win in a super-G and Lindsey Vonn impressed again in fourth place at St.

Anton, Austria.

Macugas victory was no surprise to ski watchers who saw the 22-year-old Americans fast-improving results.

Still, she was skiing with a question mark image on her helmet where a sponsor's brand could be.

Macuga was almost flawless to win by a huge 0.68 seconds margin ahead of Stephanie Venier of Austria.

Federica Brignone was 0.92 back in third.

Vonn was 1.24 back yet fastest on the steep middle section.

Fired US Center for SafeSport investigator arrested again, this time charged with rape DENVER (AP) An investigator fired from his job at the U.S.

Center for SafeSport for allegedly stealing money seized at a drug bust has been arrested again.

This time he's charged with rape.

Jason Krasley, a former police officer in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was arrested Friday and charged with felony rape and involuntary sexual servitude for crimes allegedly committed while Krasley was on the force between 2011 and 2015, according to a news release from the district attorneys office.

Krasley left the department in 2021 and went to work for the SafeSport Center, which fired him last year shortly after learning hed been arrested for allegedly stealing from a drug bust.

Aryna Sabalenka beats Sloane Stephens to begin her bid for a third Australian Open title MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Aryna Sabalenka has started her bid to become the first woman in a quarter-century to win three consecutive Australian Open titles with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 2017 U.S.

Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Sabalenka's first-round victory on Sunday night lasted just 71 minutes.

Sabalenka is seeded No.

1 at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and while she was not perfect against Stephens, she was plenty good.

As big a server as there is in womens tennis, Sabalenka did not hit her first ace until the matchs 15th game and finished with only two.

Justin Verlander and San Francisco Giants finalize $15 million, 1-year contract SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants have finalized a $15 million, one-year contract.

A three-time AL Cy Young Award winner, Verlander joins a projected rotation led by All-Star right-hander Logan Webb.

Verlander went 5-6 with a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for the AL West champion Houston Astros last year.

He opened the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.

He also was on the IL from June 18 to Aug.

21 because of neck discomfort..

This article has been shared from the original article on dailyitem, here is the link to the original article.