Sports
Joe Flacco takes saddle for Colts, to start against Vikings
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) gets in position against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. A midseason quarterback change frequently signals trouble for a franchise.
It will be up to Joe Flacco to prove that this time is an exception.
Flacco, 39, will take over at quarterback when the Indianapolis Colts (4-4) visit the Minnesota Vikings (5-2) on Sunday night in Minneapolis. The 17-year veteran will replace second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched this week after an inconsistent start to the season.
Colts coach Shane Steichen said the switch would not be a short-term move.
“Joe will be our quarterback going forward,” Steichen said. “I feel like Joe gives us the best chance to win. … I’m just looking at where we’re at with the team. We’re at .500. It’s my obligation to 53 players in the locker room to win football games.”
The Colts will try to do just that on the road against a Vikings team that is suddenly desperate for a victory. Minnesota started the season with five straight wins before dropping back-to-back games against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
During the skid, the Vikings lost a key player as standout left tackle Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending knee injury. The team wasted little time to respond, acquiring left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft from the Jacksonville Jaguars for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026.
Robinson did not make it north in time for the Vikings’ first practice of the week but there is a chance that he will make his team debut Sunday.
“If he’s ready to go and prepared, I’d like to get him in the mix there,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “If for whatever reason, either situational or something where we hold him out and give him a full week of prep next week, we’ll see how it goes. I think we have a good plan in place.”
The Vikings feel more confident that veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson will make his season debut after missing the first seven games recovering from knee surgery. Hockenson, 27, had 95 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games last season.
“I think T.J. is ready to play,” O’Connell said. “He’s as good as he’s looked since we got him here. And that’s saying something considering the impact he made right away in (2022), and the season he was having last year at the time he was hurt. He’s a huge part of our offense, our system.”
The Colts hope to say the same for Flacco, who has a 102.2 passer rating this season compared with a 57.2 passer rating for Richardson. Flacco has thrown for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception this season.
Jonathan Taylor leads the Colts’ ground game with 454 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Alec Pierce has a team-high 394 receiving yards and three scores.
For the Vikings, Sam Darnold will make his eighth start of the season. He has posted a 107.2 passer rating while throwing for 1,610 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Aaron Jones has 501 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his first season with the Vikings. Justin Jefferson is dominating at wideout again this season with 41 catches for 646 yards and five touchdowns in seven games.
This is the first meeting between the teams since Dec. 17, 2022, when the Vikings emerged with a 39-36 victory in overtime. In that game, the Vikings overcame a 33-point deficit, making it the largest comeback win in NFL history.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cavs guard duo out for even more in Game 2 vs. Raptors
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden lived up to the hype in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Mitchell scored 32 points in 31 minutes, and Harden dissected the defense for 22 points and 10 assists, leading the fourth-seeded Cavaliers to a 126-113 home victory Saturday. Cleveland built a 24-point lead before coasting home with the win.
Fifth-seeded Toronto must figure out how to slow them down Monday, when Game 2 takes place at Cleveland.
“Every scenario is on the table,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We’ve got to take a look at the film. I have my own thoughts, just based on the game, but I want to watch it to see what adjustments we can make.”
Mitchell and Harden were the best players on the court in the opener, combining to make 19 of 38 field goal attempts, 8 of 14 from 3-point range and 8 of 9 free-throw opportunities. They also combined for four steals, as the Cavaliers forced 17 turnovers as a team.
It didn’t matter who Toronto used against the star guards defensively. The guards took turns beating the defense off the dribble, in transition and making pinpoint passes in half-court sets. Max Strus took advantage with a career playoff-high 24 points off the bench and four 3-pointers.
“Our job now is to stay in the moment and take one game at a time,” Harden said. “I’ve been in this (situation). Things happen fast. Our job is to focus on what we can do better.”
Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Clippers, was especially proficient at slowing down the pace and feeding his big men. Seven of his 10 assists went to either center Jarrett Allen or forwards Evan Mobley and Keon Ellis.
Mitchell was much more aggressive, bypassing his heavy diet of 3-pointers in favor of slashing through the lane. Thirteen of his 20 shots were within the arc, which also led to him go 6 of 7 from the foul line.
“You’ve got to pick, right? Do you trap James? Do you trap me? Do you switch?” said Mitchell, who extended his league-record streak of 30-plus points in a series opener to nine straight. “There are so many different things you have to pick. James makes my life a lot easier.”
Being so efficient on offense allowed Cleveland to set up defensively, stopping the fast-paced Raptors from using their youth and athleticism to speed up the game.
Toronto couldn’t adapt and only managed to take 71 shots — a whopping 18 below the league average. The Cavaliers took 81 shots, making 54.3% of them, and were 16 of 32 on 3-pointers.
“They were getting back, stopping us from running,” Toronto power forward Scottie Barnes said. “They beat us at one of the things we do best, and that’s transition. We’ve got to be prepared and have some urgency.”
RJ Barrett scored 24 points, Barnes had 21 points and Brandon Ingram and Jamal Shead added 17 apiece, but none had more than 14 shots. Shead started in his playoff debut with point guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring strain) inactive.
Quickley did practice Sunday, when the Raptors worked out in the practice gym at the Cavaliers’ arena, but Rajakovic said his status won’t be known until the pregame.
Regardless of which point guard is playing, the coach will emphasize the importance of feeding Ingram. Toronto’s leading scorer in the regular season (21.5 points per game) only got off nine shots while being blanketed by Strus, Ellis and Dean Wade.
“We have a small margin of error,” Ingram said. “They knew everything (play-wise) we would run throughout the year. They tried to deny me the ball every time I ran down the floor.
“At the end of the day, me shooting nine shots is not going to win basketball games.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Gilbert Burns Retires: A Look Back at His Legendary UFC Career
UFC Winnipeg was that kind of card that had everything – a couple of fantastic fights, one of the worst robberies of the year, a draw, referee action, referee inaction, a devastating knockout, and a couple of impressive finishes.
But while Mike Malott got the win at UFC Winnipeg, taking himself one step further up the welterweight ranks, there needs to be a dedicated spotlight on his opponent, Gilbert Burns.
After Malott scored the victory, he gave time in his post-fight interview to praise Burns for all he has done in and out of the Octagon. Burns then got his own time to speak, laying his gloves down and retiring from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. And while Burns never won a UFC championship, he should be saluted as a fantastic athlete who gave his all to the sport.
Burns’ path to MMA started with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In fact, the story goes that Burns’ father got Burns and his brothers three months of jiu-jitsu lessons as payment from a car repair customer. That deal, and those three months of training, set Burns on a path that helped him land in the UFC.
Burns became a Brazilian and European jiu-jitsu champion, then went on to win several world titles in the discipline. Then, in 2015, Burns won a bronze medal at the 2015 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships.
It was 2012 when Burns made his professional MMA debut, starting his career with seven first-round finishes. That was the same year he served as a coach on Vitor Belfort’s team for The Ultimate Fighter.
A couple of years later, the UFC came calling, and he debuted in the promotion in July 2014, scoring a decision win over Andreas Stahl. He started his UFC tenure 6-3, but it was in late 2018 that Burns started to really find a groove.
He racked up six straight wins, moving up to welterweight during that time frame. His wins in that span included a victory over Olivier Aubin-Mercier, a first-round finish of Demian Maia, and a decision win over former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
Those performances led Burns to a welterweight title shot against Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Burns troubled Usman early in the fight, scoring a first-round knockdown, and he was seemingly moments away from capturing the gold. But Usman stormed a comeback, eventually finishing Burns in the third round.
It was a heartbreaking defeat. And unfortunately, it was the start of a skid for Burns over the remaining five years of his UFC career. Burns’ last 10 Octagon bouts, which includes the loss to Usman, saw him go just 3-7.
Burns’ loss to Malott was his fifth straight. At 39 years old, Burns’ retirement is unsurprising, but still unfortunate. He fought so many of today’s fantastic UFC athletes and earned a number of post-fight bonuses. And that’s why while it’s disappointing he never got the UFC gold, he still should go down as a memorable UFC competitor.
And the thing is, he still can do great things in the sport. He will be in the corner of his teammates. He will prepare them for their fights. Maybe we can still see Burns in jiu-jitsu and submission grappling competitions.
“Durinho” has always been considered a man of class. And it was uplifting to see the Canadian crowd give him such a warm ovation and thank you as Burns rode off into the sunset.
Thank you, Gilbert Burns, and congratulations on a tremendous career.
Sports
Which NBA Playoffs Game 1 Loser Is Most Likely To Win Their Series?
Mar 27, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images On Saturday, we watched all the higher seeds take care of business and start their series up 1-0. It’s way too early to overreact to these games, but I think a lot of these winners will end up moving on to the second round. Here are the teams I think have the best chance of coming back from their slow starts.
Houston Rockets
Before the series, I picked the Lakers to pull off the big upset over Houston, and I still believe that’s the case; however, they’re the team I think has the best chance of turning their luck around.
If the Rockets are without Kevin Durant, I have no idea where they’re generating any offense. Houston shot 38% from the field, and Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun struggled to generate any offense as primary ball handlers. On the other end, LeBron James and company did a great job of slowing the game down by running a consistently efficient offense. If Houston can get more stops and generate offense in the fastbreak, they could easily swing this series around.
Atlanta Hawks
Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) is guarded by Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) during the first quarter of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images For most of 2026, the Hawks have looked like one of the best teams in the NBA. Offensively, they had a solid outing in game one against the Knicks, but New York had one of their better shooting performances, knocking down 48% of their triples.
Atlanta will need to turn New York over more, but that’s something the Knicks have done a good job of preventing all season long. If Atlanta can find a way to steal game two on the road, I think they’ll be in a great spot to steal this series. I would still take the Knicks in this series, but the Hawks didn’t seem rattled on offense, and that’s an important factor in pulling off the upset.
Minnesota Timberwolves
I am fully out on this iteration of the Timberwolves.
It might be dumb to fade the team that’s been to two straight Western Conference Finals, especially one with Anthony Edwards, but I hate the construction of Minnesota in 2026.
The Nuggets are going to get out and run all day on Minnesota, and have more shooting than they have in most years during the Nikola Jokic era. Denver shot poorly in game one and still won by double digits. Donte DiVincenzo is the only player outside of Edwards who can provide any gravity on offense for the T-Wolves, and I don’t think that’s enough to stop the Nuggets. If Jamal Murray starts hitting jumpers, this series could be ugly.
Toronto Raptors
Apr 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images All season long, we wondered when the Cavs would turn it on, and I think we watched them take it to another level in game one. The Cavs are finally all healthy, and we got to see a 10-deep roster that looked very comfortable playing together.
RJ Barrett, Jamal Shead, and Scottie Barnes combined for 11/16 from three, and they still weren’t in this game for most of the second half. Cleveland’s rotations were at their best in this one as well, with one of Donovan Mitchell or James Harden, and Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen on the floor at all times, and they provide way too much firepower for Toronto to handle. The Raptors might steal one game in Toronto, but I’d bet on this one being a sweep.
Cavs guard duo out for even more in Game 2 vs. Raptors
Gilbert Burns Retires: A Look Back at His Legendary UFC Career
