FG at end lifts Raiders over Browns
Daniel Carlson’s 48-yard field goal as time expired sent the Raiders to a 16-14 win on Monday night over the Covid-19depleted Browns in a game pushed back two days by the NFL amid an uptick of virus cases across the league.
The Raiders (7-7), who weren’t happy when the league delayed their visit to Cleveland, danced off their sideline when the kick went through.
The loss was devastating for the Browns (7-7), who would have vaulted into first place in the AFC North with a win. Instead, they fell into last place in the tightly packed division with three games remaining.
Due to a virus outbreak, the Browns were without QB Baker Mayfield and several other key players, and coach Kevin Stefanski.
Third-stringer Nick Mullens started at QB for the Browns.
The Giants shut down QB Daniel Jones for the rest of the season because of his neck injury. Jones, 24, who suffered the injury in Week 12, was placed on IR. He finished the season with 2,428 passing yards, 10 TDS and seven INTS and completed 64.3% of his passes . ... The Chiefs placed All-pro TE Travis Kelce on the COVID-19 list. ESPN reported that Kelce is vaccinated, so he has a chance to play Sunday against the Steelers. ... Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, who led all players in Pro Bowl voting by fans, was one of the first players revealed by the league as being named to the Pro Bowl. Other players who were revealed early were Bucs QB Tom Brady, Kelce and Rams DT Aaron Donald and WR Cooper Kupp. With the game in Las Vegas, the league also revealed three Raiders made the Pro Bowl: DE Maxx
Crosby, LB Denzel Perryman and P AJ Cole. The league announced that five Browns players were selected: DE Myles Garrett, RB Nick Chubb, CB Denzel Ward and Gs Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. The rest of the Pro Bowl roster will be announced Wednesday.
Colleges: The North Carolina State men’s basketball program was placed on probation for one year for NCAA recruiting violations following an independent investigation. It was the first decision issued through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process . ... Nia Clouden scored 50 points in Michigan State’s 85-84 double-ot loss to Florida Gulf Coast in the West Palm Beach Invitational. Clouden broke the women’s school record of 42 set by Tori Jankoska in 2017. She equaled the men’s mark set by Terry Furlow in 1976 . ... Uconn’s record 16-year run in the top 10 of The AP women’s college basketball poll is over. The Huskies (6-3) fell four spots to No. 11 after losing to Louisville a day earlier. Uconn had been ranked among the first 10 teams in the poll for 313 straight weeks dating back to March 7, 2005, when the team was also 11th. That’s 101 more weeks than the next longest.
NHL: ESPN reported that the league plans to pause its season Wednesday, two days before its Christmas break. All team facilities will be closed Wednesday through Saturday as the league tries to weather several COVID outbreaks. Players are set to report back Sunday and resume daily testing. The schedule resumes Dec. 27. Eleven teams have already suspended operations and the league had postponed all games through Christmas involving cross-border travel between Canada and the U.S.