FOXBOROUGH, MA – In Mike Vrabel’s words, and his world, January football – the NFL playoffs in layman’s terms – are for the big dogs.  

And bloody lips, apparently. 

The New England Patriots head coach was on the receiving end of a celebratory head-butt from a helmeted Milton Williams late in the Pats’ 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in the wild-card round. 

“We talked to them about spilling some blood out there, that the big dogs come out in January,” Vrabel said. “I think Milt took that to heart in the way he played the game, in the way he finished the game. He came over and got me pretty good.” 

New England will host the winner of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Houston Texans game (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC) next weekend. It was the Patriots’ first postseason win since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3, in Super Bowl 53. This time, it was Vrabel’s unit holding a different team from Los Angeles to three points. 

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, playing behind a banged-up and beleaguered offensive line for the final time this season, wasn’t bloodied as much as he was battered. The Patriots racked up 11 hits and six sacks across 31 dropbacks, with the signal-caller taking off on 10 rushing attempts (for 57 yards) on top of that. Herbert finished 19-for-31 with 159 passing yards. 

The final Patriots sack, by Williams on fourth down with less than two minutes remaining, is what sent the first-year Patriot to the sideline in a frenzy. Vrabel had brought up the “big dog” mantra in the first meeting of the week to him and fellow defensive lineman Christian Barmore. 

“We were hearing it all week,” said Williams, who won Super Bowl 59 as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles last season. “We showed up.” 

Williams’ was receptive to Vrabel’s patented needling.  

“I was like ‘All right, talk that (expletive), I want to hear it,’” he said. “I like when people talk (expletive), so I can – gives me a little extra juice.” 

Which resulted in him head-butting everybody – even his helmet-less coach.

“He’ll be all right,” Williams said. 

Patriots beat Chargers without MVP version of Drake Maye 

There were 26 touchdowns scored in the first four games of NFL wild-card weekend. Only one was needed to put the game decidedly in the hands of the Patriots. Quarterback Drake Maye hit tight end Hunter Henry with a perfect pass near the front-left pylon that turned a one-possession game into a two-score game with 9:15 remaining. 

For a quarterback who finished with the best competition percentage in the league and highest in team history (72.0), the final stat line – 17-for-29 for 268 yards through the air – will make his passing performance look better than the game tape. It was an inauspicious start for Maye in his playoff debut. The second-year signal-caller’s first halves have contained the bulk of his production in his MVP-contending campaign. Twenty-one of his 31 passing touchdowns and three of his four rushing scores came in the first half of games in 2025. But he was 6-for-15 in the first half with 95 passing yards, 48 of those coming on a checkdown to Rhamondre Stevenson. 

His legs were the deciding factor against the Chargers. As the first half concluded, he relied on his wheels – once to sneak for a first down, another to take off to move the chains again for a pickup of 8. The most effective rush was a 37-yard scramble – the longest run by a quarterback in Pats history – into the red zone to set up Andy Borregales’ 35-yard field goal to close out the first half and give New England a 6-3 advantage. 

“Bittersweet the season ended like this,” Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen said. “Definitely felt like we had a team that was capable of making a run for it.” 

The Chargers’ defense, meanwhile, kept the team in the game for nearly all 60 minutes. Two takeaways – one tipped interception and one strip-sack of Maye – were vital in that effort. But the Chargers were 1-for-10 on third down. The interception, induced by Teair Tart putting his hands up and deflecting it to Derwin James, who bobbled the ball that was finally hauled in by Daiyan Henley, set the Chargers up 10 yards from the end zone. 

“We got to take care of the football,” Vrabel said of his quarterback’s performance. “Thought he came through when we needed him. The tipped pass is something that was unfortunate. That turned into an interception. But the throw to Hunter I thought when we needed him was elite.”

Jim Harbaugh kept his offense on the field on fourth down instead of settling for a field goal and the Patriots came up with a key red-zone stop; the Chargers were 0-for-2 in the red zone. 

“We have to do better than three points,” Herbert said. “As an offense, it’s got good enough. Quarterback play wasn’t good enough. We let the defense down today.” 

New England outgained Los Angeles 381-207. Vrabel credited inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr for coming up with the game plan and calling the defensive plays. 

“They won the game for us,” Maye said of the Patriots’ defense. “I didn’t throw very well tonight. Need to be better. We did what we had to do. That’s what it takes in the playoffs. Proud of this team. That was fun to get one at home. Look forward to being back here next week.”

Herbert has been navigating a broken left hand for the last month of the season. His offensive line that had been without its best players (tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater) for most, if not all (as in Slater’s case), of the season. 

Maye had 55 rushing yards on 5 carries to sustain the Pats in the first half. He was the game’s leading rusher with 69 rushing yards on 7 attempts (prior to the three ceremonial kneel-down attempts to run out the clock) and avoided a relentless Chargers pass rush despite taking five sacks. 

And he showed off his elite arm talent, with a trio of intermediate touch passes against Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s zone-heavy scheme that went for chunk gains – including the touchdown to Henry. 

There have been plenty of “MVP” chants for Maye at Gillette Stadium this season. The ones following his touchdown toss to Henry were the loudest.

We also got some big midseason recruiting news recently, as Boston College added Finnish national Oscar Hemming, while crosstown rival Boston U. brought in center Tynan Lawrence. Hemming, the younger brother of Dallas Stars prospect Emil Hemming, had been searching for a North American home since splitting with his Finnish club back home. He’s a potential first-round draft pick in 2026. Meanwhile, Lawrence will battle Penn State’s Gavin McKenna for the first slot overall in that same draft. He was previously in the USHL with Muskegon.

In the meantime, here’s a look at the top teams in the nation:

1. Michigan Wolverines (18-4-0)

Michael Hage (MTL) had a monster world juniors for Canada, leading the tournament in scoring and earning himself a bronze medal in the process. But Michigan got some bad news on the weekend when star netminder Jack Ivankovic (NSH) was injured during a sweep of Notre Dame.

2. North Dakota Fighting Hawks (17-5-0)

The Hawks have won nine of their past 10 games and have carved a path to the top of the NCHC in the process. It’s been a total team effort, but two of the notable contributors of late are forward Dylan James (DET) with five points in his past three games and defenseman Abram Wiebe (VGK) with three in the same span.

3. Western Michigan Broncos (16-6-0)

The defending champs are coming off a sweep of Denver and that’s no easy feat. Pesky forward William Whitelaw (CBJ) has been a terror of late, while goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (LA) has only surrendered a total of four goals in his past five outings – all wins, mind you.

4. Wisconsin Badgers (15-3-2)

Should the Wolverines falter without Ivankovic, the Badgers will be ready to pounce. Wisconsin has a tough schedule, however, with Michigan State and Penn State on consecutive weekends. Quinn Finley (NYI) has been a point-per-gamer for the squad and is currently on a four-game point streak.

5. Quinnipiac Bobcats (16-4-2)

An ECAC fan’s worst nightmare is a hot Quinnipiac team and unfortunately for them, the Bobcats are back at it. The 2023 national champions have won nine of their past 10, getting some incredible performances along the way. Freshman Ethan Wyttenbach (CGY) leads the charge with 31 points through 22 games.

6. Michigan State Spartans (15-5-0)

Splitting with Ohio State on the weekend wasn’t ideal, but a number of Spartans have been busy lately, from Sweden’s Eric Nilson (ANA) to Canada’s Porter Martone (PHI) and Team USA’s Ryker Lee (NSH). That showdown with Wisconsin next weekend will be a great acid test for both programs.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions (14-6-0)

It was a long, long break for the Nittany Lions, but at least a bunch of them were busy: Gavin McKenna (2026) ripped it up at the world juniors, while a number of Penn State players and coach Guy Gadowsky stole the hearts of the local Swiss fans at the Spengler Cup as part of a U.S. college selects team.

8. Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (16-6-0)

Bulldogs fans must have held their collective breath when Max Plante (DET) got hurt at the world juniors with Team USA, but luckily it wasn’t serious. He was back this weekend in a sweep of Lindenwood, doing what he does best: Racking up points. And of course, Jayson Shaugabay (TB) was in on the action, too.

9. Cornell Big Red (11-4-0)

It’s never fun to play big, bad Cornell and now the team is on a roll with five straight wins. The Big Red just swept back-to-back non-conference series against Omaha and Alaska, with a big match looming soon against Quinnipiac. Forwards Ryan Walsh (BOS) and Jonathan Castagna (UTH) are leading the offense.

10. Boston College Eagles (11-6-1)

The addition of Oscar Hemming (2026) will be very intriguing for the Eagles, who have some great offensive weapons already. James Hagens (BOS) didn’t exactly dominate at the world juniors, but there’s no need rushing him to the pro ranks anyway. Dean Letourneau (BOS) continues to thrive as a sophomore.

ST. LOUIS — The U.S. figure skating team for the 2026 Winter Olympics was revealed Sunday after four days of competition at the national championships. 

The roster, comprised of 16 skaters, includes some of the biggest stars in figure skating, including Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu. Veteran ice dance pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates are in for their fourth Games together while Malinin and Glenn will make their Olympic debuts in Italy and Liu is headed for her second Games.

Isabeau Levito grabbed the last spot on the women’s side with Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov joining Malinin on the men’s side.

Here are all the updates and reactions from the U.S. figure skating Olympic team reveal.

Who’s on US figure skating Olympic team?

The U.S. Figure Skating selection process focuses on the athlete’s body of work over the last two seasons.

• Men: Ilia Malinin, Andrew Torgashev, Maxim Naumov
• Women: Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito
• Ice dance: Madison Chock and Evan Bates; Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik; Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko
• Pairs: Ellie Kam and Daniel O’Shea; Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe

Ilia Malinin makes first Olympic team

The “Quad God” is ready to shine on Olympic ice. Malinin is arguably the best skater on the planet, fully equipped with an elite arsenal others aren’t able to match, headlined by the quadruple Axel that earned him the nickname. He has dominated the competition, winning every event he’s been in since December 2023, including two World Championships. He will be the favorite to win America its second straight gold in men’s after Nathan Chen did in 2022.

Malinin on making the team: ‘It’s honestly a lot of work internally. A lot of people don’t see it from us because we come out here and perform when you have to be at our best out here for you guys, but it’s really a struggle for us behind the scenes and we all of you appreciate all of our energy and everything we’ve put out here and it just means so much to make this Olympic team.”

Watch our exclusive conversation with Ilia Malinin in the debut episode of ourMilan Magic Olympics podcast. Subscribe and listen:Apple Podcasts |Spotify |Amazon

Amber Glenn makes first Olympic team

After just missing out in 2022, Amber Glenn had a sensational season that left no doubt she would make her first Olympics. A fierce and powerful skater that is among the best in technical skill, she excelled at the U.S. championships for her third consecutive title, the first woman to accomplish the feat since Michelle Kwan. She can win medals at the Games. She is a major mental health advocate and has helped change the conversations about it in figure skating.  

Glenn on the feeling of being an Olympian: ‘It’s doesn’t feel real. I’ve been working at this for so, so long and I wouldn’t be here without the people behind me.’

Alysa Liu makes second Olympic team

Reigning world champion Alysa Liu retired in 2022 and has been nothing but marvelous since returning in 2024. She made a major statement by winning the 2025 world championship and capped off the year by winning the Grand Prix final, assuring she would return to the Olympics. She had two silver medals in the last two U.S. championships. She is very creative in her programs and with her carefree attitude, Liu possess the talent to win some hardware in Milano Cortina.

Liu on how different this feels from 2022: ‘Well, I’m not the youngest this time so I’m feelin’ older. Not really, but I’m really, really good and there’s people in the crowd, so I’m feeling the support.’

Liu on how she feels with this team announcement: ‘At 16, oof, I would’ve been so mad to see me up there,’ she said, motioning to the arena big screen, ‘but me right now, I’m really happy.

Maxim Naumov makes first Olympic team

It was less than a year ago that Maxim Naumov lost his parents in the midair plane crash near Washington, D.C., that devastated the figure skating community. Despite the immense loss, Naumov persevered and put on an incredible performance at the U.S. championships, including an emotional short program.

Naumov was the sentimental favorite to get the third spot on the Olympic team, and he did it. His performance afterward drew a standing ovation from the crowd as the emotions were out inside the Enterprise Center. Naumov covered his face with his hands almost in desbelief after he put on his official Team USA jacket.

Naumov on this moment: ‘We did it. We absolutely did it. God is good. God is good. Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our familly and it’s what I’ve been thinking about since I’m 5 years old … So I can’t say into words how much this means to me.’

Naumov on the support he’s gotten the last year: ‘Unbelievable. Every message, every letter, every call, every text, I see it and it helps me.’

Naumov on what his parents would think of this moment: ‘I really hope that my mom watched because she never used to watch me skate. But they say we’re proud of you, but job’s not finished, we’re just getting started.’

Isabeau Levito lands on first Olympic team

Isabeau Levito, the 2023 national champion, defines beauty and grace on the ice that propelled her to a third place finish at nationals this week. The Olympics will be somewhat of a homecoming for her family as her mom is from Italy and she has family in Milan. She also speaks Italian and Russian.

Levito on what she’ll remember most from this week: ‘How perfect it went in, my opinion. This was my goal and my dream, and it feels so special that it came true.’

Levito on being able to skate in front of family in Italy: ‘Just crazy because this is what we all dream of and they’ve always supported my skating career. Just to be able to watch me in person, in real life, on the biggest stage is just insane.’

Chock and Bates make fourth Olympic team

The ice dance pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates are headed to their fourth Olympics together. This comes on the heels of winning their fifth straight U.S. title and seventh overall. Their moms gave them their official Team USA jackets as they skated off the ice in a sweet moment.

Bates on what the tears after the free dance were about: ‘These guys,’ he said, motioning to their moms, ‘all of you, I mean, this is so special in an Olympic year to have support.’

Andrew Torgashev makes first Olympic team

Torgashev on the feeling of making the team: ‘The reality is better than what I imagined. My God, this is awesome.’

Torgashev on having his family with him: ‘It’s amazing. These are the peple that have my back through thick and thin, no matter what the weather is, they’re always here. I don’t have the words to extend my appreciation to them and thank you so much.’

Jason Brown misses Olympic team

With Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov announced as two of the men’s skaters, and Ilia Malinin as a lock on the final spot, that means there won’t be a third Olympic appearance for Jason Brown.

It’s a tough break for the figure skating veteran. The beloved skater was the reason Team USA earned three spots in the men’s discipline. Going into U.S. championships, he seemed like a likely choice for the Olympic squad. However, he struggled immensely in the free skate, and it dropped him all the way to an eighth place finish. It ultimately cost him a chance to return to the Olympics.

Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe score final pairs spot

No top three finish this week, no problem for Emily Chan and Spencer Akria Howe as they secured the final pairs spot. They’ve had fourth place finishes at the last two U.S. championships.

Chan on how they rallied after the short program: ‘It’s been such a dream, even from the beginning, after what happened and how it ended up. We’ve stuck together and it’s still a dream.’

Howe on taking time off for basic training: ‘I just have to say a big thanks to the Army with that support, and me and Emily, it was a crazy roller coaster and through it all, I told her after the short, ‘Job’s not finished,’ and now here we are. It’s literally a miracle.’

Ellie Kam and Daniel O’Shea celebrate with Pitbull medley

The first Olympic appearance for Kam and O’Shea results in a showcase program that is to a medley of Pitbull. It’s an exciting program full of lifts that includes O’Shea diving underneath Kam’s legs, and they had plenty of family on hand to celebrate the achievement. 

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik make first Olympic team

Zingas and Kolesnik have turned it up when it mattered, reaching the podium in four of the five events this season, capped off with the second place finish at the 2026 U.S. championships that punctuated the resume to send them to the Olympics. Kolesnik was born in Ukraine and obtained his American citizenship over the summer. They are also a couple, in a relationship since 2022.

Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko snag final ice dance spot

Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko have been in the top five of every event they’ve done since 2024, and they’ve placed in the top five of the past four U.S. championships, including two second place finishes. Their selection comes right on time as Carreira, a Canada native, obtained her American citizenship in November. Before then, they would drive across the Canada-U.S. border every day for practice. 

US figure skating Olympic team alternates

• Women’s alternates: Bradie Tennell, Sarah Everhardt, Starr Andrews
• Men’s alternates: Jason Brown, Tomiki Hiwatashi, Jacob Sanchez
• Pairs alternates: Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy; Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez; Chelsea Liu and Ryan Bedard
• Ice dance alternates: Caroline Green and Michael Parson; Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville; Oona Brown and Gage Brown

Who won U.S. figure skating championships?

Ilia Malinin won the men’s title, Amber Glenn won the women’s crown. In ice dance, Madison Chock and Evan Bates won their seventh national title. In pairs, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov took the championship.

When do 2026 Winter Olympics start?

The opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina Games is Feb. 6. The closing ceremony is Feb. 22.

‘Quad God’ of figure skating: Ilia Malinin’s nickname

Simply put, Ilia Malinin has the greatest array of jumps any figure skater in history has ever possessed. He’s launched himself into the air for seven quadruple jumps in a single long program at last month’s Grand Prix Final and was the first skater to land a quad Axel.

Malinin’s username used to be Lutz God, but he changed it to Quad God after landing his first quad jump. 

“i didn’t think much about it … Days go by and people started asking, ‘Why’d you name yourself Quad God, you only landed one jump,’’ he said on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday. ‘And then I was like, ‘Oh, OK maybe I should be come a Quad God.’ From there I found my rhythm of landing quad after quad after quad and then of course landing the first quad axel.”

“In the most humble way possible, I think it’s definitely helped my confidence in not only to skating in general but just feeling like I deserve to be recognized as who I am.”

Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu on their friendship

USA TODAY Sports’ Jordan Mendoza spoke to Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu on the tight friendship they have formed. Here’s what they said.

What Liu said about Glenn: “She’s just such a big sister to me. The idea that we compete against each other, it’s so weird to me. I really just see her as one of my friends and truly one of my teammates. I don’t know, doing things with her is really fun.”

When Glenn said about Liu: “It’s been great to have someone that has such a positive outlook on skating and on her career around me. And then on the flip side, I have an extra pair of tights if she rips them and doesn’t have a backup, or I have the schedule ready because she doesn’t have it.”

Ilia Malinin’s parents

Malinin was born into figure skating. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, is from the Soviet Union, Siberia specifically, and competed at 10 consecutive world figure skating championships for Uzbekistan. She finished eighth at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the competition in which Tara Lipinski won the gold medal and Michelle Kwan the silver. Malinina finished fourth at the 1999 world championships as well, and she also competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but withdrew after the short program with the flu.

Malinin’s father, Roman Skorniakov, represented Uzbekistan at the same two Olympics, 1998 and 2002, finishing 19th both times. He and Malinina were married in 2000 and became skating coaches in the United States, moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where, in December 2004, Ilia was born. He took the Russian masculine form of his mother’s last name because his parents were concerned that Skorniakov was too difficult to pronounce. 

The Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2026 class will be set on Jan. 20 when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting results are announced in a live show on MLB Network.

Notable first-time players on the ballot include left-handed pitcher Cole Hamels an former MVP Ryan Braun.

Here’s what to know ahead of the voting announcement:

When is Baseball Hall of Fame announcement?

The 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame voting results will be announced on January 20th at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

Baseball Hall of Fame ballot 2026

Holdovers

• Carlos Beltrán (4th year on ballot, 70.3% in 2025)
• Andruw Jones (9th year, 66.2%)
• Chase Utley (3rd year, 39.8%)
• Álex Rodríguez (5th year, 37.1%)
• Manny Ramírez (10th final year, 34.3%)
• Andy Pettitte (8th year, 27.9%)
• Félix Hernández (2nd year, 20.6%)
• Bobby Abreu (7th year, 19.5%)
• Jimmy Rollins (5th year, 18.0%)
• Omar Vizquel (9th year, 17.8%)
• Dustin Pedroia (2nd year, 11.9%)
• Mark Buehrle (6th year, 11.4%)
• Francisco Rodríguez (4th year, 10.2%)
• David Wright (3rd year, 8.1%)
• Torii Hunter (6th year, 5.1%) 

First year on ballot

• Ryan Braun
• Shin-Soo Choo
• Edwin Encarnación
• Gio González
• Alex Gordon
• Cole Hamels
• Matt Kemp
• Howie Kendrick
• Nick Markakis
• Daniel Murphy
• Hunter Pence
• Rick Porcello

Baseball Hall of Fame tracker

Ryan Thibodaux’s Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Tracker is an incredible resource and the entire baseball community appreciates all the work the team puts in to operating the tracker every winter.

Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Tracker 2026

AI-assisted summary
• The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 in the NFC wild-card round.
• San Francisco won despite losing tight end George Kittle to an Achilles injury during the game.
• Christian McCaffrey scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner from Brock Purdy.

PHILADELPHIA − The San Francisco 49ers may have suffered another rattling body blow in the NFC’s final wild-card bout of this postseason, but they still managed to deal the knockout punch to the reigning Super Bowl champions.

On a blustery day in the city where Rocky was deified, the decimated and bloodied Niners – despite losing Pro Bowl tight end and team captain George Kittle to an Achilles injury before halftime – emerged from their corner to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19. The haymaker came on All-Pro Christian McCaffrey’s second touchdown catch of the fourth quarter, a 4-yard dart from quarterback Brock Purdy with 2:54 to go.

The Eagles were on the ropes at the period’s outset, with 49ers wideout Jauan Jennings – a highly recruited quarterback in high school – throwing a 29-yard TD to McCaffrey on a trick play similar to the one the team used in the Super Bowl two years ago on the first play of the quarter. McCaffrey finished with 114 yards from scrimmage, 66 of them through the air.

Overall, the Niners stacked up 361 yards − 70 better than coach Kyle Shanahan had averaged in four previous matchups with Philly defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who’d come out on the winning side three times prior to Sunday.

San Francisco will face the top-seeded Seahawks in the Pacific Northwest next weekend, two weeks after losing to them 13-3 in Silicon Valley – a defeat that conferred home-field advantage to Seattle.

The 49ers persevered on a day largely spent without Kittle and one when Ricky Pearsall, the club’s most dynamic wideout, was inactive. They’ve spent most of the season without star defenders Nick Bosa and Fred Warner as well as rookie D-lineman Mykel Williams, a first-round pick last spring. A team that’s lost 74 collective games to injuries to its Week 1 starters is now charged with overcoming its rested divisional rivals.

But history is on San Francisco’s side. In four previous trips to the playoffs under Shanahan, the Niners have never failed to advance at least as far as the NFC title game and reached the Super Bowl twice.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni suffered his first playoff loss at home after winning his first five at Lincoln Financial Field. Philly’s star-studded offense continued its disjointed pattern from throughout the season, with quarterback Jalen Hurts frequently off target and unable to rally the team on the final drive. It remains to be seen if much-maligned offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will retain his role.