🏈 Rams Take Care of Vikings, The Cowboys Need a Coach, + More!

Good Morning Blitzers,

Did you know that January is observed as Human Achievement Month, a time to reflect on humanity's accomplishments and innovations? There have been so many great achievements: the printing press, electricity, computers, and whoever made it so oranges don’t have seeds. All incredible accomplishments. A whole month to celebrate/take credit for the achievements of others? Count me in. Now, let’s get into the Blitz!

WTF Stat: Tough night for QB Sam Darnold:

🏈 The Los Angeles Rams dismantled the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in last night’s Wild Card playoff game. QB Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes, and rookie Jared Verse returned a fumble for a 57-yard score to help the Rams build a commanding 24-3 lead by halftime. The Vikings struggled throughout, with QB Sam Darnold being sacked a playoff-record nine times (losing 82 yards). The Rams' defense was relentless, and Stafford led the offense efficiently, completing his first 10 passes, including a touchdown to Davis Allen.

• 🔥 Take: Tough spot for the 14-3 Vikings, they now head into the offseason with a lot of questions. The biggest one of all: Do they re-sign QB Sam Darnold? They also have a lot of key veterans who will become free agents as well:

🏈 Mike McCarthy will not return as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, as announced by team owner Jerry Jones. McCarthy’s contract expired, and after a week of discussions, it was mutually decided to part ways. McCarthy had a 49-35 record over five seasons with the Cowboys but struggled in the playoffs, winning only one game and suffering two early exits.

•  🔥 Take: It’s an interesting move to part ways with your coach this late in the process, with five other teams already looking for coaches. Mike Vrabel is already off the market, the other top candidates (Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Brian Flores, Drew Petzing) have already interviewed for other teams. But Jerry Jones has always marched to his own beat. There are reports that he is in talks with Deion Sanders, which would be awesome for the NFL.

⚾️ Roki Sasaki, the star Japanese right-hander, is set to sign with one of three MLB teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, or Toronto Blue Jays. The 23-year-old pitcher, known for his 100-mph fastball and split-fingered fastball, was posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines in December. Sasaki's signing window closes on January 23, and he is expected to make his decision soon. The Yankees, Mets, Cubs, Giants, and Rangers are no longer in contention.

• 🔥 Take: The Blue Jays? Really? My assumption is that it's actually down to the Dodgers and Padres, and if Sasaki has any guts, he'll go with the Padres. Don’t live in the shadow of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, make your own name! Really though, the Dodgers are already stacked; they can’t get another top player. they can’t get another top player. Here is him effortlessly throwing 100 MPH+ multiple times.

Top NBA Games

Rockets 120, Grizzlies 118: Jalen Green scored 42 points, matching his career high, and helped the Houston Rockets rally for a 120-118 win. The Grizzlies led by 12 points in the fourth quarter, but the Rockets surged with a 16-2 run to take the lead. Green's layup put Houston ahead late, and Amen Thompson sealed the win with two free throws.

Pistons 124, Knicks 119: Cade Cunningham scored 36 points, and Malik Beasley added 22, including two clutch 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds. This win marked Detroit's second consecutive victory over the Knicks, after losing 16 straight meetings. The Pistons, now 21-19, have won 10 of their last 12 games.

Spurs 126, Lakers 102:  Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 23 points and 8 rebounds, while Harrison Barnes scored 10 of his 17 points in the final quarter. The Lakers, in their first game back after two postponed matches due to nearby wildfires, were led by Anthony Davis with 30 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James, who added 18 points and 8 assists.

See full NBA scoreboard here, and standings here.

Top NHL Games

Flyers 4, Panthers 3: Noah Cates scored twice, including a power-play goal and a breakaway, to lead the Flyers to a 4-3 comeback win. The Flyers trailed twice but rallied in the third period, with Garnet Hathaway and Morgan Frost also scoring.

Flames 5, Blackhawks 2: Jakob Pelletier scored twice and added an assist, leading the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 win. Mikael Backlund, Yegor Sharangovich, and Jake Bean also scored for Calgary, which extended its winning streak to three games.

Oilers 1, Kings 0: Connor McDavid scored the only goal of the game, and Stuart Skinner recorded his sixth career shutout, stopping 31 shots. Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves for the Kings, who have lost two straight following a five-game winning streak. The victory also marked McDavid's 1,040th career point, tying him with Steve Yzerman for third in NHL history for points by age 28.

See full NHL scoreboard here, and standings here.

On this day in 1979, John McEnroe win his first ATP Master Grand Prix Tennis Title, defeating Arthur Ashe.

Yesterday’s Trivia Time Answer

Emmitt Smith leads all RBs in career playoff rushing yards, who is second?

B) Franco Harris - Harris rushed for 1,556 yards only 30 behind Emmitt Smith. Here is the top 10 on that list with Derrick Henry looking like a guy who could be at the top of this list if he keeps running the way he is running:

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's trivia question and more info!