Eagles to rest some starters in finale with No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs at stake

Washington (4-12) at Philadelphia (11-5)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 3 1/2.

Against the Spread: Commanders 6-10; Eagles 10-6

Series record: Commanders lead 89-85-5

Last meeting: Saquon Barkley ran for 132 yards and a touchdown, Jalen Hurts passed for 185 yards and two scores and the Eagles clinched the NFC East with a 29-18 win at Washington on Dec. 20.

Last week: Commanders lost Cowboys 30-23; Eagles beat 13-12.

Commanders offense: overall (21), rush (4), pass (24), scoring (24).

Commanders defense: overall (31), rush (31), pass (28), scoring (27).

Eagles offense: overall (24), rush (18), pass (23), scoring (19).

Eagles defense: overall (13), rush (T-20), pass (9), scoring (3).

Turnover differential: Commanders minus-12; Eagles plus-5.

Commanders players to watch

QB Josh Johnson. The 39-year-old third-stringer will start for the Commanders, who are eliminated from the playoffs. The veteran has played for 14 NFL teams but will be making just his 11th career start on Sunday. He replaced injured Marcus Mariota in the first meeting between the teams and completed 5 of 9 passes for 43 yards with a key interception. With Mariota sidelined, Johnson started in the Commanders' 30-23 loss to Dallas on Christmas and went 15 for 23 for 198 yards. Jayden Daniels was shut down by Washington after a series of injuries.

Eagles player to watch

QB Tanner McKee. With Philadelphia set on resting many starters while looking ahead to the playoffs, McKee likely will be under center in place of Jalen Hurts. A sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Stanford, McKee has thrown for 356 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in limited action in his two-year career.

Key matchup

Washington coach Dan Quinn vs. the Eagles

Quinn was not happy following the first meeting between the teams after the Eagles converted a 2-point conversion with 4:26 remaining to take a 29-10 lead. "If that's how they want to get down, all good," Quinn said when asked whether Eagles coach Nick Sirianni's choice to try to add on those two points instead of kicking for one was disrespectful. "We'll play them again in two weeks." The game got chippy after Philadelphia's conversion, with three players getting ejected following a brawl. Sirianni has downplayed any retribution when asked this week about the situation, mentioning the respect he has for Quinn and the Commanders.

Key injuries

Commanders: Mariota (quad) and LT Laremy Tunsil (oblique) are out.

Eagles: LB Nakobe Dean (hamstring) did not play in Sunday's 13-12 win at Buffalo and is out. Also out are defensive lineman Jalen Carter, tight end Dallas Goedert and offensive lineman Lane Johnson.

Series notes

The teams met last season in the NFC championship game, with Barkley rushing for 118 yards and three touchdowns in the Eagles' 55-23 win in Philadelphia.

Stats and stuff

Commanders: Mariota has made eight starts and 11 appearances this season because of injuries to starting QB Jayden Daniels and has thrown for 1,695 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels, the AP's 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, started just seven games but left three early and was shut down for the final four games of the season. … Washington has lost 10 of its past 11 games, including five by at least 20 points. … Rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries against Dallas last week, upping his team-leading rushing totals to 776 yards and eight touchdowns. … Deebo Samuel tops Washington's receivers, with 707 yards and five TDs, with Terry McLaurin just behind at 525 yards and three scores. … CB Mike Sainristill had a team-best four interceptions and Von Miller a team-leading eight sacks. DT Jer'Zhan Newton sacked the Cowboys' Dak Prescott three times last week, bringing the second-year player's total to five sacks on the season.

Eagles: Philadelphia could get the No. 2 seed with a win and a Bears loss to Detroit on Sunday, which would result in the Eagles hosting Green Bay in the wild-card round. The Eagles can finish no worse than the No. 3 seed, via either a loss to the Commanders or a Chicago victory over the Lions, in which case they would host either the Rams or 49ers. … Philadelphia will be making its fifth straight postseason appearance, tying the club record set between 2000–04. … Philadelphia is tied for sixth in the league in turnover margin (plus-5) and is 42-2 under Sirianni, including 8-0 this season, when winning the turnover battle. … Philadelphia's defense has been strong of late and leads the NFL in both opponent passing completion rate (56.5 percent) and opponent passing touchdowns (13). … LB Zack Baun has a team-best 123 tackles, along with 3 1/2 sacks and three takeaways. … OLB Jalyx Hunt has a team-best 6 1/2 sacks, with DT Moro Ojomo just behind at six sacks. … After slow starts, Barkley has rushed for 1,140 yards and WR A.J. Brown has 1,003 receiving yards. Brown is the only player in club history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in four consecutive seasons. … Dallas Goedert set a club record for tight ends last week against the Bills when he made his 11th touchdown reception of the season. … WR DeVonta Smith has 956 receiving yards and four touchdowns. … Philadelphia's offense leads the league in red zone touchdown rate at 70.7 percent. … Hurts most likely will be watching from the sideline after a regular season in which he passed for 3,224 yards and 25 touchdowns. His 33 total touchdowns rank fifth in the NFL.

Fantasy tip

McKee has shown to be an adequate backup when given opportunities, and the Eagles' backups likely will be hungry to show they belong in the NFL, especially with a chance to earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Eagles to rest some starters in finale with No. 2 seed in NFC playoffs at stake

Washington (4-12) at Philadelphia (11-5) Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Eagles by 3 1/2. Against ...

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Parachutist Has Rough Landing After Seemingly Getting Caught by a Wire During Armed Forces Bowl Pre-Game

NEED TO KNOW

• The Armed Forces Bowl between Rice University and Texas State took place on Friday, Jan. 2

• During the preshow, there was a mishap involving the parachuting team called the All Veteran Group (AVG)

• The AVG said everyone was okay following the incident

Spectators at the Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Friday, Jan. 2, were expecting to see a game between Rice University and Texas State. The game did take place, but after a shocking incident involving a parachutist.

According to avideo posted on Xby Keff Ciardello of theSan Antonio Express-News, a pre-show involving five parachutists ended with one landing outside the stadium while another, as captured in the clip, landed behind the end zone and onto the portion of the field that separates the stands from the field.

The person's parachute seemed to be caught by a wire, which ultimately left them suspended in the air for about a half-second before falling, theAustin American-StatesmanandCleveland.comreported, citing officials at the game.

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A spokesperson for the Armed Forces Bowl toldUSA TODAY Sportsthat "the parachutist immediately got up and off the field on his own power and no one on the ground was injured."

Information about the parachuter, including their name and age, was not immediately available, Drew Harris, the media director for the bowl game, told theAustin American-Statesman.

No injuries were reported among the fans or players on the ground, and the game started without a delay, Cleveland.com reported.

The parachutists were part of the All Veteran Group (AVG), which has been operating since 2011, according to itswebsite.

Mike Elliott, the AVG's team president, filmed a video onFacebookexplaining what happened, noting that "today the winds were a little tricky and one of the jumpers kind of got behind the power curve."

"He did the best that he could do," said Elliott. "He did not land in the crowd. He did land behind the goal post, but without a scratch, he walked away."

Elliott said that he wanted to let everyone know that the All Veteran Group is "100% no injuries and were just happy to be here supporting the Armed Forces Bowl."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The team reiterated the same sentiments in the caption of the post, writing, "If you haven't seen it yet, one of our jumpers had a hard landing today. He is ok. Hard as nails. And he did NOT land in the crowd. No one was hurt."

PEOPLE has reached out to a representative of the Armed Forces Bowl for comment.

Read the original article onPeople

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Parachutist Has Rough Landing After Seemingly Getting Caught by a Wire During Armed Forces Bowl Pre-Game

NEED TO KNOW The Armed Forces Bowl between Rice University and Texas State took place on Friday, Jan. 2 During the preshow, there was a mi...

Read More

Anthony Joshua's driver faces 4 charges for fatal crash in Nigeria

Kayode Adeniyi, the driver involved in the crash that injured two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua and killed two members of his training team, was charged with four counts related to the Dec. 29 incident in Ogun State, Nigeria, on Friday.

Adeniyi was charged at Sagamu Magistrates' Court with counts of dangerous driving causing death, reckless and negligent driving, driving without due care or attention causing bodily harm and damage to property and driving without a valid national driver's license.

He pleaded not guilty to all four charges and was released on bail of 5,000,000 Naira ($3,480) ahead of his Jan. 20 trial date.

Joshua was briefly hospitalized after the incident before he was released on Wednesday. Personal trainer Latif Ayodele and strength coach Sini Ghami were the two members of Joshua's party who were killed.

A preliminary investigation indicated that Joshua's car, which was being driven by Adeniyi, was "over-speeding" when a tire burst, leading to loss of control of the SUV, which crashed into a stationary vehicle.

The incident occurred while Joshua was on vacation after his sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul on Netflix on Dec. 19.

--Field Level Media

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Anthony Joshua's driver faces 4 charges for fatal crash in Nigeria

Kayode Adeniyi, the driver involved in the crash that injured two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshu...

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Japan says Trump has invited its leader to the US. It comes as ties with China are strained

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a phone call Friday to visit the United States this year, the Japanese foreign ministry said, in what would be the ultraconservative leader's first trip to the U.S.since taking office in October.

The White House is yet to confirm the call and the invitation. It comes asties between Japan and China have been strained, ramping up tensions in the region. The U.S., a close ally of Japan, is seeking to strengthen its ties with Tokyo but alsostabilize its relationship with Beijingahead of alikely trip by Trump to China in April.

Beijing staged two-daymilitary exercisesin the waters off Taiwan this week. Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, infuriated China late last year when she said Chinese military action against Taiwan could begrounds for a Japanese military response, breaking away from former Japanese leaders' strategic ambiguity on the highly sensitive matter.

In a statement Friday, the Japanese foreign ministry said Takaichi and Trump agreed to coordinate for the visit to happen this spring. Kyodo News, Japan's news agency, suggested that Takaichi's trip could coincide with the annual cherry blossom festival in Washington.

The foreign ministry said the two leaders affirmed that they would "carve out a new chapter in the history of the Japan-U.S. alliance" in a year when the U.S. celebrates the250th anniversary of its foundingand that they would "further deepen the friendly relations" between the two nations, including economic and security cooperation.

Takaichi and Trump also agreed on their commitment to promoting cooperation among like-minded partners, including the Japan-U.S.-South Korea partnership, and to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the foreign ministry statement said.

The two exchanged views "mainly on the Indo-Pacific region," the ministry said, but it did not provide details, including whether the two discussed recent actions by Beijing in the region.

China's military drills off Taiwanalso came after the Trump administrationannounced a package of arms sales to Taiwanvalued at more than $11 billion. If approved by Congress, it would represent the largest such aid to the island ever — a move criticized sharply by China.

Beijing claims sovereignty over the self-governed island and vows to seize it — by force if necessary. The U.S. is obligated by a domestic law to provide Taiwan with sufficient hardware to deter any attack from the mainland.

Trump on Monday said he was not informed of the exercises in advance but still touted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump met Takaichi in Tokyo in October, shortly after she took office. The two exchanged warm words, andTrump took her with himwhen he spoke to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier in Japan.

After Takaichi's Taiwan comments angered Beijing, Trump called her andsaid they were "extremely good friends"and that she should call him any time, according to the Japanese leader, without disclosing if the two talked about her remarks.

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Japan says Trump has invited its leader to the US. It comes as ties with China are strained

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump invited Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a phone call Friday to vis...

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Prominent Jan. 6 defendants plan march to Capitol to mark 5 years since attack

Washington —The former leader of the far-right group the Proud Boys and other defendants convicted for crimes connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol are set to return to Washington, D.C., for a march markingfive years since the attack.

The event is billed as a memorial march honoring Ashli Babbitt and four others who died on or after Jan. 6. Babbitt, a supporter of President Trump's, was shot and killed by a U.S. Capitol Police officer while a mob attempted to breach the Speaker's Lobby outside the House chamber nearly five years ago. Brian Sicknick, a U.S. Capitol Police officer whodied after suffering two strokesafter he defended the Capitol during the assault, is also set to be honored.

Among those promoting the march is Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the Proud Boys who wasconvicted of chargesincluding seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6 attack andsentenced to 22 years in prison. Tarrio was among the more than 1,500 defendants convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes whoreceived clemencyfrom President Trump on his first day back in the White House in January 2025.

Tarrio announced the event on social media,writing on Xon Dec. 22 that it will be a "PATRIOTIC and PEACEFUL march."

"If you have any intention of causing trouble we ask that you stay home. This event will focus on one thing and one thing only…HER memory," Tarrio said, referencing Babbitt.

The march is set to begin at 11:45 a.m. at the Ellipse in front of the White House and end at the Capitol, according to Tarrio. The route follows the path that a mob of Mr. Trump's supporters took on Jan. 6 nearly five years ago. The presidentgave a speechto those gathered at the Ellipse to protest the results of the 2020 election and urged his supporters to march down to the Capitol, where the House and Senate convened to certify the election results.

Mr. Trump told the crowd that they would be "marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard" and urged them to "fight like hell."

Alsopromoting the marchis Guy Reffitt, who was a member of the far-right militia group the Texas Three Percenters. He wasconvicted of five chargesstemming from the Capitol attack andsentenced to 87 months in prisonbefore he was pardoned by Mr. Trump.

The march involving Tarrio and Reffitt will be taking place alongside a hearing led by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson and members of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack. Thompson chaired the panel, whichconcluded its work in late 2022andrecommended that Mr. Trump be prosecutedfor his conduct surrounding the riots.

The presidentfaced four criminal chargesbrought by former special counsel Jack Smith related to his alleged efforts to subvert the transfer of power after the 2020 election, but thecase was dismissedafter he won reelection in 2024.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffriessaid Mondaythat the hearing will examine "ongoing threats to free and fair elections posed by an out-of-control Trump administration, expose the election deniers who hold high-level positions of significance in the executive branch and detail the threats to public safety posed by the hundreds of violent felons who were pardoned on the President's first day in office."

"In the years since that disgraceful day, far-right Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attempted to rewrite history and whitewash the events of January 6th. Our country has been indelibly scarred," Jeffries, of New York, wrote in a letter to House Democrats.

Mr. Trump has downplayed the events of Jan. 6,calling it a "day of love,"and defended those who were charged for their conduct during the assault. More than 140 police officers wereinjured in the Capitol attack.

Video footage from the assault showed Babbitttrying to climb througha broken window as protesters attempted to gain entry into the Speaker's Lobby. Lawmakers had gathered in the chamber to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and were evacuated as the mob of demonstrators breached the Capitol building.

Babbitt's familyfiled a $30 million wrongful death lawsuitagainst the U.S. government in January 2024, which the Trump administrationagreed to settlefor $5 million. Many of Mr. Trump's supporters and Capitol rioters have claimed that the police used unnecessary force against those who entered the Capitol on Jan. 6.

The U.S. Capitol Policeconducted an internal investigationinto the fatal shooting and concluded that the officer involved, Michael Byrd, acted lawfully and within department policy. The department said he potentially saved members of Congress and staff from "serious injury and possible death" from the rioters who had forced their way into the Capitol.

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byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Prominent Jan. 6 defendants plan march to Capitol to mark 5 years since attack

Washington —The former leader of the far-right group the Proud Boys and other defendants convicted for crimes connected t...

Read More