Falcons rent Ian Cunningham; NBA, MLB Energy Rankings; High 25 NFL tales of 2025

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Good morning and comfortable Friday! Carter Bahns right here to shut out the month of January. This weekend brings the ultimate matches of the Australian Open, one other numbered UFC occasion on Paramount+, a big-time faculty basketball battle between the projected prime two NBA Draft picks and an entire lot extra. Not a nasty method to flip the calendar into the second month of the yr, when you ask me.

Let’s speak about it.

🤝 5 issues to know Friday

1. The Falcons have employed Ian Cunningham as common supervisor. After a four-year run as assistant GM with the Bears and following interviews with the Jaguars and Commanders during the last two years, Cunningham lastly landed his first GM job. In Atlanta, he’ll work with president of soccer Matt Ryan and coach Kevin Stefanski because the Falcons reshape their entrance workplace and sideline. Amongst Cunningham’s achievements in Chicago had been the hiring of Ben Johnson and the drafting of Caleb Williams.
2. Josh Allen underwent surgical procedure on his damaged foot. Allen performed by way of a damaged fifth metatarsal in the course of the Payments’ last 4 video games, he revealed. His projected restoration timeline is eight to 10 weeks, which units him as much as return at full energy for voluntary offseason exercises this spring. He was on crutches and sporting a boot at Thursday’s press convention.
3. The Nuggets can not catch a break: Aaron Gordon has re-injured his hamstring. Gordon can be re-evaluated in 4 to 6 weeks after straining the identical hamstring that pressured him to overlook over a month earlier this season. He was one of many seven gamers Denver listed on its prolonged and continuously rising harm report for Thursday’s sport.
4. The UEFA Champions League knockout section playoffs are set. Eight groups prevented the playoffs and can head straight to the spherical of 16. However for groups Nos. 9-24 within the last league section standings, they need to first win a two-leg matchup to punch their ticket into the bracket. This morning’s draw set these 16 matchups, which is able to unfold from Feb. 17-25. Which squads are contenders and that are pretenders? We sorted them into teams.
5. Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will stage their rematch Saturday at UFC 325. The second numbered UFC occasion in as many weekends will get underway Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+ with the principle card set for 9 p.m. Volkanovski begins the protection of his second featherweight title reign in a rematch of final yr’s struggle in opposition to Lopes because the headliner of UFC 325. We’ve got picks and predictions for each foremost card struggle.

📝 Don’t miss this: The 25 greatest tales of the 2025 NFL season

Earlier than the Seahawks and Patriots duke it out in Tremendous Bowl 60, it is time for a retrospective on the season that was. From the blockbuster Micah Parsons commerce forward of opening week to Sam Darnold’s run as certainly one of two quarterbacks left standing this postseason, we compiled the 25 greatest tales of the marketing campaign.

Here is a glimpse at 5 of these key developments that outlined the season:

25. Pete Carroll is one-and-done as Raiders coach
24. Aaron Glenn endures robust first season as Jets coach
23. Giants hearth Brian Daboll midseason
22. Cardinals collapse in Week 5 loss to Titans
21. Josh Allen leads epic comeback as Payments prime Ravens in wild opener

🏀 Timberwolves plummet in NBA Energy Rankings, however assist could possibly be on the best way

The Timberwolves are among the many groups within the working for the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes on the commerce deadline, and buying the highest participant available on the market could be a well timed enhance to a squad that not too long ago suffered a five-game dropping streak. Pulling off that transfer on the heels of a 123-111 assertion win over the Thunder final night time would erase Minnesota’s seven-spot drop in our NBA Energy Rankings.

On the opposite aspect of issues, the Cavaliers are this week’s greatest riser, up six locations. Brad Botkin defined the surge.

• Botkin: “Make it seven wins of their final eight video games for the Cavs. Donovan Mitchell ramped up the aggression with out Darius Garland to the tune of 81 factors on 55 pictures in back-to-back wins over the Magic, after which the Lakers had been no match even with out Garland and Evan Mobley.“

Additional up the ladder are the highest 5 groups in Brad’s energy rankings:

1. Thunder (Final week: 1)
2. Spurs (3)
3. Pistons (6)
4. Nuggets (2)
5. Rockets (5)

⚾ Dodgers prime MLB Energy Rankings as free company settles down

Including Kyle Tucker to an already loaded lineup solidifies the Dodgers as the perfect workforce in baseball. Particularly contemplating the rotation is much more star-studded than the bats. This season can be a race to catch the defending two-time World Sequence champions. Who has the perfect likelihood of dethroning the kings?

The Braves, for one, might bounce again as challengers. They’re the most important risers from the tip of 2025, up 5 spots in our MLB Energy Rankings. The identical can’t be mentioned for the Phillies, although, who dropped 5 spots after whiffing on Tucker and Bo Bichette.

It’s the Brewers, although, which have the makings of the most important challengers to Los Angeles. Matt Snyder defined why he ranked them No. 2 behind the Dodgers.

• Snyder: “This looks like an enormous step ahead yr for Jackson Chourio. I used to be gonna say ‘bounce-back’ yr however he is nonetheless solely 21 years previous, a minimum of till March 11. Anyway, I hated the Freddy Peralta commerce, however I might by no means doubt the Brewers’ potential to get probably the most out of what they’ve.”

And listed below are the highest 5 groups within the Matt’s energy rankings:

1. Dodgers (Finish of season: 1)
2. Brewers (2)
3. Blue Jays (3)
4. Cubs (6)
5. Yankees (4)

👍👎 The most effective (and not-so-best) of the remaining

📺 What we’re watching this weekend

Friday

⚽ Genoa at Lazio, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Golazo Community/Paramount+
⛳ Farmers Insurance coverage Open, second spherical, 3 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 No. 5 Vanderbilt at No. 17 Ole Miss (W), 3 p.m. on SEC Community+
🏀 Raptors at Magic, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Dayton at No. 21 Saint Louis (M), 8 p.m. on CBS Sports activities Community
🏀 No. 3 Michigan at No. 7 Michigan State (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏒 Blue Jackets at Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. on NHL Community
🏀 Pistons at Warriors, 10 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

🎾 Australian Open, girls’s last: Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina, 3:30 a.m. on ESPN
⚽ Sassuolo at Pisa, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Arsenal at Leeds United, 10 a.m. on USA Community
🏀 Cincinnati at No. 10 Houston (M), Midday on Fox
🏀 No. 4 Duke at Virginia Tech (M), Midday on ESPN
⚽ Fiorentina at Napoli, Midday on Paramount+
⚽ West Ham United at Chelsea, 12:30 p.m. on USA Community
🏒 Avalanche at Crimson Wings, 1 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 1 Arizona at Arizona State (M), 2 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🤼 Royal Rumble 2026, 2 p.m. on ESPN Limitless
🏈 Senior Bowl, 2:30 p.m. on NFL Community
⚽ Hellas Verona at Cagliari, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 Spurs at Hornets, 3 p.m. on Prime Video
⛳ Farmers Insurance coverage Open, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Newcastle United at Liverpool, 3 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Rangers at Penguins, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 13 BYU at No. 14 Kansas (M), 4:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Canadiens at Sabres, 7 p.m. on NHL Community
🏀 UConn at Creighton (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Mavericks at Rockets, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🤼 UFC 325: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2, 9 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 Saint Mary’s at No. 6 Gonzaga (M), 10:30 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday

🎾 Australian Open, males’s last: Novak Djokovic vs. Carlos Alcaraz, 3:30 a.m. on ESPN
⚽ Lecce at Torino, 6:30 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Atalanta at Como, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Brentford at Aston Villa, 9 a.m. on USA Community
⚽ Manchester Metropolis at Tottenham Hotspur, 11:30 a.m. on NBC Sports activities Community
🏀 No. 24 Alabama at No. 6 LSU (W), Midday on SEC Community
🏀 No. 9 Michigan at No. 13 Michigan State (W), Midday on FS1
🏀 No. 15 Tennessee at No. 1 UConn (W), Midday on Fox
⚽ Inter Milan at Cremonese, Midday on Paramount+
🏀 No. 12 Purdue at Maryland (M), 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 No. 23 Alabama at No. 19 Florida (M), 1 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 14 Baylor at No. 22 West Virginia (W), 1 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 8 Iowa State at Kansas State (M), 2 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 7 Louisville at California (W), 2 p.m. on The CW
🏀 No. 12 TCU at No. 21 Texas Tech (W), 2 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Juventus at Parma, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 4 Texas (W), 3 p.m. on ABC
⛳ Farmers Insurance coverage Open, last spherical, 3 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Bucks at Celtics, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 9 Illinois at No. 5 Nebraska (M), 4 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Florida at No. 5 Vanderbilt (W), 4 p.m. on SEC Community
🏀 No. 8 Iowa at No. 2 UCLA (W), 4 p.m. on Fox
🏒 NHL Stadium Sequence: Bruins at Lightning, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Lakers at Knicks, 7 p.m. on NBC
🏁 Prepare dinner Out Conflict, 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Thunder at Nuggets, 9:30 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Golden Knights at Geese, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN