AP Sports SummaryBrief at 8:44 a.m. EST

Analysis: Third-string NFL QBs rise to challenge of starting

Brock Purdy outplayed Tom Brady, leaving his dad in tears with a stellar performance in his first career start.  Anthony Brown displayed a veteran’s poise under pressure in his NFL debut. Third-string quarterbacks had quite the Sunday leading a pair of division leaders to important wins. Other backups, including former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, saw action in Week 14. Purdy stole the show. The rookie quarterback chosen with the last pick in the draft this year threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, helping the San Francisco 49ers rout Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7, spoiling the GOAT’s Bay Area homecoming.

Resurgent Zion Williamson powering Pelicans up the standings

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson is producing in ways New Orleans envisioned when they drafted him first overall back in 2019. And that production is making the Pelicans look like a contender in the Western Conference. Williamson has averaged 30.3 points during New Orleans past seven games and the Pelicans have won all of those contests. despite the absence of injured star forward Brandon Igram. The winning streak has propelled the Pelicans to the top of the Western Conference standings through 26 games. Williamson says the trust and confidence his teammates has shown in him after he missed all of last season with a foot injury has inspired him not to let them down.

‘I want to talk’: Griner opened up during her long trip home

WASHINGTON (AP) — WNBA star Brittney Griner didn’t want quiet time as soon as she boarded a U.S. government plane that would bring her home. “I’ve been in prison for 10 months, listening to the Russians. I want to talk,” Griner said. That’s according to Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who helped secure the basketball star’s release and bring her back to the U.S. last week. Carstens told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Griner walked throughout the plane, introducing herself to every member of the flight crew, shaking their hands, and “making a personal connection with them.”

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach hospitalized in Jackson

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach was hospitalized after “a personal health issue” that happened at his home in Starkville. The 61-year-old Leach was airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, which is about 125 miles away from Mississippi State. The university said in a statement it would have no further comment on Leach’s condition. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett has been placed in charge of the team as it prepares for an appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2 in Tampa, Florida. Leach is in his third season at Mississippi State, with a 19-17 record.

Messi, Modric carry Argentina, Croatia into World Cup semis

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Tears are flowing from soccer’s biggest superstars as they make emotional exits from what might be their last World Cup. First it was Neymar. Then it was Cristiano Ronaldo. Could Lionel Messi be next? Momentum is building behind Messi’s push to cap his one-of-a-kind career by winning the World Cup for the first time. The 35-year-old Argentina playmaker has carried his team to the semifinals almost in the same way Diego Maradona led the South American nation to the title in 1986. Now in Argentina’s way is Croatia. The 2018 runner-up is establishing a reputation as the most stubborn and durable of opponents and boasts one of soccer’s most graceful players in Luka Modric.

Heisman 2023: Maye? Harrison Jr.? Who challenges Williams?

NEW YORK (AP) — Barring some unusual circumstances, Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams will become the eighth Heisman Trophy winner since 2000 to play college football the following season. None of them has come close to winning another. Maybe Williams is the one to break the trend and become just the second two-time Heisman winner, joining Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75). Who will challenge Williams in next year’s Heisman race?

Wilson’s concussion latest setback in Broncos’ awful year

DENVER (AP) — Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson left the Broncos’ 34-28 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after suffering a concussion at the end of a 14-yard scramble early in the fourth quarter. Wilson had rallied the Broncos from a 27-0 deficit with a trio of touchdown drives. His backup, Brett Rypien, threw a touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy after replacing Wilson, but the Broncos came up short again. They’ve now lost seven one-score games this season and have dropped 14 straight to the Chiefs. This scrambling, using-his-feet version of Wilson was the one the Broncos traded for and signed to an extension.

Steelers’ Pickett exits, returns, then placed in protocol

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he didn’t know “the details regarding the sequence” that led to rookie quarterback Kenny Picket initially being cleared to play before being put into concussion protocol during a 16-14 loss to Baltimore. Pickett was shaken up after getting sacked by Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith at the end of Pittsburgh’s first drive. He was evaluated by medical personnel and cleared to return, playing one more series before being ruled out for the remainder of the game and replaced by Mitch Trubisky. Tomlin said Pickett was pulled after he became symptomatic.

Hurts, Eagles clinch playoffs with 48-22 win over Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the playoffs for the second straight year and the fifth time in six seasons. The league’s best team improved to 12-1 on Sunday with a 48-22 thrashing of the New York Giants. MVP candidate Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Eagles opened a 21-0 lead and never looked back. Miles Sanders ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles finished with seven sacks, including three by Brandon Graham. The Giants have one win in their past six games, going 1-4-1 in that span. This was New York’s worst loss under first-year coach Brian Daboll.