The Cleveland Browns have clinched a playoff spot for just the second time since 2002, and they got there in large part because of veteran signal caller Joe Flacco.

Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP, has been humble about his role in the Browns’ unlikely turnaround since his arrival in early December. 

Aside from his first loss against the Los Angeles Rams, Flacco has led the Browns to four straight victories, completing 123 passes, 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Browns clinched a playoff berth despite being hampered by injuries this season and enter Week 18 second in the AFC North. 

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“I think that doesn’t always tell the story,” Flacco said of his numbers when asked during a press conference Wednesday. 

“It can give you an idea of what’s going on, but it doesn’t always tell the story. Listen, you got to give a ton of credit to just, first of all, the offensive line. I think the pockets and just the amount of space that I’ve had back there to be able to get through my reads and then do some extra. 

“I think you have to give them a ton of credit. I think you have to give a ton of credit to the wideouts. I think you have to give a ton of credit to Kevin (Stefanski). I mean, he’s called pretty aggressive games, I would say, over the last six weeks, and I think it’s made a little bit of a difference. So, there’s a lot of factors.”

Joe Flacco, #15, and Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stafanski celebrate after a touchdown against the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 28, 2023 in Cleveland. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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Flacco is the Browns’ fourth starting quarterback this season. Going into their latest matchup against the New York Jets, they were missing both first-team offensive tackles and 12 players — including quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb, who are on injured reserve.

His impact on the team is undeniable to everyone, except maybe Flacco himself. 

“It’s tough to look at it that way. I mean, you can tell that people look at you – guys look at you a little bit differently just because of the fact that I’ve played – this is the 16th year that I’ve been in this league – and you can tell that guys look at you a little bit differently, just because of that.”

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“I always say it, if I messed up in high school, I could be these kids’ dads,” he said Wednesday. 

Joe Flacco, #15, and Elijah Moore, #8, celebrate a touchdown in the first half against the New York Jets at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 28, 2023 in Cleveland. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

“There’s something that they probably do look at me a little bit differently just because of that. To get a sense of what kind of impact, who knows? I’m just being myself and trying to help them win games. And I think when you’re yourself, that’s the best chance you have to impact people. So hopefully I add something.”

Flacco being himself is exactly what the Browns are counting on. 

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The veteran quarterback will likely be sidelined for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I think it’s important for us, again, use this as an opportunity to get guys rested and healthy wherever we can. So that’s what we’re going to do at a bunch of different positions. But you still practice, you still work really hard in this building to make sure that you maintain that sharpness,” Stefanski said Wednesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had an unusual way of describing how he felt about the team’s losses to the Indiana Pacers after the latest one on Wednesday night, 142-130.

The Bucks have lost four times in five matchups against the Pacers this season, including one during the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. The two Central Division opponents have no matchups left on their dockets this year.

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“You have that and you think about it. When you go home and sleep and wake up, you think about it. When you go back and work out, you think about it,” he said. “When you about to get freaky at night, you think about it.

“But at the end of the day, it’s good, because it gives us time to fix things.”

The seven-time All-Star is in star form again this season. He’s averaging 30.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in the 33 contests he’s appeared in.

Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin (00) is called for a blocking foul against Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, January 3, 2024, in Indianapolis.  (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks. Damian Lillard added 23 points and five assists.

“I think the embarrassing part is that we’re just so much better than what we’ve shown in the games against them,” he said. “I also don’t look at it like ‘Oh, it’s just the regular season.’ We wanted to win these games.”

Jan 3, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts to a basket in the second half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)

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Milwaukee is 24-10 this season, second in the Eastern Conference to the Boston Celtics.

Fire officials in Florida have revealed the cause of the fire that broke out on Wednesday at the home of Miami Dolphins All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Davis Fire Rescue ruled the fire as an “unintentional, accidental” event that was sparked by a child who was playing with a lighter inside the home. 

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire shortly after arriving at the mansion located in Southwest Ranches on Wednesday afternoon. Southwest Ranches is located around 23 miles west of Fort Lauderdale.

Hill was seen leaving Dolphins practice after he learned about the two-alarm fire. Video from WSVN-TV later showed him outside the house with a walking boot. The 29-year-old continues to nurse a lingering ankle injury he suffered during a game.

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The Dolphins said in a statement no one was injured as a result of the fire.

“Tyreek has been in communication with his family. Everyone is out of the house and safe at this time. He has also left practice to deal with the situation.”

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WSVN captured aerial footage of heavy smoke coming from the roof of Hill’s home. The fire crew eventually knocked down part of the roof in order to get the fire under control.

Hill’s longtime agent, Drew Rosenhaus, also released a statement saying that Hill was in good spirits.

Tyreek Hill’s house caught fire on Wednesday in Florida. (WSVN/USA Today Sports)

“(Tyreek) and his family are safe, no one was injured. Number one. No pets, so we’re very grateful [for that].”

“Very grateful to the firefighters that put the fire out,” he went on. “Thankfully, the fire was contained to a limited area in the home. Obviously, they’ll be some smoke and water damage — and it’s very difficult for anybody, obviously, to have your home catch on fire — but Tyreek was handling it. He and his family were handling it with as much poise as you could hope.”

Tyreek Hill, #10 of the Miami Dolphins, scores a seven yard touchdown pass against the New York Jets during the second quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Hill purchased the seven-bedroom home in 2022 for an estimated $6.9 million. Hill is in his second season with the Dolphins. He has an NFL-best 1,717 receiving yards this season.

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It is unclear if the child involved in causing the fire is related to Hill.

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Trevor Bauer is hoping Major League Baseball will give him a second chance, as the pitcher remains a free agent months after he settled a high-profile legal dispute with a woman who accused him of beating and sexually assaulting her in 2021.

Bauer appeared on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” on Thursday and said his agents have spoken to a number of different teams but no contract or spring training invite has come to fruition just yet. He talked about making “mistakes” during his life and what he is doing to rectify them.

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“I know I’ve made mistakes. That’s kinda what I’m trying to focus on,” he told anchor Bill Hemmer. “How do I get better from the experiences that I’ve had. I’ve made mistakes in my personal life. I’m really detailed oriented when it comes to baseball and my training but I didn’t apply the same level of scrutiny to my personal life.

“I made mistakes. I agreed to do things I shouldn’t have done. I was reckless. It hurt a lot of people along the way. I made things very difficult for Major League Baseball, for the Dodgers, my teammates, my friends, family, people close to me. So, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on that and made a lot of changes in my life to address that. I’m not having casual sexual relationships anymore, for example.”

Bauer said the way he has gone about things has been wrong and pinpointed interactions he has had with reporters and on social media as being wrong.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, #27, throws a pitch during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants on May 21, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“I also made a lot of people in the media mad,” he said. “I was very immature with how I handled things when people would write things about me I didn’t agree with. I should’ve just had a private, adult conversation with someone. I was bullied a lot as a kid, I don’t really want to get into that, but at the time I viewed a lot of my responses on social media as standing up for myself and having a voice. And I think I was just immature.

“I’ve grown up a lot, for sure. My viewpoints now are drastically different than they were five years ago, 10 years ago. Different things are important to me.”

Bauer said he has one outstanding lawsuit against him, and he and his team are confident they will win.

In the end, he is looking to get back in the majors.

“I’d love to play baseball. That’s my goal – to play baseball here in the United States. Still one of the best pitchers in the world. I’d like to compete at the highest level. I’m also really passionate about helping people, being good for the game. I think I’ve done a lot of damage, unfortunately, in the first half of my career, and I’d love a second opportunity to do things better.”

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Yokohama DeNA BayStars pitcher Trevor Bauer delivers a pitch against Hiroshima Carp during a baseball game in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. (Kyodo News via AP)

Bauer pitched in Japan for the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars. He was 11-4 in 24 appearances with 160 strikeouts and a 2.59 ERA.

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Alabama center Seth McLaughlin faced criticism for his snapping abilities during the Crimson Tide’s overtime loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Monday.

By Wednesday, he was reportedly set on leaving Alabama.

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McLaughin entered the transfer portal and will likely be playing at a new school during the 2024 season, according to multiple reports. He got playing time late in the 2021 season and ended up starting eight games in 2022 and every game in 2023 through the loss to Michigan.

The outlet noted that McLaughlin’s snapping issue reared its ugly head this season and became a major problem during the College Football Playoff semifinal. The final snap of the game on Jalen Milroe’s goal-line sneak was low, which didn’t help the quarterback get into the end zone.

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Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin prepared to hike the football during the SEC Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs on Dec. 2, 2023, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“With anything it takes preparation, whether it’s pass protection, whether it’s the running game, the passing game,” Milroe told reporters after the game, via the New York Post. “The quarterback and the center have to have a great relationship and that’s something that we tried to build throughout the whole season. 

“There’s a multitude of things that me and Seth talk about in that regard. That’s something that we do talk about.”

McLaughlin was also on the Rimington Trophy watch list before the start of the season. The trophy is awarded at the end of the season to the nation’s best center. 

He’s one of at least 10 Alabama players to enter the portal so far.

Alabama offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin blocks during the South Florida Bulls game on Sept. 16, 2023, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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According to Ourlads, Alabama’s depth chart at center includes graduate Darrian Dalcourt and redshirt sophomore James Brockermeyer.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Utah rabbi is embroiled in a tiff with Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving over whether the guard levied a complaint against him and three others who were holding “I’m a Jew and I’m proud” signs.

Irving’s representative denied the assertion from Rabbi Avremi Zippel that he was the one who made the complaint at the Delta Center while the Mavericks were playing the Utah Jazz.

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In an interview with OutKick, Zippel rehashed his account.

“In the middle of the second quarter, I and another member of my party were walking through the courtside tunnel closest to our seats,” Zippel said. “In the tunnel we were engaged in conversation regarding the incident with executives of the Jazz organization, one of whom verified for us that the request for the signs to be taken down originated on the Dallas bench.

“He went so far as to mention by name the head of the Jazz’s team security, unrelated to arena security, who was made aware of the request from his Dallas counterpart, and subsequently relayed the request to arena security.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, #11, dribbles the ball against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Jan. 1, 2024. (Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports)

“I’d further point you to the dozen (at least) patrons who heard the interaction between Kyrie and myself, including ‘don’t gotta bring a sign like that to a game’ as well the asinine assertion that he too is Jewish because of the Star of David tattoo on his hand.

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“He also shared that Kyrie told him the sign was unnecessary and professed to also be a Jew after pointing to a Star of David tattoo.”

Irving’s rep denied the allegation that the guard lodged the complaint. The rep also told OutKick that Irving never encountered the rabbi.

The Jazz released a statement on the issue on Tuesday.

“The Utah Jazz Code of Conduct is in place so that games can be played without distraction and disruption. No matter where someone is in the arena, if a sign becomes distracting or sparks and interaction with a player, we will ask them to remove it,” the team said.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, #11, defends Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen, #23, during the first half at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Jan. 1, 2024. (Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports)

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“During an out-of-bounds player in the first quarter of yesterday’s Jazz game against the Dallas Mavericks, there was a group sitting courtside whose signs sparked an interaction with a player that created a distraction and interfered with a play of game. As the next step in standard security protocol, the fans were asked to take down their signs. The part-time employee who told the fans it was the content of the sign that was the problem was incorrect.

“The issue was the disruptive interaction caused by usage of the signs, not the content of the signs.”

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The NFL Pro Bowl rosters are stacked with some of the biggest and brightest stars, including eight players from the San Francisco 49ers and seven from the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys.

While it was a celebration for most teams, there were four teams that did not see players initially get selected to the Pro Bowl on Wednesday.

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The Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots were shutout of the Pro Bowl rosters. Guys like Jordan Love, Derrick Brown, Adam Thielen, Kamren Curl, Terry McLaurin and Kyle Dugger were initially on the roster.

Two teams, however, saw some of their players get named alternates.

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Jordan Love, #10, and Jaire Alexander, #23 of the Green Bay Packers, walk off the field after a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lambeau Field on Nov. 5, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Packers’ alternates include Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, Elgton Jenkins, Jaire Alexander and Keisean Nixon. The Panthers’ alternates include Brown, Brian Burns, Johnny Hekker and JJ Jansen. 

The Patriots may have seen some Pro Bowlers if the roster was not riddled with injuries. It is the first time since 2000 the team has not had a player make the Pro Bowl, according to ESPN. 

For the Commanders, it is the first time since 1993 the team has not had a Pro Bowler. Washington traded Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears earlier this season. He was named to his first Pro Bowl.

Alternates can be invited to the Pro Bowl Games if players drop out.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks to CB Myles Bryant in the second half. The Patriots lost to the Buffalo Bills, 27-21. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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The Pro Bowl Games are set to begin on Feb. 1 in Orlando, Florida.

San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk made history Wednesday night when he was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time in his career.

Juszczyk set the record for most Pro Bowl selections for a fullback, according to ESPN.

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Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Fred Warner and Charvarius Ward were all named to the Pro Bowl Game along with Juszczyk.

Juszczyk is not much of an offensive juggernaut. He has 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season. However, his ability to block for Purdy is just among the small things he does that have helped the 49ers immensely this season.

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He has played the most snaps at the position this season, according to ESPN.

“I’ve never been shy to try things,” he said in December. “I’ve always been confident … I really feel like there’s nothing I can’t do out there. I like to give it a shot, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter.”

Kittle offered praise for Juszczyk in 2022.

Kyle Juszczyk, #44 of the San Francisco 49ers, and Christian McCaffrey, #23 of the San Francisco 49ers, celebrate after McCaffrey’s receiving touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023 in Cleveland. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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“The thing that’s great about Juice is, that no one really sees either, he fixes all the mistakes that we make as an offensive line/tight end,” Kittle said, via the team’s website. 

“Never practiced a look, never done anything against it, he just has zero hesitation and he fixes plays for us before they get broken – a lot of touchdowns and a lot of first downs – and it’s because of who he is as a player and how he prepares.”

Kyle Juszczyk, #44 of the San Francisco 49ers, lines up against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on Dec. 31, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (G Fiume/Getty Images)

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It is unclear if Juszczyk will play in the festivities. It is likely dependent on how far the 49ers go in the playoffs. The festivities begin on Feb. 1 in Orlando, Florida.

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