NFL: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Good morning to everyone but especially to...

TOM BRADY AND THE TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

There isn't much Tom Brady hasn't done in his unparalleled NFL career game. But somehow, some way he found a way to accomplish a career first in his 377th career game. Brady led two late touchdown drives to stun the Saints, 17-16.

It's Brady's first comeback from at least 13 points down in the final five minutes of a game. Here's how it happened:

  • After a huge pass interference penalty, Brady found Cade Otton from 1 yard out, and the extra point cut the deficit to 16-10.
  • The Buccaneers' defense forced a three-and-out, aided by a drop from Taysom Hill on a perfect throw by Andy Dalton. The Saints' empty possession took just 31 seconds.
  • Brady then led an 11-play, 63-yard drive in just 2:26. He appeared to have thrown the game-winner to Chris Godwin, but a holding penalty nullified it. Undeterred, Brady found rookie running back Rachaad White -- who dove into the end zone with three seconds left -- three plays later. It was the latest regulation touchdown pass in Brady's career.
  • You can check out all of the ridiculous numbers behind the comeback here.

To put things in perspective, Tampa Bay gained 154 yards on its final two offensive drives after gaining 143 yards on its previous eight drives combined. This post from our social team really says it all:

Brady rightfully credited his defense for keeping things within reach, and when given just a faint glimmer of hope he took full advantage. It's a storyline that's played out time after time in his career, but, on Monday, it came under circumstances even he had never overcome.

At 45 years old, Brady keeps finding ways to outdo himself.

Honorable mentions

And not such a good morning for...

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BAKER MAYFIELD

From face of the franchise to reclamation project to out of a job. That's the path Baker Mayfield -- 2018 No. 1 pick and 2020 playoff quarterback -- has taken after he was waived by the Panthers on Monday.

  • Mayfield played in just seven games for Carolina after being traded there from Cleveland late in the offseason. The Panthers sent a fifth-round pick back to the Browns.
  • Poor circumstances -- including a head-coaching change -- didn't help, but Mayfield simply wasn't good enough on the field. Out of 33 qualified quarterbacks, he ranks 32nd in passer rating and completion percentage, with only recently benched Zach Wilson worse. Sam Darnold has taken over as starter in Carolina.

The 49ers have an obvious need at quarterback after Jimmy Garoppolo's season-ending broken foot, but San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed that possibility. Shanahan opting for a former last-overall pick (Brock Purdy) over a former first-overall pick sums up Mayfield's decline.

Still, there are plenty of potential landing spots for Mayfield, writes NFL scribe Jordan Dajani.

Not so honorable mentions

Justin Verlander, Trea Turner sign massive deals with NL East teams at Winter Meetings ⚾

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Why worry about losing your two-time Cy Young ace when you can replace him with a three-time winner (including in 2022) who's also a reigning World Series champion? That's what the Mets have done, signing Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86.6 million deal just days after Jacob deGrom left for the Rangers.

  • Verlander will be 40 by the time the 2023 season starts, but he just posted a Cy Young award-winning campaign that included an 18-4 record and an MLB-best 1.75 ERA. It was his first year back from Tommy John surgery.
  • It caps an incredible run for Verlander in Houston: In four-plus seasons with the Astros, Verlander went 61-19 with a 2.26 ERA, won two World Series and two Cy Youngs and made three All-Star Games.
  • Verlander is the sixth reigning Cy Young winner to sign with a new team as a free agent. We had ranked him as the sixth-best free agent available.

The move reunites him with former teammate and fellow three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, and their combined numbers are stunning, notes MLB reporter Matt Snyder. Verlander and Scherzer spent five seasons together in Detroit, and while they led the way to four straight AL Central titles for the Tigers, they never won a World Series together. They'll hope to change that in the Big Apple.

The Phillies saw the Mets' big move and decided to make one of their own: Trea Turner signed an 11-year, $300 million deal with Philadelphia, adding even more firepower to an already explosive lineup.

  • Turner, 29, led MLB in hits in 2020 and 2021 and finished second last year, only behind Freddie Freeman. Turner is a two-time All-Star and a one-time World Series champ. He's also hit for the cycle three times, tied for the MLB record.
  • With this deal, Turner reunites with former Nationals teammate Bryce Harper; the two played for the Nationals from 2015-18. Turner also played in D.C. with Kyle Schwarber.
  • And yes, I am a Nationals fan preparing for another very painful season.

Turner is a star -- he was ranked as our fourth-best free agent this offseason -- and, more importantly, Philadelphia is a perfect landing spot, Matt writes.

Ranking all 41 bowl games from best to worst 🏈

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USATSI

With all the talk of the College Football Playoff, it's easy to forget there are 41 bowl games in total. Lucky for you, our Tom Fornelli has ranked all 41.

Number one is no surprise:

  • Fornelli: "1. Peach Bowl: (1) Georgia vs. (4) Ohio State -- If this isn't a battle of heavyweights, then what is? ... If you can't get excited about watching QB C.J. Stroud and Ohio State's receiving corps going against the Georgia defense, what are you even doing reading these rankings?  This is precisely the kind of game you dream of seeing when you watch college football. Playoff game or not, it's a banger."

Here's the rest of the top five:

  • 2. Fiesta Bowl: (2) Michigan vs. (3) TCU
  • 3. Rose Bowl: (8) Utah vs. (11) Penn State
  • 4. Cure Bowl: (24) Troy vs. (25) UTSA
  • 5. Cotton Bowl: (10) USC vs. (16) Tulane

As someone who absolutely loves watching Caleb Williams play football, I'll be locked into the Cotton Bowl, but Tom predicts even more points in his sixth-ranked bowl game. I won't tell you which one that is, but you can see for yourself right here.

World Cup recap: Brazil dominates South Korea, will face Croatia in quarterfinal ⚽

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There are few things in sports as beautiful as Brazilian soccer at its best. With dazzling dribbling and precise passing, Brazil cruised past South Korea, 4-1 on Monday and into the quarterfinal.

  • Vinicius Jr. and Neymar both scored inside the first 13 minutes. It was Neymar's 76th career goal for Brazil, one short of tying Pele's record.
  • Richarlison added a third in the 29th minute off a brilliant assist from Thiago Silva, and Lucas Paqueta's wonderful finish in the 43rd minute made it 4-0. 
  • Seung-Ho Paik got one back for the South Koreans in the 76th minute.

It was a much-needed offensive outburst from Brazil, writes soccer insider Roger Gonzalez.

  • Gonzalez: "With just three goals in the group stage and then losing 1-0 to Cameroon to finish group play, the rumblings could be heard all the way from Rio de Janeiro as to whether Brazil were going to be able to click and show that they are true contenders. That took just 29 minutes. ... It almost felt like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Rivaldo were all out there carving a defense apart and doing it in style."

Brazil will take on Croatia in the quarterfinal after Croatia snuck by Japan, 1-1 (3-1 pen.) The reigning runners-up trailed 1-0 at halftime following Daizen Maeda's goal, but Ivan Perisic evened things early in the second half. Dominic Kivakovic made two saves in the penalty shootout, and Mario Pasalic provided the decisive goal.

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What we're watching Tuesday 📺

We're watching the World Cup. Here's the schedule.
🏀 No. 17 Illinois at No. 2 Texas, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Lakers at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Iowa at No. 15 Duke, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 13 Maryland at Wisconsin, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏀 Mavericks at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on TNT