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Fans booed Carson Wentz and chanted for Taylor Heinicke to no avail while it was becoming abundantly clear Ron Rivera’s quarterback change backfired on the Washington Commanders.

It snowballed so badly, it turned into another loss for a team once in control of its playoff chances.

Wentz threw three interceptions after getting the starting job back, defensive miscues added up and the Commanders’ postseason odds took a major hit with an embarrassing 24-10 defeat Sunday to the Cleveland Browns, who had nothing to play for.

Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on January 01, 2023 in Landover, Maryland.
(Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)

Washington (7-8-1) is winless in five games and would be eliminated if Green Bay beats Minnesota.

“I have high expectations for myself and this team, and we underperformed — I did, myself, as well,” said Wentz, who was 16 of 28 for 143 yards. “That’s not what I had in mind and what we had in mind as a team. Not the performance I envisioned. A lot of stuff I want back. Yeah, that was a tough one.”

COMMANDERS’ CARSON WENTZ FACES BOOS AS HE THROWS TWO INTERCEPTIONS IN FIRST HALF

The offense gained just 261 yards — 96 on Washington’s only touchdown drive — not exactly the spark Rivera was hoping for when he went back to Wentz. Fans making up the sparse crowd booed and chanted early on for Heinicke multiple times after Wentz missed open receivers or lobbed the ball into the hands of a Cleveland defender.

“I tried to be aggressive, tried to force a couple throws early, obviously, and kind of put us in a hole,” said Wentz, who similarly melted down with Indianapolis at this point last season when the Colts needed to win to get into the playoffs. “Then the rest of the way just didn’t make enough plays personally, as a team — the whole nine yards. I’m definitely kicking myself over some.”

Fans chanting, “Heinicke! Heinicke!” did not get their wish: Wentz remained in the game and struggled to move the ball beyond handing it to rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr., who rushed for 87 yards on 24 carries. Rivera said he contemplating going to Heinicke but decided against it once his team fell behind by 14 and he knew some downfield throws would be necessary.

Carson Wentz #11 of the Washington Commanders throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns during the first half of the game at FedExField on January 01, 2023 in Landover, Maryland.
(Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)

“Yeah, I thought we might (see Heinicke) just because he was available and the other quarterback was struggling a little bit, but they stuck with him,” said Browns safety Grant Delpit, who had two of the interceptions. “We had a good game plan for him, and it worked out.”

The Commanders’ fourth-ranked defense allowed a handful of big plays, including a 46-yard pass from Deshaun Watson to Amari Cooper that became a touchdown when top cornerback Kendall Fuller missed an open-field tackle.

LEBRON JAMES STUNS FANS WITH SUPPORTIVE DESHAUN WATSON TWEET AFTER SEX ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST BROWNS QB

“We missed a couple of tackles,” Rivera said. “We missed a couple of them completely. You can’t miss tackles on good players.”

Watson also connected with Cooper on a 33-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter that sent fans to the exits.

Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns hands the ball off to Nick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on January 01, 2023 in Landover, Maryland.
(Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)

The Browns (7-9) were already out of the race in the AFC but made good on tight end David Njoku’s expectation they’d “give the Commanders hell.” Cooper had three catches for 105 yards, Nick Chubb ran 14 times for 104 yards and Watson finished 9 of 18 for 169 yards and the TD passes to Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

“That was definitely the potential of what the future can hold,” Watson said.

Photos show record California floods led to boat rescues, mudslides, and breached levees. More rain is coming.

January 2, 2023 Published by [email protected] (Morgan McFall-Johnsen)

Business Insider

A business struggles with floodwaters in San Carlos, California, on December 31, 2022.

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

An atmospheric river dumped record rainfall across Nothern California on New Year’s Eve.
Photos show flooding, landslides, boat, and helicopter rescues, breached levees, and a sinkhole.
Another atmospheric river is approaching, possibly bringing worse flooding Wednesday and Thursday.

Northern California was inundated with floodwaters when an atmospheric river dumped record rain across the area on New Year’s Eve.

Californians have just a few days of respite before another atmospheric river — a channel of water vapor that can carry as much water as a river — is expected to inundate the area on Wednesday and Thursday. It will be “similar in strength or stronger than the New Years Eve storm,” according to the National Weather Service.

Since soil is already saturated from the recent storm, it may not be able to absorb as much water when the new atmospheric river rains down. That could mean even worse flooding.

A car is partially submerged on a flooded road after heavy rains in San Francisco, California, December 31, 2022, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video.

Dav Yaginuma/Reuters

The recent storm left people stranded, vehicles submerged and abandoned, highways closed, and triggered mudslides and landslides. At least two people have died in the floods. Rescue efforts are ongoing, and the floodwaters are still surging in some areas.

A landslide blocks Highway 92 West in San Mateo County, California, on December 31, 2022.

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Oakland saw its wettest day on record on Saturday, and San Francisco was just shy of its record. Footage from John Shrable, a meteorologist with local news station KRON4, shows significant flooding in the city:

—John Shrable (@JohnShrable) January 1, 2023

The Oakland Zoo closed on Sunday, after a culvert overwhelmed with rainfall collapsed underground and opened a sinkhole.

—Oakland Zoo (@oakzoo) January 1, 2023

Floodwaters continued to cause trouble after the rain stopped, stranding people and incapacitating businesses.

Atmospheric rivers can dump more and more rain as global temperatures rise because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture. That increases the risk of severe flooding events like this (or worse) in the future, scientists have warned.

Levee breaches, boat, and helicopter rescues, and two deaths in Sacramento County

An aerial view of the damage after rainstorms caused a levee to break, flooding Sacramento County roads near Wilton, California, January 1, 2023.

Fred Greaves/Reuters

Floodwaters breached levees in the Sacramento Valley on Sunday, leading to evacuation orders — followed by shelter-in-place orders — and flooding Highway 99, the main thoroughfare cutting through the Central Valley.

Rescue efforts throughout the region are ongoing. One person was found dead in a submerged vehicle on Sunday morning, FOX40 News reported. Another person died after being pulled from the waters, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

In Elk Grove, the fire department used a boat to rescue people from a temporary island created by the flooding, sharing the photo below on Saturday.

—Cosumnes Fire Dept. (@CosumnesFire) December 31, 2022

Elsewhere, a person was rescued by helicopter after floodwaters trapped them against a tree.

—Metro Fire of Sacramento (@metrofirepio) January 1, 2023

San Francisco is flooded and Tahoe is snowed in

The Instagram page for Rintaro, a San Francisco restaurant, shared video of its facilities overwhelmed with standing water.

A post shared by Sylvan Mishima Brackett (@mr_rintaro)

One San Francisco resident shared footage of a forceful mudslide on Twitter, saying it was running through the Bernal Heights neighborhood on Saturday.

—Zach Klein (@zachklein) December 31, 2022

Further footage shows muddy floodwaters rushing downhill on a residential street.

—Zach Klein (@zachklein) December 31, 2022

In Tahoe, the atmospheric river dumped snow onto roadways that left some drivers stranded and prompted authorities to close major roadways.

Nearby, huge boulders rolled onto Highway 50 during the storm. The California Department of Transportation said it would need to explode them.

—Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) January 1, 2023

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Vikings' Justin Jefferson hits ref in back with helmet as frustrations boil over

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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was badgered and bothered by the Green Bay Packers secondary all game long and it could’ve gone much worse.

The incident occurred in the second quarter with about 6 minutes to play in the half. Kirk Cousins threw his second interception of the game to Packers safety Adrian Amos. And when Amos went out of bounds, Jefferson was barely on the sideline when he ripped off his helmet and swung it downward. He accidentally hit one of the sideline officials.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) dances after breaking up a pass meant for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.
(Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via AP)

The official didn’t appear hurt and Jefferson went back to the bench after the incident was over. He avoided an ejection and definitely avoided doing serious damage to the official.

Frustrations were high for the star wide receiver who has been the thunderbolt for the Vikings offense all season long. He only managed one catch for 15 yards on five targets as he was hounded by Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander throughout the game. Alexander had one pass defended in the game.

PACKERS PUT UP 105-YARD KICKOFF RETURN, PICK-SIX IN WILD FIRST QUARTER VS VIKINGS

Minnesota lost the game 41-17.

Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings leaves the field after the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on January 01, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Jan 1, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander does the Griddy after breaking up a pass intended for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) at Lambeau Field.
(Tork Mason-USA TODAY Sports)

Jefferson had a chance to bolster his case for NFL MVP with a solid performance. He came into the contest leading the NFL in receptions (123), receiving yards (1,756) and yards per game (117.1). He also had eight touchdowns and was named to a third straight Pro Bowl.

Minnesota at least has the playoff berth notched. Green Bay picked up its fourth straight win and now could enter the postseason with a victory over the Detroit Lions next week.

Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for Fox News Digital.

Wes Moore reflects on historic election as Maryland's first Black governor

January 2, 2023 Published by CNN

CNN
—

Wes Moore, the incoming governor of Maryland, reflected Sunday on the historic nature of his election as the state’s first Black chief executive.

“It is remarkable,” the Democrat said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Dana Bash, who pointed out that Maryland will also have a Black attorney general, treasurer and state House speaker. “I’m proud of the history that I’m going to make in this race of being the state’s first Black governor.”

“And also I’m proud of it because I know how complicated the racial history is in the state of Maryland and how complicated the racial history in the United States is,” he said. “Maryland is the state of Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass, and Thurgood Marshall, but I also know that the reason that I am now days away from becoming Maryland’s 63rd governor, is not only because Black folks voted for me.”

Moore, an Army veteran and former nonprofit executive, is only the third Black person to be elected governor in US history. He defeated Republican Dan Cox in November by 32 points in the deep-blue state.

Moore said people voted for him “not just because” they wanted to see him make history, “but because they knew that together, we could actually build a state that everyone could believe in and everyone could thrive in.”

“I’m a patriot and I was raised by patriots,” said Moore, who served in Afghanistan.

“Our country is worth fighting for, but fighting for your country does not mean hating half of the people in it,” Moore said. “And when we talk about patriotism, it means an ability to be able to lift everyone up – to fight for each other, to believe in each other – to believe that our country is great because we are inclusive.”

Moore will succeed Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who was term-limited and has been a critic of the hard-right direction his party has taken in recent years.

“I appreciate the fact that the governor … he was very against the MAGA movement from its inception – for years,” Moore told Bash. “He’s been calling the MAGA movement dangerous, which it is … and I thank him for that.”

Moore also said he doesn’t foresee a White house bid anytime soon, instead throwing his support behind President Joe Biden in 2024.

“I’m very excited for President Biden to run for reelection. We’re going to support him. I’m thankful for the amount of times he’s come to Maryland. We have a lot of partnerships we’re going to get done,” he said.

Moore pointed to work, wages, and wealth as three primary policy areas he wants to focus on in office.

“For work, it means we’re going to have an education system that is going to teach our students how not just to be employees but how to be employers,” he said, noting that he has pushed a “service year option” for every high school graduate in Maryland. If enacted, the state would be the first in the country to adopt such a program, which would provide job training and mentorship to young Marylanders.

“For wages, it means that we are going to ensure that people can have good wages again for the jobs that they have because we still have too many people in this state that are working jobs – and in some cases – multiple jobs – and still living below a poverty line,” he said.

Moore also said he wants Maryland to lead the nation in tackling the racial wealth gap and “making sure that people can own more than they owe.”

The incoming governor said that the best way to pay for state programs without raising taxes is to stimulate economic growth by introducing more job skill training to place people who are unemployed in open positions and offer child care to working parents.

“We have a dynamic economy, we’re just not preparing people to participate in that dynamic economy,” he said.

When asked by Bash if he was confident in his ability to implement state programs without raising taxes, Moore said, “I’m very confident.”

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Seahawks take down Jets to remain in NFC playoff picture

January 2, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

Geno Smith threw two first-half touchdowns, Kenneth Walker III rushed for 133 yards and the Seattle Seahawks kept alive their postseason hopes with a 23-6 win Sunday that eliminated the New York Jets from playoff contention.

Seattle (8-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and ensured its Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams will be meaningful. The Seahawks must win and hope for a loss or tie by Green Bay against Detroit to reach the postseason.

Meanwhile, New York’s playoff hopes ended with a thud after its fifth straight loss and extended the longest active playoff drought in the NFL to a franchise-record 12 seasons. The Jets (7-9) last reached the postseason in 2011 and will finish with a losing record for the seventh straight season.

Smith’s numbers weren’t flashy, but he did enough to improve to 3-0 this season against his former teams. Smith finished 18 of 29 for 183 yards and added the Jets — the team with which he started his career — to the list of victories against former employers that already included wins over the Chargers and Giants.

Smith was especially good in the first half, throwing touchdowns of 12 yards to Colby Parkinson on the first possession of the game and 7 yards to Tyler Mabry early in the second quarter. Mabry’s touchdown was the first catch of his career.

JETS HAVE NO PLANS FOR ZACH WILSON TAKING FLIGHT SOMEWHERE ELSE: REPORT

Smith also hit big throws of 29 yards to Noah Fant and a 41-yard catch-and-run to DeeJay Dallas where Smith backhanded the pass scrambling away from pressure. The throw to Fant led to one of Jason Myers’ three field goals and the clever flick to Dallas led to Mabry’s touchdown, both coming in the first half.

The running game helped, especially with Tyler Lockett limited playing with a broken bone in his left hand and DK Metcalf held to one catch for 3 yards. Walker had the second-best game of his rookie season, including a 60-yard run on the first play of the game and Seattle’s 198 yards rushing was third-most this season.

Mike White returned at quarterback for the Jets after missing two games with fractured ribs but offensive success was fleeting for the Jets. White was 23 of 46 for 240 yards. He also threw two interceptions, including a careless throw on New York’s first possession that was picked off by Seattle safety Quandre Diggs.

JETS WR COACH, FORMER COWBOYS RECEIVER MILES AUSTIN, SUSPENDED FOR VIOLATING LEAGUE’S GAMBLING POLICY: REPORTS

New York was especially bad in the second half while picking up just six first downs — four of those on its final drive — and went three-and-out on three straight possessions. White was sacked four times and the Jets failed to run an offensive play inside Seattle’s 20 the entire game.

Greg Zuerlein hit a pair of 44-yard field goals for New York.

Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux says he didn’t see Nick Foles in celebration, Colts teammate calls it ‘horses—‘

January 2, 2023 Published by

Latest & Breaking News on Fox News

New York Giants rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux created a stir off the field as much as he did on the field Sunday as the team clinched a playoff spot with a win over the Indianapolis Colts.

In the second quarter, Thibodeaux sacked Nick Foles and celebrated by doing snow angels on the MetLife Stadium turf. Little did he apparently know, Foles was down in pain right next to him and the quarterback would not return to the game.

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Thibodeaux insisted after the game he didn’t know Foles was injured on the play while he celebrated.

“When I did realize that he was hurt, that’s when we started getting up,” he said after the game, via ESPN. “When you’re doing a celebration, you’re not looking to see who’s doing what. But I hope he gets well and I hope he’s all right.”

Foles’ teammate Ryan Kelly was upset with the celebration, calling it “horses—.”

GIANTS CLINCH FIRST PLAYOFF BERTH SINCE 2016 IN BLOWOUT WIN VS COLTS

“Hopefully his teammates will — maybe one day he’ll learn that injuries happen in this league, you never want to happen to the guy that you’re going against,” the offensive lineman said, via the team’s website. “That’s just horses—.”

New York locked down a playoff berth with the victory. Thibodeaux appeared to be looking forward to what the postseason could bring.

“I think in the playoffs, it’s every man for themselves. Any team can win it all. It’s up to us to keep staying consistent and keep doing the things that got us here and just keep moving forward,” he said.

Ukraine’s cities begin 2023 under attack from more Russian missiles and drones

January 2, 2023 Published by

US Top News and Analysis

Residents of an apartment in Kyiv photograph the destruction after a Russian missile attack.

Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Ukrainians faced a grim start to 2023 as Sunday brought more Russian missile and drone attacks following a blistering New Year’s Eve assault that killed at least three civilians across the country, authorities reported.

Air raid sirens sounded in the capital shortly after midnight, followed by a barrage of missiles that interrupted the small celebrations residents held at home due to wartime curfews. Ukrainian officials alleged Moscow was deliberately targeting civilians along with critical infrastructure to create a climate of fear and destroy morale during the long winter months.

In a video address Sunday night, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his citizens’ “sense of unity, of authenticity, of life itself.” The Russians, he said, “will not take away a single year from Ukraine. They will not take away our independence. We will not give them anything.”

We already know the sound of rockets, we know the moment they fly, we know the sound of drones.

Oleksander Dugyn

Kyiv resident

Ukrainian forces in the air and on the ground shot down 45 Iranian-made explosive drones fired by Russia on Saturday night and before dawn Sunday, Zelenskyy said.

Another strike at noon Sunday in the southern Zaporizhzhia region killed one person, according to the head of the regional military administration, Alexander Starukh. But Kyiv was largely quiet, and people there on New Year’s Day savored the snippets of peace.

“Of course it was hard to celebrate fully because we understand that our soldiers can’t be with their family,” Evheniya Shulzhenko said while sitting with her husband on a park bench overlooking the city.

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But a “really powerful” New Year’s Eve speech by Zelenskyy lifted her spirits and made her proud to be Ukrainian, Shulzhenko said. She recently moved to Kyiv after living in Bakhmut and Kharkiv, two cities that have experienced some of the heaviest fighting of the war.

Multiple blasts rocked the capital and other areas of Ukraine on Saturday and through the night, wounding dozens. An AP photographer at the scene of an explosion in Kyiv saw a woman’s body as her husband and son stood nearby.

Ukraine’s largest university, the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv, reported significant damage to its buildings and campus. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two schools were damaged, including a kindergarten.

Russia tries to rob Ukraine of energy

The strikes came 36 hours after widespread missile attacks Russia launched Thursday to damage energy infrastructure facilities. Saturday’s unusually quick follow-up alarmed Ukrainian officials. Russia has carried out airstrikes on Ukrainian power and water supplies almost weekly since October, increasing the suffering of Ukrainians, while its ground forces struggle to hold ground and advance.

Nighttime shelling in parts of the southern city of Kherson killed one person and blew out hundreds of windows in a children’s hospital, according to deputy presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Tymoshenko. Ukrainian forces reclaimed the city in November after Russia’s forces withdrew across the Dnieper River, which bisects the Kherson region.

When shells hit the children’s hospital on Saturday night, surgeons were operating on a 13-year-old boy who was seriously wounded in a nearby village that evening, Kherson Gov. Yaroslav Yanushevych said. The boy was transferred in serious condition to a hospital about 99 kilometers (62 miles) away in Mykolaiv.

The Ukrainian forces have had the momentum for several months but we also know that Russia has mobilized many more forces.

Jens Stoltenberg

NATO Secretary-General

Elsewhere, a 22-year-old woman died of wounds from a Saturday rocket attack Saturday in the eastern town of Khmelnytskyi, the city’s mayor said.

Instead of New Year’s fireworks, Oleksander Dugyn said he and his friends and family in Kyiv watched the sparks caused by Ukrainian air defense forces countering Russian attacks.

“We already know the sound of rockets, we know the moment they fly, we know the sound of drones. The sound is like the roar of a moped,” said Dugyn, who was strolling with his family in the park. “We hold on the best we can.”

Couples participate in a traditional dance gathering in an underground mall on New Year’s Day, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Civilians experience a daily barrage of missiles and drones from a Russian military that has proven incapable of beating Ukrainian troops on the ground.

Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images

While Russia’s bombardments have left many Ukrainians without heating and electricity due to damage or controlled blackouts meant to preserve the remaining power supply, Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator said Sunday there would be no restrictions on electricity use for one day.

“The power industry is doing everything possible to ensure that the New Year’s holiday is with light, without restrictions,” utility company Ukrenergo said.

It said businesses and industry had cut back to allow the additional electricity for households.

Zelenskyy, in his nightly address, thanked utility workers for helping to keep the lights on during the latest assault. “It is very important how all Ukrainians recharged their inner energy this New Year’s Eve,” he said.

Ukraine reminds EU: We want to join

In separate tweets Sunday, the Ukrainian leader also reminded the European Union of his country’s wish to join the EU. He thanked the Czech Republic and congratulated Sweden, which just exchanged the EU’s rotating presidency, for their help in securing progress for Ukraine’s bid.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Western military alliance’s 30 members need to “ramp up” arms production in the coming months both to maintain their own stockpiles and to keep supplying Ukraine with the weapons it needs to fend off Russia.

The war in Ukraine, now in its 11th month, is consuming an “enormous amount” of munitions, Stoltenberg told BBC Radio 4’s “The World This Weekend” in an interview that aired Sunday.

VIDEO18:1118:11

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“It is a core responsibility for NATO to ensure that we have the stocks, the supplies, the weapons in place to ensure our own deterrence and defense, but also to be able to continue to provide support to Ukraine for the long haul,” he said.

Achieving the twin goals “is a huge undertaking. We need to ramp up production, and that is exactly what the NATO allies are doing,” Stoltenberg said.

The NATO chief said that while Russia has experienced battlefield setbacks and the fighting on the ground appears at a stalemate, “Russia has shown no sign of giving up its overall goal of taking control over Ukraine.” he said.

“The Ukrainian forces have had the momentum for several months but we also know that Russia has mobilized many more forces. Many of them are now training.”

“All that indicates that they are prepared to continue the war and also potentially try to launch a new offensive,” Stoltenberg said.

He added that what Ukraine can achieve during negotiations to end the war will depend on the strength it shows on the battlefield.

“If we want a negotiated solution that ensures that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent, democratic state in Europe, then we need to provide support for Ukraine now,” Stoltenberg said,

Commanders' Ron Rivera suggests he was unaware team could be eliminated from playoffs with loss

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Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera raised eyebrows on Sunday with a puzzling answer to a question about the team’s playoff scenarios following a loss to the Cleveland Browns.

For the Commanders to make the playoffs on Sunday, the team needed to beat the Browns, get a Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions to lose and the Green Bay Packers to lose or tie. But they didn’t hold up their end of the bargain and by the end of the day were facing elimination.

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera speaks with an official in the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Santa Clara, Calif.
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Rivera suggested in his postgame press conference that he wasn’t aware of the threat of being eliminated from playoff contention before the game. He made the switch to go with Carson Wentz as the starting quarterback over Taylor Heinicke. Washington lost 24-10.

He was asked about the quarterback strategy for Week 18 if Washington was eliminated.

“We can be eliminated?” Rivera asked after pausing for several moments.

BROWNS’ DESHAUN WATSON THROWS 3 TOUCHDOWNS TO WIPE OUT COMMANDERS ON THE ROAD

According to ESPN, Rivera later said he was frustrated by the question and didn’t have any strategy for them losing because he didn’t think the team would.

By Sunday afternoon’s end, all the teams that the Commanders needed to lose won and brought their chances of making the postseason down to zero.

Washington lost two out of their last three games with a tie against the New York Giants in Week 13 their only plus on their recent docket.

Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for Fox News Digital.

NYPD stabbing suspect with alleged extremist ties wrote manifesto asking family to repent to Allah: Report

FLORIDA NEW YEAR’S DAY SHOOTING LEAVES 2 DEAD AND 4 INJURED: POLICE

The suspect arrested in the New Year’s Eve stabbing of two New York City police officers is believed to have penned a manifesto in which he urged his family to “repent to Allah and accept Islam,” according to a Sunday report.

The report from The New York Post comes after investigators were looking into whether the attacker – 19-year-old Trevor Bickford of Maine – harbored radical Islamic views due to his recent online activity.

The weapon an unnamed attacker allegedly used to stab two NYC police officers.
(NYPD Crime stoppers)

Police sources told The Post that Bickford traveled to New York City days before the attack and checked in at the Bowery Mission in Manhattan. He was reportedly carrying various religious materials, $200 and a handwritten note.

“To my family – specifically, mother – I’m sorry for not having been a good enough son,” the note says. “I fear greatly that you will not repent to Allah. And therefore I hold in my heart that a piece of you believes so that you may be taken out to the hellfire.”

Bickford reportedly tells his brother Travis: “Of anyone I’ve known who I have felt is closest to faith – it’s you.”

“Of anyone I’ve ever wanted to accept Islam with me – it’s you. Please repent to Allah and accept Islam. I fear for you,” Bickford allegedly wrote.

Authorities hold a press conference regarding the stabbing of two NYPD officers.
(Credible)

Bickford writes to his brother, Devon, who is in the Marines: “there was a time when we were close, but that time has passed.”

“You have joined the ranks of my enemy. And for that I can give you no kind words – return to Allah.”

The FBI and officers from the Wells Police Department were investigating Bickford’s home, according to local media reports.

The FBI told Fox News Digital it is “currently conducting court authorized activity in connection with an ongoing federal investigation” without elaborating.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the NYPD and the Wells Police Department for additional comment.

NEW YORK BECOMES 6TH US STATE TO GREEN LIGHT HUMAN COMPOSTING LAW

The Portland Press Herald reports that Bickford competed in football and wrestling while in high school and was a member of the 2020 Wells High School state championship wrestling team.

His father, Tom, died in 2018, according to an obituary. He was said to have had a “very active” role in the lives of his three sons.

Bickford is accused of slashing two officers at a security checkpoint near Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The motive remains under investigation.

A high-level police source also tells Fox News Digital that Bickford was being watched by the FBI’s counterterrorism task force in the weeks leading up to Saturday’s attack. The source also said Bickford recently converted to Islam and a tipster claimed he had expressed interest in going to Afghanistan.

A rookie officer, on his first night of policing, was slashed in the head, prompting another nearby officer to shoot Bickford. That officer was also struck, but he was not seriously injured. The rookie officer, identified by authorities only as Paul, is expected to recover.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.