Sports
NFL playoff drought ends for Lions as Jets hit new low
All 32 NFL teams start off the season with a clean slate, but for some organizations, history can add a certain undeniable pressure.
Five teams entered the new season with the hopes of ending years-long playoff droughts, but only one team was successful in making that happen while another’s absence in the postseason set an unfortunate record.
Here’s a breakdown of which teams are going to carry that burden into the next season and which team was able to break through.
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, center, stands on the sidelines after being pulled from the game against the Buffalo Bills during the second half in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
After suffering a 30-0 loss to the division rival Miami Dolphins last month, the New York Jets were eliminated from the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. And with that, the Jets not only took claim to the longest active playoff drought in the NFL but also the longest in all major North American sports leagues.
“We need to win,” general manager Joe Douglas told reporters during his end-of-season press conference on Monday. “My record is not good enough, and I know that, and everything we do moving forward is to win and that is it, that is all that matters.”
The last time the Jets advanced to the postseason was in the 2010 season under former head coach Rex Ryan. After finishing second in the AFC East, the Jets advanced to the Wild Card game where they narrowly defeated the Indianapolis Colts to reach the Divisional Round.
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After defeating the New England Patriots, 28-21, the Jets moved on to the AFC Championship Game where they would eventually lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Russell Wilson #3 and Jarrett Stidham of the Denver Broncos warm up before a game against the New England Patriots at Empower Field at Mile High on December 24, 2023, in Denver. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
The last time the Denver Broncos made an appearance in the postseason, they made it count.
The Broncos won their third Super Bowl title behind quarterback Peyton Manning during the 2015 season, which marked the last time Denver has advanced to the playoffs.
Despite bringing in quarterback Russell Wilson the previous season, Denver finished with an 8-9 record to become the team with the second-longest active playoff drought in the league.
“You are what your record is in our league, that’s just the truth,” head coach Sean Payton told reporters following Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Like I said, you’re disappointed, not discouraged but disappointed, because you do have an expectation, and then we go from there. We begin this off-season, which is going to involve a lot of work.”
Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers looks to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on December 3, 2023, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Carolina Panthers finished with the league-worst record of 2-15, marking their sixth straight season missing the playoffs.
But it wasn’t always so grim.
After going 7-10 the previous year, expectations were high when owner David Tepper hired Frank Reich as the new head coach and made a massive investment into drafting rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
But after an 0-6 start, things only got worse.
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The organization moved on from general manager Scott Fitterer on Monday after three seasons, but the real pressure seems to be on Tepper. Since purchasing the team in 2018, the Panthers are 31-68 and have never made a postseason.
Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith reacts following the conclusion of the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons on December 24, 2023 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tied with the Panthers at six straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the Atlanta Falcons rank third with the longest active postseason drought in the NFL.
Instability at the quarterback position and an inability to translate the success he had with the Titans’ offense, Arthur Smith was fired at midnight following a lopsided loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Falcons finished with a 7-10 record for the third consecutive season, all under Smith’s leadership.
Atlanta, still on the hunt for their first championship, last appeared in the postseason during the 2017 season. After defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card, the Falcons moved on to the Divisional Round where they would eventually lose to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is shown during warm-ups before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK)
The Detroit Lions clinched the No. 3 seed in the NFC, making their way back into the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season. And with that, Dan Campbell is hoping to coach his team to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.
The Lions finished the season 12-5 and won their division for the first time in 30 years, and their first NFC North title ever.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sports
PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
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The PGA Tour has announced that it will not be hosting an event in Hawaii during the 2027 season, ending a 56-year run of holding a tournament in The Aloha State. The change comes as the Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp have consistently teased a revamped schedule beginning next year.
The Tour was forced to cancel The Sentry at the start of the 2026 campaign due to the dying grass on the Plantation Course at Kapalua amid a local dispute with the company responsible for delivering water to the area.
An aerial view of the golf course from over the ocean prior to The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on December 31, 2023 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
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With The Sentry being canceled, the Sony Open at Waialae Country on Oahu served as the Tour’s season opener in ‘26, which was won by Chris Gotterup. The event was in the final year of its sponsorship, although the Tour has shared that it is working toward making the event the opening event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
Chris Gotterup of the United States celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after his winning round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at Waialae Country Club on January 18, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
The Tour’s removal of The Sentry and the Sony Open wipes out what has now turned into a traditional two-week stretch on the island to begin a new season.
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The PGA Tour did not share further details about the 2027 schedule upon its announcement about leaving Hawaii, but with Sentry reportedly being an event title-sponsor through 2035, it will need to find a new landing spot on the calendar. The logical stop would be Torrey Pines in San Diego, which checks the West Coast and great weather boxes, but the venue is also looking for a new sponsor, as its deal with Farmers Insurance ended in 2026.
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View of the 18th hole is seen during the final round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
The Tour’s decision not to begin next season in Hawaii makes sense, as there are plenty of venues in the lower 48 states that are much easier to operate from, but the departure will have a tremendous financial impact on the state.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that The Sentry is estimated to have a $50 million annual impact on the community, while the Sony Open directly generates an estimated $100 million in revenue per year, plus another $1 million per year to Friends of Hawaii charities.
Sports
Prep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard
Martin Dugard is a prolific author and writer. He’s also an assistant cross-country coach at Santa Margarita after being head coach at JSerra for 15 years.
His newest book is “The Long Run,” which discusses the 1970s running boom and is a narrative history of four who sparked the marathon boom: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Grete Waitz.
He’s going to have a book signing on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 26751 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo.
Don’t be surprised if he tries to run from Rancho Santa Margarita to his book signing.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Stephen A. Smith makes brutal gaffe while talking about the Golden State Warriors
For years, Stephen A. Smith’s many football blunders have been easy enough to explain away.
He’s not an NFL guy (remember when he said the three key players for a game were three guys who weren’t playing in the game?)
Stephen A. Smith falsely claimed the Warriors haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, but Golden State reached the second round in both 2023 and 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
He’s definitely not a college football guy (remember when he called Jalen Milroe Jalen “Milroy” multiple times and then read the wrong stat line after a College Football Playoff game?).
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ESPN forces him into those conversations because First Take has to talk football, and Smith knows that football is the most popular sport in the country and he needs to be seen as an authority (even though he isn’t).
But Monday’s latest mistake is a lot tougher to excuse, because this time Smith wasn’t talking about the NFL or college football. He was talking about the Golden State Warriors, one of the defining NBA dynasties of the last decade.
In other words, he was talking about the sport and the league that’s supposed to be his bread and butter.
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While discussing whether Steve Kerr has coached his last game with Golden State, Smith confidently stated the Warriors “haven’t been back to the playoffs since that championship in 2022.”
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on during a game against the Sacramento Kings. (Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)
That’s not even close to true. Not only did Golden State make the playoffs last season, but they also reached the postseason in 2023. Last year, the Warriors made the playoffs, beat the Rockets in seven games and advanced to the second round before losing to the Timberwolves. In 2023, they beat the Sacramento Kings in the first round and before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
So, Smith wouldn’t even have been right if he said they haven’t won a playoff series since 2022. But he didn’t say that. He said they didn’t make the playoffs in any of the past four years, except they did it twice.
Yikes.
This is not an obscure piece of NBA trivia that Smith could be easily forgiven for not knowing. Perhaps he was too busy playing solitaire on his phone and just missed two of the past three NBA postseasons. That’s a tough look for the guy who fancies himself as the No. 1 NBA analyst in the country.
And it’s a terrible look for ESPN, as they keep selling Smith as one of the faces of their NBA coverage.
Stephen A. Smith made a brutal gaffe while talking Warriors playoff history
If Smith made this kind of mistake while talking about the NFL, nobody would be shocked. At this point, sports fans practically expect him to butcher football analysis. It’s almost endearing that a guy with the ego of Smith can be so consistently wrong while also delivering every “fact” with the utmost confidence. It’s part of the Stephen A. experience.
But this one hits differently because the NBA is where he’s supposed to at least know the basics. This is where Smith prides himself as being an authority figure.
Stephen A. Smith incorrectly stated the Golden State Warriors haven’t made the playoffs since their 2022 championship, despite the team reaching the postseason twice since then. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
And yet he couldn’t keep the recent playoff history of the Warriors straight. The team whose head coach is in the news every other week. The team that has won four championships since 2014. Arguably one of the most important franchises in the NBA over the past 15 years.
Yes, Golden State missed the playoffs in 2024 after getting bounced in the Play-In Tournament (although they won 46 games that season). And yes, it fell short again this season. But that’s a lot different from acting like Steve Kerr has spent four years wandering the basketball wilderness since winning that 2022 title.
He hasn’t. In fact, the team is 175-153 in the past four regular seasons.
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The Warriors made the second round in 2023. They made the second round again in 2025.
Before burying Steve Kerr on national television, maybe Stephen A. Smith could take 10 seconds to confirm whether the Warriors were actually, you know, in the playoffs.
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