Catches don't get much better than this. With 9:58 left in the third quarter of Sunday's game between the Commanders and Denver Broncos, Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota looked to receiver Treylon Burks in the back right corner of the end zone.
Broncos cornerback Riley Moss had blanket coverage. It didn't matter. Burks reached up with his right hand and plucked the ball from midair. He pulled it into his body with that right hand and maintained possession as he fell backward to the turf with Moss on top of him.
Touchdown, Commanders, on one of the best catches that you'll see in this or any NFL season. It was Burks' lone catch of the game, whichended in a 27-26 overtime victory for the Broncos.
Though, as sensational as the reception was, it certainly wasn't one of a kind.
On Nov. 23, 2014, Odell Beckham Jr. shocked the football world with a one-handed, 43-yard touchdown grab from Eli Manning, the likes of which fans had never seen. That catch — also in prime time on "Sunday Night Football" — has lived on as one of the great highlights in NFL history.
November 23, 2014: The Catch.@objpic.twitter.com/IXtAfUuMxv
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips)November 23, 2020
Ten years and one week after his own sensational grab, Beckham chimed in on social media Sunday night with approval for Burks, who just so happens to share his No. 13 jersey.
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj)December 1, 2025
Thanks to improved skill, inspiration from Beckham andthe aid of advanced grip-enhancing glove technology, players have since made similar, if not-quite-as-spectacular catches as Beckham's.
Few, if any, were better than Burks' on Sunday night.
The Denver Broncos don't always make it easy on themselves, but far more often than not this season, they've won. That can't be said about plenty of teams that have been touted as Super Bowl contenders this season.
Sunday night's Broncos game wasn't unlike many of Denver's previous 11 contests. The defense was good. The offense had some good drives and then disappeared for a few at a time. The running game never got in a rhythm. Bo Nix made some great passes and some alarming ones. And when time was up, they were shaking hands at midfield as a winner.
The Broncos moved closer to winning their first AFC West championship since 2015, but it wasn't easy against the Washington Commanders. After Denver's offense couldn't put the game away in the fourth quarter, but after Washington tied it in end regulation, the Broncos had a quick scoring drive that ended with a touchdown run by rookie R.J. Harvey. The defense gave up a touchdown after that, but stopped a 2-point conversion when Washington went for the win, when Nik Bonitto knocked down a pass that was likely going to be a score. Denver escaped with a 27-26 overtime win.
DENVER WINS NINE IN A ROW! 🤯pic.twitter.com/4GeC32uSbC
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC)December 1, 2025
Other teams might look prettier this season. But there are only two teams remaining this season with only two losses. Denver (10-2) won't apologize for that. You can still win in the NFL by playing stellar defense and grinding out close games.
Denver gets a challenge
Many of the top teams in the NFL heading into Week 13 took on bad losses. It was clear early in Sunday night's game that the Broncos were going to be in a tight game despite taking on an opponent who is well out of theplayoff picture.
The Broncos settled for two short field goals to start the scoring, then Washington got the first touchdown on an 8-yard Chris Rodriguez Jr. run right through the middle. The Broncos led 13-7, scoring a touchdown on a great pass from Nix to Courtland Sutton. On the the play, Nix delivered a fantastic pass right before his leg hit the ground, but that lead didn't last long.
Treylon Burks, the former first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans famously drafted with the selection the Titans got in the A.J. Brown trade, made one of the catches of the year. In the corner of the end zone, with Broncos cornerback Riley Moss all over him, Burks hauled in a touchdown with one hand, drawing immediate comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr.'s famous one-handed catch when he was with the Giants.
TREYLON BURKS CAUGHT THIS 🤯(via@NFL)pic.twitter.com/cJevNUuNRA
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)December 1, 2025
OBJ showed love for Treylon Burks WILD one-handed TD 🙌pic.twitter.com/3hOADSw4jp
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)December 1, 2025
The Commanders, at 3-8 coming into the game and without quarterback Jayden Daniels, led the Broncos 14-13 after Burks' spectacular play. The Broncos had a 9-2 record coming in, but they didn't look at all dominant for most of the first three quarters. That happened to a lot of the so-called best teams in the NFL this week.
Broncos can't put game away vs. Commanders
The Broncos have a stifling defense and an inconsistent offense, and that leads to plenty of their games being ugly. Denver took a 20-14 lead and it seemed like maybe it could start to lean on Washington at that point and cruise to a comfortable win. That didn't happen.
Nix had a terrible interception in the fourth quarter, seemingly never seeing linebacker Bobby Wagner over the middle and throwing it right into his chest. That immediately gave Washington some life, though the Commanders got only a field goal out of the gift.
The Broncos needed one big drive in the fourth quarter to put the game away and couldn't do it. Their four fourth-quarter drives ended in an interception and three punts. The Broncos put trust in their defense to win the game, but eventually Washington moved the ball. Given three minutes to get a field goal, Mariota made some big passes, including one on fourth-and-6 to keep the game alive, and Jake Moody hit a 32-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to send the game to overtime.
Washington elected to kick off to start overtime — the strategy of how to handle that with the new regular-season overtime rules has been debated, but in this case it gave the Denver defense a much-needed rest — and the Broncos' offense came alive. A 41-yard pass from Nix to Evan Engram set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Harvey. That forced Washington to score a touchdown or the game would end. There were plenty more theatrics to go.
The game seemed to be over on a fourth-down interception, but the game continued on a defensive pass interference penalty on Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga. Denver made absolutely nothing easy on itself Sunday night.
The Broncos caught a break. On a touchdown to Terry McLaurin, rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. was called for holding. Instead of a touchdown, it was third-and-14. But Mariota, who played very well against a good defense, came back and hit Deebo Samuel for 38 yards to the 2-yard line. A run play was stopped for a loss, then Mariota threw two incomplete passes including one to Zach Ertz that he had in his grasp but couldn't haul in. On fourth-and-goal, Mariota hit McLaurin for a touchdown, and Washington went for the 2-point conversion.
Bonitto came up huge to knock down Mariota's pass and Denver had the win.
It wasn't the type of dominating performance you'd expect for a 10-2 team, but it was a win.
Ryan Young
Up Next: Monday Night Football
Week 13 is nearly over. The New England Patriots and New York Giants will wrap things up on Monday night.
Ryan Young
Nix vs. Mariota
Ryan Young
Final: Broncos 27, Commanders 26
The Broncos survived, and have now won nine straight. They sit at 10-2, and are tied atop the AFC standings.
Ryan Young
Broncos get the stop!
The Broncos get the stop! They just swarmed Marcus Mariota in the backfield there and swatted his pass before erupting on the sidelines in celebration. What a win.
Now for a brutal penalty on the Commanders. Marcus Mariota just threw a deep touchdown pass to seemingly tie the game up, but it was waived off due to a holding penalty. Wow.
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Broncos with a late DPI
The Broncos nearly sacked Marcus Mariota on fourth down there, and then came up with the interception to officially clinch their win. But it was all called off after defensive pass interference was called on Talanoa Hufanga.
That's absolutely brutal. The game was over, and now Washington will get a first down.
Ryan Young
Touchdown, Broncos!
RJ Harvey finished the job after Evan Engram's big reception, and the Broncos have struck first in overtime!
The Commanders just rallied out of a third-and-25, and converted on fourth down to keep their drive alive. They're now suddenly in field goal range with about 26 seconds left.
Commanders convert 4th down into field goal range!
The Broncos couldn't convert a first down there, and were completely shut down on third-and-short perfectly. The Commanders will take over now at their own 14 yard line with three minutes to go and a single timeout.
Ryan Young
The Broncos had big sack in the backfield (that should've been tripping) and then a near-miss on a deep pass to Ertz on third down to get Washington off the field right away.
Alex Singleton saves the Broncos defense with a huge PBU!
They'll get the ball back, and can end this thing.
Ryan Young
Commanders have a chance to win it
Washington got the stop, and will now get the ball back with just under 5 minutes to go. If Marcus Mariota is going to pull this upset win off, it'll likely have to be now.
Ryan Young
Well, Washington failed to take advantage. We've got another three-and-out, so the Commanders will have to punt now.
Denver is getting the ball back with about 8:40 left.
Ryan Young
Luvu just came up with a huge sack on third down, and that's a quick three-and-out for the Commanders defense. Exactly what Bo Nix didn't want.
Washington will get the ball back now with 10:12 left.
Ryan Young
Commanders add 3
The drive stalled out right away, but the Commanders added a quick field goal after the Wagner interception.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, in the middle of his 19th season leading the team, has famously never finished with a record under .500.
But on Sunday, during the Steelers' 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh fans were heard chanting for Tomlin to be fired, anyway. The team fell to 6-6 with the listless defeat, threatening both its playoff hopes and Tomlin's non-losing season streak.
"I share their frustration tonight," Tomlin said when he was asked about the chants. "We didn't do enough. That's just the reality of it."
The main culprit for Pittsburgh's loss was its moribund offense, which managed to gain only 166 total yards. It was responsible for only seven points, the same as the Bills' defense, which scored on a fumble return for a touchdown of its own.
The head of the Steelers' attack — or lack of one — is 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, who looked every bit his age Sunday. Rodgers completed only 10 of 21 passes for a 47.6% completion percentage with no touchdowns. He also coughed up the fumble that led to the Bills' defensive score.
The struggles continued a worrisome downward trend for Rodgers.
After having started the season with a 4-1 record, he is only 2-4 in his last six starts. He also missed a game because of a fractured left wrist. Rodgers played with the injury Sunday, wearing a cast on his wrist, though his performance suggested the team may have been better off sitting him another week.
A season after the Steelers faltered down the stretch with Russell Wilson, Rodgers was supposed to be the veteran quarterback who could be a stabilizing force. Instead, in some ways, he has been even worse this season than in his forgettable 2024 campaign with the New York Jets.
Rodgers is averaging 189.6 yards per game passing, by far the lowest mark of his career and the first time he has averaged under 200 yards a game since he became a full-time starter (excluding his four-play 2023 season, which ended with a torn Achilles). His QBR of 40.4 is also on pace to be a career low.
Asked about the poor showing after the game, Rodgers at least partially deflected some of the blame.
"When there's film sessions, everyone shows up. When I check to a route, run the right route," Rodgers said when he was asked how to revive the passing game.
He was defensive of Tomlin, however, saying he wouldn't "go down that road" when he was asked whether coaching played a role in the loss.
"I believe in the coaching staff. I believe in Mike Tomlin," Rodgers said. "That's why I came here. And players need to take accountability, myself included, and I will continue to."
In the meantime, the pressure is turning up in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers started the season 4-1 but have lost five of their last seven games. After having led the AFC North, Pittsburgh has allowed the once 1-5 Baltimore Ravens to catch it in the standings. The loss to Buffalo also dropped the Steelers two games behind the final playoff spot in the conference.
As far as Tomlin's job security goes, there are no reports of any kind of imminent firing. The fans' impatience most likely stretches far beyond only what happened Sunday, however, as the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016, and this year's team has hardly resembled of late one that could break that streak.
Rodgers was supposed to be the quarterback who settled down the franchise. Instead, even as he has avoided any off-field drama this season, he has brought more angst to a team that now desperately needs a strong finish to the season.
Georgiaand Oregon climb into the top four and Texas A&M drops in the penultimate USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-136 of the regular season.
Georgia is up to No. 3 and Oregon to No. 4 after both capped the regular season with rivalry wins. TheBulldogs smothered Georgia Techand theDucksdid the same to Washington.
The Aggies are down two spots to No. 5after losing 27-17 to Texas. TheLonghornsmove up one spot to No. 14 as the highest-ranked three-loss team.
Teams climbing in the rankings include No. 16 Virginia, up three after beating Virginia Tech to clinch a spot in the ACC championship game, and No. 21Arizona, which is up eight spots after winning the Territorial Cup againstArizona State.
The Wildcats' rise gives the Big 12 four teams in the top 25. Ahead of Arizona are No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 11 Brigham Young and No. 15 Utah.
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No. 20 Michigan dropped four spotsafter losing to No. 1 Ohio State. The Big Ten has five teams in the top 20 and three of the top four in theBuckeyes, No. 2 Indiana and Oregon.
There are five Group of Five teams in the top 25, led by No. 17 Tulane and No. 18 North Texas. The two are set to meet this weekend in the American championship game to decide which Group of Five conference winner goes to the College Football Playoff.
Joining theGreen Waveand Mean Green are No. 22 James Madison, No. 23 Navy and No. 25 UNLV.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football Re-Rank: Georgia, Oregon rising in NCAA 1-136
ROME (AP) — Nicola Pietrangeli, the Italian tennis champion of the 1950s and 1960s whose records were only recently broken byJannik Sinner— but remains the winningest Davis Cup player of all time — has died. He was 92.
The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation announced Pietrangeli's passing on Monday, without providing a cause of death. The federation noted that Pietrangeli is the only Italian player who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Rafael Nadal, who was often awarded the Italian Open trophy by Pietrangeli when he won the Rome tournament a record 10 times,posted in Italian on X: "I just heard the sad news about the passing of an Italian and world tennis great. My sincerest condolences to his family, his son Filippo and the entire Italian tennis family. RIP Nicola."
Pietrangeli was the first Italian player to win a Grand Slam trophy, triumphing at the French Open in 1959. He defended that title a year later and his record of two Grand Slam singles titles among Italian players wasn't broken until Sinner won his second straight Australian Open title in 2025 to increase his total to three.
Sinner has now won four majors.
"I won $150 for the 1960 title, which covered two months rent for my home in Rome," Pietrangeli told the Gazzetta dello Sport in 2020.
Pietrangeli was also runner-up at Roland Garros in 1961 and 1964, losing both finals to Spanish player Manuel Santana. He won the doubles title in Paris in 1959 with Orlando Sirola.
"In 1964 Santana and I made a bet whereby the loser would pay for dinner," Pietrangeli said. "I honored the agreement and 10 of us went out that night, including our wives, and Manolo invited (Spanish soccer player) Luisito Suárez," Pietrangeli said. "I spent my entire earnings from the tournament to cover the evening."
Pietrangeli also reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1960 and the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 1957.
"Nicola Pietrangeli was not only the first to teach us what it really meant to win, on and off the court. He was the starting point for everything that our tennis (movement) has become," said Italian federation president Angelo Binaghi.
Davis Cup records
In Davis Cup, Pietrangeli holds the record for most total wins and most singles wins, having played 164 matches for Italy in 66 ties. His singles record was 78-32 and his doubles record was 42-12. He also formed half of the most successful Davis Cup doubles partnership with Sirola, the pair winning 34 of their 42 matches together.
As a player, Pietrangeli led Italy to the Davis Cup final twice, losing both times away to an Australia team featuring Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.
Pietrangeli finally raised the Davis Cup trophy as captain in 1976, when he coached Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti, Paolo Bertolucci and Antonio Zugarelli to the title with a win over Chile played amid the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
There were calls for Italy not to travel to Chile but Pietrangeli pushed for the Azzurri to go.
"That was really my biggest contribution for that final," Pietrangeli said. "Without me, Italy would have not traveled to that final and we wouldn't have won."
Italy didn't win the Davis Cup again until Sinner led the Azzurri to the title in 2023 and 2024; and then Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli led Italy to a third straight Davis Cup — and first on home soil —in Bologna last month.
Stadio Pietrangeli
After his playing and coaching career was finished, Pietrangeli became a sort of "godfather" for Italian tennis. He was a fixture in the front row at the Foro Italico for the Italian Open, a tournament he won in 1957 and 1961 — beating Laver in the latter final.
In 2006, the statue-lined Pallacorda court at the Foro Italico — considered one of the most picturesque stadiums on the circuit — was renamed Stadio Pietrangeli. Pietrangeli said he wanted his funeral to be held on the court named after him.
Nicola Chirinsky Pietrangeli was born in Tunis, which was a French colony at the time, to an Italian father and a Russian mother.
