Sports
Vikings’ JJ McCarthy tallies 3 touchdowns, buries Cowboys’ playoff chances
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The Minnesota Vikings may be eliminated from the playoffs, but the Dallas Cowboys technically weren’t heading into their Sunday night matchup at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys’ chances are now at rock bottom after falling to the Vikings, 34-26, on Sunday night.
The Vikings are now 6-8 on the season, while the Cowboys fell to 6-7-1. And though they’re not technically eliminated, the Cowboys’ playoff chances are hanging by a thread now.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
It was an inauspicious start for the Vikings in this contest, as J.J. McCarthy very first pass attempt was an interception, as it was tipped at the line by a blitzing Donovan Wilson and Quinnen Williams looked up and hauled it in.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense had tremendous field position for their opening drive, and though it took 11 plays to go 35 yards, Javonte Williams was able to nail it into the end zone for the 7-0 lead.
It also wouldn’t have happened without a fake field goal, as Brandon Aubrey, one of the most trusted legs in the NFL, ran for a first down on fourth-and-4 from the Minnesota 29-yard line. However, Aubrey would come up in a not so good way later in this game.
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The Vikings were finally able to get something going after the field was flipped on their third drive when Aaron Jones was pushed out of bounds on an 18-yard reception, and the Cowboys were called for a horse collar tackle, tacking on 15 yards. On the very next play, McCarthy fired a touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor — his first of two scores in this one — to tie the game at seven apiece.
The second quarter brought about a wave of offense on both sides, as Dallas responded with Malik Davis rushing one in from a yard out, while McCarthy capped a 75-yard drive with a perfectly executed fake handoff on Dallas’ one-yard line for a walk-in touchdown.
On the ensuing drive, Aubrey, who again has one of the most reliable legs in the game, missed just his third field goal attempt of the year, this one from 51 yards out. After Will Reichard nailed one, Aubrey had some redemption before halftime, as both teams tallied 17 points.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks to throw during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
In the second half, the Cowboys ended up with a 23-17 lead thanks to two more Aubrey field goals, but seven points is what they were hoping for. McCarthy helped make it happen with a big pass to Nailor to set up the Vikings in the red zone.
After Justin Jefferson, who struggled in this one despite the targets, not hauling in a touchdown pass, C.J. Ham buried a one-yard touchdown to make it 24-23 after the extra point.
Prescott tried to match his second-year counterpart, but the Cowboys stalled on Minnesota’s 41-yard line. At 59 yards out, it’s well within Aubrey’s range, but he missed yet again. All four of his field goal misses this season have been from 50 yards and beyond.
Now, with the ball near midfield, the Vikings had a chance to further their lead and they got just what they needed. On 1st-and-goal from the Dallas four-yard line, McCarthy found Nailor again and he celebrated as the Vikings went up 31-23.
The Cowboys would turn the ball over on downs on the ensuing drive, and the Vikings saw Aaron Jones pick up multiple first downs to not only keep the clock running, but force Dallas to use all their timeouts.
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In the box score, McCarthy was 15-of-24 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, as Jordan Addison’s 58-yard catch was among some of his great throws.
For the Cowboys, Prescott was 23-of-38 for 294 yards, though he never threw a touchdown pass. CeeDee Lamb led all receivers in this game with 111 yards on six catches, but George Pickens was kept quiet for the second straight game. He had just three catches for 33 yards.
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The Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever’s opening game is only days away from tipping off and the superstar WNBA player received a message from LeBron James.
The Lakers star hyped up Clark after she posted a message on Instagram, “Year 3!!! See you all soon.”
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark stands on the court before the game against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
“LFG!!!!!!!!” James in the comments section of the post.
James appeared to be a big fan of Clark as he posted about the Fever sharpshooter before the beginning of her second season in the WNBA.
“Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!”
Year 2 didn’t exactly work out for Clark. She started off the season hot, finishing in double figures in scoring in eight straight games before she was held to just six points in 31 minutes against the Seattle Storm.
Clark reached at least 12 points in the final three games she appeared in. On July 15, Clark suffered a hamstring injury before the All-Star break and she wouldn’t return to the floor for the rest of the year.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete during an inbounds play in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
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She said last month she was “100% healthy” going into the 2026 season.
“I’m a person that doesn’t want to sit out a single rep, like I want to be in there every single time,” Clark told reporters in April. “But I think just being a little bit smarter with my body…whether that’s recovery, whether that’s pre-court treatment, whatever it is.”
She proved it as much so far during the preseason.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball in the second half against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
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The Fever will begin the season on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.
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The most likely NBA Finals matchup this season? The defending champs and a team that hasn’t seen the Finals in nearly three decades.
Let’s check out the odds for which squads will advance to the NBA Finals as of May 5 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
NBA Eastern Conference winner
Knicks: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Pistons: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Cavaliers: +340 (bet $10 to win $44 total)
76ers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)
NBA Western Conference winner
Thunder: -260 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Spurs: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Wolves: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:
Finals Favorites: The Thunder won it all last season, and the season before that, the Celtics reached the top of the mountain. So, entering the postseason, the two squads were favored to meet in a seven-game series with the title on the line, meaning one of the two franchises could have been approaching dynasty territory if the odds had rung true. However, the Celtics suffered a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of the Sixers, despite leading the series 3-1. Now, Boston is at home, while the Thunder will face the Lakers after sweeping the Suns in Round 1. The new favorite to come out the East? The New York Knicks, who haven’t been to the Finals since falling 4-1 to San Antonio at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. N.Y. beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and is up 1-0 on Philly in the second round.
The Challengers: The Spurs are next in the mix from the West. Keep in mind, San Antonio and OKC faced off five times this season, and the Spurs won four of those matchups, including the first three. In terms of the East, after New York, things are up in the air, with the Pistons, Cavs and Sixers all in the mix. Detroit, after being one of three teams to win 60 games in the regular season and the only East team to accomplish the feat, has not been getting much respect on the oddsboards, including this one. However, it could have something to do with the Pistons trailing 3-1 to Orlando in the first round, and having to overcome a 60-38 halftime deficit in Game 6 in order to force a Game 7, which they ultimately won.
KARACHI:
Clear your dues or face termination of contracts” the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched a recovery campaign against defaulters. Notices have been issued to all concerned parties, directing them to make payments within the stipulated deadline.
According to details, the 11th edition of the PSL has now concluded, and the PCB had already begun its recovery drive during the tournament. Sources revealed that billions of rupees are currently outstanding from various stakeholders. After repeated reminders failed, officials adopted a stricter stance.
Recently, notices were sent to several entities, including early PSL franchises, clearly stating that contracts would be terminated if payments were not made by April 29. Following this, several franchises cleared their full dues.
When officials were questioned about the unpaid PKR 400 million owed to each franchise, they responded that payment of franchise fees is mandatory under the agreement. They added:
“How can we pay you until we receive payments from other stakeholders?”
In the past, the practice was that after partial payment of fees, the remaining amount would be adjusted from the central revenue pool. However, a different approach has been adopted this time.
For the 10th PSL edition, each franchise was supposed to receive PKR 975 million (97.5 crore) as its share. However, a key stakeholder owes the PCB PKR 4.7 billion, a major portion of which is related to the PSL. This stakeholder has been avoiding payment, citing financial losses, preventing the finalization of accounts.
Due to this issue, the PCB did not allow two TV channels to participate in bidding for the current edition’s media rights. However, surprisingly, the new company that acquired the broadcasting rights permitted those same channels to air the matches.
Learning from past experience, the PCB has now secured a bank guarantee from the new media rights holder, which can be cashed in case of non-payment.
Meanwhile, sources stated that both new teams and the new owner of Multan Sultans had already paid their full franchise fees in advance. Since this is their first year, they are not entitled to any share from previous central revenue pools.
Owners who purchased teams at high prices had already been assured a minimum of PKR 850 million (85 crore) annually from the central pool for the first five years. However, the final amount will only be determined once the accounts are fully settled.
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