The Houston Texans fired coach Lovie Smith on Sunday night, hours after the team finished 3-13-1 in his first season.

"We are grateful for [Smith's] leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward," chairman and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. "While we understand the results have not been what we had hoped for, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success. Our fans and city deserve a team that they can be proud of."

The Texans now have fired back-to-back coaches after just one year, having ousted David Culley last January. Smith was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach on Culley's staff in 2021, and was elevated to head coach on Feb. 7.

"I'm constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time," general manager Nick Caserio said in a statement. "It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time. We aren't there right now, however, with the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I'm confident in the direction of our football program moving forward."

McNair said he will work with Caserio to "find the right leader for our football team."

The Texans finished their season with a win, beating the Indianapolis Colts 32-31 earlier Sunday, and had played competitively in four of their last five games.

"We understand the totality of the season on what's going on," Smith said after the win over the Colts. "Do I expect to be back? Yes, I expect to be back."

Culley and Smith were the only Black coaches in the franchise's history, and now Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins), Robert Saleh (New York Jets) and Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders) remain as the only head coaches of color.

The Texans' season opened with a 20-20 tie against the Colts in overtime after they blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, where Smith played for the tie in overtime to avoid a loss.

The Texans were competitive in games in the first half of the season, but fourth-quarter struggles continued to be a theme. The Texans failed to score a point in four out of the first six games in the fourth quarter.

And despite Smith coming over from the defensive side of the ball, the Texans ranked last in rush yards allowed after being second-to-last in 2021.

With the Texans' win Sunday along with the Chicago Bears' loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Texans earned the No. 2 overall pick and the Bears clinched the No. 1 overall pick for the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston now heads into 2023 on the hunt for its fourth head coach since 2020.

Former coach and GM Bill O'Brien was fired after starting 0-4 to begin the 2020 season after completing six full seasons (Romeo Crennel took over and went 4-8 for the rest of the year). Then the Texans hired Caserio as their new GM in 2021, who hired Culley. Culley went 4-13 in 2021 and was fired after one season.

The last team to have four different head coaches in consecutive seasons was the San Francisco 49ers, who had Jim Harbaugh in 2014, Jim Tomsula in 2015, Chip Kelly in 2016 and Kyle Shanahan in 2017.

WASHINGTON -- Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson made their season debuts and the Washington Capitals blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 on Sunday night.

It marked the first time Backstrom and Wilson took the ice at Capital One Arena since the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs in May. Both underwent major procedures in the offseason -- Backstrom had hip resurfacing surgery and Wilson had ACL surgery.

"You can't ever take it for granted, playing in the NHL, the fans, and the roar when Nick and I came out," Wilson said, summing up the day. "It's a pretty special feeling."

Following nearly eight months of rehabilitation, both were cleared to make their long-awaited returns and were integrated quickly into the top six. Backstrom slotted in as the first-line center between Alex Ovechkin and Conor Sheary while Wilson played on the second-line right wing with Dylan Strome and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Both also got time on the power play, with Backstrom running the half-wall on the top unit and Wilson getting a look on the second unit.

"It meant the world," said Backstrom, who skated on 18 shifts with 14:03 time on the ice. "Obviously, I missed this. Without knowing what my future is going to hold, it feels great."

Wilson was among many who lauded Backstrom's battle back.

"[Backstrom] has that demeanor that makes everyone around him better," Wilson said. "He's a guy that everyone around the room wants to play well for. He gets that buy-in from his teammates."

Darcy Kuemper continued his strong play between the pipes as he made 37 saves and held off the swarming Blue Jackets for his second shutout in five games. Kuemper's four shutouts lead the NHL this season.

Wilson finished with 14:10 time on the ice across 17 shifts, even turning down a fight -- a key element to his game -- during his return.

"You put in the work, everyone tells you that you're good to go, but it's different testing that at the NHL level," Wilson said. "I'm happy to get that one out of the way. It felt a little better than I thought, but it's definitely overwhelming when you get out there."

Despite the Capitals getting two of their stars back in the mix, the ice wasn't exactly tilted in their favor, as Columbus, coming off a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, dominated in shots on goal and limited Washington's chances at 5-on-5 and on the man advantage. However, Erik Gustafsson's goal just 2:43 minutes into the game secured the win for the Capitals.

Elvis Merzlikins made 18 saves for Columbus, who have dropped 10 of the past 12 games.

Washington's Anthony Mantha was a healthy scratch for the first time in his Capitals tenure, as he and Nicolas Aube-Kubel sat out with Backstrom and Wilson returning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Collin Morikawa joined the wrong kind of company on Sunday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Morikawa went to sleep Saturday night in Hawaii leading by six shots, an advantage that seemed all but safe considering only eight players in PGA Tour history had led by six after 54 holes and ended up not winning the tournament.

But Morikawa bogeyed three straight holes on the back nine at Kapalua, and Jon Rahm sped past him with a final-round, 10-under 63 to win by two shots. Morikawa birdied the last to shoot 72.

Here is the updated list of players who shared the record for biggest 54-hole lead lost on the PGA Tour:

• Collin Morikawa, 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions (72)
• Scottie Scheffler, 2022 Tour Championship (73*)
• Dustin Johnson, 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions (closed in 77)
• Spencer Levin, 2012 WM Phoenix Open (75)
• Sergio Garcia, 2005 Wachovia Championship (72)
• Greg Norman, 1996 Masters (78)
• Hal Sutton, 1983 Anheuser-Busch Classic (77)
• Gay Brewer, 1969 Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic (73)
• Bobby Cruickshank, 1928 Florida Open (80)

*Not listed in official record book because of the event's staggered-start format

The Sentry Tournament of Champions is the first designated event on the PGA Tour calendar and, with such a designation, it offered a huge purse. There was $15 million on offer to the field of 39 players, with the winner collecting $2.7 million.

That champ was Jon Rahm.

Rahm rallied from seven shots down to Collin Morikawa to claim his eighth PGA Tour title. Here are the full purse and FedExCup breakdowns for Rahm, Morikawa and the rest of the players competing at Kapalua:

KAPALUA, Hawaii — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan described a landscape Sunday of two rival leagues going down different paths, even as the PGA Tour is still trying to formulate plans for a revamped structure in 2024.

“We’re at a point now where it’s product versus product,” Monahan said.

He spoke in a formal setting for the first time since the Tour Championship in August, when he outlined a 2023 schedule of elevated tournaments that average $20 million in prize money.

The PGA Tour began its year at Kapalua for the Sentry Tournament of Champions. LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded league that Greg Norman launched in June, finished its inaugural year with eight tournaments.

LIV Golf does not resume until Feb. 23-26 at Mayakoba Golf Resort in Mexico, which had hosted a PGA Tour event every year since 2007. The prize fund at each LIV event is $25 million, with $5 million directed toward a team competition.

Including bonuses, Dustin Johnson made just over $35.6 million in eight events.

Since the Tour Championship, the PGA Tour suspended six more players — including British Open champion Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann — for signing deals to play with LIV Golf. Smith would have been the defending champion this week at Kapalua.

Outside the ropes, there’s the matter of LIV’s antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, and the Tour's countersuit against LIV. The original lawsuit filed in August is not set for trial until January 2024, with a deadline to file for summary judgment at the end of June.

Monahan said he can only pay attention to what the PGA Tour is doing.

“We have our schedule. We’ve laid it out, and we’re going to keep getting better and better and better,” Monahan said. “They have theirs. And we’re going to continue to be the most pro-competitive, aspirational tour in men’s professional golf.

“What they have is very different from what we have,” he said. “We’re going down our path, and they’re going down theirs.”

LIV Golf is known for its 54-hole events with no cuts and a shotgun start, combining individual scores with 12 four-man teams. The circuit is still awaiting word on whether it will receive points from the Official World Golf Ranking.

Outside of the challenge from LIV Golf, the Tour is working on a restructured schedule that players hope will have some staying power of a decade or longer. Key players have referred to this year as a bridge to 2024.

The main idea is to bring the best players together more often and to give fans a better sense of knowing who is playing and where. LIV Golf, for example, requires its players to be in all 14 events on its schedule, whenever that is completed.

There also is a push for smaller fields. The Sentry Tournament of Champions is the first of five events this year without a cut. The other is the Match Play in Texas, which could be on its last leg, and the three FedExCup postseason events.

Even if the elevated events in 2024 have limited fields, Monahan said he felt it was important that there still be a cut.

“I’ve always felt a cut is important to the sport,” he said. “Depending where we end up in the field, that’s absolutely a consideration.”

Monahan said he expects to announce a fall schedule as early as March during The Players Championship. It will be a chance for some players to secure their status for 2024, and he expects even the top players might want to compete.

Here's a look at the equipment Jon Rahm used to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions for his eighth-career PGA Tour victory.

DRIVER: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (16 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 85 ATX shaft, (18 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD SI-8 shaft

IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with Project X 6.5 shafts

WEDGES: Callaway JAWS Raw (52, 56, 60 degrees), with Project X 6.5 shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S

BALL: Callaway Chrome Soft X

KAPALUA, Hawaii – Jon Rahm began the bold new year on the PGA Tour by coming from seven shots behind to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Sunday with plenty of help from Collin Morikawa, who had a spectacular wipeout even by Maui standards.

Rahm was six shots behind on the 13th hole at Kapalua when he ran off three straight birdies and a 12-foot eagle putt, and his final birdie gave him a 10-under 63.

Morikawa was two groups behind him. He had gone bogey-free over 67 holes on the Plantation Course when it all fell apart with his wedges and his putter, the two areas that had carried him to a six-shot lead at the start of the day.

From 25 yards short of the 14th green, he blasted out of a bunker and over the green. He muffed a wedge from a tight lie with the grain of grass into him on the par-5 15th. His wedge to the 16th didn’t go far enough and rolled some 60 feet back into the fairway.

Morikawa looked to be in a state of shock as he walked down the 17th fairway, leading by as many as seven shots during the final round and suddenly finding himself two shots behind and running out of hope.

“It’s going to hurt, but I’ve got to get over it because we’re still in the very early parts of the season,” Morikawa said.

He wound up tying a PGA Tour record for losing the largest 54-hole lead at six shots. Eight other players have done that, most recently Scottie Scheffler at the Tour Championship last year. That event has a staggered start to par based on FedExCup standings. For regular stroke play, the last occasion was Dustin Johnson in 2017 at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Rahm finished at 27-under 265 to win by two shots over Morikawa, who birdied the 18th hole – his first birdie since No. 6 – to close with a 72.

It was the second such collapse by Morikawa in a little more than a year. He closed out 2021 at the Hero World Challenge and had a five-shot lead with a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a victory. He shot 76 and finished fifth.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler had a chance to return to No. 1 this week if he finished in a two-way tie for third or better. He had to settle for a 70 and tied for seventh.

It was a small measure of redemption for Rahm, who last year finished at 33 under par at Kapalua which was a PGA Tour record for that lasted only a few seconds. Cameron Smith finished at 34 under to win by one.

Rahm now is 60 under in his last two appearances at Kapalua. The victory was his eighth on the PGA Tour and 17th worldwide, and assure he will be back on Maui to start 2024.

Rahm now has won three times in his last six starts worldwide – he won in Spain and Dubai late last year – and he goes home with $4.2 million.

This is one he didn’t see coming – not after starting the final round seven shots behind, and then making bogey on his first hole. But he found his rhythm on the 12th hole, and when he stood over the eagle putt on the 15th, he knew he was back in the game.

“Fifteen is when it truly became a reality,” Rahm said.

Morikawa opened with three birdies in six holes and appeared to be sailing toward his first win since the DP World Tour Championship in November 2021. But the putts stopped falling – birdie chances from 7 feet on No. 9, from 12 feet on the par-3 11th, from 12 feet on the 13th hole.

That didn’t seem like it would matter, until it did.

Morikawa still was in decent shape after Rahm caught him with the eagle on 15. Morikawa had two par 5s in front of him. But on the 15th, his 5-wood leaked enough to the right that it bounded down the steep slope, leaving one of the tougher chips on the Plantation Course.

He knew it was short as it was in the air, and all he could do was watch it roll back down the hill. The next chip was to 8 feet, and that par putt hung on the lip.

“Practiced that chip a bunch, too, and obviously not enough,” Morikawa said.

Rahm missed a good birdie chance on the 16th, and then got up-and-down from just off the green at the par-5 18th for a birdie that all but clinched it.

He won $2.7 million from the $15 million purse at Kapalua, the first of the “designated” events on the PGA Tour schedule. He also gets 25% of his Player Impact Program bonus money – he finished No. 5 in the PIP for $6 million.

The Spaniard now has won in each of his seven full years on the PGA Tour.

Tom Hoge had a 64 and tied for third with Max Homa (66). Hoge headed for the airport to go to Los Angeles to watch his school, TCU, playing for the national championship against Georgia. Hoge then will go back to Hawaii for the Sony Open.

Another weekend of European football is in the books and, once again, there is drama everywhere you look. Minnows Wrexham and Stevenage have waltzed their way past Premier League opposition and into the fourth round of the FA Cup, while Barcelona took an almighty step ahead of Real Madrid in the LaLiga title race.

ESPN correspondents Julien Laurens, James Tyler, Rob Dawson, Alex Kirkland and Sam Marsden break down the big stuff you need to know about the weekend.

Jump to: Talking points | Best goals | Teams in trouble | MVP of the Weekend

Talking points

Magic of the Cup is alive and well

The first weekend of January is traditionally reserved for the FA Cup third round, and part of that tradition is the "cupset," whereby a lower-league or non-league team catches a better-resourced club off guard and steals a memorable win. It's a tale as old as time, and this weekend yielded several wonderful results to tell your grandchildren about many years from now.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

First up, Wrexham. Yes, they're an actual team and not just a documentary series, and this weekend saw the Welsh side shock Coventry City 4-3 away from home in front of a raucous crowd. Having surged to a 4-1 lead midway through the second half with a Paul Mullin penalty, they rode their luck as Coventry scored twice in seven minutes to force a nervous final 15 minutes.

Sheffield Wednesday (third-tier) stunned Newcastle United (Premier League) 2-1, League Two's Stevenage scored twice in the dying embers of their match to send Aston Villa packing, non-league Boreham Wood forced a replay with League One's Accrington Stanley following a 1-1 draw, and West Bromwich Albion (flying high in the Championship) needed a 90th-minute goal to get a 3-3 draw (and replay) against non-league Chesterfield. While not many of the biggest teams fell in the third round, the results still brought a mixture of joy and eyebrow-raising all the same. It's a weekend like no other. -- Tyler

City's squad goes deep this season

Pep Guardiola has usually chosen to work with a relatively small group of players (albeit very good ones) during his time at Manchester City, but this season he's benefitting from a larger squad. Against Chelsea on Sunday, he was able to leave Ederson, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne on the bench and still comfortably win 4-0, and it's a good sign ahead of a busy second half of the season.

- Ogden: Chelsea fans fed up as Potter's side fails to compete

In the past, a couple of injuries have derailed City's attempts to win an unprecedented quadruple, but there's more strength in depth now and it makes winning four trophies a genuine possibility. Guardiola won't talk about it this early, but, sitting second in the Premier League and progressing in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League, he's never been in a better position to achieve something never seen before in English football.

During the 2019-20 season, injuries forced Guardiola to field midfielder Fernandinho at centre-back for much of the campaign. Since the World Cup, Guardiola has been without Ruben Dias, but it's barely been noticed because he can call on John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake. There's a long way to go, but City have the options to do something special this season. -- Dawson

Juventus' revival is mind-blowing

It is certainly the most unexpected U-turn in European football this season. Juventus are back from the dead, and manager Max Allegri is once again proving his tactical nous. With an eighth league win in a row against Udinese on Saturday (1-0) and an eighth clean sheet in a row too, Juve are turning their season around like never seen before.

From heavy criticism and bad results domestically and in the Champions League, the Bianconeri are an unstoppable, winning machine again -- just like the good old days.

Even the injuries they have are not slowing them down. Even the average performances they put in at times are not hindering their winning streak. They are solid and don't concede goals despite giving the opposition chances.

When will it stop? Away at Napoli on Friday night? Potentially, but they could also do a big defensive job there and have Enrico Chiesa, Filip Kostic and Adrien Rabiot hit the Serie A leaders in transition. The week after they host Atalanta, which could be tricky too. But, for now, no one will be too optimistic facing Juve in their current form. -- Laurens

The @federicochiesa assist, the @2DaniLuiz later winner, the joy of the @juventusfcen fans ⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/SXGcrLSoVy

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) January 8, 2023

Barca capitalise on Madrid's slip

The LaLiga pendulum swung Barcelona's way as they beat Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid lost at Villarreal to leave Xavi Hernandez's side three points clear at the top of the table after 16 games.

Carlo Ancelotti named a Madrid side without any Spanish players for the first time in the club's history and then proceeded to watch as his side were taken apart by former Barca coach Quique Setien's Villarreal.

- Marsden: Barcelona nab pivotal win in LaLiga title race

Back at El Madrigal following renovation work, Villarreal were roared on by a vocal home support and were good money for their 2-1 win, with Yeremy Pino and Gerard Moreno's penalty sandwiching Karim Benzema's spot kick.

It set up an intriguing encounter in Madrid on Sunday. Barca had the chance to move three clear again, having slipped up last weekend against Espanyol, while Atletico, with a win, could gained a sliver of hope in the title race by moving to within eight points of Madrid and Barca.

It was Barca who took advantage of Madrid's defeat, though, with Ousmane Dembele scoring the game's only goal in the absence of the suspended Robert Lewandowski. Atleti were good value for a draw but could not take their chances, despite having doubling Barca's shot count. Jose Maria Gimenez shaved the post and Antoine Griezmann, against his former side, was denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen and then, deep in stoppage time, by a goal-line clearance from Ronald Araujo -- Marsden

Barcelona go three points clear of Real Madrid after a massive win against Atleti ? pic.twitter.com/zAU42ytbQm

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 8, 2023

Goals

A word about Darwin Nunez

The internet has had good fun with the new Liverpool striker this season, howling with joy on Twitter with every glaring miss, baffling decision on the ball or thundering shot that's narrowly wide. And yet, the Uruguay international hasn't shown signs of losing any confidence, and with nine goals in 22 appearances (all competitions) this season, he's still doing what's expected.

However, Saturday's goal was so unexpected given both its simplicity -- Trent Alexander-Arnold long ball, Nunez volley, goal -- and its difficulty level. Not only was Alexander-Arnold's delivery absolutely inch-perfect from such range, but the casual manner in which Nunez's outstretched leg just guided the ball beyond Wolverhampton Wanderers keeper Matija Sarkic was equally impossible. However, the 2-2 draw -- and after Wolves had a winner disallowed for offside -- meant the strike loses a little bit of luster. -- Tyler

DARWIN NUNEZ VOLLEY ON THE RUN ?

What a ball from Trent ? pic.twitter.com/M2zJnGw863

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 7, 2023

Touching tribute from Henrique

Luiz Henrique's winning goal at Rayo Vallecano not only moved Real Betis into the Champions League places in LaLiga, it was also an extremely emotional moment for the young Brazilian, whose father passed away at the end of December. It was also a brilliant individual effort.

Henrique is by the centre circle when he picks the ball up, producing a fine piece of skill to skip past his marker before driving into the box. Once there, he feints onto his right foot and buries the ball in the bottom corner.

After scoring, the ex-Fluminense forward sank to his knees and pointed to the sky. That one was for dad. -- Marsden

HIGHLIGHTS: #RayoRealBetis 1-2

? @RealBetis_en sneak a victory past Rayo Vallecano on away turf...#LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/2UKNqDVPeY

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) January 8, 2023

This is Ten Hag-ball

Antony's goal for Manchester United against Everton on Friday wasn't spectacular, but it did showcase everything that Erik ten Hag is trying to do at Old Trafford.

Moving the ball forward quickly, Marcus Rashford in the type of form that scares defenders and a simple finish for the Brazilian winger. For too long United have looked like a team without a plan, but under Ten Hag it's very clear. -- Dawson

ANTONY WASTING NO TIME FOR UNITED ⚡ pic.twitter.com/ypBPwt4wwb

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 6, 2023

Teams in trouble

Nice's season goes from bad to worse after Cup humiliation

The last thing Nice needed in this very complicated and disappointing season was another bad moment. And guess what they got this weekend? An embarrassing exit from the French Cup in their first round against a team third from bottom in the third division.

It was a proper cupset that Le Puy inflicted on Lucien Favre and his team: a 1-0 smash-and-grab win at home.

Nice are supposed to be a top team in Ligue 1 but, at the moment, they are everything but that. They are a shambles of a team owned by one of the richest men in the Europe.

They are 12th in the league, miles away from their ambition and objective at the start of the campaign. They are not playing well and some players, like striker Andy Delort, are not happy and want out. It's a catastrophic situation. -- Laurens

Espanyol have a relegation battle on their hands

Espanyol slipped to second bottom of LaLiga with a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Girona on Saturday. Diego Martinez's side had returned from the World Cup in good form, drawing with Barcelona and beating Celta Vigo to advance to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.

They had come from behind to lead Girona 2-1 at the RCDE Stadium with a stellar second-half showing led by striker Joselu, who netted his 10th goal of the season in all competitions. However, that good work was ruined when Yangel Herrera, the on-loan Man City midfielder who spent last season at Espanyol, headed in a late equaliser.

Espanyol look too good to go down. They have a good source of goals in Joselu, and Martinez is a highly rated coach, but just two wins in 16 league games is not good. They will look positively at the fact they have drawn eight matches -- they are never far away in games -- but a relegation battle is now very much on the cards. -- Marsden

Weekend MVP

Moreno in fine form in Villarreal's big win over Madrid

You could make a compelling case for several candidates from Villarreal's 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Saturday -- Raul Albiol's imperious showing at the back and Dani Parejo's midfield dominance made them both strong contenders -- but it's hard to argue with Moreno's contribution in attack.

Yes, he came away with a goal and an assist, playing the pass for Yeremy Pino's 47th-minute opener and converting the penalty that gave Villarreal all three points, but his all-round performance was so much more than that, tormenting Madrid's defence with his quick, clever touches and intelligent movement. Moreno missed much of the season so far -- and the World Cup -- through injury, and it's good to have him back. -- Kirkland