Good morning to everyone but especially to…

THE NFC WEST-CHAMPION SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

We have our first division champion of 2022, and they don’t look like slowing down any time soon.

Behind a dominant defense and another strong outing by Brock Purdy, the 49ers wrapped up the NFC West with a 21-13 win over the Seahawks. Purdy threw for two touchdowns — both to George Kittle — and Christian McCaffrey racked up 138 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Purdy also became only the second quarterback ever to register a passer rating of 115 or better in each of his first two career starts. The other? Aaron Rodgers.

But it wasn’t all Purdy. The Niners defense also stayed hot.

• The defense continued to wreak havoc with three sacks, two forced fumbles and seven passes defended. Nick Bosa had one of the sacks and is up to a league-high 15.5 this season.
• San Francisco extended its winning streak to seven straight, their longest since 2019.
• The 49ers have allowed 17 or fewer points in all seven of those games, their longest in-season streak since 1984.

This is the 49ers’ first NFC West title since 2019, when they made the Super Bowl. The time before that was 2012, when they… also made the Super Bowl.

… AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO CARLOS RODÓN AND THE NEW YORK YANKEES

The New York Yankees didn’t just fill out their starting rotation. They bolstered it… and then some. Carlos Rodón is headed to the Bronx after agreeing to a six-year, $162-million contract. 

Rodón, 30, is coming off career-bests in starts (31) and wins (14) in his lone season with the Giants. He led all of MLB in FIP (2.25) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.0).

• Rodón has accumulated a 2.67 ERA over the last two years, fourth among players who have pitched at least 300 innings over that span. He’s been an All-Star both seasons.
• R.J. Anderson ranked Rodón as the eighth-best free agent in the class and the third-best pitcher behind Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander.
• He was the top available free agent when he signed.

Rodón (and his huge contract) doesn’t come without risks — he struggled with injuries before these last two impressive seasons — but he also has huge upside — just like the Yankees’ rotation as a whole, writes Matt Snyder.

Honorable mentions

And not such a good morning for…

STEPHEN CURRY AND THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

The Warriors didn’t get good news regarding Stephen Curry‘s health. The Golden State superstar will be out for a few weeks due to the shoulder injury he suffered in a loss to the Pacers on Wednesday, according to reports.

The Warriors ruled it a left shoulder subluxation.

• Despite Curry’s individual brilliance, the Warriors are just 14-15 this year, 10th in the Western Conference.
• Golden State outscores opponents by seven points per 100 possessions when Curry is on the court and is outscored by 11.1 points per 100 possessions when he’s not.
• Going by net rating, the Warriors are the best team in the NBA when he plays and the worst team when he doesn’t.

Due to their poor start, GSW’s margin for error — already thin before the injury — has all but disappeared, writes Brad Botkin.

• Botkin: “Jordan Poole is now the only realistic playmaker and he’s going to have to play huge, but that strips the second unit of its lone playmaker. … Curry has been the best fourth-quarter scorer in the league. Who’s going to get buckets down the stretch should the Warriors even find a way to keep some of these games close? Indeed, questions abound. It’s not quite panic time for the Warriors, but it’s getting close. Not much else can go wrong.”

Not so honorable mentions

NFL Week 15 picks: Can the Dolphins bounce back?

Week 15 of the NFL season is upon us, and there are plenty of big matchups. Perhaps the biggest is an AFC East battle between the Dolphins and Bills in Buffalo. Miami’s offensive magic has faded in consecutive losses to the 49ers and Chargers, and getting back on track in snowy Buffalo won’t be easy — though Tua Tagovailoa downplayed the weather’s potential impact.

So, can Miami pull off a surprise and finish the season sweep? Here’s John Breech’s pick:

• Breech: “Since the start of the 2017 season, the Dolphins have played seven games where the kickoff temperature was under 40 degrees and they’ve won exactly ZERO of them… If you combine that with the fact that the Dolphins offense has been in a rut over the past two weeks, the fact that Tyreek Hill is banged up and the fact that Tua Tagovailoa looks like he’s forgotten how to play football, this feels like it all adds up to a Bills blowout win. … The pick: Bills 34-20 over Dolphins.“

As for another huge game that involves an AFC East team, the Jets host the Lions with both teams in the playoff conversation. But they’re going in opposite directions. The Jets have lost three of four. The Lions have won five of six. Here’s Pete Prisco’s take:

You can see all of our experts’ picks here:

Pete Prisco | John Breech | Tyler Sullivan | Jordan Dajani

World Cup final preview: France repeat or Messi magic?

One of the most anticipated World Cup finals ever is just two days away: France goes for the first repeat in 60 years, and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi looks to end his World Cup career by raising one of the few trophies missing on his legendary resume. If you think soccer gets any better than this, think again.

With Messi’s career nearing its end and Kylian Mbappe‘s right in its prime, Sunday is also a passing of the torch of sorts, writes Chuck Booth. As for another superstar, don’t expect to see Karim Benzema return, writes Jonathan Johnson.

Be sure to keep up with all of our World Cup coverage here.

College basketball power rankings, plus previewing a huge weekend

As we near the start of 2023, conference play in college basketball is on the horizon. But before we get there, there’s an absolutely loaded slate of games Saturday:

• No. 14 Indiana at No. 8 Kansas
• No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 15 Gonzaga (on CBS)
• No. 5 Houston at No. 2 Virginia
• North Carolina at No. 23 Ohio State (on CBS) — at Madison Square Garden
• No. 16 UCLA vs. No. 13 Kentucky (on CBS) — at Madison Square Garden
• No. 6 Tennessee at No. 9 Arizona

Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty good, and the nightcap of the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden should be second-to-none. UCLA just battered fellow top-25 team Maryland, and Kentucky will have its hands full. But that’s what makes college basketball great.

A Bruin victory at The Garden will cap a phenomenal week and show they’re right back in the discussion of the nation’s best teams. A Wildcat win could serve as a turning point after an up-and-down season. So sit back and enjoy this weekend, Matt Norlander says.

• Norlander: “Between college hoops, the World Cup final, the start of bowl games and the NFL on Saturday and Sunday, it should be a tremendous weekend of sports television. If you like all four of those sports (and college basketball the most), there’s a chance this could wind up being the best non-March weekend of 2022.“

Be sure to check out Matt’s latest Power Rankings, too.

What we’re watching this weekend

Bowl season gets underway today. Here’s the entire schedule.
Also, here’s the Week 15 NFL schedule.

Friday

Warriors at 76ers, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
 Nuggets at Lakers, 10 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

Croatia vs. Morocco, 10 a.m. on FOX
No. 14 Indiana at No. 8 Kansas, noon on ESPN 2
 No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 15 Gonzaga, 1 p.m. on CBS
No. 5 Houston at No. 2 Virginia, 2 p.m. on ESPN 2
North Carolina at No. 23 Ohio State, 3 p.m. on CBS
No. 16 UCLA vs. No. 13 Kentucky, 5:15 p.m. on CBS
No. 6 Tennessee at No. 9 Arizona, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN 2

Sunday

Argentina vs. France, 10 a.m. on FOX
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 6 Virginia Tech, 4 p.m. on ACC Network
Rangers at Blackhawks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN