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Matthew Paras

mparas@washingtontimes.com

Matthew Paras was a digital sports writer for the Washington Times.

Articles by Matthew Paras

FILE - Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden speaks with the media following an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sept. 19, 2021. The NFL filed a motion asking a Nevada court to dismiss former Raiders coach Jon Gruden's lawsuit against the league, saying the accusations that the the NFL leaked Gruden's old, offensive emails are “baseless” and the “should be dismissed for failure to state a single viable cause of action", Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)

NFL seeks to dismiss Jon Gruden lawsuit

The NFL filed a response Wednesday to Jon Gruden's lawsuit against the league-- asking a Nevada court to dismiss the case over what it called a "baseless" attempt to blame the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell for the former Las Vegas Raiders coach's disparaging emails that cost him his job.

January 20, 2022
Buffalo Bills fans celebrate during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the New England Patriots in Orchard Park, N.Y., Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)

NFL’s expanded playoff field not providing ‘super’ value

The NFL's marketing department may need to rename "Super Wild Card Weekend." Beyond the fact that Monday's playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals undercut the whole weekend premise, there wasn't much that was "super" about the opening round of the postseason.

January 18, 2022
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) loses the ball next to Philadelphia 76ers guard Seth Curry (31) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Beal returns as Wizards cruise to victory over 76ers

After being cleared to play, Beal returned to the lineup Monday and helped the Wizards earn a 117-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in an afternoon matinee for MLK Day. The two-time All-Star had 13 points, five rebounds and six assists as Washington pulled away for a commanding win against a top-four team in the East.

January 17, 2022
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Coach Mike McCarthy’s job status comes into question after Cowboys loss

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was "extremely disappointed" over his team's 23-17 loss Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers -- leaving analysts and fans to speculate whether coach Mike McCarthy could be fired in the coming days. McCarthy said he wasn't worried about his job status, while Jones declined to speculate about it after the game.

January 17, 2022
Washington Wizards center Thomas Bryant (13) shoots over Orlando Magic forward Admiral Schofield (25) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, in Washington. The Wizards won 112-106. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Thomas Bryant’s return provides element Wizards missed

Before he checked in for the first time in more than a year, Thomas Bryant warmed up on an exercise bike by the tunnel to the locker room. An ice pack was wrapped around the Washington Wizards center's knee-- a small reminder of the injury that temporarily took away his basketball dream.

January 13, 2022
Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) catches a pass against New York Giants cornerback James Bradberry (24) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Terry McLaurin in line for contract extension. Will Washington pay up?

As the topic of a contract extension for Terry McLaurin was brought up again, Ron Rivera didn't want to tip his hand. The Washington coach joked that the wide receiver's agent would no doubt be listening to what he had to say. Rivera appeared to be cognizant of the possibility of giving away negotiating leverage through the press.

January 12, 2022
Washington Wizards Montrezl Harrell celebrates with the home crowd against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., Jan. 11, 2022. (Photo by All-Pro Reels)

Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope get into halftime scrap: report

Weeks after Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne fought on the sideline of the Washington Football Team's blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Wizards reportedly got into a dustup of their own. During halftime of Tuesday's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wizards center Montrezl Harrell and forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope started swinging at each other and had to be separated by teammates, The Athletic reported.

January 12, 2022
Washington Football Team guard Brandon Scherff (75) warms up before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021 in Landover. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.) **FILE**

Mayhew on Scherff: Washington made ‘every effort’ to get deal done

During a season-ending press conference Tuesday, general manager Martin Mayhew made an interesting comment regarding Scherff's future in Washington -- one that hearkened back to Bruce Allen's famous "Kurt" press conference in 2017 after negotiations with Kirk Cousins broke down.

January 11, 2022
Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera gesturing during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Ron Rivera: Washington to explore ‘all avenues’ in quarterback search

Entering a pivotal offseason, Ron Rivera said Tuesday would explore "all avenues" to find an answer at quarterback. This time around, Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew said they believe Washington's roster is in a better place -- possibly allowing them to be more aggressive when it comes to finding an upgrade.

January 11, 2022
Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson (24) is tackled by New York Giants inside linebacker Tae Crowder (48) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Gibson, McLaurin hit 1,000-yard milestones

Antonio Gibson accomplished his goal. The 23-year-old ran for a season-high 146 yards on 21 carries -- putting his season total at 1,037 yards. And against the Giants, Gibson wasn't the only player to reach the 1,000-yard marker, either. Terry McLaurin's four-catch, 93-yard performance gave the star wide receiver 1,053 yards on the season, marking the second straight year in which McLaurin reached the milestone.

January 9, 2022