Neymar makes his comeback for Santos and then takes a shot at his former coach

SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Neymar took powerful shots from the edge of the box and ran above his own expectations in 52 minutes on the pitch for Santos on Wednesday in his first game for the Brazilian club since his return last week.

Then he took the opportunity to hit back at his former Al-Hilal coach, Jorge Jesus, who had cast doubts over Neymar's form to play.

The 33-year-old striker wasn't able to cap his night at Vila Belmiro Stadium with a win on his birthday — Santos drew 1-1 draw with Botafogo Ribeirao Preto, a team fighting relegation in the Sao Paulo state championship.

“I need more minutes, more matches. I am not 100%, but I didn’t expect to run as much as I did tonight,” Neymar, who is still recovering from ACL surgery, told journalists. “I will be much better three, four games from now.”

He replaced Gabriel Bontempo after the break and was immediately the center of attention. He became the most fouled player, with five challenges from rivals, in the second half. Neymar also took six shots on goal and gave 22 passes, some as sharp as those in his prime.

Saudi club Al-Hilal terminated Neymar’s contract by mutual consent last week, six months early, after he played only seven matches since September 2023. The ACL injury sidelined him for a year until October.

Speaking after the match, Neymar said his performance was also a response to the negative comments of his former coach.

“I knew that I was going to show something different on the pitch,” Neymar told Brazilian channel CazeTV at Vila Belmiro Stadium. “The pitch is the only place where I can defend myself from that criticism, those comments.”

“I said (at Al-Hilal) that I was ready to play. Not for 90 minutes, I had a super serious injury and then I had another injury,” he added. “I need fans to have some patience.”

Neymar has signed a six-month contract with Santos, which he said could be extended.

Santos opened the scoring before 20,000 fans when Tiquinho Soares converted a penalty in the 38th minute. Alexandre Jesus equalized with a header in the 67th.

Santos wasted several scoring opportunities, including two clear chances after Neymar passes. Once the final whistle was blown, players from the visiting team raced to take pictures with the star.

“I left here at age 21, I travelled the world, made history in the clubs I played for," Neymar said. “This (taking pictures with rivals) is the respect I get back home.”

Neymar played 225 matches for Santos in his first spell. He scored 138 goals, many of them key to winning six titles at the club, which was relegated in 2023 and returned to the top division last year.

As promised, Neymar did not wear the No. 11 that was his during his first spell from 2009-13; he had Pelé’s No. 10.

Neymar was the most expensive player in soccer history when he transferred from Barcelona to PSG for 222 million euros (then $262 million) in 2017. He was sold to Al-Hilal in 2023 for 90 million euros ($94 million).

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Brazil's Neymar dribbles the ball during his debut for Santos FC in a Sao Paulo league soccer match against Botafogo-SP, in Santos, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazil's Neymar is tackled as he chases a ball during his debut for Santos FC in a Sao Paulo league soccer match against Botafogo-SP, in Santos, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazil's Neymar warms up before his debut match for Santos FC in a Sao Paulo league soccer game against Botafogo-SP in Santos, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazil's Neymar is fouled by Botafogo-SP's Alisson Cassiano during his debut match for Santos FC, in a Sao Paulo league soccer match, in Santos, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lamar Jackson thought it was over. That the Baltimore Ravens' unwieldy season would end up in a familiar spot: the playoffs.

Then, rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out drifted a little right. And then a little further right. And then a little further right still.

By the time it fluttered well wide of the goalposts, the playoffs were gone. So was Jackson's certainty after a 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday night sent the Ravens into what could be a turbulent offseason.

“I'm definitely stunned, man,” Jackson said. “I thought we had it in the bag. ... I don't know what else we can do.”

Jackson, who never really seemed fully healthy during his eighth season as he battled one thing after another, did his part. The two-time NFL MVP passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including two long connections with Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter that put the Ravens (8-9) in front.

It just wasn't enough. Baltimore's defense, which played most of the second half without star safety Kyle Hamilton after Hamilton entered the concussion protocol, wilted against 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers passed for a season-high 294 yards, including a 26-yard flip to a wide-open Calvin Austin with 55 seconds to go after a defender slipped, symbolic of a season in which Baltimore's defense only occasionally found its form.

Still, the Ravens had a chance when Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 28-yard gain on fourth down from midfield. A couple of snaps later, the 24-year-old Loop walked on to try to lift Baltimore to its third straight division title.

Instead, the rookie said he “mishit” it. Whatever it was, it never threatened to sneak between the goalposts.

“It’s disappointing,” Loop said.

Loop was talking about the game. He might as well have been talking about his team's season.

The Ravens began 1-5 as Jackson dealt with injuries and the defense struggled to get stops. Baltimore found a way to briefly tie the Steelers for first in late November, only to then split its next four games, including a home loss to Pittsburgh.

Still, when Jackson and the Ravens walked onto the Acrisure Stadium turf on Sunday night in the 272nd and final game of the NFL regular season, Baltimore was confident. The Ravens drilled Pittsburgh in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago behind the ever-churning legs of running back Derrick Henry.

When Henry ripped off a gain of 40-plus yards on the game's first offensive snap, it looked like it was going to be more of the same. While Henry did rush for 126 yards and joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only running backs in NFL history to have five 1,500-yard seasons, he was less effective in the second half.

Even that first run was telling of what night it was going to be, as an illegal block by wide receiver Zay Flowers cost Baltimore some field position. The Ravens ended up scoring on the drive anyway, thanks to a 38-yard fourth-down flip from Jackson to a wide-open Devontez Walker, but it started a pattern that was hard to shake as several steps forward were met with one step back on a night the Ravens finished with nine penalties for 78 yards.

“We were having a lot of penalties, which kept stopping drives," Jackson said. “But I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming. We kept overcoming adversity and situations like this. Divisional games (can) be like that sometimes.”

Particularly when the Steelers are on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh has won 10 of the last 13 meetings. And while a handful of them have been in late-season matchups with the Ravens already assured of reaching the playoffs, the reality is the Steelers have been able to regularly do something that most others have not: found a way to beat Jackson.

“It comes down to situations like this,” Jackson said. “Two-point conversion one year. Field goal another year. And again this year. Just got to find a way to get that win here.”

And figure out who is going to be around to help get it.

Head coach John Harbaugh's 18th season in Baltimore ended with the Ravens missing the playoffs for just the second time in eight years. Jackson turns 29 this week and is still one of the most electric players in the league.

Yet Harbaugh and Jackson have yet to find a way to have that breakthrough season that Harbaugh enjoyed with Joe Flacco in 2013 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

There was hope when the season began that the roadblocks that have long been in the franchise's way — Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes chief among them — would be gone.

While the Ravens did get their way in a sense — the Chiefs will watch the playoffs from afar for the first time in a decade after a nightmarish season of their own — it never all came together.

Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh returning for a 19th season, saying the loss was still too fresh to zoom out on what it might mean for the franchise going forward.

Harbaugh, for his part, certainly seems up for running it back in the fall.

“I love these guys,” he said afterward. “I love these guys.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with an offical during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, left, greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers (40) reacts after Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) missed a field goal attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)