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We’re rolling into Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the slate of games. They’ve been making calls around the league all week long to get the newest information. Plus, they pick out which players should — or shouldn’t — be in your fantasy football lineups.
How are the tightest division races shaping up, and who could emerge? Have Bryce Young and/or Anthony Richardson played well enough to stick with their current teams in 2025? Who are other interesting quarterbacks who potentially will be available in the offseason? And as the coaching carousel begins to heat up, what are the chances Bill Belichick lands a job for next season?
It’s all here, as our insiders answer big questions and empty their reporters’ notebooks with everything they’ve heard heading into Week 13.
Jump to a section:
Division races | Young and Richardson
QB moves | Belichick’s future
Fantasy tips | Latest intel and notes
Which division race will end up being the closest, and who will win it?

A former NFL player and his business partner, who were co-owners of a construction business and trucking company, and their bookkeeper face fraud charges after prosecutors claim they engaged in an elaborate scheme to obtain $1.4 million through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
On Monday, a federal grand jury indicted Dana C. Howard, 52, of O’Fallon, Illinois, on nine counts, including wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, failure to pay taxes, making a false statement and conspiracy. Howard, who was drafted in 1995 by the Dallas Cowboys and later released and signed by the St. Louis Rams that year. In 1996, he was signed to play for the Chicago Bears before being injured. He was an All-American linebacker for the University of Illinois.
In the 21-page indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, Howard’s business partner, Richard Scott Myers, 63, of Edwardsville, Illinois, was charged with eight counts, including one count of money laundering, and Glenn Sunnquist, 53, of Swansea, Illinois, was charged with three counts of wire fraud and conspiracy.
According to the indictment, Howard and Myers owned a construction company, Zoie LLC, as well as a freight company, Zade Trucking, both located in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Prosecutors allege that Howard and Myers applied for and obtained a $1.43 million loan in April 2020 from Saint Louis Bank through the PPP, administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration to help businesses struggling during the COVID pandemic. The pair claimed that more than $1.3 million of the funds would be used to keep their construction company, Zoie, afloat.
However, prosecutors allege that Howard and Myers used most of the funds meant to keep Zoie operating for their personal use and to pay down nearly $430,000 in debt for their other business, Zade Trucking. Myers used $250,000 to buy a house, according to the indictment.
Court filings allege the business partners used cashier’s checks and wire transfers to move funds meant for the construction company through three banks in St. Louis, Edwardsville and Champaign, Illinois, and wrote checks for themselves for $500,000 apiece from the Zoie account, which they listed as “payroll funds” in the memo line.
Howard and Myers also filed for personal Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Southern District of Illinois in 2020 but failed to disclose the PPP funds that were funneled to their personal accounts, according to the indictment.
Myers’ bankruptcy petition, which he filed in June 2020, stated that he had “no cashier’s checks or other negotiable instruments,” even though he retained $200,000 in cashier’s checks from the Zoie PPP loan and failed to disclose that he had bought a home with the funds, according to the indictment. He also allegedly used a cashier’s check from the Zoie account for $100,000 to deposit into the business account for AAA Rentals, which Myers’ now-wife owned.
In December 2020, Howard also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but failed to disclose on his statement of financial affairs that he still possessed $350,000 in cashier’s checks from the Zoie PPP loan account, according to court documents.
Second PPP loan?
On Jan. 11, 2021, Howard and Myers applied for a second PPP loan for nearly $1.43 million, and both answered “no” when asked if either was involved in bankruptcy proceedings. Later that month, the pair applied to have their first PPP loan forgiven while still holding “at least $400,000 worth of cashier’s checks made out to them personally [and] certified that they had used all loan proceeds for eligible expenses, including payroll costs equal to at least 60% of the total loan amount,” according to the indictment.
On their loan forgiveness application, Howard and Myers claimed they spent more than $860,300 on payroll costs and nearly $556,000 on rent or lease payments, according to court filings.
Sunnquist, the bookkeeper for both companies, is accused of falsifying Zoie’s expense records and manipulating old invoices to support the loan’s forgiveness application. In September 2022, SBA denied forgiveness of the loan.
In September 2021, federal prosecutors allege that Sunnquist sent a Saint Louis Bank loan officer a spreadsheet of falsified expenses for Zoie, which included claims of false payments for heavy equipment rental services from St. Louis-based Treloar Enterprises during a time when the company’s owner was in federal prison. Sunnquist later requested invoices from a previous contract with Geo-Cell, which he allegedly doctored to be used to support the revised forgiveness application, according to court documents.
After concerns were raised by the bank about the first forgiveness application, the indictment alleges, Howard submitted a revised PPP loan forgiveness application later that month which claimed payroll costs of nearly $1.3 million and rent or lease payments of over $159,000. Prosecutors allege the revised application claimed rental payments of nearly $970,000 for “Geo-Cell Payroll” and other rental lease payments of $550,000. At that time, Howard and Myers disclosed that they had received income of $95,000 and $90,000, respectively, from the PPP loan, but later revised their income to $20,833 each after the bank informed them that their income had to be capped at that amount.
Court records indicate that the three have not yet appeared in court on the charges after federal prosecutors moved to quash the arrest warrants issued against Howard, Myers and Sunnquist.
The docket states that Howard’s arraignment is set for Dec. 11 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Beatty.
“The FBI has opened thousands of investigations across the country targeting COVID-related fraud, working diligently in collaboration with our partners to hold thieves accountable,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson in a statement.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! And happy last week of November for those who don’t! Whether or not one chooses to celebrate Thanksgiving, we all get a busy week of football. It starts with the Thanksgiving tripleheader, continues with a Black Friday game on Amazon Prime Video, and closes with our remaining slate of Sunday/Monday football.
We saw a couple wild results in Week 12, highlighted by the Cowboys and Titans going on the road to beat the Commanders and Texans, respectively. We almost had a shocker with the Panthers taking the Chiefs to the final play of the game. Even though the Chiefs pulled it out, the Cowboys and Titans wins likely shook up remaining Survivor leagues.
I gave y’all some good advice on avoiding the Steelers, but my Survivor picks were not great last week. I listed the Commanders and Chiefs as safe picks. I did give you the Dolphins over the Patriots as a value pick. I went with the Chiefs in my last remaining league and barely hung on.
It’s now on to Week 13 and the holiday week. There are no byes, so we get 16 games to choose from this week. I’ve got my full picks below. There are plenty of options to consider and every week this season we’ll be breaking down the safest picks, the best value picks, and the potential trap picks. Starting this week, we’re adding another category: upset picks. There are still favorites to choose from, but with things winding down, if you want to get a little wild with your pick to go against the grain, we’ll call out the upset pick we’d consider in a Survivor pool.
Safest picks
Chiefs over Raiders
Lions over Bears
Divisional games can be tricky, but we’re reaching the point in the season where you need to take the plunge. The Chiefs and Lions are both double digit home favorites, and this might be your best week to use either if you still have them available.
Best value picks
Commanders over Titans
Broncos over Browns
This is probably the last week you’d use the Commanders due to their remaining schedule, so fire that one off if you haven’t yet. The Broncos have done consistently solid work against bad teams, and this might be your last best effort if you don’t want to use them against the Colts after their bye week.
Upset pick
Cardinals over Vikings
The Vikings continue to win, but it hasn’t been easy. And now they get a Cardinals squad that I don’t think anybody can really classify in the pecking order. Some weeks they look like world beaters, and some weeks they look like they can’t punch their way out of a wet paper bag. I suspect they give the Vikings trouble this week, so if you really want to find an upset to play, this might be it.
Trap picks
Bucs over Panthers
Texans over Jaguars
Bills over 49ers
The first two fall back into the strategy of avoiding road divisional games if at all possible. The latter is because of the snow. I think the 49ers probably get pummeled in this game. I’m currently a jaded 49ers fan, so if you think this is a safe play, go to town. But with potentially significant snow in the forecast, it might be wise to stay away from this game — especially because the Bills have some strong matchups remaining.

Taylor Swift’s fans really want her boyfriend to be in Canada with her when she will make history and perform her last-ever Eras Tour concert.
Swift’s partner is the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, and her fans have been begging the NFL to change the start time of his game so he can make it to the last Eras Tour show.
Swift has been on her record-breaking world tour since March 2023 and will have completed 149 performances of the three-hour epic concert in five different continents. She is now performing the last gigs of the Eras Tour in Canada, with the final concert happening on December 8 in Vancouver.
Taylor Swift (left) and Travis Kelce walk in SoHo on October 11, 2024 in New York City. Her fans want the NFL to change his game time so he can see the last Eras Tour… Taylor Swift (left) and Travis Kelce walk in SoHo on October 11, 2024 in New York City. Her fans want the NFL to change his game time so he can see the last Eras Tour show. More TheStewartofNY/GC Images
But Kelce won’t be able to make the concert because the Chiefs are playing the Los Angeles Chargers on that day from 7:20 p.m. at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. That means he would not make it to Swift’s concert in Canada.
Now Swifties, the name of the singer’s fans, have asked the NFL to change the game start time so Kelce can dash up to Vancouver for the concert. Newsweek contacted the NFL by email on Wednesday morning for comment.

It’s time for December football. It begins this Sunday.
That means November is in the past, which is a good thing. I can’t think of a worse November I’ve had picking games. It’s been horrendous. My colleagues on CBSSportsHQ have taken to mocking me.
Yes, it’s that bad. I went 5-8 against the spread and 7-6 straight-up. That brings my season record to 80-96-3 ATS and 107-72-0 straight up.
Time to flip a coin to pick games? The coin would kill me.
As it is, I will stick to my own evaluations and hope it turns around. It won’t be any worse. December is upon us. Time to make a playoff push.
All NFL odds via Caesars Sportsbook. Check out the latest Caesars promo to get in the game.
Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
The Bears have lost four straight while the Lions have rolled to the top seed in the NFC right now. Playing the Lions on the road is never easy, but it’s even tougher on Thanksgiving. Caleb Williams showed well last week and will here as well to keep the Bears close. Lions win it, but it’s tight.
Pick: Lions 30, Bears 27
Bonus: Larry Hartstein, who is on a 98-63 roll on NFL games, loves one side of this matchup, and you can find out who to back over at SportsLine.
Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo try for free)
The Cowboys upset the Commanders last week, so they have some life. The Giants have none. In a game where it’s Cooper Rush against Tommy DeVito, give me the home team — even though Dallas hasn’t been good at home this year. They find a way.
Pick: Cowboys 24, Giants 17
Bonus: Larry Hartstein is also on a heater betting Cowboys games, as he’s won 27 of his past 37 bets involving America’s team. While he’s leaning under for this NFC East matchup, he shows a lot of value on the spread. To see which team he’s backing, head on over to SportsLine.
Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, fubo try for free)
The Dolphins come here playing well, especially Tua Tagovailoa. But this is a proving game of sorts for he and the Dolphins. He has to show he can win against a good team on the road. Green Bay seemed to get it going on offense last week against the 49ers. I think that carries over. Packers take it.
Pick: Packers 28, Dolphins 22
Friday, 3 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime Video)
The Raiders will start Aidan O’Connell here at quarterback after Gardner Minshew was lost for the year. That’s not a good thing against the Chiefs on the road. Kansas City hasn’t looked great this season, but this is the type of game that can get it rolling. It will.
Pick: Chiefs 31, Raiders 14
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
The Falcons are coming off the bye, while the Chargers are playing on a short week on the road. That’s a challenge. But the Falcons offense went away in the two games before the bye. This Chargers defense will slow them again as Justin Herbert gets the best of the Atlanta defense.
Pick: Chargers 30, Falcons 21
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
The Bengals are off the bye and have to win out to basically have a playoff shot. The Steelers lost to the Browns in the snow last Thursday. The defense let them down in that game, and now they get Joe Burrow and company. That’s not easy. Burrow will find a way to win it.
Pick: Bengals 26, Steelers 20
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo try for free)
The Jaguars are coming off a bye week with no changes made to the coaching staff. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence might be back for this one. But the defense has major issues. Look for C.J. Stroud to light them up as he gets it going again after a couple of so-so weeks.
Pick: Texans 33, Jaguars 20
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo try for free)
The Cardinals are coming off a road loss to the Seahawks, while the Vikings are home for the first time in three weeks. The Arizona offense seemed to struggle last week at Seattle, and now it will be challenged by the Minnesota defense. I think the Vikings limit Kyler Murray, and the Minnesota offense will hit a few big plays to Justin Jefferson to win it.
Pick: Vikings 31, Cardinals 21
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
The Patriots are coming off two bad losses, especially bad for the defense. But the Colts struggled on offense last week. I think that changes here as Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor both have good days to lead the Colts.
Pick: Colts 23, Patriots 17
Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets (+2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo try for free)
This is a long trip for Seattle in between two division games against the Cardinals. The Jets are coming off a bye. Advantage, Jets. They haven’t played well at all, but something says they rally here to find a way, as Seattle will be focused on Arizona next week. It’s a classic sandwich game.
Pick: Jets 23, Seahawks 19
Tennessee Titans (+5.5) at Washington Commanders
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
The Commanders suddenly don’t look like the same team, especially on offense. The Titans are coming off an impressive road victory against the Texans. The Commanders lost at home to Dallas last week. They won’t lose two in a row, but this will be close.
Pick: Commanders 24, Titans 21
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo try for free)
The Bucs seemed to get back on a good track last week, but this game might be tougher than expected. The Panthers pushed the Chiefs last week in a loss. Bryce Young was better than he’s been, but I think the Tampa Bay defense will be good in this one as the Bucs start stacking victories.
Pick: Bucs 28, Panthers 17
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox, fubo try for free)
The Rams are off a bad loss to the Eagles, while the Saints are coming off their bye. They won two straight before the bye to keep them in the playoff chase. The loser is likely done here. I think Sean McVay will get his team back off the deck and find a way to win it behind Matt Stafford.
Pick: Rams 31, Saints 23
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens (-3)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+)
This is the game of the week, featuring two dynamic offenses that both have outstanding running games. But the edge at quarterback goes to Lamar Jackson, which will be the difference in this game. He will make some big-time plays with his legs and his right arm to pull out a shootout victory for the Ravens.
Pick: Ravens 34, Eagles 30
San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills (-7)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, fubo try for free)
The Bills are coming off their bye, while the 49ers are playing a second straight road game. The health of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is the key here. If he plays, they might stay in this game. If he doesn’t, it’s ugly. Either way, the Bills will win it as Josh Allen pushes for his MVP.
Pick: Bills 30, 49ers 20
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (-5.5)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN, fubo try for free)
The Browns are rested after having upset the Steelers last Thursday, which should help as they play consecutive road games. The Broncos are playing well. They are playing good defense, which will cause problems for Jameis Winston here. Look for a big game for the Broncos defense.
Pick: Broncos 24, Browns 14

When you think of Thanksgiving, certain images probably spring to the forefront of your mind. There’s undoubtedly a table full of food, whether it’s an idealized version à la Norman Rockwell or something more akin to real life. And, for many families, football is probably a part of that equation.
Over the years, the NFL has successfully staked its claim to Turkey Day, with the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys becoming as much as of a holiday fixture as turkey and stuffing. But have you ever wondered why they’re ever-presents?
As with many other seasonal mysteries, it largely comes down to tradition.
Composite image of Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions coaches and players. The two NFL rivals are as much a part of Thanksgiving as turkey and stuffing. Composite image of Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions coaches and players. The two NFL rivals are as much a part of Thanksgiving as turkey and stuffing. Photo-illustration by Newsweek
Why Do the Cowboys Play Every Thanksgiving?
There are plenty of cliches about how you can’t get an opportunity without asking for it. Former Cowboys president and general manager Tex Schramm apparently took that to heart.
As laid out in a 2021 Dallas Morning News post, Schramm volunteered his team for a second Thanksgiving Day game (the Lions, as we’ll discuss shortly, were already playing on the holiday). The offer, however, came on one condition: the Cowboys would play that contest at home.
The gambit promptly paid off. Dallas took to the field on Thanksgiving 1966 and beat the visiting Cleveland Browns 26-14. To make things even sweeter for Schramm, more than 82,000 fans piled into the Cotton Bowl to watch the game.
The Cowboys have played away from home twice, in 1975 and 1977, but those games were outliers.
Why Do the Lions Play Every Thanksgiving?
When the Cowboys entered the Thanksgiving Day picture, they were the new kids on the block. The Lions, believe it or not, have an even longer history on the holiday.
As explained by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the tradition dates back to 1934 when George A. Richards bought the Portsmouth Spartans, moved them to Detroit and rebranded the club as the Lions. Looking to make a splash during the initial campaign in the Motor City, Richards not only scheduled a Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears, but struck a deal with NBC to broadcast the game across 94 radio stations.
Detroit lost that day, but the game proved to be a massive public relations success. It was such a hit that barring a break for World War II, the Lions have hosted an annual Turkey Day contest ever since.
Do Other Teams Play on Thanksgiving?
While the Lions and the Cowboys are synonymous with Thanksgiving Day football, they don’t hold a monopoly on the holiday. Since both teams traditionally host home games, two other clubs have to enter the fray to complete the matchups.
The NFL made things a triple-header in 2006, making even more space on the holiday schedule. The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the first edition of that third contest—KC’s founder and original owner had advocated for a third Turkey Day game—but they didn’t become a fixture like Detroit and Dallas. That means two additional franchises get a spot in the limelight each year.
Over the years, every currently active NFL team has gotten a chance to play on Thanksgiving barring one: the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What Was the ‘Thanksgiving Day Massacre?’
When you settle in to watch some festive football, you’re probably rooting for an evenly matched contest, assuming you don’t have any skin in the game. The

The Carolina Panthers-Kansas City Chiefs game was a bit underwhelming, to say the least. Sorry Chiefs Kingdom and Patrick Mahomes fans but aren’t you worried about where the franchise is headed? Or are you complacent that your favorite team will win games anyhow? Imagine how bad the defense had to be to get sized up by a quarterback who was benched recently.
The Chiefs defense allowed more than 300 yards and 14 points to the Panthers and that’s a bit worrisome. Part of the reason is that their top defensive talent like Chris Jones and Nick Bolton aren’t making enough big plays. Those shortcomings were compounded by a lack of good corners like L’Jarius Sneed, who Brett Veach and the KC team traded this year.
Patrick Mahomes’ defense is a shell of its former self
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This lack of defensive playmaking has got the co-host of Pro Football Talk and former NFL QB Chris Simms, a bit worried. He took to the Dan Patrick Show and talked about the dwindling defense why he thinks the Kansas City team might not be able to 3-peat this year. But this happened last year too where Patrick Mahomes wasn’t his usual self but the Chiefs still won the Super Bowl.
USA Today via Reuters Nov 20, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23), safety Mike Edwards (21), and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (38) during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
“The defense is not as good as last year,” Chris Simms told Dan Patrick. “You don’t see as many playmaking chaos, mess the play up type of plays from the people in the front seven. Chris Jones, Nick Bolton, whoever it may be. The biggest thing Dan, is there’s no L’Jarius Sneed, right? Last year, they had maybe two of the top three corners in football on the same team. So they could have go, ‘Hey you guys get on an island and we’ll do whatever we want with the nine other guys.’”
As it happens, Sneed played 16 games with the Chiefs last year. He recorded 60 solo tackles, recovered a fumble, had two interceptions, and defended 14 passes. Without Sneed, the Chiefs wouldn’t have made it to the Super Bowl. That’s because he made the Ravens fumble the ball in the AFC Championship game on a play where Zay Flowers nearly scored a touchdown. Imagine letting that guy go. Unfortunately, he’s on IR right now and has missed the last 5 games due to a quad injury. But let’s talk about the Panthers-Chiefs game.
You know things are bad when you allow a Panthers quarterback to throw for 263 yards and score a touchdown. None of the Chiefs receivers had more than 66 yards, but things were different for the Panthers. David Moore managed to gather 81 yards and scored a touchdown. The Panthers also managed to get 85 yards on the ground with Chuba Hubbard scoring a touchdown. An astonishing thing about the Panthers game is that Chris Jones didn’t record a single stat. No tackles, no sacks, nothing.
Per a report from FOX, the Chiefs have given up 215.5 yards per game on average and 15 touchdowns so far this season. They rank 18 in the league as far as the pass defense is concerned. However, they are doing well with stopping the run, ranking third in the league, giving away 85.3 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns. All this was apparent after watching them go against Carolina.
But defense isn’t the only problem here. Though Patrick Mahomes showed up in a big way, scoring 269 yards and 3 touchdowns in the game, there were still some issues to be considered as far as the offense is concerned. The O-line allowed the Carolina team to sack the 3x Super Bowl winner thrice! But that was just a momentary concern, compared to what Chris Simms had to say about the Chiefs’ offensive problems.
The Kansas City offense is in jeopardy
Let’s leave aside Travis Kelce’s declined form for a minute here. They have too many injured players on the offensive side of the ball. And the latest was Harrison Butker, who tore his meniscus. Even the backup kicker Spencer Shrader recently sustained an injury. They have also been marred with injuries to Rashee Rice, Isaiah Pacheco, and Hollywood Brown. In total, 8 of their offensive player are on Injured Reserve right now. And Xavier Worthy isn’t just cutting it alone. Simms was also vocal about some of the offensive concerns.
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via Imago NFL, American Football Herren, USA Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers Sep 29, 2024 Inglewood, California, USA Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice 4 pounds his fist on the ground after an injury in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Inglewood SoFi Stadium California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJaynexKamin-Onceax 20240929_jko_aj4_100
“The other aspect of it is, injuries on the offensive side of the ball and this time last year we saw Rashee Rice starting to go trend upwards and go, ‘Ooh, he could be a guy here for the future.’ I don’t see anybody like this one their offense right now where I go, ‘Oh, this guy, watch out.’ I think Xavier Worthy is far off from that and really Dan, 40 years of like football intuition, I would go ‘there’s no way they are going to go to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl this year,” Simms explained further.
Simms is correct about one thing, though. Xavier Worthy has a long way to go. Patrick Mahomes throws him risky passes, and he makes the catches, but he’s out of bounds on those plays. It has happened on multiple occasions. Talking about Rashee Rice, he tore his LCL in week 4 after Mahomes bumped into him in the Chargers game and isn’t likely to return this season.
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The only silver lining here is that Isaiah Pacheco might return in the playoffs after healing from his fractured fibula. But kudos to the Chiefs, who are making do with the limited resources that they have right now. There’s no doubt that they will reach the playoffs this year. But can they make it to the Super Bowl and win it? Let us know what you think.

The massive dysfunction of the New York Jets has forced Aaron Rodgers‘ hands to make a major career decision. It’s high time for him to decide whether he wants to stay with the Jets, retire, or move on to another team. Maybe he’ll pull a Brett Favre and move to the Vikings, who knows? But that’s up to the Jets to decide whether they want to keep him or not.
But the firing of head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas has made the football world frantic. Everyone is free to take their picks and so, SI’s Albert Breer presented his take on the Dan Patrick Show. Breer thinks that Rodgers will have a hard time finding a new suitor, because not a lot of teams would want a soon-to-be 41-year-old quarterback.
Hiring Aaron Rodgers is like music to the ears for many. But pairing him with a young or a rookie QB might be a problem. Would teams really bench a future HOFer QB in favor of a rookie? Most likely not. Yes, it worked out for Jordan Love, but it might not be the same for many other young guys in the league. To that end, Dan Patrick wanted to know what kind of market will there be for Aaron Rodgers next year.
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via Imago NFL, American Football Herren, USA New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers Oct 20, 2024 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 walks onto the field for a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh Acrisure Stadium Pennsylvania USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBarryxReegerx 20241020_sjb_ii9_044
“I think the big thing is whether or not he wants to play and you know one thing in the couple of times I’ve talked to him about that he brought up is not wanting to go out the way he went out last year,” Albert Breer told Dan Patrick. Per the SI lead, Rodgers doesn’t want his legacy to be tainted by another Achilles injury and wants to go out with all guns blazing.
But Breer was convinced that there won’t be a “robust market” for the 4x MVP. A-Rod would have to “check a lot of boxes” for any team to consider him. However, there isn’t a way that none of the 32 teams in the league would want a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers. Sure, he brings some baggage with him, but after watching this Jets season unfold, the next team hiring him will be well aware of what the QB brings to the table and what he doesn’t.
Perhaps, some team will follow the path of Atlanta Falcons where they drafted Michael Penix Jr. to learn from Kirk Cousins. But that will also depend on whether Rodgers agrees to those terms. Till then, let’s focus on this season and what Aaron Rodgers has planned for himself as the Jets are mathematically out of the playoffs contention and the next off season is on the horizon.
Aaron Rodgers gets vocal about his future
The New York team is on the verge of finding a new head coach and a new GM for the next season. Woody Johnson, the owner the team, supposedly wanted A-Rod to be benched (some say that was a joke), so the QB will have to consider that possibility. But despite all the drama, the former Super Bowl winning QB wants to stay with the Jets, but is unsure whether he wants to play in the next season or not.
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via Imago NFL, American Football Herren, USA Houston Texans at New York Jets Oct 31, 2024 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers 8 throws a pass against the Houston Texans during the first half at MetLife Stadium. East Rutherford MetLife Stadium New Jersey USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xEdxMulhollandx 20241031_lbm_se8_183
Rodgers took to The Pat McAfee Show and pointed out that he hasn’t told anyone the he didn’t want to play for the Jets and still, the rumors are spinning out of control. The QB dubbed those rumors as “100% false” and said that he’s not jumping ship because he’s enjoyed his time in New York, made friends and loved his time in Jersey.
“I don’t even know if I wanna play yet, but New York would be my first option,” Rodgers said. “When you’re 40, going on 41, you’re obviously at the end of your career. … If it’s New York, they have to want me to be here. And then the new GM, the new staff, they’ll all have to want me to be with the Jets.”
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Rodgers also iterated that whether he’ll play next year or not will also depend on the condition of his body, but if he chose to continue, New York Jets will be his first choice. The whole Jets management might change depending on whether Woody Johnson goes to UK to be Donald Trump’s ambassador or not. Till then, we’re just as clueless as anyone.

CNN —
The 2024 NFL season is shaping up to be one of the most chaotic years in memory for New York football fans – and, for once, it’s not just the Gang Green faithful who are drowning in disappointment.
A year that started with both the New York Jets and the New York Giants feeling optimistic about the season ahead has spiraled into a mire that befits the northern New Jersey swamps near MetLife Stadium.
The Jets are 3-8, the Giants 2-9 and neither team looks like they’re going to be pulling themselves out of their tailspin any time soon.
While Jets fans may be used to such dire straits as the NFL regular season enters its final full month, the implosion of both New York franchises makes for one of the league’s most cringeworthy storylines this year.
A New York Jets fan wears a paper bag during the game between the New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on November 10 in Glendale, Arizona. Chris Coduto/Getty Images
One team has already fired its coach and general manager and is seeing rumors start to swirl over the future of the team’s central figure. The other decided to build around a young quarterback and let its best player sign with a division rival, before cutting that quarterback in favor a memeable backup – putting the head coach and GM on the hot seat just two years after a playoff run.
It’s a staggering level of footballing failure for two of the most high-profile organizations in the league, coming in a year when both teams had so much to play for and prove on the field.
J-E-T-S, oof oof oof
For the Jets, this season was the promise of a first full year with one of the game’s greatest ever quarterbacks under center, finally.
Aaron Rodgers was traded to the Jets in 2023 and appeared ready to give them the dynamic, playmaking, veteran leader that the franchise felt was needed to push it toward Super Bowl contention.
On the second play of the 2023 season, however, Rodgers tore his Achilles’ tendon, and his season was over before it really got started.
There were weeks of drama over whether Rodgers would be able to make it back last year, but ultimately he shut it down and heads turned toward the 2024 campaign.
The devastating injury took the Jets’ season down with their quarterback, finishing 7-10.
The season started off promising, with the team going 2-1 in its first three games. But as a losing streak started to gain steam, the franchise’s front office decided a spark was needed.
First, head coach Robert Saleh was fired on October 8 after a loss in London to the Minnesota Vikings dropped the Jets to 2-3 on the season.
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh looks on before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 15 in Nashville. Justin Ford/Getty Images
A week later, after another loss, it was a blockbuster trade for Davante Adams. The star wide receiver had grown tired of losing in Las Vegas with the Raiders and had requested a trade a week before, eventually agreeing to come to the Jets to be reunited with his old Green Bay Packers teammate Rodgers.
The reunification of Adams and Rodgers sent green-and-white hearts soaring, but the tide could not be turned. The Jets lost four of five heading into their bye week and eventually owner Woody Johnson made the call to fire general manager Joe Douglas in what was a devastating final verdict on the decision to bring Rodgers to New York in the first place.
Heading into their week off, the mood on the Jets was downright dismal. After a last-minute loss to the Colts on November 17, Rodgers expressed disappointment with some of interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich’s decisions, though ultimately saying he supported them because he trusts Ulbrich “implicitly.”
When asked by a reporter after the game if he was shocked that the team was 3-8, Rodgers said, “That’s a buzzword, so I’m not gonna touch that in response to what you just said so I’m just going to echo that I’m disappointed.”
For his part, Ulbrich said November 18 that he and his staff would be using the bye week to do a “deep dive” on the team to try and turn some competitive losses into wins during the final stretch of the season.
“The time for taking a deep breath is not yet. We gotta take a deep dive into who we are and be completely honest and hear the criticism and grow from the criticisms,” he said. “And that’s not just players, that’s coaches as well and not being stubborn.”
Rodgers has been the central figure in Gang Green universe ever since he came to the team following an acrimonious split with Green Bay, the only team he had played for over the first 18 seasons of his career.
But news reports that broke while the team was on its bye pointed to a changing of the tides.
ESPN reported on November 20 that Johnson had mused earlier in the season about whether to bench Rodgers in order to start moving on toward younger players. On Sunday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that it’s unclear if the Jets even want Rodgers back for the 2025 season if the soon-to-be-41-year-old decides to return for another season.
The reports amount to a staggering about-face for the Jets, who have spent much of the previous two years pursuing players that Rodgers wanted on the team and generally giving their star quarterback tons of leeway in the hopes that he could lead them to a Super Bowl.
A Giant collapse
The 2024 season amounted to a risky bet made by Giants GM Joe Schoen. Having just handed quarterback Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million contract ahead of the 2023 season, Schoen and the team’s front office faced the free agency of Saquon Barkley, the face of the franchise and one of the most talented running backs in the league.
After a decision-making progress that played out in front of cameras for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, the Giants ultimately decided to not match the Philadelphia Eagles’ offer to Barkley, allowing him to sign for a division rival.
Instead, Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll decided to put their team’s hopes on Jones’ shoulders. Ten games into the season, Jones would no longer be on the team.
After a middling 2-3 start to the season, the wheels have absolutely fallen off the Giants. After five straight losses, Daboll announced the decision to bench Jones, demoting him to the third-string quarterback, in favor of Tommy DeVito – the New Jersey native whose nickname (“Tommy Cutlets”), Italian hand gesture celebration and three-game winning streak in 2023 had made him a fan favorite among the Giants faithful.
Tommy DeVito looks to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at MetLife Stadium on November 24. Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
It was a shocking decision and Jones immediately seemed ready to move on, delivering a lengthy statement a few days later speaking of his time on the Giants in the past tense.
On Friday, the team announced that it would be releasing Jones after he asked the team’s owner, John Mara, to let him go.
The move did not exactly pay dividends in the short term. The Giants were steamrolled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, 30-7.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield rubbed salt in the wound by mocking DeVito’s signature celebration after scoring one of the team’s touchdowns, a nod to the memes and GIFs that came out of DeVito’s first run as the starting quarterback last year when injuries knocked Jones and his backup out for the season.
DeVito said after the game that he didn’t see the moment until getting into the locker room postgame, saying, “It is what it is. It kind of happened last year and it’s going to happen, I guess.”
DeVito himself played an extremely mediocre game, as might be expected by a third-stringer who had not seen game action since the preseason. He threw 21-for-31 for 189 yards and no touchdowns.
Afterward, Daboll repeatedly dodged questions about whether he regretted benching Jones. “We’re moved on here,” Daboll told reporters after the game. “We didn’t do a good enough job today all around, and that starts with me.”
But the more damning assessment of the team’s performance came from defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, who told reporters, “We played soft and they beat the sh*t out of us today.”
The now-six-game losing streak and open grumblings in the media from players like Lawrence and star wide receiver Malik Nabers have put Daboll and Schoen both on the hot seat. It’s a once-unthinkable situation for Daboll, who led the Giants to the playoffs in 2022 and won the Associated Press’ Coach of the Year award in his first season as a head coach.
To make matters even worse, Barkley is having an MVP-worthy season in Philly. After the Bucs blew the Giants away on Sunday, Barkley rushed for an Eagles franchise-record 255 yards on just 26 carries, finishing with over 300 total yards. While it was sunny in Philadelphia, it was the salt in the wound of a miserable day to be a fan of the football Giants.
On Sunday, Daboll chose not to answer a reporter’s question on whether he’s getting through to the team or having the right read on how it’s going to perform week to week.
“I understand the question,” Daboll said. “We didn’t do a good enough job. We got to be better.”

CNN —
With six weeks of the 2024 NFL season remaining, each result becomes increasingly important for a team’s aspirations.
If the goal is reaching the playoffs, then a loss can be damaging; and if it’s trying to get as high a pick as possible in next year’s draft, a victory can be equally damaging.
Week 12 saw plenty of heavy favorites face underdogs, but it didn’t prove as simple as many thought.
Here are the main takeaways from the past week in the National Football League.
First running back MVP in over a decade?
Not since 2012 has the NFL had a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award-winner come from the running back position.
The last rusher to lift the trophy was Adrian Peterson after the then-Minnesota Vikings star had the second-most rushing yards in a season with 2,097 in a truly dominant year.
Since then, the award has been dominated by quarterbacks, with Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson winning it during that span.
There have been strong contenders during that time – most notably, Derrick Henry in 2020 where he rushed for 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns, winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year as a result.
But this season could arguably see the most likely challenger since Peterson in 2012 in the form of Saquon Barkley.
Barkley has taken to life with the Philadelphia Eagles like a duck to water in his debut season since moving back to Pennsylvania; he was born in New York but moved to Pennsylvania when he was young, going to Penn State University before being drafted to the New York Giants in 2018.
His skillset has blended well with the Eagles’ already existing strengths; Barkley’s ability to evade defenders paired with quarterback Jalen Hurts’ running power and Philadelphia’s offensive line has caused headaches for opposing defensive coordinators.
Barkley rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the Eagles’ Week 1 victory over the Green Bay Packers. He also caught another score.
Since then, he has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game six times. He broke that mark most emphatically on Sunday in Week 12, running for an Eagles franchise-record 255 yards on just 26 carries, finishing with over 300 total yards to become just the 13th player in NFL history to reach the mark.
Barkley (No. 26) ran for an Eagles franchise record in the win over the Rams. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The 27-year-old is the NFL’s rushing leader through 12 weeks with 1,392 yards – 67 yards ahead of Henry – and 10 touchdowns. He also has 27 catches for 257 yards and two more scores.
He is well on course for over 2,000 rushing yards this season. But more than the statistics, Barkley has captured the imagination with some of his feats of athleticism.
His reverse no-look hurdle over a defender in Week 9 was described as the “best play” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni had ever seen, with even Barkley’s teammates not believing of what they had seen. Barkley’s reverse hurdle was so jaw-dropping that it was added to the video game Madden 25.
And now the clamor for Barkley to be among the MVP candidates is building, with no clear quarterback frontrunner yet to emerge through 12 weeks.
“He’s the best in the league. He’s the best at what he does,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said in his postgame interview. “He’s a bad man.”
A victory for Barkley could come hand-in-hand with an Eagles postseason run and bring further hurt to an already struggling Giants season.
What’s going on with the Houston Texans?
After a season full of promise in 2023, 2024 was seen as a year to move on up for the rising Houston Texans.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans had brought a change in energy to the long-suffering organization in his first year in Texas, rookie quarterback CJ Stroud had a historic rookie year in the NFL and the rest of young roster had shown plenty of signs to be hopeful about.
And after an offseason of big moves – most notably, the acquisitions of running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Stefon Diggs – it looked as if last season’s division round defeat in the playoffs could be improved upon.
While that still might be the case, it’s not been smooth sailing for the Texans through 12 weeks of the season.
Despite opening 5-1, Houston has since gone 2-4 in that time, with arguably their worst performance of the season coming on Sunday at home in a 32-27 loss against the Tennessee Titans.
Stroud, who set countless records last year for his throwing accuracy, continued to be wayward with his throws as he was intercepted twice by Titans defenders. He has struggled behind a porous offensive line and that affected the running game on Sunday with Mixon only having 22 yards on 14 carries.
Stroud has struggled in his second NFL season. Cooper Neill/Getty Images
The Titans – who were seen as one of the favorites for a top pick in next year’s draft after having only two wins this season before Sunday – were able consistently slice through Houston’s defense, with running back Tony Pollard having 119 yards and a score on the ground.
But come the end of the game, Houston had a chance to steal a win despite their miscues. A 65-yard interception return touchdown from Jimmy Ward and a Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal gave the Texans a four-point lead in the fourth quarter.
On the very next play though, Tennessee QB Will Levis connected with his tight end Chig Okonkwo and the 25-year-old ran 70 yards for a touchdown to give the Titans a shock late lead.
Even then, the Texans could have sent the game to overtime, but Fairbairn – who has long been seen as one of the more reliable kickers in the league – missed a 28-yard attempt to cap off a forgetful afternoon at NRG Stadium for the home team.
All-in-all, the loss at home to the lowly Titans incapsulates the 2024 Texans – promising signs but key moments and plays going against them.
Ryans called the defeat “disappointing” as he admitted that his players “weren’t ready to go as a team.”
“The most frustrating part about it is out of all the bad things that happened, we still had a chance to finish the game, right?” he told reporters after Sunday’s game. “Everything that could go wrong, it went wrong. We still had a chance there to tie it up and finish the game, and we didn’t.”
Ryans (center) led the Texans to the playoffs in his debut season with the team last year. Ashley Landis/AP
The Texans have a favorable matchup in Week 13 as they travel to face the two-win Jacksonville Jaguars before going on their bye in Week 14 which allows them plenty of opportunity to right the ship.
They still sit atop the AFC South at 7-5 and have a 94% chance of reaching the playoffs according to NFL.com, but will need to have a drastic improvement on the field if they have any hopes of a deep postseason run.
What next for wide-open NFC West?
Through 12 weeks of the season, there is no division tighter than the NFC West.
All four teams are separated by just one game, with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals sitting at 6-5 and the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers at 5-6.
In recent years, the 49ers and Rams have dominated the division, but through a combination of injuries and bad form, both have undergone sub-par years as their playoff hopes slip away with every defeat; per NFL.com, the Niners and Rams have a 15% and 10% chance of reaching the postseason respectively.
The Seahawks currently lead the division having gotten the favorable tiebreaker thanks to their Week 12 home victory over the Cardinals.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has helped lead Seattle to two straight wins. Steph Chambers/Getty Images
And with the final third of the season to come, the team that will clinch top spot in the decision is very much still up for grabs.
Will the Seahawks continue their late season revival under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, having lost five of six games before their Week 10 bye, to race away with the division title?
Can the Cards get back on course and, powered by their young nucleus and ascending quarterback Kyler Murray, win their first division title since 2015?
Or can the established 49ers and Rams recover from their injury woes and go on a late-season winning run to force their way into the playoffs?
The Rams, Seahawks and Cardinals have games against the other three members of the division in the final six weeks of the season which could prove decisive, while the 49ers just have games against the Rams and Cardinals left on their schedule.
Full Week 12 scores
Away vs. home (winners in bold)
Thursday
Pittsburgh Steelers 19-24 Cleveland Browns
Sunday
Kansas City Chiefs 30-27 Carolina Panthers
Minnesota Vikings 30-27 (OT) Chicago Bears
Tennessee Titans 32-27 Houston Texans
Detroit Lions 24-6 Indianapolis Colts
New England Patriots 15-34 Miami Dolphins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-7 New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys 34-26 Washington Commanders
Denver Broncos 29-19 Las Vegas Raiders
San Francisco 49ers 10-38 Green Bay Packers
Arizona Cardinals 6-16 Seattle Seahawks
Philadelphia Eagles 37-20 Los Angeles Rams
Monday
Baltimore Ravens 30-23 Los Angeles Chargers

We’re back for another day of the SB Nation in-5 daily trivia game, and we’re returning to our system of a new article each day for the game.
We tried using a single article for the game, updated with the latest game each day, but it was creating a bit of an unwieldy experience in the comments. So, we’ll have the current day’s game plus the previous three days in each new article. That way, you can catch up if you miss a day.
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The goal of the game is to guess the correct random NFL player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. It will be a mix of well-known players and some “that guys” that we haven’t thought of in some time. The game will appear in slot #3 of the SB Nation layout each morning, with occasional movement later in the day.
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Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins is reportedly expected to miss L.A.’s next game and possibly more due to a knee injury.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Dobbins suffered a sprained knee in Monday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and it will cause him to

As the NFL season gets ready to hit Thanksgiving, all 14 playoff spots are still up for grabs, but that may not be the case at the end of Week 13.
A total of three NFL teams can clinch a playoff spot this week, and the first spot can be clinched as soon as Friday.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the playoff scenarios heading into Week 13:
How Chiefs can clinch a playoff berth
If the 10-1 Chiefs want to be the first team to clinch a playoff spot, they need one of the following scenarios to happen:
Chiefs win over Raiders + Dolphins loss/tie to Packers Chiefs tie Raiders + Dolphins loss to Packers Chiefs win over Raiders + Broncos loss to Browns Chiefs win over Raiders + Chargers lose to Falcons + Broncos tie Browns
If the Dolphins lose to the Packers on Thursday night, then the Chiefs can become the first team to clinch a berth if they beat the Raiders on Black Friday.
If the Chiefs don’t clinch a spot, that could open the door for Buffalo to grab the first playoff spot. The Bills are on the cusp of clinching the AFC East title, and it could happen as soon as Sunday if two things go their way this week.
How the Bills can clinch a playoff berth
The Bills only have one scenario for clinching a playoff berth this week:
1. Bills win over 49ers + Dolphins loss to Packers
If both of those things happen, the Bills would clinch the AFC East.
In that situation, Buffalo would become the first team since the 2009 Colts to clinch a division title with five weeks left in the season. That Colts team was led by Peyton Manning, who got Indianapolis all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to the New Orleans Saints.
How the Lions can clinch a playoff berth
Although the scenarios for the Chiefs and Bills are simple, the Lions have a more convoluted route to clinching a playoff berth in Week 13.
Here are the six ways it can happen:
Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or tie Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Buccaneers loss or tie Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Commanders loss or tie + Falcons loss Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Commanders loss + Falcons tie Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Commanders loss or tie + Commanders loss Lions win + 49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Commanders loss + ATL tie
At this point, the easiest scenario for the Lions getting in this week would be a win over the Bears added with a 49ers loss to the Bills, a Seahawks loss to the Jets, a Cardinals loss to the Vikings and a Buccaneers loss to the Panthers.
If the Lions do get in, we could see three of the 14 playoff spots locked up by the end of Week 13.

With no teams on a bye this week, football fans are rejoicing as that simply means more games to place Week 13 NFL bets on. A bonus is that there’s a loaded slate of games, ranging from fierce divisional battles like Steelers vs. Bengals (-2.5) to matchups between playoff hopefuls such as Chargers vs. Falcons (+1) to a potential Super Bowl preview in Eagles vs. Ravens (-2.5). Those games all have slim Week 13 NFL spreads, but there’s also a primetime contest with a heavy favorite that you could make NFL predictions on.
The Bills will host the 49ers on Sunday night, with Buffalo favored by 7 points, per the Week 13 NFL odds. Buffalo has its sights set on the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a postseason bye, while San Fran is simply hoping to make the playoffs a year after representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. What stats and trends could help with NFL game picks for this contest and all of the others? All of the Week 13 NFL lines are listed below, and SportsLine’s advanced computer model has all the NFL betting advice and NFL predictions you need to make the best Week 13 NFL picks now. Plus, get the model’s full Week 13 NFL score predictions here.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year. Longer term, it is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen strong returns.
Now, it has turned its attention to the latest Week 13 NFL odds and NFL betting lines and locked in betting picks for every NFL matchup. You can find them all here.
Thursday, Nov. 28
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-10.5, 48.5)
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS/Paramount+
This will be the 20th Thanksgiving Day meeting between the Lions and Bears, the second-most of any Thanksgiving matchup behind Lions vs. Packers (22 meetings). Chicago leads the holiday series with 11 wins versus eight losses but has lost its last five games of the 2024 NFL season. On the other hand, Detroit’s nine-game win streak is the longest active in the league.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, projects four players to have at least 75 scrimmage yards, with one forecasted to exceed 110 yards. See the NFL projections here.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-4, 38)
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Cooper Rush and Tommy DeVito are expected to start at quarterback for Dallas and New York, respectively. The Cowboys have won their last seven games versus the Giants, including a 28-20 victory on Thanksgiving Day in 2022. While the Giants covered in that Thanksgiving game two years ago, Dallas is 5-2 ATS over this seven-game winning streak.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which enters Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year, projects there to be over 11 combined turnovers plus sacks, which could be useful in Fantasy and NFL prop bets. See the NFL projections here.
Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers (-3, 47)
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
The last meeting between these teams also occurred on a holiday — Christmas Day in 2022 — in which the Packers both won and covered. Green Bay’s only three defeats in the 2024 season have come to three of the five teams with nine-plus wins — Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Miami has won three straight games outright and has covered in each of its last four games.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022, says one side of the spread covers over 60% of the time in an A-rated pick. Get the model’s coveted A-rated pick here.
Friday, Nov. 29
Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-13, 42.5)
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Channel: Prime Video
The Chiefs are tied for the league’s best record (10-1), while the Raiders are tied for the league’s worst record (2-9). However, they both have the same number of ATS wins (four) on the season. Kansas City is 0-5 ATS over its last five games, while Vegas has failed to cover in each of its last three contests.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, says one side of the total hits in almost 70% of simulations. See which side of the total is a must-back here.
Sunday, Dec. 1
Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta Falcons (+1, 47.5)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS/Paramount+
The Under is 7-4 for both teams this season, with the seven unders tied for the third-most in the NFL. Kirk Cousins didn’t throw a touchdown in either of his two previous game, marking the first time in his 13-year career he’s gone back-to-back starts without a touchdown pass.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which enters Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year, projects one team to be held under 100 rushing yards, and forecasts one team to allow more than six points over its season average. See the NFL projections here.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5, 47)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS/Paramount+
Cincinnati is coming off a bye, and the Over is 7-1 for the Bengals after a bye since 2017. This year, the Over is 8-3 for the Bengals, giving them the second-highest over percentage in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s straight-up and ATS records have mirrored each other this season as it’s covered in all eight of its straight-up wins while failing to cover in all three of its outright defeats.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022, says one side of the total hits in over 60% of simulations in an A-rated pick. Get the model’s coveted A-rated pick here.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (+5, 43)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Trevor Lawrence (non-throwing shoulder) is expected to be a game-time decision after missing the last two games. His counterpart in C.J. Stroud has thrown five interceptions over his last three games, which matches the total number of picks he threw in his Offensive Rookie of the Year season in 2023.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations in an A-rated pick. Get the model’s coveted A-rated pick here.
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5, 45.5)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
The Vikings have won 11 straight home games against the Cardinals, last losing to the franchise when it was known as the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977. Kyler Murray leads the NFL with 7.9 yards per rush (min. 40 carries), but the Vikings allow just 6.2 rushing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks this season — the fewest in the NFL.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which enters Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year, projects one quarterback to have nearly a 100% chance of throwing an interception. See the NFL projections here.
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (+2.5, 42.5)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS/Paramount+
After starting the year 7-1 ATS, the Colts are just 1-3 ATS over their last four games. Meanwhile, the Patriots have covered only once across five home games this season. Anthony Richardson leads the NFL with 15.6 yards per completion but ranks last amongst 36 qualified quarterbacks with a 47.1 completion percentage.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022, says one team wins in well over 50% of simulations in an A-rated money line pick. Get the model’s coveted A-rated pick here.
Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets (+2, 41.5)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
The Jets are allowing 26.2 points per game under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, compared to 17 points per game under fired coach Robert Saleh. New York still boasts the No. 2 passing defense in the NFL, but the Seahawks counter with the league’s No. 2 passing offense.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, says one side of the total hits in nearly 60% of simulations. See which side it is right here.
Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders (-5.5, 44.5)
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS/Paramount+
The Titans are coming off a win over Houston, but Tennessee is 0-8 straight-up following a victory over the last two seasons. Jayden Daniels has thrown three interceptions over his last two games after having just two picks over his first 10 starts.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which enters Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year, says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. See which it is right here.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (+6, 46.5)
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
Carolina started the year 1-7 ATS but has since covered in three straight games. Tampa has also covered in each of its last three, and both teams decidedly favor the Over. Carolina has hit the Over in eight games — tied for the second-most in the NFL — while Tampa is just behind it, with the Over hitting seven times for the Bucs.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022, says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time in an A-rated pick. Get the model’s coveted A-rated pick here.
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints (+2.5, 48.5)
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Channel: FOX
The Saints are coming off a bye, but they are winless versus the spread (0-5) following a bye since 2019. However, New Orleans is 3-2 outright in those post-bye games. Matthew Stafford is 2-5 in his career versus the Saints on the road, with 14 passing touchdowns versus 11 turnovers.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, projects one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time, and it offers an A-rated money line pick. See the NFL model projections here.
Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens (-2.5, 50.5)
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Channel: CBS/Paramount+
The Ravens are undefeated (2-0-1) straight-up in all-time home games versus the Eagles, but Philadelphia is a league-best 6-1 ATS away from home this season. Baltimore has seen the Over go 10-2 this season, as no other NFL team has seen the Over hit more than eight times in 2024.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which enters Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year, projects one team to allow 11 more points than its season average, and it forecasts one team to have its top two players combine for over 200 scrimmage yards. See the NFL projections here.
Sunday Night Football: San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills (-7, 45)
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Channel: NBC
The Bills have won 14 straight regular-season games in December or later, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Buffalo is also 8-0 following a bye since coach Sean McDermott’s hiring in 2017. As for the 49ers, they are 3-0 both straight-up and ATS on primetime this season, compared to 1-7 ATS in all other games.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, projects one team to score its fewest points since Week 6, and it forecasts one team to allow nearly a touchdown more than its season average. See the NFL projections here.
Monday, Dec. 2
Monday Night Football: Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (-5.5, 42)
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN
Denver’s nine ATS wins are tied for the most in the NFL, while it remains the only team undefeated against the spread at home (5-0). As for the Browns, they’ve had an uptick in offensive production since Jameis Winston replaced an injured Deshaun Watson. Cleveland averaged 15.6 points and 253.9 yards in seven games with Watson as starter, compared to 19.3 points and 360 yards in the last four games with Winston under center.
Model pick: The SportsLine model, which is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022, says one side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations in an A-rated pick. Get the model’s coveted A-rated pick here.

Thanksgiving Day NFL games have been held continuously since 1945, making the 2024 NFL Thanksgiving Day games the 80th year in a row of the tradition. The Lions have been featured in each of those years, and as the Super Bowl favorite this season, Detroit is favored by 10.5 points over the Bears in the latest NFL odds. With the Lions not only having the NFL’s best record, but also the league’s best against-the-spread record (9-2), you can expect many NFL bets on Detroit to be included in an NFL Thanksgiving Day parlay picks.
The holiday’s other matchups are Cowboys vs. Giants (+4), who will meet for the third time ever on Thanksgiving, as well as Packers vs. Dolphins (+3). Dallas has won its last seven games versus New York, while Green Bay has defeated Miami in three straight. How much should previous results influence who you back with Thanksgiving NFL picks? Before making any NFL predictions for a Thanksgiving Day NFL parlay, you need to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model entered Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 22-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year. Longer term, it is on a 202-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 56-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen strong returns.
For the 2024 NFL Thanksgiving Day games, the model has locked in six best bets. If you successfully parlay the picks, you’d be looking at a payout of around 44-1. You can only see the model’s top picks at SportsLine.
Top Thanksgiving NFL picks
The model, which ran 10,000 simulations on each of the three NFL games, likes the Over (47) to hit in Packers vs. Dolphins at 8:20 p.m. ET. Since Tua Tagovailoa returned from injured reserve, the Over is 4-1 for the Dolphins. Additionally, Miami’s five highest point totals of the season have come in this five-game stretch. Also, both teams are coming off victories last week, and history has been very kind to the Over for each squad after a win. The Over is 12-4-1 for Green Bay after a victory since 2023, while the Over is 15-9 for Miami with the same circumstances.
Meanwhile, Green Bay is coming off a season-high of 38 points on Sunday against a top-notch 49ers defense. Josh Jacobs ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards, while Jordan Love is sixth in passing touchdowns, despite playing in just eight full games. The model projects Love to have multiple passing touchdowns and Jacobs to have 90 scrimmage yards, while De’Von Achane of Miami goes over 100 total yards. With that, the model projects the Over (47) to hit in over 50% of simulations, with points to spare, as the teams combine for at least 50 points. See the model’s top picks here.
How to make Thanksgiving NFL parlays
The model also locked in five other best bets for Thanksgiving Day NFL 2024, including an A-rated spread pick. If the parlay hits, you’re looking at an epic 44-1 payout. You can see the model’s NFL Thanksgiving best bets and parlay only at SportsLine.
Which NFL Thanksgiving picks should you target for a payout of 44-1, and which A-rated spread pick should you jump on? Visit SportsLine now to see the NFL best bets from an advanced model on a 202-136 run on top-rated NFL picks, and find out.
Where to bet NFL games
Below is a comparison of the various welcome promotions available along with reviews of the major sportsbooks and their current promo offers.

NFL fans will have a triple-helping of games to watch on Thanksgiving Day. But that means that there are six different injury reports to sort through as each team continues to prepare for Turkey Day.
Below is a rundown of each team’s injury report from Tuesday, as we are now less than 48 hours away from a day filled with food, family and, of course, football. Each Thanksgiving Day team will post its official game day injury designations on Wednesday.
All NFL sports betting odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Bears at Lions (-10.5)
Both teams conducted walkthroughs Monday and Tuesday, so practice participation designations are based on estimates.
For the Lions, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) and running back David Montgomery (shoulder) were limited Tuesday after not practicing Monday. Wideout Kalif Raymond (foot), tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (knee/thumb) did not practice either day. Cornerback Terrion Arnold groin) was a full participant both days. Defensive lineman DJ Reader (illness) was a full participant Tuesday after not participating Monday.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that he feels

The Week 13 NFL schedule features games on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday and Thanksgiving Week is often one of the best of the season for football. The Ravens and Eagles both have Super Bowl aspirations and will put each other to the test on Sunday in Baltimore. The Ravens are three-point favorites in the Week 13 NFL odds coming off a bye week. Which team should you back in that game and how should you handle your Week 13 NFL bets? Before you make any Week 13 NFL picks and Week 13 NFL score predictions, you need to see the NFL against the spread, over-under, and money line predictions powered by the self-learning SportsLine AI.
Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine’s Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each game. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each team’s historical data and then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponent’s defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score.
Once a prediction is formulated, the AI rating is generated using the prediction, the matchup score, and the odds of the market. For example, you could see an A-rating on an over bet if a team is facing a poor defense, their prediction differs from the line and there are favorable odds.
In addition, SportsLine AI is the first fully automated predictive model at SportsLine. It continuously refreshes on the most recent available data and can help you spot the biggest discrepancies in the lines. SportsLine’s AI PickBot has hit a whopping 2,029 4.5- and 5-star prop picks since the start of last season. Anyone who has followed it is way up at their best sports betting app and favorite betting sites.
For Week 13 NFL betting, the AI PickBot has evaluated the NFL odds and provided NFL betting picks for all 16 games. You can only see the AI predictions for the Week 13 NFL schedule here.
Top Week 13 NFL AI picks
After analyzing every game in Week 13, the AI PickBot says the Patriots cover comfortably as 2.5-point home underdogs against the Colts on Sunday in a game with an over-under of 42.5. After going 1-4 over their first five games and failing to register 150 passing yards in any of those contests, the Patriots made the switch to Drake Maye at quarterback.
The passing attack has been more capable and Maye has led the team to wins over the Bears and Jets while also having close calls with the Rams and Titans. Maye has thrown for at least 200 yards in five of the six games that he’s finished and has thrown for at least 184 yards in all six of those outings.
Meanwhile, the Colts have lost four of five and have failed to cover the spread in three of four. The Indianapolis defense ranks 27th in the NFL and New England should be able to move the ball through the air. That’s a big reason why the AI PickBot rates a Patriots cover as an A+ pick and also predicts a 26-16 outright win on average. See its other Week 13 football predictions and football picks at SportsLine.
How to make Week 13 NFL picks
In addition, the AI PickBot has generated 12 highly-coveted A+ picks for Week 13. You need to see the AI PickBot’s NFL picks before making any Week 13 NFL bets of your own. You can only see them at SportsLine.
Who wins and covers each Week 13 NFL game, and which A+ picks should you target now? Visit SportsLine now to see the top NFL picks against the spread, over-under, and on money line, all from the brand-new SportsLine AI PickBot that has nailed 2,029 top-rated picks since the start of last season.

They say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, but I feel like that saying doesn’t take holidays into account. While I’m sure Tom Brady is enjoying his inaugural stint on Fox’s commentary team and looks forward to continuing well into the 2025 TV schedule, there is a downside to that high-paying contract he signed. The NFL doesn’t take a break on Thanksgiving, and Fox’s The OT crew were only so happy to point that out to the MVP on live TV, which the Internet reacted excitedly to.
As a longtime veteran of the NFL, Tom Brady was no doubt well aware Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that teams rarely get off. Even so, he played the part of the shocked commentator when he was told on Fox’s The OT that he’d have to be in the booth that day while people chow down on turkey. Check out his reaction via Complex Sports:
TOM BRADY WAS SHOOK FINDING OUT HE HAS TO WORK FOR FOX ON THANKSGIVING. 💀😂 pic.twitter.com/VHblBfIyEFNovember 26, 2024
I might say Tom Brady’s biggest regret of the year was signing that contract and getting his holiday taken away, but I’d wager he likely still regrets doing that Netflix roast more than anything else. In any case, there’s are no shortage of reactions to his latest live TV moments on Instagram, with everything ranging from those playing him the smallest fiddle of sympathy, to those truly empathetic about him having to be in the booth for the Giants vs. Cowboys game. Take a look:
Imagine missing Thanksgiving to cover the Giants vs Cowboys 😂😂😂 – @trayg_54
Welcome to the working class 😂 – @itsjfrank_
The look every new employee gives when they learn they have to work all the holidays – @fastmaddy
Not only does he have to work, but it’s the Giants v Cowboys featuring two backup QB’s. Bro is in hell with $50m 🤣 – @zachswa
Look into his eyes in the pic… that man is gone – @le_truey
For readers who are not as dialed into the world of football, Tom Brady is scheduled to call the game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. Both teams will be competing with backup quarterbacks, after Giants former starting QB Daniel Jones asked for his release not too long ago, and Dallas QB Dak Prescott was recently declared out for the season and will undergo surgery. In short, it could be a low-scoring and extremely sloppy game between two backup quarterbacks.
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I’m not sure how Tom Brady will feel about that, but if I had to guess, the paycheck he’ll get for it will certainly help. Brady will continue to mind his words on the broadcast after fans wondered if he’d face penalties for being critical of the referee officiating weeks ago. As a new minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, he has to follow special rules to avoid losing some of his money to fines.
If it’s any consolation for Tom Brady, he’ll have Christmas to take a break. Netflix secured the rights to stream NFL games on the holiday, and father-son duo Ian and Noah Eagle will be the play-by-play commentators in the two games taking place that day. That means TB12 will have plenty of time to kick back and count all those zeroes in his bank account or whatever guys as rich as he does do in their spare time.
Tom Brady will be on the call for those who tune in to watch the NFL on Fox on Thanksgiving Day starting at 4:30 p.m. ET. He may not be spending the holiday at home, but he’ll certainly be on in my living room this holiday!

NFL fans will have a triple-helping of games to watch on Thanksgiving Day. But that means that there are six different injury reports to sort through as each team continues to prepare for Turkey Day.
Below is a rundown of each team’s injury report from Tuesday, as we are now less than 48 hours away from a day filled with food, family and, of course, football. Each Thanksgiving Day team will post its official game day injury designations on Wednesday.
Each team playing on Thanksgiving conducted walkthroughs Monday and Tuesday, so practice participation designations are based on estimates.
All NFL sports betting odds courtesy of FanDuel.
Bears at Lions (-10.5)
For the Lions, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) and running back David Montgomery (shoulder) were limited Tuesday after not practicing Monday. Wideout Kalif Raymond (foot), tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (knee/thumb) did not practice either day. Cornerback Terrion Arnold groin) was a full participant both days. Defensive lineman DJ Reader (illness) was a full participant Tuesday after not participating Monday. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that he feels

Colorado Buffaloes WITHOUT Deion Sanders, unimaginable, right!? Maybe that’s why the Buffs fans have already gone into panic mode. So how could the Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders see their fans in pain? Already every other day, one or the other NFL giant’s name pops up trying to lure Deion away from Boulder. But hey Buffs fans, you can have your good night’s sleep now that assurance came from a reliable source, right from Deion’s son, Shedeur. Going by the buzz, two programs- Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys will be having a tough fight to land Coach Prime. But a CFB insider revealed how Deion’s “ego” will close the gates for him in the NFL.
To swap or not to swap, that’s the question. Well, we can see how difficult it is going to be for Deion once this college football season drops its curtains. The man who has built the program from rags to riches already has given away a large part of his heart to the Buffs. The parts are his sons Shedeur, Shilo, and Colorado’s dual-threat Travis Hunter. Now that this season marks the last chapter of the trio in college football, they will be carrying the pieces of Deion’s heart while transitioning to the NFL. In this way, Deion would be left back with all the shattered pieces and an empty heart. So it is highly likely that the Buffs HC would also follow them. But looks like the plan is not on anymore. On the 2Legendary with Shedeur Sanders podcast, co-host Darius Sanders dropped an important question for the Buffs QB, “RS Devin asks will Coach Prime stay after you and Shilo, and Travis leave?”
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To which Shedeur did not waste even a split second before answering. He replied, “Yeah, Dad’s there for sure.” But what about the offers from the top shots in the NFL? For instance, just when people thought that Shedeur was going to be drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, suddenly Dallas Cowboys too entered the conversation. As per the rumors, Jerry Jones’ program had offered a “package deal” for the father-son duo that obviously would be difficult for Deion to resist. However, we must not forget what the CFB insider said about the chances.
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The big ‘Deion Sanders Transition’ debate
Now that the 2024 season for college football is hitting the end notes, the chances of the Deion x NFL collab have got way more intense. So on the Dan Patrick Show, the host Dan Patrick along with his guest, ex-Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Chris Simms thought of deconstructing the chances. The ex-NFL signal-caller had no second thoughts about Coach Prime stepping into the NFL. As he said, “I think Deion Sanders is made more for the NFL than he is for college football.” He then pointed out the reason why he thinks Coach Prime is the right fit for the NFL.
“Deion wants to lead. He wants to get the guys ready, he wants to walk in the meeting room and go ‘Wait, we can’t do this, that’s stupid, stupid. Let’s do that, that, and that,” clarified Simms. But about Patrick? Well, the analyst is super sure that Deion in the NFL, this combination is not going to work. The reason?
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The CFB insider pointed out something interesting, “I think his ego is plated that ‘Oh my God they’re coming to play for me not Colorado they’re coming to play for me.” Okay, if you still don’t trust the analyst’s take, now you know whom to trust. After all, who better to offer reassurance than Shedeur, Deion’s own son and the Buffs’ QB?

There are just too many things going on with the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy was on the hot seat, but things changed after he and the Cowboys won against the Washington Commanders. The America’s team owner pulled a classic Jerry Jones after claiming that McCarthy was an “outstanding” coach and didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing him.
But there’s a notion going around that the billionaire not willing to let go of the Super Bowl winning coach is because of an ulterior motive. The rumor mill is working overtime, dishing out the narrative that either Bill Belichick or Deion Sanders might be the next head coaches of the Dallas team. But Chris Broussard of the First Things First laid those half-baked claims to rest. He has a good reason too.
It’s no mystery that Jones loves publicity and is no less of a Hollywood character himself. And that’s the exact reason why he might not hire someone as flashy as Deion Sanders, or a stern coach like the 6x Super Bowl winner, Bill Belichick. Before we get into the “why’s,” let’s check out what Broussard had to say about the situation.
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via Imago August 28, 2022: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks down the blue carpet for the season kickoff event Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. – ZUMAm67_ 20220828_zaf_m67_046 Copyright: xYffyxYossiforx
“With Belichick and Deion, they, even Belichick, they become the face of the franchise. Like Belichick won’t talk like Deion and be as charismatic, but he’s Bill Belichick. He’s got 6 rings, he’ll be the face of the franchise. Deion obviously will be the face of the franchise. I don’t know that Jerry Jones wants that, so…” Broussard said on First Things First.
Starting with Belichick, he oversaw everything for the Patriots in his tenure there. Not only did he serve as their head coach for 24 years, but he was also the de-facto GM of the most storied franchise in the NFL. From scouting, to hiring and firing, to play calling, Belichick did everything. And it’s obvious that the former Pats coach is the type who doesn’t like to cede any control.
Deion Sanders on the other hand, has been a well-known figure in the Cowboys history. He won the Super Bowl XXX with them after all. But the thing is, if Sanders does become the Cowboys coach, he’s going to come in with his sons and it’s going to be a package deal, but that’s not the most concerning thing here.
You see, when Coach Prime took the job at Colorado, he cut 20 people in a single day. Additionally, 22 players landed at Group of Five program, 15 at Power Five and 11 at FCS or Division II. Though he might not make as many changes to the Cowboys roster, but there’s a possibility that he might make the situation more dramatic.
Jerry Jones might not be ready for that sort of action, not on his watch. So, is that the reason why he’s still sticking with McCarthy? Let’s check out what he had to say on his recent radio appearance.
Is Jerry Jones sticking with Mike McCarthy a ‘crazy’ idea?
McCarthy has had three consecutive 12-5 campaigns with the Dallas Cowboys and that paired with his Super Bowl win with the Green Bay Packers has led Jerry Jones to explore the possibility of further signing him. In fact, the Cowboys owner doesn’t think that it would be a crazy idea. He took to 105.3 The Fan and shook the Dallas fan base with his comments.
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via Imago NFL, American Football Herren, USA Dallas Cowboys Minicamp Jun 5, 2024 Frisco, TX, USA Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy addresses the media before practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Frisco TX USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xChrisxJonesx 20240605_sjb_qr0_176
“I don’t think that’s crazy at all. That’s not crazy. Listen, Mike McCarthy is an outstanding coach… This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there, done that. He’s got great ideas,” Jones said about McCarthy. But everyone should have known better. It wouldn’t be long before Mike McCarthy’s reaction to the owner’s comment came to limelight.
The head coach didn’t want to make it seem like he was excited to hear those words coming from Jones. He downplayed the idea of signing for another season with the Cowboys saying he was focused on the next game at hand. The Dallas team is playing the New York Giants next and the head coach is solely focused on winning over the divisional rivals.
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“Crazy? I mean… I really haven’t talked about it all year, so I’m definitely not going to start on a short week and an important division game. But I’m not going to throw away positive vibes either, so keep ’em coming. That’s all good. But, yeah, that’s not something I’m really focused on,” the Dallas head coach said in the press conference on 11/28.
With all this said, let’s be considerate of the fact that Dak Prescott is out of the season and with that, the Cowboys are just dilly-dallying through the season. Yes, the win against the Commanders feels great, but at the same time, unless the Cowboys beat a team like the Chiefs or the Eagles, it would be hard to place trust in the roster. Maybe Jerry Jones has considered all this and is willing to give McCarthy another shot.

FRISCO — While overall he’s playing well, the penalties for rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton are maddening.
Guyton was flagged four times in Sunday’s win over the Commanders, with three accepted. On the season, Guyton has been penalized 16 times, second-highest in the NFL.
Of those 16, 12 were accepted, which is also the second-most.
“It’s a big emphasis, we’ve obviously talked about it time and time again,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “The discipline, the stance of breaking that plane, it’s just not consistent enough. There’s communication and every crew is different. It has to stop. He knows it. He feels sick about it.”
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Guyton was called for four second-half penalties on Sunday. He got flagged on back-to-back plays in the third quarter, where a holding call wiped out a first-down reception. In the fourth quarter, an illegal formation call on Guyton eliminated another first-down reception.
“But we just got to get it corrected, those are penalties that potentially took points off the board and an opportunity to score more points,” McCarthy said. “We got to get it corrected. We’re far enough down the line, he understands it. That’s how this league goes too, his name comes up in the pregame meetings with the officials. It’s an emphasis that the officiating part of it is making on a weekly basis. There’s something there and we got to be better than that.”
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The Cowboys used a rotation at left tackle between Guyton and Asim Richards against the Commanders. With Richards out with a high ankle sprain, it’s not determined if the Cowboys will continue with a rotation at left tackle.
McCarthy hasn’t lost confidence in Guyton, who is moving from playing right tackle at Oklahoma to left tackle in the NFL.
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“Yeah, definitely, he’s a young man with a very bright future, it’s always the little things and the details,” McCarthy said. “The details is the difference between winning and losing so those are the types of things, it’s because of, it’s happened before and he’s corrected it. It showed itself again yesterday. We all need to be better. We need to get that fixed.”
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Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Eli Apple has the strong backing of his parents! The NFL cornerback is in the limelight again. And, this time, a former Bengals cornerback is making waves for signing with the Chargers’ active roster Monday. Impressively, Eli, who also played for the Dolphins, Saints, and Panthers, recorded total tackles across 58 total snaps.
Since the Giants drafted him as the first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, he has established his name in the league as the most polarizing player. And, this is because of his strong off-field support from his mom, Annie, and stepdad, Tim’s support. From the Buckeyes, to now the Chargers, they have been the staunch supporter of him throughout his life journey,
Who are Annie and Tim Apple?
Eli Apple shares a strong bond with his mom, Annie. She has been his biggest supporter. Beyond her role as a supportive mom, she is also a career-oriented personality. As per her social media profile, Eli Apple’s mom serves as a journalist, producer, and writer. Allegedly, Annie’s writing work previously caught her attention for her blog “Survivin America: Making It Through with Humor and Hope”. However, it appears the website no longer exists.
Beyond her professional career, his mom has often caught attention for supporting her son on social media.
Not only his mom, but, his stepdad, Tim Apple has been behind him every step of the way. He is a retired five-star chef.

Thriving or hanging in there when it comes to your fantasy football team? Week 10 of the NFL season sees the most people finally give up, according to new research.
A new survey of 2,000 Americans who play fantasy football conducted a health check on how managers are currently coping as they pursue personal and strategic glory. If you’re still playing, you’re doing better than the 16% of managers who already quit as of Week 6.
A further 59% said they are “hanging in there” but still hope they can flourish as the season progresses, while 31% say they’re currently among the leaders of their league and chasing victory.
3 Week 10 of the NFL season sees the most people finally give up, according to new research. Getty Images
The poll, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Progressive Insurance, found that Week 7 is the average for managers to quit.
Week 10 is the most deadly to players in terms of quitting in a single week. A staunch 56% said they never give up.
For those throwing in the towel, underperforming players (37%) and injuries (30%) were two of the biggest nails in their managerial coffins.
The average fantasy player regrets three draft choices (2.6), with 69% of all respondents already having to thrust their backup choices into starting roles.
Overall, only 33% of first-round draft picks are performing as well as expected — and one in five are underwhelming or already on the IR.
3 The average fantasy player regrets three draft choices (2.6), with 69% of all respondents already having to thrust their backup choices into starting roles. Getty Images/iStockphoto
“Even the best-laid game plans can get sidelined, whether on the road, in your home or even in your fantasy football league,” said Sade Balogun, senior business leader of brand experience at Progressive Insurance. “Much like in real life, having a good backup plan is critical.”
Results also pinpointed huge amounts of effort and preparation that goes into a person’s fantasy football career — the average manager dedicates 4.5 hours a week to their line up selections, researching players and planning their strategies.
Over the course of a full 18-week season, assuming they don’t quit, the typical fantasy manager racks up 81 hours or the equivalent of 10 full working days dedicated to their fantasy football dreams.
If more evidence of dedication was needed, incredibly, one in three fantasy football managers (35%) would rather win their league than have their favorite NFL team win the big game.
The average league buy-in was found to be a cool $60, but the average respondent is still up when it comes to their fantasy finances.
According to the results, the average fantasy football enthusiast has spent $1,014.5 in their life on fantasy leagues but has only won $1,205.6 — giving them a marginal profit of nearly $200.
And where there are fantasy winners, there are also fantasy losers — one of the time-honored traditions of playing fantasy football is having an embarrassing punishment for those who finish dead last.
One in five respondents have participated in a league with punishments, with seven percent of the panel actually receiving the penalties.
The survey asked respondents to reveal what their punishment was and found a slew of hilarious, and downright embarrassing, responses.
One respondent said they had to put on a bikini and walk down the street in the middle of a cold winter day, while another had to shave their head completely bald. Another respondent had to treat the winner of the league to an expensive dinner three separate times.
3 Over the course of a full 18-week season, assuming they don’t quit, the typical fantasy manager racks up 81 hours or the equivalent of 10 full working days dedicated to their fantasy football dreams. Getty Images
Win or lose, respondents are split on how much skill you really need in fantasy — 31% of respondents say it’s more skill-based, but 23% say it’s more luck than anything else.
“Fantasy football success is not solely about having the best draft. It’s about the ability to pivot and implement backup plans when faced with challenges,” said Balogun. “Right when players are about to throw in the towel on their season, it’s the perfect moment to call in for backup, and we’re excited to give struggling teams a second chance at a winning season with our Fantasy Backup Plan sweepstakes.”
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FUNNIEST FANTASY FOOTBALL LAST-PLACE PUNISHMENTS (Responses edited for clarity)
“I had to buy dinner for everybody else in the league while wearing an outfit of their choosing.”
“I had to eat five raw eggs.”
“I had to dress up like a maid and host a party with friends and family present.”
“I had to treat the winner to dinner three times.”
“I had to wear a bikini and walk down the street on a cold winter day.”
“I had to buy everybody beer for a week.”
“I had to post something embarrassing on my social media accounts.”
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 people who participate in fantasy football; the survey was commissioned by Progressive and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, 2024.

They say timing is everything, and for Shedeur Sanders, it seems his clock might be ticking on two different time zones: one in Boulder and one in the NFL. As the Colorado Buffaloes falter in their once-promising season, Sanders’ cryptic tweets and podcast discussions are sparking debates over whether he’s more focused on his potential future in the league than on finishing strong in the present.
Journalist Evan Groat stirred the pot on X, suggesting Sanders’ weekly tweets hinting at his NFL aspirations might be a “bad look” considering Colorado’s recent slump. “Each week Shedeur Sanders puts out a cryptic tweet insinuating where he would like to be drafted. No problem with the kid being excited where he may play pro ball but is it a bad look coming off a week where his team was upset? If I was a coach, teammate or fan I’d prefer the main focus be on the now and not something that is 5 months down the road.” Groat wrote, raising questions about the #2’s mindset. Coming after a week 13 upset against unranked Kansas. To Deion Sanders’ son’s credit, his performance in the loss was solid, with 266 passing yards and three touchdowns. Yet, critics argue that this isn’t just about stats—it’s about leadership and optics, especially when playoff dreams have slipped away.
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The Raiders’ scouts are like living with him at this point, with pressure rising on if he’ll chose them or not. He once already cleared that he is “chill” with all the speculation in a past incident. This was when he said to one of the scouts, who came to see him training. “Tell the Raider’s I’m chilling”, a cold reply by Shedeur Sanders showing his mindset. But now he’s again added some fuel to the fire, where his own podcast 2Legendary became the stage for speculation about his future. During a candid conversation with teammate Drelon Miller, the pair discussed the New York Giants’ recent benching of quarterback Daniel Jones. Miller didn’t hold back, saying, “They just gotta regroup and get someone good out of the draft,” before theatrically clearing his throat—a clear nod to Sanders as a potential fit. The exchange sent Giants fans and NFL draft analysts into a frenzy, wondering if Sanders could be the answer for a $6.7 billion franchise desperate for a reset.
Of course, the NFL spotlight isn’t new to Sanders. The Buffs QB1 have displayed both the poise and flair needed to thrive at the next level. But some fear his recent actions could hurt his draft stock, with critics pointing to the importance of staying grounded during a challenging season. Former players and coaches often preach the value of focus, arguing that great quarterbacks need to command respect both on and off the field—a narrative that might complicate Sanders’ path to the league. Cause look after, almost coming close to ejection in his last game, he was already let go by the refs in the field, but is he safe off it? Someone clearly needs to learn a few lessons.
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The “lucky” Shedeur Sanders could be suspended?
Good news for the remainder of the season for the Black and Gold fans. The Buffs’ star quarterback won’t face any suspension after an incident with Coach Prime’s side’s week 13 loss to Kansas. During the second half, tensions flared after Sanders was sacked. Things escalated when Sanders appeared to shove a Big 12 official amid the chaos, as players from both teams exchanged words. According to reports from Buffzone.com, the matter is being “handled internally” by Colorado, and no further disciplinary action is expected.
The game’s head official stepped in to de-escalate, but emotions were running high on both sides. Sanders, clearly frustrated, seemed to take issue with Kansas’ reaction to the sack, leading to the brief altercation.
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Still, it’s hard to ignore his upside. Sanders has the arm, the charisma, and the resume that NFL teams dream about.

The Harbaugh Bowl — John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens (7-4) vs. Jim Harbaugh’s Los Chargers (7-3) — on

Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins has suffered horrendous injury misfortune throughout his football career, and that continued on

The NFL season is officially two-thirds of the way complete. And the race for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft continues to be a tight one.
The Jaguars remain in the top spot after having their bye week. But now it’s the Giants right behind them after their lifeless performance against the Buccaneers and wins by the Browns and Titans. Rounding out the top five are the Raiders (loss to Broncos), Patriots (beaten by Dolphins) and Panthers (defeat against Chiefs). Only two of those teams will likely be looking for a new franchise QB, yet Colorado star Shedeur Sanders is currently the betting favorite to go No. 1 overall (+170) at FanDuel. Expect other top-10 teams, such as the Jets (No. 7), Browns (No. 8) and Saints (No. 9) to do their homework on this latest class of quarterback prospects as well.
With Week 12 in the books, CBSSports.com looks at where teams would be picking at this moment in time. Also listed is each club’s pending free agents and potential needs based on those players who may be leaving.
The draft order, via Tankathon.com, is ordered by win-loss record and ties are broken by strength of schedule. Team needs are a combination of current needs and looking ahead to pending free agents. Notable pending free agents are listed rather than the full list.
Team needs: CB, OT, S, IOL, TE
Projected 2025 free agents: QB Mac Jones, OT Walker Little, S Andre Cisco
Team needs: QB, IOL, CB, WR, TE
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Darius Slayton, LB Isaiah Simmons, CB Adoree’ Jackson, S Jason Pinnock, QB Drew Lock
Team needs: QB, CB, RB, EDGE, LB
Projected 2025 free agents: CB Nate Hobbs, EDGE Malcolm Koonce, OG Cody Whitehair, LB Robert Spillane, S Marcus Epps
Team needs: OT, IOL, WR, EDGE, CB
Projected 2025 free agents: CB Jonathan Jones, QB Jacoby Brissett, OT Chukwuma Okorafor
Team needs: QB, WR, IOL, EDGE, DL, CB, S
Projected 2025 free agents: QB Andy Dalton, C Austin Corbett, LB Shaq Thompson, P Johnny Hekker
Team needs: OT, IOL, EDGE, WR, LB
Projected 2025 free agents: S Quandre Diggs, WR Tyler Boyd, OG Dillon Radunz, LB Jerome Baker
Team needs: OT, WR, EDGE, S, DL, QB
Projected 2025 free agents: EDGE Haason Reddick, OT Tyron Smith, OT Morgan Moses, DT Javon Kinlaw, S Chuck Clark
Team needs: QB, OT, WR, RB, DL, EDGE
Projected 2025 free agents: OT Jedrick Wills, WR Elijah Moore, DT Maurice Hurst, RB Nick Chubb, QB Jameis Winston
Team needs: TE, EDGE, DL, CB, S, WR
Projected 2025 free agents: EDGE Chase Young, S Tyrann Mathieu, TE Juwan Johnson, LB Willie Gay Jr., OG Lucas Patrick, CB Paulson Adebo
Team needs: CB, DL, WR, EDGE, TE, RB
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Tee Higgins, TE Mike Gesicki, CB Mike Hilton, OT Trent Brown, DT B.J. Hill, RB Khalil Herbert
Team needs: RB, DL, LB, S, WR
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Brandin Cooks, OG Zack Martin, RB Ezekiel Elliott, EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence, QB Trey Lance
Team needs: IOL, EDGE, DL, OT, RB
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Keenan Allen, OG Teven Jenkins, EDGE Darrell Taylor
Team needs: CB, S, LB, DL, IOL, QB
Projected 2025 free agents: C Ryan Kelly, S Julian Blackmon, DT Dayo Odeyingbo, LB E.J. Speed, QB Joe Flacco
Team needs: IOL, S, DL, QB, LB, WR
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Odell Beckham Jr., S Jevon Holland, OG Liam Eichenberg, S Jordan Poyer, DL Calais Campbell
Team needs: CB, IOL, LB, EDGE, WR
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Chris Godwin, EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, LB Lavonte David, OG Sua Opeta
Team needs: OT, CB, LB, TE, WR
Projected 2025 free agents: OT Joe Noteboom, OT Alaric Jackson, WR Demarcus Robinson, LB Troy Reeder
Team needs: OT, IOL, CB, S, DL
Projected 2025 free agents: CB Charvarius Ward, LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga, CB Deommodore Lenoir, RB Elijah Mitchell
Team needs: EDGE, DL, IOL, WR, RB, OT
Projected 2025 free agents: S Budda Baker, RB James Conner, WR Greg Dortch, DT Roy Lopez, EDGE Dennis Gardeck
Team needs: CB, LB, EDGE, DL, WR
Projected 2025 free agents: EDGE Matt Judon, S Justin Simmons, CB Antonio Hamilton, WR Rondale Moore
Team needs: LB, IOL, S, EDGE, OT
Projected 2025 free agents: DT Jarran Reed, LB Tyrel Dodson, C Connor Williams, LB Ernest Jones
Team needs: EDGE, CB , WR, OT, IOL, LB, S
Projected 2025 free agents: LB Bobby Wagner, S Jeremy Chinn, TE Zach Ertz, CB Benjamin St-Juste, P Tress Way
Team needs: DL, IOL, WR, EDGE, CB
Projected 2025 free agents: WR Stefon Diggs, EDGE Derek Barnett, OG Kendrick Green, DT Foley Fatukasi, QB Case Keenum
Team needs: OT, LB, WR, S, TE, RB
Projected 2025 free agents: OT Garett Bolles, QB Zach Wilson, RB Javonte Williams, CB Levi Wallace
Team needs: WR, TE, DL, EDGE, CB
Projected 2025 free agents: EDGE Khalil Mack, CB Asante Samuel Jr., RB J.K. Dobbins, WR Josh Palmer, QB Taylor Heinicke
Team needs: OT, IOL, WR, LB, EDGE
Projected 2025 free agents: OT Ronnie Stanley, OT Patrick Mekari, WR Nelson Agholor, S Eddie Jackson, LB Malik Harrison, WR Diontae Johnson, CB Tre’Davious White
Team needs: CB, WR, LB, S, RB
Projected 2025 free agents: OG James Daniels, QB Russell Wilson, OT Dan Moore Jr., QB Justin Fields, RB Najee Harris, CB Donte Jackson, WR Mike Williams
Team needs: IOL, CB, LB, DL, OT
Projected 2025 free agents: RB AJ Dillon, C Josh Myers, OT Andre Dillard, LB Isaiah McDuffie, CB Eric Stokes
Team needs: CB, IOL, S, RB, DL
Projected 2025 free agents: QB Sam Darnold, RB Aaron Jones, OG Dalton Risner, CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Byron Murphy, OT Cam Robinson
Team needs: EDGE, IOL, LB, WR, TE
Projected 2025 free agents: EDGE Josh Sweat, EDGE Brandon Graham, LB Devin White, OG Mekhi Becton, CB Isaiah Rodgers
Team needs: CB, S, LB, DL, WR, IOL
Projected 2025 free agents: CB Rasul Douglas, WR Mack Hollins, S Damar Hamlin, DT Austin Johnson, WR Amari Cooper
Team needs: DL, CB, IOL, WR, LB
Projected 2025 free agents: S Justin Reid, WR Hollywood Brown, DT Tershawn Wharton, LB Nick Bolton, OG Trey Smith, DT Derrick Nnadi, EDGE Josh Uche, WR DeAndre Hopkins
Team needs: EDGE, DL, CB, WR, IOL
Projected 2025 free agents: EDGE Marcus Davenport, OG Kevin Zeitler, DT Levi Onwuzurike, CB Emmanuel Moseley, CB Carlton Davis

Had Donald Trump been able to purchase the Buffalo Bills the course of history may have changed, according to Stephen A. Smith.
The ESPN personality recalled during an appearance on “Club Random with Bill Maher” when Trump had called him back in 2014 to complain about NFL owners creating problems for his bid to purchase the Bills.
At the time Trump had been one of three finalists in the bidding to buy the Bills following the death of owner Ralph Wilson.
3 Stephen A. Smith told a story that Donald Trump ran for president to get back at NFL owners after his failed bid to by the Bills. YouTube/Club Random
“He called me in 2014. This is a true story,” Smith started to recall to Maher. “He says, ‘Stephen A’ — [he] had a secretary — ‘Mr. Trump is on the line,’ etcetera. [Trump] gets on the line. He says, ‘Stephen A., I’m trying to buy the Buffalo Bills.’ Price tag was $1.4 billion.”
“He had about $1.1 billion. I was being told he wasn’t gonna get the team,” Smith continued. “He said, ‘Stephen A., if these motherf–kers get in my way’ — talking about the NFL owners — “these motherf–kers get in my way, I’m gonna get them all back. I’m gonna run for president.’ That’s what he said!”
Smith went on to claim that Trump went on to “hijack” the Colin Kaepernick protest conversation “just to get the owners back.”
The Bills ended up being purchased by Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula for $1.4 billion.
Trump, who won the presidency in 2016 and 2024, discussed his bid to buy the Bills earlier this year when he appeared on “Bussin With the Boys” and said he was “not close” in closing a deal for the team.
3 Donald Trump tried to buy the Bills in 2014. Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
3 President-elect Donald Trump looks on during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City. Zuffa LLC
“I don’t think it was a very serious run but I gave them a guarantee of a $1 billion so that’s always serious, right?” he said on the podcast.
At the time, he told The Buffalo News that he was “going to give it a heavy shot.”

Tom Brady isn’t only a legend in his professional life, he has several friends, most of whom praise him. Over the years, he made several friendships with different people. Most of them are also retired. But TB12 knows how to have a little laugh. He recently showed it on social media when he posted a story for his friend Julian Edelman.
The former Patriots WR recently appeared on a FOX show where he sported a look with a bit of grayed-out hair and a black suit. The GOAT trolled his best friend by sharing his photos in an IG story and wrote a 4-word message that read, “Chill Out Ron Burgundy” with a laughing out emoji. That was hilarious.
Julian Edelman and Tom Brady played together at the Patriots dynasty for 11 years from 2009 to 2019 before the quarterback moved on to the Buccaneers. They even won 3 Super Bowls. Both have been decorated players as Edelman was MVP in the 2018 season while the GOAT had 5 MVP awards in his career. 2020 was the last NFL season for Edelman as he retired after that. And now, mostly his roles are limited to being an analyst on different shows.
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That’s why he also came up with a classy reply to the NFL great. The receiver requested his fans to not take Brady’s comment seriously and wrote, “You stay classy football fans… I’m Julian Edelman?” That’s some funny back-and-forth between the NFL greats and friends. Both of them are now signed to FOX. While TB12 is a game announcer, the WR mostly comes on as an analyst. He shared the photos with his fans as well from the sports talk show. It’s interesting.
Tom Brady’s friend ready for the real football season
After retiring from the game, the receiver is enjoying his time. During the November 25 appearance on FOX, he revealed that he was ready for real football season. He aptly captioned the photos on Instagram, “Real football season right around the corner… 🫰🫰” He’s right there. The season is moving to the stage where each game will matter. Expect some very intense moments on the field. And the competition is what the fans like.
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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julian Edelman (@edelman11)
Tom Brady is also getting ready for the playoffs in style. He announced on Instagram that any items, including the jerseys, helmets, wristbands, and other items from his collection, will be up for auction on December 10. That’s interesting. The auction will be held at Sotheby’s New York.
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Both friends are preparing to watch the coming end of the season. All teams are putting everything in to secure a seat for themselves, while it remains to be seen who will be the contenders. We’ll find out soon.

The playoff standings are getting as crazy as a wild turkey prior to Thanksgiving, which is fitting since the league is hitting that point in the calendar. The NFC West is as unpredictable as ever, with the Seattle Seahawks taking over the division lead thanks to their win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Los Angeles Rams had an opportunity to seize the NFC West lead on Sunday night, but the Philadelphia Eagles took command of the NFC East instead with their victory.
Let’s not even get started on the race for the NFC’s No. 7 seed, as the Washington Commanders have lost three straight games to make that race even more wide open. The Cardinals, Rams, and 49ers are in that dogfight with the Commanders for the final playoff spot.
The Miami Dolphins are playing their way into contention for the final spot in the AFC — the Denver Broncos currently hold it — and there is still plenty of football to be played.
Below is a breakdown of the conference standings after Week 12:
AFC playoff picture
Seed Team W L T PCT 1 Chiefs 10 1 0 .909 2 Bills 9 2 0 .818 3 Steelers 8 3 0 .727 4 Texans 7 5 0 .583 5 Ravens 8 4 0 .667 6 Chargers 7 4 0 .636 7 Broncos 7 5 0 .583 8 Dolphins 5 6 0 .455 9 Colts 5 7 0 .417 10 Bengals 4 7 0 .364
1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)
The Chiefs remain the No. 1 seed in the AFC after surviving against the Panthers. They lead the Bills by one game for home-field advantage in the conference, despite the Bills owning the head-to-head tiebreaker. Kansas City leads the AFC West by two games over the Chargers.
Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Chargers, at Browns, vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos
2. Buffalo Bills (9-2)
Buffalo trails Kansas City by one game for the No. 1 seed, but has the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Bills lead the AFC East by four games over the Dolphins.
Remaining schedule: vs. 49ers, at Rams, at Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
The Steelers remain in the AFC North lead despite the loss to the Browns as they have a one-game advantage in the loss column over the Ravens (along with the head-to-head tiebreaker over Baltimore). Pittsburgh is a game behind Buffalo for the No. 2 seed.
Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals
4. Houston Texans (7-5)
The Texans remain at No. 4 in the conference after their loss to the Titans. They still lead the AFC South by two games over the Colts.
Remaining schedule: at Jaguars, bye week, vs. Dolphins, at Chiefs, vs. Ravens, at Titans
5. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
The Ravens take over the No. 5 seed in the AFC following their win over the Chargers on Monday. They are a half game behind the Steelers in the AFC North with the victory (Pittsburgh owns the tiebreaker).
Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, Bye, at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns
6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
The Chargers fall to the No. 6 seed in the AFC following their loss to the Ravens, and three games behind the Chiefs in the AFC West.
Remaining schedule: at Falcons, at Chiefs, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders
7. Denver Broncos (7-5)
The Broncos still hold the final playoff spot in the AFC after their win over the Raiders. They lead the Dolphins by a game in the loss column.
Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, Bye, vs. Colts, at Chargers, at Bengals, vs. Chiefs
8. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
The Dolphins are in the AFC playoff race following their blowout win over the Patriots, their third straight victory. Miami is one game in the loss column behind Denver for the final playoff spot.
Remaining schedule: at Packers, vs. Jets, at Texans, vs. 49ers, at Browns, at Jets
9. Indianapolis Colts (5-7)
The Colts are two games out of the final wild-card spot in the AFC. They remain two games behind the Texans for the division lead.
Remaining schedule: at Patriots, bye week, at Broncos, vs. Titans, at Giants, vs. Jaguars
10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)
The Bengals are currently the No. 10 seed in the AFC, two games in the loss column behind the Broncos for the final wild-card spot. They were on a bye this week.
Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Cowboys, at Titans, vs. Browns, vs. Broncos, at Steelers
NFC playoff picture
Rank Team W L T PCT 1 Lions 10 1 0 .909 2 Eagles 9 2 0 .818 3 Seahawks 6 5 0 .545 4 Falcons 6 5 0 .545 5 Vikings 9 2 0 .818 6 Packers 8 3 0 .727 7 Commanders 7 5 0 .583 8 Cardinals 6 5 0 .545 9 Buccaneers 5 6 0 .455 10 Rams 5 6 0 .455 11 49ers 5 6 0 .455 12 Saints 4 7 0 .364 13 Bears 4 7 0 .364 14 Cowboys 4 7 0 .364
1. Detroit Lions (10-1)
The Lions remain on top of the NFC North with their win over the Colts, leading the division by a game over the Vikings (and own the head-to-head tiebreaker). They are also the No. 1 seed in the NFC, having a one-game lead over the Eagles.
Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, vs. Packers, vs. Bills, at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings
2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-2)
The Eagles took control of the NFC East with their win over the Rams, combined with the Commanders’ loss to the Cowboys in Week 12. Philadelphia leads Washington by three games in the loss column in the division and trail Detroit by one game for home-field advantage in the NFC.
Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Panthers, vs. Steelers, at Commanders, vs. Cowboys, vs. Giants
3. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
The Seahawks lead the NFC West after Sunday’s win over the Cardinals and the Rams’ loss to the Eagles. Seattle owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona for the divisional lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta for the No. 3 seed from their Week 7 win.
Remaining schedule: at Jets, at Cardinals, vs. Packers, vs. Vikings, at Bears, at Rams
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-5)
The Falcons lead the NFC South by one game over the Buccaneers, but also have swept Tampa Bay and own the head-to-head tiebreaker for the season. They are on a bye this week.
Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Vikings, at Raiders, vs. Giants, at Commanders, vs. Panthers
5. Minnesota Vikings (9-2)
Minnesota is the No. 5 seed in the NFC, trailing Detroit by a game for the division lead. The Vikings are the top wild-card team in the conference.
Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Falcons, vs. Bears, at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions
6. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
The Packers hold the No. 6 seed in the NFC by two games in the loss column over the Commanders and hold the final playoff spot by two games over the Cardinals.
Remaining schedule: vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Seahawks, vs. Saints, at Vikings, vs. Bears
7. Washington Commanders (7-5)
The Commanders trail the Eagles by three games in the loss column in the NFC East after their loss to the Cowboys Sunday. Washington is holding onto the final playoff spot by a half-game.
Remaining schedule: vs. Titans, bye week, at Saints, vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Cowboys
8. Arizona Cardinals (6-5)
The Cardinals fell out of the NFC West lead — and out of the current playoff field — after Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks. They are in the mix for the division title and final playoff spot regardless. The Cardinals own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the 49ers by defeating them in Week 5 and the Rams by defeating them in Week 2, but lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Seahawks for the division lead by virtue of their Week 11 loss.
Remaining schedule: at Vikings, vs. Seahawks, vs. Patriots, at Panthers, at Rams, vs. 49ers
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6)
The Buccaneers sit at No. 9 in the NFC, one game behind the Falcons for first place in the NFC South. Tampa Bay was swept by Atlanta and is also one game out of the loss column for the final playoff spot. The Buccaneers own the three-way tiebreaker for the No. 9 seed in the NFC thanks to having a better conference record (5-3) than the Rams (3-5).
Remaining schedule: at Panthers, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, at Cowboys, vs. Panthers, vs. Saints
10. Los Angeles Rams (5-6)
The Rams lost a chance to take over the NFC West lead after losing to the Eagles. Instead they are the No. 10 seed, holding the division-record tiebreaker to the 49ers due to their win over the 49ers in Week 3.
Remaining schedule: at Saints, vs. Bills, at 49ers, at Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks
11. San Francisco 49ers (5-6)
The 49ers’ loss to the Packers keeps them a game back in the loss column for the final playoff spot, even though they are last in the NFC West and the No. 11 seed. San Francisco is also a game out of the NFC West lead. The 49ers lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Rams for the No. 10 seed (divisional tiebreaker was used to break three-way tie between Buccaneers, Rams, and 49ers).
Remaining schedule: at Bills, vs. Bears, vs. Rams, at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Cardinals
12. New Orleans Saints (4-7)
The Saints move up to the No. 12 seed despite being on a bye this week, sitting two games in the loss column out of the final playoff spot. New Orleans (3-4) owns the conference-record tiebreaker over Chicago (2-4) and Dallas (2-5) for the No. 12 seed.
Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, at Giants, vs. Commanders, at Packers, vs. Raiders, at Buccaneers
13. Chicago Bears (4-7)
The Bears are two games back in the loss column of the final playoff spot in the NFC. Chicago loses the conference-record tiebreaker to New Orleans for the No. 12 seed, but is ahead of Dallas via the same tiebreaker.
Remaining schedule: at Lions, at 49ers, at Vikings, vs. Lions, vs. Seahawks, at Packers
14. Dallas Cowboys (4-7)
The Cowboys have the No. 14 seed in the NFC, even after their upset win over the Commanders. They lose the conference-record tiebreaker to the Saints and Bears.
Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Bengals, at Panthers, vs. Buccaneers, at Eagles, vs. Commanders

The Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) will host the Baltimore Ravens (7-4) on Monday Night Football as brothers and head coaches John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh square off for the first time since Super Bowl 47. The Chargers, coached by Jim Harbaugh, are red-hot heading into MNF, winning four straight games. Last week at home, Los Angeles defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-27. The Ravens, coaching by John Harbaugh, had their two-game win streak halted. In Week 11, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Ravens, 18-16.
Kickoff from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Baltimore is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Chargers vs. Ravens odds from SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 50.5. The Ravens are -146 money-line favorites (risk $146 to win $100), while the Chargers are +123 underdogs (risk $100 to win $123). Before locking in any Ravens vs. Chargers picks, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 20-8 betting hot streak on top-rated NFL picks this year. Longer term, it is on a 200-136 roll on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season and a 54-29 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen strong returns.
Now, the model has simulated Chargers vs. Ravens 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NFL picks and Week 12 betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NFL odds and NFL betting lines for Ravens vs. Chargers:
Ravens vs. Chargers spread: Baltimore -2.5
Ravens vs. Chargers over/under: 50.5 points
Ravens vs. Chargers money line: Baltimore -146, Los Angeles +123
LAC: Chargers are 7-3 against the spread this season
BAL: Ravens are 5-5-1 against the spread this season
Ravens vs. Chargers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Ravens vs. Chargers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Ravens can cover
Quarterback Lamar Jackson is one of the top players in the league due to his dynamic playmaking ability. This season, he’s second in the NFL in passing yards (2,876) and passing touchdowns (25). He also has 584 rushing yards and two rushing scores. Jackson has six games with at least two passing touchdowns.
Running back Derrick Henry ranks first in the NFL in rushing yards (1,185) and rushing touchdowns (13). The 30-year-old has logged at least 60 rushing yards in 10 straight games. In addition, he’s rushed for a touchdown in four straight games. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why the Chargers can cover
Quarterback Justin Herbert executes the offense at a high level. The Oregon product has tossed 2,186 yards, 13 passing touchdowns and has been picked off just once this season. He’s also rushed for at least 30 rushing yards in three of his last four games.
Receiver Ladd McConkey has made an imprint on the offense. McConkey has secure hands and runs crisp routes for the Chargers. The Georgia product leads the team in receptions (43) and receiving yards (615) with four scores. He’s finished with at least 100 receiving yards in two of his last four games. In his last outing, McConkey had six receptions for 123 yards. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Chargers vs. Ravens picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under the total, projecting 49 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread cashes over 50% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s picks.
So who wins Ravens vs. Chargers on Monday Night Football, and which side of the spread cashes in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Ravens vs. Chargers spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $7,000 on top-rated NFL picks, and find out.

Open Extended Reactions
Week 12 in the NFL offered a classic early-window finish. In the span of mere minutes:
The Texans missed a tying 28-yard field goal and then took a safety, ultimately losing to Tennessee by five points.
The Cowboys ran back two kickoffs against the Commanders (one of which they shouldn’t have!) to win a game that featured 41 fourth-quarter points.
The Bears recovered an onside kick and (finally!) made a field goal to send the game into overtime against the Vikings (where they lost).
The Panthers scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie the Chiefs, though they ended up losing on the next drive.
I had a whole bunch of overreaction angles planned out around 3:30 p.m. ET, and by 4:15, almost all of them were obsolete. Yes, the football is getting good this time of year. And while 12 weeks’ worth of data is enough on which to base some solid conclusions about this season, it’s not enough to keep us from overreacting. So let’s judge a few potential takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
Jump to:
Commanders missing the playoffs?
Buccaneers comeback for the NFC South?
Top NFC seed coming down to Lions, Vikings?
Packers should hit free agency hard more often?
Young playing much better in Carolina?
The Commanders are going to miss the playoffs
The Cowboys tried to hand Washington this game about a hundred different ways, but the Commanders wouldn’t take it. The Commanders scored a miracle 86-yard touchdown with 21 seconds left to cut the lead to one point but then missed the PAT. They kicked onside, and the Cowboys’ Juanyeh Thomas recovered it and ran it all the way back for a touchdown (which objectively wasn’t a good call because Washington was out of timeouts, and going down inbounds with the ball would have ended the game).
The Commanders got close to midfield on the ensuing drive but ran out of Hail Mary magic. Dallas came away with an upset win, and Washington lost its third game in a row to fall to 7-5 for the season.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
The Commanders are three games behind first-place Philadelphia in the loss column in the NFC East (before the Eagles’ game on Sunday night) and occupy the seventh and final spot in the NFC playoff field — tied in the loss column with the Cardinals, Rams, Falcons and Seahawks. So yes, Washington is in real trouble here.
The Commanders get the Titans in Week 13, which sure looked like a winnable game before Tennessee took down Houston on Sunday. Washington has its bye in Week 14, which provides a chance to regroup for a final stretch that looks like this: at New Orleans, vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons and at Cowboys. The Commanders need a win next week against the Titans to stop their free fall, or else what once looked like a special season could very well end in disappointment.
The Buccaneers will catch the Falcons and win the NFC South
While the first-place Falcons got the week off to lick their wounds following a loss in Denver, the Buccaneers got to play Tommy DeVito and the Giants — and did exactly what they were supposed to do. The Bucs crushed the Giants 30-7. The win broke a four-game losing streak and improved the Bucs’ record to 5-6, which puts them a game behind 6-5 Atlanta in the division race.
The Falcons have three games left against teams with winning records, while the Buccaneers have one. Tampa Bay has won this division three years in a row and would love to knock off offseason darling Atlanta, whose surprisingly inconsistent offense and complete lack of a pass rush have kept it from fulfilling those lofty preseason expectations so far.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
I’m certainly not suggesting the Falcons are invincible, or that a one-game deficit is too much for Baker Mayfield & Co. to overcome. Full respect to the Bucs, their fight and their three-season division title streak.
But the problem with coming from behind is very specific: Tampa Bay doesn’t play Atlanta again, so it can’t make up ground by beating the Falcons head-to-head. Plus, the Falcons won both of the games they played against the Buccaneers earlier this season and own the tiebreaker, which means simply tying Atlanta wouldn’t be enough to give Tampa Bay the division. The Falcons should come back from their bye rested and able to win three of their final five games, which would mean the Bucs would have to go 5-0 the rest of the way to pull this off.
play 0:36 Baker Mayfield trolls Giants fans with Tommy DeVito TD celebration Baker Mayfield scrambles, finds the end zone and does Tommy DeVito’s touchdown celebration.
The Vikings-Lions game in Week 18 will decide the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs
The Lions won again Sunday, though the 24 points they put up on the Colts in Indianapolis felt a little bit pedestrian compared to some of their recent offensive performances. They’ve won nine in a row, sit at 10-1 for the season and look like the best team in the league. The Vikings, however, are right behind them at 9-2, having blown an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to the Bears before escaping with an overtime win.
The Vikings visit Detroit in the final week of the regular season, and if they’re still only one game apart at that point, that matchup could very well be for the division title — or more. These teams already met in Week 7, and it was a thriller, with the Vikings scoring 12 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a 29-28 lead, only to lose on a Jake Bates field goal with 15 seconds left.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
Only three of the Lions’ nine wins in their current streak have been by fewer than 10 points, and three of them have been by more than 37. The Vikings are playing well, but the Lions are on a different level from them or anyone else in the league.
Let’s not forget about the Packers in this same division, too; they just beat the 49ers to get to 8-3. Same goes for the Eagles, who were 8-2 heading into Sunday night’s game against the Rams. Either or both of those teams could still mess things up for the two teams at the top of the NFC North, especially since the Packers still have games to play at Minnesota and at Detroit.
It sure would be cool if the Lions and Vikings kept winning and that Week 18 game ended up being for the division. But the Lions have a head-to-head win in hand and haven’t lost a division game yet (so they hold the second tiebreaker, too). And frankly, their lead just feels more significant than a single game. I have the Vikings as more likely than the Lions to slip up somewhere along the way to Week 18. And if they do, that’s about all Detroit would need to make this academic.
The Packers should hit free agency more often
Green Bay isn’t generally known as a big free agency team in March. It tends to lean into the draft-and-develop model as much as any team in the league, building from within. But this past March, the Packers made a couple of big splashes.
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They joined the free agent running back party, signing Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million contract, and they signed safety Xavier McKinney away from the Giants for four years and $68 million. The idea was to augment their young core with free agents who were still relatively young and in their primes. Jacobs is 26 years old, and McKinney is 25.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
In Sunday’s 38-10 victory over the undermanned 49ers, Jacobs rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries, and McKinney intercepted his seventh pass of the season. The offense leaned on Jacobs right from the start — he had 19 carries in the first half alone — knowing the Niners were down a number of key players and wanting to make sure they controlled the game physically. Nevertheless, it was only 17-7 Packers when McKinney picked off 49ers quarterback Brandon Allen in the third quarter to snuff out a potential San Francisco scoring drive.
Per ESPN Research, Jacobs became the third Packers player over the past 35 seasons with 100-plus rushing yards and three rushing TDs in a regular-season game, joining Aaron Jones (2019 at Cowboys) and Dorsey Levens (1999 vs. Cardinals). And this marked the Packers’ sixth game this season with three or more takeaways, the most in the NFL and the Packers’ most in a season since 2011 (six).
The Packers believe both players have contributed high-level locker room leadership as well as cornerstone-caliber on-field performance. And while no one’s suggesting the Packers go away from what has worked for them for decades in terms of drafting, developing and re-signing their own, it must be good for Packers fans to know the team can be this good at free agency when it decides to try it.
Bonus: This week’s underreaction
This is the part where we flip the script and throw out something people are underreacting to right now — something that’s not getting the attention we think it should.
Bryce Young has turned a corner
Benched earlier this season for Andy Dalton, the first overall pick of the 2023 draft got the starting job back in Week 8 thanks to a Dalton injury. And since then, he showed enough improvement that he has been able to keep it even with Dalton back healthy. Young hasn’t set the world on fire by any means, but his QBR has improved in each of the past three games.
On Sunday, he went toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes and a very tough Chiefs defense. He led a pair of second-half touchdown drives, the second of which tied the game and forced Mahomes to have to drive for a game-winning field goal (which, of course, he did). Young finished 21-for-35 for 263 yards, a touchdown pass and no interceptions against one of the best defenses in the league. He looked especially good against the blitz, completing 11 of 13 attempts and averaging 10.4 yards per attempt.
play 0:43 Panthers tie Chiefs late with TD, 2-PT conversion Chuba Hubbard punches in a short touchdown and also runs in a two-point conversion to tie the Panthers with the Chiefs late in the fourth quarter.
Again, the numbers don’t blow you away. But Young looked confident and in command, which is a far cry from where he was last season or even this September. Sunday was his 21st career start, all of which have come with one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL. The Panthers might just be able to end this season feeling better about Young’s future prospects. If nothing else, he’s authoring a weekly reminder that it’s a mistake to give up on talented young players too quickly. The Dalton injury may turn out to have been a lucky break for Carolina, if there’s a chance that Young can be the player it thought he was when it traded up to draft him first overall.

Another week, another full slate of NFL action nearly in the books. And Week 12 has already been chock-full of drama, from Cooper Rush and the ailing Dallas Cowboys stunning the Washington Commanders on the road to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers threatening Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here are some of the biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s matchups:
Winner: Bryce Young
Matched up with one of the NFL’s top defenses, the former No. 1 pick actually looked the part, keeping eyes downfield and floating one precision loft after another in the face of Steve Spagnuolo’s pressure. If not for Patrick Mahomes’ clutch gene, Young might’ve led the Carolina Panthers to a legit upset of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Loser: The Texans’ playoff hopes
To be clear, Houston is still the rightful favorite to win the AFC South, but we’re talking about the Texans’ chances of actually advancing come January. C.J. Stroud was sterling as a rookie, but he, like DeMeco Ryans’ defense, has been far more frenetic in Year 2. That remained the case in a splashy but sloppy loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Down several key teammates due to injury, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has been playing uphill for weeks, trying to salvage the club’s NFC South hopes. His machismo was back on full display against the New York Giants, however; his rough-and-tumble efforts as a passer, scrambler and blocker headlined a huge win.
Loser: Matt Eberflus
For a minute on Sunday, the Chicago Bears coach looked as if he might upset the rival Minnesota Vikings, chiefly because his rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, handled Brian Flores’ aggressive defense reasonably well with his electric arm. His defense once again faltered on critical downs, though, allowing the Vikes to win it in overtime.
Winner: Jerry Jones
In the big picture, the Dallas Cowboys are still very much in trouble. But beating the once-vaunted Washington Commanders in a zany shootout, 34-26, will be a little slice of validation for Jones, who insisted Cooper Rush gives Dallas the best chance to win without Dak Prescott. Rush hit 75% of his throws against Dan Quinn’s

The playoff standings are getting as crazy as a wild turkey prior to Thanksgiving, which is fitting since the league is hitting that point in the calendar. The NFC West is as unpredictable as ever, with the Seattle Seahawks taking over the division lead thanks to their win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Los Angeles Rams can take the NFC West from Seattle with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on

LAS VEGAS — Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending broken collarbone late in Las Vegas’ 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Minshew, signed in March to a two-year, $25 million contract with $15 million guaranteed, was injured on a fourth-quarter sack by Broncos linebacker Cody Barton.
Minshew landed awkwardly on his left shoulder and appeared to be fighting back tears as he exited the field holding his left arm in a curled position and went straight to the locker room with a trainer.

Deion Sanders’ got his squad in the spotlight! With the upcoming NFL Draft, the East-West Shrine Game, and the growing Heisman hype around his team, things are bound to get exciting. However, there’s an intriguing twist in store: NFL analyst Rich Eisen has made a prediction that could completely shake up the world of college football. Given Sanders’ recent streak of success, people are wondering, “What’s next?” With the NFL scene heating up, it seems that the Colorado Buffaloes HC has some surprises up his sleeve. So, get ready for a thrilling ride because what comes next might have a significant impact, not just on the Buffs but on the entire game.
Even though the team lost their last week’s game against the Jayhawks (37-21), Deion Sanders’s coaching style is not getting questioned. Instead, his expertise to take the Buffs to new heights is getting appreciated. Interesting right? On November 25, a Buffs insider shared a tweet featuring sportscaster Rich Eisen’s words of praise for him, saying, “2 of his players showing up in NYC, one taking home the trophy. East West Shrine game with 6 players. Then the combine, and the NFL Draft. The way he does things, it’s got its own twist.” It looks like the college football world has actually started seeing the good side of the team besides their shortcomings for a change.
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Buffs two-way star Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are already on the list of Heisman favorite contenders and pose a high chance to make it to New York, and who knows if one of them might even win? Also, the more interesting fact came to light when the Buffs’ loss couldn’t impact Hunter’s Heisman odds; in contrast, it jumped from -400 to -900. Now you can understand why everyone is rooting for Deion Sanders’ team to make a notable impact this year.
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While six players trying their luck in the East-West Shrine game sounds like a bit of an exaggeration, two of them are undoubtedly going to shine in the NFL draft standings representing the Buffs and make scouts go crazy for them. However, for now, the Buffs have a bigger concern, and to get them where they are supposed to be, there are things that must go according to them.
Deion Sanders’ dissatisfaction with the Buffs
The Buffs not only lost their game against the Kansas State Jayhawks but also put their chances to make it to the playoffs in jeopardy. This game was their only chance to make a smooth entry into the top 12 spot, but now they have to rely on favorable outcomes to make it happen for them. Teams like Arizona State, Iowa State, and BYU with a 6-2 record in the game need to lose their respective games against their opponents in order to give the Buffs a clear dominance and an easy way out into the playoffs.
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However, they also have to win against their next-week opponent, Oklahoma State. And what happened against the Jayhawks last week was something that no one expected from the Buffs. Even Deion Sanders couldn’t help but say, “We controlled our own destiny, and we fumbled it.” And that’s exactly what happened in their game against the Jayhawks.
The Buffs were weak in both defense and offense and almost gave up the game in the second quarter. But now the problem here is that even if they give their season-best performance against Oklahoma State and win knowing their 8-loss record, the team with three losses might not rank higher than the other champs of the season in the playoffs.

Word gets around. Tyrone Tracy lost the ball on a fumble on the first play of overtime two weeks ago in Munich. Now the rest of the NFL is on alert that this rookie running back might put the ball on the ground.
It happened again Sunday as the Giants were smacked around 30-7 by the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium.
“Blood is in the water now,” Tracy said. “You’ve got to understand this is the NFL and ball security is job security.”
Down 23-0, the Giants flirted with scoring to open the third quarter when Tommy DeVito hit three passes to Malik Nabers — untargeted in the first half — and they advanced to the Tampa 5-yard line.
Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. running with the ball in the second quarter on Nov. 24, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Tracy, fighting for extra yards, took a direct snap on first-and-goal, was hit by linebacker Lavonte David and fumbled, with defensive lineman Calijah Kancey recovering the loose ball. The Bucs proceeded to go 95 yards in 12 plays to make it 30-0.
“I had the ball in my right hand, should have had it in my left hand,” Tracy said. “I’m always trying to fight for that extra yard but I got to understand when enough is enough. That right there kind of hurt us. If that situation ever comes up again I got to understand when to call it off and just go down.”
Two weeks ago, Tracy’s turnover handed the Panthers their winning field goal in a 20-17 Giants loss. This time, Tracy took a seat on the bench for a while before head coach Brian Daboll reinserted him into the game.
“It’s something we got to continue to stress and work on,” Daboll said. “I have a lot of confidence in Tracy. But we can’t turn the ball over to the other team.”
New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito #15, hands the ball off to New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. #29, in the 1st quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Wan’Dale Robinson walked out of the locker room holding a signed Sterling Shepard No. 17 Buccaneers jersey. Shepard was with the Giants the past eight years.
“It means a lot,” Robinson said of the jersey swap. “That’s a guy, once I came in as a rookie, he took me under his wing and was like a big brother to me.”
Shepard caught five passes for only 16 yards in his first game against his former team.
“Obviously, I’ve built a relationship with a lot of these guys, so it was great to see them and catch up with them,” Shepard told The Post. “My mentality going into this was just trying to get a win. Having a ‘W’ anywhere is great, and especially here for me.”
Jermaine Eluemunor went out on the first series with a quad injury and was replaced by Chris Hubbard.
“That’s part of football,” Eluemunor said. “Sometimes the DBs like to go low on offensive lineman. Luckily, he didn’t hit my knee, because that probably would have taken me out. I’ll take a contusion over a freaking destroyed kneecap.”
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OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, after missing the past five games following wrist surgery, had two tackles (one for loss) and one quarterback hit. He had to log more playing time than planned because Azeez Ojulari left in the first quarter with a toe injury.
“Definitely was gassed, but you got to keep playing,” Thibodeaux said. “I had to do more than we expected, but that’s the nature of the beast.”
Tim Boyle, signed on Tuesday to the practice squad, was the third quarterback.

The Kansas City Chiefs are sitting on top of the NFL with an impressive 10-1 record, having suffered their first loss last week against the Buffalo Bills.
Many experts and pundits call the Chiefs the best team in the NFL. But do they really deserve it?
Obviously, there’s no denying their pedigree. Kansas City has won two Super Bowls in a row and three in the last five years. Additionally, they have the deadly combo of two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and record-breaking tight end Travis Kelce.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 24: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts prior to a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Charlotte,… CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 24: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts prior to a game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More Matt Kelley/Getty Images
Still, there’s no question that the Chiefs haven’t been as impressive this season as they were the previous two.
In Kansas City’s 10 victories, only two of them were by two scores. Additionally, three of them were by less than a touchdown. Compare this to last season where a majority of their games were won by multiple scores.
This was most recently exemplified in the Chiefs’ narrow 30-27 victory over the Carolina Panthers, who many consider one of the worst franchises in the NFL.
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This was largely because of excellent play by Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, who completed 21 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown. This nearly matched the legendary Mahomes, who recorded 27 completions for 269 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 60 yards.
Additionally, the Panthers dominated the Chiefs on defense, sacking Mahomes five times. In the end, Kansas City was able to squeak out a victory with an impressive drive by Mahomes and a clutch kick from Spencer Shrader.
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Still, if a team is nearly undefeated and truly that good, they shouldn’t barely beat a team that’s 3-8. And fans are taking notice.
Multiple NFL fans online called out the Chiefs, including one saying they’re