Vic Fangio notes: Thoughts on defense, Jalen Carter and more

Vic Fangio notes: Thoughts on defense, Jalen Carter and more originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Vic Fangio’s defense put together another masterpiece on Sunday in Buffalo.

That unit is playing at an elite level right now.

The Eagles gave up just 12 points to the Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen in Week 17 and haven’t given up more than 24 points in a game since Week 6. Since the bye week, the Eagles have the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense, giving up an average of just 14.5 points per game.

“I think we’ve grown from week-to-week, which is what you want,” Fangio said on Tuesday. “Particularly if you have a bunch of young guys, which we still do. We’re in the stage of guys can get better and better and better. Even our veteran-type players, I mean outside of [Brandon Graham] I would guess you would say they’re still in the growing stage. 

“They’ve done that and that always makes you happy. We’ve kind of found our niche the way we like to play, which is something you’re always looking for as a coach. The guys have been fun to coach.”

There was a fair expectation that the Eagles’ defense would take a step back in 2025 after winning Super Bowl LIX. After all, they lost key players from that team like Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But the Eagles are about to enter the playoffs again with what appears to be a championship-level group.

Fangio was asked if this group reminds him of the defense that won a Super Bowl last year.

“A little bit,” Fangio said. “We just have a lot of new names this year instead of the guys that were here last year. But it does a little bit, certainly.”

There’s a lot of youth on this defense and players have grown throughout the season. Fangio on Tuesday was asked if there’s a benefit to coaching a bunch of young players.

“If they’re good players,” Fangio said. “I like a lot of good players. They make me look smart.”

A strong return

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter returned to the field on Sunday and looked like he was back to his dominant form. Carter missed the previous three games after getting shots in both shoulders a month ago.

“I thought he played well,” Fangio said. “I really didn’t know how he would play because he missed three games, I believe, and didn’t practice until this past week during that time. I thought he played well, I think he’s off to a good start and hopefully he’ll build on that and play good down the stretch here and into the playoffs.”

Against the Bills, Carter had two pressures, a sack, a batted pass and a huge blocked PAT try. After the game, Carter seemed pleased by how his shoulder held up in that game.

If Carter can play at that level in the playoffs, it’ll be a huge boost for this already-suffocating defense.

First start in two months

Nakobe Dean missed the Eagles’ Week 17 game with a hamstring injury, which allowed rookie Jihaad Campbell to get his first start since Week 8 on Oct. 26.

The rookie played pretty well.

“Yeah, I thought he did good,” Fangio said. “Obviously, there’s plays he’d like to have back and do over, but we don’t get mulligans. But I do think it will help him moving forward if he has to play again this week for Nakobe and then if he has to be called upon in the playoff game.”

Campbell, 21, handled losing his starting job earlier this season well and clearly stayed ready. Against the Bills, he had 7 tackles and a fumble recovery that he had to run down a long way. Campbell should get his second straight start in Week 18.

Stunting on ‘em

The Eagles sacked Josh Allen five times on Sunday, which is the second-most sacks the Bills have given up in a game all season. This defensive line is cooking right now.

One of their five sacks came on a beautiful T-E stunt executed by Moro Ojomo and Jalyx Hunt, who came free.

Fangio on Tuesday said there are some concrete rules for his defensive linemen with stunts and then explained a little bit about what dictates when they run those stunts.

“The front dictates it,” Fangio said. “Some of those stunts, I call. Some of them, based upon what front I call, they have the freedom to run a stunt under the guidelines we give them.”

from https://ift.tt/v2hOuca

Jerry Jones: We'll figure out what we want to change on defense pronto

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested last week that it might not take him long to make a decision about defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' future with the team and he sounded ready to move quickly again on Tuesday,

During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones promised that "we will get better on defense" heading into the 2026 season and said that the process of moving in that direction will start by acknowledging there are multiple reasons why the unit failed to reach expectations. Jones cited a secondary that dealt with injuries heading into the season and throughout the year as an area he thought the team would have more success.

"Make no mistake about it, everybody had their finger in what we did out there defensively. Everybody," Jones said, via the team's website. "And so it's not just a one man blame at all, and I say that because therein lies what you got to sit down and figure out if what, if anything, you want to change. We'll get to that pronto . . . It is rare when you have one coach or one player that is the cause or the solution to the problem. And that's the main thing I'd like to emphasize. We're trying to solve the problem."

Jones is correct that there's blame to go around, but it starts at the top and recent chatter about Cowboys interest in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores only underscores that likelihood that Eberflus' tenure with the Cowboys will be one and done. Changes with personnel started with cornerback Trevon Diggs' departure and the rest of them will flow from whatever the new guy in charge wants to see on that side of the ball.

from https://ift.tt/fXEU0bp

Ravens-Steelers Sunday night will be the 40th John Harbaugh vs. Mike Tomlin game

The 2025 NFL season will come to an end on Sunday night with the Ravens at the Steelers, with the AFC North on the line between two head coaches who will be facing each other for the 40th time.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin have faced each other 39 times in their careers, the second-most for any coaching matchup in NFL history and the most for any pair of living coaches.

Only George Halas and Curly Lambeau, who coached against each other 49 times between 1921 and 1953, faced each other more. Halas coached the Bears, while Lambeau coached the Packers for 29 seasons, the Chicago Cardinals for two seasons and Washington for two seasons.

Tomlin became the Steelers’ head coach in 2007 and Harbaugh became the Ravens’ head coach in 2008, and they’ve coached against each other twice every regular season and four times in the playoffs since then. The two of them have had remarkable job security, although there’s been talk this season that their job security could be faltering, and this could be their last season coaching against each other.

Through 38 games, Tomlin is 22-17 against Harbaugh. The Ravens are 3.5-point favorites on Sunday at Pittsburgh.

from https://ift.tt/7KD3TYG

Eagles snap counts: Jaelan Phillips plays a ton vs. Bills

Eagles snap counts: Jaelan Phillips plays a ton vs. Bills originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There was a bit of a scary moment on Sunday when Jaelan Phillips was slow to get up in the second quarter and then limped off the field in Buffalo.

The Eagles’ key midseason addition has played great since coming to Philly, so fans were holding their breath. Especially because Phillips has had seasons end with serious injuries before and it was hard to not think about that as he gingerly made his way to the sideline.

But Phillips just rolled his ankle and he knew relatively quickly that he would be OK.

“Everybody who has played the game or even pickup basketball has rolled their ankle,” Phillips said. “So I knew what it was. I was just hoping in the moment that it wasn’t anything serious and it was good.”

Not only did Phillips survive that injury scare but he played a fantastic game in the Eagles’ 13-12 win over the Bills. Phillips had 6 tackles, 3 pressures, a sack and a forced fumble. And he played 66 of 76 defensive snaps (87%) — his highest percentage since joining the Eagles.

Here’s a look at Phillips usage since getting traded to Philadelphia from Miami:

Week 10 at Packers: 53 snaps — 77.9%
Week 11 vs. Lions: 45 snaps — 76.3%
Week 12 at Cowboys: 59 snaps — 79.7%
Week 13 vs. Bears: 67 snaps — 77%
Week 14 at Chargers: 59 snaps — 79.7%
Week 15 vs. Raiders: 30 snaps — 71.4%
Week 16 at Commanders: 38 snaps — 70.4%
Week 17 at Buffalo: 66 snaps — 86.8%

Phillips hadn’t played that high of a percentage of his team’s defensive snaps in a game since the 2023 season, when he was under Vic Fangio the first time in Miami. 

It’s worth noting that Phillips was traded to Philadelphia before the Dolphins’ bye week and after the Eagles’ bye week. So with one game remaining in the regular season, Phillips has already played 17 games. And if the Eagles play their starters in Week 18, Phillips will play 18 games in the regular season.

Just two other players have done this: Leonard Williams with the Giants and Seahawks in 2023 and Mike Williams with the Jets and Steelers in 2024.

Other defensive notes

• The Eagles’ defense played 76 snaps in the win and five players didn’t leave the field: Cooper DeJean, Reed Blankenship, Quinyon Mitchell, Marcus Epps and Zack Baun.

• Without Nakobe Dean (hamstring), Jihaad Campbell got his first start since Week 8 and played well in 71 snaps. Campbell had tight coverage on James Cook on one play and was able to chase down the ball to recover a fumble in the first half.

• The edge rotation: Jaelan Phillips — 66 snaps (87%), Nolan Smith — 50 snaps (66%), Jalyx Hunt — 36 snaps (47%), Brandon Graham — 7 snaps (9%). Hunt is clearly third in the rotation now but is producing at a high clip. He had a couple of sacks on Sunday. Graham saw snaps inside and outside in this game.

• The DT rotation: Jalen Carter — 58 snaps (76%), Jordan Davis — 47 snaps (62%), Moro Ojomo — 45 snaps (59%), Byron Young — 17 snaps (22%). Carter returned after missing three games; he played a lot and played well.

Offensive notes

• Because the Eagles just couldn’t stay on the field in the second half, they ended up playing just 54 snaps on offense. Jalen Hurts and his entire offensive line played all 54.

• At WR: A.J. Brown — 48 snaps (89%), DeVonta Smith — 46 snaps (85%), Jahan Dotson — 26 snaps (48%), Darius Cooper — 17 snaps (31%). The Eagles didn’t complete a single pass in the second half but Brown had 68 yards in the first half to put him over 1,000 yards for the season.

• At RB: Saquon Barkley — 43 snaps (80%), Tank Bigsby — 5 snaps (9%), Will Shipley — 5 snaps (9%). Barkley finished the game with 19 carries for 68 yards with a long of 16.

• At TE: Dallas Goedert — 43 snaps (80%), Grant Calcaterra — 19 snaps (35%), Kylen Granson — 10 snaps (19%), Cameron Latu — 6 snaps (11%). Goedert caught his 11th touchdown of the season, setting a new franchise record for tight ends.

• Matt Pryor got one snap in the jumbo package, which hasn’t been the same in the last month and a half. Fred Johnson was the extra lineman in that package but he has been starting at right tackle the last games in place of Lane Johnson (foot).

• Cooper DeJean got one snap at the end of the game in victory formation. He has played nine offensive snaps in that role this season.

from https://ift.tt/MifscB9

NFL Playoff Picture 2025: Updated AFC and NFC standings, bracket, tiebreakers for Week 17

With one week left in the season, 12 of 14 playoff teams are set, but there's still plenty of seeding to be determined. Here's how the NFL playoff picture looks after Monday Night Football in Week 17:

AFC Playoff Picture

DIVISION LEADERS

1. Broncos (13-3) Clinched the AFC West and will clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC if they win in Week 18.

2. Patriots (13-3) Clinched the AFC East. Will need a win and a Broncos loss in Week 18 to get home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

3. Jaguars (12-4) Would win the AFC South if they beat the Titans in Week 18 or the Texans lose to the Colts.

4. Steelers (9-7) Win the AFC North if they win or tie against the Ravens in Week 18.

WILD CARDS

5. Texans (11-5) Clinched a playoff berth and can win the AFC South if they beat the Colts in Week 18 and the Jaguars lose.

6. Chargers (11-5) Clinched a wild card.

7. Bills (11-5) Clinched a wild card.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

8. Colts (8-8) Mathematically eliminated.

9. Ravens (8-8) Would win the AFC North if they beat the Steelers in Week 18.

10. Dolphins (7-9) Mathematically eliminated.

11. Bengals (6-10) Mathematically eliminated.

12. Chiefs (6-10) Mathematically eliminated.

13. Browns (4-12) Mathematically eliminated.

14. Titans (3-13) Mathematically eliminated.

15. Jets (3-13) Mathematically eliminated.

16. Raiders (2-14) Mathematically eliminated.

NFC Playoff Picture

DIVISION LEADERS

1. Seahawks (13-3) Will be the No. 1 seed if they win in Week 18.

2. Bears (11-5) Clinched the NFC North and will host a game in the wild card round.

3. Eagles (11-5) Clinched the NFC East and will host a game in the wild card round.

4. Panthers (8-8) Will win the NFC South if they win or tie against the Buccaneers in Week 18, or if the Falcons beat the Saints.

WILD CARDS

5. 49ers (12-4) Will be the No. 1 seed if they beat the Seahawks in Week 18.

6. Rams (11-5) Will be the No. 5 seed if they win and the 49ers lose or tie in Week 18, otherwise the Rams will be the No. 6 seed.

7. Packers (9-6-1) Clinched the No. 7 seed.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

8. Vikings (8-8) Mathematically eliminated.

9. Lions (8-8) Mathematically eliminated.

10. Cowboys (7-8-1) Mathematically eliminated.

11. Buccaneers (7-9) Can still win the NFC South, but they need to beat the Panthers, and they need the Falcons to lose or tie against the Saints.

12. Falcons (7-9) Mathematically eliminated.

13. Saints (6-10) Mathematically eliminated.

14. Commanders (4-12) Mathematically eliminated.

15. Cardinals (3-13) Mathematically eliminated.

16. Giants (3-13) Mathematically eliminated.

from https://ift.tt/aMjnFbE

Plenty at stake for Rams heading into showdown with familiar Falcons

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford remains a favorite to win what would be his first NFL MVP award. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

It’s a late-season matchup with subplots galore.

The Rams’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium pits several of the NFL’s closest coaching friends against each other with playoff and draft positions, job security and possibly the most valuable player award on the line.

The Rams are 11-4 and coming off a crushing 38-37 overtime defeat by the Seattle Seahawks. The loss knocked the Rams out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC and dropped them to No. 6 with two games left.

“It's exciting because this is the opportunity for us to come back and have a response,” star receiver Puka Nacua said, adding, “This is the opportunity to show that we've improved and we learned from that experience.”

The Rams finish the season next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.

“We have two weeks left in it,” coach Sean McVay said. “I love the way everybody has maximized every single day. Those scars can be your strength if you use them appropriately.

“With this group I got a funny feeling that that's exactly where we're headed.”

The Rams will be on the road for the playoffs as either the No. 5 or 6 seed after victories by the Seahawks (13-3) and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday eliminated them from contention for the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed.

The final stretch begins with McVay, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur facing off against Falcons coach Raheem Morris, the former Rams defensive coordinator who helped them win Super Bowl LVI.

Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson also coached under McVay.

McVay and Shula both have described Morris as one of their best friends and mentors.

“I’m pretty sure all our kids' furniture comes from his house because we followed them,” Shula said last week.

Morris coached with the Rams from 2021 to 2023. He told Atlanta reporters last week that the Rams have “an all hands on deck” mentality and that he has attempted to implement similar systems.

“We’ve definitely mimicked and mocked a lot of things that they do,” he said.

The Rams, however, could make a tough season for Morris even more uncomfortable.

Sean McVay will try to lead the Rams to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

The Falcons have won two games in a row but are 6-9 and out of the playoffs. If the Rams beat them Monday, Morris’ future with the Falcons becomes more uncertain.

And the Rams have more to gain than just a potential No. 5 seed.

During this year's draft, as the Rams contemplated how they might leverage the No. 26 pick, the Falcons gave the Rams their 2026 first-round pick so they could draft edge rusher James Pearce Jr. That essentially made the Rams the biggest winner of the draft because it gave them two 2026 first-round picks to possibly shop for an eventual replacement for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

On one level, the deal worked out for both teams. The Rams selected tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round, and Pearce has come on to record 8½ sacks. But each Falcons defeat moves the Rams higher in the draft. Going into Monday, the Rams have the No. 11 pick and another pick at No. 25 or lower.

McVay acknowledged the Rams’ improved draft capital but said it would have no effect on how they approach the game.

“Way down the line for me to even think about that stuff,” he said.

Meanwhile, Stafford is not playing like a quarterback ready to retire or be replaced. The 17th-year pro, already among the top 10 in several all-time passing categories, leads the NFL with 40 touchdown passes.

Read more:Rams star Puka Nacua on criticizing refs: I'll 'never let it happen again'

He is a front-runner to win his first most valuable player award, and an outstanding performance in a Monday night showcase could seal it.

Will Stafford’s situation influence McVay’s play-calling?

“If you're saying, ‘Am I going to make a decision that I think would not be best for our team in that situation?’ No, I would never do that,” McVay said, adding, “The good thing is he's in that conversation because he's played great. That hasn't affected any of the decision-making.

“When he's doing his thing, that's good for our football team and that's all he has to do is continue to play like he's capable of. Usually, those things have a way of working themselves out if they're supposed to.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

from https://ift.tt/iuXfreE

Replay ruling got Cam Jordan a sack, and a $600,000 bonus

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan has a clause in his contract calling for a $600,000 bonus if he records at least nine sacks this season. Heading into Sunday's game against the Titans, he had 8.5 sacks this season. Which made a replay ruling late in the fourth quarter very lucrative for Jordan.

With the Titans facing fourth-and-10 and 2:09 left in the fourth quarter, Titans quarterback Cam Ward made what at first looked like a spectacular play: As Jordan dove for Ward's foot and knocked him to the ground, Ward threw the ball to teammate Tyjae Spears, who ran for a first down.

Unfortunately for Ward, the play was checked by the replay assistant, who determined that Ward's knee touched the ground a split-second before he released the pass to Spears. It was the correct call, but it overturned a brilliant play by Ward.

Fortunately for Jordan, it counted as a sack. And if it wasn't the biggest sack of his career, in a game between two teams that are long out of playoff contention, it was one of his most lucrative sacks.

from https://ift.tt/1QYCRbt

Kyle Shanahan: 49ers love the opportunity never to leave home, through the Super Bowl

The 49ers won at home on Sunday night. Which means if they win at home again on Saturday night, all they'll have to do is win two home playoff games to play the Super Bowl on their home field.

Sunday night's win over the Bears sets up their regular-season finale, at home against the Seahawks on Saturday, as the battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Win that, and the 49ers would stay home through the playoffs — including Super Bowl XL, which is played on their home field.

"We’ve earned this," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. "This is the game that we want. We love that it’s here. We love an opportunity to never leave here again this year and we've got that opportunity Saturday night.”

The 49ers have persevered through an injury-plagued season to get to this point, and if they play well against the Seahawks it's going to pay off in a big way, potentially with a very big celebration in San Francisco in February.

from https://ift.tt/EwZyPxl

Just exactly how explosive is the Bills offense the Eagles will face Sunday?

Just exactly how explosive is the Bills offense the Eagles will face Sunday? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

You want to sell out against the Bills’ passing game? They’ve got the NFL’s leading rusher.

You want to sell out against the Bills’ running game? They’ve got the NFL’s reigning MVP at quarterback.

How do you defend a team that runs the ball better than anybody in the NFL and has a potential Hall of Famer at quarterback?

“You got Josh Allen, that’s all you need to say,” Vic Fangio said. “You got (James) Cook, that’s all you need to say.

“Their line is playing very well. They’ve got a good group of tight ends. The receivers have been playing good. They’re highly ranked in a lot of key areas on offense and it’s no accident.”

Fangio’s defense, which has been so good lately, gets a huge challenge Sunday in Orchard Park when the Eagles face the Bills at Highmark Stadium, where the Band opened for Eric Clapton in 1974. This will be the Bills’ 2nd-to-last game at the former Rich Stadium, their home since 1973. A new Highmark Stadium located across the street will open next year.

With a win and a Bears loss to the 49ers Sunday night, the Eagles will keep alive their hopes for the No. 2 seed. Two Eagles wins and two Bears losses move the Eagles up from No. 3 to No. 2.

The Bills are ranked 3rd with 373 yards per game, 1st with 159 rushing yards per game, 4th with 7.5 yards per pass play, 4th in first downs, 4th on third down and 3rd in scoring.

It all starts with Allen, who is having another monster season with 25 touchdown passes, 69 percent completion percentage and a 103.3 passer rating, which trails only Matthew Stafford (112.1), Drake Maye (108.5) and Jared Goff (107.0). He’s also rushed for 552 yards with a 5.3 average.

Allen 82-32 over the last seven seasons with 210 TD passes, 82 INTs and close to 5,000 rushing yards.

What makes him so special?

“Just his size, his speed, his instincts, when it becomes a scramble game, what he can accomplish,” Fangio said. “He’s hard to tackle. He’s so big and elusive. He’s a real dude.”

Since Allen became a full-time starting quarterback in 2019, the Bills have the 2nd-best record in football, behind only the Chiefs. They’re 11-4 this year, their 7th consecutive 10-win season and 7th consecutive playoff season. In nine years under Sean McDermott, the former Eagles secondary coach and defensive coordinator, they’ve only missed the playoffs once.

And then there’s Cook, the Bills’ 2nd-round pick in 2022 out of Georgia. After backing up Devin Singletary as a rookie, he became the Bills’ go-to back in 2023, and over the last three years he’s got the 4th-most rushing yards in football (behind Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson), his 5.0 average is 4th-highest among running backs and he’s rushed for 30 TDs. He also has another 1,200 yards and nine more TDs receiving.

He leads the NFL with 1,552 yards this year, and his 5.3 average is second only to Miami’s De’Von Achane, and his nine 100-yard games are three more than any other back. His four TD runs of at least 40 yards are tied for most in the league with Jahmyr Gibbs and TreVeyon Henderson.

“Very elusive,” Fangio said. “He’s a jump-cut guy and once he gets in the open field he’s got the speed to hit the home run. He’s really good. He’s patient, but once he sees that he hits it and he’s really good. He’s elusive.”

The Eagles on Sunday will get Jalen Carter back for the first time in four games but will be without his college teammate, Nakobe Dean.

It’s been a good stretch for the Eagles’ defense, which allowed 23.1 points the first eight games but 14.9 the last seven.

“Yeah, I think it’s good they have improved,” Fangio said. “Some of that’s due to having some young players that are going to take time to improve, and we still have some guys in their second year that are going to keep improving.

“These guys have worked at it. They’re very coachable and we all enjoy coaching them.”

from https://ift.tt/GKR31cn

Steelers would clinch AFC North with a win or tie, Ravens need a Browns upset

The Ravens were celebrating after a big win on Saturday night in Green Bay, but they might not have long to celebrate.

If the Steelers win or tie against the Browns today they will win the AFC North, and eliminate the Ravens from the playoffs.

So Ravens fans need to root for the Browns. If Cleveland wins, that sets up a Week 18 Ravens-Steelers showdown in Pittsburgh with the AFC North on the line. In that scenario, the Ravens would win the AFC North if they beat the Steelers, while the Steelers would win the AFC North if they were to win or tie against the Ravens.

But first, the Ravens need the Browns to pull the upset today. The Steelers are 3.5-point favorites at Cleveland.

from https://ift.tt/IkFbh9Y

Eagles notebook: How Will Shipley gets over a rough game

Eagles notebook: How Will Shipley gets over a rough game originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Will Shipley had a rough game in Washington.

The second-year running back made a couple mistakes as the Eagles’ kick returner, fumbling on the opening kickoff and later costing the team some valuable field position with indecision.

How does he get over a game like that?

“Just reset and remove yourself from the clouds, seeing everything as a fact,” Shipley. “And ultimately just not wanting to control the output. Taking the output as a fact and being able to go back and adjust my input.

“Everything is not always going to go the way you want it. But at the end of the day, you can either take it for an advantage or you can let it be a deficit.”

Those were two mistakes from Shipley in Week 16 but he has otherwise been a pretty good kick returner this season. He has returned 25 kickoffs for an average of 26.9 yards.

There are 32 players in the NFL who have returned at least 20 kickoffs this season and Shipley’s average of 26.9 ranks eighth among them. Not elite, but definitely above average. The Eagles have rotated that other kick returner spot but it would make sense for them to stick with Shipley.

“It’s one of those things where you try to tell these guys, you’re almost like a duck,” special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “Keep the water off of your feathers right there. Let it roll off your back and next play in.”

Shipley appreciates the coaching staff for continuing to trust him even after a blunder or two.

“It definitely feels good,” he said. “I think at the end of the day, being afraid of mistakes is just not a way to play this game. They’re gonna come. I think any football player has faced mistakes at a multitude of different levels. I’m not afraid to make mistakes. I’m here to use them to my advantage.”

Seeing more attention

Zack Baun took plenty of teams by surprise during the 2024 season, his first as an insider linebacker. But that isn’t happening this year.

And that’s why his second straight Pro Bowl nod was special to him.

“I always want to get better,” Baun said. “I think last year I had a lot of opportunities because teams didn’t really know who I was or what my game would consist of. This year, I never thought that teams would be scheming against me or trying to cover me up on certain plays. But that was the case. And to still get Pro Bowl despite that was really cool.”

Despite that extra attention, Baun is having another very good season. Here’s a look at his stats from last year compared to this year:

2024: (16 games) 151 tackles, 11 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, 4 PD, 5 FF, 1 INT

2025: (15 games) 117 tackles, 6 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, 7 PD, 1 FF, 2 INT

What has it been like for Baun to have teams game plan against him more?

“You never know if it was because of you,” Baun explained. “You’re just like, ‘Dang, I’m getting blocked on every single play.’ I’m not having the splash run-throughs that I’m having last year or the crazy tackles that I did last year. I just stay consistent and understand that I’m doing my job and don’t really care about the stats. I just want the team to win and to play well.”

Still has his stinger

Because Vic Fangio has been around the NFL for so long, he has seen plenty of older players and he knows what it takes for them to play at a high level.

And Brandon Graham still has it.

“That may sound corny and not relevant,” Fangio said, “but as guys get older in their career, they lose their stinger a little bit for the real nut-cutting and contact of the game. He hasn’t.”

Graham, 37, retired after Super Bowl LIX but returned during this season when the Eagles needed a boost at edge rusher. But in recent weeks, without Jalen Carter (shoulders), Graham has been giving the Eagles quality snaps at defensive tackle. Fangio pointed out Graham’s strength, leverage and feel for blocks as the reasons he’s been having success inside.

Fangio said Graham looks very similar to how he looked in 2024. During last season, Fangio kept mentioning that he was going to try to talk Graham out of retirement.

Will he do it again?

“Yeah, we might,” Fangio said. “Maybe I’ll be his agent.”

Turning a corner?

After an incredible rushing attack in 2024, the Eagles haven’t found it as easy to run the ball in 2025. But the last few weeks they seem to be turning a corner.

“We know who we have in this locker room,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “The turnover from this year to last year is pretty similar. We just carry that confidence into this year and even into the last couple of weeks. We’ve just kept humming with the game plan and bought into it. It helps. That certainly helps.”

Through Week 13, the Eagles were 22nd in overall rushing with 1,302 yards and were 24th in average yards per carry at 4.0.

In the last three weeks, they’re third in rushing with 524 yards and eighth in average at 4.9.

Three weeks is obviously a small sample size but it’s a pretty good start, especially with the playoffs just around the corner. The line is blocking better and Saquon Barkley is showing more of what we’re used to seeing from him.

How did Barkley stay confident when things weren’t going well?

“Training. The work I put in, always having a positive mindset,” Barkley said. “If you have a negative mindset when stuff is going bad, nothing is going to change. The way you change is by coming to work with the right mindset and pushing yourself to get better every single day. Using all that as an opportunity to rise. That’s what we’ve been doing. Right now, we’re seeing the benefits of it. But always got room to improve and that’s something we’re going to continue to work on.”

Cross it off the list

The last time the Eagles played a game on the road against the Bills was in 2019, when DeVonta Smith was still at Alabama. So the Eagles’ receiver is looking forward to his first trip to Orchard Park, New York.

“I like going into different places,” Smith said on Friday. “Me personally, I want to be able to play in every stadium that there is just to say that I’ve done it. It’s good to have this one checked off. Wish it would have been earlier in the year but …

“I think it’s just cool to play in different environments, get kind of the feel of how it is. I heard this is a great place to play. Heard a lot about their fanbase and things like that. Just want to experience it.”

Smith has played a regular season road game against 23 different teams. The ones left are Buffalo, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Miami, Baltimore, Tennessee and San Francisco. The Eagles have played preseason games in some of those places.

Smith said his favorite road venues are Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota. He likes Allegiant for the actual stadium but really enjoyed the atmosphere in U.S. Bank Stadium.

He’ll get to experience Highmark Stadium on Sunday.

“I think this might be the last one that I haven’t played in that I actually want to go to,” Smith said. “I think all the other ones I’ve played in pretty much.”

from https://ift.tt/hxMbgae

John Lynch: I wouldn't put it past Fred Warner to be ready to play in the playoffs

On October 12, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner fractured and dislocated his ankle, and the team announced that he would miss the rest of the season. But with the playoffs approaching, Warner may be on the field.

49ers General Manager John Lynch said on KNBR that Warner is well ahead of schedule, changing doctors' perceptions of when he could be cleared, and might play in the playoffs.

“It would be well ahead of the original timeline we were given, but Fred has the ability to move the doctors because they’re going to put objective measurements out there where, ‘Hey, if you can reach these, you can get there,’" Lynch said, via NBCSportsBayArea.com. “And Fred has continually done that. I think it’s made a lot of people kind of re-examine. ‘OK, would this be possible?’ And I think that’s a great thing. So I’m watching him. I’ve consistently said it: I won’t put anything past him.”

Warner was a first-team All-Pro for three consecutive years before his 2025 season got cut short, so if Warner can return and play at his usual high level, it would be a huge boost to the 49ers in the playoffs. That now sounds realistic.

from https://ift.tt/8vdx2ip

Eagles-Bills matchups to watch in Week 17

Eagles-Bills matchups to watch in Week 17 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles (10-5) are on the road to face the Buffalo Bills (11-4) on Sunday afternoon.

Here are some key matchups to watch:

Eagles run defense vs. James Cook

Since the Eagles gave up 281 rushing yards to the Bears back on Black Friday, they have steadied their run defense. They gave up 169 to the Chargers but a lot of that was scrambling from Justin Herbert. Against the Raiders, they gave up just 46 on the ground and then they gave up just 90 to the Commanders. Overall, the Eagles have the 21st-ranked run defense in the NFL but they have had moments of dominance stopping the run. Of course, one of their key run stuffers has been Nakobe Dean, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Commanders. But Jordan Davis had a great game in Washington and was very strong at the point of attack.

Through 16 weeks, James Cook is leading the NFL in rushing with 1,532 yards. He also has 12 touchdowns and an average of 5.3. He’s been excellent this season and is now a Pro Bowler for the third straight year. Against the Browns in Week 16, Cook had 117 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 16 carries and he had 87 yards after contact. Cook this season is averaging 3.6 yards after contact per attempt and leads qualified backs, averaging 1.2 rushing yards over expected per attempt. Cook is also second in the NFL in explosive runs (10+ yards) with 36 behind just De’Von Achane.

Vic Fangio vs. Josh Allen

The Eagles have gotten wins the last two weeks over Kenny Pickett and then a combination of Marcus Mariota and Josh Johnson. This week will be a much bigger test against the reigning MVP of the league in Josh Allen. The 29-year-old is having another impressive season and is in the MVP conversation yet again. Here’s a look at Allen’s stats from his MVP season and this year:

2024 (17 games): 63.6%, 3,731 yards, 28 TDs, 6 INTs, 101.4 rating
2025 (15 games): 69.6%, 3,406 yards, 25 TDs, 10 INTs, 103.3 rating

Allen has again been a magician through the air this season, but is still a threat with his legs too. His rushing production is almost exactly equal to last year and he still has two games left on the schedule:

2024: 102 attempts, 531 yards, 12 TDs
2025: 105 attempts, 552 yards, 12 TDs

What makes Allen unique?

“Just his size, his speed, his instincts, when it becomes a scramble game, what he can accomplish,” Fangio said. “He’s hard to tackle. He’s so big and elusive. He’s a real dude.”

The Eagles didn’t let Marcus Mariota do anything on the ground against them in Week 16, which was a concern based on their struggles to stop opposing QBs in the run game this season. The Eagles this season have given up 328 rushing yards to opposing quarterbacks, which is the sixth-most in the NFL. They gave up 66 to Justin Herbert, 66 to Patrick Mahomes and 58 to Jaxson Dart this season.

Eagles DL vs. Bills OL

The Bills this season have given up 35 sacks, which ranks 14th in the NFL. Josh Allen has been pressured on just 152 of his 508 dropbacks. That pressure percentage of 29.9% ranks 24th in the NFL. So it’s not easy to get after Allen, but that will be important on Sunday for an Eagles defense that has a huge reinforcement coming back. Jalen Carter has missed the last three games but he will return in this game.

The Eagles’ defensive line has played very well in recent weeks. They’ve been getting contributions inside from Moro Ojomo, Jordan Davis, Byron Young and even Brandon Graham. And then on the edge, Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips and Jalyx Hunt have rounded into a solid three-man rotation with the playoffs just around the corner.

Saquon Barkley vs. Bills run defense

The Bills’ defense ranks 11th in yards, 16th in points and 15th in EPA. So we’re talking about a defense that has been statistically middle of the pack. But they have not been very good against the run. The Bills have the No. 30-ranked run defense in the league (144.3 yards per game), are 31st in yards per attempt (5.4) and are 31st in EPA/rush (+0.08).

This is a game where you want to see more of those angry runs from Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby, who helped the Eagles rush for over 200 yards in Week 16 for just the second time all season. The Bills are giving up a ton of yards after contact this season. They are dead last in the NFL, giving up an average of 4.10 yards after contact per attempt, per NextGen Stats. To put that into perspective, there are eight teams this season that aren’t giving up that many yards per rush.

The Bills are giving up the most yards after contact this season at 4.10 per attempt and the next team on the list is the Falcons at 3.69.

Jalen Hurts vs. Bills pass defense

While the Bills have been a bad run defense team, they have the NFL’s No. 2-ranked passing defense, giving up just 167.1 yards per game. 

Here’s a look at what they have done the last four games against the opposition’s top receiver:

Week 13: DK Metcalf had 3 catches for 32 yards

Week 14: Ja’Marr Chase had 5 catches for 44 yards

Week 15: Stefon Diggs had 3 catches for 26 yards

Week 16: Jerry Jeudy had 3 catches for 12 yards

The Eagles went through some really rough patches as an offense this season but have been better the last couple weeks. Their passing game numbers haven’t been great but they’ve clearly been more efficient through the air. And A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are now both quietly closing in on 1,000 yards for the season. Brown is sitting at 935 and Smith at 931.

Fred Johnson vs. Greg Rousseau

The Eagles have gone 2-3 in the five games Lane Johnson has missed with a Lisfranc sprain but Fred Johnson has been solid in his absence. Fred Johnson in these last five games gave up just 1 sack and just 7 pressures, according to PFF. It’ll obviously be a boost for the Eagles to eventually get their resident future Hall of Famer back on the field, but the backup is holding things down.

The Bills are 18th in the NFL this season with just 34 sacks and their pressure rate of 35.2% ranks 14th in the NFL. Greg Rousseau leads the Bills in sacks (6.5) and pressures (48) and he lines up on the defensive left, so that sets up a matchup against Johnson. On the other side, Joey Bosa will be going against Jordan Mailata.

from https://ift.tt/pvyVDsm

'We don't have it right now.' Takeaways from the Lakers' third straight loss

Rocket Tari Eason attempts a three pointer as Laker Lebron James is late contesting the shot on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

JJ Redick repeats the same key words after every loss: effort and execution. The Lakers found none of either at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday in a 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets that played out with a plot as familiar as a Hallmark holiday movie.

Getting outhustled by a team that simply played harder with more energy, the Lakers (19-10) dropped their third consecutive game. It’s their longest losing streak of the season and left the team questioning its identity.

“I don't know what has to change,” said guard Luka Doncic, who led the Lakers with 25 points and seven assists, but had six turnovers. “But definitely something needs to change.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

Vibes are bad

Lakers coach JJ Redick points and direct his team during the fourth quarter of a loss to the Rockets on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)

When the Lakers were climbing up the Western Conference standings, improbably winning games with LeBron James and Luka Doncic injured and celebrating Austin Reaves’ 51-point performance and ascent into stardom, the vibes were high. Players jumped off the bench to cheer for each other. They championed team bonding exercises such as slideshow presentations that introduced themselves to each other and a field trip to a Porsche driving experience. It all felt surprisingly easy, especially for a team that had several new additions.

“We had it,” Redick said wistfully Thursday. “We had it. I always say this about culture, I always say this about a good team being a functioning organism.”

Redick snapped his fingers.

“It can change like that,” he continued. “We don’t have it right now.”

Read more:Lakers lose Austin Reaves, then get called out by JJ Redick after loss to Rockets

All three of the Lakers’ most recent losses have been blowouts. With an average margin of defeat of 20.7 points, their total point differential has dropped to minus-15 on the season, which ranks 16th in the NBA.

Forward Jake LaRavia said in the locker room that there felt like a “disconnect” on the team, but couldn’t verbalize more about how things had turned so suddenly. The team’s seven-game winning streak at the end of November feels like a distant memory, although it should serve as a constant reminder of how a team shouldn’t let its guard down, especially when it was just collecting wins off teams with losing records.

“This [has] kind of been the trending thing even when we were winning,” forward Jarred Vanderbilt said. “Obviously wins kinda shadow a lot of stuff. But it's been the same pretty much all year of how we finished games, lose games: transition defense, rebounding and stuff like that. It's been a trend all year."

LeBron James, who played in his 13th game this season after missing the first 14 games because of sciatica, had 18 points and five assists and declined to speak with reporters after the game, along with Marcus Smart (six points, two rebounds) and Rui Hachimura (zero points, two assists).

To further exasperate the lingering injury bug, Reaves left the game after the first half because of left calf soreness. It was the same calf that sidelined him for three games last week.

Jarred Vanderbilt shooting for larger role

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt grabs a rebound during a game against the Houston Rockets Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

Vanderbilt was one of the few bright spots for the Lakers, finishing with eight points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. His energy off the bench in the second quarter, especially when playing with Smart, who fought through a right shoulder injury, helped the Lakers force four turnovers in a five-minute stretch. Vanderbilt’s three-pointer with 4:16 remaining in the second that trimmed the lead to four was one of the few moments that made the mostly apathetic holiday crowd roar.

Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies were the primary reason he fell out of the rotation for 10 games, but since returning to the lineup regularly against Phoenix on Dec. 14, Vanderbilt has made seven of 13 three-pointers in five games, including three for four on Thursday. It was his first game as a Laker with three made threes.

Outside of LaRavia, who stayed on the court after both teams had otherwise emptied the bench, Vanderbilt was the only Laker who had a positive plus-minus. The Lakers outscored the Rockets by five in Vanderbilt’s 26 minutes and 23 seconds on the floor.

“I feel like I try to come in the game and bring that energy and hoping guys could feed off it,” Vanderbilt said. “But we need to play [like] that for 48 minutes. … We just got to dig deep and want to do it.”

Lakers get buried on the boards

Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) drives to the basket and shoots under pressure from Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

The Rockets (18-10) are not just the NBA’s best rebounding team, but they could be the best in a generation. The team’s 55.6% rebounding rate is the best in the NBA on record since at least the 1996-97 season.

Houston’s dominance on the boards was at the top of Redick’s mind before the game when he estimated the Rockets were the best rebounding team since the 1994-95 Mavericks. He emphasized the importance of gang rebounding against a team known for its physically imposing double-big lineup and athletic wings.

Read more:Amid injury 'chaos' for Lakers, LeBron James is starting to look like his old self

Then the Rockets grabbed two offensive rebounds in their first two possessions. The Rockets outrebounded the Lakers 48-25, the Lakers’ largest rebounding deficit since Nov. 8, 2023, which was also against Houston. Houston had 17 offensive rebounds, only one fewer than the Lakers’ defensive rebounding total, and with 12 rebounds, center Alpren Sengun matched the Lakers’ entire starting lineup on the boards.

“Everybody gotta give better effort,” Doncic said, “starting with me.”

Doncic had five rebounds, tied with Vanderbilt for the team lead. Center Deandre Ayton had just two boards and 10 points in 36 minutes and 17 seconds. It was the 7-footer’s lowet rebounding total of the season.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

from https://ift.tt/uzqm6MG

Dan Campbell: I'll look at a lot of things, I don't like being home for the playoffs

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he'll be looking at everything in the organization as he evaluates what went wrong this season and how to turn things around in 2026.

Campbell said after the Lions were eliminated from playoff contention in Minnesota that he's not happy with where things are and it needs to get better.

"I'm gonna be looking at a lot of things because I do not like being home for the playoffs and I know our guys don't either," Campbell said. "Whenever you lose it takes a village. Everybody's involved, including myself. I'm always going to look at myself first."

Campbell said he and Lions General Manager Brad Holmes will be spending a lot of time evaluating the roster.

"Brad and I will have a lot of decisions to make, a lot of things to look at," Campbell said. "How do we improve? Because we need to improve."

After winning the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season, the Lions have been one of the NFL's most disappointing teams this year. Campbell doesn't like it, and he knows it has to be an offseason of change.

from https://ift.tt/RubcJKP

Detroit crumble and a Kelce farewell? - Christmas Day in the NFL

There was a potential Travis Kelce farewell, while Jared Goff suffered a Detroit disaster on Christmas Day in the NFL [Getty Images]

The Detroit Lions produced a terrible display as they were dumped out of play-off contention in one of three eventful Christmas Day games in the NFL.

Festive fixtures are a big deal in the NFL these days, and despite four of the six teams in action already being out of the play-offs all three games were full-blooded encounters.

Detroit faced a must-win in Minnesota but crumbled against the Vikings defence in a statistically wild game - and a loss that handed a Christmas present to the Green Bay Packers as they booked a play-off spot as a result.

The Kansas City Chiefs fought hard but came up short against the Denver Broncos in what could have been Travis Kelce's final home game, and the Dallas Cowboys won a lively contest with the Washington Commanders.

• Why AFC's 'three-headed monster' is set to miss NFL play-offs
• Are the Jaguars legitimate Super Bowl contenders?

Detroit dumped out by Vikings defence

The Lions had eight turnovers in 16 games before conceding six in Minnesota [Getty Images]

Detroit had to win both their remaining games to stand a chance of making the play-offs, but went out with an alarming whimper in a 23-10 defeat in Minnesota.

After leading the NFL with just eight turnovers this season, Detroit gave the ball away six times, quarterback Jared Goff being responsible for five of them to continuously kill off any momentum they mustered.

It was shambolic from both offences though, Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer's first home start saw him sacked seven times and pass for just 51 yards yet still win - no other quarterback in the Super Bowl era has managed to win a game with those stats.

Minnesota's smothering defence was again enough to win the game though, with Brian Flores' unit starring in their four-game winning streak to end the season in positive fashion.

A third defeat in a row finished off Detroit's play-off hopes and although injuries have played a part, the manner of those losses when the pressure was on will be a concern for head coach Dan Campbell in the off-season.

A Kelce farewell? Broncos edge out Chiefs

Was this Travis Kelce's final entrance to an NFL game at Arrowhead? [Getty Images]

The Denver Broncos eked out a 20-13 victory as they chase the AFC top seed the Chiefs have claimed so often in the last decade, but Travis Kelce was still the headline news in what could have been his final game in Kansas City.

The 36-year-old seemed to soak in his pre-game introduction more than usual then lingered on the field afterwards with plenty of Broncos players coming over to share a few words and show their respect to the three-time Super Bowl champion - with both his mother Donna and fiance Taylor Swift in the stands watching on.

Kelce and his Chiefs played hard despite being out of the play-offs and being two-touchdown underdogs without injured star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The home crowd and home defence made it tough for a Denver team looking to emulate Kansas City's recent success, but the Broncos' own star quarterback Bo Nix eventually got them over the line with a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Denver are certainly emulating last season's Chiefs in winning tight games, with this their 11th one-score victory - four more than anyone else - while they're the only team in NFL history to earn 12 comeback wins in one season.

But head coach Sean Payton will want a more explosive element to the offence, which dominated possession but struggled to make big plays and score touchdowns, making it a much closer game than it really should have been against a severely depleted Chiefs side.

While the Broncos are building there could be some upheaval in Kansas City this summer, whether that includes losing Kelce at the end of his 13th season remains to be seen.

• Kelce's last dance? Why Chiefs star could retire from NFL
• Chiefs to leave Missouri for new stadium in Kansas

Dak's Dallas building for next season

Dak Prescott tied Tony Romo's Dallas record with his fourth season with 30 passing touchdowns [Getty Images]

For Dallas, "it's about rolling over the good things for next year and just taking that momentum" according to quarterback Dak Prescott, after the Cowboys beat Washington 30-23.

The last six games have summed up the season for the Cowboys, winning three in a row including beating both of last season's Super Bowl sides in a week before then losing three on the spin.

Prescott has been pretty consistent though, and productive, as he was in Washington with two touchdowns including the longest ever in a Christmas Day game - an 86-yard bomb to speedster KaVontae Turpin.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer was aggressive as he looks to finish his first season in charge on a high - the Cowboys converted six fourth down plays, tied for the most in a game since 1991.

Washington were a game away from the Super Bowl last year, but injuries have played a big part in them going from a 12-win team last year to losing 12 games this season.

Dan Quinn still has some good pieces there but they simply have to keep quarterback Jayden Daniels fit, as they had 39-year-old Josh Johnson under centre for this latest loss.

from https://ift.tt/zEL0KaD

NFL Playoff Picture 2025: Updated AFC and NFC standings, bracket, tiebreakers for Week 17

With two weeks left in the NFL season, the playoff field is mostly set: Ten teams have clinched playoff berths and four more are still available. Here's how the NFL playoff picture looks heading into Week 17:

AFC Playoff Picture

DIVISION LEADERS

1. Broncos (12-3) If they win out, they're the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

2. Patriots (12-3) Would lose the common-games tiebreaker to the Broncos.

3. Jaguars (11-4) The clear favorites in the AFC South.

4. Steelers (9-6) In the driver's seat in the AFC North.

WILD CARDS

5. Chargers (11-4) First in the wild card race thanks to a better AFC record than the Bills.

6. Bills (11-4) Probably won't catch the Patriots in the AFC East, but they've clinched a wild card.

7. Texans (10-5) Just need to keep winning to clinch the final AFC wild card berth.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

8. Colts (8-7) Still mathematically alive, but they're almost certainly going to miss the playoffs.

9. Ravens (7-8) Their chances of catching the Steelers in the AFC North are slipping away.

10. Chiefs (6-9) Mathematically eliminated.

11. Dolphins (6-9) Mathematically eliminated.

12. Bengals (5-10) Mathematically eliminated.

13. Jets (3-12) Mathematically eliminated.

14. Titans (3-12) Mathematically eliminated.

15. Browns (3-12) Mathematically eliminated.

16. Raiders (2-13) Mathematically eliminated.

NFC Playoff Picture

DIVISION LEADERS

1. Seahawks (12-3) Beating the Rams gave them a leg up on the race for the No. 1 seed.

2. Bears (11-4) If they win one more game they win the NFC North.

3. Eagles (10-5) Clinched the NFC East.

4. Panthers (8-7) In the driver's seat in the NFC South.

WILD CARDS

5. 49ers (11-4) Currently own the tiebreaker over the Rams thanks to a better record in the NFC West.

6. Rams (11-4) Losing to the Seahawks means they're likely to have to win three road games, instead of two home games, to reach the Super Bowl.

7. Packers (9-5-1) Need to win one more game, or have the Lions lose one more game, to make the playoffs.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

8. Lions (8-7) Need to win both their remaining games, and have the Packers lose both their remaining games, to make the playoffs.

9. Vikings (7-8) Mathematically eliminated.

10. Buccaneers (7-8) Out of contention for a wild card, but they can still win the NFC South.

11. Cowboys (6-8-1) Mathematically eliminated.

12. Falcons (6-9) Mathematically eliminated.

13. Saints (5-10) Mathematically eliminated.

14. Commanders (4-11) Mathematically eliminated.

15. Cardinals (3-12) Mathematically eliminated.

16. Giants (2-13) Mathematically eliminated.

from https://ift.tt/liTuhpQ

Chiefs are two-touchdown underdogs for the first time since 2013

The Chiefs are massive underdogs like they haven't been in over a decade for tonight's game against the Broncos.

Denver is a 13.5-point favorite at Kansas City, the first time the Chiefs have been underdogs by more than 12 points since December 29, 2013, when they were 14.5-point underdogs at the Chargers.

When the Chiefs were 14.5-point underdogs, it wasn't because they were a bad team, it was because they were resting their starters for the final game of the regular season after clinching their playoff position.

Tonight, the Chiefs are massive underdogs because they're a 6-9 team, mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, starting third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun against a Broncos team that has the best record in the NFL.

When the NFL scheduled Broncos-Chiefs for Christmas night, the league couldn't have imagined that the Chiefs would have fallen as far as they have. The Chiefs are as bad as they've been in a long, long time.

from https://ift.tt/fHr2FSk

'A million choices': Lakers' defense will get a Christmas Day test vs. Rockets

Forward LeBron James, guarding Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and the Lakers have lost two games in a row for the first time this season, in part because of lackluster defense. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

It’s not the lineups, the injuries or necessarily the system. The cause of the Lakers' defensive demise is a thousand little decisions gone wrong.

“It comes down to just making the choice,” coach JJ Redick said after the Lakers gave up 132 points in a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. “It's making the choice. There's shortcuts you can take or you can do the hard thing and you can make the second effort or you can sprint back or you can't. It's just a choice and there's a million choices in a game, and you're very likely not gonna make every choice correctly. But can you make the vast majority of 'em correctly? It gives you a chance to win.”

Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season, the Lakers (19-9) are ranked 28th in defensive rating in the last 14 games entering a Christmas Day showcase against the Houston Rockets at 5 p.m. PST at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers, without any individual shutdown defenders, need a perfectly executed team defense to compete. But 15 different starting lineups in 28 games has delayed some of the team's ability to build continuity. The Lakers have had their full complement of 14 standard contract players for two games.

Forward Rui Hachimura (groin) and Luka Doncic (leg) could return Thursday. Guard Gabe Vincent, one of the team’s top defensive options on the perimeter, will miss his fourth game with lower-back soreness. Center Jaxson Hayes tweaked his left ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday’s loss and didn’t return.

The Rockets (17-10) limp into the Christmas Day blockbuster with their own struggles. The team thought to be one of the few who could challenge Oklahoma City in the West has lost five of its last seven games. Three of the losses were in overtime and four came against teams currently out of the play-in picture, including Tuesday’s loss to the Clippers.

Read more:Austin Reaves' return can't save Lakers from dismal defensive effort in loss to Suns

Led by Kevin Durant’s 25.2 points, the Rockets are a statistical anomaly in the sped up, possession-maximizing modern NBA. They have the third-ranked offense in the league despite being one of the slowest. They shoot the fewest three-pointers per game, but make them at a 40% clip that ranks second, and dominate the glass with NBA-leading 48.7 rebounds and 16.1 offensive rebounds per game.

Houston’s physicality and expertise on the boards could be especially worrisome for a team that still has to consciously choose defense on a possession-by-possession basis instead of consistently living up to a standard of playing hard.

“There's really no defense, no scheme we can do when we're giving up offensive rebounds in crucial moments like we are, our [opponents] are getting wherever they want on the court,” guard Marcus Smart said after Tuesday’s loss. “And there's no help, there's no resistance, there's no urgency. … It's on us.”

The Suns grabbed 12 offensive rebounds against the Lakers on 35 missed shots, an offensive rebounding rate of 34.3%. After the Suns scored a three-pointer by twice grabbing offensive rebounds off tipped balls, Lakers players had an animated discussion in a timeout with Smart was gesturing toward center Deandre Ayton about tipping rebounds. Ayton, who finished with 10 rebounds and 12 points, and Smart ended the timeout with a high-five.

“[I need to] just continue to talk to guys, even though sometimes they might not want to hear it,” said Smart, a free-agent addition the Lakers coveted for his leadership and tenacity on defense. “Especially when we losing, nobody wants to hear it, myself included, but also understand that it's integral for us to hear those things, to see and to be able to talk to one another and figure it out as players on the court, because we're the ones out there.”

Redick intentionally built in moments for players to connect and communicate during every timeout this season before coaches speak. The strategy was meant to encourage players to take a larger leadership role. “Championship communication” was one of the team’s three pillars.

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, foulds Clippers guard James Harden on a layup during their game Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Along with “championship shape,” Redick also asked his team to build “championship habits.” Living up to the mantras is easier said than done.

“It's not the easy choice,” Redick said. “It's human nature. … We do it on a daily basis. We make easy choices cause it's comfortable. Comfortable doesn't win.”

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

from https://ift.tt/BDqYFN0

Why AFC's 'three-headed monster' is set to miss NFL play-offs

Former Buffalo Bills assistant coach Phoebe Schecter is an NFL pundit and plays for Great Britain's flag football team [BBC]

The Kansas City Chiefs are out of contention for this season's NFL play-offs and so too are their conference rivals Cincinnati.

I just don't see the Baltimore Ravens getting in either. They need to win their last two games to have a chance, so in terms of quarterbacks, that would be a three-headed monster missing from the AFC - Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes.

All three having injuries this season is just wild, and Jackson went off with another in Sunday's loss to New England. He's already missed three games and in each of the past six weeks has missed at least one day of practice.

I don't think he's ever fully recovered from the main hamstring injured he had. There was one game where it was like "hey, he's back. He's moving like the Lamar Jackson that we're used to".

But if you look at his other injuries - toe, ankle, knee, and now his back - I feel like he's a bit more fragile at the moment, after all the hits he's taken. He's had injuries adding up over the years, so is his style of play sustainable?

I really hope his Super Bowl window hasn't closed because he's so wonderful to watch.

I just think there needs to be a bit of a shake-up at Baltimore because there were some odd moments in Sunday's game, with the play calling and top players making big mistakes in big moments. At the end of the season, someone's got to take responsibility.

The two main things they've struggled with is Lamar not being healthy and having zero pass rush. I just don't understand it - defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike went down early in the season, so why you wouldn't find an impact player from a pass-rush perspective?

The Ravens used to have this attitude. Teams used to be scared of that pass rush, that defensive line, and they've kind of lost that.

It's the same with the Bengals and Chiefs. Although you keep winning, and that means you don't have high draft picks, you've got to be able to build depth in those moments.

If you're investing on one side of the ball, you've got to draft on the other side. You've got to find ways to strengthen an already elite team - the team that's done it best is the Philadelphia Eagles and their general manager Howie Roseman.

I worry more about Joe Burrow's window closing because since reaching that LA Super Bowl in 2022, Cincinnati have not looked the same.

I don't know if I trust their organisation to draft and bring in the depth they need. In Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals have the NFL's most expensive offence, from a salary cap perspective.

It's always been able to hum a little, but the offensive line still needs strengthening and the defensive line, in particular, has been anaemic.

They had this weird pre-season, not wanting to give Trey Hendrickson the contract he wanted, and they've drafted some good young players, but why did they not do this years ago?

When the Bengals had a back-up QB in there, it showed how much Burrow does for the team and how he really extends plays. He is a freak of nature.

He's the kind of guy that you want in the play-offs, in the Super Bowl, because he gets more dangerous as the season goes on. But it's sad to think all three of these quarterbacks won't be there this time.

Other teams are stepping up, because you're drafting to kind of beat the guys in your division. In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always been consistent, but 100% it should have been the Ravens or Bengals winning that division this season.

The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers have been building out their rosters to beat the Chiefs in the AFC West. What happens now the tables have been flipped? What will next season look like now the Chiefs will have higher draft capital?

You hope that they're able to bring in or develop some star receivers. I know they wanted Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy to be that. But really, since Tyreek Hill left in 2022, they've not had that number one, true threat receiver.

I like that in their last two games they'll be able to get some of their young guys true NFL game experience. That's going to be crucial and will probably give them an upper hand long term.

They've been working in some of the younger tight ends, but if Travis Kelce retires, what does that look like? Who becomes that reliable player that Mahomes feels comfortable throwing to because, especially coming back from injury, he's going to need somebody he can trust.

This is a really big recovery for him. I would be amazed if he's able to recover to the point where he can start next season and be mobile. But he's always going to have an opportunity because of who he is as a quarterback and a competitor.

The Chiefs have a lot of pending free agents so how they manage that - who they're bringing back, who they're bringing in - will be a really big piece of the puzzle for them.

My concern for them getting back to the play-offs next season is that the AFC West is really competitive. Are the Chiefs going to beat the Broncos twice a year? Are they going to beat the Chargers twice a year?

I feel more confident in the Bengals and Ravens, and either of them winning the AFC North. The Ravens are probably the most whole team. They need a couple more pieces on defence.

The Bengals need an entire defence, but at least they've got an offence that can be high-powered. I feel like the Chiefs are going to have to start from ground zero.

But for now, the three-headed monster is gone from the AFC, so maybe the path is clear for my Buffalo Bills to finally get back to the Super Bowl.

• Why are there three NFL games on Christmas Day?

• Jaguars make statement but Lions & Ravens on brink - best of week 16

• NFL fixtures and results
• Get American Football news sent straight to your phone

from https://ift.tt/gXcC4ru

Jordan Davis has mature response to being Pro Bowl snub

Jordan Davis has mature response to being Pro Bowl snub originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Jordan Davis wasn’t going to lie. The Eagles’ defensive tackle is having a breakout season, so he wanted to be named to the Pro Bowl.

And he was snubbed.

“It was a little disheartening,” Davis said by his locker on Tuesday. “I won’t even sit there and lie. But at the end of the day, that’s just the decision of the fans and I guess the people who voted. I don’t have any say in that. All I can do is just continue to work. I think that’s the biggest motivation for me is just continue working. 

“Pro Bowl, while it’s good to have, it doesn’t tell the story of the journey that I’ve been through. And all this work that I’ve been putting in for myself, I don’t do it for the Pro Bowl. I do it for the team. I’m just satisfied getting better and playing my best ball.”

A few days after the Eagles clinched the NFC East, they had five players named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster: DT Jalen Carter, CB Quinyon Mitchell, CB Cooper DeJean, LB Zack Baun and C Cam Jurgens. The most notable omission from the list was Davis, who has arguably been the Eagles’ most important defensive player this season.

While Davis admitted he would have liked the recognition, his response to the snub unsurprisingly showed a ton of maturity.

“Everybody hopes to be a Pro Bowler,” Davis said. “Selfishly, as athletes, we want to do stuff like that. But at the end of the day, I can only feel that way because I’m being selfish. And when I looked at it and I took a step back, I was like, ‘Mmm, that’s very selfish of me. Let me give back. Let me pour my cup into my teammates.’ That’s what I do it for. Selfishly, you want to get all the accolades, you want to be the best, you want to be considered one of the top guys in the league. 

“But at the end of the day, when you take a step back and you play selflessly, I’m satisfied. I’m more than satisfied because I know I’m adding and I’m contributing and I’m being a force and I’m being dominant. And I could sleep at night like that.”

In the NFC, the three defensive tackles named to the Pro Bowl were Carter, Leonard Williams of the Seahawks and Quinnen Williams of the Cowboys. Carter has missed five games this season and Quinnen Williams has played just five games in the NFC after getting traded from the Jets to the Cowboys. Pro Bowl voting is 1/3 fan vote, 1/3 coaches and 1/3 players.

The shocking thing is that Davis wasn’t even an alternate. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio agreed that Davis should have been included.

“He should have, for sure,” Fangio said. “I think they need to perform a committee for the Pro Bowl, get a couple retired coaches, couple retired personnel guys, couple retired players that will take pride in it and they name it, not all. Everybody and their mother’s got a vote.”

Davis, 25, worked really hard to transform his body in the offseason, losing around 30 pounds. All that work has really been paying off in his fourth NFL season.

In 15 games this season, Davis already has 65 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, 6 QB hits, 9 TFLs and 6 pass breakups. He also blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown to win a game against another NFC playoff team.

Does Davis think he’s playing at a Pro Bowl level?

“Apparently not,” said Davis, breaking into laughter with everyone around him. “Nah, I’m just playing. I can’t really say. I guess that’s for other people to decide. That’s not my vote. I definitely think that at some point everybody was like, ‘Ahh, hate that for you.’ But at this point, it’s just like, look, man. On to the next one. We’ll get it next time.”

Davis said he’s more concerned with the upcoming playoffs. The Eagles clinched their playoff spot in Week 16 and will have at least one home game in the postseason. Davis pointed out that not everyone on the Pro Bowl roster is going to be playing meaningful games in January. He will be.

Even though Davis didn’t get this accolade, the Eagles know he was deserving.

“Yeah, he’s definitely playing at that level,” Baun said. “It’s definitely recognized by us, the linebackers, the DBs, everyone in this building. If you talk to him, he doesn’t really care about Pro Bowl or All-Pro. I’m sure he would like to have that honor but he just wants to see the team success.”

from https://ift.tt/LSbi4JI

How to watch every NBA game on Christmas Day: Schedule, TV channels, and more

Bears are first team in NFL history to win six games they trailed in the last two minutes

The 2025 Bears can never be counted out.

Saturday's overtime win over the Packers was the sixth time this season that the Bears have won a team they were trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. They're the first team in NFL history to win six games they trailed after the two-minute warning.

On Saturday, the Bears kicked a field goal to cut the Packers' lead to 16-9 with 1:59 remaining. They then recovered an onside kick, leading to a Caleb Williams touchdown pass to Jahdae Walker that sent the game into overtime. Williams then hit D.J. Moore for a 46-yard touchdown to win the game 22-6 in overtime.

In Week 11, the Bears gave up a touchdown with 50 seconds left that gave the Vikings a 17-16 lead. But Cairo Santos hit a field goal as time expired to win 19-17.

In Week 10, the Bears trailed the Giants 20-17 at the two-minute warning, but Williams scored a 17-yard rushing touchdown for a 24-20 win.

In Week Nine, the Bears led the Bengals 41-27 at the two-minute warning, only to give up two quick touchdowns and fall behind the Bengals 42-41. But Williams hit Colston Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left to win 47-42.

In Week Six, the Bears trailed the Commanders 24-22 in the closing seconds, but Jake Moody hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired to win 25-24.

In Week Four, the Bears trailed the Raiders 24-19 at the two-minute warning but a D'Andre Swift touchdown run with 1:34 remaining gave them a 25-24 win.

The best teams are the ones that win blowouts and don't need to come from behind at the end of the fourth quarter, and that's a reason for Chicago to be concerned heading into the playoffs. But this year's Bears never think they're out of any game.

from https://ift.tt/a9wXUE2

In a new Roob's Eagles Stats: Goedert, Saquon, Hurts and – yikes – Jake Elliott

In a new Roob's Eagles Stats: Goedert, Saquon, Hurts and – yikes – Jake Elliott originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

On Monday, we shared our 10 favorite Eagles pass defense numbers in a bonus Roob’s Stats.

Now, it’s time for our usual weekly general stats piece, which this week focuses mainly on the good (Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts) with a brief foray into the bad (Jake Elliott, Jake Elliott, Jake Elliott). 

Roob’s Eagles Stats are definitely more fun when they win.

1A. Let’s start with Dallas Goedert, whose 10^th touchdown catch of the season not only tied Pete Retzlaff for most TDs in a season by an Eagles tight end, it doubled his previous career high of five from back in 2019. Retzlaff, who like Goedert went to South Dakota State, had 10 TD catches in 1965. Goedert is tied for third in the NFL among all players in TD catches behind only wide receivers Davante Adams (14) and Amon-Ra St. Brown and tied with Trey McBride for the lead among tight ends. The only Eagles with more TD catches in a season in the last 30 years are T.O. (14 in 2004) and A.J. Brown (11 in 2022).  

1B. Including postseason, Goedert now has 5,230 career receiving yards. He’s one of five tight ends the Eagles have drafted with 5,000 career yards, joining 1973 1^st-round pick Charle Young (5,308), 1988 1^st-round pick Keith Jackson (6,117), 2007 5^th-round pick Brent Celek (5,255) and 2013 3^rd-round pick Zach Ertz (9,128). The Eagles are the only NFL team to draft five tight ends who had at least 5,000 career yards. The Patriots and 49ers are the only other teams to draft four. The Patriots drafted Russ Francis in the first round in 1975 (5,736), Ben Coates in the fifth round in 1991 (5,813), Ben Watson in the first round in 2004 (5,813) and Rob Gronkowski in the second round in 2010 (10,675), and the 49ers drafted Wesley Walls in the second round in 1989 (5,370), Vernon Davis (8,162) in the first round and Delanie Walker (5,665) in the sixth round, both in 2006, and George Kittle in the fifth round in 2017 (8,319). 

1C. Again including postseason, Goedert has had seven consecutive 500-yard seasons (680, 524, 922, 843, 613, 711, 583). The only other Eagles with seven straight 500-yard seasons are Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael (11 straight from 1973 through 1983) and Retzlaff (nine straight from 1958 through 1966).

2A. In wins over the Raiders and Commanders, Jalen Hurts completed 75.6 percent of his passes with five touchdowns, no interceptions and 79 rushing yards. He’s only the third quarterback in NFL history with 75 percent accuracy, five TDs, no interceptions and at least 75 rushing yards in a two-game span. Lamar Jackson did it in 2019 and Drake Maye in October. 

2B. Hurts improved his career record to 56-25 in 81 career starts. Only eight quarterbacks have won more games in their first 81 starts: Patrick Mahomes (64), Ken Stabler (61), Roger Staubach (60), Tom Brady (60), Lamar Jackson (59), Daryle Lamonica (58), Danny White (57) and Ben Roethlisberger (57). 

2C. Hurts now has 171 touchdowns in his 81 starts – 108 passing, 63 rushing. Only five QBs have had more combined TDs in their first 81 starts: Mahomes (206, 194-12), Aaron Rodgers (196, 178-18), Josh Allen (190, 149-41), Dan Marino (184, 181-3) and Andrew Luck (178, 164-14).

3A. The last three weeks the Eagles have allowed 275 yards to the Chargers, 75 to the Raiders and 220 to the Commanders. The 570 total yards is the fewest the Eagles have allowed in a three-game span since 1992 and the 2^nd-fewest since 1954. The first three weeks in 1992 they allowed 202 in a win over the Saints at the Vet, 185 in a win over the Cards at Sun Devil and 82 in a shutout win over the Broncos at the Linc for 459 yards in a three-game span. 

3B. Going into the Chargers game, the Eagles were 25^th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (347 yards per game). In just three weeks, they’ve improved to 12^th (316).  

4. He hasn’t even finished his second season with the Eagles, but Saquon Barkley now has more 100-yard rushing games than all but four players in franchise history. Barkley’s 132 yards Saturday gave him 17 100-yard games as an Eagle, which trails only Wilbert Montgomery (26), LeSean McCoy (23), Brian Westbrook (20) and Steve Van Buren (19). Barkley has played 34 games in an Eagles uniform and has had at least 100 yards in exactly half of them. Barkley now has as many 100-games in 34 games as an Eagle as he had in 76 games as a Giant.

5. Going into the Washington game, DeVonta Smith was 10^th in Eagles history with 4,900 receiving yards and A.J. Brown was 11^th with 4,871. But Brown’s 95 yards gave him 4,966, and Smith’s 42 gave him 4,942, so Brown bumped his teammate and friend out of the all-time Eagles top-10. For now. If Smith has 25 more yards than Brown Sunday in Buffalo, he’ll bump Brown out of the all-time top-10. Brown needs 33 yards to pass Brent Celek (4,998) and move into ninth place. Unless Smith gets there first. 

6A. With two more misses Saturday, Jake Elliott is now 6-for-11 on field goal attempts over the Eagles’ last five games. He’s the first Eagles kicker to miss five field goal attempts in a five-game span since Chris Boniol in 1997, and his 54.5 accuracy during that span is worst by an Eagles kicker over five games also since Boniol in 1997. Elliott is making 70.8 percent of his field goal attempts this year on 17-for-24. Over a full season, that would be the worst by an Eagles kicker since Boniol made 66.7 percent in 1998. Elliott made 77.8 percent of his attempts last year and is on pace to become the first Eagles kicker below 78 percent in consecutive seasons since Boniol in 1997 and 1998. 

6B. Over the last two years, Elliott is 45-for-60 for 75 percent. Among 26 kickers who’ve attempted at least 40 field goals since opening day 2024, he’s 2^nd-worst in the league, ahead of only Younghoe Koo, who is at 72.1 percent on 31-for-43. Koo is not currently on a roster after being released by the Falcons and Giants. Elliott is 5-for-15 from 50 yards-plus over the last two years, worst in the league (among 23 kickers who’ve attempted at least 10 50-yarders). League average for all other kickers is 70 percent (345-for-493). 

7. The Eagles have allowed only six sacks in their last seven games, matching the fewest in franchise history in any seven-game span since sacks became an official stat in 1982. They also allowed just six in a seven-game stretch early in the 2014 season. Their current streak of seven consecutive games allowing two or fewer sacks is their 3^rd-longest ever and longest since a 12-game streak in 2008. Their o-line back then? Left to right, Tra Thomas, Todd Herremans, Jamaal Jackson, Max Jean-Gilles and Jon Runyan.

8. Tank Bigsby ran four times for 37 yards Saturday after a 9-for-104 (11.6) against the Giants and a 4-for-34 (8.5) against the Lions. He joins Saquon Barkley as only the second running back in franchise history with three games in a season averaging at least 8.0 yards per carry with a minimum of four carries. Barkley did it last year against the Saints (147 yards, 8.6 average), Giants (176, 10.4) and Rams (255, 9.8). The last Eagles running back with two games in a season with four or fewer carries and 34 or more yards was Correll Buckhalter in 2007 (4-for-37 vs. both the Seahawks and Saints). Bigsby’s 6.6 average is highest in franchise history by a running back through 15 games (minimum 40 carries). 

9A. After out-gaining the Raiders by 312 yards, the Eagles outgained the Commanders by 165 yards. That’s a combined 477-yard yardage advantage over the last two weeks, the Eagles’ largest yardage margin in a two-game span in 20 years and their fifth-largest since 1955. In 2005, the Eagles outgained Tim Rattay and the 49ers by 441 yards (583-142) in a 42-3 win at the Linc and a week later they outgained the Raiders 83 yards (448-365) in a 23-20 win, also at the Linc, for a combined 524-yard margin over two games. Before that? A 520-yard margin over the Vikings and Seahawks in 1992, a 579-yard margin over the Cards and Colts in 1981 and a 510-yard margin over the Broncos and Vikings in 1980. And that’s it over the last 70 years. 

9B. For those of you scoring at home, their largest yardage margin ever in a two-game span is 697 yards in wins at Connie Mack Stadium over the Giants and Colts in 1953. They outgained the Giants by 422 yards (514-92) in a 30-7 win and then the Colts by 270 yards (497-222) in a 45-14 win.  

10. The Eagles converted 10 of 13 third downs against the Raiders and four of nine against the Commanders for a combined 14-for-22 over the last two games. That’s 63.6 percent, their highest conversion percentage in a two-game span in 17 years, since they went 23-for-35 (65.7 percent) against the Giants and Browns late in the 2008 season. In just those two weeks, they’ve improved from 28^th in the league on third down at 34.2 percent to 24^th at 37.7 percent. The Eagles have won 21 straight games when they’ve converted at least 40 percent going back to that 35-31 loss to the Cards during the 2023 collapse. 

Bonus Stat I: The Eagles scored 15 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, and the last three times they’ve scored at least 15 points in a fourth quarter have been against the Commanders. Last year, they outscored Washington 20-8 in the fourth quarter at the Linc to win 26-18 after trailing 10-3 going into the second half, and in the NFC Championship Game at the Linc in January they outscored Washington 21-0 in the fourth quarter to win 55-23 after leading 34-23 after three quarters. They also outscored Washington 21-14 in the fourth quarter at the Linc in 2023, winning 38-31 and 20-13 at FedEx in 2019 to win 37-27. 

Bonus Stat II: With the Eagles winning 10 games this year and the Chiefs just six, the Eagles and Chiefs now share the 2^nd-best record in the NFL since Nick Sirianni became head coach in 2021 at 58-25. The Bills are 59-23 so with a win Sunday the Eagles would share the most wins in the NFL over the last five years with the Bills (although the Bills would have a slightly higher winning percentage because that Bengals game in 2022 was cancelled). The Eagles have won seven more games since 2021 than any other NFC team. The 49ers are second with 51.

Bonus Stat III: With the Eagles clinching a playoff berth, Nick Sirianni became only the fifth coach in NFL history to reach the postseason in his first five years and Jalen Hurts became the sixth quarterback to reach the postseason in his first five years as a starter. The other coaches: Paul Brown, Chuck Knox, John Harbaugh and Bill Cowher. The other quarterbacks: Otto Graham, Donovan McNabb, Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes. Now, Brown and Graham came in together in 1946 and Harbaugh and Flacco came in together in 2008. But Pete Carroll predated Wilson by two years in Seattle and Andy Reid coached for 18 years before the Chiefs drafted Mahomes. So Sirianni and Hurts are only the third head coach-quarterback combo to reach the playoffs in their first five years after starting their head coaching and quarterbacking careers together.

from https://ift.tt/dkB1WLa