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Trevor Lawrence got hit so hard after ball was blown dead

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Trevor Lawrence got nailed with a hard hit during his Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 16 game against the Denver Broncos at Mile High in Denver, Colo., on Sunday.

The Jaguars had a 3rd-and-10 late in the first quarter, and Lawrence was trying to get his team into formation in a noisy environment. He took a snap from the shotgun, but his Jags had committed a false start. The whistle had blown, but some Broncos defenders didn’t hear it.

P.J. Locke came in and drilled Lawrence in the back. The ball popped out and was picked up by Zach Allen, but the refs stopped the play.

Lawrence probably didn’t enjoy getting drilled by Locke on that play, but at least his Jags got 15 yards for the unnecessary roughness. They ended up scoring a touchdown on the possession.

Most people figured that Locke didn’t hear the whistle prior to nailing Lawrence.

The game was a big one between a couple of AFC teams that entered Week 16 with double-digit wins. Lawrence sure was answering some tough questions about his play.

Steelers’ Kenneth Gainwell scores touchdown on wild catch

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Kenneth Gainwell made a crazy catch to score a touchdown for his Pittsburgh Steelers against the Detroit Lions in their Week 16 game at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Sunday.

The Steelers had a 2nd-and-10 situation at the Detroit 45-yard line down 10-3 with 11 seconds left before halftime. Aaron Rodgers threw off his back foot down the right sideline for Gainwell, who was being guarded by linebacker Alex Anzalone.

The call on the field was an incomplete pass, and there was also a penalty flag that was thrown for pass interference by Anzalone. The officials reviewed the play and credited Gainwell with a 45-yard touchdown, recognizing that he had made the catch and never been touched before going to the end zone.

Fans were beyond impressed with Gainwell’s play.

Gainwell and new acquisition Adam Thielen were the Steelers’ receiving stars during the game. Who would have figured that a month ago?

DK Metcalf throws punch at Lions fan during game

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DK Metcalf got into an altercation with a Detroit Lions fan during his Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 16 game against the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Sunday.

Metcalf’s Steelers were playing in a low-scoring game against the Lions during the first half with the score tied at three. While Detroit had the ball, CBS shared a clip that showed Metcalf standing next to the stands at Ford Field.

A fan wearing a blue wig was shown leaning over the metal bars, while Metcalf had his right arm elevated and bent. Metcalf then punched at the fan.

The punch did not appear to connect with the fan’s head, though it may have hit the person’s shoulder. The punch not hitting the face will not matter to the league; they can’t have a player reaching out to punch at fans during games.

CBS reported that the video was being sent to NFL compliance, which will look into it.

Metcalf was struggling to that point. He had just one catch for 5 yards on six targets prior to that incident.

Jerry Jones offered brutal quote about Cowboys’ DC

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Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus might want to update his resume if Jerry Jones’ comments on Sunday are any indication.

Jones was asked Sunday about Eberflus’ future as defensive coordinator after the Cowboys’ 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. The owner indicated that the decision on Eberflus’ future might not be all that difficult.

“I might not couch it as difficult,” Jones said of the decision, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.

That is not exactly encouraging if you’re Eberflus, but it’s also understandable. Sunday was the eighth time in 15 games this season that Dallas gave up 30 points or more, and the Chargers gashed them for 452 total yards. The fact that numbers like that aren’t all that shocking or out of the norm does not bode well for Eberflus’ future.

The Cowboys were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday with the Philadelphia Eagles’ win over Washington. Sunday’s defeat dropped them to 6-8-1 on the season, and this is the first time they have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2019 and 2020.

Eberflus’ reputation among fans is not great, either. His first season as Cowboys defensive coordinator might prove to be his last.

Another Chiefs QB suffers torn ACL

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The Kansas City Chiefs are losing quarterbacks left and right as their season winds down.

One week after Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL, quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered the same injury in Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Minshew went down on the third play of the game and grabbed his knee. He was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game.

After the loss, multiple reports indicated that the Chiefs believe Minshew tore his ACL.

Losing one quarterback to an ACL tear in a season is terrible luck. Losing two in two consecutive weeks is more or less unprecedented, and in many ways, it sums up how the entire Chiefs’ season has gone.

Former seventh-round pick Chris Oladokun replaced Minshew for the remainder of the game. The Chiefs’ third-string quarterback had never thrown a pass at the NFL level until he came in on Sunday. He unsurprisingly struggled, going 11/16 for 111 yards without any touchdowns or interceptions.

Minshew had been Mahomes’ backup all season, and was expected to play out the remainder of the year. He barely even got the chance, meaning Oladokun is likely to get some unexpected reps for the Chiefs in their last two games.

Jaxson Dart had the most bizarre first half stat line

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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart put together one of the ugliest stat lines you will ever see in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Dart attempted only five passes in the first half of Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. He completed just one of them for two yards and was also intercepted once.

Dart also took three sacks, meaning he went to the locker room with more sacks than passing yards.

Dart did not even complete his lone pass until there was 1:48 left in the half. At the two-minute warning, he had as many sacks as he had pass attempts. Some of that was because the Giants were unable to protect him, but New York also ran a very conservative gameplan and seemingly tried to keep him from throwing it too much.

Earlier in the season, Dart looked like he had the makings of a franchise quarterback. His numbers had slipped in recent weeks, though he did rebound with a 246-yard, 2-touchdown game against Washington last week.

We know the Giants are hoping to protect Dart from himself. This, however, might be a little bit too much.

Browns fans were livid over Dillon Gabriel replacing Shedeur Sanders

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Cleveland Browns fans continue to be very open about their feelings toward rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Gabriel had to step in at quarterback when Shedeur Sanders suffered a thumb injury during Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Oh. Gabriel was forced to come in while Cleveland had a 3rd and goal situation from the Bills’ 5-yard line.

Gabriel promptly took a sack, and the Browns had to settle for a field goal. Fans were booing Gabriel before he even took the snap, and it got worse after the play went nowhere.

Sanders’ injury was not very noticeable, as it seemed to be a cut on his finger. It is likely that many Browns fans thought the choice to insert Gabriel was a coaching decision, and they reacted accordingly.

Sanders was back in the game on the Browns’ next drive after getting the finger wrapped up.

Even if Sanders’ is not the Browns’ quarterback of the future, it’s hard to see how Gabriel is any better. He has looked poor when playing this year, and Cleveland fans already seem to have made up their minds about him.

Dan Quinn ticked off by Eagles’ late-game move

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Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn was not happy with the Philadelphia Eagles over their late-game move on Saturday.

Quinn was clearly unhappy with the Eagles’ decision to go for two despite having a 17-point lead with 4:26 to go in Saturday’s game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. The Eagles succeeded on the attempt to take a 29-10 lead.

The move could certainly be seen as disrespectful and unnecessary. That certainly appeared to be how Quinn saw it.

“I can only answer for my side and what I would do,” Quinn said. “If that’s how they want to get down, all good. We play them again in two weeks.”

A big fight broke out between the two teams on the two-point conversion. It would not be a huge shock if that two-point attempt exacerbated tensions on the field and helped lead to the altercation.

There are two sides to this. One would argue that the Eagles had the game well in hand, and going for two was just rubbing salt in the wound. Others would argue that if the Commanders did not like aggression, they should have stopped it.

Some of this is undoubtedly the product of frustration from Quinn, as the Commanders have not had the season they hoped for. Saturday’s loss dropped them to 4-11, and they have played a large part of the season without quarterback Jayden Daniels. Quinn may be partly to blame for Daniels’ lack of availability, too.

Georgetown coach Ed Cooley hit a child with a water bottle

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Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley accidentally nailed a child in the stands with a thrown water bottle at the end of his team’s loss on Saturday.

Cooley was furious after Georgetown lost 80-77 to Xavier despite a series of chances to tie the game in the final minute. The Georgetown coach instinctively turned and threw his water bottle into the stands at the final buzzer, and it accidentally struck a child.

Cooley was apologetic after the game.

“First and foremost, I have to apologize to [the family],” Cooley said. “Really frustrated, didn’t realize I threw my water bottle, and it hit [him] and his mom. Definitely out of character for me to be so frustrated, but really, that’s not called for. I’ll call them and make amends to that. Just totally out of character, frustration. So I apologize to the fans, I apologize to our players, the university. Totally, totally out of character for me to be that way.”

Georgetown missed four free throws in the final five seconds of the game, as well as a game-tying three-point attempt. That was why Cooley was so frustrated, though he obviously has to be able to control himself enough to not throw a water bottle into the stands.

Cooley is not afraid to be confrontational, even with fans. This was obviously unintentional, but Georgetown would probably prefer that he be able to control his temper a little better.

Cooley is in his third season as Georgetown’s head coach. The team is off to an 8-4 start this season.

Oregon player had scathing assessment of his team’s CFP performance

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The Oregon Ducks put together a convincing 51-34 win over James Madison to open their College Football Playoff run on Saturday, but you would not know it from the tone they struck after the game.

The Ducks jumped out to a 34-6 halftime lead over James Madison at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Or. and essentially had the game sewn up by halftime. Their standards dropped in the second half, as the Dukes outscored them 28-17 to make the final score look a little more respectable.

Because of that second half performance, Oregon’s mood after the game certainly wasn’t one of a winning team.

“Normally you hear music in the locker room after a win,” wide receiver Malik Benson said, via Brett McMurphy of On3. “It wasn’t like that (tonight). It’s almost like we lost.”

Coach Dan Lanning echoed those sentiments in his postgame press conference.

“There’s certainly a standard for performance. Our players know that,” Lanning said, via Erik Skopil of 247 Sports. “They know what championship football looks like and the second half didn’t look like that.”

It is not often you will hear coaches and players deliver such a scathing verdict after a three-score win. That signifies how serious Oregon is about contending for and winning a national title.

Lanning likes to draw attention to how Oregon plays a tougher schedule than teams in certain other leagues do. He would have hoped that would show here, but the standard definitely slipped against a James Madison team that played with nothing to lose.

Abella Danger spotted at Miami CFP game against Texas A&M

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Some fans watching Saturday’s College Football Playoff game between the Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies were surprised by one of the fans in attendance.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted adult film actress Abella Danger in the stands during the game at Kyle Field in College Station, Tex. on Saturday. ESPN cameras just happened to focus on her early in the third quarter.

There was, in fact, a legitimate reason for Danger to be at the game. As of 2024, she was a full-time student at Miami, and was studying to become a practicing attorney. Ultimately, she was just following her school on the road in the CFP.

Danger and her fellow Miami fans witnessed a tight, low-scoring game, with the Hurricanes only breaking a 3-3 tie in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. They wound up escaping with a narrow road win, 10-3, with their defense having kept the Aggies out of the end zone for the entire game.

With the win, Miami advanced to face Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. on Dec. 31. It remains to be seen if Danger will be making the trip for that one, too.

Japanese HR king Munetaka Murakami signs with surprising team

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Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami has chosen his MLB team, and it is not one that many would have predicted.

Murakami, regarded as Japan’s home run king, is signing a 2-year, $34 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. The contract ensures that the 25-year-old will have the opportunity to enter free agency again in his prime.

Passan reported that questions about Murakami’s defense and strikeout rate somewhat depressed his market, and that he subsequently opted to take a short-term deal for more money instead of a longer deal worth less.

There are no questions about Murakami’s ability to hit the ball very far when he does make contact. He hit a record-setting 56 home runs for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2022, and slugged 246 home runs over eight NPB seasons. A 26 percent strikeout rate, however, gave some teams pause, and his ability to play both first and third did not help his market as much as it seemed likely to.

Still, seeing Murakami pick the lowly White Sox counts as a major surprise considering some of the other teams that showed interest in him. Chicago is coming off a 60-102 season, but they are clearly hoping Murakami can help accelerate their rebuild.

Johnny Manziel replaced as ‘GameDay’ picker after night out in Miami

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Johnny Manziel is still partying a little bit too hard for his own good at times.

Manziel had been announced as the celebrity guest picker for ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Friday. Manziel was a logical choice, as his former school, Texas A&M, was making its College Football Playoff debut on Saturday.

Based on his Instagram story, however, Manziel did not have that obligation on his mind. Videos he posted to his Instagram reel showed him in Miami attending the Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul fight and partying at Miami Beach.

Manziel was not even in the right city. The Aggies’ playoff game was in College Station, Tex.

As a result of Manziel’s lack of availability, ESPN quietly drafted in Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso, another Texas A&M alum, as their guest picker instead. A TikTok video from Caruso’s wife Haleigh indicated that Caruso was very much brought in at the last minute.

Some things never change. Manziel partying a bit too hard and forsaking his obligations would be one of them.

It is a shame, since we know Manziel does still pay attention to college football. Seeing him at Saturday’s playoff game on campus would have been quite the scene, but ultimately, we did not get it. To make matters worse, Texas A&M lost the game 10-3, ending their season with a whimper.

DJ Moore had the most fitting reaction to his touchdown catch

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D.J. Moore caught the winning touchdown pass for his Chicago Bears on Saturday night and had the most fitting reaction afterwards.

The Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 22-16 in overtime of their Week 16 game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Caleb Williams found Moore in the end zone for a 46-yard score to win the game. That came after the Packers had a 4th-and-1 at the Chicago 36 but botched their handoff exchange and turned the ball over on downs.

After Moore made his catch, he laid in the end zone, completely exhausted both physically and emotionally.

That reaction said it all.

The Bears won the game in overtime, beating the rival Packers to solidify their spot in first place in the NFC North. This is all for a team that has finished last in the division three straight years.

It’s one heck of a turnaround, and Moore taking a minute to lay in the end zone captured the feelings in Chicago. Bears fans have been waiting a long time to be back in first place in the NFC North. This is the team’s first winning season since 2018.

Moore had 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown in the win. That gives him 48 catches for 664 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season.

Caleb Williams pulled a Steph Curry with icy reaction to his game-winning TD

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams knew he walked off the Green Bay Packers the moment the game-winning pass came off his fingertips.

The Bears mounted a miraculous comeback against the Packers that had fans on the edge of their seats at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The home team trailed 16-6 with just over two minutes left.

A wild series of events — chief among them a successful onside kick — allowed the Bears to force overtime, setting the stage for Williams’ game-winning touchdown pass to DJ Moore to seal a stunning 22-16 comeback victory.

One angle of the play showed Williams putting his hands in his pockets instantly after releasing the 46-yard bomb to Moore. Even announcer Tony Romo noticed that Williams seemingly “knew it when he let it go.”

Romo compared Williams to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, who is known for celebrating a shot or turning around prior to seeing the ball to go through the net. The difference is that Williams’ rendition came on a game-winner. He celebrated even further after Moore came up with the catch.

Williams finished 19/34 for 250 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also pulled off what will be the crown jewel of Caleb Williams highlight reels for years to come.

Bears stun Packers with ridiculous game-winning touchdown in overtime

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The Chicago Bears pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in regular-season history Saturday against the Green Bay Packers in front of an incredulous crowd at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

The Bears were all but dead in the closing minutes of the Week 16 matchup, trailing 16-6 with just over two minutes left. A field goal from Bears kicker Cairo Santos cut the deficit to seven right at the two-minute warning.

With time trickling away, Chicago opted for an onside kick. Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs had the ball fall right into his lap, but failed to grab it, allowing Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell to secure possession for the Bears near midfield.

Bears quarterback forced overtime with a game-tying touchdown to Jahdae Walker in the closing seconds, then sealed the deal with an unreal walk-off TD to DJ Moore in the extra period. Chicago sealed the comeback for a 22-16 win.

“That’s one of those plays where we’re sitting in [Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s] office in one of those meetings, talking about that play,” Williams said of his pass to Moore during his postgame interview. “And we knew we could make that play.”

Williams finished 19/34 for 250 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Packers QB Jordan Love left the game after a hard hit in the second quarter and was later ruled out due to a concussion.

After years of getting tormented by the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers in the regular season, the Bears finally got a little taste of revenge on Saturday night.

Alex Bregman linked to 1 new AL contender

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Alex Bregman may potentially be taking his talents elsewhere in the division.

The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as a new suitor for the free agent third baseman Bregman, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Saturday. Rosenthal adds that Blue Jays officials have recently been in contact with Bregman’s agent Scott Boras and notes that Bregman would be a fit for Toronto’s defensive alignment.

Bregman, the 31-year-old three-time All-Star, remains a free agent this winter after spending last season in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox. He batted .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs but appeared in just 114 games due to a midseason quad strain.

The righty-hitting Bregman would hypothetically remain at third base for the Blue Jays, Rosenthal adds. That would then result in Ernie Clement shifting to second base and Addison Barger moving into right field.

After falling in seven tightly-contested games to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2025 World Series, the Blue Jays are shooting for the stars this offseason. They signed Dylan Cease to a $210 million deal last month and have added fellow pitchers Cody Ponce ($30 million) and Tyler Rogers ($37 million) on sizable contracts as well.

Earlier this month, we heard that Toronto was also in the mix for free agent big fish Kyle Tucker. Even if the Blue Jays have to worry about Bo Bichette’s continued free agency too, now you can count them in on the two-time World Series champion Bregman (who had another surprise team join his sweepstakes a few days ago).

Packers’ Romeo Doubs commits huge blunder in final minutes vs. Bears

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The Chicago Bears stayed alive on Saturday thanks to an ill-timed error from Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

The Bears kicked a field goal to get within 16-9 of the Packers with under two minutes to play at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The home team took a gamble with an onside kick, and it paid off big time.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos squibbed the ball right into the hands of Doubs, who could have virtually sealed the game with a safe grab. But the ball took an awkward bounce and eluded Doubs. Chicago cornerback Josh Blackwell secured the ball in the dogpile, which gave the Bears possession right at midfield.

Doubs had been having a terrific game up to that point. He had caught the Packers’ only touchdown of the contest, tallying five catches for 84 yards.

The Bears made sure not to waste the blessing from the football gods. Facing 4th-and-4 with about 30 seconds left, Caleb Williams found undrafted rookie receiver Jahdae Walker for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

Santos converted on the extra point to tie the score at 16 and send the game into overtime.

Doubs’ miscue proved to be the beginning of the end for the Packers. The Bears walked them off in overtime via an incredible touchdown grab made by wide receiver DJ Moore.

Bruce Brown accuses Kevin Durant of disrespecting him

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There was no love lost between two former Brooklyn Nets teammates over the weekend.

Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets faced off on Saturday against Bruce Brown and the Denver Nuggets. In the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., Brown hit a floater to cut the Houston lead to seven points.

Immediately after making the shot, Brown went up to Durant and started talking trash in his face. Durant then returned fire at Brown, causing teammates and referees to get between the two as the situation gradually escalated.

After the game, which the Rockets went on to win 115-101, Brown accused Durant of disrespecting him.

“As a man, there are certain things you don’t say to another man,” Brown said in his postgame press conference.

Durant then responded to that remark from Brown during his own media session. The former NBA MVP said that he said “no respect” and “no love” for Brown and added that, “Some people can talk and play. Some people can’t.”

For context, Durant and Brown were teammates on the Nets for two seasons from 2020-22. But the two players had a complicated relationship as Durant once even openly called out Brown over some public remarks Brown made. There were also rumors that Durant supposedly did not want Brown back in Brooklyn.

Jordan Love leaves game after taking controversial helmet-to-helmet hit

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love exited Saturday’s game in the second quarter after taking a vicious hit from Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker.

Love entered concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Booker sent him to the ground at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Love winced as he fell to the grass, grabbing his helmet in apparent discomfort.

Booker was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, which cost the Bears 15 yards. The ruling drew controversy as Love appeared to lower his helmet as Booker came rushing toward him.

Some fans argued that Booker should not have been penalized, given Love arguably placed himself in a vulnerable position with his lowered helmet.

Love was soon ruled out of the game with a concussion. The team announced the news at the beginning of the second half. His night ended with an 8/13 passing clip for 77 yards. Backup quarterback Malik Willis came in to replace him.

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