Titans star’s home burglarized while team was playing on the road
Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons’ home could not defend his home from burglars over the weekend as his team was in California for a road game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The burglary occurred after 7 p.m. local time at Simmons’ home in Nashville, Tenn. The Metro Nashville Police Department is working in tandem with the Titans to recover the stolen items, and no residents when the crime was committed, according to a statement released by the team.
There were reportedly “at least six suspects” who smashed a window to create an entry point into Simmons’ home. The total value of the items stolen remains unclear.
Simmons shared a clip on Instagram of the CCTV footage capturing the suspects break into the home.
“What if any of my family members was in my house??” Simmons captioned the post. “All that materialistic s–t you can have but this is crazy!”
Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons posted video to his Instagram story that appears to show two people breaking into his home while the #Titans were on the road playing the 49ers yesterday.
— Lauren Walsh (@lauwalsh10) December 15, 2025
Simmons wrote in part: “What if any of my family members was in my house?”@WSMV pic.twitter.com/2vN0heESgV
Simmons shared additional details on social media. He revealed that they only “hit one room,” his master bedroom, which made him believe that the operation was properly “planned out.” The culprits also left behind the hammer they used to smash the window glass.
Titan star Jeffery Simmons returned from San Francisco to find that his house had been broken into.
— Easton Freeze (@eastonfreeze) December 15, 2025
Looks like the criminals left behind their hammer… a nice professional touch. The Titans are aware of the break-in and are still gathering information. pic.twitter.com/yeyhvdmWKC
Simmons had a rollercoaster of a weekend, with his house being robbed on the same day he had one of the most memorable games of his NFL career.
The three-time Pro Bowler caught his second-ever touchdown pass on a trick play in the Titans’ 37-24 loss to the 49ers. He also recorded a strip sack and forced fumble in the defeat.
Nikola Jovic leaves game in an arm brace after taking ugly fall
Nikola Jovic took one of the nastiest spills of the season during Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.
The Miami Heat forward Jovic went up for a dunk attempt in transition in the first quarter at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla. After receiving the pass from Heat teammate Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jovic skied high to try to posterize Toronto’s Collin Murray-Broyles.
But Jovic was upended in the air by Murray-Broyles and crashed hard to the floor. He appeared to hurt both his right arm and his tailbone and was writhing around in agony on the hardwood.
Nikola Jovic went for the poster and took a hard fall… pic.twitter.com/zYTICVtqVj
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 16, 2025
Jovic was able to walk off the floor with the assistance of team staffers but needed his right arm stabilized in a large brace as he walked off. While Murray-Broyles was called for a common shooting foul on the play, Jovic was unable to shoot his ensuing free throws and was replaced in the game by Keshad Johnson.
Nikola Jovic gets up with a brace on his right arm Prayers for NIKO https://t.co/PDCVh21mhB pic.twitter.com/SOw0ECwYzn
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) December 16, 2025
The 22-year-old Jovic, a righty shooter, is in his fourth NBA season. Jovic’s numbers have dipped as he has been in and out of the rotation, and he is averaging just 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 19.3 minutes per game as a result.
Jovic, whom the Heat were absurdly high on in the past, was making his return on Monday after missing the last four games for Miami due to a hip injury. But he ended up having to exit again before even one full quarter of action after taking one of the ugliest falls of the year.
Micah Parsons shares first message since tearing his ACL
Micah Parsons is speaking out after his calamitous injury.
The Green Bay Packers star defensive end Parsons posted his first message to social media on Monday after tearing his left ACL the day before. Parsons emphasized on X that he was “not defeated” and indicated that his faith would carry him through his recovery.
“I may be sidelined, but I am not defeated,” Parsons wrote. “This injury is my greatest test—a moment God allowed to strengthen my testimony. I believe He walks with me through this storm and chose me for this fight because He knew my heart could carry it.
“I’m deeply grateful to the Packers organization and my teammates for their unwavering support, love, and belief in me during this season,” added Parsons. “I trust His timing, His plan, and His purpose. I will rise again.”
I may be sidelined, but I am not defeated. This injury is my greatest test—a moment God allowed to strengthen my testimony. I believe He walks with me through this storm and chose me for this fight because He knew my heart could carry it. I’m deeply grateful to the Packers… pic.twitter.com/KZy6TZKJfs
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) December 15, 2025
Parsons also went on to post an image of a one-eyed lion along with the caption, “September!”
September ! pic.twitter.com/bU6XPNOG6L
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) December 15, 2025
The four-time NFL Pro Bowler Parsons, a blockbuster trade acquisition by the Packers from the Dallas Cowboys in August, suffered the ACL tear in a 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos at Empower Field in Denver, Colo. on Sunday. While attempting to rush Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, Parsons took a bad step into the turf and planted awkwardly on his knee (see the video here).
Parsons finishes up his first season in Green Bay with totals of 12.5 sacks, 41 combined tackles, and two forced fumbles through 14 total games. While the 2026 season begins in less than nine months and Parsons relies a lot on his burst and explosiveness at the line of scrimmage, he at least appears to have both youth (at 26 years old) and determination on his side.
Zac Taylor had 4-word explanation for why Bengals won’t shut down Joe Burrow
The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2025 season has been one to forget. They moved to 4-10 after a 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow did not throw a touchdown pass and had 2 interceptions in the loss in yet another frustrating day for Cincinnati.
On Monday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor revealed that Burrow will start for the rest of the year, even with the team out of the playoff hunt. Taylor gave the reason in four words.
“We want to win,” Taylor said.
Zac Taylor said Joe Burrow will continue to play despite the Bengals being eliminated from playoff contention, explaining simply: “We want to win.”#Bengals pic.twitter.com/AimCB0fh86
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) December 15, 2025
Burrow has played just five games this season after having turf toe surgery following Week 2. In his absence, it was a combination of Jake Browning and Joe Flacco starting at quarterback. Flacco was acquired via a trade with the Cleveland Browns after Burrow’s injury.
However, the Bengals have won just once in the last seven games. Burrow even raised some eyebrows when he expressed frustration with the Bengals organization, causing some to wonder what the future holds for him.
For now, Taylor is rolling with Burrow as the starter for the final three games, which come against the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Browns.
Yankees revealed to be on the no-trade list of 3-time All-Star
The New York Yankees are catching a stray this week from a potential trade target.
Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star infielder Ketel Marte has the Yankees on his no-trade list, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Monday. Rosenthal notes that Marte has five total teams on his list — the Yankees, the Athletics, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Notably, the Athletics, Pirates, Giants, and Cardinals all missed the playoffs last season. The Yankees are the only team on Marte’s list that is expected to be a World Series contender in 2026.
Marte, 32, is a three-time All-Star who is the longest-tenured player on the Dbacks, having been there ever since 2017. But he reportedly caused certain clubhouse issues in Arizona last season, including controversially taking an unpaid leave of absence in the middle of the year. As a result, Marte is now a trade candidate for the Dbacks.
Speaking in purely baseball terms, Marte carries a lot of value right now. He is a switch-hitter who batted .283 last season with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs through a modest 126 games. Marte, also a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, remains under contract through 2030 as well (with a player option for 2031).
As for the Yankees, their current middle infield duo of Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is flawed (especially defensively), and there have even been rumors recently that they could trade away one of those guys. But if the Yankees want to upgrade in the part of the field this offseason, they will have to look elsewhere besides Marte.
Commanders make final decision on QB Jayden Daniels
The Washington Commanders have decided to shut down quarterback Jayden Daniel for the remainder of the season. This was reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network on Monday, just a day after the Commanders’ 29-21 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Daniels has played in just seven games this season. He returned on December 7 against the Minnesota Vikings after missing a month due to an elbow injury, but he reaggravated it in the 31-0 loss to the Vikings.
Daniels missed two games at the start of the season after suffering a knee sprain, and then he missed another game with a hamstring issue.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn added it was “part medical, part team” regarding the decision to shut down Daniels, per JP Finlay of NBC Sports.
Daniels was selected 2nd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft after winning the Heisman Trophy in his final year with the LSU Tigers.
He was then named the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the Commanders to a Wild Card spot and even a win over the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
Marcus Mariota has been starting in Daniels’ place, and he went 10-of-19 for 211 yards with a score in the win over the Giants in Week 15.
The Commanders have a 4-10 record and are out of the playoff picture, so now, Daniels will try to recover to be able to return for the 2026 season.
Andy Reid shares a notable update on Patrick Mahomes after his ACL tear
The Kansas City Chiefs are at least getting a small silver lining with the Patrick Mahomes situation.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid spoke with reporters on Monday a day after the Kansas City star quarterback Mahomes suffered a season-ending torn ACL during a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Reid shared the notable update that Mahomes’ MRI scan revealed that the three-time Super Bowl MVP did not suffer any major damage to other ligaments. Additionally, Reid noted that Mahomes is expected to undergo surgery later this week after getting a second opinion on his knee.
“He’ll attack it, just like he does everything else,” Reid said of Mahomes’ recovery, per ESPN’s Nate Taylor. “There have been some pretty good quarterbacks who have had the same injury, and they’ve done pretty well after they came back.
“He’ll get after it, and he’s got good people here to rehab him,” added Reid of Mahomes. “He’ll be right on top of all of that. As long as the surgery goes well, as expected, then I would expect a fairly quick recovery for him, just because of those factors.”
The 30-year-old superstar Mahomes suffered the devastating ACL tear on the final drive of the fourth quarter in the Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the division rival Chargers at Geha Field in Kansas City, Mo. on Sunday. Mahomes made a throw on the move as he was pursued by Chargers defensive end Da’Shawn Hand, and his knee buckled as he planted into the turf (see the video here).
With the 2026 NFL season set to begin in less than nine months, Mahomes will be facing a real uphill climb to get back on the field in time. However, the six-time Pro Bowler shared a message just hours after his injury indicating how determined he is to attack his rehab.
Doc Rivers has honest message after Bucks’ latest blowout loss
Doc Rivers was not happy after the Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Brooklyn Nets 127-82 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sunday.
It was just the 7th win of the year for the Nets. The Bucks scored just 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Rivers’ team shot 39% from the field and 22% from 3-point land.
After the game, the Bucks head coach did not hold back on this ugly performance.
“That was disappointing, probably one of the more disappointing games I’ve ever been involved in with the way we performed and competed,” Rivers said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And we wanted to blame everybody but ourselves. We’re blaming the refs. We’re looking at each other. No one wanted to play hard. We got a lot of soul-searching to do.”
The Bucks are still without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the future remains bleak as his name has been involved in trade rumors.
The Bucks defeated the Boston Celtics 116-101 on Thursday night, but it was a much different game against the Nets.
Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-14 from the field. The Nets saw nine players finish in double figures in scoring.
The Bucks dropped to 11-16 on the season and have a few days off before facing the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night in Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell was not happy with JJ McCarthy
JJ McCarthy’s “Griddy” dance may have been popular with some fans, but it clearly did not go over well with his coach.
Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell had some harsh words for McCarthy after his team’s 34-26 win over the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. The coach made it clear that he could have done without the celebration his quarterback let loose as McCarthy made his way into the end zone (video here).
“The finish, I would not classify as special,” O’Connell said, via Devon Henderson of The Athletic. “It was entertaining. I guess we are in the entertainment business, but I would’ve preferred him to show that 40 time that he likes to talk about, having never run a 40 coming out (of college), which was unique, to say the least. But as a guy who once ran a fast 40 and couldn’t throw it very well, I can probably understand why quarterbacks are choosing to do that these days.”
McCarthy’s dance did not cost the Vikings points, nor did it come particularly close to doing so. O’Connell clearly does not want it to become a habit, though.
It was not that long ago that O’Connell was openly questioning if he was handling McCarthy the right way. He would probably rather be criticizing his quarterback for this as opposed to McCarthy’s actual performance.
Philip Rivers’ high school players had the best reaction to his TD
Though he came out of retirement to play for the Indianapolis Colts, Philip Rivers technically remains the head coach at an Alabama high school. His players subsequently had a rare opportunity Sunday to watch their current coach throw an NFL touchdown pass.
Rivers has been the coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala. since his initial retirement from the NFL. Naturally, when his current players became aware that he would start for the Colts on Sunday, they decided to throw a watch party.
Noah Moss, a running back on the team, shared video of the reaction when Rivers threw his first NFL touchdown pass since the 2020 season.
St. Michael football team watch party erupted when Coach Rivers threw his first TD back in the league. pic.twitter.com/VHXZrvIv4a
— Noah Moss (@NoahMoss2026) December 14, 2025
There aren’t many high school football players that can say they watched their coach throw an NFL touchdown. They were almost as fired up as Rivers himself was.
Ultimately, Rivers’ efforts were not enough to win the game, as the Seattle Seahawks beat them 18-16. Rivers threw for 120 yards, a touchdown, and an interception on 18-of-27 completions. The 44-year-old certainly looked his age at times, though he did keep the Colts in the game.
Mike Vrabel called out refs after Patriots’ loss
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had some complaints about the officiating during his team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Vrabel felt that inconsistent officiating was an issue in the Patriots’ 35-31 loss to Buffalo at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. In his weekly appearance on WEEI, the Patriots coach came armed with stats that he argued meant the Bills got a favorable whistle during the game.
“I’ll say this: the Bills lead the NFL in offensive holds, and I’ll leave it at that. That would be hard for me to understand, how a team that is coming into the game leading, and that’s how they play, didn’t have one yesterday. So that’s hard for me to understand,” Vrabel said.
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel on officiating in the game vs. the Bills, via @TheGregHillShow:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 15, 2025
“They do have a difficult job. The consistency — sometimes I struggle with it. I’ll say this: the Bills lead the NFL in offensive holds, and I’ll leave it at that. That would be hard for me… pic.twitter.com/7IMSIDTJyu
Thad Brown of WROC, who also co-hosts the team’s pregame show, pointed out that Vrabel’s stat is not nearly as bad as it sounds. The Bills as a team actually average less than one offensive holding call per game.
There’s a lot wrong with what Vrabel says here. But I’ll just offer this.
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) December 15, 2025
He says #Bills lead NFL in O-Holding. Sounds like a huge thing.
They have 28 holds. Thats only 2/game.
Only 11 are on OL. Less than 1/game.
Torrence got a hold.
Sounds like refs pretty much did their job https://t.co/KR24B6A1br
Vrabel obviously wants to make sure his team gets calls in the future, so there is a bit of gamesmanship involved here. Still, this risks coming off like sour grapes, especially since his team blew a 21-point lead twice.
The Patriots remain in excellent position and are only one game behind the Denver Broncos for the top seed in the AFC. On the other hand, they will now have to hold off the Bills for the AFC East crown, which got more difficult after Sunday’s defeat.
There is a new favorite for the Michigan job
A new favorite has emerged for the Michigan head coach job in online betting odds.
The Wolverines are looking for a new head coach after firing Sherrone Moore last week. Washington Huskies coach Jedd Fisch is the new favorite to land the job, according to odds from BetOnline.ag. Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham is also among the favorites.
Here is a list of the coaches and their odds to land the job:
Jedd Fisch 4/7
Kenny Dillingham 2/1
Kalen DeBoer 7/1
Biff Poggi 7/1
Jesse Minter 14/1
Jon Gruden 20/1
Tommy Rees 25/1
Jeff Brohm 33/1
Marcus Freeman 33/1
PJ Fleck 33/1
Fisch has some history with Michigan, having spent two years as Jim Harbaugh’s passing game coordinator in 2015 and 2016. The 49-year-old has directed turnarounds at both Arizona and Washington.
Dillingham has put together two impressive seasons at Arizona State, but he grew up in Phoenix and might be tough to tempt away. He did not sound all that interested in the job when asked about it over the weekend.
DeBoer was the opening favorite, but his odds fell after he sought to quiet the speculation over the weekend. Gruden is also not thought to be a candidate despite appearing on the list.
The Wolverines are seeking a replacement for Moore, who was in his second season on the job. He was fired for cause for having a relationship with a staff member. Moore has since been charged with a felony for his actions since his firing.
Kristaps Porzingis sidelined by another mystery illness
For the second time in a year, Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with some sort of unexplained illness that will cause him to miss time.
Porzingis is set to miss the next two weeks with an illness and will undergo further evaluation, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The Atlanta Hawks forward has already missed seven of the team’s last eight games due to the issue.
Atlanta Hawks C/F Kristaps Porzingis (illness) will miss the next two weeks and undergo further evaluations, sources tell ESPN. Both sides are prioritizing the long term of the season for Porzingis, who has missed seven of the last eight games.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 14, 2025
While it is not known if this illness is related to the one that sidelined him for much of the second half of last season, Porzingis indicated a week and a half ago that he did not believe it was.
KP, to @ATLjohnson18, on if the illness was a recurrence:
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) December 6, 2025
"No, I wouldn't say it's the same thing. I just wasn't feeling too good, honestly. Just not being 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺 healthy, you know? But I wouldn't say it's the same stuff from last season, so that's good.
"I think I kind… https://t.co/ShoKvvuzGj
This marks a strange turn of events for Porzingis. He was limited for much of the second half of last season due to what was later diagnosed as POTS. However, the issues appeared to be behind him, and he fully took part in EuroBasket with Latvia during the summer.
Porzingis has only played in 13 games for the Hawks this season. The 30-year-old is averaging 19.2 points per game during those appearances, and the team is only 6-7 with him in the lineup.
Dylan Raiola makes major decision about his future
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has made his long-awaited decision regarding his future.
Raiola will enter the transfer portal, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. The Nebraska quarterback will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Sources: Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal. He’s a true sophomore who has two years of eligibility remaining. He threw for 18 touchdowns, 2000 yards and completed 72.4% of his passes this year. pic.twitter.com/Frt7QgFN57
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 15, 2025
This was a scenario the Cornhuskers had been afraid of. Though Raiola is well-compensated at Nebraska, moving to a bigger school with a larger platform could help his draft stock in a way staying put likely could not. While he has two years of eligibility remaining, a good season could ensure that Raiola enters the NFL Draft next year.
The writing seemed to be on the wall for this move in recent weeks. Raiola’s brother chose to decommit from Nebraska, while his uncle lost his job on the team’s coaching staff.
Raiola, the son of former Nebraska offensive lineman Dominic Raiola, was the top recruit in his class and was seen as a coup for Nebraska when he decided to go there. He threw for exactly 2,000 yards in 2025 with 18 touchdowns while completing 72.4 percent of his passes. His season was cut short when he suffered a broken fibula in a Week 10 game against USC.
Virtually any top team with a need at quarterback figures to pursue Raiola in the transfer portal. Based on how much he was making at Nebraska, he will not be cheap.
Notable starting QB enters the transfer portal
Teams looking for a starting quarterback in the transfer portal took note of one player who is putting his name in.
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway announced Monday that he is entering the transfer portal after two seasons with the Gators. Lagway confirmed the news on Instagram as part of a post thanking Florida for his time there.
A former 5-star recruit, Lagway figures to have a lot of suitors. The Gators turned to him as a starter while he was still a true freshman, and while he showed flashes of potential, he never looked quite as solid as the team hoped he would. While he threw for 2,264 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, he also had moments like a five-interception performance against LSU early in the season.
Still, there are not many who can emulate Lagway’s physical abilities. He could be one step away from a big breakout wherever he lands.
Lagway’s transfer also allows new Florida coach Jon Sumrall to start from scratch at the quarterback position, whether he wants to or not. The Gators are coming off a 4-8 season that saw them beat the likes of Texas while simultaneously losing to teams like South Florida and Kentucky.
Phillies sign former World Series champion
The Philadelphia Phillies are adding a former World Series champion and ALCS MVP to their ranks.
The Phillies are signing former Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia, according to reports. Baseball reporter Francys Romero said Garcia’s deal is worth $10 million for one year.
BREAKING: Cuban OF Adolis García and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a one-year, $10 million contract, pending a physical, per sources.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) December 15, 2025
Adolis will look to contribute on a contending team and return to his 2023 offensive production, when he was named ALCS MVP.
Garcia put himself on the map in 2023, when he won ALCS MVP on the way to the Rangers’ World Series title. He hit 39 home runs that year, then added eight more in the playoffs. He has struggled to reproduce anything close to that since, and the Rangers opted to move on from him after he hit just .227 with 19 home runs last season. His performance was poor enough that the Rangers simply opted to cut him.
With the Phillies expected to part ways with a former All-Star of their own this season, Garcia may function as a natural replacement. They are betting there is some upside left in the 32-year-old’s bat, and that he might be rejuvenated playing for what they hope will be a contending team.
For his career, Garcia has hit .237 with 141 home runs in 766 games.
Kawhi Leonard denies role in Chris Paul’s Clippers exit
When Chris Paul inked a 1-year, $3.63 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers before the 2025-26 NBA season, it felt like a nostalgic homecoming for one of the greatest point guards to ever play in the league. Several months later, Paul and the Clippers had an ugly breakup that continues to leave fans wondering why the reunion ended so abruptly.
Paul reportedly was not on the same page with assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy and head coach Tyronn Lue, particularly about the team’s usage of superstar forward Kawhi Leonard during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 29, and that disagreement sparked the beginning of the end of the “Point God’s” second tenure with the franchise.
In 16 games during his return to Los Angeles, the 40-year-old Paul averaged just 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds while shooting only 32.1% from the field.
On Sunday, Leonard tried to set the record straight that he did not have any role in the Clippers’ split with Paul.
“Surprised at it,” the two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player said, via Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated.
“He’s always been a willing teammate when I’ve spoke to him. Only thing I could talk about is our conversations. And they’ve always been positive and team-forward. I didn’t have nothing to do with it. I didn’t even know what was going on.”
Paul has already announced that he will retire at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, but it remains to be seen whether he will suit up for another team. Otherwise, basketball fans may have already witnessed the last of Paul in an NBA game.
Saints kicker Charlie Smyth taunted the Panthers so hard after making winning kick
The New Orleans Saints will not be playing in the NFL playoffs, and they may have just dragged the Carolina Panthers with them to an early vacation after notching a 20-17 win over their NFC South rival on Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La.
The Saints had to overcome a 10-point deficit to take down Carolina, with New Orleans capping its comeback bid with a clutch tie-breaking 47-yard field goal by kicker Charlie Smyth with two seconds left in the fourth quarter.
CHARLIE SMYTH FOR THE @SAINTS WIN pic.twitter.com/mLMeZUfKoB
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2025
After making the field goal, Smyth appeared to turn toward the Panthers’ sideline with his arms raised and a confident look on his face. He initially pretended that he was not sure about what he did after making the kick before admitting that he was fully aware of his action, according to Jeff Nowak of WWL Radio.
The team posted a photo of that moment on X.
CHARLIE FOR THE WIN!!#Saints | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/mSnpP6IdUJ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 15, 2025
The Saints started their comeback late in the third quarter, when Smyth made a field goal from 42 yards away to trim Carolina’s lead down to seven points. New Orleans tied the score at 17-17 after Smyth’s extra-point kick following a Chris Olave touchdown with 2:29 remaining in the fourth period. The Saints then forced the Panthers to punt, leading to New Orleans’ game-winning drive.
Perhaps the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should also send a nice gift to Smyth, as the Panthers’ loss put Baker Mayfield and company back on top of the NFC South standings.
Philip Rivers showed his age on embarrassing dropback against Seahawks
At 44 years old, Philip Rivers accepted the challenge of playing football again at the highest level. In his first game back from retirement, however, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback showed his age during an embarrassing moment in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash.
With the Colts looking to move the chains on a first-and-10 in the second quarter, Rivers dropped back and lost his footing right on top of the Seahawks’ logo. He somehow managed to get back up and avoid a sack, but he did not get the Colts a new set of downs either.
Philip Rivers look like he just smashed 10 Bud heavies and shut down a Golden Corral before wandering onto the field. pic.twitter.com/j44rtmDHnc
— The Brohioan (@TheBrohioan) December 14, 2025
Given his age and the fact that it was just the first time he played in an NFL game since a playoff game with Indianapolis in 2021, Philip was not really expected to put on a show under center. But unlike Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Shedeur Sanders, Philip had a passing touchdown on Sunday.
The 422nd passing touchdown of Rivers’ career came late in the second quarter when he found wide receiver Josh Downs for an 8-yard score that extended Indianapolis’ lead.
PHILIP RIVERS TO JOSH DOWNS TUDDY.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 14, 2025
📺 CBS | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/6fF358D6ih
Ultimately, the Colts suffered an 18-16 loss to the Seahawks, with Rivers throwing for 120 passing yards and a touchdown with an interception on 18-of-27 completions.
Ex-Cowboys coach jabs Jerry Jones after getting stuck with nosebleed seats
Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was among the many in attendance in Sunday night’s game between his former team and the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. But before the game started, Phillips took a hilarious jab at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about the location of his seat.
“Jerry said he had 50-yard line seats for me— I’m not so sure,” the 78-year-old Phillips wrote in a post on X, showing a photo from way up in the nosebleeds.
Jerry said he had 50 yardl line seats for me— I’m not so sure. pic.twitter.com/m6qPDmhDKK
— Wade Phillips (@sonofbum) December 15, 2025
Phillips, however, later clarified that he was merely joking.
“Kidding of course— Jerry has ALWAYS been great to me and my family,” Phillips wrote in a follow-up post.
Phillips coached the Cowboys from 2007 to 2010, during which Dallas went 34-22 in 56 games in the regular season. The Cowboys also won one of three playoff games with Phillips at the helm before the team fired him following a 1-7 start in the 2010 campaign.
Despite his abrupt exit as the Cowboys’ head coach, Phillips seemingly still continues to enjoy some of the perks of being part of the Dallas family.
As for the game itself, the Cowboys suffered a 34-26 loss to Minnesota, thus further dimming Dallas’ flickering chances to make the NFL playoffs.
The 6-7-1 Cowboys will next host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 on Dec. 21.
