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🏈 The Soccer 5

1. Colour Pennsylvania midnight inexperienced. The Eagles thumped the Steelers, 27-13, in a Keystone State battle that proved Philadelphia’s mettle on each side of the ball. Days after criticizing the staff’s passing sport, each DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown caught a landing and went over 100 yards receiving, even with Jalen Hurts taking part in with a damaged finger. The Eagles greater than doubled the Steelers in yardage (401 to 163) and almost doubled them in time of possession for his or her franchise-record tenth straight win. T.J. Watt suffered an ankle damage, however the silver lining is the Steelers clinched a playoff berth.
2. The Packers smothered the Seahawks, 30-13, behind one other environment friendly Jordan Love outing (229 yards, two touchdowns, no turnovers) and 136 yards and a landing from Josh Jacobs. This time, the protection starred, too, with seven sacks and two interceptions. This can be a actually good staff. In dangerous information for Seattle, Geno Smith (knee) left and did not return.
3. The Bengals stored their slim playoff hopes alive with a 37-27 win over the Titans. This sport was an absolute mess with 10 turnovers and 26 penalties, the primary sport in NFL historical past to hit each marks. But it surely did give us this glorious second: 366-pound T’Vondre Sweat making guys miss and throwing a stiff arm on a fumble return. The Titans benched Will Levis after 4 turnovers.
4. The Texans beat the Dolphins, 20-12, over the Dolphins, a crushing loss for Miami’s playoff hopes. Houston’s protection compelled 4 turnovers, two through Derek Stingley Jr. interceptions.
5. The Commanders held on for a 20-19 win over the Saints, with Spencer Rattler‘s two-point conversion go glancing off Juwan Johnson‘s fingers with no time left. It is an enormous win for Washington within the NFC playoff image.

🏈 Good morning to all, however particularly to …

THE BUFFALO BILLS

Generally, it is so simple as this: The Payments have Josh Allen. Their opponents don’t. The MVP frontrunner augmented his case with 362 yards passing, 68 yards dashing, 4 touchdowns accounted for and 0 turnovers in a 48-42 win over the Lions in a possible Tremendous Bowl matchup.

There are three video games in NFL historical past the place a participant had no less than 340 yards passing, 60 yards dashing, two touchdowns passing and two touchdowns dashing. Allen is answerable for two of them … within the final two weeks!

It’s a pleasure to observe Allen play. He is nonetheless on the peak of his immense bodily powers, and he is nearly as good mentally as he is ever been. Need extra numbers? Over the past three video games, he has zero turnovers, zero sacks, 1,027 whole yards and 14 touchdowns accounted for. These are video-game-on-easy-mode numbers.

That is the factor. The whole lot seems to be straightforward, regardless that it clearly is not. Allen’s 23 completions went to 9 completely different gamers, with backup operating again Ty Johnson (114 yards) main the way in which. Talking of straightforward, Buffalo in all probability earned the best “A” John Breech will ever give in his weekly grades.

Issues are decidedly much less straightforward for Detroit to swallow. Down 10 with 12 minutes left, Dan Campbell opted for an unwise onside kick. Buffalo’s Mack Hollins recovered and returned the ball to the 5, and Allen discovered Ray Davis for a landing on the very subsequent play. The protection — already ravaged by damage — could have misplaced standouts Alim McNeil and Carlton Davis for the yr.

Oh, and at last … Scorigami!

Honorable mentions

🏈 And never such a superb morning for …

JONATHAN TAYLOR AND THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

I do not assume I will ever be an NFL coach. However ought to I ever discover myself there — and I can not consider I would have to do that for grown males making hundreds of thousands of {dollars} — I would guarantee that my gamers run previous the goal-line, soccer firmly secured, in each fingers if attainable. I do not care if there is not any one close to you. I do not care should you’re the one human being on Earth.

In essential sport for the Colts‘ playoff possibilities, Jonathan Taylor dropped the ball inches quick whereas waltzing into the top zone on what would have been a 41-yard landing for a 19-7 lead (pending further level) over the Broncos. As an alternative, Denver scored the ultimate 24 factors en path to a 31-13 win. Denver goes to 9-5 and has a 92% probability to make the postseason, per SportsLine. Indianapolis (6-8) has a 6% probability.

Hear, Taylor is just not the one one that made a mistake. Removed from it. There have been eight turnovers, together with a backbreaking, ridiculous double-pass that Nik Bonitto introduced again for a landing (although Indianapolis by no means runs that play if Taylor had scored). Possibly Denver nonetheless rallies regardless. We’ll by no means know. However Taylor’s fumble was by far essentially the most infuriating, dispiriting and damaging.

It has been far too widespread this yr — Taylor wasn’t even the one individual to do it Sunday — and it is inexcusable.

👍 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 Patrick Mahomes leaves with ankle damage

Patrick Mahomes left the Chiefs eventual 21-7 win over the Browns with excessive ankle sprain and didn’t return. Andy Reid stated his celebrity quarterback is “day-to-day” and “in all probability might’ve gone again in,” however experiences point out he’s extra doubtless week to week.

• Mahomes went down awkwardly, sandwiched between a number of gamers with about eight minutes left. Carson Wentz completed the sport.
• It is robust timing for Kansas Metropolis, which started a three-game-in-10-day stretch, one thing Mahomes really complained about final week. The Chiefs play the Texans on Saturday after which the Steelers on Christmas Day — a Wednesday. It is the NFL’s first non-COVID-impacted Wednesday sport since 2012.
• Although the Chiefs have clinched the AFC West, they want to maintain onto the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Kansas Metropolis has a two-game lead on Buffalo, however the Payments maintain the head-to-head tiebreaker.

🏈 Travis Hunter wins Heisman Trophy by smallest margin since 2009

He struck the pose precisely one month in the past, and on Saturday, he collected the trophy. Travis Hunter is the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, with Colorado‘s two-way sensation narrowly edging out runner-up Ashton Jeanty.

• Hunter earned 2,231 factors, together with 506 first-place votes. Jeanty garnered 2,017 factors. It was the slimmest margin since 2009, when Mark Ingram gained over Toby Gerhart.
• Hunter performed over 120 snaps per sport and completed the season with 92 receptions for 1,152 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns in addition to 4 interceptions and 11 passes defended. He is the primary full-time defensive participant to win the award since Charles Woodson in 1997.
• Hunter gained each the Bednarik Award (high defender) and the Biletnikoff Award (high receiver), the primary participant to take action. He earned All-America honors from CBS Sports activities at cornerback (first staff), all-purpose (first staff) and extensive receiver (second staff).
• All that results in a really unbelievable spotlight bundle with clutch moments and jaw-dropping feats on each side of the ball.
• Jeanty was very disenchanted to not win. At the very least he nonetheless has a shot at a nationwide championship.

Chris Hummer, Brandon Marcello and Dennis Dodd have an unbelievable story on Hunter’s unbelievable story. Blake Brockermeyer, in the meantime, has early 2025 Heisman candidates.

🏀 Bucks to face Thunder in NBA Cup last

After which there have been two. The Bucks and the Thunder will meet within the NBA Cup last after the Bucks beat the Hawks ,110-102, and the Thunder beat the Rockets, 111-96, within the semifinals.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (32 factors, 14 rebounds, 9 assists) is taking part in at an MVP stage, and Damian Lillard (25 factors) is absolutely approaching. Milwaukee wants extra from Khris Middleton, however issues are transferring in the suitable path general.
• Issues have been transferring in the suitable path for some time in Oklahoma Metropolis, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 factors, eight rebounds, six assists) is a large purpose why. One among my favourite gamers to observe, Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t in a rush, at all times in management and wonderful in any respect three ranges. The Thunder play outstanding protection and have tons of depth.
• Rockets GM Rafael Stone says he would not need to make a commerce, however one could turn into essential, even with a vivid future for Houston, Sam writes.

Listed below are our takeaways from Saturday.

🏀 Joel Embiid suffers sinus fracture; Jared McCain additionally damage

Issues went from dangerous to worse, once more, for the 76ers and their largest star. Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture, and his timeline to return is unclear. Not solely that, however rookie Jared McCain — the largest constructive amid an abysmal begin — is out indefinitely with a torn lateral meniscus.

• Each accidents occurred in Friday’s loss to the Pacers that dropped Philadelphia to 7-16 this season, twelfth within the Jap Convention.
• Embiid has performed simply six video games this season attributable to knee points and a suspension. Whereas accidents have at all times been a difficulty for the 2023 MVP, the facial fractures are extremely dangerous luck: He fractured his orbital bone in 2017-18 and once more within the 2022 playoffs.
• McCain, in the meantime, is averaging 15.3 factors, tops amongst rookies.
• The 76ers are nonetheless rumored to be energetic on the commerce market. 

📺 What we’re watching Monday

🏈 Bears at Vikings, 8 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Falcons at Raiders, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN