The Buffalo Bills were not rattled by an early explosive touchdown, going on to ultimately dominate the New England Patriots 24-10 in Thursday's AFC East showdown.
New England threatened to put up a strong fight against one of the Super Bowl favourites, jumping ahead 7-3 in the first quarter after rookie Marcus Jones took a wide receiver screen 48 yards to the house.
It was just Jones' first offensive snap of his career, with the former college cornerback making a name for himself after his game-winning punt return touchdown against the New York Jets in Week 11.
But that would be the only points the Patriots would put on the board until a consolation field goal with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The middle stages of the contest were entirely one-sided, with Josh Allen connecting on two touchdown passes in the second period to jump out to a 17-7 halftime lead, never looking back.
Allen's first touchdown was a simple one from the eight-yard line, identifying top receiver Stefon Diggs in man coverage before finding him in the back corner of the endzone.
His second was more spectacular, as he left his feet for a jump-pass near the sideline, rifling it back across his body to find Gabriel Davis for another eight-yard touchdown.
Allen completed 22 of his 33 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns, with his only turnovers coming from a strip-sack by Josh Uche. Diggs caught seven of his nine targets for 92 yards and a score, while Devin Singletary carried 13 times for 51 yards and the game's final touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo are now 9-3, which their division rivals the Miami Dolphins can match with a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
It was a familiar story for the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday as Luka Doncic was the best player on the court, but it was not enough, going down 131-125 against the Detroit Pistons in overtime.
In front of their home fans, the Pistons rode hot-shooting nights from Bojan Bogdanovic and Killian Hayes, combining for 52 points on 20-of-27 shooting to overcome the Slovenian star's brilliance.
Bogdanovic had 30 points with four assists, four rebounds and two steals, while Hayes had 22 points, eight assists and four rebounds, while starring in the overtime period.
Doncic, the league-leader in points per game, raised his average to 33.5 with his 35 points on 13-of-25 shooting, adding 10 assists an five rebounds, but he hit just two of his six free throws, proving costly.
With Doncic essentially being a one-man show in Dallas, the Pistons used that against the Mavericks in overtime, consistently trapping him as soon as he crossed mid-court to force a quick pass, deciding they would live with whatever resulted from other players shooting the ball.
The Pistons approached their offense in the complete opposite fashion, with six players attempting between 10 and 15 field goal attempts each, and their unpredictability forced the Dallas defense to play one-on-one.
Taking advantage of his hot hand, Hayes put the game to bed as he turned a 125-125 tie into a win with back-to-back pull-up three-pointers to stick the dagger into the visiting Mavs.
The tanking Pistons are now 6-18, while the Mavericks, who are coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, fall to 10-11.
The Atlanta Hawks learned Thursday that their 125-108 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday came at a cost.
De'Andre Hunter exited in the first quarter with a right hip flexor strain and will be re-evaluated in one week, while John Collins will miss at least two weeks due to a left ankle sprain sustained on a dunk attempt just before halftime.
Tests on Collins' ankle on Thursday confirmed the severity of the sprain, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Hunter is third on the Hawks in scoring at 14.9 points per game, while Collins ranks fourth at 12.3 points per contest and second in rebounds at 7.5 per game.
While Atlanta’s lineup took a hit with the injuries to Hunter and Collins, reinforcements are on the way with Bogdan Bogdanovic expected to make his season debut soon, following his knee surgery in the offseason.
Bogdanovic averaged 15.1 points last season and his 169 made three-pointers were second on Atlanta behind Trae Young.
In addition to the imminent return of Bogdanovic, the Hawks also may have caught a break with the timing of the injuries to Hunter and Collins. Atlanta has the easiest strength of schedule this month, with its 14 December opponents sporting a .422 combined winning percentage.
Wednesday’s win snapped a season-worst three-game losing streak for Atlanta, who own a one-game lead over the Washington Wizards for first place in the Southeast Division.
The Golden State Warriors (11-11) have a golden opportunity to climb back above .500 when they host the 9-12 Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
Both teams entered the season with lofty expectations, but have sputtered out of the gates, struggling in areas they are meant to excel in.
With four championships since 2015, the Warriors have been widely regarded as the greatest shooting team the game has ever seen, but the underlying factor of their greatest years has always been their defense.
Boasting the league's best defensive efficiency in their 2014-15 championship season, second-best for their 2016-17 title, and 11th for their 2017-18 crown – the Warriors rediscovered their dominance on that end of the floor this past season to finish as the second-best defense en route to another ring.
That has cratered this campaign, with Golden State currently allowing 113.4 points per 100 possessions for the 21st-ranked defense.
What that means is that some of the Warriors' point totals from their eighth-ranked offense are going to waste, having scored over 110 points in seven of their 11 losses so far.
Meanwhile, the Bulls have committed to offensively-minded scorers DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Zach Lavine as their core trio, but currently own the 22nd-best offense.
In a clash between two sides struggling to establish an identity, the result could simply come down to which side's X-factor shows up – or more specifically, which one shoots the lights out.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Golden State Warriors - Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson is a Warriors legend, a future Hall-of-Famer and one of the greatest shooters in the history of the NBA – but he has never been less efficient than he is right now.
However, when Thompson is feeling it this season, the Warriors win. Shooting 35.5 per cent from the field and 32.5 per cent from deep in losses, Thompson's numbers skyrocket to 43.7 per cent from the field and 44.7 per cent on three-pointers in the 10 wins he has played in.
Only the Boston Celtics score a higher percentage of their points from three-pointers (41.7 per cent) than the Warriors (41.2 per cent), so it makes sense that when their secondary sharpshooter catches fire, good things happen.
Chicago Bulls - Zach Lavine
While the Warriors rely on a heavy dose of three-pointers to put up their points, the Bulls are the opposite, leading the league in their percentage of points that come from the mid-range (14.6 per cent).
This is primarily due to DeRozan's affinity for the mid-range, and in turn, it leaves them 28th in the percentage of points that come from the three-point line (27.4 per cent).
To outgun the Warriors, you need to score big, and the Bulls' best bet to get hot from deep is Zach Lavine.
Making 2.8 threes per game, he is the only Bulls player averaging more than Coby White's 1.5, and his win/loss splits are eerily similar to Thompson's.
He is hitting 3.6 threes at 43.9 per cent in wins, and 2.1 threes at 26.4 per cent in losses, indicating his outsized importance and responsibility for the interior-heavy Bulls offense.
KEY BATTLE - Can the Bulls slow down the Warriors' ball movement?
While the Bulls' offense has been disappointing, their defense has actually been a pleasant surprise, climbing from the 23rd-ranked unit last season up to the 11th-best this time around.
Golden State's porous defense and second-highest pace in the league could provide a perfect environment for the Bulls to put up a big score, so it may come down to if they can force Stephen Curry to beat them by himself.
While Curry has been spectacular, averaging 31.4 points, the Warriors lead the league in assists per game at 29.7, so if the Bulls can figure out how to force the Warriors into isolations and restrict their quick passing, they can force the reigning champions to play the game out of their comfort zone.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the first meeting between the Warriors and Bulls this campaign after two fixtures in the 2021-22 season – resulting in two convincing Golden State wins.
The champions-in-waiting hammered the Bulls 119-93 last November, before following it up with a 138-96 thrashing in January, making it 10 consecutive victories against Chicago dating back to 2017.
Viktor Hovland is looking to win back-to-back Hero World Challenge titles and started his week on the right track, finishing Thursday's opening round in a four-way tie for the lead at three under.
The small field boasts 20 of the PGA Tour's top talents, with Tiger Woods hosting the event at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas.
Winner of the 2021 edition, Hovland posted an impressive eagle on the par-four 14th hole to go with his two birdies and one bogey to share the lead through 18 holes.
Norway's top golfer is joined by 20-year-old South Korean phenom Tom Kim, America's Collin Morikawa, and Austria's Sepp Straka, with the latter coming in as the late replacement for Woods following his withdrawal due to plantar fasciitis.
Kim, who already has two PGA Tour wins under his belt, was the only of the foursome to not make a single bogey.
They are one stroke clear of Sam Burns alone in fifth at two under, with Cameron Young, Max Homa and Tommy Fleetwood tied for sixth at one under.
World number two Scottie Scheffler is joined by two-time major champion Justin Thomas as part of the group at even par, while Jon Rahm is at one over, and Matt Fitzpatrick is at two over.
Corey Conners is alone in 19th at three over, and Jordan Spieth is dead last and the only player at four over.
Jack Grealish expressed remorse for his disparaging comments about Miguel Almiron, admitting "that was one thing I regret".
The Manchester City winger aimed a harsh jibe at his Newcastle United counterpart in the aftermath of the Citizens' Premier League triumph earlier this year.
In a clip that went viral, Grealish said he had welcomed the substitution of Riyad Mahrez against Aston Villa on the final day as his team-mate "played like Almiron" – in reference to the Paraguay international's ineffective performances for the Magpies.
However, Almiron has enjoyed an upturn in form this season and won the Premier League's Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards for October after scoring six times in six games.
As he revisited the infamous incident, Grealish revealed his respect for the former Atlanta United player, who he is thrilled to see thriving in the English top flight.
"I haven't actually been asked about that and let me just address it," the England international told The Independent. "It was the day after the season finished, and obviously I'd had a few drinks.
"Straight after that, because I didn't realise, we were out celebrating, and I wasn't on my phone on social media. I remember I was in Ibiza, and it had obviously come out. That was one thing I regret.
"I'm actually buzzing the way he's reacted. He said something about me in the interview the other day, he wished me the best. I thought 'what a guy'.
"Because if that was me, and somebody had said that about me, I'd have probably been the other way and been like 'f**k it'.
"I messaged [Newcastle defender] Matt Targett because I'm close with him from Villa and I said to him 'can you message him for me and say to him that I apologise? I obviously didn't mean it'.
"When I look back on that, that was just one thing that was stupid of me to say. I shouldn't have said it. I didn't realise it was a video to go out, I thought it was just private. But even in private, I shouldn't have said it because he's a fellow professional.
"I'm actually buzzing for him, I've had a lot of stick off the Newcastle fans and rightly so. At the end of the day, they are backing their player, which I fully understand. He seems like the most harmless, nice guy, so fair play."
Grealish is on duty with the Three Lions at the World Cup in Qatar, appearing as a substitute in all three of their matches so far, while scoring the final goal of the commanding 6-2 win over Iran.
The winger will hope to feature again on Sunday, when Gareth Southgate's side lock horns with Senegal at the Al Bayt Stadium for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Buffalo Bills will be without Von Miller for at least a month after placing the star pass rusher on injured reserve shortly before Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots.
Miller, who injured his right knee in Buffalo’s Thanksgiving Day win at Detroit, will be sidelined for a minimum of four games, though Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters the team is optimistic the eight-time Pro Bowler will return before the end of the regular season.
The 33-year-old Miller sustained the injury when his knee bent awkwardly as he was stepped on by a Lions lineman last week, but avoided any torn ligaments and said on Tuesday he was hoping to return after missing only one game.
"He's a competitor, that’s why we love him. That's why he’s so great," Beane said. "The competitor in him – if he could wheel it out there tonight, he would do it.
"We just think in talking to the medical people that the best decision right now is to give this time, and that gives him the best opportunity to help us down the stretch."
Miller will be eligible to return for Buffalo’s final two regular-season games, a Monday-night clash with the Bengals in Cincinnati on January 2 and a rematch with the Patriots in Buffalo six days later.
The NFL’s active leader with 123.5 sacks, Miller leads the Bills in that category with eight in 11 games in 2022. It is the eighth consecutive season the 11-year veteran has registered eight or more sacks.
Miller, who signed a six-year, $120million contract with the Bills in March after helping the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl, also has been quite durable over the course of his career.
A torn ACL did limit him to nine games with the Denver Broncos in 2013, but he has missed three games in seven-plus seasons since.
Kai Havertz says Germany's World Cup exit is akin to a "horror movie" after they were eliminated despite victory over Costa Rica.
The Chelsea forward's double was in vain as his team's 4-2 win was not enough to secure a knockout spot in Group E, with Japan's 2-1 triumph over Spain sending both nations through instead.
It marks the end of another dour World Cup adventure for Germany, who failed to keep a clean sheet for the 12th major tournament match in a row.
Havertz, who came off the bench to spark hope, acknowledged the pain and frustration of seeing his side come up short, despite playing all their cards in their final game.
"It is bitter for all of us," he stated. "We said at half-time that we shouldn't take it easy, that anything can happen. We didn't expect that to happen. It's like a horror movie.
"We saw the live table in the stadium, we recognised the situation from spectators and the reactions on the bench.
"There was still hope, because we assumed Spain would score another goal. Then we saw on the screen that their match was over, and that was it."
Germany's exit in Qatar marks the second successive World Cup where they have failed to get out of the group stages, and coupled with a last-16 loss at Euro 2020, makes for three tournaments on the bounce with poor results.
With the nation set to host European Championship in just over 18 months' time, Havertz understands the task of reigniting pride in their team will require a degree of soul-searching.
"If three tournaments in a row, you go out early, it makes you wonder what is going wrong," he added. "We need to change something. We are aware of that.
"When it counts, we didn't perform. We need to be honest with ourselves. Over the past five years, things haven't gone right, and it is our own fault. We are to blame."
Head coach Hansi Flick, in his first major tournament since succeeding Joachim Low, praised Havertz's contribution, but stressed his disappointment at their missed chances in Qatar.
"If I look at positives, Kai turned the game around," he added. "We can leave the pitch and go home with a victory. But if you look at the matches, it is our fault.
"We had chances against Spain and against Japan. You have to take them and score goals. There were lots of individual mistakes, and that is what makes me angry."
Josko Gvardiol insists he is happy at RB Leipzig but would not rule out the possibility of a future move to Chelsea.
The 20-year-old was the subject of intense speculation at the start of the season, with Chelsea said to have had a £77million (€90m) offer rejected.
Gvardiol subsequently signed a new contract at Leipzig and has continued to impress.
But talk about a transfer has never gone away, and the centre-back discussed the possibility after starring for Croatia against Belgium at the World Cup.
"You know what happened in the last few months," he said. "To be honest, I have no idea. My agent is taking care of this, and we will see.
"Right now, I'm happy in Leipzig. We will see. You never know.
"We know the stories, but all I can see is that I'm happy in Leipzig. Right now, I'm going to stay there."
Asked for his opinion on Chelsea, Gvardiol replied: "It's a big club. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll be there.
"It's really nice to see things like this, especially because there is [Mateo] Kovacic. You should ask him [if he wants me there]. Just talk with him."
Gvardiol was described as "the best stopper in the world" by Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic on Thursday, with the defender relishing the global stage.
"Of course it is [good for my career]," he said. "To be here at this biggest event, it's a big thing for me at 20 years old. I'm happy."
Deshaun Watson vowed to focus on football after deflecting questions on his suspension as he prepares for his first game with the Cleveland Browns.
Watson was handed an 11-game suspension and a $5million fine following sexual assault and misconduct allegations. The 27-year-old has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and is facing no criminal charges.
He has now completed that ban, meaning he is set to play for the first time in 700 days on Sunday.
The quarterback will be taking on the Houston Texans, the team he represented at the time of his last NFL game.
Speaking on Thursday, Watson made clear he was focusing on the game, rather than facing questions relating to his suspension.
"I understand that you guys have a lot of questions. But with my legal team and my clinical team, there's only football questions I can really address at this time," he told reporters.
Asked why he agreed to the suspension, he replied: "I was just trying whatever I could do to play football in 2022.
"Most of the settlement stuff with the NFL was mostly my agency and legal team. I had no control. My main focus was doing everything I needed to do to play this year."
A return to action in Houston could provide a fierce atmosphere for Watson to cope with, but that is not something he is thinking about.
"Like I said, I'm focusing on just being the starting quarterback and executing the game plan," he said. "That's my main focus."
The Browns traded for Watson in March before signing him to a fully guaranteed $230m five-year deal.
Kai Havertz scored twice but Germany made another early World Cup exit despite beating Costa Rica 4-2 in a thriller at Al Bayt Stadium on Thursday.
Needing a victory to have any chance of reaching the round of 16, Germany secured their first win of the tournament but bow out at the group stage for a second successive World Cup.
Serge Gnabry gave them a richly deserved early lead, but Yeltsin Tejeda equalised with his first international goal in the second half and Costa Rica were heading for the knockout stage after Juan Pablo Vargas put them in front.
Havertz levelled not long after Vargas' goal and struck again to put Germany back in front, with fellow substitute Niclas Fullkrug then adding a late fourth goal
It was Japan and Spain who advance from Group E, though, with the Samurai Blue finishing top after their surprise 2-1 win over Luis Enrique's side.
Gnabry opened the scoring only 10 minutes in, meeting David Raum's cross from the left with a glancing header that found the far corner of the net.
Leon Goretzka's header was kept out by Keylor Navas, Musiala fired wide after turning sharply and surging into the box and Gnabry was only just off target with a right-foot drive as Germany continued to dominate.
But Keysher Fuller almost equalised from out of the blue late in the first half, Manuel Neuer superbly tipping his shot around the post after a mistake from Antonio Rudiger.
News of Japan leading Spain left Germany fans with hands on heads and things took another turn for the worse when Tejeda was on hand to finish from close range after Neuer could only palm Kendall Waston's header into his path in the 58th minute.
Musiala twice struck the right-hand post and Rudiger hit the outside of the same upright as Germany desperately tried to stay alive.
Costa Rica then stunned Germany once again by taking the lead after 70 minutes, Vargas getting the final touch when Neuer as Germany failed to deal with a ball into the box.
Los Ticos' joy was short-lived, though, as Havertz finished clinically with his right foot soon after coming off the bench just a few minutes after Germany had fallen behind.
Navas denied Fullkrug with a magnificent save from close range, but Havertz tucked in coolly with his left foot at the back post.
Fullkrug looked to have strayed offside, but was awarded a second goal in as many games in the closing stages following a VAR check after he slotted in from close range, but Germany bowed out on goal difference.
Goals from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka helped Japan reach the World Cup last 16 as Group E winners with a remarkable 2-1 victory over Spain, with La Roja joining them as Germany were dumped out.
With both sides knowing a win would see them advance, Spain wasted little time in hitting the front as Alvaro Morata headed beyond Shuichi Gonda for his third goal of the tournament early on.
However, Spain failed to capitalise on their huge dominance of possession as Japan turned the game on its head with a quickfire second-half double, Doan firing home from range before Tanaka bundled in a second.
Spain were briefly on their way out of the World Cup when Costa Rica took the lead against Germany in the group's other fixture.
But Germany's late comeback in a 4-2 win ensured La Roja survived an incredible finale to go through as runners-up.
Zlatko Dalic was sorry to see Belgium lose a "great coach" in Roberto Martinez as his departure was confirmed with Thursday's World Cup exit.
Dalic's Croatia held Belgium to a goalless draw at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, following Morocco through to the last 16 in Group F.
Martinez, who was out of contract after six years as Red Devils coach, announced he would be leaving his role in his post-match news conference.
"I think Belgium have lost a great coach," said Dalic. "I'm sorry he resigned."
Discussing his own future, the Croatia boss added: "My project is Euro 2024 and the Nations League Finals. When I finish these projects, then I'll think about how to proceed."
Although the 2018 finalists themselves missed out on topping the group, Dalic hailed the performance of his team.
"It would be selfish for me to single out individuals," he said. "They all gave everything of themselves."
Full-backs Josip Juranovic and Borna Sosa were more open to picking out individuals, each lauding 37-year-old player of the match Luka Modric.
Asked if the Real Madrid man was still one of the world's best, Juranovic replied: "Yes – [that answer] is short enough. He is the best midfielder ever."
Sosa added: "Of course, it's easy [to play with Modric]. The better players you have in your team, the easier it is to play.
"With Luka, one of the best players in the history of the sport, it is very easy."
Departing Belgium head coach Roberto Martinez revealed his "huge disappointment" after the Red Devils crashed out of the World Cup.
The world's second-ranked side suffered a surprise elimination in Qatar after finishing third in Group F following a goalless draw with Croatia.
It brought the curtain down on a poor tournament for 2018 semi-finalists Belgium, who struggled past Canada in their opening game before suffering a shock defeat by eventual group winners Morocco.
The Croatia stalemate also spelt the end for Martinez, who confirmed his departure as Belgium head coach after six years in the role.
"We were ourselves today," he reflected. "We had very good performances and frustrated Croatia in the first half, but couldn't take chances in the second half.
"We got in very good positions, but didn't execute them well. Second half, we looked strong and probably created more clear-cut chances than in 2018.
"We showed heart, and we saw a group that really cares, which we missed in previous two games - we weren't ourselves [in the first two games].
"Due to quality and experience, we won the first game [against Canada], but we were not ourselves. Today was completely different.
"Morocco was disappointing, and we're out of the World Cup because margins are small - there's no margin for error. Morocco took their chances and Croatia now rightly progress through. It's a huge disappointment for us."
Martinez also explained his reasons for Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard, who was only introduced in the 87th minute at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, starting Belgium's must-win showdown on the bench.
It came after a tumultuous week, in which he dismissed reports of a rift within the camp as "fake news" at his pre-match news conference.
"Lukaku couldn't play the 90. We saw in the second half, he lacked physicality," Martinez said.
"We used him where there were bigger gaps and got him in the box. He moved well and got in good positions, but missed chances.
"I'm happy with the way we planned for this game. The players that started gave us what we wanted, and then we could have scored three goals in second half, and it would have been a different story.
"We were here for seven games and couldn't take a risk on players, it would not have been responsible to play [Lukaku] from the start, same with Eden Hazard."
Much of the discussion surrounding Belgium's underwhelming campaign in Qatar has focused on the ageing of a so-called 'golden generation' of players, with Kevin De Bruyne stating the Red Devils' squad was "too old" ahead of the finals.
Defender Toby Alderweireld insisted the senior players within the squad are yet to make a decision on their futures.
"I think as a team, you have to take the responsibility," he added. "I think we played a very good game. We could have won.
"I think we lost the qualification in the last game against Morocco. If we didn't lose this game, it was a total different game. This is the reality. It hurts.
"It's not every year that there's a tournament. We'll see what everyone is doing, but I think it's too close to the last game to decide.
"Everyone goes home now, goes to their club and decides what they're going to do. This hurts, it's normal, but decisions are not made after the game."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
