Evan Engram and the Jacksonville Jaguars were urged to enjoy their Christmas by coach Doug Pederson after beating the New York Jets 19-3 to clinch a third straight win.
Tight end Engram was the top offensive weapon for the Jaguars on a wet night, tallying 113 receiving yards from seven catches to continue his terrific form, having entered the contest with 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns from his previous two outings.
With the win, the Jaguars are 7-8 with two games remaining, which is the exact same record as the Jets following their fourth consecutive loss.
Engram praised the team's coaches for making "great calls" in the difficult weather conditions as rain came down in a deluge.
After an early field goal from the home team, the Jaguars took charge, with Jets quarterback Zach Wilson having a night to forget, completing just nine of 18 passes and being booed before being replaced.
Coach Pederson said of the Jacksonville display: "It's a mark of a team that's beginning to play good football, meaningful football, at the end of the season. We've talked a lot about having meaningful games down the stretch. These guys are battling through a lot, they're battling through their own injuries. It's a sign of our team coming together at the right time."
He described the weather as "a challenge", adding: "It was going to be one of those days, it was going to be physical, it was going to be tough, we were going to have to run the football because throwing it was going to be hard. We were efficient in the passing game; we made some plays. I'm proud of the guys."
Looking at Engram's efforts, Pederson said: "He's gotten better with the offense, learning the details that we teach. He's very unselfish, he works extremely hard in practice, he wants to be good, he loves being coached, and it shows on the field, he's a really good team-mate to have and a leader of the team."
The Houston Texans are next for the Jaguars on New Year's Day, and Pederson urged his players to come back with purpose after their short break.
"The message is we haven't done anything, we haven't clinched anything, we haven't won anything," Pederson said. "We've still got two division games left. I do want them to enjoy the holidays, enjoy Christmas with their family and friends, and it's time to heal and get healthy for this final two-game stretch.
"But I also want them to come back in the right frame of mind and get ready for a team that beat us a couple of months ago."
Engram said he had assessed the conditions and "made a choice to play hard".
"The coaches made great calls and we managed the weather really well, took care of the football and I just made plays when my number was called," Engram said on the Jaguars' post-game show.
Looking at the skill involved in catching a wet football, Engram said: "It's just mechanics. I work on those every single day. Catching tennis balls to make sure my hand placement's right. Doing all sort of distraction drills to not let elements get in the way of making plays with the football.
"With the rain, you've got to shoot your hands together. Shoot your hands together and we'll be all right, and I had success."
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh offered plenty of reasons for why quarterback Zach Wilson underperformed in Thursday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, before saying it ultimately boils down to confidence.
The Jets could only muster three points in the disappointing 19-3 loss, sticking a dagger into their playoff hopes as they dropped their fourth game in a row to turn a promising 7-4 start into 7-8, and likely another wasted season.
Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, did not lead a single scoring drive in the game, with the Jets' only points coming after a strip-sack from Quinnen Williams was recovered in field goal range.
The 23-year-old completed nine of his 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception before being benched in the fourth quarter, and making matters worse, he was drastically outperformed by backup Chris Steveler after he was only called up from the practice squad this week.
Assessing his own performance, Wilson said he could not find a groove.
"I just felt like I didn't have any rhythm out there," he said. "I was just trying to find some confidence out there on the field, find something to get us going, a little spark.
"We had opportunities – I have to be able to connect on those. We're going to go back and watch it, the coaches will detail it up for us, and I just have to put my head down and try to get better.
"My message to the team out there was I've got to put them in a better position… it's tough.
"I'm working my way through it, but I've got to be optimistic here. I'm just going to go to work and show the guys how much I care for them."
Saleh pointed the finger at more than just his quarterback, but admitted Wilson was not good enough, and is struggling with confidence.
"We couldn't get the running game going again, the protection wasn't as good as we wanted it to be," Saleh said. "Obviously, there were a couple of missed throws, there was [bad] coaching, all the way down.
"Confidence is a big thing. As a human, you're going to have adversity in your life, ups and downs – and, obviously, he's in it right now.
"Zach's the kind of kid who's going to keep his head down, work through it and try to find ways to improve. You'd be remiss saying there wasn't a confidence thing there. We've got to help him out with that, too."
The Jets will be anxiously waiting to see if preferred starter Mike White will be available for their last two games of the season against the Seattle Seahawks and the Miami Dolphins, needing to win both to have any chance at a playoff berth.
It's the most wonderful time of the year... the Premier League is back after the World Cup break, and with the top flight's return comes the chance to made inroads in your fantasy league.
The congested festive fixture list always makes December tough to navigate, but things are a little different this year, with many players' availability in question following their trips to Qatar.
With the start of the campaign a distant memory and many of the league's best players likely to be sidelined, how will fantasy managers make the correct selections?
That's where Stats Perform hopes to help, delving into the Opta numbers to identify four players who could make a flying start when the Premier League resumes.
Nick Pope (Leicester City v Newcastle United)
An unused member of Gareth Southgate's England squad in Qatar, Pope appears certain to start between the sticks at Leicester City on Monday, having already appeared in the EFL Cup this week, and has enjoyed a fine campaign to date.
As well as keeping seven Premier League clean sheets this term – a tally only matched by Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale – Pope has conceded just 11 goals from shots worth 13.9 expected goals on target since the start of the season.
The Newcastle United goalkeeper has thus prevented 2.9 goals, a figure only bettered by Alisson (7.8) and Jordan Pickford (4.2), and he will be protected by a rock-solid defence when the Champions League-chasing Magpies visit the King Power Stadium.
Ben White (Arsenal v West Ham)
Premier League leaders Arsenal are the only team to match Newcastle's record of just 11 goals conceded this season, and White has played a key role for Mikel Arteta's side.
Since the start of last season, Arsenal have conceded just 1.0 goals per game with White in the team. Without him, the Gunners have shipped 2.2 goals on average.
Fantasy managers love a defender with the ability to also contribute in attack, and having moved to right-back this season, White is one of just seven Premier League defenders to create 10 chances from open play while contributing to four or more clean sheets.
Having left England's World Cup camp early, White looks well-placed to contribute against West Ham – who have only scored 12 goals in 15 league games this term.
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace v Fulham)
Ivory Coast international Zaha was absent from the World Cup, and his tally of eight goal contributions in the Premier League this season suggests he may make an impact against Fulham.
Zaha's return of six goals and two assists means he has been involved in 53 per cent of Crystal Palace's goals in the competition this campaign (eight of 15). Only Everton's Alex Iwobi (55 per cent, six of 11) has contributed to a larger share of his team's goals.
Meanwhile, Zaha is averaging a goal involvement every 144 minutes this season, a better rate than in any of his previous Premier League campaigns.
Erling Haaland (Leeds United v Manchester City)
When it comes to players who missed the World Cup, the Premier League's leading goalscorer Haaland is understandably the name on everyone's lips.
Having played just 13 Premier League games, Haaland is two goals away from his 20th goal in the competition. Should he hit the net twice against his hometown club Leeds United, the Manchester City talisman will reach that figure in record time. Kevin Phillips needed 21 career games to reach 20, while Luis Suarez owns an impressive single-season record inside 15 games in 2013-14.
Haaland's 18 Premier League goals have come from chances worth 11.1 expected goals, while he has averaged a goal every 2.9 attempts.
With Haaland converting 34.6 per cent of his shots this season, fantasy managers will be hard pushed to ignore the Norway international after a lengthy break.
Both head coaches made sure to point out the superb play of C.J. McCollum after the New Orleans Pelicans' 126-117 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.
McCollum scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting, adding nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocks in the absence of his max-contract teammates Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
It's the latest strong outing in McCollum's recent hot-streak, now averaging 31.5 points, 7.5 assists and six rebounds in his past four games.
It is in stark contrast to McCollum's early-season production, with the 31-year-old initially showing the warning signs of a decline. He is averaging 19.4 points – his lowest figure since the 2014-15 season – while his 42.0 field goal percentage is the lowest since his rookie year.
His renaissance has come at the perfect time, according to head coach Willie Green, who called his guard's performance "beautiful".
"It was great to see C.J. have a night like he did tonight," he said. "40 points, the nine assists were impressive, he rebounded the ball.
"We needed that type of production from him with the guys being out. It’s beautiful to watch when he’s on the floor and he’s scoring like he does.
"When guys are out, I think the beauty in what we're able to see is that all of our guys step up, and enjoy these moments, these opportunities. I've said it before, some people look at it as obstacles, but our guys relish these moments."
Pelicans backup center Willy Hernangomez said it is fun to see his teammate begin to find his groove.
"McCollum dominated the game from the very beginning," he said. "I'm happy for C.J. – he’s been really getting his rhythm back.
"Today was a big game for him. I'm happy to see him making shots and making the right decision over and over."
Future Hall of Fame Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was also complimentary of McCollum, saying his team does not have the luxury of a player who can take over a game in that fashion.
"We’ll get down, figure it out, and then start playing," he said. "We don’t have somebody like a McCollum that’s going to come in and do what he did to us.
"We made it a decent game at that point, and then he took over. He was great."
Having snapped a four-game losing streak, the Pelicans are now 19-12 and only a half-game behind the Phoenix Suns (19-11) and the Memphis Grizzlies (19-11) in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.
The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday by defeating the visiting San Antonio Spurs 126-117.
Playing without top offensive options Zion Williamson (health and safety protocols) and Brandon Ingram (toe injury), it was C.J. McCollum's time to shine. Averaging 18.7 points per game entering the contest – McCollum's lowest figure since his second season back in 2014-15 – the 31-year-old showed he still has plenty in the tank.
He scored a season-high 40 points on 14-of-27 shooting, adding nine assists, eight rebounds and two blocks in a spectacular showing.
It continues a strong run of scoring form for McCollum, who totalled 28 points, 27 points and 31 points in the three preceding games, while also averaging a career-high 5.9 assists for the season.
No other Pelican had more than Jonas Valanciunas' 16 points, while the Spurs received a standout performance from their lottery pick.
Selected ninth overall in this year's draft, Jeremy Sochan enjoyed his best game as a professional with 23 points (seven-of-14), nine rebounds and six assists.
With the win, the Pelicans are back on track at 19-12 – only a half-game behind the Western Conference leaders – while the Spurs are only one game away from the bottom of the conference at 10-21.
Beal brilliance not enough for Wizards
A well-rounded performance from the Utah Jazz saw them defeat the Washington Wizards 120-112 to improve their record to 19-16.
Nothing is going right at the moment for the Wizards, who have now lost 11 of their past 12, but it was no fault of Bradley Beal as he top-scored with 30 points on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting performance.
Meanwhile, the Jazz had four players score at least 18 points each, led by Malik Beasley off the bench with 25 on nine-of-17 shooting.
It was an impressive start at center for Jazz rookie Walker Kessler, scoring 12 points while controlling the paint for 14 rebounds and two blocks.
The Jacksonville Jaguars collected their third consecutive win by defeating the New York Jets 19-3 on Thursday.
It was a horror movie for Jets fans, with former second overall draft pick Zach Wilson proving completely incapable of handling the tough weather conditions as the rain came down sideways.
The Jets were gifted the first score of the game when Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was stripped by Quinnen Williams on the opening drive, with New York recovering the fumble in range for a field goal.
That field goal would be the home side's only score of the game, with Wilson being benched in the fourth quarter after completing just nine of 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception.
The only touchdown of the game came in the second quarter, when Lawrence capped off an impressive 16-play, 96-yard drive with a quarterback sneak on the goal-line to take a 10-3 lead.
Another pair of field goals would give the Jags a buffer, and they would coast to victory despite a spirited display from Jets reserve quarterback Chris Streveler, who led the Jets in rushing with nine carries for 54 yards.
Lawrence was far less fazed by the wet and windy weather, completing 20 of his 31 pass attempts for 229 yards, while adding seven carries for 51 yards and the game's only touchdown on the ground.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the top offensive weapon, tallying 113 receiving yards from seven catches to continue his terrific form – entering the contest with 19 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns from his previous two outings.
With the win, the Jaguars are now 7-8 with two games remaining, which is the exact same record as the Jets following their fourth consecutive loss.
Angel Di Maria has been "galvanised" by Argentina's World Cup success, which Massimiliano Allegri sees as good news for Juventus.
Di Maria played a starring role in his country's epic final triumph against France on Sunday.
The winger won the penalty for Lionel Messi's opener, then added a sublime second himself before being substituted with Argentina seemingly in control.
France rallied to reach a shoot-out following a 3-3 draw, but Messi and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez led Lionel Scaloni's side to a long-awaited victory.
Di Maria had returned to the Argentina line-up for the Lusail Stadium showpiece having lost his place in the XI following an injury in the group stage.
It has been a similar story for the 34-year-old at club level this season, joining Juve as a free agent but seeing only 246 minutes of Serie A action prior to Qatar 2022.
Bianconeri coach Allegri is optimistic now, however, with Di Maria joined in the Argentina squad by club-mate Leandro Paredes.
"For sure they are galvanised by this World Cup victory," Allegri said on Thursday.
"And they are well physically, which is the most important thing, especially for Di Maria, who had some problems in the first part of the season anyway."
Di Maria's fitness has been far from Juve's only problem, with Allegri's men eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage and 10 points off the pace in Serie A.
But the coach said: "We need to prepare well and get back into the championship atmosphere straight away, because then from January 4 until June 5, we're never going to stop.
"We need to be very good at trying to play 36 games, which would mean getting to the Europa League final and getting to the Coppa Italia final."
The New Orleans Pelicans will be without top offensive option Zion Williamson for Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs due to the league's health and safety protocols.
Williamson, 22, has been the Pelicans' leading scorer this season at 25.2 points per game, and after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign, he has suited up for 25 of his team's 30 games this time around.
He will miss his sixth game of the season after triggering the league's COVID-19 protocols, and with it being the first leg of a back-to-back, he will also likely miss Friday's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Williamson has been one of the game's most dominant forces in December, raising his usage while fellow All-Star Brandon Ingram has also been out injured, having not played since November 25.
In his nine games in December, Williamson has averaged 28.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 62.2 per cent from the field. He is the only player this season shooting at least 60 per cent from the field (60.3) while averaging over 25 points per game.
In his absence, it will be up to C.J. McCollum to run the show against the Spurs. He is sporting his worst figures in points per game (18.7) since his second season in 2014-15, along with a career-worst field goal percentage of 41.5.
However, his 5.8 assists per game represent a career high, and he is beginning to find his scoring touch, with totals of 28, 27 and 31 in his past three outings.
As well as McCollum, it will be a golden opportunity for emerging wing Trey Murphy III, with last year's first-round draft pick having flashed intriguing potential in five 20-point games so far this season, having only posted two during his rookie campaign.
Nick Kyrgios has doubled down on the claim he will retire if he wins a grand slam next year, saying years of intensive travel have left him "exhausted".
Kyrgios enjoyed the best grand slam run of his career when he finished as runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon this year, while he also reached the last eight at the US Open.
However, the Australian questioned his future in the sport earlier this week, telling reporters in Dubai: "Hopefully I can win a slam and just retire."
Speaking to Eurosport, the world number 22 insisted that remark was serious, saying his private life had suffered due to his time spent travelling to take part in ATP Tour events.
Asked if he would really call time on his career in the event of winning a first major singles title, Kyrgios said: "Honestly, I probably would.
"Especially being from Australia as well, there's just so much travel, so much time away from family, so much time away from friends.
"You're just missing milestones in the family, you're just not having a normal life, really. No other tennis player that's not from Australia gets that."
Kyrgios believes few athletes can match the sacrifices he has made in his career, citing the strain caused by spending long periods away from his home country.
"It's easy for a European or an American player to lose or win a tournament, then you take a five-hour flight back home and you spend a week there before the next event," Kyrgios said.
"Whereas as an Australian, you're doing four- to seven-month travel blocks. Honestly, I don't think it's healthy.
"No other real athlete does that in the world, in any sport, doing seven months on your own.
"I'm exhausted honestly. It's just stressful. The more you win, the more success you have, the more demands you have off the court. People expect more from you.
"People are like, 'why are you complaining about it?' It's not what they think. You're living out of a suitcase at hotels, it's not like you're on holiday.
"You've got to go to tennis courts and train. The lifestyle is quite vigorous. If it happens, I probably would [retire], to be honest."
Kyrgios has only reached the last eight at the Australian Open on one occasion, and with the next edition of his home slam approaching, the 27-year-old is less than enthusiastic.
Asked if he will feel refreshed by the time the Melbourne major begins next month, Kyrgios said: "Probably not. There is a little bit of excitement, but it's probably 95 per cent stress, five per cent excitement, to be honest."
Jurgen Klopp was left to rue an opening 15 minutes that "killed our confidence" and conceding "completely unnecessary goals" after Manchester City knocked Liverpool out of the EFL Cup.
City beat the holders 3-2 in a thrilling tie at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Erling Haaland put the Premier League champions in front by volleying in Kevin De Bruyne's pinpoint cross, but Fabio Carvalho equalised against the run of play 20 minutes into both sides' first game after the World Cup break.
A sublime touch and finish from Riyad Mahrez restored City's lead right at the start of the second half, only for Mohamed Salah brought the Reds level again just 80 seconds later.
City were the better side, though, and Nathan Ake headed in a terrific cross from the outstanding De Bruyne to win it just before the hour-mark.
Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports: "We played a formation that we haven't played for a long time, and we had to change in pretty much our last [training] session. You could see that, we needed time to adapt.
"In the first 15 minutes we had real problems and that killed our confidence and conviction a little bit."
Klopp was frustrated that De Bruyne was allowed too much time to whip in the cross for Haaland to open the scoring and switched off again to give the Belgium playmaker the chance to set up Ake following a short corner.
He added: "The goals we conceded were completely unnecessary. We had to be more switched on, especially for the third goal. Also the first goal, we should deny the cross.
"There are a lot of things we can build on and that's what we will do. It's a result we have to live with now."
James Milner was withdrawn in the first half due to a hamstring injury, but Klopp revealed he is hopeful he has not done any significant damage.
Trent Alexander-Arnold played no part due to a virus, while Virgil van Dijk is set to return to the squad for the Boxing Day fixture at Aston Villa after featuring for the Netherlands in the World Cup.
Kevin De Bruyne showed he is "unstoppable" when playing with "this fire inside" in Manchester City's 3-2 EFL Cup win over Liverpool, Pep Guardiola said.
De Bruyne was well below his brilliant best as Belgium were eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage earlier this month.
But his first match back in City colours on Thursday provided a reminder of the midfielder's remarkable talents.
De Bruyne supplied assists for Erling Haaland and Nathan Ake in a gripping cup tie, creating a game-high five chances in all as he ran the show at the Etihad Stadium.
As well as excelling with the ball, De Bruyne led the City press out of possession, winning four turnovers in the final third. Rico Lewis (two) was the only other player on the pitch to manage more than one.
"Kevin, when he plays with this fire inside of him, he finds himself this fire... what a player," manager Guardiola told Sky Sports.
"How many years is Kevin here? Seven, eight years? I think so. There's so many things. He's an absolute legend.
"Always I push him to find this fire. In important games, when he has this, he's unstoppable."
Guardiola reserved additional praise for Lewis, the 18-year-old right-back who took 89 touches and won five duels against the Reds – trailing only Rodri among City players in both metrics.
"In a long, long time, I didn't see a performance like Rico Lewis," Guardiola said of a teenager who debuted in August.
"He's 18 years old, playing against Liverpool with big stars up front, and the way he played with the ball and without the ball...
"We are lucky, incredibly lucky to have this player for the next decade. Hopefully the club can keep him, because he was exceptional. The game he played was exceptional."
Manchester United will host third-tier Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, while Manchester City face Southampton after eliminating last season's winners Liverpool.
Goals from Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford saw United beat Championship leaders Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and another home tie will await the Red Devils in the last eight.
League One Charlton are the only non-Premier League side remaining in the competition after the Addicks won a penalty shoot-out to upset Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
United boss Erik ten Hag is looking to end a five-year trophy drought for the club, who have not claimed any major silverware since Jose Mourinho led them to Europa League and EFL Cup glory in 2017.
Meanwhile, United's rivals City will visit Southampton after overcoming Liverpool in a thrilling fourth-round tie on Thursday, with Erling Haaland, Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Ake scoring in a 3-2 victory.
City have won the trophy in five of the past seven seasons and will equal Liverpool as the most successful club in EFL Cup history if they win their ninth title this term.
Newcastle United will host Leicester City in another all-Premier League tie after overcoming Eddie Howe's former club Bournemouth on Tuesday, while Wolves visit fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.
The ties will be played in the week commencing January 9, following the third round of the FA Cup.
FIFA is investigating how celebrity chef Salt Bae gained "undue access" to Argentina's on-pitch celebrations after the World Cup final.
Salt Bae, the Turkish chef and social media presence whose real name is Nusret Gokce, posted several photos of himself with the World Cup trophy on social media after Sunday's game.
The chef, who owns a chain of luxury steakhouses and rose to fame through a series of viral internet videos in 2017, was also seen attempting to pose for a photo with Lionel Messi and several Argentina team-mates.
His presence in the immediate aftermath of the trophy presentation is now the subject of a FIFA investigation after attracting widespread criticism.
A widely reported statement from world football's governing body read: "Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on December 18.
"The appropriate internal action will be taken."
Earlier this month, Salt Bae posted an image on Instagram of himself at a World Cup match alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Brazil greats Ronaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos.
Erling Haaland scored his 24th goal of the season and Kevin De Bruyne delivered a masterclass as Manchester City beat holders Liverpool 3-2 to reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
The two heavyweights served up a thriller at the Etihad Stadium in their first game after the World Cup break, and it was the Premier League champions who deservedly came out on top.
Haaland opened the scoring, only for Fabio Carvalho to equalise in the first half of a pulsating tie on Thursday.
Riyad Mahrez restored City's lead right at the start of the season half, but Mohamed Salah soon levelled with his 15th goal of the campaign.
The outstanding De Bruyne then provided a second assist of the game for Nathan Ake, and Jurgen Klopp's men were unable to respond for a third time, suffering a first defeat to City in six matches.
Liverpool had been unable to cope with City's early intensity, and Haaland netted the opener 10 minutes in, getting in front of Joe Gomez to volley De Bruyne's pinpoint cross into the bottom-left corner.
The Reds were level from out of the blue 10 minutes later, Carvalho calmly stroking into the far corner after James Milner picked him out in the penalty area.
Caoimhin Kelleher denied Ilkay Gundogan and Ake after they were brilliantly set up by De Bruyne, before Darwin Nunez twice drilled wide.
Mahrez caught Liverpool out with a great touch from Rodri's pass before firing home just over a minute into the second half, yet City's lead only lasted 79 seconds as Nunez showed great pace to get away down the left and unselfishly laid an equaliser on a plate for Salah.
Liverpool were punished for another defensive lapse just before the hour-mark, though, switching off from a short corner and allowing De Bruyne to whip in an exquisite delivery for Ake to nod in.
Nunez spurned another great chance when he shot wide of the far post after bursting clear, with City this time holding on to advance.
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