The Philadelphia Eagles may have already won the NFC East and will enter Week 16 without quarterback Jalen Hurts, but a clash with the Dallas Cowboys remains the standout game on the slate.

While the Cowboys' attempts to stick with the Eagles this year were hampered by their road form, Dallas are strong at home and will hope to send a warning to their division rivals ahead of a playoff campaign in which both teams will hope to feature prominently.

Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have work to do still as they aim, like the Eagles, to secure a bye with the number one seed in the AFC.

But it is not all about the NFL's leading lights, with the battle for position ahead of the postseason ongoing – with a big game in store in Charlotte.

Stats Perform picks out the key facts ahead of a busy Christmas weekend...
 

Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

In beating the Chicago Bears last week, the Eagles secured a 13th win in a single season for only the third time in franchise history. On the two previous occasions, Philly finished with a 13-3 record and reached the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots in the 2004 season and beating the same team in 2017.

The Eagles have never won 14 games in a regular season and will be without injured QB Hurts as they aim to end a four-game losing streak in Dallas.

But the Cowboys are coming into this big home game on a downer, having blown a 17-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week for their first loss in five.

That game also again showed big QB performances can sometimes prove immaterial, with Dak Prescott throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys are 1-2 this season when Prescott has thrown three or more TD passes and only 7-6 since 2020. Prior to that, they were 13-3 in such games.

Seattle Seahawks (7-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

Patrick Mahomes and Geno Smith each earned Pro Bowl selections this week – a fifth for Mahomes but only a first for Smith. Both were well deserved, with the pair third and second respectively for passer rating among qualifying players this year (Smith, 105.3, and Mahomes, 105.0).

However, Mahomes will look to do something he has never done before on Saturday: beat the Seahawks. Having lost 38-31 to Seattle in his only previous such clash in 2018, they are one of just two teams Mahomes has played but never beaten (also 0-2 against the Indianapolis Colts).

Smith, who has never faced the Chiefs, leads the NFC with 26 touchdown passes as he aims to follow Russell Wilson (2017 and 2018) and Matt Hasselbeck (2005) as the only Seahawks to lead the conference across a season. However, with eight interceptions and four fumbles lost by Smith, Seattle are the sole team in the league to have committed a turnover in every game this year.

Detroit Lions (7-7) @ Carolina Panthers (5-9)

The Lions' stunning 6-1 run, including an active three-game winning streak, has them firmly in playoff contention in the NFC. The last time they won six out of seven games in a single season, back in 2016, was also the last time they made the postseason.

However, the Lions have a miserable history against the Panthers. Their 3-7 record in this matchup is their worst against any current NFC franchise, while Detroit are 0-5 on the road against the Panthers since winning on their first trip in 1999.

With Jared Goff in the best form of his career, the Lions will hope to snap that streak. He has gone six games without an interception, which ties the longest such streak by a Lions QB since the statistic was first tracked in 1960. Goff had never previously gone more than three games without throwing a pick.

Elsewhere...

The Bears this week face the Buffalo Bills, the only team in the Super Bowl era to have lost more consecutive games with 125 or more rushing yards in each loss. Chicago have lost seven in a row, but the 1976 Bills were defeated in 10. With 2,616 rushing yards but a 3-11 record, the Bears are on course to become the first team to lead the league in rushing yards yet have one of the worst two records since the 1932 Staten Island Stapletons.

Recent history suggests the Minnesota Vikings will follow up last week's record-breaking comeback against the Colts with another win over the New York Giants. The Vikings' 7-2 record against the Giants since 2005 is their best against NFC opposition and New York's worst.

The Patriots will have to upset the Cincinnati Bengals to get their playoff bid back on track, yet they have won their past seven home games in this matchup, including the last four while scoring at least 35 points. The last team to win five in a row at home to any one team while scoring 35 points or more were the San Francisco 49ers against the Atlanta Falcons between 1992 and 1996.

Tua Tagovailoa will be relieved this week's game against the Green Bay Packers is in Miami and not Wisconsin. Following last week's defeat to Buffalo, the Dolphins QB is 0-4 in starts when the weather is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit; he is 17-7 when the temperature is at least 50 degrees.

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.

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.

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."

World Rugby will introduce a countdown timer for scrums and kicks at goal from January in a bid to speed up the game.

A series of rule changes are to be enforced from January 1 following World Rugby's Shape of the Game Conference, at which ways to improve rugby union's "entertainment value" were discussed.

Under the law changes, players will have 90 seconds to take a conversion following a try and a minute to take a penalty, with kicks being disallowed if they are not taken within that time.

Meanwhile, scrums must start within 30 seconds of being awarded and line-outs must be formed "without delay", with any time-wasting resulting in a free-kick.

A statement released by World Rugby on Thursday said: "The guidelines, which are designed to assist match officials, players and coaches and to enhance fan experience, are part of a drive by the international federation to speed up the game and reflect key outcomes of the Shape of the Game Conference in November.

"With the Rugby World Cup 2023 fast-approaching, the new directives are designed to support a quicker, more entertaining game while balancing safety and spectacle."

The 2023 Rugby World Cup gets under way in France on September 8, with South Africa looking to defend the title they won by beating England in the 2019 final.

The Philadelphia Eagles will not allow Jalen Hurts to "play through" his shoulder sprain, meaning Gardner Minshew will start against NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys.

Hurts is among the MVP frontrunners having led the 13-1 Eagles to the NFL's best record in 2022.

They will clinch the number one seed in the NFC with another win against the Cowboys but will have to get it without their quarterback, who suffered the injury to his right shoulder in last week's clash with the Chicago Bears.

Hurts was keen to play regardless, coach Nick Sirianni suggested, having earned a first Pro Bowl selection this week.

But Minshew, who has taken snaps in three games this year and started twice in 2021, has Sirianni's backing in place of Hurts.

"Gardner will be our guy, and Gardner will be ready," the coach said. "Gardner worked his butt off for this opportunity against a really good football team. He had a great practice [on Wednesday]."

He added: "[Hurt] is disappointed because he wants to play. He's the toughest guy I know.

"But we have to do what's best as an organisation to put us in a safe spot, because he will play through anything.

"Jalen did everything he possibly could to get his body ready to go. At the end of the day, he's not going to be able to do it. He tried like crazy.

"I know he still wants to go. That's just the toughness. Jalen Hurts is the toughest player I've ever been around."

Minshew practised on Wednesday after missing the Eagles' walkthrough on Tuesday to speak at the funeral of Mike Leach, his coach at Washington State.

Former Denver Broncos running back and Super Bowl champion Ronnie Hillman has died of liver cancer at 31 years old.

Hillman led the Broncos in rushing with 863 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2015 season as the Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, in what was Peyton Manning's final game before retiring.

Having been drafted by the Broncos out of San Diego State in the 2012 draft, Hillman went on to play for the Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys, racking up 1,976 career yards.

Hillman was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer in August 2022, and it was revealed he had entered hospice care this week before passing away on Wednesday.

A statement was posted to his Instagram account, saying: "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother and father, Ronnie K Hillman Jr.

"Ronnie quietly and peacefully transitioned today in the company of his family and close friends."

Hillman tragically becomes the second member of the Broncos' 2015 championship team to pass away, after receiving leader Demaryius Thomas' death from a seizure in 2021.

Jacque Vaughn was unaware his Brooklyn Nets side had achieved a franchise record in their blowout of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

The Nets routed the undermanned Warriors 143-113 at Barclays Center, putting up a whopping 91 points in the first half alone.

That tally was a record for the Nets and represented the third-best effort ever in the NBA.

Having had to come back from slow first-quarter performances in wins over the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons in their prior two games, it was a welcome change for head coach Vaughn.

"I did not [know it was a record], wow, nicely done huh?" Vaughn said.

"That's what happens when you come to work and you're ready to work from the beginning.

"I definitely consider it progress, it was definitely the message in our walk through."

Kyrie Irving was absent for the Nets due to tightness in his right calf. Vaughn was unsure if he would return on Friday to face the Milwaukee Bucks.

Vaughn said: "No update, he'll come in tomorrow [Thursday] and get assessed again, hopefully looking forward to him playing again on Friday."

Kevin Durant was in fine form against his former team, putting up 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Warriors were still without Steph Curry, while Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins did not feature, but Durant said Steve Kerr's side still had to be taken seriously.

"It's the Warriors - you always respect them whoever is on the floor," he said.

"They have a championship system, championship players. Steph, Klay, Wiggins out – they [still] have that next up mentality. You can't count them out, so we did a good job staying focused to start."

Ryan Tannehill looks set to miss the rest of the season as the Tennessee Titans quarterback likely requires surgery on a right-ankle injury.

The one-time Pro Bowler saw his game curtailed during Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, after outside linebacker Khalil Mack landed on his foot.

Tannehill was carted from the field before returning with his ankle heavily strapped, though he was unable to prevent the Titans slipping to a 17-14 defeat.

Reports from ESPN now indicate the 34-year-old's campaign looks to be over, with the former Miami Dolphins man set to undergo an operation for the problem.

It was a right ankle injury that ruled Tannehill out of two games following a week six match with the Indianapolis Colts, bringing Malik Willis into the fold in his place.

The reserve quarterback started in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Titans have also signed Joshua Dobbs to provide additional backup.

The latter was with the Detroit Lions briefly as part of their practice squad earlier this month, after he was waived following Deshaun Watson's return to the fold at the Cleveland Browns.

Tennessee are 7-7 for the year, and sit atop the AFC South, but have not won in their last four outings to leave their postseason hopes precariously balanced heading into the final few weeks.

They play the Houston Texans on Saturday, before closing games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the latter their main rival to top the division.