The Buffalo Bills overturned a half-time deficit to defeat the Chicago Bills 35-13 on Saturday and clinch the AFC East title.
The freezing conditions in Chicago gave this the feel of a home game for the Bills, but they were far from comfortable early on and threatened to blow their lead in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC.
Josh Allen responded to Justin Fields' opening touchdown drive by leading Buffalo down the field and completing a 19-yard TD pass to Gabe Davis.
But the Bills missed the PAT, and the only score for the remainder of the half was a successful Bears field goal, giving Chicago a 10-6 lead through two quarters.
The hopes of the Bears – and the Bills' AFC rivals – were quickly dashed in the second half, however, as Devin Singletary dashed in from 33 yards and then James Cook followed him from 27 yards for a second score in double-quick time either side of a Chicago fumble.
An unconvincing Allen display, which included two interceptions and a recovered fumble, kept the Bears in contention, yet they could not capitalise.
And the Bills QB finished in more familiar fashion with a rushing score and a TD pass to Dawson Knox in the closing stages as Buffalo took another step towards the first seed.
Bills feel the heat in AFC
The pressure had been on the Bills because there never appeared any possibility of the Kansas City Chiefs not defeating the stumbling Seattle Seahawks. A 24-10 victory was Patrick Mahomes' first against the Seahawks, meaning the Indianapolis Colts are the only team he has now played but not beaten.
The Cincinnati Bengals also remain in contention at the top of the AFC after a dominant first half against the New England Patriots. Joe Burrow completed 28 passes – a season high for any QB in any half – for 284 yards and three touchdowns before half-time, meaning the Bengals could just about withstand a second-half pick six in a 22-18 win.
The Patriots' defeat meant the Baltimore Ravens clinched their playoff berth with a 17-9 defeat of the Atlanta Falcons.
Another manic Minnesota finish
Having claimed a record-breaking comeback win last week, the Minnesota Vikings had to hold off a rally from the New York Giants, who tied the game late on. However, a 40-yard field goal from Greg Joseph had defeated the Colts, and he topped that effort with a 61-yard conversion as time expired for a 27-24 Vikings victory.
The Detroit Lions, Minnesota's NFC North rivals, saw their three-game winning run ended by the Carolina Panthers. Both the Panthers and the New Orleans Saints improved to 6-9, firmly in contention in the miserable NFC South.
The New York Jets are reportedly ready to move on from Zach Wilson after losing "all confidence" in the second-year quarterback.
Selected as the second-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson's rookie year showcased growing pains as he threw nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but the hope was he would kick on in 2022.
That has not been the case, however, with Wilson dropped in November following his disappointing showings in two defeats to the New England Patriots – throwing three interceptions in a 22-17 defeat in Week 8, then having a pass completion of just 40.9 per cent in a 20-17 loss in Week 11.
Mike White was elevated to starter, but his rib injury led to Wilson's return in Week 14, and 317 passing yards in the 20-17 loss against the Detroit Lions provided some encouragement.
However, in Thursday's 19-3 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was benched again with just nine completions and 92 yards, with Chris Streveler replacing him.
While the injury to White means Wilson could feature in the final two games of the season, NFL insider Jay Glazer has reported he will not be the team's starting quarterback for 2023.
"They [the Jets] have lost all confidence in Zach Wilson. Zach lost confidence in himself going into that last game and came out with even less confidence. Expect the Jets to move on from him after this season," he said on the NFL on Fox pre-game show.
Sat last in the AFC East on 7-8, a four-game losing streak has seen New York's playoff hopes plummet, with road games against the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins to end the season.
The New York Mets reportedly harbour concerns regarding Carlos Correa's physical, potentially throwing their 12-year, $315million agreement with the star shortstop into doubt.
Earlier this week, free agent Correa appeared set to join the San Francisco Giants after reportedly agreeing a 13-year, $350m contract with the franchise.
The Giants were set to make their agreement with the two-time MLB All-Star public on Tuesday, only for the news conference to be postponed amid reports of a medical issue arising during Correa's physical.
That delay allowed the Mets to swoop for Correa, with team owner Steve Cohen subsequently telling The New York Post a deal was close to being finalised.
"We need one more thing, and this is it," Cohen said. "This was important. This puts us over the top."
However, Correa could now see a second move collapse in quick succession after a report from The Athletic claimed the Mets are concerned about his surgically repaired lower right leg.
He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a fractured right fibula and minor ligament damage at the age of 19 in 2014.
The report said the Mets have reservations about Correa's long-term fitness, while acknowledging Cohen's public statements on the progress of the deal could make it difficult for them to withdraw entirely.
The New York Post's baseball columnist Jon Heyman said both parties were trying to "work it through".
Correa has made seven trips to the injured list since 2015, with a torn ligament in his thumb, lower back soreness and a fractured rib.
If the Mets were to perform a remarkable U-turn on their decision to pursue Correa, it would represent a severe blow for a player who has only played at least 150 games in a season once in his eight-year career.
It's that time of year, which will warm the hearts of most but possibly send a chill down the spines of Denver Nuggets fans.
Denver are 1-6 (.143) all-time on Christmas Day, the second-worst record among active franchises, and they come up against last season's Western Conference top seeds this year.
Coach Michael Malone will be confident of providing a rare moment of Christmas cheer to their fans against the Phoenix Suns, though, with his team in excellent form heading into Sunday.
The Nuggets lead the Western Conference, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies at 20-11, and have picked up victories in six of their last seven.
Friday's 120-107 win against the Portland Trail Blazers was a good example of what has been Denver's strength this season, with Nikola Jokic leading the way with 29 points but also being ably backed up by the other four starters each scoring 13 or more.
The Suns have the fifth-best record in Christmas Day games at 12-7 (.632) and have also won each of their last two meetings with Denver.
However, Monty Williams' men have not been able to follow up their impressive 64-18 regular season record from last year, now 19-14 to sit fourth in the West.
A 125-100 defeat to the Grizzlies on Friday was chastening enough without the six losses from the prior nine games; five of those seven defeats have been by double-figures.
They have missed the influence of Devin Booker in their last three games, absent with a groin strain since he put up 58 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it remains to be seen if the man averaging 28.0 points per game this season will be back on Sunday.
The future looks bright for the Suns, with Mat Ishbia recently agreeing to a record $4billion purchase of the franchise, but their immediate target is to get back on track, starting by trying to dampen Denver's Christmas spirit even further.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Phoenix Suns – Chris Paul
Should he play, Booker will of course provide a significant boost for Phoenix, but if he is missing again, Williams will need someone to step up in his absence, which has not happened in their last two games.
The experienced Paul made a big contribution in the recent win over the Lakers, yet he has otherwise not been putting up his usual numbers this season. His plus/minus of 1.7 is well down on last year's 7.1, but if the 37-year-old can find his best form at Christmas, it could go a long way against a strong opponent.
Denver Nuggets – Nikola Jokic
The back-to-back league MVP keeps putting up numbers to compare with the greats of the game. In the recent win against the Charlotte Hornets, Jokic became the first man to finish a game with at least 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968.
The Serbian star is averaging 24.9 points per game this season, as well as 10.9 rebounds and a career-best 9.3 assists.
KEY BATTLE – Nuggets' efficiency could decide contest
Denver are very good at putting the basketball through the hoop, which is quite helpful.
No team have a better success rate from beyond the arc than the Nuggets (38.9 per cent) this season, although no team have had fewer than their 923 attempts. Only the Sacramento Kings (943) have allowed fewer three-point attempts than the Suns (996).
The Nuggets are also second in the league for field-goal percentage, with their 50.6 per cent only behind the Brooklyn Nets (50.8).
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Phoenix won their last encounter in March, 140-130 at Ball Arena, which was their 100th victory against Denver in the regular season.
The Nuggets have only 85 wins against the Suns, with the last coming in October 2021, but they have won 18 of the last 23 clashes between the teams.
Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin never expected to achieve the "miracle" of overtaking Gordie Howe into second place in the list of the NHL's all-time record scorers.
Ovechkin scored twice in Friday's 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets to equal and then surpass Howe's tally of 801 on what was his 1,305th career outing.
The Russian now trails only Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history, the latter scoring 894 in 1,487 games.
"You never think it's going to happen when you come to the league, that you're going to beat any Gordie Howe record or Wayne Gretzky record," Ovechkin said.
"The whole situation happening right now, it's some miracle."
Ovechkin has 22 goals for the season and has scored at least 24 in his previous 17 NHL campaigns, his personal best coming in 2007-08 when he netted 65 times.
He was given a standing ovation against the Jets and the game was temporarily stopped as a message from Howe's son Mark was played on the big screen at Capital One Arena.
"It's nice to get it done at home in front of our house, family and friends. It's a great feeling," Ovechkin added. "It's a tremendous feeling."
Gretzky's long-standing record will now be in the sights of Ovechkin, who turned 37 in September and has another three years to run on his Capitals contract.
"It's just crazy to see – it's a huge number," said Ovechkin's team-mate Dmitry Orlov. "It's a great accomplishment for his game, for his person and for his family, too
"The way he is going now, for sure it is awesome, and you hope he is going to stay healthy – another day, another milestone."
New York Giants players were believed to have been inside the Mall of America on Friday during a deadly shooting in Minnesota.
A 19-year-old man was killed in the shooting, police in Bloomington said, which sent the mall into lockdown.
Giants executive vice president of communications Pat Hanlon told The Associated Press the team were staying in a hotel adjacent to the mall and some players were believed to have been inside at the time of the incident.
"Everyone is back in the hotel and accounted for now," Hanlon said after the incident on Friday.
The Giants are in Minnesota for Saturday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, in which New York can clinch a spot in the playoffs if they win and two of the Washington Commanders, the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions suffer defeat.
DeMar DeRozan did not "think too much" as he sealed a last-second victory for the Chicago Bulls against the New York Knicks on Friday.
After RJ Barrett had put the Knicks three ahead with under 30 seconds remaining at Madison Square Garden, Zach LaVine pulled it back to one, before Jalen Brunson missed two free-throws at the other end.
That gave DeRozan the chance to win it, which he did with a jumper from just inside the arc in the final second of the contest as Chicago left New York with a 118-117 victory.
"You don't think too much about it," DeRozan said, having hit just eight of his 20 field-goal attempts prior to that moment.
"You just read the way they're playing you. It's second nature. I don't care how many shots I missed before. That's a brand-new opportunity and you approach it that way."
On the Knicks' profligacy from the free-throw line on the night, where they missed 11 of 26 attempts, DeRozan added: "I'm glad they missed. The bad luck we've had all season of things not going our way, some went our way tonight and we capitalised on it."
Barrett was the star performer for the Knicks, albeit in defeat, as he ended the game with 44 points, and coach Tom Thibodeau said it was the other end of the court where his team struggled.
"It wasn't any one particular play. I just felt like we never really got our defense established and it was an offensive game," Thibodeau said.
"It's hard to slow those guys down once they get their confidence going like they did. We missed some free throws. Things can change real fast in this league."
Luka Doncic's performance against the Houston Rockets was "a great Christmas gift", according to Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.
The impressive Slovenian was in the mood on Friday as the Mavericks beat their struggling opponents 112-106, with Doncic finishing on 50 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds at Toyota Center.
It was the second time the 23-year-old has scored 50 in a game, tying another European and Dallas great Dirk Nowitzki in achieving such a feat.
Speaking after the win that gave his team a 17-16 record, Kidd said Doncic's showing was "a great Christmas gift on a long road trip".
He added: "Luka is Luka. He's the best player in the world. He showed that tonight, carrying the load offensively... I don't know what else to say about him. He was incredible tonight."
It was also the fifth time Doncic has scored 45 or more points in a game, putting him ahead of former Maverick Mark Aguirre (four) for the most the team's history.
Doncic dominated the game, with no other Dallas player scoring more than 11, while Jabari Smith Jr top-scored for Houston with 24.
Rockets coach Stephen Silas praised his team's defense, but added they had to deal with "just too much Luka".
He added: "I'm not sure that he made an easy shot. We made every shot hard, and that's the greatness of a great player... That's what Luka does."
The Brooklyn Nets claimed a statement Eastern Conference victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their win streak to eight games with a 118-100 triumph on Friday.
Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists, while Nic Claxton starred with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
All five Nets' starters reached double-figure scoring, achieving that feat for the sixth time this season. The Nets' eight-game win streak matched the franchise's most since their relocation to Brooklyn a decade ago.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks but did not have a shot in the fourth quarter, with Ben Simmons dulling his output
Simmons finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
The Nets have surged into contention this month, improving to a 21-12 overall record after a 9-1 December. The Bucks are second in the east with a 22-10 record.
Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in a fall but X-rays revealed no major damage, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Harden matches franchise assists record in 76ers win
James Harden matched the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise record for assists as part of a triple-double in their 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to sweep a seven-game homestand.
Harden finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, matching Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks' franchise record for assists, as the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.
Joel Embiid top scored with 44 points with seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard continued his improved scoring form with 28 points and five assists for the Clippers.
Doncic scores season-high in Mavs win
Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Houston Rockets 112-106 with the Slovenian adding 17 in the fourth quarter.
Doncic shot 17-of-30 from the field including six three-pointers for his second career 50-point game, with his career best being 51 against the Clippers in February this year.
The Mavs point guard also had eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Jabari Smith Jr top scored for the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
The Brooklyn Nets claimed a statement Eastern Conference victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to extend their win streak to eight games with a 118-100 triumph on Friday.
Kevin Durant top scored for the Nets with 24 points along with five rebounds and six assists, while Nic Claxton starred with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
All five Nets' starters reached double-figure scoring, achieving that feat for the sixth time this season. The Nets' eight-game win streak matched the franchise's most since their relocation to Brooklyn a decade ago.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Bucks but did not have a shot in the fourth quarter, with Ben Simmons dulling his output
Simmons finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
The Nets have surged into contention this month, improving to a 21-12 overall record after a 9-1 December. The Bucks are second in the east with a 22-10 record.
Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in a fall but X-rays revealed no major damage, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Harden matches franchise assists record in 76ers win
James Harden matched the Philadelphia 76ers' franchise record for assists as part of a triple-double in their 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers to sweep a seven-game homestand.
Harden finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists, matching Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks' franchise record for assists, as the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.
Joel Embiid top scored with 44 points with seven rebounds, while Kawhi Leonard continued his improved scoring form with 28 points and five assists for the Clippers.
Doncic scores season-high in Mavs win
Luka Doncic scored a season-high 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks overcame the Houston Rockets 112-106 with the Slovenian adding 17 in the fourth quarter.
Doncic shot 17-of-30 from the field including six three-pointers for his second career 50-point game, with his career best being 51 against the Clippers in February this year.
The Mavs point guard also had eight rebounds and 10 assists, while Jabari Smith Jr top scored for the Rockets with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
James Harden was left blown away after joining "rare company" by matching the Philadelphia 76ers franchise record of 21 assists in Friday's 119-114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain and Mo Cheeks with the record, which was a career-high for the former MVP, in a game where the 76ers rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit.
The 33-year-old finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists and became the second player in 76ers history with a 20-assist triple-double, joining Chamberlain from 1968 against the Detroit Pistons.
"That's rare company," Harden told reporters. "Mo Cheeks was one of my coaches in OKC and then Wilt, I feel like he has every record.
"Just always and be in the conversation of some of the best basketball players to touch a basketball is a blessing. Hopefully, I can keep going and get more records."
Joel Embiid top scored for the 76ers with 44 points, shooting 18-of-30 from the field with seven rebounds and three assists. Harden regularly fed Embiid points throughout the game.
"I just do what I do," Harden said. "Honestly, I feel really good and just trying to get to that paint and they do a really good job of using their length.
"They're a really long team, they switch, they do a really good job of switching so I tried to press the paint and really try and find matchups that work in our advantage that really make the game easier for all of us and guys knock down shots, Joel did a really good job of getting to his spots. It was a total team effort."
Philadelphia head coach Doc Rivers heaped praise on Harden for sacrificing his scoring game.
"This is a generational scorer that has taken and decided to be a point guard, who still scores, but to be a point guard for this team," Rivers said.
"That's hard to do. A lot of people, most people, can’t do that, or will not do it is a better way of saying it. The fact that he is willingly doing it, running the team, organizing us, is huge for us."
Kevin Durant says the Brooklyn Nets treated Friday's 118-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks as "bigger than a regular season" after extending their win streak to eight games.
The Nets claimed a confidence-boosting victory over the 2021 NBA champions, moving Brooklyn to a 21-12 record, while the Bucks are only slightly ahead in the Eastern Conference with a 22-10 record.
Durant scored 24 points, extending his run of games with plus 50 per cent field-goal shooting to 12, while Nic Claxton added 19 points with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
There were contributions all round for Brooklyn, with Kyrie Irving scoring 18 points with nine rebounds and six assists, while Ben Simmons had 12 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. T.J. Warren chipped in 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.
All five Nets' starters reached double figures, marking the sixth time they have achieved that this season.
After a tumultuous start to the season where they commenced with a 1-5 record and had off-court issues involving Irving to deal with, the Nets have rallied to become genuine contenders.
"It's good for us," Durant told reporters. It's good for us to keep stacking days. We respect Milwaukee, we understand how dominant they've been this season.
"We wanted to come out and we understand everyone is watching this game, everybody looked at this as bigger than a regular season game, so I think we tried to approach it that way.
"I know those guys play extremely hard every night, we tried to match that. They play playoff style basketball every game so it was on us to match it and play our brand as well.
"We've been trying to stay at their level as consistently as we can. It's tough to do in the regular season with injuries and the ebb and flow of the season but we tried to stay locked in as much as we can."
Durant called the victory a "great team win" for the Nets given the raft of contributions, creating 30 assists compared to the Bucks' 17, and forcing 18 turnovers.
"We were locked in all night on both sides of the ball," Durant said. "We were able to get a nice cushion early.
"They're a championship quality team so they're going to fight back and get into the game. We were able to make big shots and get big stops. Great team win for us."
The Nets kept Giannis Antetokounmpo scoreless in the final quarter, led by Simmons, as they weathered any late challenge, pulling away to win by 18 points after leading 85-75 at the final change.
"I thought overall the mental approach from guys, we knew they'd make some threes and we didn’t panic," Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said.
"Giannis is going to get through us sometimes and we're not going to over-react. But we be steady throughout the night to put multiple bodies in front of him? That's tough to do, because he's coming downhill at you with force and you're going to get hit. I thought overall our guys responded extremely well."
Draymond Green has labelled the Golden State Warriors as "very fragile" after their 1-5 road trip which left the reigning champions 11th in the Western Conference and below .500.
The Warriors had started the six-game road trip with an outstanding 16-point win over last season's NBA Finals opponents, the Boston Celtics, but lost their next five to be 3-16 on the road this season.
Golden State, who lost reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry to a shoulder injury during the road trip, have lost seven of their past nine games.
"Right now, I think we are very fragile," Green told reporters on Friday after practice.
"You start going through these things and then you start believing them. Once you start believing them, it becomes who you are. The only way to break them is by being mentally tough."
The Warriors suffered back-to-back 30-point losses for the first time since 2001 to round out the road trip.
"I think this is a team that has struggled from the spirit perspective since [the road trip started]," Green said.
"It's a bit more frustrating. You can make what you want of it being on the road versus being at home, but it's mental. It's a team struggling mentally and that makes it hard to overcome anything else.
"It's not something that's going to be fixed with the snap of a finger. You've got to work through these issues to get that confidence.
"It's just not showing up. As much as you'd like to think, 'Oh, we'll be fine and this guy will come back.' No, no, no. You've got to work [for] positive outcomes, positive feelings, that ultimately give you that boost of confidence."
Despite their struggles, Green remained confident that the Warriors could make an impact in the playoffs, even without the benefit of a high seeding.
"I feel sorry for the one or two seeds if we're in that situation," Green said. "Is Steph Curry still on this team? Klay Thompson? Me? I think we would be fine."
The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys face off on Christmas Eve with the former on the brink of claiming the NFC East title.
Having compiled a 13-1 record across their first 14 games, the Eagles are three games ahead of the Cowboys in the division.
They will claim the title from the Cowboys with victory in Dallas but face the challenge of sweeping their rivals without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts is out with a sprained shoulder, meaning the Eagles will be hoping for backup Gardner Minshew to reprise 'Minshew Mania' and lead them to triumph.
The absence of Hurts may remove the downfield passing element from the Eagles' offense and will also have a negative impact on the Philadelphia ground game.
Hurts rushed for three touchdowns in last week's win over the Chicago Bears, taking his tally to 26 for his career. The only Eagles quarterbacks with more are Randall Cunningham (32) and Donovan McNabb (28).
Still, the Eagles do have one of the most productive running backs in the NFL this season in the form of Miles Sanders, who has averaged 5.16 yards per carry in racking up 1,110 rushing yards. That number ranks fifth in the NFL, as do his 11 rushing touchdowns.
Sanders may be the focal point for the offense for Philadelphia in Week 16, with the onus potentially on him to increase the Eagles' tally of eight rushing touchdowns of 10 yards or more, one which trails only the Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks (both nine).
Yet there is the distinct possibility that both teams find it tough sledding on the ground. The Eagles and the Cowboys have each allowed only three rushing touchdowns of at least 10 yards.
With Dallas able to complement a running game led by the exciting tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard with a passing attack overseen by Dak Prescott, the Cowboys have a greater number of avenues towards offensive success. Prescott is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts in well-thrown rate. He has delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 85.4 per cent of his passes.
The change from Hurts to Minshew makes the Eagles' offense more of an unknown, but if they can survive their starting quarterback's absence and prevail, it will underline their status as the top team in the NFC, if not the NFL.
We are firmly in the business end of the 2022 NFL season.
Seven teams have already clinched their place in the postseason and a further seven will join them in the final three weeks of the campaign.
This is the time of year when room for error is diminished in games that have a huge bearing on how the final playoff field shakes out.
As such, festive feeling will be thin on the ground for those teams playing in such encounters during this weekend's Christmas schedule who come up short.
So often, though, these contests are decided by the game within the game, and here Stats Perform looks at three of the most important Week 16 clashes and the personnel matchups that could decide them.
New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals
Win Probability: Patriots 52.0 per cent
Key Matchup: Matthew Judon and Josh Uche vs. Bengals offensive line
The Patriots' hopes of claiming a Wild Card berth took a massive blow in bizarre circumstances last week as Jakobi Meyers' inexplicable last-second lateral landed in the grateful arms of Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Chandler Jones, who stiff-armed Mac Jones into the turf and raced into the endzone to deny New England a chance of an overtime win.
At 7-7, they are still just a game behind the Miami Dolphins and must climb off the mat, though they are this week tasked with doing so against one of the hottest teams in football.
The 10-4 Bengals have a one-game edge over the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North division title, yet there is a matchup the Patriots can look to exploit in this one.
While Cincinnati's offensive line has improved in terms of preventing pressure on Joe Burrow, it remains in the bottom half of the NFL in pass block win rate, in which the Bengals rank 24th.
In Judon and Uche, the Patriots possess a pair of pass rushers who can cause the Cincinnati O-Line huge problems. Judon is second in the NFL in sacks (14.5), behind only Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers, while Uche has 10.5, all of which have come across his last seven games.
Both Judon (40.08 per cent) and Uche (42.38 per cent) possess pass rush win rates way above the average for edge players of 28.74 per cent, and if they are at their best, they could help eradicate the advantage the Bengals have at quarterback and tilt the game in New England's favour.
Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs
Win Probability: Chiefs 80.4 per cent
Key Matchup: Seattle defensive backs vs. Chiefs receivers
Like the Patriots, the Seahawks' prospects of reaching the postseason are in significant jeopardy.
Their hopes of winning the NFC West are gone after the 49ers clinched the division title in Seattle by completing their first sweep of the Seahawks since 2011 in Week 15.
That leaves Seattle fighting for a Wild Card, and the odds are very much against them in this one against a Chiefs team who are in a battle for the AFC's one seed with the Buffalo Bills.
Part of the reason why the Seahawks are still in the mix is the play of their young but talented secondary, which ranks 13th in the NFL in pass coverage win rate according to Stats Perform's matchup data.
Rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen has enjoyed an outstanding first season for Seattle, with his combined open percentage allowed across man and zone coverage of 22.75 the seventh-best among corners with at least 100 total matchups.
The Chiefs' pass-catchers are 13th in terms of winning their coverage matchups in 2022, a year in which the loss of Tyreek Hill has undoubtedly had an impact.
Yet with 82.1 per cent of Patrick Mahomes' throws this season going to an open target, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid continues to excel at scheming receivers into space.
For the Seahawks to have any hope of pulling off a sizeable upset, their secondary must limit the chances for the Chiefs' receivers to enjoy such freedom.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Win Probability: Cowboys 59 per cent
Key Matchup: Eagles offensive line vs. Cowboys pass rush
This NFC East matchup may have lost some of its lustre with the Eagles needing a meltdown to surrender the division title to the Cowboys and Jalen Hurts out because of a shoulder injury.
But that should not take away from the true heavyweight fight this game provides in the trenches.
Micah Parsons may be losing ground in the Defensive Player of the Year race, but he remains the headline act for a defense that is first in the NFL in pass rush win rate.
That would normally give the Cowboys a clear edge in a matchup with every offensive line, but not with this one.
Philadelphia's O-line leads the league in pass block win rate, with the Eagles allowing a pressure rate of 32.9 per cent that is the fourth-best in the NFL.
The Eagles maintaining their strength up front against Parsons and Co. will obviously be critical to Philadelphia as they seek to overcome the absence of Hurts.
There is no substitute for the value Hurts brings in the run game, but the Cowboys' defense has shown enough vulnerability to suggest backup quarterback Gardner Minshew can have success against Dallas, provided the offensive line wins the battle up front and allows the Eagles to stay on schedule.
Novak Djokovic wants to play for as long as his body is able as he aims to emulate Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer after coming through a challenging 2022 campaign.
Djokovic began last season in somewhat controversial circumstances after he was barred from the Australian Open for his stance on vaccination for the global coronavirus pandemic.
The 21-time grand slam champion lost his world number one spot after failing to defend his French Open crown but roared back to glory at Wimbledon.
A record-matching fifth ATP Finals title took him level with the recently retired Federer and 35-year-old Djokovic has no intentions of slowing down in the new year.
"I would like to play as long as I possibly can," he stated in Dubai on Friday. "I don't have really any number in my head.
"Things are progressing so far pretty well for me. I can't complain. So as long as I play at this level, as long as I have the fire, I'll keep going."
Djokovic may have been unceremoniously deported from Australia earlier this year amid the fallout over his vaccination status but he has enjoyed playing at the first grand slam of the year in recent seasons.
At no other grand slam event has the Serbian been more prolific, with nine titles to date, and he is relishing the chance to start his season in Melbourne once more.
"I'm just glad to have a chance to start there," he added. "My record has been pretty decent over the years in Australia. So I look forward to going there.
"I always ask for the best for myself. Over the years, I've been really fortunate to start very strong in Australia and love playing there.
"After obviously what happened earlier this year, hopefully, I can have a decent reception there, and that can help me play some good tennis."
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will remain on the sidelines indefinitely after testing revealed a stress injury in his right foot.
The team announced the news on Friday on Twitter to update the status of their star big man, who has been out since landing awkwardly during a game against the Denver Nuggets on December 16. The Lakers had previously listed Davis on the injury report with right foot soreness.
A stress injury is part of a spectrum of ailments, the most severe of which is considered a stress fracture.
The club did not comment on the severity of Davis' condition or give a timetable for his return, saying only that further updates "will be provided when appropriate."
The news is devastating for a 13-18 Lakers team that faces an uphill battle just qualify for the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.
After a 2-10 start to the season, the Lakers followed with a 10-6 surge, thanks largely to MVP-quality production from Davis. The eight-time All-Star averaged 30.8 points and 13.3 rebounds over that stretch while shooting 63.9 per cent from the floor.
Amid that stretch, Davis scored 55 points in a win over the Washington Wizards, his most since joining the Lakers in 2019 and the second most of his career.
Already with a top-heavy roster, Los Angeles will now rely even more on 37-year-old LeBron James and 34-year-old Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Fridat and will be part of the NBA's annual Christmas Day lineup when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald will likely miss the rest of the season due to injury, coach Sean McVay revealed on Friday.
The star defensive tackle has been absent for the Rams' last two NFL games after sustaining an ankle injury in the 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on November 27.
McVay's men are already out of postseason contention at 4-10 following injury problems surrounding Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and a host of other players.
Donald will remain sidelined along with that pair for Sunday's clash with the visiting Denver Broncos and McVay does not expect the 31-year-old to feature again this season for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
"Probably not," McVay responded when asked if Donald would feature again with three games left of the Rams' campaign.
"I just think, 'Will he be fully cleared to be Aaron Donald?'. And if he is, talk to him and see. But if not, we'll err on the side of being smart with him.
"But obviously, he's a guy that has certainly earned the right where you talk to him. But he's not cleared yet and I don't know that I see that changing in the next couple of weeks."
If Donald does not return, he will end 2022 with 49 tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for loss and one forced fumble from his 11 games.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was named to a ninth straight Pro Bowl on Monday.
The Green Bay Packers have locked up their biggest impending free agent by agreeing to a four-year, $68million extension with versatile offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, according to NFL.com.
Jenkins, a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, will receive a $24m signing bonus and can earn up to $74m over the life of the contract with incentives.
The deal makes Jenkins the NFL's second-highest-paid guard in terms of annual salary, behind only the Indianapolis Colts' Quenton Nelson.
Jenkins, who turns 27 on Monday, had been slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and likely would have been franchise tagged by Green Bay if an extension was not reached.
A second-round pick of the 2019 draft, Jenkins has started 50 regular season games and four postseason contests over his four NFL seasons. The Mississippi State product has spent the majority of his time at left guard but has made multiple starts at both tackle spots as well as center.
Jenkins started eight games at left tackle in place of injured two-time All-Pro David Bakhtiari in 2021 before tearing his ACL that November. He returned to start 12 games this season, seven at left guard and five at right tackle.
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
