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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

The Philadelphia Eagles lead the selections for next year's revamped 2023 Pro Bowl Games, with the all-star match moving to flag football from contact action.

The NFL leaders, who sit among the favourites for the Super Bowl with a 13-1 regular season record in 2022, have seen eight players picked for the event.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts headlines a list of Eagles names that also includes wide receiver A.J. Brown, guard Landon Dickerson, and offensive tackle Lane Johnson among others.

Six NFL teams have at least five players selected for the Pro Bowl, which will take place on February 5 at the Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium, a week out from Super Bowl LVII.

Hurts will start for the NFC selection against Patrick Mahomes, with the Kansas City Chiefs man headlining a seven-strong selection from his franchise in the AFC group.

Other teams well represented include the Dallas Cowboys with seven, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers with six and the Minnesota Vikings with five.

The league previously confirmed Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald had made his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl, despite injury struggles that have curtailed his campaign

He is joined by Travis and Jason Kelce, who become the first pair of brothers to earn simultaneous selection for a record fifth time.

The two teams will be coached by a set of siblings in former Super Bowl winners Peyton and Eli Manning too, with the duo having earned 18 Pro Bowl selections between them in their playing days.