Doctors with the New York Jets will not clear quarterback Mike White from his rib injury, forcing the team to turn back to Zach Wilson as the starter under center this week.

White suffered an unspecified injury to his ribs during last week’s 20-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

After undergoing treatment and practising all week, he had planned to play in Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, but he will instead be held back by the team’s medical staff.

On Thursday, White was asked by reporters if he had any doubts that he would be starting on Sunday, and replied: "No, no, none at all."

Speaking on Friday, however, Jets coach Robert Saleh said: "Mike White, who is an absolute warrior and has been doing everything he can this week to find another option to get him on the football field, to find someone who will clear him for contact, has exhausted every measure he can because he wants to be out there for his team-mates."

With White ruled out, the Jets turn to Wilson, who has been inactive for the last three games after being benched.

Wilson has started 20 games for the Jets since being selected No. 2 overall out of BYU in 2021. New York are 8-12 in those games, and Wilson has completed just 55.6 per cent of his passes, with 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

The 7-6 Jets remain in the playoff hunt in the AFC but are looking to end a two-game skid on Sunday when they host the Lions, who have won five of their last six games and are also fighting for a playoff spot at 6-7.

Christian McCaffrey reflected on riding a "wild rollercoaster" this season after he helped the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in just his eighth game with the team.

All-Pro running back McCaffrey joined the 49ers in a blockbuster trade from the Carolina Panthers back in October.

His arrival has served as a catalyst for a surge from San Francisco that has seen them win seven successive games to move to 10-4 and clinch the division title for the first time since 2019, despite losing top two quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance to injury and being forced to turn to rookie Brock Purdy.

McCaffrey was the focal point of the attack as the 49ers sealed the NFC West with a 21-13 road win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

He rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and added another 30 yards receiving on six catches.

The former eighth overall pick finds himself in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt, having been traded from a Panthers team that started 1-5.

Asked about his campaign, McCaffrey said: "It's hard to put into words. It's been a wild rollercoaster, and obviously we still have a lot more left.

"But it's nice to be able to celebrate this one with an amazing group of guys, and I'm just so fortunate to be a part of this team."

While the 49ers enjoyed raucous celebrations and sported their division title hats and t-shirts, they still have many more mountains to scale in pursuit of an elusive sixth Super Bowl title.

"This isn't our final goal by any means," head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

"I'm very proud of our team and what we accomplished throughout the year to get to this.

"Our goal is to get into the tournament [the playoffs], and we accomplished that today, but now it's all trying to set that up to be the best situation we can and hopefully get some of our guys back, too, in the process."

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll "cannot fathom" playing without wide receiver Tyler Lockett after he suffered a broken index finger.

Lockett sustained the injury on the final offensive drive of the Seahawks' 21-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.

The win clinched the NFC West for 10-4 San Francisco and served as a further dent to Seattle's hopes of securing a Wild Card berth at 7-7.

Seattle's prospects of reaching the postseason now appear to be further diminished by the loss of the former first-team All-Pro and two-time second-team All-Pro Lockett.

The Seahawks are still deciding how to treat the injury, with surgery an option for Lockett, who could return in two weeks, according to Carroll.

"There's a couple different ways that they can do the surgery," Carroll said. "One of the ways gives him a chance to be back.

"Remember [running back] Rashaad Penny... had an injury similar, very similar.

"So they've already floated that thought and they're going to talk about all the options and all that and we're going to love him up and take care of him. Whatever the right thing to do to take care of him, we're going to do.

"I can't fathom playing without Tyler. I got a chance to hang with him, just to try to express what it's like to be working with a guy like this for so long.

"He's such an incredible player. He's not in tremendous pain. He's got a broken hand.

"You feel sorry for him, but he's such a magnificent football player and a member of the team and member of the community and our area and our fans ... that we're gonna miss the heck out of him for whatever he misses."

Since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2015, Lockett has racked up 7,031 receiving yards and 53 receiving touchdowns, which are tied for the seventh-most in the league in that span.

The Seahawks visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Eve before finishing their regular season with games against the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.

Kyle Shanahan described Brock Purdy as 'the most poised rookie I've ever had" after he fought through injury to help the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in Thursday's 21-13 win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Purdy, who was the last pick of this year's NFL Draft, started his second consecutive game after taking over following the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the second game in a row, Purdy did not commit a turnover, finishing with 17 completions from 26 attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

He also helped star tight end George Kittle have his best game of the season, catching four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, after entering the contest with only four touchdowns in 11 games.

With the victory, the 49ers clinched the NFC West and at least one home playoff game, improving their record to 10-4 on the back of a seven-game winning streak.

Purdy was questionable during the week due to oblique and rib injuries, but 49ers head coach Shanahan believes his young quarterback levelled up in the eyes of the locker room as he battled through it.

"It was definitely another level," he said. "It was another level for me, just watching someone do it. 

"The injury he had last week, and for him to be ready to go today – and you could tell in pre-game warmups there were a number of things that were really tough for him. We had a number of plays we weren't going to call today because of where he was at.

"So for him to be able to play, let alone play the way he did… this team had a lot of respect for him before this game, but they have a lot more now.

“He's definitely the most poised rookie I've ever had. He's been like that since he got here. From what I hear about him in college, he was very similar, starting as a freshman. He's been great, he was poised all week even when he was unsure about whether he could go or not.

"I think that was uneasy for him, because he didn't know what to expect until he got in the game.

"Under our circumstances, we didn't have any other options, or choices. We were going to see how long he could last, and we were ready to go with [backup quarterback] Josh [Johnson], but he got comfortable, and got better as the game went on – it was pretty unbelievable."

Purdy himself did his best to deflect a lot of the positive sentiments towards his team-mates, particularly injured quarterbacks Garoppolo and Trey Lance.

"It's special and everything, but honestly, I'm just another component," he said. "I'm another piece to this team, in terms of a guy coming in, just doing what [is asked of him]. 

"I'm the quarterback, I have to make decisions. I trust in how the coaches teach me throughout the week, and I just try to get the ball out to the guys on time.

"Honestly, man, I don't think Jimmy and Trey get enough credit for what they've done. I'm just now coming on the scene where these guys have been here, throughout the offseason for Trey, and Jimmy coming in and leading these guys, and winning.

"So, for me to come in, I just want to continue what they got rolling. So a big credit to Jimmy and Trey for what they've done, especially in the quarterback room, for the team, and I'm just trying to do my part in terms of where we're at now in the season."

The business end of the NFL season is here as the playoff picture starts to emerge.

You can tell things are getting interesting as this weekend sees three Saturday games, meaning football fans can stretch out their weekend viewing even further.

Saturday sees the Minnesota Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts, the Baltimore Ravens visit the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills taking on the Miami Dolphins.

Sunday's action includes a clash in the NFC South where no team seems to want to finish first, but the winner of the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints will leave themselves with an inexplicable chance to do so.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers behind a selection of Week 15's games.

Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (10-3)

While the Vikings have been having a far better season than the Colts, they are just 7-18-1 all-time in the series between the two (including playoffs). It is the Vikings' worst record against any single opponent.

Indianapolis entered their bye week with a 54-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, in which they were outscored by 33 points in the fourth quarter (33-0), the largest point differential in a single fourth quarter in NFL history.

Matt Ryan needs 125 passing yards to reach 3,000 for the 13th consecutive season, which would make him the eighth QB in NFL history to accomplish the feat, joining Philip Rivers as the only two to do so without a Super Bowl victory.

Justin Jefferson set a franchise record with 223 receiving yards on 11 catches against the Detroit Lions. Jefferson is up to 4,516 career receiving yards, the most of anyone in NFL history in a player's first three seasons (next most being Randy Moss with 4,163).

Miami Dolphins (8-5) @ Buffalo Bills (10-3)

The Bills have a five-game winning streak at home against the Dolphins, tied for their longest of all-time. This is just one game shy of matching Buffalo's longest home win streak against a divisional opponent (twice against the Colts and once against the New England Patriots).

The Dolphins lost 23-17 to the Chargers last week, posting a season-low 127 passing yards. Miami's 10 completions in the game were their fewest since Week 13 of 2015 (nine).

Tyreek Hill had a 57-yard fumble return touchdown and 60-yard receiving touchdown last week, and leads the NFL with four plays of 50 or more yards this season. Hill had four total plays of 50 or more yards in his last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sean McDermott is 9-2 (.818) in his career as a head coach against the Dolphins, the best record by any head coach with at least eight games against Miami all-time. Only two coaches have 10 or more career wins against Miami (Bill Belichick, 26, and Marv Levy, 15).

Atlanta Falcons (5-8) @ New Orleans Saints (4-9)

The Falcons' three-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their last game was Atlanta's 10th game this season decided by six points or fewer, tied for the most in franchise history (also in 1995, 2015 and 2017).

Cordarrelle Patterson is one of three players in NFL history to average 5.0+ yards per rush and 9.0+ yards per reception over his career (minimum 400 rushes and 200 receptions), along with Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell.

The Saints have held their opponent to fewer than 300 net passing yards in 22 consecutive games, tied with the Bengals for the second-longest active streak in the NFL (after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 27).

Chris Olave has had at least 40 receiving yards in all 12 games of his career thus far, the second-longest streak by any NFL player to begin his career in the Super Bowl era behind fellow Saints player Michael Thomas (19).

Elsewhere...

Panthers QB Sam Darnold has won both of his starts this season and has not thrown a pick in either. He has now won seven straight starts dating back to 2020 in games where he has not thrown an interception, tied for the third-longest active streak among QBs (Jimmy Garoppolo 16, Jalen Hurts 13, Joe Burrow 7), and will look to extend it against the Steelers.

The Dallas Cowboys will have to find a way to stop Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. Since November 1, Lawrence has the highest completion percentage in the NFL among players with at least 100 attempts (71.8). On the season, the Jaguars are 5-2 when he completes at least 70.0 per cent of his passes compared to 0-6 when he does not.

The Las Vegas Raiders will look to bounce back against the New England Patriots after blowing a 13-point lead with fewer than four minutes remaining in their 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. Over the last 40 seasons, the only other time the team had lost a game it led by 13+ points with four minutes or less remaining was in Week 3 of the 1993 season to the Cleveland Browns. 

Tom Brady was 34-for-55 for 253 yards last week, the 11th time in his career he has attempted at least 55 passes. His teams are now 3-8 in such games, with wins in 2002 against Chicago, 2015 against Buffalo, and Week 9 of this season against the Rams. The Buccaneers (6-7) will hope he can guide them to a much-needed W against the Bengals.

Kyle Shanahan called the performance of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy "unbelievable" after he fought through injury to help the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in Thursday's 21-13 win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Purdy, who was the very last pick of this year's NFL Draft, started his second consecutive game after taking over following the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the second game in a row, Purdy did not commit a single turnover, finishing with 17 completions from 26 attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

He also helped star tight end George Kittle have his best game of the season, catching four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, after entering the contest with only four touchdowns in 11 games.

With the victory, the 49ers clinched the NFC West and at least one home playoff game, improving their record to 10-4 on the back of a seven-game winning streak.

Purdy was questionable during the week due to oblique and rib injuries, but 49ers head coach Shanahan believes his young quarterback levelled up in the eyes of the locker room as he battled through it.

"It was definitely another level," he said. "It was another level for me, just watching someone do it. 

"The injury he had last week, and for him to be ready to go today – and you could tell in pre-game warmups there were a number of things that were really tough for him. We had a number of plays we weren't going to call today because of where he was at.

"So for him to be able to play, let alone play the way he did… this team had a lot of respect for him before this game, but they have a lot more now."

Shanahan was not finished there with his praise, calling him "the most poised rookie I've ever had".

"From what I hear about him in college, he was very similar, starting as a freshman," he said. "He's been great, he was poised all week even when he was unsure about whether he could go or not.

"I think that was uneasy for him, because he didn't know what to expect until he got in the game.

"Under our circumstances, we didn't have any other options, or choices. We were going to see how long he could last, and we were ready to go with [backup quarterback] Josh [Johnson], but he got comfortable, and got better as the game went on – it was pretty unbelievable."

Purdy himself did his best to deflect a lot of the positive sentiments towards his teammates, particularly injured quarterbacks Garoppolo and Trey Lance.

"It's special and everything, but honestly, I'm just another component," he said. "I'm another piece to this team, in terms of a guy coming in, just doing what [is asked of him]. 

"I'm the quarterback, I have to make decisions. I trust in how the coaches teach me throughout the week, and I just try to get the ball out to the guys on time.

"Honestly, man, I don't think Jimmy and Trey get enough credit for what they've done. I'm just now coming on the scene where these guys have been here, throughout the offseason for Trey, and Jimmy coming in and leading these guys, and winning.

"So, for me to come in, I just want to continue what they got rolling. So a big credit to Jimmy and Trey for what they've done, especially in the quarterback room, for the team, and I'm just trying to do my part in terms of where we're at now in the season."

The San Francisco 49ers are officially NFC West champions with three games to spare after a 21-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

It was another strong start at quarterback for the last pick in this year's NFL Draft, as Brock Purdy remained without a turnover through his first two starts.

Purdy completed 17 of his 26 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions, leading a touchdown drive in each of the first three quarters.

He was helped out with some terrific performances from his skill-position players, with tight end George Kittle getting on the receiving end of both touchdown passes, finishing with four catches for 93 yards.

Elite running back Christian McCaffrey was at his best as well, handling 26 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while also adding six catches for 30 yards through the air – with five of those catches coming in the first quarter.

The Seahawks scored their only touchdown of the game when Geno Smith connected with Noah Fant on an 11-yard pass with 3:35 remaining to cut the margin to one score, but the 49ers could have added another touchdown of their own in the final seconds, instead deciding to kneel it out from the two-yard line.

With the win, the 49ers improved their record to 10-4, continuing their incredible run of seven consecutive wins after opening the season 3-4.

Trevor Lawrence has described the Jacksonville Jaguars' London Series loss to the Denver Broncos as the result that "flipped a switch" to inspire his remarkable turnaround in form.

The 2021 draft's number one pick initially struggled to deliver for the Jaguars, who headed to Wembley Stadium in late October with a 2-5 record for the season.

Lawrence disappointed in London as the Broncos sealed a comeback win, but the quarterback has since guided his team to three wins from their last five games, providing some of the best displays of his career.

The ex-Clemson graduate feels that defeat triggered something in him, claiming his improvement stemmed from the frustration of coming up short across the Atlantic Ocean.

"[We] should have won that game," Lawrence said. "I remember I never forgot how I felt in that locker room, so I don't want to feel like this anymore.

"I'm going to one, start taking care of the ball, but two, I just want to be the player that I know I can be.

"I think that kind of flipped a switch in me and honestly, I think I have a little bit more of a chip on my shoulder now.

"Last year and a half, I don't really forget what's been said and what people have written. Now you see people change their minds after a couple of weeks, but I remember everything.

"I don't use that necessarily as my only fuel, but [I] definitely use that, and I think that's something this team's done.

"We remember what people were saying when we lost five in a row, and then we've won some big games now and people changed their minds quicky.

"So, we just have that same mentality that we want to prove how good we can be every week."

Co-owner John Mara believes the New York Giants are enjoying their "best vibes" for a long time under first-year coach Brian Daboll, as they look to push on for the postseason.

The Giants are bottom of the NFC East, but sit seventh in the conference standings overall after an impressive 7-5-1 campaign to date.

In what was anticipated to be a season of transition under Daboll, the Giants have continued to upset expectations, though they are winless in their last four to check their momentum.

Still, Mara is enjoying what he sees so far, though he is waiting to reserve judgement until the end of the year, as his team look to break a playoff drought that stretches back to the 2016 season.

"We'll see how it finishes out," he told NJ Advance Media. "But right now, I feel good about the team, the direction we are going.

"You are always disappointed if you don't make the playoffs, but we are trying to take it one week at a time at this point.

"I know that sounds like coach-speak, but that's really the only way you can look at it right now.

"I just know the vibe in the building is the best that it has been in a long time. People are all pulling in the same direction."

The Giants - who posted their lone draw of the season during their last four matches - will look to get back to winning ways when they face the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

With both teams tied in the standings, the winner will see a boost for their playoff hopes at the expense of their rivals.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow spoke about the significance of facing seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady for the first time ahead of Sunday's clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Burrow was full of praise for 45-year-old Bucs quarterback Brady, with plenty seeing parallels and comparisons between the two in terms of style.

The 26-year-old QB, who is seeking the Bengals' sixth straight win on Sunday, declined to discuss the comparisons, instead lauding his elder statesman Brady.

"I don't really pay attention to it," Burrow told reporters about the comparisons. "He's Tom, and I'm Joe."

He added: "It's really incredible. He's 45 now. He's getting hit by the same people I'm getting hit by. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication and the team he has around him in the offseason to get his body right."

Brady (3585) ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards during this season at the age of 45-years-old, with Burrow (3685) sitting third overall.

The pair are tied for most passing touchdowns in fourth quarters this season, while they are both ranked in the top 10 for fourth-quarter QBR, showing they handle pressure well.

"He gets the ball out really fast," Burrow said. "He understands what he's looking at. I think he epitomizes toughness at the quarterback position.

"He's a great leader. He's the greatest of all time for a reason. He's the total package."

Going into the game, the Bengals are 9-4 and second in the AFC North following their five-game winning streak while the Bucs are below .500 at 6-7, yet lead the NFC South.

"Obviously, the greatest quarterback ever is on the other side," Burrow said. "But we got a job to do, too, and our job is to go and win, get to 10-4 and move on."

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow downplayed the significance of facing seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady for the first time ahead of Sunday's clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Burrow was full of praise for 45-year-old Bucs quarterback Brady, with plenty seeing parallels and comparisons between the two in terms of style.

The 26-year-old QB, who is seeking the Bengals' sixth straight win on Sunday, declined to discuss the comparisons, instead lauding his elder statesman Brady.

"I don't really pay attention to it," Burrow told reporters about the comparisons. "He's Tom, and I'm Joe."

He added: "It's really incredible. He's 45 now. He's getting hit by the same people I'm getting hit by. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication and the team he has around him in the offseason to get his body right."

Brady (3585) ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards during this season at the age of 45-years-old, with Burrow (3685) sitting third overall.

The pair are tied for most passing touchdowns in fourth quarters this season, while they are both ranked in the top 10 for fourth-quarter QBR, showing they handle pressure well.

"He gets the ball out really fast," Burrow said. "He understands what he's looking at. I think he epitomizes toughness at the quarterback position.

"He's a great leader. He's the greatest of all time for a reason. He's the total package."

Going into the game, the Bengals are 9-4 and second in the AFC North following their five-game winning streak while the Bucs are below .500 at 6-7, yet lead the NFC South.

"Obviously, the greatest quarterback ever is on the other side," Burrow said. "But we got a job to do, too, and our job is to go and win, get to 10-4 and move on."

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would not be drawn on an update on the franchise's interest in Odell Beckham Jr but simply said "stand by" in a sign a decision is close.

The Cowboys have been involved in a drawn-out courtship with Beckham, who has been a free agent since leaving the Los Angeles Rams after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in last season's Super Bowl triumph.

The wide receiver appeared close to a move to the Cowboys after undergoing a physical earlier this month.

Beckham's ACL injury has created doubt about his availability, although the 30-year-old said last week he sees no point in playing regular-season games, with a view to a playoffs impact.

That situation seems to have stalled the move but Jones hinted that it may be close after the NFL owners meetings wrapped up.

"I don't want to talk about that but stand by," Jones said. "This thing could break."

The Cowboys are second in the NFC East with a 10-3 record on the back of a four-game win streak and Jones is bullish Beckham could make an impact when the pressure is on.

"Great players make great plays," Jones said. "Great ones make exceptional plays and so I hope we advance here where a handful of great plays, if I may be arm waving about it, could be the difference in a world championship."

The Cowboys, who could clinch a playoff spot with victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, have not won a Super Bowl since 1995, when they won three in five years.

The San Francisco 49ers can clinch a first NFC West title since the 2019 season with a road victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, and will almost certainly look to the ground game to help them do so.

San Francisco crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 in Week 14 in a dream first start for rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. That victory, combined with the Seahawks' surprise home loss to the Carolina Panthers, gave the 9-4 Niners a two-game lead atop the division.

The 49ers beat the Seahawks 27-7 way back in Week 2, their largest win over Seattle since a 38-7 triumph in Week 4 of the 1988 season. If they complete a season sweep of Seattle for the first time since 2011, the 49ers will have a three-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks with three games remaining, securing them a second successive trip to the postseason.

Kyle Shanahan's team went all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season, surrendering a fourth-quarter lead to the Los Angeles Rams, and the 49ers look to have the potential to contend for the Super Bowl again this year, even after losing their top two quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, and being forced to turn to Brock Purdy, the last pick in this year's draft.

The Niners are on a six-game winning streak, with their last four victories each coming by at least 13 points. They are the only team to win four straight games, all by 13+ points, this season.

In the 28-point win over the Tom Brady-led Bucs, Purdy became the first quarterback to beat a former Super Bowl-winning QB by more than 10 points while making his first career start. Purdy is looking to be the sixth Niners QB to win his first two career NFL starts.

Purdy picked up where he left off in the 49ers' Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins, in which he replaced the injured Garoppolo, going 16 of 21 for 185 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another score. He continued to display poise, decisiveness, accuracy and the ability to defeat pressure. Through just under two full games, Purdy has a well-thrown rate that is superior to that of Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence, the former Iowa State signal-caller delivering an accurate, well-thrown ball on 83.3 per cent of his pass attempts.

But in the famously raucous road environment in Seattle, the 49ers have plenty of reason to take the game off the arm of Purdy against a Seahawks run defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.

The 49ers averaged 6.1 yards per rush last week against the Bucs, with Christian McCaffrey and rookie Jordan Mason each excelling on the ground.

McCaffrey had 119 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries, as well as two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, while Mason averaged 5.1 yards per carry as the 49ers cruised in the second half after building a 35-0 lead.

Since his debut for the 49ers in Week 7, McCaffrey is averaging 106 scrimmage yards per game, the seventh-most in the NFL. With versatile wide receiver Deebo Samuel out with a high ankle sprain, McCaffrey is the undisputed focal point of the offense.

On a short week in what is sure to be a hard-fought divisional game, the 49ers might not be able to rely too heavily on McCaffrey, meaning Mason may see a larger share of the workload. 

The Niners clinched the NFC West and the number one seed in the conference in the regular-season finale in Seattle in 2019 with a dramatic late goal-line stand.

They will need their defense, ranked first in the NFL by success rate (35%) to stand tall again versus a dangerous Seahawks' offense led by Geno Smith, but if the 49ers can control possession and move the ball on the ground against a defense that appears ill-equipped to stop McCaffrey and company, San Francisco will be a strong position to punch their ticket to the postseason.

A disappointing season for the Arizona Cardinals took another turn on Wednesday with general manager Steve Keim taking an indefinite, health-related leave of absence from the team.

Keim is in his 10th year as the Cardinals' GM and has been with the team in some capacity since 1999, when he was hired as a regional scout.

He was signed to a contract extension through 2027 in March after Arizona finished last season 11-6 before a wild card loss to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams.

"Out of respect for privacy - which is required by law - the team will refrain from commenting further," the Cardinals said in a statement.

Keim's duties will be handled on an interim basis by VP of Personnel Quentin Harris and VP of Pro Personnel Adrian Wilson.

At 4-9, the Cardinals will miss the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons, and will remain without a postseason victory since 2016.

Star quarterback Kyler Murray was lost to an ACL tear in Monday night's defeat to the New England Patriots and is expected to have surgery after Christmas.

In 2018, Keim was suspended for five weeks and fined $200,000 by the team following a guilty plea to extreme DUI.

Deshaun Watson is "excited" ahead of his first home game for the Cleveland Browns, but added "I can’t control what the reaction is going to be".

Watson has played two games for the Browns since returning from his 11-game ban for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy for allegedly committing sexual assault.

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback left the Houston Texans for the Browns in the offseason on a five-year deal worth $230million guaranteed.

Watson did not play in the 2021 season as accusations emerged from more than two dozen women of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct during massage sessions, leading to the NFL-imposed ban and a record $5m fine in August.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game against AFC North rivals the Baltimore Ravens, Watson said he is unsure how the fans at FirstEnergy Stadium will welcome him, having been booed in his first game back on the road to the Texans a fortnight ago.

"I am not even sure," he said. "My main objective for this weekend is going out there and just showing this crowd and showing the Cleveland fans and this city that we are going out there to compete, and this season is not over for us.

"I can't control what the reaction is going to be. I am not sure what it is going to be. Like I said, I am excited to go out there, play football and get back in the old school uniforms and the white face masks and things like that and have a little bit of fun and just try to make the Saturday something special for Cleveland."

After a disappointing comeback against the Texans in Week 13, Watson followed up with a slightly improved showing against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, albeit in a 23-10 defeat.

The 27-year-old completed 26 of 42 passes, throwing for 276 yards with one touchdown pass as a 13-yard effort found David Njoku in the third quarter.

Watson agreed that he has more to give, and vowed to improve as the Browns look to improve on their 5-8 record.

"I am not close to where I [want to be] at, and I don't want to be where I was in 2020 – I want to be better," he said. "I have a long way to go. I want to continue to improve. I want to be that player whenever I step on the field that no one can stop us.

"That is my mentality, but we have to continue to go out there and continue to show that and try to do that and not just talk about it but actually prove it on the field. I am nowhere near where I want to be. This team also is nowhere near where we want to be. We have to continue to just keep growing and finish the season strong."