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Archives for December 26, 2025

NFL Week 17 Previews – Sunday 1pm

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Arizona Cardinals (3-12) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bengals -7, Total 53.5

There hasn’t been a lot to celebrate for either team this season, but the Bengals are not complaining about Joe Burrow finding his groove last week. The Bengals enjoyed arguably their best all-around performance of the season last Sunday, scoring 35 straight points to wipe out an early 14-10 deficit in a 45-21 rout of the host Miami Dolphins. The Cardinals lost their seventh straight, a 26-19 home setback to the Atlanta Falcons, last Sunday and are fixed on figuring out what’s needed to compete next season. The Bengals answered their first shutout loss since 2017 – and their first with Burrow as quarterback – by posting their largest scoring output of the season. The Bengals lead the NFL with 11 takeaways since Week 12. Defensive end Myles Murphy and safety Jordan Battle, both third-year starters, teamed up for Cincinnati’s first takeaway against Miami. Jacoby Brissett has consistently produced since taking over the starting spot for Kyler Murray. He has 200-plus yards and at least one TD pass in each of his 10 starts this season. He has helped TE Trey McBride reach 100-plus receptions for the second consecutive season. McBride can become the first NFL tight end with back-to-back 110-catch seasons with one reception Sunday.

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) at Cleveland Browns (3-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Steelers -3, Total 34.5

The Steelers might be AFC North champions before midnight Saturday — if the Ravens lose at Green Bay — but the plan for Pittsburgh is to win the final two games, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. The gameplan might be different given the subtraction of WR DK Metcalf, who serves the first of his two-game suspension for grabbing a fan at Detroit. QB Aaron Rodgers called for other wide receivers to “step up” when called upon the next two games. Metcalf has been targeted 99 times and caught 59 passes for 850 yards, while all other Pittsburgh wideouts combined have been targeted 90 times with 56 receptions for 665 yards. Even without Metcalf, a huge boost might be on the way in the form of pass rusher T.J. Watt, who practiced Wednesday for the first time in two weeks. Watt has been sidelined since a procedure required to recover from a punctured lung. Watt’s presence is newsworthy for rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, who makes his first start against a division opponent. The Steelers held the Browns to three field goals in a 23-9 victory in their first meeting this season but haven’t won in Cleveland since 2021. Browns rookie RB Quinshon Judkins landed on injured reserve with a broken leg and dislocated ankle sustained last week, ending his season after rushing 34 times for 69 yards the past three games. Sanders is 1-4 as a starter but had the Browns in position to take down the Buffalo Bills last week before succumbing in a 23-20 defeat.

New Orleans Saints (5-10) at Tennessee Titans (3-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Saints -2.5, Total 39.5

Rookie quarterbacks are front and center on Sunday with Cam Ward starting to show why Tennessee drafted him first overall in April. Ward has three consecutive two-TD games and completed a career-high 75% of his passes against the Chiefs last week. New Orleans rookie Tyler Shough delivered a 300-yard game in the Saints’ 29-6 thrashing of the Jets last week. Ward was the headliner in a rookie class that leads a youth movement in Tennessee. Titans WR Chimere Dike, a fourth-round pick, has set himself apart by leading the NFL in all-purpose yards (151.3 per game) to earn a starting spot in the Pro Bowl. Shough has completed 66.4% of his passes for 1,792 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. His passer rating is 86.5.

Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) at Indianapolis Colts (8-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Jaguars -5.5, Total 48.5

Jacksonville demoralized the Colts in a 36-19 win in Florida on Dec. 7 and has already clinched its first playoff berth since 2022. The Jaguars, winners of six of the past eight meetings with Indianapolis, have won five consecutive games to surge ahead of the AFC South pack while the Colts have lost five in a row. Philip Rivers took over the QB1 job for the Colts since Daniel Jones tore his Achilles in the loss at Jacksonville earlier this month. Signed off the couch to start the last two games at age 44, Rivers had Indianapolis in the game for four quarters at Seattle and on Monday for two-plus quarters before the 49ers pulled away. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence ran his interception-free streak to four games. With three touchdowns in the win, he set a career high with 26 touchdown passes this season. While 2025 first-round pick Travis Hunter played just seven games before sustaining a season-ending knee injury and 2024 first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. has battled injuries and not followed up his breakout rookie season, Jacksonville’s receiver-by-committee approach has worked well with five different leading receivers in the team’s last five games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) at Miami Dolphins (6-9)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Buccaneers -5.5, Total 45.5

The Buccaneers have won four consecutive division titles since 2021 and are in must-win territory at Miami after being bounced from the NFC South lead by the Panthers last week. Tampa has won six of the past seven meetings with the Dolphins, who are going with Quinn Ewers at quarterback for the second consecutive game because of Tua Tagovailoa’s turnover issues. The Bucs have lost each of their past three games by four points or fewer. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield faces a Miami defense that excelled during the team’s recent four-game winning streak that provided a brief sliver of hope to make the playoffs. In two games since, the Dolphins have allowed 73 points; opponents have scored on 11 of their last 18 possessions with 10 touchdowns. Miami allowed four consecutive touchdown drives to open the second half last week in a 45-21 loss to Cincinnati. The prior week, the Dolphins allowed four consecutive touchdown drives from the end of the first half into the third quarter in a loss to Pittsburgh. Ewers was effective early and then struggled toward the end of his first start last week. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 260 yards but threw two interceptions with no touchdowns.

New England Patriots (12-3) at New York Jets (3-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Patriots -13.5, Total 42.5

The Jets are cooking up a top draft pick and have been out of the playoff chase for weeks as a familiar, crippling problem struck for first-year coach Aaron Glenn: the franchise still doesn’t have a quarterback. Justin Fields (knee; IR) and Tyrod Taylor were not successful getting the Jets’ offense off the ground and undrafted rookie Brady Cook has been given a shot this month to prove he can bring value to the team going forward. The Patriots are more than settled at the position with Drake Maye delivering MVP-caliber production in his second NFL season. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft leads the league in completion percentage (70.9) and New England is 7-0 on the road this season. Cook has passed for 527 yards and one touchdown with six interceptions in three games this season.

Seattle Seahawks (12-3) at Carolina Panthers (8-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Seahawks -7.5, Total 42.5

Seattle has won five consecutive games and the Panthers are riding high after a statement win over reigning NFC South division champion Tampa Bay last week, but the challenge on Sunday could be not looking ahead to bigger fish in Week 18. The Seahawks play at San Francisco in the regular-season finale, which could decide the NFC West and determine the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Panthers, leading the division after a 23-20 win over the Buccaneers last Sunday, are at Tampa next week with a playoff spot on the line. Panthers QB Bryce Young drove the Panthers down the field for a go-ahead field goal with a little more than two minutes remaining last week. It was the 12th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime in three seasons for Young — the most of any QB over that span. The Seahawks can win the division this week in Mike Macdonald’s second season — and for the first time since 2020 — but won’t know anything about their final playoff positioning until the 49ers (11-4) and Rams (11-4) take the field. Seattle took control of its playoff destiny when it overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat the Rams, 38-37, in overtime last week, grabbing the division lead in the process.

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NFL Week 17 Previews | 4pm Games

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New York Giants (2-13) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Giants -1.5, Total 40.5

Losing this game has all kinds of value, with the chance to take the lead in the chase for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft in play. Neither coach wants to discuss that treasure or a 14th loss to echo conversations underscoring the failures it took to get here. Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart is doing his best to showcase enough potential to enter the offseason as the incumbent starter. The game between teams with matching 2-13 records is just the third in NFL history where both are at least 11 games under .500, and the first such matchup since 1991. Dart did not have a pass attempt until under two minutes remained in the first half of a 16-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week but was sacked five times while completing 7 of 13 pass attempts for just 33 yards. Three starting offensive linemen, including left tackle Andrew Thomas, were idle early in the week due to injuries. The Raiders nearly broke free from their doldrums last Sunday after taking a third-quarter lead on the road against the Houston Texans, only to fall 23-21. Last year’s 4-13 record allowed Las Vegas to select running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall draft pick, and he continued to show his promise against the Texans with a 60-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and a 51-yard TD run late in the game.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) at Buffalo Bills (11-4)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
FanDuel odds: Bills -1.5, Total 44.5

The Bills are one game behind the Patriots in the AFC East race with two games left and need to prove to themselves that they can stop the run. Cold temperatures, a chance of precipitation and a heavy dose of Saquon Barkley are all in the forecast for the Week 17 clash at Highmark Stadium, where Buffalo is 6-1 this season. Barkley has rushed for 332 yards with three touchdowns in the last three games to top the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career. The Eagles are averaging 4.9 yards per carry during that span, which included an overtime road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a shutout of the Las Vegas Raiders and a 29-18 road win last weekend against the Washington Commanders. The Bills have won four straight games to keep the pressure on the Patriots despite their struggles against the run. Buffalo ranks 30th in rushing defense (144.3 yards per game) and allows a whopping 5.4 yards per carry — second-most in the NFL to the New York Giants (5.5). Nobody has allowed as many touchdowns on the ground (24) as the Bills. After allowing a season-high 246 rushing yards (and four TDs) in a Week 15 win at New England, Buffalo surrendered 160 yards on the ground in a 23-20 escape at Cleveland last weekend.

-Field Level Media

Filed Under: NFL

NFL MNF Preview: Rams at Falcons

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ATLANTA – (Wire Service Preview) – With slim NFC West hopes still alive, the visiting Los Angeles Rams return to action after an extended break when they face the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

In order to clinch its second straight division title, Los Angeles (11-4) needs to beat Atlanta and the Arizona Cardinals, while the Seattle Seahawks (12-3) and San Francisco 49ers (11-4) must lose at least once each across the final two weeks.

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The Rams’ odds of earning the NFC’s lone postseason bye took a hit last time out, as they squandered a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit in a 38-37 overtime loss to Seattle on Dec. 18.

With everything to play for still in front of the team, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay is eager to remove the bad taste the Week 16 loss left.

“We did get a chance to get caught up on rest, but at the same time, as a competitor, you’re ready to get back at it,” McVay said. “I couldn’t have been more excited to get back in the building and get around our players and start our preparation.”

The Rams lead the NFL with 30.5 points and rank second at 396.7 yards per game, paced by the favorite to win league MVP in quarterback Matthew Stafford. The 37-year-old leads all players with 4,179 passing yards and 40 touchdowns.

The Rams have allowed 36 points per game across the last two outings, leaving McVay’s defense with a challenge on Monday night — mainly that of stopping dynamic Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.

“Oh, he’s unbelievable,” McVay said of Robinson. “It’s a tremendous impact and you have to be aware of him, but they’ve got great skill everywhere. (Quarterback) Kirk (Cousins) does a great job running the show. They can beat you in a variety of ways. Every time they touch the ball, they’re a threat to score.”

Atlanta (6-9) was eliminated from postseason contention for the eighth straight year on Dec. 7, but have won consecutive games for just the second time this season. The Falcons host Los Angeles for the first time in six years and head coach Raheem Morris knows they have their hands full with the Rams’ high-octane offense.

“These guys are a problem. We know these guys,” Morris said. “Start with ‘Weapon X’ (Stafford). The quarterback, he’s a problem. Obviously, Sean McVay calling it for those guys. And then, you know, Puka’s (Nacua) a dog in every right. Leads the league — I don’t know what he leads the league in. Probably everything. … You’re talking about one of the best teams, if not the best team in the National Football League.”

Nacua’s 1,592 receiving yards rank second in the NFL, while teammate Davante Adams’ 14 receiving touchdowns lead the league.

In another disappointing campaign, the Falcons can hang their hat on playing well in the national spotlight. Atlanta is playing its fifth prime-time game, winning three of its first four ahead of the final regular-season edition of “Monday Night Football.”

“In prime time, we’ve gone out and found different ways of winning, whether it was Buffalo, whether it was Minnesota, whether it was Thursday night versus Tampa,” Morris said. “Those are the type of games you want to be able to put together week in and week out. If we can find ways to be consistent in doing those things, I think that will really help us.”

Robinson leads the NFL with 2,026 all-purpose yards while being named to his second straight Pro Bowl. Cousins has thrown for five touchdowns across the Falcons’ rare winning streak against the Buccaneers and the Cardinals.

Atlanta cornerback Mike Hughes (ankle) was a DNP on Thursday’s estimated practice report. Wide receiver Drake London (knee), tight end Teagan Quitoriano (hamstring), edge rusher James Pearce Jr. (neck) and corner Clark Phillips III (triceps, illness) were limited.

The Rams’ estimated report listed Adams (hamstring) as a non-participant along with offensive linemen Alaric Jackson (knee) and Kevin Dotson (ankle), defensive end Braden Fiske (ankle) and cornerback Josh Wallace (ankle).

–Field Level Media