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NBC Opts for Eagle Over Michaels

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -NBC plans to use 26-year-old Noah Eagle as the play-by-play voice for its No. 2 NFL playoff broadcast crew in January, passing on venerable voice Al Michaels.

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NBC “Sunday Night Football” tandem Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth have the call of the network’s primary playoff broadcast next month, but NBC declined to bring back Michaels for the second game. Instead, the college football broadcast team of Eagle and Todd Blackledge with sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen was assigned the No. 2 game.

Michaels, 79, reportedly earns $1 million per game in an agreement with Amazon that affords him the opportunity to accept assignments from NBC in his “emeritus” label granted when he left at the end of his last contract in 2022.

Michaels and Tony Dungy called the AFC wild-card game in Jacksonville last year, when the Jaguars rallied from a 27-point deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers.

Eagle is the son of Ian Eagle, an established play-by-play announcer for CBS, TBS and TNT, working college basketball, NBA and NFL games. Noah Eagle replaced Ian Eagle on YES Network NBA broadcasts this season.

Noah Eagle, Blackledge and Tappen are also assigned to the NBC regular-season broadcast of Steelers-Bengals on Dec. 23 and the Nickelodeon kid-focused broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.

Michaels has been the voice of primetime NFL coverage since 1986, first on “Monday Night Football” until he took the “Sunday Night Football” job alongside John Madden in 2006. He worked in the SNF role until the end of the 2021 season.

He currently calls Thursday night games streamed on Amazon Prime Video with analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

–Field Level Media

Big East: Georgetown, The Hall Win

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Seton Hall and Georgetown gained home court victories on Tuesday against non-league foes. Creighton is the only BIG EAST team in action on Wednesday.

Seton Hall used a 17-0 run in the first half to grab a double-digit lead against Monmouth, then held off rally attempts in the second half and recorded a 70-61 victory. Freshman Isaiah Coleman came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points. Jaden Bediako added 11 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

Georgetown was without guard Jayden Epps, the BIG EAST’s second leading scorer (19.1), due to illness, but the Hoyas (6-4) clamped down defensively on Coppin State in a 71-54 win. GU held the visitors to only 14 points in the first half. Dontrez Styles scored a game-high 19 points and Rowan Brumbaugh added 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.

Creighton travels to Henderson, Nev., to play UNLV in the Jack Jones Classic. The Bluejays (8-1), ranked eighth in the AP poll this week, have held opponents to 63.4 points per game and have allowed only 39 3-point baskets in their nine games. CBS Sports Network will televise the game at 9 p.m. ET.

Thursday’s schedule also shows just one game. No. 7 Marquette hosts St. Thomas (Minn.) at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

Niners In the NFL Playoffs

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -Welcome to the 2023 playoffs, San Francisco 49ers. And don’t look now, but howdy to New York Giants and Chicago Bears, both just one game out in an overflowing NFC wild-card chase.

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San Francisco (10-3) stands as the No. 1 seed in the NFC entering Week 15. The 49ers received the initial entry into the NFL postseason by virtue of the Giants’ win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.

The 49ers have the same record as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco beat both teams in head-to-head matchups and can secure the NFC West division title this weekend.

Green Bay is one of five 6-7 teams in the NFC and holds the seventh and final playoff spot in the conference through 13 games.

Right behind the Packers are the Giants and Bears — 5-8 entering Week 15 — and still very much alive while also currently looking at top 10 draft picks based on their 2023 record. Chicago and Green Bay play in the regular-season finale Week 18 at Soldier Field.

The Baltimore Ravens (10-3) are alone in first place in the AFC following the loss by the Miami Dolphins (9-4) on Monday night to the Tennessee Titans.

Kansas City (8-5) and Jacksonville (8-5) lead their respective divisions by narrow margins to currently sit No. 3 (Chiefs) and No. 4 (Jaguars) in the conference.

At No. 5 are the Cleveland Browns (8-5), a game up on the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) and Indianapolis Colts (7-6).

The Colts play the Steelers on Saturday and Cleveland hosts the Bears.

Three teams with 6-7 records are angling for position in the NFC South. Tampa Bay, outscored 270-262 this season, is 5-4 in the NFC and own head-to-head victories of the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) and Bears with a trip to Lambeau Field to play the Packers this week.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Monday Night Football Preview

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Tennessee Titans (4-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-3): Tennessee has two wins since Oct. 1, and the Dolphins have two losses in the same span. The Titans have seven losses in which they scored 16 points or fewer. Miami has a 70-point outing and has put up less than 17 points once in 12 games. The Titans have 20 offensive touchdowns in 2023. The Dolphins have 22 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns. The Titans have a healthy Derrick Henry, which gives them a chance to execute a ball-possession plan to limit Miami’s offensive opportunities. Henry was over 100 yards with two touchdowns last week when he was sent to the locker room and didn’t return. Henry insists he’s ready to roll for Monday’s visit to Miami. The Dolphins have won three in a row with 99 total points and have a firm grip on the AFC East.

Green Bay Packers (6-6) at New York Giants (4-8): Tommy DeVito kept the starting QB job even with Tyrod Taylor returning from a rib injury after leading back-to-back wins to give the Giants a reasonable chance to finish with a winning record. New York’s offense isn’t a big-play machine, relying instead on RB Saquon Barkley — 865 yards from scrimmage — and a collection of wide receivers without a lead option since losing TE Darren Waller to a hamstring injury last month. The Packers are a different story with Jordan Love coming up clutch to win three consecutive games, steering Green Bay back into the playoff picture. Green Bay’s third-down offense (44 percent conversions) and the emergence of rookie WR Jayden Reed, one of three Packers’ receivers with five or more TDs, has helped cover in the absence of injured RB Aaron Jones. The Packers last allowed more than 24 points Sept. 28 at Detroit (34-20 loss). The Giants have scored more than 17 points once — 31 at Washington on Nov. 19 — since Sept. 17.

–Field Level Media

Cowboys Kick the %#@& Out of Eagles

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DALLAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Surging Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns, Brandon Aubrey converted several extra-long field goals and the Dallas Cowboys got revenge on the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles 33-13 on Sunday night in Arlington, Texas.

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Prescott completed 24 of 39 throws to help the Cowboys (10-3) win their fifth straight. They have not lost since the Eagles beat them 28-23 in Philadelphia on Nov. 5. Now the rivals are tied atop the division standings with four games to play.

Tight end Jake Ferguson led Dallas in receiving with five catches for 72 yards. CeeDee Lamb had six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Aubrey hit from 60, 59, 45 and 50 yards, becoming the first kicker in NFL history to make two field goals of 59 yards or longer in one game.

Jalen Hurts finished 18-of-27 passing for 197 yards for the Eagles (10-3), with A.J. Brown accounting for nine catches and 94 yards.

The Eagles lost three fumbles and committed 10 penalties for 95 yards in their second straight loss. In consecutive weeks, the San Francisco 49ers and the Cowboys combined to outscore Philadelphia 75-32.

Dallas opened the game with a methodical 10-play, 75-yard drive. Lamb caught a 13-yard touchdown pass exactly five minutes into the game.

Hurts guided the Eagles to the Dallas 21-yard line, where Donovan Wilson forced and recovered a fumble on a Hurts keeper. On the ensuing drive, Aubrey drilled his 60-yarder for a 10-0 lead that held up at the end of the quarter.

Jake Elliott converted from 52 yards for Philadelphia to cut it to 10-3 before the Cowboys scored touchdowns on their next two drives. First, Rico Dowdle pushed in from the 1-yard line; he was originally ruled short of the goal line before the call was overturned on a challenge.

After Elliott made a 44-yard field goal, the Cowboys sprinted 75 yards in eight plays and 1:28. Prescott hit Brandin Cooks over the top on a 30-yard play to the Eagles’ 1, and from there he connected with Michael Gallup for a touchdown to make it 24-6 at halftime.

Stephon Gilmore stripped Brown of the football and recovered it early in the third quarter.

Philadelphia capitalized on a fumble the other way when Fletcher Cox strip-sacked Prescott and Jalen Carter finished off a 42-yard scoop-and-score.

But Dallas’ next possession culminated in Aubrey’s 59-yard field goal. Aubrey, a rookie who played in the USFL before signing with Dallas, added the 45- and 50-yarders in the fourth quarter and improved to 8-for-8 on field goals 50 yards or longer.

The Eagles got to the red zone one more time, but Markquese Bell caused DeVonta Smith to fumble to prevent them from drawing any closer.

–Field Level Media

LA Lakers Outplay Pacers for NBA Cup

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LAS VEGAS – Anthony Davis recorded 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 123-109 on Saturday night in the NBA in-season tournament championship game.

Austin Reaves scored 28 points off the bench and LeBron James added 24 points and 11 rebounds for Los Angeles. D’Angelo Russell had 13 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who outrebounded the Pacers 55-32.

Tyrese Haliburton registered 20 points and 11 assists and Bennedict Mathurin also had 20 points for Indiana.

Aaron Nesmith added 15 points, Obi Toppin scored 13 and Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson had 10 points apiece for the Pacers.

The stats in this contest don’t count, but Davis would have posted his fifth career 40-point, 20-rebound effort. The game also doesn’t count in the regular-season standings.

James was named the in-season tournament MVP.

“Records will be broken but one thing that will never be broken is being the first to do something. We’re the first champions of the in-season tournament and nobody can ever top that,” James said. “It’s great to be able to do it with such a historical franchise and even better to do it with a great, great cast of funny, engaged, competitive men over here.”

The Lakers went 7-0 in the inaugural in-season tournament and the Pacers finished 6-1. Each team went 4-0 in group play and posted two knockout-round wins to reach the title game.

“I will remember the togetherness, the pride that they took in what they were accomplishing along the way and the excitement,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his team and its journey to the title game.

Each player on Los Angeles earns $500,000, while the players on Indiana will each receive $200,000.

“First to do it, first team to win it,” Davis said. “We know it’s not the real thing but we keep taking steps in the right direction. … Our energy and focus were off the charts (Saturday). First to do it, we’ll take it.”

Los Angeles shot 53.4 percent from the field while hitting just 2 of 13 shots from 3-point range.

Indiana connected on 36.8 percent of its shots and was 10 of 41 from 3-point range.

Mathurin made two baskets early in the fourth quarter as the Pacers crept within 92-89. Indiana again was within three after a trey by Turner with 6:11 left before Los Angeles delivered the knockout punch with a 13-0 burst.

Cam Reddish knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 105-99 and Davis followed with 10 straight points to make it 115-99 with 3:11 left. The Pacers were unable to move closer than 12 down the stretch.

Reaves scored 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Davis had 17 points and 11 rebounds as Los Angeles led 65-60 at the break. Nesmith had 11 points in the first half for Indiana.

Davis tallied 13 points in the first quarter as the Lakers led 34-29. Reaves scored 15 in the second quarter for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles started the third quarter with a 7-1 run to take a 72-61 lead.

Mathurin made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to leave Indiana trailing 90-82 entering the final stanza.

“We’re sick. We got outplayed (Saturday) from the start of the game to the end of the game,” Haliburton said. “They just outplayed us.”

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec. 10th

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

FOXBORO – Surely, you’ve heard the question before. Everyone has. Everyone thinks and dreams, but very few can check them off the list.

The Bucket List.

The question: Can you name your Top 10 Bucket List of Sports Destinations and Events?

It’s a tough one.

Those of us lucky enough to call New York and Boston as home base can check off a few by jumping on the “4” Train or the Green Line T to arrive within minutes at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park, respectively.

To delve into this topic, there will be three sets of 10 Bucket List choices. First will be a very typical list of all the obvious “bests.” Second, will be my good friend Mark’s choices and lastly, the WWYI columnist will list the ultimate Sports Bucket List, with an attempt to be more obscure. The lists will be in order of preference.

Here we go:

Top 10 Sports Destination/Event Bucket List

  1. The Super Bowl (any location)
  2. The Summer Olympic Games (any location)
  3. The Kentucky Derby
  4. The World Series (any location)
  5. The Masters
  6. Ryder Cup (in Europe)
  7. The Winter Olympics (any location, but Europe ideal)
  8. World Cup Final (any location)
  9. Wimbledon
  10. The Final Four (any location, any four basketball teams)

Mark’s list, and it’s a good one:

  1. Buffalo Bills home opener (annually, said the die-hard Bills fan)
  2. Wimbledon (Men’s and Women’s Semis
  3. The Winter Olympics (anywhere)
  4. Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One
  5. The Super Bowl (anywhere, especially if the Bills make it)
  6. Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  7. Green Bay Packers home game at Lambeau Field
  8. The Masters
  9. Army vs Navy Football Game
  10. The Kentucky Derby

The TL Bucket List of Sports (WWYI edition) – Not Your Average List

  1. The Army vs Navy Game – But, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  2. The Little League World Series
  3. The Travers and The Hopeful at Saratoga Race Course
  4. The French Open
  5. The Ryder Cup (Bethpage, Long Island, NY)
  6. Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  7. Monaco Grand Prix – Formula One (Monte Carlo)
  8. The BIG EAST Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden
  9. Wrigley Field – any Cubs home game
  10. The Boston Marathon (Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston, Massachusetts)

Do any of the events and destinations on this final list need an explanation? I doubt it, but for posterity’s sake, here’s a line on a few of the events selected by yours truly.

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Army v Navy – The impact of this event doesn’t hit you until you are there, in other words, until you’ve attended one … especially if it’s in Philadelphia. The pomp and rivalry is unmatched, but the ceremonies also stress the camaraderie of the cadets and midshipmen, often standing with alternating uniforms of the officers to be. … The game goes on, and the intensity builds (depending on the score), but as a civilian looking at the players – and more notably, the sections of cadets and midshipmen in dress gear – you can’t help but think that the young men and women will soon be putting their lives on the line, whether they are in training or deployed in war times. Some of those you gaze at – in respect – might not be around in another five years. It’s a daunting feeling, and because of it, the Army vs Navy game tops my list.

The Travers – The setting at the Saratoga Race Course is delightful, especially if you catch a nice summer day. The Travers brings the crowds, and the tiny town (and the bars) remains packed. The food is good, and the atmosphere is fantastic. Sure, the Kentucky Derby is more famous, the Belmont could determine a Triple Crown, and Delmar is unmatched, but I’ll take Saratoga, and the last Monday Hopeful was always a get-away day. It’s a favorite of my favorite Railbird, too.

The Ryder Cup at Bethpage (Black Course) is a driver and a long iron away from the hometown of WWYI’s author. Combine the familiar grounds with golf’s best event, and you’ve got something very special. It edged out a trip to Augusta, Georgia for The Masters.

The BIG EAST Championship/Tournament is a longtime favorite. The setting is the key at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Other college conference/teams can only dream of playing at The Garden.

The Boston Marathon, staged on Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth (new hometown) is the best day of the year. The event is inspiring to all who run and spectate. Friend of the column, 1967 Boston Marathon champion, Amby Burfoot, calls the race “the Carnegie Hall of Marathons,” citing New York’s prestigious Music Hall constructed between 1889 and 1891. And don’t forget, the Boston Red Sox play at historic Fenway Park at 11:00am on the holiday, and guess what? The bars are OPEN!

A FEW HONORABLE MENTIONS: (In no particular order) are: The Travellers(Cromwell, Connecticut) near Hartford. Once the Greater Hartford Open, the Travellers has fast become a favorite of the players on the PGA Tour because of the great TPC River Highlands golf course and the hospitality put forth by the organizers; the Frozen Four is NCAA ice hockey’s version of the Big Dance. It’s a must for college ice hockey fans. Similarly, the Beanpot Tournament in Boston pits Boston College, Boston University, Harvard and Northeastern on consecutive Mondays in February. The winners get the famed Beanpot. It’s just a great event. Of course, there are hundreds of others, such as the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Final, the Rose Bowl, the NHL Winter Classic or simply a game at Montreal or Toronto.

FEEL FREE to post your own top 10 in comments on Substack or the Digital Sports Desk Twitter (‘X’) page or on Face Book. So, go ahead! Name yours.

[Read more…] about TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec. 10th

NFL: Week 14 Previews

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Previews) – This week’s NFL game capsules:

Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) at Clev. Browns (7-5): Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team is preparing for both Trevor Lawrence (ankle) and C.J. Beathard to play for the Jaguars. Lawrence limped through practice Thursday but has a high-ankle sprain and his mobility would be minimal if he tries to play six days after being injured in the Jaguars’ loss to the Bengals. The Browns have allowed the fewest yards per game in the NFL at 260.5, and pass rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward are both playing with shoulder ailments. It’ll likely be Joe Flacco shouldering the load for the Browns at quarterback. He is 1-9 in his past 10 starts but had the Browns driving to take the lead when he threw an interception in Cleveland’s loss at the Rams last week.

Detroit Lions (9-3) at Chicago Bears (4-8): Urgency is being encouraged up and down the Lions’ locker room in the rematch with the Bears, who nearly upset Detroit in the first meeting. The Lions scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to defeat the Bears 31-26 last month. The Lions subsequently lost to Green Bay and defeated the New Orleans Saints to hold a three-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings and the Packers in the division with five games remaining. They’re nipping at the heels of the Eagles and 49ers in the NFC playoff race, but that push would be deflated by another defeat. Balance is becoming the calling card for the Lions, who are fourth in the NFL in rushing and passing. The Bears haven’t won back-to-back games since 2021.

Carolina Panthers (1-11) at New Orleans Saints (5-7): Two concussions and a rib injury are among the injuries for Saints QB Derek Carr in the past month, and New Orleans weighed turning the offense over to Jameis Winston this week. The Panthers are eliminated from playoff consideration and lost the first meeting to the Saints, 20-17 in Week 2. But New Orleans’ playoff hopes are in peril thanks to three consecutive losses. The Saints were in sole possession of first place in the NFC South before losing to the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago. To remain in the mix, the Saints are in a must-win spot this week. Carolina swept the Saints in 2022.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) at Atlanta Falcons (6-6): Atlanta can accelerate its march toward its first playoff game since 2017 by sweeping Tampa Bay. The Bucs can pull even in the standings with a victory. The Falcons already own a win over the Bucs — 16-13 on Oct. 22 — who understand the gravity of this NFC South game and the stakes the rest of the season. The Falcons are 3-0 in division games but last won the NFC South in their Super Bowl runner-up season (2016). Quarterback Desmond Ridder is 2-0 against Tampa Bay, beating them in the regular-season finale as a rookie and on Younghoe Koo’s 51-yard field goal earlier this season. He said the Falcons left “meat on the bone” in the three-point win at Tampa this season, a game in which Atlanta didn’t have a healthy Bijan Robinson (illness).

Houston Texans (7-5) at New York Jets (4-8): Any faint prayer for the playoffs rests in the hands of Jets QB Zach Wilson, who bounds back up the depth chart from the No. 3 role in the latest spin of the carousel by head coach Robert Saleh. Houston won for the fourth time in five weeks last Sunday, defeating the Denver Broncos 22-17. After facing the Jets, the Texans play three division games in the final four weeks — including two against the last-place Tennessee Titans. Houston and Indianapolis are tied one game behind Jacksonville in the AFC South entering the home stretch. The Texans are firmly in the wild-card mix and jumped into the No. 7 playoff spot in the AFC thanks to Pittsburgh’s loss to New England on Thursday night.

Indianapolis Colts (7-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-6): Pittsburgh’s loss Thursday pushed the Colts into the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Cincinnati has pep in its step on the heels of the historic effort from quarterback Jake Browning at Jacksonville. Making just his second career start after Joe Burrow’s season-ending right wrist surgery. Browning completed 32 of 37 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 22 yards and another score, calmly rallying the Bengals from TD deficits of 7-0, 14-7 and 28-21. The Colts won their fourth consecutive game last week, downing the Titans in overtime, and have the Steelers, Falcons and Raiders left on the schedule before hosting Houston in the Week 18 finale.

Los Angeles Rams (6-6) at Baltimore Ravens (9-3): The Rams answered a three-game losing streak with three wins in a row, scoring 37 points at Arizona and 36 last week to beat Cleveland in their highest outputs of the season. Baltimore has only one loss in the past seven games, thriving behind the No. 1 rushing attack (158.6 yards per game) and No. 2 defense (273.2 yards per game). The Ravens lead the NFL with 22 rushing TDs. Baltimore is coming out of the bye week and 12-3 in that situation under coach John Harbaugh. Rookie RB Kyren Williams keys the Rams’ offense, looking like the missing link the past two games in accounting for 317 total yards and three touchdowns. Rams QB Matthew Stafford has also picked up the pace, throwing seven touchdown passes with just one interception in the past two games.

Minnesota Vikings (6-6) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-7): The Vikings welcome back their best offensive player when they visit the Raiders. All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson missed the past seven games because of a hamstring injury that he sustained Oct. 8. The 24-year-old was off to a terrific start to the season before it was interrupted by injury. He hauled in 36 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns and had at least 149 receiving yards in three of those five games. Interim Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is 2-2 since taking over for Josh McDaniels, who was fired on Oct. 31. QB Aidan O’Connell is set to make the sixth start of his rookie campaign. The Purdue product has posted a 76.4 passer rating while completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,194 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions.

Seattle Seahawks (6-6) at San Francisco 49ers (9-3): After a 41-35 loss last Thursday at Dallas, the Seahawks face the 49ers for the second time in 17 days. San Francisco won 31-13 at Lumen Field on Thanksgiving night as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks’ offense got untracked against Dallas, after entering the game with 20 consecutive possessions without a touchdown. Geno Smith threw for 334 yards and three TDs — all to DK Metcalf — and also rushed for a score. But Seattle’s defense allowed 25 or more points for the fourth time in the past five games. The 49ers have won four consecutive games, one shy of their season high. After starting 5-0, they lost three in a row before rebounding following a bye week. Their biggest victory came last Sunday in Philadelphia, when they avenged a defeat in last season’s NFC Championship Game by trouncing the Eagles 42-19, scoring touchdowns on six consecutive possessions. 49ers QB Brock Purdy is 3-0 in his career against the Seahawks, averaging 31 points against the division rival.

Buffalo Bills (6-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): The Bills are making their fifth visit to Kansas City in 34-plus months and sandwiched between playoff disappointments at Arrowhead, Buffalo has won consecutive regular-season games at the raucous road venue. That’s a welcome trend for a team embracing the must-win feel of this game having lost four of its past six games before a bye last week. If the playoffs began today, the Bills aren’t in the postseason picture. For the first time in recent memory there is some doubt about the Chiefs keeping pace with the Bills, who are fifth in the NFL in scoring at 27.3 points per game. The Chiefs suffered losses in three of their past five games and have multiple key injuries to navigate, including the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher Isiah Pacheco (shoulder) and left tackle Donovan Smith (neck stinger). Last Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the host Green Bay Packers marked the fourth time Kansas City scored 21 or fewer points during the five-game stretch. Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 424 yards in an October victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, has been held to 210 or fewer yards in three of the past four games.

Denver Broncos (6-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-7): Los Angeles has no less than five teams to jump over in the season’s final five weeks if it wants to earn an AFC playoff spot. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have a winning record among the Chargers’ final opponents. They have two meetings with Denver, a Thursday night game next week in Las Vegas against the Raiders and a Dec. 23 encounter with the visiting Buffalo Bills. Los Angeles’ defense is going strong behind NFL sack leader Khalil Mack, who has 15 sacks this season, all in the last nine games. Denver saw its five-game winning streak end last week with a 22-17 loss in Houston. The Broncos nearly erased a 16-3 deficit in the third quarter but Russell Wilson tossed his third interception with nine seconds left to deal their playoff chances a major blow.

Tennessee Titans (4-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-3): Tennessee has two wins since Oct. 1, and the Dolphins have two losses in the same span. The Titans have seven losses in which they scored 16 points or fewer. Miami has a 70-point outing and has put up less than 17 points once in 12 games. The Titans have 20 offensive touchdowns in 2023. The Dolphins have 22 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns. The Titans have a healthy Derrick Henry, which gives them a chance to execute a ball-possession plan to limit Miami’s offensive opportunities. Henry was over 100 yards with two touchdowns last week when he was sent to the locker room and didn’t return. Henry insists he’s ready to roll for Monday’s visit to Miami. The Dolphins have won three in a row with 99 total points and have a firm grip on the AFC East.

Green Bay Packers (6-6) at New York Giants (4-8): Tommy DeVito kept the starting QB job even with Tyrod Taylor returning from a rib injury after leading back-to-back wins to give the Giants a reasonable chance to finish with a winning record. New York’s offense isn’t a big-play machine, relying instead on RB Saquon Barkley — 865 yards from scrimmage — and a collection of wide receivers without a lead option since losing TE Darren Waller to a hamstring injury last month. The Packers are a different story with Jordan Love coming up clutch to win three consecutive games, steering Green Bay back into the playoff picture. Green Bay’s third-down offense (44 percent conversions) and the emergence of rookie WR Jayden Reed, one of three Packers’ receivers with five or more TDs, has helped cover in the absence of injured RB Aaron Jones. The Packers last allowed more than 24 points Sept. 28 at Detroit (34-20 loss). The Giants have scored more than 17 points once — 31 at Washington on Nov. 19 — since Sept. 17.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Playoff Possibilities

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With five games remaining in the regular season, three NFC teams have a chance to clinch an NFL playoff berth in Week 14, bu not more than two of them will.

That’s because the Dallas Cowboys (9-3) meet the visiting Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) on Sunday night, with the winner having a shot at gaining the playoff spot and the loser being forced to wait.

Among the two, the path to the playoffs is easiest for the Eagles, the defending NFC champion. They will clinch with a:

PHI win + SEA loss or tie OR
PHI win + LAR loss or tie OR
PHI win + GB loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI win + GB loss or tie + DET loss OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + SEA loss OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI tie + LAR loss + GB loss or tie OR
PHI tie + SEA loss + MIN loss or tie OR
PHI tie + SEA loss + GB loss or tie OR
PHI tie + MIN loss + GB loss

For the Cowboys to clinch, they’ll need a:

DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss or tie + DET win or tie + LAR loss or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie) OR
DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB loss or tie + DET win or tie + NO loss or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie) OR
DAL win + MIN loss or tie + GB loss or tie + SEA loss + TB tie + DET win or tie (as long as GB and MIN both don’t tie)

The San Francisco 49ers (9-3) take on the Seattle Seahawks (6-6) on Sunday with the following scenarios in play for a playoff berth:

SF win + GB loss OR
SF win + MIN loss OR
SF win + GB tie + MIN tie

In Week 15, the Cowboys are at the Buffalo Bills, the 49ers meet the Cardinals in Arizona and the Seahawks host the Eagles.

–Field Level Media

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Red Sox Acquire O’Neill

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BOSTON – (Staff, Wire Service and Team News Release) – The Boston Red Sox worked to reshape their outfield when they acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, according to the Red Sox team news release.

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O’Neill, 28, batted .231 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 72 games last season as he worked through a lower back strain. O’Neill has struggled to match his production from the 2021 season when he batted .286 and hit 34 home runs with 80 RBIs, while finishing eighth in National League MVP voting.

O’Neill has played all six of his major league seasons with the Cardinals, batting .248 with 78 home runs and 217 RBIs in 477 games.

Boston sent two right handed pitchers to St. Louis in the deal, in Nick Robertson and Carlos Santos.

Nick Robertson, 25, allowed eight runs in 12.0 innings over nine games with the Red Sox after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 25, 2023. The right-hander also made nine appearances with the Dodgers during 2023, his Major League debut, posting a 6.10 ERA (7 ER/10.1 IP) with 13 strikeouts. Selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, the Virginia native has recorded a 3.61 ERA (74 ER/184.2 IP), .227 opponent batting average, and 231 strikeouts in 150 career minor league games (three starts).

Carlos Santos, 23, missed the entire 2023 season due to a right elbow injury after attending spring training with Boston as a non-roster invitee. This winter, the Dominican Republic native has made seven appearances (five starts) for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Professional Baseball League, going 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA (9 ER/27.1 IP), 23 strikeouts, six walks, and only one home run allowed. Signed as an international free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies in November 2016 and acquired by the Red Sox in July 2021, the right-hander owns a 3.72 ERA (184 ER/445.0 IP) over 101 career minor league appearances (71 starts).

The move to acquire the right-handed-hitting O’Neill comes three days after Boston traded outfielder and left-handed hitter Alex Verdugo to the rival New York Yankees.