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Henry, Jackson Lead Ravens

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore RB Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards and two scores and teammate Lamar Jackson passed for two touchdowns to lead the host Ravens to a 28-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC wild-card game on Saturday night.

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Jackson completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries while winning for the third time in seven attempts as a postseason starter. Rashod Bateman and Justice Hill had touchdown receptions for third-seeded Baltimore, which has won five straight games and will learn its next opponent on Sunday.

Henry, who carried 26 times, rushed for more than 150 yards for the fourth time in eight career playoff appearances. His postseason high of 195 came against the Ravens in the 2019 season divisional round when he was a member of the Tennessee Titans.

Russell Wilson was 20 of 29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns for sixth-seeded Pittsburgh, which trailed by 21 points twice while losing its fifth consecutive game. George Pickens had five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown and Van Jefferson also had a scoring reception for the Steelers.

The Ravens totaled 299 rushing yards and outgained Pittsburgh 464-280. Baltimore also had a 29-11 advantage in first downs.

The Steelers had just 29 yards on the ground with a long gain of five.

Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers (knee) missed the game.

The Ravens led 21-0 at halftime after dominating the first 30 minutes and putting together touchdown drives of 95, 85 and 90 yards.

Baltimore outgained the Steelers 308-59 and had a 19-2 edge in first downs in the half.

The Ravens took the lead on Jackson’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Bateman with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Henry’s 8-yard scoring run made it 14-0 with 4:09 left in the first half.

Jackson later scrambled out of trouble and hit Hill on a 5-yard scoring pass with two seconds remaining.

Pittsburgh suddenly displayed life in the third quarter as Wilson connected with Jefferson on a 30-yard scoring pass to cap a 98-yard drive with 8:05 left in the period. But Henry broke loose on the fourth play of Baltimore’s next drive and galloped 44 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-7 with 5:49 left.

The Steelers scored again five plays later as Wilson tossed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Pickens with 3:24 left in the third, but that would be the end of the scoring for the night.

–Field Level Media

Texans Too Much for Chargers

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Houston’s QB C.J. Stroud passed for 282 yards and a touchdown, Joe Mixon rushed for 106 yards and a score and Eric Murray returned an interception for a touchdown as the host Texans routed the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in an AFC wild-card game on Saturday.

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Houston (11-7) advanced to the divisional round for the second straight season.

After throwing just three interceptions in 504 passing attempts during the regular season, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was picked off four times on Saturday. Herbert was 14-for-32 for 242 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers scored the first six points, on field goals of 35 and 39 yards by Cameron Dicker. His second came after a Texans fumble gave Los Angeles a short field.

Ka’imi Fairbairn connected on field goals of 41, 37 and 30 yards for Houston.

Houston ran just four offensive plays during the first quarter and had two punts bookending a Stroud interception to start the second.

Fortunes changed just before halftime. Houston drove 99 yards in 13 plays, punctuating the possession with a 13-yard scoring pass from Stroud to Nico Collins with 58 seconds left in the second quarter.

Stroud extended the drive with a highlight-reel play entering the two-minute warning. He scooped up a fumbled snap, then scrambled to connect with Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain to the Los Angeles 49-yard line on third-and-16.

Herbert threw three straight incompletions on the ensuing Chargers possession, and Houston responded with Fairbairn’s 41-yard field goal to take a 10-6 halftime lead.

The Texans scored the first 13 points after intermission. Murray delivered the lone touchdown over that span with a 38-yard pick six with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.

Derek Stingley Jr. snagged two interceptions for Houston and Kamari Lassiter had another.

Herbert recovered from his third pick with an 86-yard pass-and run touchdown to Ladd McConkey. The burst followed two straight Texans sacks. Houston blocked the extra-point attempt, and D’Angelo Ross returned it to the end zone for two points.

Mixon, who had 25 carries, capped the scoring with a 17-yard run with 3:42 left.

McConkey caught nine passes for 197 yards and a touchdown.

Collins had seven receptions for 122 yards and a score.

Houston outgained Los Angeles 429-261.

–Field Level Media

FOLD the MAYO

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New England Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday shortly after the team completed a 4-13 season. Mayo, 38, was in his first season on the job after replacing legendary coach Bill Belichick after last season.

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The move was made after the Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 23-16 to halt a six-game losing streak.

“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.

“I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him.

“Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.”

The Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Mayo’s debut and then dropped their next six games. New England won two of its next three games before the second six-game skid that ended with a 40-7 beatdown by the visiting Los Angeles Chargers.

New England, which won six Super Bowl titles under Belichick, missed the playoffs for the third straight season. The Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since winning the Super Bowl following the 2018 season.

“We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than we have delivered in recent years,” Kraft said. “I apologize for that. I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.”

Mayo was a linebackers coach with the Patriots from 2019-23 before being promoted to the head coaching gig. He also was a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker for New England and racked up 802 tackles, 11 sacks and three interceptions in 103 regular-season games from 2008-15.

One available coach who should interest the Patriots is Mike Vrabel, who recorded a 54-45 record in six seasons with the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23. He guided the Titans to three playoff appearances, including a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season’s AFC title game.

Vrabel, 49, also played for the Patriots from 2001-08 and earned three Super Bowl rings.

–Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 5

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BOSTON – Let’s start the Year 2025 with some bold predictions for the sports world in the year to come.

  • Ohio State will win the College Football National Championship.
  • Free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • Canada will win the 4 Nations Face-Off.
  • The Detroit Lions will win the Super Bowl. Jared Goff will be MVP.
  • Kansas will win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship with Tennessee, Duke and Florida falling short in the 2025 Final Four.
  • Citizen Bull will win the Kentucky Derby but not the Triple Crown.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights will win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Washington Capitals.
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder will win the NBA title, defeating the Boston Celtics with OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning a double MVP for the regular season and NBA Finals.
  • Scottie Scheffler will repeat as the winner of the TOUR Championship, the FedEx Cup and the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year. He will not get arrested this season.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers will be World Series champions once again.

Admittedly, there are no wild and crazy predictions included in the bunch. Every team, player and horse has a legitimate chance if you were to poll the oddsmakers of Las Vegas.

It’ll be evident in the results of MLB that the rich will continue to get richer (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets), largely because the rules of baseball allow for it without much regard to league-wide parity.

For instance, the Dodgers agreed to a deal with star Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, the team announced this weekend. The deal is for three years and a guaranteed $12.5 million with an option for 2028-29 that could increase the value of the deal to $22 million. … Kim batted .304 and logged a .364 on-base percentage over eight seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes. He also stole at least 20 bases in each of the past seven seasons, reaching as high as 46 in 2021. A left-handed hitter, Kim slashed .326/.383/.458 with 11 home runs and 30 steals for Kiwoom in ’24.

In the NBA and NHL, where teams play from the same proverbial deck of cards with various salary cap restrictions, repeating as champion is a difficult task.

closeup photo of lighted tealight candles on rackPhoto by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Many of us fell asleep after midnight as December 31st turned to January 1st and the year 2025 began in the quiet peace of the night. In New Orleans, it wasn’t quiet nor peaceful in the French Quarter and by 3:15am, horror brought 2025 in with death and destruction. If you’ve been paying attention to the news, they (terrorists) ruined the celebratory atmosphere of fun and revelry in one of America’s great cities. In doing so, they put a damper over the Sugar Bowl (quarterfinal of the CFP) and the Bowl season, in general. More importantly, 15 souls were lost in a random, senseless attack which injured 36 others and left the entire city of New Orleans on edge, fearful of what might be next.

We’ve seen it before, right here in Boston, when two morons decided to place deadly homemade bombs in two backpacks and dropped the bags along the sidewalks of the finish line route of the Boston Marathon in 2013. The initial bombing caused the deaths of three and injured more than 260 others, not counting the emotional scars of friends and families of the victims and casualties. In addition, in the ensuing police action, a police officer was shot and killed.

The terrorism didn’t start in Boston, as there’s been countless strikes, including the 9/11 attacks, an open shooter at a Las Vegas outdoor concert, bombings at clubs in cities dotting the USA, Europe and throughout the world.

The unbelievable thing is the fact film producers turn the acts of terrorism into motion pictures and documentaries. Director and screenwriter Peter Berg, along with co-writers Matt Cook, and Joshua Zetumer, made a the film based on the book – “Boston Strong” – by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. Boston-based actor Mark Wahlberg became the face of the film, “Patriots’” Day, all with good intention but still glorifying the act.

In theaters now is director Tim Fehlbaum‘s Golden Globe-nominated film “September 5.” The film is set almost entirely in the ABC Sports control room and focuses on the real-time challenges faced by the broadcasters in covering the terrorist plot at the 1972 Munich Olympics. September 5 wasn’t the first to chronicle that horrendous attack, as “Munich” and “One Day in September” predate the current film.

ABC Sports anchor Jim McCay summed it up that bleak September day, stating: “Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said that there were 11 hostages. Two were killed in their rooms, yesterday morning. Nine were killed at the airport, tonight. They’re all gone.”

Yes, the victims of the ‘72 Olympics are all gone, but the terrorists – and the motion pictures – keep coming back.

TIDBITS: The things I think about include the fact that 8 o’clock coffee is just as good at 6:30 or 7 o’clock. … When I ordered my coffee, the counterperson seemed quite confused when I asked for No Sugar but Half and 1/4 … Wind breakers don’t really break the wind, and, in fact, the wind breaks the jacket more often than not. … Aside from their size, there’s not much difference between softballs and hardballs in baseball. If you get hit with either one, they’re both pretty hard. … You’ve heard of Manute Bol’s son Bol Bol, right? Pretty good player. Maybe he should sponsor a bowl game and it could be the Bol Bol Bowl.

Random Notes: In case anyone hasn’t noticed, UConn has reeled off seven straight “Ws” since the shakedown start in Maui. … the Big Ten basketball matchup of the week was UCLA at Nebraska. … Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama thinks the object of the game of golf is to shoot 65 or better … BC’s Zay Flowers, now known as Lamar Jackson’s favorite Baltimore Ravens wide receivers left Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with an injured right knee. He walked off the field under his own power but further examination(s) will be necessary. Some might criticize Ravens head coach John Harbaugh for playing his starters, but Baltimore needed the win to earn the AFC North title, a game ahead of Pittsburgh. … TGL Golf will tee-off Tuesday, January 7 at 9:00pm ET on ESPN. The inaugural match will pit the New York Golf Club taking on The Bay Golf Club. Three players from each team will go head-to-head in a 15-hole match featuring two different formats – nine holes of Triples and six holes of Singles.

The column is happy to note a new indoor record for “Open Rate,” the key indicator of growth and acceptance for this publication each weekend. The new high mark is 78%. By comparison, a good open rate ranges from 17-28% and 21.33% is the industry average. With subscription offerings, the rate gets higher, of course.

“Hello Old Friend” – Need a new Spotify classic rock playlist? How about 4 hours and 57 minutes of serious rock, all compiled in one place for WWYI readers – right HERE. Eric Clapton and Yvonne Elliman are a reason to tune in right away.

LEGENDS OF SPORT: Here’s one of Andrew D. Bernstein’s tremendous podcasts, recorded at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

KEY DATES IN 2025: Everyone needs to circle these dates on their sports calendar:

January 2025:

9 – Orange Bowl (CFP Semis)

10 – Cotton Bowl (CFP Semis)

11-12 – NFL Wild Card Weekend

18-19 – NFL Divisional Playoffs

20 – College Football Championship (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)

NBA – King Holiday Full NBA Schedule

26 – AFC/NFC Championship Sunday

February 2025:

2 – NFL Pro Bowl (Orlando)

6 – NBA Trade Deadline

9 – Super Bowl (New Orleans)

12 – MLB Pitchers & Catchers Report to Spring Training

12-15 – 4 Nations Face-Off (NHL) (Montreal)

14-16 – NBA All-Star Weekend (San Fran)

17 – 4 Nations Face-Off – Semis (Boston)

20 – 4 Nations Face-Off – Championship (Boston)

March 2025

8 – Final Regular Season Games in College Basketball

12-15 – BIG EAST Championship (The Garden, NYC)

16 – NCAA Men’s Selection Sunday

18-19 – MLB Tokyo Series (Cubs v. Dodgers) – Tokyo, Japan

18-19 – NCAA Men’s First Four (Dayton)

20-23 – NCAA First and Second Rounds

27 – MLB Opening Day

27-30 – Sweet 16/Elite 8 – NCAA Basketball – (ATL, NJ, INDY, SF)

April 2025:

4 – Boston Red Sox home opener (vs St. Louis)

5-7 – NCAA Men’s Final Four (San Antonio)

21 – Patriots’ Day/Boston Marathon

DIGITAL SPORTS DESK’S ALL NFL FANTASY TEAM: Here are the best players in NFL Fantasy Football for the 2024-25 season:

  • QB – Josh Allen
  • QB – Lamar Jackson
  • QB – Joe Burrow
  • RB – Saquon Barkley
  • RB – Derrick Henry
  • WR – Ja’Marr Chase
  • WR – Justin Jefferson
  • WR – Amon-Ra St. Brown
  • TE – Brock Bowers
  • TE – George Kittle
  • PK – Chris Boswell
  • PK – Brandon Aubrey
  • DT – Broncos
  • DT – Vikings

NFL: Bengals Stay Alive

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow passed for 277 yards and one touchdown and the Cincinnati Bengals remained alive in the AFC playoff race by notching a 19-17 victory over the host Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night.

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Ja’Marr Chase had 10 receptions for 96 yards and one touchdown and Cade York kicked four field goals as Cincinnati (9-8) won its fifth consecutive contest. The Bengals need the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins to lose their respective games on Sunday to nab a playoff berth.

Russell Wilson was 17-of-31 passing for 148 yards and one touchdown for Pittsburgh (10-7), which had just 193 total yards while losing its fourth straight game. The Steelers were eliminated from the AFC North race earlier Saturday when Baltimore defeated Cleveland.

Najee Harris rushed for a touchdown and Pat Freiermuth had eight receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown for Pittsburgh, which will either be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the playoffs.

Chase is on his way to becoming the fifth player since 1970 to win the receiving Triple Crown. He finishes the regular season with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdown catches.

Trey Hendrickson had 3.5 sacks for the Bengals to raise his season output to an NFL-high 17.5.

The Steelers had just 91 offensive yards through three quarters but came alive in the fourth with a nine-play, 65-yard drive. Wilson capped it with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Freiermuth to bring Pittsburgh within 19-14 with 8:07 left.

The hosts later received a break when a punt hit the foot of Cincinnati’s DJ Ivey and was recovered by Connor Heyward at the Bengals’ 38-yard line. But Pittsburgh settled for Chris Boswell’s 54-yard field goal to move within two with 2:39 remaining.

The Steelers got the ball back with 1:51 left, but Wilson’s pass on fourth down from the Pittsburgh 40-yard line went off the hands of Freiermuth.

Burrow was 37-of-46 passing with an interception. He completed his first 12 throws, including all six on Cincinnati’s first drive, ending it with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chase.

York booted a 48-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 1:24 left in the first quarter. The Steelers got on the board when Harris scored from the 1-yard line with 9:54 left in the second.

York kicked a 27-yarder with 16 seconds left as Cincinnati held a 13-7 halftime lead. He hit from 35 yards with 6:56 remaining in the third quarter and made a 23-yarder with 11:02 left in the game to make it 19-7.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Pats Lose, Bengals Alive

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Chargers 40, Patriots 7

FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LA QB Justin Herbert passed for 281 yards and a season-high three touchdowns and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched an AFC playoff berth with a dominating victory over New England in foggy Massachusetts.

Ladd McConkey caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns and Derwin James had two sacks and a fumble recovery for the Chargers (10-6), who are playoff-bound in Jim Harbaugh’s first season as coach. Derius Davis also had a scoring catch, J.K. Dobbins rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Cameron Dicker booted four field goals.Herbert completed 26 of 38 passes as the Chargers improved to 3-12 all-time in Foxborough, including playoffs.

Drake Maye completed 12 of 22 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown for New England (3-13), which lost its sixth consecutive game. DeMario Douglas caught a scoring pass for the Patriots.

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Bengals 30, Broncos 24

CINCINNATI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, including a game-winning scoring strike with 1:07 left in overtime, to give the host Bengals an electrifying 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

Cade York could have given Cincinnati (8-8) the win with 2:43 to go in the extra session, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright. The Bengals’ defense buckled down, though, forcing Denver to go three-and-out to get Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the offense back out on the field.

Cincinnati proceeded to go 63 yards in five plays, with Higgins’ 3-yard TD catch giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory. Higgins finished with 11 catches for 131 yards.

Marvin Mims Jr. forced overtime by hauling in a 25-yard score on fourth-and-1 to draw the Broncos (9-7) even at 24 with eight seconds left in regulation. Burrow had put Cincinnati in front by plunging into the end zone from 1 yard out just 1:21 earlier.

Burrow completed 39 of 49 passes for 412 yards and the three touchdowns while Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 102 yards and set a single-season franchise record for receptions. He now has 117. Tight end Mike Gesicki played a key role in the Cincinnati passing game, grabbing a season-high 10 catches for 86 yards.

Rams 13, Cardinals 9

Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left to preserve Los Angeles’ win over Arizona in Inglewood, Calif.

Witherspoon made a diving catch after the ball bounced high off the helmet of Arizona tight end Trey McBride on the pass attempt by Kyler Murray. The Rams (10-6), who lead the NFC West by one game, have won five straight, while the Cardinals (7-9) have lost five of their last six. Los Angeles could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday depending on the outcome of other games.

Matthew Stafford threw for 189 yards while completing 17 of 32 pass attempts without a touchdown or interception. Puka Nacua finished with 10 receptions for 129 yards. Murray was 33 of 48 for 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. McBride made 12 catches for 123 yards to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three NFL seasons.

-Field Level Media

Ravens Look Sharp with Jackson

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson set an NFL record, RB Derrick Henry achieved a single-season franchise mark and the visiting Ravens moved into first place in the AFC North with a 31-2 rout of the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

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Jackson rushed for 87 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, to give him 6,110 rushing yards for his career. That’s one more than Michael Vick, making Jackson the all-time leader in career rushing yards by a quarterback. Henry rushed for 147 yards and a score on 27 carries, giving him 16 touchdowns for the year, the most for a single season in team history.

His performance helped Baltimore (11-5) take a one-game lead on Pittsburgh with one week left in the season. The Ravens can clinch the AFC North title next week with a home win over Cleveland.

Jackson completed 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards with two touchdowns and another 87 yards on the ground with the score as Baltimore earned a 432-211 advantage in total yardage. The Ravens collected five sacks and came up with a goal-line stand in the second quarter with the game still up for grabs.

C.J. Stroud hit 17 of 31 attempts for 185 yards with an interception for Houston (9-7), which lost its second straight game and is now locked into the No. 4 spot for the AFC playoffs.

Henry initiated the scoring at the 10:08 mark of the first quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run, capping a 75-yard drive. Baltimore made it 10-0 the next time it touched the ball as Justin Tucker drilled a 52-yard field goal with 2:47 to go in the first.

The Texans got their only points with 10:09 left in the first half when Kamari Lassiter tackled Henry in the end zone for a 4-yard loss and a safety. Houston had a chance to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession but Joe Mixon was stopped at the 1 on a fourth-and-goal pass.

Baltimore sailed 99 yards down the field on its next possession, with Jackson throwing a 9-yard strike to Isaiah Likely with 1:51 remaining for a 17-2 halftime lead.

The Ravens made it a rout in the third quarter on Jackson’s long scoring run and his 1-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews at the 5:50 mark.

–Field Level Media

Chiefs Lock AFC No. 1 Seed

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Chiefs clinched home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a 29-10 victory over the host Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday.

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KC’s Travis Kelce became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions and also took over the franchise lead with his 77th career touchdown catch. Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson also caught scoring passes and Kareem Hunt rushed for a touchdown for the Chiefs (15-1) during the Christmas Day affair.

Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson completed 23 of 37 passes for 205 yards and one interception as Pittsburgh (10-6) failed to clinch the AFC North for the second straight game. The Steelers have lost three consecutive games.

Mahomes was 29-of-38 passing while helping the Chiefs win their sixth straight game. Kansas City also set a franchise record with its 15th victory.

Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards to raise his career receptions total to 1,004. Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (1,325) and Jason Witten (1,228) are the only two tight ends with more catches.

Ironically, it was Gonzalez’s franchise record for receiving scores that Kelce broke. He celebrated by doing Gonzalez’s signature dunking of the football through the uprights. Gonzalez was a college basketball player in addition to being a star football player.

The Chiefs racked up five sacks and thrived defensively without star tackle Chris Jones (calf).

Kansas City led by six at halftime and increased the lead to 16-7 on Harrison Butker’s 32-yard field goal with 12:21 left in the third quarter.

The Steelers responded with Chris Boswell’s 36-yard field goal to move back within six with 5:45 left in the quarter.

Kelce’s 1,000th grab was a 19-yard gain late in the third quarter and helped set up Hunt’s 2-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion pass failed and the Chiefs settled for a 22-10 advantage.

On the next possession, Kelce caught a 12-yard scoring pass with 12:38 remaining in the game to increase the margin to 19.

Mahomes threw two first-half touchdown passes as Kansas City held a 13-7 halftime lead.

On the first one, Worthy lined up in the backfield and flared into the left flat to catch a 7-yard scoring pass. His celebration drew a 15-yard penalty, and Butker’s ensuing 48-yard extra point was wide right.

Later, Mahomes tossed a 11-yard touchdown pass to Watson with four minutes left in the opening quarter. Mahomes also teamed up with Watson on a 49-yard play earlier in the drive.

The Steelers got on the board with 10:28 left in the half when Wilson scored from the 1 by barely getting the ball across the goal line at the left pylon.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Monday Night Football Previews

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Chicago Bears didn’t get much of a bounce from interim coach Thomas Brown.

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Brown replaced the fired Matt Eberflus the day after Thanksgiving but instead of a spark, the Bears went to San Francisco and got pummeled by the 49ers.

Minnesota (11-2) welcomes Chicago as the Bears’ losing streak stands at seven games entering Monday night’s divisional matchup against the red-hot Vikings.

A six-game winning streak has the Vikings on the heels of the Eagles and Lions in the race for NFC homefield. Minnesota is in the playoffs, clinching a spot with the Seahawks’ loss on Sunday night. Most recently, the Vikings racked up 42 points at home against Atlanta in Week 14.

There aren’t too many venues that can get louder than the U.S. Bank Stadium when the Vikings are playing well.

Look for Minnesota to jump out to a fast start against a Bears team with a first-year quarterback and a coaching staff that’s clearly in a state of flux at this point of the year.

–It’s the coaching, stupid
The Bears’ decision to fire a head coach in midseason for the first time in franchise history indicates just how dire matters had become at Halas Hall.

Eberflus left them with no choice after his in-game blunder against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, which was laid bare for the whole world to see.

With 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Chicago trailing 23-20 on Detroit’s 41-yard line, Eberflus opted not to call a timeout on third down following a sack to his quarterback Caleb Williams.

Instead, the Bears wasted 30 seconds trying to get organized at the line of scrimmage, throwing an incomplete pass as time expired. Thus, they were unable to attempt a game-tying 58-yard field goal.

After the game, Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen seemed to not so subtly blame the coaching staff directly, telling reporters, “We did enough as players to win this game.”

In other words, the players were the ones who held up their end of the bargain.

Unfortunately, the debacle against the Lions was just another example of Eberflus being completely beyond his depth as a head coach this season.

Two weeks before the loss to the Lions, the Bears had a chance for a game-winning field goal against the Packers, but instead of running another play to make the kick shorter, Eberflus ran 27 seconds off the clock only for Green Bay to block a 46-yarder.

–Prop pick: Vikings pass-catchers
Jordan Addison lit up the Chicago secondary in the first meeting Nov. 24 with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown and then went for 8-133-3 against the Falcons last week.

The Bears might shake things up with Eberflus no longer calling defensive shots, but Chicago sits in the same pick-your-poison predicament with Justin Jefferson opposite Addison. Tight end T.J. Hockenson also had seven receptions against the Bears last month and had 11 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in two games in this matchup last season.

Quarterback Sam Darnold spreads the wealth in this one with Jefferson and Addison recording six receptions apiece and Addison over 60 yards.

Prop: Two bets parlayed: Addison six-plus receptions, Addison 60-plus receiving yards (+248 FanDuel)

–Bears’ coaches are ill-prepared
Before the Bears canned Eberflus, he fired his offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron. Last season, he fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Thomas Brown, who took over for Waldron as coordinator, is now the interim head coach.

While the Bears’ performance on the field certainly warranted some change, this revolving door of coordinators and head coaches isn’t particularly beneficial for their rookie quarterback.

There are legitimate concerns about their coaching staff’s ability to prepare midweek and devise a plan in the early stages of a game.

Of all 32 teams, the Bears average the third-fewest points in the first half, 7.4, and when they’re on the road, that average drops to 4.7.

Given their coaching carousel and staff members being elevated into new positions to fill a void, one can only wonder if there’s a lack of quality due to inexperience.

And with the Bears yet to cover the first-half spread in all six road games this season, it’s difficult to see them turning the tide on Monday night against a quality Vikings team.

Best bet: Vikings 1H -3.5 (-115 DraftKings)

– Field Level Media

NFL: Sunday Night Football

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Green Bay Packers (9-4) at Seattle Seahawks (8-5), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
The “12s” raise the flag on Sunday night encouraged to know the home team has won four straight in the often-dramatic Packers-Seahawks rivalry. The potential playoff preview brings added significance to possible tiebreaking — and homefield — scenarios in January. To ensure a home game in the playoffs, Seattle would like to stay a game ahead of the pack of NFC West teams in close pursuit following the Rams (8-6) win over the 49ers on Thursday. The Seahawks might have unintentionally unearthed an unstoppable backfield pairing with starter Kenneth Walker III idle last week. Zach Charbonnet set career highs in catches (seven), total yards (193), rushing yards (134) and two rushing TDs in a critical victory over Arizona. His emergence coincides with the rapid rise of WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a corps of receivers that also includes DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Given the newfound playmaking, it’s a good time for Green Bay to have top corner Jaire Alexander (knee) healthy for the first time in a month and rookie LB Edgerrin Cooper expecting to play after a long absence. The Packers continue to push RB Josh Jacobs toward peak production. He has eight rushing touchdowns in the past four games. And in Jacobs’ only career game against the Seahawks while he wore a Raiders’ uniform, Jacobs delivered a career-high 229 rushing yards, 74 receiving and two TD runs. Seattle DT Leonard Williams plopped himself in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation with a run of highlight reel games the past month.

–Field Level Med