Author: rb809rb

  • Shedeur Sanders throws for 3 touchdowns, but Browns falter in the clutch against Titans

    The Cleveland Browns have significant questions this offseason about their quarterback position. Shedeur Sanders is doing all he can to provide an answer.

    Sanders spent the first half against one-win Tennessee cruising, looking comfortable as he threw for two touchdowns and outplayed No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward. After a slow start to the second half, Sanders rallied Cleveland to two clutch touchdowns in the final six-plus minutes of the game to close off a 364 passing yards effort.

    Alas, Cleveland being Cleveland, the Browns fell apart on a would-be tying 2-point conversion with just over a minute remaining. The result: a 31-29 loss to the Titans, and more data points for the Browns’ future decision-making.

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    The scenario Sunday was one of those circle-the-calendar days on NFL Draft weekend. Generally, when you have rookie quarterbacks facing one another, you’re not seeing two top-flight teams at play. Sometimes that’s because a team in position to draft, and then start, a rookie quarterback is, by definition, not a very good team. And sometimes, that’s because a team is the Cleveland Browns.

    The Titans struck first, as Ward found receiver Elic Ayomanor for a 16-yard touchdown on Tennessee’s opening drive. Running back Tony Pollard closed out the first quarter with a monster 65-yard run.

    The second quarter might just stand as the best 15 minutes of football Sanders will play all season. He began by threading a perfectly thrown pass to an outstretched David Njoku for a touchdown:

    Twelve game minutes later, he found Jerry Jeudy on a beauty of a 60-yard touchdown pass, one of the best throws of Sanders’ career:

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    There were indications that all was not perfectly well for Sanders — struggles throwing the ball into zone coverage, a panicky desperation scramble that led to an intentional grounding penalty — but on the whole, the half was positive for Cleveland as the Browns carried a 17-14 lead into the half.

    The second half began with an ugly duet — six straight combined punts, with neither team able to move the ball, sequence after sequence as ugly as the spitting-snow weather. Sanders broke the streak … but in the worst way possible, with a wounded-duck overthrow that the Titans’ Xavier Woods easily plucked out of the air. Two plays later, Pollard again stomped into the end zone, this time from 32 yards out to retake the lead for Tennessee.

    That was enough to knock the Browns to the canvas for good. Ward turned a Cleveland fumble into another touchdown pass, this one a 5-yarder to Chimere Dike to extend Tennessee’s lead to 28-17. Ward finished with 117 yards on 14-of-28 passing, with two touchdowns and one interception.

    With five minutes remaining in the game, following another Tennessee field goal, Sanders again had the opportunity to write his own legend. Down 31-17, he guided the Browns downfield and scrambled his way to a chaotic 7-yard touchdown, his first NFL rushing TD of his career.

    Sanders then had the opportunity to tie the Titans with his final drive, and did all he could, leading the Browns on a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. Needing 2 points to tie the game, the Browns opted to pull Sanders off the field and direct-snap trickeration to Quinshon Judkins, and it went about as well as you’d expect.

    Statistically, this was Sanders’ finest game of the season, by far. He threw for 364 yards, passing for three touchdowns and running for another, the first Browns rookie to notch those numbers. He also had several key miscues, including an interception that led directly to a Tennessee touchdown, a fumbled snap on a 2-point conversion, and a tendency to tip his passes by patting the football as he prepared to throw. Still ahead on the Browns’ slate: the Bears, Bills, Steelers and Bengals, a rugged way to close out a season.

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    “I’ve been this way,” Sanders said after the game, reflecting on his performance. “This is God showing a lot of people who I am.”

    Tennessee, meanwhile, posted its highest point total of the season — granted, a low bar to clear — in doubling its win total of the season to 2. With games against the 49ers, Chiefs, Saints and Jaguars still remaining, getting to four wins on the season could be tough, so Tennessee and Ward will surely appreciate this one.

  • Raiders QB Geno Smith leaves loss to Broncos early with apparent hand, shoulder injuries

    Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith left their 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos early Sunday afternoon due to apparent hand and shoulder injuries.

    Smith was hit hard on a third down early in the second half of the contest at Allegiant Stadium, and came up favoring his right hand after throwing an incomplete pass. Smith was looked at by the team’s medical staff during the Broncos’ next drive, but he returned to the game the next time out.

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    That didn’t last. Smith led the Raiders into scoring position and hit Brock Bowers inside the 10-yard line on the final play of the third quarter, though he took a big hit and landed hard on his right shoulder as he got rid of the ball. Smith hopped back up quickly and made it to the sideline, but he did not come back out to start the fourth quarter.

    Backup Kenny Pickett took his place as Smith went to the locker room. Pickett threw a short 2-yard completion on third down, and then missed Bowers in the end zone on fourth down.

    The Raiders initially said that Smith was questionable to return with a right hand injury. When he went out the second time, the team said it was a right shoulder injury. Specifics of either injury are not yet known.

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    Smith went 8-of-13 passing for 71 yards with a touchdown before he went down with the injury. He led the Raiders on a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Bowers on Vegas’ first possession of the afternoon. But the Broncos, who also scored on their opening drive of the day, then ran a punt back 48 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

    Smith entered Sunday with 2,532 yards and 15 touchdowns to 14 interceptions this year. Pickett, traded to the Raiders earlier this fall after backup Aidan O’Connell was injured in the preseason, is in the final year of his rookie contract. He finished 8-of-11 passing for 96 yards with a score. He found Shedrick Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Ashton Jeanty had 30 yards on 10 carries, and Bowers had 46 yards and a touchdown on four catches.

    Bo Nix went 31-of-38 passing for 212 yards in the win for the Broncos, who now sit at 11-2 on the season. The win was their 10th in a row. RJ Harvey added 75 rushing yards and a score on 17 carries, and Courtland Sutton had 62 yards on six catches.

    The Raiders (2-11) have already been eliminated from postseason contention. The franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2002 season, and has been to the playoffs only once since relocating to Las Vegas.

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    The Raiders will take on the Philadelphia Eagles next week.

  • NFL bad beat for the ages: A bad penalty led to a meaningless Raiders FG as time expires

    Anyone who had the Denver Broncos as a 7.5-point favorite at BetMGM on Sunday wasn’t sweating it most of the day. The Broncos were clearly better than the Las Vegas Raiders and comfortably covering most of the day.

    Then it became a near lock on what should have been the last play of the game. With less than 10 seconds remaining the Raiders got tackled in the field of play with no timeouts left. Broncos bettors were finally ready to officially cash the ticket.

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    Then came one of the most bizarre, baffling bad beats of this or any other NFL season.

    The Raiders trailed 24-14, meaning the Broncos were covering the spread by 2.5 points. Tyler Lockett caught a 26-yard pass to the Broncos’ 33-yard line. No big deal because Lockett was tackled in bounds. But then, inexplicably, Broncos safety Brandon Jones wouldn’t let Lockett get up after the tackle. Instead of the clock running out, a flag was thrown. It was a delay of game on the Broncos and most importantly it stopped the clock with five seconds left.

    And still, Broncos bettors shouldn’t have been that worried. The Raiders had little reason to kick a field goal, and a Hail Mary is a low-percentage play. But then, the Raiders decided to kick a field goal, on the very, very low chance that the kick would be good and there would be a second left for an onside kick and then a Hail Mary.

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    The Raiders made the field goal as time expired. The only people happy with that were those who have Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson on their fantasy teams, those who had Raiders +7.5 bets and those who wagered on over 40.5 points in the game. The Raiders lost 24-17 and covered the spread, somehow, by a half of a point. The game also went over the total, somehow, by half a point.

    The Broncos took a 21-7 lead in the third quarter. Las Vegas saw quarterback Geno Smith leave the game with an injury after the third quarter. There was seemingly no way for the Raiders to cover the spread. Until they did on the final play.

  • Bears’ fourth-down gamble in final minute leads to Packers interception as Green Bay hangs on for win

    Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is a brilliant play caller. He might have been a little too smart for his own good on the key play of the Green Bay Packers’ win over Chicago on Sunday.

    On a fourth-and-1 in the final minute, the Bears didn’t run it or sneak it for the first down. Williams faked a handoff and rolled left. He lofted a pass to the end zone for tight end Cole Kmet, but Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon was there for the interception that sealed a 28-21 win.

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    It wasn’t a great pass by Williams, who had a rough first half and got hot afterward, but it didn’t seem like an ideal play call. Perhaps Williams could have tried running for the first down or threw it shorter. The Bears had two timeouts left, so a run on fourth down would have left them with enough time. But he threw to the end zone and Nixon had played it perfectly.

    The Bears went for broke. And they went broke. The Packers take over first place of the NFC North.

    Green Bay now has a 70% chance of winning its division, according to The Athletic’s playoffs simulator with Chicago dropping to 24%.

    Bears start slow, Packers take the lead

    The Bears dug themselves a hole because Williams and the passing game were late showing up.

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    Williams had 11 yards passing in the first half, before the final 33 seconds in a hurry-up drill. He didn’t have a completion until the final two minutes of the first quarter, when he finally connected on a 2-yard pass. That was his only completion of the first quarter.

    The Packers’ offense didn’t have a great start either, but eventually Jordan Love made a couple of nice touchdown passes. His first one went to Christian Watson to give the Packers a 7-0 lead. Then, late in the first half, Bo Melton got behind the defense on a post route and Love hit him for a 45-yard touchdown. The Packers led 14-3 going into halftime off of those two big plays and a tremendous effort by their defense.

    Another big play from Love to Watson, when Watson caught a short pass and pulled away from the defense for a 41-yard touchdown, had the Packers ahead 21-11 in the third quarter. But the Bears have been great at late rallies this season, and Williams started to heat up.

    Bears rally behind Caleb Williams

    Williams and the Bears tied the game with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter when he hit Colston Loveland for a 1-yard touchdown. Williams had a dreadful first half but had rallied. That was his second touchdown pass of the second half.

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    The Packers answered. They drove downfield and Josh Jacobs plunged in for a 2-yard touchdown with 3:32 left. They led 28-21.

    The Bears had been playing from behind most of the game so another deficit, even a late one against a good defense, didn’t deter them. Chicago drove downfield and had a fourth down-and-1 with 27 seconds left. That’s when Johnson’s decision came back to haunt the Bears. Nixon’s interception finished the Packers win, a huge one in the NFC North race.

    Had Williams found Kmet wide open in the end zone, Johnson’s aggressive call would have been praised. Now all of Chicago will wonder what might have happened had the Bears just played it a little safer and gotten a first down.

  • NFL Week 14 news, live updates: Matthew Stafford strengthens case for MVP, Packers take over Bears for first place in NFC with game-sealing INT

    NFL Week 14 news, live updates: Matthew Stafford strengthens case for MVP, Packers take over Bears for first place in NFC with game-sealing INT

    Week 14 featured a packed afternoon slate with plenty of big-time divisional matchups that shook up the AFC and NFC playoff picture.

    The early window offered a ton of action as the Pittsburgh Steelers stunned the Baltimore Ravens to regain the lead in the AFC North. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts appear to have lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the time being after suffering an Achilles injury, handing the division lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars following Sunday’s loss.

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    In the late afternoon window, all eyes were on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay in a battle for first place in the NFC. Despite a strong outing from the Bears with several clutch plays from second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, the Packers walked away with a 28-21 win and first place in the conference. Williams & Co. appeared poised for a potential comeback, but Williams threw a crushing interception on the final drive of the game, plucked out of the air in the end zone by Keisean Nixon.

    Entering Week 14, Chicago held the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture at 9-3 with a slim lead over Green Bay (8-3-1) in the NFC North. Since beginning the season 0-2, the Bears have gone on a tear, winning nine of the past 11 games, still firmly in place for a potential run as the top seed in the NFC. The Packers and Bears still have one matchup left on the schedule this season, facing off in a rematch at Soldier Field in Week 16.

    Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from Week 14’s early and afternoon Sunday game slates:

    Live coverage is over113 updates
    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      The Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-21 in a Week 14 thriller to take over possession of first place in the NFC North. Keisean Nixon sealed the game for Green Bay when he picked off Bears QB Caleb Williams in the end zone with 22 seconds remaining in regulation.

      Packers QB Jordan Love finished with 234 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Running back Josh Jacobs had 86 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Wideout Christian Watson caught 4 balls for 89 yards and 2 touchdowns.

      For the Bears, Caleb Williams passed for 186 yards, 2 touchdowns, and that late interception. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined to rush for 120 rushing yards but that was not enough.

      Green Bay and Chicago face off again in two weeks at Soldier Field in Week 16.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon comes up with the game-clinching interception in the end zone to close out the 28-21 win over the Chicago Bears.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Green Bay jumps ahead of Chicago again on this short touchdown run by Josh Jacobs. The Packers lead 28-21 with a little over three minutes left in regulation.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      It doesn’t count for much, considering the 28-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson continues to dominate in games absent teammate Marvin Harrison Jr.

      He’s up to a 9-106-2 stat line on the day, now with 100-plus receiving yards in each of his three starts without MHJ so far this season.

      Despite the late score from the Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams hold what would appear to be an insurmountable 45-17 lead over the Cardinals.

      The Rams appear to be done with their starters for the day, sending in backup Jimmy Garoppolo into the game in place of Matthew Stafford. Stafford finished the day going 22-of-31 for 281 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions to strengthen his MVP campaign.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams finds rookie tight end Colston Loveland for the touchdown.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      Bad beat alert!

      The Denver Broncos were 8.5-point road favorites over the hometown Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14, but thanks to a last-minute field goal to close out the game, bettors backing Denver came up short.

      The Broncos improve to 11-2 with a firm grasp on first place in the AFC West, remaining firmly in the conversation as the potential No. 1 seed in the conference

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      After the Rams scored with a 31-yard bomb from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua, the Arizona Cardinals went three-and-out, punting late in the third quarter. On the team’s first play to follow, running back Blake Corum scored from 48 yards to extend LA’s lead.

      That was a career-long run for Corum, whose previous long was 34 yards set just last week against the Carolina Panthers.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw an interception, setting up this beauty from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua, who snags the ball in traffic:

      Nacua sits with a 7-167-2 line that has earned him 32.2 fantasy points in Yahoo Fantasy leagues — currently the WR1 overall on the week.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      Now that’s a sentence!

      Jackson, 26, reels in his first career catch — a 25-yard touchdown from Kenny Pickett — to bring the Raiders within 10 following a successful PAT from Daniel Carlson.

      Pickett has completed five of seven pass attempts for 64 yards and a passing touchdown, with a passer rating of 139.3 in relief of Geno Smith, who’s questionable with a hand injury.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Jordan Love finds Christian Watson for a second touchdown (3rd for Love) of the day. Packers extend the lead to 21-11 over the Bears.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams finds wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in the end zone for 6! Bears then converted the two-point conversion to make it a three-point game. Packers lead 14-11.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      With a touchdown from Matthew Stafford to TE Colby Parkinson (plus the successful PAT), the Rams have taken a 31-10 lead over the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium.

      Stafford has gone 19-of-25 for 233 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions so far in this contest. He’s now thrown multiple touchdown passes in 11 of 13 games so far this season, leading the league by a significant margin with 34 passing touchdowns this year and just four total interceptions.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      Kenny Pickett is officially in at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, taking the place of starter Geno Smith after he was banged up on the previous series. Smith is officially questionable with a right hand injury and re-entered the game briefly before exiting and being replaced by Pickett.

      Smith went 13-of-21 for 116 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions prior to the injury — one of his cleaner performances this season despite facing a challenging Broncos defense. Smith entered Week 14 tied for a league-high 14 interceptions and the second-most sacks taken (46), only behind Titans rookie Cam Ward.

      Pickett has attempted just three passes for the Raiders, completing two of them for eight total yards. The Raiders acquired Pickett in a trade with the Cleveland Browns this offseason, who previously acquired him from the Eagles, who previously acquired him from the Steelers. Whew.

      Aidan O’Connell is currently serving as the team’s emergency third quarterback in Week 14 after making a comeback from a right wrist injury suffered in the preseason.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Geno Smith left the game briefly with a right hand injury and was questionable to return for Las Vegas before re-entering the matchup. Smith had 71 passing yards and a touchdown before leaving the game, backed up by Kenny Pickett.

    • Chris Cwik

      Chris Cwik

      Already in the midst of a miserable season, things went from bad to worse for the Washington Commanders in Week 14.

      After their 31-0 blowout loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Commanders (3-10) may have lost both quarterback Jayden Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz to injury.

      Daniels — who was just coming back from a left elbow injury — was the first player to leave Sunday. After being intercepted, he was shoved onto his already injured left elbow and left the contest.

      That brought in backup Marcus Mariota, who — not long after coming into the game — sailed a pass to veteran tight end Zach Ertz downfield. Ertz had to leap to try and make the catch. While the ball hit him in the hands, Ertz couldn’t come up with the reception. Before he hit the ground, Ertz was hit directly in the knee area by Minnesota Vikings safety Jay Ward.

      Ertz had to be helped off the field. He was emotional as he was carted back to the locker room.

      The Commanders quickly ruled Ertz out for the rest of the game due to a knee injury.

      After the contest, Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Ertz is feared to have torn his ACL, which explained his emotional response before being carted off the field. Ertz will undergo additional testing to confirm the injury. If he tore his ACL, Ertz would miss the rest of the 2025 NFL season.

      Read more.

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      In a battle for first place in the NFC North, Green Bay leads Chicago at the half, 14-3. Green Bay dominated the first half on both sides of the ball. Jordan Love and the offense racked up 207 total yards, with Love throwing both touchdowns. One to Christian Watson and the other to Bo Melton. Josh Jacobs rushed for 44 yards.

      Chicago couldn’t get much of anything going, posting just 71 total yards in the first half. Quarterback Caleb Williams passed for 32 yards on 6 of 14 passing. Running backs Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift combined for 43 rushing yards

    • Criss Partee

      Criss Partee

      Packers quarterback Jordan Love finds wideout Bo Melton deep for a 45-yard touchdown. Love’s second TD pass of the game and Melton’s first since 2023.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      Rams WR Puka Nacua didn’t just have a strong first half, posting a 6-136-1 stat line through the first two quarters. He also made a little history, passing Michael Thomas for the most receptions by a player all-time in their first 40 career games, per NFL+.

      His 28-yard touchdown ahead of halftime (plus the PAT from Harrison Mevis) gives the Rams a 24-10 lead heading into the third quarter.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      It was a quick first half for the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, with the Broncos leading 14-7 entering the third quarter. The Broncos and Raiders traded touchdowns on their respective opening drives, but it was a 48-yard punt return touchdown from WR Marvin Mims Jr. that set Denver up with the lead.

      The AFC West remains a tightly contested race, as the Broncos entered Week 14 with a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Chargers and a four-game lead over the Kansas City Chiefs, who currently sit outside the AFC playoff picture.

    • Kate Magdziuk

      Kate Magdziuk

      After second-year RB Blake Corum dominated the team’s second drive of the game, the Rams went back to the tried-and-true Kyren Williams. Williams ran it up the middle for two, and with a successful PAT, the Rams take a 17-10 lead over the Cardinals late in the second quarter.

      So far in this game, Williams has played 68% of offensive snaps to Corum’s 32% per NFL Next Gen Stats, though Williams has just one more touch. Each of the two has a rushing touchdown in Week 14.

  • Fantasy Football: Recapping running back touches for key backfield splits from Week 14

    We’re approaching the fantasy football playoffs in Week 15, meaning every decision goes under a microscope. You’ll want to know which running back you can trust the most going into the postseason — and there are still plenty of question marks in some key backfield committees.

    We’re going to break down some of those splits from Week 14 and how to approach roster decisions moving forward.

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    Tampa Bay Buccaneers

    Player

    Touches

    Total Yards

    Touchdowns

    Bucky Irving

    17

    81

    1

    Sean Tucker

    7

    29

    1

    Rachaad White

    12

    55

    0

    It was the second week with Bucky Irving back in the lineup and it’s still his backfield. But not so fast! Rachaad White went from five touches last week to 12 this week against the Saints. It feels like the hot-hand approach is still there to some degree with Irving getting up to speed (though he looked great again this week). Irving finished with 81 total yards on 17 touches and a pair of catches, one of those a touchdown.

    Like White, Sean Tucker went from being an afterthought to back in the game plan in Week 14 with seven touches (two last week). He had 29 yards and scored on a goal-line carry. This was also a negative script for the Bucs to have 39 carries to 30 passing attempts, trailing at multiple points in the second half. With the passing game shaky under Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay is clearly fine leaning into the run. For this week, it made all three backs viable in fantasy.

    Now, how do we handle this moving forward?

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    Irving remains an RB2 and quality start throughout the fantasy playoffs with matchups versus the Falcons, Panthers and Dolphins remaining. White and Tucker should still be rostered in deeper formats in case anything happens to Irving. Tucker could vulture touchdowns in the red zone, but it’s tough to trust him (and White) as anything more than risky FLEX options.

    Seattle Seahawks

    Player

    Touches

    Total Yards

    Touchdowns

    Kenneth Walker III

    11

    28

    0

    Zach Charbonnet

    9

    66

    0

    We haven’t talked about the Seahawks in a while, so we’re going to talk about the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III is almost done completing perhaps one of the most frustrating fantasy seasons ever. We only really got a glimmer of hope in Week 11 when Walker had 19 touches for over 100 total yards and a TD. He hasn’t had a game with under 10 touches all season, yet, here we are, staring down another dud with 3.3 fantasy points in Week 14.

    In Walker’s defense, this script was awful for backs. The score was tied 6-6 before Seattle ran away in the second half with two quick scores to go up 20-6. Atlanta turned the ball over a few times and the Seahawks didn’t need to ride Walker (and Zach Charbonnet) much in the second half. Walker still led Seattle RBs in touches with 11 but Charb had nine and looked like the better back on Sunday. We’ve seen this happen before.

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    If you have better options than Walker at RB, you may need to go that route in the fantasy playoffs. Otherwise, Walker is really only a TD-dependent FLEX at this point.

    Miami Dolphins

    Player

    Touches

    Total Yards

    Touchdowns

    De’Von Achane

    8

    105

    1

    Jaylen Wright

    24

    107

    1

    The Dolphins won their fourth straight game and are on the fringes of the AFC playoff picture. This is relevant for fantasy since it should mean we continue to see heavy volume for De’Von Achane, so long as he’s healthy. The Dolphins’ lead back exited in the second quarter due to a rib injury and didn’t return. After the game, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Achane avoided a fracture and would have come back in had the game been competitive.

    Achane finished with seven carries for 92 yards and a touchdown, plus a 13-yard catch, so he was still able to get 17 fantasy points for managers despite missing most of the game. In Achane’s stead, Jaylen Wright had 24 carries for 107 yards and a TD. It appears Achane avoided a serious injury, so unless something changes, he will continue to be one of the best plays for the fantasy postseason. However, Achane managers should add Wright this week just in case. Other managers should also consider Wright as a decent stash.

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    Pittsburgh Steelers

    Player

    Touches

    Total Yards

    Touchdowns

    Jaylen Warren

    11

    62

    1

    Kenneth Gainwell

    10

    42

    1

    In another perplexing game script, you’d think the Steelers would have more than 34 rushing yards in a game they won 27-22 in December. Not the case on Sunday in Baltimore. Pittsburgh’s run game was almost non-existent with Jaylen Warren taking eight carries for just 13 yards and Kenneth Gainwell finishing with four carries for 15 yards (and one TD). Warren also added three catches for 49 yards and a TD of his own while Gainwell caught six of seven targets. Clearly, the Ravens were fine stopping the run and letting Aaron Rodgers beat them (which he sort of did).

    The Steelers funneled a lot of the passing game through their two backs, mostly due to the lack of quality receiving options behind DK Metcalf. Warren has at least two catches in all but one game all season. He’s also scored in three straight matchups. But the issue is, this is an easy blueprint for beating this offense.

    The Steelers have the Lions and Browns on the road in Weeks 16 and 17. Those aren’t the best matchups on the ground for Warren and Gainwell. At least against the Lions, the offense should be pushed and forced to throw, so the PPR bump will help. Warren has a safe floor the rest of the way. Gainwell should still be on rosters and isn’t a bad FLEX.

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    Tennessee Titans

    Player

    Touches

    Total Yards

    Touchdowns

    Tony Pollard

    25

    161

    2

    Tyjae Spears

    10

    47

    0

    It was Week 2 when RB Tony Pollard last had 20+ carries for the Titans. It also feels like we had written off Pollard weeks ago, so of course, he was going to go off in such a monumental spot for fantasy.

    The veteran back popped in a big way on Sunday for 25 carries, 161 yards and two scores against what has been as a stout Browns defense. Cleveland entered Week 14 allowing the 10th-fewest rushing yards per game this season. Pollard didn’t care and likely hurt a lot of managers who had cast him aside, finishing with 28.1 fantasy points — the RB2 overall as the afternoon window progresses.

    This was the week where most of us thought Tyjae Spears might take over the backfield. That’s the beauty (and pain) of fantasy — you never truly know what the coaches are going to do week-to-week.

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    Spears finished with 10 touches for 47 yards — he actually led all Tennessee players in receiving yards in the game with 28. It was all Pollard on offense. It was almost like the Titans saw a path to victory and Pollard’s silhouette showed up in the sky like the Batman signal; just give Pollard the ball. So, he’s back in the RB2/3 conversation and isn’t a bad FLEX. But the lack of a passing-game role hurts and who knows if Tennessee will continue to give him big volume on the ground. Spears should still be rostered but don’t expect him to be reliable in the fantasy postseason. The Titans don’t have an easy schedule (@ SF, vs. KC, vs. NO) the next three weeks.

    Los Angeles Rams

    Player

    Touches

    Total Yards

    Touchdowns

    Kyren Williams

    15

    97

    1

    Blake Corum

    13

    131

    2

    The Cardinals never had a chance in this one. The Rams were already coming off a rare loss to the Panthers in Week 13. Los Angeles came out and used Arizona has a punching bag. With the Rams up 24-10 by halftime, this was the perfect spot for L.A. to lean on the run game. Both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum ate and this backfield is looking more and more like a split where both players are viable.

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    Williams had 15 touches while Corum finished with 13. But Corum ripped off a long of 48 yards, had 128 yards and scored twice. Williams was no slouch with 97 total yards and a score. Both backs got there but Corum nearly finished with 28 fantasy points and is looking like a top-five back this week.

    The question is, is this sustainable?

    The easy answer is no. The Rams aren’t going to tear up the Lions or Seahawks like this the next two weeks. Both games should push L.A. on offense, however. That could mean more from Matthew Stafford and the passing game. But Corum has made enough plays this season to warrant considering him in Week 15 as a risky PPR FLEX. Williams should maintain his volume and is still a strong RB2/3, just temper expectations in these upcoming matchups.

  • Lamar Jackson, DeAndre Hopkins not happy about overturned TD catch in Ravens-Steelers: ‘Refs made the call that they wanted’

    For a moment Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens thought that they’d secured a fourth-quarter lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But a play that was initially ruled a touchdown catch by Isaiah Likely from Lamar Jackson was overturned on replay review. And the Ravens didn’t score again in a 27-22 loss to the Steelers that put 7-6 Pittsburgh in first place in the AFC North ahead of 6-7 Baltimore.

    The Ravens, understandably, were not pleased with the turn of events after briefly believing they’d taken control of the game. Head coach John Harbaugh was incensed on the sideline. Jackson thought it was a touchdown and spoke candidly about his thoughts on the play after the game.

    “Like I said, I thought it was a touchdown, man,” Jackson told reporters postgame. “But the refs made the call they wanted. They believed that was right. So just gotta go with it. Gotta stay locked in.

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    “If you was on the field with us, I believe you would’ve thought it was a touchdown too. I can’t do the refs’ job. So, it is what it is.”

    DeAndre Hopkins tweets, then deletes criticism of refs

    Ravens receiver DeAndre Hopkins, meanwhile, briefly took to social media postgame to let his thoughts be known.

    “@NFL @NFLOfficiating 13 years in the this league, how many steps do you need in the end zone for a TD?” Hopkins wrote.

    Hopkins didn’t keep his post up for long. It was deleted shortly after he posted it. Tagging a league that doles out fines for criticizing officials seems like a direct route to having one’s paycheck docked, so maybe Hopkins thought better of his criticism after he hit publish.

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    But here’s what it looked like for posterity.

    @DeAndre Hopkins

    @DeAndre Hopkins

    (@DeAndre Hopkins)

    Ravens running back Derrick Henry, meanwhile, took a less direct route in insinuating his displeasure with officials with comments that may just escape the NFL’s wrath.

    “It’s tough when the game’s in the refs’ hands,” Henry told reporters in the postgame locker room.

    Should Likely have been awarded a touchdown?

    Here’s the play in question. With Baltimore facing third-and-goal while trailing 27-22, Jackson found Likely in the middle of the end zone with a pass.

    Likely initially caught the ball, then put two feet down before Joey Porter Jr. knocked it out of his hands. Analyst Tony Romo was confident that it was a score, calling it “definitely a touchdown” on the first replay of the play on the CBS broadcast.

    Officials on the field put two hands up in real time, signaling a go-ahead score. But they concluded upon replay review that it was not a touchdown and overturned the call on the field. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore — much to Romo’s repeated dismay — explained on the broadcast why officials got the replay call correct.

    “Even though we’re in the end zone, fellas, remember, in order for this to be a completed catch, he must complete all three elements of the catch,” Steratore said. “Likely has possession. We saw two feet down, great look here. Possession, two feet.

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    “But he has to have time to make a football move … It’s that element right there that they are ruling he did not finish the third element.”

    NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth further explained the ruling in a pool report to reporter Jeff Zrebiec.

    “The receiver controlled the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot down,” Butterworth said. “The control is the first aspect of the catch. The second aspect is two feet or a body part in bounds, which he did have.

    “Then the third step is an act common to the game, and before he could get the third foot down, the ball was ripped out. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass.”

    Football fans and Ravens fans in particular may not like it. But this how a play like this is correctly called in the NFL. Officials may not always get this right, but they did this time. Likely didn’t complete the process of the catch by tucking the ball, turning up field or completing a third step. This applies even in the end zone.

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    Had he tucked the ball or completed his third step before Porter punched it out, the touchdown would have stood. But he didn’t, and the score was negated, and the Ravens lost the game.

  • Sunday Night Football: How to watch the Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs game tonight

    It’s a must-win situation for the Kansas City Chiefs this week when the 6-6 team faces the 7-5 Houston Texans for a Sunday Night Football matchup. The Chiefs will need to win most or all of their final games this season if they want to live to see the postseason; a loss to the Texans could shut them out completely. They’ll host the Texans at Arrowhead Stadium Sunday for the Week 14 game, here are the odds for this game and the rest of the league.

    The Texans vs. Chiefs Sunday Night Football game will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock; here’s everything you need to know about tuning into this week’s game and the rest of the Week 14 matchups.

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    How to watch the Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday:

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    Date: Dec. 7, 2025

    Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

    TV channel: NBC

    Streaming: DirecTV, Peacock, YouTube TV, NFL+ and more

    Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs game time:

    The Texans vs. Chiefs game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET/5:20 p.m. PT this Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.

    Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs game channel:

    The Week 14 game between the Texans and the Chiefs will air on NBC.

    How to watch the Texans vs. Chiefs game without cable:

    You can stream NBC on platforms like DirecTV and Peacock. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not currently available on the platform.) The game will also be streaming on Peacock and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching this week’s game on mobile devices.

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    Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.

    For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

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    NFL Week 14 schedule:

    All times Eastern.

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    Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

    Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025

    • Steelers vs. Ravens: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

    • Bengals vs. Bills: 1:00 p.m.(FOX)

    • Seahawks vs. Falcons: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

    • Titans vs. Browns: 1:00 p.m. (FOX)

    • Colts vs. Jaguars: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)

    • Commanders vs. Vikings: 1:00 p.m.(FOX)

    • Dolphins vs. Jets: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

    • Saints vs. Buccaneers: 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

    • Bears vs. Packers: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

    • Broncos vs. Raiders: 4:05 p.m. (CBS)

    • Rams vs. Cardinals: 4:25 p.m. (FOX)

    • Texans vs. Chiefs: 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

    Monday, Dec. 8, 2025

    • Eagles vs. Chargers: 8:15 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

    How to watch NFL games in 2025:

    Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market local and primetime game in the season on your phone — but only a select few regular-season games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.

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    When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+, and Monday Night Football games will air on ESPN or ABC and stream on the newly revamped ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. Plus, Netflix is once again hosting at least two Christmas Day matches, so add that subscription into the mix. And we can’t forget about Fox One, Fox’s first streaming service, a place where you can also stream games airing on FOX (if you don’t already have access to it).

    Confused? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out ahead of the 2025 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.

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    Pros

    • Full package free trial available
    • Many local RSNs included
    • free ESPN Unlimited
    • Unlimited Cloud DVR
    Cons

    • Cost
    • Regional Sports Network fee
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    Pros

    • Offers NFL Sunday Ticket bundle
    • Offers almost every channel you need for NFL games
    Cons

    • High cost
    • Locked into YouTube TV Base Plan with the Sunday Ticket bundle
    • Known for broadcast delays
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    Pros

    • Free trial available
    • Unlimited cloud DVR storage
    • Free ESPN unlimited
    Cons

    • Entirely sports-focused
    • No NBC
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    Pros

    • You probably already have access to Prime Video
    Cons

    • Only Thursday Night Football games
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    Cons

    • Can only watch MOST live games on your phone
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    Pros

    • All ESPN content in one place
    • Content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone
    • Bundle option with NFL+
    Cons

    • Only ESPN games available with the base service

    How to watch NFL games in-person:

    Tickets for the 2025 NFL season are on sale now.

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    Find tickets

    Every way to watch NFL games this season:

    To recap, here are all the ways you can watch NFL games in 2025.

     

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  • Jeff Kent elected to Hall of Fame by Era Committee, while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens stay in the cold

    Jeff Kent is headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were once again left out in the cold by voters. The five-time All-Star second baseman was granted enshrinement on Sunday by committee vote, with Bonds and Clemens again falling short after 10 failed BBWAA elections and their first failed committee vote. For election, candidates needed 12 votes from this year’s 16-member Contemporary Era Committee.

    The newest Hall of Fame member will be formally inducted on July 26 in Cooperstown, alongside whichever players make it through this winter’s BBWAA voting. Carlos Beltran is the only player above the needed 75% among the few votes that have so far been revealed.

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    New rule means Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens can’t reach Cooperstown until at least 2031

    This year’s committee had eight players up for a vote: Bonds, Clemens, Kent, Carlos Delgado, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.

    Kent got 14 votes, and Delgado was next with nine. Mattingly and Murphy each got six, while Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield and Valenzuela all got fewer than five. Due to a 2025 rule change, failing to get five or more votes in this cycle means Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield and Valenzuela will be ineligible for the next Contemporary Era ballot in 2028.

    That means the earliest that Bonds and Clemens could make the Hall is 2031.

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    This year’s voting body consisted of seven Hall of Fame players (Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount), two owners (Mark Attanasio of the Milwaukee Brewers and Arte Moreno of the Los Angeles Angels), four former general managers (Doug Melvin, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan) and three media members (Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark).

    Jeff Kent is the all-time HR leader among second basemen

    Kent played in MLB for 17 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a late bloomer, accruing all of his five All-Star nods, four Silver Sluggers and 2000 NL MVP award in his 30s.

    He won that MVP while playing alongside Bonds with the Giants, slashing .334/.424/.596 with 33 homers and 125 RBI at the keystone position. By the time he retired, Kent was the all-time leader in homers among second basemen, with 354 of his 377 career homers at the position.

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    He finished with a career slash line of .290/.356/.500 and 55.4 WAR. Going off the WAR-based JAWS metric used to measure Hall of Fame cases, Kent rates as the 22nd-best second baseman ever.

    After retiring in 2008, Kent was first up for Hall of Fame election in 2014 and received 15.2% of the BBWAA vote. As often happens, his vote share steadily climbed over his 10 years of eligibility, but it peaked at just 46.5% on his final ballot in 2023.

    This was his first go-around in the committee process, and it will be his last.

    Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are the 2 most controversial Hall of Fame candidates ever

    Both Bonds and Clemens are among the most accomplished players in the history of baseball and would be automatic first-ballot additions under normal circumstances, but every sports fan is well aware that their circumstances aren’t normal. Due to allegations of performance-enhancing drug use, the candidacies of Bonds and Clemens have hung over the Hall of Fame since their final MLB seasons in 2007.

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    Bonds has admitted to unknowingly using the anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone, while Clemens has persistently denied any steroid use, but significant evidence exists that both men knowingly took PEDs — so much so that their claims of innocence under oath before Congress led to perjury trials. Clemens was acquitted in his case, while Bonds was found guilty but had his conviction overturned on appeal.

    Meanwhile, Kent was one of the public crusaders against steroid users among players. He once urged Bonds to “own up” to his steroid use and advocated for blood testing in addition to urine, with one of his lines even making it into the introduction of the Mitchell Report.

    Significant allegations in Bonds’ and Clemens’ personal lives also became an issue as their candidacies dragged on. Bonds’ ex-wife accused him of physical abuse on several occasions during their marriage, and a former mistress accused him of verbal abuse and death threats.

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    In 2008, the New York Daily News reported that Clemens had been engaged in an affair with country singer Mindy McCready since she was 15 years old. McCready confirmed she had a relationship but denied it began when she was 15, while Clemens apologized for unspecified “mistakes in my personal life” but denied the claim that he had an improper relationship with a 15-year-old girl. McCready committed suicide in 2013.

    Despite the differences in their respective list of scandals, Bonds and Clemens always walked a similar path in the Hall of Fame voting. They first joined the BBWAA ballot in 2013, with Bonds receiving 36.2% of the vote and Clemens getting 37.6%.

    Over the next nine years, they never finished more than 2% away from each other. They were an easy yes for any voter who thought their respective allegations shouldn’t override the Hall’s character clause. They were an easy no for voters who couldn’t get past the scandals. The Hall itself certainly didn’t want them to make it in, as it opted to cut the number of years a player can stay on the BBWAA ballot from 15 years to 10 just so it wouldn’t have to deal with their candidacies for so long.

    That BBWAA candidacy ran out for the pair in 2022, with Bonds topping out at 66% and Clemens at 65.2%, dozens of votes short of the 75% needed to get in. That sent their candidacies to the committee process, in which they got fewer than four votes out of 16 the first time around.

    This year’s committee wound up voting similarly.

  • College Football Playoff bracket reveal: The stage is set!

    The time has come! The College Football Playoff bracket is set and it came with plenty of drama surrounding the reveal. After a championship Saturday consisting of a now 8-5 Duke team becoming ACC champions and #9 Alabama being dominated by #3 Georgia, the question was raised of who would get the final at-large spots in the Playoff? Would Miami finally be ranked ahead of Notre Dame? Could both teams get in and Alabama fall out? Would the ACC have no representative at all? We now have our answers. Notre Dame was left out in the cold after the committee kept Alabama in at #9 and jumped Miami to #10. Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey share their thoughts on the committee’s final bracket. They also dive further into Notre Dame being left out. Why did the committee change their mind in the final ranking? Should they have been in the field? Who has the best path in the bracket? The guys discuss.

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    Then, they dive further into the question of if it is already time to expand the playoff to 16 teams. Andy and Godfrey also look at if conference championship games should be eliminated and more importantly, if the weekly College Football Playoff rankings show should be changed. How should ESPN change the show that seems to only provide controversy, questions and inconsistencies?

    Later, Ross Dellenger rejoins the show and shares his conversation with Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua. He shares Bevacqua’s thoughts on Notre Dame not making the CFP and what went on behind the scenes within the Notre Dame building when the team found out. Bevacqua also calls for the elimination of the weekly CFP ranking shows. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss Ross and Bevacqua’s conversation and they also debate if it is time for Notre Dame to join a conference.

    Come get all the College Football Playoff insights on College Football Enquirer.

    Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer & Miami head coach Mario Cristobal

Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images

    Alabama head coach Kalen Deboer & Miami head coach Mario Cristobal Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images

    (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

    (1:09) – College Football Playoff bracket revealed

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    (4:16) – Thoughts on the bracket

    (16:05) – Should Notre Dame have been in the CFP?

    (26:28) – Should the Playoff expand to 16 teams?

    (44:52) – Does the weekly CFP rankings show need to be eliminated?

    (48:11) – Ross’ conversation with Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua

    (55:44 ) – Does Notre Dame need to join a conference?

    Check out all the episodes of the College Football Enquirer and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv