Category: Sport

BALTIMORE — The first read on Aaron Rodgers’ rushing touchdown was not a run.

Facing third-and-1 from the 1-yard line midway through the first quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers hoped instead to pass off of play action.

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The vision: Tight end Jonnu Smith’s presence at the line of scrimmage would create a heavy personnel presence that foreshadowed a run. Then, Smith would sneak out to catch a pass.

But Rodgers saw the left side of the Steelers’ offensive line had “caved in,” he said, so he escaped from the pocket. He saw that the Baltimore Ravens defenders chasing him were, well, larger and perhaps not as nimble as he (read: 341 and 370-pound defensive linemen pursuing a 223-pound quarterback).

So while wide receiver DK Metcalf thought the play was busted, and others may have wondered how fast a newly 42-year-old quarterback protecting the ball with a broken non-throwing wrist would truly be, Rodgers ran in a touchdown.

The touchdown wasn’t just the first of a division rivalry game the Steelers would ultimately win, 27-22.

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It was also Rodgers’ first rushing touchdown since 2022 — and his first since a Sept. 2023 torn Achilles. Rookie quarterback Will Howard was ready for the celebration that the milestone warranted.

“I’ve been waiting to see the ‘Discount Double Check’ [celebration],” Howard told Yahoo Sports from the postgame locker room. “And he kept saying: ‘Rushing touchdowns only. Rushing touchdowns only for the Double Check.’ So I’m glad that we got that today. … That was vintage Aaron Rodgers.

“He’s still playing like he’s well into his thirties.”

The Steelers didn’t play a complete game on either side of the ball as the Ravens came a third step and mild officiating controversy away from rallying back in a fourth quarter that featured no Pittsburgh points. But Rodgers’ deep ball and his legs initially powered the Steelers’ lead in a game in which they trailed for only 3 minutes and 45 seconds. Pittsburgh’s defense, particularly its red-zone defense, stepped up to finish the job.

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The result: At 7-6, the Steelers now control the AFC North. Just one week after the home crowd in Pittsburgh broke out into audible “Fire Tomlin” chants, the win in Baltimore lifted Pittsburgh’s chance at making the playoffs to 68%, per Next Gen Stats.

[Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]

The win should also, at least for now, quiet speculation about the 19-year Steelers head coach’s future.

“To get a win like this right now, it’s going to create momentum,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “We all understand how everything went this week.”

Rodgers turned back the clock to set tone for Steelers vs. Ravens

The Steelers’ passing game seemed to drink from the fountain of youth on the day Rodgers became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass at age 42. Potential reasons were aplenty.

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Perhaps Rodgers’ progression healing his nonthrowing wrist fracture contributed to his improved mobility and deep ball as he threw for 284 yards and a touchdown a week after throwing for 117 and no scores. Rodgers was able to transition to a soft cast as his bones heal; and he was able to field snaps under center again, even if it didn’t much improve his team’s play-action game on a day when the Steelers managed just 34 rushing yards.

And perhaps the Ravens’ preference for man coverage without a consistent safety over the top favored the Steelers and Rodgers’ strengths, Metcalf knowing deep sideline passes were absolutely in play as he didn’t face his usual volume of double coverage. Rodgers registered five explosive passes, including 52- and 41-yard bombs to Metcalf down the right sideline that traveled 44 and 26 air yards, respectively.

The Steelers were intentional about firing deep early, eager to set the tone in a division game before momentum fired up the home crowd.

“We were in an aggressive posture all day,” Tomlin said. “I just think that’s how we got out of bed this morning. That’s what’s required when you’re playing these guys in their venue.”

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Or was it the addition of veteran receivers Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the Steelers’ roster that help explain the improvement from Rodgers’ 47.6% completion percentage in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills to this week’s 67.6%? Rodgers touted an increased level of professionalism from his weapons, Thielen admitting he jumped into a vocal role after initially crediting his new teammates with teaching him the plays.

“I might’ve talked a little too much early on,” Thielen told Yahoo Sports. “I texted DK and said, ‘Hey, man, if I’m overstepping at all, let me know.’ And he’s like, ‘No, man: Talk as much as you want.’”

Add in a festive week featuring Rodgers’ birthday on Tuesday, and the Steelers were more than ready to celebrate. Receiver Ben Skowronek purchased a vanilla birthday cake from Oakmont Bakery, he told Yahoo Sports, while he directed Howard and fellow rookie Max Hurleman to show up to the birthday edition of Rodgers’ home film sessions with balloons featuring the numbers 4 and 2. The rookies delivered: Howard confirmed he blew the balloons up himself.

So by Sunday, Metcalf was saying that “this week just felt different as a team, as a whole” after the Rodgers-Metcalf connection that had shined in Wednesday and Thursday practices translated to seven connections for a season-best 148 yards.

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Add in key defensive stops when the offense stalled in the fourth quarter, including a game-sealing sack from Alex Highsmith, and the Steelers were able to escape with a win. It was a win they all knew they needed sorely — for their playoff hopes and for their head coach’s future.

Even as players sought to downplay the “outside noise,” the “Fire Tomlin” chants echoed in their ears.

“This game is huge,” Howard said. “Talk about a turning point this season. If it went the other way, it could be a lot different.”

With Steelers back in control, will Tomlin speculation quiet?

Tomlin’s coaching acumen has garnered him broad respect in the NFL world. Sunday’s win puts him on track for his 19th straight year without a losing season. The Steelers have advanced to the playoffs 12 times in Tomlin’s 18 full seasons.

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But with no playoff wins since the 2016 season and the last Lombardi Trophy dating back to the 2008 season, it is not unreasonable to remember no coach stays with a team forever.

Tomlin will have his choice of 2026 jobs should he want it. The question instead is: When will the Steelers and/or Tomlin decide they’re ready for a new marriage? Signing Rodgers for what could be the last year of his NFL career only further emphasized the sense of urgency in Pittsburgh. The team’s roster is aging, a long-term solution at quarterback elusive. It’s not difficult to imagine a world where Tomlin takes over a talented team with a quarterback, and the Steelers find their next coach with the ability to offer remarkable patience in a league not known for it. Pittsburgh also has an offseason decision to make about Tomlin’s 2027 option, ESPN reported this weekend.

With Tomlin saying ‘in general, I agree’ with the “Fire Tomlin” chants last week, the noise about his future was more than just outside noise.

And yet, at least for the week, the clamor should reduce to nothing more than a din. Because the Steelers team that lost both head-to-heads with the Ravens last season managed to beat their toughest division foe in 2025.

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Tomlin’s defense, albeit leaky in allowing 217 rushing yards, made stops in key moments including an interception and two sacks of Lamar Jackson. The Ravens’ offense flashed in moments, including on Jackson and Zay Flowers’ connection. But a catch that was initially ruled a touchdown to Isaiah Likely turned out to be incomplete, after a controversial replay review ruled Likely did not make a football move after getting two feet into the end zone.

The Ravens converted on just 2 of 6 trips to the red zone. They wrecked a forced punt with an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Steelers’ snapper. And Baltimore lost the turnover battle as the broken-wristed Rodgers won a battle for his batted pass, turning a near-interception into a pass to himself for a loss of 9 yards.

The gritty moments reflected Tomlin’s ethos.

Steelers players thoroughly endorsed their leader in a spirited postgame locker room — including players who have experienced other NFL coaches and cultures.

Metcalf, whom the Steelers acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in March, praised Tomlin as a “great leader” who’s “done nothing but take the bullets for us.” Thielen, who has spent parts of 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and two with the Carolina Panthers, raved about Tomlin’s intentionality.

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And Skowronek, a member of the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl championship team in the 2021 season?

“Coach Tomlin, in my opinion, is the best leader of men I’ve ever been around,” Skowronek told Yahoo Sports. “Coach Tomlin’s real. He will have the hard conversation with you. He’ll call you out. There’s a standard that we have to live by every day. And if we’re not living by the standard, he’s going to let you know about it.

“But he is also a great motivator.”

So no, Steelers players in a spirited postgame locker room did not seem to desire a split from Tomlin, nor were they split amongst themselves on his excellence. And no, as Steelers team owner Art Rooney II walked into the postgame locker room with his family, he did not look like an owner in search of a change or upheaval.

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And Tomlin himself? He didn’t directly touch on the calls for his job Sunday in the way he had five days prior. But he did blow a kiss at CBS cameras after the win and he had no hesitation celebrating a “big win for us, obviously, in a hostile environment.”

Rodgers, after a week of vanilla cake and balloons and a throwback rushing touchdown, took it from there.

“Maybe,” the quarterback said of conversation around his head coach, “you guys will shut the hell up for a week.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder had no issues on Sunday night, even with reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sitting on the bench.

The Delta Center in Salt Lake City, on the other hand, struggled.

Midway through the second quarter, a smoke machine sitting on top of one of the baskets in the arena started going off randomly while Thunder star Chet Holmgren was shooting a free throw. It kept going off for quite some time, too, and nobody on the court seemed to notice.

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Holmgren even threw down a dunk on a fast break before officials stopped the game to fix the broken smoke machine — which made for quite the scene.

“He is literally setting this place on fire,” one of the announcers joked.

The Jazz opened the game with a free throw, though that was their only lead of the night. The Thunder responded with a 13-0 burst before rolling to the 131-101 win. It marked their 15th consecutive victory and brought them to 23-1 on the season — which is on pace to break the league’s single-season wins record set by the Golden State Warriors back during the 2015-16 campaign.

Holmgren led the way with 25 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder. Jalen Williams had 25 points, too, and Aaron Wiggins added 19 points off the bench. They shot 58% from the field as a group and 21-of-42 from behind the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander sat out due to left elbow bursitis, marking his first missed game of the season.

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Kyle Filipowski led the Jazz with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Both Walter Clayton Jr. and Taylor Hendricks added 20 points off the bench. The Jazz fell to 8-15 after the loss, which marked their second straight loss by 30 points or more.

While it’s unclear what sparked the smoke on Sunday night, the arena staff has some time to figure it out. The Jazz have one game this week, against the Grizzlies in Memphis, and won’t be back at home until they host the Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 15.

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald give their instant reactions and takeaways from Week 14 of NFL action. The duo kick things off with their reactions to the Houston Texans putting the Kansas City Chiefs‘ season on the ropes on Sunday night.

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Next, Nate & Charles break down their 3 Highs, 3 Lows of Week 14. The highs include the Green Bay Packers wrestling control of the NFC North from the Chicago Bears, the Jacksonville Jaguars taking the late AFC South lead from the Indianapolis Colts and the Josh Allen & the Buffalo Bills outscoring Joe Burrow & the Cincinnati Bengals.

The lows of Week 14 include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers falling apart against the New Orleans Saints, the Baltimore Ravens being unable to stop Aaron Rodgers & the Pittsburgh Steelers from taking the AFC North lead back and the Atlanta Falcons’ playoff contention coming to an end against the Seattle Seahawks. The duo also discuss Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders battling it out in the snow for Extra Credit.

(00:45) – Texans beat Chiefs on SNF

(21:05) – Packers beat Bears

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(31:05) – Jaguars beat Colts

(41:30) – Bills beat Bengals

(49:15) – Buccaneers lose to Saints

(57:15) – Ravens lose to Steelers

(1:07:35) – Falcons eliminated from playoffs

(1:13:15) – Extra Credit: rookies battle it out

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

Matt Harmon and Chris Allen provide their instant fantasy reactions to all the action in Week 14. The two place games in three fantasy buckets: Games we care about the most, games we sort of care about and games that could have been an email.

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(1:00) – Matt’s solo SNF recap: Texans 20, Chiefs 10

(21:00) – Games we care about the most: CIN@BUF, CHI@GB, PIT@BAL, IND@JAX

(1:03:45) – Games we sort of care about: NO@TB, TEN@CLE, LAR@AZ, SEA@ATL

(1:25:15) – Games that could have been an email

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

The non-theatric theatrics were just a distraction. The real drama — and a telling tactic for the Green Bay Packers — came later Sunday.

Yes, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur unquestionably did a flyby handshake with the Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson. No, it wasn’t nearly as dramatic as some of the instantaneous reactions portrayed it. If anything, the nanosecond of interaction between the two was more dust-bunny than dust-up. Maybe you craved a Jim Harbaugh vs. Jim Schwartz (circa 2011) postgame confrontation, only to be disappointed with LaFleur simply giving Johnson a chilly little ¡olé! before everyone swiftly moved on with their postgame.

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“Just a quick handshake,” LaFleur said following the Packers’ 28-21 win over the Bears. “We’ll see them again in two weeks.”

Any drama or pettiness between the Packers and Bears fell flat after a week of intensely re-racking comments Johnson made in his introductory news conference with the Bears last January, when he said he “enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year” as offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. Instead, LaFleur was forward-looking and respectful of the Bears, reciting his fairly typical mission-first-and-always diatribes about methodically moving forward. In the same vein, Johnson was complimentary of the Packers and seemingly appreciative about being part of a rivalry between the two teams being reinvigorated as each vies for the NFC North crown.

“I do think there’s some aura that comes with playing here and competing here,” Johnson said of Lambeau Field. “I love it for our guys. This is what the football gods made football to be. Cold weather in December like this. Green Bay, Chicago — it’s outstanding. I think it’s awesome to have this rivalry alive and well right now and we’ll get another chance at it here in two weeks.”

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For the most part, that was the underlying Packers message: Green Bay held down its end of the bargain and it will see Chicago again in two weeks when the division could be decided at Soldier Field.

Oh — and stop committing the clearly egregious but also unflagged holding penalties on Micah Parsons.

That’s where the spice was Sunday. Less between LaFleur and Johnson than between the Packers’ coach and Sunday’s officiating crew. Not to mention the seemingly overwhelming majority of the Green Bay fan base, which flooded social media with clips of Parsons being held by Bears tight end Colston Loveland and offensive tackle Darnell Wright, among others.

A hold by Wright left Packers fans particularly seething after it was posted by the NFL’s X account as a Chicago highlight, showcasing a pivotal scramble and completion by Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during a late fourth-quarter drive. On the play, Parsons comes off the right edge and is met by Wright, who hooked his arm around Parsons’ neck and corralled him out of the way as Williams rolled out of trouble and completed a 24-yard pass to wideout Devin Duvernay deep into Green Bay territory. In the background of the play, you see Parsons on his knees and raising his arms to the sky, seemingly asking for a penalty or some kind of explanation for what it would take to get a flag.

Parsons would finish with eight quarterback pressures in the win, but zero sacks or tackles. Afterward, LaFleur took exception to the lack of flags when it came to the way the Bears were blocking Parsons. More than once during the game, the Packers head coach could be seen animatedly engaging officials and complaining about what appeared to be unflagged holding incidents. Asked about one of the incidents, LaFleur said he wasn’t sure what constituted holding after seeing how Parsons was handled by officials.

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“I guess I don’t know,” LaFleur said. “I thought there was one that certainly was questionable, to say the least. But apparently the officials disagree, so it is what it is. We just gotta continue to strain and fight and try to get to the quarterback.”

Pressed on it further, he doubled down.

“Officials, I don’t think that their jobs are easy by any stretch,” LaFleur added. “I think it is a difficult job, but I guess I don’t know what holding is anymore. Because I thought [one] was pretty clear — clear and obvious hold. But I guess I don’t know what that means.”

LaFleur was careful to walk the line between an outright criticism of any officials. But engaging with the questions of reporters who are prepared to highlight what has been happening the past several weeks with Parsons is no accident. LaFleur knows what he’s doing. He’s running an early December gambit from a postgame podium that can also be paired at some point with the Packers submitting private officiating protests to the league office with accompanying video — not an uncommon practice for NFL teams — to send a message.

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Something along the lines of: Micah is being held repeatedly over the course of our games … the evidence is being broadcasted in front of everyone’s eyes … and it needs to be officiated better than this.

This is what you do when you have a $46.5 million-per-season edge rusher who is being prevented from completing one of the primary missions that wreck games. Namely, hitting the quarterback. Repeatedly. It’s also what you do when the race for the NFC North — and even more importantly, the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed — are still hanging in the balance. You look for an edge. Especially one that is provable on game film and rightfully should be called if officials are seeing it.

Of course, this isn’t new territory for Parsons. Dallas Cowboys fans complained about it for years, dating back to his rookie season in 2021. And it wasn’t just the fan base, either. In December of 2023, when Dallas was in a fistfight with the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions for the No. 1 playoff seed in that season’s playoffs, the Cowboys reached out to the NFL’s league office to argue that Parsons was being blocked (and allegedly held) by opposing teams repeatedly, without the plays resulting in penalties.

Parsons lamented it publicly that season — and at other times — over the course of his career in Dallas. Now, it has traveled with him north to Green Bay, and the Packers are in the midst of the same frustration. That might be why Parsons seemed to be the most pragmatic person of all Sunday when questioned about any frustration over a lack of offensive holding penalties.

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“I just gotta keep fighting through,” Parsons told reporters. “That’s been the definition of my career. There’s always fighting through whatever. I’m a smaller guy and I think [officials] realize that and I’ve got an advantage on the defensive side — I play with great leverage and I’m able to get under people’s arms.”

“I think the rulebook is you got to be in the chest area and I’m just not getting grabbed in the chest area,” he added. “But like I said, there’s nothing I can do about it. I just got to keep fighting through.”

Asked by a reporter about being corralled by the neck, Parsons gave a verbal shrug.

“That’s not in the rulebook at all,” he said.

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LaFleur surely isn’t going to accept that. It’s unlikely general manager Brian Gutekunst will, either. That much seemed clear when the head coach gladly added fuel to a debate that is likely going to draw only more attention as the Packers move toward the playoffs — not to mention another meeting with the Bears in Week 16 that could decide the division.

That’s two weeks from now, and the Packers have opened the next chapter in the drama between the two rivals. And it has everything to do with how the Bears — and the rest of Green Bay’s opponents into the playoffs — will be scrutinized when it comes to how Parsons is officiated.

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The Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Chargers are both 8-4 heading into Week 14 of the season. The teams will meet for the first time this season in a primetime battle Monday night. The Chargers are optimistic that QB Justin Herbert will play, despite being just one week out from surgery to repair his fractured hand. Trey Lance will make his first start for Los Angeles if Herbert doesn’t get the green light.

You can tune into Monday Night Football’s Eagles vs. Chargers game on ESPN and ABC, which are available on streaming platforms like ESPN Unlimited and DirecTV. Here’s what you need to know to tune in.

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How to watch the Philadelphia Eagles vs. L.A. Chargers:

Date: Monday, Dec. 8, 2025

Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

TV channels: ESPN, ABC

Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV, ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ and more

Philadelphia Eagles vs. L.A. Chargers game time:

The Eagles vs. Chargers game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT this Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. L.A. Chargers game channel:

The Week 14 game between the Philadelphia Eagles vs. L.A. Chargers will air on ESPN and ABC.

How to watch the Philadelphia Eagles vs. L.A. Chargers game without cable:

You can tune in to ESPN and ABC through your cable provider, or on streaming platforms like DirecTV, Fubo and more. You can also stream the game on the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited, or with NFL+ (via phone or tablet only).

Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel, and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary. No strings attached. 

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 during 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.

Pros

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

Cons

• Cost
• Regional Sports Network fee

Pros

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

Cons

• Entirely sports-focused
• No NBC

Pros

• You probably already have access to Prime Video

Cons

• Only Thursday Night Football games

Cons

• Can only watch MOST live games on your phone

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

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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February 23, 2026

I don’t know where Shedeur Sanders is headed as an NFL quarterback. I can’t say he’ll be great next year, or next week. And obviously he didn’t get a win Sunday against Tennessee.

But it’s nice to have optimism back in the Cleveland huddle. And Sanders took enough positive steps Sunday that we can start to consider some Browns players as part of our fantasy playoff plans.

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Let’s be fair, Cleveland outplayed Tennessee on the field. The Browns had 22 first downs and 412 yards of offense, the Titans managed just 13 first downs and 292 yards of offense. Cleveland cranked out 6.4 yards per play, Tennessee only 4.6 yards per play. Even with one additional turnover, the Browns should have won. Don’t take the final score (Titans 31, Browns 29) at face value.

Sanders did a lot of good things. He completed 23-of-42 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran for 29 yards and another score. He threw one pick and absorbed two sacks, a reasonable giveback for a rookie quarterback asked to carry this much of the offensive burden. He was sharp most of the day. The tape looks very good, and that 97.7 passer rating validates him, too.

Fantasy managers in standard leagues really aren’t looking to Sanders, but if he plays well, we can consider ancillary options. One of Sanders’ scores went to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. (8-114-1), a perfect throw. Fannin is one of those rookies who gives off veteran vibes this late in the season, a player on the rise — Tennessee couldn’t figure out how to stop him. David Njoku also had a short touchdown catch, on another pristine Sanders throw, but he suffered a knee injury and left the game early. Fannin appears to be passing Njoku, anyway.

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While Fannin looks like a proactive play moving forward — he’s available in 60% of leagues — Jerry Jeudy is more of a depth piece. Jeudy didn’t do a lot in the previous Sanders games (everyone remembers the Las Vegas fumble that went viral), but he snagged a 60-yard touchdown Sunday, the signature play in a 3-76-1 afternoon. Chicago (Week 15) and Pittsburgh (Week 17) could be good spots for Jeudy moving forward, depending on your needs at the time.

The Tennessee defense centered on Quinshon Judkins, holding him to 26 yards on 14 carries. Judkins turned his only catch into a 58-yard splash play, partially saving his day, but he obviously came in under projection, finishing with 8.9 fantasy points. Still, Judkins might have some playoff juice, with Sanders giving the offense more upside. Secondary back Dylan Sampson had two short carries and five catches; he’s a support guy, not a threat to the Judkins workload.

Running backs have done well against Buffalo all year. If the Browns can keep the game within range, Judkins might be a good play in Week 16 against the Bills. And at least we can project decent volume for Judkins the rest of the season, no matter the opponent.

The star on the other side of the ball was Tony Pollard (25-161-2), who cracked double-digit fantasy points for just the third time all year. With Pollard rolling early, Tyjae Spears (8-19-0) was limited to a backup role and QB Cam Ward wasn’t asked to do any heavy lifting. Ward secured his second win despite a measly 4.2 YPA, and no one on the team made it to 30 receiving yards.

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Game flow could be a problem for Pollard moving forward, as the Titans will be heavy underdogs against the 49ers and Chiefs the next two weeks. Maybe a date with the plucky, but beatable, Saints in Week 17 will be favorable for Pollard.

Booms

Elements don’t bother star QBs: Joe Burrow grew up in Ohio. Josh Allen played college ball at Wyoming. It didn’t seem like a little Buffalo snow would hold these guys back, and we eventually got the pinball game we all wanted and needed.

The Allen stuff (three touchdown passes, one long touchdown run) feels like a review at this point. His fantasy points usually feel inevitable. So what if Buffalo doesn’t have a dynamic wideout or a superstar tight end? Allen usually finds a way. The Patriots, Browns and Eagles can challenge him down the stretch, but only a fool would bet against Allen.

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Burrow showed up in some start-sit discussions but he quickly proved his mettle, throwing for 284 yards and four touchdowns. The two late-game picks were more painful to the Bengals than to fantasy managers — they cost Cincinnati the game — but Burrow acquitted himself well most of the day, despite a lukewarm stat line from Ja’Marr Chase (5-44-0). Tee Higgins pushed to 24.2 points off a 6-92-2 line, and touchdown deodorant (one by land, one by air) saved Chase Brown.

You know the Cincinnati story by now — narrow usage tree, mediocre defense. They play pinball more often than not. The Ravens, Dolphins and Cardinals follow the next three games.

Dolphins run wild: Miami’s game plan at New York was simple — let De’Von Achane run through and around the overmatched Jets. But when Achane (105 total yards, one touchdown) suffered a rib injury, backups Jaylen Wright (24-107-1) and Ollie Gordon II (5-17-1) stepped into the void. Tua Tagovailoa only threw 21 passes, which is Miami’s preferred volume — Jaylen Waddle (5-50-1) came home, but he had to make do on just seven targets. Look for Miami to run the ball into the ground against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati the next two weeks.

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The Green Bay problem: The Packers have famously been skimpy with targets since Davante Adams left town; no one has made it past 100 opportunities. So it’s not clear how to handle Christian Watson, who’s on a touchdown binge but unlikely to ever be a target hog. The Packers also have a strong running game and defense, so they’re unlikely to play in shootout games. If you start three wideouts, Watson makes sense as a fun, upside-tinged WR3. If you only need two receivers, he’s probably best suited for your bench.

Busts

Bucs passing game continues to struggle: Nobody expected Tyler Shough to outplay Baker Mayfied at Tampa Bay, but that’s what happened. Shough actually provided a fair Mayfield imitation, running for 55 yards and two touchdowns, mostly on pure determination. You admire both guys leaving it all on the field.

We have to wonder what’s wrong with Tampa Bay, however. Mayfield managed just 4.1 YPA against a mediocre New Orleans defense. Chris Godwin Jr.’s 5-55-0 line was passable, but Emeka Egbuka continues to struggle (2-15-0, despite nine targets). Egbuka has just one touchdown in his last eight games, and Mike Evans might be returning soon. Player values shift quickly in this game, don’t they? Egbuka went from a right answer to a debatable lineup call in two months.

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Colts season hits a ditch: Not long ago, Indianapolis was the heavy favorite to win the AFC South. Now, its season is effectively over. Daniel Jones is probably done for the year and Riley Leonard is a third-stringer without any experience. Everyone drops a tier in this offense, even Jonathan Taylor. The receiver room already had a crowding issue, now it has a sustainability issue.

Commanders’ conundrum: Washington has some juicy matchups remaining on the schedule — the Giants next week and Dallas in Week 17. But Jayden Daniels might not be ready for prime time.

Daniels played less than three quarters in a blowout loss at Minnesota, throwing for just 78 yards and producing 3.72 fantasy points. The Commanders removed Daniels after he aggravated his left elbow injury, and although Dan Quinn says Daniels could have returned, there was no point given the state of the game. Marcus Mariota didn’t do anything in relief of Daniels, but perhaps he could have sleeper value for those upcoming games, if he’s asked to play. After a dream season of green lights last year, Washington has hit every pothole on the 2025 parkway.

No trust in Minnesota: We finally found something J.J. McCarthy can do — throw touchdown passes to tight ends. That won’t make fantasy managers particularly happy.

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McCarthy had three scoring strikes in the romp over Washington, though two of them went to backup Josh Oliver (2-24-2). T.J. Hockenson’s score barely saved a 2-12-1 day. As for Jordan Addison (4-62-0) and Justin Jefferson (2-11-0), they can’t be trusted for the rest of the year; the connection with McCarthy simply isn’t there. And when the Minnesota defense plays well, McCarthy’s passing volume will be very low. He had just 23 attempts Sunday.

Houston erases the Chiefs: It’s been clear for several weeks that the Texans have the best defense in football, and that was reinforced in Sunday’s suffocation of Kansas City (a piddly 274 yards of offense, and three Patrick Mahomes interceptions). Arizona is next on the Houston hit list, followed by the Raiders and Chargers. Avoid this shutdown unit whenever you can.

The AFC South turned in a massive way in Week 14. With their 36-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Jacksonville Jaguars improved to 9-4 and took control of the division with just a few weeks left in the regular season.

Despite the win, however, the focus wasn’t on the Jaguars after the contest. Instead, it was on Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, whose resurgence had the Colts looking like Super Bowl contenders. Jones sustained an Achilles injury in the loss, and could miss the rest of the season due to the issue.

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That storyline must have been apparent to multiple members of the Jaguars after the game, because they — along with head coach Liam Coen — used the opportunity to point out that they get no respect for the way the team has performed this season.

Running back Travis Etienne, who rushed for 74 yards and scored twice in the win, made that abundantly clear after the contest, per ESPN.

“At the end of the day, I feel like no one likes us except for us. It just goes along with being in this organization and the way this organization has been for some time now. We’re not going to get their respect. We kind of don’t even care.”

He wasn’t the only member of the team to make that point. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence said the Jaguars “don’t get the credit” they deserve. He concluded his statement by saying, “Nobody really cares about the Jags, which is fine.”

Lawrence turned in a strong performance in the win, throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

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If it sounds like that might be a rallying point by the Jaguars this season, that might be by design. Coen didn’t exactly downplay that narrative after the win. In fact, he did just the opposite, he fed into it, per ESPN.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever really get [respect],” he said. “That’s the beauty of it. It ain’t coming. You know that. It’s not. And that’s the beauty of it. And that’s totally fine.”

Respect — or the perceived lack of it — is a common motivator in sports. Coaches who want their teams to stay hungry and motivated will often point to it as a way to get players fired up. Oftentimes, it doesn’t even matter if it’s true. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady continued to rely on the notion that nobody believed in them many, many years into their dynasty with the New England Patriots.

The Jaguars, however, might have a point. Even after Sunday’s game, the Colts have dominated the AFC South headlines. That’s likely to change now that Jones is hurt, but attention is already starting to shift to the 8-5 Houston Texans after they took down the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

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The Jaguars seem pretty content to play the role of the underdog for now. It’s tough to blame them. Under Coen, the team has quietly surged to first place and sits in the No. 3 seed in the AFC with just four games to go.

That’s quite the turnaround for a team that finished 4-13 last year.

LeBron James clearly doesn’t have it every night as he approaches 41 years old.

But he remains capable of bringing it. The Philadelphia 76ers found out the hard way Sunday night.

Two games after James scored eight points to break a 1,297-game streak of scoring in double figures, he scored 10 straight Lakers points down the fourth-quarter stretch to lead the Los Angeles to a 112-108 road win.

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His first bucket of the run extended a Lakers lead to 102-98. With the game tied at 105 and 1:11 remaining, James took a pass from Luka Dončić and pulled up from 3 to retake the lead for the Lakers.

On the next Los Angeles possession with the Lakers up by 3, James faced up Quentin Grimes from the top of the key beyond the 3-point line. He then drove to the left wing past the elbow and pulled up for a fadeaway jumper with Grimes’ hand in his face.

The ball fell through the net for a 110-105 Lakers lead that iced the win and stunned the Philadelphia crowd.

The bucket capped a stellar night for James in his first game since his eight-point effort in Thursday’s win over the Toronto Raptors. That night, Austin Reaves led the way with 44 points as James struggled and Dončić didn’t play.

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Lakers stars are getting the job done early in the season

There were no struggles Sunday as James finished with 29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block and 1 steal while shooting 12 of 17 from the floor and 4 of 6 from 3-point range. It was part of a balanced effort from their stars that the Lakers surely envisioned when they traded for Dončić last season.

Dončić led the Lakers with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. But as James had the hot hand down the stretch, Dončić ceded the spotlight for James to close the 76ers out. On a roster with two superstars — one in his prime and another on the back end of his career — it wasn’t clear how the on-court relationship between the two would evolve.

But the Lakers can beat opponents in multiple ways and not just with Dončić and James. Reaves kept the Lakers afloat with a sizzling early-season run as James and Dončić both missed time. And he delivered again on Thursday against the Raptors.

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It’s added up to a 17-6 start that’s good for second-place tie in the West with the Denver Nuggets behind the 23-1 Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Lakers’ roster may not be as complete as those of its fellow Western Conference leaders. But it’s been strong enough at the top so far to maintain the Lakers’ place among the West’s best. And it’s proven capable of winning with James leading the way or when he’s having a bad night.

With all but one Week 14 game in the books (Monday Night Football), we’ve learned a little bit more than we knew last week. Or, in some cases, thought we knew. Players impressed, players disappointed and there is fantasy football fallout to unpack.

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Once again, I’ve compiled the full weekly fantasy stock report below. These are the most notable risers and fallers coming out of Week 14. Invest accordingly!

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📈 Stock Up at RB

Tony Pollard, RB, Titans

Sometimes, fantasy football laughs in our faces. Like when Tony Pollard, who has done literally nothing all season, blows up for 161 yards and two touchdowns — 28.1 fantasy points — on 25 carries … against the Cleveland Browns defense. If you started him, congratulations, but let’s not pretend this was expected. Still, it can’t be ignored either, and his matchup with the 49ers next week is theoretically better. Pollard is not trustworthy (by any means), but there’s a flash of hope heading into the fantasy playoffs after what he showed on Sunday.

RJ Harvey, RB, Broncos

RJ Harvey is finally shaping into what many rookie-loving fantasy analysts were excited about after his draft selection back in April. He’s a dynamic running back in a productive Sean Payton offense, who now possesses the lead role with JK Dobbins injured. Following the Week 12 bye, Harvey has now logged 19+ fantasy points in consecutive games, with 162 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He has three tough matchups in the playoffs, but should probably be started in just about every league anyway.

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Devin Neal, RB, Saints

I poo-poo’d Devin Neal quite a bit the last couple weeks, unwilling to buy into his fantasy value as the lead back of a terrible offense with very little upside. And while 3.7 yards per carry and one catch for 14 yards still isn’t all that exciting, Neal managed to post 14.9 fantasy points thanks to a touchdown in Sunday’s upset of the Buccaneers. Importantly, he has three soft matchups down the stretch, and can probably be played as a volume-based RB3 or low-end RB2 through the fantasy playoffs as long as Alvin Kamara remains sidelined.

📈 Stock Up at WR

Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals

The dominance of Michael Wilson in a Marvin Harrison Jr.-less offense needs to be studied. This is now three games with Jacoby Brissett and no MHJ, and three fantasy Hall of Fame outings for Wilson. In Week 11, it was 15 catches for 185 yards on 18 targets. In Week 12 it was 10 catches for 118 yards on 15 targets. And on Sunday, it was 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets against the Rams. Next week brings a horrendous matchup with the Texans, but if Harrison is out again, Wilson is literally unbenchable. And at this point, you have to wonder if Wilson might have earned the WR1 role regardless.

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Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens

After an utter bust in Week 13 and basically 10 straight weeks of mediocrity prior, Zay Flowers finally had another great game on Sunday. He snagged eight of 11 targets for 124 yards against the Steelers, as Lamar Jackson started rounding back into form following a stretch of injury-hampered doldrums. The Bengals bring a curiously “red” matchup for Flowers in Week 15, but he has a chance to produce in a high-scoring affair anyway — as long as Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews don’t steal all the fantasy points.

Christian Watson, WR, Packers

Christian Watson has been playing lights out football since returning from injury in Week 8, and it’s really just the Packers’ willingness to feed him the ball — or lack thereof — that’s kept him from fantasy dominance. In Week 14, neither that unwillingness nor Chicago’s defense were enough to stop him, as he turned just four targets into 89 yards and two touchdowns. He draws a mortifying matchup with the Broncos in Week 15 (in which you can probably bench him), but gets to finish the year against the Bears (again) and the Ravens. He’s scored five TDs in his last four games and has become a lethal weapon downfield again. Watson should be a WR2 in the fantasy semis and finals.

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Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jaguars

Even with Brian Thomas Jr. starting to poke his head up again (finally), Jakobi Meyers remained consistent this Sunday, finding the end zone for a third straight game. He did only catch four of his 10 targets, but double-digit looks is encouraging and his red-zone dominance in Jacksonville is becoming almost Davante Adams-esque. He’s not quite as exciting as the three names above, but Meyers is a stalwart flex play for those of us squeaking into the playoffs with a patchwork starting lineup.

📈 Stock Up Elsewhere

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Browns

One day, Shedeur Sanders might be one of the more intriguing stories in NFL history. For now, he’s riding high off a massive breakout game against the Titans in his fourth NFL game. Sanders tagged Tennessee for 364 yards and three TDs through the air (with one INT), adding 29 rushing yards and a score on the ground as well. His 34.46 fantasy points on Sunday were comfortably more than his prior three games combined. While he’s probably a low-end QB2 or streamer in a good matchup this week against the Bears, the fact that he’s in consideration at all is a huge Stock Up. And with the overall mess at the quarterback position these days, he should probably end up in a few starting lineups for playoff teams this Sunday and maybe in Week 17 against Pittsburgh.

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J.J. McCarthy, QB, Vikings

J.J. McCarthy had a slightly larger sample of “quite bad” in comparison to Sanders, and his “great game” on Sunday against Washington wasn’t quite as monumental — 20.42 fantasy points, with three passing TDs but just 163 yards. Still, McCarthy proved that he can be fantasy viable in the right matchup … you know, like the ones against the Cowboys, Giants and Lions through the fantasy playoffs. It’s undoubtedly the best schedule in the game, so if he can maintain the TD-INT efficiency — which he’d struggled to do through the first 13 weeks — McCarthy might be a legitimate three-week streamer for teams in desperate need.

📉 Stock Down at RB

Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seahawks

After 14 weeks of this, we have to come to terms with reality. For every great fantasy day Kenneth Walker III has — of which there have been three this season — there are at least two or three stinkers. Like the one on Sunday, where he totaled just 28 yards on 11 touches, for 3.3 fantasy points against the Falcons. He has tough matchups against the Colts and Rams upcoming, and is hurting your lineup more than he’s helping it. It’s probably time to look elsewhere — maybe even to names like Neal — for a more promising weekly floor. Though, if you’re looking for some questionable hope, he and the Seahawks will have an extremely favorable game script against a backup QB for the Colts next week.

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Breece Hall, RB, Jets

The Dolphins defense has gotten strangely good against the run and the Jets lost their “starting QB” when Tyrod Taylor exited with a groin injury. Still, it’s hard to excuse 43 yards on 15 opportunities for just 4.3 fantasy points by Breece Hall. And there’s not much reason to expect improvement in the fantasy playoffs, with the quarterback room in shambles and matchups against the Jaguars, Saints and Patriots on the docket. Hall always has a chance to break a big play or two, but he’ll have an unbelievably tough uphill climb against frequently loaded boxes and a couple of very tough run defenses over the next few weeks. He was never a reliable RB1 this season, but Hall might now be falling out of reliable RB2 range as well.

📉 Stock Down at WR

Chris Olave, WR, Saints

While I wouldn’t say that Devaughn Vele has “broken out” or “taken over” in New Orleans, Chris Olave was previously thriving in a subpar offense on the merits of monster target volume. The last couple weeks, with Vele and Juwan Johnson more involved, Olave has seen just seven and five targets, caught just four and three passes and totaled just 77 yards across both games combined. He doesn’t have great matchups on the horizon, and we can no longer rely on double-digit opportunities to bail him out of otherwise inefficient fantasy days. Olave might still be a viable flex play, but he suddenly has a much lower floor heading into the fantasy playoffs.

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Troy Franklin, WR, Broncos

I think Sean Payton and the Broncos might play some sort of pre-week roulette to decide who to feature any given Sunday in the passing attack. Either that, or they have a very nuanced plan that we fantasy analysts are struggling to predict. After taking over in Denver from Weeks 7-11, Troy Franklin has exited the bye with two straight games under 4.0 fantasy points. And on Sunday against the Raiders, a mind-boggling 11 players caught a pass for the Broncos, with Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Harvey and even Lil’Jordan Humphrey all outdoing Franklin in the box score. Whatever happened during the bye, it’s been terrible for Franklin’s fantasy breakout, and he should be sent back to the bench in every fantasy league.

Jets “Breakouts”

Speaking of the Jets. Youch. The move to backup QB Brady Cook did not go well for the offense. And whether it’s him, Tyrod Taylor or Justin Fields, it will be pretty much impossible to trust either John Metchie III or Adonai Mitchell, both of whom cropped up in waiver wire articles the last couple weeks following spotty “breakout” games. Neither crested 6.0 fantasy points on Sunday. You can send both right back to the wire, or at least to the bench, until further notice.

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📉 Stock Down Elsewhere

Baker Mayfield, QB, Bucs

Maybe there’s some lingering injury restrictions from the shoulder issue he picked up against the Rams, but Baker Mayfield has not been great for a few weeks now. He hasn’t thrown more than one touchdown pass in a game since Week 10, has fewer than 200 passing yards in each of his last four games (one of which he exited early) and has thrown four interceptions over that same span. And while he might get Mike Evans back next week, he’s been on completely different pages from Emeka Egbuka for months and simply has not had the fantasy upside he’d uncovered last year. Matchups with the Falcons and Panthers defenses don’t promise an easy road to improvement, and you can probably send Mayfield to the bench for better streaming options.

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Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs

Travis Kelce and the entire Chiefs offense looked lost against the Texans … and in fairness, almost everyone has this year. But with Kansas City reeling and extremely tough matchups with the Chargers, Titans and Broncos on the horizon, there’s no guarantee that the fantasy Hall of Famer gets it back on track in the fantasy playoffs. His 1.3 fantasy points from Sunday night would be potentially season-ending for fantasy managers these next few weeks, so you may want to consider strong streaming options like Brenton Strange, Darren Waller, Isaiah Likely or Kyle Pitts Sr. instead.