Tag: Fox Sport News

J.J. McCarthy delivers, but Justin Jefferson vanishes

I was called a madman when I dropped my bullet predictions for Week 15 and said J.J. McCarthy would crack the top five at quarterback against the Cowboys. I didn’t quite nail QB5, but the take was still alive. McCarthy heads into Monday Night Football as the QB7 on the week, and he earned it in a 34-26 road win that felt like a maturity checkpoint for Minnesota’s quarterback.

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It didn’t start pretty. McCarthy’s first pass got tipped and picked, the kind of opening that usually sends a young quarterback spiraling. Instead, he settled in. He answered with poise, he played within structure and when the moment called for it, he cashed it. Three total touchdowns again, two through the air and one on the ground, following up his three-touchdown day against Washington with another strong performance.

The best part might be what did not happen: zero sacks. The Vikings’ front held up, and McCarthy helped them by moving well and staying clean.

The run game, though, is still a problem. Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason both cleared 10 carries but neither one cracked 35 rushing yards. That’s not going to scare anyone. The rushing touchdowns went to McCarthy and C.J. Ham, which tells you everything about how hard it is for Minnesota to create easy yards on the ground.

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And then there’s Justin Jefferson.

We are in the heart of the fantasy playoffs and he is not here. Three straight games with two receptions, a grand total of 37 yards across that span. That’s not a slump, that’s a blackout. Jordan Addison didn’t save you either, and the Viking who actually delivered was Jalen Nailor with three receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. It sure seems like when McCarthy needs to find the end zone right now, Nailor is the guy he keeps locating, not the names we usually circle first.

Meanwhile, Dallas’ offense was the definition of empty production. Dak Prescott put up 294 passing yards with no touchdowns and no picks, and it never felt threatening. The Cowboys only scored two offensive touchdowns, both on the ground from Javonte Williams and Malik Davis, and even that came with frustration because Brandon Aubrey missed two field goals. That’s the kind of night it was.

CeeDee Lamb led the way with six receptions for 111 yards. After that, it fell off fast, and if you were chasing playoff survival with the secondary pieces, this game hurt. George Pickens went three receptions for 33 yards when you needed him most. Jake Ferguson gave you two receptions for 16 yards while battling injury, and it was devastating if you had to start either guy because you were counting on volume that never turned into anything usable. Javonte got a little banged up, but he returned, yet Dallas still couldn’t find a passing touchdown to save your lineup.

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The Chargers next is a problem, but Week 17 at Washington is the one you circle — if you’re still alive in your playoffs.

Instant reaction: McCarthy is showing real growth, but Jefferson’s (and Pickens’) disappearing act is how fantasy seasons end.

Rams, Lions offenses go nuclear — but Gibbs goes quiet

If you were hunting fantasy points, Rams-Lions was a full buffet. The Rams took it, 41-34, in a game that felt like every drive ended in fireworks — and the box score backed it up. Jared Goff threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, but Detroit’s day was oddly lopsided. David Montgomery scored, yet both he and Jahmyr Gibbs were basically 30-yard rushers and neither back cleared 40 rushing yards. That matters — especially if you started Gibbs, because this was a straight bust: 58 total yards and no touchdowns in a game where these teams combined for 75 points. Nobody would believe that outcome until it smacked them in the face.

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Detroit’s passing tree was as condensed as it gets. Amon-Ra St. Brown went nuclear with 13 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets. Jameson Williams ripped seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Khalif Raymond had one for 20. That’s it. Every other reception went to Amon-Ra, Jameson or Gibbs. If you had the wideouts, you’re celebrating. If you had Gibbs, you’re staring at your lineup as if it betrayed you.

On the Rams side, Matthew Stafford tossed 368 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum both scored, both hit 70 rushing yards and Kyren added an extra touchdown to separate the two. Puka Nacua led the way with nine catches for 181 yards on 11 targets, but the real playoff needle-mover is Colby Parkinson: five catches, 75 yards and two touchdowns while staying a featured piece out of 13 personnel. Parkinson has been a top-five tight end over the last five weeks in half-PPR; he needs to be in your lineup.

Davante Adams also pulled up with what looked like a significant hamstring injury mid-route. If he’s trending out for Thursday at Seattle, you need a pivot plan now.

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Instant reaction: Colby Parkinson is the tight end people are not thinking about, and the Rams’ 13-personnel usage makes him a Week 16 starter.

Lawrence Legacy Game

Trevor Lawrence just authored the kind of performance that flips the fantasy playoff board on its head. This was dominance in its purest form, not because he piled up empty yards but because he dictated every leverage point of the game. Lawrence finished with 330 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, then turned around and led Jacksonville in rushing with five carries for 51 yards and a rushing touchdown. That is a video game box score, and the history note matters: no player has ever logged 300 passing yards, five-plus passing TDs, 50-plus rushing yards and a rushing TD in one game until Lawrence did it.

The most important part for fantasy moving forward is how it happened. Under Liam Coen, Lawrence looks decisive and aggressive in the best way. He went 11-for-11 for 216 yards and three touchdowns on passes with 10-plus air yards, all career highs. That is not a fluke. That is an offense letting its quarterback stress defenses vertically, and it changes what we can project week to week. Brian Thomas Jr. found the end zone, Parker Washington posted 50 yards while Jakobi Meyers didn’t score but still finished second on the team in receiving yards. That’s real support, real spacing, real answers when the defense tries to take away the first read.

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Then there’s Travis Etienne Jr., who somehow scored three touchdowns while totaling just 32 rushing yards with a long of eight yards. Translation: the touches that matter belong to him. He converted all three scores while adding work through the air on four targets. With Denver and Indianapolis up next, keep riding the 10-4 Jaguars.

Instant reaction: Lawrence is a weekly difference-maker now and Etienne is the high-value finisher you do not bench in the fantasy playoffs.

McBride goes full alpha

Trey McBride saw Kyle Pitts Sr. light up Thursday night and decided the tight end spot belongs to him, too. Not quite the 166 yards and three touchdowns type of eruption, but make no mistake, this was still a takeover. McBride finished with 12 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns on a team-high 13 targets, and it felt like every big moment funneled straight through him.

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One thing about Arizona: the Cardinals do not care about game script. Score, down and distance, situation, none of it matters. They’re going to keep gunning it, and Jacoby Brissett was right back at 40 pass attempts with three touchdowns, two of them to McBride and one to Michael Wilson. That volume is the whole story for fantasy. The Cardinals are not trying to hide their quarterback. They’re asking him to throw, and McBride is the first answer, second answer and the bailout option when the play breaks down.

McBride set the tone immediately. Five catches on the first drive in the first quarter is a statement, and the production never cooled off. He’s now at 16 straight games with at least five receptions, breaking his tie with Travis Kelce for the longest streak by a tight end in NFL history. He also became the first tight end ever with 100-plus receptions in back-to-back seasons. That’s not a hot stretch, that’s identity.

With Atlanta and Cincinnati on deck in Week 17 — the softest tight end schedule you can ask for — McBride is the elite of the elite moving forward.

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Instant reaction: Appreciate the monster that McBride is and Arizona’s trigger-happy approach keeps the ceiling sky-high.

Josh Allen is inevitable

It feels like a quote-unquote down season for Josh Allen, at least if you’re listening to the noise instead of looking at what’s actually happening. The scoreboard tells a different story. Allen is sitting on 37 total touchdowns to 12 turnovers, a clean 3-to-1 TD-to-turnover ratio for a quarterback who lives in the high-wire act. The “efficiency dip” crowd can keep talking, but the reality is Buffalo has been dragged across the finish line by No. 17 over and over again.

This week was the latest proof. Down 21-0 on the road against New England, win probability cratered to 6.2%. Allen still found a way to turn panic into points. Three passing touchdowns, calm feet, violent intent. He’s now 4-0 in games where his defense gives up 31-plus points, which is completely absurd. Most quarterbacks get buried in that kind of script. Allen treats it like a challenge coin.

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And yes, we all know the talking point: “He doesn’t have wide receivers.” Cool. So what? He still bends games to his will because he’s not playing the same sport as everyone else in chaos moments. He’ll keep the offense afloat, he’ll take the hit, he’ll make the throw and he’ll share the glory, too. James Cook scored two touchdowns, and one of those could have been Allen sneaking it in, but Allen handed his RB the moment. That’s leadership and it matters when the season tightens.

Cleveland is next but I’m not sweating it. Week 17 against Philly is the type of stage Allen lives for. MVP talk is not nostalgia, it’s present tense.

Instant reaction: Josh Allen is a superstar, he is inevitable, and he’s carrying fantasy managers the same way he carries Buffalo.

Wrong Wrist, Wrong Game

We were riding high after last week’s near 400-yard heater from Shedeur Sanders. This week, nobody was holding up their wrist to show off the watches because it was not his time — and it sure wasn’t Cleveland’s time either. The Browns walked into Chicago and got put on ice from the opening snap. Not “struggled.” Not “had a slow start.” This was an unmitigated disaster.

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Sanders threw three interceptions, took five sacks, posted a QBR of 8 and somehow still ended up as Cleveland’s leading rusher with 24 yards. That’s not a fun quirky stat. That’s a red flag the size of the stadium. The offense had no answers, no rhythm, no protection and no ability to pivot when the Bears turned the screws. Quinshon Judkins scraped together 21 yards and never had a runway. Isaiah Bond led the team with 89 receiving yards, Harold Fannin Jr. paced them with seven catches, and it still felt like they were playing uphill the entire day.

The most brutal detail is the one you can’t unsee: Cleveland’s first offensive possession started inside its own one-yard line, and that was the closest it got to the end zone all game.

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ITS end zone. Think about that.

Jerry Jeudy dropped a touchdown that would’ve at least given fantasy managers something to hold onto, and it turned into the kind of tip-drill chaos that defined the afternoon.

Next week is Buffalo. Good luck. Judkins is unplayable and Fannin is the only startable piece, even if it’s with a clenched jaw.

Instant reaction: Shedeur had the wrong wrist, the wrong script and the Browns have no business dragging your fantasy lineup into next week.

Burrow, Bengals hit rock bottom

It was an ominous week in Cincinnati before this game even kicked off. Joe Burrow stood at the podium and talked about the grind, the struggle, the weight of this season. Then the Bengals came out and played like a team carrying every ounce of that pressure. The result was the kind of scoreline you don’t ever expect to see next to Burrow’s name: 24-0. You can tell me Baltimore wins, sure. You tell me Baltimore blanks Cincinnati at home and I’m supposed to nod along like it makes sense?

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Not a chance. Yet here we are.

Burrow was bad. Two interceptions, one of them a pick-six, plus three sacks and an offense that never found oxygen. The protection was leaky, the timing was off and the Bengals never looked like they believed a touchdown drive was coming. That is a brutal sentence to write about this team in December, but it’s the truth.

Ja’Marr Chase was the lone player who even remotely had a pulse. Sixteen targets is elite usage, and it was good to see him back over 100 yards after the recent roller coaster, but targets without touchdowns don’t win playoff matchups by themselves. If you started Burrow, Chase Brown, Mike Gesicki in a pinch, this was a fantasy landmine that ended seasons.

And the wild part is, Baltimore didn’t even have to be perfect. Lamar Jackson threw an interception and took four sacks. Derrick Henry didn’t score. Mark Andrews gave you nothing. The Ravens still walked out with a shutout because Cincinnati never showed up.

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Miami and Arizona are next. The matchups will be there. But the effort has to be too.

Instant reaction: Burrow looked defeated, the Bengals played lifeless and if they don’t wake up fast, they’ll take fantasy lineups down with them.

Saquon’s signs of life

I’m not going to go too crazy here, but Philadelphia finally hit the reset button. The Eagles snapped their three-game skid in a get-right spot and they did it with a statement: 31-0. Goose-egged the Raiders, blanked them and shut them out while missing key bodies, including no Jalen Carter. That’s the kind of win that stops the bleeding and lets you breathe again heading into the fantasy playoffs.

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The fantasy angle starts and ends with Saquon Barkley starting to look like Saquon Barkley again. Back-to-back solid games, back-to-back rushing touchdowns. He posted 78 rushing yards and a touchdown plus two catches for 14 yards, and the biggest part is the trend, not the box score. Barkley has now scored a rushing touchdown in consecutive games for the first time since Week 1 and Week 2. That matters because the weeks are running out and we need bankable outcomes, not vibes.

This was not some wide-open track meet either. The Eagles run game still feels like tough sledding at times. Barkley had to earn it, and the unit as a whole still doesn’t look like it’s steamrolling people. Philadelphia leaned on efficiency, short fields and finishing drives. Jalen Hurts threw three touchdowns on 175 passing yards, Dallas Goedert found the end zone twice and A.J. Brown scored once. Not a ton of yardage, just points.

The next stretch sets up nicely. Washington is up next, then at Buffalo and back to the Commanders to wrap the regular season. Barkley’s arrow is finally pointing the right way.

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Instant reaction: Saquon is stacking touchdowns again, and that’s exactly the kind of trend you ride into the fantasy playoffs.

Nico Collins is the spark

Nico Collins got it poppin’ damn near the first snap, and once he did, this game was basically over. Houston came out at home like it had a schedule to keep, and Nico hit the ignition on the first drive with a 57-yard touchdown that turned the entire afternoon into a dog-walk. The Texans hung a 40-burger on the Cardinals, the defense stayed nasty and the offense never had to chase volume because the early haymaker controlled everything.

Nico finished with three catches for 85 yards and two touchdowns on just four targets, and that’s the cheat code with him. He doesn’t need 12 looks to ruin a defense. He needs one window and one clean throw. Since coming back from injury, C.J. Stroud has been exactly what this build needs: efficient, decisive, protecting the ball, cashing shots when they present themselves. This was his first multi-touchdown passing game since October, and it came the Houston way, not by spamming throws but by landing punches.

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And let’s be clear, Dalton Schultz is not just “involved” — Schultz needs to be in your lineup. The volume is real and it’s been real for a while now. He’s quietly posted four double-digit target games in his last six, and that type of steady usage at tight end is priceless in the fantasy playoffs. When teams tilt coverage toward Collins or play shell to avoid explosives, Schultz becomes the chain-mover and the safety valve, and Stroud keeps feeding him.

Next up are the Raiders, then the Chargers. Week 16 versus Las Vegas is the kind of matchup that can drag your lineup to the promised land.

Instant reaction: Nico is the spark, Schultz is the weekly volume lock and Houston’s efficiency is exactly what you want in the fantasy playoffs.

Henderson hits turbo

New England fell to Buffalo, 35-31, but this one was not on the rookie running back. TreVeyon Henderson was the best Patriot on the field and he did it in the most fantasy-friendly way possible: chunk plays that detonate a matchup in one snap. Henderson finished with 14 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and the efficiency was borderline disrespectful. When he hits the crease, it does not look like normal NFL speed. It looks like somebody hit fast forward.

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The Patriots got production elsewhere on the ground, too. Rhamondre Stevenson popped six carries for 50 yards and Drake Maye added four carries for 43 yards, but Henderson is the one who changes the geometry of the game. That’s the difference between “nice rushing day” and “your opponent just lost their playoff matchup in the first round.” Henderson is doing it without needing to be a 20-touch grinder. Even on 49% of the snaps, he can swing your entire week because his touches come with real home run equity.

And the historical note is loud. Henderson now has four 50-plus-yard rushing touchdowns this season, the most by a rookie since 2000, tied with Saquon Barkley. That’s rare company, and the next name in the neighborhood is Adrian Peterson, which tells you what kind of juice we’re talking about. He hit 21 miles per hour on a 65-yard touchdown run, and once he’s into the second level, it’s curtains.

Early season usage frustration is officially in the rearview. This is why you drafted him.

Instant reaction: TreVeyon Henderson is the definition of a league-winner in 2025.

Somebody had to win this game.

It turned out to be the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most chaotic finishes of this or any other NBA season.

The Lakers held a 20-point lead over the Phoenix Suns Sunday night with less than eight minutes remaining in the game. The Suns then rallied to take their own lead with 12.2 seconds remaining, only to blow it in the final seconds.

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The finish featured a go-ahead 3 from Dillon Brooks, who was then immediately ejected for bumping LeBron James in the aftermath. James missed the ensuing technical free throw, but the Lakers managed to pull out the 116-114 win regardless.

Whew. Here’s how it went down.

Lakers build, then blow 20-point lead

The game was tied at 62-62 early in the third quarter. But the Lakers took control via a 24-0 run that started midway through the third and gave them a 95-77 lead on a 3 by James with 9:30 remaining in the fourth. The Lakers then appeared to be on cruise control when they expanded the lead to 99-79 with 8:40 remaining.

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But the Suns weren’t done. They went on a 35-14 run of their own that concluded with a 3 by Brooks with James’ hand in his face. That bucket gave the Suns a 114-113 lead with 12.2 seconds remaining.

And the Suns should have had the opportunity for more.

Officials miss foul on LeBron, T up Brooks for bump

James clearly bumped Brooks on the follow through and should have been called for an and-1 foul. But officials didn’t blow their whistles.

So Brooks, who has plenty of history with James, got up from the court and walked over to bump James in the chest. Officials definitely noticed this.

And they called Brooks for a technical foul upon replay review for “unsporting contact” and “aggressively approaching James.” The technical was his second of the game, and his night was done. Officials did not address the contact James initially made with Brooks on his shot.

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James went to the line to shoot the technical free throw. But he missed, and the Suns maintained their one-point lead.

James hits his last 2 FTs after critical misses

But James was offered redemption at the line after officials whistled Devin Booker for fouling him on a closeout as James attempted a 3. Here’s that foul, which Booker immediately protested:

The Suns challenged the foul. But their protest was to no avail. Officials determined that Booker made “illegal contact with his right hand to the right wrist of James.”

James went to the line for three free throws and a chance to take the lead. He missed the first. But he made the last two to give the Lakers a 115-114 lead with 3 seconds remaining.

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Grayson Allen had a contested look at a go-ahead floater on the other end that missed, and the Lakers held on for the win following a Phoenix foul on the rebound with 0.4 seconds remaining.

It was a wild finish made even wilder in postgame interviews.

Redick on LeBron’s missed FT: ‘Luka should’ve shot that’

It turns out that Luka Dončić, not James, was supposed to shoot the free throw after Brooks’ technical foul. Here’s Lakers coach JJ Redick after the game:

“Luka and I talked, and I thought Luka was gonna shoot it,” Redick told reporters. “I walked back, and LeBron was at the free throw line, and he shot it.

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“I don’t know what the dialogue on the court was. … Luka should have shot that. Yeah.”

James was asked about Redick’s comments regarding the free throw. Here’s what he had to say:

’S***, I was just walking to the free throw line,” James said of shooting the free throw. “Why wouldn’t I? I mean, I’d have been OK with Luka taking it too. We’ve both been in pressure situations.

“I just took it. Unfortunately I missed it. But I made up for it.”

James finished with 26 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 8 turnovers. Dončić tallied 29 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 6 assists in the winning effort.

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Brooks helped spark the late Suns run and finished with 18 points while shooting 4 of 7 from 3 before he got tossed. He hit three of his 3s and scored 11 points in the final 7:44 as the Suns mounted their rally. Booker scored a team-high 27 points.

But it wasn’t enough as the Lakers got the last laugh and the win in Phoenix. Even if it wasn’t pretty down the stretch.

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald give their instant reactions and takeaways from Week 15 of NFL action. The duo kick things off with The Late Hit, as they give their thoughts on the Minnesota Vikings’ win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

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Next, Nate & Charles bring you through the ups and downs of Week 15 with 3 High, 3 Low. The high side of the Sunday slate included the Denver Broncos taking sole possession of the 1-seed in their win over the Green Bay Packers, the Buffalo Bills staying in the division race in a win over the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars getting statement wins.

The lows of Week 15 included the Kansas City Chiefs officially being eliminated (and losing Patrick Mahomes), the Detroit Lions being unable to hang in there against the Los Angeles Rams and the NFL’s worst offenses looking even worse than normal (talking to you, Cleveland Browns & Las Vegas Raiders). They wrap up with quick thoughts on Philip Rivers’ not-that-bad day against the Seattle Seahawks.

(00:50) – Vikings beat Cowboys

(16:30) – Broncos beat Packers

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(27:10) – Bills beat Patriots

(41:25) – AFC contenders get key wins

(56:05) – Chiefs are officially cooked

(1:06:00) – Lions lose to Rams

(1:13:50) – Browns and Raiders look even worse than normal

(1:22:00 ) – Extra Credit: Philip Rivers’ day against Seattle

🖥️ 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

Another mass shooting, another impassioned plea for gun control from Steve Kerr.

The Golden State Warriors coach spoke for about three minutes unprompted on Sunday night before their 136-131 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers and again called for gun reform in the wake of a mass shooting at Brown University.

“With what happened last night at Brown, it’s just a reminder to me that these shootings continue to happen, and there is something we can do about them. The loss that all of the people involved [Saturday] night, the loss that they’re feeling, it’s exactly the same loss as all the Parkland families, and every other mass shooting.

“Nobody asked me about it today. I didn’t expect anybody to ask me. I doubt we’re gonna do a moment of silence out there because it’s human nature just to not want to deal with this stuff. And it’s human nature just to think, ‘This is so horrible. Let’s not even think about it.’ But we have to think about it.”

A shooting took place at Brown University in Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon that left two people dead and nine others injured, according to The New York Times. An investigation is still ongoing. Authorities released a man who they had detained on Sunday night, and are still searching for the alleged gunman.

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According to the Gun Violence Archive, that was the 389th mass shooting in the United States so far this year. There have been others since.

Gun control is something that Kerr has been a strong advocate of for years. He’s spoken out about plenty of other mass shootings in the United States in the past, hosted a town hall about the issue, drawn support for groups founded by students who survived other mass shootings, and more. Kerr’s father, Malcolm, was shot and killed in Beirut in 1984 when Steve was a student at Arizona.

“The vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens,” Kerr said. “They have every right to own a gun. But it’s on us to decide if we actually want to take action as a country, as citizens. We know, we know that there are common-sense measures we can take that will save people’s lives. And I just want people out there — it doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican, or gun owner, non-gun owner — I just want people thinking, ‘What if it were my child? What if it were my brother or sister?’ Would you be willing to stand up to your representatives and say, ‘You know what? Enough. I’m not gonna vote for you unless you are going to stand up for gun violence prevention through common-sense laws that the vast majority of Americans agree on.’

“Or are we just gonna continue to let the gun lobby run us over and not do anything to protect each other, to protect our children, to protect our future. We have to make that decision.”

Kerr wasn’t the only sports figure to condemn the shooting. USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who played at Brown, spoke out on Saturday night.

This is far from the first time that Kerr has addressed this issue, and mass shootings continue to occur in the United States. Based on recent history, it likely won’t be the last time we hear from Kerr about gun control, either.

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While Kerr knows how easy it would be to just give up and ignore the problem, especially since it seems like nothing is getting better, he ended his plea on Sunday night with a simple solution.

“Don’t just look the other way, even though that’s human nature and I understand it,” Kerr said. “Think about it. Think about, do you want something done? Do you want your child to go to school terrified every day? Or do you want to actually take action?

“Because that’s what a democracy is about. Where we demand that our representatives protect us. And that option is there. So, we can either just do what we’re continuing to do and let these things happen or make some demands. And so, as you’re thinking about this today, think about, what if it were your own family member?”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In the below-freezing tunnel of Gillette Stadium, Mike Vrabel held a stat sheet in his left hand and kept his right hand free for greetings.

Vrabel extended a fist bump to some of his players and a reassuring chest pat to others. He was not festive but he also was not forlorn. This was not the head-hanging or tunnel walk of silence in which losing coaches so often engage.

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In fact, when tight end Hunter Henry looked down and shook his head after their encounter, Vrabel seemed intent on reminding the veteran: A 35-31 loss to the reigning league MVP and five-years-running division champions is nothing to be ashamed of.

“You know what I mean? This is the National Football League,” Vrabel shouted as Henry disappeared into the locker room.

Before long, receiver Stefon Diggs rounded out the group of players to trickle off the field and Vrabel, too, disappeared into the locker room to address his squad after their first loss since Sept. 21.

The manner of losing warranted some disappointment, after the Patriots blew a 21-point lead and 17-point halftime lead to the Buffalo Bills and snapped their 10-game winning streak in a stadium where both locker rooms spoke candidly about the seeming inevitability of Josh Allen.

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But there was also reason for the Patriots to appreciate, if not celebrate, the value of their first final-score adversity in months. At 11-3 and atop the AFC East, albeit now just by one game, New England is well on track to host at least one playoff game for the first time since Vrabel’s Titans upset them in a wild-card game six years ago.

[Get more Patriots news: New England team feed]

Triumphing in January if not also February tends to require a degree of callousing. Sunday’s game, in which the Patriots had a host of individual accolades but not the final result they coveted, provided some. No, the division-champion hats and shirts did not leave their boxes Sunday. But the Patriots may have received a more substantive gift.

“It’s good for us,” said Diggs, who’s played in the NFC championship and AFC championship games with the Minnesota Vikings and Bills, respectively. “When you’re playing a team like that, they play from behind. They’re used to playing from behind, fighting back and clawing. … It’s been a while since we lost [and] we probably needed it.

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“It’s like a daily dose of your humble pie.”

Cornerback Carlton Davis, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady, echoed the sentiment.

“We don’t want to go into the playoffs not having been scathed,” Davis told Yahoo Sports. “The Patriots organization hasn’t been in this position in quite a minute. So it’s good to get a little taste of that playoff atmosphere.

“That’s a playoff team. They go to the big dance every year. So yeah, that was a great warmup for us.”

In battle of top-tier quarterbacks, Josh Allen outdueled Drake Maye

Beneath a light but steady dusting of snow, the Patriots warmed up more quickly than the Bills.

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Quarterback Drake Maye’s MVP case was up for trial amid a relatively soft schedule of opponents. He’d already outlasted the Bills in Buffalo and the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. Could he also finish off the Bills at home?

Finding Kayshon Boutte 30 yards down the right sideline on third-and-7 aroused the home crowd’s first outburst of “M-V-P” chants. An 8-yard touchdown on a designed run around the left end cued up another chorus.

Before the first quarter was over, Maye would also scramble up the middle of the field 7 yards for a second rushing score to double the two rushing touchdowns he’d scored in 13 prior games this season. At that point, an uninformed bystander may have confused which quarterback was the dual-threat, reigning MVP.

“Just seeing the defense and trying to use my legs when I can, trying to add an extra element in the red zone to gain an extra hat,” Maye said. “And from there, try to make a play and try to get in the end zone.”

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Maye’s success required the Bills to respect his legs. That threat aided explosive rookie TreVeyon Henderson in finding creases up the middle to spring a third New England rushing touchdown, Henderson’s second-level dominance carrying him the 52 yards home.

The Patriots, up 21-0 with 5:53 to play in the first half, held a 91.1% chance of winning, per Next Gen Stats win probability data.

But that algorithm didn’t account for Josh Allen being Josh Allen … which translated statistically into rebounding from three straight punts to score five straight touchdowns.

As the third quarter waned and the fourth quarter ratcheted up Buffalo’s intensity, the Bills hit their stride.

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Cornerback Tre’Davious White intercepted Maye with 1:39 to play in the third quarter, thwarting a chance for the Patriots to respond after the Bills had narrowed New England’s lead to three. White’s interception still set the  Bills up with a daunting 91-yard field. But Buffalo didn’t blink.

Allen converted a keeper on third-and-1 and, when he failed to move the chains on a third-and-2 pass, Bills head coach Sean McDermott kept his offense on the field. Facing fourth-and-3 from the 45, again everyone in the stadium was reminded that Allen is inevitable. 

And thus a 37-yard pass from Allen arrived in the arms of receiver Khalil Shakir, even as Shakir needed to stretch his arms around cornerback Marcus Jones in the process.

Four plays later, on third-and-14, Allen fired a laser to tight end Dawson Knox for Knox’s second touchdown of the afternoon — and the Bills’ first lead of the game.

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“I saw Josh rolling out, we work the scramble drill a lot in practice and just threw a frozen rope right in my chest,” Knox said. “I had no choice but to catch that one. Just crazy scramble drill. It was just a five verticals concept. I was supposed to kind of stay on my side of the field.

“Unbelievable throw by Josh Allen, man.”

Another Henderson unleashing in the form of a 65-yard touchdown (and stellar downfield blocking from Maye) wouldn’t be enough to derail the Bills’ momentum. With a 24-7 second-half advantage and heavy pressure on Maye disrupting the Patriots’ passing game, the Bills gave the Patriots a taste of the challenges that await New England in January.

“That was a playoff game,” Davis said. “When you get down to the end of the season and you start talking about seeding, you start talking about division, that’s a playoff game.

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“Maybe we needed this loss to help us correct a couple of things. And so [we know] we’re not invincible, but still a great team.”

As Patriots absorbed ‘kick in butt,’ vision for Maye’s next step clarified

The Patriots want to be clear: Winning was the goal and preference Sunday.

“Of course we’re not happy with that,” Henderson said after a career-high 161 scrimmage yards and two scores. “Of course we wanted to come out with the win.”

But losing a game in which they outgained the Bills 285 yards to 76 in the first half, also putting the Bills in their largest halftime hole (17 points) of the season?

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If that doesn’t teach New England’s locker room the necessity of playing 60 minutes, the Patriots aren’t sure what will. Linebacker Jack Gibbens was not alone in believing that “the sense of urgency to get things fixed after a loss definitely picks up.” The blueprint that the Bills parlayed — pressure Maye into thinking about the pass rush at the expense of downfield routes, wear down a depleted New England defensive cast with extended drives — will come back to haunt the Patriots if they don’t respond accordingly.

Sure, Maye excites the Patriots in the present and the future, his 109.1 passer rating trailing only the Los Angeles’ Rams Matthew Stafford and Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff while his 70.9% completion percentage leads the league.

Maye’s 27 offensive touchdowns are tied for seventh-most in the NFL. His accuracy, play extension and smarts to change plays at the line of scrimmage impress teammates and opponents alike. He has received comparisons to Allen.

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But he’s not there yet. Because there’s a belief that teams develop when a quarterback has already proven they can win and rebound repeatedly in improbable circumstances. The MVPs of recent history have done that. There were days when one just could not explain Allen or Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or Aaron Rodgers.

Maye, meanwhile, has helped the Patriots start fast and survive attempts to thwart wins. He will continue to build his arsenal of late-game comebacks and fourth-quarter elevations as Allen has in a career that’s already earned him an MVP, albeit not yet the Super Bowl title he eyes.

Vrabel will tell Maye, as he tells all his players, that losses like Sunday’s are part of that climb. They’re part of the pursuit of greatness and they’re part of the maturation process that will sharpen a team when games don’t just resemble playoff environments but also carry the elimination actualities. Next week’s visit to the Baltimore Ravens will present yet another chance.

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That sense of resolve settled over the Patriots as the rawness of their loss softened slightly.

Vrabel’s call to Henry that “this is the National Football League” didn’t compel the tight end to turn back on his dejected entrance into the locker room. But 16 minutes later, as Hunter addressed reporters from his locker, he had absorbed — consciously or subconsciously — the message.

“This definitely can be a kind of kick in the butt,” Henry said. “We’ve had things go our way and everything go our way the last 10 weeks, so this is definitely a reality check.

“That’s a good football team. We went toe to toe with them in every aspect. But we have to give them credit.

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“We’ve got to get a lot better from this — fast.”

As Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones processed Sunday’s 16-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a reporter’s question about being eliminated from postseason contention seemed to suddenly register in mid-thought.

“I think the score was 13-13 or 13-10, so still had a fighting chance. Um…”

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Jones paused and looked at reporters.

“Are we out of the playoffs?” he asked. “We are? OK.”

He pursed his lips for a moment and went silent.

Those few seconds felt like reality hitting home for the Chiefs defensive star. A totality on Sunday for Kansas City — from the top of the franchise to the bottom of the fan base — that carried the wallop of a sledgehammer. There would be no astounding turnaround and run to a Super Bowl. Instead, the team’s streak of seven consecutive AFC title game appearances ended, falling one short of the New England Patriots’ record of eight. The Chiefs played an astounding 21 playoff games in that expanse of those seven playoff runs, which began when Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback in 2018. That’s the equivalent of an entire 17-game NFL season plus a four-game run to a Super Bowl … in nothing but extra time.

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For Kansas City, it was a long, great party. But it ended with the cruelest halt of momentum for the Chiefs — with Mahomes’ left knee folding in a manner that makes you instinctively divert your eyes. Leaving him to be carried into the tunnel, with nothing returning but the news that his left ACL had been torn. Before it happened, many presumed the Chiefs were nearing a crossroads in their dynasty under Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid. After it happened, some will wonder if Sunday might be an end to it.

At this point, it would be a mountain of speculative reach to just suddenly calculate that the Chiefs dynasty is over. As the Patriots showed us in their two decades of being led by Tom Brady, a dynasty can have a long intermission and then pick back up again. After winning three rings in four years, New England went an entire decade without winning a Super Bowl — from 2005 to 2014. And in the middle of that, a 31-year old Brady tore his ACL in the first game of the 2008 season and New England was ultimately edged out of the playoff field in the final week. Brady would come back in 2009 and the Patriots would establish the second half of their 20-year dynasty, winning three more Super Bowls and ultimately appearing in nine from the start of the Brady and Bill Belichick era to the end.

Without going into the full history of how the Patriots did it, here’s a thumbnail: Coaches were swapped out, players came and went, Brady and Belichick got better, scandals rose and fell, and owner Robert Kraft mediated the peace between his quarterback and head coach as long as he possibly could. The point is, looking back, the fabric of the culture endured because the two most important individuals inside it stayed together. And as long as that’s what happens in Kansas City over the next 10 years — with Mahomes and Reid locked at the hip while retooling and reeducating new faces in the organization, Sunday wasn’t the end of anything.

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But there will be work required. A lot.

Start with Mahomes, who suffered his torn ACL late enough into this season that he’ll likely miss the entire offseason program and potentially some of training camp — depending on his rehabilitation plays out and how conservative the franchise wants to be with his ramp-up process. But the retooling won’t just be physical. Mahomes made enough questionable decisions this season to give himself a hard evaluation moving forward. Especially when the running component that was such a big part of his game this season will no longer be a viable asset. The last thing the Chiefs are going to need in 2026 is their most prized player running through defenses on a surgically repaired ACL.

There will be a cost associated with the injury that will challenge both Mahomes and Reid, who will need to contemplate what he wants the offense to look like moving forward. This is how the league works. Every scheme must grow and change, either out necessity or the sheer depreciation and rebuilding of rosters. Some signs point to tight end Travis Kelce retiring when this season ends. That means Mahomes will have lost one of his most trusted players on offense in his first season back from the worst injury of his football career. That’s no small thing.

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Added on top of it is Reid now being tasked to find a dynamic partner to consistently be the backbone of the running game. A young, talented running back who isn’t a comfortable retread or just another good player who can step into a platoon. When Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman wanted to stop Jalen Hurts from getting hammered repeatedly running RPOs, he pounced on Saquon Barkley and paid him at a time running backs weren’t getting paid. And the result was a Super Bowl win that should resonate in the mind of Chiefs fans more than anyone else.

Getting Mahomes more help — through a running game, through a healthier and more consistent offensive line, through a more reliable cast of pass-catchers — is one part of it. Something dynamic has been missing from the offense this season. There is nothing unstoppable, having long left behind the impossible-to-duplicate prime era trifecta of Mahomes, Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Of course, it’s hard to add supremely dynamic pieces when you’re drafting late for seven straight years. But there have been personnel mistakes made, too.

The defense isn’t excluded from retooling, either. The unit has had its moments, but it feels like a Xerox of the sometimes-dominant unit of past years. This unit can’t carry Kansas City through a long spate of sputtering offensive performances. The defensive line and the gold star ability to scheme up pressure when necessary feels distant and fading. When you marry this offense and this defense — both flawed — it becomes harder to clamp down and grit out wins when things are close and every mistake matters. That’s how you lose seven one-score games this season.

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This is what a crossroads in a dynasty feels like. You look left, there’s some problems. You look right, some more problems. The Patriots experienced it during their decade-long Super Bowl drought. And it was brought upon in some of the same ways this Chiefs team came up short. But the key for the Patriots was that in their drought, Brady and Belichick hung in and eventually the right levers were pulled and the correct buttons were reset. They certainly had the titanic-sized egos that could have sunk it all. Go ask the early 1990s Dallas Cowboys about that.

Maybe that’s the first real task in Kansas City. To absorb the (for now) one lost season and turn the microscope within. Some dynasties end in sports. A spare few others just pause. Distinguishing what makes the difference between the two is the next great chapter that Mahomes and Reid have to write together.

The Cincinnati Bengals are going through some things. Days after quarterback Joe Burrow made some worrisome comments about whether he still enjoys playing football, the team was shut out by the division-rival Baltimore Ravens.

Burrow, in particular, did not play well in the loss, putting up his worst statistical game of the season. To make matters even worse, the loss eliminated Burrow and the Bengals from the playoffs, a brutal outcome for a team that came into the year with Super Bowl aspirations.

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The Ravens must have sensed some frustration and disarray from Cincinnati during the contest, because Ravens defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones felt comfortable enough to lob some trash talk at the team following the win.

After the victory, Jones said it was “too cold for” the Bengals, per the Ravens’ official site.

“It was too cold for them,” he said. “We didn’t really discuss the fact they had zero points. I think we just wanted to attack.”

While that might sound harmless to some, it’s quite the insult when talking about a team that plays its games in the Midwest during the winter. The Bengals are plenty familiar with cold weather games late in the season. The team even played in one in Week 14, when Burrow and Josh Allen battled it out in a snowstorm.

Burrow put up strong numbers in that contest, though two late interceptions eventually sunk the Bengals.

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He wasn’t nearly as effective in Week 15. Against the Ravens, Burrow went 25-of-39, with 225 passing yards and two interceptions. His second interception, in particular, was not typical for Burrow, who sped up with a pass rusher in his face to throw an uncharacteristic pass straight to a defender.

After the contest, Burrow took the blame for the loss, saying, “There’s not a team in the NFL that would have won the game today if I was the quarterback.”

The loss dropped Cincinnati to 4-10 on the season. The team currently holds the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Ravens, meanwhile, have plenty of reason to celebrate the win. After starting the year 1-5, Baltimore has improved to 7-7 and is back in the hunt for a playoff spot. Given the team’s recent run, the Ravens have plenty of reasons to feel good about their position, especially after shutting out a quarterback who has played extremely well against them in the past.

If football is good, more football is better, right? If NFL Sundays are the finest of Sundays, why not create another one? More football means more revenue for the league and broadcast partners, more opportunity for fantasy and gambling for fans, more of everything that makes football great. Who wouldn’t want the NFL season to add an 18th game?

“I’m not a big fan of it,” one NFL player said back in July when asked about the possibility of the NFL season moving to 18 games. “You’ve seen the amount of injuries that have kind of piled up there at the end of seasons, and you want to have the best players playing in the biggest games.”

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That player was Patrick Mahomes. And, like most of his biggest-game passes, he was right on target.

Mahomes is lost for the season thanks to a Week 15 ACL tear. Also gone for 2025: Green Bay’s Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL in the Packers’ loss to Denver. Plus, the Rams’ Davante Adams went down with a hamstring injury that could keep him out of this week’s key Thursday matchup against Seattle.

Three players who have held the keys to their team’s success this season. Three injuries, all of which forced their normally expressive head coaches into the exact same generic diagnosis:

“It didn’t look good,” Andy Reid said of Mahomes’ injury.

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“It doesn’t look good,” Matt LaFleur said of Parsons.

“It didn’t look good,” Sean McVay said of Adams.

It never looks good when a player hits the turf with a season-ending injury. And yet, that’s exactly what happens each week in the NFL. And as the Mahomes and Parsons injuries demonstrated, injuries strike stars and journeymen with equal severity and finality.

Every week’s NFL injury report runs into the hundreds of names, with teams reporting anywhere from a handful to a couple dozen players, some of whom are simply navigating nagging injuries, others who are out for a full game or more. And then there’s the Injured Reserve list, where Mahomes and Parsons are the latest on a grim tally of players out for anywhere from several weeks to the rest of the year. Heading into Week 15, 320 players — an average of 10 a team — have suffered injuries severe enough to cost them multiple games.

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Injuries are an assumed risk in the NFL, yes. A player who hasn’t spent some time injured is a player who hasn’t spent some time on the field. Injuries are part of the accepted cost of those massive paychecks NFL players receive. The question now is how much more risk, more work players should accept.

The Chiefs were already all but toast this season before Mahomes crumpled to the Arrowhead grass. But Mahomes remains part of the NFL’s promotion machine — a Kansas City Christmas Day game looks a whole lot less appealing now. And the effect of Parsons’ absence on the Packers’ playoff hopes is likely to be substantial and devastating. Football is a team game,  yes, and it’s an accepted battle of attrition. Ultimately, though, don’t we want to see a champion claim the crown by squaring up against the best players on the field, not on IR?

If the NFL goes to an 18-game season in the next few years, that means players will be playing 12.5 percent more games, suffering 12.5 percent more hits, enduring 12.5 percent more punishment than they did as recently as 2020. That’s a pretty substantial increase in workload — the equivalent of an extra hour on an eight-hour workday for the rest of us. And most of us don’t have to deal with the certainty of taking multiple car-crash-level hits at our workplace.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has aired the idea of an 18-game season before, including at this year’s Super Bowl. “If we do, 18 (regular season games) and 2 (preseason games) might be a possibility,” Goodell said earlier this year at his annual conference before the Super Bowl. “We know fans love football and they want more football. But we have to be incredibly sensitive and smart with the balance and how we deal with that.”

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The first problem with simply converting a preseason game into a regular-season one is the fact that most elite-level NFL players now sit out most, if not all, of the preseason. Sitting out a regular-season game doesn’t exactly seem like a viable option. Some players, including Mahomes, have pushed for a second bye week to aid in rest and recovery, but the punishing extra game is still there, regardless of whether players get an extra week off before it.

The league and the NFLPA could begin discussing the possibility of an extra game early next year. The earliest an 18-game season could come to pass would be the 2027 season. There are multiple logistical hurdles, from financial terms to broadcast rights agreements to the calendar itself. (A two-bye, 20-week season would either start in August or push almost into March.) First and foremost, though, the 18-week season would need to address the concerns of those most directly affected by it.

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Every play in the NFL is a roulette-wheel spin that carries with it the possibility of a catastrophic injury. And every extra game means another 40 or 50 spins of that wheel. For Mahomes and Parsons, the wheel came up double-zeroes on Sunday. Asking who’s next — wondering whose season is about to be derailed by injury — is a grim endeavor, but a necessary one if we’re talking about adding yet another game.

The seasons will be longer, but the careers will be shorter. That doesn’t seem quite fair, does it?

Each Monday, fantasy analyst Joel Smyth will go over important stats that you may have overlooked from this week. Week 15 had plenty of notable stats. What keys to fantasy success do you need to know that your leaguemates may have missed?​

16-13

The RB touch split for Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal. Hampton’s 16 touches came on only 23 snaps played, compared to Vidal’s 39 snaps. Neither crossed 10 fantasy points on an offense that’s been on the decline behind an injured offensive line. Since losing Joe Alt and several other linemen, the Chargers’ star-studded offense has dropped to 21st in scoring. Split backfields in struggling offenses aren’t ideal in fantasy.

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The Chargers’ run game was split 50/50 the entire game, with neither RB getting the hot hand. In the passing game, it was still Vidal with the clear edge. Hampton’s seven routes compared to Vidal’s 18 is a big hit to his fantasy value the rest of the playoffs. This is especially key against Dallas. Since the Quinnen Williams trade and the return of key players back from injury, the Cowboys weakness against RBs has primarily been through the air. The matchup makes their Week 16 outlook better than Week 15, but don’t expect Hampton to pull away from Vidal anytime soon.

75%

Of the Giants’ RB touches went to Tyrone Tracy Jr., a clear season high and the second-highest by a New York RB to Cam Skattebo in Week 4. After only having 54% since the Skattebo injury, Tracy separated himself from Devin Singletary when it mattered most. The significance of the one-game adjustment means more to me considering the Week 14 bye and the Giants recent coaching change.

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Tracy turned his 18 touches into 23.2 fantasy points on Sunday. Singletary, sadly, still got the one goal-line attempt, but Tracy controlled the passing game role and red-zone snaps overall. As the starter in 2024, Tracy was a volume fantasy RB2 in a poor situation. If he can get back to his 2024 volume with an improved situation, he can be a difference-maker in the fantasy playoffs. The Vikings will be a tougher opponent in Week 16; however, a better shot of keeping the game close for a 2-12 Giants team is just as important.

9/10

The number of times Trevor Lawrence has finished as a top-15 fantasy QB on the week since Week 5. After being a top-20 QB one time in his first four games to open the season, Lawrence has started to click in the new Jaguars offense. He was the overall QB1 in Week 5, and again this weekend, as he now ranks as the QB3 after the first month of the season. Remember, in a very similar situation last season, Baker Mayfield finished as the QB3 in PPG in Liam Coen’s offense.

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The Jaguars have an offensive line that can protect Lawrence well, weapons all around the field, and an aggressive downfield attack. Lawrence’s 9.3 air yards per attempt is fourth in the NFL, with the fourth-highest rate of throws 15+ yards downfield (the only QB top four in both). It’s not only aggressive but consistent. To add to it, the rushing production, much like the rest of his career, has been incredibly underrated. His 4.6 rushing fantasy PPG this season ranks sixth among QBs as he has now scored six rushing TDs on the year. Only six players have more QB runs this year. It keeps him as a great Superflex option versus the Broncos next week and usable in the fantasy championship against the Colts.

76.2%

Of the Tampa RB carries went to Bucky Irving. A good sign if you survived the floor game in Round 1 of the playoffs. Irving’s day was largely ruined thanks to Sean Tucker being the goal-line back, plunging in an easy one-yard TD run on Thursday. However, Irving once again dominated the touches in the Buccaneers backfield, even with Tucker and Rachaad White available.

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Prior to Week 15, Irving was averaging 17.4 PPR PPG with zero goal-line carries. It’s disappointing that the role he controlled in 2024 doesn’t seem to be reappearing, but the negatives largely end there. His 3.9 targets per game this season rank eighth among RBs and are a part of a strong offense that’s healthier than ever. He’ll have an even better matchup against a struggling Panthers defense in a bounce-back spot next week, as Carolina has ranked 30th in rushing fantasy PPG allowed in the back half of the season. In his rookie year, Irving scored over 25 fantasy PPG versus the Panthers defense.

28

Touches for Jonathan Taylor with Philip Rivers at QB on only 58 plays. In comparison, his season high of 35 touches earlier this season came on 78 plays. It ultimately didn’t result in many fantasy points, but an encouraging sign for the Colts’ focus after the Daniel Jones injury. Indianapolis moved to a near shotgun-only offense with the 44-year-old QB leading the way and 24 of Taylor’s 25 carries came in gun, with only 54% being in shotgun prior. Before Sunday, Taylor’s yards per carry decreased by 23% when in shotgun, ranking 13th among RBs compared to No. 1.

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The scoring opportunities were way down in Game 1 with Rivers, but this can partially be blamed on the Seattle defense. The Seahawks are, in fact, first in defensive success rate on running plays this season, while the Colts next opponent, the 49ers, rank 28th. If Tony Pollard can go for over 100 rushing yards and a score on 14 carries versus San Francisco, then I feel much more confident in Taylor’s potential next week.

15

Red-zone targets in the second half of the year for Colby Parkinson, tied for a team high with Davante Adams. Parkinson has 15 targets outside of the red zone altogether. It’s an obscure difference, but when it comes to fantasy TEs, TD upside is usually all that matters. Once we get outside of the best of the best, we want to search for whatever TE has the highest odds to score. It’s no coincidence that Parkinson has six touchdowns in his last six games, most without Tyler Higbee healthy. Now that Adams is injured as well, Parkinson’s red-zone role can come into focus even more.

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Parkinson had the other three red-zone targets in Week 15 that weren’t to Adams. He was the only other player to run over 50% of the red-zone routes (with 100%). On the No. 2 scoring offense in the NFL, Parkinson’s TD run has a better chance of continuing than most fantasy tight ends. It’s also worth noting that Puka Nacua goes from top five to No. 1 overall, with his targets per route on the season rising when Adams is not on the field to an absurd 44%. He may not be targeted like Adams is in the red zone, but Nacua will at least be on the field more, something that’s held him back from being this year’s fantasy WR1.

86.4%

Of routes run for Rashid Shaheed on Sunday, an increase of 18.6 percentage points compared to his average as a Seahawk. Since the trade, Shaheed has been slow to come on in Seattle’s explosive passing attack. He hasn’t been as useful in fantasy with a 9% target share. We saw a glimpse of Shaheed’s potential in this offense versus Indianapolis as the deep threat led the team with 105 air yards.

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In a short season with (now Seahawks) playcaller Klint Kubiak in 2024, Shaheed ranked first among all NFL WRs in air yard share on his way to being 25th in yards per route with Derek Carr. Seattle will get an in-division matchup versus Los Angeles next week, a pass defense that has been on a downward trend. The Rams allowed eight completions thrown 15+ yards downfield to Jared Goff on Sunday, setting up Shaheed as a home-run flyer for those in need.

18.6

Fantasy points for Justin Jefferson if he didn’t drop his end zone target and the Vikings weren’t called for illegal formation. It’s not only been a bad year for Jefferson but an unlucky one. Jordan Mason “covered up” the TE, something that didn’t affect the play at all, yet still cost Jefferson a TD. Then he had just his fifth drop of the season in the back of the end zone.

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The good news: J.J. McCarthy has looked much better the last two weeks. And if you’re thinking to yourself, “they’ve played horrible defenses,” I have more good news: they get one more in Week 16. The Giants defense ranks 27th in receiving fantasy PPG allowed to WRs this year. The Vikings’ back-to-back games of 31 offensive points should keep some hope alive for the few Jefferson managers that have survived.