Every week for the duration of the 2023 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide real-time updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture − starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the schedule (through Thursday’s game or Saturday’s, if applicable).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on the evening of Jan. 7.

Here’s where things stand at the moment:

NFL playoff picture heading into Week 16

AFC playoff picture

x – 1. Baltimore Ravens (11-3), AFC North leaders: The first AFC club to 11 wins, Baltimore was also the first in the conference to clinch a playoff berth after Sunday night’s victory at Jacksonville. But retaining the No. 1 seed won’t get any easier in the coming weeks – particularly a Christmas to be spent in the Bay Area. But if they beat San Francisco and the Browns lose, the Ravens will be division champs. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Dolphins, vs. Steelers

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2. Miami Dolphins (10-4), AFC East leaders: A team that doesn’t own a win over anyone with a winning record in 2023 hits the serious part of its season with three formidable opponents approaching. Still, win out, and the Fins clinch home field and the bye. Beat Dallas, and Miami locks into the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Cowboys, at Ravens, vs. Bills

3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5), AFC West leaders: A 7-2 record in AFC games and wins over Miami and Jacksonville keep K.C. viable to play a sixth consecutive AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium. But the Chiefs probably need to run the table. At minimum, a win on Christmas against Las Vegas secures the division. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Bengals, at Chargers

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6), AFC South leaders: They’ve lost three in a row and four of six … meaning they’re really trying to hang on for the division crown as opposed to achieving much else in terms of playoff positioning. Fortunately, the Jags currently hold the tiebreakers to hold off the Texans and Colts – they swept Indy – who have both pulled even at 8-6. Remaining schedule: at Buccaneers, vs. Panthers, at Titans

5. Cleveland Browns (9-5), wild card No. 1: They’ve won two in a row … barely. Though operating above the rest of the conference’s wild-card fray, the Brownies can no longer sew up a spot this weekend due to wins by the Bills and Steelers. Remaining schedule: at Texans, vs. Jets, at Bengals

6. Buffalo Bills (9-6), wild card No. 2: Despite all the adversity, on and off the field, there’s a strong heartbeat here – and this team persevered Saturday night to rejoin the playoff field. The division crown is even a possibility if the Bills can sweep their final two games and hope Miami also loses to Dallas or Baltimore before Week 18. Either way, win out, and Buffalo is in. Remaining schedule: vs. Patriots, at Dolphins

7. Indianapolis Colts (8-6), wild card No. 3: Win out, and they’re in. Remaining schedule: at Falcons, vs. Raiders, vs. Texans

8. Houston Texans (8-6), out of playoff field: Win out, and they’re in. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, vs. Titans, at Colts

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7), out of playoff field: If nothing else, they took a big step toward salvaging Mike Tomlin’s career-long streak of non-losing seasons as a head coach after completing a season sweep of Cincinnati. Still, head-to-head losses to Houston and Indianapolis are among Pittsburgh’s problems. Remaining schedule: at Seahawks, at Ravens

10. Cincinnati Bengals (8-7), out of playoff field:And the crash back to earth. A winless mark (0-5) against the division and a 3-7 record in conference are shaping as season-killing detriments … to say nothing of an upcoming trip to Arrowhead. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Browns

11. Denver Broncos (7-7), out of playoff field: They got run out of the building last weekend in Detroit, resembling an early season version of themselves devoid of playoff hope. A win would have vaulted the Broncos into the AFC’s third wild-card spot. Now? A 4-5 record in AFC games parks them here … and in danger of falling further. Remaining schedule: vs. Patriots, vs. Chargers, at Raiders

NFC playoff picture

y – 1. San Francisco 49ers (11-3), NFC West champions: They became the first team to clinch a berth in Week 14 and, on Sunday, the first to wrap up a division in 2023. And, with wins in hand against the Eagles and Cowboys, the Niners continue to march toward home-field advantage … but will get a stern test from Baltimore on Monday. Remaining schedule: vs. Ravens, at Commanders, vs. Rams

x – 2. Dallas Cowboys (10-4), NFC East leaders: A combination of losses by other teams secured a playoff spot for ‘America’s Team’ prior to kickoff last weekend … and then the Cowboys went out and played like they had nothing at stake in an embarrassing setback. But Seattle’s defeat of Philadelphia on Monday and a better division record than the Eagles (for now) puts Dallas in first place. Remaining schedule: at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Commanders

3. Detroit Lions (10-4), NFC North leaders: A win on Christmas Eve will secure the Lions’ first-ever NFC North title. Remaining schedule: at Vikings, at Cowboys, vs. Vikings

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7), NFC South leaders: A huge win at Green Bay coupled with an Atlanta loss – plus New Orleans’ defeat Thursday night – serves the surging Bucs well. Remaining schedule: vs. Jaguars, vs. Saints, at Panthers

x – 5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4), wild card No. 1: They guaranteed an opportunity to defend their conference crown but haven’t looked up to the task as of late. The Eagles and Cowboys will go deep into the tiebreakers if both win out, but Philly still controls the road to the division crown. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Cardinals, at Giants

6. Los Angeles Rams (8-7), wild card No. 2: Thursday night’s defeat of the Saints elevates LA to the sixth spot. Win out, and they’ll snatch a wild card. Remaining schedule: at Giants, at 49ers

7. Minnesota Vikings (7-7), wild card No. 3: Their 6-3 record in conference games maintains this precarious perch. Remaining schedule: vs. Lions, vs. Packers, at Lions

8. Seattle Seahawks (7-7), out of playoff field: Big as Monday’s come-from-behind defeat of Philly is, it only gained the ‘Hawks one spot. Dropping both games to the Rams will be a lingering issue, but a 6-5 conference mark would trump the Saints. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Steelers, at Cardinals

9. New Orleans Saints (7-8), out of playoff field: They lost control of their postseason path with Thursday night’s loss. Gotta have upcoming game at Tampa. Remaining schedule: at Buccaneers, vs. Falcons

10. Atlanta Falcons (6-8), out of playoff field: They’ve gone from fourth in the conference to here in a matter of two weeks. Only a slim Week 2 defeat of the Pack leaves them here. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Bears, at Saints

11. Green Bay Packers (6-8), out of playoff field: After beating the Lions and Chiefs, they’ve lost to the Giants and Bucs. So much for benefiting from what was mathematically the league’s easiest five-game schedule down the stretch. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at Vikings, vs. Bears

x – clinched playoff berth

y – clinched division title

NFL playoff clinching scenarios entering Week 16

Baltimore clinches AFC North division title with:

BAL win + CLE loss or tie ORBAL tie + CLE loss

Kansas City clinches playoff berth and AFC West division title with:

KC win ORKC tie + DEN loss

Miami clinches playoff berth with:

MIA win ORMIA tie + JAX loss ORMIA tie + HOU loss or tie ORMIA tie + IND loss or tie

Detroit clinches NFC North division title with:

DET win or tie

Detroit clinches playoff berth with:

SEA loss or tie

San Francisco clinches NFC’s No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and homefield advantage with:

SF win + PHI loss + DAL loss + DET loss

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills escaped in what was a surprisingly competitive contest.

Allen led the Bills down the field and kicker Tyler Bass made a short, 29-yard game-winning field goal with 28 seconds to go to lift Buffalo to a 24-22 victory.

Without Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa and more, the Chargers put forth an inspired performance in their first game since coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were let go.

“Give credit where it’s due. That’s a team (that’s had) a coaching change, obviously their quarterback was out but they came out and played hard,” Allen said postgame. “When you’re playing a team with nothing to lose, that’s a dangerous team. That was a dangerous team we played today. We gutted it out and found a way.”

The Chargers stormed out to a 10-0 lead and had a 22-21 advantage with under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But Allen guided the Bills on a 13-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a field with under 30 seconds remaining and Buffalo was able to preserve their lead.

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Allen tallied 237 yards passing, one touchdown, one interception and two rushing touchdowns in the win. Wide receiver Gabe Davis had four catches for a game-high 130 yards. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver produced four tackles and two sacks.

Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker made all five of his field goal attempts in the loss.

The Bills (9-6) have now won three straight games and are currently in the No. 6 spot in the AFC playoff race with two games left in the regular season.

“Huge,” Allen said of Buffalo’s three-game winning streak. “Backs against the wall. But again, still some season left. We have to finish on our own terms and try to find a way to get in (the playoffs).”

The Bills have a 75% chance of making the playoffs after Saturday’s win, according to Next Gen Stats. 

— Tyler Dragon

Bills vs. Chargers winners and losers

Winners

Josh Allen: The numbers might not jump off the page — 15-for-21 for 237 yards with a touchdown and pick and two rushing scores — but Allen made huge plays throughout the game, especially late. He converted twice on third down on Buffalo’s final drive with an 11-yard strike to Stefon Diggs and 28-yard completion to Khalil Shakir, the latter setting up the Bills’ game-winning field goal.

‘Big Game’ Gabe Davis: Allen’s 57-yard TD toss to Davis ignited Buffalo after the Bills had fallen behind 10-0 early, and Davis had catches of at least 20 yards on the Bills’ other touchdown drives, including a beautiful sideline grab. Davis finished with four catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.

Chargers’ defense: The Bolts’ D limited Buffalo to 335 yards and, more crucially, only 24 points one week after yielding a franchise-worst 63 points to the rival Raiders.

Cameron Dicker: The Chargers finally appear to have solved their seemingly never-ending kicking woes. Dicker hit all five of his attempts Saturday night, including a 53-yard go-ahead FG in the fourth quarter. Get this man to the Pro Bowl!

Losers

Josh Allen: What makes Allen spectacular can also make him maddening. His interception was awful. Yes, sometimes he hits those plays — but Saturday’s attempt to connect with Stefon Diggs deep while throwing across his body produced an easy turnover the Chargers turned into points and tied Allen with Washington’s Sam Howell for the league interception lead (15). His turnovers remain a big reason why the Bills are having to fight their way into the playoffs.

Stefon Diggs: This was an odd game for the Buffalo star. He appeared to be shaken up on the very first play of the game and was notably shown by the Peacock broadcast to be planted firmly on the sidelines during one Bills TD drive. Though he still did lead the Bills in targets (8), he finished with five catches for just 29 yards.

Chargers’ red zone offense: The Chargers went 1-for-3 in the red zone and only scored 13 points off three Buffalo turnovers. Los Angeles’ inefficiency in the red zone and its inability to capitalize off turnovers with touchdowns ultimately cost it the game. 

Sean McDermott: The Bills struggled in this game and failed to pull away at any point despite a clear advantage in both talent and momentum. And after a cooling trend under McDermott’s coaching seat the last few weeks, there should be some fire burning after a slog of a Buffalo performance on Saturday. Why do the Bills perform so inconsistently? It’s a question that could be McDermott’s undoing at season’s end if Buffalo fails to live up to its lofty expectations. There’s still time to silence those doubts, but anytime the Bills post a halfhearted effort, the impatient eyes of Western New York inevitably turn toward McDermott.

Chargers’ very slim playoff hopes: The Chargers (5-10) were officially eliminated from playoff contention as a result of Saturday night’s loss. They have two games left in what’s been a disappointing season.

— Jace Evans, Richard Morin, Tyler Dragon

Bills vs. Chargers highlights

Final: Bills 24, Chargers 22

Josh Allen came up big to put the Bills in position to win. He had two critical third-down conversions on Buffalo’s final drive – an 11-yard strike to Stefon Diggs and 28-yard completion to Khalil Shakir. The latter was initially ruled to have been a touchdown after Shakir popped back up after catching the ball, but he was ruled down upon review.

That played into the Bills’ favor, though, as they were able to bleed more clock before trotting out Tyler Bass for a 29-yard field goal to take back the lead with 28 seconds to go.

Ed Oliver derailed the Chargers’ last-gasp drive with a sack of Easton Stick on first down, and LA’s two desperation plays to end the game came up empty.

Watch Chargers’ hilarious Cameron Dicker Pro Bowl campaign ad

Chargers 22, Bills 21: Cameron Dicker’s fifth field goal after Bills turnover gives LA lead

After yet another field goal by the Chargers, the Bills coughed up the football on the ensuing possession courtesy of a James Cook fumble. Los Angeles took over well into Buffalo territory facing just a two-point deficit.

Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker was already 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts when the possession began and he was called on to rescue L.A. after a false start on third-and-1 and an Easton Stick sack drove the Chargers back.

He nailed it, of course, from 53 yards to put the Chargers back in front. He’s 5-for-5 on the night and 24-for-25 on the year.

Bills 21, Chargers 19: Cameron Dicker hits fourth field goal

Another Chargers possession, another Cameron Dicker field goal.

After starting on Buffalo’s 48-yard line, the Chargers’ offense moved the football 21 yards to get into field goal range. Dicker was able to make a 45-yard field goal to cut Los Angeles’ deficit to 21-19 with 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Dicker’s converted all four of his field goals in the game.

Dicker’s made 18 consecutive field goals. He only has one miss this season. 

Bills 21, Chargers 16: Cameron Dicker continues strong night as Chargers cut into Bills’ lead

Cameron Dicker converted a 47-yard field goal to trim the Chargers’ deficit to 21-16 with 12:36 left in the fourth quarter.

Dicker’s made all three of his field goals Saturday night.

Dicker entered Week 16 having made 19 of 20 field goals. 

Why Bills vs. Chargers has no fourth quarter ads

No need to change that channel during the fourth quarter of the Buffalo Bills versus Los Angeles Chargers matchup.

Well, not that anybody actually could without exiting an entire app. The game is being exclusively streamed on Peacock, which NBC Sports has dubbed its ‘Peacock Holiday Exclusive.’

But the broadcast will have a unique feature: no advertisements during the fourth quarter. Overall, NBC Sports said, there will be a 40% reduction in ads throughout the game, resulting in an estimated additional 12 minutes of game-related content. — Chris Bumbaca

Bills 21, Chargers 13: Buffalo extends lead with Tush Push

On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Josh Allen and the Bills executed the controversial play for a touchdown. Allen’s short touchdown extended Buffalo’s lead to 21-13 with 1:28 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bills have scored touchdowns on three of their last four possessions.

Allen has 186 passing yards, one passing TD, one interception and two rushing TDs.

Who is Ahmed Fareed? Get to know the fill-in host for Maria Taylor

With host Maria Taylor beginning parental leave – her last show was Sunday before Week 15’s matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens — NBC announced Monday that Ahmed Fareed will step in to fill the position. — Lorenzo Reyes

Bills 14, Chargers 13: LA settles for 3 after Josh Allen’s turnover

The Chargers’ offense stalled in the red zone, and they were forced to settle for a 40-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker.

Los Angeles has 10 points off two Buffalo turnovers.

Dicker’s made both his field goal attempts.

Bills QB Josh Allen throws 15th interception of season

The Bills just served up their second turnover.

Josh Allen’s deep pass intended for wide receiver Stefon Diggs was intercepted by Chargers safety Alohi Gilman at Los Angeles’ 42-yard line. Allen had Diggs open, but the pass — which Allen threw on the run — was short of the receiver.

The interception was Allen’s 15th of the season, tied for the most this season

Bills 14, Chargers 10: Buffalo overcomes sluggish start to take lead into halftime

The Chargers jumped out to a 10-0 advantage, but the Bills stormed back by scoring 14 unanswered points to end the first half.

On the Bills’ final possession of the half, Josh Allen hit wide receiver Gabe Davis for a 20-yard catch. Four plays later, Allen scampered into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown. Allen’s touchdown capped off an eight-play, 63-yard touchdown drive for Buffalo to end the first half.

The Bills gained 186 total yards and Los Angeles gained 150 yards in the first half.

The Bills punted on their first two drives and Deonte Harty lost a fumble during a punt return. Despite the slow start and turnover, the Bills were able to rally back by scoring touchdowns on their final two possessions.

Allen has 124 passing yards, one touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown.

Chargers QB Easton Stick passed for 101 yards and has a rushing touchdown.

Chargers 10, Bills 7: Bills back in it as Josh Allen hits bomb to Gabe Davis

The Bills were still scoreless in the first half until Josh Allen found Gabe Davis for an explosive, 57-yard touchdown connection. The score cut the Chargers’ lead to 10-7 with 9:02 left in the second quarter.

Allen started the game 5-for-9 passing for 95 yards to pace the Buffalo offense. Thus far, the Bills have not solved the Los Angeles rush defense.

For Davis, 2023 marks his fourth consecutive season with at least six touchdowns.

Chargers 10, Bills 0: Easton Stick pushes Chargers’ lead to double digits

The Chargers are off to a surprising start.

They capitalized off the short field after Buffalo’s fumble, going 27 yards in four plays. L.A. scored on a 1-yard run by quarterback Easton Stick.

The Chargers have scored on two of their first three possessions.

Chargers come up with huge special teams play

The Chargers are knocking on the door as the first quarter comes to a close thanks to a Bills gaffe on special teams.

AJ Finley forced Deonte Harty to fumble and Amen Ogbongbemiga came up with the recovery at the Bills’ 27. Easton Stick hit Gerald Everett for 15 yards to bring the ball to the Bills’ 12 as the first quarter ended.

Chargers 3, Bills 0: Chargers’ impressive opening drive ends in field goal

Easton Stick and the Chargers had a solid opening drive.

Stick led the Chargers on a 14-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a short 20-yard field goal by kicker Cameron Dicker.

Stick completed five passes during Los Angeles’ opening series. Rookie wide receiver Quentin Johnston had one catch for 21 yards. 

Bills WR Stefon Diggs checks out after first play but returns

Bills star wide receiver Stefon Diggs was shaken up on Buffalo’s first offensive snap. Diggs was injured after he was tripped up by Chargers safety Derwin James following a short completion. Diggs was able to jog off the field. He only missed one play. The Bills were forced to punt the football a few plays later. 

What time is the Bills vs. Chargers game?

Kickoff for the Bills-Chargers game is 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 23 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

How can I watch or stream the Bills vs. Chargers game?

The Bills-Chargers game will be streamed live on Peacock.

This is the first NFL regular-season game to air exclusively on Peacock. Peacock — which streams all ‘Sunday Night Football’ games broadcast on NBC — also will stream a wild-card playoff game on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024.

Bills at Chargers: Predictions, picks and odds 

The Bills are favorites to defeat the Chargers, according to BetMGM NFL odds. 

Spread: Bills (-12) Moneyline: Bills (-700); Chargers (+550) Over/under: 44 Lorenzo Reyes: Bills 29, Chargers 14 — It will be interesting to see how the Chargers bounce back from Brandon Staley’s firing. Often, teams can get a little bump in the week following a coaching change. But Buffalo is red hot and looks like the most dangerous team in the AFC right now and Los Angeles is still starting Easton Stick. Logic says back the stronger squad, even with the big line.Tyler Dragon: Bills 31, Chargers 13 — The Bills are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. Meanwhile, the Chargers, who fired coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco, are already thinking about next season. One team is pushing for a playoff berth and the other is playing for pride while also thinking about vacation plans. We know how this one will go.Safid Deen: Bills 27, Chargers 13 — The Chargers waived the white flag last Thursday against the Raiders in embarrassing fashion, and the end of the year can’t come fast enough. Meanwhile, the Bills see the road to the postseason within their grasp and should win easily in Los Angeles.Victoria Hernandez: Bills 27, Chargers 19 — Buffalo has a lot of momentum after an upset win. Josh Allen admitted he had a far-from-stellar outing, but it was perfectly fine that James Cook carried the Bills. Los Angeles doesn’t have enough tools to keep up. This is a massive spread for a road game where the Bills have to travel across the country, so take the moneyline.Jordan Mendoza: Bills 33, Chargers 13 — It might be a good thing this game will only be available on Peacock, as it might not be one worth tuning into. The Chargers hit a new low last week, and it won’t get any easier going against an offense that has found its rhythm. Buffalo doesn’t make this a contest and wins its third straight.

Bills inactives today

Chargers inactives today

Who is Chargers interim coach Giff Smith? 

After the Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco following the team’s 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, outside linebackers coach Giff Smith was elevated to interim head coach. 

The 55-year-old Smith is a 32-year coaching veteran, with 12 of those years in the NFL. Smith served as the Chargers’ outside linebackers coach for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Before that, he was the Chargers’ defensive line coach for six seasons (2016-2021). Prior to joining the Chargers (back when the team called San Diego its home), Smith’s other NFL stops were with the Tennessee Titans (2014-15 as defensive line coach) and Buffalo Bills (2010-12 as defensive line coach). 

Derwin’s disco: Chargers star gets groovy at dance party for older adults 

You’re never too old to get your groove on. 

In October, Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James hosted ‘Derwin’s Disco’ at Wallis Annenberg GenSpace, a community center for older adults in Los Angeles. His goal was to bring joy to an often forgotten population. 

James rocked an afro and wore a colorful jacket and white bell bottoms for the affair, which was attended by about 100 GenSpace members. He took selfies, led the ‘Y.M.C.A’ and danced with several of the guests individually. — Victoria Hernandez 

Bills at Chargers: Betting advice for Saturday night’s NFL game  

The top NFL betting apps list the Los Angeles Chargers as one of the best bets for NFL Week 16 in their marquee matchup with the Buffalo Bills. The Chargers are getting 12.5 points at home, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2023.

According to the top NFL betting apps, neither team boasts a player with the best NFL MVP betting odds. Neither team is listed with the best Super Bowl betting odds in 2023.

Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds, Sunday Night Football odds and/or Monday Night Football odds.

If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place a bet online. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with these online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. — Richard Morin 

NFL playoff picture: Bills on outside looking in entering Week 16 

Despite all the adversity, on and off the field, the Bills are a real threat to make it to the postseason. The division title is even still a possibility with the Miami Dolphins facing a daunting two-game slate (vs. Dallas Cowboys and at the Baltimore Ravens) before hosting the Bills in the regular-season finale. — Nate Davis 

2024 NFL draft order: Chargers in running for top-10 pick 

The Chargers’ disappointing season has a decent consolation prize … a possible high pick in the 2024 NFL draft (and with it a prominent place in the seemingly endless run of mock drafts). 

Here is the top 10 2024 draft order heading into Week 16: 

Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers) New England Patriots Arizona Cardinals Washington Commanders New York Giants Chicago Bears Los Angeles Chargers Tennessee Titans New York Jets Atlanta Falcons 

The last time the Chargers picked in the top 10 was 2020, when the team selected quarterback Justin Herbert with the No. 6 overall pick. — Jim Reineking 

NFL Week 16 picks, predictions and odds 

Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings Washington Commanders at New York Jets Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins New England Patriots at Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers 

Who is the highest-paid NFL player? 

The NFL’s top 15 players in average annual salary are all quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com. As Joe Burrow proved in his new deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, teams place a huge priority on having a top-flight QB under center. Burrow’s five-year, $275 million contract extension made him the league’s highest paid player at a staggering average annual value of $55 million. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league after signing a five-year, $170 million extension. 

Who are the highest paid NFL players at each position? 

We have a complete list at every position: 

Quarterbacks Running back Receivers Tight ends Offensive tackles Offensive guards Centers Edge rushers Interior defensive linemen Linebackers Cornerbacks Safeties Kickers Punters 

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MIAMI (AP) — Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will not play in Philadelphia’s Christmas night game against the Miami Heat, with the 76ers ruling him out because of a sprained right ankle.

Embiid did not fly with the Sixers on Sunday to Miami. He got hurt during Friday’s win over Toronto.

It’ll be the fourth game Embiid has missed this season for the 76ers, who are third in the Eastern Conference and fourth overall in the NBA, entering Monday with a 20-8 record. He has been on a tear in December, averaging 40.2 points and 12.6 rebounds on 61% shooting in nine appearances so far this month.

For the season, Embiid is averaging a league-best 35 points per game — on pace right now to win his third consecutive scoring title. He’s had at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in each of his last 13 games, the NBA’s longest such streak since 1972 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 16 straight contests.

Embiid played most of Friday’s game against the Raptors after hurting the ankle while trying to block a shot midway through the first quarter. He was scoreless at that point, had 11 points by halftime and scored 20 more in the second half.

The team evaluated Embiid’s status over the weekend and determined that him playing Monday wouldn’t be wise. It’s possible he could rejoin the team for its game Wednesday at Orlando.

The Heat may be without Jimmy Butler on Monday. Butler has missed Miami’s last two games with a calf strain and did not practice Sunday, though he was listed as questionable for the nationally televised matchup against the 76ers.

Embiid’s absence makes the Heat-76ers game the only one on the NBA’s Christmas quintuple header slate that won’t feature a previous winner of the MVP award. The Milwaukee-New York game includes Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Denver-Golden State game has Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets and Stephen Curry for the Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against Boston has four-time MVP LeBron James and the Phoenix-Dallas nightcap includes Suns forward Kevin Durant.

During this season of wishes, Stephen A. Smith has a doozy for his podcast.  

It is sure to evoke a variety of emotions, perhaps even excitement in Cowboys fans.

The 56-year-old Smith, whose podcast has over 435,000 subscribers, wants to produce a show from “Jerry World.”  

“One of my dreams is to do a show from the parking lot of AT&T Stadium during a tailgate party, before the game,” Smith recently told USA TODAY Sports.  

Can you imagine that?  

A broadcasting icon who has spent his career spouting a seemingly endless supply of bulletin board material, wants to record a podcast right in front of those he continues to shade, at their own house.  

During a recent interview with USA TODAY Sports, the ESPN icon couldn’t help but continue to troll Cowboys fans. 

“Their fans are the disgusting, nauseating fanbase that gets on my last damn nerves,” said Smith.  

The popular host and author of New York Times Best Seller, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, continued his verbal assault saying, “I think Dallas Cowboys fans are born delusional.”  

And for good measure he added this zinger: “I don’t think there is anything that’s really sane about them.” 

But despite insisting the insults are “all in fun,” and conceding that Cowboys supporters are, “arguably the greatest fanbase in sports,” some fans still hold a grudge.  

An example occurred at the Dallas airport.  

“I had an old Black lady in her 70s come up and punch me in the arm like I was Felix Unger from the Odd Couple,” said Smith. “(She said), you leave my Dallas Cowboys alone. It was adorable; what are you going to say?” 

Talk on the Cowboys represents just a sliver of the diverse topics its host approaches on the Stephen A. Smith Show, which added its video component in March.  

And that is by design.  

“I certainly haven’t touched the surface of what I aspire to achieve in my career,” said Smith.  

Smith has recently appeared on Fox News to speak about the race for the presidency and react to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions. He has also had lively discussions on his podcast with non-sports celebrities including Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker.

He also continues to have a recurring role on General Hospital.  

But while he’s ventured into other realms, Stephen A. is still the face of the nation’s premier sports network, ESPN, which is not affiliated with his podcast.  

ESPN is where he became the “must-see and hear” personality he has evolved into.  

“I’m incredibly happy at ESPN,” said Smith. “In my perfect world, I will retire there.” 

Still, there is also an intense desire from Smith to build on his ESPN legacy – one that has placed him in elite, possibly GOAT-tier company.  

And that’s where the Stephen A. Smith Show comes in.  

It’s a work in progress, but with 8.9 million average monthly views, it’s trending in the right direction.

A clip from the show quickly went viral earlier in December, featuring Smith arguing with a live caller about the GOAT of the ‘Cars’ universe: Lightning McQueen or Strip Weathers.

But Smith and his show have a few more hurdles to clear towards their goal – specifically the blue-bloods of podcasting including Joe Rogan, Bill Simmons and the Kelces.  

But as sure as Jets QBs realize their health is in severe jeopardy on each drop back, podcasting’s leaders should know there’s a newcomer with a long resume – one whose sights are squarely locked on the top spot.  

His message about eventually being number one is clear and right to the point. 

“Oh, it’s going to happen!” said Smith. 

Jessie Irvine was a highly ranked junior tennis player. She aspired for more. The year-round training and the grinding lifestyle of what it would take to become a pro fit her personality.

“I never wanted to take days off,” she tells USA TODAY Sports. “And it was because the mindset was, ‘Well, there’s some kid in Russia that’s out there probably playing. And if I take this time off, they’re gonna get better than me.’ ”  

Her biggest obstacle wasn’t an opponent, though. From the time Irvine was about 12, her joints hurt. It wasn’t because she worked out too much. She learned from a doctor she was born with a small amount of cartilage. The lack of cartilage led to a pinched nerve.

She wouldn’t be able to lift her arm for weeks, let alone serve.

“Emotionally after a while, that was mentally hard for me to deal with,” she says. “I never knew when the impingement of the nerve was going to happen. It was very random.”

Irvine pulled the plug on her competitive tennis career around age 20. She moved to Los Angeles for a fresh start, and primarily for the warm weather. She found a new love.

This is the story of a feel-good sport and one of its most enthusiastic players. It’s a sport anyone of virtually any age can learn almost instantly, especially if you have played tennis. In fact, this player who couldn’t lift her serving arm is now one of its top professional players in the world.

“I had already kind of moved on in my life,” says Irvine, who is ranked in the top 10 in doubles and mixed doubles on the PPA tour. “I was already accepting that. And then, all of the sudden, here I am, mid-30s and it’s like, ‘Oh, here’s a chance to be competitive again.’ ”

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The point when pickleball ‘tipped’

Jason Jamison started to catch the bug when he worked a booth at a national physical education conference in Chicago in 2005. Like Irvine, his life was consumed by tennis. He had played the sport in high school and college but was especially passionate about the recreational side of tennis. He trained volunteers, teachers and certified pros how to introduce the game and make it more fun.

His employer, the United States Tennis Association, had a fancy display at the conference. A more modest stand caught his attention, though. People were lined up to get paddles to play pickleball. The next year, when the conference was in Salt Lake City, Jamison saw another long line for pickleball and he bought two paddles.

“You ever read the book, ‘The Tipping Point’?” says Jamison, now a national recreation and coaching consultant for USA Pickleball. “Pickleball tipped. It tipped big, and I saw it happening. Almost like an investor, I saw something really interesting, and I’m like, ‘This is gonna get big.’ And no one was paying attention in the tennis world. They were like, ‘No, don’t worry about it.’ They even told me that. I’m seeing this in these conferences and I’m seeing the schools that I’m working with and they’re doing pickleball.”

Seven years later, after trying out the sport on his own, Jamison went to USA Pickleball nationals in Arizona to study the sport further.

“It was a very modest adult tournament format,” he says. “And that was very humble compared to, like, other national championships of sports. It was so social, though. It was like going to a big party. And I have it on video, and I was interviewing people. It was like a big drop-in, open-play festival, and it would get to national championships.”

The tipping point, when the sport exploded, can be pinpointed to about a year ago, when pickleball participation in the U.S. almost doubled, increasing by 85.7% year-over-year and by 158.6% over three years, according to the 2023 Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) Topline Participation Report.

According to the report, pickleball now has 8.9 million players in the United States over the age of six, an increase from 4.8 million in 2022. 

One of the three rules of a tipping point for an idea or product, Malcolm Gladwell writes in his book, is something called the stickiness factor, or whether it sticks in the mainstream. Pickleball seemed to stick, Irvine suggests, because a large number of people found how naturally it came to them.

“I don’t think people realized until pickleball, ‘Hey, now I have this thing where I’m active, I’m having fun and I’m competitive. I can win, I can lose, we don’t know. … Here you have a 60-year-old person, was never really into sports, had no kind of sport background. All of a sudden, they pick up pickleball, and now they’re winning points, they’re in it. Now they’re like, ‘Oh, wow, this is fun.’ That competitiveness is fun.

“I think that’s the core thing about it, is the idea that people are now able to be competitive at all ages. And I think that’s the addictive part.”

Here’s why Irvine, and so many others, are taking so much pleasure in pickleball:

1. You can play pickleball immediately – with mom, dad and the grandparents

The sport originated on a badminton court in Bainbridge Island, Washington. As the story goes, Joel Pritchard, a U.S. congressman from Washington state, and businessman Bill Bell returned to the Pritchard summer home near Seattle to find their families looking for an activity.

A new sport was born out of what they could find: ping pong paddles, a perforated plastic ball and a high net. Later in the weekend, the net was lowered to 36 inches. The idea behind the game, which was held true to today, is that the whole family could play it.

“I’ve seen pure beginners go out there and, within a couple of balls, they’re rallying with each other, which, just, would never happen in tennis. It just wouldn’t,” Irvine says. “The problem is, you hit one ball in tennis and then you’re just chasing the ball. And the idea of having a four-ball rally is not gonna happen for two complete beginners in tennis. But it happens in pickleball.”

Irvine took ibuprofen every time she played tennis. It was the only thing she could do, she says, to, the manage the pain.

When she first moved to LA, and was studying at UCLA, all that ibuprofen she had taken from her early teens to her late teens caught up with her. Her body shut down. Her doctor said she had kidney failure.

“Everything kind of stopped,” she says. “It was kind of like a train … everything just stopped all at once and my body just was like, ‘Oh, we’re done.’ Everything just crashed.”

Irvine coached tennis at a country club and high school. She hit tennis balls with friends, or played paddle tennis, which didn’t require a serve. Some friends told her about sport where she could serve underhand and compete in a number of tournaments.

Irvine tried pickleball in late 2018, when the sport was beginning to tip. Within a few months, she was playing professionally.

Ben Johns, another former tennis player, rose to No. 1 in the world after taking up the sport. The beauty of pickleball to many, though, is players from kids to senior citizens can learn it quickly.

 “Grandparents can play with their grandkids,” Jamison says. “Eight-year-olds can play with grandma, and the parents in between get to play and everyone can do it and you can’t do that with any sport. It’s like the perfect product. The only thing that held it back, I think, was the name.”

More on that name later.

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2. You can be really good at pickleball without hitting the ball hard

Pickleball is still played on a badminton-sized court with a hard surface, though other hard surfaces like a gymnasium floor work if you don’t have access to a hardcourt. You serve underhand to the player diagonally across the court from you. Each side must let the ball bounce once before volleying is allowed.

Another key difference from tennis is there is a non-volley zone within seven feet on both sides of the net. If you hit the ball into the “kitchen,” as the area is called, your opponent must let the ball bounce.

Like any beginner to pickleball, Irvine learned she could neutralize stronger opponents with an effective short game. In fact, she spent her first several months playing the sport working on her soft game without hitting the ball hard.

Irvine likes to tell beginners: “Less is more.”

“The less you do, the better you’re actually going to be. The more you’re in trouble, the softer you want to hit, which is just so counterintuitive, especially for tennis players,” she says.

It’s an approach all players can take – from kids to seniors – and immediately score points.

“You can be more of a touch player and be successful or you can be a power player and have fun with it and the best players do both,” Jamison says. “And the seniors can be effective against young crushers.

“Instead of aging out of the sport, you can stay in the sport. That’s what I love about pickleball. You’re not aging out of it. You’re aging into it.”

3. Pickleball is good for kids’ self-esteem and mental health

Jamison and his colleague, Hope Tolley, see how pickleball can be an equalizer when they bring the game into schools. Within the videos and resources they provide for teachers to spread the rules, you see kids picking up the game quickly and playing confidently.

Pickleball has a pickup nature to it that makes it informal, competitive and inclusive at the same time. You can run  hitting drills that occupy kids without a net. You can improvise nets using a badminton and volleyball nets on the ground taped between bikes or trash cans or chairs.

Pickleball is expanding rapidly in middle school and high school physical education classes and is becoming an intramural and club sport in schools and colleges around the country.

‘In addition to exponential growth we are observing taking place in schools, there have been some organizations anxious to start travel team formats similar to other youth sports,’ Jamison says. ‘Even though travel teams are quite common, focusing on elite players with competitive practice and play formats have shown to lead to burnout, especially at the younger ages.

‘Pickleball has the opportunity to leverage the inclusive and open play formats that are growing the game so quickly for the benefit of kids. The focus can be on providing play opportunities that develop players of all levels and abilities without filtering out kids through traditional travel formats that have policies for cutting players.’

In pickleball, as with any sport, there will still be stronger players, but there is not such a disparity in skill levels. Players of a wide range of ages can compete, even at the top levels of the sport.

Irvine is 34, and she’s holding her own against kids who are 15 years younger than her. Anna Leigh Waters, the top-ranked women’s player in the world, is 16.

“I always tell people, ‘When you play pickleball, you’re not going to necessarily feel really tired,’ ‘ Irvine says. “You’re not gonna really even get winded, unless you’re playing singles. I always compare it to Pilates.  You don’t necessarily feel like you’re working hard but your muscles do get sore. It’s a different kind of workout, which is why, I think, the sport has grown and why I think it’s really popular.”

There is something else, though, something deeper, that connects Americans to pickleball, and to each other.

4. It’s social: Everyone is part of the pickleball community

Tolley, USA Pickleball’s managing director for recreational programs, senses the feeling when she’s out at courts. Once you show up, she says, people invite you onto their court.

“They’re open to say, ‘Hey, come on, jump in,’ and not even know you and not even know if you can play,” says Tolley, who plays pickleball with her two kids (16 and 13). “I think the organic growth that surrounds pickleball right now is the fact that it’s fun, it’s social and it’s a sense of community. So what parent wouldn’t want their kid to participate in a sport that has all of those wonderful attributes?”

Pickleball is wildly popular as a doubles sport because of that social aspect. Irvine has found the main events at the professional tournaments are doubles and mixed doubles – the top players play in them – because the people who come to watch also play pickleball. The fans play doubles, too.

Congressman Prichard’s wife,, Joan is credited with naming the sport. An alum of the University of Washington, she loved to watched local collegiate crew races. “Pickle Ball” referenced the ones involving the rowers who weren’t starters who raced in “pickle boat” races just for fun.

‘Pickleball’ is actually an apt description for a sport craved by Irvine and so many others. She is playing the sport full time and making a living at it. She finds joy in that idea, for however long her career in professional pickleball lasts.

“As competitive as I am, I’m still very grateful for the opportunity and I also do a very good job of balancing, kind of, understanding: ‘Hey, Jessie, look, realistically, there’s no other sport where you’d be able to do this right now so just be competitive on the court. But once you step off the court, have a good time, smile, all is good.

“You’re winning right now. Even if you lose the match, Jessie, you’re winning.”

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for a high schooler and middle schooler. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

It was a holly, jolly moment when DK Metcalf met his ASL teacher for the first time Sunday.

Darrell Utley was on the sidelines ahead of the Seattle Seahawks’ Christmas Eve game against the Tennessee Titans. The star wide receiver came over during warmups and greeted him with a hug.

Metcalf took his helmet off and the two shared a short conversation in sign language, both grinning widely and signing ‘thank you.’ The Seahawks posted a video to their social media of the heartwarming encounter.

Utley lives in Tennessee and has taught Metcalf, who lives on the other side of the country, through Zoom.

‘It’s always nice to see a 3D version of American Sign Language, as opposed to just 2D on TV,’ Utley told USA TODAY Sports earlier this month of looking forward to meeting his student in person.

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The wideout uses ASL in his touchdown celebrations as a means to trash talk without penalty, but also to raise awareness for the language.

Utley compared the enthusiasm around Metcalf’s use of sign language to the hype that Taylor Swift has brought to football now that she’s dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

‘All of a sudden people who never watched football are now watching because of the Travis-Taylor thing,’ he said. ‘I think it’s nice that there’s another similarity or parallel to ASL and DK (Metcalf). Everyone wants to see what’s going on next. So it’s kind of cool.’

‘I don’t know that he understands or realizes the impact. It’s a huge impact on the signing and ASL communities.’

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is ending the year as possibly the most followed and famous college coach in America in 2023, as judged by all the attention he got from his games, commercials, social media accounts, magazine covers and documentary series on Amazon Prime Video.

But even Sanders just wants to be alone sometimes, away from all of those eyeballs except for those of a certain special friend.

His name is Gunner, Sanders’ dog.

‘You may not think it, but I’m pretty much a loner,’ Sanders said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports this month.

He said this from his expansive estate in Texas, where he initially traveled without family or human friends and instead had Gunner at his side in his office.

‘They said dog is man’s best friend, and I don’t think they lied,’ he said.

Caleb Williams agrees. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Southern California made his feelings about this known in November when he said he just wanted to ‘go home and cuddle with my dog’ after getting beaten on the field.

Kirk Herbstreit also can relate. The voice of college football for ESPN, Herbstreit travels to games with his dog, Ben, and recently became even more inseparable from him after having him registered as an emotional support animal.

Each helped make this season another Year of the Dog in college football, aside from the fact that the Washington Huskies are undefeated and trying to succeed the Georgia Bulldogs as national champions. Amid the grind of an up-and-down season, it’s because of all the support and joy these dogs gave behind the scenes to the biggest names in the game.

Here’s how:

Deion Sanders and his dog Gunner

Gunner is a Belgian Malinois, about 3 years old, part of a breed that is known for being a ‘world-class worker who forges an unbreakable bond with his human partner,’ according to the American Kennel Club.

Sanders, 56, knows this as the divorced father of five adult children. Gunner is often there next to him away from the spotlight, sometimes playing fetch with him at an empty Folsom Field in Boulder, as documented in a video posted on Instagram with the song ‘Just the Two of Us’ playing in the background.

Sanders talks to him, too, as all good dog parents do. In Sanders’ case, last year he shared a conversation on social media.

Embedded content: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtAWwFTrTd8/

“Before my Belgian Malinois Gunner went to sleep he said to me, ‘Can I tell u something?” Sanders said on Instagram.

‘I said sure.’

‘He said, ‘I truly appreciate this lifestyle, my Sleeping arrangements, food and all. Thank u for choosing me, and I will protect u honor u and respect u.”

‘I said wow that was awesome, a awesome thing to say.’

Sanders shared this with a photo of Gunner sleeping upside down with a smile on his face.

‘What was he smiling in his Sleep about ???’ Sanders asked.

Sanders also mentioned his dog this season when asked about speculation that he might leave Colorado for another coaching job somewhere else. A reporter had wanted to know what he should tell the parents of football recruits who wonder about his future.

‘I tell ’em my mother’s here, my sister’s here, my dog is here,’ Sanders said in November.

In other words, home is where Gunner is, helping keep his life light and loved when Sanders gets to be himself, by himself, away and apart from the public persona known as ‘Prime Time’ or ‘Coach Prime.’

‘He’s a companion,’ Sanders told USA TODAY Sports on Dec. 4, after his team finished the season with a 4-8 record. ‘You may not think it, but I’m pretty much a loner. Like I don’t mind − I’m in Texas right now on property, you know, hundreds of acres alone. I don’t have friends, family right here with me right now. I have caretakers who take care of the property, so I may get on a four-wheeler or a cart and ride around the property with Gunner. And I may go fishing, and Gunner’s right there. I may ride through the trails with Gunner. So that’s just a companion, man.’

Caleb Williams and his dog Supa

Williams, 22, might become the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft next April after winning the Heisman last year and then earning another important title in 2023 – dog dad of Supa, an Olde English bulldog who is about 10 months old and shares a birthday with Williams’ father Carl. Williams named the dog after his football nickname ‘Superman’ and drew from Supa’s superhuman support during a 7-5 season.

Williams made this especially known after his team suffered a 52-42 loss to Washington on Nov. 4. A reporter asked him then about his emotional state.

‘I want to go home and cuddle with my dog and watch some shows,’ Williams replied.

Dog lovers around the world could relate, winning him new fans for keeping it real.

‘It was honestly from the heart,’ Williams told USA TODAY Sports recently via email. ‘It was a tough game and all I could think about was just getting home, laying on the couch and watching tv with Supa and resetting for the next day.’

Supa helps him every day.

‘I love having Supa greet me when I get home, especially after long days of workouts and school,’ Williams wrote via email. ‘There is no judging. No questions. Just me and him chillin.’

Supa also accompanied Williams to a photo shoot for GQ magazine that published in September with an article entitled ‘The New King of College Football.’ But it was Supa who stole the show.

‘I’ve taken Supa all around LA with me,’ Williams said. ‘We always go for car rides and explore new places. It’s been really fun to bring him around campus and the football facility – everyone gets really excited to see him, and I like that he puts a smile on people’s faces. I even took him to my GQ photo shoot and he was the star of the entire crew.’

He essentially serves as a sidekick with spirit.

‘I’ve always loved having dogs in the house,’ Williams said. ‘Being out in LA I really wanted a dog and Supa really fits my vibe and personality. I always joke that he has the personality of a human – I love it!”

Kirk Herbstreit and his dog Ben

Herbstreit, 54, is a ‘big dog guy,’ as he told USA TODAY Sports in late 2020.

‘I love to take walks with my dogs,’ he said then. ‘I have three golden retrievers. They’re basically like three more kids at our house the way we treat them.’

Herbstreit took that treatment to a new level this season when one of those dogs, Ben, traveled with him by private plane to many of his destinations as a television analyst for ESPN and Amazon. He even recently had Ben registered as an emotional support animal, allowing Ben more freedom to accompany Herbstreit at various places on the road, where he’s frolicked on the field at games and even got to meet Uga, the live bulldog mascot of Georgia.

‘Headed to the Windy City!’ Herbstreit wrote on Instagram on Nov. 8, next to a photo of Ben looking out an airplane window. ‘He’s officially an ESA – has been that for 9 years but he’s ‘official’ now. Lucky to have him by my side this week!’

USA TODAY Sports wasn’t able to reach Herbstreit for further comment. But much of their journey has been documented on social media by Herbstreit, who last year showed how Ben reacted when he’d leave him at home when traveling for work.  

‘Poor big fella,’ Herbstreit wrote on X in October 2022. ’48 hours later Ben still at the front door waiting for my truck to pull in the driveway − Be home soon bud!’

A year later, Ben is now flying by jet to big-time games and staying in posh hotels.

‘Not only is he easy to take on the road − dude just makes himself at home wherever we go & CHILLS!’ Herbstreit wrote next to a photo of Ben sleeping on a hotel couch. “Scale of 1-10 on ‘maintenance’ he’s a 0.’

Herbstreit recently added another golden retriever to the family, a puppy he said Ben is ‘slowwwwly warming up to.’

‘There’s no better time to adopt’

This new family member − and these stories − served as reminder of how dogs need human homes and how much they give to them after they find one, especially during the holiday season. New estimates show there are nearly 245,000 additional pets waiting in the shelter system this holiday season compared to last year, according to Shelter Animals Count, a nonprofit that tracks such data.

‘There’s no better time to adopt,’ the organization said in an email. ‘Most shelters and rescues in a recent survey say people would probably be surprised by the types of dogs and puppies they’re receiving.’

The organization reported that more small-breed dogs, puppies, purebreds and ‘designer dogs’ such as doodles, oodles and poos are arriving at shelters for the same reasons that other dogs do. It encouraged potential dog owners to check their local shelters and adoption databases such as AdoptAPet.com.

In the meantime, Caleb Williams has a simple answer to the question of what his own dog has meant to him since he brought him home:

‘Supa has become a consistent positive thing in my life and a part of my family.’

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The ballroom in downtown Toledo was filled with hundreds of football fans and high school football players on a spring evening earlier this year, waiting to listen to the man I was about to introduce. 

I had no notes. I didn’t need notes. His is a story I have known by heart for more than 50 years, since I was a young girl cheering from our family’s seats on the 40-yard line of the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl and he was the quarterback with the greatest winning streak in college football. 

For three seasons, from 1969-1971, I was caught up in the most magical of relationships between a fan, a star athlete and his team. I threw everything I had, my heart and soul, into Chuck Ealey and the University of Toledo Rockets, and Chuck and his teammates never, ever disappointed me. They always rewarded my devotion with another victory, 35 of them in a row. They never let me down.

Chuck was a sophomore that first season, leading the Rockets to an 11-0 record, winning the Mid-American Conference and defeating Davidson in the Tangerine Bowl, 56-33. We went to every home game with our father and I listened to every road game on the radio, often with my dad sitting by my side. The Tangerine Bowl was the only one of those games to be shown on TV, just locally, but what a treat that was.

The next season, we again attended every home game as Chuck and the Rockets ran their unbeaten streak to 23 games, defeating William and Mary, 40-12, in the Tangerine Bowl. 

Chuck was a revelation; a 6-foot, 185-pound escape artist who managed to throw strikes downfield with a defender crawling on his back or hanging on his arm. The Toledo Blade had a nickname for him: “The Wizard of Oohs and Aahs.” The Rockets ended the season ranked 12th by the Associated Press, ahead of the likes of Southern Cal, Penn State and Oklahoma. Nothing like this had ever happened to our city and our team.

As the 1971 season began, people around the country were starting to notice. CBS came to town to do a feature on Chuck, now a senior, and Sports Illustrated devoted 1½ pages to him, which I cut out and put in my scrapbook. Chuck was attracting attention because he had never lost a game he started in high school or college.

But then came trouble. In the second game of the season, the first at home, the Rockets were tied with Villanova, 7-7, late in the fourth quarter.

“Does it count if we tie them?” I asked my father.

“Well, it’s not a loss, so you can say it’s an unbeaten streak, but you can’t say it’s a winning streak anymore.”

I had almost given up hope when Chuck took over at his 29-yard line after a punt with only 29 seconds remaining. He stepped back into the pocket and threw the ball deep toward our sideline for a 57-yard completion to the Villanova 14. Moments later, Toledo kicked a 30-yard field goal to win, 10-7. Fans stormed the field as all of us jumped around and hugged each other in the stands. The winning streak was still alive.

Chuck and the Rockets kept on winning, earning another MAC championship and one more trip to the Tangerine Bowl. When I opened a small present from my parents under our tree Christmas morning of 1971, I realized someone else was going to the bowl game. Me. There were two tickets to the game in Orlando; one for my dad, one for me. 

We sat in the Toledo section as the Rockets beat Richmond, 28-3. It was wonderful, but as the clock wound down, I strangely started to wish it would go the other way. I wanted to add time to watch this team, not subtract it.

When the game ended, I could feel tears welling in my eyes.

“That’s the end of an era, honey,” my dad said as he put his arm around me. Thirty-five games I had watched or listened to on the radio. Three consecutive years of football games. Chuck and the Rockets had won them all.

Toledo was ranked 14th in the final AP poll in 1971, and Chuck finished eighth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy. I was excited to see how he would do in the NFL draft, but pro teams were talking about moving him to defensive back or wide receiver and Chuck told them he didn’t want that, he wanted to be a quarterback.

There were 17 rounds of the NFL draft back then; 442 players were selected by the 26 NFL teams.

No one took Chuck Ealey.

I was crestfallen. My father tried to explain the inexplicable. Chuck is Black, and back then, NFL teams rarely let Black men play quarterback. 

Chuck never played a down in the NFL. Instead, he went to the Canadian Football League and won the Grey Cup in his rookie season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, then played six more years in the league before settling into a very successful career in business in the suburbs of Toronto.

That’s where I found him on the phone on Jan. 8, 2003. I had met him once before, briefly, at a charity golf outing in Toledo, but this time, we talked at length. I had a lot of questions for him; he was going to be the subject of my weekly column in USA Today.

Why? A few days earlier, I was with friends in D.C. watching the Fiesta Bowl between Ohio State and Miami in which Hurricanes quarterback Ken Dorsey was trying to win his 35th consecutive game as a starting quarterback. (He didn’t; the Buckeyes won.)

Late in the game, a graphic appeared on the TV screen detailing the greatest winning streaks by starting quarterbacks in NCAA history. Dorsey was second on the list, with 34 consecutive games started and won.

At the top of the list, with 35, was Chuck Ealey.

“Who’s that?” one of my friends asked.

I’ve never been more ready to answer a question in my life.

It took just two phone calls to find Chuck for my column. As I caught up with him to hear his story, he started asking me about mine. I was thrilled to tell him I traced my love of sports back to my days cheering for him and his teammates.

We hung up and I thought that might be the last time we spoke. How wrong I was. A few days after the column ran, I received a call from a friend in Toledo, and Chuck and I soon were hosting a charity golf tournament for several years not far from the university where it all began. That tournament led us to at least a dozen other appearances together in Toledo and Washington, D.C., at charitable events, golf outings, banquets and the like. 

Which brings us back to that dinner earlier this year, the National Football Foundation event in Toledo, where Chuck and I were on the dais, together again. He was being honored for many reasons, including his recent, long-awaited, well-deserved induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. 

And me? I was in a role I’ve come to love, that long-ago girl sitting on the 40-yard line, telling the story once again of the college quarterback who never, ever lost.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will likely have their quarterback in Week 16.

Trevor Lawrence has cleared concussion protocol, meaning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 draft is in line to start Jacksonville’s road contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Lawrence was injured in the fourth quarter of last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Doug Pederson announced on Monday. He was a limited participant in practice on Friday, the first time he had practiced this week, with backup C.J. Beathard assuming the starting duties throughout the week.

Pederson had told reporters on Friday if Lawrence hadn’t cleared concussion protocol by Saturday, ‘we wouldn’t take him’ on the trip to Tampa Bay. Lawrence traveled with the team on Saturday, the team announced, further indicating he will be available to start in the Christmas Eve matchup.

Lawrence has dealt with several injuries this season, but he has yet to miss a start because of one. He suffered a knee sprain in October against the Indianapolis Colts, but was able to play in the Jaguars’ win against the New Orleans Saints on ‘Thursday Night Football’ the following week. Two weeks ago, Lawrence suffered a right high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of the ‘Monday Night Football’ matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, resulting in him exiting the game. He wouldn’t miss time, starting in the Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

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He has yet to miss a game in his three-year career, making 48 consecutive regular season starts, the second-most for a quarterback behind Josh Allen’s 85 consecutive starts.

Jacksonville (8-6) has lost three in a row and is tied with the Colts and Houston Texans for the top spot in the AFC South. The Jaguars own the tiebreaker over both teams.

NBC Sports is making broadcast history, it says, Saturday night when the network’s streaming arm, Peacock, will air an NFL game in which the fourth quarter will be presented commercial-free.

Instead, the Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Chargers matchup from SoFi Stadium will feature more than 12 minutes of “game-related content,” NBC says, including “content takeovers” from various corners of the broadcast, such as booth jockeys Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, sideline reporter Melissa Stark and feature content scheduled well in advance.

It’s a nice bouquet to fans, who certainly don’t need to hear, for the umpteenth time, that they can have it their way at BK or risk turning into their parents unless they purchase the proper homeowners insurance. And it’s a novel way to drive attention to a game airing on a subscription service that weeks later will host the first playoff game available only via streaming.

Yet it’s not the first time, nor the most extreme example of NBC experimenting with the holy airwaves of the NFL.

And it’s certainly no match for the day NBC chose silence.

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In 1980, trailblazing TV sports executive Don Ohlmeyer kicked around the idea of a game broadcast without announcers. There were a few qualifiers before he’d take that leap, most notably that the game had to be meaningless – or as meaningless as a sacrosanct NFL contest could be.

Enter the 7-8 Miami Dolphins and the 4-11 New York Jets, who on Dec. 20 would wrap up their seasons in a battle with zero playoff implications. (And yes, kids, back in the day you could finish a 16-game season before Christmas, and an entire season before February.)

In so many ways, it was a quieter era.

Fantasy football was very much an unofficial niche pastime. There was no NFL Network and ESPN, barely a year old, wallpapered its weekday programming with fishing, scholastic sports and other odds and ends rather than an ocean of takes spinning off last week’s game results.

It was in this environment that Dolphins placekicker Uwe von Schamann teed up the ball and booted Ohlmeyer’s experiment onto American TV screens.

Even in its low-definition glory, viewing the game broadcast now still overwhelms the senses, as if the absence of a Dick Enberg or Don Criqui on the mic enhances the rest of the viewer’s faculties. The ambient crowd noise never leaves; while efforts to pick up more pad-popping and trash-talking with on-field mics failed, the rhythm of the game flows with the anticipation of the crowd before every play, even if just 41,000 fans showed up to watch the teams play out the string at the Orange Bowl.

The voice of the public-address announcer is synced into the broadcast, and if you close your eyes, it almost feels like you’re walking the concourse, hot dog secured, high-tailing it back to your seat. The on-screen graphics – crude by today’s standards – and the PA announcer are strangely in harmony, the former letting us know Ed Taylor’s interception of Richard Todd was his third of the season, the latter telling us the return was good for 14 yards.

When Todd hits Wesley Walker for a 47-yard completion to set up the game’s first touchdown, there’s no analyst telling us that “when the Jets got to midfield, you just had a feeling they’d take a shot down the field in the passing game.”

Is this a palpable loss?

Nonetheless, the experiment, while deemed a success, played to lackluster reviews. “The telecast called for too much hard work, on the part of viewers, who couldn’t relax and look away from their sets, or walk away if they wanted to keep on top of the action,” wrote the Washington Post. Enberg, who five weeks later would call NBC’s broadcast of Super Bowl XV, struck a prescient tone when he noted, ‘They made the same mistake we announcers often make; they didn’t give us enough flashes of the score and time remaining in game.’

Of course, that problem would be solved a quarter-century later, when the “Fox Box” debuted and paved the way for virtually every sports broadcast to feature a constant score bug, so the viewer would never not know the score, the time on the clock or the inning.

And that leads us to wonder if the “Silent Game” was ahead of its time.

Imagine that format in this high-def era, when Fox imparts not just the score but the quarterback’s stats in its score bug. Replays are truly instant. Graphics are reproduced just moments after a play, and can tell a story, as well.

Networks can get so enamored with “next-gen” stats and the like that game announcers are often reduced to simply repeating what you see on the screen, that Patrick Mahomes is 5 for 5 on throws traveling more than 25 yards in the air, say.

That’s not to say the Tiricos and Collinsworths and Kevin Burkhardts are in danger or should be of losing their seven-figure occupations. Even as social media has allowed viewers to launch their distaste of what they’re hearing on the TV in real time, a clear-eyed breakdown from Greg Olsen will tell us laypeople a lot more than what we witnessed with our naked eyes.

Still, the industry is shifting. The ‘Monday Night Football’ Manningcast has played to excellent reviews and certainly turns the conventional broadcast on its ear. The upcoming College Football Playoff will allow fans several viewing options, including an all-22-type view with no announcers. (If you enjoy marching band music, this feed is for you.)

And perhaps less noise is better for viewers already opting for “second screen” experiences that can enhance or distract from the broadcast.

There’s certainly room in the middle, too. On the 1980 “Silent Game” broadcast, studio host Bryant Gumbel serves as consigliere, popping in occasionally to give a scoring summary and assuring viewers they haven’t stumbled onto a War of the Worlds-type calamity without announcers.

In this era, should networks feel strongly that a Gene Steratore must be kept on retainer to explain what a catch is, there’s nothing stopping them. A sideline reporter could also pop in as warranted, adding context to a pivotal play, performance or injury.

Keep that in mind Saturday night, when a gift to viewers – no ads – will result in a lot more gab. The extra information will surely be well-prepared and smartly produced, and the coalition of viewers wanting more Collinsworth in their lives will be thrilled.

But know that something far more radical once dominated a Saturday afternoon in December – an experiment whose time perhaps should come again.