Every week for the duration of the 2024 NFL regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the league’s ever-evolving playoff picture, typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable – even Black Friday, when you get an earlier look at the postseason developments).

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 Sunday night, Jan. 5.

Here’s where things stand with Week 13 of the 2024 season underway:

AFC playoff picture

1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1), AFC West leaders: The Bills’ head-to-head tiebreaker advantage still means K.C. can’t afford to backslide at all – especially as the champs will be back in action on Black Friday against Las Vegas. The Chiefs can lock up a berth this weekend with a win or tie thanks to Miami’s loss on Thanksgiving. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Chargers, at Browns, vs. Texans, at Steelers, at Broncos

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

2. Buffalo Bills (9-2), AFC East leaders: Coming out of their break, they’ll draw a battered San Francisco squad at home – possibly in the midst of lake effect weather – as they seek a sixth consecutive victory. A fifth consecutive division title is practically a foregone conclusion (a win Sunday night does the trick), and Pittsburgh’s Week 12 loss only solidified the Bills’ standing near the top of the conference. And, with that potentially pivotal tiebreaker against the Chiefs in hand, the Bills could soon steer the road to Super Bowl 59 through Western New York. Remaining schedule: vs. 49ers, at Rams, at Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, at Patriots

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3), AFC North leaders: A win at Cleveland last week would have vaulted them ahead of the Bills and into the No. 2 seed. Instead, the Steelers suffered a damaging loss – and to a divisional opponent (Cleveland) no less – that could greatly hinder their ability to compete for home-field advantage. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals

4. Houston Texans (7-5), AFC South leaders: Losers of four of six after falling at home to lowly Tennessee on Sunday, it’s starting to appear like they might back onto the throne of a bad division and be one-and-done once postseason starts. Remaining schedule: at Jaguars, BYE, vs. Dolphins, at Chiefs, vs. Ravens, at Titans

5. Baltimore Ravens (8-4), wild card No. 1: Good as they (usually) are – including Monday night’s fairly convincing defeat of the Chargers in ‘Harbaugh Bowl III’ – losses to the wrong teams could well mean no home playoff games this season. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, BYE, at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns

6. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 2: They’re starting to look like the NFL’s Hoosiers, better competition amplifying their flaws – say, perhaps, a somewhat overrated defense, youngsters still not quite ready for prime time (WR Quentin Johnston) and a run game now without injured RB J.K. Dobbins for a period of time. Still, these Bolts have a lot of Charger-ing to do in order to drop out of the field. Remaining schedule: at Falcons, at Chiefs, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Broncos, at Patriots, at Raiders

7. Denver Broncos (7-5), wild card No. 3: Their hold on the AFC’s last berth continues to harden and should continue to do so in the coming weeks … unless they manage to jump the Chargers. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns, BYE, vs. Colts, at Chargers, at Bengals, vs. Chiefs

8. Indianapolis Colts (5-7), in the hunt: They’re starting to lose sight of Denver and the final wild-card slot after Sunday’s setback, though they’ll get a shot at them in the Mile High City soon enough. Remaining schedule: at Patriots, BYE, at Broncos, vs. Titans, at Giants, vs. Jaguars

9. Miami Dolphins (5-7), in the hunt: QB Tua Tagovailoa was excited to ‘kill narratives’ Thursday night … like the one that says the Fins can’t win in cold weather. Welp. Miami’s three-game win streak ended in Lambeau Field, and its playoff hopes also took a serious hit – as did the team’s positioning, a Week 7 loss at Indianapolis dropping the Dolphins behind the Colts. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, at Texans, vs. 49ers, at Browns, at Jets

10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7), in the hunt: Soul-crushing losses in their previous two games might be too much to overcome. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Cowboys, at Titans, vs. Browns, vs. Broncos, at Steelers

All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

NFC playoff picture

1. Detroit Lions (11-1), NFC North leaders: They were fortunate to fend off the Bears 23-20 on Thanksgiving for the first 11-1 start in franchise history. The victory keeps the Lions in the conference lead and gives them a remote chance of locking up a postseason berth this weekend. The simplest scenarios require losses by the 49ers and Cardinals plus either losses by the Seahawks and Buccaneers or losses by the Seahawks and Commanders and Falcons. Remaining schedule: vs. Packers, vs. Bills, at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings

2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-2), NFC East leaders: They’re officially a clear and present danger to Detroit and might run away, a la RB Saquon Barkley, with this division … though Sunday’s assignment in Baltimore will be no crab cakewalk. Remaining schedule: at Ravens, vs. Panthers, vs. Steelers, at Commanders, vs. Cowboys, vs. Giants

3. Seattle Seahawks (6-5), NFC West leaders: No team had a better Week 12, the ‘Hawks leaping from ninth-place also-rans to division front-runners after knocking off the Cards. Wins over Arizona and Atlanta jump Seattle into this spot. Remaining schedule: at Jets, at Cardinals, vs. Packers, vs. Vikings, at Bears, at Rams

4. Atlanta Falcons (6-5), NFC South leaders: They dropped a seed on their week off. A season sweep of the Bucs effectively gives Atlanta a two-game lead in the division, but the Falcons have no such edge on the suddenly surging Saints. Remaining schedule: vs. Chargers, at Vikings, at Raiders, vs. Giants, at Commanders, vs. Panthers

5. Minnesota Vikings (9-2), wild card No. 1: They’re winning ugly – including Sunday’s overtime escape at Chicago – but have also won four straight. It may not seem like Vikes are a threat to win their division, yet they’re only one game back of Detroit in the NFC North loss column. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Falcons, vs. Bears, at Seahawks, vs. Packers, at Lions

6. Green Bay Packers (9-3), wild card No. 2: After handling the warm-weather Dolphins in Lambeau’s sub-freezing temperatures, the Pack also remain relevant in the NFC North while further entrenching another postseason bid. Remaining schedule: at Lions, at Seahawks, vs. Saints, at Vikings, vs. Bears

7. Washington Commanders (7-5), wild card No. 3: Ambushed by the Cowboys in Week 12, that’s three losses in a row for a team that needs to get its mojo back if it’s going to hold off the horde of lurking NFC West wannabes … who aren’t far from becoming could-bes. They can just about forget any thoughts of winning the NFC East. Remaining schedule: vs. Titans, BYE, at Saints, vs. Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Cowboys

8. Arizona Cardinals (6-5), in the hunt: Their four-game win streak – and division lead – went up in smoke at Seattle on Sunday. Key games the next two weeks. Remaining schedule: at Vikings, vs. Seahawks, vs. Patriots, at Panthers, at Rams, vs. 49ers

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6), in the hunt: Their four-game slide now in the rearview after embarrassing the Giants in Week 12, the opportunity is there to have a strong finishing kick, one that already vaulted them up from 11th place Sunday. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, at Cowboys, vs. Panthers, vs. Saints

10. Los Angeles Rams (5-6), in the hunt: They weren’t competitive Sunday night against Philly. A Week 3 win over San Francisco keeps them ahead of the Niners for now, but an inferior conference record drops them behind the Bucs. Remaining schedule: at Saints, vs. Bills, at 49ers, at Jets, vs. Cardinals, vs. Seahawks

11. San Francisco 49ers (5-6), in the hunt: The talent is still here, there’s just not enough of it on the field right now − as was obvious last Sunday in Green Bay. And they’re back in a cold-weather (and perhaps snowscaped) Buffalo environment in Week 13. Remaining schedule: at Bills, vs. Bears, vs. Rams, at Dolphins, vs. Lions, at Cardinals

12. Dallas Cowboys (5-7), in the hunt: Hand it to Mike McCarthy’s crew – they’re not dying easy, when it would be quite easy at this point, to do exactly that. Their latest win – and first at home this year – over the Giants on Thanksgiving moves them past the Saints for now, though New Orleans owns the head-to-head tiebreaker due to a Week 2 rout at ‘Jerry World.’ Dallas’ near-term goal? Get back to .500 and see what happens from there. Remaining schedule: vs. Bengals, at Panthers, vs. Buccaneers, at Eagles, vs. Commanders

13. New Orleans Saints (4-7), in the hunt: They’re 2-0 under interim HC Darren Rizzi. And given the way the NFC South is compressing, don’t count them out. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, at Giants, vs. Commanders, at Packers, vs. Raiders, at Buccaneers

14. Chicago Bears (4-8), in the hunt: They came out flat Thursday, mounted a valiant second-half comeback at Detroit … then completely imploded on their final drive, when a field goal would have tied the game. Thus, almost certainly, ends any chance they had of sneaking into the playoff field, the Bears cooked on Thanksgiving. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, at Vikings, vs. Lions, vs. Seahawks, at Packers

NFL playoff clinching scenarios for Week 13

Buffalo clinches AFC East division title with:

Win

Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with:

Win or tie

Detroit clinches a playoff berth with:

49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or tie
49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Buccaneers loss or tie
49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Commanders loss or tie + Falcons loss
49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Commanders loss + Falcons tie
49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Commanders loss or tie + Falcons loss
49ers loss or tie + Cardinals loss + Seahawks tie + Commanders loss + Falcons tie

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2024

***

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

Lindsey Stirling closed out the NFL’s Thanksgiving slate of halftime entertainment with her performance during the Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins game.

Viewers watching the contest at home were barely able to see the talented violinist and dancer in action.

Rather than broadcast Stirling’s halftime show on Thursday night, NBC broadcast a feature about Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold. The package tracked Ingold’s origins as a Green Bay native, and adoptee, ahead of his homecoming.

After cutting to commercial, NBC showed a quick highlight of Stirling’s performance. The clip lasted mere seconds before the network cut to commercial again in preparation for the second half.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

NFL fans and entertainment aficionados were naturally upset and confused that they weren’t able to see the former ‘America’s Got Talent’ contestant in action. After all, NBC’s competitors both aired the halftime shows during the Thanksgiving games of their broadcasts, with CBS showing Shaboozey’s Detroit Lions concert in its entirety while Fox did the same with Lainey Wilson’s Dallas Cowboys showcase.

As a result, many took to social media to voice their discontent with NBC:

Neither NBC nor Stirling has commented on the halftime show not being broadcast. Stirling posted to social media before the game that she was excited to perform in her first NFL halftime show.

This isn’t the first time that NBC has chosen not to broadcast the entirety of a Thanksgiving halftime show. The network showed just seconds of Steve Aoki’s halftime show at the San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks game on the holiday in 2023.

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

The announcement late Wednesday night that Boise State’s volleyball team has pulled out of the Mountain West tournament semifinals, refusing to play San Jose State for a third time this season due to the presence of a transgender athlete, is not a surprise. 

In fact, it’s the only credible decision the Broncos could have made. Had they chosen to compete against the Spartans with their season on the line, after refusing to do so during the regular season, it would have completely undermined the seriousness of the stand Boise State has chosen to take against transgender participation in sports. 

“The decision to not continue to play in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not an easy one,” Boise State said in a statement. “Our team overcame forfeitures to earn a spot in the tournament field and fought for the win over Utah State in the first round on Wednesday. They should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes.”

In a video posted to the team’s social media account moments after Wednesday’s win over Utah State, they were jumping up and down and screaming in joy as one of their teammates pinned the Boise State logo on the next round of the bracket. It certainly did not look like a team on an inevitable march to end its season voluntarily because they did not approve of a competitor who meets all eligibility requirements and whom they had competed against without incident the previous two seasons. 

The post even contained the hashtag #whatsnext, a bizarre choice considering that a statement pulling out of the tournament actually came next. 

You cannot blame Boise State’s players if they are bitter that it ends this way, if they feel cheated out of an opportunity to play for a conference championship and a spot in the NCAA tournament.

But their anger should not be directed at San Jose State, which has complied with all NCAA rules. It should not be directed at the player in question, whom USA TODAY Sports is not identifying because she has not commented on her gender identity. And though the NCAA is an easy target, even the association has no role here: It is only applying the standards for transgender athletes that were adopted by USA Volleyball.

Instead, these young women at Boise State lost a chance to fulfill their goals because politicians, activists and professional grifters turned them into political pawns and the leadership of their school, including president Marlene Tromp and athletics director Jeremiah Dickey, were too weak to push back.

The result is that Boise State sacrificed its volleyball team to the bloodlust of a group of people who have turned anti-trans activism into a religion, using megaphones and misinformation to stir the kind of hatred in people that is hard to contain once it’s unleashed. 

I am not assigning that hatred to Boise State’s players. I don’t know how they actually felt about the prospect of playing San Jose State or the player in question because none of them have addressed it publicly. I would imagine that, like with most teams of 15 women in college, there was a variety of opinions. I am certain that at least some of those players are heartbroken that they won’t have a chance to compete and would have made a different choice if it were up to them. 

But I am confident that the decision whether to play was not completely in the players’ hands. The forces at work here were much, much more powerful. The narrative of having a team that stood up to the woke insanity taking over college sports is far more important to the Idaho state house and people like Barbara Ehardt. 

Who is Barbara Ehardt? She’s a former women’s college basketball coach who became a state representative and authored the country’s first bill banning transgender athletes in women’s sports. 

I met and interviewed Ehardt in March 2022 outside of the Georgia Tech aquatic center, which had briefly become the center of the sports world as Penn’s Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Div. 1 national championship. 

Ehardt had come to take part in protests along with several others from all corners of the country and even a couple from overseas. She was asked what she would say to Thomas.

“You’re the one who is discriminating,” Ehardt said. “You had your opportunity.” 

The implicit suggestion was that Thomas, who previously swam on the men’s team, had transitioned primarily, if not exclusively, to win at sports. And speaker after speaker at the protest pushed the same theme: That if people didn’t put a stop to this right now that women were going to be erased from sports by the bigger, stronger, predatory men deciding at the drop of a hat that they were transgender. 

That is, of course, not what has happened. Instead, even as sport governing bodies have tightened their regulations in a good faith effort to figure out what is both fair and scientifically relevant — Thomas, for example, wouldn’t have been eligible under the rules that the NCAA subsequently adopted — the anti-trans groups continue to use a sledgehammer to address an issue that needs a scalpel. 

And also some understanding. 

If you think that the player at San Jose State is trying to push some agenda, you are severely mistaken. This is a young person who transitioned early in life, played high school and club volleyball as a woman and never intended her presence to make any kind of statement, political or otherwise. She just wanted to live her life as a solid, but unremarkable college athlete who would have blended into anonymity had she not been outed this past spring by a website that specializes in transphobia and invasions of privacy. 

While people like Ehardt and former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has made a media career out of the grievance of tying with Thomas for fifth place in one of their races back in 2022, would tell you that this story proves they were right all along, I see it the opposite way. 

The fact that a mid-major volleyball player who went unnoticed for three seasons has now blown up into a raging controversy shows how wrong they are.

This is really what they were worried about? This needs federal government intervention? This is so important that a group of young women at Boise State had to sacrifice their season to make a statement? Two years after Lia Thomas, this is all you’ve got? 

I frequently get asked, given how often I’ve covered these controversies over the last couple years, how I feel about transgender participation in women’s sports. In some cases, there are clear fairness issues worth addressing — but with better research and science, not emotion, reflexive hate and blanket bans that would have negative unintended consequences.

I don’t think people fully grasp the ramifications of the kind of world that would be. Beyond the sheer ugliness of someone’s daughter being accused of being transgender if they look too masculine or are just naturally more athletic than their peers, do we really want to go down the road of genital checks so that your 12-year-old can play soccer? We have seen enough examples of pedophiles and abusers using youth and college sports as an access point to commit crimes to know how bad of an idea that would be.

But these kind of thoughtful debates seem impossible at this moment when extremists dominate the discourse. Fundamentally, I don’t believe refusing to compete changes things much or helps anyone — except, oddly enough, a San Jose State team that will play for the Mountain West title and a spot in the NCAA tournament. 

‘In this time of Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for those who continue to engage in civil and respectful discourse,’ San Jose State said in a statement. ‘We celebrate and support all of our students, including our student-athletes as they compete for our community on this holiday weekend. While we are disappointed in Boise State’s decision, our women’s volleyball team is preparing for Saturday’s match and looks forward to competing for a championship.’

The Spartans will play either Colorado State or San Diego State, both of whom have played — and beaten — San Jose State this season. Unlike Boise State, they won’t leave with any regrets about how their season ends. 

The wins and the records come so fast for Mikaela Shiffrin, it can be hard to keep track of them.

This next one is a big one, though: Her 100th World Cup victory.

While this isn’t record-setting — she did that in March 2023, when she broke Ingemar Stenmark’s 34-year-old record with her 87th win — it’s monumental nonetheless. The closest active skier to Shiffrin is Marcel Hirscher, who has 67 World Cup wins. He ended a five-year retirement this season but said it’s likely a one-year return, so he’s not going to challenge her. After that come Lara Gut-Behrami, with 45 World Cup wins, and Marco Odermatt, who has 37.

Lindsey Vonn, who is third behind Shiffrin and Stenmark with 82 World Cup wins, is trying to make a comeback but has yet to race.

All of which means it’s unlikely anyone is going to catch Shiffrin, and her 100th victory puts an exclamation point on that fact.

Here’s all you need to know about Shiffrin’s pursuit of the milestone win:

When and where is this happening?

On home snow.

The women’s World Cup circuit returns to the United States this weekend, with races in Killington, Vermont. There’s a giant slalom race on Saturday, followed by a slalom race on Sunday.

The first run is at 10 a.m. Eastern both days, with the second run at 1 p.m.

When will Shiffrin race?

Early in the first run, late in the second run.

The start order for the first run is done by a seeded draw, so Shiffrin and the other top skiers will go first. The second run is in reverse order of the results of the first run, meaning Shiffrin and the other contenders will be at the bottom.

How to watch and stream

The second runs on both days will be shown on both NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins at 1 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

For those wanting to watch the race in its entirety, you can stream it on Outside TV.

How is Shiffrin’s season so far?

Pretty good. She’s won two of her first three races, both slaloms, and was fifth in a giant slalom.

How has Shiffrin done at Killington?

It’s one of her favorite stops on the circuit — not only is it in the United States, it’s about a two-hour drive from Burke Mountain Academy, which she attended as a teenager — and her results reflect it. She’s won six of her 13 races at Killington, and finished on the podium in another three.

All of her wins have been in slalom, including last year’s race. She’s yet to win a giant slalom, with her best finish a second in 2017. She was third last year and in 2019.

The Chicago Bears found yet another confounding way to lose a one-possession game in their 23-20 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions.

The Bears were driving in the final minute of the game and appeared positioned to have a shot at a game-tying field goal.

Instead, Chicago completely mismanaged the clock on the final two plays of regulation, denying Cairo Santos a chance to attempt the kick.

It all started on the penultimate play of the game, when Williams was sacked for a 6-yard loss to set up a third-and-26. The Bears had just one timeout and opted not to use it when Williams hit the ground with 32 seconds left in regulation.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

The Bears offense didn’t seem to understand that they needed to operate quickly after the sack. About 10 seconds ticked off the clock before Williams began frantically miming to his players to go quickly and get lined up for a passing play.

Chicago finally was able to line up for the third-and-26 pass. However, the ball wasn’t snapped until there were just seven seconds left in regulation. Williams took a downfield shot to Rome Odunze that fell harmlessly to the turf as time expired.

Below is a look at the full sequence:

Bears coach Matt Eberflus addressed the team’s endgame clock management during his postgame news conference. He detailed the team’s decision to save its final timeout even after Williams was sacked.

‘Our hope was, because it was third going into fourth, that we would re-rack that play at 18 seconds. Throw it in-bounds, get it into field-goal range and call timeout,’ Eberflus explained. ‘That was our decision-making progress on that.’

‘We were outside of field goal range, so we needed to get a few more yards in there, as close as we can get, and then we’re gonna call timeout,’ he added. ‘That’s why we held that last timeout.’

Eberflus’ explanation was logical, as using the timeout would have put the Bears in an awkward predicament while limiting their ability to use the middle of the field.

That said, Chicago’s lack of urgency after the decision not to call a timeout almost certainly cost it at least a chance at a game-tying field goal. And according to Eberflus, the offense should have been aware of the team’s plans.

‘We were all on the same page there,’ Eberflus said. ‘We just have to do it a little bit better.’

Eberflus was also asked whether he could have abandoned his plan and called the timeout around the 18-second mark to keep Chicago’s chances alive. In short, the third-year coach admitted that he could have, but it was a short window in which he had to make the decision.

‘Once it gets under 12 [seconds], you gotta hold onto it then,’ Eberflus said, noting a second play wouldn’t be possible if a player was tackled in bounds.

Either way, the Bears’ latest gaffe sealed their sixth straight loss and allowed the Lions to snap a seven-game losing streak on Thanksgiving. Despite this, Eberflus felt like Chicago had a strong showing.

‘We were there in the moment,’ Eberflus said. ‘We just have to handle it better.’

The Dallas Cowboys have already lost one of its top offensive players for the season in Dak Prescott. They might have lost another of their top talents to an injury on Thanksgiving against the New York Giants.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was hurt on a play midway through the third quarter during which he was tackled by Giants defensive back Dru Phillips.

Lamb remained down after the play, which resulted in a pass interference call, and was clutching his shoulder. He left the field under his own power and returned to action one play later.

However, Lamb trotted back off the field after the play and removed his helmet. He didn’t play the remainder of the drive but stayed on the sidelines without his helmet.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Here’s what to know about Lamb’s injury:

CeeDee Lamb injury update

The Cowboys didn’t provide an update about Lamb’s status after he left the game. He did not return to action after the drive on which he was injured despite the Giants cutting Dallas’ lead to seven points before the final drive of regulation.

Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews reported that the Cowboys did not have an official injury update on Lamb. She also noted that the veteran receiver had been nursing an AC joint injury in his shoulder during the 2024 NFL season. Andrews couldn’t confirm whether that malady was what was holding Lamb out of the game.

After the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about Lamb’s status. The 82-year-old said that Lamb was ‘probably nicked.’

‘I don’t know the extent of his injury,’ Jones said, per the Texas Lone Star. ‘But I’m sure [he] was limited because of what appeared to be a physical limitation.’

The Cowboys didn’t provide any other updates on Lamb, but he was seen grimacing while jogging in street clothes after the game.

Lamb recorded two catches for 39 yards on six targets before leaving the game.

Cowboys WR depth chart: Who is CeeDee Lamb’s backup?

Below is a look at Dallas’ wide receiver depth chart for Sunday’s game against the Giants:

CeeDee Lamb
Brandin Cooks
Jalen Tolbert
Jalen Brooks
KaVontae Turpin
Jonathan Mingo

Turpin and Mingo may be lower on the depth chart, but they have both seen their roles in Dallas’ offense increase in recent weeks.

The team also has a seventh receiver, Ryan Flournoy, on its depth chart and inactive for Thursday’s game. If Lamb has to miss time beyond Thanksgiving, Flournoy would likely replace him on the team’s game-day roster.

CeeDee Lamb stats

Lamb recorded two receptions for 39 yards against the Giants on Thanksgiving. He entered Thursday’s game with 77 catches, 841 yards and four touchdowns on the season.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.

Gig ’em to the SEC championship game?

It’s the final week of the regular season in college football, and no game perhaps is bigger than when Texas A&M faces off against Texas in the revival of the intense in-state rivalry. While there’s certainly bragging rights on the line for the rivalry that dates back to 1894 and hasn’t been played since 2011, there’s an even bigger prize up for grabs: the SEC title game and a possible College Football Playoff spot.

It has been a mostly successful season for the Aggies. They head into the final game at 8-3 but their most impressive win came against No. 24 Missouri. With a resume not worth bragging about, clinching the SEC automatic berth appears to be the only way Texas A&M can get into the 12-team field. However, it’s very much still a possibility.

How does Texas A&M make SEC championship game?

Simple: win and Texas A&M is in.

If Texas A&M beats Texas, then the Aggies will be in the SEC championship game. A win and Texas A&M would have a 6-2 record alongside Texas and Georgia. Georgia and Texas A&M didn’t play each other, but they both beat Texas and win the tiebreaker. If Tennessee beat Vanderbilt and joins the 6-2 teams, Texas A&M would advance among the four teams due to having the best cumulative winning percentage of all conference opponents.

What if Texas A&M loses to Texas?

If Texas A&M loses to Texas, then it will not advance to the SEC championship game and is very much eliminated from College Football Playoff consideration.

A Longhorns win and Texas would finish at the top of the SEC standings at 7-1 and clinch its spot in the conference championship game. Georgia has already clinched its spot in the SEC title game and is not affected by the result of Texas A&M vs. Texas or Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt.

When is Texas vs. Texas A&M?

Texas and Texas A&M will play on Saturday, Nov. 30 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas at 7:30 p.m. ET.

With two dates remaining in the NBA Cup group play schedule – Friday and Tuesday – just three teams have been officially eliminated from advancing to the quarterfinals and just two teams have clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.

Of the 39 NBA Cup games played, 16 have been decided by six or fewer points, including eight by three or fewer points.

Six quarterfinal spots remain: the winner of each group and one wild card from both the Western and Eastern conferences where points differential in group play will come into the tiebreaker equation. There is also the possibility that the top team in the East and West – Cleveland and Oklahoma City, respectively – do not advance out of group play.

There are 10 NBA Cup games Friday, and here’s what is at stake:

East Group A

Orlando (2-0) and New York (2-0) are headed for a winner-takes-the-group game, but first the Magic play at Brooklyn and the Knicks play at Charlotte on Friday. Orlando visits New York on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

East Group B

Detroit (2-0) remains in the hunt for first place in the group and a potential spot in the quarterfinals. The Pistons play Indiana on Friday. The Pacers, who reached last season’s NBA Cup final, are close to elimination with an 0-2 record. Detroit plays 3-0 Milwaukee, which is performing much better the past two weeks, in the group finale for both teams Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, League Pass)

East Group C

Chicago, Atlanta and Boston are 2-1 in this group, and Cleveland can move to 2-1 with a victory at Atlanta on Friday. Also Friday, Boston plays Chicago, and on Tuesday, Washington (0-3) visits Cleveland.

West Group A

Houston (3-0) has clinched the group, and the Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) and Portland (1-1) still have a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals as the wild card from the West. The Clippers finish group play at Minnesota and at home against Portland. The Trail Blazers play at Sacramento and against the Clippers.

West Group B

Scenarios exist where either Phoenix (2-1), the defending NBA Cup champion Los Angeles Lakers (2-1), San Antonio (2-1) or Oklahoma City (1-1) can win the group. The Thunder play the Lakers on Friday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN). Utah plays the Thunder and the Suns play the Spurs on Tuesday.

West Group C

Golden State has clinched the group, and Dallas remains in contention for a wild-card spot. The 2-1 Mavericks finish group play against Memphis on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET, League Pass), and their plus-41 points differential puts them in an advantageous position to advance with a victory.

Friday’s NBA Cup schedule

New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, noon ET, NBA TV

Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 2:30 p.m., NBA TV

New Orleans Pelicans at Memphis Grizzlies, 5 p.m., NBA TV

Orlando Magic at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m., League Pass

Los Angeles Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers, 8 p.m., League Pass

Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat, 8 p.m., League Pass

Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls, 8 p.m., League Pass

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN

Sacramento Kings at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m., League Pass

NBA Cup standings

NBA Cup standings in group play:

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt