NFL power rankings entering Week 12 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Detroit Lions (2): With K.C. finally falling from the ranks of the unbeaten – flimsy as the champs’ ‘perfection’ was – there’s no more denying Motown is currently the epicenter of the NFL universe. The Lions’ +159 point differential is more than 50 clear of anyone else. Their 46-point win over Jacksonville on Sunday was the largest in the franchise’s 95-season history, and the 645 yards gained were also Detroit’s most ever. This is the third team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to win three of its first 10 games by at least 35 points and the second since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to score at least 50 in back-to-back home games. Good luck, Indy.

2. Buffalo Bills (4): Their regular-season dominance of the Chiefs continued Sunday, for whatever that’s worth – and the Bills will tell you, not all that much. But Buffalo is getting healthier and hotter, winners of six in a row while scoring at least 30 points in the past five games. This is the only team aside from Detroit to outscore the opposition by at least 100 points. The AFC East is basically in the bag – again – but the goal is to host the first conference championship game in 31 years … and much, much more.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (5): If anyone but the Lions are going to be kings of the NFC jungle, it might be these increasingly tough birds – who, remarkably, have five winning streaks of at least five games over the past three seasons. They’ll likely continue leaning on their best player, RB Saquon Barkley (the first Philly back in a decade with with at least 100 total yards in eight games) as this show hits a tough road that next winds through LA (Rams) and Baltimore.

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

8. Washington Commanders (7): The team contends nothing is wrong with rookie QB Jayden Daniels … even though he’s played his least efficient (59.1% completion rate, 74.9 passer rating) and impactful (23 rushing yards, 1 TD generated) football during the current two-game losing streak.

15. Cincinnati Bengals (15): Soul-crushing losses the past two weeks significantly reduce their chances of surviving into postseason. But no one wants to see Joe Burrow and Co., the quarterback the first in the Super Bowl era to lose three games in a season when throwing for at least 300 yards, three TDs and zero INTs, per NFL Media.

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23. Chicago Bears (23): Changing offensive coordinators ended their touchdown drought at 25 possessions, dating to their Hail Mary loss at Washington. But Da Bears will need a Hail Mary to reach postseason given they play what is – by far – the hardest schedule (.729 opponents’ winning percentage) in the league over the final seven weeks.

25. New York Jets (24): Their interim coach is 1-5. And their interim GM is 0-0.

27. Las Vegas Raiders (32): The newly installed Turner-and-son offense is the best the Silver and Black has employed all season.

29. Dallas Cowboys (29): The sky is literally falling at AT&T Stadium, where ‘America’s Team’ has now lost its last six games … and trailed by at least 20 in all of them. Even worse Monday night? Houstonians largely took over North Texas.

31. New York Giants (31): Will QB Daniel Jones ever play for this team again? He was basically fired coming out of the bye week, demoted to third string and likely headed for the door in a few months.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (28): Will HC Doug Pederson ever work for this team again? Quite feasible he could be fired sometime during the bye week after the 2-9 Jags suffered the worst loss of their 30-season existence. But he’s doubtless headed for the door … at any time.

This story has been updated with new information.

***

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

Lionel Messi will place a bow on a historic year Tuesday night when the Argentine national team faces Peru in a World Cup qualifying match in Buenos Aires.

Argentina has a 1-0 lead in the second half. It is the final game of the calendar year for Messi, who helped Argentina win its second straight Copa America title and led Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield title in Major League Soccer.

“Looking forward to being back together with everyone tomorrow for the last game of another unforgettable year,” Messi said in an Instagram post Monday.

Argentina cemented itself as one of soccer’s greatest dynasties this summer, winning Copa America 2024 after winning Copa America 2021 and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Argentina hopes to end its year with a victory against Peru, despite entering the match losing two of its last four.

ALEXI LALAS: Inter Miami’s playoff failure sets stage for Messi’s last act

Meanwhile, Messi hopes to end a personal three-game skid as his busy year comes to an end. He also needs a new MLS coach next year after Inter Miami’s Tata Martino resigned Tuesday.

Follow along here for live updates from Tuesday’s Argentina-Peru match:

Messi ties Landon Donovan for most international assists

Messi’s pass to Lautaro Martinez marked the 58th assist of his international career with Argentina, putting in a tie with U.S. Men’s National Team legend Landon Donovan for the most assists in men’s international soccer history.

Messi assists Lautaro Martinez goal: Argentina 1, Peru 0

Messi delivered the ball, and Lautaro Martinez did the rest, sending into a flying left kick into the back of the net to give Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 55th minute.

Martinez, Argentina’s leading scorer during Copa America, scored his second goal in as many games for the world champions. It was a stellar play by Messi to find Martinez open in front of the net, and Martinez delivered.

Messi gets free kicks before halftime: Argentina 0, Peru 0

We’re all tied at halftime. Messi lined up a free kick after Rodrigo De Paul was fouled, but his kick sailed to the right side of the net and was deflected by a Peruvian defender. One minute later, Messi had another free kick but Alexis Mac Allister headed it over the net.

Messi foul sets up free kick: Argentina 0, Peru 0

Messi was tripped up in the 36th minute, and sent his free kick into the box. But he was unable to connect with Alexis Mac Allister in front of the net. 

Gonzalo Montiel missed an opportunity in front of the net a minute later. 

Alexis Mac Allister misses header: Argentina 0, Peru 0

Argentina’s Alexis Mac Allister missed a header in the 24th minute. 

Julian Alvarez shot blocked: Argentina 0, Peru 0

Argentina had the numbers, but a shot by Julian Alvarez was blocked at the net in the 22nd minute. 

Messi misses long shot, fouled after exciting dribbling: Argentina 0, Peru 0  

Messi was high and wide on a shot in the 20th minute. He was also tripped up by Peru’s Alexander Callens after a series of dribbles that excited the Argentine crowd at La Bombonera in the 18th minute. 

Gonzalo Montiel misses shot near net: Argentina 0, Peru 0

Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel had a close chance near the net, but was unable to convert in the 13th minute. 

Nicolás Tagliafico misses shot over the net: Argentina 0, Peru 0

Argentina’s Nicolás Tagliafico sent a left boot over the net, ending a sequence created by Messi in the fourth minute. 

Where to watch Argentina vs. Peru live stream

The match will be available on Telemundo, and can be live streamed via fuboTV and ViX.

What time is the Argentina vs. Peru match?

The match begins at 7 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in Peru, 8 p.m. in Argentina).

Is Messi playing tonight?

Yes, Messi is expected to start and captain Argentina against Peru.

Argentina vs. Peru starting lineups

Here are the starters for both clubs on Tuesday night:

Argentina vs. Peru betting odds

The odds are stacked in Argentina’s favor for Tuesday’s match vs. Peru.

Argentina is a -650 favorite to win, while Peru has +1600 odds in the match. A tie has +625 odds. The over/under is 2.5 goals, via BetMGM.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MESSI? Messi in store for busy 2025-26

Messi’s Inter Miami coach steps down

Inter Miami coach Tata Martino resigned Tuesday, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke under the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the news.

The move is a sour ending to Martino’s run as Inter Miami coach after a historic season, during which the club won the MLS Supporters’ Shield but was bounced in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs earlier this month.

Messi is on a 3-game losing streak

Messi is riding a personal three-game losing streak: Argentina lost 2-1 to Paraguay last week, and Inter Miami dropped its final two games of its first-round series to Atlanta United in the MLS Cup playoffs earlier this month.

It’s just the third three-game skid of Messi’s career.

In April 2014, Messi and Barcelona lost the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Atletico Madrid 1-0, a La Liga match against Granada 1-0, and the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid 2-1.

In April 2016, Messi and Barcelona lost a La Liga match against Real Sociedad 1-0, the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal to Atletico Madrid 2-0, and a La Liga match to Valencia 2-1.

TRUMP DANCE: Christian Pulisic does viral sports celebration after USMNT goal

Argentina’s run atop international soccer

Argentina would maintain the No. 1 FIFA ranking with a win vs. Peru on Tuesday night. It’s on an incredible run, winning 64 of its last 69 games.

Argentina leads the Conmebol World Cup qualifying rankings, and will likely clinch its spot in the 2026 World Cup early next year.

MLS playoffs continue without Messi this weekend

Messi, however, was unable to help Inter Miami advance to the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

The MLS postseason continues Saturday as New York City FC hosts the New York Red Bulls at 5:30 p.m. ET, then LAFC hosts Seattle Sounders FC at 10:30 p.m. ET

On Sunday, Orlando City SC hosts Atlanta United at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by the L.A. Galaxy hosting Minnesota United FC at 6 p.m. ET.

All four matches will be available via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

MALAGA, Spain — Rafael Nadal could not conjure the old magic as the 22-times Grand Slam champion lost a Davis Cup singles for the first time in 20 years as he went down to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in the last match of his career on Tuesday.

On an emotionally-charged evening, the 38-year-old played the opening rubber of the quarter-final tie but lost 6-4 6-4 despite raucous support from his adoring fans.

Spain’s new tennis king Carlos Alcaraz levelled the tie by beating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (0) 6-3 and had Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers beaten Wesley Koolhof and Van de Zandschulp, the hosts would have kept alive the hope of a fairytale ending to Nadal’s career by reaching Friday’s semi-final.

But it was not to be as Koolhof, also playing the last event of his career, played out of his skin to inspire the Dutch to a 7-6 (4) 7-6 (3) win and silence the raucous Spanish fans.

Nadal willed the Spanish duo on from the sidelines, barely sitting down, but looked crestfallen as the reality that he would not get another chance began to sink in.

The Mallorcan, who has featured in four Davis Cup winning teams for Spain, had won 29 of his previous 30 singles in the team event, his only previous loss in his first tie in 2004.

Claycourt king Nadal, who last month announced he was ending his glittering career after the Davis Cup Final Eight in Malaga, showed flashes of his former brilliance but while the mind and body were willing, it was not the Nadal who dominated the men’s game at times during the past two decades.

Injuries, including hip surgery, meant he was playing only his 24th match since the start of 2023 and the rust was clear as he struggled to hold off the powerful Dutchman who admitted afterwards that he would have been clapping for Nadal had he not been required to face him on the court.

Nadal had shed tears as the anthems were played before the tie and was given a standing ovation after defeat.

Alcaraz duly levelled the tie by defeating Griekspoor, saying he had ‘done it for Rafa’ but he could not inspire a Spanish win in the doubles as the Dutch went through.

Nadal was philosophical after his singles defeat.

‘In some ways it is good, maybe, if that was my last match because I lost my first match in the Davis Cup and I lost my last one. We close the circle,’ he said.

His fans in Malaga, many of whom wore scarves with ‘Gracias Rafa’ on them, stood to salute him at midnight in a special presentation to Spain’s greatest sportsman.

Earlier in the day Roger Federer, Nadal’s great rival and close friend, had published a letter he sent to the Spaniard.

‘Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me – a lot. More than I managed to beat you, the Swiss 20-times Grand Slam champion said. ‘You challenged me in ways no one else could.’

The College Football Playoff is drawing near, and we got yet another round of exciting rankings Tuesday night on ESPN.

There was plenty of intrigue for teams across the upper echelon of the US LBM Coaches Poll. Last week, the committee doled out projected byes to Oregon (No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll), Texas, Miami and BYU. But things have changed now. Now, it’s Boise State that leapfrogs the Cougars as the fourth highest-ranked projected conference champ, which would earn them a first-round bye.

Elsewhere in the rankings, LSU has fallen out entirely, with Army, the lowest-ranked undefeated team in the rankings slowly crawling up. In the first CFP rankings, they were No. 25. Now, just two weeks later, they are ranked No. 19. Of course, everything could change for them drastically as they prepare for a matchup with No. 6 Notre Dame this Saturday.

Here is everything to know about Tuesday’s CFP rankings and live updates for the latest release.

College Football Playoffs 2024: Third CFP rankings

* – projected first-round bye

No. 1 Oregon (11-0)*
No. 2 Ohio State (9-1)
No. 3 Texas (9-1)*
No. 4 Penn State (9-1)
No. 5 Indiana (10-0)
No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1)
No. 7 Alabama (8-2)
No. 8 Miami (9-1)*
No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2)
No. 10 Georgia (8-2)
No. 11 Tennessee (9-2)
No. 12 Boise State (9-1)*
No. 13 SMU (9-1)
No. 14 BYU (9-1) – would earn No. 12 seed as fifth highest ranked conference champion
No. 15 Texas A&M (8-2)
No. 16 Colorado (8-2)
No. 17 Clemson (8-2)
No. 18. South Carolina (7-3)
No. 19 Army (9-0)
No. 20 Tulane (9-2)
No. 21 Arizona State (8-2)
No. 22 Iowa State (8-2)
No. 23 Missouri (7-3)
No. 24 UNLV (8-2)
No. 25 Illinois (7-3)

CFP Bracket

Based on latest CFP rankings and projections.

First Round:

No. 14 BYU at No. 2 Ohio State
No. 7 Alabama at No. 6 Notre Dame
No. 10 Georgia at No. 4 Penn State
No. 9 Ole Miss at No. 5 Indiana

Quarterfinals:

(Winner of BYU vs. Ohio State) vs. No. 12 Boise State
(Winner of Alabama vs. Notre Dame) vs. No. 1 Oregon
(Winner of Georgia vs. Penn State) vs. No. 8 Miami
(Winner of Ole Miss vs. Indiana) vs. No. 3 Texas

2024 CFP schedule

All times Eastern.

First Round:

Game 1: Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN
Game 2: Saturday, December 21 at 12 p.m. | TNT Sports
Game 3: Saturday, December 21 at 4 p.m. | TNT Sports
Game 4: Saturday, December 21 at 8 p.m. | ABC, ESPN

Playoff Quarterfinals Round:

Vrbo Fiesta Bowl: Tuesday, December 31 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 1 p.m. | ESPN
Rose Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. | ESPN
Allstate Sugar Bowl: Wednesday, January 1 at 8:45 p.m. | ESPN

Playoff Semifinals Round:

Capital One Orange Bowl: Thursday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Goodyear Cotton Bowl: Friday, January 10 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

National Championship:

National Championship: Monday, January 20 at 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

How to watch CFP Rankings release show: Time, TV, streaming

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 19
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo

Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription

College Football Playoff predictions 

USA TODAY

1. Oregon (11-0)*
2. Texas (9-1)*
3. Miami (9-1)*
4. Boise State (9-1)*
5. Ohio State (9-1)
6. Penn State (9-1)
7. Indiana (10-0)
8. Notre Dame (9-1)
9. Alabama (8-2)
10. Georgia (8-2)
11. Ole Miss (8-2)
12. BYU (9-1)**

*Receives first-round bye, automatic bid; **Receives automatic bid

Bracket – first round games

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 BYU
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 11 Ole Miss
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Georgia
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Alabama

ESPN

A sampling from some of the network’s experts:

Andrea Adelson: 1. Oregon 2. Texas 3. Miami 4. Colorado 5. Indiana 6. Ohio State 7. Penn State 8. Alabama 9. Ole Miss 10. Georgia 11. Notre Dame 12. Boise State

Adam Rittenberg: 1. Oregon 2. Texas 3. SMU 4. Colorado 5. Ohio State 6. Indiana 7. Penn State 8. Alabama 9. Ole Miss 10. Notre Dame 11. Georgia 12. Boise State

Paolo Uggetti: 1. Oregon 2. Texas 3. Miami 4. Colorado 5. Ohio State 6. Indiana 7. Penn State 8. Alabama 9. Ole Miss 10. Notre Dame 11. Georgia 12. Boise State

CBS Sports

First round byes:

No. 1 Ohio State
No. 2 Texas
No. 3 Miami
No. 4 Boise State

Bracket – first round games

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Colorado
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Alabama
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 10 Georgia
No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Penn State

When do College Football Playoff rankings come out? 

The third College Football Playoff rankings of the 2024 season will be released Tuesday, Nov. 19. A new top 25 ranking is released by the CFP selection committee every Tuesday through Dec. 3. This is followed by a CFP selection show on Dec. 8 to announce the 12-team playoff field.

Here is the schedule for the College Football Playoff rankings show. All times are Eastern:

Ranking 3: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Ranking 4: Tuesday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Ranking 5: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Selection Day: Sunday, Dec. 8, noon – 4 p.m.

What time is CFP rankings show? 

The College Football Playoff rankings are released each week through a CFP rankings show broadcasted by ESPN every Tuesday, from Nov. 5 through Dec. 3. This week’s show is slated to air starting at 7 p.m. ET and ending at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show 

The College Football Playoff rankings show will air on ESPN, with the broadcast starting at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Fans can also stream the show on Fubo, which is offering a free trial.

How many teams in College Football Playoff bracket 2024? 

This season, there are 12 teams in the College Football Playoff for the first time. College football previously introduced the CFP in 2014 with a four-team format. The expansion to 12 teams is set in place for the 2024 and 2025 college football seasons. Leaders within the sport have not agreed to the framework of the playoff beyond that at this point.

How does College Football Playoff format work? 

The 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket will be the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.

The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion will be seeded where it was ranked among the top 12 teams, or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.

‘Because of this,’ the CFP warns on its website, ‘the seeding, 1 through 12, could look different than the final rankings.’

For the first round, the higher-ranked team in each pairing (5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, 8 vs. 9) will serve as host on campus. The winners advance to the quarterfinals and match up with the corresponding top-four conference champion based on seeding. Quarterfinal games will played at the Fiesta Bowl, Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The semifinals – played at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl Classic – will take place Jan. 9-10.

The two semifinal winners will play for the national championship Jan. 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. – Mark Giannotto

College Football Playoff championship odds

As of Nov. 18, here are the latest College Football Playoff title odds from BetMGM:

Ohio State (+320)
Oregon (+450)
Georgia (+500)
Texas (+500)
Alabama (+750)
Ole Miss (+1100)
Penn State (+1800)
Notre Dame (+2000)
Indiana (+3000)
Tennessee (+4000)
Miami (+4000)
Clemson (+5000)
Colorado (+5000)
SMU (+5000)
Texas A&M (+10,000)
Boise State (+10,000)
Iowa State (+25,000)
Tulane (+25,000)
BYU (+25,000)
South Carolina (+50,000)
Arizona State (+75,000)

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No, we can’t get enough of Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen. 

Just look at the numbers.

CBS drew a massive average audience of 31.2 million viewers for its national broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs-Buffalo Bills showdown on Sunday – marking the most-watched NFL regular season game since 2007, excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve games. 

It ranks as the fourth most-watched game in a national broadcast window dating back to at least 1988, and it is among the 10 most-watched NFL regular season games in any window, excluding Thanksgiving matchups. 

The audience is the biggest for a regular-season NFL game (holidays excluded) since a New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts showdown – featuring Tom Brady and Peyton Manning – in Week 9 of the 2007 season. 

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

Surely, the NFL and CBS hopes for a postseason rematch after the Bills’ 30-21 victory spoiled Kansas City’s perfect record. The outcome also put the Bills (9-2) in range to surpass the Chiefs (9-1) in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. 

The last time the teams met in the playoffs? CBS averaged more than 50 million viewers – more than any NFL game ever outside of a Super Bowl or conference title game — for the Kansas City victory in the AFC divisional round in January.

The Dallas Cowboys decided to open the roof at AT&T Stadium for a game for the first time in more than two years.

After doing so, two large pieces of sheet metal fell off the roof. One landed on the field, narrowly missing several bystanders, while the other got stuck in the rafters and needed to be bolted down by staff to ensure it wouldn’t fall during the game.

The entire sequence represented a microcosm of the Cowboys’ 2024 season.

Dallas dropped to 3-7 after the sheet metal incident. They were crushed 34-10 by the Houston Texans on ‘Monday Night Football,’ falling to 0-5 at home and becoming the first NFL team ever to trail by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games.

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

Despite this, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is still trying not to panic. He acknowledged after Monday’s defeat that the organization ‘didn’t anticipate’ the team’s poor performance this season but that he has been through worse during his 35 years as the team’s owner.

‘We won one game my first year,’ Jones told reporters, per ESPN. ‘One. And so, have we had rough seasons? Yes. Yeah, I’ve been around. Certainly, we have. And we’ve had other tough years. And this one, we didn’t anticipate the record. And the way we’re playing right now, we wouldn’t have anticipated that. But, not, this isn’t – y’all have heard me tell these old stories until you’re sick – but not, you stay in this league long enough, you’ll have times like this.’

Even so, the Cowboys entered the 2024 NFL season expecting to contend for a Super Bowl. The team was coming off three consecutive 12-5 seasons and was hoping it could finally mount a deep postseason run under Mike McCarthy’s leadership.

Instead, little has gone right for Dallas. The team’s offseason moves – or lack thereof – have been heavily scrutinized. The Cowboys have sported the NFL’s worst rushing offense after making Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook its marquee running back additions. Meanwhile, the team’s plan to trust two rookie offensive linemen as replacements for Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz hasn’t been as smooth a transition as Dallas hoped.

Add in Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9 and the defense’s major regression after Dan Quinn’s departure, and things look bleak for the Cowboys. Some believe McCarthy, whose contract ends after the season, won’t return in 2025.

Nonetheless, Jones has been adamant about not firing coaches in-season. On Monday he came to McCarthy’s defense, as he often has throughout Dallas’ 3-7 start to the season.

‘That losing the team stuff, that’s so overblown,’ Jones said when asked if the players still believe in McCarthy. ‘These guys are so, first of all, they’re natural competitors. Secondly, they’re so proud of the fact that they are professional and disappointed in maybe the way they executed the play, but that’s not anything that’s brother or first cousin to give up. … Everybody’s certainly disappointed, but that’s a big difference in not knowing that you got to put the foot in front of the other to go.’

It isn’t clear when Jones’ patience might run out, but McCarthy isn’t thinking about that. Nor is he thinking about treating the season like a lost one and giving players like Trey Lance an opportunity to develop on the field, results be damned.

McCarthy wants to find ways to win over Dallas’ final seven games of the 2024 NFL season.

‘This is it, man,’ McCarthy said during his postgame news conference. ‘We’ve got seven losses. We gotta go. Backs against the wall. We gotta fight, claw, scratch. We gotta do everything we can to go win the next game. That’s where my mind’s at. That’s the way I wanna coach and that’s the expectation. We gotta win. We deserve to win. We deserve the opportunity to win and that’s about putting the best people out there. Right now they’re young. Those guys, our young guys are getting a lot of experience.

‘But we need to do whatever the hell we need to do to win.’