The Kansas City Chiefs might not be home for Christmas, but they’ll be home for the playoffs.

K.C.’s bunch is feeling holly and jolly after a 29-10 blowout win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh, securing the AFC’s top seed in the process. That present left under the tree also comes with a first-round bye, something the Chiefs will need before gearing up for the chance at a three-peat.

While the Chiefs celebrate an easy victory, Pittsburgh was visited by the ghost of Christmas future. In a potential playoff preview, the Steelers looked overmatched all afternoon, struggling to keep up with the AFC’s juggernaut.

Missed opportunities and untimely turnovers were ultimately Pittsburgh’s undoing in what is its third consecutive loss. The offense has struggled to produce during that span, averaging just 13.3 points per game, and is becoming a major issue that could derail their dreams of making a long postseason run.

This is also the third consecutive week that Pittsburgh has failed to hold its opponent to under 27 points, which has only highlighted the offense’s shortcomings. The Steelers no longer control their own destiny for the AFC North crown, with the Baltimore Ravens able to take the division if they win their last two games.

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On the opposite side, Patrick Mahomes is looking like he never suffered an ankle injury. The quarterback is moving and grooving with ease out there, toying with defenses and having fun while doing it.

Regardless, it’s all smiles in Kansas City, as the Chiefs have assumed their perch atop the league once again. Turns out, that franchise might just be Santa’s favorite.

Here’s a look at how the action unfolded on Christmas day in Pittsburgh.

AFC North standings

The Steelers no longer control their own destiny in the AFC North race. If the Ravens win their final two games, they clinch the division. Here’s a look at the standings heading into the second half of the Christmas doubleheader.

Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
Cleveland Browns (3-12)

Chiefs clinch AFC No. 1 seed

With the win, the Chiefs have clinched the AFC’s top spot, securing a bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They’ll wrap up the regular season next week in Denver, but can rest players without fear of losing any ground in the playoff picture. We should expect to see the starters in limited action at best in Week 18.

Steelers turnover on downs

With 10 minutes to go, the situation is getting dire for Pittsburgh. They are forced to go for it on fourth-and-20, but the pass falls incomplete and K.C. is in the driver’s seat.

Isiah Pacheco injury update

The Chiefs’ running back came off the field in pain after a carry early in the fourth quarter. The team is calling it a rib injury and he is questionable to return.

Steelers-Chiefs score: Travis Kelce passes Tony Gonzalez for most TD catches in franchise history

Well, this one might be a wrap. Hopefully it’s some of that good, decorative wrapping paper though. The Chiefs turn the Freiermuth fumble into a touchdown, a record-breaking one at that. Mahomes finds Kelce for six, No. 77 of his K.C. career, and the tight end passes Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown catches in franchise history.

To celebrate the occasion, Kelce breaks out the signature dunk celebration that Gonzalez was known for, but the no fun league was having none of that, even on a holiday. Craig Wrolstad, known as Ebenezer Wrolstad on this day, tosses a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct for the celly. It’s unlikely Kelce, or anyone really cares, especially up 19. Chiefs 29, Steelers 10

Pat Freiermuth’s fumble gives the Chiefs the ball back

Needing a score with time winding down, the Steelers must’ve visited with the Grinch instead of Santa. Everyone is getting sick this time of year and Freiermuth coughing up the fumble is just insult to injury. K.C. takes over threatening to score again.

Steelers-Chiefs score: Kareem Hunt punches it in for the TD

K.C. kicks off the fourth quarter by adding to its lead, this time with a rushing touchdown from Hunt. In the place that used to be known as Heinz Field, it’s fitting that another ketchup brand, Hunt’s, got in on the fun. The two-point conversion attempt, however, like Harry and Marv’s attempt to rob Kevin in ‘Home Alone,’ is unsuccessful. Chiefs 22, Steelers 10

Steelers-Chiefs score: Chris Boswell cuts into the KC lead with a FG

Anything Butker can do, Boswell can do better, at least in this case. The Pittsburgh kicker knocks through the 36-yard field goal attempt to cut the deficit back to six. Chiefs 16, Steelers 10

Justin Reid injury update

After momentarily leaving the action, the Chiefs’ safety was evaluated for a concussion, but cleared to return, per the broadcast.

Steelers-Chiefs score: Harrison Butker extends the KC lead with FG

The first drive of the second half doesn’t end in the end zone for the Chiefs, but they do add three points to the board. Butker knocks through the 32-yard field goal to make this a two-possession game. Chiefs 16, Steelers 7

Is Taylor Swift at the Chiefs game today?

NFL fans will be treated to a halftime show performance from Beyoncé in the second half of the Christmas day doubleheader, but there is no sign of the pop star, Swift, in Pittsburgh today. Travis Kelce has been mostly quiet through one half, so those curious about the romance are likely disappointed to this point. The Chiefs won’t have another home game until the playoffs, so Swifties might be waiting into the new year for her next football appearance.

Halftime: Chiefs lead at the break

We’re halfway home on Christmas in Pittsburgh and the Chiefs have the 13-7 edge over the home side. K.C. came out of the gates hot, racing out to a 13-0 lead, but the game slowed and Pittsburgh got back into it. Neither side could get that coveted score in the final two minutes, but the Steelers do profile as more of a second-half team. They’re allowing the third-fewest points per game in the final two quarters, 8.6, so this could get tight down the stretch. The Chiefs get the ball to start the third quarter.

Two-minute warning: Steelers driving for a score before the half

After a couple of uneventful drives, Pittsburgh is aiming to put some more points on the board before we reach halftime. Bailed out by a Chiefs’ penalty on fourth down, the Steelers have the ball with a second-and-long at their own 48.

Who is announcing the Steelers vs. Chiefs game?

A new broadcast means there are some new combinations in the broadcast booth. Luckily for NFL fans, these are familiar voices for the Steelers vs. Chiefs contest, with Ian Eagle handling the play-by-play while J.J. Watt and Nate Burleson provide analysis. All three are typically part of the NFL on CBS for football Sundays.

How much did Netflix pay for NFL Christmas games?

Netflix struck a deal with the NFL for three seasons, giving them the rights to broadcast today’s games. The streaming giant gave the league 150 million reasons to take the deal, courtesy of the $150 million check they cut. In other words, Netflix paid $75 million for just the Steelers vs. Chiefs game, with the other $75 going to the Texans vs. Ravens contest later on.

Steelers-Chiefs score: Russell Wilson runs in for the TD

It appears the Steelers are going to let Russ cook on this holiday. Pittsburgh gets the response they were looking for, as Wilson caps off the 11-play, 72-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown. The paying fans in attendance rejoice as their team gets back into the game. Chiefs 13, Steelers 7

End of first quarter: Chiefs in control early

We’ve seen a few flashes from the Steelers, but the Chiefs look like a team that has some great gifts under the tree to play with. K.C. is looking to take care of business quickly. For a squad that’s struggled to pull away, the next score will tell us whether we’re in for a blowout or a close fight to the finish.

Steelers’ TD called back, Russell Wilson tosses an interception

You’ve heard of the ‘Nightmare before Christmas,’ but the ‘Nightmare on Christmas’ might be more relevant now. Pittsburgh punched it into the end zone with a run from Jaylen Warren, but Darnell Washington’s holding penalty negated the score. On the next play of football, Russell Wilson gave to us an interception. Bah humbug.

Steelers-Chiefs score: Justin Watson extends the Kansas City lead with TD catch

Moments after the Mahomes highlight, the quarterback follows it up with a 49-yard dart to Justin Watson. A few plays later, it’s Mahomes-to-Watson again, this time for six. Butker adds on the extra point, giving Kansas City the two-score lead. The Steelers offense needs to get going quickly. Chiefs 13, Steelers 0

Highlight: Patrick Mahomes flips it to Samaje Perine for the first down

Mahomes is toying with the mighty Steelers defense, this time pulling off a little flip to Perine, picking up 14 yards and the first down. You’ll want to get a look at this.

Steelers-Chiefs score: Xavier Worthy opens the scoring with TD catch

Eight plays, 42 yards and 3:59 later and the Chiefs are dancing in the end zone. Patrick Mahomes finds Xavier Worthy for the 7-yard touchdown out of the backfield. However, Harrison Butker pushes a 48-yard extra point wide right after Worthy committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty following the score. Guess you can say Worthy is worthy of a spot on the naughty list. Chiefs 6, Steelers 0

Netflix NFL scorebug

If you were wondering what the NFL on Netflix would look like, wonder no more. The streamer has debuted a fancy scorebug for the big occasion.

Steelers go three-and-out on opening drive

Pittsburgh didn’t get the start it was hoping for, with a quick punt less than two minutes into the game. The Steelers flirted with disaster, but Russell Wilson was able to recover a fumble before it got out of control. However, Nikko Remigio came up with a big return, resulting in just a nine yard net on the punt.

Steelers vs. Chiefs start time

Start time: 1 p.m. ET (Noon CT)

The Steelers vs. Chiefs Christmas matchup will kick off at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT.

Steelers vs. Chiefs TV channel, live stream

Live stream: Netflix
TV channel (local):

The Steelers-Chiefs Christmas Day matchup will air exclusively on Netflix for a national audience. For viewers in local markets, the game will air on CBS. In Kansas City, that’s KCTV5, while fans in Pittsburgh should tune in to KDKA-TV.

Steelers vs. Chiefs predictions, picks

Who will find a lump of coal in their stocking? Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels about the Steelers-Chiefs tilt on Christmas:

Lorenzo Reyes: Chiefs 25, Steelers 17
Tyler Dragon: Chiefs 25, Steelers 20
Richard Morin: Chiefs 25, Steelers 23
Jordan Mendoza: Chiefs 20, Steelers 17

Steelers vs. Chiefs live stream 

Live stream: Netflix 

For Christmas Day viewers looking to watch the Steelers-Chiefs game, you can turn to Netflix. Netflix is the exclusive home of both Christmas Day games.

Steelers vs. Chiefs odds, moneyline, over/under 

The Chiefs are favorites to defeat the Steelers, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week. 

Spread: Chiefs (-3) 
Moneyline: Chiefs (-160); Steelers (+135) 
Over/under: 43.5 

Where is Steelers vs. Chiefs? 

The Steelers and Chiefs clash in Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field) in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Christmas.

Chiefs inactives vs. Steelers

Chamarri Conner, DB
Joshua Uche, DE
C.J. Hanson, OL
D.J. Humphries, OL
Ethan Driskell, OT
Malik Herring, DE
Chris Jones, DT

Steelers inactives vs. Chiefs

Justin Fields, QB
Ben Skowronek, WR
Joey Porter Jr., CB
Preston Smith, DE
Dean Lowry, DE

Chris Jones out for Chiefs vs. Steelers

The Kansas City Chiefs started Christmas Day with a lump of coal, as defensive tackle Chris Jones will miss Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a calf injury.

Jones left Saturday’s victory against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. He was listed as ‘DNP’ in a practice participation estimate for Sunday and did not practice Monday; Chiefs head coach Andy Reid seemed discouraged about Jones’ chances of playing when asked two hours before kickoff. — Chris Bumbaca

Steelers vs. Chiefs weather updates 

Fans hoping to see Mother Nature get involved on Wednesday may be in a little bit of luck. Temperatures around kickoff should hover around freezing and there’s a slight chance of precipitation (10%).  

What happened to Patrick Mahomes? 

Mahomes suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ win over the Browns. He tried to move around the pocket while attempting a pass on a fourth-and-3, but his protection collapsed in on him. 

Mahomes was able to get up eventually but slowly hobbled to the sideline. He had his right ankle heavily taped on the bench and was ruled ‘questionable’ to return. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz played the final five minutes of the game in his stead. 

Mahomes didn’t miss any time. He played in the Week 16 matchup vs. the Texans and looked just fine.

NFL best bets: Steelers vs. Chiefs

Looking to make the Steelers-Chiefs matchup more interesting? Here are some of the best bets: 

Xavier Worthy OVER 4.5 receptions; 
Samaje Perine OVER 9.5 receiving yards; 
Travis Kelce anytime TD. 

Another year has just about come and gone − and what a year it was in the world of sports.

In 2024, we saw several teams repeat as champions (hi Chiefs and Gamecocks) and a few others win their first titles (congrats, Florida Panthers). There was, of course, a spectacular edition of the Summer Olympics in Paris. Some surprising coaching retirements (Nick Saban) and surprising returns (Bill Belichick). And a tremendous surge in the interest (and, perhaps just as importantly, television money) surrounding the WNBA and other women’s sports.

As we look back at the year that was, USA TODAY Sports figured we’d break it all down by identifying the athletes, coaches, entities and ideas that had the best calendar year … as well as those that had it the worst.

And so, without further ado, here are some of the winners and losers in the world of sports in 2024:

2024 WINNERS

Caitlin Clark

No athlete dominated the sports conversation in 2024 like Clark, in part because she barely got a day off between leading Iowa to the national title game and joining the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.

Simone Biles

The GOAT of women’s gymnastics added to her Olympic résumé with four medals, including three gold, at the Paris Olympics — a feat made all the more impressive by her case of the ‘twisties’ and monthslong competitive hiatus that preceded it.

The running back position

After watching their position get devalued in recent years, Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley switched teams and are running roughshod over NFL defenses, while Ashton Jeanty of Boise State flirted with Barry Sanders’ collegiate rushing record.

Jim Harbaugh

Leading one’s alma mater to a national championship, pocketing $3 million in bonuses, fleeing possible NCAA sanctions to go back to the NFL, and leading the resurgent Los Angeles Chargers to playoff contention? All in a year’s work for Harbaugh.

The MLB’s $700 million men

Shohei Ohtani signed a $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, then had a season for the ages en route to his first World Series ring. Juan Soto might have been on the losing end of that World Series matchup, but he got a pretty nice consolation present a few months later by signing a record-breaking $765 million deal with the New York Mets.

The Kansas City Chiefs

It’s not just that the Chiefs have won 19 of the 20 games they’ve played in the 2024 calendar year, but also how they’ve won — with eight victories by a margin of 3 points or less, including two in overtime. (One, of course, being their 25-22 win over San Francisco in the Super Bowl.)

Niche Olympic athletes

The Summer Olympics always produce new stars. But some of the biggest (and most marketable) athletes to emerge from the 2024 Games were a Turkish shooter, a bespectacled pommel horse specialist and a breakdancer from Australia whose signature move was hopping like a kangaroo.

NC State men’s basketball

March Madness is all about the Cinderella story, and this year, that was the Wolfpack, which returned to the Final Four for the first time in nearly 40 years after not being favored to make it past the second round of their conference tournament.

Honorable mention

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James getting to play with son Bronny
The Florida Panthers
The WNBA’s new media deal
The Deion Sanders hype train
The eight-time defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s basketball team
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman
The inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League
The future of men’s tennis with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

2024 LOSERS

Misogynistic sports fans

If you hate women’s sports, you probably had a tough year watching WNBA interest boom and the U.S. women dominate (again) at the Olympics.

Louisville and Miami police

It’s not easy to work in law enforcement, obviously, but the cops who arrested and/or detained Scottie Scheffler and Tyreek Hill this year came across as overzealous at best.

Aaron Rodgers

He started the year by saying the New York Jets needed to eliminate distractions, then proceeded to spar with Jimmy Kimmel and entertain the possibility of being Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential running mate. On the field, meanwhile, the firing of Robert Saleh and trade for Davante Adams left him with little excuse for a middling season.

Everyone who watched the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight

So much hype, so many headlines, and for what? A relatively boring fight, made even choppier by Netflix’s widespread streaming issues.

The NCAA’s idea of amateurism

Name, image and likeness payments have basically destroyed the notion of amateurism in high-level college sports — and the impending House settlement is poised to deliver the final blow.

Rory McIlroy

He suffered a heartbreaking collapse to lose the U.S. Open, missed the cut at the British Open and went from being one of the staunchest critics of former PGA Tour golfers who joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf to saying they should be welcomed back on the Tour without penalty.

U.S. men’s soccer hype

On home soil, in one of the last big tune-ups for the 2026 men’s World Cup, the Americans lost to Panama, failed to get out of their Copa America group and promptly pulled the plug on Gregg Berhalter’s brief return as head coach.

Athletics owner John Fisher

Fisher was the man at the center of the Athletics’ messy departure from Oakland, and he might have emerged as one of the most loathed owners in sports along the way.

Honorable mention

The Lakers overdrafting Bronny James in an apparent attempt to appease his father
Florida State football
The handling of the Olympic gymnastics scoring controversy involving Jordan Chiles and two Romanian gymnasts
The Chicago White Sox
Teams that bowed to political pressure and forfeited volleyball games against San Jose State

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On Christmas Day, the streaming giant will air the first two games, first with the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET) followed by the Houston Texans hosting the Baltimore Ravens (4:30 p.m. ET). 

The audience won’t be as large as it was for the fight, but with Dec. 25 being the busiest day for Netflix – along with performances from Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Pentatonix across the two games – the streaming issues that plagued many viewers’ experience when Paul defeated Tyson on Nov. 15 is something the NFL and Netflix have monitored in the weeks since. 

The only guarantee with a worldwide broadcast dependent on thousands of internet service providers (ISPs) is that somebody, somewhere, will experience technical difficulties. All ISPs do things a little bit differently, streaming industry expert Dan Rayburn said, and there’s no one right way to do it. 

“Every single time another person watches for an additional second, you need additional capacity,” Rayburn told USA TODAY Sports. 

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Compared to a traditional network broadcast, whether one person or 10 million people watch, CBS does not need to require additional infrastructure. Neither do radio or cable TV channels. That’s the magic of satellites. 

Netflix has 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries, with a fraction expected to tune into the games. That could still be a significant number that stresses Netflix’s powers.

“The whole reason they did the boxing event … was to test for (the) NFL,” said Rayburn, who noted that the company’s original plan of scheduling the fight in July would have allowed additional time to prepare. 

Peacock pulled in 23 million viewers during last season’s Dolphins-Chiefs wild-card playoff game to become the most-streamed sporting event in the U.S. at the time. The Tyson-Paul fight pulled in more than quadruple that.  

“We now know from experience what are the main pressure points in our infrastructure and are promptly addressing them ahead of the NFL games,” Netflix said in a series of written responses to USA TODAY Sports. “Some behaviors of our live streaming systems are impossible to replicate in a test and are only visible at huge scale with real viewers. We studied that in detail and are adjusting our content delivery, encoding, and streaming protocols accordingly.” 

And the company, with a market capitalization of nearly $390 billion, can invest in the sports space without fear of retribution. 

“How often has Netflix not worked for you or anybody else outside of the boxing event?” Rayburn said. “It’s almost always perfect.” 

The agreement with the NFL for Christmas broadcasts is for three years, but there is no guarantee the company will broadcast more than one game in 2025 and 2026. The games will be produced by CBS, with a prolific roster of talent set to call and analyze the games. But the extensive hiring has also occurred behind the scenes.

“Netflix has hired some extremely qualified, smart people from the streaming industry, from some of their content competitors,” Rayburn said. “YouTube TV and Netflix are taking everybody in the live event business that has experience.” 

Another factor in the variance of viewer experience is the many types of devices on which people can stream – and most times, issues can be resolved by making sure the device and Netflix app have the latest versions installed. 

“The moment Netflix is streaming, they don’t control the device,” Rayburn said. “They don’t own the hardware. Is it going on a Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, LG? So now they have to make it work on every single device out there, which all uses different protocols, different players. Some of them cache content for longer periods of time than others.” 

Netflix said it has continued ‘collaborative relationships with ISP partners to further grow our interconnection capacity.’ The company’s ISP capacity was “taxed” during the Tyson-Paul fight and, based on their findings from the event, “we’ve made additional optimizations of our systems to improve quality of experience for members.”

While this is Netflix’s first foray into broadcasting NFL games, there have been live sports on the platform (including a golf exhibition and a Carlos Alcaraz-Rafael Nadal match), along with other live streams such as “The Roast of Tom Brady.” Live sports are part of Netflix’s future content strategy, clearly, with the platform agreeing to broadcast the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031.

‘We’re so excited in the NFL about Netflix becoming a huge part of our future,’ Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said during the broadcast of the Tyson-Paul fight, which was held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.

The league has put on a brave face when discussing any concerns about potential wide-scale connectivity issues. 

“It’s a process, and they’re learning,” NFL chief media and business officer Brian Rolapp said at Sports Business Journal’s Innovators Conference last month. “I think all of these new tech companies who are getting into large-scale streaming are learning this.” 

Isolated issues come with the territory of being in the live sports business, former ESPN executive and media analyst John Kosner said. 

“If there’s more than that, there’s obviously going to be a lot of coverage of it,” Kosner told USA TODAY Sports. 

The NFL is likely weary of potential streaming issues, but as always, Kosner said, Commissioner Roger Goodell and Co. will take the long view. 

“They want to get Netflix hooked on the NFL. And I think the NFL thinks, as I do, that this is a solvable problem. Hopefully it’s a problem solved (Wednesday),” Kosner said. “Similarly, Netflix has a lot riding on Christmas Day. All of its top executives are going to be home watching. The NFL is such a big deal that if they experience more tech problems, it’s a black eye, so nobody wants that.”

Amazon, which has exclusively streamed “Thursday Night Football” for three seasons, didn’t have the smoothest debut when the Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers played on Sept. 15, 2022. 

“Pre-COVID, the conventional wisdom was that the Internet was unlikely to ever be able to handle the necessary scale of an NFL game,” Kosner said. “Amazon obviously proved that wrong, and they’ve done a terrific job.”

YouTube TV, the “NFL Sunday Ticket Provider” since last season, had a substantial outage in October 2023 that drew the ire of fans.

‘We’re not worried. We’ve worked a ton with Netflix getting ready for this,” Rolapp said. “I think there’s a reason they did the fight when they did the fight. What they do is hard. Migrating large events to the Internet infrastructure has been a process.” 

The quality of experience dashboards (QOE) will be examined in real time Wednesday, Rayburn said, same as the company did during the Tyson-Paul fight. 

“Within 24 hours with the (fight) being over, Netflix already knew very quickly, very detailed what needed to be worked on, what the approach would be,” Rayburn said. ”This isn’t rocket science. This doesn’t take days to figure out the data.”

This story has been updated with new information.

The Kansas City Chiefs started Christmas Day with a lump of coal, as defensive tackle Chris Jones will miss Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a calf injury.

Jones left Saturday’s victory against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. He was listed as ‘DNP’ in a practice participation estimate for Sunday and did not practice Monday; Chiefs head coach Andy Reid seemed discouraged about Jones’ chances of playing when asked two hours before kickoff.

The two-time All-Pro has five sacks, 20 quarterbacks and one forced fumble this season. Kansas City can clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a Wild-Card round bye with a victory (or a Buffalo Bills loss Sunday).

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All things Chiefs: Latest Kansas City Chiefs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward should postpone looking for real estate in Las Vegas.

Hopes of the two standout college quarterbacks landing with the Raiders in the next NFL draft might be out the window after last week’s 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Raiders won their first game in three months, breaking a 10-game losing skid with owner Mark Davis celebrating in the locker room after the game. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was also fiery after the game when asked about the ramifications.

“We don’t do this to lose,” Pierce told reporters. “We don’t do this for anybody’s fantasy football team or draft projections. None of that [expletive] matters to us. The only thing that matters is winning, that’s all we want to do.”

But the Raiders lost focus on the real prize.

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USA TODAY Sports’ NFL overreactions for Week 16 begin with the Raiders, who will regret their third win of the season in the long run because they dropped from the No. 2 position in the 2025 NFL draft to the No. 6 spot with two weeks left in the season.

Instead of being in the Top 2 with the New York Giants (2-13), Las Vegas is in a group of five three-win teams at the top of the draft order. The worst part: The Raiders have the highest strength of schedule, a tiebreaker for the draft order.

The Top 6 of the 2025 NFL draft order with two weeks left: Giants, New England Patriots, Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, then the Raiders.

Quarterback is one of several missing pieces in the Raiders’ rebuild, and could continue being the case in 2025 if the draft order holds up. The Raiders visit the Saints in Week 17, and host the Chargers in the season finale. And any more wins will only drive the historic, but floundering franchise further away from the quarterback they need to be in contention again.

Cowboys might run it back again with Mike McCarthy

Look away, Cowboys fans.

With wins in four of their last five games, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy may have saved his job in Dallas for at least another season.

Two of those wins came against the Commanders and Buccaneers, potential playoff teams, after Dallas started the season losing 7 of 10.

Cowboys fans may not like the idea of Jerry Jones sticking with McCarthy, but the template to retool next season’s team is clear: Improve the run game, the run defense, add depth at receiver and the secondary, and hope the injury bug isn’t as severe in 2025.

Even with the Eagles and Commanders surging, the Cowboys could easily become competitive again next season with their current setup.

The Ravens will win AFC North

Baltimore’s 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week opened the window for the Ravens to seize the AFC North title again.

Both teams are tied at 10-5 atop the division, but Baltimore appears to have the more favorable matchups in the final two games compared to Pittsburgh.

Baltimore heads to Houston on Christmas Day, and ends the season hosting the Browns – two games the Ravens need to win to secure the division and a home game to start the playoffs.

Pittsburgh hosts the Kansas City Chiefs, who own the best record in the NFL despite Patrick Mahomes’ lingering ankle injury, on Christmas Day. Then, the Steelers host the Bengals in a game both teams need to secure their playoff berths (if Cincinnati is still standing in the final week of the season).

As disappointing as Baltimore’s five losses have been this season, including a 18-16 loss to the Steelers Nov. 17 that put them in this position, they will win the division title and avoid being road warriors during the postseason.

It’s just a hiccup in the quest for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens to reach a second consecutive AFC title game, and potentially the Super Bowl this season.

NFL power rankings entering Week 17 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

2. Detroit Lions (3): The first team in franchise history to win 13 games, they’re trying to pave the NFC pathway to the Super Bowl directly to Ford Field. Plenty of work yet to do on that front, even for a team that’s almost certainly the franchise’s best of the Super Bowl era (since 1966) – the Lions’ 493 points and 7-0 road record are club bests – much as that’s also indicative of their checkered-at-best history over that period. Regardless, give Dan Campbell and Co. credit for continuing to play at a high level no matter how many injuries and other obstacles they must navigate. Detroit is the only team this season with a 1,000-yard rusher with 10 TDs (Jahmyr Gibbs) and a 1,000-yard receiver with 10 TDs (Amon-Ra St. Brown).

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6. Philadelphia Eagles (2): This dip is less the result of dropping a game on the road to a quality Commanders team and more a function of the uncertainty currently clouding QB Jalen Hurts’ (concussion) availability – similar to what the Chiefs were dealing with a week ago when Mahomes injured his ankle. Regardless, Philly is a near lock for the No. 2 seed and, assuming Hurts is back soon, could very much be vying for a second Super Bowl berth in three seasons.

7. Baltimore Ravens (8): QB Lamar Jackson’s immediate priority might be Queen Bey. Otherwise, he and his teammates very much seem to be rounding into championship form at the right time … and 12 years after they won the last Super Bowl staged in New Orleans.

10. Washington Commanders (12): Sunday’s win was exciting, dramatic and puts them on the verge of a playoff berth and their first regular season with at least 11 wins since 1991. But let’s not forget it came despite five turnovers and against a Philly team forced to field an injured backup quarterback.

12. Los Angeles Chargers (16): It took a 48-year stretch, but the Bolts have now converted the NFL’s last two successful fair catch kicks. Bummer that Bill Belichick, who enjoys an arcane football rule as much as anyone, won’t be on the sideline at Foxborough on Saturday when the Chargers visit.

13. Houston Texans (13): Apparently, they think it’s wise to be WR Diontae Johnson’s fourth employer in less than a year … though claiming him is also a referendum on the state of their receiving corps behind WR1 Nico Collins.

15. Denver Broncos (10): … However if they lapse at Cincinnati on Saturday – and Denver’s résumé overfloweth with victories against lightweights – then, with no wild-card berth yet secured, the pucker factor will go up significantly heading into Week 18.

16. Seattle Seahawks (14): DT Byron Murphy II made a huge rookie mistake Sunday, committing a pivotal facemask penalty on Sam Darnold one snap before the Minnesota quarterback threw the game-winning TD. Did we mention Murphy is a rookie?

17. Atlanta Falcons (18): The switch to QB Michael Penix Jr. is the obvious change for a team that’s reclaimed the NFC South lead. But the more important one might be a revitalized pass rush averaging four sacks per game over the past four weeks … after getting 10 total in the first 11 games.

20. Indianapolis Colts (21): Sunday is what they were supposed to be all along offensively with QB Anthony Richardson and RB Jonathan Taylor in the backfield – an attack that can unleash an unstoppable running game able to cover up most any other flaw. Maybe it’s what they will be in 2025.

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32. New York Giants (32): Welp. With the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft nearly in hand, perhaps their second century of existence will begin much better than the way the first one is ending.

***

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

Josh Allen has been the runaway favorite to win the NFL MVP race for the last month.

But nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

Allen had one of his worst games of the season as the Buffalo Bills needed to overcome a 14-0 deficit at home to beat the lowly New England Patriots 24-21 last week.

Allen completed just 16 of 29 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception during the AFC East matchup. He relied on running back James Cook scoring two touchdowns, while Taron Johnson recovered a fumble in the end zone to put the Patriots away.

Was Allen’s performance enough to maintain the top spot, or has another MVP candidate seized the reins?

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

Here are the USA TODAY Sports’ NFL MVP rankings after Week 16:

5. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, stock even

Saquon Barkley had another standout game for the Eagles, rushing for 150 yards with two touchdowns in Philadelphia’s 36-33 loss without Jalen Hurts (concussion) against the Washington Commanders last week.

Still, it’s hard to deny Barkley’s production in 2024.

He leads the NFL with 2,114 scrimmage yards, while only Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Buffalo’s Cook have scored more touchdowns (16 each) to Barkley’s 15 touchdowns. He’s also responsible for the 14 rushing touchdowns Hurts has scored mostly from tush push plays at the goal line.

4. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, stock even

Even with a high-ankle sprain, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs maintain the best record in the NFL following their 27-19 win over the Houston Texans.

Mahomes scored a 15-yard touchdown run to set the tone and threw a touchdown, finishing with 260 yards on 28 of 41 passing.

Mahomes has 23 touchdown passes, 3,608 passing yards, and a 66.7 QBR for the Chiefs. But his MVP case is boosted by Kansas City’s No. 1 spot in the AFC standings, and 10 of their 14 wins coming in one-score games this season.

3. Lions QB Jared Goff, stock even

Jared Goff had another standout game, throwing for three touchdowns and 336 yards in Detroit’s 34-17 win over the Chicago Bears last week.

The Lions rebounded from just their second loss of the season to maintain their lead in the NFC North over the surging Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, and to stay in front of the Eagles for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff race.

Goff has the second-best passer rating (112.2) and completion percentage (71.4) in the NFL, while his 33 touchdown passes rank fourth among quarterbacks. But two other players have been better this season.

2. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, stock even

Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes, and the Ravens relied on a late pick-six to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-17 last week.

The Ravens again have a path to winning the AFC North, needing wins in their final two games and hoping the Steelers drop one of their two remaining games.

Jackson leads the NFL with a 120.6 passer rating, is second behind Joe Burrow (39) with 37 touchdown passes, and second with a 75.5 QBR behind the No. 1 player on our list.

Although Jackson has been spectacular, the Ravens’ five losses this season have hindered his MVP case.

1. Bills QB Josh Allen, stock even

Allen may have been subpar against New England, but it’s hard to forget what Allen has accomplished this season:

He led the Bills to wins over the teams with the best records in the NFL – the Chiefs and Lions. He became the first player in NFL history to throw three touchdowns and score three rushing touchdowns in a game. And the Bills clinched the AFC East on Dec. 1.

Allen has the best QBR in the league at 76.7, is sixth with 26 touchdown passes, along with 12 rushing touchdowns.

Buffalo hosts the Jets in Week 17, and end the season at New England where Allen could secure his first NFL MVP award.