It doesn’t have to be the holiday season to be reminded that the NFL is the gift that keeps on giving.

Each year, the league and its players dazzles us – or makes us facepalm – with its extraordinary talent, lackluster officiating, prime-time thrillers or head-scratching moments. There’s never an NFL Sunday, Monday or Thursday that won’t result in some kind of water-cooler talk. The gossip and debate typically won’t disappoint you, unlike the last few seasons of ‘Game of Thrones.’

That’s right. The NFL always delivers. (Well, except if you’re a Jets fan.)

But more simply put: This league.

To that end, 2024 has been another banner year for the Niffle. Stretching back to last season’s playoffs, there have been plenty of moments that have captivated fans: Group chats have been ignited with arguments, fantasy football managers have agonized over decisions and Taylor Swift’s partnership has nearly broken the internet.

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So, without further ado, here’s some of the best – and the not-so best – that the NFL in 2024 had to offer.

Catch of the Year

Winner: Garrett Wilson, Jets (vs. Houston Texans)

This one has to go to Wilson for his leaping, full-extension, one-handed effort against the Houston Texans on Halloween. On a third-and-19 play with the Jets trailing, the third-year receiver twisted his body around, secured the ball with one hand while falling backwards and managed to get his shin down in-bounds for the go-ahead touchdown.

More than a few fans compared Wilson’s grab to the famous Odell Beckham Jr. catch against the Cowboys in 2014 for its seemingly impossible difficulty. Which catch was better is up to the readers, but no snag this year – before or since – has surpassed Wilson’s in Week 9. – Jack McKessy

The ‘Get Off Me!’ Moment of the Year

Winner: T’Vondre Sweat, Titans vs. Bengals

Sometimes, you find yourself in a crowded space and simply need others to get away from you.

That happened when the 6-4, 366-lb. T’Vondre Sweat ripped the ball away from Joe Burrow and immediately took off.

The Tennessee Titans D-lineman stiff-armed offensive lineman Alex Cappa in a way you often see running backs stiff-arm safeties. There are few moments during an NFL game or season more electrifying than a massive defensive lineman rumbling downfield on a return.

Sweat added plenty of flair on the run, when his palm connected with Cappa’s facemask. He likely said to himself, ‘get off me’ in the process, but it definitely resulted in the best stiff arm of the season. – Tom Viera

The ‘How Did They Miss That?’ Call of the Year

Winner: Sam Darnold missed facemask on ‘Thursday Night Football’

Look, officials have a lot to monitor when they’re on the field, but missing the Darnold facemask was egregious. Case and point, the guilty party, Rams defensive end Byron Young, immediately acted as if he had just significantly cost his team, putting his head in his hands and shaking his head.

Despite this, no official on the ‘Thursday Night Football’ crew threw a flag. The play resulted in a safety and effectively ended Minnesota’s chances of making a comeback.

The call is now serving as one of the major impetuses for the NFL considering making facemasks reviewable in 2025. That’s when, as an officiating crew, you know you’ve screwed up. – Jacob Camenker

The ‘WTF?’ Moment of the Year

Winner: Saquon Barkley’s reverse hurdle

It didn’t take long for new Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley to spread his wings and soar.

During the Week 9 contest against the Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field, jaws around the world dropped when Barkley hit the bunnies and launched into a reverse hurdle over an attempting tackler. He made three defenders miss on the play, including burning one on a pristine spin move which preceded the backwards hurdle over a third defender.

The 2018 No. 2 overall pick is in the midst of putting together a highlight tape that paints the picture of an MVP candidate, but no individual play of his or anyone else’s had everyone pause in awe and ask themselves, ‘WTF did he just do?’ – Tom Viera

The ‘Please Don’t Sue Us, Kyle Brandt’ Run of the Year

Winner: David Montgomery runs through the Seahawks in Week 4

Ford Field features several players that are ‘Built Ford Tough,’ and that is none other than David Montgomery.

Anything angry is automatically associated with these ferocious Lions, who fake fumbles, throw touchdowns to quarterbacks, bite knee caps, punch you in the mouth and won’t apologize for any of it. Montgomery’s season is likely over, but that doesn’t mean the running back is left out of this virtual award show.

The man nicknamed, ‘Knuckles’ made the Seahawks feel his wrath in Week 4, taking a checkdown pass from Jared Goff and turning it into a 40-yard highlight. He bulldozed Devon Witherspoon, who got up and tried to come back for seconds at the end of the run, ran through Tyrel Dodson and was, at one point, seemingly surrounded by 10 Seahawks.

Better yet, Detroit capped this drive with an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown pass to Goff. Yes, you read that right.

Turns out, Seattle’s ability to tackle this Montgomery truck was about as nonexistent as their made-up bird. Better luck next time, Seahawks. – Nick Brinkerhoff

The Dan Skipper Award for Offensive Lineman Receiving Excellence

Winner: Dan Skipper, Detroit Lions

Nearly a year after his touchdown catch against the Cowboys was called off, Skipper managed to find the end zone for the first time of his career. Jared Goff threw a play-action bootleg pass to the backup offensive lineman and the big fella scampered into the end zone in what seemed like slow-motion.

At 6-10, Skipper is one of the biggest NFL players to ever score a touchdown. More importantly, he finally managed to erase the bad taste left in his mouth by the reporting issues he had in the late-season game against Dallas last season. Fans around the league had to have been collectively pumping their fists upon seeing him finally get his long-awaited touchdown. – Jacob Camenker

The Obligatory Taylor Swift Moment of the Year

Winner: Taylor Swift celebrates with Travis Kelce after the Chiefs Super Bowl 58 win

Since we care about only the things that truly matter, we present the Obligatory Taylor Swift Moment of the Year to … Taylor Swift.

Swift’s first year associated with the NFL ended with a ring, maybe not from Travis Kelce, but for the Super Bowl. The haters didn’t see her relationship fall apart with the Chiefs tight end and her fans might be slightly upset that didn’t lead to the creation of a new album, but 2024 was still another year of stacking wins for the pop star.

She kicked off the year by celebrating a Super Bowl victory in Vegas, sharing a moment with Kelce on the field after the game. This love story inspired a Hallmark movie, which did find itself in consideration, but ultimately fell short.

Now that her tour has come to a close, Swift will have all the time in the world to be at NFL stadiums the season winds down. The next logical step is a ring for marriage, but these lovebirds will probably settle for another Super Bowl version in February, followed by another offseason of Kelce retirement rumors. How sweet. – Nick Brinkerhoff

The Most Questionable Coaching Decision

Winner: Matt Eberflus, end of Bears vs. Lions

There has been exactly one decision in the 105-year history of the Chicago Bears that was enough to get a head coach fired in the middle of the season.

Congratulations to Eberflus, who managed to pull it off by inexplicably leaving a timeout in his pocket as the clock ran out on the Bears’ comeback efforts against the Lions on Thanksgiving.

At least his subsequent firing gave Bears fans something to be thankful for. – Jack McKessy

Best Celebration of the Year

Winner: Camryn Bynum’s ‘Raygun’ routine

With the pressures of emotional, monetary and fantasy football investment in the outcome of nearly two dozen Sundays, Thursdays and Mondays, it’s easy to lose sight of what makes football such a beloved pastime in America. It’s a game that so many of us played as children. It’s fun.

And players celebrating a touchdown, turnover, sack, or game-sealing play are a joyous reminder of the fun in this sport.

Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season saw a surprisingly close game between the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings and 2-7 Jacksonville Jaguars. Up 12-7 with less than two minutes left in regulation, Vikings safety Camryn Bynum made a game-sealing interception and treated football fans to a rendition of one of the biggest memes from the 2024 Paris Olympics: Australian breakdancer Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s routine.

Bynum later admitted he’s a big fan of Raygun and had been working on the routine for weeks ahead of time.

“I’m a big fan. She went out there and had fun, and that’s what I do on the field,” he said after the game.

Honorable mentions include Bynum and teammate Josh Metellus’ rendition of a dance from ‘White Chicks’ and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown hitting a headstand after a touchdown. – Ayrton Ostly

Worst Celebration of the Year

Winner: Every player to drop a ball short of the goal line, but especially Jordan Battle

There have been three of these in the last two months alone, and two even happened in the same week (Week 15)! How in the world is this something that keeps happening in A.D. 2024?

The first instance this year was when rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley had his first career touchdown overturned by replay review for dropping the ball behind him and in front of the pylon.

The same thing happened twice more just six weeks later. First, Bengals safety Jordan Battle fumbled the ball out of the back of the end zone on what should have been a fumble recovery touchdown.

Just a few hours after Battle’s mistake, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor erased what would have been his first rushing touchdown since Week 8 when he celebrated his ‘score’ by dropping the football behind him and short of the goal line.

Battle gets extra recognition for his blunder here since it was a chance to score a defensive touchdown, which is a rare opportunity.

An honorable mention also goes to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts in this category. He may have fumbled the ball short of the end zone in a Week 8 game but got lucky with the lack of video evidence to get his touchdown overturned. – Ayrton Ostly

Game of the Year

Winner: Super Bowl 58

In the 2024 calendar year, no NFL game meant more than the Super Bowl to decide last year’s champion.

Super Bowl 58 was especially notable because it was the second ever to be decided with an overtime period – the first since the Atlanta Falcons fell to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51.

It was also a game that set multiple records and included some ‘firsts.’ Here’s a recap of some of the most notable events and significant notes:

Super Bowl 58 was the most-watched United States broadcast since the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
Super Bowl 58 was also the longest Super Bowl in history with 74 minutes and 57 seconds of playing time.
Jake Moody set the record for longest made field goal in Super Bowl history with a 55-yarder in the second quarter.
Harrison Butker broke Moody’s record for longest made field goal in Super Bowl history in the same game with a 57-yard kick one quarter later.
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings threw the first touchdown pass in the game. He caught a touchdown of his own later on.
Super Bowl 58 was the first overtime postseason game since the 2022 rule change that allows both teams to possess the ball in overtime during postseason games, rather than ending on a first-possession touchdown.

After the game, several 49ers players admitted they were unaware of this rule change. Ultimately, the rule change did not come into effect, since the 49ers kicked a field goal to end their first possession.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ game-winning touchdown throw to Mecole Hardman was the first time in Super Bowl history a lead changed hands on the final play of the game. – Jack McKessy

The ‘Who Wants a Pancake?’ Block of the Year

Winner: Quenton Nelson, Colts (vs. Packers)

Playing offensive line is a tough business. A decent chunk of players end their careers with misshapen fingers, phantom pains and memories of tireless battles in the trenches that give some the 1,000-yard stare.

Needless to say, ‘grace’ and ‘mercy’ aren’t words typically in an offensive lineman’s vocabulary. Doubly so on gameday.

Enter Quenton Nelson.

The Colts offensive lineman earned headlines earlier this season, though not for a destructive block. Rather, Nelson got some run for a gentle shove that had the force equivalent of a glasses-wearing geek running into a brick wall in a direct-to-streaming slapstick comedy.

While the former All-Pro is used to serving up restaurant-quality pancakes, the respect and fairness on this light letdown is more-than worthy of the award in 2024. – Joe Rivera

The Best Press Conference Quote of the Year

Winner: Keon Coleman’s fashion advice

The rookie arrived in western New York after being selected with the No. 33 pick in the draft and immediately made himself at home. Rocking a yellow jacket, the receiver wasn’t here to talk about catching passes from Josh Allen or what round the Bills will be eliminated in the playoffs this year, but rather dish out some fashion advice. Some unsuspecting reporters in Buffalo failed to guess the fit came from Gimbels old rival, Macy’s.

‘Nah, Macy’s. What you mean?’ Coleman asked. ‘They be on sale on the rack. All the colors, $79, $89. Nice little deal. You can get the trench coat for like $100. I’ll take you there personally. I might go get some more colors. I need a blue one and another red one. I shop like my mom. I get my coats in the summertime. You’ve got to shop a season or two before just in case and it’ll be cheaper. You go at Thanksgiving, everybody go on Thanksgiving, you know what I’m saying?’

The rookie also had takes on chocolate chip cookies, Waffle House and Buffalo wings.

Maybe Coleman has a future career in broadcasting. For now, he’ll have to settle for this prestigious press conference award. – Nick Brinkerhoff

Play of the Year

Winner: Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary completion to Noah Brown (Week 8)

This play hurt the Bears so badly they still haven’t won a game since.

In a matchup between the previous two Heisman Trophy winners and first two overall picks in the 2024 NFL draft, it was Daniels who came out on top over Caleb Williams. With two seconds left and facing a three-point deficit, Daniels and the Commanders had the ball on their side of the 50-yard line. They needed a miracle if they wanted to beat Chicago.

A miracle is what they got – just a few months ahead of Christmas. – Jack McKessy

Surfers caught waves as tall as 50 feet high Sunday in Hawaii, producing epic rides and wipeouts during the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.

More than 20,000 spectators showed up at Waimea Bay for the world’s most prestigious big-wave competition on the waves that exceeded the height of three-story buildings.

‘The conditions are insane right now,’ Luke Shepardson, the 2023 champion, told the World Surf League between his heats. ‘There’s monsters coming in right now. The last couple sets were treacherous. But yeah, it’s 50, 60 (feet) on the face…’

Liam McNamara, the contest director, told reporters the waves reached a height of 50 feet.

The contest was held for only the 11th time since its inception. That’s because waves must reach at least 40 feet to meet competition criteria.

Hawaii’s Landon McNamara, 28, won with a three-wave point total of 135.8 points.  That included a perfect score of 50 on the highest-scoring wave of the contest. He won $50,000 and 350,000 miles on Hawaiian Airlines.

‘This is a childhood dream of mine, something I’ve been working on since, you know, a little kid on the beach here watching these events go down,’ McNamara, son of the contest director, said during the trophy presentation. ‘I don’t know what to feel right now. I already cried 10 times. That’s why there’s no tears right now.’

As the competition drew to a close, McNamara said, he felt he was picked to win by Aikau, a late big-wave surfer and lifeguard who was credited with saving dozens of people from the surf. He died in 1978 at age 31 during a canoe accident in which he took his surfboard and swam for help but was never seen from again, according to the Independent and other published reports.

This year’s competition, sponsored by Rip Curl, drew top surfers from around the world. But Hawaiians dominated, with eight of the top nine finishers from the Aloha State.

It was a fairly quiet week on the upset front in men’s college basketball. Thus the top of the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll is largely unchanged.

Tennessee remains No. 1 claiming 20 of 31 first-place votes. There was less drama for the Volunteers this coming off a buzzer-beater win against Illinois the previous Saturday. Auburn received the other 11 first-place votes and holds at No. 2 overall, helped by a thrashing off Purdue Iowa State stays put at No. 3.

Kentucky, the highest rated team to take a loss this week at the hands of Ohio State, tumbles six positions to No. 10. The rest of last week’s top 10 teams keep the same order moving up a notch, led by No. 4 Duke and No. 5 Florida.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

Among other changes inside the rankings, Oklahoma slides up four places to No. 11. Mississippi State improves six spots to No. 19 after its defeat of Memphis. Purdue slides eight places but hangs on to the last spot in the rankings.

No. 22 Illinois, No. 23 Baylor and No. 24 St. John’s rejoin the poll. The dropouts this week are Michigan, Memphis and Dayton.

One of the key figures during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ postseason run to the World Series will be pitching for another team next season.

Right-hander Walker Buehler has agreed to a one-year, $21.05 million contract with the Boston Red Sox that includes incentives, according to a Yahoo! Sports report Monday morning that was subsequently confirmed by multiple outlets. Buehler had been in the Dodgers’ rotation since the 2018 season and won two World Series titles with the franchise.

Though Buehler struggled in his return from a second Tommy John surgery of his career during the 2024 regular season, he delivered with a 3.60 earned run average over three starts and four appearances overall in the playoffs. He recorded the final out of the World Series for the Dodgers, emerging from the bullpen on one day’s rest to pitch the ninth inning and get the save in their Series-clinching Game 5 win over the New York Yankees.

Those encouraging postseason numbers proved enough to make Buehler, 30, the latest addition to the Red Sox pitching staff as Boston tries to contend in 2025. The team already recently traded for former Chicago White Sox Garrett Crochet and signed left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who’s recovering from his own Tommy John surgery. Buehler had a 1-6 record and 5.38 earned run average over 16 regular-season starts in 2024.

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Buehler’s best season came in 2021 when he finished with a 16-4 record and 2.47 ERA while striking out 212 over 207 innings. It appeared the Dodgers had a new ace to pair with Clayton Kershaw for the foreseeable future, but Buehler then missed nearly two years of action (including the entire 2023 season) due to elbow injuries that forced him under the knife again. He returned to the mound last May.

Boston Red Sox projected 2025 rotation

Garrett Crochet
Walker Buehler
Tanner Houck
Brayan Bello
Lucas Giolito/Kutter Crawford

Walker Buehler stats

7 seasons
47-22 career record
3.27 career earned run average
2 All-Star game appearances
2 World Series titles
1-6 record, 5.38 ERA in 2024

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Fewer than 60,000 tickets were sold for the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul last month at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

About 6,500 tickets were given away, according to the documents, as the heavyweight bout livestreamed Nov. 15 by Netflix fell short of hopes for ticket sales.

On multiple occasions Paul said the fight would draw 90,000 spectators to AT&T Stadium. That would have required the sale of 10,000 standing-room-only seats at the 80,000-seat venue, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

But only 59,666 tickets were sold and another 6,437 were given away for a total of 66,103 tickets distributed, according to a tax report submitted by the fight promoter, Holden Boxing LLC. 

Holden Boxing worked for Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which was co-founded by Paul, and partnered with Netflix on the fight. Nexflix reported the fight was the most-streamed sporting event ever and that concurrent streams peaked at 65 million.

The ticket sales generated $18.1 million, more than any other U.S. boxing event outside of Nevada, according to MVP.

The total proceeds subject to state taxes was $22 million − which included $3.6 million for tickets given away.

For a combative sports event, Texas taxes the amount for gross receipts on ticket sales at a 3-percent rate, which resulted in a tax bill of about $650,000, according to the tax report.

Tank Dell’s injury Saturday has officially knocked out the Houston Texans wide receiver for the remainder of the season.

Dell, along with starting safety Jimmie Ward, were placed on injured reserve by the Texans on Monday.

Dell suffered a dislocated kneecap – which also included a torn ACL ‘and other damage’ – during the third quarter of the Texans’ Saturday clash with the Kansas City Chiefs. The wideout had caught a touchdown pass from quarterback C.J. Stroud before colliding with teammate Jared Wayne as he fell to the ground.

The second-year receiver immediately grabbed at his knee and received medical attention from trainers on the field. Eventually, Dell was carted off on a stretcher and taken to a Kansas City hospital for further treatment.

It was the latest in what has been a rough 12 months for the young receiver, who broke his fibula in a Week 13 game last December and suffered minor injuries in a shooting in Florida in April.

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What happened to Tank Dell?

Dell collided with a teammate while catching a touchdown pass from Stroud in the third quarter of the Texans Week 16 loss to the Chiefs on Saturday.

Despite suffering the injury during the collision, Dell was able to hold onto the ball for the score. He grabbed at his knee right after the play and received medical attention on the field almost immediately.

Dell spent time in a local hospital in Kansas City for the day before he was released and returned to Houston on Sunday.

Tank Dell injury update

On Monday, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that Dell dislocated his kneecap in an injury that also included an ACL tear. He will receive surgery and is out for the remainder of the season.

Dell was released from the Kansas City hospital and returned back to Houston on Sunday.

“Right now, we still will be evaluating to see where he is,” Ryans said Sunday. “He’s still meeting with doctors to see what’s next for him.’

Dell posted a video to his TikTok page on Sunday with clips of himself and voiced over with audio from a Stephen A. Smith interview with Kobe Bryant from 2006.

‘Let it go,’ Bryant’s voice says in the video. ‘It is what it is. You let it go, put it in God’s hands, and he’ll carry it. God is great.

‘God is great. Don’t get no simpler than that, bro…You can know it all you want, but until you got to pick up that cross that you can’t carry, and He picks it up for you and carries you and the cross. Then you know.’

Dell captioned the video, ‘When you want something so bad you got a different type of attachment to it… #NosurrenderNoretreat’

How long is Tank Dell out?

On Monday, Ryans told reporters that Dell’s dislocated kneecap also included a tear of the wideout’s ACL.

Dell will undergo surgery to repair his injured knee and will miss the rest of the Texans’ season. The injury could put the start of this 2025 season in jeopardy, according to Rapoport.

It’s Dell’s second season-ending injury in his two years in the pros. The second-year receiver fractured his fibula during a Week 13 game last year and missed the remainder of his rookie season.

On Sunday, the second-year head coach initially didn’t give a clear answer when asked if Dell’s injury was season-ending.

“We don’t – we’re still evaluating that to see what will happen,” Ryans said. “He still has to talk to doctors and go through all the procedures there.”

After further testing and imaging, it became clear by Monday that the second-year wideout would have to undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

ATLANTA — So, the Michael Penix Jr. Era has begun with a blowout.

For all the chatter we’ve heard from Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris about “the plan” for his quarterback position – sorry, Kirk Cousins – that was some ideal scheme for taking the wraps off the rookie.

Penix had his debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium boosted by a defense that produced two pick-six touchdowns. He was supported by a rushing attack fueled by Bijan Robinson (22 carries, 94 yards, 2 TDs). And the same O-line that blew open holes in the running game provided Secret Service protection for Penix. No sacks and just two hits. Talk about taking off the pressure.

And if you’re planning a grand opening, why not bring in the New York Giants?

That bruised and battered operation was so primed to suffer a 10th consecutive loss. And they fell right in line.

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Falcons 34, Giants 7.

Now that’s a plan. And some great optics for the new narrative for these Falcons (8-7), clinging to their playoff hopes for the stretch run.

Go ahead, Penix. Take a bow. 

“The plan came a little bit sooner, but the kid was ready,” the energetic Morris trumpeted afterward.

Never mind the stats. Besides, Morris loves telling us, as he did again on Sunday, that “stats are for losers.”

Penix threw for 202 yards and posted a rather average 73.4 efficiency rating. He’s still waiting for his first NFL touchdown pass. And shoot, against the backdrop of the NFL-high 16 interceptions that cost Cousins his job, Penix had an interception that took his team out of scoring position. But somehow, and Morris certainly would agree, the rookie quarterback was so much better than that sampling of numbers.

“He was chill as possible,” Robinson said. “Especially in moments when we needed him to come alive.”

There were several examples of this, including a dime on a third-and-six late in the second quarter when Penix caught Darnell Mooney in stride over the middle. He waited patiently before throwing a dart that was good for 19 yards. Three plays later, Robinson broke a tackle and bounced wide left for a 4-yard TD run.

It capped an 86-yard drive that might have fizzled earlier as Penix tried to squirm away from a defender who seemingly had him nailed for a second-down sack. At the last instant, an off-balance Penix flung a throw toward Drake London that had no chance of being completed but erased any negative sack yards. See, that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it was a heads-up play that ultimately led to points.

“I mean, I’ve played a lot of football, I’ve been in a lot of situations before,” said Penix, 24, who led the nation in passing last season and sparked Washington to the national championship game. “I thought I should’ve broken that tackle; I should have got out of it. He had me. He was about to tackle me. I saw Drake. I knew I could throw it at his feet. So I did.’

Morris had his own way of describing such subtle instincts that can make a huge difference.

“Those are grown men, professional type plays that you like to see from your young quarterback,” Morris said.

Indeed, the mishaps were at a minimum as the Falcons converted on eight of 14 third downs (57.1%) and, in addition to the 86-yard drive, had two methodical 69-yard scoring marches that covered 12 and 16 plays. 

It will get better with reps and time. That assertion comes straight from Penix, who also lamented a missed throw to the 6-4 London on a fade pattern that was broken up.

“He’s a big receiver,” Penix said. “I just know I’ve got to get that ball up higher and he’s going to make that play.”

Then again, there was no objection about Penix’s aim from Mooney, who had a team-high 82 yards on five receptions. Mooney said that in addition to the rookie’s ability to manage the flow of the game, he was most impressed with the ball placement on the throws. It’s a marked difference from the first impressions after the Falcons drafted Penix with the eighth pick in the first round.

“When he first got here, he was super horny,” Mooney said, alluding to the hot velocity on the football. “Everybody was dropping the ball everywhere. Now, he’s just chilling. He’s got some touch to it.’

No, it wasn’t perfect. If there’s one throw Penix wanted back, it was the toss to tight end Kyle Pitts just before halftime. The Falcons, out of timeouts, were positioned at the Giants’ 7-yard line with 16 seconds on the clock. Penix fired a throw that to the flat Pitts bobbled, and Cor’Dale Flott caught the pop-up interception at the goal line.

In the grand scheme, it turned out to be a harmless pick. The Falcons turned a pair of Drew Lock interceptions into touchdowns, with Jessie Bates III running the first one back 55 yards, then Matthew Judon sprinting 27 yards to pay dirt after Zach Harrison deflected the football. There was no such damage to Penix from his interception, but a precious lesson nonetheless. Next time, he pledged, he’ll be better aware of the situation. He maintained that rather than force the throw, he could have settled for an incompletion that would have set up a short field goal try.

It’s all in the details. Morris knows. The coach wouldn’t pick out a favorite play, per se, from his rookie quarterback’s debut. But he knew what impressed him. It had everything to do with connecting football minds.

“I just enjoyed the fact of him coming off the field being able to verbalize things when they went wrong,” said Morris, aided by his first-time play-caller, coordinator Zac Robinson. “And to be able to communicate those things to us very clearly. That’s a sign of an adult, a different form of maturity.”

The Falcons need to keep the mojo going. It figures that the tests will get tougher. Next up, Penix will be engaged in a matchup against the presumed NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, for a prime-time showcase at the Washington Commanders. Of course, there’s little room for error. 

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, the Falcons are back atop the NFC South – for now. But they’ll need to win their final two games or risk ceding control of the division again.

And that, too, is quite the plan.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell on X @JarrettBell.

This story has been updated with new information.

The Philadelphia Eagles entered Week 16 with visions of capturing the NFC East title and fighting the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings for the No. 1 seed in the conference dancing in their heads.

But now, the Eagles have pushed a different request to the top of their Christmas list: a healthy Jalen Hurts.

Hurts suffered a concussion early in the Eagles’ 36-33 Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders. It isn’t clear how long he’ll be sidelined by the malady, but the Eagles may have to try to capture the NFC East title without him.

Here’s everything to know about Hurts’ injuries, including the latest updates on how long he might be in the NFL’s stringent concussion protocol.

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

What happened to Jalen Hurts?

Hurts suffered a concussion after a scramble early in the Eagles’ Week 16 loss to the Commanders. He took off on what appeared to be a designed quarterback draw on second-and-20 with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter and gained 13 yards before he was brought to the ground by Bobby Wagner.

As Hurts was being tackled and turtling up, linebacker Frankie Luvu came over to help Wagner out. He put a hard-but-legal hit on the Eagles quarterback, which made Hurts hit the ground hard, and with his head.

Hurts got up after the play and signaled to umpire Alex Moore that he was OK, giving him a thumbs up. However, Moore, who was looking Hurts directly in the eyes at a close distance, stopped the game regardless and sent the quarterback off the field to be evaluated for a concussion.

Hurts appeared ready to return to the game later in the drive, but he was called back to the sidelines by the medical staff on Philadelphia’s sideline. He was then taken into Philadelphia’s locker room and diagnosed with a concussion, which ruled him out for the remainder of the game.

Jalen Hurts injury updates

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni didn’t provide much of an update on Hurts’ status during his postgame news conference.

‘I haven’t talked to the medical staff yet, so I don’t have updates on any of that stuff yet,’ Sirianni told reporters.

Sirianni did address the brief moment where it appeared that Hurts was preparing to re-enter the game before being called back to the sidelines. The coach explained control of Hurts’ status at that point laid in the hands of the NFL’s unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) as part of the league’s concussion protocol.

‘Anything that has anything to do with the head is out of our hands there,’ Sirianni said.

So, even if Hurts wanted to return to the game or felt capable of doing so, he could not do so until clearing concussion protocol. He ultimately failed to do.

How long is Jalen Hurts out?

It isn’t clear how long Hurts will be out as a result of his concussion. The Eagles did not immediately provide an update on his status, but Sirianni will likely do so at some point early in the week.

The good news for Eagles fans is that Hurts could be back for the team’s Week 17 game against the Dallas Cowboys. He just has to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol first.

However, Hurts’ isn’t guaranteed to pass that test in short order. Several NFL players have endured longer-term absences because of concussions during the 2024 season. That doesn’t just apply to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed five games after suffering a concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills and landing on IR; Cleveland Browns receiver Cedric Tillman has missed four games and counting since suffering a concussion in Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

All that’s to say there is a wide range of potential outcomes for Hurts as he looked to return to action and help the Eagles wrap up the NFC East.

NFL concussion protocol rules

It all starts on gameday, when a player is identified as needing an evaluation for a head injury. These are typically flagged by one of the officials or by the UNC in the booth, who is watching player movements and replays to spot any significant blows to head.

Once identified, tests are conducted by a team’s physician and a UNC. They look specifically for any ‘no-go’ symptoms, which include loss of consciousness, confusion, amnesia, ataxia and more. The two parties also assess the player’s history of concussion and review video to further evaluate the injury.

The team physician and UNC also provide a neurological exam to the player, who is escorted to the locker room if there is any doubt about his faculties in the sideline evaluation.

Once a player is in the concussion protocol, he must clear a five-step process before being able to return to play. Below are those five benchmarks, according to the NFL:

Symptom limited activity
Aerobic exercise
Football specific exercise
Club-based non-contact training drills
Full football activity/clearance

The NFL’s concussion protocol notes that each concussion is ‘unique’ and that ‘recovery time will vary from player to player.’ That makes it hard to predict exactly how long a player might be out because of the injury.

Thus, Eagles fans may need to be patient while awaiting Hurts’ return to action.

Only two games remain for every NFL team during the 2024 regular season. The playoff push is here, and the Week 17 schedule gives us games on five days, including the first-ever Netflix NFL broadcast on Christmas day.

That’s when the most impactful matchups begin, as the Kansas City Chiefs face the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans take on the Baltimore Ravens Wednesday with AFC postseason seeding likely to be affected by the outcomes. There’s also three games on Saturday, in addition to the normal Thursday, Sunday and Monday fare.

Other games with significant playoff implications include the Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Denver Broncos on Saturday, the Green Bay Packers facing the Minnesota Vikings in a key NFC matchup in Sunday’s marquee late afternoon game and ‘Sunday Night Football’ between the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders.

Given all that’s at stake with so little time left before the playoffs, Week 17 is shaping up to be a doozy. Analysts and experts are already weighing in on what might happen, so here is an early look at picks and predictions for every game on the schedule.

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

NFL Week 17 game predictions, picks

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Monday, Dec. 23

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 25
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh)
TV: None
Streaming: Netflix
Spread: Chiefs (-2.5)

Sporting News: Steelers 23, Chiefs 20

‘This won’t be an easy game for a banged-up Mahomes, especially with a struggling running game and Chris Jones hurt on the defensive side. The Steelers have won multiple big games in 2024.’

‘The Steelers have lost two in a row and can’t afford a third if they want to take the AFC North title. Russell Wilson will come up big and Pittsburgh will edge Kansas City in a thriller.’

Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 25
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium (Houston)
TV: None
Streaming: Netflix
Spread: Ravens (-5.5)

Pro Football Network: Ravens 27, Texans 20

‘If this game follows the metrics, it should be lopsided on Christmas Day. However, the Ravens have had a knack this season for making things look harder than they should. … The Ravens are the better team offensively by a considerable distance, while the Texans have a slight advantage defensively.’

‘If the NFL playoffs began today, these two teams would face off in the first round in Houston. We have to think that Baltimore would be favored in that game, as it is in this one. The Texans won’t be able to keep up with Lamar Jackson.’

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears

Date: Thursday Dec. 26
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Soldier Field (Chicago)
TV: None
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Spread: Seahawks (-3.5)

‘The Bears aren’t in the same class as their NFC North peers, and in particular, the Chicago defense hasn’t shown snarl in weeks. … Seattle shows up in a must-win game and plays better on both sides of the ball to pull away.’

‘If Seattle’s offense continues to thrive, they could expose a Bears defense that looks uninspired under interim head coach Thomas Brown. … But the real edge in this game lies with the Seattle defense.’

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots

Date: Saturday, Dec. 28
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Massachusetts)
TV: NFL Network
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Chargers (-4.5)

‘The Los Angeles Chargers on the other side of the country … with the forecast in Foxborough calling for temperatures around freezing. New England, on the other hand, is home for the holidays after living on the road for the past two months. Saturday’s battle with the Bolts is just the fourth time the Patriots have played at Gillette Stadium since Week 6 … New England has kept those games close.’

Justin Herbert ‘has excelled as a market favorite … Just in the Eastern time zone, Herbert posted a 9-0 against the spread record in his career, including a win and cover in New England last season. Los Angeles has simultaneously excelled as market favorites in Jim Harbaugh’s debut campaign.’

Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals

Date: Saturday, Dec. 28
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Paycor Stadium (Cincinnati)
TV: NFL Network
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Bengals (-3)

ESPN: Ride the Broncos

‘Now is the time to jump on the Broncos’ side if you like Denver. At 9-6, the Broncos desperately need this game to stay in contention for an AFC wild-card spot. Cincinnati has an explosive offense, but its defense is one Sean Payton and Bo Nix can exploit.’

‘The Bengals are a bad football team yet have been priced as favorites in four straight outings. Skewing those power ratings is a lineup of broken opponents during the Bengals’ three-game winning streak. Cincy’s high-flying offense has taken advantage of Dallas, Tennessee, and Cleveland — three teams with backup QBs at the wheel and stop units that rank in the back half of the league.’

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams

Date: Saturday, Dec. 28
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
TV: NFL Network
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Rams (-6)

‘These two teams met back in Week 2 and the Arizona Cardinals pulled off a dominating 41-10 victory at home. … The Cardinals have lost four of their past five games since their bye week, including two pivotal division games. The Los Angeles Rams have won four straight and eight of their last 10 since their bye week. … The Cardinals should be able to control time of possession and get things going on the ground enough to keep this game close.’

‘The Cardinals have kept only one team under 21 points away from home this season. Coming off a game where they allowed 30 points in regulation to the Panthers … Arizona’s defense faces an uphill climb.’

Watch NFL Week 17 games with Fubo

Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
TV: FOX
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Colts (-7.5)

Arizona Republic: Colts 23, Giants 10

‘The Giants are in position to land the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. We don’t expect that to change against the Colts.’

‘The motivational aspect could be totally altered after Saturday’s games, as the Indianapolis Colts may not have a chance at the playoffs anymore. The numbers tell you that the Colts are the better team, with the main advantage being offensively. Indianapolis has also played the harder schedule, further exacerbating their metrics advantage.’

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)
TV: CBS
Streaming: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Bills (-10)

‘Fading New York has been an excellent strategy this season, as they are just 4-12 against the spread this season. … Buffalo has the MVP frontrunner starting under center and will be hoping it can still chase down the Kansas City Chiefs for the top spot in the AFC. There is no denying this is a thick point spread, and it has to be stated that the Bills last three games have been decided by 6 or fewer points. However, a game against the Jets will give the Bills a chance to run up the score in their final home game of the regular season.’

‘Throughout his otherwise illustrious career, Aaron Rodgers has gone 0-2 with three total interceptions at Highmark Stadium. Buffalo at this time of year is not for the faint of heart, and outscoring Josh Allen at the pinnacle of the MVP favorite’s career seems like a tall task.’

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Florida)
TV: CBS
Streaming: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Jaguars (-1)

Pro Football Network: Jaguars 17, Titans 16

‘Both teams are starting backup quarterbacks for this one, making it messier than ever. … The last game between these two was an offensive disaster.’

‘These teams are a combined 6-24 on the season. The Jaguars beat the Titans in an ugly 10-6 game earlier this season. Expect a similar result this week.’

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Caesar’s Superdome
TV: FOX
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Saints (-2.5)

Arizona Republic: Raiders 21, Saints 15

‘The Raiders ended a 10-game losing streak with their win over the Jaguars in Week 16. Can they actually start a winning streak in Week 17 against a Saints team coming off a short week? Yes, they can.’

‘Neither side has been convincing, and the motivation of both teams, with their playoff hopes gone, is hard to judge. The New Orleans Saints are better in all three phases but have played a considerably easier schedule.’

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
TV: CBS
Streaming: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Buccaneers (-8)

‘The Panthers came close to upsetting several contenders before beating the Cardinals last week. We’re not picking them to upset the Buccaneers, but Bryce Young and company should make it interesting.’

‘The Buccaneers are by far the superior team, but the Carolina Panthers have played much better in the last 4-6 weeks.’

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field
TV: FOX
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Eagles (-9.5)

Arizona Republic: Eagles 27, Cowboys 21

‘Jalen Hurts’ status looms large in this game. With him, we think the Eagles can bounce back against a suddenly surging Cowboys team.’

‘This game is massively complicated by the fact that Jalen Hurts is in the concussion protocol. … The Eagles are the superior team offensively and defensively, but they have played a much easier schedule. Still, Philadelphia is significantly better defensively, and it’s hard to see Dallas being able to go toe-to-toe with Hurts and Saquon Barkley over four quarters.’

Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Location: Huntington Bank Field (Cleveland)
TV: CBS
Streaming: NFL+, Paramount+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Dolphins (-6.5)

Arizona Republic: Dolphins 24, Browns 16

‘The Browns just don’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Dolphins if Jameis Winston is not their quarterback. The Dolphins will pick up a big win on the road.’

‘Dorian Thompson-Robinson proved to not be an upgrade over Jameis Winston in Cleveland, and the Browns scored just 6 points against one of the worst defenses in the league last week. The Dolphins defense is not an elite unit, but they are still a middle of the pack defense taking on a rock-bottom offense. … As long as the Dolphins don’t get caught by a cold front, this screams a double digit win for Miami.’

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)
TV: FOX
Streaming: NFL+, YouTube TV (NFL Sunday Ticket) or Fubo
Spread: Vikings (-1.5)

Covers.com: Packers are the pick

‘The Packers present the first true test for the Vikings since October and are also fighting for the No. 6 spot in the NFC pecking order. Green Bay lost a 31-29 thriller to the Vikes at Lambeau Field back in Week 4, keeping it close despite four turnovers.’

Jordan Love ‘is locked in, which means his litany of receivers are getting hot, too. Josh Jacobs might be the hottest running back nobody’s talking about. If the Green Bay defense can do what it did to Miami, San Francisco, and Seattle over the past month, we could be in for a little upset in Minneapolis.’

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders

Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Northwest Stadium (Landover, Maryland)
TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, Fubo
Spread: Commanders (-4)

‘The Commanders are an unstoppable offense, and Michael Penix Jr. cannot be trusted to deliver when his team needs him most. These may be two rookie quarterbacks, but the experience of Jayden Daniels gathered this season will give him a playoff-clinching win and cover.’

BetMGM: Commanders run past Falcons

This season, Washington’s results are generally driven by their ability to run the ball. The Commanders are 10-2 when they rush for 100 or more yards. … That creates a sell-high spot on Atlanta, which has held three of its last four opponents under 100 rushing yards.’

Watch Falcons vs. Commanders on Peacock

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

Date: Monday, Dec. 30
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
TV: ABC, ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo
Spread: Lions (-3.5)

Arizona Republic: Lions 30, 49ers 21

‘Every NFL team has injuries, but both of these teams seem to have more than their fair share. The Lions have been able to deal with them better, however, and we don’t expect that to change this week.’

‘In theory, this should be a walkover for a Lions team that could have a chance to clinch the division and No. 1 seed with a win. The metrics are firmly in favor of Detroit, with an advantage in all three phases of the game.’

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The NCAA will appeal the temporary injunction granted by a U.S. District Court judge in the lawsuit case brought by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia while granting a waiver for all Division I student-athletes with expiring eligibility who ‘attended and competed at a non-NCAA school’ for the 2025-26 school year.

That waiver will include all former junior college and NAIA athletes, including Vanderbilt’s Pavia, and will extend their eligibility by one season.

‘The NCAA Division I Board of Directors granted a waiver to permit student-athletes who attended and competed at a non-NCAA school for one or more years to remain eligible and compete in 2025-26 if those student-athletes would have otherwise used their final season of competition during the 2024-25 academic year, and meet all other eligibility requirements (e.g. progress toward degree, five-year period of eligibility),’ the NCAA said in a statement to Yahoo Sports.

The temporary, preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge William Campbell ruled that the NCAA’s eligibility rules preventing Pavia from playing in 2025 because of his two years at a junior college violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. But the preliminary injunction only covered Pavia specifically, not any other junior college player. With the NCAA’s waiver in effect, the door is open for all former JUCO and NAIA seniors to return for another season of college sports.

The NCAA also noted in its statement that it continues to examine eligibility requirements after a ‘comprehensive eligibility review’ last summer.

‘The review includes all aspects of student-athlete eligibility, and Division I is committed to advancing the discussion during January governance meetings,’ the NCAA said.