ARLINGTON, Texas – Jerry Jones carried a turkey leg with him as he hopped on an elevator that took him directly to his 50-yard-line suite at AT&T Stadium. While a turkey leg is far cry from a Lombardi Trophy – remember, the Dallas Cowboys haven’t won one of those in nearly 30 years – it was a fitting symbol nonetheless after the impressive win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving.

Suddenly, the Cowboys are relevant in the NFL’s playoff picture.

And the team’s owner, thoroughly roasted early in the season for the controversial trade that sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, has reason to dream again about the Cowboys’ chances of chasing a championship.

This is what two victories over a five-day span against the Super Bowl 59 participants – they hung a 31-28 result on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Thursday, following a rally from 21 points down to beat the defending champion Eagles on Sunday – can do to revive the hope that Jones is always selling.

“I wouldn’t be standing here right now, would not be in the hunt, if I were not a dreamer,” Jones told USA TODAY Sports as he leaned on the bar of his suite.

Cowboys have five weeks to keep 2025 playoff dream alive

With maybe 100 people in the suite – family, friends, business associates – the place was buzzing with festive electricity. Never mind the NFL’s one-week-at-a-time mantra and the fact that if the playoffs were today, the Cowboys would be on the outs. Jones had reason enough to celebrate.

The Cowboys (6-5-1) are above .500 for the first time all season and under first-year coach, Brian Schottenheimer, and have a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2023.

It’s why Post Malone, the rapper-turned-country/rock star who performed at halftime, came into the suite and yelled at Jones from the other side of the room with unbridled glee. And Jones yelled back at Malone, who has intimate ties to the franchise.

Maybe they’ll celebrate bigger victories later. Maybe not.

To make the playoffs, undoubtedly as a wild-card entrant barring a collapse by the Eagles, the Cowboys have to run the table and win every single game. Next up, a trip to Detroit, to face a just-as-desperate Lions squad (7-5) that has fallen woefully of lofty expectations.

After that, Dallas has back-to-back home games against the Vikings (4-7) and Chargers (7-4) before closing out the regular-season slate at the Commanders (3-8) and Giants (2-10). For a team that lately complemented a dynamic offense with an improved defense, it’s a path with, well, promise.

Is it taboo to even speak playoffs? Or is this a matter of trying to speak it into existence?

Of course, it’s rather predictable what you’d get from the NFL’s most visible owner.

“We all see the numbers,” Jones said. “We know where they are. As far as this team playing well enough to think like, we should. These last two games, we’ve played well.”

As Jones pondered the ways, Michael Irvin walked into the suite. The Hall of Fame receiver, who remains close to Jones and the franchise, took the celebration to another level with a demonstration that resembled something out of the glory years in the 1990s.

“Arrrrrgh!” Irvin yelled, raising his arms as he approached Jones.

“First we beat the Super Bowl champs! Now we beat the perennial Super Bowl champs!”

Irvin then put Jones in a bear hug like they had just won, well, a Super Bowl.

It was classic, over-the-top Irvin. And Jones loved it.

“Sometimes, it’s Thanksgiving and sometimes it’s Christmas Day,” Jones said. “Same energy. That energy has never left.”

Premature celebration? Look at where the Cowboys have been

It’s fair to wonder whether this excitement is all a bit premature. While they celebrated in the owner’s suite, it was fitting that Dak Prescott’s postgame press conference was shown on the TV monitors. Prescott won’t deny that Dallas has just pulled off its most impressive back-to-back victories in years, hailing the team’s resilience.

Yet the classy quarterback – dogged for years by the team’s playoff failures – is just the man to put it in perspective.

“I don’t know if there’s been two more impressive wins,” Prescott told reporters. “I can tell you now, we’re not going to get on some high because of that. We know we’ve got another big one next week. All this does is just give us more confidence, knowing that we can beat whoever.”

Then again, considering the real-world tragedy the Cowboys were forced to process after defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland died by suicide in early November, there is much to be said with how the team has responded.

Kneeland’s jersey still hangs in the Cowboys’ locker room. The team carries a huge flag with Kneeland’s uniform number, 94, onto the field with it. Jones was careful to express a proper measure of respect while contending the difference with the team since the tragedy.

“Rather than taking an emotional downer or feeling like woe-is-me, they did what young people have to do whenever they have a setback or a tragedy: You live in every way you can with energy and enthusiasm,” Jones said. “There’s no question our energy has picked up since his death.”

Other relevant factors for the Cowboys’ resurgence:

This is not your Week 1 Cowboys defense

The much-maligned defense is forming a new identity. The trade of Parsons – who had 2½ sacks to help the Packers defeat the Lions on Thursday and became the first player in NFL history to post 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons – figures to add context for some time. Yet the acquisition of all-pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline on Nov. 4 takes up some of the slack.

Mahomes stung the Cowboys for four touchdowns and provided a Keystone Kops moment as he slipped out of would-be sacks to launch a magical, 42-yard completion to Xavier Worthy that set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Yet one reason the Cowboys won traced to the heat on Mahomes, which included three sacks and nine quarterback hits. And the unit, with veteran addition Jadeveon Clowney providing some of the rush and rising star DeMarvion Overshown back in the flow after returning from a torn ACL, and with Logan Wilson added to the linebacker mix, is not what it was a few weeks ago. And yes, Williams is a beast in the middle of the D-line, alongside Kenny Clark, who came to Dallas in the Parsons trade.

No, it’s not an elite defense. But much better.

Brian Schottenheimer rises to his big moment

Schottenheimer has flourished with his big opportunity. When Jones promoted the offensive coordinator after the split with Mike McCarthy, it was a gamble wrapped with the reality that the long-time NFL assistant – and son of the late coaching legend, Marty Scottenheimer – had never been a head coach before.

Yet Schottenheimer has proven to be well-equipped to withstand the glare of the high-profile Cowboys job … and the shadow that comes while working under Jones. He also showed tremendous leadership in helping the team deal with the loss of Kneeland.

“It’s his people skills,” Jones said. “He didn’t separate his feelings, as far as saying ‘I’m the leader.’ He shared his sorrow, just like they did. And he understood that the best thing for everybody and the feelings, after we were out for a few days, was to understand what was happening to you. Understand the sorrow. He had a challenging time.”

As he maintained when he promoted Schottenheimer, growing up in a household with his father provided added value.

And Schottenheimer’s confidence is undoubtedly rubbing off on his team about now. After Thursday’s win, he put it this way: “We’ll play anybody, anywhere. You can see that by what we’ve done the last couple of weeks. The moment’s not too big for us.”

George Pickens’ career year highlights dynamic passing attack

The addition of the big-play receiver, obtained in an offseason trade with the Steelers, has been better than expected. In teaming with CeeDee Lamb, Prescott has a 1-2 punch with perhaps the NFL’s best set of wide receivers, and it has added balance, spark and options to one of the league’s most dynamic units.

The passing game didn’t tank when Lamb missed three games earlier this season due to a high ankle sprain. Pickens filled in the gap. With five games to play, Pickens has already posted career-bests for receptions (73), receiving yards (1,142) and TDs (8).

Pickens is playing on a one-year contract, but slim chance that he’ll hit the free agent market next spring. Pickens has expressed a desire for an extension and Jones reiterated a similar desire amid the postgame suite party.

Jones, though, would not go any deeper than that – for good reason. Negotiations.

It’s also worth noting that Pickens is represented by David Mulugheta, the same agent who represents Parsons and was in the middle of the saga that led to the controversial trade.

Maybe Mulugheta and Jones can celebrate a big deal yet – with or without a turkey leg.

But first things first: The Cowboys are trying to keep their playoff dream alive.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

Trinidad Chambliss promised Ole Miss wouldn’t be distracted in Egg Bowl. Promises made, promises kept.
Rebels deserve first-round College Football Playoff home game, even if Lane Kiffin accepts LSU job.
As Lane Kiffin decision deadline nears, Ole Miss shreds Mississippi State.

Commission the statue.

Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has earned his place in bronze.

What, did you think I meant a statue for the coach? Better hold off on that one.

Who knows where Lane Kiffin will be when the College Football Playoff begins, but, as long as Chambliss is wearing the No. 6 jersey for Ole Miss — some jersey bandits apparently tried to prevent that — the Rebels are a force to be reckoned with in the playoff.

Ole Miss put the College Football Playoff selection committee on notice with this 38-19 shredding of rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. That’s the most lopsided Egg Bowl outcome of the Kiffin era.

Just as Chambliss promised, the Rebels didn’t look distracted, just determined.

‘What an awesome day,’ Kiffin told reporters after the win.

Kiffin’s weeks-long flirtations with other jobs never derailed the Rebels’ quest for their first CFP bid.

At 11-1, they’ve earned the right to host a first-round home playoff game — no matter who’s coaching them in the playoff.

Kiffin’s done a remarkable job elevating this program. That’s why he’s in such demand, but spare me the absurd notion that the CFP committee ought to consider deflating the Rebels’ seeding if Kiffin accepts the LSU job.

CFP should not punish Ole Miss for Lane Kiffin’s flirtations

CFP selection rules allow the committee to adjust a team’s seeding if a coach’s absence is “likely” to affect a team’s playoff performance. If LSU hires Kiffin, the Ole Miss administration has a choice to make for the playoff. Kiffin wants to coach the postseason, no matter what he decides about his future. Ole Miss could let him coach the playoff, even as he prepares to exit for an SEC rival, or it could appoint an interim coach.

How do we know either of those developments would “likely” negatively affect Ole Miss’ playoff performance? We don’t.

As playoff selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said recently, the committee lacks a data point for what Ole Miss would look like without Kiffin. Without that data point, how could this committee justify seeding Ole Miss any lower than No. 7 in the bracket? It couldn’t.

Already, Ole Miss overcame an injury to starting quarterback Austin Simmons. The Rebels got better with Chambliss at the controls. The magnetic Division II transfer supplied 385 yards of total offense in his Egg Bowl debut.

‘This gives me so much joy to see them doing something like this,’ Kiffin said.

Ole Miss won five consecutive games under a cloud of speculation about Kiffin’s future.

Other than a fourth-quarter fizzling in a road loss to Georgia, nothing’s fazed these Rebels yet.

Not even a pregame heist.

Trinidad Chambliss dazzles in backup uniform after alleged heist

This one had a lot of the elements you’d expect from a heated rivalry known for zany moments. A kerfuffle broke out in the second quarter. At halftime, Kiffin criticized Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon for coming onto the field during that scrum.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Kiffin said on ABC.

Oh, c’mon now, that’s an exaggeration. We’ve seen anything and everything in the Egg Bowl. Three years ago, Ole Miss fans threw two folding chairs onto the field while Mississippi State players celebrated a victory.

Ah, the Egg Bowl. What mischief.

Before the game, bandits broke into the Ole Miss locker room and stole Chambliss’ No. 6 jersey, according to Kiffin.

Amid all the commotion, the Rebels didn’t pee down their leg this time.

Chambliss looked sharp in his replacement uniform, throwing for a season-high 359 yards and four touchdowns.

‘You can’t get a better story than Trinidad,’ Kiffin said.

Just one year ago, Chambliss played Thanksgiving week against Central Oklahoma in the Division II playoffs. Now, he’s inspired another playoff team. As questions on Kiffin’s future built to a crescendo, Chambliss told everyone to chill, because the Rebels got this covered.

This quarterback’s special. This season’s special. No amount of coaching carousel drama should deny this team from hosting a playoff game in Oxford.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed briefly left the Aggies’ game vs. Texas with an apparent ankle injury.

The Aggies quarterback sustained an injury at the 2:40 mark of the first quarter against No. 16 Texas at the conclusion of a carry where he initially stumbled on the field. He left the field on his own power but entered the medical tent on the sidelines at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium for further evaluation.

He returned to the field on the Aggies’ next drive after being replaced by backup quarterback Miles O’Neill.

The Aggies are looking to clinch their spot in the SEC championship game on Black Friday with a win over their in-state rivals. Before his injury, Reed was 4 of 9 passing for 47 yards and had 29 rushing yards on five carries.

The redshirt sophomore quarterback is having a career season at Texas A&M, and is a Heisman Trophy hopeful. He entered Week 14 with a 61.8% completion percentage and 2,752 throwing yards and 25 touchdowns while adding six rushing scores.

Here’s the latest on Reed:

Marcel Reed injury update

Reed sustained an apparent ankle injury in the first quarter against Texas as he was making a cut on a quarterback keeper. After the play he lay on the ground for several moments writhing in pain before medical personnel attended to him on the field.

He eventually limped off the field on his own power and headed to the medical tent. The Aggies brought out their backup quarterback before missing a field goal attempt.

As the Aggies’ defense trotted out onto the field following their field goal attempt being blocked by Longhorns’ linebacker Ethan Bruke, ABC’s cameras caught Reed trying to run on the sidelines, testing his running ability.

Prior to trotting back out on the field to start Texas A&M’s fourth drive of the night, ABC’s Molly McGrath reported on the broadcast that he told teammates he didn’t know if he’d return to the game when asked.

Reed returned with seemingly no issues, leading a field goal drive to tie the game at 3-3 in the second quarter.

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The Chicago Bears enjoyed the biggest win of their season on Black Friday with a 24-15 victory over the host and defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia native D’Andre Swift enjoyed a standout performance, and the Bears’ defense forced the Eagles’ offense into multiple turnovers. But coach Ben Johnson may be the most excited member of the Chicago franchise after today’s win.

Johnson has become known for his post-game speeches in the locker room. This week, it was his general antics as the Bears coach took his shirt off during the celebration.

Chicago’s offense ran all over the Eagles’ vaunted defense for 425 total yards on offense and put the game away in the second half with multiple touchdowns, including a pass from quarterback Caleb Williams to tight end Cole Kmet. Williams completed less than half of his passes but made plays when needed late in the game.

He was right with Johnson as the team erupted in cheers over the victory.

Johnson and the rest of the Bears have two extra days to prepare for their next crucial matchup: a road game against NFC North foe Green Bay next week. At 9-3, they’re a game ahead of the Packers in the win column entering Week 14 and the final run to the postseason.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is being pursued by other schools, including LSU and Florida, during a historic season for his team.
Kiffin has led Ole Miss to a school-record 11 regular-season wins and a potential spot in the College Football Playoff.

Now he’s a villain. Seriously, what are we doing here?

If this isn’t peak college football lunatic fandom — and frankly, media following and/or ginning up the narrative — I don’t know what is. 

Lane Kiffin is a football coach. It’s his job. 

Florida and LSU fired their coaches midseason and gave them a combined $75 million or so to get out of Dodge, and then turned their sights on Kiffin, currently the Ole Miss coach.

That’s the story. Everything else is speculative and utter nonsense. 

Such stupidity, in fact, that we have to give it a name. So now Kiffin, who did some dumb things in his previous coaching lives, is a villain.

A villain.  

Because he has a team at Ole Miss that’s a lock for a first-round playoff game in Oxford after a rout of rival Mississippi State on Friday, and if some funky stuff happens Friday night and Saturday — Auburn over Alabama, Texas over Texas A&M — could win its first SEC championship since 1963.

Because the Rebels’ only blemish this season is an eight-point loss at No. 4 Georgia, where Ole Miss scored a touchdown the first five times it had the ball before falling in the fourth quarter. That, more than anything, should leave little doubt that Kiffin has a team that could win it all. 

A program he has steadily built from the mess of a first season during the pandemic, to double-digit wins in four of the next five seasons — including a school record 11 regular-season wins this season. The first time in 131 years of the program.

A program that struggles to consistently land elite high school recruiting classes, and has to be remade, year after year, through the transfer portal. A heavy lift of a job that Kiffin and his staff have been grinding through for more than half a decade. 

Now Kiffin is supposed to drop everything, and either declare fealty to Ole Miss, or leave in the middle of the most magical season in school history. Just to please the vocal masses who want an answer now, and by god, they’re going to get it. That, or a pound of social media flesh.

Come on, people. 

What’s worse, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has been caught up in the social media wash, demanding an answer from Kiffin a day after Friday’s Egg Bowl. But why?

Why would Carter willfully wreck a special season because he wants an answer or else? Why give the team to quarterbacks coach Joe Judge for the rest of the season, when a Kiffin-coached team could win it all?

What’s more important: the current gem of a season you’re working on, or the face you’re saving by demanding an answer?

Kiffin, believe it or not, is no different than anyone else in the workforce. A doctor, an attorney, a writer, a chef. Everyone is recruited by other companies, and everyone has difficult life decisions to make. 

Kiffin’s decision is just playing out in the most public of all settings. 

And because of that, because he has schools pursuing him — not the other way around — Kiffin is told he must make a decision right now, in the middle of a potential national championship run. 

How incredibly stupid is that?

Nearly as dumb as a television bobblehead declaring Kiffin is a villain for allowing LSU, Florida and Ole Miss to “twist in the wind” at his whims. Heaven forbid if Kiffin’s family has gone to Gainesville and Baton Rouge to explore — after the teams have begun to pursue him, and while he’s dealing with a chaotic college football calendar that forces every coach’s hand when it comes to making career decisions.

Kiffin is the villain because he’s the hottest coach in the market, and because he’s Lane Kiffin — the one guy who will never, try as he might, outrun his past. 

Why is Jon Sumrall not a villain? Tulane is in the middle of a CFP run, too, and he also has multiple SEC schools pursing him.

But he’s just a coach from the Group of Six looking to improve his lot, that’s all. He’s not on social media soaking up the attention, and playing it for all its worth. 

Give me break. 

Kiffin would be doing the exact same thing if he told LSU and Florida long ago that he wasn’t interested, and was staying at Ole Miss. It’s who he is, it’s not unique to this time or situation.

He’s of the old-school thought process of any attention is good attention., which is exactly where this whole villain thing begins. Because somebody has to be the bad guy in this ordeal. 

There’s always the good, the bad and the jilted. Only now, there will be two jilted.

One of the two jilted that apparently decided it was no longer in the picture, suddenly added a new wrinkle to the unfolding drama. Early Saturday afternoon, Florida officials let it leak to whoever was interested — why does this sound like a theme in Gainesville? — that Kiffin’s “erratic behavior and communication” was the reason Florida decided to move on after it was clear they were no longer part of the process. 

Erratic? Let’s see, he’s trying to win 11 games for the first time in school history. He’s trying to stay alive to win an SEC title for the first time in more than 60 years. 

He’s trying to nail down, at least, a first round CFP playoff game, and maybe more if his team can get some help to advance to the SEC championship game. 

So because he’s not at the beck and call of Florida — or LSU and Ole Miss — he’s erratic. And he’s a villain. 

It’s utter nonsense. 

The last time the Chicago Bears went to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles, quarterback Caleb Williams was a week away from his 10th birthday.

That run comes to an end as the Bears earned an emphatic 24-15 win over the defending champion Eagles on Black Friday at Lincoln Financial Field. Chicago entered the week as the second-best rushing offense in the league and looked the part all night with their first win in Philadelphia since Nov. 7, 2011.

Former Eagle D’Andre Swift followed tight end Cole Kmet past the line for the game’s first touchdown in the first quarter. The Philadelphia native enjoyed a standout performance with 18 carries for 125 yards and that score.

Chicago didn’t need to rely solely on Swift, though. Rookie running back Kyle Monangai had another standout game and finished the contest with 22 carries for 130 yards and a score as well.

Entering Week 13, the Eagles were averaging 115 rushing yards allowed per game. Chicago more than doubled that in a dominant display by Ben Johnson’s offense.

Despite those gaudy totals, the Eagles’ defense papered over their frustrating offense for much of the first half. Chicago out-gained Philadelphia 222 to 83 but only held a 10-7 lead at halftime.

Philadelphia forced two quick punts in the second half to neutralize a Jalen Hurts interception and a three-and-out. The Eagles then marched 92 yards for their first touchdown to make it 10-9 and the defense intercepted Williams on the ensuing drive.

But the game turned when Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright did something no other player has done this year: force a fumble on a tush push by Hurts, in the red zone no less.

Chicago capitalized on that turnover with Monangai’s touchdown to make it 17-9. A quick three-and-out by the Eagles gave the Bears’ offense the ball back with a chance to extend the lead and Williams found Kmet for a score to make it 24-9.  

Philadelphia got on the board with a second touchdown from Hurts to A.J. Brown, but couldn’t cut the deficit to one score. Chicago earned a marquee victory over the defending champions to stay atop the NFC North standings.

The Bears (9-3) stay on the road next week for another tough test against the Green Bay Packers (8-3-1). Philadelphia (8-4) has lost two in a row for the second time this season and is on the road next week against the Los Angeles Chargers.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates, stats and highlights from the NFL Black Friday game below. All times are Eastern.

Eagles vs. Bears takeaways

Chicago’s run game is for real: There are few tougher tests for an interior offensive line than Philadelphia. Jalen Carter is a dominant force but the Bears’ interior consistently got a push and sealed off weak-side defenders to open up lanes for Swift and Monangai. Each back had their moments – Swift on the outside, Monangai between the tackles – in a defining game for the Bears’ offensive line.
Eagles’ defense still strong: For how lopsided the first half was, Philadelphia was lucky to be down by just seven points. The Eagles’ defense continued to bend but not break and tee off on Williams. Chicago’s passing offense was in a tough spot for much of the game. Vic Fangio’s unit shouldn’t take much blame for this result.
Tush push in trouble? In Week 8, Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux tried to force a fumble on Hurts during a tush push. Nahshon Wright did the same, but crucially did so before Hurts’ forward progress was stopped, giving the Bears the ball back on a huge swing play. This could be the first of many teams trying a similar strategy to neutralize the Eagles’ most popular play. It was a signature play for the Bears in an outstanding game for Dennis Allen’s unit.
Eagles’ offensive woes continue: Philadelphia was shut out in the second half last week in a loss to the Cowboys in Dallas. This week, the Eagles could only muster two first downs in the first half. Things improved in the second half, but not enough to keep them in contention, thanks to critical turnovers. If offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s seat was getting warm entering the holiday week, it’s red-hot now.

Jalen Hurts stats vs. Bears

19-of-34 (55.8% completion rate)
230 passing yards
2 passing touchdowns
1 interception
84.2 passer rating
4 rushing attempts
31 rushing yards
0 rushing touchdowns

Caleb Williams stats vs. Eagles

17-of-36 (47.2% completion rate)
154 passing yards
1 passing touchdown
1 interception
56.9 passer rating
5 rushing attempts
13 rushing yards
0 rushing touchdowns

D’Andre Swift stats vs. Eagles

18 rushing attempts
125 rushing yards
1 rushing touchdown
1 reception (2 targets)
13 receiving yards
0 receiving touchdowns

Kyle Monangai stats vs. Eagles

22 rushing attempts
130 rushing yards
1 rushing touchdown
0 receptions (1 target)

A.J. Brown stats vs. Bears

10 receptions (12 targets)
132 receiving yards
2 receiving touchdowns

Eagles vs. Bears highlights

Eagles vs. Bears Black Friday game final score: Bears 24, Eagles 15

Eagles’ Jake Elliott misses late FG

With time running out in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia brought out kicker Jake Elliott for a field goal to make it a one-score game. His kick leaned wide left from 52 yards out and Chicago will run the clock out.

Bears turnover on downs late in fourth quarter

Chicago opted to go for it on 4th and 4 from the Eagles’ 30-yard line with less than 80 seconds to play. Caleb Williams’ pass fell incomplete, and the Eagles take over with 1:12 to go in the game, down nine points.

Eagles vs. Bears score update: Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown connect for another TD

Philadelphia answered the Bears’ fourth-quarter touchdown drive with one of their own. The Eagles marched 80 yards in 12 plays and took just over three minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter. Hurts capped things off by finding Brown once again for the duo’s second touchdown from 21 yards out.

Philadelphia opted to go for the two-point conversion now instead of later. Hurts’ pass to Saquon Barkley fell incomplete, which crucially keeps it a two-score game with 3:10 to go in the fourth quarter.

Bears 24, Eagles 15

Eagles vs. Bears score update: Caleb Williams finds Cole Kmet for TD

Facing second and 8 from the Eagles’ 28-yard line, Caleb Williams rolled to his left after faking a handoff to D’Andre Swift. Tight end Cole Kmet found room past the second level of the Eagles’ defense and outran safety Reed Blankenship to secure a deep shot from Williams for the score.

Cairo Santos’ extra point is good and Chicago extends its lead with 6:19 to go in the game.

Bears 24, Eagles 9

Bears defense forces another Eagles punt

After Chicago extended their lead in the fourth quarter, the Eagles’ offense couldn’t get anything going and went three-and-out. Another Philadelphia punt gives the Bears’ offense the ball back at the Chicago 37-yard line with 11:15 to go in the game.

Eagles vs. Bears score update: Kyle Monangai breaks through for TD

Chicago capitalized on Hurts’ fumble and relied on the running game once again to march the length of the field. This time, it was the rookie running back Monangai who charged through his blockers and into the end zone for the score. Cairo Santos’ extra point is good and Chicago takes its biggest lead of the game with 12:49 to go in the fourth quarter.

Bears 17, Eagles 9

End of 3rd quarter: Bears 10, Eagles 9

Chicago’s offense is driving into Philadelphia territory as the third quarter comes to a close. A key fourth-down conversion on a pass from Caleb Williams to Colston Loveland kept the drive alive as Chicago looks to score for the first time since midway through. the second quarter.

The Bears have the ball at the Eagles’ 21-yard line on 2nd and 1 to start the final frame.

Jalen Hurts fumbles tush push, Bears take over

Philadelphia lined up for their signature tush push on 3rd and 1 at the Chicago 12-yard line. Hurts pushed forward in the scrum which gave Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright a window to knock the ball loose and recover it.

Chicago’s offense takes over at its own 13-yard line.

Eagles intercept Caleb Williams’ screen pass

The Bears quarterback faked a handoff to running back Kyle Monangai before the rookie leaked out for a shallow screen pass. Eagles defensive lineman Jalyx Hunt recognized the play, waited for Williams to throw, batted the ball up and intercepted it. Philadelphia takes over on the Chicago 36-yard line.

Eagles vs. Bears score update: Hurts connects with A.J. Brown for TD

Philadelphia marched 92 yards in less than two minutes to finally get a touchdown on the board for the Eagles’ offense. Quarterback Jalen Hurts hit a deep shot on 1st and 10 to A.J. Brown down the left sideline and Brown made the catch for his second touchdown in as many games.

Jake Elliott missed the extra point and Chicago still holds a lead with 8:05 to go in the third quarter.

Bears 10, Eagles 9

Eagles force three-and-out and another Bears punt

Philadelphia’s defense stood tall after the Hurts interception. Pressure on Caleb Williams on 3rd and 3 forced an overthrow near Rome Odunze. Chicago settled for another punt, and Tory Taylor pinned the Philadelphia offense deep in its own territory. The Eagles’ offense takes over at their own 8-yard line with 9:59 to go in the third quarter.

Bears pick off Jalen Hurts, take over on offense

Bears safety Kevin Byard intercepted a Hurts pass in the area of Eagles wideout A.J. Brown. Both Brown and Darius Cooper were in the area when Hurts released the pass, and Byard made the play to give Chicago’s offense the ball back near midfield.

Bears punt after Caleb Williams can’t connect with Luther Burden

Williams fired a pass well past the first-down marker towards Burden but the rookie wide receiver lost his footing and couldn’t corral the ball. The ball fell incomplete on 3rd and 5 from the Bears’ 39 and Chicago punted for the second time today.

A 10-yard penalty backed them up before Tory Taylor’s punt went out of bounds at the Eagles’ 26-yard line. Philadelphia takes over with 12:20 to go in the third quarter.

Eagles punt again to open second half

Former Eagle C.J. Gardner-Johnson provided sticky coverage on Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert on 3rd and 9 with the Bears’ pass rush bearing down on Jalen Hurts. Hurts’ pass falls incomplete and the Eagles punt once again.

Chicago’s offense takes over at its own 24-yard line with 13:49 to go in the third quarter.

NFL Black Friday game score at halftime: Bears 10, Eagles 3

Chicago couldn’t capitalize on a late-half possession and take a 10-3 lead into halftime.

The Bears hold a seven-point lead but have dominated the first half. Philadelphia has just two first downs to Chicago’s 16 and the Bears out-gained the Eagles 222 to 83 over the first 30 minutes of game time. That advantage is mostly on the ground as Chicago’s racked up 142 rushing yards on 22 carries in the first half.

Philadelphia will receive the second-half kickoff.

A.J. Brown penalty dooms Eagles drive, Philadelphia punts again

Eagles’ wide receiver A.J. Brown got penalized for pushing off on Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on a 12-yard gain on 3rd and 9. That penalty backed Philadelphia up to 3rd and 19 from their own 26-yard line. Jalen Hurts extended the play to the right and found Will Shipley for 11 yards and the Eagles punted once again.

Chicago takes over with 1:43 to go in the first half.

Eagles’ defense steps up to force Bears’ first punt

Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. pressured Caleb Williams on 3rd and 10 and Jalen Carter got the Bears’ quarterback to the ground for the first sack of the game. The Bears’ offense had their shortest drive of the game (five plays, three yards) and Chicago punted for the first time.

Philadelphia’s offense takes over at its own 35-yard line with 2:47 to go in the first half.

Bears’ defense forces three-and-out

Philadelphia managed just seven yards on its third drive of the game. Jalen Hurts’ pass on 3rd and 3 fell incomplete, intended for Dallas Goedert, and the Eagles punted for the second time today.

The Bears’ offense takes over at their own 20-yard line with 4:59 to go in the first half.

Eagles vs. Bears score update: Chicago settles for Santos FG

The Bears’ run game powered another long drive as Chicago marched 68 yards in 15 plays. Quarterback Caleb Williams threw three incomplete passes in a row in the red zone, though, and the Bears settle for a 30-yard Cairo Santos field goal.

Chicago holds a seven-point lead with 6:44 left to go in the first half.

Bears 10, Eagles 3

Eagles vs. Bears score update: Jake Elliott FG gets Philadelphia on the board

The Eagles’ offense sputtered getting close to the red zone and Jalen Hurts’ throw to DeVonta Smith on 3rd and 8 from the Bears’ 26-yard line fell incomplete. Jake Elliott knocked through a kick from 44 yards out to ensure Philadelphia got on the board early in the second quarter.

The Eagles’ offense drove 39 yards in seven plays for their second drive of the game.

Bears 7, Eagles 3

End of 1st quarter: Bears 7, Eagles 0

D’Andre Swift’s three-yard touchdown run is the lone points on the board through the first 15 minutes of action from Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles’ offense has the ball and will face 3rd and 3 from their own 42-yard line to start the second quarter.

Eagles vs. Bears score update: D’Andre Swift breaks through for TD

Former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift took an inside handoff from the three-yard line and followed tight end Cole Kmet through a hole for the game’s first score. Cairo Santos’ extra point is good and Chicago takes a 7-0 lead with 1:31 to go in the first quarter.

The Bears drove 78 yards in 11 plays to take 5:26 off the clock. Chicago’s run game powered that drive with 64 rushing yards on seven carries between Swift and fellow running back Kyle Monangai.

Bears 7, Eagles 0

Eagles forced to punt on opening possession after Hurts’ incomplete pass

Philadelphia got a quick first down on a Jalen Hurts pass to A.J. Brown. But the offense managed just five yards over their next three plays, culminating in Hurts throwing the ball away while scrambling away from pressure on 3rd and 5.

The Eagles punted and the Bears’ offense takes over again at their own 22-yard line.

Eagles’ challenge succeeds, Bears turnover on downs

Upon review, Bears running back Kyle Monangai was ruled short of the line to gain on 4th and 1. Philadelphia’s offense takes over at its own 25-yard line.

Chicago went 42 yards in 11 plays and took nearly five and a half minutes off the game clock.

Eagles challenge ball spot on fourth down run

Chicago’s knocking on the door of the red zone and faced a 4th and 1 from the Eagles’ 24-yard line. Rookie running back Kyle Monangai took a handoff up the middle and referee Carl Cheffers marked him past the line to gain.

It looked close on the broadcast and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni challenged the ball spot.

Bears wins toss, opts to receive

Caleb Williams and the rest of the Chicago offense will start today’s game with the ball first at their own 35-yard line.

Eagles vs. Bears Black Friday game start time

Start time: 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT)
Date: Friday, Nov. 28

The Eagles and Bears are set to kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Black Friday. Chicago will head to Lincoln Financial Field to take on Philadelphia.

Eagles vs. Bears TV channel

Live stream: Amazon Prime Video 
Chicago market: WFLD (FOX 32) | Philadelphia market: WTXF (FOX 29)

The NFL Black Friday game will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video for national viewers. For those in the Eagles TV market, WTXF (FOX 29) will air the game. In Chicago, viewers can tune to WFLD (FOX 32).

Eagles vs. Bears live stream

Live stream: Amazon Prime Video 

The Eagles-Bears Black Friday matchup will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.  

Stream the Black Friday game on Amazon Prime Video

Eagles vs. Bears predictions, picks

Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the Eagles-Bears Black Friday game will shake out:

Jarrett Bell: Eagles 26, Bears 21
Nick Brinkerhoff: Eagles 28, Bears 24
Chris Bumbaca: Eagles 28, Bears 20
Nate Davis: Eagles 27, Bears 23
Tyler Dragon: Eagles 30, Bears 21
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Eagles 27, Bears 24

Eagles vs. Bears odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 9:20 a.m.

Moneyline (ML): Philadelphia -325 (Bet $325 to win $100) | Chicago +260 (Bet $100 to win $260)
Against the spread (ATS): Philadelphia -7 (-110) | Chicago +7 (-110)
Over/Under (O/U): 44.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

4th & Monday: Our NFL newsletter always brings the blitz 

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What time is the NFL Black Friday game today?

Start Time: 3 p.m. ET

Kickoff for the NFL’s Black Friday game is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. It is the lone NFL game today.

Bears inactives vs. Eagles

Chicago is down three linebackers in its regular defensive rotation today when it faces Philadelphia.

QB Case Keenum
WR Jahdae Walker
CB Tyrique Stevenson
LB Noah Sewell
LB Ruben Hyppolite II
LB T.J. Edwards
DE Dominique Robinson

Eagles inactives vs. Bears

Philadelphia will be without its All-Pro right tackle, Lane Johnson, today when it faces Chicago.

RB A.J. Dillon
WR Xavier Gipson
QB Sam Howell (3rd QB)
T Lane Johnson
CB Mac McWilliams
DT Ty Robinson
OLB Joshua Uche

NFC East standings

The Eagles are in first place in the NFC East standings.

Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)
Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
Washington Commanders (3-8)
New York Giants (2-10)

NFC North standings

The Bears are in first place in the NFC North standings. Below is a look at the division standings after the Lions vs. Packers Thanksgiving game:

Chicago Bears (8-3)
Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
Detroit Lions (7-5)
Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

NFC playoff picture

Los Angeles Rams (9-2; NFC West leaders)
Philadelphia Eagles (8-3; NFC East leaders)
Chicago Bears (8-3; NFC North leaders)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5; NFC South leaders)
Seattle Seahawks (8-3; wild card No. 1)
Green Bay Packers (8-3-1; wild card No. 2)
San Francisco 49ers (8-4; wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Detroit Lions (7-5); Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1); Carolina Panthers (6-6); Atlanta Falcons (4-7); Minnesota Vikings (4-7); Arizona Cardinals (3-8); Washington Commanders (3-8); New Orleans Saints (2-9);

Eliminated: New York Giants (2-10).

Eagles vs. Bears injury report

Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins? 

The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins with six. 

Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups. 

Who are the announcers for Amazon Prime Video’s Black Friday game? 

Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be in the broadcast booth for Prime Video, with Kaylee Hartung (sideline) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) providing additional coverage.  

The Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame shows feature Charissa Thompson as host, as well as former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth as analysts.  

How old is Al Michaels?

Michaels, who is once again serving as the play-by-play voice of Amazon Prime’s ‘Thursday Night Football,’ is 81. He turned 81 on November 12 and has worked on network sports television since 1971.

NFL final scores for Thanksgiving games

Thursday, Nov. 28

Green Bay Packers 31, Detroit Lions 24
Dallas Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28
Cincinnati Bengals 32, Ravens 14

The Philadelphia Eagles’ tush push is one of the more infamous plays in the NFL in recent years. Quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up under center in a tight formation and powers ahead with some help behind him to get short-yardage conversions.

For the first time this year, it backfired in a big way against the Chicago Bears.

Philadelphia was driving down the field after an interception by Caleb Williams, and was in the red zone once again. Hurts lined up for a tush push from the Bears’ 12-yard line on 3rd and 1.

With Hurts stuck behind his offensive line, Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright capitalized and knocked the ball out of Hurts’ hands and recovered the fumble.

It’s not the first time a defense has tried this technique to neutralize the tush push. New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux attempted the same thing back in Week 8 but was unsuccessful; the side judge in that contest ruled that Hurts’ forward progress stopped and the play was dead before Hurts lost the ball.

This is the first time Hurts has fumbled on the tush push this season. It marked his second turnover of the game today against Chicago, following his third-quarter interception.

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado – The U.S. women’s ski team will be without one of its top medal contenders at the Milano Cortina Olympics.

‘It’s me, I’m what’s broken RIP acl, see you all next year ’ Macuga said in a post on Instagram.

Macuga’s injury put a damper on the World Cup, which offers the rare opportunity for U.S. skiers to compete on home snow.

‘We’re obviously very sad,’ said Keely Cashman, who is part of the speed team with Macuga. ‘This sport is incredibly brutal and there’s a lot of girls that gotten hurt early on, and it’s a terrible thing. That being said, Lauren is the most positive person I’ve ever met in my entire life. She’s already cracking jokes. She’s also, I would say, one of the hardest working people I know. So I have no doubt that she’ll be back.’

Mikaela Shiffrin agreed.

‘She’s such a hard worker and she’s so positive and she has such a great instinct for just how to keep pushing forward,’ Shiffrin said. ‘Everybody navigates injuries very individually. So mostly it’s just to say we support you through it all and everything you’ve been doing is right. You’ve been doing it all right. So just be patient with yourself and keep going.’

Macuga, 23, emerged as the U.S. team’s brightest young star last season. She got her first World Cup win, in the super-G at St. Anton, and was second in a downhill at Kvitfjell, Norway. She also medaled in her very first world championships, winning bronze in the super-G.

She finished last season as the top American in both downhill (fourth) and super-G (sixth), and was 17th in the overall World Cup rankings. She compiled enough points to earn starts in other disciplines, and Saturday was to be her second career GS start.

‘That moment I was like, `Oh my gosh, I did that.’ It’s this one step in this immense dream and I just achieved that,’ Macuga said last month of winning in St. Anton. ‘And then it’s amazing now to be like, no, that wasn’t the step. I want to achieve so much more.

‘There’s so many branches to this dream and it just keeps growing as I keep going along, and it just motivates me more.’

Macuga also was beginning to command the spotlight off the slopes, and figured to be a big part of NBC’s coverage of the Winter Games. She is bubbly and goofy, easily identifiable with her collection of bucket hats and American flag shirts that she wears after races.

Her appeal is broadened by her family, with her two sisters also vying to make the Olympic team. Older sister Sam is a ski jumper and younger sister Alli is a moguls skier, and they have dubbed their family ‘Chaos Cougs’ for the schedules that have them crisscrossing the globe for much of the year and require their mother to track them on a spreadsheet.

‘For the longest time, it’s been the dream for all of us to be there,’ Lauren Macuga said. ‘We all build off of each other. We all push each other and it’s in the best way because we’ve dreamt about it. It’s been our dream; not my dream for the three of us to have been there, it’s our dream. So you’re like, `Oh, I got to do my part to try and make this happen.”

Disappointing as Macuga’s injury is, the Americans can absorb it better than in years past. This will be the strongest team the U.S. women have had at the Olympics in several years, on both the speed and tech sides, with multiple medal contenders in each race.

There is Shiffrin, of course, who has more World Cup wins (103) than any other skier, male or female and is a two-time Olympic champion. Breezy Johnson is the reigning world champion in downhill while Paula Moltzan has been a consistent podium threat in giant slalom and slalom.

There’s also Lindsey Vonn, who came out of retirement last year after having a partial knee replacement. Vonn finished the season by winning the silver medal in the super-G at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Still, Macuga’s injury leaves a hole on the team.

‘She is such an unbelievably hard worker and such a light on our team, so we’ll certainly miss her,’ said Tricia Mangan, another member of the speed team. ‘But we’re already excited for her to come back.’

Joe Burrow returned from a severe turf toe injury, leading the Bengals to a 32-14 victory over the Ravens.
Despite the win, the Bengals’ record is now 4-8, but they remain hopeful for a late-season playoff push.
The Bengals’ defense, previously a weakness, forced five turnovers and played a crucial role in the upset.

But he didn’t literally eat.

Following the Cincinnati Bengals’ 32-14 upset of the Baltimore Ravens in Burrow’s highly anticipated return, the Pro Bowl quarterback declined to eat the turkey offered during NBC’s postgame interview.

“I didn’t touch it,” he told reporters afterward. “I don’t know who made it, where they made it, I’m good.”

But whether it was carving up the Ravens, not carving up NBC’s mystery meat or deciding to rejoin a team that was 3-8 going into the Baltimore game, it’s evident Burrow knows what he’s doing.

Good thing he doesn’t listen to a certain USA TODAY Sports NFL columnist who thought the prudent thing to do was pack it in for 2025 and regroup for 2026.

From the outside looking in, there seemed to be little reason for Burrow, the Bengals’ best player in a generation, to rush back − and maybe that will still prove to be the case. He’s missed 23 of a possible 95 regular-season starts to date during his six-year career. He’s toiling for a team that’s now 4-8 – the same record it had through 12 games a year ago before ultimately falling short of postseason.

So does one glorious upset in front of a national audience mean this quest isn’t actually quixotic? Not necessarily. But oftentimes, one gains a much better perspective by being up close and personal.

Burrow’s return brings smiles back to Bengals’ locker room

There was Cincinnati left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., looking relieved and exhausted in M&T Bank Stadium’s cramped but joyous visitors’ locker room following the win.

“It’s special, man,” Brown told USA TODAY Sports. “I wouldn’t want it to be under any other circumstances.”

There was head coach Zac Taylor, standing alone in a small room away from players, staff and reporters, appearing spent but satisfied in his first quiet moment after a dominant win, a raucous celebration and his press conference. He made eye contact and offered what might have been his first genuine post-game smile in months.

“I’m really happy. That was kind of the first all-around game we’ve played all season, it felt like,” he’d said just moments earlier.

“Couldn’t be prouder of those guys.”

And there was Burrow, hoarse and barely audible behind a microphone – perhaps even a touch emotional – speaking after a win for the first time since the season opener.

“Certainly, hasn’t been easy on me through six years from a lot of different angles,” he said. “So, I worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there, and a lot of people around me have done the same. Through a lot of discussion, time in the training room, just a lot that’s gone into this, and I’m proud to be back.

“Putting in work for a long time, and going out and it paying off – there’s just no feeling like going out in front of the world with a group of guys that work really hard to go try and win games.

“Obviously, we have a lot of games left, but we’re going to enjoy this one.”

And why not?

This was the year the Bengals had finally avoided one of their notoriously slow starts, winning their first two games, only to lose Burrow midway through that second victory. Cincinnati went 1-8 without him.

Yet a season that appeared lost may, in fact, be salvageable.

With Pro Bowl talent in place, can Bengals make a playoff run?

If injured wideout Tee Higgins (concussion) and/or defensive end Hendrickson (hip/pelvis) return, the squad will get another instant infusion of Pro Bowl-caliber upgrading. Neither played Thursday, and Hendrickson has played sparingly over the past six weeks.

While the Bengals racked up 32 points Thursday, they also left a lot of meat on that turkey bone – going 1-for-6 in the red zone and settling for six Evan McPherson field goals. They recovered the Ravens’ first turnover, a strip sack of Lamar Jackson, on Baltimore’s 2-yard line, but squandered the gift − gaining nary a yard and accruing no points while going four-and-out. A less-rusty Burrow could have well meant a fifty-burger against a Baltimore D that’s been one of the league’s best over the past six weeks.

“At the end of the day, we have to make plays and put the ball in the end zone,” said Burrow. “We can’t kick six field goals, but that’s the kind of game that it was.

“(I)t was a ‘take your points’ kind of game. Obviously, the one that really hurt us was when we got the turnover down there and came out with no points. Typically, that’s going to be tough to win the game, but we were able to pull it out.”

A Cincinnati defense that’s still the league’s worst in terms of points (31.2) and yards (410.0) allowed per game – by orders of magnitude – was excellent during Burrow’s return, forcing five Baltimore turnovers and limiting the Ravens to little more than 21 minutes with the ball. But look a bit closer, and it’s worth noting the unit – despite consistently being put in bad spots by the Burrow-less offense – has played better lately, holding all three of its opponents since the Week 10 bye to fewer than 400 yards and nearly engineering an upset of the New England Patriots, owners of the league’s best record (10-2), last Sunday.

“The way our defense has played the last several weeks I think has been extremely positive,” said Burrow. “Obviously, they were great, great, great today.”

Of its 10 third downs, Baltimore only converted three.

“(T)he real, real, real, real MVP of the day was the defense. I mean they were unbelievable. They really were,” said Bengals running back Chase Brown, who’d offered candid frustration with the D in recent weeks.

“We are going to win a lot of games here.”

Window to AFC North title remains open

And that could very well be true given the state of the AFC North, a reason Burrow cited for his accelerated return when he rejoined practice earlier this month. The Bengals may be 4-8 – though 3-0 in games started by Burrow – but their 3-1 record in divisional games is the best among AFC North teams. And though Cincinnati is presently two wins back of the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, those teams – and neither exactly appears poised to go on a heater amid their own circumstances – still have to play each other twice, which could bring both of them within striking range if the Bengals can catch fire.

Cincinnati won its final five games last season but came up one victory shy of playoff qualification. Now, it at least seems possible to replicate a similar sprint with their final five games this year against the struggling Buffalo Bills and Ravens (in Cincinnati next time), followed by the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, a trio of teams with a combined record of 10-23.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been here before, same record,” said Taylor.

“So, we know what it looks like, and we know what it feels like. We know what the urgency level is. It doesn’t really change how we operate in any way, shape or form because we just keep going on a week-to-week basis and doing our best to find a win. Certainly, we know what this looks like, and I expect our guys to handle it the right way.

“We knew coming in, everything was still in front of us. … We can’t worry about what place we are in or the chances of making the playoffs. Take every game serious and like it is your last. We must treat every game in November, December and January as playoff football.”

Added Burrow’s favorite target, wideout Ja’Marr Chase: “We’ve been in this position before, trying to fight ourselves out of adversity to get ourselves in the playoffs, to get ourselves a better picture in the future, so at the end of the day, we need Joe, and Joe needs us. We have to make it work, someway, somehow, and just get ourselves set for the future.”

And if Burrow, who hit on just of 24 of those 46 throws in his return, gets back to Burrow-level efficiency in the near future, as one would expect? And if his mobility improves, as one would expect? If his rhythm returns with more practice, as one would expect?

“Obviously, I had to knock the rust off in the first half, so I expected myself to play better, but it was good to be out there,” said Burrow, admitting he was “antsy” at times and missing throws he’d typically nail while finding his sea legs.

“The second half, I felt more comfortable. I started putting it where I wanted to.”

Now he just needs to take the Bengals where they want to go – postseason, which they’ve been absent from since losing the 2022 AFC title game. Succeed or fail, it should be quite a ride.

“It’s a lot of fun to watch Joe Burrow play football,” said Taylor. “This is a team that’s been believing all along. It’s never too late to get going. For us to find a win – we’ve got to piggy-back on this. The team’s got a lot of confidence. We’re going to continue to work and continue to fight.”

Taylor went on to underscore his point.

“When you’ve got the guy out there that you wouldn’t trade for anybody, there’s just this different confidence,” said the seventh-year coach. “I don’t say that in any way to slight any other guy because we’ve had a ton of confidence with the quarterbacks that have been playing for us. Joe Burrow – he’s a spectacular player. The team responds the right way to it.” 

Memo to you dummies out there: The only idea dumber than eating unvetted turkey? Shutting down Joe Burrow unless or until it’s absolutely necessary.