The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense is underperforming due to predictability and a lack of explosive plays.
Analysts suggest the team’s struggles stem from an inconsistent run game and the absence of a clear offensive identity.
First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is facing a learning curve, with the scheme appearing stagnant to opposing defenses.

Predictable, inefficient and non-explosive are not terms any NFL offensive unit would want to apply to them. 

Unfortunately for the Philadelphia Eagles, as they enter their Black Friday matchup Nov. 28 against the Chicago Bears, all three terms are appropriate descriptions of their offense – a unit that scored 21 points on three possessions against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, only to put up a goose egg the rest of the way. 

“It’s just an offense that is wildly, wildly underperforming,” ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky told USA TODAY Sports.

That followed performances of 16 and 10 points in prime time – which begs the question: what’s wrong with the Eagles’ offense? 

The answers may sound simple. The reality is anything but. 

No run game, no identity … major problems

The drama from wideout A.J. Brown and the halving of running back Saquon Barkley’s production from a year ago are only symptoms of the larger issues. 

To Andrew Whitworth, after watching the Eagles’ tape from the Cowboys game, “it screams to me a little different than last year,” when the Eagles put up 40 points in the Super Bowl. 

What concerns Whitworth is the lack of an offensive identity in 2025. 

“They don’t know if they want to run it. They (tried) to come out (against the Cowboys) and try to throw it and that started falling apart. And it’s like, ‘Man, what’s our answer when we get into crucial moments?’

“They look a little lost there … “Every time they went to call a run, they tried something different. It’s almost like they’re trying plays.” 

The biggest difference from a season ago is the lack of a run game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ preference of being in the shotgun is hurting the team, although that would be fine if the team was calling designed quarterback runs or run-pass-options (RPOs), Orlovsky said. But they’re not. 

“I think that leads to predictability because Saquon’s alignment tells the defense whether it’s a run or pass,” he said. 

If Barkley lines up a half-yard behind Hurts, the defense can see that and adjust. The offensive line then has more 1-on-1 blocking assignments that leads to penetration and negative plays. “When you get shotgun run, one guy with penetration kills the play,” Orlovsky said. 

In 2024, under offensive coordinator and playcaller Kellen Moore (now the New Orleans’ Saints head coach) the offense executed under-center, double-team runs.  

The offensive line also isn’t the same. Left guard Landon Dickerson injured his knee in training camp and started the season on time if not fully healthy. Center Cam Jurgens missed time. 

The team is also now navigating the loss of right tackle Lane Johnson, who is on injured reserve. Mekhi Becton signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving a hole at right guard. 

“Running game is a fickle thing sometimes,” Whitworth said. 

The struggles compound and result in Barkley pressing. 

“You can see sometimes where he’s searching for, ‘I want to try to create an explosive,’” Whitworth said.

Learning curve for Eagles’ offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo

First-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s scheme looks stagnant to opposing defenses and failing to unlock the run game is part of it. 

Head coach Nick Sirianni has stood by Patullo, who was the pass game coordinator for four seasons before his offseason promotion. 

 “I’m never into assigning blame,” Sirianni said. “It’s just looking for answers. 

“No one’s ever gonna pitch a perfect game here.”

The plays, Orlovsky said, are not the problem. The timing and rhythm of it all are. 

“I think the predictability kills them. It’s a significant problem,” Orlovsky said. “As much as the defense has been good, the offense has not.” 

The offense suffers from a simplicity in formation splits and route combinations, Prime Video analyst and ex-NFL cornerback Richard Sherman said. Brown helps mask that. Throw in fellow wideout Devonta Smith and the Eagles have as good of a 1-2 punch at receiver in the NFL. Sherman added that NFL fans and media have been spoiled by the Shanahan coaching tree that is known for its creativity and wrinkles. 

“It makes it easy for a defense,” Sherman said. “Then you have A.J. Brown who makes it an issue even if you do know the play. They’ve been able to get away with it. But I don’t think they get away with it in the playoffs.” 

Smart corners are capable of figuring out what the Eagles are showing pre-snap, Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick said. He would like to see Brown – known for running straight-line routes and in-breaking ones – run more out-cuts lined up in the slot to start breaking tendencies down the stretch. 

“While he’s physically gifted, he doesn’t run a lot of routes,” Orlovsky said of Brown. 

Patullo has been with the Eagles for the past four seasons and has an “intimate knowledge” of the personnel, Fitzpatrick said. He’s learning on the job. 

“Have there been some missteps? There definitely have,” said Fitzpatrick. “But I think with coaches as well … you have to continue to see that growth. And for him, it’s this season – we have to continue to see that offense grow and make the necessary changes in the second half of a football game to get this team to be successful.” 

How can Eagles fix offensive deficiencies?

What Sirianni wants those on the outside looking in to realize is that successes and failures are all group efforts, not because of any individual. 

“When it’s going good, and it’s all about the team, that doesn’t switch when it’s not going as planned and we try to assign blame to one person,” he said. “It’s still always about the team.

“I feel like we’ve got the right people, as players, as coaches, that have had success. We’re all searching for answers to make it more consistent.” 

Overall, Orlovsky wants to see the Eagles marry the pass with the run to create play-action explosives and limit negative plays. 

“Is it as easy as that? No,” Orlovsky said. “But it’s not as complicated as putting man-on-the-moon type stuff.” 

Fitzpatrick is interested in how the team responds after failing to score for nearly three quarters against Dallas. 

“I think we’ll find out a lot about what this team is made of on Friday,” he said.

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado — Mikaela Shiffrin has two Olympic gold medals and more World Cup wins than any other skier in history. (She’s at 103, for those counting.)

And she might be at her best yet this season.

Shiffrin comes to the World Cup at Copper Mountain having won the first two slalom races of the season and barely missing a medal in the only giant slalom so far. Her technique in slalom has been near perfect — just watch her first run in Levi, Finland — and she is skiing with command.

Perhaps most importantly, she is fully healthy after missing much of last season following a crash in the GS at Killington, Vermont, that left a deep gash in her obliques.

‘I was so focused on GS over the preparation period just to bring my level back to something worthy in GS races. I didn’t get a lot of slalom training, but I got good slalom training,’ Shiffrin said last weekend.

Here’s what to know about the World Cup at Copper Mountain:

What races will Shiffrin do?

While the men had both speed (super-G) and tech (giant slalom) races at Copper, the women have two tech races. The giant slalom is Saturday, and the slalom is Sunday.

How to watch

Broadcast/streaming schedule (all times Eastern)

Outsideonline.com will show all of the races live while NBC, Peacock and CNBC will have a mix of live and delayed coverage.

Saturday, Nov. 29

Noon – First run, women’s giant slalom, outsideonline.com

1 p.m. – Delayed coverage of men’s giant slalom, NBC and Peacock

3 p.m. – Second run, women’s giant slalom, outsideonline.com

Sunday, Nov. 30

Noon – First run, women’s slalom, outsideonline.com

1 p.m. – Delayed coverage of women’s giant slalom, NBC and Peacock

2 p.m. – Delayed coverage of men’s super-G, CNBC and Peacock

3 p.m. – Second run, women’s slalom, outsideonline.com, CNBC and Peacock

Who to watch

Shiffrin is the woman to beat — and it’s going to take some great skiing to do that. Not only has she won the first two slalom World Cups in commanding fashion, finishing more than a second ahead in both, she’s been first in each run of both races.

“I think it’s some of the best slalom skiing I ever did. I feel very stable right now,” Shiffrin said after her win in Gurgl, Austria, last weekend.

“I feel really good with my level of slalom right now,” she said. “I pretty much know what to focus on to bring out fast skiing.”

Shiffrin also was fourth in the only giant slalom race this season, missing the podium by 0.31 seconds.

So who are other contenders?

Lara Colturi. The 19-year-old Albanian was second to Shiffrin in the slaloms at Levi and Gurl, and was seventh in the GS at Soelden.

Paula Moltzan. Shiffrin’s U.S. teammate is picking up right where she left off last season, when she won bronze in the giant slalom at the world championships and made two World Cup podiums. Moltzan has been in the top five in all three World Cup races this season, including a second-place finish in the GS at Soelden.

Camille Rast. The reigning world slalom champion already has a podium finish this season, winning the bronze last week in Gurgl.

Wendy Holdener. The Swiss veteran won silver in the slalom at the world championships last year.

Lauren Macuga. One of the best speed skiers the United States has right now, Macuga will be making her second career GS start in Copper.

Stephen Borelli (aka “Coach Steve”) and his wife, Colleen, have been sports parents for nearly a decade and half, and Borelli has become a national authority for his coverage and advice on navigating youth sports. He also draws on his three-plus decades as a sportswriter with USA TODAY Sports for his new book, ‘Coach Steve’s Youth Sports Survival Guide: How Parents and Kids Can Get the Most Out of the Experience.’ You can order the book atcoachsteve.usatbook.com as part of a preorder sale. Gift certificates are available right now for holiday giving.

When I started coaching my sons, I never expected to be writing about it one day. I wanted to be involved in their lives, the way my dad had as my Little League coach, and help them find at least some of the joy I had gotten from athletics.

That joy, though, really has never left me. You can hear it in the chatter of sportswriters covering a big event, or sports copy editors in a newsroom, or in dads huddled behind the fence at their kids’ baseball or softball games. I have had the opportunity to combine the passions of all these activities.

During the spring of 2023, as my older son, Connor, was entering his freshman season of junior varsity baseball, I was asked by my editors at USA TODAY to write a weekly column offering tips and advice for parents whose kids play sports. We wanted to dive into the world where so many moms and dad want answers.

I certainly don’t have them all, and, like you, am learning as I go along. But, through this column – which has appeared weekly at USATODAY.com, and occasionally on USA TODAY’s print sports page or within USA TODAY Sports Weekly magazine, since then – I have been able to get at some pertinent questions.

When should my kid specialize in a sport?

What do I do if he or she has a ‘bad’ coach?

Should my son or daughter play on a travel team?

Why do 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by 13?

Why is failure so important, in sports and in life?

‘The part for me that’s hard sometimes is, especially when I’ve watched my kids come up, (is) I think there’s too much emphasis placed on winning at a young age,’ University of Maryland women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese, a national championship winner, told me when we spoke in late 2023. ‘I get that, later when you’re in college and that kind of thing, but the development part for me is when people get all consumed by the ego.’

The eagerness of prominent coaches and athletes to come forward to speak on youth sports told me we were onto something.

When I asked Steve Pikiell, Rutgers men’s basketball coach, in one of my early columns, what he looked for in players, he laughed, like Frese did, and said: ‘Parents.’

‘If I could say one thing to parents: Take a deep breath and just enjoy that your kid isn’t playing video games and he’s not running around doing something,’ Pikiell said. ‘I probably see too much and I’m like, ‘They’re 8 years old, 9 years old.’ Just let ’em play the soccer game and let ’em go get an ice cream. None of these kids are going to the Olympics, right?’

Then he connected me with his two daughters, who have competed athletically at prominent Division I schools. We were off and running.

The next spring, Kenny Blakeney, Pikiell’s counterpart at Howard University, shared how parents asked for floor seats as part of the recruiting process.

‘I push back,’ Blakeney told me. ‘I push back big time or we don’t even move forward. It’s an entitlement that seeps into the kid, which seeps into the team. That can really damage and separate a team.’

How do I get recruited? Coach Steve’s look behind the scenes of a D-I football program

Misbehaving parents, perhaps many of them unintentionally, became a consistent theme throughout my columns. You’ll see it, especially at youth events, in the book. I also reached out to referees on the receiving end of spectator abuse, who sometimes even fear for their safety.

My goal isn’t to call out our flaws as we watch our kids play, but to help us realize what we’re doing. We can all be better in the bleachers.

‘Even with good intentions, if you’re too involved as a parent with what your kid is doing on the field, it’s not gonna end up good for anybody,’ said Tom House, a former major-league left-hander turned pitching and quarterback throwing guru to the pros.

He is now most passionate about coaching kids, and he admits he failed at first as a sports father.

‘Dad, please, go somewhere else,’ his son, Bryan, told him. ‘You’re embarrassing me.’

Tom got thrown out of the game. Maybe you have, too, but it doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent. I like to say we are all a work in progress, and we never quite perfect this craft.

It’s the same sentiment late UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden had about success. You’ll hear more about Wooden later in the book.

Hopefully by sharing stories I have heard and advice I have learned, sometimes from legendary figures like Wooden, you can get closer to figuring out your purpose in sports parenting. The book is a collection of my columns, hitting prominent themes of youth sports and sports parents, often through the eyes of other parents like yourself.

Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His Coach Steve column is posted weekly at USATODAY.com

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – Manny ‘Jimuel’ Pacquiao Jr., 24, worked the mitts with his trainer at Wild Card Boxing Gym this week. The image of his famous father, Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao Sr., loomed over his shoulder.

Jimuel Pacquiao hit the heavy bag, worked the speed bag, jumped rope, did sits. His father was everywhere – photos, that is, plastered on walls throughout the gym where he became an eight-time world champion.

Manny Pacquiao is expected to be watching in person when his eldest son, Jimuel, makes his professional boxing debut at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, on Saturday, Nov. 29.

‘The pressure’s there because every time he’s watching it’s like, whoa, I got to do good,’ Jimuel Pacquiao told USA TODAY Sports this week. ‘I can’t show him that I’m tired and stuff like that. So, yeah, it is pressure. But I’m also thankful at the same time because he is a legend, so I have to learn as much as I can from him.’

Driven in part to help support his destitute family, Manny Pacquiao became a world champion at 19. In many ways he is incomparable, and yet there are comparisons between father and son.

They both have bulging calves that generate powerful punches.

They both have a focused, calm demeanor.

They both have an undeniable work ethic.

‘He always wants more,’ said Stanley Godinez, Jimuel Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach. ‘If you don’t tell him to stop, he won’t stop.’

‘I thought he’s not coming back’

Growing up in the Philippines, JImuel Pacquiao said, his parents kept him out of the boxing gym.

‘They never gave me a pair of boxing gloves or anything to train,’ he said. ‘It’s always been, like, any other sport other than boxing. But I started watching it more and watching (his father) spar, I was in awe.’

Jimuel Pacquiao said he started sparring as a teenager without his parents understanding his intentions.

‘At first they thought I was just doing it to stay in shape,’ he said. ‘But then one day my friend invited me to an amateur show and I asked my parents about it. Like, oh, how do I prepare for this and can I sign up? And then that’s when I had that conversation with them, and they were trying to talk me out of it and stuff like that. But I still ended up fighting.’

In 2021, the year his father lost to Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision in Las Vegas, Jimuel Pacquiao moved to the United States. He began training at Wild Card Boxing Gym.

Marvin Somodio, Jimuel Pacquiao’s trainer, recalled the first sparring session.

‘The next day I thought he’s not coming back,’ Somodio said. ‘But he’s here.’

He never left.

Taking it slowly

Jimuel Pacquiao said he is 6-5 as an amateur. But Somodio points out Jimuel Pacquiao has sparred with undefeated boxers to prepare for his pro debut.

‘We wanted to take it slowly,’ Somodio said. ‘We wanted to make sure he’s ready.’

In front of an expected sellout crowd of 3,000, Jimuel will face Brendan Lally, a 24-year-old English teacher from Chicago and a former collegiate boxing champion at the University of Illinois. Lally also will be making his pro debut in the four-round lightweight fight.

Manny Pacquiao was scheduled to arrive from the Philippines this week.

‘He did tell me that he’s also a little bit nervous … but he’s also very supportive,’ JImuel Pacquiao said.

And JImuel Pacquiao’s mother, Jinkee?

‘She hates it,’ JImuel Pacquiao said, ‘She’s scared. She’s trying to talk me out of it for a while. But she’s supportive too.’

It’s already been an eventful time for Jimuel Pacquiao, whose fiancée gave birth to a daughter last week.

‘Everything went smooth and the baby’s healthy,’ Jimuel Pacquiao said.

He’s making no promises about whether his fight will go as smoothly as the birth of his daughter – and no proclamations about his pro boxing career.

‘Me and my team, were taking it fight by fight,’ Jimuel Pacquiao said. ‘So we’ll see the progress and we’ll see if we are ready to take another step.

‘We’re going to go at our own pace.’

For the first time, the Ivy League is allowing its football teams to participate in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The change was initiated by the Ivy League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and approved by the eight university presidents.
Both Harvard and Yale earned bids to the FCS playoffs, marking Harvard’s first postseason game in 105 years.

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Jaden Craig was having one of the worst Sundays of his life, less than 24 hours removed from he and his teammates losing for the third consecutive year to Yale in one of college football’s most storied rivalry games.

The loss also cost the Crimson a chance to finish unbeaten in the Ivy League and secure an undisputed conference title.

“Just a really weird morning,” the Harvard third-year quarterback said. 

The emotions Craig felt bordered between unnatural and uncertain. Normally, a loss to Yale for Harvard (or vice versa) means an offseason filled with regret and fueled by revenge. The Harvard-Yale game was just that – a chance to be a part of a rivalry that dates back to the 1870s, and a chance to end the year on a high note. 

Until this season. 

Harvard secured an at-large bid into the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs, while Yale secured the Ivy League’s first-ever automatic bid into the tournament thanks to the Bulldogs’ 45-28 victory on Saturday, Nov. 22. 

A change initiated by the Ivy League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) over the span of nearly 18 months that led to the eight university presidents voting to allow postseason participation for the programs opened the door. The teams, of course, had to prove their worth. 

And now, for the first time in 105 years Harvard is playing in a postseason game after a 9-1 season, and Yale, as the conference champion at 8-2, joins them; the Crimson will play Villanova, while the Bulldogs go on the road to face Youngstown State. Both games are set for a noon ET kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 29. 

“We have one loss, that helped us out as well,” Craig said. “I just think overall, we are a good team. We pass the looks test. We pass the numbers test.”

“I am incredibly proud of our players and entire staff,” Yale head coach Tony Reno said. “They have poured their hearts into the work that brought us to this moment, and earning the opportunity to win a championship and become the first team to represent the Ivy League in the FCS Playoffs makes it ever more special.” 

How the Ivy League decided to participate in the FCS playoff

In the summer of 2023, Ivy League executive director Robin Harris met with the SAAC, which consists of athletes from many sports from all eight member schools. 

The regular meeting always brings about robust discussion, Harris said. One question from that specific call was “why do we not participate in the FCS playoffs?” 

Since 1945, the Ivy Group Agreement prevented teams from playing beyond the regular season in bowl games and then the FCS playoffs. Harris explained that governance and legislative processes had to be accounted for and that while others had tried, no group saw the movement through. 

“To their credit, they followed up in the fall,” Harris told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview. 

The students developed a thoughtful, rational proposal. They understood that the process required patience. That fall, they took the proposal to their schools’ athletic directors. Once the ADs supported the plan, the proposal went to the league’s policy committee. With that next blessing of the policy committee, the legislation went to the desks of each university president. It was the first time presidents voted on an FCS championship proposal. They approved it in December 2024. 

“Our materials were very clear that this would provide an opportunity for a team or teams to participate, and that we would get an automatic bid. But we regularly would have multiple teams selected for NCAA championships.” 

In the fall semester, Harris said, four sports saw multiple teams from the Ivy League competing in postseason play. (The Ivy League has been part of the FCS since 1982.) 

“It’s not unusual,” she said. 

But it is a first for football.  

“When it was announced, the guys were really excited,” Harvard head coach Andrew Aurich said. 

Every win, every point within a margin of victory, mattered on the resume when it came time for the committee to fill out the 24 teams in the FCS bracket.  

“But again, they’re smart grownups,” Aurich said of his players. “They understand this stuff.” 

To guarantee a postseason berth, beating Yale and winning the Ivy League championship with an undefeated record could have propelled the Crimson into one of the top eight seeds. They’ll sign up for the bus ride from Boston to Philadelphia, though. 

“It definitely seemed like the guys were a little hungrier in certain games throughout the season that maybe they weren’t or could have been a little not as hungry.” 

What does change mean for Harvard-Yale rivalry?

The national championship banners at Harvard Stadium aren’t in the rafters, but rather at field level. 

1890. 1898. 1899. 1910. 1912. 1913. 1919. 

The 1920 Rose Bowl – played so long ago opponent Oregon hadn’t evolved from the Webfoots to Ducks – was the last time the Crimson played a postseason game. 

Once the FCS playoff selection show Sunday afternoon displayed the Harvard logo, Aurich said his phone lit up with 25 messages instantly. Being in the playoff means plenty for the guys in the Harvard locker room – but also for those who came and went before them. To represent the talent deprived of the national spotlight, at least come postseason time, for the past 100 years across the league.  

“More so for the 10-0 Harvard, Ivy League teams, the unanimous championship seasons … I think we’re playing for them as well,” safety Ty Bartrum, Harvard’s captain, said prior to the Yale game. 

One of those 10-0 Harvard teams was led by former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

“We would have loved it … it would have been interesting, but it was always the company line back then of ‘Well, the Harvard-Yale game is the most important game,’” Fitzpatrick told USA TODAY Sports. “But I think as alumni, we are very excited for these kids to get the chance to play in the playoffs – if they earn the right to.” 

Fitzpatrick doesn’t think the possibility of playing in the FCS postseason year in and year out will change much about the rivalry. Harvard will still sell out its stadium once every two years when Yale comes to town.

“It’s a game that we’re always going to talk about, that you’re always going to look forward to,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t know that it’s going to change it much, other than, unfortunately, maybe human nature looking forward to ‘What if?’” 

Now Harvard finds itself in a similar position to reigning Bowl Subdivision national champion Ohio State, which lost its most important regular-season – “The Game” – to Michigan for the fourth consecutive season last year. The Buckeyes, who were seeded No. 8, went on to win it all with an average margin of victory of 14.5 points in the first-ever expanded College Football Playoff in which they won four games. 

Aurich had “OSU” written down when he addressed the team Sunday. 

“They did a great job of not letting that (loss) beat them twice and actually they used that and fueled them and went out dominated people,” Aurich said of the Buckeyes. 

He added: “Representing a lot of people, we take that seriously. I know there’s a lot of eyes to see how we can compete with these teams in the playoffs. I’ve been confident that we would do well if we ever got the opportunity, so we’re just excited about it.” 

How will Ivy League far against FCS powerhouses?

Something Fitzpatrick has always been curious about is how Ivy League teams would stack up against FCS stalwarts such as Montana or Montana State or powerhouse North Dakota State, which has won nine titles since 2011.

Those programs can extend 63 scholarships per season and can dip into the transfer portal, advantages over the Ivy League, which offers no athletic scholarships.

“It would mean everything, to go out and perform as well, and kind of put the Ivy League on the map,” Craig said. “Because I think it’s definitely slept on.” 

Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas of the Cincinnati Bengals was a two-sport star at Princeton. Duke’s Cooper Barkate is a graduate transfer from Harvard who has 55 catches for 895 receiving yards and six touchdowns for the Blue Devils this season. 

Fitzpatrick, arguably the most visible ex-Ivy League player, wants Harvard to schedule a road game against a team from a conference such as the Big Sky, both to serve as a barometer and an exposure opportunity for the team. 

“I think it’s gonna benefit the Ivy League in the sense that people who don’t live in the Northeast are going to have a newfound respect for the type of football that’s played in the Ivy League,” he said of the league’s postseason inclusion. 

Rivalries go by the wayside in the Ivy League’s new status. 

“To me, this is a league thing, where we want our teams that are playing to have success because it’s going to give our league more clout in the future which leads to consistency of two bids or more,” said Aurich, a Princeton graduate who also was an assistant coach at his alma mater.  

Beyond the excitement of the weekend and this being a “wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes,” Harris said this will only aid programs’ recruiting efforts. High schoolers were already picking Ivies, and additional exposure can’t hurt. 

“It’s been wonderful to see the attention paid this week to the Ivy League participating for the first time in the FCS Championship, and I’m sure that’s going to help with our coaches’ (recruiting),” Harris said. “I can imagine that will only improve moving forward.”

ARLINGTON, Texas — Turkey and football weren’t the only things on the Thanksgiving menu at Jerry World.

Desperation was served as a full course.

You can argue over dessert as to whether the most desperate team won or lost.

Officially, though, the Dallas Cowboys toppled the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-28, in a thriller at AT&T Stadium.

How desperate were they?

The Cowboys (6-5-1) needed this one to keep hope alive for the potential of a mad dash to the playoffs. Okay, fellas. Now go win at Detroit. Then just run the table.

The Chiefs can tell you all about the playoffs. It’s just looking more and more likely that they won’t even be in the big dance this time around. With a third loss in four games, Kansas City is 6-6.

Even with the magnificent Patrick Mahomes.

Sure, it sounds crazy. Since he became the Chiefs starter in 2018, Mahomes has never not taken his team to at least an appearance in the AFC championship game.

Now that streak, on top of Kansas City’s run of nine consecutive AFC West titles, seemingly hinges on a miracle.

“You’ve got to win every game now. And hope that’s enough,” Mahomes said during his postgame press conference.

Now that’s desperate.

Mahomes knows. The Chiefs committed 10 penalties for 119 yards, converted on just five of 13 third downs and allowed 457 yards. Desperate or not, it was hardly a winning formula.

“We’ve got to be more consistent at the end of the day,” Mahomes said. “They’re in the same desperation as we are.”

Only the Cowboys’ desperation is now riding with a three-game winning streak. In the matter of four days, Dallas knocked off both participants in Super Bowl 59.

“I can tell you now, we’re not going to get on some high because of that,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “We know we’ve got another one coming next week. All it does is just give us more confidence, knowing we can beat whoever.”

Mahomes, returning to his home state of Texas, sure had the look of a man with a bag full of miracles as he willed the Chiefs with one magical play after another — and threw for four touchdowns.

On a 3-yard touchdown pass to Rashee Rice early in the fourth quarter, he rolled left out of the pocket and under heavy duress zipped a throw across his body into the end zone. Rice leaped to snag it for a score that put the Chiefs ahead, 21-20, with the conversion.

Late in the fourth quarter, Mahomes — missing three of his offensive line starters — stepped out of a would-be shoestring sack by Quinnen Williams, then stumbled as he fled the pocket. He made Donovan Ezeirukaku whiff on a would-be sack, too. Then he heaved a deep pass to connect with Xavier Worthy for a 42-yard completion. It set up a 10-yard TD throw to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown that cut Dallas’ margin to a field goal. Mahomes finished with 261 yards to go with his four scores.

But it wasn’t enough.

By that time, the Cowboys had forced Kansas City to try rallying from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter by putting together back-to-back scoring drives that sandwiched Kansas City’s three-and-out.

Two pivotal moments made the difference between winning desperate and losing.

After Prescott capped an eight-play, 68-yard drive with a 3-yard TD toss to Javonte Williams to put Dallas back in front, 26-21, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer played the percentage and went for two. Prescott hit George Pickens for the conversion in the tight, short corner of the left end zone to make it a 7-point advantage.

On Dallas’ next possession, Prescott found Pickens (6 catches, 88 yards) on a third-down throw to the left flat. After Pickens turned upfield to fight for more yards, Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie punched the football out.

Seemingly out of nowhere, dynamo receiver KaVontae Turpin desperately dove on the football at the Chiefs’ 8-yard line.

Four days earlier, Turpin fumbled to set up the touchdown that extended Philadelphia’s lead to 21-0 in the second quarter.

Now Turpin saved the day for Dallas as Brandon Aubrey’s 26-yard field goal on the next snap proved to be the margin for victory.

“One of the best plays of the game,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told USA TODAY Sports. “It was so instinctive. So brilliant.”

Prescott said of Turpin: “He’s a dog.”

After Kansas City’s final score, Prescott knew what had to happen: Don’t give the ball back to Mahomes. A desperate Mahomes.

The Cowboys finished the game with a eight-play drive that included three first downs, forcing Kansas City to use its timeouts and keeping Mahomes on the sideline.

“You know how great he is,” Prescott said. “It’s on his resume and we’ve seen it before. The Mahomes magic.”

Prescott overcame an early interception and finished 27-of-39 for 320 yards with 2 TDs. With Lamb hauling in seven receptions for 112 yards, Prescott’s star wideouts combined for 200 yards to juice an explosive offense. Another boost came from unheralded backup running back Malik Davis, who raced to a 43-yard touchdown.

Meanwhile, a much-maligned Cowboys defense played, well, desperate. It harassed Mahomes just enough, collecting three sacks and nine quarterback hits.

With no last-minute magic.

And that’s how desperation won and lost.

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting Sunday afternoon and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 13 underway:

AFC playoff picture

1. New England Patriots (10-2), AFC East leaders: Sunday’s narrow defeat of the Bengals gave the Pats the league’s best record, moving them past Denver and into the conference’s top spot. Good chance they hold onto it when they hit their off week. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

2. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Being idle during Week 12 cost them first place in the conference, but you can bet the break was welcome − especially for a team that will need to be close to fully charged for a brutal four-game stretch at the end of its regular season. Remaining schedule: at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-3), AFC South leaders: They’ve dropped two of their past three to fall off the conference pace … and are now only one game ahead of Jacksonville and two better than Houston in the division. The next two intra-divisional matchups should be crucial. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), AFC North leaders: Baltimore’s Thanksgiving loss restores them to first place. A win over Buffalo on Sunday would help a lot more. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: They needed last week off … and Buffalo’s loss granted the battered Bolts improved positioning. Remaining schedule: vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4), wild card No. 2: Wins over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Despite beating the Bolts in Week 11, the Jags check in behind them because LA’s 6-2 record in AFC games gives it precedence in the current three-way wild-card tiebreaker. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

7. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 3: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race in last week’s loss to Houston. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo sits behind the Chargers and Jags in the wild-card seeding. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

8. Houston Texans (6-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four of five, including three in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts while continuing their surge … but the pieces are falling into place for a late charge to the top. Remaining schedule: at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6), in the hunt: Not only will they almost certainly not win the AFC West for the first time since 2015, they could well miss the postseason for the first time since 2014 − Andy Reid’s second year in K.C. And don’t forget they’ve lost to the Broncos, Chargers, Bills and Jags, who are all ahead of them. Remaining schedule: vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

10. Baltimore Ravens (6-6), in the hunt: A sloppy performance against the Bengals cost them first place in the AFC North and a slot in the projected playoff field. Unlike several other squads, the Ravens are also on the wrong side of a head-to-head tiebreaker with Kansas City. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

NFC playoff picture

1. Los Angeles Rams (9-2), NFC West leaders: While Philly owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, it doesn’t matter now that the Rams have the better record in the aftermath of the Eagles’ demise in Week 12. Still, LA has scant breathing room between itself and the Seahawks plus 49ers in the division. Remaining schedule: at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

2. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3), NFC East leaders: Last Sunday’s collapse likely won’t cost them the division. But it did drop them behind the Rams and served as another worrisome potential harbinger for the defending champs. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

3. Chicago Bears (8-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won eight of nine since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. An inferior record (5-2) in NFC games keeps Chicago behind the Eagles. But the winner of their Black Friday matchup will assume sole possession of second place in the conference. Remaining schedule: at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead over Carolina was (barely) restored Monday night, but it might not be worth much if injured QB Baker Mayfield is severely limited on the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (8-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), wild card No. 2: They merely maintained their standing (for now) with their Thanksgiving win at Detroit, but a loss would have dropped them from the field entirely. A thin margin for the Pack to be sure … yet they’ll springboard into first place in the NFC North on Friday if the Bears lose at Philly. Remaining schedule: vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (8-4), wild card No. 3: Not a pretty win Monday night, but the Niners will take it as they solidify their hold on the conference’s final playoff spot. Remaining schedule: at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (7-5), in the hunt: Getting swept by the Packers further entrenches Detroit, which could have moved into a wild-card slot with a Turkey Day win, on the outside of the field. Remaining schedule: vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1), in the hunt: Three wins in a row further fuels playoff aspirations in Big D. Next week’s game in Detroit looms as massive − and potentially must-win − for the Cowboys and Lions. Remaining schedule: at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

10. Carolina Panthers (6-6), in the hunt: The Panthers (still) only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500 after losing in Silicon Valley on Monday night. But Carolina has beaten the .500 Cowboys, who they’re otherwise virtually tied with. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw for four touchdowns, a season high for him.
Lions coach Dan Campbell’s team fell further behind in the NFC playoff picture after being swept by Green Bay.
Detroit receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown left the game early with an ankle injury.

The NFL’s Thanksgiving schedule has seen far more questionable appetizers than the one served up early Thursday afternoon.

For a long time, the Detroit Lions’ appearance on the holiday was treated something like a distant relative’s casserole brought to a family meal: something to be tolerated at best before the tastier options became available. But the Lions’ resurgence has changed the dynamic on Thanksgiving, with the organization now actually having legitimate national appeal. And the 23rd Thanksgiving meeting between Detroit and the Green Bay Packers – the highest total for any two teams on the holiday – had plenty of intriguing subplots given a tight NFC North race.

The Packers’ firepower proved too much for the Lions, as Green Bay prevailed with a 31-24 win. Here’s a closer look at the fallout from the game, with a breakdown of the biggest winners and losers:

Winners

Jordan Love

The consistency still isn’t all there for the Packers’ aerial attack. But it’s hard to pin much of that on Love, who yet again lifted the passing game by blending precision with boldness. He set a season high with four touchdown passes and had 234 passing yards, his most since Week 9. The highlight came on a 51-yard moon ball to Christian Watson to open the third quarter, helping to pad Green Bay’s lead and deflate the home crowd coming out of halftime. But he also closed the door with a 16-yard strike on fourth down to seal the win.

Matt LaFleur

Criticized for a lack of aggressiveness in a few recent stumbles by Green Bay, the coach took a bit more of a backyard football approach into the holiday. LaFleur went for it twice on fourth down in the second quarter and was rewarded with touchdowns on both plays. He also could have punted late but took another page from the Dan Campbell playbook to close the game out with another fourth-down conversion. The running game got going early, but the coach was wise to stick with what was working by letting Love dice the defense.

Dontayvion Wicks

Drops – including nine last season – have derailed the receiver’s bid to become a bigger part of the Packers’ offense. Early on Thursday, however, he managed to get both feet in on a difficult 22-yard touchdown strike from Jordan Love. His hands didn’t let him down on his second score, either, as he managed to reel in a 1-yard grab after breaking free at the goal line. And when Love needed to wrap things up, he once again lofted it up to Wicks, who secured a 16-yard grab on fourth down to deny any shot at a comeback. In all, he led Packers receivers with six catches for 94 yards.

Jameson Williams

The speedy wide receiver was largely overlooked in the first half of the Lions’ season, to the point that coordinator John Morton accepted blame for not getting him more involved. With Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties, however, he’s enjoyed a re-emergence in the passing attack. That trend continued Thursday. With Amon-Ra St. Brown sidelined early by an ankle injury and almost nothing else working for Detroit offensively in the first half, Williams kept the Lions in the game with three catches for 69 yards and a touchdown before halftime. He did plenty of the work himself, like when he eluded Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine on a quick screen and sprinted into the end zone to cut the second-quarter deficit to 3 points. A fourth-quarter drop on fourth down, however, marred a day in which Williams recorded seven catches for 144 yards.

Micah Parsons

After turning up the heat on the first two possessions, the Packers’ pass rush had trouble getting home and forcing Goff off his spot. Parsons, however, helped Green Bay close strong with two sacks on a late fourth-quarter drive, including one that would force Detroit to settle for a field goal. With 2 ½ sacks on the day, he becomes the only player in NFL history to notch at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons. Now just 1 ½ off his single-season high, it seems likely Parsons will set a career best in his new setting. And with his 8 ½ sacks on Thanksgiving tied for the most of any player in history, no one feasts on the holiday quite like him.

Jared Goff

It sure seemed like the Lions quarterback was in for another long day when he went the entire first quarter without a completion. But Goff prevented the game from getting out of hand, playing largely efficient football and throwing two touchdown passes. He managed to do so despite limited contributions from the ground game, with the quarterback’s 24-yard run the longest of the day for the Lions.

Jack White and Eminem

At least we should be able to get past one halftime show without a controversy or culture war. White probably would have been enough of a crowd-pleaser even without Eminem’s cameo, but the rapper’s appearance put the performance over the top for Detroit fans with a healthy appreciation for their homegrown stars.

A classic uniform matchup

Thanksgiving is a time for aesthetic delights, and both the Lions and Packers delivered with their threads. Detroit dusted off their streamlined design of yore: blue jerseys with gray pants and helmets with no logo. Green Bay’s traditional road uniforms completed the timeless feel to the tilt. At a time of year when we’ll see some sartorial showstoppers – including the Ravens’ ‘Purple Rising’ get-ups on Thursday night – it was nice to start the day off with something a little more understated.

Losers

Dan Campbell

Hard to fault the Lions head coach much for this one, as he navigated a tricky play-calling setup amid mounting offensive injuries and an unfavorable matchup. But things are looking really tough for a Detroit team that fell further behind in the NFC playoff picture after getting swept by Green Bay. The next three weeks will bring meetings with the Cowboys, Rams and Steelers. He’ll need some solutions in short order if the Lions hope to even salvage a wild-card berth, with holding onto the NFC North crown looking increasingly unlikely.

Jahmyr Gibbs

One week after posting a career-high 264 yards from scrimmage, the speedy back couldn’t seem to find much of a runway against the Packers. Gibbs had 20 carries for 68 yards and was essentially a non-factor in the passing game. This was the second time this year he was neutralized by Green Bay, a team that’s kept the dynamic all-purpose threat boxed in throughout his career.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

The two-time All-Pro hadn’t let his recent bout of drops get him down. But the ankle injury he suffered Thursday knocked him out of the game. With a showdown against the Cowboys next Thursday, St. Brown won’t get the typical extended recovery time conferred by a mid-week matchup. ‘Campbell said after the game was not ‘long-, long-term,’ but despite how Detroit’s offense fared without him, the Lions can’t be comfortable with the prospect of trying to reproduce these results with their season hanging in the balance.

The Cincinnati Bengals celebrated their 32-14 win Thanksgiving night against the Baltimore Ravens on the field at M&T Bank Stadium with NBC’s Melissa Stark, and they were hilariously awkward as they ate turkey legs and other holiday food.

The broadcast captured an especially funny reaction of long snapper Will Wagner biting into a crab leg and reacting.

‘What just happened?’ NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico joked.

Burrow was named Madden Thanksgiving MVP after lifting Cincinnati to a win in his first game back since suffering a turf-toeinjury during a Week 2 win against Jacksonville.

The broadcast also showed Bengals head coach Zac Taylor’s congratulatory locker-room speech, in which he urged players to ‘take a piece of chicken’ as they accepted game balls.

Tirico and analyst Jason Garrett mocked Taylor for calling it chicken, as the dish was actually turducken.

Social media reactions to the celebration at the end of NBC’s broadcast:

No. 4 Texas knocked off two of the top five teams in women’s college basketball to win the Players Era Women’s Championship on Thursday, Nov. 27 in Las Vegas.

Rori Harmon made the winning jumper with one second left on the clock as the Longhorns defeated No. 2 South Carolina, 66-64, in the tournament final. Texas beat No. 3 UCLA, 76-65, in the semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

‘You invest in your craft, that’s why, in moment (Harmon)’s able to make that shot,’ Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. ‘She’s made it in her mind, she’s actually made it in games.

‘When it comes time for the last shot, it’s always going to be in her hands.’

Harmon, who had six points and nine assists, was named tournament MVP. Madison Booker added 16 points and nine rebounds while Jordan Lee had 19 points for the Longhorns (7-0).

South Carolina (7-1) had four starters in double figures led by Joyce Edwards and Ta’Niya Latson with 16 each.

Texas had 17 points of the bench compared to two points for South Carolina.

What time is South Carolina vs. Texas women’s basketball?

No. 2 South Carolina (6-0) faces No. 4 Texas (7-0) in the Players Era Women’s Championship at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 27, at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

South Carolina vs. Texas: TV, streaming

Date: Thursday, Nov. 27
Time: 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT)
Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena (Las Vegas)
TV: truTV
Stream: Fubo