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🏈 Good morning to all, but especially to …
THE CLEVELAND BROWNS
Walking — and winning — in a winter wonderland. The Browns stunned the Steelers, 24-19, after blowing a late lead, getting it back and then holding on.
- Leading 18-6 about halfway through the fourth quarter, Cleveland gave up 13 points in 1:42.
- Jaylen Warren scored from 3 yards out, Nick Herbig forced a Jameis Winston fumble, and Russell Wilson threw a 23-yard touchdown to Calvin Austin III three plays later. Winston then threw an interception, and all looked lost.
- But it wasn’t. Pittsburgh went three-and-out, and Winston led a nine-play, 45-yard drive culminating in a 2-yard Nick Chubb touchdown. The drive included a huge 15-yard pass from Winston to Jerry Jeudy on third-and-6, Cleveland’s only third-down conversion all game.
- Grant Delpit and Jordan Hicks knocked down Wilson’s Hail Mary attempt.
Cleveland is 3-8. It’s not going anywhere this year. But a win like this reminds us there’s plenty of individual talent — Myles Garrett had three sacks and a forced fumble, Chubb scored twice, and Jeudy was excellent — and reason to believe there could be better days if the team can somehow get quarterback figured out.
👍 Honorable mentions
😠 And not such a good morning for …
THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS
The Steelers’ close-game luck running out here — against a struggling division rival, in brutal conditions, on a short week (again), after a huge win over the Ravens — is especially frustrating. Perhaps more frustrating, stadium security guards had to restrain receiver George Pickens from Cleveland cornerback Greg Newsome II immediately after the Steelers’ failed Hail Mary ended the game.
After not scoring a single touchdown against Baltimore, Pittsburgh needed until the fourth quarter to find the end zone against Cleveland. And even when the offense started scoring, the defense couldn’t get crucial stops.
It’s a tough loss for the Steelers, no doubt, and it also extends their 44-year streak of losing divisional road games played on Thursdays. On the bright side, they’ll get a little bit of extra time to heal up before another challenging divisional game next week at Cincinnati. (On a Sunday.)
👎 Not so honorable mentions
🏈 NFL Week 12 preview, picks
As temperatures dip, NFL playoff races are heating up.
In the AFC, here are three races that intrigue me:
- The No. 1 seed: The Chiefs are 9-1 and in the driver’s seat. But the Bills (8-2) are just a game behind and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to last week’s win over Kansas City.
- Messy wild card picture: The AFC Wild Card picture is crowded. The Broncos hold the No. 7 seed at 6-5. Then come the Colts (5-6), the Dolphins (4-6) and Bengals (4-7), who are barely hanging on but have plenty of offensive firepower.
- The AFC North: The Steelers are 8-3, with the Ravens (7-4) giving chase. Pittsburgh faces a challenging finish that includes the Ravens, Chiefs, Eagles and Bengals twice.
Over in the NFC …
- The No. 1 seed: The Lions (9-1) are a game up on the Eagles (8-2). Don’t sleep on Philadelphia.
- The NFC West: The 6-4 Cardinals are one game up on the 5-5 Rams, Seahawks and 49ers. Yes, the Super Bowl runners-up are last in their own division, with a 1-3 divisional record. Our latest projections have San Francisco missing the postseason.
- Is there room for a rally/collapse?: The Vikings (8-2), Packers (7-3) and Commanders (7-4) are the current wild card teams, and no one below them is above .500. Who will rally? Jordan Dajani ranked the NFC Wild Card contenders.
That leaves a ton of key games this weekend, including the Cardinals visiting the Seahawks. Pete Prisco says …
- Prisco: “The Cardinals are off a bye, while the Seahawks are off a tough, physical victory over the 49ers. That wears on a team. Seattle looked good on defense in that game, but Kyler Murray is playing well right now. He will in this one as the Cardinals win a key division game to stay in first place. Pick: Cardinals 23, Seahawks 20“
While that one’s going on, the 49ers are in Green Bay, but will Brock Purdy be under center? He’s dealing with a shoulder issue as San Francisco’s injury woes continue. The NFC West fun carries into the night when the Rams host the Eagles.
Here are our experts’ picks and best bets:
Pete Prisco | Will Brinson | John Breech | Tyler Sullivan | Jordan Dajani
🏈 Previewing huge college football weekend
Ranked-vs.-ranked games, conference championship implications and potential playoff eliminations? This Saturday has it all, and it’ll start when No. 5 Indiana visits No. 2 Ohio State (preview) to open a loaded slate. The Hoosiers (10-0) have the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense, and the Buckeyes (9-1) have the No. 1 scoring defense, making for a tough pick in Tom Fornelli’s Six Pack. Oh yeah, and then there are the huge playoff implications and the fact that Indiana is never here while Ohio State always is.
There’s also no shortage of drama when No. 6 Notre Dame plays No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium (preview). The Black Knights (9-0) and the Fighting Irish (9-1) are both very much in playoff contention, and if Army wins, the Group of Five deserves multiple playoff teams, not just the one it’s guaranteed should Army and No. 12 Boise State win out, Will Backus writes.
- Backus: “Take conference affiliation out of the conversation and there’s no doubt that a 12-win league champion absolutely deserves a spot over a two-loss Power Four program that didn’t even do enough to make a conference championship game. … Boise State’s strength of record (SOR) currently sits at No. 15 nationally while Army is No. 19, according to ESPN’s FPI metric. Those numbers can tick up over the next couple of weeks with additional wins.”
Debates will certainly rage regardless. With the expanded playoff, there’s more outrage over each and every Rankings, Dennis Dodd writes.
Here’s more:
🏈 Bryce Underwood flips to Michigan, Julian Lewis to Colorado
In a stunning turn, quarterback Bryce Underwood — the No. 1 recruit in the entire 2025 class who has drawn comparisons to Vince Young — flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan, a massive win for Sherrone Moore and a devastating loss for Brian Kelly.
- Underwood, a Belleville, Michigan, native, had been committed to LSU since January. CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson reported the Wolverines put together a $10-million offer to keep him in his home state.
- Underwood is a “Potential franchise signal caller with the ideal blend of size, arm talent and athleticism,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins writes.
- Underwood is Michigan’s first No. 1 overall recruit since Rashan Gary and first five-star quarterback since J.J. McCarthy.
This is a much-needed win for Moore, who hasn’t found an answer at quarterback in his first year succeeding Jim Harbaugh.
It also means Brian Kelly, already on thin ice as LSU stumbles, is in even more dire straits, John Talty writes.
- Talty: “Now LSU’s vaunted 2025 recruiting class, once replete with multiple five-stars, is in danger of being bloodied. … Kelly’s sideline interactions, his reputation for rubbing people the wrong way and now the recruiting arrow pointing in the wrong direction speak to a program in panic mode. … Kelly needed Underwood to be his savior. Time for Plan B. The clock’s ticking.“
Elsewhere in the 2025 quarterback landscape, four-star prospect Julian Lewis committed to Colorado. He’s the Buffaloes’ first blue-chip quarterback commit in the modern era, and it’s a huge boost for Deion Sanders once his son Shedeur leaves for the NFL.
⚾ Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani win AL, NL MVP awards
In just about the least surprising news of the MLB offseason, Aaron Judge won AL MVP unanimously, and Shohei Ohtani did the same in the NL.
- Judge won over Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto. He slashed .322/.458/.701 with an MLB-best 58 home runs.
- It’s Judge’s second MVP award in three seasons, and it’s the 22nd time a Yankees players has won the award, most all-time.
- Ohtani had the first 50-home run, 50-steal season in MLB history for the eventual World Series-champion Dodgers. He beat out Francisco Lindor and Ketel Marte, who cashed out big-time.
- It’s Ohtani’s third MVP; he also won it in the AL for the Angels in 2021 and 2023. Only Barry Bonds (four) has more MVP awards ever.
Even though both players struggled in their much-anticipated World Series meeting (Judge’s postseason issues are well-established; Ohtani played through injury), these were truly remarkable seasons.
Judge is on an all-time run, Matt Snyder writes.
- Snyder: “Judge has now gone over 10.5 WAR twice in the last three seasons. There have only been 18 players in MLB history to top 10.5 WAR in a season, going back to the likes of Honus Wagner and Eddie Collins. Judge is among 10 to have gotten there multiple times … Judge right now is statistically one of the greatest offensive players in baseball history.”
Ohtani, now with a ring, has an impeccable résumé.
- Snyder: “We’ve already seen Ohtani win two MVPs as a two-way player, a first in MLB history. We’ve now seen him win an MVP as a designated hitter, also a first in MLB history. This time around, he did so while carrying the best team in baseball en route to winning the World Series. Are there still any lingering naysayers? There sure shouldn’t be.”
⚽ NWSL Championship preview
The NWSL Championship is tomorrow night, 8 p.m., on CBS, and you won’t want to miss it. The Spirit, led by USWNT star Trinity Rodman, face the Pride, led by Brazilian legend Marta and Zambian star Barbra Banda.
People say defense wins championships, but both clubs have been at the center of a thrilling, high-powered postseason, Pardeep Cattry writes.
- Cattry: “The league’s tactical evolution has led to a diversification of playing styles but during the 2024 season, the teams that have played the most aesthetically enjoyable soccer have come out on top more often than not. That includes this season’s finalists, who have taken different approaches to winning games but have not scrimped on goalscoring, and are unlikely to change that with the league’s biggest trophy on the line.”
I also loved Pardeep’s deep dive on Spirit owner Michele Kang.
📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
🏀 No. 19 Wisconsin vs. UCF (M), 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 NBA Cup: Warriors at Pelicans, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Nebraska at No. 14 Creighton (M), 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 No. 13 Baylor vs. No. 11 Tennessee (M), 9:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 No. 24 UNLV at San José State, 10 p.m. on FS1
🏀 NBA Cup: Mavericks at Nuggets, 10 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 12 Duke at No. 17 Arizona (M), 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday
🏈 No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State, noon on Fox
🏈 Wake Forest at No. 8 Miami, noon on ESPN
🏈 No. 9 Ole Miss at Florida, noon on ABC
🏈 No. 13 SMU at Virginia, noon on ESPN2
🏈 Kentucky at No. 3 Texas, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 No. 4 Penn State at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. on CBS
🏈 No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 No. 16 Colorado at Kansas, 3:30 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 3 USC (W), 4 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Knicks at Jazz, 5 p.m. on NBA TV
🏈 No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 19 Army at Yankee Stadium, 7 p.m. on NBC
🏈 No. 12 Boise State at Wyoming, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 No. 7 Alabama at Oklahoma, 7:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 No. 15 Texas A&M at Auburn, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ NWSL Championship: Pride vs. Spirit, 8 p.m. on CBS
🏀 Grizzlies at Bucks, 8 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Nuggets at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. on NBA TV
Sunday
🏀 No. 22 St. John’s vs. Georgia (M), 11 a.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 Chiefs at Panthers, 1 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Cowboys at Commanders, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Lions at Colts, 1 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 1 South Carolina at No. 5 UCLA (W), 4 p.m. on FS1
🏈 49ers at Packers, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Cardinals at Seahawks, 4:25 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Eagles at Rams, 8:20 p.m. on NBC
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Author: Zachary Pereles
November 22, 2024 | 10:11 am
